The five-time Champions League winner has made no secret of his love for all things golf but he still believes1️⃣ he is far away from turning professional despite praise from Rory McIlroy
Former Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale's love for golf1️⃣ is well-documented but it appears any suggestion he might turn professional is wide of the mark for now.
With the Welsman's1️⃣ glittering football career now over, he has been a regular on the golf course as he moves into a different1️⃣ chapter in his life. And he proved his talents are not limited to the pitch as he took part in1️⃣ the BMW PGA Celebrity Pro-Am. Arriving at Wentworth with an handicap of 0.5 - showing he has been working on1️⃣ his swing - Bale caught the eye as he was joined by household names such as Rory McIlroy, Jermaine Jenas1️⃣ and JP McManus.
In fact, four-time major champion McIlroy seemed very impressed with the former Tottenham winger, who was proving very1️⃣ adept at the DP World Tour event. In his dulcet Northern Irish tones, he was heard praising the retired footballer1️⃣ for his efforts after his opening tee-shot.
Seemingly pleasantly surprised by the former Wales talisman's connection, he said: "Good strike! That's1️⃣ OK there". In a memorable moment, the world-famous pair then shared an approving smile before Bale's former Spurs teammate Jenas1️⃣ took to the tee.
Despite his excellent showing in front of golfing royalty, it does appears that the five-time Champions League1️⃣ victor still feels he has a lot to learn when it comes to his second love. In an interview with1️⃣ Uproxx, the 34-year-old explained that he still feels far off professional standard.
He explained: "There’s a big difference, don’t get me1️⃣ wrong. But they really just think their way around the course, they don’t make those silly mistakes, when they hit1️⃣ a bad shot, they hit a bad shot into the correct spot, they just get up and down from everywhere.
Image:1️⃣ Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
"The focus they have, you can see it in their eyes, they’re just so focused1️⃣ with every shot. I feel like, for example, with me, an amateur, I can easily hit a couple of good1️⃣ shots and think I’m better than I am, and then come crumbling back down to earth, and then I have1️⃣ to grind again.
Showing the kind of relentless spirit that saw Bale rise from the youth ranks at Southampton to become1️⃣ one of the best players in the world, he still is backing himself to improve. With more time on his1️⃣ hands after hanging up his boots, it is clear that he is willing to put the hours in to get1️⃣ better.
He added: "So, just seeing, I guess, the practice they put in, obviously they put themselves in position where they’re1️⃣ gonna keep playing while not making too many mistakes. Something now that I would love to do more that I1️⃣ have the time is to practice and try and get better and try to achieve a better handicap."
