As the top pick in this year’s NBA draft, Cooper Flagg has become one of the most visible figures in the world of basketball.
He has also more quietly been developing his golf game — and using his time on the course to relax while still channeling his competitive nature.
“I like to golf. That’s kind of my de-stress, relaxation sport, competitive thing that I like to do,” Flagg told the “Today” show earlier this year.
Flagg’s parents and AAU coach helped pique his interest in the sport, according to Flagg’s longtime trainer and sometimes golf partner Matt MacKenzie. And even as the NBA rookie turns to the links as an outlet to relax, he still brings a relentless desire to improve.
“So above anything else, Cooper’s a high level competitor and he has the ability to pick up on skills very quickly,” MacKenzie said. “So when he decided that he wanted to get into golf, he fell in love with the game very quickly because of the competitive nature.”
Flagg’s competitiveness and size have long drawn attention on the basketball court, and as the former college player of the year takes his game to the NBA, those same attributes are also helping him on the golf course.
“Due to his 6-foot-9 frame, 7-foot-plus wingspan, you can imagine that he’s got quite the range of motion in his swing,” MacKenzie said, noting that Flagg is able to get off the tee really well. “And so he can drive the ball over 300 yards.”
Flagg is working to improve his short game and putting, MacKenzie said, but his whole game is developing well.
“He’s a natural and he really just enjoys being out on the golf course every chance he can get at this point,” MacKenzie said.
As proof of the Newport, Maine native’s quick ability to learn quickly, a video from the Dallas Mavericks earlier this summer showed Flagg quickly getting the hang of a Happy Gilmore-style swing in just a few attempts.
Video of Flagg at the driving range went viral after the Duke Blue Devils were knocked out of the Final Four in his one and only year playing college basketball. Another video of Flagg showcasing his swing at a golf simulator got a reaction, and a few tips, from a PGA pro.
MacKenzie pointed out that Flagg’s relocation to Dallas should provide plenty of opportunities to play on the courses in that area, and hopefully spend some time around the PGA learning facility in that area as well. Golf also provides an avenue for Flagg to build business relationships and connect with teammates and coaches, MacKenzie said.
When Flagg was back home in Maine last month to host a youth basketball camp, he also found time to get out on several Maine golf courses for 9-hole stretches ahead of his basketball commitments, according to MacKenzie. Those recent Pine Tree State outings included rounds in the Bangor area, Palmyra, Newport and Waterville.
“He’s found it very peaceful. He’s found it to be a way of just training his mind and body to do something a little bit different,” MacKenzie said.
And while the longtime player development coach has spent years working with Flagg on basketball-specific skills, MacKenzie said there is plenty of work that can translate from the court to the course.
“I think there’s absolutely carry-over, just in terms of skill acquisition and understanding that there’s a process to building fundamental skills — and that you need to make sure that you’re putting time in on your craft if you want to be as good as you hope to be,” MacKenzie said.
Just as Flagg has put time and effort into building his basketball skills, MacKenzie sees a similar arc with his golf game.
“And so I think that as he’s building his golf game, he’s realizing that while he’s a natural athlete, he needs to put in practice time on the course and on the range to be the golfer that he wants to be one day,” MacKenzie said.
MacKenzie expects Flagg to “really dive into the nuances of building those skills” on the course, and he views golf as an outlet that Flagg will be able to enjoy his entire life.
That’s clearly how Flagg sees it as well, even if he sees room for improvement in his own game.
“I think it’s a challenge,” he said in the interview with Today. “You know, I’m not great at it yet, but I think it’s something that will stick with you for life.”
