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Michael Jordan is so intimidating on the golf course that one pro player says he thought his friend ‘s— his pants’ while playing with the GOAT

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan. Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational

  • Michael Jordan’s golf course, nicknamed “Slaughterhouse 23,” is building quite a reputation.

  • The course is set to Jordan’s liking, making him even more formidable than his handicap suggests.

  • According to PGA Pro Harold Varner III, Jordan’s intimidation on the course looms large.

  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Michael Jordan’s private golf course, Grove XXIII, has only been around for a few years but has already built up quite a legend.

The course has been dubbed “Slaughterhouse 23,” given Jordan’s propensity to win cash off of his competition at his home-built club.

The name comes from the design of the course aimed at maximizing Jordan’s style of play against his opponents.

But golfers who play Slaughterhouse 23 don’t only have to contend with Jordan’s course but also with the intimidation that comes with playing against Jordan himself.

Harold Varner III, a PGA pro sponsored by Jordan Brand, told the story of one friend who was terrified to find himself playing against the basketball legend as a guest on GOLF’s “Subpar” podcast.

Varner said the fateful round began after he had originally just planned to get some lunch at the club when he was informed that Jordan wanted to see him.

“MJ is like, ‘You got your clubs, you got some money?'” Varner said. “You pay me so I got both!”

Jordan asked Varner to play 18 holes with him, and Varner asked if his buddy Will could join. Jordan agreed.

Varner said that his friend’s mental state devolved quickly while playing next to Jordan.

“Will is playing nervous. He’s freaking out. This is a grown man, he’s 27 years old,” Varner said. “We go down to the second tee and MJ’s like ‘There’s not going to be any free rolls out here. Same bet, $100 with you.'”

“And Will, I think he s— his pants. He literally couldn’t breath. He was saying ‘Do you understand that I’m playing with the GOAT?’ I’m like, ‘I totally do, and you’re going to pay him $100 if you don’t play well.'”

“So he gets up there, hits a good drive at No. 2, and he has 70 yards to the green, and I bet you he hit it 20 yards. 20 yards. I’m just wondering what’s going on, this is a complete choke.”

Varner said that Will is normally a good golfer, having played in college at Auburn, but standing next to Jordan, his nerves apparently got the better of him.

While Varner and Will were driving back after their round, Will checked his WHOOP fitness tracker, and found that his heartrate had reached 159 BPM while playing against Jordan.

“That’s like running a sprint,” Varner said. “I knew he was nervous, I didn’t know he might pass out.”

Guests faced with the challenge of playing against Jordan on his home course are never going to have an easy round, but the most daunting task they face might be keeping their cool in Jordan’s presence.

Read the original article on Insider

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