Tree of Life

06 Feb

Next On The Tee: Special Interview With Melissa Fitzgerald

published in category: Next on the Tee on Tuesday, February 6th, 2024 – 11:27 am

What a privilege to get to spend some time with one of the great people you get to meet in this life, Melissa Fitzgerald.

Melissa played Carol Fitzpatrick, CJ’s assistant, on The West Wing. You’ve also probably seen her movies like The Truman Show and Monument Avenue or on other TV shows like Gray’s Anatomy and Chasing The Hill.

Melissa and I start out talking about growing up in Philadelphia. She is the daughter of a father who was a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Judge and her mother was also politically active and volunteered in the community. They are graduates of the University of Pennsylvania. I asked Melissa what it was like for her to give the commencement speech at Chestnut Hill College. We then delved into how loyal West Wing fans are to the cast and show. She talks about the support she’s gotten over the years from her West Wing cast members, and the new book that she and Mary McCormack have written about their West Wing experience called, What’s Next, due out later this summer.

We then transition into the incredible work she’s done following the show. We hear about how the In Excelsis Deo episode became a reality for her when she was hired as the Director of Justice for Vets, a non-profit organization focused on veterans’ treatment courts. It has recently gone through a rebranding to All Rise. Her cast mates have rallied around her in her new role to help raise money and awareness for the great things this court system is doing to help our Veterans, who are dealing with substance abuse or mental health issues, get their lives back on track.

Be sure to check out the great things Melissa and All Rise are doing online at www.allrise.orgplus give her a follow on Instagram or X @maffyfitz. The book will be available later his summer in August. You can pre-order on Amazon. I will try to get both Melissa and Mary McCormack to join me when the release date gets closer.

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

05 Feb

Golf Podcast: Special Interview With President Of PGA Tour SuperStore

published in category: Next on the Tee on Monday, February 5th, 2024 – 3:16 pm

I had the privilege of spending a few minutes with Jill Spiegel, President of the PGA Tour SuperStore, on the floor of the PGA Merchandise Show. Jill is one of the most influential people in the golf retail business. I got her thoughts on the shift in the retail soft goods side of the business over the years, some of the merging trends for 2024, where Nike stands in the market now, their relationship with the Travis Matthew brand, and what influences AI will have going forward.

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

31 Jan

Golf Podcast: Next On The Tee (1/30)

published in category: Next on the Tee on Wednesday, January 31st, 2024 – 5:36 pm

This week I am joined by 4 of the Top Instructors and Body Movement experts in the game.

Keith Jarvis is a Lead Instructor at Golf Channel Academy. He can be found in the New York/New Jersey areas and on the V1 app. Keith breaks down Trackman data and helps us understand what smash factor is, what good spin rate numbers are off the driver, how to take a pivot after we strike the ball, and why you should tee the ball lower than what you’ve been told.

Terry Hashimoto is the Founder of BodiTrak Golf and Golf Rehab.com. Terry explains why all good players have 80+% of their weight on the lead leg by the time they get to the top of their backswing. We also learn why golf is a great rehab game for those suffering from concussions, and which fundamentals are no longer relevant.

Katherine Robers is the Top Movement Skills person and Yoga Instructor in the world in my opinion. She’s about to begin her 10th season working with the Chicago Cubs. She takes us through how she can help those of us suffering from some sort of injury get back in the game. We hear how ground reaction forces can help us generate more distance, and some stretches we can do to warm up before we go play.

TP joins me and shares his thoughts on last week’s PGA Merchandise Show, the time he spent working with Jackie Burke Jr., Rory’s about-face on yet another LIV issue, and who he’s picking to win the Super Bowl.

