Chasing Pars Golf Podcast

(Ep 131) The Masters Preview

It's that time of year again it's the Azaleas, it's Pimento Cheese Sandwiches, it's AUGUSTA NATIONAL. Craig is rejoined by Craig Edwards to preview everything about this year's Masters tournament. Can anyone stop the relentless World number 1 Scottie Scheffler? We give you our picks and views on what is going to be an unpredictable Masters! 
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(Ep 130) James Nicholas

In this episode Craig is joined by new DP World Tour card holder for 2024 James Nicholas who phones in from New York after his first 5 events in Qatar/Kenya/South Africa & India after gaining DP World Tour card by a shot at Final Stage of DP World Tour Q School at Infinitum!
A student at Yale University, James turned professional at beginning of 2020 and made starts on the Korn Ferry Tour finishing with a best T13th at Lincoln Land Championship where he would also get a couple of invites on the PGA Tour at Rocket Mortgage Classic & Bermuda Championship. At Yale James openly admits that he was a late bloomer to Golf having been massively into Ice Hockey & Lacrosse but made the switch to Golf after falling out of love with American Football. 
In 2023 with no full time status on any tour James would Monday qualify into a couple of Korn Ferry Tour events at Magnit Championship & Albertsons Boise Open finishing T16th & T35th respectively. James would go to Q School for DP World Tour starting in Biarritz in France for First Stage, Isla Canela in Huelva, Spain for Second Stage before finishing T22nd at Final Stage at Infinitum Golf finishing -14 in total for 6 Rounds gaining a full DP World Tour card by a shot! 
A friendly & out going guy with a good swing and a good mentality to go far. Was great to chat with James. I hope he has a successful career.
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(Ep 129) Mateusz Gradecki

In what is my 35th Professional player interview episode of the podcast I was joined by 2022 Limpopo Championship winner, 3x Pro Golf Tour Champion & Polish Number 2 Mateusz Gradecki who joins from back home in Poland after a few days of working on the Golf game with his coach in Spain. We discuss the tough start to Challenge Tour season with his last event being a season best T42nd in South Africa. We discuss growing up in South Western Poland, Adrian Meronk, going to East Tennessee State University from 2013-17, being a role model to future Polish players & look into some of the most notable career results including in April 2022 winning the co-sanctioned Challenge Tour/Sunshine Tour event at Limpopo by 3 shots.
Mateusz was born in Trzebnica 12 miles outside of the main city of Wroclaw & grew up in Oberbiki Śląskie in Southwest Poland near the Czech border & grew up playing Football before choosing Golf where Poland has limited resources in comparison to other Golfing Nations. Mateusz won a minimum of 7 times at Amateur level including 5x Polish Amateur Champion (2011,2012,2013,2015 & 2016), 2014 Faldo Series Poland & 2017 MVK Turkish International Amateur Open as well as representing Poland in 3 Eisenhower Trophy's in Turkey/Japan & Mexico alongside Adrian Meronk & Jan Szmidt with the latter being a success with the Polish side finishing T8th & Meronk finishing 3rd individually a massive feat for the country. Mateusz is a 3x Pro Golf Tour title winner with wins at 2018 New Golf Club Matchplay, 2019 Open Prestigia & 2021 Red Sea Egyptian Classic.
2022 would be Gradecki's best year on the Challenge with the win in South Africa in April, 2nd at Big Green Egg German Challenge losing in a playoff to Alejandro Del Rey, T7th at British Challenge & T18th at the season ending Grand Final at Alcanada where putts from John Parry & a late 20 foot putt from Deon Germishuys at 18 would leave Mateusz 1 place short of reaching the DP World Tour in 21st a feeling that still hurts him to date. 
With the Polish Challenge returning for the first time in years to Challenge Tour later this year at Rosa Golf Club a club he knows well it would be no surprise to see this proud Pole in contention at his home national Open.
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(Ep 128) Ashleigh Buhai

In this latest episode of Chasing Pars Golf Podcast I had the pleasure of the 2022 AIG Women's Open Champion Ashleigh Buhai joining me to chat about how her game is trending, skipping the Asian swing preparing for return to America as well as learning about her journey into the game where she would win South African Women's Open for the first time at just 14 years of age as an Amateur then again at 16 years old. We learn about the highs & lows of life on tour as a Professional Golfer. We go over in detail the weekend in August 2022 where in a dramatic 4 hole play off with 3x Major Champion In Gee Chun Ashleigh would prevail to become a Major Champion Golfer on her 221st LPGA start joining the elite list of players to win a Major. 
Ashleigh would turn professional on her 18th Birthday and just 3 starts in she would win 2007 Catalonia Ladies Open on the LET. Ashleigh has won including the Major Championship a total of 22 times in a 16 year professional career (2x LPGA, 5x LET, 2x Australasian, 12x Sunshine Tour) including 4 times in the last 2 years with back to back Australian Open wins (2022 & 2023) & would win her maiden event in America in 2023 at LPGA Shoprite Classic.
This is an episode that every sport lover should enjoy in the case of a player with gritty determination achieving a life long goal of winning a big major. Terrific cha with Ashleigh I thoroughly enjoyed it!
 
