Linked By Golf

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcast

This week, I’m joined by PGA Tour Champions player Rob Labritz—a golfer whose career is defined by tenacity, resilience and an incredible will to succeed.

Rob shares his remarkable journey from discovering golf as a youngster in Connecticut and working as a club professional to competing in eight PGA Championships and finally earning his PGA Tour Champions card at the age of 50.

We discuss:

• Falling in love with golf after finding his dad’s clubs
• Learning to shape shots while working and playing at Shinnecock Hills
• Balancing life as a club professional with elite-level competition
• The nerves of his first major championship at Hazeltine
• Becoming the only club professional to make the cut at the 2010 PGA Championship
• Finishing as the leading club professional at Bethpage Black in 2019
• The shot that earned him a place in the PGA Championship—and made SportsCenter
• Visualising PGA Tour Champions success for 14 years
• The emotional story behind finally winning Q-School
• Competing alongside players including Ernie Els, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and K. J. Choi
• The extraordinary standard of golf on the PGA Tour Champions
• Battling injury, losing status and refusing to give up
• Why failure can teach you more than success
• Rob’s best advice: play like a kid and never forget why you love the game

A brilliant conversation about perseverance, belief and continuing to chase your ambitions—whatever stage of your career you’re at.

Follow Rob: @roblabritzgolf

Listen and follow Linked by Golf on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

🎙️ Follow Linked by Golf on Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

This week we're bringing you something a little different.

Alongside hosting Linked by Golf, Ross also co-hosts Both Sides of Par with Colin Gray—a podcast dedicated to helping golfers improve through smarter strategy, better decision-making and conversations with some of the game's leading coaches and thinkers.

As a special crossover, we're sharing one of our favourite episodes from Both Sides of Par, featuring Scott Fawcett, creator of the world-renowned DECADE Golf course management system.

Scott has worked with major champions, PGA Tour professionals, leading college programmes and thousands of amateur golfers, helping them lower scores not by changing their swings, but by making better decisions on the golf course.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why avoiding bogeys is often more important than chasing birdies

• The biggest course management mistakes amateur golfers make

• Why strategy matters more than perfect ball striking

• How DECADE Golf has become one of the most influential performance systems in golf

• Practical ways every golfer can think their way to lower scores

• The mindset differences between elite players and amateurs

Whether you're trying to break 100, 90, 80 or simply become a smarter golfer, this episode is packed with ideas you can take straight to the course.

If you enjoy this conversation, be sure to subscribe to Both Sides of Par for more episodes dedicated to helping golfers improve.

Follow @bothsidesofpar on Instagram.

Few families have shaped British golf quite like the Alliss family.

In this special episode of Linked by Golf, Ross sits down with Gary Alliss to explore an extraordinary golfing legacy spanning more than a century. While many know Gary as the son of the legendary Peter Alliss and grandson of the great Percy Alliss, this conversation shines a light on Gary's own distinguished career as a PGA Professional, respected coach, referee, broadcaster and twice captain of the Great Britain & Ireland PGA Cup team.

Gary shares fascinating stories from growing up around one of golf's most recognisable voices, reflects on his own journey through the PGA, and brings to life the remarkable story of Percy Alliss — one of Britain's greatest pre-war golfers, whose life stretched from the trenches of the First World War to helping establish professional golf in Germany.

It's a conversation filled with humour, history, incredible family stories, and a reminder that while the Alliss name is iconic, Gary has built a remarkable legacy of his own.

Follow @linkedbygolfpodcast for more conversations celebrating the people and stories that make golf special.

• Growing up as part of one of golf's most famous families
• Learning the game from his grandfather, Percy Alliss
• Rediscovering golf after walking away from the game as a teenager
• Starting his PGA career at the famous Trevose Golf Club
• Life as a traditional PGA professional and coach
• Why coaching on the golf course taught more than the driving range
• Becoming Head Professional at The Belfry
• Behind-the-scenes stories of the design and evolution of the Brabazon Course
• Captaining Great Britain & Ireland in the PGA Cup on two occasions
• The psychology of match play and leading elite club professionals
• What it was really like growing up as Peter Alliss' son
• Peter Alliss' outstanding playing career before becoming the "Voice of Golf"
• The incredible life of Percy Alliss, from surviving the First World War to becoming one of Britain's greatest golfers
• The dramatic escape of the Alliss family from Germany in the early 1930s
• The famous story of Peter Alliss being Europe's heaviest baby for almost 50 years
• Living with one of golf's most recognisable surnames and building his own career
• Gary's favourite golfing memories and why captaining Great Britain & Ireland means the most

If you enjoy the episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with a fellow golfer. Every recommendation helps more people discover these remarkable stories from across the game.

