Michigan Golf Journal April 2020

Peplowski is a good golfer, and Dwayne Stevens, former player and my current assistant, he loves the game of golf. Drew Neitzel is another guy that’s a pretty good golfer, and I think he golfs right-handed (shot basketballs left-handed); he’s pretty ambidextrous. I think they are the guys that enjoy golf the most.” (Editor’s note: we believe Izzo would now add guard Jack Hoiberg to the list.) Q What coaching tactics or motivation would you try if you could be a Ryder Cup or President’s Cup captain? A “I went to the one Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills. It was impressive. I do like watching the strategy; I don’t understand it all though to be honest with you. But I think the hardest thing about golf is that it’s such a temperamental sport. I’d probably be the worst golf coach in the history of the game.” Q When you travel all around the country, what do you hear people say about golf in Michigan? A “I think a lot of people think there’s a lot of great courses in Michigan, and I mean a lot of great courses. I think they love it here. A lot of people talk about our courses. And now we have the PGA Tour coming to Detroit. Things like that are so good for us. I’m a big advocate of the courses in Michigan, too. I think they are beautiful, they’re pretty. I like courses that are cut out of the woods, even though I struggle with them sometimes.” Q Do you have a golf course bucket list? A “That’s a great question. I’d like to try the one in Oregon, Bandon Dunes. A lot of people tell me about that. And I’d like to play the one out on Long Island, Shinnecock Hills. Those would be my two bucket list courses. And any good U.P. courses I like to play. And I like Arcadia.” MGJ Michigan Golf Journal Coach Tom Izzo On Golf