Max Kellerman: Golf Is Not a Real Sport

ESPN’s Max Kellerman does not believe golf is a “sport.” Monday on First Take, after Sergio Garcia won his first major championship, Kellerman and Stephen A. Smith were discussing the friendliness between Garcia and Justin Rose over the last few holes when Kellerman decided to question whether or not golf is indeed a sport.

Kellerman could not be more wrong. I’m not sure he understands the endurance that goes into playing golf on the PGA Tour. To the everyday man golf may be a leisure sport that involves riding in a cart and drinking, but to the guys who are playing professionally it is anything but that. Pros put in hours upon hours on the driving range, putting green, and in the gym. They also essentially watch game film when they study the courses they play by walking them and taking notes on elevations, distances, etc. They travel year round to different parts of the country and world just like football players, baseball players, and basketball players do during their seasons.

If Kellerman truly believes that golf is not a sport, I challenge him to head out to the driving range and hit 1,500 golf balls between Monday and Wednesday and then play four rounds from Thursday to Sunday and walk, not ride in a cart, but walk up and down the hills on the course as he chases his ball around. After that, get back to me on whether golf is a sport. Let me know.

Maybe you agree with Kellerman and maybe you agree with me, but what no one can deny is that it takes an unbelievable amount of skill and mental toughness to not only win a major championship, but also to win on the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour, European Tour and so on.