Episodes

The winner of the 1989 Open Championship at Royal Troon and 13-time winner on the PGA Tour, Mark Calcavecchia, relives his early days growing up in Nebraska and developing his self-taught game in Florida before winning the State High School Championship and attending the University of Florida. He recounts his first win at Charlie Coody's course in Abilene and his win at the Honda Classic in 1987 one year after he had caddied there for Ken Green. Mark Calcavecchia takes us through those challengi...

In this captivating final installment of a three-part interview with Carol Semple Thompson, a revered figure in the world of amateur golf and a World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, we explore the remarkable journey and insights of one of the game's true legends. Hosted by Mike Gonzalez and Bruce Devlin, this episode offers an intimate look into Carol's extraordinary career, her unique perspectives on the sport, and her cherished memories. The conversation opens with her reflections on her experien...

In this second installment of our three-part series with World Golf Hall of Famer Carol Semple Thompson, we delve deeper into the remarkable journey of this distinguished amateur golfer. Hosts Mike Gonzalez and Bruce Devlin engage Carol in a captivating conversation that traverses her incredible 22-time victory in the Pennsylvania Women's Amateur Championship, highlighting not just her skill but also her unwavering dedication to the sport. The episode takes an intriguing turn as Bruce shares hi...

In this first installment of a three-part series on "FORE the Good of the Game," we delve into the remarkable life and career of World Golf Hall of Fame member Carol Semple Thompson. As a storied amateur golfer, Carol shares her unique and inspiring journey, offering listeners an intimate glimpse into her experiences and the evolution of women's golf. The episode begins with Carol reflecting on her decision not to turn professional, a choice that shaped her extraordinary career. She recounts...

We get "the rest of the story" from 1987 Masters Champion, Larry Mize, as he talks about his favorite moments at the other majors and the pressure, and pleasure, of competing for his country at the 1987 Ryder Cup at Muirfield Village for Captain Jack Nicklaus. We continue with his Champions Tour experiences and future schedule as he looked forward to competing in the Masters in 2022. Larry Mize wraps up his story by reflecting on a career well-played, "FORE the Good of the Game." Give Bruce &...

Augusta, Georgia native and winner of the 1987 Masters Tournament, Larry Mize recalls his early days as a professional and revisits each of his wins on the Japan and PGA Tours including his exciting playoff victory in that Masters against two of the finest players in the world at that time, Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman. Listen in as Larry, who played the golf of his youth just across the fence from Augusta National GC, takes us along for the final few holes and the playoff excitement punctua...

Major Championship winner Larry Mize begins his life story recounting the days of his youth growing up in Augusta, Georgia. With the support of his parents, Larry was able to develop his game at Augusta C.C. as a boy and later developed a fondness for Augusta National and the Masters, first working there as a scoreboard operator at age 13. It was there that his dreams of playing professional golf began, eventually leading him to leave Georgia Tech early to play his way onto the Tour. We also jum...

Mary Bea Porter-King looks back on a professional career and what could have been, before looking forward to life after the Tour serving the Game. She talks about her time as a golf broadcaster working with the likes of Fran Tarkenton and Jimmy Demaret. Mary Bea co-founded the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association in 1998 which has produced several USGA champions over the years including Michelle Wie and Allisen Corpuz. Her service to the USGA included six years on their Executive Committee and s...

Mary Bea Porter-King begins this episode recounting her early years on the LPGA Tour and the challenges faced by women athletes of that era. She shares her bittersweet memories of her sole Tour win in 1975 when, instead of receiving encouragement and accolades from her coach, she heard feedback that created self-doubt and got her away from doing the things that made her successful. Mary Bea looks back on those still formative years when the LPGA Tour finally evolved into a professionally run and...

With an astounding record of lifetime contributions to the game of golf off the course, Mary Bea Porter-King begins her life story by recounting her early life on the course. Taught at a young age by Betty Hicks, who introduced Mary Bea to many of the game's greats, her game developed quite quickly. She golfed with Eddie Merrin's UCLA golf team while still in her teens, and had access to famous courses and people in and around Los Angles. As an all-around athlete, Mary Bea set off for Arizona St...

Join us as Steve Jones takes us on a journey he refers to as his second career, having recovered from serious injury to capture the 1996 U.S. Open. He fondly recalls the recording Ben Hogan sent him after that win congratulating him on taming "The Monster". Voted PGA TOUR Comeback Player of the Year that year, Steve still had several victories in him before other maladies became too much to overcome as he worked to get healthy for the Champions Tour. He was an Assistant Ryder Cup Captain under H...

In this third episode with Steve Jones we listen in as he recounts the serious dirt-bike accident that took him away from golf for nearly three years at age 32. With aggressive rehab, Steve continued to re-injure his hand which caused him to improvise the way he laid his hands on the golf club. Showing faint glimmers of hope on the Tour in 1995 and early 1996, Steve decided to try to qualify for that year's U.S. Open at Oakland Hills. He prevailed, becoming the first qualifier to win since Jerry...

