Reggie Bush is as obsessed with golf as any former pro athlete. Ask the hotel staff after anywhere he stays. It's likely there's a hole in the carpet of his room from Bush taking practice swings, when his golf for the day is done, his wife, Lilit, said. "He leaves his mark, it's like saying, 'Bush was here,' " Lilit told us in a recent episode of The Loop podcast.
This isn't just a hobby for the former Heisman Trophy winner and 4 handicap. Bush will now really be leaving his mark on the game in a positive way—announcing that he's taking his love for golf and launching a new league for athletes past and present.
The United Athletes Tour will have its first event on June 24 at Torrey Pines, a fitting host venue given Bush's San Diego roots. The field will be loaded with athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, soccer and more, in addition to equal representation from women's pro sports, with athletes and influencers to be named soon. Each athlete will compete in individual stroke play competition in addition to a mixed team element as well. A pro-am will kick things off on the 25th with competition on the 26th.
"It's always been a dream of mine to host an event like this at Torrey Pines," Bush told us. "Not many people get that location, so we're incredibly blessed to host a tournament there."
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Bush has brought on the PGA Tour's former chief of global business ventures, Len Brown, as his CEO. Michael Strahan is on the United Athletes Tour advisory board, in addition to some others respected in the business and sports world.
Reggie Bush and his fellow United Athletes Tour representatives, including his wife, Lilit, (to his right) and former PGA Tour executive Len Brown, who will act as the UAT CEO.
Vanja Savic
Golf has never been cooler among athletes and celebrities, so Bush's new venture will look to capitalize on the moment. The league offers equity, ownership, creative control of their own brands and content, while also delivering an entertaining product. The inaugural event will be streamed live with a partner to be named soon, and participants will be encouraged to beef up the trash-talking and betting to keep the event light and approachable for all fans.
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Bush joined Golf Digest's The Loop podcast, along with his wife, Lilit, who has helped him launch the UAT, to discuss the new venture. We discussed a bunch of topics in golf—including some advice for another high-profile Los Angeles sports star who just picked up the game less than a year ago.
"I have gone through those growing pains, and it's an endless battle," says Bush, "because everybody he plays with is gonna wanna say that I coached up LeBron, I gave him, you know, a specific tip that he always uses, etc. And when he hits the ball, look at, I taught him that right there, like all that stuff.
"I think for him, he's got to find one golf coach and just stick with that guy."
For more of our discussion with Bush, listen to the podcast below.
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