Opinion & Analysis

Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella, living the dream

Published

9 years ago

Jan 16, 2015

Matt Ginella hears that he has the greatest job in the world on a daily basis. And each and every time he hears it, the Golf Channel travel guru and Morning Drive regular wholeheartedly agrees.

In 2013, after stints with Golf Digest and Golf World, Ginella jumped at the opportunity to join the Golf Channel and make a long sought after transition from print to broadcast. In his career, Ginella has covered in excess of 30 major championships and every Ryder Cup for nearly 20 years. A road warrior in every sense, he has traveled to seemingly every corner of the golf globe in search of the best courses, resorts, buddy trip hot spots and hidden gems.

Ginella with Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw at Top of Rock, swapping stories.

And even though he admits it can be tiring at times – being stuck in the middle seat on long flights and occasionally running out of underwear – Ginella’s passion for golf shines through each time he films a new segment. As he says, “I have never ‘worked’ a day in my life.”

Enjoy my Q&A with Matt Ginella.

JL: Talk about the transition you’ve made to Golf Channel and the changes in your life over the past couple years.

MG: Although I was aware I would be making significant changes in my life, nothing could’ve prepared me for the sudden extraction from the Northeast. Specifically, New York City and Brooklyn, where I lived for 19 years. To remove myself from my circle of friends, a career in print and all of the stimulations, opportunity and culture of the greatest city in the world, was overwhelming. And at times, daunting. In addition, getting settled in a new city, learning a new medium, working for a new company, and to cultivate a new social circle, posed a wide variety of personal and professional challenges. All that being said, now two years into this, I would do it all over again. It was a massive opportunity, at the right time in my life, and a dream I have been chasing since high school. A career in broadcast journalism. And when people say – to my face or through various forms of social media – that I have the greatest job in the world, I can do nothing but agree, and assure them, I do not take it for granted. I have never “worked” a day in my life. And the streak continues.

JL: For just about any golf enthusiast, it seems as though you have the best job in the world hands down. Talk about the reality – the good, bad and ugly.

MG: Only because you ask, because it’s certainly nothing I would ever volunteer, but travel, as we all know, is NOT easy. That’s really the gist of the “bad” and the “ugly.” And although I have status on four major airlines and do get the occasional upgrade, I find myself middle-seat coach on occasion. Last year, in a six-month stretch, I was home for two weekends. There was a lot of laundry on the road (occasionally buying emergency underwear), and more than once, I came back to my apartment, only to unpack, pack, and then go back to the airport that day to catch another plane.

Ginella playing the No. 9 at Turnberry.

All that being said, I wouldn’t change a thing. And not for nothing, but it helps to be without a family of my own. I get to see and play the greatest golf courses in the world. Stay at the elite resorts. Meet and speak to interesting people who are passionate about where they live, stay and play. And at the Golf Channel, much like at Golf Digest, I get to work with a group of people who are also equally passionate about the game I love. Golf, for me, is not necessarily my religion, but it is a big part of my spirituality. That’s a lot of “good.”

JL: Talk about your experiences with Arnold Palmer.

MG: I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a lot of experiences with The King. And make no mistake about it, Arnold Palmer is The King. When I was seven and my dad took me to an event in Napa, Palmer was my first memorable autograph. I love the fact that he signs autographs for an hour every day. I’ve only seen him be gracious, engaging, charming and giving. He has been, and continues to be, an invaluable ambassador to golf. All of it. There were good ones before him, but none will be bigger. And even to those who say Tiger Woods, we never have Woods without Palmer and the table he set for all who follow. So you can imagine what it feels like to work at a network he started, in a studio named for him, and to have him occasionally walk on set and stop by the show. After one of his most recent visits, I couldn’t help but take a group shot to which he agreed, and as he was taking his spot amongst the cast, he said: “What do they call this, a self?”

JL: OK, you’ve got a $100 left in your pocket and time to get in one round anywhere in the world. Where are you plunking down your money?

MG: If I were still a resident of New York, I would play Bethpage Black. Even on the weekends, it’s $75. Which gives me $25 for the 19^th hole. Ever since the U.S. Open in 2002, Black has become the face of a municipal course being good enough – great enough – to host and challenge the best players in the world. And the people who play Black are real golfers, working real jobs, and appreciate all the course has to offer not just them, but the community. And it’s by far the best public option anywhere near the greatest city in the world, and it holds its own against the other iconic private golf courses within 100 square miles.

JL: With all the travel you do, things are bound to go awry sometimes. Share a couple of “travel gone bad” stories with us.

MG: I’ve mentioned middle seats, which is the worst. Why have middle seats? Can’t there only be aisle and window seats? And I’ve had more than my share of delays, cancellations, staying at airport hotels, been rerouted to nearby cities, and I’ve had lost luggage. I’ve only lost one set of clubs. Gone, but not forgotten, I still think I might get a call one day.

Ginella playing Bandon Dunes with some buddies.

My first trip to Bandon Dunes was going to be 2003, meeting up with a few best friends to play the first two courses at the resort. We were backing up from the gate when the Northeast was hit with a rolling brownout. And although I never made it to Bandon that year, I’ve made up for it ever since.

JL: What do you like the most about your job?

MG: The travel. Regardless of how hard it is, the airplane and the ability to fly around the world is still the greatest gift of modern inventions (with the Internet coming in at a close second).

Ginella and some of his buddies at at Macrihanish Dunes.

To be seeing the world on the company dime is the ultimate history lesson, exposure to cultures, connection to family and friends anyone could hope for. And again, it helps that I don’t have a family of my own.

JL: There has been chatter about India as an upcoming hotbed for golf as the country’s interest in the game grows. Have you been or do you have any plans to check out the golf scene there?

MG: I haven’t been. I’ve probably heard some of the same things you have heard. And I hope to get there soon, but I also hope to get to China, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Dominican Republic and now Cuba.

JL: Who is filling out your dream foursome and where are you playing?

MG: I have a lot of dream foursomes. They are made up of a few combinations of friends and family. And another one of the benefits of what I do is that I get to fulfill those dreams on a regular basis. In some cases, more than once a year. Which is amazing. But if it were a dream foursome of fantasy proportions, I would want to be the fourth in a group of Hogan, Nicklaus and Woods, all in their prime. If, for no other reason, to get the answer to the burning question: Who IS the greatest of all time? And by the way, as the fourth, I would pick up on every tee. I wouldn’t want to muck up the moment with my mediocrity. And I think Nicklaus wins. He is The Ultimate Champion, never chasing anyone but himself. And yes, 18 majors is amazing, but there’s no greater stat in golf than 37 top-two finishes in majors.

JL: Can’t let you get away without a golf travel question. Give us a couple great buddy golf getaway spots in the U.S. during the winter.

MG: I keep saying this, but the world of golf in America is a buyer’s market. And will continue to be for the foreseeable future. From San Diego, Austin, Arizona, Texas and various spots in Florida, there are plenty of winter getaways that I recommend. Add Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Mexico to the list. Right now, Streamsong is getting a lot of the winter travel buzz. And deservedly so. They continue to work through a few growing pains, price points, packages that make sense and the point in which they add courses to their portfolio, but from what I’m told, it will be soon. And one thing is for sure, Streamsong is good and will only continue to get better.

No. 16 at Cabot Cliffs, which opens in July.

If you’re on a tighter budget, then try World Woods, which is north of Tampa, Barton Creek in Austin, Talking Stick in Scottsdale (add We-Ko-Pa to the itinerary), and the southern portion of the RTJ Trail. If you have an unlimited budget and don’t care about shooting 10 shots more than your average score, then you’ll love what Trump has done to Doral. Gil Hanse and partner Jim Wagner have redone the Blue, Gold and Red courses. And that puts you in Miami, which is always a good time.

JL: Thanks Matt.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again

Published

4 days ago

Apr 30, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.

Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.

Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”

Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.

“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.

Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.

“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”

“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”

As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.

In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.

“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”

Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.

Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:

Fairways Hit

1.) Louis Oosthuizen

2.) Anirban Lahiri

3.) Jon Rahm

4.) Brendan Steele

5.) Cameron Tringale

Greens in Regulation

1.) Brooks Koepka

2.) Brendan Steele

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Cameron Tringale

5.) Anirban Lahiri

Birdies Made

1.) Brendan Steele

2.) Dean Burmester

3.) Thomas Pieters

4.) Patrick Reed

5.) Carlos Ortiz

LIV Golf Individual Standings:

1.) Joaquin Niemann

2.) Jon Rahm

3.) Dean Burmester

4.) Louis Oosthuizen

5.) Abraham Ancer

LIV Golf Team Standings:

1.) Crushers

2.) Legion XIII

3.) Torque

4.) Stinger GC

5.) Ripper GC

LIV Golf Singapore Picks

Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)

Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.

This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.

Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)

Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.

This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.

It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.

Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)

Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.

Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.

Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.

Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)

Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.

Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.

If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.

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Opinion & Analysis

Ryan: Lessons from the worst golf instructor in America

Published

4 days ago

Apr 30, 2024

Brendan Ryan

In Tampa, there is a golf course that boasts carts that do not work, a water range, and a group of players none of which have any chance to break 80. The course is overseen by a staff of crusty men who have succeeded at nothing in life but ending up at the worst-run course in America. However, this place is no failure. With several other local courses going out of business — and boasting outstanding greens — the place is booked full.

While I came for the great greens, I stayed to watch our resident instructor; a poor-tempered, method teacher who caters to the hopeless. At first, it was simply hilarious. However, after months of listening and watching, something clicked. I realized I had a front-row seat to the worst golf instructor in America.

Here are some of my key takeaways.

Method Teacher

It is widely accepted that there are three types of golf instructors: system teachers, non-system teachers, and method teachers. Method teachers prescribe the same antidote for each student based on a preamble which teachers can learn in a couple day certification.

Method teaching allows anyone to be certified. This process caters to the lowest caliber instructor, creating the illusion of competency. This empowers these underqualified instructors with the moniker of “certified” to prey on the innocent and uninformed.

The Cult of Stack and Jilt

The Stack and Tilt website proudly boasts, “A golfer swings his hands inward in the backswing as opposed to straight back to 1) create power, similar to a field goal kicker moving his leg in an arc and 2) to promote a swing that is in-to-out, which produces a draw (and eliminates a slice).”

Now, let me tell you something, there is this law of the universe which says “energy can either be created or destroyed,” so either these guys are defying physics or they have no idea what they are taking about. Further, the idea that the first move of the backswing determines impact is conjecture with a splash of utter fantasy.

These are the pontifications of a method — a set of prescriptions applied to everyone with the hope of some success through the placebo effect. It is one thing for a naive student to believe, for a golf instructor to drink and then dispel this Kool-Aid is malpractice.

Fooled by Randomness

In flipping a coin, or even a March Madness bet, there is a 50-50 chance of success. In golf, especially for new players, results are asymmetric. Simply put: Anything can happen. The problem is that when bad instructors work with high handicappers, each and every shot gets its own diagnosis and prescription. Soon the student is overwhelmed.

Now here’s the sinister thing: The overwhelming information is by design. In this case, the coach is not trying to make you better, they are trying to make you reliant on them for information. A quasi Stockholm syndrome of codependency.

Practice

One of the most important scientists of the 20th century was Ivan Pavlov. As you might recall, he found that animals, including humans, could be conditioned into biological responses. In golf, the idea of practice has made millions of hackers salivate that they are one lesson or practice session from “the secret.”

Sunk Cost

The idea for the worst golf instructor is to create control and dependency so that clients ignore the sunk cost of not getting better. Instead, they are held hostage by the idea that they are one lesson or tip away from unlocking their potential.

Cliches

Cliches have the effect of terminating thoughts. However, they are the weapon of choice for this instructor. Add some hyperbole and students actually get no information. As a result, these players couldn’t play golf. When they did, they had no real scheme. With no idea what they are doing, they would descend into a spiral of no idea what to do, bad results, lower confidence, and running back to the lesson tee from more cliches.

The fact is that poor instruction is about conditioning players to become reliant members of your cult. To take away autonomy. To use practice as a form of control. To sell more golf lessons not by making people better but through the guise that without the teacher, the student can never reach their full potential. All under the umbrella of being “certified” (in a 2-day course!) and a melee of cliches.

This of course is not just happening at my muni but is a systemic problem around the country and around the world, the consequences of which are giving people a great reason to stop playing golf. But hey, at least it’s selling a lot of golf balls…

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans betting preview

Published

2 weeks ago

Apr 22, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.

TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.

Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.

However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.

Past Winners at TPC Louisiana

2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)

2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks

Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)

Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.

This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.

McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.

Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)

Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.

Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.

Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)

Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.

NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.

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