Stephen Curry: making cut at Ellie Mae Classic would be like winning the tourney

Stephen Curry is taking a break from basketball to fulfil his golf passion this weekend and the Golden State Warriors star says making the cut at the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic would be akin to winning the tournament.

The two-time NBA champion will tee it up at TPC Stonebrae this week having only competed in the pro-am in the past.

And Curry is relishing the opportunity to compete.

Speaking to ESPN, he said: “Not in a million years did I think I’d be on this range with these professional golfers, trying to keep up with them.

“But I got an amazing opportunity this week, so we’ll see what happens.”

Curry is an avid golfer and will compete against tour pros in an official event for the first time after previously participating in the last five American Century Championship celebrity events.

He finished fourth at the most recent AACC in Lake Tahoe last month and the odds of him winning are not exactly favourable at 3,000-1.

And Curry admits it would be a personal success just to be in contention to make the weekend.

“I’m staying realistic,” Curry said. “The first goal is just to get off the first tee on Thursday. If I can do that, I’ll be off and running.

“These guys dedicate their life to the game and are grinding every week to make it to the PGA Tour, so I understand how hard it is out here.

“Myself as a casual professional golfer in my head, not in real life, I just want to have fun, make some birdies.

“The cut would be – if I can just give myself a chance, like go into Friday with a realistic chance to make it – that would be amazing. I want to know what that adrenaline rush is like, because for me, that would be like winning the tourney.”

Curry is scheduled to tee off Thursday at 11:55 am local time and will be paired with Sam Ryder and defending champion Stephan Jaeger in each of the first two rounds.