What can golf teach you about life?
This week on Here’s What We Know, former PGA Tour professional Jay Delsing joins us to share lessons from 25 years competing at the highest level of golf.
From stories about Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to conversations about failure, resilience, mental toughness, and what separates elite athletes from everyone else. We also discuss why parents should encourage their kids to dream bigger than they think is possible.
This conversation explores what it takes to perform under pressure, bounce back from setbacks, and keep moving forward when things don’t go your way.
Whether you’re a golfer, an athlete, a parent, or someone working toward a goal, this episode offers practical lessons about perseverance, competition, and living with purpose.
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In this Episode:
- Why talent alone doesn’t cut it at the highest levels of competition
- How to handle pressure without losing your mind (or your game)
- What his UCLA golf team taught him about grit and heart
- That mansion story: how a stranger picked him up at LAX and changed everything
- Why he wouldn’t change a thing about his career, even with all the losses
- What parents get wrong when they push their kids toward elite sports
- His four daughters, volleyball, and recognizing gifts you can’t measure
- Playing golf with Sean Connery, Tiger Woods comparisons, and Jack Nicklaus’s brain
- Why your kids need to fail, get uncomfortable, and learn they can survive disappointment
- The difference between being competitive and being a jerk about it
- His book, his stories, and the relationship that shaped everything
Quotations:
“I am a dad that cares a lot, and be able to tell them to aim for the top.” – Jay Delsing
“You can do anything you set your mind to. It can happen.” – Jay Delsing
“You can learn a lot about people by how they treat folks that can’t help them.” – Jay Delsing
“The point in the story, Gary, is we aim for the friggin’ top, man. We’ve got so many parts of society that are just hoping for the middle. And it’s like aim for the top because you don’t know what might happen to you.” – Jay Delsing
“A lot of us didn’t know how good we were. And then all of a sudden, you’re like, “Well, shit, I just won this tournament.” You know, like, how did that happen?” – Jay Delsing
“Sometimes people will say to any of us older folks, to you or to me, Hey, how did you make it? And I’ve come over the years to interpret what they’re really saying as, ” How am I going to make it?” They’re hoping to find some kind of thread of hope in that for them. And, you know, I usually just say, I don’t know how you’re going to make it. I can only tell you how I did. But someday you’re going to make it, and you’re going to have your story to tell. And I can tell you this much, though; one of the best things I ever did was just not quit.” – Jay Delsing
Bio:
Jay Delsing is a former PGA Tour professional, broadcaster, author, and host of the nationally syndicated Golf with Jay Delsing radio show and podcast. After more than 25 years competing at the highest levels of golf, Jay now shares stories and lessons from a lifetime in the game, offering insights on competition, perseverance, and what it takes to thrive under pressure. His journey has taken him from UCLA to the PGA Tour and into conversations with some of the biggest names in sports.
Guest Contact Info:
Website: https://jaydelsinggolf.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaydelsinggolf/