Maple Leafs happy to be on Pendrith's golf bag as he with Arnett

TORONTO — Will Arnett and Taylor Pendrith love the Toronto Maple Leafs.

And the Maple Leafs? They love them right back.

Pendrith, a PGA Tour player from nearby Richmond Hill, Ont., debuted a new golf bag emblazoned with the Maple Leafs logo on Wednesday ahead of the first round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Actor Will Arnett of "Arrested Development" and "BoJack Horseman" fame — who is also a noted supporter of his hometown team — will be Pendrith's partner for Thursday's first round.

"That's great. It just shows how significant the Leafs brand is across Canada, really," said Toronto centre Alex Kerfoot. "There's a few of us on the team who follow golf pretty closely.

"We saw (Pendrith) in the Presidents Cup, follow his game, know how good of a player he is, so that's cool of him to put it on his bag."

Defenceman Rasmus Sandin was also excited to have Pendrith and Arnett representing the Maple Leafs on one of the best known golf courses in the United States. Sandin said that his father, Patric, instilled a love of golf in him at an early age and that he still plays a little bit.

"That's awesome. I didn't know about it, but that's amazing," said Sandin ahead of the Maple Leafs' game against the visiting Boston Bruins. "There's a lot of different celebrities that keep an eye on us, so that's a lot of fun that (Pendrith) has a customized bag with the design on it."

Defenceman Mark Giordano also appreciated the show of support. He said that when he was with the Flames he got to play a round with former PGA Tour golfer Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., who is a big Calgary fan.

"I think that showing support across sports is pretty cool and we look at that, for sure," said Giordano.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2023.