In part two of our four-part visit with Major Champion Steve Jones we hear him reflect on the adjustments to being on the road on the Tour in strange cities playing courses he had yet to learn. After reflecting on being the Q School medalist in 1986 with some fine players, Steve talks about winning his first meaningful check, teaming with Australian Jane Crafter to win the JC Penney Classic and then finding the winner's circle with his first PGA TOUR win at the 1988 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pr...

Join us for this first of our four-part interview with 1996 U.S. Open Champion Steve Jones. After settling in to live in Yuma, Colorado at age 11 with his five brothers Steve was quickly introduced to golf by his father. The entire family enjoyed their $100 a year membership at Indian Hills Golf Club and this bunker-less nine-hole layout is where a future champion's game was born. A multi-sport athlete, Steve eventually focused on golf and played his collegiate golf at the University of Colorado...

26-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Judy Rankin looks back on her near-misses in the major championships including runner-up finishes at the 1976 and 1977 LPGA Championships, the 1972 Women's U. S. Open and the 1972 Titleholders Championship. Judy fondly recalls her times as a victorious Solheim Cup Captain in 1996 and 1998 and recounts her pioneering work as a woman broadcaster covering men's golf, the first ever to do so. She was recognized for her life's work by the USGA, the LPGA and with her 2...

World Golf Hall of Fame member Judy Rankin looks back on her life on tour (starting at age 17) and her 28 professional wins beginning with her first at the 1968 Corpus Christi Civitan Open. Judy had two tremendous years in succession in 1977 and 1978 when she was the LPGA Player of the Year, the leading money winner and the Vare Trophy winner, amassing 11 victories and a team win with JoAnne Carner. She won two events which later became majors, the 1976 Colgate-Dinah Shore and the 1977 Peter Jac...

Judy Rankin, World Golf Hall of Fame member and renowned golf broadcaster, takes us back to her childhood in St. Louis, Missouri as an only child who learned the game at a very early age from her father. Judy had tremendous success as a junior player, winning the National Pee Wee Championship four times and the Missouri State Amateur twice, all before the age of 16. She played in the Women's U.S. Open at age 14 and was Low Am the following year. Judy graced the cover of Sports Illustrated after ...

Dottie Pepper continues her story by reflecting on her final major championship win at the 1999 Nabisco Dinah Shore where she set a record for most strokes under par in a major at -19. Dottie finished 2nd at the "Dinah" three times to go along with her two wins there. She remembers her other close calls in the majors and fondly recalls her six appearances as a player in the Solheim Cup where she amassed an impressive 13-5-2 record including a 4-0-0 performance in the 1998 edition at Muirfield Vi...

2-time major winner and popular golf broadcaster, Dottie Pepper, takes us back to learning the game under the watchful eye of her father Don and early mentor George J. Pulver, Sr. who Dottie honored with her recent book A Letter to a Future Champion - My Time with Mr. Pulver. She had early successes, some while playing on her high school boys golf team; winning the NY Women's State Amateur as a 15-year-old, winning the 1981 and 1983 Girl's NY Junior Amateurs and finishing as low amateur at the W...

2004 Open Championship winner Todd Hamilton takes us through that riveting final round at Troon and the ensuing four-hole playoff with Ernie Els where he captured the title as the "Winner of the Gold Medal and Champion Golfer of the Year." The emotion of that win is still raw as Todd recounts this twenty years later. Listen in as he remembers the Sunday night celebration and his gratitude to Royal Troon for granting him an honorary membership. Todd reflects back on his career and wraps up his li...

Major champion Todd Hamilton remembers how a new driver turned his fortunes around in 2003 when he won four times on the Japan Golf Tour and finally succeeded in getting through PGA TOUR qualifying school. An early 2004 win at the Honda Classic was only a harbinger of things to come as he headed to Royal Troon for the 2004 Open Championship. As the final player to check-in for the event after a flight cancellation, Todd didn't arrive in Ayrshire with his "A" game. After an even-par opening round...

Major championship winner Todd Hamilton begins his professional career playing in Asia. Listen in as he recalls the challenges of finding his winning form while changing countries and currencies on a weekly basis. Playing predominantly on the Japan Tour, Todd became the 2nd leading, non-Japanese career money winner amassing 11 wins on that Tour as he positioned himself for bigger things in 2004. Join Bruce and Mike as they continue their visit with Todd Hamilton, "FORE the Good of the Game." Gi...

2004 Open Championship winner Todd Hamilton begins his life story by recounting the days of his youth spent in a small Midwestern town on the banks of the Mississippi River. Todd was introduced to golf at an early age by his grocer father. Mostly self-taught at his local nine-hole course, he had no boys golf team to compete on in high school yet won two individual state championships. This self-drive was noticed by the University of Oklahoma where Todd was a 3-time All American. After college he...

We conclude our 3-part interview with 5-time LPGA victor and 2000 Heather Farr Player Award winner Brandie Burton as she recounts the toll the game took on her body and her decision to wind down her competitive career in 2009. We look back on her play in the major championships and the joy she found in team competition as a 5-time participant in the Solheim Cup. She was privileged to play for Captain Kathy Whitworth in the second-ever Solheim Cup and enjoyed her pairings with Dottie Pepper in te...