Discussion

The Thing About Golf #22: Peter Fowler

He’s an Australian Open champion, a World Cup winner and a dominant force on the European Senior Tour but to talk to him you wouldn’t know any of that because at his core, Peter Fowler is simply a good bloke who happens to be good at golf. Talent, as Mathew Goggin once famously said, is merely the entry fee in professional golf and after that it comes down to hard work, self-belief, dogged determination and – yes – a little bit of luck. In Fowler’s case we can add one more characteristic to the list… it’s a less common one in professional golf or indeed any elite pursuit but the enduring impression one gets from him is humility. As always on the Thing About Golf our chat is a lengthy and wide ranging one but there is much wisdom to be gained by listening to the man affectionately known as ‘Chook’.

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The Thing About Golf #21: Karrie Webb

Karrie Webb is a self-confessed golf nerd but unlike the rest of us she also happens to be one of the best golfers in the history of the game. Yet, seven majors and a Hall of Fame career are in some way just the beginning for Karrie because as remarkable as it is to consider, in her own mind, the most important part of her golfing life is really just getting started. You’ll hear how in this exclusive chat with host Rod Morri.

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The Thing About Golf #20: Scott Hend

Too much Trackman, not enough working the ball, Tiger to maybe get to 18 majors before the end of the year… Scott Hend has opinions and he’s not afraid to share them! In a wide ranging chat, the popular Australian talks everything from golf in Asia versus America to continuing to travel the world to tee up at the age of 46. He’s refreshing, he’s honest, he’s entertaining and he happens to still be one hell of a player so settle in and enjoy some time with Scott Hend.

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The Thing About Golf #19: Bryden Macpherson

Bryden Macpherson will be a name familiar to a few of you though it would be fair to say that even in golf circles he’s far from a high profile figure. There’s no doubting his talent. He’s a very good player – clearly (you don’t win the British Amateur and three times as a professional through luck) but he’s more than that. He is also an intriguing thinker cut from a very different cloth to most golf pros of his generation. Here he talks with host Rod Morri about a wide range of golf and non-golf related topics and above all, The Thing About Golf.

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The Thing About Golf #18: Tony Johnstone

In his playing days, Tony Johnstone was as much renowned for his on course temper as he was his brilliant short game. Today, he’s one of the most recognised voices in the commentary box. In this conversation with host Rod Morri, the gregarious Johnstone talks with some embarrassment about those antics, his second career in television and the multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2003 that saw him chosen for a drug trial which has seen him symptom free for nearly two decades. Johnstone is at his story telling best here as he reveals why he loves golf, bird-watching and why he reckons Greg Norman is a pussy.

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The Thing About Golf #17: Mike Clayton

The seeds of Mike Clayton’s love affair with golf began as a six-year-old tagging along beside his father during a round at Victoria’s Point Lonsdale course. Clayton remains passionate about the game, which has been his life for the past five decades. Almost everybody listening to this podcast will be aware of Clayton in some capacity be it as a player, commentator, long-time columnist for Golf Australia magazine, part-time caddie and course architect. It is our hope that no matter how well you think you know him, you’ll come away from thi conversation with Rod Morri feeling like you know him a little better.

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The Thing About Golf #16: Christina Kim & Duncan French

Even casual golf fans will be familiar with the name Christina Kim, the former Solheim Cup player and three-time LPGA Tour winner. She’s one of the game’s most popular players and you’ll understand why by the end of this interview. But equally interesting is her less well-known but equally well-liked boyfriend and occasional caddie, Duncan French. The Kiwi-born French is a respected bagman in his own right, having helped guide Michelle Wie to her only major victory at the 2014 US Women’s Open. They might be an odd couple, but here they talk about their shared passion for the game.

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The Thing About Golf #16: Christina Kim & Duncan French

Even casual golf fans will be familiar with the name Christina Kim, the former Solheim Cup player and three-time LPGA Tour winner. She’s one of the game’s most popular players and you’ll understand why by the end of this interview. But equally interesting is her less well-known but equally well-liked boyfriend and occasional caddie, Duncan French. The Kiwi-born French is a respected bagman in his own right, having helped guide Michelle Wie to her only major victory at the 2014 US Women’s Open. They might be an odd couple, but here they talk about their shared passion for the game.

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The Thing About Golf #15: Tom Doak

Tom Doak is one of golf’s intriguing characters. In the early days of his career, he was best known for his Confidential Guide, a book which featured some blunt and controversial takes on golf courses around the world. For more than 20 years now he has created commercially successful and critically acclaimed courses in almost every corner of the globe, which has seen him become a celebrity in the sub-culture that is golf course architecture. Here, host Rod Morri asks him, “What is the thing about golf?”

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The Thing About Golf #14: Meghan MacLaren

To many in the golf world England’s Meghan MacLaren is recognisable only as ‘that equal pay girl.’ But is there more to the 25-year-old two-time NSW Open winner than pointing out the inequalities between professional golfers of opposite gender? The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’. MacLaren is intelligent and articulate, thoughtful and engaging and, most importantly, brutally honest. About everything. From the state of her own game to the state of the broader industry, Maclaren has plenty to offer in this wide ranging and fascinating discussion.

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