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Rafael Nadal happens to be one of the greatest tennis players ever, having fought his way to a tally of 19 Grand Slams. He is just one Major short of the all-time record held by Roger Federer, and many believe he will overtake or at least equal the Swiss' mark this year.
But what might surprise some is the fact that Rafael Nadal excels in sports other than tennis too - specifically, in golf. The Spaniard has a great aptitude for golf, with a remarkable 0.4 handicap which shows how good a swing he has.
So it came as no surprise when it emerged that Rafael Nadal would be participating in a professional golf event hosted in his home islands. The Spaniard got off to a brilliant start in the tournament, before settling for the 4th position on the final day.
Rafael Nadal's love for golf is well-known among his most ardent tennis fans, and the man has often claimed in the past that it is his favorite sport to play outside of tennis. Nadal looked quite at home - both literally and figuratively - when he entered the Balearic Golf Championships on Friday and immediately started showing his skill.
The Spaniard started off his campaign at the golf championships in Mallorca in style, as he led his counterparts on par 3 - including an "eagle" on par 4. For the uninitiated, the first 250 yards of a golf course comprise par 3 and 250-470 yards make up par 4.
In simpler terms, Rafael Nadal was first in the shorter format of the match, as he pocketed the holes in the predetermined number of strokes as per the event. He then achieved an eagle midway through the match on par 4 - that is, he sank one in two strokes fewer than the predetermined number.
Rafael Nadal's mini-collapse in the final rounds deprive him of the win
It is pertinent to note that this wasn't Nadal's first ever professional golf event; he had also played the Balearic Golf Championship in 2016. Besides playing golf professionally, Rafael Nadal has turned the sport into a leisure activity when he's off the tennis tour.
All seemed to be going well for the Spaniard in the tournament, as he led his opponents through the first nine holes. However, he suffered a mini-collapse in the back nine (the second half of the two-day championship), regressing to three "bogeys" (one stroke more than the predetermined number of strokes) on holes 7, 8 and 16.
Nadal managed to compensate a little for that with three "birdies" (one stroke fewer than predetermined number of strokes) on holes 9, 13 and 18, to finally finish fourth in the standings at 72 shots.
The Spaniard was overtaken in the back nine by Víctor Mirón and Federico Páez, both tied at 70 shots, while Jaime Jaume came in third at 71 shots. However, Rafael Nadal can clearly take pride in his performance at the Balearic Golf Championships, given he is not a full-time golf player.
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