The Thing About Golf Podcast

The Thing About Golf: #145 Michele Watts

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 yo...

The Thing About Golf: #144 Jennifer Lucas

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Thing About Golf: #143 Billy Horschel

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 gat...

The Thing About Golf: #142 Bill Fields

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Thing About Golf: #141 Andrew Coltart

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Austr...

The Thing About Golf: #140 Sir Bob Charles

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 lef...

The Thing About Golf: #139 David Leadbetter

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Thing About Golf: #138 Andrew Cotter

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Thing About Golf #137: Soren Kjeldsen

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 sp...

THE THING ABOUT GOLF #136: COLIN DALGLEISH

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ask most recreational players their dream job and 'professional golfer’ will be pretty high on the list. But not all who have the opportunity t...

The Thing About Golf #135: Greg Turner

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest this episode is one of New Zealand’s most successful professional players, boasting four European Tour titles and nine victories in this p...

The Thing About Golf: #134 David Rickman

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, whi...

The Thing About Golf #133: Lucas Herbert

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

The Thing About Golf: #132 Karen Stupples

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Thing About Golf #131: Tim Barter

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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-cours...

THE THING ABOUT GOLF: #130 Rich Beem

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

THE THING ABOUT GOLF: #129 JAVIER BALLESTEROS

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Thing About Golf: #128 Jim Nantz

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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. I...

The Thing About Golf: #127 Peter Baker

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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, h...

The Thing About Golf: #126 Richard Gillis

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Thing About Golf: #125 Trevor Immelman

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Thing About Golf: #124 Ryan French

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Thing About Golf: #123 Stephen Gallacher

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Thing About Golf: #122 Henrik Stenson

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Thing About Golf: #121 Jane Crafter

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 wi...

The Thing About Golf #120: Howard Clark

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

He might not be the best-known name in golf, but England’s Howard Clark was a stalwart of the European Tour in a time of major changes for the profe...

The Thing About Golf #119: Mark James

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A stalwart of the European Tour during the boom years of the 1980s and '90s, Mark James had a ringside seat to some of the most exciting times th...

The Thing About Golf #118: Geoff Shackelford

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are few writers in golf whose words have appeared in as many publications and on as many different “new media” platforms as the prolific Geo...

The Thing About Golf #117: Brandel Chamblee

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There might not be a more polarising voice in modern golf media than Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee and he doesn't disappoint in this wide...

The Thing About Golf #116: Ian Baker-Finch

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

He is known as one of the nicest people in golf, but he might also be one of the most thoughtful. Ian Baker-Finch, 1991 Open champion, sat down with J...

The Thing About Golf #115: Ben Crenshaw

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two-time Masters winner Ben Crenshaw is as much a part of Augusta folklore as any past champion. Now one of the game’s leading course designers, Cre...

The Thing About Golf #114: Nick Dougherty

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Three-time DP World Tour winner turned Sky Sports commentator Nick Dougherty is a firm believer in golf as metaphor for life and the 41-year-old has h...

The Thing About Golf #113: Wayne 'Radar' Riley

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the humble courses of southern Sydney to the top levels of the game, Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley has been in and around the game of golf for more tha...

The Thing About Golf #112: Evan Droop

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anyone who spends a lifetime in golf will have gathered plenty of knowledge and insight which simply can’t be learned from a book. Yarrawonga Mulwa...

The Thing About Golf #111: Ronan Rafferty

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From child prodigy to multiple European Tour winner, Ronan Rafferty has seen just about everything in golf. Popular wherever he went, Rafferty has a ...

The Thing About Golf #110: Vinny Giles

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Not every great amateur turns professional but that doesn’t mean they can’t make a living out of the game. Vinny Giles is one of the game’s gre...

The Thing About Golf #109: Henry Cussell

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some people have never known a life that didn't include golf and while they may not have a high profile those people are almost invariably among ...

The Thing About Golf #108: Nadene Gole

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nine wins from 15 starts including all six Australian state titles and the national championship as well … If somebody told you a golfer had achieve...

The Thing About Golf #107: Matt Fitzpatrick

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In many ways Matt Fitzpatrick is an unlikely major champion. His game isn’t as flashy as some but he works hard — and smart — to get everything ...

The Thing About Golf #106: Andrew Langford-Jones

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Few in Australian golf have seen as much of the game as Andrew Langford-Jones.From hanging with Tiger Woods to advocating for halving field sizes in A...

The Thing About Golf #105: Gary Koch

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We like to complain about them but those who commentate golf on TV create the soundtrack of the game’s history. Gary Koch, the 2023 Payne Stewart A...

The Thing About Golf #104: Oliver Wilson

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Professional golf can be a roller coaster but even by those standards England’s Oliver Wilson has been on an epic journey. From leading amateur to ...

The Thing About Golf #103: Sam Torrance

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Search ‘Ryder Cup’ on the internet and it won’t take long before you find an image of Sam Torrance, arms raised to the sky after holing the winn...

The Thing About Golf #102: Bernard Gallacher

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Some names are synonymous with the Ryder Cup and on the European side Bernard Gallacher is one. Eight times a player and three times a Captain, Galla...