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(Ep 127) Alison Lee

In this latest player episode special in association with Golf Tips Checker I was joined by LPGA Tour star, 2x Ladies European Tour winner & current World Number 18 Alison Lee who calls in from Las Vegas in the midst of the SuperBowl madness just passed! We find out at first about an injury setback where a bite from her partner's Pomeranian rescue dog would cause Alison to be hospitalised with an infection which would require surgery which is an unfortunate circumstance considering she was the most in form player in Women's Golf at the back end of 2023. Alison discusses having to withdraw from this week's Aramco Series event in Riyadh & also the LPGA Thailand event next week on LPGA Tour! 
Alison was born & raised in Los Angeles, California to Korean parents and proudly speaks Korean! She discovered the game at age of 6 through her dad and has never looked back since with making US Women's Open in 2009 at age of 14 to becoming the Number 1 Women's Amateur player in the World for 16 weeks in 2013-14 winning Amateur & Junior events at ease on a constant basis Alison would turn pro and enter LPGA Tour School in 2014 where she would win it & gain her LPGA Tour card for 2015 season. In her Rookie year Alison would start off strong & feature at 2015 Solheim Cup in Germany before in her own words failing to make a cut on Tour for ages. In the midst of the bad slump Alison would even consider giving up Golf as her confidence was shot to pieces but finding her now coach Chris Mayson would fine something in her game & would win 2 Aramco Series events on LET in Sotogrande in 2021 beating Ashleigh Buhai by 5 shots, then in 2023 she was set the 54 hole scoring record in Riyadh to finish a remarkable -29 winning by a whopping 8 shots. 
Although not been able as of yet to get over the line on the LPGA Alison would go on a run of 2,1,2,2 at the end of 2023 with Solheim Cup & Olympics this year it will be a big year for Alison's goals & expectations!
From the brink of giving it all up to becoming one of the best players in the world please enjoy this remarkable story of Alison Lee!
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(Ep 126) Genesis Invitational

It was a thrilling Phoenix Open finish where the classy Canadian Nick Taylor birdied 5 of the last 6 holes to beat the wirey old veteran Charley Hoffman who played exceptionally for the last 36 holes out of nowhere but it was Taylor that made a clutch birdie on the 2nd play off hole to beat Hoffman to win his 4th PGA Tour title now & his 3rd in the last 4 years since Pebble Beach. On the DP World Tour it was a maiden victory for the talented Japanese player Rikuya Hoshino who became the 4th Japanese player to win on the the European Tour winning at the ever tricky Doha Golf Club for the Qatar Masters a fitting testiment to how good a spot Japanese Golf is in right now! 
This week on the PGA Tour we move to a staple on the tour at the classic Riviera CC in LA for the Genesis Invitational an event that's had many a dramatic finish from Max Homa's home win to Adam Scott's 2nd win here to name a couple. In this Signature event with the return of Tiger Woods making the headlines it should be an interesting event where myself & Craig Edwards go through who we fancy with a consensus pick with a current major winner to enjoy! 
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(Ep 125) Richard Kaufman (Sky Sports Golf)

The Ladies European Tour returns this week in Kenya at Vipingo Ridge & who better to have on than the lead commentator of LET & media veteran Richard Kaufman.
In this episode we found out about Richard's upbringing, taking on the job as a Runner that got his foot in the door of Media. Richard has worked for Sports Radio shows, Ceefax before getting the chance to be the voice of the Ladies European Tour coverage for Sky Sports Golf. Richard in his time at Sky Sports has commentated at times on DP World Tour events and was at first doing Asian Tour coverage. With Richard at both Ryder Cup & Solheim Cup last year we talk about the 2 biggest biennial events in depth! We talk about what players to look forward to this year on LET while pointing out what rookies could go well this year in an open year in terms of quality! 
This was recorded a couple of weeks before Richard's beloved Fulham played the 2nd leg of Carabao Cup semi final Vs Liverpool with dreams of Wembley! Be sure to listen out for Richard & co-commenator Sophie Walker on your Sky Sports channels as they bring you the very best from this year's Ladies European Tour season.
Thanks to Richard for coming on.
 
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(Ep 124) Ellinor Südow

With the Ladies European Tour starting next week at Vipingo Ridge in Kenya I was joined by new LET card holder & Epson Tour card holder Ellinor Südow. In this episode we get to learn more about Ellinor's rise which is impressive seeing as she only took up Golf 13 years ago after 12 having been a successful athlete with Badminton & Gymnastics (Ellinor was Top 5 in the country at Badminton) we learn how at first she hated it as it was boring but over time more work at it she would enjoy it more & would join Vasatorp Golf Club just outside of Helsingborg! 
Having played all sports throughout her life growing up she had a healthy competition with her brother who is 8 years older than Ellie. Ellie would get to the States for a Scholarship at University of North Carolina at Charlotte which was the seen in 2019 of a shooting massacre which to this day still haunts Ellinor but she bravely opens up about that day & the after effects of such a traumatic experience. In 2021 Ellinor would finish 2nd at Danish International Amateur & 3rd at German International Amateur before transferring to University of Arizona before turning Professional in 2022!
Ellie would finish T17th at LPGA Tour Q School to win a LPGA Tour card for 2023 which she opens up about some of her experiences on the main tour when at times on her own and struggling with being a rookie on LPGA Tour it would be fellow Swedes Maja Stark & Linnea Strom who would be there for her! Having briefly missed out on LPGA Tour Qualifying for this year the week after in Morocco at LET Tour Q School she would finish T16th to gain a full LET card for this year starting in Kenya. 
To end the show Ellinor tells us about her ambitions to be at the Olympics for Sweden & become a UNICEF Ambassador to help others with extreme poverty! One of the nicest people you will talk to very friendly & down to earth with an unbelievably good swing.
Expect big things this year from the talented Swede! All the best to Ellie for 2024!
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(Ep 123) Pebble Beach Pro-Am/Bahrain Champs

