PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – All it takes is one shot to get hooked on this crazy game called golf.
For Macklemore, the Grammy Award-winning rapper known for hits such as Thrift Shop and Top 10, that moment happened on the day after Thanksgiving 2018 when he had nothing to do so he joined some friends in a round of golf.
“I hit a bunch of houses and then I hit a 5-iron out of the sand pure and I felt I needed to have that experience over and over for the rest of my life,” Macklemore said after shooting a best-ball 67 in the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course.
Golf has become the new-found passion of the 36-year-old musician born Benjamin Haggerty in Seattle. Macklemore burst onto the music scene in 2012 when he teamed with Ryan Lewis on a studio album, “The Heist.”
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“I found something to do besides shopping in every city and being in the hotel room,” he said.
In just over a year, he’s improved to a 15 handicap and got a late invite to make his Pebble Beach debut when another celebrity dropped out. Rhythm and tempo aren’t a problem for him musically, but as for the golf course?
“Not so much,” Macklemore said. “When you catch it, it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s what I’m supposed to do?’ ”
So how did it go on Friday?
“It was inconsistent and at times embarrassing with moments of heroism,” Macklemore said. “You kind of soak in the fact that you’re going to be embarrassed and leave heartbroken at the end of the day, but it’s all about having a good time out here and I’ve been having a lot of fun.”
He is paired this week with Houston Open champion Lanto Griffin, whose cousin is married to Macklemore’s production manager.
“If we can get him a couple of lessons and a few things figured out I bet in four years he can break 80 on a tournament course like Pebble or Spyglass,” Griffin said.
Macklemore also has attracted his share of attention for his colorful outfits. On Friday, he he wore a red cardigan and tartan trousers with a matching racing cap. But Griffin said not to expect them to sport matching uniforms on the weekend.
“I asked Kis (Kevin Kisner) walking down one yesterday, ‘Do you want to play heads up? Whoever loses has to wear his outfit at Augusta this year. He said, ‘Absolutely not.’ ”
This absolutely will be the first of many appearances at the Pro-Am if Macklemore has anything to say about it.
“I wish I had picked up the sport a lot earlier in life,” he said. “I think it’s a fantastic game. It’s a great way for me to get outside of my head and just focus on something for four hours. I love that escape and working to get better.”
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