Fairways and Feelings – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, I sit down withChristina Kim, a three-time LPGA winner, Solheim Cup legend, and one of the most fearless, unfiltered voices in professional golf.

For years, Christina has been known for her bold personality, electric energy, and deep love for the game. But behind the larger-than-life presence, she’s also faced some of the toughest battles an athlete can go through. She opens up about the weight of expectations, the reality of burnout, and the darkest moments where she questioned whether she could keep going.

In this conversation, Christina shares:

⛳ What it’s really like to struggle with mental health while competing on the LPGA Tour

🧠 Why she once believed the world would be better off without her—and how she found the will to keep going

🔥 The raw truth about tour life, resilience, and why she refuses to filter who she is

❤️ Her candid take on love, relationships, and what it’s like navigating romance while living life on tour

💬 How she’s learned to reframe self-worth and find victories in even the smallest moments

In this episode: Depression, anxiety, the highs and lows of professional golf, self-worth, and learning to be kinder to yourself.

DISCLAIMER: This episode contains references to suicide.

🔗Listen now and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss future interviews.

Follow Christina Kim on Instagram:@thechristinakim

Follow Florio Golf on Instagram:@florio_golf

In episode 2, I sit down with Mike Lorenzo-Vera, a golfer known not just for his talent, but for his honesty about the realities of life on tour.

After nearly 20 years on the DP World Tour, multiple top-10 finishes, and a career spent battling at the highest level, Mike made the decision to step away from professional golf last year to focus on his mental health. For six months, he stepped back, reflected, and did the work to find a healthier balance in life. Now, he’s breaking his silence and gearing up for his much-anticipated return.

In this raw and open conversation, Mike shares:

⛳️ What led him to step away from the game—and what convinced him to return

🧠 How stepping back helped him rebuild his mindset and self-esteem

💬 The pressure, self-doubt, and financial realities that fans rarely see

🎭 His no-filter take on tour life, media scrutiny, and handling expectations

🤯 The most bizarre shot of his career—and how he learned to let go of frustration

In this episode: Mental health, self-doubt, the mental grind of professional golf, tour life, and staying true to yourself.

Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a rating for Fairways & Feelings—it would mean a lot!

Please share this episode with someone who’d connect with Mike’s story.

Follow Mike Lorenzo-Vera on Instagram: @mikelorenzovera_progolf

Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: @florio_golf

Welcome to the very first episode of Fairways & Feelings! To kick things off, I’m sitting down with Charlie Beljan—a golfer whose life has been as wild as it is inspiring. From winning on the PGA Tour to battling anxiety, depression, and alcoholism, Charlie opens up about the struggles most people never see.

In this raw and honest conversation, we talk about everything from his childhood and the pressures of professional golf to the moment he realized something had to change. Charlie doesn’t hold back, sharing his journey to sobriety and how it’s reshaped his life both on and off the course.

It’s a story about resilience, redemption, and what it really means to be human.

In this episode: Alcohol addiction, sobriety, depression, anxiety and the PGA Tour.

Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a rating for Fairways & Feelings, it would mean a lot.

Please share this episode with someone that might be interested in hearing it.

Follow Charlie Beljan on Instagram: @cbeljan

Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: @florio_golf

Welcome to Fairways & Feelings, the podcast where we step off the course and into the lives of the people driving the game of golf.

Each episode, host Daniel sits down with someone from the world of golf to talk about the stories we don’t usually hear. Not their scores or stats, but them —what makes them tick, the challenges they’ve faced, and the moments that have shaped them—not just as golfers, but as people.

Brought to you by Florio Golf, the golf mental health awareness brand.

Instagram: florio_golf

And remember to subscribe so you don't miss any future interviews.

Join me as I sit down with Marco Penge—DP World Tour player, 2023 Challenge Tour No.1, and a guy who makes golf look way easier than it actually is.

From dominating as a junior to earning his place on the DP World Tour, Marco’s rise through the ranks looks effortless on paper. But, as I found out in this chat, there’s a lot more to it than what you see in the headlines.

In this conversation, Marco opens up about:

⛳ The pressure of being a top amateur and how performance anxiety nearly pushed him away from the game

🧠 A recent health diagnosis that finally gave him clarity on how his mind works

⚖️ The truth behind his recent suspension and the public reaction that caught him off guard

🏌️‍♂️ What it’s really like playing an entire season with something hanging over you that you just want to escape from

🔙 Why his comeback isn’t about proving people wrong—it’s about proving something to himself

Give it a listen, send it to someone who’d love it, and don’t forget to subscribe (because I’d quite like to keep doing this).

📲 Follow Marco on Instagram: @marcopenge

📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: @florio_golf

Join me as I sit down with Derek Thomas—better known as Monterey Golf Guy—a golf social media creator who has brought a fresh, unfiltered voice to golf content.

His sharp, bite-sized takes on the game—whether it’s calling out the ridiculousness of golf culture, breaking down tour drama, or just voicing the frustrations every amateur golfer knows too well—have earned him a loyal following.

But behind the humour and hot takes, there’s a deeper story.

