Former World Champion Boxer Tony Bellew Reveals Dream Playing Partner

Former world champion boxer Tony Bellew has hit the headlines in the golf world in recent days.

The Englishman was one of the star-studded line-up for the BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am at Wentworth on Wednesday, where he made an albatross on just his second shot of the day on the 473-yard first hole par five first hole. 

Despite those heroics, the 41-year-old is under no illusions about his limitations on the course, and doesn’t even think advice from arguably the greatest player of all time would help improve his skills.

Bet calculator and bonus code service AceOdds recently talked to the former British and European cruiserweight and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion, where he revealed his dream golf partner - 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods.

He said: “Who wouldn't want to spend time with the legend that is Tiger Woods? The greatest golfer ever. What I'd give to meet him. As you get older, different things float your boat. I'm chilled out and relaxed. I don't really get starstruck but, what I'd give for him to teach me things.

“Even if he gives me any bleeding advice I don't think it's going to make a blind bit of difference. I'm s*** and I've just got to accept it."

Bellew retired from boxing in 2018 and since then he has concentrated more on his golf game. In a 2023 interview with Golf Monthly he even outlined his ambitions on the course, vowing: “I will not stop until I get a single-figure handicap.”

While it is unclear how close he is to that dream, he admitted that staying in shape over the last six years has been an issue. He said: “I'm a fat f***er. I'm not in any kind of great shape at all but it's difficult.

“It's hard to stay in shape especially when you've been to the top of your sport and you've been a world champion. It's very, very, very hard.

“I tend to play golf a lot more. I use the word golf loosely. I like to swing a club at a ball. Half the time, I'm s***, but varying your training up as you get older is a lot more difficult than just trying to stay in shape.”

While Bellew played down his abilty with a club in his hands, no doubt his playing partners at the BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am, DP World Tour pro Matteo Manassero, TV personality Sam Thompson and actor Gwilym Lee, would have had a very different assessment of his ability following his incredible albatross at Wentworth.