Cricketing legend Shane Warne has been bowled over by the charm of World No. 1 ranked golfer Jordan Speith.
Warne and Speith were partners today (Wednesday) in the Pro-Am ahead of Thursday’s starting Australian Open at the Australian Club just south of the CBD in Sydney.
Australian cricketing legend presents World Nol 1 ranked golfer Jordan Speith with a signed cricket bac at the close of the Australian Open Pro-Am.
Warne took over 1,000 international wickets in both Test and One-Day Internationals in a 15-year career and since retiring in 2007 has been competing regularly in golfing Pro-Ams including partnering England’s Simon Dyson earlier this year in the Abu Dhabi Invitational while early last month he partnered fellow Australian Wade Ormsby in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Speith and Warne were spotted in constant conversation over the five hours it took to contest the Pro-Am.
Then at the end of the Pro-Am Warne presented Speith with a signed bat and white cricket ball that the American intends to take home and present at an auction for his foundation. In return, Speith has promised Warne a signed Masters flag.
“As a golf lover watching golf from the comfort of the couch, I watched what Jordan has accomplished and he’s an impressive young man,” said Warne.
“But at just 22-years of age he impressed me immensely today how down to earth he is. There’s not pomp and just a very genuine individual along with an awesome golfer.
“So to have the opportunity today to get to meet him and to share a few hours in his company was a great honour for me.
“And straight away we got along very well and talking the whole time we were out on the golf course. He doesn’t know that much about cricket but then that’s understandable.
Jordan Speith drives off the 18th tee in today’s Australian Open Pro-Am (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
“He’s just so impressive in his manners, the way he conducts himself as what a golfer.”
And while Warne has turned to a career in TV cricket commentary, and was heading to Adelaide to commentate on the third and final Test match between Australian and New Zealander, he said he could learn from speaking to someone 24 years his junior.
“When two athletes have both made it to the top in their chosen sport and they then get together and talk there is always a common thread between the pair,” he said.
“Jordan and I were talking about our different mindets when dealing with the pressures of our chosen sport and mainly how you approach various situations you may encounter and what you do to deal with those situations.
“We talked about what preparation we would both go through along with training programs, so we chatted about whole range of issues like what do you do in between all the travelling, and how your get over jet-lag,
“So I was honoured to play in his company and just really, really happy to be in the company of a very decent, respectable and charming young man but then, as I said, what a golfer!”
