Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

2003 British Open Champion Ben Curtis

Ben Curtis won the 2003 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s as a rookie in only his 16th start on the PGA Tour. He became the first golfer in 90 years to win a major championship in his first try. He would go on to win a total of four PGA events. Curtis also was the runnerup at the 2012 PLAYERS Championship and a member of the 2008 Ryder Cup Championship Team. Prior to his professional career, he was formerly the world’s number one ranked amateur after winning three Ohio Amateur titles, earning NCAA All-American honors three times at Kent State University, and reaching the semifinals of the 1999 of the prestigious U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. He retired from professional golf in 2017.  He now leads the Ben Curtis Golf Academy, as well as the Ben Curtis Family Foundation which seeks to alleviate childhood hunger in Northeast Ohio.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Winning The Open Championship as a rookie
  • Getting married and playing a PGA event on the same day
  • The mental approach to golf
  • Starting a foundation to help alleviate child hunger
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 149: Clark Kellogg, College Basketball Analyst

Clark Kellogg is one of the most respected voices covering college basketball today. The CBS Sports analyst was once a top college basketball player at Ohio State University, where he earned All-Big Ten Conference honors and won the Big Ten Most Valuable Player award in 1982.

After his junior year at Ohio State, he declared for the 1992 NBA draft and was selected eighth overall in the first round by the Indiana Pacers, and named to the NBA All-Rookie first team in 1983 after averaging 20.1 points and 10.6 rebounds. But his NBA career was cut short after just four seasons due to knee injuries, and he was forced to retire in 1986 at the age of 25.

Clark began his broadcasting journey with ESPN in 1990, and in 1993 he moved to CBS Sports, where he has worked since. In March 2010, Kellogg played a game of H.O.R.S.E. against U.S. President Barack Obama. The game, called “P.O.T.U.S.” for the occasion, was won by Obama.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Playing basketball against President Obama
  • What makes up a great leader
  • Being the parent of athletes
  • Working with Charles Barkley during NCAA Tournament
  • How players can use their platform
  • … and so much more!!!

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The Coachable Coach: Tom Shaw

Today’s guest on “The Coachable Coach” series is Tom Shaw, the men’s golf coach at Abilene Christian University. 

“The Coachable Coach” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network goes beyond the X’s and O’s as Jamy Bechler talks with some of the best sports coaches.

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Episode 148: Dr. Bhrett McCabe, Sports Pyschologist

Dr. Bhrett McCabe is one of the leading experts in the area of sports pyschology. The best of the best turn to him when they need help with performance and mindset. He is the founder of The MindSide and is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with Clinical Psychology PhD from Louisiana State University (LSU). He is also a practicing Sports Psychologist and he works with a number of PGA TOUR professionals, including Jon Rahm and Billy Horschel. Dr. McCabe has also worked extensively with the University of Alabama athletic department. His podcast “The Secrets to Winning” comes highly recommended and is one of our favorites.

Click here for Dr. McCabe’s complete bio

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What makes Nick Saban so good
  • Mental toughness
  • Getting the most out of athletes
  • Building a championship culture
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 137: Mark Immelman, PGA Broadcaster

Mark Immelman is currently the host of the “On the Mark” podcast on pgatour.com. He also covers live golf for the PGA TOUR on their live-streaming mobile app, PGA TOUR Live, on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio and for Golf Channel and CBS Sports. In addition to his broadcasting career, he’s also the Director of Golf at Columbus State University and the author of Scandalously Simple: The Easy Way to Accurate Golf Shots. Mark is the older brother of 2008 Masters champion, Trevor Immelman and son of former South African Sunshine Tour commissioner, Johan Immelman.

Immelman believes in a holistic approach to the game. Having coached two Masters Champions, Larry Mize and younger brother Trevor Immelman, Mark understands what it takes to get to the top of the game, and he shares these “trade secrets” with listeners around the globe on the PGA Tour’s “On The Mark” podcast. As a player, Mark Immelman was a four-time All American and played on two NCAA championship-winning teams. He was also the 2009 NCAA-II National Golf Coach of the Year.

Click here to see Mark’s full bio on the Columbus State website.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • Transitioning from the national office to becoming the NAIA’s first-ever female conference commissioner
  • Challenges facing today’s student-athletes
  • Qualities of good leaders
  • How to advance in college athletics
  • … and so much more!!!

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A Long Time Coming

Adam Long celebrates winning the final round of the Desert Classic at the Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta on Sunday, January 20, 2019. (Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Did you hear about the dramatic duel that Hall of Fame golfer Phil Mickelson recently took part in? No, I am not talking about his one-on-one battle with Tiger Woods out in Las Vegas. I am talking about his final round battle at the 2019 Desert Classic. It looked as if “Lefty” would win his 44th career PGA Tour event because he just had to withstand a challenge from the 417th ranked player in the world. Yes, you heard that right, Phil Mickelson, who earns about $50 million per year was dueling it out with Adam Long.

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Episode 080: PGA Caddie Paul Tesori

Paul Tesori is the caddie for professional golfer Webb Simpson. Paul was on the bag when Webb won the 2012 U.S. Open and 2018 THE PLAYERS Championship. In addition to Webb Simpson, Paul has caddied for some of the best golfers in the world including former #1 player Vijay Singh. In total, he has more than 20 wins as a PGA caddie. 

We caught up with Paul between THE PLAYERS and the Open Championship (to be held at Carnoustie, Scotland). The memories of the record-setting performance at THE PLAYERS was still fresh in his mind (especially since it is played at TPC Sawgrass, which is Paul’s home course). Webb led THE PLAYERS Championship from start to finish. Along the way, he equaled the course record with his 2nd-round 63, and also the 36-hole and 54-hole PLAYERS scoring records. With the win, Webb became just the 9th player to have won THE PLAYERS and a U.S. Open. The victory also made Webb World Golf Hall of Fame eligible in the future. 

Paul is a Florida native and attended the University of Florida. He grew up loving sports and played golf and baseball. He was such a good golfer that he even played 21 events on the PGA Tour himself. Paul and his wife Michelle run the Tesori Family Foundation, which was founded in 2009. The foundation helps supports various charities throughout the country with focuses ranging from childhood homelessness to battered women’s shelters, from children battling disease like cancer to animal rescue charities like the Jacksonville Humane Society. 

In today’s episode, we discuss:

  • Webb’s runaway win at the 2018 Players Championship
  • Why mental toughness is important in golf and life
  • What he says to a golfer during a round
  • Caddie-Golfer relationships, especially after breakups

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