🎙️ This week is a special crossover episode between Both Sides of Par and Linked by Golf.

Linked by Golf host Ross joins Colin Gray on Both Sides of Par to share a behind-the-scenes look at his visit to the European headquarters of Srixon, where thousands of custom-fitted clubs are built and shipped across Europe every week.

From walking the factory floor and watching master club builders at work, to learning how custom fitting, swing weight, loft, lie and shaft specifications are meticulously checked, Ross gets a rare insider's view into the craftsmanship behind modern golf equipment.

This episode is also a great introduction to Both Sides of Par, the podcast that explores golf from both ends of the handicap spectrum, following the journeys, challenges, frustrations and improvements of everyday golfers. Whether you're trying to break 80, break 100, or simply enjoy the game more, Both Sides of Par offers honest conversations and practical insights for golfers on their own journey of discovery and improvement.

• Ross explains how his visit to Srixon's European custom-build headquarters came about
• A tour inside the facility where custom-fitted clubs are assembled for golfers across Europe
• The surprising amount of hand craftsmanship involved in modern club building
• How custom fitting works beyond shaft flex and club length
• Why swing weight, grip weight, loft and lie angles matter more than most golfers realise
• The quality-control process every custom-built club must pass before shipping
• The relationship between Srixon, Cleveland Golf and XXIO
• Why Ross became an even bigger believer in custom fitting after the visit
• The skills and expertise required to build clubs to tour-level standards
• A discussion on whether higher-handicap golfers should consider custom fitting
• Ross shares details of the upcoming Srixon feature episode on Linked by Golf

📸 Instagram: @bothsidesofpar
🌐 Website: bothpar.com

📸 Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast
🎧 Podcast: Linked by Golf

If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about golf improvement, equipment, coaching, courses and the people who make the game special, be sure to subscribe to both podcasts and follow along as Ross continues to explore the stories, experiences and lessons that connect us all through golf

Follow Linked by Golf on Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

Luke Peterken is a PGA Professional and Director at Replay Golf, one of the UK's leading pre-owned golf equipment specialists. In this episode of Linked by Golf, Luke shares his journey from junior golf in Ascot to working at Wentworth and Silvermere before helping build Replay Golf into one of the country's most innovative golf retailers. We discuss custom fitting, second-hand golf clubs, golf equipment trends, club building, the growth of Replay Golf, and why 7-woods, 9-woods and high-lofted fairway woods are becoming some of the hottest clubs in golf.

In this episode we discuss:

• Growing up in Ascot and discovering golf at a local par-3 course

• Pursuing the dream of becoming a touring professional

• Completing his PGA training at Windlesham Golf Club

• Working at Wentworth and learning elite standards of customer service

• Building fitting expertise inside the TaylorMade Performance Lab

• The lessons learned from working at Silvermere Golf Complex

• How the idea for Replay Golf was born

• Starting Replay Golf from a small unit at Longacres Garden Centre

• The challenges of the early years and wearing every hat in the business

• Why Replay Golf has continued to reinvest and expand

• Building a retail experience around golfers rather than transactions

• The importance of PGA expertise within the business

• The success of Replay Golf's seven-day trial programme

• How custom fitting is changing the pre-owned golf club market

• Common golf equipment mistakes golfers make

• Building golf bags for new players entering the game

• The growth of Replay Golf's workshop and club-building services

• Why 7-woods, 9-woods and high-lofted fairway woods are flying off the shelves

• The biggest-selling drivers, irons, wedges and putters in golf right now

• Golf equipment nostalgia and the clubs golfers always come back to

• Future plans for Replay Golf

• And much more.

Replay Golf:

Follow Replay Golf on Instagram: @re_playgolf

Website: replay-golf.co.uk

Follow us on Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

Few people have had a bigger influence on modern Scottish golf than Ian Rae.

Over nearly five decades in the game, Ian has coached some of Scotland’s best amateur and professional players, helped shape national coaching structures, and played a major role in some of the country’s greatest team successes.

