Golf Magazine USA – September 2019

You’re a hard-
hitting journalist
and golfer, so
we’ll start with a
tough one: Tin Cup
or Caddyshack?
[Laughs] Caddyshack.
If you could choose
one world leader to
play a round with,
who would it be?
The prime minister
of Japan, Shinzo Abe,
who’s apparently quite
a good golfer. Plus, I’ve
never played in Asia.
And a fellow
anchor?
Michael Strahan. But
I play mostly with my
husband and my kids—
although I did hit balls
in Yankee Stadium
with Rory McIlroy.
I thought, Oh my god,
if I whiff this I’ll be so
embarrassed! I had
sweaty palms.
During a slow news
week, are you ever
tempted to switch
jobs with Jim Nantz?
Jim Nantz has the
greatest job in the
world. “Hello, friends.”
He is the most superb
broadcaster out there.
I’ve been with him in
the booth at an NFL
game, and listened to
him for years calling
the Masters, and he
does it with no script.
He’s my hero.

You globe-trot for

a living. What’s the

most exotic place

in the world that

you’ve teed it up?

The thing about being

a journalist is, when

you travel with, say, the

president or secretary

of defense, there’s no

leisure time. I rarely go

a mile from the hotel.

The only time I played

on a presidential trip

was in Hawaii, while

traveling with Obama.

Have you played

with him?

No, but I did interview

him in the Oval Office.

It was a Friday and he

said, “What do you got

going this afternoon?”

And I said, “Actually,

I have a tee time at

Congressional.” Then

I said, “I know you

can’t play there

because there are a lot

of blind spots for the

Secret Service.” And

he said, “I can play

anywhere I want to!”

And sure enough, a

couple of months later,

my husband and I were

playing there, and he

was right behind us.

Who would poke it

farther, Gayle King

or Bob Schieffer?

Bob. Bob plays.

What’s more nerve-

wracking: hitting

off the first tee

with a bunch of

people watching,

or pronouncing the

name of Tajikistan

prime minister

Kokhir Rasulzoda

live on-air?

Teeing off with a bunch

of people watching.

What are the

similarities between

golf and delivering

the news?

Playing it right up the

middle, and not being

too left or too right.

What makes a

perfect golf day?

Walking the course. It’s

80 degrees. I’m playing

with friends or family,

breaking 90. My sand

wedge is pretty killer

from 85-90 yards out,

so a few nice up-and-

downs. No water balls.

Chris Nashawaty

is the author of

Caddyshack: The

Making of a Hollywood

Cinderella Story.

Last Off

Norah O’Donnell

THE FORMER WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT WAS RECENTLY NAMED ANCHOR OF

THE CBS EVENING NEWS. CAN SHE SWING IT? ABSOLUTELY. By Chris Nashawaty

Pa

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120 GOLF.COM / S e p t ember 2019