"I've been addicted to golf since I was young" – AB de Villiers
The inaugural Icons Series event concluded recently with a hugely successful tournament staged at the Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ.
The Icons Series brings bonafide global icons together for an ultra-competitive team match-play tournament featuring Team USA against Team Rest of World, with Fred Couples and Ernie Els as captains and squads composed of the biggest names in sport.
One of the Rest of the World team is former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers, widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time.
The former South Africa captain, he was named the International Cricket Council’s Cricketer of the Year three times across his 18-year career and averaged more than 50 in both Test and one-day international cricket.
It speaks volumes for de Villiers that he is a highly accomplished golfer, and he explained why golf has always been part of his life, having been playing golf twice a week since his retirement from cricket and in turn reducing his handicap from seven to two over the past year.
He said: “I have been addicted to the game ever since I remember. I became good at it at a young age. I recall watching The Masters growing up and from the age of three I have not missed a major.
“The Big Easy Els is one of the guys, who is amazing and a very kind human being, and someone I always looked up to. I am very fortunate to have him as a friend.
“Even before I got to know him he came and watched a couple of South Africa games live at The Oval and Newlands knowing he was there was a huge honour. The Oval he came to the year he won the British Open it was quite special knowing he was there.”
With so many sports legends appearing, de Villiers admitted that he had a touch of nerves ahead of the event.
He added: “I’m quite nervous, I almost feel embarrassed to be on that list, some of my heroes are playing. I’ve been watching Harry Kane in the Premier League these last few years. Ash Barty, I met a few years back when I played in the Big Bash. What she’s achieved is just amazing.”
The prospect of playing at the Liberty National, overlooking Upper New York Bay is another famous course to add to his collection.
He recently played at Seminole in Florida and lists the Old Course at St Andrews and Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland among his favourites.
De Villiers first visited Portrush, which proved such a popular venue for the Open Championship in 2019, while he was playing club cricket for Carrickfergus as a 20-year-old, an experience he looks back on now as formative in his future career.
The event saw Team USA, which featured the likes of Michael Phelps, Michael Strahan and Ben Roethlisberger beat Team Rest of The World, which included Ash Barty and Harry Kane, by a 21.5 to 11.5 score with eight single wins in the final grouping.
Did the event whet AB’s appetite to play more golf or even try it as a second sporting career?
“I think I’ve missed too many years now” he adds.
“It was one of my dreams growing up, but it’s something I want to keep casual. If I was to try and crack it as a golfer, I’m back as a hamster running on that wheel.
“I want to keep it casual, see how well I can play, but playing with my mates and in tournaments like this, that will be as serious as it gets.”