Bringing Steph Curry to the Ellie Mae Classic was a great thing to do.
The two-time MVP in the NBA showed he has game, a lot of game for an amateur who plays a lot less golf than most accomplished amateurs.
Steph shot 74-74 for his 36-hole appearance. You had to shoot three-under par to make the cut. He didn’t come close but he certainly didn’t embarrass himself either.
He tied Frank Lickliter, who won twice on the regular PGA Tour.
He rallied late Friday. After going four-over for his first nine holes, he shot even par coming in. Nice.
He drew crowds and goodness knows the Web.com Tour can use some extra spectators.
Sure he was nervous, but the kid did well.
Social media was blowing up and a lot of big names in golf took notice as well.
Jason Day did.
“To be honest, I think it’s pretty special for a two-time MVP to be able to shoot 74 at a pro event and beat other pros. I mean, we play our whole lives and the guy plays basketball and he beats some of the pros. It’s very impressive to see.”
That was Day’s testimony.
Jordan Spieth weighed in with this:
“I should have posted something about that, but I didn’t see it until today. It was pretty cool, really cool to see. You see him fist-pumping out there, and just him talking about how nervous he was when he heard his name called. It just makes us feel a little better when sometimes some of the stuff he does looks like a robot, not exactly human.”
Paul Casey added this:
“People are paying attention. People are talking about the sport. It’s brilliant. Do something to help get people talking about the game and grow the game. That’s what those spots for as well, I think.”
Curry made bogeys and he made birdies. He never had a blow-up hole, never went John Daley at the TPC Stonebrae.
Cool thing is folks who would never consider showing up at a golf tournament came out to see Curry.
And isn’t that what golf needs?
For the record, Martin Piller, husband of LPGA star Gerina, went on to win the tournament with an 18-under par effort, including a 64 on Sunday that helped him edge Brandon Harkins by a shot.
