Making It As a Professional Golfer is Hard, But Is Breaking Into Golf Media Even Harder?

"Why didn't I think of that...?"

The ageless question which gets muttered either by oneself, or heard from others after a minuscule idea becomes something big. Any time I hear a really cool or interesting idea, my first thought is always 'I really wish I had thought of that.' Now more than ever, especially with the influence of social media and the instant gratification of any thought or observation, we're living in an ever-competitive landscape. I relate this to golf (shocker) in terms of how do I receive my golf news? Where do I go to find golf coverage, learn more about my favorite pro, interact with said pro and even discover a really cool filter to use when I get the chance to have a picture taken with them.

The genesis of this entry is this: golfers (and pro athletes) have most likely played their respective sport for almost as long as they've been alive, and if their lifelong goal is to make it in that sport, they play it. Day in, and day out. Tournament after tournament, heartbreak after heartbreak, these are all too familiar feelings pro athletes feel growing up to chase the dream. For the rest of us who are simply fans of the sport, we all have so-called dream jobs (shocker again, mine is to work in golf media) and we too need to train day in and day out in order to either get discovered or continue pursuing success if we are lucky enough to land our dream job.

Think of golf coverage in a traditional manner: golf is a game almost as old as time as far as I'm concerned and the very early days of golf coverage can include still-photos, old newspaper articles and even word of mouth from the locals at their respective country club. Fast forward to today, there's livestream on Twitter and Facebook (as of this past weekend). There are numerous podcasts that are catching steam as a way for tour pros to share their stories in a non-traditional media format. There's still golf magazines (Golf Digest being one of the best publications in sports even today) and writeups you'd find in your local newspaper. The problem with these traditional forms of media is everything is faster today. Following his win at Hartford last weekend, Bubba Watson was being live-streamed on Twitter and Periscope from the PGA Tour account, live-streaming HIMSELF on Instagram and there were various wrap-up shows also broadcasting live to those looking to tune in (shout out No Laying Up who produce the most hysterical post-round recap you'll find online.) Same can be said during practice rounds, pre-tournament gatherings and opening tee shots where live video is pushed to social media users and the content can be endless. PGA Tour Live is one of the best video subscription services I've ever seen and can watch early tee times from Thursday and Friday rounds for most tournaments.

So where do you even start? I'm 29 years old, I try to blog every once in a while about the sport and what I find is interesting about it. But what about the Dan Jenkins' and Alan Shipnuck's of the world? Imagine if Twitter was around when Jenkins wrote his famous books back in the day? He's a whirlwind of a follow today, but I can only imagine what it'd be like for him to receive instant feedback on any comment he makes. Shipnuck from Sports Illustrated has decided to embrace social media and helps put out an almost-weekly podcast and asks for questions to be submitted via Twitter for his Knockdown column. You have guys like Alex Myers from Golf Digest who focuses on the social side of the game and adds video to his columns most notably from 'The Loop'. Alex and his colleagues also put out a podcast almost twice a week complete with interviews, predictions, etc. Final example is Shane Bacon, who used to play professionally and has dug out such an amazing niche for himself with a podcast and email newsletter. Fast forward to two weeks ago, he was interviewing WAYNE FREAKING GRETZKY live at the U.S Open...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I want his job, and I've mentioned that to him personally. Sup Shane?

I guess to answer my question, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. Embrace the sport and interact where you see fit. Again, Instagram and Twitter is such a cool medium to interact with tour pros and in my opinion they are the best follows in all of pro sports. Maybe if you're lucky you'll get a picture with a few of them (have I mentioned that before...?) This time, Dylan Meyer at Hartford. Great dude.

Today Marks My 1,095th Straight Day of Doing At Least 300 Push-Ups...Wait What?

For those of you doing the math at home (probably just me) that marks approximately 328,500 push-ups over a three-year consecutive span...Yikes.