With Edwards unavailable Craig goes alone for the very first time so apologies if it's a poor quality episode. It was an interesting week with Matthieu Pavon becoming the 1st Frenchman in 117 years to win on PGA Tour with a fantastic victory at Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines winning with a ballsy 3rd shot to the Par 5 18th to defeat Nicolai Højgaard! At Ras Al Khaimah it was a super Thorbjorn Olesen performance to win by 6 shots at -27 to Rasmus Hojgaard at Al Hamra GC. That was Olesen's 8th victory on DP World Tour & 3rd since 2022 a class player that can blow people away when the putter is firing! For me the event of the year so far was LPGA Drive On Champs in Bradenton, Florida on the LPGA Tour an event that saw the re-emergence of Nelly Korda who won for a 9th time on LPGA Tour in absolutely dramatic fashion defeating Lydia Ko in a playoff while Ko was looking for LPGA Immortality! Nelly would have a 4 shot lead going into Sunday would only be 1 ahead of Megan Khang after the front 9 then a poor drive at 14 would lead to a bogey at 14, double bogey at 15 followed directly by bogeys from all 3 of Khang, Ko and Ayaka Furue would put all 3 women joint lead at -9 before Ko thinned her 2nd shot to the Par 5 17th to 3ft for a tap in eagle while Korda would further bogey to give Lydia a 3 shot lead going into her 72nd hole. The drama doesn't end there Nelly at 17 from the back of the green would make a clutch eagle to go back to within 1 of Ko with Ko parring the 18th to finish -11 Korda would need to birdie 18 to get in a playoff which she produced a worldie shot into the 72nd to within a foot to bring it to a playoff where she would win on the 2nd Playoff hole in dramatic fashion in her hometown of Bradenton!
This week we have AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour which Justin Rose won last year. This year at Pebble it is an 80 man field with no cut & a PGA Signature Event attracting the very best this week with only Pebble Beach & Spyglass Hill in play instead of the 3 course rotation of normal & the Am's are only playing Thursday & Friday leading to a good finish hopefully! It's another inaugural event on DP World Tour with Bahrain Champs taking place this week at the Colin Montgomerie designed Royal Golf Club that has hosted a few MENA Tour events from 2018-20 as well as a Champions event in the European Tour back in 2011 which was won by Paul Casey at -20. With wind forecast in Bahrain it should be a good event with hopefully the winner picked in it!
Felt it was hard to go solo so appreciate it if you try to listen in!
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(Ep 122) Shaun Norris

In this episode sponsored by Golf Tips Checker Craig was joined by the prolific winner from South Africa Shaun Norris who over a 22 year pro career has amassed a whopping 11 Professional Wins at all levels including a stunning 6 wins in Japan a country he deeply adores and looks forward to getting back there in March! We catch up with Shaun after a long break since Dunhill Champs at Leopard Creek as he explains the signs of fatigue that kicked in towards the end of the season coming from Japan & SA. We find out how Shaun's preparations are going on ahead of his return in the co-sanctioned Challenge Tour/Sunshine Tour events in South Africa to start his year off! 
Shaun turned pro in 2002 & won his first event in 2005 on Tarheel Tour then followed it with success on Sunshine Tour! A career that has spanned DP World Tour/Challenge Tour/Asian Tour/Tarheel Tour & 7 events in the inaugural LIV season it is the Japanese Tour where Shaun has had massive success winning at least 1 event from 2016-20 including a national championship & won twice in 2021 including a Flagship event on the Japanese Tour to stamp his authority as one of the best in the country. Shaun explains his love with the Japanese way of living, the culture, the food & the beauty including Mount Fuji! In 2022 at Steyn City Shaun would win on the DP World Tour for the first time beating fellow countryman Dean Burmester to win at -25 shortly after that Shaun would be approached by LIV Golf with an offer of playing the first 7 events of the inaugural season which he would accept and tells us about how the difference between LIV Golf & normal Tour Golf are. He would be in 3 teams in that time Aces with Dustin Johnson, Crushers with Bryson DeChambeau then the all SA team Stingers with Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel & Branden Grace!
An underrated winner that sometimes goes unnoticed but a fantastic player and a nice guy! Wish Shaun all the best as he hunts down more wins in Japan this year!
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