Larry Fitzgerald has pretty much won the 10-year challenge
There are good additions into the 10-year challenge, then there’s what Larry Fitzgerald did exactly 10 years apart.
The latest in sure-to-be short-lived internet/social media crazes is the “10-year challenge”, where people are posting photos from 2009 and 2019 to show how much they’ve changed (or improved?) in the last decade. Some favorite pro athletes have done it too, and Larry Fitzgerald went a different route to land on his rendition.
On Friday, Fitzgerald hosted former president Barack Obama for a round of golf in Florida. Regardless of political leaning, playing golf with a former president is pretty cool and nerves would surely be in play. A high-level athlete like Fitzgerald is used to operating under a certain level of pressure though, and he stepped to the tee at the par-3 13th hole after the former president hit a pretty good shot. Not to be outdone…well, let’s go to the tweets from Golf Channel analyst Tim Rosaforte.
The elation coming from All Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald on the 13th hole at Seminole GC at 1:30 this afternoon was unreal. But it was very real. So real that club president Jimmy Dunne waved the no cell phone rule on the course so Fitzgerald could deliver the message.
— Tim Rosaforte (@RosaforteGolf) January 18, 2019
"I'm playing with the President of the United States and I just made a hole in one!" shouted the host to Barack Obama's first go around The 'Nole. "This is unbelievable!"
— Tim Rosaforte (@RosaforteGolf) January 18, 2019
Dunne, who advocated the Fitzgerald membership, provided the details. Obama had just hit his approach shot 20 feet from the hole. Fitzgerald stepped up with an 8-iron and jarred it."
— Tim Rosaforte (@RosaforteGolf) January 18, 2019
It's considered one of the hardest 18th handicap holes you could find in golf. Fitzgerald, playing to a 10.7-handicap, hit 8-iron from 162 yards. Eye witnesses described the ball rolling in like a putt. Among the high fives was the one coming from the 44th President of the U.S.
— Tim Rosaforte (@RosaforteGolf) January 18, 2019
With a 10.7 handicap, as Rosaforte suggests, Fitzgerald is a pretty good golfer compared to most people. It’s unclear if that was the first hole-in-one ever, but by the sound of it it’s tough to do on that hole at Seminole Golf Club.
Of course Fitzgerald’s primary vocation is NFL wide receiver, where he just completed his 15th season with the Arizona Cardinals. His plans to return for a 16th season are unknown right now, and it seems Fitzgerald himself is not sure. If he wants to continue playing, he’ll be a free agent in March.
Jan. 18, 2009 will stand as one of the shining moments of Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame career, with three touchdown catches in the NFC Championship Game to help send the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. If Arizona had won that Super Bowl, Fitzgerald had a strong case for MVP (seven receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns).
Friday was Jan. 18, 2019. So as noted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Fitzgerald authored his own 10-year challenge.
Larry Fitzgerald’s own 10-year challenge:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2019
*Jan. 18, 2009 - Catches three TD passes vs Eagles to send Cardinals to their first Super Bowl.
*Jan. 18, 2019 - Sinks a hole-in-one on the 162-yard, 13th hole at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, FL., while playing with Barack Obama.
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So those who have done the 10-year challenge should take a bow to Mr. Fitzgerald, who just topped everyone and was almost surely oblivious to the gimmick.