Now these numbers do have a few side notes, I actually started this streak in March of 2015 after a trip down to Florida to visit my aunt and uncle on Palm Island, only one of my favorite spots in the world. This was also the same time my Uncle Terry introduced me to Men’s Journal, which is a hybrid magazine between fitness and travel. World renown big wave surfer Laird Hamilton posts each month fitness tips he finds productive and one of them is the benefit of push-ups. What originally started out as 100 per day in March of 2015 quickly turned into 300 a day on June 1 2015 and in all surprises to me, I haven’t missed a day.

So why do I mention this, besides the obvious date today of June 1 (and also National Donut Day)? Well I recently started a new job and someone mentioned that they began a push-up challenge themselves and I thought that was really admirable and a great way to start something that improves your wellness. While I congratulated that person for starting this, I also had to congratulate myself on this feat which is something I recommend to everybody. Be proud of your accomplishments, set goals for yourselves whether it’s a fitness goal, a personal goal or a professional goal and stick to it. Think of the start of each month as the beginning to some sort of adventure or activity you want to pursue, maybe you want to read a book in the next 30 days, maybe you want to walk 10k steps a day, whatever. 

Anyways, here’s to another three years of push-ups, God help me.

After the Zurich Classic, A Look at the Best Duos in Sports Cinema

If you're a die hard golf fan like myself, the topic of team-centered events has been a subject of discussion over the previous five to ten years. Traditional events like the Ryder Cup and President's Cup, both recently won by the United States are staples in the game of golf. Yet over the past weekend, the Zurich Classic provided a team format which has only been in existence for two years. We watched as the very vocal Billy Horschel (on a number of topics) and the reserved Scott Piercy edged out the team of Pat Perez and Jason Dufner, a team I'd much rather see win. Regardless, Horschel is a former Florida Gator and you just have to respect it.

On the subject of team formatting in sports, I couldn't help but think of the most dynamic duos in all of sports. It's easy to point out the greats such as Shaq and Kobe, Michael and Scottie, rivals of Bird and Magic, Ortiz and Manny, Brady and Moss, so on and so forth. But I also started thinking of the most clutch and memorable duos in sports entertainment, meaning primarily in film. I put together a list of my top five with one honorable mention in an effort to try and break down who you'd want to watch when it came down to the wire, or just finding a sense of happiness watching these teams be around each other. I guarantee there are many other duos more famous and loved than the one's I've listed, but I felt the need to write something since it's been a minute (and a half). 

Honorable Mention: Jonathan Moxon and Charlie Tweeder (Varsity Blues)
To preface, if I were making a list of top five sports movies I would put Varsity Blues near the top of my list. Some may say I'm crazy, but I truly believe this movie was what started it all in terms of focusing on Texas high school football which brought us Friday Night Lights both on the big screen and little screen. Originally an MTV production, Varsity Blues was one of those movies where you and your boys would be at a sleepover and wait for the parents to go to bed before fast forwarding to the whipped cream scene. Forget Billy Bob puking and rallying, Lance Harbor getting his pick of the litter or coach Bud Kilmer going for his billionth district title. This flick was all about backup-turned starter QB Jonathan 'Mox' Moxon and his trusted receiver/strip club compadre Charlie Tweeder. Now since I didn't exactly get blessed with an abundance of height, I always portrayed myself as a Tweeder when playing sports: quick and scrappy. Having grown up playing peewee football together, Mox and Tweeder's friendship was much more evident than just being played out on the field. When Mox stood up to an abusive coach Kilmer at halftime of the district title game, Tweeder held his ground and refused to take the field in support of his quarterback. Now that's love, pal. Plus, if Mox hadn't given his approval for Tweeders touchdown dance, who knows what type of dark path he could've been led down throughout the rest of the movie. I mean, he did end up naked and stealing a cop car, but that's just semantics.

5. Mike Winchell and Don Billingsley (Friday Night Lights)
This seems like an appropriate segway into the story of Texas high school football which I previously mentioned. Here in Odessa, Texas at Permian High School there is shy and reserved quarterback Mike Winchell who is simply looking for a way out of Texas. Then there's Don Billingsley, fullback and local legend where anything less than a state championship wasn't enough (at least in his father's mind). The only thing Winchell should be thanking Billingsley for is his willingness to help get him laid at a party. In one of the most memorable lines from any movie ever made, "We're gonna get drunk, we're gonna get laid, and we're gonna win state but not tonight." Thank God for Billingsley, says Mike probably.

