Whether it’s Dustin Johnson on the basketball court or Aaron Baddeley on the MCG, here are the sports that some notable names might try their hand at if they didn’t play golf.

PHIL MICKELSON

The five-time major champion is mad about baseball – and in 2003 he actually tried out to be a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers in the minor leagues.

“If I can get my velocity up, we may revisit this,” Mickelson said. “Golf is my number one priority and always will be. But throwing a baseball is an important part of my workout program, so if I can get my speed to 85mph or above consistently, I wouldn’t rule out trying this again.”

Baddeley remains passionate about cricket and is good friends with Ricky Ponting. PHOTO: Getty Images.

AARON BADDELEY

The two-time Australian Open champion grew up with a father who worked for motorsport legend Mario Andretti. But Baddeley’s true passion was cricket.

The Victorian eventually – at the age of 13 – put his cricket bat aside and started learning the game of golf, which included practising out of a home-made bunker in his backyard. But he is still a cricket enthusiast and remains friends with Ricky Ponting.

“He [Ricky] loves his golf,” Baddeley said. “Obviously I love cricket and I’m always asking cricket questions of him, finding out new things that they’re doing and what not.”

DAME LAURA DAVIES

We get the feeling the World Golf Hall of Famer would be more than capable at any given sport – and she played soccer until she was 50 years old. But Britain’s most successful female golfer remains rather passionate about, of all things, darts.

RIGHT: Davies enjoyed playing soccer until she was 50 years old. PHOTO: Getty Images.

“I’ve just always played it and I’ve always had a dart board in the house,” said Davies, who has hit 180 twice and calls herself Laura ‘The Lazy’ Davies whenever she plays.

DUSTIN JOHNSON

Dustin Johnson is 193cms and 90 kilograms of pure athleticism, who has more than proven his worth on the basketball court.

RIGHT: Johnson met former NBA star Yao Ming. PHOTO: Getty Images.

The 19-time winner on the PGA Tour is the grandson of Art Whisnant – who played centre for South Carolina – and the former World No.1 defeated former NBA star Shane Battier in a three-point shootout in 2015. He can also dunk barefoot. Enough said.

JACK NICKLAUS

We, the golfing world, could’ve been robbed of one of the all-time greats if Jack Nicklaus had bigger hands. That’s right, the 18-time major champion was crazy about American football, taking after his father Charlie, who played for Ohio State.

RIGHT: Nicklaus once had aspirations of becoming a football player. PHOTO: Getty Images.

“I wasn’t big enough,” Nicklaus said of his football career. “I played quarterback but my hands weren’t big enough.”

The Golden Bear is also the proud grandfather of Nick O’Leary, who plays tight end for the Miami Dolphins.

ADAM SCOTT

The 2013 Masters champion loves to hit the water whenever he’s away from the golf course and recently surfed at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch in California.

RIGHT: Scott surfs regularly when he isn’t playing golf. PHOTO: Getty Images.

“Surfing is a way for me to switch off and get away from the whole world, really,” Scott said. “Golf’s a lot like surfing … There’s a peace being out there on your own, competing against yourself and the elements.”

 

Cabrera Bello is just as passionate about surfing as Adam Scott. PHOTO: Getty Images.

RAFA CABRERA BELLO

Growing up in the Canary Islands, it comes as no surprise that the man known as ‘RCB’ is a lover of all things sun and surf. But the Spaniard only took to surfing in his 20s, becoming quickly adept and better than the 15 handicap he claims to be in the water.

“The biggest and clearest similarity is commitment. In golf when you decide on a shot, you have to commit to it. You have to forget everything else, trust your instincts and hit the shot. In surfing, I get the same feeling.”

Like Scott, Cabrera Bello has struck up a friendship with Kelly Slater and visited his famed surf ranch this year.

BUBBA WATSON

The part-owner of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, a minor league baseball team, has always been passionate about America’s favourite pastime.

RIGHT: Watson grew up hoping to become a baseball star. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Watson, the winner of two green jackets, once dreamed of becoming a baseball star and has been spotted taking batting practice on his visits home.

“One thing I know for sure is that you won’t see me out there in a uniform playing,” Watson said in 2015. “I already asked, and they said I can’t do that even if I own part of the team.”

GARY WOODLAND

Like Johnson, the American oozes athleticism and is almost equally adept on the hardwood of a basketball court as he is on the fairways.

RIGHT: Woodland, like Johnson, is skilled on the basketball court and attended Washburn University on a basketball scholarship. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Woodland attended Washburn University on a basketball scholarship, but quickly realised his professional ambitions were a little fanciful, moving to the University of Kansas on a golf scholarship.

“Heading into college, I definitely had the belief that I could play basketball professionally. But in our first game, we played the University of Kansas and they were on a completely different level,” Woodland told TaylorMade.

SERGIO GARCIA

Like most Spaniards, Garcia is passionate about football. In particular Real Madrid and his hometown team CF Borriol, of which he is part-owner and former club president.

RIGHT: Garcia is part-owner and former club president of CF Borriol. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Garcia became financially involved in the club in 2003 and has made multiple appearances for the team in Spain’s sixth division, displaying skills that suggest a career in the world game might have been an option if not for his golf ability.

Sergio put his skills on display again last week during the European Tour’s player and caddie match, depositing a curving shot in the top corner of the net.

RICHARD GREEN

It’s not difficult to tell what the Victorian left hander might be doing if he wasn’t a golf professional when looking at his social media accounts or considering some of his past and present sponsors like Valvoline and Orix.

RIGHT: Green has raced in the Australian GT Championship. PHOTO: Getty Images.

More than just your average ‘revhead’, the three-time European Tour winner owns a Porsche that he has raced in the Australian GT Championship, as well as at one time owning one of Larry Perkins’ Bathurst-winning Commodores.

BABE DIDRIKSON ZAHARIAS

Unlike the others on this list, Zaharias didn’t have the potential to excel at other sports in the professional arena, she did it.

RIGHT: Zaharias claimed two Olympic gold medals in 1932. PHOTO: Getty Images.

An All-American in basketball during her time at college, the 10-time major champion turned her attention to Track and Field and claimed two gold medals at the 1932 Olympic Games.

After her athletics career, Babe pitched multiple innings in exhibition games of Major League Baseball and is arguably one of the greatest athletes of all time.