For golf author Steve DiMeglio, the beat was way over only a job

Steve DiMeglio, the longtime golf author for USA At the moment and, later, Golfweek, was the one reporter who may come emerge from a press tent, hold with Tiger Woods on a follow placing inexperienced, get stuff that he may use, and rather a lot he would by no means use, and dwell to do it once more every week later.

“DiMegs,” as Woods and lots of others known as him, was 63 when he died in his condo in Ponte Vedra Seashore earlier this week following a combat with colon most cancers. He lived alone, by no means married, by no means had youngsters, his dad and mom predeceased him. The beat was his life. Gamers, caddies, officers and different writers have been like his household.

“Sadly the golf world misplaced a part of our household at present,” Woods mentioned in a message on X. Individuals in golf, particularly individuals related to the PGA Tour, abuse the phrase household. The PGA Tour isn’t a household. However on this case, Woods used the proper phrase. A handful of Tour media officers, who lived close to DiMeglio, would verify on him repeatedly by means of his 30-month well being ordeal. They grew fearful after they weren’t capable of attain him on New Yr’s Day.

DiMeglio was an 8-handicap golfer with a sporty sport and such deep connections within the sport he may play most any course he wished to play. His most popular mode of transportation on any course was a quick cart geared up with a beer cooler. A golf course that didn’t allow smoking was a nightmare for him.

DiMeglio was loyal to Delta Airways, Marriott accommodations, Bud Mild, Marlboro Gold and the Mellow Mushroom pizzeria chain. He’d lease vehicles from anyone. He appreciated to journey together with his personal golf equipment, however he’d lease golf equipment as needed. He wore the logoed membership shirt of wherever he performed final. He labored carrying shorts and basketball sneakers however cleaned up properly for the Golf Writers Affiliation of America dinner held yearly on the outskirts of Augusta. He served on the GWAA board of administrators for years.

When you have been taller than 5-foot-8, DiMeglio known as you Large Man. He was about 5-foot-5 with a trim goatee and an distinctive head of hair that he combed straight again with out product. He was born and raised in Minnesota.

A part of DiMeglio’s distinct standing, as a popular and revered reporter on the golf beat, got here from the truth that he labored for a paper that the majority execs learn the second they opened their hotel-room door or went all the way down to the foyer. Earlier than the rise of the web, USA At the moment was the bible of the PGA Tour, way more so than the New York Instances or Wall Avenue Journal or another paper. Arnold Palmer learn USA At the moment. Tim Finchem learn it. