Gareth Bale enjoys strong 1st round at Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Former Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale got off to a strong start to his debut appearance at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California on Thursday when he and professional partner Joseph Bramlett opened the first round with a seven-under par 65 finished.

A host of celebrities including actor Bill Murray and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will attend the event alongside professionals such as US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick and world No. 5 Patrick Cantlay.

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As he prepared to tee off on the first hole, Bale described participating in the tournament as a “dream” but admitted “for some reason it’s a lot of nerve”.

But that first shot landed perfectly on the green to start the round on par.

“I think any amateur will tell you that even though we’re used to playing in front of 80,000 or more live TVs, they’re out of their comfort zone. It’s a completely different sport,” he told Sky Sports.

“It’s just different and a cool experience and I’m glad I hit one of my best shots on the first fairway which was nice.”

Bale impressed again on the second hole when he dropped down the cart path and chipped within 4ft of the pin to save par.

Balls from the cart path 😱 pic.twitter.com/oM2j72iDZL

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“I worry more about how I found myself [on the path] primarily, but I think a lot of amateurs find themselves in that position,” said Bale.

“It was a great shot and I just tried to play into the bench and hope for the best like most amateurs do.”

Bale, 33, announced his retirement from football last month after captaining the side in late 2022 in Wales’ first World Cup since 1958. The five-time Champions League winner ended his career with LAFC, where he scored a dramatic equalizer in last November’s MLS Cup win.

The former Tottenham striker is known for his love of golf. During his time at Real Madrid, he received backlash from his own supporters after posing with a banner that read: ‘Wales. Golf. Madrid. In this order.”