NAPA, Calif. – Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry doesn’t just drop bombs on the basketball court. Playing alongside Phil Mickelson in the pro-am ahead of this week’s Safeway Open, Curry launched drives that had Lefty waxing rhapsodic about “hellacious bombs” after the round.
“I think the thing about Steph Curry’s golf game is his touch, his hands, his chipping, putting. He’s got incredible touch but he also has a ton of speed,” Mickelson said. “You saw him dropping all kinds of bombs off the tee, just hellacious bombs, deep and very accurate, certainly straighter than what I have.”
A raucous crowd followed the popular pairing at Silverado Resort & Spa’s North Course. Mickelson, 49, is trying to make a late push for a captain’s pick on the U.S. Presidents Cup team. The biennial competition is scheduled for December in Australia, and Mickelson has committed to playing in three events in the lead up in hopes of making a good impression to team captain, Tiger Woods.
But on this day, Mickelson was more interested in talking about his pro-am partner. (The Mickelson-Curry team finished tied for second at 13 under).
“The two things you can’t teach are speed and touch and he has both of them intuitively,” Mickelson said. “That’s why he’s such a good golfer.”
Curry called his drive at the par-5, ninth hole, which he reached in 2 with a sand wedge, his shot of the day.
“I said I was going to hit bombs and then I swung it square on the face,” he said. “Before I even finished the follow-through, I was yelling out, ‘Bombs!’”
Color Mickelson impressed. “That drive went over 370 yards, I’m not kidding,” Mickelson raved.
“He’s been out here plenty of year so he knows how far it is, so 370 is the word,” Curry said.
The NBA star has competed in a Korn Ferry Tour event and is a regular competitor in the American Century Championship celebrity event in Lake Tahoe, but has a new career highlight on the links.
“This is a new top right here,” Curry said.
