Log In Register
Lost your password?
A password will be e-mailed to you.

Last month, I was fortunate enough to participate in one of the professional highlights of my career. About six months back, the head of external communications at my job happened to hear my makeshift, two-dollar podcast and (get this) she thought I was super talented. Who knew?!

Fast forward to April and I was on a plane to New Orleans to cover the Zurich Classic, the only team event on the PGA TOUR, for my job. Truth be told, it was the first business trip I’d ever taken. I have a nice work résumé, yet no company had ever thought enough of me to send me to Burger King, let alone The Big Easy to cover a golf tournament. But there I was, pulling up to the Roosevelt Hotel — an architectural masterpiece, by the way — late on a Sunday night. As glitzy as the telly was, I couldn’t let that throw me off my game. I was in the Crescent City to conduct a series of video podcasts for Zurich North America, featuring Zurich’s four golf ambassadors, the CEO, Amanda Balionis of CBS Sports, last year’s Zurich classic winners and a host of other New Orleans community staples that are affiliated with the tournament. I spent weeks writing and rewriting my questions; writing, practicing, rewriting and re-practicing my intros and outros to ensure I was as sharp, witty and entertaining I could be (I created the vast majority of the questions for each interview). I wasn’t quite Martin Payne, but I felt pretty good about my ability behind the mic nonetheless.

Calling this an incredible opportunity would be a massive understatement and I walked into this unique assignment feeling prepared. What I wasn’t quite prepared for was the actual setup for the interviews upon my arrival at the TPC Louisiana.

As I reached the recording space on the platform underneath the 9th hole hospitality tent, my eyes widened to the size of golf balls. The arrangement for the video podcast series — known as Connections from the Green — featured two branded pull-up banners, two enormous lights, professional cameras, lapel mics and a small round table with a black tablecloth over it. This was much more of a production than to which I was accustom. Even with my previous podcasting experience here, The Preseason Podcast of the Year’s recording studio was never built for video (the loose translation of “recording studio” is “my basement”). Undaunted, I confidently approached the recording setup, while still recognizing the slightest bit of unease in the back of my mind.

Like a rookie QB making his first start, I had to settle in after some early jitters. But soon, things changed. The research, preparation and instinct took over and my interviews began to flow, with each one becoming easier than the last. The result:

  • 15 interviews, 14 of which were published to Zurich North America’s LinkedIn page
  • 8 action-packed days (and nights) in New Orleans
  • 4 days at a PGA TOUR event, a place I had never been before
  • 1 unforgettable experience

At this point you may be wondering: “So, how was each person you spoke to??”

I’m glad you asked…

Albane Valenzuela

A young golfer eager to make her mark on the LPGA, Albane was my second overall interview and, with Albane being one of Zurich’s four golf ambassadors, was the first of the big ones. In an attempt to lessen any anxieties I might’ve had, a co-worker mentioned that interviewing the golfers could be easier than others because, as professionals who constantly have a mic and camera stuck in their face, they might comport themselves in a manner that eased the burden on me, the interviewer.

Immediately, I noticed that Albane had the polish of someone who was in a familiar setting. Talking with her was easier than sinking a 3-foot birdie putt. Okay, that was lame, but you get the idea. She was extremely personable and helped me relax rather instantly. Her response to the question about competing in the Olympics was a highlight, and when I told her I had a daughter that was into gymnastics, she lit up with the warmest, most genuine smile, sealing my comfort. Not just for this interview but for all others still to come.

Sidebar: Click on each Connections from the Green image below to watch the interviews in their entirety.

Billy Horschel

Connecting with Billy was simple because, as a fellow father with many offspring in the same age range, I could easily tug at his heartstrings by bringing his family into the equation right out of the gate. One Taylor Swift reference and we were off and running! Talking about his bracelet was dope too because I also have a bracelet with my kids’ names on it, which I showed him after we wrapped. He then jokingly asked if I was done having kids when he saw the four names etched on my wrist, to which I responded, “We thought we were done after three!” (My two youngest are twin boys).

It didn’t hurt that he was coming off of a win literally less than 24 hours before we met. So I was likely introduced to the very best version of Billy Horschel, which I wasn’t mad about.

Collin Morikawa

My research efforts might have never paid off more handsomely than in my conversation with Collin. The way he straightened up and excitedly broke into applause after I nailed his intro was beyond the best reaction I could’ve hoped for. And it set us on the right course for the rest of our time together.

Collin was engaging, playful and a total pro. He even referred to me by name, which was a big bonus. The way he turns to the camera to essentially cuts a promo for TGL (The Golf League), you would’ve thought he had a previous career as a professional wrestler. I bumped into Collin and Billy later in the week and they both acknowledged me, again proving that they weren’t jerks or just a couple of apathy-filled guys fulfilling another boring media request. They came off like genuinely good dudes.

