NBA

NBA’s Austin Reaves Falls Short At Golf’s Korn Ferry Tour Qualifier

Image Source: Austin Reaves @ Instagram

The quest for basketball-to-golf crossover success proved challenging for the Lakers’ own Austin Reaves, as he put his skills to the test in the pro-golf arena, aiming for the PGA’s ranks.

The basketball star didn’t make the mark at the preliminary round for the Korn Ferry Tour, playing at Willow Creek Golf Club in Knoxville, Tennessee. A scorecard bearing a 76 on Monday meant that he stood 11 strokes too many to join the field at the Knoxville Open.

“There’s nothing quite like it,” Reaves admitted to PGATour.com. “I’ll be honest—I was a bit on edge. Sure, the initial drive didn’t go as planned, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the competitive golf atmosphere,” he reflected.

Since his high school days, Reaves hadn’t pursued golf competitively until this moment. His motivation for this sudden diversion into golf remains a mystery, especially since his NBA career leaves little to want financially.

Out of sheer ennui, Reaves, sprawled on his couch, rang up a friend, Trent Swaim, to organize his participation in one of the Monday qualifiers nearby, as he recounted to the Los Angeles Times.

According to an ESPN report, Reaves pinpointed his short game, particularly putting, as a decisive factor in failing to lower his score. Despite achieving his best-ever score of 67 just before the qualifier, his performance oscillated during the event—while starting with a birdie, he stumbled with three consecutive bogeys on the front nine. Despite not advancing, Reaves deemed the entire pursuit a valuable experience, albeit grading himself a B-minus for the effort.

On a more promising note, his basketball career continues on an upward trajectory. Reaves recently wrapped up his third season with the Lakers, registering personal bests in scoring (15.9 points per game), gathering rebounds (4.3 per game), and delivering assists (5.5 per game), despite the team’s first-round playoff exit at the hands of the reigning champs, the Denver Nuggets.

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