Mardy Fish, Vero Beach’s own former top 10 tennis star, Olympic silver medalist and current U.S. Davis Cup captain, is set to make some sports and tennis history on the PGA golf tour.
Fish will make his debut on the professional golf tour at the PGA Tour’s 3M Classic in Minnesota July 21-24 becoming a rare athlete to play professionally in more than one sport. Fish, who was born in Edina, Minnesota, received a sponsor’s invitation to the event, based on his great success on the celebrity golf tour and his passion for and popularity in Minnesota pro sports circles.
Fish will be joining a field that includes former Masters champions Hideki Matsuyama and Danny Willett, former Open Championship winner Stewart Cink, former PGA Championship winners Jason Day and Jason Dufner, former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and former Players Championship winners Rickie Fowler and K.J. Choi. Television coverage will be on Golf Channel and CBS.
“This guy can play,” said 3M Championship Tournament Director Hollis Cavner of Fish. “He will not embarrass himself. He’s a great golfer and it provides an interesting storyline as we get closer to the tournament.”
During a charity event in 2018, Mardy had a chance to play nine holes with Jack 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). Fish will become the third tour-level tennis player to also compete on the PGA Tour, joining former U.S. and Wimbledon champion Ellsworth Vines and Frank Conner.
Fish annually returns to Vero Beach in January to compete in his Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Golf Fundraiser at the Windsor club. The 2023 event is tentatively scheduled for Monday, January 16, 2023. For more information and to sign-in and sponsor before spots and positions sell out, please contact Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Executive Director Lynn Southerly at LSouth1072@gmail.com
