Ken Griffey Jr. keeping busy with golf in his life after baseball

BETHESDA — Before every few practice swings Wednesday, Ken Griffey Jr. took his Nike driver and swung it forward with his right hand, loosely mimicking the follow through that came so naturally to him as he slugged 630 career home runs during his 22-year baseball career.

“Gotta keep it down in golf,” Griffey joked, a moment before smashing a shot at Congressional Country Club.

Griffey played in the Quicken Loans National pro-am with PGA Tour professional Tony Finau, and amateurs Jesse McCollum and David Fontanilla. It was the second event Griffey has played in this year after playing at Sahalee Country Club with Lydia Ko, the top-ranked player on the LPGA Tour.

“Any time you get to go out and play golf and learn a few things from a pro it’s always good to do,” Griffey said.

For the 46-year-old Griffey, who last played in 2010 during a return to the Seattle Mariners, golf is one of the activities he relies on to keep himself busy — along with scuba diving and flying his plane — in his life after baseball. He’s played with Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and a host of others, something he appreciates every time he gets a chance to do so.

“I’m going to sit there, spy, watch what you do and take it to my practice sessions and if it works it works and if it don’t, I go to the next person,” Griffey said.

Finau, the 26-year-old who is in his second season on the PGA Tour, relished the opportunity to play with Griffey. It was a relaxing practice round for Finau, who is scheduled to tee off at 8:12 a.m. in the Quicken Loans National on Thursday.

“People asked if I was nervous,” Finau said. “I’m actually on the golf course. If I was on the baseball field, I’d be nervous. At least we’re doing what I like to do, not what he does.”