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

22 Jan

Next On The Tee: Special Interview With Former NFL Super Bowl Champ Mark Collins

published in category: Next on the Tee on Monday, January 22nd, 2024 – 7:27 pm

Former Giants 2-time Super Bowl Champion DB Mark Collins joins me on this special segment of Next on the Tee. Mark talks about his favorite Pro-Ams to play in including the Mid Penn Bank Celebrity Golf Tournament. We hear about his recent trip to the TaylorMade Kingdom, his week working with Butch Harmon, how Butch got him to realize that golf is supposed to be fun since he doesn’t play it for a living, the courses on Mark’s bucket list, and who he thinks will be playing in the Super Bowl.

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

18 Jan

Golf Podcast: Next On The Tee (1/18)

published in category: Next on the Tee on Thursday, January 18th, 2024 – 9:55 am

This week I’m joined by Tom Patri and a trio of Next on the Tee rookies, one of the Top 100 Teachers to Watch for 2024 & 2025 Meaghan Francella, one of the most decorated Amateur players ever Steve Scott, and the Director of Golf at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts Brendan Walsh.

TP and I recap where we aren’t with the PIF/PGA Tour merger, Keith Pelley’s resignation as CEO of the DP World Tour, Martin Slumber’s resignation from the R&A, plus a playing lesson to help you fix your slice.

Meaghan Francella won back-to-back New York State junior championships in the late 90s. She would go on to win the Conference USA title at the University of Memphis before transferring to the University of North Carolina and winning the ACC Championship there. We hear those stories plus her remarkable debut on the LPGA Tour where she beat Annika Sorenstam in a playoff to win the MasterCard Classic in just her second start on Tour.

Steve Scott was another accomplished junior player having won the 1992, ’93, and ’94 South Florida Junior Championship. He was an All-American at the University of Florida, winning 3 individual titles his senior season. He famously battled Tiger Woods in the 1996 US Amateur taking a 5 UP lead into the last 18 holes of their match. If Steve hadn’t reminded Tiger to move his ball mark back on the 16th green, he would have won the match 3&2. Instead, he did the right thing and went on to lose the match on the 38th hole. The golf gods gave him great karma as he went on to a great amateur career including 2 appearances in the Walker Cup and now as a top Broadcast Analyst for ESPN and PGA Tour Live.

Brenden Walsh is the Director of Golf at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. He is the 12th of 15 children to a father who is a Philadelphia golf legend and a mother who is clearly a saint. Brendan played his college golf over at the College of Wooster just outside of Akron, Ohio. He won the 1996 Connecticut Open. During his tenure at The Country Club, he hosted the 1999 Ryder Cup, 2013 US Amateur, and the 2022 US Open. Hear all those stories and more during our conversation.

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

12 Jan

Next On The Tee (1/12)

published in category: Next on the Tee on Friday, January 12th, 2024 – 7:14 pm

Eddie & the Cruiser star and the host of Backspin Golf Matthew Laurance joins me on this special bonus edition of Next on the Tee.
Matthew shares his thoughts on what could be next for Tiger’s brand, Jon Rahm’s defection to LIV, plus the recent resignations of DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley and R&A CEO Martin Slumbers. We also hear about some of Matthew’s favorite courses down in the Lexington, Kentucky area, who has the prettiest practice swing you ever saw, the filming of Eddie & the Cruisers, and remembering his friend Tim Wakefield.
Check out Matthew’s show Backspin Golf every Sunday morning at 8:03 AM EST on ESPN Radio WLXG (www.wlxg.com) and follow him on X @reallauro5.
Posted in Next on the Tee

 

11 Jan

Golf Podcast: Next On The Tee (1/11)

published in category: Next on the Tee on Thursday, January 11th, 2024 – 11:41 am

This week I am joined by Mike McGee former Mount Union All-Conference baseball player, Jerry McGee’s son, and Managing Director of the Annika brand and her husband, Jeff Smith Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor and Golf Digest’s Top Instructor in the state of Indiana, and Evan Schiller PGA Professional and renowned golf course Photographer.

