The Back of the Range
Weekly interviews from prominent amateurs, coaches, and personalities from the game of golf!
Displaying items 1-10 of 219 in total of The Back of the Range with the tag "usga".
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Andrew Bailey - 2026 U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion
October 11th, 2026 | 48 mins 51 secs
USGA, andrew bailey, golf podcast, holderness & bourne, masters, mid-amateur golf, the back of the range, u.s.open
Former mini-tour pro Andrew Bailey’s unlikely path to becoming U.S. Mid-Amateur champion began on Cleveland’s municipal courses. In this episode, he shares why he left professional golf, how reinstatement as an amateur changed his game, and how a chance pairing with Cleveland State coach Steve Weir helped shape his journey. Bailey reflects on the grind of the SwingThought Tour, the joy and community he found in amateur golf, and the pressure of his U.S. Mid-Amateur run. He also discusses earning exemptions to the Masters and U.S. Open, the future of the mid-amateur, and what it means to approach competition as a student of golf history.
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Mike Sposa - 2026 U.S. Senior Amateur Champion
October 2nd, 2026 | 1 hr 13 mins
USGA, amateur golf, callaway golf, mike sposa, pga tour, senior amateur golf, tennessee golf, walker cup
Mike Sposa’s U.S. Senior Amateur win is only part of the story. The real surprise is how a former pro who spent years grinding on tour found himself energized by amateur golf again, from the pressure of match play to the joy of competing without the weight of a paycheck. Ben and Mike unpack what changes—and what doesn’t—when a lifelong tournament golfer steps back into elite amateur competition. Mike shares what he’s learned about preparing faster, handling nerves differently, and using better self-talk under pressure. He also explains why the mental side matters more now than ever, and why the game can feel freer when it stops being a job.You’ll also hear about the whirlwind after Baltimore, when a championship celebration turned into a sprint to JFK and a next-morning arrival in Ireland for the Walker Cup at Lahinch. Mike revisits the 1991 Walker Cup, the star power of Phil Mickelson and David Duval, the wild atmosphere at Portmarnock, and what it means to be part of a Walker Cup society that lasts a lifetime.Ben and Mike also break down how junior golf has changed from both sides of the equation. Mike, now Senior Manager of Junior Development and Developmental Tours at Callaway, explains what he looks for in elite juniors, how technology like TrackMan and GC Quad is reshaping training, why speed has become nonnegotiable, and where today’s players still need more touch, creativity, and wind game. He also pulls back the curtain on what parents and players often misunderstand about equipment, brand relationships, and what companies actually look for beyond rankings and scorecards.Mike is the reigning U.S. Senior Amateur champion and a former PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour player who won in Boise in 1998. He now leads Callaway’s junior development efforts, working at the intersection of equipment, player growth, and elite amateur golf.
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Josh Hill - Walker Cup Legend
September 9th, 2026 | 51 mins 15 secs
USGA, amateur golf, gb&i, josh hill, lahinch, r&a, tennessee, walker cup
GB&I’s Walker Cup win at Lahinch wasn’t just a trophy—it was a masterclass in team chemistry, preparation, and handling the biggest amateur stage in golf. Josh Hill stops by The Back of the Range to relive the wild celebration and the moments that turned a week in Ireland into the best night of his life. Beneath the laughter is a deeper story: how a player who felt he underachieved at Tennessee used setbacks, injuries, and hard-earned lessons to become a key part of a championship team.
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Emily Odwin - SMU Women's Golf
February 12th, 2026 | 40 mins 29 secs
USGA, augusta national women's amateur, barbados golf, college golf, emily odwin, lpga tour, smu golf
My guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is Emily Odwin from SMU Women's Golf. Emily has quite literally been a trailblazer for her country, Barbados. She is the first person from Barbados to compete in the U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Women's Amateur, and the U.S. Open. Most recently, she received an invitation to complete in this year's Augusta National Women's Amateur. We spoke about her start in the game and why competing for SMU has meant so much to her amateur and collegiate career.
