Guardiola the latest football manager to win the league on a golf course
In 1993 Sir Alex Ferguson – then just plain old Alex Ferguson, of course – was having a knock at Mottram Hall when a passer-by told him that Manchester United were the champions of England for the first time since 1967.
As Ferguson describes the incident: “I was on the 17th green when a car screeched to a halt nearby and I heard footsteps on a gravel path. A man I didn’t know came over the hill with a huge smile on his face and said: ‘Excuse me Mr Ferguson, you are the champions. Oldham have won at Villa.'”
So it seems almost fitting that Pep Guardiola, a good friend of Ferguson, would be playing golf when his own Manchester side were crowned Premier League champions on Sunday thanks to United’s surprise defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion.
The Spaniard told reporters after Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday that he would be hitting the links rather than watching the potentially decisive game: “Football is unpredictable, but I expect United to win.”
He then quipped: “The only score I want to know is bogey or birdie.”
And the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager stayed true to his word, hitting the fairways at Sandiway Golf Club.
But wait, who’s that playing with Guardiola? Only Race to Dubai champion Tommy Fleetwood…
Doesn’t get much better than this. Played awful but loved every minute. @TommyFleetwood1 this guy can play ??never seen a second shot on the 7th hit from there before. pic.twitter.com/dHDEfWxWVM
— Sandiway GC Pro Shop (@SandiwayProShop) April 15, 2018
Perhaps Fleetwood was trying to lure the record-breaking manager to Goodison Park, the home of the world No. 12’s beloved Everton?
Good luck with that, Tommy…
Pep Guardiola
Bundesliga ???
La Liga ???
Champions League ??
Premier League ?First manager to win the league on a golf course. pic.twitter.com/FCAKpn52H4
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOE_UK) April 15, 2018
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Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