Mike McGee is from East Palestine, Ohio. He is the son of 4-time winner on Tour and Western Pennsylvania PGA Section Hall of Famer Jerry McGee. He is also the Managing Director of the Annika brand and Annika Sorenstam’s husband. Mike was also an All-Conference baseball player at the University of Mount Union over in Alliance, Ohio. He shares stories about growing up in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio in the early 80s. Mike speaks of a simpler time of backyard games and never locking your door. Mike reflects back on the Annika Fore East Palestine campaign that helped that community recover from the tragic train derailment and chemical spill that resulted last year. We also hear about his father’s career including playing in the 1977 Ryder Cup, multiple appearances in The Masters, and what it was like for Mike to induct his father into the Western Pennsylvania PGA Section Hall of Fame last fall. Mike is a huge Steelers fan so he weighs in on this weekend’s playoff matchup against Buffalo.

Jeff Smith has been named a Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor each of the last four years. Golf Digest has named him the best Teacher in the state of Indiana. Jeff also Co-Hosts a wonderful podcast alongside John Ashton called Those Weekend Golf Guys. We start out by hearing how his wife Kathy is one who got him started playing golf. Kathy played college golf at Indiana University, where they both went to school. Jeff shares the story of what it was like for him when he got the call that he was named a Top 100 Instructor by Golf Magazine. He says something that will stick with me forever, “You can do a lot of good in this world if you can teach someone to play golf.” We get into his winter seasonal jobs down at Bonita Bay Club outside of Naples, Florida and summering at Eagle Springs Golf Club in Wolcott, Colorado. We also get a couple of playing lessons for how to transition to playing on Bermuda grass if you’re going to Florida this winter and why we should consider leaving our 3-wood in the garage and replacing it with a 5-wood.

Evan Schiller is quite possibly THE best golf course photographer of all-time. If you think that may be hyperbole, please check out his work online at www.evanschillerphotography.com. Evan and I start out talking about his 2024 calendar and how he went about deciding which courses to include. He talks about his use of drone videos and what it was like shooting the 7th hole at Pebble Beach plus the range of clubs people have used on that very short Par 3 depending on whether the wind was up. We transition to some of the incredible courses he’s photographed overseas including Old Head in Ireland plus which courses remain on is bucket list.

Posted in Next on the Tee

 

04 Jan

Golf Podcast: Next On The Tee (1/4)

published in category: Next on the Tee on Thursday, January 4th, 2024 – 10:15 am

We kick off 2024 and Season #11 of the show with Tom Patri, Kermit Zarley, Dr. Bob Winters, and Jane Crafter.

TP and I get into the deadline that wasn’t with the PIF and the PGA Tour. The New Year’s deadline came and went and instead of professional golf going into a new year with all this behind them, we got nothing. I also get his thoughts on the power play that some players may be trying to pull off like telling Fred Ridley that The Masters needs to up their prize money. TP also gives us a lesson on what to do if we’ve contracted the dreaded Y word with our putting.

Kermit Zarley played his college golf at the University of Houston. He was the medalist at the 1962 National Championship and helped the Cougars win the team title as well. We hear about what it was like being a part of Houston’s domination of men’s college golf from the mid-50s to the mid-70s. Kermit then takes us through his 4 wins on tour and what it was like battling Jack Nicklaus at the 1972 US Open at Pebble Beach.

Dr. Bob Winters is back. He is one of the Top Sports Psychologists. He takes us through his 5 Truth Bombs to Help Create Golf Confidence. We also learn about his recent trip to Scotland where he played at Prestwick, the site of the very first Open Championship. His trip also included a stop at Dundonald Links site of the Women’s Open Championship.

I round out the show with a visit from Jane Crafter. Jane is from Perth, Australia. She is a two-time Australian Ladies Masters Champion plus winner of the 1997 Australian Open. We hear about those tremendous victories plus what it was like battling Nancy Lopez at the 1990 Phar-Mor at Inverrary and being a driving force behind starting the Legends of the LPGA Tour.

Posted in Next on the Tee

 



Podcasts