By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Mardy Fish’s ATP Tour tennis career may be over, but his pro golf career is just beginning.
Just over four months after ending his pro tennis career, Fish won his first career golf tournament on the pro-celebrity tour Saturday with a win at the Diamond Resorts Invitational in Orlando, Florida. Fish, with his father Tom as his caddie, won the Stableford scoring event with 79 points – 14 points better than former Major League Baseball pitcher Rick Rhoden.
The 34-year-old Fish, who plays golf left-handed (stroking the golf ball as smoothly as he does his two-handed backhand), told Golf Channel’s Tripp Isenhour that he drew from his tennis-playing experience in closing out his victory on the golf course.
“I had some jitters this morning and in the middle of the night last night,” Fish said. “It’s a while since I have won a tennis tournament… in 2012.”
Fish’s golf game was praised during the television broadcast by Golf Channel commentators Lanny Wadkins, the 1977 winner of the PGA Championship, as well as Isenhour, also a former PGA Tour pro.
“He hit it long and straight on every hole and his short iron game was spectacular and he putted extremely solid,” said Wadkins after Fish closed with a birdie on the final hole for the win. Earlier in the round, after making a clutch three-foot putt for par, Wadkins said of Fish and his putting, “He always treats those three foot putts like a second serve…he’s always going to get them in.”
“I like a lot of his game,” said Isenhour of Fish’s game and if he could become a PGA pro. “If he ever wanted to do it, I think the opportunity is there.”
Isenhour’s comments prompted a response from Wadkins, who said, “I do too from what I have seen this week. I agree. It would take a lot of work and whole lot of commitment which may be the toughest thing for him after he’s committed almost his entire life so far to tennis to turn around and do it for golf. It would be huge commitment time wise.”
Fish closed out his win with a birdie on the final hole – his approach shot to the final hole can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7yvbsz-cho
Fish, who has tried to qualify for the U.S. Open in the past – and would earn a rare feat by doing so as explained here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/12210 – said after the win that he loves to play competitive golf but that money and free time would prohibit him for full-on pursuing a PGA career.
Fish will be hosting and competing in a golf fund-raising event for his Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation at the prestigious Windsor Club in Vero Beach, Florida (where is father Tom is the head tennis pro) on Tuesday, Feb. 23 with an 8:45 am shot-gun start for a $500 tax-deductible contribution per player. Interested parties should email Michelle@MFFKids.org for more information. For more information on the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, go to www.mffkids.org
Fish will also still be competing in tennis on the PowerShares Series tennis circuit for champion players. His first event will be April 9 in Charleston, S.C., playing alongside Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and James Blake. For more info, go to www.PowerSharesSeries.com
