ForeFathers

Today the boys go back and forth on Bryson DeChambeau's persona after his one shot victory at Bay Hill. There's no debate on his talent, but we debate whether he tries too hard to the point of aggravation. Also, is his schtick a little tired at this point.

In addition, we discuss Spieth's continued "Finau streak" of three top 5s in his last four tournaments and whether we can stop talking about him as a hopeless case on tour. Could he be an outside Ryder Cup captain's pick if his play continues like this?

Then we discuss the better golf 'swing' between the California/Florida swings. Not surprisingly our feelings were strongly dictated about how CBS and NBC cover the sport.

On episode 16, we conclude 'junior golf month' with an interview with Jackson Miller (18:10) who will be a freshman on the Faulkner University golf team next year. He reminisces about his playoff putt to advance from sectionals to districts and his love of tournament golf. As parents we see our kids athletic success through a certain lens, so hearing Jackson talk about his love for golf (and Hailey in last week's episode) reminds us what it's like from their perspective and the stress it can bring.

Before that, Todd learns the highs that gambling can provide via our PGA survivor pool and gloats about his lead at the two month mark. Dave offers his perspective on Tiger's injury and how his initial reaction reminded him of his reaction to Kobe's crash.

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On this week's episode, the boys (minus Todd) break down the Homa/Finau playoff at Riviera, question whether this loss will only build more ammunition against Finau as someone who can't win, and use the 3rd round suspension at Riviera to tell a few stories of the worst conditions we've ever played golf in.

Then (27:00) we continue our series on junior golf this month and spend the rest of the time talking with Hailey Stegemann, a current high school senior, who will be playing Division 1 golf at Tennessee Tech this fall. She  earned Southwest Ohio High School Girls Golf Coaches Association (SWOHSGGCA) First Team Division 2 honors her last three years and has worked really hard on her game. She spent a lot of time breaking down the college recruiting process and how that works for other high school golfers trying to get recruited, and she gives some great insights for players/parents to consider when trying to get a college scholarship in golf.

On episode 14, Brian offers a lament for Jordan Spieth and what the last two weekends have done to his soul, and whether or not he can continue this affair of the heart much longer. But the main focus this week is our interview with Todd Johnson (9:53), the executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association. Todd, as part of his mission, oversees the 1905 tour, a junior tournament tour that helps kids compete in local events  in a fun and enjoyable way. He guides us through how kids can get involved in golf, answers questions that parents might have about getting a child started in junior golf tournaments, and some of the ways they are trying to attract kids to the game of golf.

If you live in the Cincinnati area we encourage you to check out gcga.org for more information. And for those of you listening elsewhere,  we guarantee your city/region probably has something similar in your area. We encourage you to listen to our interview with Todd as a way to help you navigate the world of junior golf in your area.

With the Super Bowl happening Sunday, we recorded this pod about our 2021 goals on Friday not realizing Spieth was going to burn the golf world to the ground with his play on Saturday, before hitting it like a 5 handicapper on Sunday. However, there's plenty of time to dissect Spieth in future episodes. Instead we address our goals for the year, both for our golf games and personally. It was cool to see the overlaps in our wants and in other areas seeing how each of us have a different attack mindset for how best to get the best out of ourselves this year and maybe even give you some ideas on how to improve your own.

On episode 12, the boys join the rest of the golf world in losing their minds over the latest Patrick Reed mishap. Opinions are mixed as to Reed's intentions, but we wonder why heels get embraced in other sports, but Reed is left to languish on his own in golf. Doug also talks about his round at Torrey Pines and its pros/cons as a venue for the everyday golfer. Finally we update listeners on our season long PGA survival pool and discuss potential prizes/punishments for the winner and loser.

On episode 11, Brian and Dave are joined with our new 'international correspondent' Jack, aka @belowpargolfer. Jack spent most of 2020 getting back into the game of golf, once the rugby pitches were closed due to COVID. He speaks candidly about his progress as a beginning golfer (he lists his handicap in the 30s) and the issues he's facing. But what enamored us with Jack, is that his positivity, enthusiasm, and desire to improve are evident immediately upon talking with him. No matter when we've been introduced to the game, we all had initial struggles. From telling us about shanking one at a golf cart a fairway over and laughing it off to describing his first birdie, on an island green par 3 no less, Jack's stories will draw you in. We're already scheming about when we can have him show us around London's golf and pub scene. 

On episode 10, Brian is joined by Club Champion fitter Brett Schneider, and the two walk the gang through his recent iron fitting at Club Champion. Brett details what someone can expect about the experience from walking in the door through the whole process. They look at Brian's trackman data and use him as an example of how a fitter can help a player understand where they can improve their game. Brett also addresses the issue of cost and why he feels Club Champion is the right move for any golfer serious about improving their game. 

This week, the boys are honored to have professional golfer Will Grimmer on the pod to talk about his journey in professional golf (20:30). A former AJGA All-American, two time qualifier for the US Open in 2014 and 2018, Grimmer has conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour. Grimmer talks about his passion for golf from an early age, his rise in the AJGA standings, and recaps shooting 59 on Pinehurst #1 at the prestigious North/South Amateur. He also mentions his time at Ohio State, his hope for the future, and his mental approach as he continues to pursue the goal of reaching the PGA Tour.

On episode 8 of the ForeFathers podcast, we go 'golf adjacent' to ring in 2021 and while there's a break in the golf action, focus more of our attention on bettering ourselves as parents. To that end, we welcome best-selling author and pastor, David Tieche (13:20), who has co-written several books with youth empowerment expert Josh Shipp and ex-NFLer Trent Shelton. Tieche focuses on the pitfalls parents can fall into when raising teens and offers practical advice that is relevant for navigating all stages of parenthood.

Before that sage advice, Tieche does put the crew into fits of laughter when he recounts his one summer working grounds at a golf course just outside of Dayton, Ohio. Those stories might be the funniest 15 minutes you hear all week.