The NBA Player Who Might Love Golf More Than Basketball | Dan Evans Show #97

Sam Merrill joins Dan Evans for a really fun conversation about why golf has become such a huge part of his life. The NBA champion and elite movement shooter opens up about balancing pro basketball, family life, and an obsession with golf that only keeps growing. From being a two-handicap and planning an Ireland buddies trip, to playing Whisper Rock, teeing it up in a PGA Tour Pro-Am, watching YouTube golf, and dealing with pressure on and off the court, this episode is a great look at how the game pulls athletes in from every world.0:00 Sam Merrill joins the show0:22 Why golf might be his favorite sport0:57 How golf fits into NBA life1:56 How often he really gets to play during the season3:15 Why golf hits different than every other sport4:12 Has Sam Merrill already reached peak golf?5:18 The Ireland buddies trip6:19 How golf trips work with family life7:16 Planning golf around the NBA schedule8:17 Traveling with clubs vs renting9:04 Sam Merrill the gear tinkerer9:48 Testing graphite shafts in his irons10:05 Getting fit at The Kingdom12:00 Why golf is the perfect escape from NBA pressure14:19 The other sports Sam Merrill played growing up15:29 Shooting 93 and still making the golf team16:07 When basketball became the priority17:32 The two-year mission and how it affected the path19:20 When the NBA started to feel possible21:13 Living out the dream and not taking it for granted23:13 Family, faith, and staying grounded24:34 Last pick in the draft and proving he belonged25:23 The stress of bouncing around the league29:05 Telling his wife they had to move again31:12 Why having an athlete wife helps32:51 Favorite golf courses he’s played33:52 Playing with Cam Young in the Rocket Mortgage Pro-Am35:15 Why competitive golf is the worst and the best37:08 First-tee nerves in front of pros38:34 Why golf pressure is different from basketball39:21 TGL, shot clocks, and Brooks Koepka’s golf theory40:37 PGA Tour or YouTube golf?42:34 His favorite YouTube golf channels43:28 Rory, Finau, Jason Day and the players he roots for45:21 Golf content plans and what’s next46:05 The social media comments athletes deal with47:06 Why gamblers are the worst in the comments48:25 Final thoughts