US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick became the latest professional golfer to praise former Tottenham and Real Madrid footballer Gareth Bale’s skills ahead of the latter’s PGA Tour debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week.

The unique event will feature a host of big names and Bale is among those who will headline the pro-am event. Over 156 professional golfers along with 156 amateurs are set to play across three iconic golf courses in the US – Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

Bale will be one of the many amateurs who will be ready to take on the several high-profile names and candidates at Pebble Beach on Thursday. 

The 33-year-old had announced his retirement from football in January 2023. 

He has enjoyed a stellar career with Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid and won several Champions League as well as La Liga titles with the latter. Moreover, Bale is also Wales’ biggest football icon and led them to qualify for their first ever FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar last year.

In fact, throughout his football career, the Welshman has never hidden his love for golf. He had angered Real Madrid fans on international duty once after posing with a banner that said, ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order.’

Bale has been listed as having a handicap of two, and he has also been paired with former Korn Ferry Tour Championship winner Joseph Bramlett for the first three rounds in California.

US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick, who is also a fan of Sheffield United in football, played nine holes with Bale on Wednesday. The world number 10 praised Bale’s talents with the golf club and mentioned the interactions that they shared.

“It was really cool,” Fitzpatrick said about playing with Bale. “First time I’ve officially met him. So that was obviously good to see him. Really, really enjoyed it.

“Asking him questions about football and he’s asking questions about golf and stuff. We had a really enjoyable front nine and there’s not many better places to do it than around here.”

Fitzpatrick is not the first major winner to have played with Bale. Last week, Fitzpatrick’s Ryder Cup teammate Jon Rahm also played alongside him at the Farmers Insurance Open.

“I told Gareth, you can’t be so good at professional football and golf at the same time, it just doesn’t seem fair. Can’t be dedicated to one thing and have this much talent for golf, it’s not fair in the slightest,” said the world number 2 about Bale.