The Butterfield Bermuda Championship left an everlasting impression on Super Bowl XLIII winner Santonio Holmes, who was among the spectators at Port Royal Golf Course yesterday.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, who was the MVP during that Super Bowl win, sat in awe of the breathtaking views in and around the par-71 Southampton layout and was completely blown away by the calibre of talent on display battling for a share of the $6.5 million purse in glorious sunshine.

“I got a chance to walk with Harry Higgs on the first day and he shot minus seven,” Holmes told The Royal Gazette.

“You see it on television, how good these pros really are, but to actually be in the environment, to walk behind them and witness how easy they get around the golf course is a thing of beauty because you only see the good shots on television.

“To walk around 18 holes to watch every shot that these players make is truly amazing and an honour to be in their presence. I am happy to see these pros put up really good numbers here on this course.

“Just thinking about the Bermuda Tourism Authority in what they are providing for the fans and the tourists that come into this country is an opportunity for them to see what greatness looks like on the world’s greatest stage. It also brings the community and the culture together to network and to relate to what this game really does for this community and this country.”

The 38-year-old had the opportunity to play the course himself during the Butterfield Bermuda Championship Pro Am.

“It was my first time playing Port Royal and it was the most phenomenal course I have played outside of the United Statesr,” Holmes said.

“It’s a very friendly course and it’s fun to play. It’s very exciting with the views from all over.

“Hole 16 obviously is one for the books and I actually hit the green when I played on the Pro-Am but it was a little scary. I ended up with an 87 and only lost two balls, which was fantastic play.

“But to watch the pros hit the ball, and admire the way they are just constantly moving around the golf course with ease, really gave me a sense of understanding of how important it is to stay humble, work really hard at the game and be a professional. I really enjoyed playing with the pros here.”

Holmes spent eight seasons in the NFL after being drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft and is most famous for his game-winning touchdown in the 27-23 win over Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII that earned him the coveted MVP award.

“That has definitely been the major highlight of my career,” he said. “I would definitely agree that moment has separated my career from being just an average football player to the guy that made one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.

“I admire the position that I am in to support the team and the organisation that I was able to play for in the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

Holmes also had playing stints with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears either side of suffering a severe Lisfranc foot injury before retiring from the NFL in 2017.

“I miss playing every day,” Holmes said.

“I hate that I got injured. I hate that I wasn’t able to recover like all the other players that get injuries.

“It really taught me a lot about myself and the important things and people in my life. It gave me a different perspective on what I can do after football because I knew one day it will be over. I just didn’t think it would end as soon as it did.”

Asked if he has ambitions of being involved in the NFL in another capacity, Holmes added: “I really have been praying a lot about the position that He, meaning God, wants me in and following the path that I follow now.

“Football has led me down a great journey to where there are so many more amazing things that are happening in life.

“Because of this sport I am able to continue being the athlete that I once was by putting in hard work and dedication in learning how to play the game of golf and actually be good at it, to entertain and have fun with the people I get to meet on the golf course.”