Issue One- February 2020:
By Mercedes Barreto
Dan Hauser is the co-founder of ‘The Stiff Shaft’, and the website’s senior writer.
A South Florida native, Dan has been covering golf since 2013 and playing it his entire life.
He is still waiting for his first hole-in-one.
What began your intrigue in golfing-journalism? How long has this been your profession?
“I have always been a fan of golf. I have been watching golf for as long as I can remember and always enjoyed playing the game as well. I had never really considered golf journalism as a profession most of my life as my focus had been more on getting into a business, as a TV reporter, or in a sport, such as a baseball, basketball, or football.
However, an opportunity presented itself with a company that was looking for someone to write about golf locally, and from there, everything just kind of fell into place.
I have been covering golf since 2013 and the first tournament I covered on-site as a credited member of the was at the ‘2014 Players Championships’.
I have been covering pro golf regularly ever since.”
What is the chance, or probability, that I may win golf events such as the U.S. Open, or the Master’s tournament, as a rookie or amateur with absolutely no prior winning streak or experience, tomorrow?
How does this affect the way journalism for golfing is conducted or evaluated, regarding interviews and sporting news, when there is a constant change between who is in the lead, amateur, or pro?Is there pressure to get a
a statement or complete a story
from the winning player?
“There is a 0% chance that you or anyone else that has little to no experience as a golfer would win a major tournament, let alone any professional tournament for that matter.
If there was something less than a 0% chance it would be that.
People play golf their entire life and never get good enough at the game to even qualify for a professional event, let alone win one.
Even a majority of professional golfers will never win a major championship like the Masters or US Open in their career. That is why winning a major tournament is so special and why winning multiple majors, as Tiger Woods has is viewed in such high regard.
When journalists interview golfers after playing a tournament or championship, what seems to be the main thing that reporters hear, or want to hear, about those who win or lose a tournament? Is there a trend in humility and sportsmanship? Is there a trend regarding how players felt they performed that day, regarding being disappointed or satisfied, with their performance, that you’ve noted?
“It all depends on the golfer and the story that might come along with their win.
Of course, you always want to know what went right and what “clicked” for them that week.
However, in many instances, a win is more than just a win. Sometimes it’s a first professional win.
Sometimes it’s the first win since something significant happened in that golfer’s life, good or bad. So in terms of content, you are looking for from the golfer, it largely depends on the back story.”
What determines in terms of qualification, who is considered a more experienced player, or an amateur? Winning an open championship such as the PGA Championship, or is there more to it, about what a journalist or the press would say when they determine that a player is professional? What defines pro golf,
in your professional opinion?
“Qualifications on the pro tours largely revolve around the Official World Golf Ranking. The OWGR determines what golfers get into what events. So do wins in certain events as well. However, for the most part, the biggest qualifier in terms of determining a golfer’s placement is the OWGR.”
What are some challenges in this area of journalism, and what would be some notable achievements or additions to your journalism work?
My biggest challenge so far has been accessing. Since I don’t work for a major publication and am still a relative “newcomer” in the business, I am not afforded as much access as some of the more established members of the media are.
That can make it difficult at times to provide the content that I want to provide to my readers. As for my most notable achievement in the golf industry, I would have to say that would be me “breaking” the news that John Daly allegedly threw his putter into the water behind the 7th green during the 2017 Allianz Championship ( Now Boca Raton Championship). The story was referenced by many major publications.
What motivates you to bring to light, or to clear up the common perspective, for pro and amateurs alike, and how do you achieve this? Is there any specific example in mind regarding persuading a reader on a similar and/or a new perspective?
“I don’t really spend a lot of time talking about the differences in the pro and amateur game
because it’s so obvious what those differences are just by watching golf on TV every week:
The pros can do things with a golf ball on a golf course that the majority of amateurs only dream that
they could do.”