From growing up in Huntly in the north east of Scotland to becoming one of Scotland’s most respected coaches, Ian’s journey mirrors the evolution of golf coaching itself — from trial-and-error instruction and VHS cameras to performance psychology, data, biomechanics, and elite player development.

Ian shares stories from coaching Steven O’Hara, Richie Ramsay, Wallace Booth, Callum Macaulay and many more, along with incredible insight into Scotland’s Eisenhower Trophy victory in Australia and multiple European team triumphs.

But this episode is about much more than elite golf. It’s a conversation about learning, patience, preparation, coaching philosophy, and the importance of building players — and people — over the long term.

• Growing up in Huntly in the north east of Scotland and getting hooked on golf as a kid
• Becoming an assistant professional at Lanark Golf Club in 1976
• The early years trying to make it as a tournament player
• Life as a young professional at Shotts and Hollandbush Golf Club
• Carrying early golf technology and video equipment in the back of a Range Rover
• Working with renowned coaches Dennis Pugh and David Leadbetter
• Why missing out on the Scottish national coach role initially became a blessing
• The evolution of golf coaching beyond just swing mechanics
• Coaching some of Scotland’s greatest amateur talents
• Stories about Steven O’Hara’s remarkable amateur career
• Richie Ramsay’s journey to becoming US Amateur champion
• Scotland’s European team victories and unforgettable matches against England
• Behind the scenes of Scotland’s Eisenhower Trophy win in Australia
• Creating team culture, preparation, and performance environments
• Why modern players often overcomplicate improvement
• Ian’s advice for golfers trying to improve at any level
• The importance of patience, consistency, and trusting a long-term plan

Ian Rae Career Highlights:

• Scottish National Coach
• Part of six European team victories with Scotland
• Coach to US Amateur champion Richie Ramsay
• Worked with leading Scottish professionals including Steven O’Hara
• Key figure in Scotland’s Eisenhower Trophy victory
• Long-time coach and mentor within Scottish Golf
• Contributor to the Stephen Gallacher Foundation player pathway

#LinkedByGolf #GolfPodcast #IanRae #ScottishGolf #GolfCoaching #RichieRamsay #StevenOHara #GolfScotland #EisenhowerTrophy #WalkerCup #GolfInstruction #GolfPerformance #GolfDevelopment #ScottishAmateurGolf #GolfHistory #GolfPodcastUK #GolfLife #GolfStories #DennisPugh #DavidLeadbetter

Keywords: Ian Rae, Scottish golf coach, Scottish national coach, Richie Ramsay, Steven O’Hara, Eisenhower Trophy, Scotland golf, golf coaching Scotland, Walker Cup, amateur golf Scotland, Dennis Pugh, David Leadbetter, Hollandbush Golf Club, Lanark Golf Club, Stephen Gallacher Foundation, golf psychology, golf performance coaching, golf development, Linked by Golf Podcast

Follow us on Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

What happens when a struggling tour professional becomes obsessed with finding a simpler way to hit a golf ball? For Todd Graves, that journey led him to one of the most mysterious and misunderstood figures the game has ever seen — Moe Norman.

Todd Graves spent years searching for answers, working with some of the world’s best-known coaches while trying to make a living playing professional golf across Asia and North America. But everything changed when he watched a grainy VHS tape of Moe Norman’s golf swing — a swing that looked radically different, yet somehow made complete sense.

What followed became a life’s mission. Todd would go on to spend more than a decade learning directly from Moe, studying every movement, every concept, and every detail behind the legendary ball striking that left even elite players stunned.

In this episode we go deep into Todd’s own playing journey, the reality of trying to survive in professional golf, the origins of the single plane swing, and what Moe Norman was really like away from the myths.

It’s a conversation about curiosity, persistence, coaching, genius, and the search for simplicity in one of the hardest games in the world.

