Swimming legend Michael Phelps will tee off this week’s golf tournament, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Michael Phelps, who won four Gold and two Silver medals in the London Olympics 2012 to become the most decorated Olympian of all time, retired from professional swimming after winning the record 22-Olympic medals.
Phelps did it at the right time, as he was at the peak of his career. His fans, on the other hand, might not have liked his decision. They still wanted to watch the American continue thrashing his opponents.
However, good news arrived when the 27-year-old decided to join some of the elite golfers in the world, at this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The European Tour event will start from October 4 to 7, 2012.
Therefore, Phelps said good bye to swimming, but he did not let his inner sportsman die and has decided to keep himself in the world of sports.
He will now join the South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius at the Old Course at St Andrews - Pistorius became the first double amputee to participate in the Olympics this year.
Pistorius is now relishing the opportunity of playing among some of the best players on the European Tour.
Talking to the European Tour’s official website, he stated that it will be a great opportunity for him to join his countrymen in the field.
The reigning Open champion Ernie Els, former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and the former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel have already committed to participate in the event.
“It's a real treat to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. I am a big golf fan and love the game,” Pistorius said.
“I have never played St Andrews, Carnoustie or Kingsbarns before, so playing them in a world-class event is a unique opportunity. There is so much history at St Andrews, every golfer longs to play there”.
“As a South African it will be lots of fun to be playing in a tournament with other great names of the sport from my countr,” he added. “When the invitation came to play, not eve n a holiday was going to stop me”.
Both the will be accompanied with other Olympians such as Sir Matthew Pinsent and Sir Steve Redgrave, who are regarded as the legends in Olympic rowing.
Apart from the Olympians, the Hollywood star Greg Kinnear and renowned drummer Tico Torres, who has worked with the legends of the rock music Huey Lewis and Bon Jovi, will also be featuring in the event.
The tournament will also hold a team even that will feature professional golfers teaming up with amateur players.
Tags: