Roethlisberger Helps USA to Win in 'Icons Series' Golf Event
7/2/2022 1:22:00 AM | Football, General
JERSEY CITY, N.J.— What happens when a two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and the most decorated U.S. Olympic athlete in history team up to compete in a round of golf together?
The answer unfolded Friday morning at Liberty National Golf Club as part of a two-day Icons Series event. Billed as the United States against Team ROTW (literally, the 'Rest of the World'), Icons brought together top sports celebrities past and present from around the globe to tee off in a Ryder Cup-style match play competition.
The headliners of the United States roster, former Miami University and Pittsburgh Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger and 28-time swimming medalist Michael Phelps, were paired up in Friday's fourball round on a modified 10-hole course against Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara of cricket fame.
Roethlisberger and Phelps were representing a 12-person American team captained by Fred Couples that boasted well-known names like Michael Strahan, John Smoltz, Michael Vick and J.R. Smith, just to name a few. Their opponents, led by captain Ernie Els, included star boxer Canelo Alvarez, soccer standout Harry Kane, former top-ranked tennis player Ash Barty and a variety of international athletes.
Playing in the literal shadow of the Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Tower and the impressive New York City skyline, Roethlisberger teed off at 9:20 a.m. on an already-warm morning. The United States enjoyed a 10-5 lead after the first day of play, and the Roethlisberger-Phelps tandem hoped to add to that margin. Both men were wearing matching navy USA polo shirts and khaki pants, with their caddies carrying Stars and Stripes-themed golf bags. (Phelps looked right at home in the red, white, and blue ensemble, as one might expect of a five-time Olympian.)
The vibe was casual and friendly, with only a few fans having made it to the course early enough to see the action on the first tee. With all of the competitors finding their pro success in sports other than golf, there were a few more 'FORE!' shouts and hazard shots than perhaps a normal event at the PGA Tour venue might see. "Where did it go? I have no idea," said Roethlisberger with a shrug after a wayward drive from his opponent.
As Roethlisberger lined up his second shot on the par-four first hole, he semi-jokingly suggested that a young boy standing near the ropes take a few steps back. "Be careful," Ben said with a smile. "If I was throwing a football, I'd tell you not to move—but I'm hitting a golf ball!"
Nothing to worry about: Roethlisberger found the green and knocked his birdie putt to within three feet. Team USA was off to a 1-up lead, and in fact would win each of the first three holes to take a commanding three-hole advantage in the match.
Roethlisberger's family joined him on the second hole, so oldest son (and perhaps assistant caddie in training?) Benjamin headed out between the ropes to walk alongside his dad, while the other Roethlisbergers followed behind on a golf cart.
There was a short delay at the fourth tee as the golfers waited for the previous group to finish on the green up ahead, which gave Roethlisberger the chance to oblige a few young fans by posing for selfies at the edge of the ropes. Unsurprisingly, the gallery featured plenty of Steelers No. 7 jerseys, and the first Terrible Towel sighting came sooner rather than later.
One young man in the crowd, a Maryland native named John who said he'd been rooting for the Steelers and their star QB since he was eight years old, had gotten his black and gold jersey signed earlier in the day and was proudly showing it off.
"A dream come true," he said. "I'm getting this framed when I get home." John and his friend, a Canelo Alvarez fan, had driven four hours to New Jersey to follow their heroes around the golf course, and they were not alone.
"Let's go, 7!" another fan shouted from the VIP grandstand. Roethlisberger responded to the cheer with a fist pump, finishing off a tap-in birdie shortly after as the U.S. pairing stretched its lead back to 3-up with a half-dozen holes in the books.
As Roethlisberger waited to tee off at the seventh, one onlooker mused to a nearby Pittsburgh fan, "Maybe you can still talk him out of retirement! We don't have a Plan B right now."
Ben wasn't thinking about football at that moment, though. He was busy ripping a monster drive down the fairway (and into a small sand bunker). That gave Roethlisberger some time to wait up ahead as everyone else took their second shots, and allowed Ben and his son to admire a seagull coming in for a landing in a creek a few feet away. "If I throw you in the air, can you do that?" Ben asked as Benjamin mimicked the spread-eagle pose of the nearby bird.
While Roethlisberger's first shot may have been longer than he wanted, the second shot was textbook. It spun back to within 10 feet or so of the hole. Ben's ensuing birdie putt missed by literally inches (despite a spectator yelling 'GET IN!' at the top of his lungs), leading to a chorus of oohs, aahs, and groans from the gallery. Still, the Americans led by three with three to play.
Couples, whose captain role involved more of honorary coaching than actually playing, stopped by to chat with Roethlisberger and Phelps for a moment on No. 8, yielding yet another surreal 'worlds collide' moment of some of the greatest athletes in recent memory, the kind that the Icons concept will look to build on in future events.
Whether due to Couples' insights or merely an inevitable outcome after a fast start, the Americans made short work of finishing off their opponents from there. With handshakes all around, the match ended on the eighth green shortly before noon, as Team USA earned another point on its way to an eventual overall victory by a final score of 21.5 to 11.5.
Roethlisberger said his highlight of the morning was 'getting to play with Captain America.'
"I've known Mike for a while," Big Ben said of the swimming superstar. "That was fun out there."
Roethlisberger continued his strong play in the afternoon, capturing a singles match from Kane to help the U.S. ultimately take home the trophy.
And while the participants may have seemed relaxed as they strolled around the golf course, make no mistake, Ben and his teammates were taking the outcome seriously. Asked how he balanced chatting with fans, signing autographs and taking selfies with the competitive nature of trying to win a televised golf tournament, Roethlisberger's response was out of his mouth before the question even ended.
"No, no: This is competitive."
To be fair, that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has watched the Icons dominate their respective sports over the last decade or two.
Super Bowl champion or Olympic champion...on the pool, on the gridiron, or on the course...it doesn't matter:
Once a competitor, always a competitor.
Find more Front Row Features at MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures.
The answer unfolded Friday morning at Liberty National Golf Club as part of a two-day Icons Series event. Billed as the United States against Team ROTW (literally, the 'Rest of the World'), Icons brought together top sports celebrities past and present from around the globe to tee off in a Ryder Cup-style match play competition.
The headliners of the United States roster, former Miami University and Pittsburgh Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger and 28-time swimming medalist Michael Phelps, were paired up in Friday's fourball round on a modified 10-hole course against Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara of cricket fame.
Roethlisberger and Phelps were representing a 12-person American team captained by Fred Couples that boasted well-known names like Michael Strahan, John Smoltz, Michael Vick and J.R. Smith, just to name a few. Their opponents, led by captain Ernie Els, included star boxer Canelo Alvarez, soccer standout Harry Kane, former top-ranked tennis player Ash Barty and a variety of international athletes.
Playing in the literal shadow of the Statue of Liberty, the Freedom Tower and the impressive New York City skyline, Roethlisberger teed off at 9:20 a.m. on an already-warm morning. The United States enjoyed a 10-5 lead after the first day of play, and the Roethlisberger-Phelps tandem hoped to add to that margin. Both men were wearing matching navy USA polo shirts and khaki pants, with their caddies carrying Stars and Stripes-themed golf bags. (Phelps looked right at home in the red, white, and blue ensemble, as one might expect of a five-time Olympian.)
The vibe was casual and friendly, with only a few fans having made it to the course early enough to see the action on the first tee. With all of the competitors finding their pro success in sports other than golf, there were a few more 'FORE!' shouts and hazard shots than perhaps a normal event at the PGA Tour venue might see. "Where did it go? I have no idea," said Roethlisberger with a shrug after a wayward drive from his opponent.
As Roethlisberger lined up his second shot on the par-four first hole, he semi-jokingly suggested that a young boy standing near the ropes take a few steps back. "Be careful," Ben said with a smile. "If I was throwing a football, I'd tell you not to move—but I'm hitting a golf ball!"
