Golf News for Wednesday, May 24, 2006 | Daily Golf Blogs

Golf for Beginners: Feherty's intoxicated side featured by Connell Barrett

You may know him as a featured columnist for Golf Magazine or as an on-course reporter for CBS Sports but in Connell Barrett's shocking article you will see David Feherty as you never have before.

Barrett's essay on Feherty allows readers a glimpse into the depths of the Irish man's soul from his boozing days on the PGA Tour through his struggles to combat clinical depression.

I must admit that I was literally rolling on the floor laughing even though Feherty was admitting his earnest bout with alcoholism. That's just what David does - he keeps you in stitches in spite of himself. For example, after Feherty won the 1986 Scottish Open he took one of the oldest keepsakes in golf into his hands and, "drank all sorts of crap from it. I woke up two days later on the 16th tee at Gleneagles, which makes no sense, because I won the tournament in Glasgow (45 miles away)." The trophy was lost and never recovered.

Between the alcohol-induced blackouts and the squandering of his PGA winnings, Feherty sank deep into a depressed state. He stopped talking, which his closest friends saw as a warning sign but it was up to Feherty alone to become stronger and shake off his afflictions.

"I was a spectacular drunk. I was a poster child for excess without consequence. But all along, I was just masking a stunning sense of worthlessness, of being a fraud."

Although the article delivers an indepth look into Feherty's darker side Barrett regretfully fails to mention anything more than the depression and alcoholism which leaves me wanting to know more. The one-dimensionality of the subject matter had me googling Feherty's name for more information on the tough-talking, multi-faceted man.

In my opinion, among the latest group of golf's television announcers, Feherty's controversial reputation has made him a standout announcer for CBS Sports with an approachable attitude that makes him a winner among golf fans.

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