The LPGA Tour returns this week with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Lake Nona prepared well for the event. Besides being the inaugural tournament of the Ladies Tour, Hilton has another attractive feature. During its midweek pro-am, top amateurs are invited to play and are further paired with two celebrities or amateurs in groups. And this year, many celebrities and other sports athletes have arrived to enjoy the event.

Among the star-studded field is also National Soccer Hall of Famer Landon Donovan. The avid golfer has taken quite well to the sport; however, he’s made one thing very clear: it is impossible for him to follow in the footsteps of golf giants like Rory McIlroy.

Landon Donovan is well aware of how great Rory McIlroy is on the greens

After playing the practice round, did Donovan really understand the complexity of an official game? Post-round, in an interview with Golf Channel, he was asked about his technique. Considering his legs are very strong owing to his time spent on fields playing his own sport, a reporter inquired whether the former American soccer star was a “big hitter” and if he used ground forces similar to Rory McIlroy or Justin Thomas.

What followed was a quick response by Landon Donovan, who immediately requested that he not be placed in the same boat as golf greats like JT and McIlroy. “Please don’t ever compare me to Rory or JT again. Not in the same sentence,” he said, letting out a short laugh and flaunting his respect for the pros.

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The American soccer great further added that he didn’t really believe he was a big hitter yet but hoped he would be someday. And his strategy to do so? Well, that was the same he uses for the soccer field-body dynamics. “I am obviously not a big guy, so I’ve learned that you have got to use your body effectively. And I had to do that on the soccer field too,” he claimed. “There were guys who were stronger and faster than I was, and you have to understand how the body works mechanically and try to take advantage of that.”

It’s clear that golf is much more than just a hobby for the soccer star. He is constantly looking to get better every time he sets foot on the course and improve with every event he plays in. It’s clear that his childhood love for the sport has evolved into a deep-rooted passion!

When the Donovan first find his love for golf?

In 2021, while playing for the American Express Charity Challenge at PGA West, California, he said in an interview that he started playing sports during a tough phase in school to catch a break. He said, “I actually went out with my mom and started golfing. So, there’s a nostalgic piece of it.”

As a professional athlete now, Donovan has his hands full, yet he golfs whenever he gets the chance to, for he “just loves the sport.” Talking about the uniqueness of golf, he said, “What the beauty of golf is, you don’t have any excuses. It’s just, you either did it or you didn’t. And so that’s what I love about it.”

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Aside from the soccer great, many other celebrity players will be playing this week too. The likes of Joe Carter, Aaron Hicks, Brian Baumgartner, Roger Clemens, and LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam will take to the greens. The celebrity round will be held on Thursday, January 18. Who’ll come out on top, though, remains to be seen!

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