Is Gareth Bale joining PGA Tour? Retired footballer to play upcoming golf tournament

Gareth Bale has announced that he will be participating in the PGA Tour event just two weeks after his retirement from football.

Bale took to Instagram to announce that he will feature in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which will take place during February in California. He has been an avid golfer for a long time, often playing golf during his leisure time.

The Tottenham and Real Madrid legend had recently called time on his club and international career. The former Wales star will be appearing in the $9 million AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am event.

The event will take place from February 2 to 5 and will be a 156-player field event comprising big names like US Open winners Matt Fitzpatrick and Jordan Spieth, as well as Luke Donald.

Gareth Bale will feature among the celebrity cast in California, including actors like Jason Bateman, Bill Murray, and musician Macklemore.

Gareth announced earlier this month that he was retiring from all levels of football after 16 years of International career.

"After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football. I feel incredibly fortunate to have realized my dream of playing the sport I love. It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life. The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me," Bale said in his statement.

---

Gareth Bale's career highlights

Gareth Bale made his debut for Wales in 2006 and has been one of the greatest footballers in the country. The 33-year-old has appeared for the national team 111 times, scoring 40 goals.

Before representing the senior team, he also played for the youth team for a year. He swiftly progressed from debuting in U17 in 2005 to U21 debut in May 2006. Eleven days later, he was in the senior side.

Gareth Bale started his club career with Southampton in 2006 and then moved to Tottenham Hotspur a year later. The turning point in Bale's life came in 2013 when he was transferred to Real Madrid for €100 million, the highest transfer fee at the time.

Bale was with Real Madrid during one of their most successful phases, winning the UEFA Champions League five times along with three La Liga medals too.

In 2022, his contract with Real Madrid ended and he then played for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer last summer.

---

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am details

First played in 1937, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is a PGA Tour professional golf tournament held annually in Pebble Beach, California. The event is usually held during February on three courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, and Spyglass Hill Golf Course.

Entertainer Bing Crosby organized the Pro Am tournament in 1937 and was named Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur till 1985 when the AT&T corporation became the title sponsor of the event. It is currently organized by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.

Last year, Tom Hoge won the AT&T Pro Am, beating Jordan Spieth by a margin of two strokes. Hoge's aggregate score was 19-under-219.