Ronde Barber, John Randle, Anthony Munoz among members of Pro Football Hall of Fame eager to compete in golf
Hall of Famers Ronde Barber, John Randle and Anthony Munoz attended the news conference and expressed enthusiasm about the tournament.
"I think the interest will be high," said Barber, a former five-time Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl cornerback. "There are some competitive guys in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Obviously, they've had very successful careers in the NFL, and that energy has to go somewhere.
"For most of them, it goes to golf. And the ones that put time into it and really try to perfect it, they're really good. [Hall of Fame running back] Marshall Faulk is a really good golfer, so I know who I want to beat — put it that way."
A former 11-time Pro Bowl offensive left tackle with the Cincinnati Bengals, Munoz said he didn't regularly play golf until he took lessons at age 42.
"What a challenge for someone that's 6-5, 270 [pounds] to get out there and do something completely opposite of what I tried to do on the football field," Munoz said.
Munoz said golf proved to be a great vehicle for his foundation's fundraisers.
And Randall explained golf "became like oxygen" for him after he began playing it frequently as a result of doing charity work in Minnesota, where he made six Pro Bowls as a Vikings defensive tackle before he later earned another Pro Bowl nod with the Seattle Seahawks.
The charitable component of the PGA Tour Champions and Hall of Fame's tournament will benefit Habitat for Humanity International and youth golf program First Tee, James Hardie CEO Aaron Erter said in the news release.
“This will allow us to continue our long-standing support of Habitat's vision to ensure everyone has a decent place to live,” Erter said, “as well as help kids build the strength of character to weather a lifetime of new challenges through the incredible First Tee lifeskills curriculum.”