LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 'Terrific fun' David Walsh, Sunday Times * * 'Thoroughly engaging' Washington Post A frank and revealing biography of legendary golf champion Phil Mickelson - who has led a big, controversial life - as reported by longtime Sports Illustrated writer and bestselling author Alan Shipnuck. Phil Mickelson is one of the most compelling figures in sports. For more than three decades he has been among the best golfers in the world, and his unmatched longevity was exemplified at the 2021 PGA Championship, when Mickelson, on the cusp of turning fifty-one, became the oldest player in history to win a major championship. In this raw and unauthorised biog raphy, Shipnuck captures a singular life defined by thrilling victories, crushing defeats and countless controversies. Mickelson is a multi-faceted character, and all his warring impulses are on display in these pages: he is a smart-ass who built an empire on being the consummate professional; a loving husband dogged by salacious rumours; a high-stakes gambler who knows the house always wins but can't tear himself away. Mickelson's career and public image have been defined by the contrast with his lifelong rival, Tiger Woods. Where Woods is robotic and reticent, Mickelson is affable and extroverted, an incorrigible showman. In their early years together on Tour, Mickelson lacked Tiger's laser focus and discipline, yet as Tiger's career has been curtailed by scandal, addiction and a broken body, Phil sails on, still relevant on the golf course and in the marketplace. Phil is the perfect marriage of subject and author. Shipnuck delivers numerous revelations, from the true scale of Mickelson's massive gambling losses to the secretive backstory of the Saudi golf league that Mickelson championed. But Phil also celebrates Mickelson's random acts of kindness and generosity of spirit, to which friends and strangers alike can attest. Shipnuck has covered Mickelson for his entire career, allowing him to take readers inside the ropes with a thrilling immediacy and intimacy. The result is the juiciest and liveliest golf book in years - full of heart, humour and unexpected turns.

'Terrific fun' David Walsh, Sunday Times   * *   'Thoroughly engaging' Washington Post A frank and revealing biography of legendary golf champion Phil Mickelson - who has led a big, controversial life - as reported by longtime Sports Illustrated writer and bestselling author Alan Shipnuck. Phil Mickelson is one of the most compelling figures in sports. For more than three decades he has been among the best golfers in the world, and his unmatched longevity was exemplified at the 2021 PGA Championship, when Mickelson, on the cusp of turning fifty-one, became the oldest player in history to win a major championship.  In this raw and unauthorised biog­raphy, Shipnuck captures a singular life defined by thrilling victories, crushing defeats and countless controversies. Mickelson is a multi-faceted character, and all his warring impulses are on display in these pages: he is a smart-ass who built an empire on being the consummate professional; a loving husband dogged by salacious rumours; a high-stakes gambler who knows the house always wins but can’t tear himself away. Mickelson’s career and public image have been defined by the contrast with his lifelong rival, Tiger Woods. Where Woods is robotic and reticent, Mickelson is affable and extroverted, an incorrigible showman. In their early years together on Tour, Mickelson lacked Tiger’s laser focus and discipline, yet as Tiger’s career has been curtailed by scandal, addiction and a broken body, Phil sails on, still relevant on the golf course and in the marketplace. Phil is the perfect marriage of subject and author. Shipnuck delivers numerous revelations, from the true scale of Mickelson’s massive gambling losses to the secretive backstory of the Saudi golf league that Mickelson championed. But Phil also celebrates Mickelson’s random acts of kindness and generosity of spirit, to which friends and strangers alike can attest. Shipnuck has covered Mickelson for his entire career, allowing him to take readers inside the ropes with a thrilling immediacy and intimacy. The result is the juiciest and liveliest golf book in years - full of heart, humour and unexpected turns.

The story of heartbreak to triumph in the wake of a tragedy. Their first date in college was a U2 concert and after that Lauren and Jack Grandcolas were inseparable. He was mesmerized by her sweetness, fierce intelligence and eyes that were as blue and alive as the ocean. They married and settled in San Francisco, each pursuing their dreams in the business world. After a decade of trying, Lauren finally got pregnant at the age of thirty-eight. On September 6, 2001, she flew to New Jersey-her beloved Little Grandma had died and following the funeral Lauren shared the joyous news of her pregnancy to lift her family's spirits. Flying home to Jack on September 11th, she arrived at Newark airport early and walked on to a flight for which she hadn't been ticketed: United 93. During that terrifying flight, Lauren left a calm and reassuring voice mail for Jack which remains a testament to her courage and selfless love, even in the face of her own mortality. Like a River to the Sea is a story of love overcoming loss. In this moving memoir, Jack Grandcolas brings to life his college sweetheart while taking the reader through his long journey to make peace with the loss of Lauren and their unborn child. Jack is honest about the depth of his despair and his battles with depression, PTSI, and heavy drinking. As he digs himself out of the deepest hole imaginable, Jack learns universal truths that will help anyone confronted with tragedy. Like a River to the Sea is also a deeply personal look at an event of historical importance. Jack takes us inside the White House to meet with President Bush and to the precipice of a still-smoldering hole in the earth outside of Shanksville, Penn. The book goes aboard United 93 in its final minutes, when this brave collection of Americans fought to retake control of the plane, ultimately preventing the hijackers from completing their mission and becoming the first heroes in the war against terror. As with Jack's life, Like a River to the Sea is defined by the boundless depths of human love. Eighteen years after losing his wife and their unborn baby, Jack finally remarried, and his new bride so honors the love between him and Lauren that her wedding ring includes stones that Lauren once wore on her finger. This is the magic of Like A River To The Sea, which begins with heartbreak but becomes a story about the triumph of the human spirit.

