As the founder of GolfMatch, I have the pleasure of working each and every day in a sport that I am very passionate about. There have been days I have had to pinch myself because my dreams were literally coming true in real time. From going to Augusta for the Masters, to walking 18 holes with Andrew Svoboda and JB Holmes at Quail Hollow, to hanging out with John Senden in Vegas at the Shriners, I have had quite the memorable year.

That being said, playing 18 holes with Padraig Harrington and 3 awesome GolfMatch members was undoubtedly the coolest day of my life! First and foremost, Padraig Harrington is an absolute gentleman. He went above and beyond to help all of us with useful tips and gave us incredible insight into his mindset during Major Championship victories. I was like a kid in a candy store asking him question after question after question…and he answered every one of them with pure class.

Watching Major Championships in real time is awesome, remembering them over the years makes them legendary, but hearing about them from a first-person recap is beyond cool. It really puts things into perspective and makes you realize how privileged some people are to be living such extraordinary lives.

Fun facts about Padraig:

  • Padraig started golfing competitively at 14 by playing at a course in Ireland that was solely for police officers and their families (Padraig’s father was a police officer)
  • Padraig earned his CPA to become an Accountant before ultimately deciding to try his luck with professional golf
  • Padraig warms up with Happy Gilmore swings to practice accelerating through the ball
  • Padraig LOVES diet coke
  • Padraig putts solely based on feel and never lines his putt up with a specific target

Coolest Padraig quote:

When people at the course kept pointing and whispering while watching Padraig, I asked him, “do you ever get tired of people constantly coming up to you and constantly whispering about you when you walk by?”

Padraig said, “No, the day they stop whispering is the day I will become concerned.”

I thought that was so cool and showed that even the biggest of golf celebrities still appreciate their place in the game!

From seeing him do Happy Gilmore swings, to watching him shoot 7 under par, all the way to accepting $100 from him after the 4 of us GolfMatch members teamed up for a 2 & 1 victory….it was an experience I will never forget.

Stay tuned for the video that will be released later this week!