Why Steve Young says he might play golf left-handed

The longtime Niners QB and three-time Super Bowl champion wasn’t confused about which side of the football to play on — until he picked up a club..

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GOLF: How’s your game?

Steve Young: I think I finally unwrapped it.

G: It was put together?

SY: I grew up on the mean streets of Greenwich, Connecticut. I played but I didn’t play much. I just grabbed my dad’s right clubs and started hitting the whale. But if you play left-handed, you have some significant problems.

G: So you’re playing lefty now?

SY: My wife wants me to do that. He said, “If you’re going to take this badly, you should switch to the left.” But I said, No, I can fix this. I finally agreed and asked for help.

G: Who is your teacher?

SY: [Former Tour player] Keith Clearwater is an excellent host. I send him videos. We go back and forth. The problem with golf is you don’t do what you think you do. I look at my swing and go, What? No frickin’ way!

G: Where is the fix?

SY: At the American Century tournament in Tahoe, I show up and get a tip from Annika Sorenstam, so I try that. Peter Jacobsen then told me, “It’s not a pendulum game. It’s an all around game. You have to turn around.” And I try that.

G: What’s more stressful: playing golf in front of a crowd or a blind blitz?

SY: When you’re an expert at something, stress levels are low, even if you have Reggie White coming at you. I was good at football, but you put me on a stage where I don’t have confidence, another level of pressure. The key, to me, is that you have to play competitive golf as a kid.

G: It’s like a language — study late and you always have a saying.

SY: It cannot be doubted. Jerry Rice took up golf later in life and wanted to be a champion. I said, “Jerry, that’s impossible.” He said, “I can do it.” And finally he said, “You’re right.”

G: Any particular course you want to play?

SY: Augusta is one. I have had many invitations but I haven’t done it yet.

G: That’s not something I can say about other golfers.

SY: I know. There is no sympathy.

G: What is the strength of your game?

SY: It’s all relative, but I was driving very well. If I’m going to put my name on the board at a celebrity event, I have to keep getting better.

G: Or at least hit Larry the Cable Guy.

SY: Of course. I thought I should start playing both sides, put left and right clubs in the bag. Maybe that’s my shtick. You’re allowed to do that, right?

G: Who am I to be angry? Then challenge Tony Romo in that format and see who wins.

SY: I love your thinking. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll just go lefty, as my wife says.

Josh Sens

Golf.com Editor

Golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a contributor to GOLF Magazine since 2004 and now contributes to all areas of GOLF. His work has been honored in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: The Cooking and Partying Handbook.