Pitcher John Smoltz struggles in Nationwide debut

Pitcher John Smoltz struggles in Nationwide debut

Former Braves pitcher John Smoltz struggled in his Nationwide Tour debut, shooting a 15-over 87 at the South Georgia Classic on Saturday to miss the cut by 27 strokes.

The 43-year-old Smoltz opened with an 84 after two long weather delays forced him to play 18 holes over two days. He was even worse in the second round at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, with his 27-over 171 nine strokes worse that any of the other 147 golfers who completed both rounds.

Smoltz spent nearly his entire career with Atlanta, becoming the only pitcher in major league history to post 200 wins and 150 saves. He pitched for Boston and St. Louis in 2009 before moving into broadcasting.

He played in the South Georgia Classic on a sponsor exemption.