3:15 PM PT -- Smith finished his second round with a 7-over 78 ... which is a big improvement from the 83 he carded earlier in the day.
12:39 PM PT -- J.R. is getting better in the second round -- he's 3-over par through his first 10 holes.
Smith's former teammate, LeBron James, is showing support for his good friend ... saying, "HOW AMAZING IS THIS MAN!!! DAMN IM BEYOND PROUD OF MY BROTHER!"
J.R. Smith's officially a college golfer -- the 36-year-old made his debut at a tournament on Monday ... and it may not have gone the way he was hoping.
The ex-NBA star suited up for North Carolina A&T on the first day of the Elon Phoenix Invitational at the Alamance Country Club in Burlington, NC on Monday ... and he had a pretty solid start, hitting 2 birdies in his first 5 holes.
But, after making par on holes 10-14, Smith carded 7 bogeys and a double-bogey to finish out with an 81 (+7) ... just 6 spots above last place.
followed @TheRealJRSmith for the first five holes today in his first tournament as a member of the @NCATAGGIES Golf Team. Had a pair of birdies, a great chip and stuck his approach on No. 9 to within a foot from the pin. @WFMY @ncatsuaggies pic.twitter.com/s7q6rpk1pa
— Brian Hall (@bhallwfmy) October 11, 2021
Look, there was no way the former All-Star was going to come in and wreck the competition, but the fact he's even out there doing his thing is pretty awesome ... and he looked damn good, too.
Smith will be able to work on his score during the second round of competition -- which got underway -- and we'll be keeping an eye out to see what he does on the links!!
Big shout-out to Smith for putting in the work and getting this far.
Originally Published -- 10:31 AM PT