Falcons offseason will include plenty of golf, including a QB working on a ‘horrible' game
'Mike (Penix Jr.) is at the point where it seems like he is addicted,' Robinson said.
Advertisement
Robinson played for four NFL teams and spent five years as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Rams before coming to Atlanta in 2024, and no team he's been on has more golfers — or wannabe golfers — than the Falcons, he said. Penix, who was drafted eighth in 2024 and took over Atlanta's starting job at the end of last season, noticed the same thing when he arrived and decided he needed to pick up the game to fit in.
His game is a work in progress.
'I started about a year ago and I try to go at least once a week,' Penix said. 'Yesterday was terrible; don't ask about yesterday. Yesterday was bad. It was bad. I don't even want to tell y'all, but there are a lot of guys that play. We bond like that. Safe sport, fun sport.'
Penix is on the hunt for an instructor this offseason, he said.
'Whenever I'm done playing (football), I feel like I might want to play, so I need to learn now,' he said.
Falcons running back Bijan Robinson was happy to hear Penix acknowledge his game has a long way to go.
'That's a big step because around me, he talks like he's the coldest player in the world,' Bijan Robinson said. 'Mike Penix is horrible.'
The second-year quarterback does have potential, though.
'I've played with him before and when he gets ahold of it, obviously it can go a long way,' Zac Robinson said of Penix. 'Golf is the toughest sport to master, and he's right in the thick of learning the game.'
Zac Robinson isn't upset Penix is moonlighting in another sport.
'You can never fully master golf. It feels very similar to football,' Zac Robinson said. 'There is never a stopping point. There's always something you can work on. I like it from the aspect of competing with yourself. It's a different thing than being in a team sport.'
The Falcons have a group chat that includes '25 or so guys' where players post any tee times they have with an open spot.
'They're saying, 'Need two, we're playing at The River Club.' It's, boom, 'I'm in, I'm in,'' Zac Robinson said.
Tight end Kyle Pitts, center Ryan Neuzil, place kicker Younghoe Koo, offensive lineman Matthew Cindric and wide receivers Jesse Matthews and Dylan Drummond are among the regulars in the rotation. Pitts recently shot a 37 on the back nine of a round he played with Penix, the quarterback said. Neuzil said Matthews 'is probably the best player overall.'
Advertisement
Bijan Robinson is not part of the golfing group — 'absolutely not, absolutely not,' he said — but is an appreciator of the game through his friendship with Scottie Scheffler, a fellow University of Texas alum and the No. 1 player in the world.
'I'm going to try to get some lessons soon, hopefully in the next couple weeks,' he said. 'These guys are becoming really good, so I need to step it up.'
(Photo of Michael Penix Jr.: Rich von Biberstein / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
A virus nearly killed him; now, Brett White just shot 59 and won his first Americas title
Make that two 59s in as many days on PGA Tour Americas. This time it led to victory. Brett White began Sunday's final round of the Commissionaires Ottawa Open seven shots behind leader Philip Barbaree Jr., who had carded 13-under 59 a day earlier at Eagle Creek Golf Club. Now it was White's turn to break 60, and while Barbaree closed in 70 to tie for 10th, White rocketed to 23 under, which earned him a spot in a three-man playoff with Danny Fisher and Nathan Franks. White had made 10 birdies on his first 17 holes on Sunday before he drained a 63-foot eagle putt for the third 59 in PGA Tour Americas history. Then in extras, White birdied the par-5 18th hole twice to seal his first career Americas title and jump to third in points. White, 32, is eight years removed from nearly dying from viral encephalitis, which he contracted while a member of PGA Tour Latinoamerica. He spent three weeks in the hospital and had to relearn basic tasks, including talking and walking. His return to golf came about a year after his hospitalization, and he won the 2019 Nevada Open and 2020 Michigan Open as part of his comeback. He got through Korn Ferry Tour Q-School in 2021 to earn his KFT card for 2022, though he notched just two top-25s in 20 starts to lose his status. 'It's been a wild ride,' White told Golf Channel in 2021. 'Over a long journey, sometimes you go back and go, wow, I gotta be thankful for where I'm at. There was a point in the hospital where it was, hey, let's make sure you can be on your own; and then it was, OK, I want to be able to run around with my kids; then it was, let's play golf for fun; and it just kept on progressing. I've tried to get better every day, and I don't think I've stopped.' The top 10 players at the end of the PGA Tour Americas season receive KFT cards.
Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
Ichiro cracks jokes, shares wisdom and calls out lone voter in National Baseball Hall of Fame speech
All-Star right fielder and Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. But even as Ichiro was awarded the honor alongside CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, it was his speech that stole the show. Ichiro, who typically gave interviews in his native Japanese throughout his career, opted to speak in English when addressing the crowd in Cooperstown. In his speech, the outfielder shared some wisdom, and dropped plenty of jokes. One of the best parts of Ichiro's speech was a reference to the lone Hall of Fame voter who kept him from being a unanimous selection. At the time, Ichiro joked that he wanted to invite that writer over to "have a drink together" and "a good chat." [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] On Sunday, Ichiro listed out some of his impressive statistics, saying that the achievements were "recognized by the writers." "Well, all but of one of you," he added, referencing the voter, whose identity is still unknown. "And by the way, the offer for that writer to have dinner at my home has now expired." During the speech Ichiro referred to himself as a "rookie" for third time in his career, noting his origins with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan and Mariners, with whom he made his MLB debut at age 27. The outfielder mentioned some of the Hall of Famers gathered on stage for the ceremony — 52 in total. "I am 51 years old, so easy on the hazing," he joked to those Hall of Famers. The humor continued, as Ichiro also got in a good dig at the Miami Marlins, who he played for from 2015-2017. "Honestly, when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015, I had never heard of your team," Ichiro said, earning a hearty laugh from the crowd. Later, Ichiro got in a stellar, full-throttled impression of Mariners broadcast Rick Rizzs. But much of the outfielder's speech was very heartfelt. In between jokes, Ichiro thanked the Mariners for bringing him to the league, and thanked former pitcher Hideo Nomo, the first Japanese player to relocate to MLB, for his "courage" and for paving the way. Ichiro also offered some advice, speaking about his own mentality heading into the league, and learning to focus on your best self. "If you consistently do the little things, there's no limit to what you can achieve," Ichiro said. "Look at me. I'm 5'11, and 170 pounds. When I came to America, many people said I was too skinny to compete with bigger major leaguers. ... But I knew that if I stuck to my beliefs about preparation, I could overcome the doubts, even my own. "I have been asked, 'what is the best thing you can do for your team?' My answer is, taking responsibility for yourself," he added. "When you go home at night and wonder why you didn't get a hit, or you didn't make a catch, the honest answer is not because a great pitcher beat you, or the sun was in your eyes. It's because there was something you could have done better." Ichiro finished the speech by saying that he had not heard of Cooperstown until he visited for the first time in 2001, and began to understand the scope of the honor. "Being here today sure is like a fantastic dream," Ichiro said, in conclusion. Ichiro, Sabathia and Wagner will now be enshrined in Cooperstown, as well as Dick Allen and Dave Parker, who were voted in by the Classic Baseball Era committee.
Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
Ichiro cracks jokes, shares wisdom and calls out lone voter in National Baseball Hall of Fame induction speech
All-Star right fielder and Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. But even as Ichiro was awarded the honor alongside CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, it was his speech that stole the show. Ichiro, who typically gave interviews in his native Japanese, opted to speak in English when addressing the crowd in Cooperstown. In his speech, the outfielder shared some wisdom, and dropped plenty of jokes. One of the best parts of Ichiro's speech was a reference to the lone Hall of Fame voter who kept him from being a unanimous selection. At the time, Ichiro joked that he wanted to invite that writer over to "have a drink together" and "a good chat." On Sunday, Ichiro listed out some of his impressive statistics, saying that the achievements were "recognized by the writers." "Well, all but of one of you," he added, referencing the voter, whose identity is still unknown. "And by the way, the offer for that writer to have dinner at my home has now expired." During the speech Ichiro referred to himself as a "rookie" for third time in his career, noting his origins with the Orix Blue Wave and Mariners. The outfielder mentioned some of the Hall of Famers gathered on stage for the ceremony — 52 in total. "I am 51 years old, so easy on the hazing," he joked to those Hall of Famers. The humor continued, as Ichiro also got in a good dig at the Miami Marlins, who he played for from 2015-2017. "Honestly, when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015, I had never heard of your team," Ichiro said, earning a hearty laugh from the crowd. Later, Ichiro got in a stellar, full-throttled impression of Mariners broadcast Rick Rizzs. But much of the outfielder's speech was very heartfelt. In between jokes, Ichiro thanked the Mariners for bringing him to the league, and thanked Hideo Nomo, the first Japanese player to relocate to MLB, for his "courage" and for paving the way. Ichiro also offered some advice, speaking about his own mentality heading into the league, and learning to focus on your best self. "If you consistently do the little things, there's no limit to what you can achieve," Ichiro said. "Look at me. I'm 5'11, and 170 pounds. When I came to America, many people said I was too skinny to compete with bigger major leaguers. ... But I knew that if I stuck to my beliefs about preparation, I could overcome the doubts, even my own. "I have been asked, 'what is the best thing you can do for your team?' My answer is, taking responsibility for yourself," he added. "When you go home at night and wonder why you didn't get a hit, or you didn't make a catch, the honest is not because a great pitcher beat you, or the sun was in your eyes. It's because there was something you could have done better." Ichiro finished the speech by saying that he had not heard of Cooperstown until he visited for the first time in 2001, and began to understand the scope of the honor. "Being here today sure is like a fantastic dream," Ichiro said, in conclusion. Ichiro, Sabathia and Wagner will now be enshrined in Cooperstown, as well as Dick Allen and Dave Parker, who were voted in by the Classic Baseball Era committee.
