Linked By Golf

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcastThis week I’m joined by Scottish professional golfer Chris Maclean (@chrismaclean95) for a brilliant conversation about his journey through elite amateur golf, life as a touring professional and the realities of trying to make a living from the game.We start with the important stuff – Chris’s ongoing £20-a-game battle with John Henry – before heading right back to where his golf began. Chris talks about growing up in an incredibly competitive junior environment, progressing through county golf and then arriving at Stirling University surrounded by some of the best young players in the country.Chris explains how that environment helped take him from a good amateur to a +5 handicap, representing Scotland and producing some excellent results, including leading qualifying at the Spanish Amateur, finishing third in the Scottish Amateur and winning the Tennant Cup.We then get into professional golf – and Chris gives a fascinating insight into what life on the lower-level tours is actually like. Entry fees, flights, hotels, hire cars, food and taxes quickly add up, and Chris explains how you can finish well inside the top 10 and still lose money. At one event, he reckons he needed to finish third just to break even.There are plenty of stories from along the way too, including winning at Royal Dornoch, shooting nine under with 11 birdies to set a course record in Dumfries & Galloway, finishing runner-up in his first Scottish PGA Championship, winning the Scottish Young Professionals Championship and taking the Deer Park Masters in a playoff.Chris also talks candidly about one of the tougher moments of his career – three three-putts over the closing nine holes of the final ever EuroPro Tour event, ultimately missing out on a Challenge Tour card by a single shot.Today Chris combines tournament golf with his role as Head Professional at Hayston Golf Club, where coaching has become a major part of his career. We also get into the performance days he runs alongside John and Scott Henry, bringing together short game, putting, long game, equipment and on-course coaching to help golfers understand how to actually score better.A really enjoyable, honest chat about talent, competition, setbacks, the financial reality of tour golf, coaching and finding your own route through the game.Follow Chris:Instagram: @chrismaclean95Follow Linked by Golf:Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcastFollow Louis: @connectsportpsychThis week I’m joined by sports psychologist Louis Ross to explore the mental side of golf — and how we can make sports psychology genuinely practical out on the course.Louis talks about taking sports psychology “from class to grass”, moving beyond theory and actually practising the mental skills we need when the pressure arrives.We discuss managing expectations, why trying to eliminate negative thoughts can actually make things harder, dealing with nerves and pressure, and Louis’ “register, release, refocus” approach to getting your attention back onto the shot in front of you.We also get into pre-shot routines, commitment, the mental traps of “I have to” and “I can’t”, why match play can create a completely different mindset, and why sports psychology isn’t something reserved for elite players.Plenty of practical ideas in this one that any golfer can take onto the course.🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.Instagram:Louis — @connectsportpsychLinked By Golf — @linkedbygolfpodcast

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcastThis week I’m joined by Scott Rose, a former PGA professional who, after ten years in the professional game, has recently returned to the amateur ranks.Scott’s career in golf has taken him through coaching, custom fitting and some fantastic venues, including Kingsbarns, Fairmont St Andrews and Wells Green. We go right back to how the game first grabbed him while growing up in the Middle East, before following his journey through the PGA and into the wider golf industry.We also get into:Why Scott decided to return to amateur golf — and why he’s loving itGrowing up playing golf in Dubai and QatarHis route through Elmwood College and into the PGAExperiences at Kingsbarns, Aberdour, Fairmont St Andrews and Wells GreenWhat he learned from spending time around the Butch Harmon School in DubaiCoaching, technology and how launch monitors changed the way he workedSome of the biggest misconceptions golfers have about custom fittingWhy being tall doesn’t automatically mean you need longer clubsHis time as part of Talk Golf ScotlandThe infamous attempt to make a hole-in-one in hundreds of shotsWhy drawn medals can make golf clubs better placesSome of Scott’s favourite Scottish courses — from Royal Dornoch and Kingsbarns to Panmure, Crieff and DunavertyLife as a member at LadybankStarting Into the Teeth with Callum Allison and the work that goes into producing a golf podcastWhy trying to improve remains one of the things Scott loves most about golfScott also reveals his favourite course he’s ever played, his most underrated piece of golf equipment and a special round at the Old Course with his dad that he’d love to experience all over again.🎧 Listen to Linked By Golf on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and watch on YouTube.📲 Follow @linkedbygolfpodcast📲 Follow @intotheteethpodcast

Follow the podcast: @linkedbygolfpodcastThis 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 clubsLearning to shape shots while working and playing at Shinnecock HillsBalancing life as a club professional with elite-level competitionThe nerves of his first major championship at HazeltineBecoming the only club professional to make the cut at the 2010 PGA ChampionshipFinishing as the leading club professional at Bethpage Black in 2019The shot that earned him a place in the PGA Championship—and made SportsCenterVisualising PGA Tour Champions success for 14 yearsThe emotional story behind finally winning Q-SchoolCompeting alongside players including Ernie Els, Miguel Ángel Jiménez and K. J. ChoiThe extraordinary standard of golf on the PGA Tour ChampionsBattling injury, losing status and refusing to give upWhy failure can teach you more than successRob’s best advice: play like a kid and never forget why you love the gameA brilliant conversation about perseverance, belief and continuing to chase your ambitions—whatever stage of your career you’re at.Follow Rob: @roblabritzgolfListen and follow Linked by Golf on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

🎙️ Follow Linked by Golf on Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcastThis 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 amateursWhether 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.