Golf is a cerebral and often spiritual game, and for the champion golfers on the PGA and LPGA Tours, their “life on the green” includes reflection and soul-searching; merging self-knowledge with course knowledge; blending hard-won insights with past mentorship; mastering the arts of competition and resilience; all while prioritizing their growing families and curating their lasting legacies.
The new book, “Life on The Green: Lessons and Wisdom from Legends of Golf,” from legendary sports talk show host and renowned interviewer Ann Liguori, foreword by Jim Nantz is a dream collection of insights and life lessons from some of the most compelling characters and champions in the game’s history. Unfiltered and topical, Liguori presents her engrossing conversations with Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer, Nancy Lopez, Dottie Pepper, Amy Alcott, Gary Player, Ben Crenshaw, Jan Stephenson, Padraig Harrington, Annika Sorenstam, Renee Powell and Jack Nicklaus. Through each conversation she relates how these esteemed competitors and gallery favorites have navigated their lives on and off the course.
Beyond the role of work ethic or belief in oneself or fate or a lucky chip-in on the 17th, Liguori strives to move beyond the stock answers or greying anecdotes rehashed so many times over. Her aim, as it always has been over her long career in broadcasting, is to get these dominant performers to speak as freely and openly as they ever have. Whether it’s discussing the history of race in the game with Renee Powell while shedding light on her own personal journey, inviting Padraig Harrington to discuss the omnipresent LIV tour questions and concerns or getting the great Jan Stephenson to take a second look at her role in promoting the fledgling LPGA as “golf’s pinup girl” in the 1970s and 1980s, Liguori uncovers intriguing stories, unearthed revelations and life wisdom that will inspire all.
Life, like golf, isn’t designed to be easy or fair. Every lie isn’t flat. Every line isn’t perfect. You can put in lots of the hard work, but still get bad breaks. Good times. Hard times. We all have obstacles to overcome. Events that test our character. The same is true for those who are used to overpowering the field as well as the golf course, and their collected wisdom in “Life on The Green,” certainly transcends the game.
