The Aggies first golf match comes Sept. 24-25 at the Black College Golf Coaches Association Invitational in Newnan, Georgia. 10:25 am ET, Smith has documented his time in college and has been open about studying, getting his schoolwork done, When Smith first earned his 4.0, he celebrated on Twitter, saying, 2023 Arnold Palmer fantasy golf rankings, picks, lineup, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, field, odds, How to watch 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational expert picks, odds, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA DFS picks, lineups, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational props, expert picks, J.R. Smith named Academic Athlete of the Year, Arnold Palmer Invitational expert picks, preview, Report: PGA Tour to reduce fields of designated events, Kirk breaks 8-year drought with emotional Honda win, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour partner for mixed-team event, Dustin Johnson, Adidas part ways after 15 years, R&A removes exemptions for Open Championship. Speaking afterward with local media, Smith mentioned that he felt nervous playing in his first collegiate competition, but that there was plenty to take away from it. We cant believe were saying this, but Smith might be better at playing school than playing golf. JR thought he was just short of his 4.0 goal this semester only to be surprised with the good news today @TheRealJRSmith pic.twitter.com/0mLyPSV9R6, In a video posted the same day, Smith was clearly emotional. In January, Smith signed an NIL deal with Excel Sports Management. It is no surprise he has penned NIL deals, as Smith has grown in popularity as a college golfer after his time spent in the NBA. Smith has documented his journey in college on Twitter, being open and honest about the struggles of balancing everything. J.R. Smith is a two-time NBA champion and a former Sixth Man of the year who earned millions of dollars over the course of his 16 seasons. Smith warms up with his fellow competitors before the Phoenix Invitational. Love you kid! RELATED: J.R. Smith finally played Pine Valleyand then bought the entire pro shop. In his second round of the day, it followed a similar pattern: a good start with a difficult finish. About. Our man started one over through the first nine holes of his round, but then promptly double-bogeyed the par-3 14th (his 10th). (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images), Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies, Miles Albright of the Gardner-Webb, Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies, Miles Albright of the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs, Pedro Rabadan of the Elon Phoenix and Joey Morganti of the Temple Owls wait to tee off to begin the Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club on October 11, 2021 in Burlington, North Carolina. Did you encounter any technical issues? J.R. Smith is becoming a college student and he's hoping to become a college athlete as well. The 13-time All-Star, who was dealt to Phoenix on Feb. 9, has not played in a game since Jan. 8 when he was with the Nets. Its not Rose Zhang at Stanford or Pierceson Coody at Texas, two of the best college players on the planet. Smith, 35, played 16 seasons in the NBA but is hoping to play golf in college. Smith been tweeting all kinds of revelations since his first week on campus. The two-time NBA champion finished 81st out of 84 in his first competitive college tournament back in Ex-NBAer turned college golfer JR Smith named North Carolina A&T's Academic Athlete of the Year. But, put meaning to it, and the heart rate changes. What do we make of the PGA Tours new Designated Events Model? October 08, 2021. However, on the home stretch, things took a turn for the worse as he made six consecutive bogeys and then a double bogey on his 17th hole before finishing with another bogey to shoot a 10-over 81. J.R. Smith played in the pro-am at the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open. He remained in the middle of the leaderboard through the front nine at one over par. J.R. Smith's college golf debut featured a bizarre turn of events. On Dec. 14, Smith took to social media to share he had achieved his goal of earning a 4.0 grade-point average. Smith looked the part, although the photos themselves are surreal. Note: This profile will be updated as more information becomes available. The 35-year-old two-time NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, who has enrolled at North Carolina A&T as a freshman walk-on, shot a 10-over 81 on Monday in the first round of the Elon Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club in Burlington, North Carolina. Smith, 36, enrolled at North Its going to be fun, Smith said Monday in an online news conference. Smith hits his tee shot on the 9th hole during the Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club. Elons Pedro Rabadan led after the first 18 holes with a 6-under 65. The Aggies finished 11th in the 13-team field, 57 shots off the pace set by tournament champion Elon. 5 spot on North Carolina A&T's team, made two birdies and two doubles in his first five holes of play on Monday. 2023 Cable News Network. WebBelow is a comprehensive draft profile for Anderson, including his scouting report, prospect ranking, pro comparison, combine results, college and high school accolades and overall The two-time @NBA champ is enrolling @NCATAggies with his sights set on the golf team. Smith said thats exactly what he wants from his delayed college experience. But this is what I tell people. So happy and proud of you my brother @TheRealJRSmith!!!! So it all correlates the same for me.. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images), Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies warms up with his fellow, Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies warms up with his fellow competitors before the Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club on October 11, 2021 in Burlington, North Carolina. 9 to within a foot from the pin. Learning how to play from the rough in certain areas. The two-time NBA champion finished 81st out of 84 in his first competitive college tournament back in October, adding insult to injury when he stepped on a hornets nest midway through his second round. He even won two championships in the twilight of his time on the court, first with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and then four years later in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers. Start the Golf Season off right with InsideGOLF ($100 value - just $20). Ex-NBAer turned college golfer JR Smith named North Carolina A&T's Academic Athlete of the Year, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, Sources: Warriors eye Curry return next week, Lakers' Davis out vs. OKC with right foot injury, V. 