Smith went right to the NBA after high school, so he missed out on the college experience. Perhaps it brought some pressure on the other two guys, but clearly not enough as Rabadan shot 65-66 to lead the event by four. He made his collegiate debut at the Elon Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club in Burlington, North Carolina, after qualifying for the team by one stroke. A lot of hard work went into that s--- you know Monday through Friday eight to eleven, sometimes longer, straight schoolwork. Smith, a Smith had the sixth-best score out of six players on his team. In January, Smith signed with Excel Sports Management for NIL representation. Its going to be fun. Smith skipped going to college and went straight from high school to the NBA in 2004 but said he began thinking about going to college during a trip to the Dominican Republic with Hall of Famer Ray Allen. It is no surprise he has penned NIL deals, as Smith has grown in popularity as a college golfer Love bro https://t.co/gqwOLnlcdw. Perhaps best of all, however, is how much it clearly means to Smith. All three players will return for repeat runs in L.A., including championships for Howard (2020) and Ariza (2009). Playing for a score as opposed to just playing for your ego and pride. Pulling up to the range at my first college tournament! Start the Golf Season off right with InsideGOLF ($100 value - just $20). Smith has documented his time in college and has been open about studying, getting his schoolwork doneand all the stresses that come with college work. "I can't even describe the feeling," he said. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Worlds most famous college golfer J.R. Smith gets emotional after earning 4.0 GPA in first semester, diving headfirst into the world of higher education. Zak is a writer at GOLF Magazine, currently working on a book about the summer he spent in St. Andrews. 6-keys: media/spln/golf/reg/free/stories, at On Aug. 24, just a day after starting classes, he was cleared to play golf for the Aggies.Source: Casey Musarra @ New York Post, Front Office Sports: North Carolina A&T;s Academic Athlete of the Year, with a 4.0 GPA: JR Smith, Mens Golf (: @Turkin35) -via Twitter / April 26, 2022, The news comes a week after apparel brand Lululemon signed Smith to be its golf ambassador through a name, image and likeness deal. 6:33 AM EDT, Tue October 12, 2021. The athlete known to hoops fans as JR Swish is the first male golfer to sign a brand ambassador deal with Lululemon. As for Smiths college golf career, that remains to be seen. Smith been tweeting all kinds of revelations since his first week on campus. pic.twitter.com/WlCNZ8cCvk, followed @TheRealJRSmith for the first five holes today in his first tournament as a member of the @NCATAGGIES Golf Team. You can read about those travels here and catch his latest thoughts on the Drop Zone Podcast: Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart | PodBean, GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine are published by EB GOLF MEDIA LLC, a division of 8AM GOLF, Heres how J.R. Smiths first college golf tournament played out. The third and final round will get underway at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. He even won two championships in the twilight of his time on the court, first with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and then four years later in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers. And while it perhaps did not lead to the scorecard Smith wanted on Monday, it's fantastic that somebody so accomplished on one discipline is entering the arena in another one. J.R. Smith, the 35-year-old retired NBA champion, officially got NCAA approval to play college golf at North Carolina A&T on Monday. Until then, Smith will be busy juggling school work most of his courses are online currently and working on his golf game. All Rights Reserved. 18. JR Smith had a big, bright personality during his 16-year NBA career. But Smith isnt doing this only to play golf, hes just as interested in focusing on his studies while at NC A&T. WebGet the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about guard JR Smith on ESPN. Now, in his second semester at the HBCU, the two-time NBA champion is already earning accolades in the classroom. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Wednesday night's slate. -via ESPN / April 26, 2022, LeBron James: YESSIR @TheRealJRSmith !! 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When you're not used to going to school and doing all that s---, ahh man freshman year you don't think you can do it, you always hear about your disabilities.". But its still as nerve-racking as shooting a free throw in front of 5,000 instead of making a 5-foot putt in front of three. For those thinking Smiths time in Greensboro is a publicity stunt or that the former NBA star is taking someones place, dont get it twisted. Now he is back in the classroom on his way to earning a degree. BURLINGTON, N.C. (AP) J.R. Smith stepped into a hornets nest in his first college golf tournament and it had nothing to do with his high score. The 36-year-old two-time NBA champion was literally stung by hornets while completing his round Tuesday for North Carolina A&T on the second day of Elons Phoenix Invitational. "It's so fun," Simpson said of coaching. Ex-NBA player JR Smith shot a 12-over-par 83 in Round 1 and then a 7-over 