Sarah Kellam wears a lot of different hats as a Manager of Digital Content for the LPGA Tour's official website, LPGA.com, but her favorite role of all is being a storyteller. Kellam joins this month's GWAA Podcast to discuss how she prioritizes the many different stories of the LPGA. She also shares the valuable advice she's received in growing in her role as a writer along with one very simple, yet important question she asks herself when creating content for the website. Also, Kellam shares the story of how she narrowly missed out meeting her idol when she joined the ranks at Golf Channel.
Sports Business Journal's Josh Carpenter joins the podcast to discuss his love of breaking news and shares how he manages to get the scoop on so many stories across the golf industry. Carpenter discusses why he's avoided trying to be funny on social media and shares some secrets on how he's been able to capture some juicy tidbits while on-site covering a golf tournament.
Mike Gonzalez and former PGA Tour player Bruce Devlin co-host the FORE the Good of the Game podcast. Gonzalez joins this month's GWAA Podcast episode to discuss the purpose of their podcast - to chronicle the lives of golf's major champions. With more than 100 interviews already in the books, Gonzalez shares how he preps for the hours long interviews, the common themes he's seen emerge from speaking with so many major champions, and the challenge of tracking down some of the world's greatest players.
Bill Hobson, the host of Michigan Golf Live and the Fore Golfers Network Podcast, joins the GWAA Podcast to explain why his media credential was revoked from covering the LIV Golf Team Competition in his home state of Michigan. Hobson was contacted by LIV Golf prior to the event about doing an interview with Pat Perez for his podcast, which later became a point of contention. Hobson discusses the issues that LIV Golf had with his interview with Perez, he explains why he didn't want to edit or remove the podcast, and details the lessons he believes can be learned from his experience.
Six members of the GWAA shared their journey to making a career in golf media as well as the lessons they've learned with students pursuing their own careers in journalism. Here are highlights from the panelists that joined the 2024 mentorship webinar, including:Ryan Herrington - Golf DigestRyan Lavner - Golf ChannelDana Gordon - BZAHope Barnett - LPGAConnor Stange - PGA Tour ChampionsAmy Rogers - Golf Channel
Golf Channel Writer Brentley Romine joins the podcast to discuss his recent exchange with Tyrrell Hatton following the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Romine shares what he was thinking in the moment and what he would have done differently in looking back on the interview. Romine also shares some of the interview skills he's acquired through the years and shares how the college golf beat has become his specialty.
Julia Pine, the Director of Championship Communications and Content at the USGA, joins the podcast from the media center at the U.S. Women's Open to talk through her responsibilities in managing the media not just during the women's championship but also talks through the new initiatives she's testing out at the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
Seak Zak, Senior Writer at Golf.com, shares the challenges he experienced in covering Rory McIlroy's victory at the Masters Tournament and Grand Slam achievement. Zak shares how covering the Masters Tournament each year, including Tiger Woods' victory in 2019, equipped him to handle the challenges that came with covering McIlroy's historic milestone in the game of golf. Zak also discusses the reason he spent a summer in St. Andrews and why he wrote a book about his trip. And the writer turned teacher shares a campfire metaphor that he tells his students to help promote better storytelling.
In 2024, the Herbert V. Kohler GWAA Journalism Scholarship was created to celebrate the next generation of golf journalists. Aman Misra and Amanda Vogt were the first two recipients of the scholarship and join Amy Rogers for this episode to discuss their background and show how they became interested in covering the game of golf. Misra outlines his extensive research on the history of the game and shares a great story about the mystique of Bobby Jones. Vogt shares the crazy story of how she met Aman for the first time unexpectedly while they were both covering the Paralympics in Paris in 2024 and describes how she changed her perspective on golf being boring to wanting to make it her chosen career.
Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner, co-hosts of the Rex and Lav podcast on Golf Channel, join host Amy Rogers to discuss the challenges they've faced while shifting from their work as writers to becoming television reporters and podcast hosts. They share the tips and advice they've received from other journalists and explain how they manage their own nerves and anxiety while being on live television. They also share insights into how they determine which topics they'll cover on their podcast and they explain how they utilize different media platforms for their reporting and analysis.
Friends of Jeff Babineau join this special episode to celebrate the life of the former GWAA president and secretary. They share stories of their time working alongside and learning from the veteran golf journalist, who spend decades covering the game and mentoring the next generation of writers. To make a donation to support Babineau's family, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/wb673-support-jeff-babineaus-family-in-their-loss
Veteran journalist Bob Harig, who is currently a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, joins the podcast to discuss his recent interview with former U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Ben Crenshaw, who weighed in on the topic of players being paid to compete in the bi-annual competition. During this episode, Harig discusses the recent decision by the PGA of America to provide a stipend to U.S. players competing in the Ryder Cup, describes the impact he's seen on the game and its fans with the introduction of LIV Golf, and shares what he has learned throughout his years covering Tiger Woods and the PGA Tour.
Adam Schupak, Senior Writer at Golfweek, joins the GWAA Podcast to share how a phone call during one drive home led to a series of stories with Paul Azinger discussing his time at NBC and his future covering the PGA Tour Champions. Schupak also describes his journey to becoming a golf writer and shares a funny story about how his mother helped him get his break into golf media.
Golf Digest Senior Writer Joel Beall reveals the challenges to writing the special report, "Why is Tony Finau being sued?" Beall explains why the report was reduced from 11,000 to 5,000 words, what was taken out, and why. He also discusses the projects he currently has in the works for Golf Digest along with the advice his father once shared with him that altered the course of his career.
ESPN Senior Writer Mark Schlabach joins the GWAA Podcast to talk about his recent article on the meeting between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. Schlabach also discusses his GWAA award winning piece "How the shocking PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal went down," along with details on how he got his start in journalism, and he details the hilarious story of his dog ending up on the field during a University of Georgia football game.
The Athletic's Gabby Herzig joins the podcast to discuss her recent story about Bryson DeChambeau's caddie, Greg Bodine, who revealed after DeChambeau's victory at the U.S. Open that he was coping with a family tragedy. Herzig shares the details of how the story came about and the challenges she faced in writing the emotional piece.
Brendan Quinn of The Athletic shares the 10 month journey he embarked on telling the story of American golfer and Olympian Lilia Vu and her family who fled Vietnam in a handmade boat built by her grandfather.
Golf Digest contributor Shane Ryan joins the latest episode to discuss his recent piece on Rory McIlroy's loss at the U.S. Open. Ryan explains his first person approach to describing McIlroy's heartbreak, why he thinks objectivity is a myth, and outlines his journey to covering professional golf.
Golf.com's James Colgan joins the GWAA Podcast to discuss his recent piece on NBC Golf. He shares details on how he managed to snag interviews with top executives at NBC Golf, how the interview conflicted with his sister's wedding, and how he made the shift from being a broadcast journalism major to a golf writer.
For the first episode of the GWAA Podcast, host Amy Rogers sits down with Beth Ann Nichols, former GWAA president and Senior Writer at Golfweek, to discuss her award winning piece about LPGA Tour veteran Jane Park. Nichols also shares a glimpse into her background and her journey from collegiate golfer to media veteran.