Good news for golf nuts who are also not huge fans of their lungs -- Michael Jordan and his cigars will be playing in the Golf Digest U.S. Open Challenge next season at Bethpage Black.
Jordan will be joining Justin Timberlake, or as we call him round here, Mr. Big Bertha, as two members of the Challenge that puts three celebrities and one random golfer together to try and take on the U.S. Open course the week before the tournament.
"Oh, this was a difficult yes," says Jordan. "I've been in a little slump with my golf swing and haven't been playing well for the last couple of years. I had the shanks -- real bad. Now that I've gotten rid of them, I finally feel comfortable over the ball again. This will be another great challenge for my competitive nature."Jordan, who still sports that impressive 1.4 handicap, will be playing arguably the toughest golf course in America for the challenge, and, as Tony Romo and company saw this year, it's pretty darn hard when the USGA decides to trick it up.
The obvious question here is if Tiger Woods, who plays a little golf every now and again and is good buddies with Jordan, had anything to do with this.
"Tiger doesn't know anything about me doing this," says Jordan. "I don't need his advice . . . yet."Well, it probably wouldn't hurt since Woods was the only golfer in the 2002 U.S. Open to break par on the Black. The good news is, if Woods isn't going to be of any help, Fred Couples sure will. Freddy, good buddy of Jordan, said he will caddy for MJ during the challenge, which probably means that Jordan will have the smoothest caddy in the history of loopers.
"I love being around Freddie," Jordan says, "and for him to even suggest that he'd caddie for me in this . . . Instead of my tour bag, I think I'll bring a little bag for Freddie."So, does Jordan think he can break that magic century number when heading out on Bethpage this summer? Well, Timberlake did, so I guess Michael will.
"If I shoot anything surprisingly good, it'll only help my confidence," he says, "and if I shoot anything over 100, I might as well put my game in the bag. If Justin Timberlake can break 100, I know damn well I can."Burn. I guess what goes around comes back around.
