With a do-or-die Euros semifinal matchup approaching for England against the Netherlands, the team took a little time to relax and build some camaraderie on Sunday. There’s no better place to relax and de-stress (haha) than at the golf course, so the gang took some lessons from golf great Ian Poulter. Not a bad way to spend a day off.
Golf is actually a perfect sport for this team as they’re used to low scores—two goals in the group stage and a penalty-shootout survival over the weekend. With that said, Harry Kane and company are still alive with a chance to win the whole dang thing. 20 other teams have already headed home, leaving Germany trophyless. So who’s really laughing?
There are a lot of great moments in this 16-minute video from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s never-ending competitiveness to Jude Bellingham whiffing on his swing, but like on the pitch Saturday when he scored the equalizer, the focus was all on Bukayo Saka.
The Arsenal winger may not have played golf before but he picked up the game in an instant under Poulter’s tutelage. He scored in regular time against the Swiss and converted a critical spot kick during penalties, and yet this might be a more impressive feat. (Not actually, but let us have this).
“Oh, my goodness. Best shot of my life,” Saka said after his first swing. His follow-up was also decent, but was quickly eclipsed by what came next.
The 22-year-old is lightning-fast on the field and yet can’t stay on his feet on the golf course. It goes to show you just how dumb this sport we all know and love can be.
The vibes are tremendous for this England team, who have a real shot to “bring it home.” We’ll see if the Poulter touch can help the Three Lions win their first-ever Euros, but win or lose, this entire saga was worth it for Saka potentially being bitten by the golf bug.