Barty Party lives on? Ash Barty gives answer over pro golf career
Ash Barty has lined up as a professional cricketer for the Brisbane Heat and is a three-time grand slam champion. Could she add golf to her resume?
Ash Barty’s back and showing she has lost none of the touch that made her a three-time grand slam champion.
It’s not with a tennis racquet though, Barty indulging her other sporting love of golf while lining up in the New Zealand Open Pro-Am with friend, Aussie pro Louis Dobbelaar, at Queenstown’s Millbrook Resort.
The pair finished the opening round in a tie for 93rd place at five under in the best ball format, with Barty showing some nice touch around the challenging course.
A chip to the green from a difficult lie on 16 showed all the control Barty used to display with her signature backhand slice on the tennis court.
To the disappointment of many though, the 27-year-old confirmed she would not be making a return to the professional sporting ranks - in either tennis or golf.
Asked how many times she had been quizzed about a return to tennis, Barty’s return was a clean winner.
“Probably just as many as if I’m turning professional in golf, and the answer is no to both,” she quipped.
“But no, I love it here, I love playing as a hobby and it’s obviously lovely to get outside for 18, go for a walk, and enjoy it.”
While she increased her load in the lead-up to the tournament, Barty’s expectations in New Zealand are low, with the mother to eight-month-old Hayden getting the time to play just two or three rounds in the year before lining up at Millbrook.
“It’s a beautiful golf course and a stunning place to play golf. I am very lucky to be here and be a part of it,” she said ahead of the tournament.
Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting, who was in a group with Barty and Dobbelaar, fared better, finishing the opening round tied for 17th with partner Marcus Fraser.
They will hit the course again on Friday at Queenstown’s Millbrook Resort, with the top 40 teams making the cut for round three before the top 10 make the final round.
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