Gareth Bale headlined a star-studded Celebrity Pro-Am at the BMW PGA Championship on Wednesday, as Rory McIlroy carded an outstanding 12-under-par 60 at Wentworth.
McIlroy's team, which included former Great Britain hockey player Sam Quek, ex-England cricketer Stuart Broad and Formula 1 mechanic Calum Nicholas, won the morning Pro-Am competition by seven strokes.
Bale, who plays off a handicap of 1.1, was joined in the field by several other former footballers, including Chelsea greats John Terry and Eden Hazard and Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler. Hazard said he had been impressed by Chelsea's current front three of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro.
Bale backs De Zerbi to improve Spurs
Speaking to Sky Sports News before his tee time, Bale backed Tottenham Hotspur and head coach Roberto De Zerbi to improve the club following a mixed run of form.
"Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get them to settle in," Bale said. "The manager has shown he is capable of playing good football. A lot of new signings and hopefully they'll come good, given some time."
Bale said Spurs could "hopefully" challenge for a place in Europe next season, adding that the club now "have the players" to help take the team to the next level.
Bale teed up alongside Swedish golfer Ludvig Aberg, cricket icon Brian Lara and former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. Their group finished 15th in the Pro-Am with a combined score of 23 under par.
Afternoon groups share the honours
The afternoon session finished level, with JJ Spaun's team, featuring Amir Karimpour, Romain Peugeot and Kris Adams, tying Eugenio Chacarra's team, which included Chris Hawkins, Darren Hall and Alex Bentley. Both sides finished on 36 under par.
Reflecting on last weekend's Manchester derby, Hart described City's performance as "exceptional" and backed the club to take Arsenal the distance in the Premier League title race.
"I think it was such a strange game," Hart told Sky Sports News. "I don't think Haaland's goal should have stood, but their performance was exceptional. It was a really important result to start the season."
Zak Brown and Lando Norris join the field
McLaren Formula 1 chief executive Zak Brown also played in the Pro-Am on Wednesday. He was paired with European Ryder Cup winner Justin Rose, who switched to using McLaren golf clubs earlier in the season, and the pair's team finished fifth in the afternoon session.
Brown was also supported by McLaren driver Lando Norris, who did not play but attended to back his boss.
"I have got to support my boss [Zak Brown], when you want something, you've got to give something back in return," Norris said. "I'll give him some support and advice. He hit a good tee shot, which I was annoyed by. I wanted him to hit it out of bounds."
McIlroy's Pro-Am 60 explained
McIlroy, who said during his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday that he was still working on elements of his swing, dazzled in Wednesday's Pro-Am. His score of 60 was not an official tournament figure, and the Pro-Am format does not register scores worse than par, with McIlroy making bogey at the 16th.
McIlroy's lowest competitive score at the BMW PGA Championship is a 65, and his best-ever DP World Tour round is a 62, set at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Championship. He arrives at Wentworth off the back of a tied-41st finish at the Amgen Irish Open.
He carded a birdie at the third and an eagle at the fourth, before reeling off eight consecutive birdies.
"Rory McIlroy was incredible, he was 10-under through 11," Broad said. "He didn't miss any putts, and I was joking with him, saying: 'He's got to wear the same clothes tomorrow, same ball'. If he wants us to walk around with him, he's more than welcome! He looked in the zone on that front nine. Very calm, relaxed."
The BMW PGA Championship, a flagship event on the DP World Tour, continues at Wentworth with live coverage on Sky Sports Golf.
