Episode 69: John Mahaffey, Author, Sports Commentator, and Championship Golf Player

You’re in for a double-header treat – featuring both literary and golf themes – and a fascinating triple-threat conversation on this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast. Ten-time PGA title holder John Mahaffey is sharing with Guest Host Stan Markotich and K.P. Wee everything from the story of his introduction to Ben Hogan, the legendary mentor who shaped his career, to the diligent approach he takes when writing books. The discussion also covers how to make important life transitions, what it took for John to emerge from a dark passage and which key traits are critical to success in writing, golf and life! 

John shares updates on his latest projects and the backstory on his thriller, "Shafted" and nonfiction work,  "Hogan's Boy: A Journey in Golf." You’ll enjoy hearing why he’s “having a blast” and experiencing catharsis by entertaining fans in a whole new arena! As long as he can go and has fresh ideas for his McCall Family series, John will keep on writing! The show wraps up with life lessons applicable across all kinds of circumstances: Take responsibility. You’re going to win more than you lose. Just keep at it and don’t give up. You’ll take away from this lively chat all kinds of wisdom about excellence – athletically, artistically and personally!

To learn more about John Mahaffey and his books, visit this this website.

Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.

If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger

 

KEY TOPICS:

• An intro to golf great John Mahaffey and his storied 10-time PGA-winning career!
• All About Transitions: John shares thoughts about his journey from a small-town kid in Texas who loved sports of all kinds (including a special love of basketball) to focusing exclusively on upping his golf game, paving the way to a University of Houston scholarship and NCAA championships. 
• Winning and Losing: John leveraged nightmare tournament failures as stepping stones to stronger performances down the road. His take: You either learn from setbacks and improve – or flounder.
• The story of John’s first encounter with Ben Hogan (whom he knew from the classic book, “Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf”) and how the legendary player became the mentor who introduced John to the pro tour.
• How Ben didn’t so much teach specific golf skills as provide a big-picture strategic and tactical vision of the overall game – the central ideas and concepts, such as knowing how to play – rather than muscle – a course.
• About John’s approach to writing "Shafted," his thriller based on observations about life on the road with his fellow golfers on the tour. And the Bob Seger songs that helped inspire it, including (all available at this link):
• • Like a Rock
  • Shame on the Moon
  • Turning the Page
  • Still the Same
  • Against the Wind
  • Hollywood Nights
• About the influence that South African author Wilbur Smith had on John’s development as a writer.
• John shares a dark passage in his life during which he was hobbled by drinking and divorce – until a close friend intervened on May 16, 2000, at 10 a.m. He hasn’t had a drink since, which changed his whole life.
• Starting a New Chapter: John makes the transition into golf commentating and then into his longer-term commitment to writing novels (including the series he has in the works).
• The role of creativity and flexibility in the art of writing – and in life! 
• John reflects on the biggest evolutions in golf, owing both to new technologies and the trend towards starting kids in competition early.
• About the fraternity John experienced playing through three generations of memorable pros who were both colleagues and friends.
• Changes in the way golf is played today versus in John’s era, including the difference between a team culture and “owning your own swing.” Bottom Line: The most talented players will emerge no matter the fads or circumstances.
• Key Advice: Expectations are great. Anticipation is a killer. Don’t get ahead of yourself!
• How to Maintain Confidence: Keep on practicing, keep on playing, keep on competing.
• In sport and in life: Not everyone is going to like you or be supportive. And that’s okay!
• Having had double hip replacement surgeries, John’s golfing days are behind him. But he’s living the memories and keeping them vivid through his writing process.
• John shares his writing routine, whose hallmark is about eight hours a day of hard work and discipline, one chapter after the other. The result? Four+ books in three years! 

• Recommended Reading: John’s favorite authors include: Wilbur Smith, Lee Child and Mark Greaney.

• K.P. touches on some of the challenges associated with fiction writing – and strategies for breaking through stumbling blocks (like shadowing authors and emulating their daily routines).
• About Your Book’s Final Pages: John believes the climax is a great opportunity to tease readers and pique their interest in the next installment of your series.
• Research (including lots provided by his wife) is a key element informing John’s works and grounding their realism.
• Why John feels golf history isn’t a topic in his writing wheelhouse – but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t weave lots of first-person experiences with the greats into his fiction!
• Stan offers thoughts about K.P.’s narrative writing style – a combination of voice, point of view, suspense and character. See for yourself by checking out his books here!

 

KEY QUOTES:

• “Things were starting to snowball in the direction where I was going to play professional golf. That’s what I really wanted to do – and that’s how the early transition happened.” (John)

• “(Tournament losses) are stepping stones to actually make you a better player … Either you learn from it or your career’s over!” (John)

• “(Ben Hogan) didn’t teach me how to hit shots. He taught me how to play golf; how to manage myself around a golf course.” (John)

• “I was an only child so I invented a lot of imaginary characters that I played with.” (John)

• “My books are about karma. Now there’s good karma and there’s bad karma – people get what they deserve!” (John)

• “In all my transitions … there are two things very much in common: Creativity and Flexibility.” (John)

• “I went into golf because I wanted to paint a picture … I didn’t want to be one-dimensional. I wanted to be able to play every shot and not be confronted with something coming down the last hole that I wasn’t able to do.” (John)

• “(Championship-level play) is about what you have in your heart and what you have in your mind and how you’re able to manage yourself and control your emotions.” (John)

• “Everybody knows that you lose more times than you can win … but for professional athletes when they’re in competition they expect they are going to win and give it their all. They think they are the best.” (K.P.)

• “I want my books to be fun for people to read. I want them to not be able to figure out the ending until they get there. I want the characters to pay the price – whether it’s good or bad – and have some interesting stuff in-between.” (John)

• “I love the kind of fiction that actually buries a not all-too-deeply buried truth, but it’s inaccessible for a lot of people.” (Stan)

• “Whether it’s a golf swing or a scenario in one of your novels, everything is related to a life lesson; to the karma, the good and the bad. Taking responsibility.” (Stan)

• “One thing that’s going to stay with me is that life lesson: You’re going to lose more than you’re going to win. But ultimately – and ironically, maybe – that is the real key to winning – the key to being a true winner.” (Stan)

RELEVANT LINKS:

• "Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf."
• By John Mahaffey:
• • "Shafted." 
  • "Hogan's Boy: A Journey in Golf."

• Bob Seger songs that inspire John's novels.
• Books by South African author Wilbur Smith.
• Books (Reacher) by Lee Child.
• Books by Mark Greaney ("The Gray Man")

 

JOHN MAHAFFEY BIO: Known today as a prolific author, John Mahaffey was born in Kerrville, Texas, and attended the University of Houston, where he was a two-time All-American. John was a member of two NCAA national championship teams and the individual NCAA champion in 1970, a feat he accomplished one week after he tied for low amateur in the US Open at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. He graduated from U of H with a psychology degree in 1970 and turned pro in 1971. Mahaffey is a ten-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the PGA Championship and the Players. In 1978, John won the individual title in the World Cup and partnered with Andy North to win the team competition at Princeville on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. The following year he partnered with Hale Irwin to win the World Cup for the US in Athens, Greece, and was a member of the victorious 1979 Ryder Cup team.

FOLLOW JOHN MAHAFFEY: Website | Books | LinkedIn

About Guest Host Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.

Follow Stan @LinkedIn 

About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department. 

You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.

Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter

Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.