Falcons’ Kyle Pitts caught the golf bug; now he’s using it to give back

BRASELTON — Kyle Pitts had time to burn and nothing to do.

It was the spring of 2021, the world was still opening amid COVID-19, and Pitts was in California training for the NFL combine. He’d work out early in the morning and had the rest of the day to himself.

Golf, Pitts decided some 20 years into his life, deserved a chance. He went to a local driving range and, with a grin, jokes that he tore up his hands because he didn’t know what he was doing.

And he loved it. Several months later, after the Falcons made him the highest-drafted tight end in league history at No. 4 overall, Pitts bought his own custom-fitted clubs and began playing with his teammates. The golf bug needed little time to attach itself to the 6-foot-6, 250-pounder.

“I kind of got bit from there,” Pitts said.

Now, Pitts combines two of his side hobbies — community work and golf — into a day he calls one of the best of his year: the Kyle Pitts Foundation’s annual charity golf tournament.

This year’s event, the fifth iteration, took place Tuesday on the Legends course at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Georgia. Some of Pitts’ teammates made appearances, as did two Falcons cheerleaders and Freddie Falcon. There were participants wearing Pitts’ No. 8 jersey or other Falcons apparel.

Golf aside, there was a cigar lounge and StretchLab area, along with various liquor sponsorships and pizza vendors. All proceeds from the outing went to the Kyle Pitts Foundation.

“We have a good time supporting my foundation,” Pitts said. “It’s important, because, obviously, someone has done it before me, so I want to kind of emulate that trail and be able to do the same thing that someone has done for me, to be able to be around certain people and get an experience with a thing that’s pretty important.

“To be able to hopefully be there for someone else, it’s pretty cool.”

Pitts said participation for the charity golf outing started to take off in the second year, and the event continues to grow. There were new sponsors this year, including bourbon company Elijah Craig and other cigar sellers.

“It’s just evolving every year,” Pitts said, “and we want to keep growing and expanding.”

Pitts’ golf trajectory has followed a similar process. Here’s a rapid-fire glimpse at his game, which he says is “forming” and has reached a point where he can get into the fairway off the tee and manage from there.

Lowest score: 81, last summer at St. Ives.

Favorite club: 8-iron. “That’s a scoring iron,” he said. “From 170 in, I’m going to get on the green.”

On the fringe — chip or Texas wedge? “I’m a chipper,” Pitts said. “I love my hands. They pay me to catch the ball, so I’ve got to have soft hands.”

Longest drive: 340 yards — with a bit of help. “I did catch a hill,” he said, smiling. “But that doesn’t matter, you know?”

Longest putt: 80 feet.

Favorite approach shot number: 165 yards from the pin. “If I’m 165, I know I’m going to have a birdie look. I’m going to get on that thing,” Pitts said. “A par 5, if I get to that yardage, I know I’m going to be able to have a birdie opportunity for sure.”

Short game or driver? “Short game,” Pitts said. “That’s what saves strokes.”

Pitts hasn’t been able to golf as much this summer. He’s been busy with other important business matters, including signing a three-year, $54 million contract extension with the Falcons in late June.

Stability is important to Pitts. In high school, he committed to Florida, stayed through a coaching change and helped lead the Gators to the SEC championship game in his final season. He wants to stay the course with the Falcons and “squeeze the rag as much as I can each year,” maximizing his own, and the team’s, potential.

Pitts’ contract brought another big development: He delivered on a promise he made to his agent when they first started working together in 2021.

When David Mulugheta’s clients get a contract extension, he tells them the news over FaceTime and posts the screenshot on social media to congratulate them. “I can’t wait until I get there,” Pitts, still only 20, told Mulugheta.