Derek Carr stepped to the tee box on the first hole at the TPC Louisiana and sailed his tee shot into a large cypress tree on the left side of the fairway.
It was not the result the Saints quarterback was seeking in his debut appearance at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Wednesday.
Thankfully for Carr, there weren’t any social-media trolls in the gallery of about 100 fans, who were following him and former Saints quarterback Drew Brees during their round of the pro-am tournament. Otherwise, they would have had a field day with Carr’s erratic opening salvo.
“We ended well,” Carr quipped after finishing the round with a birdie on No. 18. “My (golf) game usually starts to come around in late July. Right about the time we have to start (training) camp.”
The Saints quarterbacks present and past teamed with PGA Tour pros Ryan Palmer and Zach Johnson and New Orleans businessman Rick Farrell for 18 holes on an uncharacteristically hot and humid afternoon.
As you would expect, a large gallery followed the tandem, who were playing together for the first time as teammates. Between holes, the pair stopped regularly to pose for selfies and sign autographs for fans and support staff.
“This is obviously a big deal for the city of New Orleans,” Brees said. “It’s a great event, a lot of fun and I get my fill of Cajun food for 24 hours.”
Brees has been a regular participant in the pro-am since his playing days. He said he tried to recruit Carr to the event a year ago, but the timing wasn’t good. Carr was focused on learning the Saints offense in his first offseason with the organization.
Carr was an easy sell this time around.
The five-hour round was the most extensive time the pair has spent together, Brees said.
“I’ve been a fan of Derek’s for a long time, and we’ve shared a lot of phone calls and interactions over the years,” Brees said. “To spend five hours together on the course in a relaxed environment and have a chance to talk ball and family and just a lot of stuff (was fun).
"I’ve got so much respect for him. I’m really excited about the opportunity that he’s going to have with the team this year.”
Carr said he reached out to Brees earlier in the offseason and scheduled a time to pick his brain about the Saints offense and other things. He didn’t go into specifics about the details of the conversation but characterized the brain-storming session as “valuable.”
“I learned so much from him,” Carr said. “He was asking questions about me, how things are going. And I’m asking him questions about things he thought versus certain looks.”
Wednesday’s round was more of the same, even though the two tried to avoid shop talk as much as possible and enjoy the day.
“We tried to just enjoy each other’s company, but at the end of the day, we can’t help ourselves,” Carr said.
This was Carr’s initial run at the Zurich Classic, although he has played the TPC course multiple times recreationally since signing with the Saints a year ago.
Carr and Brees both know their way around the links. Both are regulars on the pro-am circuit in the spring and summer, and each has played in the American Century Celebrity Championships in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
They kidded each other about their attire as they met on the practice range before the round while they visited with former Saints standout Steve Gleason and his family. Both were unwittingly dressed in nearly identical outfits: black baseball caps, black golf shirts and khaki shorts.
Brees and Carr share more in common than just career paths and fashion sense. Both played high school football in Texas, and both have strong ties to California. Carr was born and raised in Bakersfield. Brees has made his home in the North County area of San Diego since his playing days with the Chargers. And both come from similar schools of offensive systems.
“There’s so much that I like about him,” Brees said. “I can watch tape and know exactly how he’s being coached on that play or exactly that the 'get to' is on that play. We were coached in very similar ways.”
Brees, who is scheduled to return to the state in June for his induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches, said he tries to follow Carr and the Saints as often as possible during the season. He said his children — sons Baylen, Bowen and Callen, and daughter Rylen — beg him to attend as many games as possible, even the road games.
“Just because I no longer play for the New Orleans Saints doesn’t mean I don’t live and die with them every weekend, just like everybody else does,” Brees said. “I’m a die-hard fan now.”
As part of the fraternity of NFL quarterbacks, Carr and Brees have a common bond, Brees said. The camaraderie and mutual respect was evident as they walked the fairways, strategized shots from the tee box and accepted tips from Johnson and Palmer.
The round was anything but a good walk spoiled for Carr.
“I’m excited anytime I get to hang out with Drew or talk to Drew,” Carr said. “I was a kid in a candy store out there today. You're playing with the (PGA Tour) pros, Masters champ (Johnson). Today was a dream come true for me."