The Golfer's Journal Podcast

Unless you’ve already dug into Charlie Warzel’s profile in TGJ #21, you’ve probably never heard of Ben Garner. You’ve likely never heard about the kid who used to beat Tiger Woods (sometimes) and who buddied around SoCal with the future superstar, two kids who understood what it was like to live beneath the shadow of demanding golf dads.  Ben Garner joins the Golfer’s Journal podcast to discuss what happened between being unbeatable and being beaten, to where he couldn’t even look at a golf course or tell his old friend how he was really doing. If it all sounds like a typical wayward prodigy tale, you’ll want to listen to hear where Charlie Warzel finds him, and how it all came back to Ben in abundant and unforeseeable ways.

Tom Doak has a reputation for being difficult. Golf media has described him as socially awkward and emotionally remote, traits that are often overlooked in favor of the brilliance he’s brought to course designs around the world. But there is much more to Tom Doak and his public persona than people have discussed or know about–until now.  With unflinching candor, Doak digs deep on “my media reputation as an asshole,” discussing what he’s learned about himself through group therapy and addressing his complicated relationships with peers like Gil Hanse and David McLay Kidd. It all makes for a riveting conversation about the forces that shape our lives–some that we might change, and others that we learn to accept.

Dottie Pepper has little sympathy for the modern professional golfer. But you can’t blame her—the beloved CBS analyst and 17-winner on the LPGA never had anything handed to her. She turned down a Dinah Shore sponsor's exemption in college because she couldn't afford to travel; she borrowed $5,000 from her grandfather to play in the 1987 U.S. Open; and her parents rented out their house to horse jockeys and trainers every summer to pay for her junior golf. So, no, she’s not interested in hearing about no cuts and guaranteed pay days.  Pepper joins Assistant Editor Casey Bannon to discuss the current state of the professional golfer, the value in taking the hard way, criticisms of the broadcast, writing her first book and what’s currently in her garden.

Ward Jarvis has gone from caddie to theology professor to firefighter to yip fixer. He joins host Tom Coyne to explain the science behind what he calls a “periodic loss of an automatic ability,” and how he helped three-time PGA Tour winner Brendon Todd overcome them. Jarvis also details how his own struggle with stuttering led him to teaching players of all skill levels how to build new memory patterns and find their flow. Website: https://www.wardjarvis.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/wjarviscoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wjarviscoaching/

Thomas Friedman has been the foreign affairs Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times since 1995. He’s also in the Western Golf Association Caddie Hall of Fame. He’s been to Saudi Arabia, and he’s been inside the ropes, caddying for Chi Chi Rodriguez in the 1970 U.S. Open. In short: He knows the Gulf, and he knows golf. Friedman joins the podcast and explains how the reality on the ground in Saudi Arabia is much more complex than what’s being reported in golf circles and why the LIV golf experiment thus far “has been a colossal failure as an effort to improve their image." He also discusses life as a golf diehard, including stories from his time as a member of both Seminole and Beirut Golf & Country Club, how golf has led to some juicy scoops in his Pulitzer Prize-winning career, and why politics should be kept off the course.

Brad Faxon joins the podcast on the heels of a thrilling U.S. Open finish to reflect on what made Brookline such an enjoyable venue, and why we’re now seeing the fruits of his labor with Rory McIlroy. The pride of Rhode Island also dives into the current state of the flat stick, giving context to the rise of mallets and AimPoint green reading. But stick around for the time Greg Norman called Faxon to an impromptu players-only meeting before the 1994 Shark Shootout. Those details might sound familiar.

Alan Shipnuck puts it plainly: "The professional game is at a crossroads. This is a monumental moment." Shipnuck joins the TGJ Podcast to unpack all the factors at play with LIV Golf, including money, ego, legacy, morals and the PGA Tour's own culpability in creating competition. He also takes us into the phone call with Phil Mickelson that became national news and ultimately forced Phil into hiding.

If it sometimes feels like the future of golf is here, just wait ‘til you see what’s coming next. Transhumanist, Futurist, and avid golfer David Wood walks us through the approaching impact of artificial intelligence, automation and biotechnology on both golf and our daily lives. Good news: You’re going to get better. Bad news: So is everybody else.

When one of the great talkers in golf has a few minutes to talk, you do precisely that. Paul McGinley rejoins the pod to pick up where we left off, diving into his life as a broadcaster, Champions Tour player, and traveling dad trying to keep up with his family.

Jane Coaston doesn’t like golf, but when you listen to her explanation, we think there’s a very good chance that you’ll like Jane Coaston. In her recent piece “How Loathing Golf Taught Me to Confront My Own Prejudice,” the New York Times columnist and podcast host confronts golf not for what it is, but for what she perceives it to be. On the pod we discuss her story, and attempt to change her mind.