Aaron Rodgers wins Pebble Beach Pro-Am amid questions about NFL future

CNN
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Any chance of the Green Bay Packers winning the Super Bowl this Sunday was dashed long ago, but Aaron Rodgers still ends the season as a champion.

Playing alongside Canadian pro golf partner Ben Silverman, the quarterback won the PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Sunday, with the duo carding 26 under to earn a one-shot victory over American golfer Peter Malnati and former FedEx President and CEO Don Colleran.

He sees Rodgers, 39, who admitted to only playing golf on Monday since the start of NFL training camp last season, add his name to the Pebble Beach Wall of Champions.

“It’s really important, it’s always been on my to-do list,” Rodgers told reporters.

“It’s a big deal for me, I’m not going to water it down. It’s a great week in itself, spending time with Ben, but winning is the most enjoyable thing.

The pair were crowned winners after 54 holes as high winds and rain battered the California event, shortening the amateur event to three rounds. The professional tournament, led by Englishman Justin Rose, is expected to resume on Monday.

Despite the disappointment on the gridiron as the Packers missed the NFL Playoffs for the first time since 2018, Rodgers had a stellar year on the fairways. In June, Rodgers and fellow veteran Tom Brady were crowned winners in an all-NFL quarterback, trash-talk heavy edition of The Match, beating young duo Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes.

And while Buffalo Bills star Allen, playing with Keith Mitchell, finished four shots behind Rodgers in California, the friendly rivalry showed no signs of abating.

“Josh Allen was telling me there would be an asterisk by this win because there were only three rounds left,” Rodgers told reporters.

“But I think that name, our names are gonna be up there [on the Wall of Champions] for a long time.”

Speculation has swirled as to where the Packers quarterback will ply his trade next season, with talk of a departure from the only NFL team he’s ever played for fueled by a tweet from the wide receiver. of the Las Vegas Raiders – and former teammate – Davante Adams last week.

Asked in a Q&A on Twitter which neighborhood Rodgers would move to, Adams, who played with the four-time MVP for seven years until his departure in 2021, replied: “Exploit.”

These rumors followed Rodgers around the Pebble Beach fairways, with social media pictures showing spectators singing “Raiders” chants to the quarterback as he walked to the next hole. A wry smile from the Super Bowl XLV winner in return suggested he had been taken in good spirits, a welcome change from the reception he had received at Pro-Am in previous years.

“One year, we got knocked out by the [San Francisco 49ers] in the playoffs, and I came and played and the fans were really tough. There was a lot of chatter,” Rodgers recalled.

“Not this year, it was all positive. It was all, ‘Come to the Raiders, come to the Niners, come to the [Dallas] Cowboys.’ A couple [New York] Jets calls there.

“But a lot of Raiders presence, that’s for sure. You hear that Raiders chant for the last four days… Ben did, of course.

Meanwhile, recently retired footballer Gareth Bale finished 16th alongside partner Joseph Bramlett.

The former Real Madrid and Tottenham star won plenty of applause with a solid first round, highlighted by a spectacular shot from the cart path.

“The last two weeks have been amazing,” Bale told reporters.

“People complimenting me on my game are amazing, they put a bit too much pressure on my shoulders.

“I’m a big fan of golf and I appreciate what these players do on the golf course. It’s great to play with them, interact and watch what they do.

Rose leads the pro event two shots ahead of American trio Malnati, Denny McCarthy and Brendon Todd. The 2013 US Open champion and 10-time PGA Tour winner is aiming for his first win since winning the Farmers Insurance Open in 2019.