Six Open Championships. Countless battles. One unforgettable story.
This week on This Golfing Life, you're about to hear one of the most candid, emotional and inspiring conversations we've ever recorded.
In a few days, Matthew Southgate will tee it up in The Open Championship for the seventh time after once again battling his way through Final Qualifying. But this story is about so much more than golf.
It's the story of a little boy who fell in love with The Open because of his father. A father who taught him to shape golf shots in the woods before school, who drove him hundreds of miles to Carnoustie because he believed it was the greatest golf course on earth, and who passed on a lifelong obsession with links golf and the Open Championship itself.
Matthew speaks with extraordinary honesty about surviving cancer, losing that father far too soon, the grief that followed, and the battle with alcohol that almost consumed him.
He relives the unforgettable Open moments that have defined his career, explains why he believes links golf still brings out the very best in him, and reveals why, as he heads to Royal Birkdale, he genuinely believes he can remind the golfing world exactly what he's capable of.
This isn't just the story of one of Britain's finest links golfers. It's a story about family, loss, resilience — and a lifelong love affair with The Open Championship.
Welcome to This Golfing Life with Matthew Southgate.
Key topics
Why The Open Championship means more to Matthew Southgate than any other tournament
How his father shaped his love of links golf — and the remarkable Carnoustie connection
The story behind six successful Open Final Qualifying campaigns
Fighting testicular cancer, coping with grief and overcoming alcohol dependence
Inside his unforgettable Open Championship performances, including Royal Birkdale
Why links golf rewards imagination, creativity and courage over power
Why Matthew believes he can once again challenge at this year's Open Championship
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to this week's guest, Matthew Southgate
01:56 Why the Open is so special to Matt
07:08 Thorpe Hall GC and giving back to his home club
10:01 Influences and mentorship in his early days
15:05 Qualifying for another Open - Matt's journey to Birkdale
20:09 The role of Carnoustie in Matt's life and development as a golfer
24:51 "He was born to play links golf": The role of Matt's Dad
28:02 Matt’s links golf heroes
30:17 The unique challenge of links golf
35:03 Tom Watson - taking his Dad to watch his hero at Turnberry
38:47 Learning from great Open champions - Woods, Nicklaus, Watson, Trevino
41:14 Matt's love of the Old Course and successes at St Andrews
45:41 A shared passion: Matt's fondest memories of his Dad
52:27 Being diagnosed with testicular cancer and being inspired by the Open
56:19 Success in the 2016 Open at Troon
57:38 Tying for 6th in the 2017 Open at Birkdale
01:00:19 Playing at Birkdale in 2026, plus Billy Foster on the bag
01:03:05 Finding form and feeling confident in his game
01:03:29 Battling grief and acknowledging his drink problem
01:09:22 Golf is for nutters — all golfers are crazy!
Links
Matthew Southgate on Instagram
Matt on Twitter/X
Dan Davies on Substack
RNGC - Britain's premier backyard golf course
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