Fairways and Feelings

Three DP World Tour wins. A Ryder Cup appearance. Years competing against the best players in the world.And then, almost everything that had made Chris Wood such a good golfer started to feel impossible.The confidence he'd always had disappeared. Anxiety took over, and for four years he found himself fighting a battle he didn't really understand.Until one day, thousands of miles from home, he picked up the phone to his parents and told them he couldn't do it anymore.Chris sat down with me to talk about what happened, how it affected his life away from golf, and the people and conversations that helped him find a way forward.We also talk about being a dad, learning to open up, and why getting back to winning tournaments is only part of what matters to him now.There's a lot more to Chris's story than most people will have seen.Watch more stories like Chris's on ⁠⁠Healthy Minds GC.⁠⁠📲 Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris3wood/📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

Olivia Mehaffey has been chasing golf for most of her life.She represented Ireland at 12, moved to America to play college golf at Arizona State, won three times in one semester, and looked ready to take the next step into professional golf.Then her dad was diagnosed with cancer.Before he died, he made her promise she would go to Q School.He passed away on the Friday. His funeral was on the Sunday. Olivia flew to Q School on the Monday.And then she kept going.Golf. Gym. Practice. Flights. Tournaments. Anything that kept her busy enough not to really stop and process what had happened.At the time, Olivia thought that was how she was coping.Looking back, she now sees it very differently.We talk about:⛳ Growing up obsessed with golf and representing Ireland at 12.🇺🇸 Moving to Arizona State and learning to stand on her own two feet.❤️ Her relationship with her dad and the promise that took her to Q School.🧠 Burying herself in golf rather than dealing with what had happened.💬 Why keeping everything in became one of her biggest regrets.🏌️ Learning that if Olivia the person wasn’t okay, Olivia the golfer probably wasn’t going to be either.We also talk about anxiety, social media, identity, sports psychology, taking time away from the game, and trying to build a healthier relationship with golf.It’s a very open conversation about what happens when “just keep going” stops being useful.Watch more stories like Olivia's on ⁠Healthy Minds GC.⁠📲 Follow Olivia on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/oliviamehaffey/📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

Josh is a golfer from Norfolk and the world record holder for the most golf courses played in a twelve month month period, at 652 rounds.But Josh’s story is about much more than the number.After losing his mum to cancer, Josh started looking at life differently. She died at 61. She never got to retire. And the idea of waiting for “one day” suddenly felt a lot less convincing.So he took the unsafe option.He stepped away from a stable business, bought a motorhome, and spent a year travelling around the country trying to break the world record for the most golf courses played in twelve months.In this episode, Josh opens up about:⛳ How golf became an obsession.❤️ Losing his mum, and how it changed the way he thought about time.🚐 Choosing the unknown path over the safe one.🧠 The mental grind behind playing golf every day for a year.🤝 The strangers who invited him in, fed him, helped him, and shared their own stories.🏌️ What 652 courses taught him about grief, people, and backing yourself.This is a conversation about loss, golf, community, risk, resilience, and what happens when a mad idea becomes exactly the thing you needed.Watch more stories like Josh’s on Healthy Minds GC.📲 Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginger.golf/📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

Michael McEwan has spent more than 20 years at the heart of golf media.As Editor at bunkered, Scotland’s biggest golf publication and one of the UK’s leading golf media brands, he has built a career writing about the game, interviewing some of its biggest names, hosting podcasts, and trying to stay sane while having opinions on golf for a living.But this conversation goes far beyond golf. Michael has been through a lot, and in this episode he speaks with real honesty about the parts of life that rarely make it into a media bio.In this episode, Michael opens up about:✍️ Growing up in Orkney, falling in love with writing, and becoming the kind of child who wrote match reports for fun. ⛳ How golf first got into his life, from 20p putting green rounds to watching Tiger Woods at the Masters with his dad.🗞️ The early days at bunkered, why he only planned to stay for two years, and what has kept him there more than two decades later.📱 The strange reality of being visible online, dealing with criticism, and the Rory McIlroy line that changed how he thinks about faceless comments.🕯️ The experience of miscarriage, the fear that followed, and the part of grief he only fully understood years later.🧠 How the experience changed his sleep, his mental health, and the way he now thinks about labels, honesty and asking for help.This is a conversation about writing, golf, fatherhood, grief, hope, and the comfort of hearing someone say the thing you thought you were carrying on your own.Give it a listen, share it with someone who might see themselves in it, and subscribe for more conversations like this.For more stories like Michael’s, head to Healthy Minds GC.📲 Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmcewangolf/📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

Sophia Popov has one of the most remarkable stories in modern golf.In 2020, she won the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon as World Number 304. From the outside, it looked like one of golf’s great surprise wins. But as Sophia explains in this episode, the story behind it goes much deeper.In this episode, Sophia opens up about:🏆 The long road behind her major win.🏥 The health issues that shaped her early years on tour.⛳ The brutal margins of life as a professional golfer.🧠 The mental toll of chasing a career in golf.👥 The people who helped her keep going.👶 How motherhood changed her perspective.This is a conversation about ambition, pressure, identity, support, motherhood, and the years behind one brilliant week.Give it a listen, share it with someone who might see themselves in it, and subscribe for more conversations like this.For more stories like Sophia’s, head to Healthy Minds GC.📲 Follow Sophia on Instagram📲 Follow VOXA on Instagram📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram

