Tim calls pro golfer Troy Merritt before he headed out for last week's US Open. A native Iowan, Troy's lone tour victory was at the 2015 Quicken Loans National. In this episode, Troy talks about his unlikely rise from a walk-on collegiate golfer at Winona State to eventual champ on the PGA tour.
This week’s Moonlighter is an underdog, but the hardwood he plays on is more likely to be found on a stage than on a basketball court. Like most of our guests, he is a former athlete, but unlike many of our guests, he walked away from the game instead of the other way around. Griffin House has spent the last 20+ years with a guitar in his hands, recording, touring, and turning out songs that thousands of us love to sing along with.
Once again, Moonlight Tim returns to the course with Sam Meuret. This time they head west for the Mid-Amateur Qualifier. Like our previous episodes with Sam, this pod was recorded in two parts. Part one of the interview is Tim and Sam on the road to Shadow Ridge, and part two is the road home. The relationship between the caddie and the golfer is like the pitching coach and the ace or the quarterback and the offensive coordinator. Though Tim and Sam took a long break between podcasts and tournaments, they go together like a round of golf and an ice-cold 6-pack.
At an imposing 6’7, this week’s Moonlighter might look the part but his path to professional sports had a dog leg or two. Sean Johnson grew up an athlete playing hockey and baseball and though he made a run at a professional baseball career, it was his skills from the ice that has helped him to launch. Johnson is now making a name for himself in professional long drive golf competitions.
The Moonlight Graham Show is nothing if not loyal. And what sports relationship better represents that loyalty, through thick and thin, than a golfer and his caddy? Tim returns to the links with our favorite golfer Sam Meuret to take another swing at qualifying for the US Open.
Ray’s career has been full of All-Conference and Coach of the Year awards. As he approaches 50 years old, Ray has spent almost half of his life as a part of Stanford golf. Near and dear to the Moonlight Graham Show, Ray attributes his success to following the example of hard work set by his dad.
The movie Tin Cup is a near-perfect Moonlight story. Even non-golfers can relate to the washed-up underdog going for it one more time. Heck, we’ve all played a round of golf that left us wondering how much money we lost in balls alone until we hit that one shot that makes us think maybe we do have ‘it’ after all. This week's Moonlighter is far from washed up, but just like Tin Cup he is chasing a dream of playing the U.S. Open. With Tim Flattery alongside as his Cheech Marin, Sam Meuret returns to the Moonlight Graham Show on his path to the final qualifier for the U.S. Open.
This week’s Moonlighter won an underdog tournament to become the biggest underdog in the biggest golf tournament in the US.
This week we are sending out dreams of spring and early tee times on the weekend. Tim sits down with Nate McCoy to talk all things golf and life after you start carrying your own bag. The former Cyclone and pro golfer shares his perspective on the game, his career, and his decision to make a career in golf without the clubs in his hands.