I am a big fan of David Feherty. He has been a favorite golf analyst of mine for a number of years, but I am also a big fan of his show on the Golf Channel, as well. His show, ‘Feherty,’ is a show that features guests not only from the world of golf, but also from the world of entertainment and politics. Two of the more recent shows I saw featured Condoleezza Rice, and Matthew McConaughey. Both shows were fantastic, and both were unique. David does a nice job of blending meaningful questions with a touch of absurdity. Of course, there is always golf involved, as well.
I recently read an article on David Feherty, detailing the struggles he battled in his personal life over 25 years ago. For those of you who may not know, David was a very successful golfer on the European Tour. His greatest professional achievement was likely being a member of the 1991 European Ryder Cup team. During those matches, David defeated Payne Stewart in the Sunday singles matches, only to see his team lose to the Americans when Bernard Langer missed a 5 foot putt to reclaim the Cup for Europe.
The article I read on David Feherty pointed out that during these Ryder Cup years in his life, he would often times consume 2 bottles of whiskey on a daily basis, in addition to countless pills to control his range of emotions. He was a depressed individual, who found his solace on the golf course. He credits Tom Watson for spending 3 days with him towards the tail end of these struggles, and he eventually was able to clean his life up.
Today, David admits to still fighting depression. He cries often, and he constantly battles the alcoholism that controlled his life so long ago. When you watch his show, however, you see a man who is not only hilarious, but has a tremendous ability to relate so well with every guest he has on his show.
My favorite episode of ‘Feherty’ featured Sergio Garcia. This show ran over a year ago, and was taped in Garcia’s home country of Spain. David Feherty was able to show me a side of Sergio that I had never seen before. He was a truly genuine person who loved soccer, Seve Ballesteros, and most importantly, his family. That show turned me into a big Sergio Garcia fan.
Watching Sergio Garcia win the Master’s last month, I was reminded of this episode of ‘Feherty.’ Sergio spoke so highly of his admiration for Seve, and David Feherty did an outstanding job of drawing this emotion out of Sergio. It was truly fitting that Sergio won the Master’s on what would have been Seve’s 60th birthday.
If you’ve never seen an episode of ‘Feherty,’ do yourself a favor and watch it. David wasn’t trained as a professional in the media, but his past struggles bring a genuine quality to his work that I appreciate, and I’m sure you will to.