Australian athlete golf handicaps, which cricketers, AFL, NRL stars are good at golf? Broadcast schedule

This 12 months marks the primary time the Masters will probably be broadcast dwell and unique on Fox Sports activities, out there on Kayo Sports activities and Foxtel. Full broadcast particulars right here.

It’s the opposite sport some elite Australian athletes would even surrender their day jobs for.

Some 3.8 million Aussies performed golf final 12 months, with the Covid pandemic sparking a participation increase that continues to achieve steam.

Many have caught {the golfing} bug, and professionals of different sports activities are undoubtedly not immune.

“To be trustworthy, I like enjoying golf as a lot as I like enjoying footy,” says GWS Giants gun Lachie Whitfield, a single determine handicapper and one of many many footy stars obsessive about golf.

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“… (Being a golf professional). Mate, I might try this with no shadow of a doubt.”

As would veteran Canberra Raiders prop Josh Papali’i.

“100%. And I nonetheless assume I’ve an opportunity of going professional,” the spectacular 7-handicapper solely half-jokes.

Aussie girls’s cricket captain Alyssa Healy — remarkably enjoying off 2 regardless of the game “not being that top on my precedence checklist” — additionally loves it fiercely, however for various causes.

“I like the social facet of it greater than anything,” she mentioned.

“… I’m going out each week with a distinct group of girls or males .. I’m getting a bit bit aggressive. I’m being lively, within the solar, and social on the similar time. These three facets do it for me.”

Aussie {golfing} icon Paul Gow — who has hosted greater than 100 sports activities stars and celebrities on his widespread Getting a Spherical In present — reckons golf presents the right storm for the aggressive athlete.

“They’ll by no means beat it,” he says. “It’s like all golfers, you hit one good shot, and also you assume you are able to do it many times. It sucks you in.

“They heat to it and it provides them down time. Golf’s an exquisite sport as a result of it provides you a stroll and successful, and the social aspect of enjoying with your folks.

“They love competitors however the social facet of it they love much more.”

To rejoice the 83rd version of the Masters — and the primary to be broadcast completely in Australia — we explored what golf means to a few of the stars of Australia’s different codes.

MASTERS TEE TIMES: What time each Aussie begins their spherical tonight

AUSSIE YOUNG GUN LEADS BIG SHOW, HEALY

Maybe most unsurprisingly given the crossover expertise concerned, a lot of Australia’s high cricketers are additionally very helpful golfers.

Glenn Maxwell’s ‘Massive Present’ repute has carried onto the course however his scintillating 1.8 handicap has been surpassed in current instances by a brand new {golfing} king within the Australian arrange — Jake Fraser-McGurk.

Rumours of the 22-year-old’s freakish abilities had been confirmed to foxsports.com.au by a dependable supply this week who reported the explosive opener is at present on the cusp of enjoying off scratch at 0.1.

Australian males’s skipper Pat Cummins has been an enormous mover, the relative latecomer to golf slashing his handicap from round 20 not so way back to a formidable 5.6 whereas all-rounder Beau Webster (6.5) has shortly made his mark on Aussie cricket’s {golfing} scene.

Healy’s gradual push in the direction of turning into a scratch golfer is probably probably the most outstanding given she finds little, if any, time to observe exterior of enjoying rounds.

However she’s certainly benefited from the competitiveness in her common battles with husband Mitchell Starc — himself a unbelievable golfer enjoying off 7.5.

Healy could have gained 5 of the previous six ‘Stealy Cups’ — the annual battle between the pair that runs all year long — however the Aussie skipper believes her husband’s sport can also be trending upwards.

“It’s been very shut. Final 12 months I simply pipped him within the final spherical so it’s extremely aggressive,” Healy mentioned.

“He’s truly an excellent golfer however simply lets himself down a bit bit across the greens. I reckon as soon as he will get a bit extra time at residence and rhythm into his golf I really feel like he’ll come down fairly shortly.

“He’s absolutely conscious that my handicap has been so much decrease than his for a protracted time period so it’s nothing new to him”, she provides with a cheeky giggle.

“And look, there’s at all times a beer on the finish of the spherical, so regardless of how aggressive it will get — even when it’d take quarter-hour to relax — it’s at all times pleasurable.”

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There’s, after all, a wealthy historical past relating to gifted Aussie cricket golfers.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting as soon as performed off a handicap of +3 amid recommendations he may have been a professional golfer — a legend that solely grew along with his spectacular displaying eventually month’s New Zealand Open Professional-Am.