4. Julius Campbell and Gary Bertier (True Story) (Remember the Titans)
Forget football, forget life as a high school student, this movie was all about race relations in a tense period of time in suburban Virginia. All-American Gary Bertier was not about to let a bunch of outsiders (to put it lightly) take over his slot on defense. Like he says when introduced to coach Boone (trick plays?): "You want any of us to play for you, you reserve half the open positions for Hammond players, half the offense, half the special teams. We don't need any of your people on defense. We're already set." What Gary failed to realize, however, was Julius Campbell was also an All-American linebacker and I ask could you IMAGINE if coach Boone listened to this guy?! Surely they wouldn't achieve the perfect season they had. On a daily basis the football team was trying to make things work between black and white players but in the hallways during school hours it was even more intense, unlike anything they've seen before. Another scenario I present to you: imagine seeing a young Ryan Gosling get pushed around not only in training camp, but also the hallways of your high school? Gary and Julius just couldn't stand for it. Left side, strong side forever.

3. Scott Smalls and Benny Rodriguez (Sandlot)
From Smalls' first glove, to watching Benny steal home in the majors, these two were connected instantly during that fateful summer of 1962 and never looked back. Think about if you were Scott Smalls for a minute, you just moved to the valley because Dennis Leary was a big-time executive dressing up to fly across country in planes. Those were the times indeed, but one major responsibility Leary presented to Smalls was that while he was gone, he was the man of the house. While typical men of the house would work and bring home the bacon, Smalls was being a little delinquent and stealing baseballs from his trophy case. If the nine of them were easily able to scrounge 98 extra cents for a new baseball, neither Smalls nor Benny would be in the mess they found themselves in. 

2. Danny Noonan and Ty Webb (Caddyshack)
I say this to myself every single time I'm about to putt for a surprise par..."Be the ball." Had Ty Webb not been there to teach Danny Noonan the ways of the Zen Philosopher Basho...chances are he'd never be in a position to win the caddie scholarship or later participate in illegal gambling practices amongst the members at Bushwood Country Club. I think Ty could teach us all a thing or two not just about golf, but about life and especially pointing out that a flute with no holes is not a flute and a donut with no holes is a Danish. There's no question relationships form on the golf course, we see it all the time. Matches are won and lost, money is won and lost but there is simply an endless amount of wisdom which can be shared among all parties combined. Bushwood is in good hands...kind of. 

1. Fulton Reed and Dean Portman (Mighty Ducks)
I knew this was coming, you knew this was coming, every single person who's seen this movie knew it was coming. Gathering from all over the country (and by that I mean greater Minneapolis, Florida, Chicago and Maine for some reason) the match made in alpha heaven brings us Fulton Reed and Dean Portman. Now both have their flaws, we all know that. In fact, I'm quite certain a lawsuit is still pending and a warrant has been served for roughly 25 years for Reed's arrest for driving a zamboni through the doors of Team USA's training center, but that all goes out the window when you pull off a 'W' at the Junior Goodwill Games against national powerhouse Iceland. Portman with some serious self-confidence issues showing up in a sleeveless Morgan Park jersey and proceeding to cheap shot each of the Minnesota pee wee champion to let him know he's there. To come full circle, there are fewer moments of pride than when Portman busts through the doors of Eden Hall Academy when presented a full scholarship to play for the school. Why he wasn't there to begin the season we may never know, but all that matters is the Bash Brothers remained true to the school, their country and most importantly...each other.

If Any of These Five Things Happen This Weekend...

...I will consider the 82nd Masters tournament a huge success. Well, at least in my eyes.

It's currently 10:35am on Wednesday morning and I just watched an interview with the 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman prior to the infamous Par 3 Contest which was unfortunately washed out last year. Now if you're a golf fan you need to think about that statement for a second. "2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman?" Last time I checked 2008 was only ten years ago, although it baffles me that time has gone that fast, but where has Immelman been lately? Exactly, no where.

