JR Smith's NCAA endeavors have been fun to watch so far. The former NBA star is now attending North Carolina A&T University where is playing on the golf team. As we reported over the weekend, Smith qualified for the Elon Phoenix Invitational, which just so happens to be his first-ever college tournament. This is a big deal for Smith, and the tournament actually started today.
According to TMZ, things didn't go as planned for Smith as he ended up with a score of 81 which is listed at seven over par. Smith actually had a really good start, getting two birdies on the first five holes, however, he struggled mightily on the back nine which cost him big time.
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In the clips below from Brian Hall, you can see Smith enjoying some success in the early going. Based on how he did on the first five holes, it is clear that Smith is very good, he just needs to put together a whole round if he wants to find himself at the top of the leaderboard. Considering it's his first tournament, we're sure there were some slight nerves involved.
Either way, Smith's foray into golf has been inspirational, and it's cool to see him pursuing another sport at this level. It just goes to show that you don't have to be young just to pursue your passions.
[Via]