NBA Star JR Smith to Make College Golf Debut at North Carolina

After playing in the NBA for years, JR Smith is ready to start a new chapter in his life. Recently, Smith headed back to school to complete his education. Having said that, Smith had always wanted to join the college golf team.

Now, months after he started studying again, JR Smith will be making his debut as a golfer.

JR Smith will be making his debut as a golfer at North Carolina A&T

According to reports, Smith will be making his debut as a golfer the following week on North Carolina A&T. Recently, there was an announcement about Smith playing at the Phoenix Invitational on Monday and Tuesday.

Additionally, the event is hosted by Elon. It will be a par-71, 6867-yard event being held at the Alamance Country Club golf course.

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However, one has to qualify in every practice to participate in the tournament. Smith made it to this event by one stroke. One can also qualify for a tournament by finishing first or second in the previous tournament.

Why did Smith head back to school?

According to Smith, he resuming his studies and playing golf as a way to challenge himself and he is trying to discipline himself. “I’ve always been told that I can go further my education after going pro ball since I came out of high school,” he said. “If I’m able to, it’s going to be a dream come true,” Smith said.

He added that he always wanted to play a college sport, golf being a good fit. It will challenge him, while also letting him compete. As far as A&T is concerned, he picked it due to their Liberal Studies and business programs.

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Looking back, Smith’s golf journey began over a decade ago. He attended Moses Malone’s charity event, where his first ball went about 300 yards “dead center”. Since then, one can always spot Smith at PGA Tour events.

Smith’s NBA journey has earned him two titles. However, he has found it difficult to stay with a team since the Cleveland Cavaliers waived him in 2019. While he played with the LA Lakers at the NBA bubble in Orlando, he admitted to feeling depressed while he was out of the NBA.