AUSTRALIAN CRICKET GOLF HANDICAPS

Jake Fraser-McGurk – 0.1

Glenn Maxwell – 1.8

Alyssa Healy – 2.0

Daniel Vettori (assistant coach) – 3.6

Andrew McDonald (coach) – 3.7

Pat Cummins – 5.6

Matthew Renshaw – 5.9

Beau Webster – 6.5

Scott Boland – 7.1

Mitchell Starc – 7.5

Josh Hazlewood – 10

Usman Khawaja – 9.2

Alana King – 12

Mitchell Marsh – 12.7

Nathan Lyon – 14.6

FOX CRICKET TALENT HANDICAPS

David Warner – 3.2

Michael Vaughan – 8

Mark Waugh – 8

Brendon Julian – 8.9

Allan Border -13

Brett Lee – 18

‘SERIOUSLY AS COMPETITIVE AS FOOTY’

Golf may be very a lot a part of the material within the footy world too, with single determine handicappers — and hackers who simply love the sport — littered across the league.

The champion Brisbane Lions squad has round 15 eager golfers, from sharpshooters Dayne Zorko (8.1), Charles Cameron (10.3), Jarrod Berry (10.3) and Will Ashcroft (10.4) to excessive handicapper Luke Lloyd.

The Sydney Swans have as many Golf Australia-registered gamers and, remarkably, also have a golf simulator at their coaching base.

There are some severely good AFL golfers too with Gow score Hawthorn’s Mitch Lewis, a one handicap, as probably the greatest athletes he’s had on his present.

“What a golf swing. What a participant,” Gow mentioned.

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Whitfield, 30, is among the many many who absolutely jumped into golf across the time of the Covid pandemic and he hasn’t regarded again, grinding away at his handicap which is now right down to a formidable career-best 7.8.

“I’ve misplaced all my {golfing} mates although … Nick Haynes was the most effective on the Giants earlier than he went to Carlton and I used to be enjoying with Isaac Cumming who went to the Crows,” Whitfield mentioned.

“Harry Himmelberg in our four-ball simply had a child so I’m stretched out of mates for the time being however I’ve been enjoying with a couple of of the younger boys of late and it’s been good enjoyable.”

The previous No.1 Draft decide is amongst those that fantasises what a professional golf profession would have been like.

“The very fact they get to journey the world … We pay out of our a*** to play golf in any respect these good programs they receives a commission to be there. I might love that.

“I like golf … I watch heaps of golf .. and I give it some thought — the day earlier than I play I get excited, like I might for a sport. It takes up loads of my life and my spouse’s not tremendous glad about it however she nonetheless lets me get on the market fairly usually

“You journey the highs and also you hate the lows, it’s severely as aggressive as footy however at the least you recognize when you stroll of there and also you play s*** it’s your individual fault, you possibly can’t actually blame anybody else aside from your self. It’s a pleasant little psychological grind.”

SELECTED AFL GOLF HANDICAPS

BRISBANE LIONS

Dayne Zorko – 8.1

Charles Cameron – 10.3

Jarrod Berry – 10.3

Will Ashcroft – 10.4

Hugh McCluggage – 11.7

Cam Rayner – 12.2

Zac Bailey – 13.3

Darragh Joyce – 13.5

Kai Lohmann – 13.7

Harris Andrews – 15.7

Shadeau Mind – 16.2

Conor McKenna – 16.7

Eric Hipwood – 16.8

Darcy Gardiner – 17.2

Luke Lloyd – 29.7

GOLD COAST SUNS

Touk Miller – 4.6

Tara Harrington (AFLW) – 7

Ben Ainsworth – 7.8

Nick Holman – 9.9

Sam Flanders – 11.9

GEELONG CATS

Jeremy Cameron 3.7

Jack Bowes 5.4

Cameron Guthrie 7.7

Brad Shut 8.7

Tom Stewart 10.7

ADELAIDE CROWS

Jordan Dawson 5

HAWTHORN HAWKS

Mitch Lewis — 1

NORTH MELBOURNE KANGAROOS

Bailey Scott 7

Cam Zurhaar 11

MELBOURNE DEMONS

Steven Might 4.5

Jake Bowey 7.7

Judd Mcvee 8.2

GWS GIANTS

Lachie Whitfield – 7.8

Keiran Briggs – 8.5

Conor Stone – 14.1

SYDNEY SWANS

Matt Roberts — 4

Errol Gulden — 7.3

Ben Paton- 8

Chad Warner- 8

Robbie Fox – 12.6

CARLTON BLUES

Ollie Hollands — 5

COLLINGWOOD MAPGIES

Jeremy Howe — 4

Steele Sidebottom — 8)

Finlay Macrae — 9

FOX FOOTY TALENT HANDICAPS

Jon Ralph – 5.5

Matthew Pavlich – 10

Ben Dixon – 11

Alastair Lynch – 13

Dwayne Russell – 14

Adam Simpson – 17

Nathan Buckley – 18

Anthony Hudson – 18

BIG MEN WITH BIG GOLF GAMES

The NRL can also be a hotbed {for golfing} expertise and love, and forwards are somewhat-surprisingly outstanding on the checklist, proving golf doesn’t discriminate relating to dimension.