• Growing up in Oklahoma and finding golf as a kid fishing balls out of ponds
• Winning a walk-on tournament to make the University of Oklahoma golf team
• Playing professional golf across Asia and learning from elite players around the world
• Why Todd believes he spent more money on golf instruction than almost anyone
• Working with famous instructors including Hank Haney and David Leadbetter
• The VHS tape that changed everything
• Seeing Moe Norman hit balls in person for the very first time
• Why Moe’s ball striking sounded different from anyone else
• The origins and principles behind the single plane swing
• How biomechanics and body design shaped Moe Norman’s technique
• The challenge of balancing professional golf with coaching
• What Moe Norman was really like away from public perception
• Todd’s mission to preserve Moe Norman’s legacy
• Why simplicity and enjoyment matter more than perfect golf
• The upcoming Moe Norman documentary
• Todd’s book: The Intelligent Golf Swing

Find Todd Graves:

Website: GravesGolf.com

Book: The Intelligent Golf Swing

Email: [email protected]

#LinkedByGolf #GolfPodcast #ToddGraves #MoeNorman #SinglePlaneSwing #GolfInstruction #GolfSwing #GolfCoaching #GolfPodcastUK #GolfStories #GolfHistory #GolfLife #ProfessionalGolf #GolfTechnique #HankHaney #DavidLeadbetter #CanadianTour #AsianTour #GolfBiomechanics #TheIntelligentGolfSwing

Keywords: Todd Graves, Moe Norman, single plane swing, Graves Golf, Moe Norman golf swing, golf instruction podcast, golf biomechanics, Hank Haney, David Leadbetter, Canadian Tour golf, Asian Tour golf, professional golf journey, golf coaching, one plane swing, ball striking, golf technique, golf podcast, Linked by Golf Podcast

Follow us on Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

What if you could experience the greatest golf tournaments ever played — not through highlights or Wikipedia, but through the eyes of the journalists who were actually there? That's exactly what Len Ferman has spent years doing, and the results are extraordinary.

Len Ferman is the Sports Time Traveller. Armed with nothing but old newspaper archives and a lifelong love of the game, he goes back in time to recreate great sporting moments as if they're happening right now. His book, Great Golf Tournaments Volume 1, covers 27 tournaments from the 1922 British Open to the 1975 Masters — and every chapter reads like a live broadcast from a lost era of golf.

Today we go deep on three of them. The 1975 Masters — still widely regarded as the greatest tournament ever played — where Nicklaus, Miller and Weiskopf went head to head in one of the most dramatic final days Augusta has ever seen. The 1972 Open at Muirfield, where Trevino chipped in on 17 to break Tony Jacklin's heart in one of the cruelest finishes in Open history. And the 1922 Open at Royal St George's, where a 51-year-old J.H. Taylor, a trick-shot artist from Australia, and a young Walter Hagen all had a shot at the Claret Jug — in an era when even the defending champion had to qualify.

Golf history brought back to life, one newspaper at a time.

• How the Sports Time Traveller uses newspaper archives to put you inside the ropes
• Jack Nicklaus's near-perfect round at the 1975 Masters: 32 strokes tee to green — a stat never bettered
• Arnold Palmer briefly leading the Masters leaderboard, 11 years after his last major
• Johnny Miller's six consecutive birdies in round three — from 28th place to contention in nine holes
• The three-way duel: Weiskopf, Nicklaus and Miller, two shots apart, four holes to play
• That 40-foot Nicklaus putt on 16 — and the look on Weiskopf and Miller's faces
• Trevino chips in on 17 at Muirfield, Jacklin three-putts, and a career is never quite the same
• The 1922 Open: 36 holes a day, no exemptions for anyone, six rounds in five days
• J.H. Taylor at 51, one putt from forcing a play-off — undone by a bunker on the last
• Hagen in the clubhouse three hours early, waiting to see if his 300 would hold
• The official who asked the crowd to get on their knees and pray

Find Len Ferman:Newsletter & Book: Sports Time Traveller | Great Golf Tournaments Volume 1

#LinkedByGolf #GolfPodcast #GolfHistory #SportsTimeTraveller #LenFerman #1975Masters #JackNicklaus #JohnnyMiller #TomWeiskopf #TheOpen #WalterHagen #TonyJacklin #LeeTrevino #MuirfieldGolf #RoyalStGeorges #GolfBooks #ClassicGolf #MastersGolf #BritishOpen #GolfArchives

Keywords: Len Ferman, Sports Time Traveller, Great Golf Tournaments book, 1975 Masters, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Tom Weiskopf, 1972 Open Championship Muirfield, Lee Trevino, Tony Jacklin, 1922 British Open, Walter Hagen, Royal St George's, golf history podcast, Linked by Golf Podcast

Follow us on Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

What do a COVID lockdown, a set of B&Q garden dowels, and a PhD in golf ball design have in common? The answer is Scot Sticks — and one of the best small business stories in golf.

