From the mound to the golf course, John Smoltz is proving to be a heckuva athlete.
The Major League Baseball Hall of Famer earned a spot into final stage qualifying through PGA Tour Champions Q-School after finishing T-14 at this week’s first stage at Buckhorn Springs in Valrico, Florida. Smoltz posted scores of 71-73-74-71, finishing at 1-over 289 for the week, to earn one of 18 spots into final stage qualifying.
Smoltz hadn’t finished better than T-54 in three prior appearances at the first stage of PGA Tour Champions Q-School.
Smoltz, 55, will be in the field of 80 next month at TPC Scottsdale’s Champions Course, where final stage will be contested Dec. 5-8. Only five cards are up for grabs.
Slowly, Smoltz has been making a name for himself on the golf course after his illustrious baseball career. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015, won a Cy Young Award and earned eight National League All-Star team selections.
Smoltz hasn’t competed on PGA Tour Champions since 2021, but he has competed in nine events overall. He also competed in the 2018 U.S. Senior Open.