DAVID FEHERTY HAD A CONNECTION TO THUNDER BAY
by Scott A. Sumner
It was fun sitting down with well known golf TV personality David Feherty when he made a stop at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium to ask him some questions! There was another local media member present as well.
David how did you end up coming to Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada?
“ You know I was wondering that myself! I used to know a guy called Frank Edmonds who played the European Tour and was a friend of mine. I haven’t seen him forever. He was from Thunder Bay and I thought I should go there one day.”
You have a very unique gig in golf now with humour!
“ I not sure if it’s his fault, the promoter standing there. I did a corporate gig somewhere in Canada, London I think, and was approached by Brad Jones, Jones Entertainment Group. He said have you thought about doing this in front of a crowd and I said that’s what I did but now it is in theatres. The first two were in Calgary and Edmonton and it’s been fun. We have done close to a hundred shows now.”
Why is it important to bring humour to golf, to bring that out in the golf world?
“ It is a stupid game really and if you can’t laugh at it or laugh at yourself you shouldn’t be playing it.”
You have played golf for a long time?
“ I was 17 when I turned pro and 19 when I got on the European Tour so almost 43 years. I haven’t played golf at all now for 11 years though. I got run over by a truck while bicycling and it crushed me all down my left side including my hand which won’t close now after losing a nerve. No more golf for me.”
What do you feel about the state of the game of golf today. Will someone come along to replace Tiger?
“ No that is not going to happen. The kids of today are phenomenal but no one is going to replace Tiger in my lifetime or my children’s lifetime. That was something to see and once in a 500 year history of
the game.”
“ The game is in a good place especially with all these guys that grew up watching Tiger and being inspired by him. You have Tiger back in the game now as well.”
A few years ago the question was when is Tiger going to get to 18 majors. Now I want to know is he gong to get to 15?
“I’ll think he’ll get to 15, I’m not sure if he’ll get to 18.”
What is your show all about?
“It is essentially a lot of Irish humour. The story of my life and career as well as a lot of other people’s lives like Nicklaus and Trevino, Palmer and Kenny Venturi. These stories will die if I don’t tell them. I kind of unashamedly tell other peoples stories because I’m qualified to do that. It’s really a lot of Irish jokes, an occasion fart joke, more than occasional. It is really me entertaining myself. I never get tired of listening to myself, I crack myself up.”
You have quite a silly sense of humour?
“I wasn’t the brightest child in school , really attention deficit, and didn’t understand why I couldn’t learn. I ended up making fun of myself before the other children could and that sort of stood me in good stead throughout my life combating things like alcoholism, depression, mental illness- the whole lot. I don’t suffer from them I live with them because of that.”
Anyone you would like to interview you haven’t yet?
“ No one has ever said no to me. I haven’t asked Tiger yet because he has never been in a place since I started my Golf Channel Show where I would have been comfortable interviewing him. I want him to be the same kid I watched grow up on the golf course. We kind of beat that out of him, the media did, but I think he’ll get there. I think he will probably be my last show.”
