MLB Hall of Famer John Smoltz pursues golf dreams, advances to PGA Tour Champions Q-School

Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz qualified for the PGA Tour Champions Q-School and advanced to the final round. He qualified for the final round after finishing T14 at Buckhorn Springs in Valrico, Florida.

Smoltz is an avid golfer who has been attempting to obtain a PGA Tour card for a while. He had trouble, though, getting into the competition's first round. In his previous three attempts at the PGA Tour Champions Q-School, he had not achieved a higher finish than T-54.

However, after years of perseverance, he will participate in the qualification round's final match next month. The competition will be at the Champions Course of TPC Scottsdale from Dec. 5 to 8.

Smotlz discussed his golfing abilities in an interview with Golf Magazine earlier this year in May:

"It’s a great way to play longer, right? There’s no doubt you can play golf longer (than other sports). And it’s about the competition — playing against certain people, playing in tournaments.

"Athletically, (the golf swing) is a movement most people who played sports can make, but not everybody can get to the point of hitting the ball the way they want to. It’s something you can never master."

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"That was epic" - Tiger Woods on playing golf with John Smoltz

In an interview with Bleacher Report, renowned golfer Tiger Woods said that John Smoltz is a terrific player to play with. A rapid-fire interview with Woods was posted on YouTube by the outlet earlier this year.

When asked which celebrity he would most like to have played golf with, the American golfer said that he had fun playing with John Smoltz:

"(John) Smoltz, (Tom) Glavin and (Greg) Maddux, they are pitching with the Braves. That was epic. I shot 62, 63 and lost money."

Woods did not mention in his interview about when they competed together. Nevertheless, he noted that three of them were players for the Atlanta Braves, suggesting that they may have played golf together in the late 1990s or early 2000s, as Smotlz, Glavin and Maddaux were Atlanta players at that time.

Tiger Woods had ankle surgery a few months ago, which kept him off the golf course. However, he has announced that he will participate in the 2023 Hero World Challenge, scheduled in the Bahamas from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3.

Woods hasn't played competitively since the Masters earlier this year. During the major, he struggled to stand on the ground and withdrew after playing a few holes in the third round. After a few month's break, he's set to compete in the Hero Challenge.

The 2023 Hero World Challenge features a stellar 20-player field including defending champion Viktor Hovland among others.