That's Good. Pick it Up!
Nate Oxman is a true Renaissance Man—Marion caddie, teacher, longtime golf writer, published author, and now podcast host. On That’s Good. Pick It Up!, Nate sits down with the authors behind some of golf’s best books, sharing the stories, ideas, and moments that make the game so meaningful. If you love golf and a good read, this one’s for you.
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That's Good. Pick it Up!
Steve Scott - Hey Tiger, You Need to Move Your Mark Back - Part 1
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In this engaging interview, Steve Scott shares his remarkable golf journey, from childhood dreams to a historic US Amateur run, and the lessons learned along the way. Discover insights on sportsmanship, mental toughness, and the importance of doing the right thing in golf and life.
**This is Part 1 of a 2 part series.
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Hello and welcome to That's Good Pick It Up, a podcast mostly about golf books. This week, Nate Oxman welcomes Steve Scott to talk about his book, Hey Tiger, you need to move your mark back. Nine simple words to change the game of golf forever. Steve is a longtime professional in the golf world, founder of the Silver Club Golfing Society, has been a golf instructor, broadcaster, and so much more. In this two-part series, Nate and Steve, start talking about the book. And I think it's one that you will enjoy and you'll want to come back for the second part. If you like this podcast, be sure to like and subscribe and check out the other ones in the Best Ball Family. Now, let's hear Nate's chat with Steve Scott. On that's good, pick it up.
SPEAKER_02Why don't you tell me a little bit about what made you write the book? When that idea got in your head, when kind of you, you know, started the process of doing it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, really. I mean, the process really started um, I guess it was at the end of 2019, and I met my my co-writer, Trip Bowden. He was the first Caucasian caddy at Augusta Nashville. He had written his own book, great book, called Freddy and Me. And um I I I I had him into um a dinner for my golf society. We had our sci our end of the year event in Augusta, and I had him come in and give books to everybody and tell a story. And uh at dinner before he before he told his story, I I told I told him my story just over dinner, and and he said, I gotta write this story. And so I'm like, okay, I don't I don't know I don't know anything about the whole process of writing a book, and obviously you do because you did it. So um anyway, we started a month later, and we started in January and kind of framed out the book, and then um and then two months later COVID hit and we had all the time in the world to to to write the story, and you know, we talked on the phone endlessly, and uh yeah, we we we got it done. It took 18 months from start to finish with the whole uh with the whole editing process and everything and getting all the pictures together. And but um yeah, it's it's it was it was really cool. I don't know if I'd do it again, but it was pretty cool.
SPEAKER_02What's the response been from readers, people in the golf world who've you know come up to you and you know shared their thoughts about the book?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I think it's been been pretty positive, you know. It's not a New York Times bestseller or anything, but it's uh it's been really good for the people who who appreciate uh good timeless stories of you know, it's just a reminder of why golf is what it is and and uh you know doing the right thing can be the right thing. And um, and you know, it's obviously a great story if it connects people to the Great Tiger Woods and his history of uh three U.S. amateurs in a row, which nobody will probably ever accomplish at all. And you know, pretty crazy that I was the guy in his way that day to uh try to stop history.
SPEAKER_02Was uh did you know the title before you got started? Was that always gonna be the title?
SPEAKER_01Um you know, I don't know how many titles we went through. Um and part of me thought it was a little bit long, but it was overall. It I don't know. I guess it, you know, it just kind of it just kind of worked, you know.
SPEAKER_02For sure. For sure.
SPEAKER_01You know, I think I think maybe we had a shorter one, just you know, uh maybe it was just called Move That Back or something, but uh, you know, I I guess they wanted the whole the whole thing in there, and so it was fine.
SPEAKER_02When you were a kid, you know, hitting those plastic clubs around your kitchen, uh, did you ever think that, you know, there'd be a book about you one day?
SPEAKER_01Uh not really, no, no. I mean, you know, you don't kind of I don't know, you don't think those things are going to happen until they kind of do. And but um, yeah, look, the story is just a it's just a really uh I don't know. It's just pretty crazy to think I was in that moment against that guy with the history on the line and then how it all went down and with the ball remarking incident on the 34th hole, and and you know, I had to be up in the match for that moment to really matter like it did too. So and I probably I should have gotten dusted, you know, six and five or seven and six or whatever. And but uh, you know, it was just it was meant to be the way it was supposed to happen, and um, it's just again, just kind of crazy it all unfolded the way it did.
SPEAKER_02When you were hitting those plastic clubs in your house, did you know then? I mean, you probably were too young. Did you know that like this is something that feels right to you and this is something that I want to do, or were you just a little kid having fun?
