057: Ann Liguori, Sports Journalist

Our U.S. Open series of podcasts continues this week with Angela Moser. She was the lead designer of Pinehurst No. 10, the resort's newest golf course in nearly three decades. While Tom Doak receives credit as the main designer, Moser played a daily and intricate role in building and shaping the course which opened in April to rave reviews. Moser is immensely talented as a landscape architect and golf course designer but does so in a male-dominated industry. Originally from Germany, Moser has traveled the world under Doak's guidance for more than 10 years and has more than earned the respect of her boss and her peers. Check out the latest Paradise in the Pines from the U.S. Open as Moser talks about creating Pinehurst No. 10 and how she made her way within the golf industry. ‪@pinehurstresort‬ ‪@GolfDigest‬ ‪@GolfChannel‬ ‪@visitnc‬ #visitnc #homeofamericangolf

If you watch WRAL-TV weekdays in the morning, or at noon, you've seen him. If you play golf in the Pinehurst area, you may have seen him walking our area courses (he's easy to spot as a lefty). Jeff Hogan has called the Raleigh area home for six years and while he's a trusted news source at the Big 5, he's also an avid golfer and loves to tee it up inside the Home of Amercian Golf every chance he gets, especially with our podcast host! In our final Paradise in the Pines broadcast from this year's U.S. Open site at Pinehurst No. 2, Hogan talks about covering a major golf event, the current state of his game and how he'd tame the untamable No. 2... ‪@usga‬ ‪@pinehurstresort‬ ‪@WRAL5‬ #homeofamericangolf #visitnc ‪@visitnc‬

Ryan Lavner is living his best life and dream job as a golf reporter for Golf Channel and NBC Sports. In our continuing series of Paradise in the Pines podcasts recorded on-site at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, Lavner talks about his career on the road covering the PGA Tour and other aspects of the golf industry. We also learn how he fared playing No. 2 for the first time and whom he rates as the "best dressed" talent on the Golf Channel set between Brandel Chamblee, Rich Lerner and Todd Lewis! Check out the latest episode of Paradise in the Pines! For more information on the Home of American Golf, visit www.HomeofGolf.com. ‪@pinehurstresort‬ ‪@usga‬ ‪@GolfChannel‬ ‪@NBCSports‬ ‪@visitnc‬ #visitnc #homeofamericangolf #sandhillsnc

Our special on-location U.S. Open podcast series continues this week with someone who has perhaps the most memorable tie to the championship. Mike Hicks was the long-time caddie for Payne Stewart and had a front row seat for all the drama that unfolded during the final round of the 1999 U.S. Open. In this episode of Paradise in the Pines from Pinehurst No. 2, Hicks recalls that epic final round, Payne's historic final putt and how much he misses his good friend... ‪@pinehurstresort‬ ‪@usga‬ ‪@visitnc‬ #visitnc #homeofamericangolf

Ann Ligouri is an icon in sports broadcasting. Host, executive producer, and owner of the award-winning Sports Innerview cable series, an original sports talk show host on WFAN New York and the Golf Channel, Ann covers golf from the major championships to various PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events. Ann is a recipient of the Met Golf Writers Association's Winnie Palmer Award among a long list of career accolades and accomplishments. We caught up with Ann at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 at our special championship Paradise in the Pines broadcast location. ‪@usga‬ ‪@pinehurstresort‬ ‪@visitnc‬ #usopen #pinehurst #visitncExplore the podcast

Imagine playing in your first PGA TOUR event and it just happens to be at the U.S. Open. Oh, and its also in your hometown! That's exactly what's happening to Southern Pines native Michael McGowan. The son of former PGA TOUR player Pat McGowan and grandson of the legendary Peggy Kirk Bell, McGowan grew up around Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, played collegiately at UNC and is now poised to compete with the world's best golfers on the game's grandest stage at historic Pinehurst No. 2. Will we see a storybook ending on championship Sunday? Check out the latest Paradise in the Pines as we take a moment with McGowan and his performance coach Veronica Karaman to talk about how he made the field for the 124th U.S. Open, his nine-year journey on mini tours to make his debut this week on the PGA TOUR and how he truly believes he can win the championship! ‪@usga‬ ‪@PGATOUR‬ ‪@visitnc‬ ‪@pinehurstresort‬ #homeofamericangolf For more podcasts, visit www.homeofgolf.com

If you visit or reside in the Pinehurst area, or Moore County in general, you likely have seen the work of Bob Koontz and his team from KoontzJones Design. As a landscape architect and planner, some examples of his team's work include USGA's Golf House Pinehurst, Golf Pride's Global Innovation headquarters, Pinehurst No. 10, Morganton Park (where the new Target resides), and the new Graybull Club golf course in Nebraska as part of the Dormie Network. A native of Northern Virginia, Koontz and his family moved to Southern Pines in the early 2000s, so he has seen and has been a part of the growth of Moore County the last 20 years. In this episode of Paradise in the Pines, Koontz talks about current projects, the new Autoport motorsports race course near Robbins and what he sees in the years ahead inside the Home of American Golf. For more podcasts, go to www.homeofgolf.com/podcast ‪@visitnc‬ ‪@usga‬ #landscapearchitecture

Dan Van Horn is the President and Founder of U.S. Kids Golf. What started as a father simply trying to make golf easier and more enjoyable for his kids has become the world’s leading provider of kids’ golf equipment, tournaments, and development best practices in the world. Since 2018, U.S. Kids Golf has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Businesses in golf by the National Golf Foundation. In 2022, Golf Business Magazine stated “no organization has done more to grow the game of golf than U.S. Kids Golf. It’s not even close.” The annual U.S. Kids World Championships will mark its 19th year competing inside the Home of American Golf and annually brings together some of the best junior golfers from all 50 states and more than 30 countries. The event has an estimated $16.5 million economic impact on the Pinehurst area. Check out this episode of Paradise in the Pines as Dan Van Horn talks about the growth of U.S. Kids Golf, how much Pinehurst has played a role in his success, and what the future holds for the organization.

Will commercial flight service ever return to the Moore County Airport? We may know soon according to the facility's new director, Rick Cloutier. He was named director in the fall of 2023 taking over from long-time director Ron Maness. Cloutier brings a wealth of aviation experience to his new role and steps in as the airport plans to welcome players and corporate execs from around the country and the world for the 2024 U.S. Open in June. Beyond the championship, the Moore County Airport has big plans for the future and Cloutier took time to visit the Paradise in the Pines podcast to tell everyone all about it. Listen in as Cloutier talks about the potential for the return of commercial flight service to Moore County, his aviation background, the upcoming Festival D'Avion and his love of bourbon and cigars! @visitnc #moorecountync #aviation