Skip To Content

    Yao Ming Tries To Play Golf, Fails Spectacularly

    It's all in the hips, Yao.

    Former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming busted out his six-foot-long golf clubs and played in the Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament in Haikou, China this weekend.

    Yao's no Michael Phelps yet, though. Golf is a cruel mistress.

    Yao's a true seven footer, so the fact that his swing doesn't just look like a willow tree swaying in the wind is pretty impressive. There's seems to be a genuine, yet unrefined golfer inside that massive frame, a few instructional sessions with David Leadbetter and Yao could be breaking 80.

    We've translated the commentary for you:

    (Chinese Johnny Miller): "Yao Ming needs to get up-and-down from here for quadruple-bogey. Wind gusting in from behind his back. Not much in this, is there Dottie?"

    (Chinese Dottie Pepper): "Johnny shut up we know you used to be really good at golf. Yao just missed the ball entirely."

    (Chinese Johnny Miller): "And his playing partner comes over to fix the divot, I've never seen that before."

    (Chinese Dottie Pepper): "Yao Ming doesn't fix divots."

    (Chinese Johnny Miller): "He addressed the ball. That's a stroke. I'm counting that as a stroke."

    (Chinese Dottie Pepper): "I hate you."

    Speaking of Michael Phelps, he was in China too, living the life of a retired 27-year-old.

    Tournament organizers promised Ronaldo free General Tso's and lo mein, so he showed up.

    Adrian Brody was there looking melancholy.

    Minka Kelly was just happy to make contact with the ball.

    (h/t Geoff Shackleford via Business Insider)