Tree of Life

06 Mar

S12, Ep 9, Pt 1: Fairways & Friendships: John Cook on Tour & Jeff Harper on PA Golf Destinations

published in category: Next on the Tee on Thursday, March 6th, 2025 – 10:19 am

This week on Next on the Tee, I’m joined by two fantastic guests who bring both incredible stories and valuable insights to the show. Leading things off is John Cook, a 21-time winner across the PGA and Champions Tours and a former National Champion from his days at Ohio State. This marks John’s 10th visit to the show, and every conversation with him ha been fantastic thanks to his upbeat attitude and passion for the game — you can literally hear the smile in his voice. We kick things off by talking about this year’s Mexico Open, a tournament that holds special meaning for John since his father, Jim Cook, helped resurrect it back in the 1980s, and John himself went on to win it in 1995. As we continue looking ahead to this year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, John also shares his memories of competing in the 1994 U.S. Open there. We also reminisce about some of the fun team events he’s played in alongside Sergio Garcia, Mark O’Meara, and Rex Caldwell.

Following John, I’m excited to welcome Jeff Harper to the show for the first time. Jeff is the Director of Operations for Byler Holdings, which owns and manages five fantastic golf courses across Central and Eastern Pennsylvania. Each course presents its own unique challenge, making them the perfect progression for players as they advance their skills. Jeff takes us on a virtual tour of Broad Run Golfer’s Club in West Chester, Iron Valley in Lebanon, Berkleigh Golf Club in Kutztown, Lebanon Valleyin Myerstown, and Blue Mountain in Fredericksburg. With his passion for golf and knack for storytelling, Jeff brings these courses to life and highlights what makes each one special.

It’s a can’t-miss episode for anyone looking to discover hidden gems and enjoy some great golf stories along the way.

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

06 Mar

S12, Ep 8, Pt 2: Cindy Miller: Hall of Fame Honors, Life Lessons & Taking Another Shot

published in category: Next on the Tee on Thursday, March 6th, 2025 – 10:17 am

In this special segment, I catch up with Cindy Miller, whose incredible career continues to be recognized with two more Hall of Fame inductions. Cindy reflects on what it means to be honored by the LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame and how special it is to join an elite group of athletes, including Jim Kelly, Jimmy Johnson, Ed Reed, and Neal Heaton, in the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame—where her induction makes her the 13th golfer to be enshrined. We also talk about her exciting new book, Take Another Shot: At Business, Golf, or Life, and the powerful personal experiences that shaped it, including her family’s journey through her husband Allen’s struggles with depression and a suicide attempt, and how they all overcame those challenges together.

Cindy shares her thoughts on the negative influence of social media, referencing Lexi Thompson’s comments about how much words can hurt, and how she overcame people telling her she wasn’t good enough to play college and then she helped the Hurricanes win back-to-back National Championships, and how she wasn’t famous enough to write a book yet here we are a couple of months away from hers being published.

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

05 Mar

From the newsroom: Can recent breakthroughs improve life with sickle cell disease?

published in category: From The TribLIVE Newsroom on Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 – 3:45 pm

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 out of every 365 Black people has sickle cell disease and the sickle cell trait affects 10% of Black people, compared to .3% of white people.

Although the disease disproportionately affects Black people, it also has been seen in Hispanic people and those of Middle Eastern descent.

Nearly 4,000 Pennsylvanians were reported to be living with sickle cell disease by the end of 2020, according to the state Sickle Cell Disease Community-Based Services and Support Program.

But recent medical achievements have made the mission of treating and even curing the disease a little more hopeful.

TribLive reporter Shaylah Brown brings a look inside the experience of a Pittsburgh family living with the effects of Sickle cell disease, the hope of a new treatment, and the barriers many will face while pursuing them.

This is ‘From the Newsroom.’

Posted in From The TribLIVE Newsroom

 

28 Feb

S12, Ep 8, Pt 1: Bethpage, Bradley & The Ryder Cup: Insights with Tom Patri & Frank Darby

published in category: Next on the Tee on Friday, February 28th, 2025 – 12:55 pm

Welcome to this week’s edition of Next on the Tee! I hope your week has been filled with reasons to smile. If not, I’m sending some positive vibes your way and hoping to bring you a little mental relief over the next couple of hours. This week’s episode, to quote Billy Joel, is in a New York State of Mind. All of my guests hail from New York, and we take a way-too-early look ahead to the Ryder Cup, including a discussion about Keegan Bradley with his former college coach at St. John’s.