SPEAKER_01I always loved golf. I always loved the game, I always loved the yeah. I I just I I guess I had a knack for uh putting a ball into a hole. I don't know. I guess it sounds pretty rudimentary, but it's it's uh that's kind of it for golf, right? It's yeah, it's obviously more than that. It's more than it's the the mental side of things and composure, keeping composure and and having sportsmanship and all those things that go into golf. I just loved all the layers of golf. The more I started to to play it and compete in it, and I I probably like the individualness of the game too, because not that I was a loner or anything, but I just I I like uh team sports, you always had to rely on your teammate to pass you the ball or whatever. And I don't know. I just I I feel like you you got out of golf a lot of what you put into it, and if you worked hard and you would reap the rewards, and you wouldn't have to rely on other people to give you the ball. You always have the ball in golf.
SPEAKER_02Yep. Um, one of the things that really stuck out to me in the first few chapters was your appreciation and respect for for Ray Daly, you know, just giving you instruction out of the kindness of his heart and just seemed like an unbelievable um guy to be a part of your life when you were trying to figure things out in golf.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, meeting him when I was 10 at a local golf show was was serendipitous. I mean, he was he just he he was an unbelievable guy, but so much of a giver. I I've I've been so lucky to meet so many people that have been givers in my life. And uh and yeah, I mean that's kind of why I wrote the story in a way. It's like I wanted to feel I wanted to feel like I gave back to, you know, not only to Ray, but you know, others who who gave me so much in the game. And um yeah, I just I I feel like, you know, making sure this story of doing the right thing in the game of golf never gets lost. You know, I know that you know the the I was picturing when I was writing the book, I was picturing um you know, a junior golfer somewhere, and maybe their first interaction with golf was turning on the TV and watching like what Patrick Reed did, you know, uh, you know, skirting the rules and other sports out there where other people, you know, are are you know trying to cheat the system to win, whether it be you know, blood doping or you know, whatever the case may be, banging on the garbage can like the Houston Astros did to get the right pitches and you know, all that stuff. It's just that's not sport. That's not what it's supposed to be. And and uh I guess I just I wanted to have a documented reminder that you know this this is the way you play the game, whether it's golf, whether it's whatever. You do it with your with your clubs, and you do it, you know, you don't want to win on technicalities and trying to game the system. Uh, you know, you you win because you deserve to win because you were better that day, not because of some other, you know, some other technicality.
SPEAKER_02Yep, yep. Um, I also appreciated your honesty and openness about, you know, your parents' divorce and how, you know, in a strange way that propelled your golf career, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it did. It it you know, it it kind of got me out of the out of the house and into you know, into my own little world. And and I think that I I think it really helped. I I really do. I think it was probably the the biggest reason looking back of why I was so successful at such a young age and winning a couple state high school championships and and you know, playing well, very well as an amateur and and all of that. I I really feel like that was the catalyst for sure. I just uh I just got my my anger out on the golf ball.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And um and just getting into my own little world out there, practicing my game, and and again, you know, I I could control all of that. So if I if I did what I was supposed to do, I felt like I would earn the rewards and it kind of worked out that way.
SPEAKER_02Was it an easy decision to go to the University of Florida?
SPEAKER_01It was very easy, actually, yeah. It really was. I was only recruited by a couple other schools, uh, Florida State and Texas AM and uh University of Florida, buddy Alexander believed in me and uh offered me a full scholarship and I mean all those things. I mean, the proximity to home, it was about four hours from home, but it was far enough, but it was close enough. And and it was just it was it was pretty perfect, honestly.
SPEAKER_02How cool has it been, you know, both while you were there and after to be a part of, you know, an unbelievable golf program with so many great names. Is it I'm sure you you know cherish that.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, I I mean to this day. I mean I stay in close touch with current coach JC Deakin and the the whole Gators program and and following, you know, following the up-and-comers like like a Jack Turner or Luke Tulter or Matt Cress or you know, these guys, uh Ricky Castillo winning yesterday, uh not too far removed from being a Florida Gator in Gainesville. Uh I it's just awesome. You know, it's really just a a great fraternity to be a part of. I mean, their women's team is very good. Uh, you know, it's just it's just it's just really fun to to have a such a strong connection to to such a great program.
