Vero Beach’s Mardy Fish, the former top 10 tennis star, Olympic silver medalist and the current U.S. Davis Cup captain, made sports history at the 3M Open in Minnesota this summer becoming the first player to play and event on both the ATP Tour in tennis and PGA Tour in golf.
Fish, who grew up playing the Sandridge public golf course in Vero Beach, shot rounds of 81 and 74 for a total of 13 over par, which was 12 shots away from his goal of making the cut. However, he finished better than three established full-time PGA Tour pros, Kevin Stadler, who has a top 10 finish at The Masters and a win at the Phoenix Open on his resume, Wesley Bryan, who won the prestigious Heritage Classic five years ago, and former Korn Ferry Tour standout Brandon Matthews.
Born in Edina, Minnesota and a rabid fan of Minnesota sports, Fish was given a sponsor’s exemption into the event, after six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus personally lobbied the tournament on his behalf three years ago.
During a charity event in 2018, he had a chance to play nine holes with Nicklaus, who was amazed at the raw talent of Fish, calling him “The best non-professional golfer I’ve ever seen play” (Read the full article here: http://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/16360)
Although he jokingly labeled himself as a “Country Club Bo Jackson,” Fish actually learned both sports at public facilities, on the tennis courts at Riverside Park and the Sandridge public golf course in Vero Beach, Florida. He returns annually to Vero Beach in January to host his Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Golf Fundraiser at The Windsor Club, where his father Tom is the head tennis pro. The 2023 date for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Golf Fundraise at Windsor in Monday, January 16, 2023.
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