Cardinals All Pro Patrick Peterson loves football, golf and helping kids learn to read
John Davis, Entertainer Magazine / Edited for Phoenix.org, Sponsored by Arizona Golf Association
Patrick Peterson has been chosen to play in the Pro Bowl in each of his five seasons in the NFL, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to make a case that he is the Arizona Cardinals’ best player. Yes, Larry Fitzgerald fans would put up a good argument.
Both also are golf nuts on a team with plenty of guys eager to tee it up, including quarterback Carson Palmer and Coach Bruce Arians. Peterson estimates that there are “about 15” Cardinals who are proficient around the fairways and greens.
Probably none, however, are more obsessed with golf than the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, who has established a 2.3 handicap even though he took up the game little more than four years ago and has had virtually no instruction.
Last summer, Peterson proudly tweeted a copy of his scorecard after shooting 2-over-par 74 at Pebble Beach, playing from the tips, after making bogeys on each of the first two holes. His attention to detail was evident on the card, which showed fairways hit, greens in regulation, putts, score and which club he hit off the tee on each hole.
At home, he works on his game with a putting green, short-game practice area and an indoor simulator, and he’s quick to whip out pictures of the facilities on his cell phone.
In March, he combined golf with another passion, the Patrick Peterson Foundation for Success, by hosting the first Patrick Peterson Celebrity Golf Tournament at Camelback Golf Club’s Ambiente Course. The event featured plenty of celebrities, including Cardinals teammates, with the hope of raising more than a half-million dollars for the foundation that focuses on childhood literacy and reading programs. (Information: www.patrickpeterson.org)
Peterson and his wife, Antonique, recently welcomed their first child as she gave birth to a daughter on Thanksgiving. They named the baby Paityn as a tribute to Antonique’s favorite quarterback, Peyton Manning. Peterson is thrilled about being a father but not sure what the impact will be on his golf game.
Recently, he talked about that, his approach to golf, his dream foursome and where his love of the game might lead.
How did you get started playing golf?
I got started in 2011 in Florida due to the NFL lockout, which is one great thing that came out of the lockout. Other than working out, guys had to find ways to spend their time. I was living in this condo that had a golf course right behind it and the owner had left a set of clubs there. Training was canceled one day so I took the clubs and went to the driving range. Seven is my favorite number so I grabbed a 7-iron, hit a shot that went pretty long and perfectly straight, and I said, ‘Oh my god, I think I can play this game.’ I was hooked immediately and I haven’t put down the clubs since.
With the NFL season, is it a challenge to find time to play?
During the season, for about the first eight weeks, Larry (Fitzgerald) and I and a couple other guys try to get out on Friday or Saturday. After that, the shoulders are shot so I don’t play but still do a lot of putting. During the off-season I try to play four times a week, but that might change a little bit now that we have the baby because that comes first. Momma (Antonique) is still going to give me opportunities to play because I’m committed to several tournaments. I’m sure I will find playing time, but with the baby it’s definitely going to be different.
How would you describe your golf game?
In a word, “fearless.” That’s the approach I take. I don’t spend a lot of time over the ball, thinking about shots. I just want to get up and hit it. I don’t want a lot of thoughts going through my head because in the early part of my so-called golf career I found myself thinking too much about what I wanted the ball to do. Once I got the principles down with hand position and club-head position, that took a lot of the thinking out of it. I don’t like practicing a lot on the range, just some stretching, hit a couple balls, hit a few putts and get to the tee. But when I get on the course, I am fearless. I rarely lay it up. I go for it. I’m a risk-reward guy.
What has been your best golf round to date?
My round (of 74) at Pebble Beach was pretty good, but the best I have played was at my home course (Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club) when I shot 1-under. I was there with a couple trainers from the Cardinals and I, literally, was calling out every shot before I hit it. I was on fire, and it was a great feeling. The thing I love about golf is that you can expect something different every time you play.
What are some of your favorite places to play?
Locally, besides Superstition Mountain, I love Camelback, Estancia, Whisper Rock, TPC Scottsdale, Whirlwind, Raven, Ocotillo, Phoenician—there are a whole bunch of them, which is a great thing about being here in the Valley. There are so many great places to play. Nationally, some of my favorites are Pebble, Pinehurst, Chicago Country Club, Valhalla, Sawgrass. I’ve played 12 of the top 100 and I’ve got my fingers crossed to play Augusta National this year with (PGA Tour pro) Chris Kirk. That would be incredible.
What are the greatest similarities between golf and football?
The one really common thing about the two of them is the break time between the action. In football, you have four to seven seconds before the next play to get your thoughts together and get prepared for the next play. In golf, when you step up to the ball, you take about four to seven seconds before you hit the shot. In football, you walk back to the huddle after the play and in golf you walk to your ball after the shot. Then you’ve got just a few seconds to get ready for what happens next.
What has the experience been like playing in the Waste Management Phoenix Open pro-am?
That experience has been so much fun, especially because it’s in your hometown and there are a lot of Cardinals fans out there cheering for you. It’s a lot like playing football on Sunday because of the big crowds and the party atmosphere. But it’s unbelievable to be able to experience some of the things that tour pros experience every single week. They have to have such a different focus and mindset. I really take my hat off to those guys.
And what was it like playing the crazy 16th hole in front of a lot of fans?
First of all, I hit a bad tee shot, but I chipped to about one foot and saved my par, which was a big relief. But leading up to it, that’s the highlight of the round. The atmosphere and energy are unbelievable, with thousands of eyeballs on you hitting that tee shot, the pressure is on you to perform.
It’s the closest thing to a football setting in golf isn’t it?
Exactly, and it shows if you have the “it” factor or not. That’s what I want to see, if I have that or not to perform under that pressure. It’s a football kind of setting but it’s much more nerve racking because I’m used to playing football in front of thousands of screaming fans. That’s my comfort zone. In golf, that’s a different situation, but it’s one I always look forward to.
Could you see yourself playing golf at a high level, like tour golf, in the future?
Honestly, that is a goal of mine. When I’m done with football I want to be completely done with football. I want something different, a new challenge, and golf is something I would like to pursue. Being (in Phoenix), there are plenty of opportunities and I will have plenty of time to practice. As well as I’ve been able to play as a part-time golfer, I think if I put my full focus on it and dedicated myself the way I have with football, I think the sky is the limit.
So what is it like when you and your teammates play together, is there any money or trash talk involved?
Oh man, all of the above. There is a lot of trash talk and bragging rights for the most part. It’s always back and forth about who beat who and by how much. We don’t just talk about how bad we beat each other, but every little detail about how we did it. It’s a lot of fun.
You are pretty much a self-taught golfer aren’t you?
I am. I have had a few tips that did help but for the most part I have done my own thing because I want to be comfortable with myself. I have looked at a lot of lessons on the Internet but felt like the instructor wanted the pupil to swing like a pro. I’m not trying to be a pro at this point. I’m trying to hit the ball in a way that is comfortable for my body. Physically, I can’t do some of the things people have told me I should try to do with my swing. I have to do what is right for my body. I didn’t want that other stuff in my head. I want to hit the ball in a way that I’m comfortable with and still make it go where I want it to go.
OK, turning to football, let’s say the Super Bowl goes to sudden death and is going to be decided by one player from each team hitting a golf shot. How confident would you be about taking that shot?
I’m very confident. Like I said before, I’m fearless. If the challenge is to hit it in a bucket, I’m going to put all my money on me. I’m going to hit it in that damn bucket.