SPEAKER_02So mo most people, you know, when they hear the name Steve Scott in golf, they they know of the the Tiger USM. Um, but not many people probably know the year before you made a great run, too, right? Talk about that run the year before.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, I was just fresh out of high school and I I make it all the way to the semifinals of the USAM. I mean, you know, without without that, maybe I don't play the next year, and I maybe I don't qualify the next year, uh, because qualifying for the USAM is very hard. Um I was very fortunate. I only had to do local qualifying for the USAM one time, and that was before that 1995 one. So uh the rest of the time I became I was exempt all the way to the to the main event. So um that was very fortunate. You know, I I I was I played five U.S. amateurs in my life. Um not too many college guys could probably say that. No. Um and um it was just yeah, I mean, uh without that U.S. amateur at Newport, and I I how about this? How about here's a stat for you. I played only mid-amateurs that year. I only played uh older older people, no college guys that that uh that year I made it to the semifinals. Uh ultimately lost to Buddy Marucci in the the 19th hole of the semifinals, but uh uh I know you're familiar with buddy. And uh um yeah, you know, it's just it's just that that was a that was a great week. I made every putt I looked at. I just I was uh it was that was so much fun.
SPEAKER_02Just the the experience up there in Newport must have been just really cool for a high school kid. Were you able to appreciate it or were you just focused on, you know, hitting the golf ball?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I probably didn't appreciate it at the time. I definitely appreciated what I was done, though. I ended up getting a lot of invitations to a lot of the big uh summer amateur events the next year and got to play in the Northeast Amateur, the Sunny Hannah, the all of those, uh, which was hugely beneficial to my growth as a player. Um so I I mean I owe a ton to that 1995 U.S. Amateur for really setting my amateur career in motion and you know giving me the the exemptions to uh or the invites to all the big tournaments that I wanted to play in. So um yeah, I owed a lot to that.
SPEAKER_02But if I wrote down these qualifying scores correctly, that year was it 6777 to get to match play?
SPEAKER_01Is that right? Yeah, yeah. Both yeah, yeah. 677. The next year was 7966.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, that's ins that's insane. Is what do you attribute that to Jasper? Is that just golf is hard?
SPEAKER_01Just golf is hard and the US amateur is hard, and you play two different courses, and yeah, yeah, you know, the pressure is on to get to match play. And I mean, I was very fortunate to get to match play both times and missing a playoff, a big, a big playoff by just one shot. Um, you know, like a 20 for three playoff, something that you don't get through. So um, yeah, it was yeah. I I wish I would have given myself a little less stress in the stroke play, but at the end of the day, it's just about making it to match play and and and it's a fresh start. And so it it doesn't really matter what you shoot in stroke play as long as you get in.
SPEAKER_02When you see, you know, Newport for the first time, or you you know, you play a practice round and you get through qualifying there and you play a match or two. Do you start to feel can you talk about how you start to get into a rhythm, you know, and get comfortable with the golf course and how important that is to be able to block out everything else that's happening? Is that something that like goes through your head?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Newport, I mean, it's sure uh like the golf course was great because it was it was like concrete. You know, the ball ran 50 or 60 yards once it hit, and probably what helped the buddy Marucci be, you know, be more uh more competitive. Yeah. Um, and and but it was so much fun playing the rock hard con the concrete. You know, you you had to think about so much about not just you know point A to point B, but where where it was going to end up rolling to point C after that. Yep. Um so there was a lot of a lot of imagination required uh in the short game and the strategy, you know, where where you could miss greens, where you could get it up and down. And I guess I just I kind of excelled at that strategy and I excelled at at uh holding putts when I had to hold them. And um, so yeah.
SPEAKER_02And how how motive I mean, it was tough in the moment, I'm sure, you know, losing on the 19th hole there to Buddy, but how how motivating was it for you to, you know, say, I want to get back here? You know, you obviously thought that you could, you know, win one of these, maybe.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, look, you I mean, to get through, you have to have a lot of luck. Obviously, there's a lot of skill required, but yeah, there's a lot of luck required to make it through and win an 18-hole match, because anything can happen. You could your opponent could make six birdies in a row and you're six down and you're you're toast, you know. Uh and so there's a lot of luck required for sure. Um, but uh yeah, I don't I don't know. I probably don't answer your question fully.
SPEAKER_02Did it motivate you big time, you know, for the next year? Or are you just you know thinking I've just motivate me?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. I mean, sure. I I I saw myself have success. Yeah. And so I I saw myself make it pretty deep into the match play. And so I I I guess with a little more experience, I thought I could I thought I could do do more. I mean, I yeah, I owe a ton to that that 1995 U.S. Amateur just to give me the confidence to the belief to uh to to think that I could get it done uh possibly the next year.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's it for part one of this conversation on That's Good Pick It Up, where Nate Oxman is talking with Steve Scott about his book, Hey Tiger, you need to move your mark back. Be sure to come back next week for part two to hear the rest of the stories with Nate and Steve. Again, if you like this podcast, be sure to like and subscribe, and follow along with the other podcasts in the Best Ball Family. You can learn more at bestball.com. Until next time, this is Robbie, founder and producer of All Best Ball Podcasts. Have a good one.