August is National Golf Month. While golf may have only been re-introduced to the Olympic Games in 2016, Team USA athletes from an array of sports are known to hit the greens every once and a while. From track and field legend Carl Lewis to iconic soccer star Brandi Chastain, here are 16 athletes who enjoy driving, chipping, and putting.
1) Ray Allen, Basketball
Olympic gold medalist Ray Allen has been a regular on the celebrity golf tournament circuit since retiring from the NBA in 2014, and even hosted his own event to raise money for the Miami-Dade County schools. On the course, he carries a golf bag with all the logos of his previous teams, including UConn. His handicap is below one, and he recently played a round with fellow three-point shooter Steph Curry in July.
2) Charles Barkley, Basketball
While two-time Olympic gold medalist Charles Barkley was known for his rebounding ability on the basketball court, he's known for his unique swing on the golf course. He enthusiastically plays in the American Century Championship every year, but he often fails to put up a competitive score. He told Golf Digest earlier this year, "I'd love to be better, but if I get out there and smoke a couple cigars, I'm good... It's not like it's the worst thing in the world, sucking at golf."
3) James Blake, Tennis
James Blake, who played at the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, is the first of three tennis players on this list and is often spotted at the American Century Championship and charity golf events. He's even taken a few jabs at the golfing abilities of former pro tennis players Amer Delic and Mardy Fish on Twitter.
4) Michael Chang, Tennis
The two-time Olympian is best known for when he won the French Open at just 17 years of age and now coaches Japanese star Kei Nishikori. He's been spotted at multiple pro-am events as well as charity golf tournaments since his retirement from tennis.
5) Brandi Chastain, Soccer
Brandi Chastain has long had a passion for golf since her grandfather introduced her to the game at a young age. She's played in a large number of celebrity tournaments, including a charity event hosted by Michael Jordan, and said it was a "lifelong dream" to play at Pebble Beach when she competed in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2009.
6) Steph Curry, Basketball
While NBA champion Steph Curry has never played in the Olympics, he has won two gold medals for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup. In August, Curry proved his athleticism expands beyond the court when he made his professional golf debut at the Ellie Mae Classic, a Web.com Tour event. Over the past few years, the two-time MVP has been a common sight at celebrity golf tournaments and pro-am events, playing with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Aaron Rodgers, and Tony Romo. Curry also boasts a 0.7 handicap.
7) Oscar De La Hoya, Boxing
In June, Oscar De La Hoya hosted his 17th annual golf tournament to raise money for youth community programs in the East Los Angeles area. He's also played in a variety of pro-am events, including the American Century Championship like many other athletes on this list, and often hits the course for charity events like the Justin Timberlake Shriners Open.
8) Caitlyn (née Bruce) Jenner, Track and Field
In 1976, Bruce Jenner was crowned the world's greatest athlete when he won Olympic gold in the decathlon, and has brought that same athleticism and competiveness to golf. The Olympian, who came out as transgender in 2015, now goes by Caitlyn and still tears it up on the golf course, winning the ANA Inspiration Pro-Am alongside Abby Wambach and pro golfers Danielle Kang and Marina Alex. She plays often at the Sherwood Country Club near her home in Malibu.
9) Derek Jeter, Baseball
Five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter twice represented Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, including as captain in 2009. Since retiring from baseball, the Yankees legend has picked up golf, even playing a round with Tiger Woods in the Bahamas. Jeter hosts an annual golf tournament to benifit his Turn 2 Foundation, and the most recent event in April included Ray Allen, Brandi Chastain, and Bode Miller.
10) Michael Jordan, Basketball
Michael Jordan was first introduced to golf when his college teammate Buzz Peterson went to play a round with Davis Love III, then an All-American golfer for UNC. At the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992, he was known to play a few rounds of golf between the Dream Team's games. The Internet is filled with anecdotes about Jordan on the golf course: how he once bet $300,000 on a single putt, when he trash-talked President Bill Clinton, and how he once showed up to his own celebrity golf tournament in a Carolina blue golf cart emblazoned with the Air Jordan logo. Over 13 years, he raised more than $7 million for charity through his annual golf tournament.
11) Michelle Kwan, Figure Skating
Two-time Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan participated in a pro-am event and joined fellow Olympians Lindsey Vonn and Angela Ruggiero at the KPMG Women's Leadership Summit held in conjunction with the Women's PGA Championship in June.
12) Sugar Ray Leonard, Boxing
Known for swinging his fists, gold medalist Sugar Ray Leonard now swings golf clubs. In February, he joined golfer Adam Scott for the Genesis Open Pro-Am, and has previously competed in the George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic and the Bob Hope Classic. Explaining his love for the game to Golf.com, he said, "I wish I'd found this sport years ago. Golf has made me more solid. More balanced. Other places, my mind races. On the course, my mind is calm, focused, ordered, like it was in the ring. Golf gives me peace."
13) Carl Lewis, Track and Field
While Carl Lewis may be known for his speed on the track, this 10-time Olympic medalist knows how to slow it down and enjoy a few rounds of golf.
14) Dan Majerle, Basketball
Dan Majorle, who won gold with Team USA at the world championships in 1994, was once teammates with Barkley in Phoenix and now shares his affinity for golf.
15) Michael Phelps, Swimming
Michael Phelps has made quite a few appearances at pro am events over the years and even appeared on the cover of Golf Digest in 2012. He was one of eight golfers to represent the USA at the Celebrity Match for the 2016 Ryder Cup. The most-decorated Olympian of all time was also featured on Golf Channel's The Haney Project and has played a few rounds with President Barack Obama. He spent his career in the pool smashing world records, but he's also believed to hold the record for longest televised putt in history when he knocked the ball in from 159 feet out at the 2012 Dunhill Links. Phelps also recently befriended Jordan Spieth, traveling to PGA Championship last week to watch him play.
16) Pete Sampras, Tennis
Since retiring with seven Wimbledon titles, Pete Sampras has translated his tennis skills to the game of golf. His handicap is reported to be between 1 and 2.