Sidebar: It’s worth noting that I may or may not have (but definitely did) receive some bad intel on one question for Collin. And he even handled that like a pro, rather than punching me in the face. The guy is truly a class act.

Sahith Theegala

From jump, Sahith felt like the homie. He was anxious to talk, to the point that I hadn’t even asked him a real question beyond, “How’s it going?”, and he was already on the move. A cool moment came when Sahith took the conversation to a more technical place and I was able to gain further insight after asking a follow-up question.

Like Taylor Swift with Billy, the Olympics with Albane and La Cañada with Collin, I tapped into a little something with Sahith when I brought up the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. This was the climax of the interview, and by the end of it, he too was referencing me by name and complementing my attire. We even had a brief exchange about the NBA playoffs afterwards. Upon telling him I was looking forward to watching the Cavs/Magic game, he mentioned Darius Garland being a great player…sadly, I knew better.

Nick Hardy & Davis Riley

The reputation of last year’s Zurich Classic champions preceded them. The 2023 victory they shared was the first PGA TOUR win for both golfers. As a result, last year they hung around for hours afterwards mixing and mingling with guests until nightfall crept in, because who wouldn’t want to soak in that moment? Davis and Nick were still popular in 2024 as well—we weren’t even sure if we would get time with them. It was a photo finish, but sure enough, they came though and delivered a solid interview, including some fun banter about wearing the trademark Zurich Classic championship belts around the house.

Amanda Balionis

Because Amanda does what I was doing that week as her full-time profession, I was extremely hopeful to talk with, and impress her. The last thing I wanted was to embarrass myself in front of the premiere narrator of the PGA TOUR today. Looking back, I’m just glad she didn’t eventually push me out of frame so she could interview herself.

This interview went very well, other than the fact that I flubbed the name of her charity, Puppies & Golf (I’m still pissed about that). Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, another prominent voice of the weekend butchered the name of her 501(c)(3) even worse than I did. Although I’m sure she noticed, Amanda was magnanimous enough not to correct me during the taping. We went on to have a very cool conversation, including a point where I stumped her a bit when asking about the misconception of pro golfers.

Another truly great professional, Amanda didn’t allow the Pittsburgh in her to interfere (much 🙂 ) with our interview. Like Nick and Davis, simply getting a chance to talk with Amanda came down to the wire. But to her credit, she came through and crushed it. Specifically, Amanda made it her business to sell the tournament—she hit all the major storylines of the weekend, while underscoring the uniqueness of the tournament itself, and she did all this without prompt.

What about the other interviews?

The rest aren’t directly tied to sports, but your welcome encouraged to watch those as well.

Then what happened?

Before I left for New Orleans one of my coworkers joked, “Are you ready to become an overnight celebrity within the company?” To say that happened would be a stretch, but I did get recognized in the cafeteria my first day back in the office. What was truly shocking though was the outpouring of positive feedback I received. The LinkedIn shoutouts from my team, family, friends and co-workers (past & present), mixed with the amount of people who reached out to me via email, text, direct messages and comments on the videos themselves was staggering. Complete strangers went out of their way to tell me how well I had done. One gentleman was the son of a sports broadcaster of 60 (SIXTY!) years, and based on his knowledge of the craft, felt it necessary to hit me up to call out a job well done. And I even received a handwritten note in the mail from Cissy LaForge of St. Michaels Special School, whom I had the great pleasure of interviewing.

A common refrain from all this was that I was “in my element” in this space…for that, I say thank you, HHSR readers and listeners. It’s only because of your loyalty that I’ve maintained the motivation to pursue this interest, and in turn, be granted an opportunity like this.

What the future holds

Who knows? A lot of things came together for this opportunity to turn into a reality. There are reasons why I may not return next year, which is why by Sunday night I was doing everything in my power to relish the moment, including heading onto the 18th green for the championship ceremony for the 2024 winners Shane Lowry and Rory McIlory (pictured above).

Sidebar: Lowry and McIlory came from behind on Sunday to win in a playoff. It was probably the most exhilarating outcome any of us could’ve imagined.

I would certainly welcome the opportunity to return though because A) I can apply leanings from this first trip to “Connections from the Green: The Sequel” B) I’ve started building relationships behind the scenes with many of the people that make this event special and C) If the format holds next year, I could get to interview Rory f’n McIlroy and Shane Lowry.

Oh, and D) This. Was. Fun. I watched a ton of golf (and received a free golf lesson), came up on a bunch of free and discounted stuff, went to a few fancy dinners and ate more seafood in a week than one man should. It also doesn’t hurt the interviews I conducted have performed extremely well on social—by just about any metric, Connections from the Green was a huge success. Other than losing my damn driver’s license in the Louis Armstrong airport, it was an A1 experience all the way.

Thanks for letting me relive it.