I figured over the last three days I've listened to about 12 hours of golf podcasting and roughly the same of pre-tournament coverage whether it be on SportsCenter, Golf Channel, CBS Sports HQ, etc. I listened to the Sports Illustrated guys record a podcast where they road tripped from NYC to Augusta and stopped to play Pinehurst along the way, followed by a $9 round at Bethune "Country Club" in South Carolina. I've heard all the takes, all the predictions and all the sleepers humanly possible, plus you throw in the golf heroes on Twitter and you're damn near booked for the rest of the day. However, I decided to lock down five scenarios which if any of these occur this weekend, I will consider this year's Masters a win for me personally as a golf fan. I hope they make sense to the everyday golf fan, but then again who cares if they don't. Welcome to Masters Week.

1. Ted Potter Jr. Wins the Par 3
So those of you who aren't aware, there is a par 3 contest held each Wednesday before the Masters and the fact is no one who's ever won this contest has gone on to win the actual Masters. I hate to break it to you, but this will still be the case in 2018, kind of reminds you of the Madden curse or the Sports Illustrated cover curse. It's also been known that the winner of the contest isn't usually even in contention on Sunday at Augusta National, but it's still a thrill to be part of IE Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas on back to back aces last year. That being said, I'm picking none other than the man who took down Dustin freakin Johnson at Pebble Beach this year to win the contest, the dude Ted Potter Jr. I mean look at this guy...When you think gifted athlete you should be thinking Brady, you should be thinking Hulk Hogan, and you should be thinking Ted Potter Jr. Book it, big man.

2. Rory's Grand Slam
The grand slam. That's all every is saying and it's a real possibility this week. I assume he's still fuming off the win he pulled off and rightfully so at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Besides Bay Hill, the only other fitting arena I can see fitting for Rors is Augusta National. Forget all the other rounds, especially 2011 and concentrate on 2018. You're smoking the ball, you've putted lights out the past month, now's the time to join Tiger, Jack, Gary (Player), Ben (Hogan) and Gene (Sarazen) among the only one's to ever do it.

3. Tiger-Phil Sunday Pairing
A lot can be said for these two over the past 20 years. Each has their own fan base, each has their own personality and each made a living of wanting to beat the crap out of each other. However, this is a new day and in their latter years as golf professionals, things have changed. Some say it started at the President's Cup which wouldn't be far off to think they've rekindled or even developed a whole new friendship, and nothing was more evident of this than witnessing the practice session heard round the world yesterday. In terms of television ratings in which the final round of the VALSPAR FREAKIN CHAMPIONSHIP had more viewers than the final round of the U.S Open and British Open last year, could you possibly imagine what those numbers would read if we got a Tiger-Phil pairing on Sunday at the Masters? Although it'd be a stretch to assume it would be the final pairing of the weekend, seeing them play together in some capacity would be remarkable and a coming of age moment.

4. My financial pick to win... Bubba Watson
I'm riding high on Bubba and I don't feel good about it. Actually, that's not true. He's definitely had a year for the ages with his win at the Genesis (more notably his role in the celebrity all-star game during NBA all-star weekend in LA) as well as his recent win at the Dell Match Play in Austin but golf 'experts' are saying don't read too much into a match play event prior to the most notorious tournament of the year. The good news is Bubba has two jackets, which gives me hope that I'd be able to cash in once the weekend is over.

5. Tiger, End Scene.
Imagine?

Bonus:
A. Matt Parziale Makes the Weekend
I first heard about Parziale's story on the Fore Play podcast and the fact he's a New England guy and a firefighter no less, you can't help but pull for the guy. He's actually supposed to be playing a practice round with Eldrick Woods today ahead of the par 3 but I'm hearing that may not happen. A winner of the U.S Mid-Amateur, Parziale booked his spot months ago back in October and has been preparing ever since. What a thrill it would be to make the cut at Augusta, especially for the stories he can tell to his soon to be wife, kids and everyone back in Brockton.

