From the fairway to the comedy stage
David Feherty is perfectly comfortable wandering the world’s fairways as a witty course reporter. He also has embraced his role as an engaging interviewer on his Golf Channel show, “Feherty,” with guests ranging from Stephen Curry to Bill Clinton.
But this side gig as a standup comedian? Feherty still finds the whole thing a bit terrifying.
Even so, he’s relentlessly and outlandishly funny — and that’s the point. That’s also why his “Feherty Off Tour” successfully crisscrosses the country, including Thursday night’s stop at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts.
The tour allows Feherty to see what “his fan looks like,” as he once put it. That fan, he suggested, has mustard on his shirt and doesn’t hesitate to yell Feherty’s name in public.
“You see your demographic when you’re up on stage,” Feherty, 59, said in a recent phone interview. “They’re my age or older, more blue-collar and not so much the countryclub golfer. They’re great people, and a lot of them have low
“The stand-up show is just me and a microphone and a spotlight.” David Feherty, Golf Channel broadcaster and comedian
standards.”
Feherty does 15 to 18 shows annually, encompassing the equivalent of six long weekends. This week, for instance, he quickly jumps from Seattle on Wednesday to San Francisco on Thursday to Portland on Friday.
If these are anything like his previous shows, Feherty will fret before the curtain rises, find his irreverent rhythm on stage and then ultimately savor the experience.
“I’m a nervous wreck before every show,” he said. “The stand-up show is just me and a microphone and a spotlight. That’s the reason it’s so frightening.
“Comedy is hard. There’s nothing worse than being on stage for two hours trying to make people laugh and it doesn’t work. That’s like two years.”
Feherty, born in Northern Ireland, enjoyed a solid if unspectacular career as a professional golfer. He won five times on the European Tour, spent two years on the PGA Tour and played in one Ryder Cup.
He found more acclaim on television, offering insights and quips in his charming accent. The stand-up act was a natural byproduct, even it happened by accident.
Feherty occasionally did corporate outings, in which he would tell golf stories and share his life experiences to a small group. After one outing in Canada, a man in the crowd named Brad Jones introduced himself to Feherty.
Jones promoted comedians, so he asked Feherty if he ever considered doing a full-blown act. Feherty really didn’t think people would be interested, until his first two jam-packed shows in Edmonton and Calgary.
“I think the crowd had something to do with the fact that there’s very little to do in Edmonton and Calgary in November,” Feherty said.
And off he went. Feherty estimated that about 50 percent of his show involves golf, and the rest drifts into his random opinions and “politically incorrect stuff,” including humor unsuitable for publication.
He also addresses his troubles along the way, including drug and alcohol addiction. (Feherty’s son, Shey, died of an overdose in July at age 29.) Feherty believes his openness on stage helps explain why he connects with his audience.
“I think it’s a huge part of it,” he said. “People have difficulty dealing with the stigma that goes with mental illness and addiction. When someone in the public eye says they deal with this, I think it helps. I have no doubt it’s therapeutic for me.”
As for the golf stories, Feherty has crossed paths with all the big names over the past four decades. Among those featured most prominently in his show: Ken Venturi: Feherty considered Venturi — the San Francisco native, 1964 U.S. Open champion and longtime CBS golf analyst — a mentor in many ways. Venturi died in 2013.
“Kenny didn’t like a lot of people,” Feherty said. “He was pretty crusty, but he took a shine to me.” Arnold Palmer: Feherty played three competitive rounds with Palmer in his career. He kept every scorecard and insisted he can remember every single shot.
“Arnold was the ultimate approachable superstar,” Feherty said. “He was one in a hundred million.” Tiger Woods: Feherty joked that Woods turned pro 10 minutes after Feherty became a broadcaster. Nice timing. Feherty had a front-row seat for more than 50 of Woods’ wins.
And Feherty expects Woods to find his way back to the winner’s circle, as he launches a comeback Nov. 30 from his latest back surgery.
“If Tiger can get healthy, he can absolutely compete,” Feherty said. “That’s a big if ... but he can win again.”