One year after qualifying for a senior major, Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz has accepted sponsor invitations into three PGA Tour Champions events this season.
Smoltz, 51, spent 22 years in Major League Baseball with the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. He retired in 2009 and shifted his focus to golf, where he was already an avid player but has become competitive since turning 50. Now he’ll be able to showcase his skills against the best of the over-50 circuit at the Cologuard Classic in Arizona, March 1-3; the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, April 19-21 near his former stomping grounds of Atlanta; and the American Family Insurance Championship in Wisconsin, June 21-23.
“I got some calls with these opportunities, looked at my schedule, and besides being super excited, looked at how I could fit in. That is exactly what has worked out,” Smoltz said in a release. “I just look forward to the challenge.”
Smoltz will work his tournament appearances around an already full schedule that includes analyst duties with both Fox and MLB Network.
Last year Smoltz won a qualifier playoff to earn a spot in the U.S. Senior Open, where he missed the cut after rounds of 85-77. More recently, he won the celebrity division at last month’s Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions after edging out fellow pitcher and former champ Mark Mulder.
Source: Internet