B. Sergio Defends
Tiger, Jack and Faldo are the only one's to ever add back to back green jackets to their wardrobe, and with the year Sergio Garcia has had already, I can't think of anything that would top the birth of his daughter "Azalea" than if he could bring another jacket home. Watching the clips of his win last year with the emotion he displayed and putting all doubters to pasture this would be a sick story if he could repeat.

Buckle up, folks. It's Masters Week. 

Let's Build the Model Golfer, Shall We?

It's currently Wednesday afternoon and also the start of the WGC Match Play out in Austin. Just like I do at the start of each week I fire up the Foreplay podcast presented by Barstool Sports. This week's episode perked my ears on up because while it was heavily structured around Tiger's performance at Bay Hill, @barstooltrent and @riggsbarstool brought up an interesting point that had me thinking. While discussing Patrick Reed's play throughout the weekend it was pointed out that while Captain America is one of the more entertaining golfers on tour, the boys mentioned he wouldn't be the first they'd choose to hang out with off the course. Charley Hoffman, on the other hand, would be one of the first guys they'd ask to join them in a few rounds at the bar but didn't particularly care for following his actual golf during a tournament. This was interesting because I often thought about how these guys interact off the course just as much as the picture they paint on the course. Bubba Watson may play this wacky and often opinionated figure on the course but off the course you hear the stories of him owning candy stores, minor league baseball teams, yada yada yada. So I sat down with a set of criteria and decided to attempt and build who the normal golf fan would perceive as someone they'd like to share a coctail with. The criteria are as follows:

• Social Presence
• Media Presence
• Social Media Presence (see what I did there)
• Golfer who'd make the best boss
• Golfer who'd make the worst boss
• Golfer you'd take home to Mama (sup ladies)

Let's take a look.

Social Presence

So for the most part I want to identify the top three golfers who fit the bill for the superlatives we can call it which I've laid out above. I'm not going to try to combine all of these guys together and establish some sort of super golfer, but I think it'll be interesting to figure out who fits what on a smaller scale at least off the course. To begin with the social presence on the course, off the course, extra curricular events, etc. I've selected Bubba Watson, Charley Hoffman and Brendan Steele. Like I stated above, Bubba has a hand in many different ventures and looks forward every year to playing in the celebrity NBA All Star game which he did this year two days before winning the Genesis Open. He also struck gold in the early stages of golfers using social media by putting out those hilarious 'Golf Boys' videos on YouTube with a very young Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan and Ben Crane. Seems like another lifetime ago for Rickie and the guy is only 29. Hoffman has made numerous appearances on podcasts and has done video interviews on shows like the Social Caddy podcast. He has also been on Foreplay prior to the President's Cup and plays the role of southern California cool to a T. Brendan Steele also has a hat in the podcast ring, with his 'Member Guest' podcast just finishing its first season and was ranked as my #1 rated golf podcast to date. If I had to pick a winner in this category, I'd keep it SoCal and go with Charley Hoffman.

Media Presence

This was a category which was rather simple to highlight my top three, starting with recent winner in Mexico Mr. Phil the thrill Mickelson. This guy just never ceases to amaze fans of golf and has been doing so for over 20 years. From calling himself a bumblebee in another lifetime to explaining the dance he and Kevin Kisner coordinated at the President's Cup, you are sure to never have a dull moment when Phil has the mic. Breaking down his game, he'll give clear and concise answers regarding his approach shots, the decisions he made during the round and how he can improve. My second pick was easily Jordan Spieth. At 24 years old, the guy is one of the most recognizable figures in golf around the world and it was evident during his trip to China to promote his line of Under Armour golf shoes. For such a young guy you would think he's been on tour forever as he is so well-spoken and approaches the game with such respect and knowledge. My final pick for best around the media is Rory McIlroy who also has been doing this jig for a long enough time to realize he has a way with his answers in front of a camera. He's slowly becoming one of the most opinionated golfers on tour especially with recent comments about limiting booze on the course to detract the hecklers. While this may never happen, it's the thought that counts. My pick for best media presence has to be Phil Mickelson, just no stock tips (tired joke I know).

