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...

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 onl...

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...

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 - an...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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, despit...

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...

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 th...

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 a...

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...

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...

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 c...

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...

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 sit...

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...

Rarely has a player sported the green jacket with such style than our latest guest and one of golf’s greatest assets, Trevor Immelman. However, there is more to the 2008 Masters champion than a pretty golf swing.  The 2022 International Presidents Cup captain sits down with John Huggan to talk about his beginnings in the game, his thoughts on the Presidents Cup, the LIV/PGA Tour negotiations, wher...

Our special guest this week discusses the new media landscape, building a media business when you had no intention of ever doing so and the challenges of monetising what started out as a hobby. There is no shortage of underdog stories in Hollywood, but in real life - in the day to day news media - those narratives are harder to find.  Media has changed, though, and with social media eliminating al...

This week John Huggan catches up with a true golfing stalwart who has spent more than 20 years plying his trade on the European Tour. Stephen Gallacher has four wins and a Ryder Cup appearance to his name, placing him in some elite company. Having grown up around golf with his famous uncle Bernard as a mentor, Gallacher still lives and breathes the game. With the senior tour fast approaching and a...

He was part of one of the most epic duels in Open history, when he and Phil Mickelson went head to head for the Claret Jug last time golf's most prestigious tournament was held at Troon in 2016 ... and he is also John Huggan's latest interview guest. There is so much more to Henrik Stenson than a brilliant golf game … he also has a sense of humour and a perspective on the world a bit bro...

Few figures in Australian golf would boast a better pedigree, or could claim a longer contribution to the game, than 1997 Women’s Australian Open winner and TTAG special guest Jane Crafter.  An almost-25-year playing career has been followed by an almost equal number of years behind the microphone as an in court and booth reporter at events worldwide.  Born into a golfing family, Crafter’s journey...