[QUOTE=BrianL99;2463506]How many former NHL players have played the PGA Tour or high level Amateur golf? The only 3 I know of, are Grant Fuhr, Dan Quinn and Bill Ezinicki, who I was friends with for 25+ ears. The skills are different.
Compare that, to the number of MLB players who have played golf at a high level.
If you took 5 people from each of the major professional sports and brought them to the golf course and stuck a golf club in their hand, this would likely be the results.
MLB pitchers and hitters would likely be the best golfers. They understand ball "spin", hand to eye coordination and they already play a rotational sport.
Tennis players, same as above. They understand grip, alignment, spin and play one of the ultimate "hand to eye coordination" sports.
Footballers? Most will try to hit the ball with their body (strength) and never learn golf. Quarterbacks maybe a different.
The hockey players would probably hit the ball farthest, without a clue where it's going.
No NBA player has ever played on the PGA, other than perhaps a novelty invitation.
I think you are right that MLB players have had the most success in golf. Back in the day I think there was one MLBer who even played in the Masters. There is a long list of + handicaps (John Smoltz, Justin Verlander.....)
Steph Curry is + and has player in Korn Ferry tour events. The best NFL golfer of all time was almost for sure Al Del Greco (do kickers count?) who played in web.com events and is the head golf coach at Samford. Tony Romo is also really good.
But I think if you look at most sports (possibly baseball excepted) the percentage of exceptional golfers is not all that much higher than that of the general population. Good golfers can come from anywhere. Most people don't think of musicians as great athletes, yet Kenny G, Vince Gill, Jake Owen, Alice Cooper (okay he is not pro level, but surprisingly good), all are or have been outstanding golfers. But that doesn't mean that music leads to good golf. It just that a small percentage of all populations are good at golf.
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