A Hall of Fame pitcher will participate in the upcoming Cologuard Classic — and not just in the pro-am.
Former Atlanta Braves star John Smoltz has three sponsor exemptions to play on the PGA Tour Champions this year, and he’s using the first one in Tucson.
Smoltz, who qualified for last year’s U.S. Senior Open, will be part of the field for the Cologuard Classic, which is scheduled for March 1-3 at Omni Tucson National Resort. Later this year, Smoltz will play in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic near Atlanta and the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wisconsin.
After a 22-year career in which he won 213 games and saved 154, Smoltz became the lead MLB analyst for Fox Sports. He also works for the MLB Network.
While broadcasting remains his day job, golf has become Smoltz’s obsession.
“I love it,” Smoltz, 51, said during a conference call Tuesday. “I used to hate it. I didn’t understand anything about it. I didn’t think it was a sport, and my gosh, my whole backyard is dedicated to golf. I have nine tees, three greens, and that is where I spent most (of) my time when I was done playing. I am always trying to improve.”
Smoltz craves competition, and the Champions Tour provides a handful of opportunities to compete with himself and some of the best golfers of all time. Smoltz missed the cut at the 2018 U.S. Senior Open, his Champions Tour debut. He won the celebrity portion of last month’s Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, defeating fellow former major-leaguer Mark Mulder by three points under the modified Stableford scoring system.
“I had two dreams in my life,” Smoltz said. “At 7, to play Major League Baseball. Not a lot of people believe that — not when you are a musician playing the accordion in a family of musicians.
“Then when I was mid-30s, I decided I would play until a certain age and start concentrating on competitive golf. I never thought I would be a broadcaster. A lot of things have changed. My desires haven’t, though. I want to see what level I can take golf to. I am not afraid to fail. I am not afraid to expose myself. And I am not afraid of a challenge.”
Smoltz discussed his ties to Tucson, his friendship with Tiger Woods and the state of his game during the conference call. Here’s a portion of that conversation, which has been lightly edited for context and clarity:
Why is Tucson your first stop?
A: “There are a lot of reasons for me. My parents live in Phoenix. ‘Spring Training 30/30,’ which is something I have to do anyways (for MLB Network), that works out great in my schedule. I will be in five different camps the week before, and as soon as my jobs are done, I’ll be at the range to hit balls or play golf.
“I have always loved Arizona. I (had) never been to spring training in Arizona until a couple years ago while working for the network. That is going to be a lot of fun for me. I wish it was next week.”
You’ve played with U of A All-American and LPGA Tour legend Annika Sorenstam. Can you tell the story of how that came to be?
A: “I had the pleasure of playing golf with Tiger Woods quite a bit being in Orlando, where our spring training site was. Any chance I could tee it up with him was a blast. The night before we had scheduled to play at Isleworth, he said Annika is going to play in our group, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is going to be incredible. I am going to play with two of the No. 1 players in the world.’
“I just remember wanting to have this challenge to where I thought maybe I could beat Annika from the same tees, and I told Tiger that I was going to beat her. Of course, he made a big deal about it on the first tee and put the match right out there in the open. Luckily for me that day, I was able to beat her.
“I got more notoriety for beating Annika in golf than (anything) I had done in baseball, it seemed like. Not too much longer (after that) we played again, and she crushed me.
“I got a chance to play with her in the same group in the American Century Championship when they invited her the one year (in 2014). She was the most unbelievable ball striker I have ever seen, especially in the LPGA.
“I just can’t think of a bigger treat (than) to play with the two No. 1s in the respective sports in the same day; it was the first time she had played with Tiger. She was obviously nervous, and she played all the way back at Isleworth, which is not an easy feat.
“I learned a lot watching Annika and Tiger practice. I went to the range with them, and they did some amazing stuff.”
You mentioned Tiger. What’s the background of your friendship with him? Are you still close?
A: “We met at a grand opening at an All-Star Café. He was just embarking on the tour, and we were moving from West Palm Beach to Orlando. So I just literally gave him my number, and I just said, ‘If you are looking to play golf, come to spring training, whatever.’ And we had a pretty good friendship from that point. He hit off me in a simulated game. He took me to Augusta two weeks before the Masters.
“There was about an eight-year period where things went different ways. We … have not played golf in a long time. But I have been able to connect with him. He reached out to me and congratulated me when I qualified for the Senior Open, which was incredible.
“TV doesn’t do it justice when you get a chance to play with Tiger Woods. You see things you just can’t believe.”
Unlike the U.S. Open, the events you’re playing in don’t have a cut. What is the barometer you are using to measure your performance?
A: “I always use, ‘How far up the ladder can I go?’ I don’t care what it is, who it is or where I am playing. To compete is to try to do absolutely your best.
“When I look at this opportunity, I look at it as a stair-stepping thing to get as prepared as I can for the first one. And then to learn whatever I need to learn, any areas that could get tightened up. And then, to the best of my ability, with the time frames I have, do that, giving myself the best chance I can.
“When I tee up the first round, I’m sure there will be nerves, and then I hope to just play golf.
“When I teed it up in the U.S. Senior Open, I did not play golf at any point until the second round because it was such an out-of-body experience. No matter what my past prepared me for, these conditions, this golf course, that atmosphere did not feel normal at all. That is what I think will be different.
“My simplest goal is to release the golf club and let it go. Easier said than done. These guys do it every day. They step up to the first tee, and they are going to do it every time. That is what I want to get closer to.”