Social Media Presence

This was a fun category especially being so interested in the social lives of these golfers. In thinking of all the major sports in this country, I am a firm believer that golfers have the best social media presence of any athlete and it isn't close. Basketball players are entirely too political, football players are way too cryptic and mostly complain about money and contracts, and hockey players are basically invisible. That being said, my first pick is Justin Thomas and it far and away the most active on Twitter and Instagram. While Rory may be opinionated in front of the mic, JT may be the most opinionated behind the smartphone. This can be classified as a generational thing, but no matter how you slice it JT always has a voice. My next pick is a guy who is found mostly on the European Tour, and that is Eddie Pepperell. Have you seen this dude's Twitter? The kid is electric, typical young stud on tour with your cold blooded English humor. My final pick might be a bit of a surprise but I'm going with Justin Rose. It seems the trend these days is to post immediately after a round on either Twitter or Instagram and basically giving a quick recap on how they performed after a tournament. Although there have been quite a few "not the result I wanted" posts from Rose, he also has his share of wins which make up for it. He also calls the Bahamas home during the season, so he's got that going for him. Which is nice. My pick: Justin Thomas, keep tweeting homie.

Best Boss

Thinking of all the previous bosses/managers I've had over the years there are certain qualities which makes work less dreadful. I decided to bring this criteria over to golf and determine which pros would make the best possible boss and those who would be absolutely horrible to work for. My pick's for best boss in pro golf include John Daly, Pat Perez and Fred Couples (I hope you're all laughing at how comical this category is). When thinking about Daly and Perez it should be an absolute no brainer, I mean who wouldn't want to work for someone like JD? Casual dress code, smoke or Diet Coke breaks and footwear optional. Perez would just straight up come to work each day on his OC Chopperized motorcycle, but be sure to stay on his good side because I'm pretty sure no one wants to mess with him when he's angry. Stay on top of your work, and you should be OK. In all seriousness, I brought Boom Boom into the picture because for such a down to earth and laid back guy, you couldn't help but work your ass off for the guy. My pick for best boss: Fred Couples.

Worst Boss

Constant communication and guidance are two characteristics which I believe help me in a professional setting, and with these pros I would just assume have the least amount of communication possible. Ian Poulter, for example, is someone where from the outside looking in I can't imagine working for the guy. Hearing horror stories about how he treats valets, course attendants and basically little people would steer me clear of applying to a job where Poulter is in charge and maybe I'd go volunteer or travel instead of work for the guy. My next pick, no offense, is on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to clear communication, and that goes to Dustin Johnson. Don't get me wrong, the number one ranked golfer in the world is a master at his craft and loves to win. Yet, I'd compare him to Wayne Gretzky when he became coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. The greatest player of all time on the ice, but a forgettable coach. I will also through Patrick Reed in the mix, even though he showed the world of golf (literally) how reliable and passionate he can be as a member of the team. Along with Poulter, I would expect PReed to be impatient at times and would just assume complete tasks himself. Worst boss pick: Ian Poulter, because obviously. You can keep your Ferraris.

Take Home to Mama

In my final grouping, I wanted to identify the most all-around good guy on tour in which like the headlines says, they are the best to bring home and introduce to your parents (if you're a gal obviously). Having been on tour for almost ten years already, Rickie Fowler is probably one of the greatest ambassadors of the game in this new generation. Having the spirit of Arnold Palmer and the competitiveness of Tom Brady, Rickie should be no surprise to be placed in this category. My next pick is my main man Andrew 'Beef' Johnston. This dude...is just incredible. Always looking to have a good time, he backs up his boyish personality with unreal golf and will even buy you a round if you find him at the local pub post round. And while Happy Gilmore was given free Subway for life, you'll never go hungry with Beef (again, literally) with his notorious sponsorship deal with Arby's. Lastly, and this is for the ladies looking for an older gentleman, I'm putting Matt Kuchar on this list. I will give one warning however; if you get involved in any type of competitive activity be aware that Kuch has a bit of a mouth on him. You might need to cover Grandma's ears with all the 'gosh darnits' and 'GOLLY's' he's been known to spew all over the course. If any of you thought I'd pick someone other than Rickie Fowler then you might need to go back and re-read some of my other posts.