Alan Shipnuck, the New York Times bestselling author of Phil, returns with a major new work of insider reporting on the battle for the soul of professional golf between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League. The golf world is at war, and Alan Shipnuck is our most trusted correspondent on the front lines. Following closely on the heels of his bestselling sensation Phil, Shipnuck turns to the conflict that has made Mickelson, and many other top golfers, villainous in the eyes of the public: LIV Golf's bid to usurp the PGA Tour. In LIV and Let Die, Shipnuck delivers the inside story in real time, with fly-on-the-wall reporting from the decadent yachts where LIV was hatched and within the corridors of power as the PGA Tour flailed to fend off the threat. Shipnuck has traveled seamlessly between both tours, having countless conversations with players, caddies, CEOs, agents, financiers, lawyers, flaks, fans, and Instagramming wives to deliver a no-holds-barred account of the most chaotic moment in golf history. Anyone who has a stake in professional golf is lining up for an interview with Shipnuck--because they know everyone else is talking to him, too. The disruption to an old, proud sport was largely conducted in the shadows but LIV and Let Die delivers numerous revelations about what really happened, and why. Shipnuck's unparalleled access and award-winning reporting chops provides rich portraits of the brand-name protagonists to this sprawling story: Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, Greg Norman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Dustin Johnson, Jay Monahan, Rory McIlroy, Jack Nicklaus, His Excellency Yasir al-Rumayyan, Pat (and Ashley!) Perez, Brooks Koepka, Patrick (and Justine!) Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, and many more. Bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, LIV Golf has upended the men's professional game with vast riches, but Human Rights Watch calls the Saudi endeavor "an effort to distract from its serious human rights abuses by taking over events that celebrate human achievement." LIV Golf has become a moral and political question, and Shipnuck unpacks the many freighted issues with nuance and expertise. Long known as the most fearless writer on the golf beat, Shipnuck has delivered another hotly anticipated book. It is the definitive account of the one biggest golf stories this century and a lively page-turner that in places reads like a spy thriller.

Alan Shipnuck, the New York Times bestselling author of Phil, returns with a major new work of insider reporting on the battle for the soul of professional golf between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League. The golf world is at war, and Alan Shipnuck is our most trusted correspondent on the front lines. Following closely on the heels of his bestselling sensation Phil, Shipnuck turns to the conflict that has made Mickelson, and many other top golfers, villainous in the eyes of the public: LIV Golf’s bid to usurp the PGA Tour. In LIV and Let Die, Shipnuck delivers the inside story in real time, with fly-on-the-wall reporting from the decadent yachts where LIV was hatched and within the corridors of power as the PGA Tour flailed to fend off the threat. Shipnuck has traveled seamlessly between both tours, having countless conversations with players, caddies, CEOs, agents, financiers, lawyers, flaks, fans, and Instagramming wives to deliver a no-holds-barred account of the most chaotic moment in golf history. Anyone who has a stake in professional golf is lining up for an interview with Shipnuck—because they know everyone else is talking to him, too. The disruption to an old, proud sport was largely conducted in the shadows but LIV and Let Die delivers numerous revelations about what really happened, and why. Shipnuck’s unparalleled access and award-winning reporting chops provides rich portraits of the brand-name protagonists to this sprawling story: Tiger Woods, Donald Trump, Greg Norman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Dustin Johnson, Jay Monahan, Rory McIlroy, Jack Nicklaus, His Excellency Yasir al-Rumayyan, Pat (and Ashley!) Perez, Brooks Koepka, Patrick (and Justine!) Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, and many more. Bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, LIV Golf has upended the men’s professional game with vast riches, but Human Rights Watch calls the Saudi endeavor “an effort to distract from its serious human rights abuses by taking over events that celebrate human achievement.� LIV Golf has become a moral and political question, and Shipnuck unpacks the many freighted issues with nuance and expertise. Long known as the most fearless writer on the golf beat, Shipnuck has delivered another hotly anticipated book. It is the definitive account of the one biggest golf stories this century and a lively page-turner that in places reads like a spy thriller.

The controversy began with a seemingly innocuous private letter, and spiraled into the biggest media event in golf history. The Augusta National membership dispute dominated headlines and watercooler conversation for nearly a year, propelled by twenty-first-century hot-button issues and a pair of perfectly drawn foils in Hootie Johnson and Martha Burk. But a year after Burk's messy Masters week protest, the meaning of the membership controversy remains elusive. In "The Battle for Augusta National, " Alan Shipnuck -- who reinvented the PGA Tour narrative with the rollicking "Bud, Sweat, & Tees" -- provides the definitive account of what really happened and why.
In this lively, irreverent, ambitious book, Shipnuck chases the story from the chairman's office at Augusta National to the living room of the One Man Klan, along the way bringing to life a vivid cast of characters and revealing subplots aplenty. With meticulous reporting and penetrating insights, Shipnuck provides a nuanced look into the complex and contradictory worlds of Hootie and Martha, who were drawn together like moths to a flame; reveals Augusta National's secret plots to undermine the press and the accompanying turmoil at "The New York Times, " including an exclusive interview with the Times's disgraced executive editor, Howell Raines; and explores the Southern politics that led to Burk's Masters week banishment, drawing on Senate confirmation hearings and campaign contribution documents to link local politicians and a federal judge to Augusta National.
From Tiger Woods to Jack Welch, Sandra Day O'Connor to Bryant Gumbel, Treasury Secretary Snow to Jesse Jackson, the gang's all here in this withering look at a story that never stopped churning.
Along the way, many of the membership controversy's mysteries are revealed. How did Augusta National's top-secret membership roll become public? Who was the shadowy protester identified by hoodwinked reporters as Heywood Jablome? Did Burk lie about a vast right-wing conspiracy to undermine her demonstration? All of this and much more can be found in "The Battle for Augusta National, " a book that captures the passion and absurdity of a great national debate that continues to simmer.