WGHOF Member Stories Episodes

World Golf Hall of Fame member and Commissioner of the PGA Tour from 1974 - 1994, Deane Beman completes his life story by reflecting back on his time leading the Tour through transformative change. He remembers the early challenges as the Tour set out to rebrand itself for the global game and recounts, in vivid detail, the "Coup Attempt" by prominent players of the day which nearly ended the Tour as we know it. The "Square Grooves" litigation with Ping stands out as the Tour's right to set its o...

World Golf Hall of Fame member, Deane Beman recounts his decision to turn professional after a very successful amateur career, his Tour wins and the hand injuries that ultimately led him to accept the job as PGA Tour Commissioner in 1974 at age 36. Deane tells of the early transformation of the Tour that included becoming a non-profit, creating value in television for corporate sponsors, adding a charitable focus to the Tour and developing a robust player's pension scheme. From golf professional...

Deane Beman, Commissioner of the PGA Tour from 1974 - 1994 and World Golf Hall of Fame member tells us about his early days as an elite Amateur player. Deane recounts shooting 113 in his first tournament and then playing an exhibition with Ben Hogan as a 15-year old just two years later, playing in two U.S. Opens while still in high school and winning the U.S. Amateur twice and the British Amateur once. Learn about his meticulous preparation for competition as Deane Beman shares his early days i...

1963 Open Championship winner, Sir Bob Charles finishes his life story with a look back on his final few professional wins, his best performances in golf's major championships and his prolific career on the Senior Tour where he had 25 wins, still T-4 on the all-time list. Sir Bob proudly recounts the many accolades bestowed upon him in recognition of his many accomplishments as a golf professional including being awarded the "Sir" title and getting the "Call to the Hall". Perhaps the finest left...

Sir Bob Charles, 2008 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, takes us back to the start of his professional career at age 24, a career that included 80 professional wins. He recounts coming to America in 1963 to play on the PGA Tour where he picked up his first win here at the Houston Open that same year, the first by a lefty. Weeks later, Bob triumphed in the Open Championship at Lytham prevailing in a 36-hole playoff with Phil Rodgers and becoming the first Kiwi and southpaw to win a major...

World Golf Hall of Fame member Sir Bob Charles begins his story with his life in New Zealand, learning the game of golf on his own as a young lad. He recalls the discipline instilled in him by his schoolmaster father, his days working as a bank teller and his early successes as an amateur. He and Bruce Devlin recall their experiences at the inaugural Eisenhower Trophy team matches at the Old Course in 1958 and their memories of Bobby Jones , the U.S. side's Honorary Captain. Bob emotionally reca...

World Golf Hall of Fame member and winner of 88 LPGA Tour events, Kathy Whitworth and co-host Mike Gonzalez talk about Kathy's upcoming interview in this rare audio from their test call. Kathy was our first women guest on the podcast and we are so grateful to have captured her story for future generations. Kathy and Mike cover several topics in this excerpt including her fond memories of Rochester, NY, the evolution of golf equipment, the influence of the original sporting goods companies, learn...