Former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale makes PGA debut just 23 days after retiring from professional football

Real Madrid legend Gareth Bale has made an encouraging start to his golfing career, showing great technique on his PGA Tour debut. The former Welsh captain retired from professional football only 23 days earlier, on January 9.

Bale, who was at Real Madrid between 2013 and 2022, closed Round 1 of his PGA Tour debut at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in strong fashion. The Welshman landed in a bunker on the opening hole. But the amateur golfer kept his cool and showed impressive technique to get out of it. He even had a respectable shot at a birdie, and then commendably tapped in for par.

Bale and his partner Joseph Bramlett (FedEx Cup rank 64) closed with a seven-under-par 65 to tie for 18th place on the amateur leaderboard at the Spyglass Hill course. The Pebble Beach event has two more courses.

The next leg will be held at the Monterey Peninsula course on Friday (February 3), while the final one will be at Pebble Beach on Saturday (February 4).

The two-handicapper endured a bitter end to his trophy-laden football career. He barely played for MLS outfit Los Angeles FC due to fitness issues, and could not help Wales make it out of the group stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Over the course of his club career, Bale won five Champions League trophies and three La Liga titles, all of which came during his time at Real Madrid.

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Real Madrid star Thibaut Courtois lauds referee for protecting “very expressive” Vinicius Junior

Los Blancos, meanwhile, secured a 2-0 win over Valencia in their La Liga meeting on February 2, with second-half goals from Marco Asensio and Vinicius Junior sealing the win. Madrid’s victory at the Santiago Bernabeu saw them move within five points of Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table.

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior has been subjected to rough challenges and racial abuse over the course of the season. While Valencia players did not resort to insulting him, they did try to stop him in his tracks, often unlawfully.

Midfielder Gabriel Paulista needlessly tripped Vinicius Junior in the 72nd minute and triggered a brawl between the two clubs. The referee unhesitantly sent Paulista off with a straight red for dangerous play.

Following the match, Thibaut Courtois lauded referee Javier Alberola for dismissing Paulista, claiming that more referees needed to protect the jet-heeled Brazilian.

"We have to protect Vinicius a bit, he's a very expressive kid, he dribbles a lot and defences don't like that," Courtois told DAZN.

"We need that Vini. In a lot of games he's been kicked a lot. I am happy that the referee had the bravery to send off Paulista. Not just because it's Vini -- if we did that then we would have to be sent off too."

Vinicius Junior has featured in 19 La Liga games for Madrid this season, scoring seven times and claiming three assists.