The Thing About Golf #101: Graeme McDowell

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are few more thoughtful or interesting voices in the game than Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.In this wide-ranging chat with The Thing Abo...

The Thing About Golf #100: Briony Lyle

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's been just over five years since Australian golf lost one of its most popular players in Jarrod Lyle. On episode 100 of The Thing About Golf ...

The Thing About Golf #99: Dottie Pepper

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Her voice is familiar to golf fans the world over but there is much more to Dottie Pepper than what we see in the televised golf coverage. A world cl...

The Thing About Golf #98: Brendan Lawlor

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of golf’s greatest assets, especially when compared to other sports, is the range of people who can enjoy it.Age, gender and even disability can...

The Thing About Golf #97: David Begg

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's not often you get an insider’s perspective on one of the game’s most important championships but that’s exactly what David Begg, forme...

The Thing About Golf #96: Dr. Hannah Brown

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rare is the person who swings from indifference, or even dislike of the game, to becoming a committed and passionate golfer but that has been the jour...

The Thing About Golf #95: Judy Rankin

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

About the only people in golf who attract more criticism than the players are those who commentate on the game on TV. But not Judy Rankin.The 26-time ...

The Thing About Golf #94: Jim Furyk

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim Furyk occupies an unusual place in the professional game.Without the profile and attention of the likes of Tiger or Phil or Rory, he more than com...

The Thing About Golf #93: Tomas Mezera

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of professional golfers like fast cars but none can quite match PGA Tour of Australasia Legends Tour player Tomas Mezera.Mezera spent most of his...

The Thing About Golf #92: Geoff Ogilvy

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Winner of the 2006 US Open, Geoff Ogilvy is known as one of professional golf’s best interview subjects and in this wide ranging chat with John Hugg...

The Thing About Golf #91: Pat Welsh

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Among the most unique perspectives in professional golf is that of the on course reporter.Unlike the rest of the commentary team or the viewers on TV,...

The Thing About Golf #90: Peter Dawson

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Dawson has been as influential an administrator of the game as anyone in history.Appointed Secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St An...

The Thing About Golf #89: Ian Woosnam

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a long way from Wales to Augusta National and the Ryder Cup captaincy but it’s been quite the loaf journey for 1991 Maters champion Ian Woosn...

The Thing About Golf #88: Mark O'Meara

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been 25 years since Mark O’Meara slipped on the green jacket after a tense final round battle with Fred Couples and David Duval.In this sit d...

The Thing About Golf #87: Charlie Earp

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Charlie Earp is an Australian golf icon.He’s best known for his work with Greg Norman and Wayne Grady early in their careers but his influence on th...

The Thing About Golf #86: Elaine Farquharson-Black

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Playing professional golf is a dream for millions but not everyone who has the skill to pursue it ends up enjoying it.Elaine Farquharson-Black is just...

The Thing About Golf #85: Sir Michael Bonallack OBE

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are few in golf whose contribution to the game could be compared to that of Sir Michael Bonallack. Unquestionably one of Britain’s greatest a...

The Thing About Golf #84: Christine Fraser

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Christine Fraser is one of only a few women in the golf course design business but the Canadian native is one of the most eloquent speakers and broad ...

The Thing About Golf #83: Ewen Murray

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Like many TV analysts it’s easy to forget Sky Sports’ Ewen Murray was a player long before he ever sat behind a microphone.In this wide-ranging in...

The Thing About Golf #82: Mary Thomson

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The name Thomson is synonymous with golf, not only in Australia but globally. Five times Open Champion Peter is, of course, one of the game’s greats...

The Thing About Golf #81: Rich Lerner

13 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The voice will be familiar but there is much more to Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner than most golf fans would ever guess. From humble beginnings growin...

The Thing About Golf #80: Stephen Allan

29 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A golfer can only beat the field assembled on any given week under whatever conditions are present at the time and that’s exactly what Stephen Allan...

The Thing About Golf #79: Tony Blackburn

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Can golf be more than just a game? 100 percent yes, according to our guest on Episode 79 of The Thing About Golf. Tony Blackburn is the founder of Go...

The Thing About Golf #78: Nicolas Colsaerts

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From an early age Nicolas Colsaerts knew he was good. Not in a cocky way, just an acknowledgement he could do things with a golf ball others couldn’...

The Thing About Golf #77: Jackie Newton & Kathie Shearer

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jackie Newton and Kathie Shearer have been staunch friends since the early 1970’s when they met and married two of Australia’s finest golfers, Jac...

The Thing About Golf #76: Lindsey Garden

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Women and caddies – two perspectives we don’t hear enough of in golf media and both bundled up in one interview. The Thing About Golf's John...

The Thing About Golf #75: Isiaih Mwisege

21 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Golf is a lot of different things to a lot of different people but for Uganda’s Isiaih Mwisege it is a calling.Isiaih found golf in 2003 through cad...

The Thing About Golf #74: Paul McGinley

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If not for a knee injury sustained playing Gaelic football as a teenager, Paul McGinley’s life may have turned out very different.That injury saw th...

