This week sees the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the first designated event of the season on the PGA Tour, with a prize pool of 20 million dollars, in which professionals and amateurs share the game. Among the amateurs, popular names such as Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Larry Fitzgerald or Condoleezza Rice stand out. However, the protagonist of our story is none other than Pau Gasol.
While his brother Marc, thousands of kilometres away, is preparing to announce his probable definitive retirement from the courts this afternoon, the elder of the Gasol brothers, a legend of the Los Angeles Lakers and Spanish basketball, will try to demonstrate his golfing skills by playing Thursday and Friday with the Argentine Emiliano Grillo. And he has been preparing for days, including a practice round yesterday in which he was able to share a game with the American Collin Morikawa.
Coincidentally, Morikawa is not only a big basketball fan but has always been passionate about the Lakers. So having the opportunity to share a practice round with him at Pebble Beach has been quite an experience that he not only immortalised with a funny photograph in which the tremendous height difference between them can be seen, but also by explaining to the media what this moment has been like for him.
“It’s amazing, I met him a couple of years ago and we had a great time. We had dinner together last night and I asked him if he was going to play today. It’s very fun to see how much athletes from other disciplines like golf. They get the bug and are eager to play. It was very fun to play together today, with someone I’ve idolised while growing up,” said the good Collin, who is trying to regain his best form.
