McNeil could have a future career as a pro golfer

NEW YORK -- Mets second baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil loves playing golf. During most of his off-days, you will likely find him on the links. Golf puts his mind at ease after a long day on the baseball diamond.

McNeil’s favorite golf course is Monarch Dunes Golf Course in Nipomo, Calif., his hometown. He’ll be there most days during the offseason perfecting his skills.

“It’s a cool link-style course. It’s a lot of fun to play,” McNeil said.

When it’s not baseball season, don’t be surprised to see McNeil, 32, playing in a celebrity golf tournament. He did that last January and won the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions celebrity event. He played four rounds and finished ahead of golfer Annika Sörenstam and former Major Leaguer Mark Mulder, who finished second and third, respectively.

“He is tough to beat,” said Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz, who was at the tournament. “The only celebrity tournament that he played in that I was in, he won, which is impressive. He plays left-handed. Certainly, that day, he did everything he had to do to come back and win. I had played with him before, so I knew he was really good. He came out of the gate and did what he had to do.”

The victory meant a lot to McNeil because his son, Lucas, was in attendance. As he was declared the winner of the tournament, there was Lucas in Jeff’s arms.

“It was a lot of fun to have him out there and celebrate with him,” McNeil said.

Will Lucas follow in his father’s footsteps and play on links?

“He just turned two, so he is not into golf yet. I’m hoping that he is,” McNeil said. “It will give us something to do together. We’ll see when the time comes.”

And how did the victory on the golf course compare to winning the batting title he won in 2022? McNeil didn’t feel any pressure when he was in the batter’s box.

“It’s a different kind of pressure you don’t feel on a baseball field. [Golf is] a different game, different feelings [than baseball],” McNeil said. “I remember walking off the first tee during the first day, I was playing with [golfer] Charley Hull and [MLB second baseman] Whit Merrifield. I remember hitting that first tee shot and realizing I had never been that nervous before. Coming down the stretch the last day, too, it’s something I’m not used to. I would obviously say winning a batting title means a lot more to me.”

McNeil is so good on the golf course that Smoltz went on FOX-TV one Saturday evening and proclaimed that McNeil was going to be a great golfer when his baseball career was over. Smoltz and McNeil have golfed together numerous times.

“He has every hand-eye coordination that you need [to be a golfer],” Smoltz said. “He has great hands, obviously, as a hitter. It doesn’t always translate into a great golfer. When you have the feel that he has and the power at the same time -- he hits it a long way and he crushes it. He could be as good as he wants to be. … He is young, and he has a lot of talent in that game, that’s for sure. I don’t know every active baseball player that plays golf, but I would say he is the best active golfer right now.”

McNeil was born to be on the course. In fact, he grew up on a par-3 course in Santa Barbara, Calif., and started swinging clubs at two years old. He had dreams of becoming another Tiger Woods.

By the time he was a teenager, McNeil’s family moved to Nipomo, where he prospered as a golfer for Nipomo High School. He was so good that he qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur Tournament at the Trump National Golf Club, Old and New Courses in New Jersey in 2009. As McNeil puts it, “I played great the first day and didn’t play great the second day.”

Despite the disappointment, McNeil was hoping to go to college on a golf scholarship, but there were no offers. Instead, he changed his focus to baseball and accepted a scholarship to California State University.

“Because golf didn’t work out," McNeil said, "is the reason I’m playing baseball.”

It’s safe to say that McNeil made the right choice. He is in his seventh season with the Mets and hopes to play a big role in their quest to the postseason in 2024.

“My parents are always telling me that you have one chance to play baseball," McNeil said. “’You have your whole life to play golf. Once baseball is over, you can go do that.’ I took their advice, gave baseball a shot. I’m glad I did.”