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Matt Vogt - Mid-Am Qualifies for U.S. Open
December 26th, 2025 | 1 hr 15 mins
USGA, amateur golf, ben adelberg, butler university, competitive golf journey., cranberry township, dentistry, gasparilla invitational, golf career balance, golf qualifier, jones cup, matt vogt, mental toughness, mid-amateur golf, oakmont country club, pressure in sports, reinstated amateurs, the back of the range, u.s. open 2025, wine valley golf club
The guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is Matt Vogt, a dentist and accomplished mid-amateur golfer who earned one of the most memorable stories in 2025: qualifying for and competing in the U.S. Open at Oakmont. The conversation covers Vogt’s journey from a modest upbringing in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, to his college golf days at Butler University, and his later-life resurgence into competitive amateur golf. He recounts his U.S. Open Qualifying experience, the emotional significance of his late father during that run, and the whirlwind aftermath of suddenly finding himself part of golf’s biggest stage. Vogt offers candid reflections on balancing a demanding professional career in dentistry with elite-level amateur competition, sharing how he relies on supportive colleagues and flexible scheduling to make it work. He opens up about nerves, lessons learned, and the surreal experience of teeing off at Oakmont in front of thousands—a moment where adrenaline met disbelief. The discussion also touches on broader themes in amateur golf: the evolution of college recruiting, the rising standard of competition, the mid-amateur “fraternity,” and the ongoing debate about reinstated former professionals competing in mid-am events. The conversation ends lightheartedly, with banter about future tournaments like the Gasparilla Invitational and the Jones Cup, showing Vogt’s grounded personality and enthusiasm for competing with his peers.
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Nate Gahman - Georgia's Amateur of the Year
December 5th, 2025 | 41 mins 47 secs
USGA, georgia open, georgia state golf association, golf podcast, mid-am golf, nate gahman, palmetto amateur
My guest on this episode is Nate Gahman, the 2025 Georgia Amateur Player of the Year. Not only did he qualify for his third consecutive appearance at the U.S. Amateur, he also picked up the win at the Georgia State Open and the Palmetto Amateur.
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Bryan Kim - Duke Men's Golf
November 23rd, 2025 | 23 mins 11 secs
USGA, amateur golf, bryan kim, college golf, duke university, golf podcast, junior golf, walker cup
My guest on this episode is Bryan Kim from the Duke University Men's Golf team. With two wins early in the fall, he's put himself in contention for the Haskins Award and will look to lead the Blue Devils to a win at the ACC Championship in the spring.
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Kiara Romero - 2025 McCormack Medal Winner
September 11th, 2025 | 18 mins 32 secs
USGA, college golf, derek radley, golf podcast, kiara romero, lpga tour, mccormack medal, oregon women's golf
Our guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is Kiara Romero from Oregon Women's Golf. She continues to collect accolades in the world of amateur golf and is currently the #1 ranked amateur in the world and the 2025 McCormack Medal Winner.
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Megha Ganne - 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur Champion
August 21st, 2025 | 33 mins 37 secs
USGA, amateur golf, bandon dunes, college golf, golf podcast, megha ganne, u.s. women's amateur
Our guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is the new U.S. Women's Amateur Champion, Megha Ganne.
It is always a fun conversation when I get a chance to visit with Megha. It almost always goes in a multitude of directions. Sometimes it is serious, sometimes it is not. But in between the laughs and the inside jokes, she was able to share some insight on her career at Stanford.....navigating the NIL Space, and what lies ahead when she eventually makes the jump to professional golf. -
Tyler Watts - 2025 Sunnehanna Amateur Champion
August 8th, 2025 | 34 mins 4 secs
USGA, amateur golf, golf podcast, junior golf, sunnehanna amateur, tyler watts
Our guest on this episode of The Back of the Range is junior phenom, Tyler Watts from Huntsville, Alabama. The winner of the 2023 Jones Cup Junior Invitational has been trending upwards since his runner-up finish in 2024 at the U.S. Junior and this summer captured one of the most prestigious title in amateur golf, the Sunnehanna Amateur title.