The Thing About Golf Podcast

If you’re prone to the occasional temper tantrum after a three-putt and you’re looking for some perspective about golf, this is the episode for you. Michele Watts is a surprise world champion in more ways than one. She never expected to lose most of her sight at the age of 56 and she certainly never expected to go on and win the International Blind Golf Association World Championship three years later. Add a couple of Australian Opens and several state titles and the achievement seems more remarkable, even to her. Michele’s story is equal parts harrowing and uplifting and while golf is central to it, it’s a story about much more than golf. It’s a compelling conversation and once again bears testimony to the belief that golf is the greatest game of them all. If you or someone you know is interested in blind golf, either as player or caddie, head to the Blind Golf Australia website ( https://blindgolf.com.au/ ) for more information.

Some golf stories are just part of a much bigger and more important life story and on Episode 144, we meet just such a guest. Jennifer Lucas won the first Women’s British Open in 1976, but it is what happened later in life, when she discovered a twin sister she never knew she had at the age of 55, that has dominated the last 20 years. In this engrossing chat with John Huggan, Jenny talks not only about being a pioneer of the women’s game and the Ladies European Tour, but the impact such a major life discovery has when it comes so late in life.

Many in the public eye have taken to speaking without saying much in this modern media age, but not Billy Horschel. The 38-year-old Floridian has gathered some wisdom and perspective on both life and the game in his 16-year professional career and he’s not afraid to share what he’s learnt. Forthright and thoughtful, Horschel gives his take on everything from the LIV Golf/PGA Tour divide, to why he thinks young American golfers should consider starting their careers in Europe. It’s a compelling chat with John Huggan, which is as revealing as it is entertaining.

How much do those who chronicle golf influence broader thinking about the game? And who are the people who cover the game, anyway? On episode 142, we meet one of those people and he’s one of the best in the business. Bill Fields is a multi-award-winning golf writer and photographer who has been covering golf at every conceivable level for more than 40 years. He shares a wealth of knowledge - and wisdom - in this in depth and fascinating chat with host Rod Morri.

He’s familiar to many through his work as a commentator for Sky Sports, but Scotland's Andrew Coltart is much more than that. A two-time Australian PGA champion alongside two European Tour wins is testament to a well-rounded game and a mind sited to golf’s multitude challenges. Coltart reveals a keen intellect and a willingness to share his opinions in this engrossing chat with John Huggan.

Every major victory is historic in its own right, but for Sir Bob Charles his 1963 Open win was a first on multiple fronts. Charles was the first left-handed player to win one of golf’s big four, but was also the first player from New Zealand to do so and one of the last two players to take part in a 36-hole playoff for the title. Sir Bob sat down with Rod Morri to reminisce on a career in which he won more than 70 times as a professional, yet came about having only ever had two golf lessons in his entire life.

Few people in any industry can claim to have altered the direction of that industry, but David Leadbetter is one. When a playing career eluded him in the 1980s, he turned his mind and energies to coaching and from humble beginnings, has built one of the most recognisable golf instruction "brands" in the world. But along the way, Leadbetter’s profile - and that of his successful clients - helped reshape the way golfers think about taking lessons, a change remaining in effect to this day. John Huggan sits down with Leadbetter to talk everything from his transformation of Nick Faldo’s swing, to the one player he never got to work with but wanted to.

They're the voices that accompany our enduring memories of the game but TV commentators often have more to their story - and connections with the game - than we hear about. Such is the case for our guest on episode 138, Andrew Cotter. Cotter will be familiar to golfers and also viewers of rugby, tennis, athletics, the Olympics, boat racing and more. In this wide ranging chat with John Huggan Cotter talks about his start in broadcasting, his lifelong love of golf and gives a peek behind the broadcasting curtain and what it means to be a commentator.

One of the most underappreciated achievements in the professional game is longevity. Earning and keeping a PGA TOUR or DP World Tour card for years spanning into the double digits is rarer than we think and those who manage it -such as our guest on Episode 137, Soren Kjeldsen - have much to offer. In this wide ranging chat with John Huggan, Kjeldsen reveals not only a keen sense of humour, but a deep love, appreciation for and - perhaps most importantly for many - knowledge about how to play the game. A four-time European Tour winner (as well as a World Cup victory with Thorbjorn Olsen in our own backyard at Kingston Heath in 2016), Kjeldsen is thought-provoking and articulate and can now add "excellent podcast guest" to his Wikipedia.

