Fairways and Feelings

Welcome to Fairways & Feelings—the podcast where we take a step off the course and into the lives of the people who shape the game.Each episode, host Daniel sits down with someone from the world of golf to explore who they are—not just as golfers, but as people.Brought to you by Florio Golf, the golf mental health awareness brand.Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: @florio_golf

Fairways and Feelings is a sports podcast hosted by Daniel Clark, with 11 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Daniel Clark hosts Fairways and Feelings, a sports show with 11 episodes published.

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  Episode #8

  #18 Olivia Mehaffey - Learning to Stop Pretending You’re Fine

  Sep 23, 20261h 6mS2

  Olivia Mehaffey has been chasing golf for most of her life. She represented Ireland at 12, moved to America to play college golf at Arizona State, won three times in one semester, and looked ready to take the next step into professional golf. Then her dad was diagnosed with cancer. Before he died, he made her promise she would go to Q School. He passed away on the Friday. His funeral was on the Sunday. Olivia flew to Q School on the Monday. And then she kept going. Golf. Gym. Practice. Flights. Tournaments. Anything that kept her busy enough not to really stop and process what had happened. At the time, Olivia thought that was how she was coping. Looking back, she now sees it very differently. We talk about: ⛳ Growing up obsessed with golf and representing Ireland at 12. Moving to Arizona State and learning to stand on her own two feet. ❤️ Her relationship with her dad and the promise that took her to Q School. Burying herself in golf rather than dealing with what had happened. Why keeping everything in became one of her biggest regrets. ️ Learning that if Olivia the person wasn’t okay, Olivia the golfer probably wasn’t going to be either. We also talk about anxiety, social media, identity, sports psychology, taking time away from the game, and trying to build a healthier relationship with golf. It’s a very open conversation about what happens when “just keep going” stops being useful. Watch more stories like Olivia's on ⁠Healthy Minds GC.⁠ Follow Olivia on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/oliviamehaffey/ Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

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  Fairways and Feelings

  Josh Simpson - Grief, Golf and 652 Courses in a Year

  Aug 20, 20261h 18m

  Josh is a golfer from Norfolk and the world record holder for the most golf courses played in a twelve month month period, at 652 rounds. But Josh’s story is about much more than the number. After losing his mum to cancer, Josh started looking at life differently. She died at 61. She never got to retire. And the idea of waiting for “one day” suddenly felt a lot less convincing. So he took the unsafe option. He stepped away from a stable business, bought a motorhome, and spent a year travelling around the country trying to break the world record for the most golf courses played in twelve months. In this episode, Josh opens up about: ⛳ How golf became an obsession. ❤️ Losing his mum, and how it changed the way he thought about time. Choosing the unknown path over the safe one. The mental grind behind playing golf every day for a year. The strangers who invited him in, fed him, helped him, and shared their own stories. ️ What 652 courses taught him about grief, people, and backing yourself. This is a conversation about loss, golf, community, risk, resilience, and what happens when a mad idea becomes exactly the thing you needed. Watch more stories like Josh’s on Healthy Minds GC. Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginger.golf/ Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

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  Episode #5

  #16 Michael McEwan - The Hidden Grief Behind Becoming a Dad

  Jun 24, 20261h 38mS2

  Michael McEwan has spent more than 20 years at the heart of golf media. As Editor at bunkered , Scotland’s biggest golf publication and one of the UK’s leading golf media brands, he has built a career writing about the game, interviewing some of its biggest names, hosting podcasts, and trying to stay sane while having opinions on golf for a living. But this conversation goes far beyond golf. Michael has been through a lot, and in this episode he speaks with real honesty about the parts of life that rarely make it into a media bio. In this episode, Michael opens up about: ✍️ Growing up in Orkney, falling in love with writing, and becoming the kind of child who wrote match reports for fun. ⛳ How golf first got into his life, from 20p putting green rounds to watching Tiger Woods at the Masters with his dad. 🗞️ The early days at bunkered, why he only planned to stay for two years, and what has kept him there more than two decades later. 📱 The strange reality of being visible online, dealing with criticism, and the Rory McIlroy line that changed how he thinks about faceless comments. 🕯️ The experience of miscarriage, the fear that followed, and the part of grief he only fully understood years later. 🧠 How the experience changed his sleep, his mental health, and the way he now thinks about labels, honesty and asking for help. This is a conversation about writing, golf, fatherhood, grief, hope, and the comfort of hearing someone say the thing you thought you were carrying on your own. Give it a listen, share it with someone who might see themselves in it, and subscribe for more conversations like this. For more stories like Michael’s, head to Healthy Minds GC. 📲 Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmcewangolf/ 📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

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  Episode #5

  #15 Sophia Popov - From Wanting to Quit to Winning a Major

  May 20, 20261h 22mS2

  Sophia Popov has one of the most remarkable stories in modern golf. In 2020, she won the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon as World Number 304. From the outside, it looked like one of golf’s great surprise wins. But as Sophia explains in this episode, the story behind it goes much deeper. In this episode, Sophia opens up about: 🏆 The long road behind her major win. 🏥 The health issues that shaped her early years on tour. ⛳ The brutal margins of life as a professional golfer. 🧠 The mental toll of chasing a career in golf. 👥 The people who helped her keep going. 👶 How motherhood changed her perspective. This is a conversation about ambition, pressure, identity, support, motherhood, and the years behind one brilliant week. Give it a listen, share it with someone who might see themselves in it, and subscribe for more conversations like this. For more stories like Sophia’s, head to Healthy Minds GC. 📲 Follow Sophia on Instagram 📲 Follow VOXA on Instagram 📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram

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  Episode #4

  #14 Suzann Pettersen - The unfiltered reality of chasing world number one

  Apr 2, 20261h 12mS2

  Suzann Pettersen has experienced the absolute pinnacle of professional golf. As a two-time Major Champion, 15-time LPGA Tour winner, nine-time Solheim Cup competitor, and European team captain , she is now shaking up the sports management world with her player agency, VOXA. In this episode, Suzann opens up about: 🤫 The cultural pushback she faced in Norway and how it forced her to change how she handled her childhood ambitions. 🏥 The back injury that left her crawling into a doctor's office, and the specific moment of doubt that fueled her comeback. 🧊 The "calculated selfishness" required to be an elite athlete, and the hidden toll it takes on personal relationships. 🛑 The sudden identity crisis and mental hurdle of being abruptly grounded from her 24/7 tour schedule. ⛳ The fairytale 2019 Solheim Cup, and the exact, unspoken moment on the 18th green when she knew her career was over. 🧠 The moment her ego vanished, and why she admits being a mum is harder than playing professional golf. Give it a listen, share it with someone who might see themselves in it, and subscribe for more conversations like this. For more stories like Suzann’s, head to Healthy Minds GC. 📲 Follow Suzann on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzannpettersen/ 📲 Follow VOXA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/team_voxa/ 📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florio_golf/

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