78 in Round 2 for North Carolina A&T at Elon's Phoenix Invitational. He played cleanly enough toward the end to finish with a 78 to move up the a couple spots on the leaderboard. If you havent been there, youre not a golfer. JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) August 22, 2021, My first deadline is at midnight pic.twitter.com/Za7n4XDQ1j, JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) August 23, 2021, For me, because I have a wild imagination, its going to be very interesting, Smith said. 9M; The 2-time NBA Champion is now a freshman walk-on for the North Carolina A&T mens golf team.. Smith said he has a 5 handicap and started playing golf 12 years ago with the encouragement of late NBA great Moses Malone. The Aggies first golf match comes Sept. 24-25 at the Black College Golf Coaches Association Invitational in Newnan, Georgia. Favorite part of JR Smith's college debut is that he looks damn good doing it. Golf is a vulnerable game, playing with a bunch of college kids probably even more so. Its not even a week yet but as I get into it, I keep getting eager to learn more, and join study groups and try to understand and try to really embrace the lifestyle, Smith said. Its not Rose Zhang at Stanford or Pierceson Coody at Texas, two of the best college players on the planet. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: golf | pageType: stories | He also hoped to play on the golf team, but approval from the NCAA regarding the 35-year-olds eligibility was the final hurdle he had to navigate. In college golf, teams drop one of five scores, and his was the lowest both times. The 16-year NBA veteran who skipped college basketball, won two world championships and made millions is now a freshman walk-on for the North Carolina A&T section: | slug: j-r-smith-shoots-83-78-in-college-debut-for-north-carolina-a-t-at-elon-phoenix-invitational | sport: golf | route: article_single.us | Published Paolo Banchero leads the way as the Kia Rookie of the Year chase begins to head for the finish line. I ain't gonna lie. I didnt really know what to expect., Despite Smiths up-and-down rounds, former teammate and NBA superstar LeBron James expressed his admiration for the debutant golfer. Learning how to play from the rough in certain areas. He remained in the middle of the leaderboard through the front nine at one over par. Proud of you Kid!!! Smith blames all parties involved, from Rodgers to Gutekunst to coach Matt LaFleur. On Dec. 14, Smith took to social media to share he had achieved his goal of earning a 4.0 grade-point average. Smith hung in there strong for 10 holes, and was in the middle of the pack on the leaderboard at just one over before things took a turn for the worse. How about during freshman year? Smith made six consecutive bogeys, finally breaking that streak with a double bogey on the 3rd hole (his 17th) before finishing off with another bogey to shoot a 10-over 81. I dont know if the professor is prepared for that, and Im obviously not the average freshman. Smith-Njigba is coming off a season in which a nagging hamstring injury limited him to five catches total, but he led Ohio State in catches (95) and yards (1,606) in 2021. The grip on the club changes, and we get to see who you really are.. If you want to find out how good a golfer really is, put the word tournament or money in front of the round. The diamond patch celebrates the NBA turning 75 as well as the past, present and future of the game. Thats right. By Joel Beall. FantasyPros considers the best player values for DraftKings and FanDuel NBA DFS. J.R. Smith just aced his first semester of college, posting a perfect 4.0 GPA. Fred Couples LIV dig, Tom Brady and Tony Finau tee it up at Seminole | Rogers Report, PGA Tour makes big changes to 2024 designated events, including smaller fields and no cuts, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, Meet the new GOLF Top 100 Teachers of America, Rory McIlroy reveals how Tiger Woods influenced recent driver switch, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. RELATED: J.R. Smith says he watches Golf Channel instead of the NBA Playoffs. Playing when there is nothing on the line is one thing. "Hopefully they're learning some things and I don't mess them up.". Here are your options. Ex-NBAer turned college golfer JR Smith named North Carolina A&T's Academic JR Smith analyzes his yardage book during his first collegiate golf tournament Monday. The athlete known to hoops fans as "JR Swish" is the first male golfer to sign a brand ambassador deal with Lululemon. Smith -- who won titles with LeBron James in 2016 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers -- credited a conversation with Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen as the catalyst for his decision to petition the NCAA to be eligible to play. Had a pair of birdies, a great chip and stuck his approach on No. WebGolfstat Live Scoring Dorado Beach Collegiate Feb 26 - Feb 28 2023 Team Leaders This tournament has not yet started Full Leaderboard Loyola Intercollegiate Loyola Maryland Palm Valley Golf Club Goodyear, , AZ Feb 26, 2023 - Feb 28, 2023 Men Natural State Golf Classic Harding University 'S so fun, '' Simpson said of coaching Sports Management for NIL representation,. The first five holes today in his first week on campus playing for a score as opposed just! 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