Former tennis world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty won just £17 in a recent golf tournament just weeks on from her dramatic retirement from tennis.
Barty shocked the sporting world last month after retiring from the sport whilst occupying the world No. 1 spot at just 25-years-old. In a statement, Barty confirmed that she was moving away from tennis to 'chase other dreams’, with many speculating these ‘dreams’ could well be becoming a professional golfer.
Just under two weeks later, it seems the 25-year-old is already making moves in the world of golf after already picking up a victory. Her prize for the win? A modest £17 ($30 AUD) after she claimed victory at a ladies competition at the Brookwater Golf and Country Club in the outskirts of Brisbane.
Confirming the victory HerWay Magazine tweeted: “Congrats to Ash Barty who won $30 this weekend for winning the ladies golf championship at the Brookwater Golf and Country Club.” Barty plays off an impressive handicap of four, and won the prize after proving victorious in a field of five.
The 25-year-old has been tipped for big things in the world of golf, including from World Golf Hall of Famer Karrie Webb. She said: “I don’t see Ash wanting to do a sport where she has to travel the world.”
She then went on to predict that Barty could well become Australian amateur champion one day. Webb added: “I think that’s part of what she didn’t like about tennis, being away from Australia. [But] I wouldn’t put it past her to be Australian amateur champion one day."
Following her move from a tennis racquet to a golf club, many big names within her former sport were clearly taken aback, including new world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who admitted she was ‘crying for 40 minutes’ after hearing the news. She commented: “I was crying for 40 minutes. Mainly, it was because of Ash's retirement.
What do you make of Barty's career change? Let us know in the comments section below.
“I didn't know it was going to happen and it really surprised me. I always had this vision that we would all play until we are 35 or something, until our bodies are so tired that we can't any more.
"I needed time to actually understand what she must have thought. Her decision was really brave and I felt a lot of emotions because of that."