Alistair Pugh grew up a scratch golfer in Scotland, played for the British Universities team, and counts Western Gailes as his home course. In 2020, stuck at home with gigs cancelled (he was a professional drummer), he started hand-painting alignment sticks in his flat. They were, by his own admission, absolutely dreadful. But there was something there.

His PhD research had revealed that ash wood — not hickory — was the original timber of golf. So Scot Sticks were built on that: UK-sourced ash wood, made in the country that invented the game. Every material, every end cap, every paint — sourced right here.

Six years on, the client list is extraordinary. The 2023 European Ryder Cup team in Rome. The GB&I Walker Cup side at St Andrews. The Curtis Cup. Sticks engraved with the names of Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Luke Donald. And Rory — spotted on the range in Dubai using the sticks properly as a practice aid — went on to complete the Grand Slam shortly after. Al notes the timeline. The prize money cut, sadly, was never written into the contract.

All of it built with zero paid marketing. Just Instagram, a brilliant product, and word of mouth from some of the best golfers and clubs in the world.

• The lockdown origin story and the first chaotic Christmas of 60 orders
• Why ash wood is the original wood of golf — and why it matters
• Supplying the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup, and Curtis Cup
• Rory McIlroy, the Grand Slam, and a very one-sided sponsorship deal
• Bespoke custom orders — and the man who paid custom prices for a plain stick
• The dream: a Claret Jug on a stick at The Open

Find Scot Sticks:Instagram: @scot.sticks | [email protected]

#ScotSticks #GolfPodcast #LinkedByGolf #ScottishGolf #GolfAccessories #AlignmentSticks #BespokeGolf #RyderCup #WalkerCup #RoryMcIlroy #GolfGifts #UKMadeGolf #AshWood #CustomGolf #ScotlandGolf

Keywords: Scot Sticks, custom golf alignment sticks, ash wood golf equipment, Scottish golf accessories, Ryder Cup 2023, Rory McIlroy, bespoke golf gifts, UK made golf products, golf practice aids, Linked by Golf Podcast

Follow us on Instagram @linkedbygolfpodcast for clips, behind-the-scenes content and episode updates.

In this episode, Ross is joined by John Gallagher — Scottish Amateur Champion, 2005 British Amateur finalist, and one of the most distinctive golfers to come out of Scottish amateur golf in the last two decades.

John grew up at Swanston Golf Club on the edge of the Pentland Hills, where his dad worked as a greenkeeper. He picked up the game at 14, won his club junior championship within two years, and never looked back. What followed was a remarkable amateur career that took him to the Lothians county team, the Scotland national team, a famous run to the British Amateur final at Royal Birkdale, and ultimately the 2007 Scottish Amateur Championship at Prestwick.

We cover all of it — including the night before the British Amateur final when John couldn't sleep for dreaming about Augusta, the moment his caddie gave away four of his five golf balls to kids while he was playing a practice round with a teenage Rory McIlroy at Loch Lomond, and the outrageous up-and-down on the 18th at Prestwick that kept his Scottish Amateur hopes alive when his ball was barely a yard inbounds.

John also opens up about his time on the professional circuit — the stark contrast between the pampered Scotland team environment and the grind of the Euro Pro Tour, the injuries that disrupted his best years, and why he still loves competing on the Scottish Pro Tour today.

Plus, we get into his unique cack-handed grip, the negative press it attracted when he reached the British Amateur final, and why attitudes have finally started to shift.

In this episode:

• Growing up at Swanston Golf Club and falling in love with the game
• Progressing through the Lothians county team alongside some exceptional amateur talent
• Winning the 2005 Craigmiller Park Open and gaining momentum heading into Birkdale
• The chaos of British Amateur week — a wrong scorecard, questionable accommodation, and a borrowed coffin-sized bed
• Beating Lloyd Saltman in the semi-finals and facing Brian McElhinney in the final
• The night before the final: no sleep, Masters daydreams, and dreaming of the Old Course
• Winning the 2007 Scottish Amateur at Prestwick with a broken bone in his hand
• Playing alongside Rory McIlroy at Loch Lomond — and his caddie's Belmont Fontaine autograph scandal
• The reality of life on the Euro Pro and Alps Tour
• His cack-handed grip: where it came from, the criticism it attracted, and why he never changed it
• Quickfire: Loch Lomond as Scotland's finest, Royal Birkdale as the one he'd love another crack at, and the toughest conditions he's ever played in

Connect with John on Instagram: @johngallaghergolf