By John Jones

Copyright walesonline

Gareth Bale has opened up on his friendship with Sir Andy Murray and revealed which of the sporting legends holds the upper hand on the golf course. The duo are two of the most accomplished athletes of their era, with Bale establishing himself as one of football’s most decorated stars with five Champions League triumphs at Real Madrid, while also ending his career as Wales’ most-capped international and leading goalscorer. Murray, meanwhile, is a former tennis world number one, securing 46 career titles including three Grand Slams. Yet while they excelled in their respective sports, both men share a well-documented passion for golf. Throughout his time in Madrid, Bale faced criticism over the hours he devoted to the fairways, while a banner that read ‘Wales, golf, Madrid – in that order’ was memorably unfurled as he and his teammates celebrated the nation’s Euro 2020 qualification. Murray, however, has gone even further in his love of golf since retiring from tennis last year, with the 38-year-old now spending daily sessions on the course as he pursues qualification for the 2027 Open Championship. Following his retirement, he even updated his Twitter profile to read “I played tennis. Now I play golf.” Despite the Scotsman’s dedication to honing his technique over recent months, however, Bale has hinted that he might still hold the upper hand over the tennis legend when it comes to golf. Since retirement, Murray has reportedly reduced his handicap to an impressive 1.9. However, he is still behind Bale, who has cut his handicap to a remarkable 0.1, virtually scratch. When asked who was the better golfer out of him and Murray, the Wales legend told Express Sport : “My handicap would suggest me! “But [Andy] is a good player. He hasn’t been playing long, but he’s a very good player. I’ve played with him many times now and he’s such a good, nice, humble guy. He’s very funny as well.” Murray and Bale have faced each other on the golf course on several occasions, whilst they teamed up at the recent Pro-Am at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. The two-time Olympic tennis champion even succeeded in holing an eagle on the 18th after Bale positioned him perfectly with a thunderous drive. The former Tottenham and Real Madrid star has also partnered with Rory McIlroy at Pro-Am tournaments, and while he has dismissed the prospect of turning professional, he has admitted to enjoying watching the sport’s finest players up close. You can read more about Bale’s new life in retirement here. “It was great to play with them, I’ve played with them a few times now,” he said. “It’s always good to have a fun day, a bit more relaxed even if there are a lot of people watching. “It’s been good to play in some of those events, even just to watch the pros up close and see how they do things. You can really learn a lot from it. It’s been good fun and I’m sure there will be a few more in the future.” Discussing his retirement plans, Bale said: “I’m trying to practice my golf game. Obviously the weather is now turning, so that will probably take a bit of a big hit, but I’m enjoying finally being able to play golf with nobody judging me! Yeah, it’s good.” Gareth Bale was speaking at the Gareth Bale Festival of Sport, organised in partnership with StreetGames, Wales Golf and CAA Sports – with support from the R&A – and held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales.