Talking Ryder Cups Past & Present Plus Jr. Solheim Cup with Scott Verplank, Damon Hack, and Avery Zweig, Plus the Golf Adventures of Wayne Talsky...
In this episode, my guests are Champions Tour Pro Scott Verplank, the Golf Channel's Damon Hack, Top Junior Player Avery Zweig, and an amateur golfer that I truly envy Wayne Talsky.
Scott Verplank starts off sharing memories from his amazing college golf career at Oklahoma State. We hear why a Texas boy crossed rival state lines to play at OSU. We also hear about the National Championship they won in 1983, how he won the individual title in 1986, and how he doubled down and won the US Amateur that year as well. He also takes us inside what it was like being a part of the winning 1985 US Walker Cup team, being a part of two US Ryder Cup teams, and winning the 1985 Western Open on the PGA Tour as an Amateur.
Damon Hack joins me fresh off covering the Ryder Cup. He talks about what it was like being on the grounds of Whistling Straits and immersed in that fandom. He also shares his insights on how Captain Stricker molded this group into a team, whether Patrick Reed will ever be a part of a US team again, and overreaction Monday to the European team's loss.
Avery Zweig is one of the top US junior players in the country. She's currently 4th in the AJGA Girl's rankings and #1 for the class of 2025. At 14 she's won just about every junior title out there including the Annika Invitational earlier this year. She was a member of the US Jr. Solheim Cup team and qualified as the 1st alternate for this year's Women's US Open. We hear all those stories and more.
Wayne Talsky is a long-time listener and supporter of the show. He's also a wonderful amateur player. He shares his experience going through trying to qualify for the US Senior Open earlier this year at The Bear's Club. He's taken his Next on the Tee hat on a fantastic golf adventure this summer to New York and he played some of the courses many of us have on our bucket list including National Golf Links, Hudson National, and the Golf Club at Southhampton. We hear about that trip plus his time at Augusta National.