Nothing to worry about: Roethlisberger found the green and knocked his birdie putt to within three feet. Team USA was off to a 1-up lead, and in fact would win each of the first three holes to take a commanding three-hole advantage in the match.
Roethlisberger's family joined him on the second hole, so oldest son (and perhaps assistant caddie in training?) Benjamin headed out between the ropes to walk alongside his dad, while the other Roethlisbergers followed behind on a golf cart.
There was a short delay at the fourth tee as the golfers waited for the previous group to finish on the green up ahead, which gave Roethlisberger the chance to oblige a few young fans by posing for selfies at the edge of the ropes. Unsurprisingly, the gallery featured plenty of Steelers No. 7 jerseys, and the first Terrible Towel sighting came sooner rather than later.
One young man in the crowd, a Maryland native named John who said he'd been rooting for the Steelers and their star QB since he was eight years old, had gotten his black and gold jersey signed earlier in the day and was proudly showing it off.
"A dream come true," he said. "I'm getting this framed when I get home." John and his friend, a Canelo Alvarez fan, had driven four hours to New Jersey to follow their heroes around the golf course, and they were not alone.
"Let's go, 7!" another fan shouted from the VIP grandstand. Roethlisberger responded to the cheer with a fist pump, finishing off a tap-in birdie shortly after as the U.S. pairing stretched its lead back to 3-up with a half-dozen holes in the books.
As Roethlisberger waited to tee off at the seventh, one onlooker mused to a nearby Pittsburgh fan, "Maybe you can still talk him out of retirement! We don't have a Plan B right now."
Ben wasn't thinking about football at that moment, though. He was busy ripping a monster drive down the fairway (and into a small sand bunker). That gave Roethlisberger some time to wait up ahead as everyone else took their second shots, and allowed Ben and his son to admire a seagull coming in for a landing in a creek a few feet away. "If I throw you in the air, can you do that?" Ben asked as Benjamin mimicked the spread-eagle pose of the nearby bird.
While Roethlisberger's first shot may have been longer than he wanted, the second shot was textbook. It spun back to within 10 feet or so of the hole. Ben's ensuing birdie putt missed by literally inches (despite a spectator yelling 'GET IN!' at the top of his lungs), leading to a chorus of oohs, aahs, and groans from the gallery. Still, the Americans led by three with three to play.
Couples, whose captain role involved more of honorary coaching than actually playing, stopped by to chat with Roethlisberger and Phelps for a moment on No. 8, yielding yet another surreal 'worlds collide' moment of some of the greatest athletes in recent memory, the kind that the Icons concept will look to build on in future events.
Whether due to Couples' insights or merely an inevitable outcome after a fast start, the Americans made short work of finishing off their opponents from there. With handshakes all around, the match ended on the eighth green shortly before noon, as Team USA earned another point on its way to an eventual overall victory by a final score of 21.5 to 11.5.
Roethlisberger said his highlight of the morning was 'getting to play with Captain America.'
"I've known Mike for a while," Big Ben said of the swimming superstar. "That was fun out there."
Roethlisberger continued his strong play in the afternoon, capturing a singles match from Kane to help the U.S. ultimately take home the trophy.
And while the participants may have seemed relaxed as they strolled around the golf course, make no mistake, Ben and his teammates were taking the outcome seriously. Asked how he balanced chatting with fans, signing autographs and taking selfies with the competitive nature of trying to win a televised golf tournament, Roethlisberger's response was out of his mouth before the question even ended.
"No, no: This is competitive."
To be fair, that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has watched the Icons dominate their respective sports over the last decade or two.
Super Bowl champion or Olympic champion...on the pool, on the gridiron, or on the course...it doesn't matter:
Once a competitor, always a competitor.
Find more Front Row Features at MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures.
Miami Football Head Coach Chuck Martin 11-6 Press Conference
Thursday, November 06
Miami Football Corban Hondru 11-6 Press Conference
Thursday, November 06
Miami Football Head Coach Chuck Martin 11-4 Postgame
Wednesday, November 05
ROLL THE TAPE: Western Michigan
Thursday, October 30