Leading things off, our resident Director of Instruction, Tom Patri, joins me to dive into Ryder Cup predictions and early concerns. With the event set to take place at Bethpage State Park, a course that Tom grew up near, he’ll give us insights on the layout and playing conditions. Plus, with six of the first seven winners on the PGA Tour this season being non-U.S. players, is it too soon to worry about Team USA’s chances? Maybe it’s time to start sending some positive energy out to them. Tom and I will break it all down in the first segment.

Following TP, I welcome back Frank Darby, former St. John’s Men’s Head Golf Coach and Co-Host of the On Course show on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. Frank, another New York native, has served as a rules official and has been involved in setting up tournaments at Bethpage, giving him firsthand knowledge of what players can expect at the Ryder Cup. And with Keegan Bradley—one of his former players—hoping to make the team as a player, Frank shares his perspective on if that’s a good idea. We’ll also get into Tiger Woods’ potential move to the Champions Tour and what the PGA Tour should do about slow play. Frank is fantastic and has great golf insights!

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

26 Feb

From the Newsroom: New technology, culture shifts give cold cases from latchkey-kid era new hope

published in category: From The TribLIVE Newsroom on Wednesday, February 26th, 2025 – 12:51 pm

 

In the American latchkey era, if a child went missing, law enforcement and the local community utilized tools of the time, milk cartons, print publications and a community network, to gain and share information to help find the missing child.

Time has since afforded progressions in culture and technology that have prove invaluable as tools to track and recover missing children today. Biometrics and social media are helping to locate some of the 460,000 children reported missing each year.

TribLive reporter Jack Troy discusses how law enforcement hope these advancements will aid in solving the 40-year-long case of Cherrie Mahan, the 8-year-old who disappeared Feb. 22, 1985, from a bus stop near her home in rural Winfield.

This is “From the Newsroom.”

Posted in From The TribLIVE Newsroom

 

24 Feb

S12, Ep 7, Pt 2: Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor and Golf Digest’s Best in the State of Indiana, Jeff Smith

published in category: Next on the Tee on Monday, February 24th, 2025 – 7:59 pm

In Part 2 of Season 12, Episode 7, I get the privilege of spending more time with Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor and Golf Digest’s Best in the State of Indiana, Jeff Smith. You probably also know Jeff as Co-Host of the popular golf podcast Those Weekend Golf Guys alongside John Ashton.

Jeff is the Taylor Swift of Golf Instructors, sought out by thousands everywhere he goes. We start out hearing about his home course The Vintage Club in Indian Wells, California. Jeff tells us about his recent Golf School there featuring lessons from Jason Day. We also hear about his incredible day caddying for the Pro-Am sponsor at the Waste Management Open.

Jeff also delivers two valuable lessons to get you out of some very tough situations: how to hit a hybrid from a downhill lie and what to do when your ball winds up behind a tree with a low-hanging limb.

Don’t miss this insightful and entertaining conversation. Jeff Smith is an all-timer. Thank you for tuning in to Next on the Tee!

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

20 Feb

Podcast: Rise in flu cases spurs alternative treatments

published in category: From The TribLIVE Newsroom on Thursday, February 20th, 2025 – 1:57 pm

 

Flu cases are spiking in Western Pennsylvania and hospitals are dealing with increased patient traffic.

Some people have tried to fight the flu by turning to alternative practices. While most homeopathic remedies are ineffective, there are some practices that can shorten your sick time, experts say.

Megan swift joins host Zac Gibson with more details.

This is ‘From the Newsroom.’

Posted in From The TribLIVE Newsroom

 

19 Feb

S12, Ep 7, Pt 1: Joined by John Hughes and John Mahaffey.

published in category: Next on the Tee on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 – 7:11 pm

John Hughes, is one of only 448 among approximately 30,000 PGA members to reach Master Professional Status. He has been recognized by Golf Digest as a top instructor in Florida, and The Golf Range Association as a Top 100 Growth of the GAme Instructors. During our conversation, John offers his perspective on whether investing in the latest and greatest golf equipment can enhance your game or if those funds are better spent on lessons. He also provides strategies for setting effective golf goals, discussing whether to aim for reducing stroke counts or going after milestone scores such as breaking 100, 90, or 80.

Following John, I welcome back 1970 NCAA National Champion and 1978 PGA Champion John Mahaffey. John was a great player, but he’s an even better person which I hope you get a sense of as you listen to his insights. John shares the ironic story of winning the 1978 American Optical Classic by two strokes over Dr. Gil Morgan—the only optometrist on Tour. He also weighs in on the upcoming structural changes to the PGA Tour, including reduced field sizes and fewer available Tour cards. Additionally, John names one of the most formidable competitors from the 70s and 80s—a choice that may surprise listeners. Finally, he offers a unique perspective on why former President Donald Trump might be the key to bringing together the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger.

Tune in for these great conversations, expert insights, and much more on this week’s episode!

Posted in Next on the Tee

 



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