Suzann Pettersen has experienced the absolute pinnacle of professional golf. As a two-time Major Champion, 15-time LPGA Tour winner, nine-time Solheim Cup competitor, and European team captain , she is now shaking up the sports management world with her player agency, VOXA.In this episode, Suzann opens up about:🤫 The cultural pushback she faced in Norway and how it forced her to change how she handled her childhood ambitions.🏥 The back injury that left her crawling into a doctor's office, and the specific moment of doubt that fueled her comeback.🧊 The "calculated selfishness" required to be an elite athlete, and the hidden toll it takes on personal relationships.🛑 The sudden identity crisis and mental hurdle of being abruptly grounded from her 24/7 tour schedule.⛳ The fairytale 2019 Solheim Cup, and the exact, unspoken moment on the 18th green when she knew her career was over.🧠 The moment her ego vanished, and why she admits being a mum is harder than playing professional golf.Give it a listen, share it with someone who might see themselves in it, and subscribe for more conversations like this.For more stories like Suzann’s, head to Healthy Minds GC.📲 Follow Suzann on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzannpettersen/📲 Follow VOXA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/team_voxa/📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

Paul Cormack has experienced life on both sides of the bag. After a decade grinding as a mini-tour pro , he is now an elite LPGA Tour caddie. He currently carries the bag for Lydia Ko , has previously worked with players like Anna Nordqvist , and was named LPGA Tour Caddie of the Year for 2025.In this episode, Paul opens up about:⛳ The specific, humbling moment during a US Open qualifier that made him realise his 10-year pro playing career was officially over.🏌️‍♀️ Why standing on the first tee alongside the world's best players still terrifies him to this day.🧠 The surprisingly mundane tactic he relies on to pull elite athletes out of mental spirals on the course.🛑 The biggest misconception fans have about the "24/7 grind" of professional golfers.🥪 How he unplugs from the high-stakes pressure of the LPGA tour when he's finally off the clock.🗣️ His definition of success for when he eventually walks away from the game.Give it a listen, share it with someone who might see themselves in it, and subscribe for more conversations like this.For more stories like Paul’s, head to Healthy Minds GC.📲 Follow Paul on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulhcormack25/📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

Join me as I sit down with Rachel Drummond.She’s been just about everywhere in golf, wearing a lot of hats along the way. Former Ladies European Tour pro, coach, broadcaster, and now travelling the world with LIV Golf as their on-the-ground voice.You might know Rachel as sympathetic, articulate, and always smiling. What you hear less often is what life has looked like away from the microphone. That is where this conversation goes.We talk about the rollercoaster she’s lived through so far. Grief and losing both of her parents. Identity. And the stuff you carry quietly while life keeps moving.Rachel also speaks openly about being sexually abused as a child, about keeping that to herself for years, and the moment she decided to talk about it publicly.In this episode, Rachel opens up about:🎙️ Her journey through pro golf, coaching, media, and life on the road with LIV Golf🧠 Survival mode, emotional shutdown, and what it felt like when the tears finally came back🌧️ Grief, losing both parents, and learning how to live alongside it🧩 Identity, pressure, and the version of yourself people assume they know💬 Speaking publicly about sexual abuse, and what changed once she said it out loud📏 What success looks like now, and why happiness has become the main metricGive it a listen, share it with someone who might see themselves in it, and subscribe for more conversations like this.For more stories like Rachel’s, head to Healthy Minds GC.📲 Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racheldrummond/📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

Join me as I sit down with Sarah Stirk. One of the most recognisable voices in golf broadcasting, and someone whose career has quietly spanned some of the biggest moments in the sport.You might know Sarah from the microphone. Calm, composed, always in control. What you do not often hear is what life has looked like off camera, especially over the past few years. That is where this conversation goes.We talk about work, motherhood, IVF, pressure, ambition, and what it actually takes to keep showing up when life feels heavy and brilliant all at once.------In this episode, Sarah opens up about:🎙️ Life in broadcasting and what people rarely see behind the polished exterior🧠 How her mental health shifts day to day, and why sleep and self-care matter more than people admit🌱 IVF, the emotional toll of waiting, and feeling like a number in the process👶 Becoming a mum, the joy, the exhaustion, and how it reshaped her priorities⚖️ Learning how to hold ambition and contentment at the same time🧩 What success looks like now, and why she feels more settled than ever------Give it a listen, send it to someone who might see themselves in it, and subscribe for more conversations like this.------📲 Follow Sarah on Instagram: LINK📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: LINK------Check out more stories from the golf world at https://www.healthyminds.golf/

Join me as I sit down with Jean van de Velde. A former Ryder Cup player, European Tour winner, and a man whose name is still whispered whenever someone finds water on 18.You probably know the story. Carnoustie, 1999. One of the most talked-about final holes in golf history. But what came after that? And who is Jean actually, when you look under the surface? That’s what I wanted to explore.In this conversation, Jean opens up about:🧠 The mental aftermath of that Open Championship and how he coped away from the cameras🥀 Why resilience isn’t about strength, it’s about choosing grace, even when everything’s falling apart🇫🇷 What it was like growing up in France when golf barely existed and nobody believed he’d make it⛳ His proudest wins, his hardest losses, and the putter-only walk back down 18🌱 How he’s found perspective, purpose, and peace, both on and off the courseGive it a listen, send it to someone who’d get something out of it, and don’t forget to subscribe.📲 Follow Jean on Instagram: @jeanvandeveldeofficial📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: @florio_golf