It was a rough season for the Arizona Cardinals, as head coach Steve Wilks was fired after only one year at the helm due to the team’s 3-13 campaign. Rookie quarterback Josh Rosen looked like a rookie quarterback, the running game led by David Johnson couldn’t get going, and the defense was 26th in points allowed per game.
Arizona hopes that new coach Kliff Kingsbury will help spark some life in a team that could use a shot in the arm, even though it’s possible the franchise is heading into the future without its all-time best player. Larry Fitzgerald, the future Hall of Fame wide receiver, is uncertain if he will return for what would be his 16th professional season, as he’s slated to turn 36 in August.
But before Fitzgerald makes any decisions on retirement, he wanted to get in a round of golf with Barack Obama on Friday. Little did Fitzgerald know, this would end up being unforgettable for reasons beyond playing 18 holes with a former President of the United States.
Barack Obama played prestigious Seminole GC for the first time Friday morning, hosted by All Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald in a foursome that included club president Jimmy Dunne and Glenn Hutchins, part owner in the Celtics and board member of Obama Foundation.
— Tim Rosaforte (@RosaforteGolf) January 18, 2019
Fitzgerald stepped up to the tee on the 13th hole with his trusty 8 iron and managed to make a bit of personal history.
"I'm playing with the President of the United States and I just made a hole in one!" shouted the host to Barack Obama's first go around The 'Nole. "This is unbelievable!"
— Tim Rosaforte (@RosaforteGolf) January 18, 2019
Dunne, who advocated the Fitzgerald membership, provided the details. Obama had just hit his approach shot 20 feet from the hole. Fitzgerald stepped up with an 8-iron and jarred it."
— Tim Rosaforte (@RosaforteGolf) January 18, 2019
The stock shot is 165 yards from the blue tees to an elevated green that almost always plays into an Easterly breeze. It stands as one of the most beautiful holes on the property, with a green up against the sand dunes and the Atlantic Ocean.
— Tim Rosaforte (@RosaforteGolf) January 18, 2019
It's considered one of the hardest 18th handicap holes you could find in golf. Fitzgerald, playing to a 10.7-handicap, hit 8-iron from 162 yards. Eye witnesses described the ball rolling in like a putt. Among the high fives was the one coming from the 44th President of the U.S.
— Tim Rosaforte (@RosaforteGolf) January 18, 2019
As Adam Schefter of ESPN astutely pointed out, this came on the 10-year anniversary of another one of Fitzgerald’s great athletic accomplishments.
Larry Fitzgerald’s own 10-year challenge:
*Jan. 18, 2009 – Catches three TD passes vs Eagles to send Cardinals to their first Super Bowl.
*Jan. 18, 2019 – Sinks a hole-in-one on the 162-yard, 13th hole at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, FL., while playing with Barack Obama.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2019
It’ll be a sad day whenever Fitzgerald walks away from football, because he’ll go down as an all-time great and one of the most universally respected players ever. Still, it’s nice to know that if he wants, he can probably spend retirement on the links.
