Rory McIlroy hit a sublime shot onto the 17th green at TPC Sawgrass on Friday - but it's something that Gareth Bale has done from his garden hundreds of times.
The Real Madrid and Tottenham legend retired from football in January last year at the age of 33, and quickly turned his attention to golf. As well as being regarded as one of the greatest footballers of his generation, Bale also had a passion for golf.
Bale was so obsessed with golf that he had three iconic holes installed in his back garden, including the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon, and the 12th at Augusta. Although Bale retired too early according to some fans, his £600,000-a-week contract at Madrid meant he could live a comfortable life without continuing his football career.
Injuries also played a part in Bale's decision, as he struggled to keep fit when moving to MLS side Los Angeles FC in his final career transfer. Bale also reportedly fell out of love with football while playing for Los Blancos, and famously presented a banner while on national duty reading: "Wales, Golf, Madrid," in order of preference.
READ MORE: Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth's awkward relationship before Players Championship debate
READ MORE: Jack Nicklaus offers honest thoughts on PGA Tour and bringing LIV Golf stars back
"I try to play as much golf as possible," Bale previously said during his time as a Madrid player. "In fact, I’m obsessed with it. I’ve not really thought about what I’ll be doing in 20 years when I’m retired from football, but, hopefully, I will be playing golf."
He completed his goal within five years, and with the help of Southwest Greens, a company that specialise in the design and installation of state-of-the-art synthetic turf and lawns, he can now play golf at home. The installation was down to UK-based architects James Edwards and Mark Ely, who presented the plans to Bale for the three well-known holes.
For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.
"I had a lovely bit of land here and it was something that I really wanted to do and I decided that I would love to make a dream come true and build a mini golf course in my house," Bale said. "I did my research online and I found Southwest Greens.
"I wanted to do a lot of low maintenance. We came up with a big concept of what I wanted to do. We loved the idea of it and went from a plain piece of land to building what we have now.
"It was a lot of hard work and a lot of craftsmanship. It's so much better than I ever thought it could be."
Since retiring, Bale has taken part in multiple Pro-Am events, with the AT&T Pebble Beach a personal favourite. Bale was most recently paired with American golfer Joseph Bramlett for the unique event, which is also played across three courses. Bale faced Jerry Lang and the Yahoo founder’s pro partner David Lingmerth in February.