Steph Curry was originally planning on spending the last day of May helping the Golden State Warriors prep for the NBA Finals. But after the team was eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Curry’s plans turned to his other passion: golf. And he brought some of his closest people with him.
Curry participated in the PGA Tour’s ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴀʟ Pro-Am on Wednesday at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin Ohio, about two hours away from the hospital where he (and LeBron James!) were born.
Unlike some pro-ams, such as the famous event at Pebble Beach, the field for the ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴀʟ was kept under wraps until the last minute. And not only did Curry play, but he — and his philanthropic group, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation — were ambassadors.
The pro-am, which takes place a day before the official PGA Tour tournament at the same golf course, features 27 pairings, each with two PGA Tour golfers and three amateurs. Curry, an avid golfer with a low handicap — and someone who golf coaches and pros have said could potentially make the cut at a real tournament — was paired with superstar Jordan Spieth, a three-time Major champion, 13-time PGA Tour winner, the current No. 11 ranked golfer in the world, and, crucially, the face of Under Armour’s golf line. He was also paired with Keith Mitchell, a one-time PGA Tour winner and the No. 56 ranked golfer in the world.
On the amateur side, Curry was paired with his own brother-in-law and former teammate, NBA free agent Damion Lee, as well as country music star and avid golfer Jake Owen.
But Curry wasn’t the only Warriors player in attendance. Andre Iguodala — who is one of Curry’s closest friends and his frequent golf partner — also played in the event. Fittingly, Iguodala was paired with Spieth’s best friend, golf star Justin Thomas, a two-time Major champion, 15-time PGA Tour winner, and currently the No. 15 ranked golfer in the world. He was also paired with J.J. Spaun, a one-time PGA Tour winner and the No. 77 ranked golfer in the world, country music and reality competition star Luke Bryan, and tech investor and influencer Geoff Yang.
In addition to those three Warriors players, Curry’s dad, Dell (a former NBA player and a current broadcaster for the Charlotte Hornets) and brother Seth (a former Santa Cruz Warrior and current NBA free agent) also played. They were paired together with actor Chris O’Donnell, and pros Collin Morikawa, a two-time Major champion, five-time PGA Tour winner, and the No. 18 golfer in the world, and Tyrrell Hatton, a one-time PGA Tour winner and the No. 17 golfer in the world.
In addition to all that, the Bay Area was represented with a few other athletes as well, with former San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks Steve Young and Alex Smith playing, as well as other notable celebrities like retired NFL superstars Peyton Manning and Larry Fitzgerald, and actor Josh Duhamel.
On the golf side, the top five golfers in the world, by the official rankings — Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, and Xander Schauffele — were all competing.
Now look at this swing! Don’t leave us for golf yet, Steph!