Albert Pujols’ Golf Game Takes Center Stage On The Celebrity Circuit

Albert Pujols is a member of several of baseball’s most exclusive clubs, including the 3,000 hit club, 2,000 RBI club, and the three-time MVP club. Last Fall he became only the fourth player to join the 700 home runs club. Since retiring, the slugger is still mashing balls deep into the horizon, only now his towering shots are finding fairways instead of the other side of fences.

The freshly retired Cardinals legend no longer has to squeeze in golf outings around a marathon 162 game MLB schedule in his new role as a special assistant to the Angels under a 10-year personal services contract valued at $1 million a year. The 11-time all-star will be in the field next week at the Invited Celebrity Classic, a PGA Tour Champions event quickly ascending the celebrity golf tournament leaderboard.

When golf fans think of the top of the lineup of celebrity golf tournaments, the American Century Championship in Tahoe, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Lake Nona and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (the grand dame) immediately come to mind.

A newbie on the scene, the private golf and country club owner and operator’s event presented by Choctaw Casinos & Resorts features a $2 million purse for the pros with $500,000 on the line for the celebs. In its debut season both tiers of the competition were settled in sudden death playoffs. Davis Cup Captain Mardy Fish took down Cowboys QB Tony Romo while Scott Parel survived a three-way contest to secure his fourth senior tour victory. They will all be back in the mix next week at Las Colinas Country Club in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Proceeds from the Invited Celebrity Classic benefit the Momentous Institute along with First Tee chapters in Greater Dallas and Fort Worth. Last year the tournament raised over $200,000 to support its non-profit partners with organizers intent on doubling up that tally this year.

The celebrity field is loaded with sports hall of famers with Ivan Rodriguez, Greg Maddux, Emmitt Smith and Brian Urlacher among the notables competing along with a surefire future first ballot pick in Albert Pujols.

“We all sooner or later may hang up our jersey but it’s what you do after. Just using those opportunities now to travel, to spend time with the family and do the things I wasn’t able to do because of the schedule. Now I have my own schedule and can do my own thing,” Pujols said.

While the event only debuted last year, it has become a fast favorite among touring pros like Billy Andrade who had a blast playing with John Smoltz and Annika Sorenstam in the first round last year.

“It’s at the top of my list. It’s so much fun for the Champions Tour players to intermingle with the stars that we grew up watching. Last year’s vibe was fantastic and I know it’s just going to get better and better,” Andrade said, adding that he’s happy to see Albert Pujols join the field. The two played a round together at Michael Jordan’s The Grove XXIII golf club and he was impressed by the 11-time All-Star’s swing.

Baseball, a game Pujols first picked up when he was 5-years-old will always be his first-love but the slugger has fallen hard for golf, a passion he cultivated during his playing years.

“I love the game of golf and try to play as much as I can. My son AJ who graduates next month, he loves the game and wants to go pro and still has a long way to go. To be able to pick up the clubs and hang out with my boy and my kiddos and have fun hitting balls around is just great,” Pujols said.

When he needed to clear his mind, he often found himself hitting the driving range and even fitting in the occasional emergency nine before he had to head to the stadium for batting practice.

“I’d go play nine holes before a game and then go to the game and I’d get two or three hits and then think ‘I need to do this more often,’” Pujols said.

His first ever Pro-Am was years back at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera where he played with Keegan Bradley. Once he got over the first tee jitters, he settled down and really enjoyed the experience and talking golf and baseball with the PGA Championship winner.

While one may be forgiven for guessing that striping the ball with his driver may be the strongest part of the game of a golfer who knocked 703 home runs out of the park in the big leagues, putting is actually his greatest strength.

“It’s something I work a lot at and I enjoy. I can read putts really, really well,” Pujols said, adding that his golf swing almost mirrors his baseball swing.

“I just put the ball on the tee and swing it. I don’t take that much time because I believe the more time I think while over the ball, the more stuff goes through my head. I just address the ball and then swing, try to have a game plan and go with it. It’s not like baseball where I had to write things down about the pitcher, the guy I was facing and watch video,” Pujols said.

Expect to see Pujols pop up in the field on a much more regular basis going forward, he’s going to try to make as many events as he can.