GOLF

J.J. Watt, Larry Fitzgerald set to play in Annexus Pro-Am at WM Phoenix Open

Jan 23, 2023, 3:55 PM

J.J. Watt...

Arizona Cardinals DE J.J. Watt (Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports)

(Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports)

Former Arizona Cardinals J.J. Watt and Larry Fitzgerald will be among those teeing it up at the Annexus Pro-Am ahead of the 2023 WM Phoenix Open.

Pittsburgh Steelers great and Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis is also set to attend the pro-am.

For Fitzgerald, this has become a yearly tradition of sorts.

The other two, not so much.

While Bettis is making his second appearance at the tournament, this marks Watt’s first.

It’s been a whirlwind year for Watt, who led the Cardinals in sacks and QB hits on top of welcoming his first child, Koa, into the world in what was his final NFL season.

In his 12-year career, Watt nabbed five Pro Bowls, led the league in sacks twice, was named First Team All-Pro five times, received NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors three times, was named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and is a member on the the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.

Fitzgerald has gotten his Pickle Ball and NFL broadcasting on since stepping away from the game after 17 NFL seasons. Over that span, the wideout notched 11 Pro Bowls and a First Team All-Pro.

He also led the NFL twice in receptions and twice in receiving touchdowns. Additionally, Fitzgerald won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2016 and is ranked second all-time in NFL receiving yards with 17,492.

Bettis spent 13 years in the NFL, racking up six Pro Bowls, two first-team All-Pros, an NFL rushing title, a Super Bowl victory and a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nod.

The running back recorded 13,662 rushing yards over the course of his career.

The trio joins Michael Phelps, Albert Pujols and Emmitt Smith in this year’s tournament.

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