Derek Jeter has a new hobby now that he’s retired, and Tiger Woods seems more than willing to lend a hand as the former New York Yankees captain gets his feet wet.
Jeter has taken up golfing since retiring from Major League Baseball following the 2014 season, and his latest adventure came Monday, when the longtime Yankees shortstop golfed with Woods, former teammate Tino Martinez and Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose. Woods, who’s returning to the PGA Tour this week after a lengthy layoff, was impressed by Jeter’s enthusiasm on the links.
“He never played golf when he played baseball,” Woods said after playing nine holes with Jeter in the Bahamas, according to Golf.com. “Now that he’s out of baseball, he’s addicted to playing golf. From what I had first heard from some of the guys I know who have played with him, he slashed it around. But now he’s focused. He likes to practice. He likes to play. He does his fitting, tries to get better. You can tell he’s analyzing, he’s watching, he’s asking questions.”
It’s unsurprising Jeter is tackling his new hobby head on, as he was considered one of the hardest working players in baseball during his 20-year big league career. But anyone who’s ever picked up a club can tell you golf is difficult. So it’s rather impressive that Jeter reportedly is down to a 10 handicap despite starting just two years ago.
“He asked me a bunch of technical questions about the game, and I could hear him pick the brain over there with Rosie,” Woods said, per Golf.com. “He wants to know. He’s one of the best athletes who ever lived. He wants to learn. He asks the right questions.”
Woods currently has no plans to follow Jeter into retirement — he’s set to play in the Hero World Challenge this week to begin his return to the PGA Tour — but who knows? Maybe some day Jeter will return the favor by hitting Woods some ground balls.
Thumbnail photo via Rob Schumacher/USA TODAY Sports Images
