American former tennis pro Mardy Fish will trade the racquet for the driver this weekend, as he becomes the first-ever man to play on both the PGA and ATP tours.
The 40-year-old has received a sponsor’s exemption to take to the course at the 3M Open in Minneapolis, which begins on Thursday.
“No one’s ever played an ATP and PGA Tour event before,” Fish told Tennis.com.
READ MORE: Eye-watering amount ‘cashed up bogan’ Cameron Smith has won
READ MORE: Kangaroos selection tussle causing headaches
READ MORE: ‘Sore losers’ a stain on epic Origin finale
“It’s special that it’s here as well; I was born just down the road. This is certainly a special trip.”
Fish had excelled in celebrity events in recent years, and was once called “the best non-professional golfer I have ever seen play” by the legendary Jack Nicklaus.
“We played nine holes and he drove the ball on every single hole in the middle of the fairway, further than I have seen anybody hit it who is not a professional,” Nicklaus said in a 2018 interview.
“I said, ‘Mardy, what are you doing? You have got a talent and you are young enough to take advantage of it. You need to go play golf.'”
Fish’s most-recent outing was at the celebrity American Century Championship, where he finished in sixth place.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo won the event after a play-off, beating former MLB pitcher Mark Mulder and Dallas Stars NHL forward Joe Pavelski.
Fish won that event in 2020, jumping into Lake Tahoe in celebration.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!