PALM HARBOR, Fla. — The Valspar Championship is known as “The Most Colorful PGA Tournament in the World.”
But the Celebrity Pro-Am could be painted two colors: Red and pewter. Several current and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers players took their swings on the pristine Copperhead Course.
“We are really fortunate to have a bunch of celebrities who live in this area, and they come out and participate in our Monday Pro-Am.” Tournament director Tracy West said, “They donate their time to do that.”
Those celebrities include lots of athletes, like pitcher Roger Clemens and wrestler Titus O’Neil. The biggest contingent comes from the football field.
“I’m super inconsistent,” Buccaneers punter Jake Camarda said. Sometimes, it’s really good, and sometimes, it’s really bad. Hopefully, I can hit it straight and keep it in play.”
Camarda was joined by former Bucs greats Ronde Barber, Mike Alstott, Warren Sapp, and Derek Brooks and current Bucs quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask.
“I’ve played with Kyle. I love Kyle to death,” Camarda said. “He’s not the best on the team. He’s a good player. I haven’t played with Baker. Baker will probably claim to be the best. I saw Kyle hit it off one and he said he wasn’t hitting it good. Kyle is a good player. Who’s the best? That’s still up in the air.”
Camarda was even more excited about Bucs’ general manager Jason Licht's work re-signing wide receiver Mike Evans, Mayfield, and linebacker Lavonte David during the initial wave of free agency and applying the franchise tag on safety Antoine Winfield, Jr.
“Oh my gosh, we’re killing it in free agency,” Camarda said. "I’m going to show up to the building in a couple of weeks, and the whole team is going to be back. We got the gang back together. I feel like we have a really good team. We were contenders last year, and we’re really going to be contenders this year.”
On the course, Camarda got some help from his wife Kinsley, who worked hard as his caddie, while Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan also caddied for former pitcher Corey Kluber.
“This is embarrassing,” McClanahan said jokingly.
McClanahan won’t pitch this season as he is still recovering from Tommy John Surgery.
Valspar Championship tournament play will begin on Thursday.