Ask most recreational players their dream job and 'professional golfer’ will be pretty high on the list. But not all who have the opportunity to join the pay for play ranks take that path and on episode 136, we meet just such a golfer. Colin Dalgleish is not only a long-time friend of our correspondent John Huggan, but a decorated amateur who chose not to pursue a professional career, despite winning the 1981 Scottish amateur championship and representing GB&I in that same year’s Walker Cup. He later captained the team twice, in 2007 and 2009. Don’t miss John Huggan’s fascinating chat with one of golf’s “lifers” and greatest contributors to the game.

Our guest this episode is one of New Zealand’s most successful professional players, boasting four European Tour titles and nine victories in this part of the world, including two New Zealand Opens. But there is much more to Turner than just golf. The long-time touring professional turned course architect and commentator sits down with The Thing About Golf host John Huggan to talk all things golf and life in a compelling discussion which covers everything from his “just by chance” start in the game, to the current state of professional play.

Golf is different things to different people, which is part of the game’s great charm. For some, it’s clubs and gear which grab the attention, while others focus on the swing. But for a select few, it is the laws governing the game, and one of the best in the business - recently retired R&A rules guru David Rickman - joins John Huggan on this episode for a fascinating chat about life around the top echelons of the game and the ever-evolving rules we play by.

He first burst onto the scene as a talented amateur with a sensational finish in the 2014 Australian Masters, followed by an 11-hour overnight drive to Sydney to qualify for the following week’s Australian Open. It has been 11 years and five professional tournament victories since and Lucas Herbert has amassed some stories - and wisdom - along the way. Unafraid to share his opinions, Herbert is always a good interview and this sit down with John Huggan doesn’t disappoint. From LIV, to Q School, to the mixed Australian Open format, the 29-year-old pulls no punches in what is an entertaining and thought-provoking chat.

It was a meteoric rise to fame for Karen Stupples when she claimed the 2004 Women’s British Open with a final-round 64 after opening eagle-albatross on Sunday. However, Stupples was never guaranteed to get to the LPGA, nor even play golf for a living. In fact, if she didn't hate washing dishes so much, she might have ended up doing something else entirely. Stupples talks about that and much more in this delightful chat with John Huggan.

There are many in the golf commentary business who add little to a broadcast, but Sky Sports’ Tim Barter is certainly not among them. From on-course interviews to breaking down golf swings, Barter is a master of multiple crafts and in this absorbing conversation with John Huggan, he tells the story of his journey to becoming regarded as one of the best in the golf broadcast business.

Rich Beem is one of the game’s best characters of the past 30 years and his 2002 PGA Championship win over a charging Tiger Woods remains among the most entertaining finishes to a tournament this century. John Huggan sat down with Beam recently to learn about where he came from, what it’s like to win a major, Team USA’s best chance of winning the Ryder Cup away from home and plenty more. Beem is engaging, thoughtful and eloquent and knows how to tell a good story, which all makes for an excellent listen.

John Huggan sits down with Seve Ballesteros’ son, Javier, to talk life, golf, the Ryder Cup, the state of the world game and plenty more. Few golfers have made an impact on the game comparable to Seve. The Spanish magician entertained and thrilled crowds worldwide with his extraordinary skill and matador-like personality. He remains to this day one of the most popular players in history. John’s chat with Javier for episode 129 offers a fascinating and compelling insight into events and people, past and present, from a perspective we rarely get to see.

There is perhaps no more familiar voice in the game than that of Jim Nantz, host of CBS’ golf coverage, including almost 40 years of The Masters. In this candid chat with John Huggan, Nantz reveals his journey from humble beginnings in the game to his start in broadcasting and a career so successful, he now owns a home (with its own golf hole) at the iconic Pebble Beach. Nantz is charming, funny and articulate and has a knack for telling a good story, of which he has plenty.

At the age of four, Peter Baker wrote down that he wanted to be a professional golfer. At 14, he played representative golf with the seniors. At 21, he claimed his first European Tour title and five years later - the same year he represented Europe in The Ryder Cup - he added two more. A lifetime spent in the game has taught Baker much about both life and golf. In a fascinating episode 127, he sits down with John Huggan to reflect on a 37-year career playing the game for a living.

For most, golf is a passion, but for many others, it’s also a business. The golf industry is both large and diverse, ranging from tour professionals and media companies to travel and retail equipment sales. So how does the game stack up in the world of sports business and what are the similarities — and differences — to other sports? Sports business expert and journalist Richard Gillis has a duel interest in golf, both as a lifelong player and having covered the game professionally. His takes on LIV, the media environment, the long-term viability of TV as a financial support and much more are intelligent and thought provoking — whether you are in the golf business or not.