Charles Barkley is revered for his basketball career, stellar commentary work, and his stint as an analyst on TNT. However, his golfing skills are not the brightest asset on his resume. The Hall of Famer has been ridiculed for years for his funny-looking stutter-motion golf swing. However, instead of giving up on the leisure sport, Barkley chose to work on his game.
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Charles Barkley’s golf swing is one of a kind pic.twitter.com/aGIhtXiXyO
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 27, 2020
The Chuckster’s swinging motion has built a perception that he’s not quite adept at playing the sport. However, the former Phoenix Suns star claims he’s a fine golfer now that he has worked on his game extensively. During an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show about two years ago, Barkley boasted about his improved golf skills, saying, “I’ll play anybody, anywhere.”
Patrick then asked Barkley about his golf handicap, and the latter proudly said that it was 10. A handicap in golf is the number of strokes an amateur player can take above the course’s par score. A handicap of 0-10 is reserved for an excellent amateur golfer. Barkley told Patrick that he had a phase where he had slumped to being the worst player on the course but had found his mojo back and would humiliate him if they ever played for money.
Sir Charles’ handicap claim prompted a brief back and forth between the two about their past games. Subsequently, Barkley challenged Patrick to a contest, claiming that he wants to avenge his past humiliation now that he is finally gotten good.
Charles Barkley’s improvement as a golfer
Charles Barkley’s hilarious golf swing was ridiculed incessantly on social media. However, in 2021, the Hall of Famer proved that he’s made massive progress as a golfer. He was filmed swinging the golf club in one singular motion without his patented stutter. While the ball did not travel too far, the swing was much cleaner than it had been in the past.
In 2022, Barkley even managed to win the golf tournament he founded. Since 2019, the NBA on TNT crew battled each other on the golf course in the ‘Black Masters.’ The tournament was the Hall of Famer’s brainchild, but he had failed to win it in the first three editions.
In 2022, Barkley changed the format and made it a 2-on-2 competition. He took on fellow analyst Ernie Johnson and retired NBA star Sam Mitchell. The Hall of Famer wisely picked Ernie’s son and reigning Black Masters champion, Eric Johnson, as his teammate. The duo outlasted Johnson and Mitchell as Barkley hit the winning shot to capture his maiden Black Masters title.
Barkley proved with the win that he has improved as a golfer. His confidence isn’t misplaced, and he can hold his own against another amateur golfer. While he may not be as good as he believes, he’s a lot better than he was previously.
