Garrett Smith, other NFR cowboys find golf relaxing, safe

Garrett Smith had just posted a score of 87 on Friday in the second go-round of the National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center on a bull named Uncle Jerry when I approached him to discuss his interest in golf. He was as surprised by the question as Uncle Jerry probably was to be tamed by a cowboy from Rexburg, Idaho.

Until Smith’s ride, a cowboy had never stayed on Uncle Jerry for the full eight seconds. Smith tied for second that night and cashed an NFR check for the first time.

I was surprised to learn that no fewer than 11 cowboys competing in Las Vegas in the biggest 10 days of rodeo listed golf as a hobby in their bios, including reigning world champion bull rider Sage Kimzey. I knew from experience of playing in NFR-related charity events that several cowboys liked golf, but was impressed that so many appreciated the game enough to include it in their bios.

“Golf is relaxing, and it doesn’t hurt, that’s the main thing,” Smith said with a laugh. “It’s something we can go do when we are on the road, and I pack my golf clubs with me a lot of the time. I play every Saturday back home when I can, and it’s just something we can do to get away from rodeo a little bit.”

Smith, 21, didn’t pack his clubs this week because he wasn’t sure what to expect about competing in the NFR for the first time, but he did reminisce about a time when he and bareback rider Caleb Bennett were playing in Kissimmee, Florida, and happened upon some interesting wildlife.

“We were playing golf and hanging out, and there were a couple alligators out in the pond, so that was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen on a course,” Smith said. “We didn’t get very close to them, but I had to take some pictures. There’s zoom on a camera for a reason.”

To most of us, the thought of riding a bull would be way up the list of fear factors, but for Smith, golf’s first-tee jitters are much more daunting than taking on the likes of Uncle Jerry and other rank bulls.

“I know I can ride bulls in front of a crowd pretty good, but golfing in front of a crowd? I can’t do it,” Smith said. “I get so nervous, and sometimes I don’t even hit the ball.

“When I’m on a bull, I clear my head. I clear everything out and don’t think about anything. All we gotta do is hang on, so I just clear my head and let my body react. Kind of like when you take a golf swing; just clear your head and let it go.”

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Buy an Arcis Golf players card for $79.95 and get a free round at Las Vegas Golf Club, Desert Pines and Painted Desert.

KENDALL QUALIFIES

Former UNLV golfer Skip Kendall was one of five players to earn exempt status for the 2017 PGA Tour Champions season through a recent qualifying tournament. Kendall, 52, graduated from UNLV in 1987.

LADY REBEL QUALIFIES

Two former UNLV golfers will play on the LPGA Tour during the same season for the first time. Earlier this year, Dana Finkelstein earned status for 2017 by finishing seventh in the LPGA Symetra Tour final standings. On Sunday, Therese Koelbaek finished eighth at the LPGA Tour qualifying school to become exempt.

STARS ON, OFF COURSE

The 30th annual Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame Spikes and Spurs golf tournament will be Friday at Bali Hai. Among the legends and previous inductees scheduled to play are eight-time world champion Don Gay, Jack Ward and Joe Baumgartner.

The golf notebook appears Thursdays. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider.