HAYWARD, Calif. — Stephen Curry pumped his right fist, raised his arms in the
air with club in hand and gave a firm shoulder bump to caddie Jonnie West, his
golf partner on road trips with the Golden State Warriors.
After three bogeys in five holes of his professional golf debut, a birdie was
worthy of celebration.
There was the animated, confident Steph that NBA fans know so well, the two-time
league MVP finally feeling it and making the tough shots on the challenging
course at TPC Stonebrae while competing in a tournament one step below the PGA
Tour.
With a bogey on the last hole, he had a respectable 4-over 74.
“It was an amazing experience, I’ve been looking forward to this since I found
out and to finally hit my first shot in tournament play was a really, really
nervous moment but it was everything I hoped for,” Curry said. “If you told me I
was going to shoot 74 going into the first round I’d take that all day, every
day. I’m pretty happy with it.”
Curry drew 300-plus fans to the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic, where Hall of
Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice has played a few times in the past.
The star point guard of the champion Warriors high-fived fans between holes on
the picturesque course providing panoramic views overlooking San Francisco Bay,
and he chatted with the other two in his threesome, Sam Ryder and defending
champion Stephan Jaeger. Both will be on the PGA Tour next season.
Curry, who munched on a breakfast sandwich at the green of his first hole,
missed badly on his opening tee shot. The drive landed off a hill and bounced
perfectly into the cup holder of a golf cart.
Not quite as spot-on as those signature pregame tunnel shots at Oracle Arena or
the jaw-dropping, buzzer-beating 3-pointers from way, way back.
“That’s probably a first on the tour. There was a golf cart just left of my
target on hole No. 1 and it went right in the cup holder,” Curry said. “Not an
ideal way to start with calling a rules official over after your first tee shot.
I kind of settled in after that.”
On the 15th fairway, Curry leaned on West, a member of Golden State’s front
office and son of Hall of Famer Jerry West. Jonnie West also is a member at this
course.
Then Curry finished the par-5 15th by sinking a 5-foot, downhill birdie putt. He
made par on No. 16 then survived a tee shot to the bunker and a near stumble
climbing out of the sand on the par-4 18th and made about an 8-footer to save
par.
That prompted a triumphant club tap to his shoe and Curry then held up the ball
sporting a big grin.
“It was awesome,” West said. “He handled the nerves of this being his first time
in this type of atmosphere pretty well.”
Curry began his round on the back nine and when his name was announced on the
tee, “I could barely feel my hands, I had to try to take a deep breath,” he
said.
He made the turn in 2 over.
The top 65 and ties from the 156-player field will make the cut. Curry, playing
on a sponsor exemption and one of three amateurs in the field, was outside the
top 140 and five shots below the cut line as the first round was headed for a
conclusion.
“I want to play better tomorrow. Now that I kind of got the jitters out
hopefully that will happen and hit a couple more good shots and make a couple
more putts,” he said.
With so many cameras clicking, cheers and whistles moments after he struck the
ball and hundreds of supporters in No. 30 shirts and Warriors gear, this was no
doubt a “Strength In Numbers” kind of day.
There would be no balls lost, either. Wherever his shots landed, a big crowd
quickly gathered to get an up-close glimpse of one of basketball’s best. One of
the biggest bargains in the NBA before, Curry was rewarded last month with a
$201 million, five-year contract.
Playing his other sporting passion, Curry got plenty of help along the
7,024-yard, par-70 course. Those with homes along the course gathered in groups
on decks to catch a hole.
On this day, it was Jaeger making a key assist down the stretch. Waiting at the
tee box on their final hole, he took a basketball belonging to 14-year-old Erik
Oswald from Southern California for Curry to sign and delivered it back to the
giddy teen dressed in a chef’s hat who had followed his hoops hero all day.
“Unbelievable gallery out here,” Curry said, “hopefully that continues through
the week.”