Veteran 110kg ahead Papali’i performs off 7.3 and isn’t the one prop in single figures, with North Queensland’s 116kg ahead Coen Hess a really sharp 6. Gold Coast’s Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Parramatta’s Junior Paulo are different league huge males recognized to be extraordinarily tidy golfers.

Papali’i says he learnt from the most effective in former Raiders teammate Jordan Rapana, who performed off 2.

“If you’re enjoying with Rapa you decide up this expertise that’s referred to as dishonest … a couple of foot wedges alongside the best way,” jokes Papali’i.

“No, consistency (has been the important thing to reducing the handicap). My driving is fairly constant, however my irons want work and placing is rarely there.”

Massive-time NRL playmakers like Kalyn Ponga (7), Adam Reynolds (single figures), Nathan Cleary, Ryan Papenhuyzen (11) and Cameron Munster (12) are others who like to hit the course — the freakishly gifted Ponga was as soon as even topped the under-13 golf champion of New Zealand.

Rising Eels star Ryley Smith is also an avid golfer, spending his time away from the sector enjoying programs spanning throughout the Blue Mountains, Penrith and Parramatta areas, coming off a strong handicap of 6.1.

However the brand new child on the rugby league {golfing} scene is Wallabies convert Carter Gordon who is alleged to play off scratch and has shocked a few of his new Gold Coast Titans teammates since arriving.

“It’s wonderful he went round in -4 the opposite day,” teammate AJ Brimson revealed to foxsports.com.au earlier this 12 months.

“I informed him I assumed he should have been dishonest but it surely was a comp so another person scored him. So he’s a really, excellent golfer.”

NRL 360 host Braith Anasta as soon as flirted with knowledgeable profession, even participating within the 2011 NSW PGA Championship, whereas Fox League’s Bryan Fletcher caught {the golfing} bug post-career, wishing he took it up in his enjoying days however now enjoying as soon as per week and lately reducing his handicap to 17.

“Nevertheless it must be 1117,” he says.

SELECTED NRL GOLF HANDICAPS

Carter Gordon (Titans) – 0

Wayde Egan (Warriors) – 3

Coen Hess (Cowboys) – 6

Thomas Duffy (Cowboys) – 6

Ryley Smith (Eels) – 6.1

Josh Papali’i — (Raiders) – 7

Kalyn Ponga (Knights) – 7

Valentine Holmes (Dragons) – 8

Nick Meaney (Storm) – 8

Chad Townsend (Roosters) — 8

Jackson Ford (Warriors) – 9

Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm) – 11

Cameron Munster (Storm) – 12

Tom Starling (Raiders) – 12

Scott Drinkwater Cowboys) – 14

Sam McIntyre (Cowboys) – 14

Joe Tapine (Raiders) – 14

Corey Horsburgh (Raiders) – 15

Jake Clifford (Cowboys) – 15

FOX LEAGUE TALENT HANDICAPS

Warren Smith – 3

Braith Anasta – 5

Michael Ennis – 11

Greg Alexander – 12

Bryan Fletcher – 17

As for the most effective crossover athletes Gow has seen in any code?

There have been honourable mentions for Scott Draper —the tennis star who truly did develop into knowledgeable golfer — Pat Rafter, George Gregan and not-an-Aussie however browsing legend Kelly Slater (“He’s like a one-handicapper”).

“However the most effective ever is (cricketer) Greg Blewett. He’s by far the most effective golfer amongst different sports activities individuals I’ve come throughout.”

The one place to observe the 2025 Masters LIVE is on FOX SPORTS, out there on Kayo Sports activities and Foxtel.

Broadcast schedule

Major Broadcast

Thursday 10 April: Par 3 Contest — 0400 – 0700

Friday 11 April: Spherical 1 — 0500 – 0930

Saturday 12 April: Spherical 2 — 0500 – 0930

Sunday 13 April: Spherical 3 — 0200 – 0900

Monday 14 April: Last Spherical — 0200 – 0900

Dwell From The Masters

Tuesday 8 April: 0400 – 0700

Tuesday 8 April: 0900 – 1100

Wednesday 9 April: 0900 – 1100

Thursday 10 April: 0800 – 1100

Friday 11 April: 0930 – 1130

Saturday 12 April: 0930 – 1130

Sunday 13 April: 0900 – 1100

Monday 14 April: 0900 – 1100

Amen Nook (additionally out there in UHD)

Friday 11 April: Spherical 1 — 0045 – 0800

Saturday 12 April: Spherical 2 — 0045 – 0800

Sunday 13 April: Spherical 3 — 0145-0800

Monday 14 April: Last Spherical — 0145 – 0800

Featured Teams

Friday 11 April: Spherical 1 — 0030 – 0500

Saturday 12 April: Spherical 2 — 0030 – 0500

Sunday 13 April: Spherical 3 — 0000 – 0200

Monday 14 April: Last Spherical — 0000 – 0200