In this conversation, Derek opens up about:

⛳ The highs and lows of putting yourself out there online—and why social media validation can be a double-edged sword

🎭 The pressure of staying relevant as a creator and battling self-doubt

🧠 Why golf has always been his reset button—and how it helps him clear his mind

🏌️‍♂️ How Twilight Social Club is creating real-life connections in the golf world

💬 The surprising moments that inspire his content

In this episode: The reality of being a golf creator, imposter syndrome, social media pressure, and how golf can be more than just a game.

🔗 Listen now and share this episode with someone who’d love it.

Follow Derek on Instagram:@monterey_golf_guy

Follow Florio Golf on Instagram:@florio_golf

This week, I’m joined by Eva Rogers, a teaching professional at Medinah CC.

She has been nominated to Golf Digest's “Best Young Teacher,” list multiple times, and is someone who’s coached more junior golfers than most people have had hot dinners.

She’s built a reputation as one of the best junior coaches in the world—but this conversation goes way beyond grip pressure and swing planes. We do talk about junior golf, but also get to know her on a deeper level as well.

Eva opens up about:

👶 What teaching thousands of kids has taught her about failure, frustration, and emotional growth

🎯 Why confidence isn’t something you have—it’s something you learn

🔄 The pressures juniors are facing today—and how parents can either help or harm

💬 How her own journey shaped the way she shows up

🏀 And yes, a surprisingly passionate take on early-2000s NBA legends

Whether you’re a coach, a parent, or just someone trying to be a bit less hard on yourself, there’s something in here for you.

Give it a listen, pass it along, and if you’re enjoying Fairways & Feelings—hit follow, rate it, share it, etc. It genuinely helps.

📲 Follow Eva on Instagram: @evarogers_golf

📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: @florio_golf

This week, I’m joined by Sandra Gal—LPGA winner, Olympian, Solheim Cup player, and one of the most recognisable names in German golf.

She’s had an incredible career on paper—but this conversation goes beyond that.

Sandra opens up about:

🧠 What reaching her limit taught her about pressure, identity, and stepping back

💬 Why walking away from the game was the hardest—and best—thing she’s done

🧘 How meditation, stillness, and self-reflection helped her reconnect with herself

🎨 The role of painting, nature, and slowing down in finding emotional balance

⛳️ And what it really means to play from a place of joy—not pressure

If you’ve ever burnt out, freaked out, or quietly unravelled while still showing up like everything’s fine—you’ll get a lot out of this.

Give it a listen, pass it on, and if you’re enjoying Fairways & Feelings—hit follow, rate it, share it, all that good stuff. It genuinely helps.

📲 Follow Sandra on Instagram: @thesandragal

📲 Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: @florio_golf

📲 Sandra's website: https://sandragal.com/

In this episode, I sit down with Stuart Appleby, a nine-time PGA Tour winner and one of the most quietly resilient figures in golf.

Stuart’s career has spanned decades at the top level—multiple Presidents Cups, a top-20 world ranking, and a reputation for grit over glamour. But behind all of that was a man navigating immense personal loss, identity shifts, and the mental weight of staying competitive in a brutal sport.

In this deeply honest conversation, Stuart shares:

🏡 What it was like growing up on a dairy farm in rural Australia and how that shaped his perspective

🏆 How he went from a farm boy to a top-20 player in the world—and the cost of that climb

💔 The grief of losing his wife Renay at just 25—and what it took to keep going

🧠 How he now sees mental health, self-talk, and why his old ‘police your thoughts’ approach had to change

👨‍👧 Fatherhood, identity, and what he hopes his kids take from his journey

In this episode: Resilience, grief, identity, letting go, fatherhood, and the quiet power of showing up again.

🔗 Listen now and share this with someone who could use a bit of perspective today.

Follow Stuart Appleby on Instagram: @stuartappleby59

Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: @florio_golf

In this episode, I sit down with Tadd Fujikawa—a name you might remember from the headlines, but whose story goes far deeper than the spotlight ever showed.

At just 15, Tadd qualified for the U.S. Open. At 16, he made the cut at the Sony Open in his home state of Hawaii, becoming one of the youngest players ever to do so. He was a prodigy. A sensation. A walking headline.

But what the headlines didn’t show was everything else.

In this powerful, heartfelt conversation, Tadd opens up about:

🌺 Growing up in public housing in Kalihi, Hawaii—and how those early experiences shaped who he is

🌟 The mental toll of being thrust into the spotlight before he even finished high school

🧠 Quietly battling depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts while the world watched him smile

🏳️‍🌈 Coming out in 2018—and becoming one of the first openly gay male pro golfers in history

💬 Why he still believes in golf, in people, and in the power of being honest—even when it’s hard

In this episode: Pressure, identity, mental health, vulnerability, early fame, and coming out.

🔗 Listen now and share it with someone who you think would benefit from listening.

Watch a clip from Tadd's incredible run at the Sony Open at 16 years old: CLICK HERE

Follow Tadd Fujikawa on Instagram: @taddy808

Follow Florio Golf on Instagram: @florio_golf