Austin Reaves might be the best golfer in the NBA, but he won't be competing on the PGA Tour anytime soon. On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers guard shot a 6-over 76 in a Korn Ferry Tour qualifying attempt.
Still, pretty good for a full-time hooper.
Austin Reaves shot a 6-over 76 https://t.co/yWY9GiH0el https://t.co/ix468pxMEf
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvo_) May 20, 2024
Reaves was competing in a one-day qualifier for the Visit Knoxville Open, which takes place later this week at Holston Hills Country Club. Reaves was competing at the Willow Creek site, part of the Three Ridges Course in Knoxville, Tennessee.
According to Reaves' scorecard on the Tennessee PGA of America website, Reaves opened with a bogey on the par-4 first, then triple-bogeyed the par-3 sixth. He birdied the consecutive par-5s around the turn, but bogeyed five of the last seven holes. He birdied the par-4 16th.
Reaves carded a 3-over 38 on both the front and back nine. He shot 4-over on the par-3s and par-4s. He's currently in 73rd place.
Reaves carries a +2.2 Handicap Index in California (h/t PGATour.com). Reaves and fellow Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell are frequent golfing buddies. (LeBron James is a PGA Tour investor.)
In 2018, Stephen Curry shot a 71 in a Korn Ferry Tour event. At last summer's American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, Steph drained a hole-in-one and an eagle putt to win the pro-am. (Recently, John Smoltz spoke to me about the improved quality of play on the pro-am circuit.)




Austin Reaves said he asks Steph Curry about his golf swing every time the Lakers play the Warriors pic.twitter.com/DDgjps6tmC
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvo_) February 21, 2024
Reaves launched a golf-centric TikTok and YouTube channel, Hillbilly Bogey. The latest colorway of his signature sneaker, the Rigorer AR1 ‘Hillbilly Bogey', is golf-inspired.
“The Rigorer design team has let me use the AR1 as a canvas to share my journey and life, and now we are combining two of my passions,” Reaves told ClutchPoints. “I’ve been playing golf my whole life, and to be able to combine it with my signature basketball shoe means everything to me.”
Austin Reaves has a TikTok golf account named “Hillbilly Bogey” and he's out here crushing iron shots with lefty golf clubs 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kKAt3xxGTe
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) October 9, 2023
Still waiting on that All-NBA match play event.