Swimming Legend Michael Phelps Remembers His Iconic ‘Shot at Glory’ Moment From 40+ Feet Afar to Win the Whole Tournament

Michael Phelps’s achievements in swimming are so far ahead of anyone else, that it’s perfectly reasonable to call him the GOAT. But the 23x Olympic gold medalist hasn’t limited his skills and talent to the confines of the swimming pool. The Baltimore Bullet retired from professional swimming post the 2016 Rio Olympics and has since devoted his time to golf. His interest, passion, and love for the latter sport finally reaped rewards when in February this year he was responsible for his team winning a major golf tournament. 

On February 2023, Michael Phelps, JJ Dudum, and Mike Meldman, who they call ‘Pops’, entered and won the Waste Management Open in Phoenix, Arizona. The tournament, part of the PGA Tour, was won by the trio because of Phelps’s incredible shot at the end from more than 40 feet away. 

The moments leading up to Michael Phelps’s magical shot

Michael Phelps is an avid golfer and he takes up any time on his hands ever since his retirement, to hit the golf course. He recently took to his Instagram story and wrote, “Let’s go boys!”, with the ‘Flag in a hole’ emoji alongside it. The golf reference via the emoji was more appropriate in this context than intended. The Instagram story was about another post by Will Meldman from his account. 

In it, Meldman and JJ Dudum talked about the time Dudum, Phelps, and Will Meldman’s dad, Mike Meldman won the Waste Management Open together. After calling it the “craziest tournament ever”, Dudum said, “So we were, I think three strokes back of the lead going into 17. We had driven the green to the back right corner but we were still about 40-50 feet from the pin. And I was the last one to put”.

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Dudum puts the golf ball in. However, given that Meldman and Phelps were still left, they had yet to win. While Meldman hits a great shot, it lands and stays on the green i.e. the grass itself. It was Michael Phelps’s turn after that. 

Phelps impresses everyone, just like he did in his swimming days

“And, so we’re up there focusing on Pops, like Boom, you make it, we win the whole thing. Nobody’s paying attention to Phelps over here”, said Dudum. He continued, “So Phelps all of sudden, like, ‘Coming up, you guys!’ He rolls it in”. Michael Phelps had taken his ‘Shot at Glory’ opportunity at the TPC Scottsdale, from more than 40 feet afar, and it was an ‘Ace in the Hole’. 

Michael Phelps became the deciding factor in them winning the whole tournament. Although the tournament was held for charity, the golf fanatic went home with a trophy and something to be proud of. 

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