So how long have you been playing the glorious game of golf? Is it something you’ve been doing as a kid, or did you start later in life? Who first introduced it to you?


I started playing when I was about 16 years old. A couple of my friends played and I would tag along with them just for fun. It didn’t take long for me to figure out how much I loved being out on the course. I wish I would have kept it up from there, but it was never a priority for me, more for fun than anything else at that age. I’ve always played since then, but just not as frequently as I would have liked to. It wasn’t up until a few years ago that I started looking at playing on a more serious level and trying to get better. My earliest memories of golf go back to a time spent with my grandfather; he used to take me along with him while he played when I was visiting over the summer break. It's funny when I think about the times I was out on the course with him - I can only remember how much I wanted to drive the golf cart - I didn’t have any interest in playing at all, just driving!

 
From what I see, you’ve been blogging since December 2009? What made you start?


I have a few friends who have blogs and I thought, after I'd decided that I really wanted to improve my game, that a blog would be a great way to show my progress. I started with a notebook and the idea of keeping a diary-type log of events, but once I sat down at the computer and began to type out the post and then saw it on the website, it really started to come to life as a blog more than a diary.

 
What keeps you blogging?


I absolutely love it. Never in a million years would I have ever thought that I would enjoy writing as much as I do. I consider it a form of therapy. When I sit down at the computer and begin a new post I see the events - I write about in a new way, more in-depth than I could have ever imagined. I really wish I would have paid more attention in English class! WordPress also has a lot to do with it. They make the blogging experience a breeze. I switched from Blogspot to WordPress earlier this year and I think the entire blog has seen improvements because of it!

 
What do you think makes the Breakfast Ball different from other golfing blogs?


That’s a good question. I never considered other golf blogs until after I started mine and got more involved with it. I should honestly spend more time reading other blogs just to get a different perspective of what’s taking place out there on the web. You never know there could be a blog out there that is really close to what I do. But, I think what makes my blog different is my candidness with the game. I try not to glorify my posts with just highlights of a round or hitting a goal. I like to talk about everything that I can - be it good or bad. It’s nice to read a post from someone who is a great player but it’s hard to relate to that person when you’re not. I’d like to think that when someone who isn’t a great player stumbles across my blog and sees that when I started playing seriously I was shooting in the 100s or 110s. Hopefully they will be able to relate to my experiences better knowing that I’ve gone through the rigors of trying to become a better player, like so many others have. That is something that I just do.

 
Do you have a favourite professional golfer, who and why?


A professional golfer, do I only get to choose one? Well, if all of my favourite golfers were playing in the same tournament I would without a second thought follow Fred Couples for 18 holes, then maybe Tiger Woods - 5 years ago Tiger though - not this current version. Freddy has been a favourite of mine for years - his relaxed and care-free swing but awesome power and clutch performances have been a joy to watch - even now on the Senior Tour, err, I mean the Champions Tour.

 
Do you have a favourite professional golfing moment which you’ve seen on TV (or even in person)? When, and which player was involved?


Recently it would have be Bubba Watson's shot early last year in Hawaii when he hit driver off the deck and bent it like Beckham! That was awesome! Not so recent would have to go back to 1997, when I was working at Las Vegas National (back then it was called The Hilton Country Club) and we were one of the host courses for the Las Vegas Invitational which was the Vegas PGA event back then. I got to follow Fred Couples for all 18 holes! Freddy’s tee shot on the par four number 12 went left and came to rest real, real close to a chain-link fence. Without a moment's hesitation he turned his club over and swung left handed and made a fantastic swing. That was cool to see, and then on the 15th hole (a long par 5 that doglegs left) he did something I dropped my jaw over. He teed his ball up and completely took the dogleg out of the hole and played his shot over a power line and the neighborhood homes to have a short approach shot into the green, it was truly amazing to see with my own eyes!

 
Tell us about your own favourite moment that you have had on the golf course?


Without a doubt it was earlier this year in Florida with my best friend Pat. We got to play a course called Heron Bay, which used to host the Honda Classic. It was incredible; the course was in great shape, I played my best round (at the time) and I couldn’t have been with better company. That one's going to be tough to beat - that is until we play Pebble Beach in 2013!

 
Where do you play regularly?


There is a course out in my home city of Henderson which caters to the locals pretty well; it’s called Tuscany Golf Club. I’ve played there more than anywhere else of late just because it’s somewhat affordable and they have a grass hitting range where I can hit for free because I’m a member of their club. I do like to play all over the Vegas valley though, seeing different courses and the different layouts is a lot of fun - plus it makes the blog better when I can showcase a course that maybe a few people have never seen before.

 
If you could pick any new club, regardless of price, what would it be?


It would have to be the R11. I recently got new irons and last year picked up a new driver and putter so the majority of my clubs are fairly new. With the adjustable factors of the R11 though, I’d probably go with it, that and the fact my putter and irons are TaylorMade might persuade me a bit too!

 
What’s the best golf tip you have ever been given?


Wow, that’s another hard one. I’ve been given so many tips from so many people it’s hard to say which one is the best because I don’t think that any of the tips I’ve gotten have improved my score to where I can say it was because of “this” tip. A little while ago I had a lesson from Dustin at the Nicklaus Golf Academy here in Henderson and he showed me a few things on how to improve my chipping and the results have been terrific. That has probably been the best information I’ve obtained from someone that knows the game, but calling it a tip cheapens it a bit.I get a lot of tips from the books I read and Harvey Penicks Little Red Book I think has some of the best tips you can get through reading.

 
OK, in your fantasy pro-am, who would you like to be paired with?


John Daly.

 
I see that you’re a keen photographer, it is something you do for a living?


Thanks for saying that! It’s much appreciated! Photography is just a hobby of mine that I picked up and ran with about eight years ago. Just like golf though I wish I had more time to dedicate to it. It’s a hobby that I get to enjoy almost anywhere I go, but especially out on the course. I’m lucky enough to live in a part of the country that has a ton of fantastic scenic area to shoot, so there is always something out there to see, experience, and shoot. Make sure you tell your readers to check out my photography site also: www.mathewwangrycht.com!

 
What are your personal golfing goals for the coming year?


Fairways and greens! I let myself get into way too much trouble off the tee. Hopefully Dustin will be able to help me with that and I can start shooting some more respectable scores! My ball-striking inability has plagued me for too long so that’s going to be tops on my list for 2012. Become a better ball striker! Hopefully I can continue to show signs of improvement, it’s been a good couple of years, and it’s had to believe that I’m coming up in the two year anniversary of The Breakfast Ball!  

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