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Perhaps it brought some pressure on the other two guys, but clearly not enough as Rabadan shot 65-66 to lead the event by four. But all along, Smith insisted he was there to learn and get the college experience he sacrificed when he opted for the NBA straight out of high school. Smith went straight from St. Benedicts Preparatory School in New Jersey to the NBA, where he was drafted 18th overall by the New Orleans Hornets in 2004. One of the coolest non-tour golf stories of the year belongs to J.R. Smith. The most famous college golfer is not one of the best amateurs in the world. The news comes a week after apparel brand Lululemon signed Smith to be its golf ambassador through a name, image and likeness deal. In a tweet, James wrote, HOW AMAZING IS THIS MAN!!! A lot of hard work went into that s--- you know Monday through Friday eight to eleven, sometimes longer, straight schoolwork. As managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brands e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. Its a lot different than playing a round with your buddies at the random public courses.. 6:57 pm ET, 2023 Arnold Palmer fantasy golf rankings, picks, lineup, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational picks, field, odds, How to watch 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational expert picks, odds, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA DFS picks, lineups, 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational props, expert picks, J.R. Smith shoots 83-78 in college golf debut, Arnold Palmer Invitational expert picks, preview, Report: PGA Tour to reduce fields of designated events, Kirk breaks 8-year drought with emotional Honda win, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour partner for mixed-team event, Dustin Johnson, Adidas part ways after 15 years, R&A removes exemptions for Open Championship. Smith is excelling both athletically and academically at North Carolina A&T J.R. Smith's hard work this year has paid off. The former NBA player turned college student athlete was named North Carolina A&T's Academic Athlete of the Year. Smith earned a 4.0 GPA while pursuing a degree in liberal studies and competing on the golf team. Former NBA guardJ.R. Smith made his college golf debut for North Carolina A&T on Monday at the Elon Phoenix Invitational, and that sentence alone might be worth its own book some day. Proud of you Kid!!! JR Smith made a 16-year NBA career out of embarrassing defenders, bucket after bucket. RELATED: J.R. Smith says he watches Golf Channel instead of the NBA Playoffs. "Hopefully they're learning some things and I don't mess them up.". Straight school work when youre not used to going to school and doing all that sh*t oh man.. 6-keys: media/spln/golf/reg/free/stories, at If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. JR Smith will get a chance to shoot his shot. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! In the fall of 2021, 16-year NBA veteran JR Smith enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University and joined the golf team as a walk-on. 6:33 AM EDT, Tue October 12, 2021. That included joining LeBron James in winning titles with Cleveland in 2016 and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Florida pandemic bubble in 2020 and celebrating each in memorable shirtless fashion. "I'm hoping it does not affect him. Smith, who spent 16 years in the NBA, made his college golfing debut in the tournament hosted by Elon. if his first semester report card is any indication, he meant it. 6-keys: media/spln/golf/reg/free/stories, at 7 things I noticed inside NBA champion J.R. 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Since Smith wanted to play on the golf team, and not the basketball team, the green light was given. Smith walked off the course tied for 79th after eight bogeys, two double bogeys, two birdies and six pars. In January, Smith signed with Excel Sports Management for NIL representation. The NCAA bars athletes from competing in college sports if theyve played in the pro ranks, but the rules only apply to the sport the player made money in professionally. Can you imagine being the fifth guy for George Mason or Radford and rolling up to somebody who was flying private with LeBron James 12 months ago and made $88.3 million over the course of his career? Beginning his career as a sportswriter, Benner then served with the Pacers for 28 years, retiring last season. Smith made six section: | slug: j-r-smith-shoots-83-78-in-college-debut-for-north-carolina-a-t-at-elon-phoenix-invitational | sport: golf | route: article_single.us | (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images), Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies marks his ball before the, Former NBA player J.R. Smith of the North Carolina A&T Aggies marks his ball before the Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club on October 11, 2021 in Burlington, North Carolina. Four holes into the second round, he had made three pars and a birdie. As far as score goes, Smith got off to a pretty solid start, making two birdies in his first five holes at the Elon Phoenix Invitational at Alamance Country Club. Regardless, the outcome for Smith is good, and his swing looked fantastic. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard played professionally for a host of NBA teams, winning NBA titles with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. J.R. Smith (right), a 16-year NBA veteran, is a freshman walk-on for North Carolina A&T's golf team. Ex-NBA player JR Smith shot a 12-over-par 83 in Round 1 and then a 7-over 78 in Round 2 for North Carolina A&T at Elon's Phoenix Invitational. Smith had the sixth-best score out of six players on his team. GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. Plus, from the looks of the video below and a handful of tweets from those on-site, Smith really had it going to start the day before things got away from him. Alamance Country Club is the venue for the week, a par 71 layout measuring 6,867 yards. Smith actually beat a handful of competitors in the first round and headed right back out there for a second 18-hole round Monday. Proud of you Kid!!! Smith made six consecutive bogeys, finally breaking that streak with a double bogey on the 3rd hole (his 17th) before finishing off with another bogey to shoot a 10-over 81. One of the leaderboard through the front nine at one over par handful of competitors in the U.S.: all-new. 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