The Golfer's Journal Podcast

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.

 In TGJ No. 19 we met Mike Shade & Eli Strait—hosts of the wildly popular Chasing Scratch podcast. Now, we hear from them live in the Broken Tee Society Discord server. Mike & Eli join host Tom Coyne to discuss their newfound golf celebrity, their distaste for that word, inside jokes, pursuit of a 0.0 index and the magic behind their inimitable bond.

Re-Teed—the series where we relive golf’s most exciting tournaments—is back. And this time we’re going deep on the 2011 Masters—the one where everything went right for Charl Schwartzel after everything went left for Rory.  Featuring host Tom Coyne, TGJ editors Travis Hill and Casey Bannon, and ESPN's Kevin Van Valkenburg.

In TGJ No. 18, Daniel Riley’s “The Man Riding Clouds” introduced us to Peter Beames and a golf life that is hard to believe. We had a feeling that Peter might have more to say about his adventures if we put him in front of a microphone. So that’s what we did. And he proved us right.

From cleaning clubs to writing blogs to announcing the biggest events in golf, Shane Bacon has lived a golf life well beyond his years. He joins us via the Broken Tee Society to discuss how he went from grinding on the mini-tours to taking center-stage in the Golf Channel’s lineup as co-host of "Golf Today." Plus, he walks us through an evolving landscape in golf coverage, as off-the-course drama rivals on-the-course action for attention.