Golf was always Gareth Bale’s passion away from football – controversially so during his latter years at Real Madrid – and his involvement in the sport is now growing
Gareth Bale has joined Steph Curry’s ‘Underrated Golf’ as an ambassador for its inaugural European Tour in his latest venture since retiring from football.
Bale, 34, hung up his boots after captaining Wales at the 2022 World Cup. The five-time Champions League winner was renowned for being a keen golfer during his playing days, infamously celebrating behind a flag featuring the slogan “Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order” after the country qualified for the 2020 European Championship.
After his hobby caused controversy during his latter years at Real Madrid, Bale has played up to it ever since. Even before retiring, he became a global ambassador for The R&A and is now taking up another role within the sport.
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Weeks after being courtside at a Golden State Warriors game in Los Angeles and receiving a signed jersey from NBA superstar Curry, Bale is joining the player’s golfing venture. He also teased the move at the time.
Sharing a photo on Instagram of himself and Curry exchanging the jersey courtside, Bale captioned the post: “What a night watching these guys play up close. Great to see you [Stephen Curry] Excited for what’s to come!”
He punctuated the caption with a golf swing and basketball emoji alongside the hashtag: “Underrated”. In the second photo shared, Curry is wearing a black cap that bears the Underrated logo while standing beside Bale. After two years of hosting tournaments for junior golfers in the United States, Underrated is expanding into Europe.
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Bale joins former Ladies European Tour player and Sky Sports presenter Henni Koyack as an ambassador. In that role, he will recruit athletes to play their tournaments while offering guidance and support.
Advocating for junior golfers is an area he has previously worked in with Wales Golf as host of the Gareth Bale Festival of Sport and Golf Championship. Bale is on board at Underrated Golf in time for their first event in Europe at Walton Heath Golf Course in May.
“It’s an honour to join Stephen Curry and his Underrated Golf European Tour as ambassador as they expand their presence internationally this year,” Bale says in a press release.
“I’ve admired the work the tour has done in the U.S. to grow the game of golf, a sport I love and believe in the vast opportunities it provides.
“My role as an ambassador allows me to fuse my enthusiasm for the sport with my passion for creating multi-faced sports opportunities for youth within Wales, and I look forward to seeing the young athletes’ skills when they step out on the greens at Walton Heath this May.”
The regional tournament on the outskirts of London will span two days and is a 36-hole stroke play event. It will feature 96 players aged 12 to 18 coming from across the continent, split evenly between boys and girls divisions. Two trophies will be up for grabs, and the winners will advance to the Curry Cup Tour Championship in early September.