Michael Phelps didn’t punch Bob Barker, but that’s probably the best thing you can say about his performance at the Alfred Dunhill Links pro-am in Scotland Thursday.
Well, that’s not totally fair. He and teammate Paul Casey did shoot a par 72 (better than we could do), but it was only good enough to tie for 160th place, 12 strokes behind Branden Grace and Gaynor Rupert.
Phelps, who won the celebrity Ryder Cup last week and will appear on the Golf Channel’s “Hank Haney Project in February, has gotten semi-serious about golf since returning from London this summer, but joked on Twitter that the Scottish links course, “at(e) me aliveee!!!”
“Carnoustie is a very challenging course,” the legendary swimmer later told reporters. “I did find myself in a bit of rough at times and on a couple of occasions I had to pick up… Overall it was just a lot of fun.”
Still, Phelps finished five spots ahead of fellow London Olympian Oscar Pistorius, who shot a four over 76 with partner Paul McGinley. Casey and the 18-time gold medalist will have a chance to play catch up on Friday and Saturday with rounds at Kingsbarns and at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