The Thing About Golf #73: Alex Mercer

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For 77 of his 88 years on the planet Alex Mercer’s life has been dominated by golf.A good player in his own right before a back injury early in his ...

The Thing About Golf #72: Eddie Pepperell

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Eddie Pepperell is a two-time European Tour winner and owner of some of the game’s most unusual swing drills. But he’s also one of golf’s most ...

The Thing About Golf #71: Jose Maria Olazabal

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jose Maria Olazabal was one of the best of his generation – a dual Masters winner with one of the most admired short games in history. But it is fo...

The Thing About Golf #70: Cameron Percy

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

He’s not a household name or a prolific tournament winner but at the age of 48 Cameron Percy continues to achieve something most never do: keep his ...

The Thing About Golf #69: Jaime Diaz

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Technically, writing is just the putting together of words to form sentences. However, like golf, that undersells by quite a margin the gift some have...

The Thing About Golf #68: Denis McDade

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the past three decades the high profile golf coach has become a thing. What was once a behind the scenes job, now often comes with a dash of celeb...

The Thing About Golf #67: Lee Westwood

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

2023 will mark Lee Westwood’s 30th year as a professional and while the game’s Grand Slam titles have eluded him, he has achieved every other meas...

The Thing About Golf #66: Nick O'Hern

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

He wasn’t a prolific winner but Nick O’Hern might be one of the most consistent golfers Australia has ever produced. Never one to overpower golf ...

The Thing About Golf #65: Peter Kostis

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For a generation of golf watchers, he was the voice of CBS broadcasts, breaking down swings courtesy of the Konica Minolta BizHub Swing Vision camera ...

The Thing About Golf #64: Brendan Jones

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Brendan Jones is one of Australia’s most successful yet lowest profile international golfers.15 times a winner on the Japan Tour, Jones is the very ...

The Thing About Golf #63: Masters special, Eamon Lynch

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A career in journalism outside the game has informed and shaped Eamon Lynch’s work within it, making him one of the most important public voices of ...

The Thing About Golf #62: Vaughan Somers

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

He might be best known for a brilliant hole-in-one that ultimately embroiled him in a lengthy legal dispute with the tax man, but there is much more t...

The Thing About Golf #61: Catriona Matthew

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

She made history by captaining back to back winning European Solheim Cup teams and finished top-10 in 18 different majors with one win, at the 2009 Wo...

The Thing About Golf #60: Sandy Jamieson

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In urban centres across the world there is pressure on public courses and the space they occupy. From developers looking to profit from housing, to co...

The Thing About Golf #59: Paul Lawrie

16 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It was one of the most brutal Opens in recent memory but Paul Lawrie's brilliance in winning at Carnoustie in 1999 is all too often overlooked. ...

The Thing About Golf #58: Gerri O'Callaghan

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Geraldine O’Callaghan is one of just a handful of female course superintendents in Australia. A one-marker, who plays pennant for Melbourne’s Sou...

The Thing About Golf #57: Frank Nobilo

19 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

He’s best known by an entire generation for his TV commentary, but Frank Nobilo was a formidable player in his day. Struck down by injury long befo...

The Thing About Golf #56: Hazel Irvine

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

TV is how most of us consume the bulk of our golf and those who are the face and voice of the medium help shape how we view the game.The BBC’s Hazel...

The Thing About Golf #55: Peter McEvoy

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The notion of the career amateur is long gone but among the last of that crop was today’s guest, two-time British Amateur champion Peter McEvoy. On...

The Thing About Golf #54: Dr Karl Morris

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There's almost no end to golf instruction and it’s a world that can quickly overwhelm players at almost any level. Enter Dr Karl Morris and co...

The Thing About Golf #53: Guy Yocom

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

He’s been one of the game’s great storytellers for more than 30 years and while he retired last year the work of Guys Yocom will endure for genera...

The Thing About Golf #52: Edwin Roald

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you think of the world’s golf hot spots it would be fair to say Iceland doesn’t spring immediately to mind. But not only is the Nordic count...

The Thing About Golf #51: Neil Coles

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

John Huggan describes Neil Coles as the best golfer Americans have never heard of. An aversion to flying meant one of the United Kingdom’s best pla...

The Thing About Golf #50: Christian Hamilton

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Like so many in golf Christian Hamilton originally dreamt of being a Tour player, but there are a whole army of golfers with a disability that should ...

The Thing About Golf #49: Roger Maltbie

01 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For a generation of golf fans Roger Maltbie is known only as a TV commentator but the NBC stalwart is so much more than that. The winner of the inaugu...

The Thing About Golf #48: Ian Triggs

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

He's coached some of the best players in the world to some of the game's biggest titles but to sit and talk to Ian Triggs you'd never k...

The Thing About Golf #47: Renton Laidlaw

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Alliss might have had golf’s most recognisable voice but it’s almost a dead heat with Scotland’s Renton Laidlaw. In a career spanning mor...

The Thing About Golf #46: Phil Scott

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who would have thought that a summer spent in the UK visiting family would prove the start of a journey that ended in Australia's first Masters g...