Former MLB Pitcher John Smoltz Struggles at Nationwide Event

When are former professional athletes just going to leave golf to those who actually know what they're doing? John Smoltz, he of Major League Baseball fame, is a pretty good amateur golfer.  Well... ok, he's better than just "pretty good".  As Tiger Woods described Smoltz's ability in a recent New York Times article, Smoltz has found a way to translate his dominance on the pitcher's mound into his golf game.

“Just the way he’s able to take that same tenacity from baseball into golf is pretty amazing,” Woods said. Woods has described Smoltz as one of the best amateurs he has played with.  He told a story earlier this year of watching Smoltz card two sub-70 rounds in a day.

At this week's South Georgia Classic Smoltz tried his hand at a Nationwide Tour event on a sponsor's exemption.  Bad weather caused numerous delays throughout the first two days, including rain that forced Smoltz to spread his first round over both days.  How did this help the former Atlanta Brave?  Well...

Former Braves pitcher John Smoltzstruggled in his Nationwide Tour debut, shooting a 15-over 87 on Saturday in the rain-delayed South Georgia Classic to miss the cut by 27 strokes.

The 43-year-old Smoltz opened with an 84 after two long weather delays forced him to play 18 holes over two days. He was even worse in the second round at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, with his 27-over 171 total nine strokes worse that any of the other 147 players who completed both rounds.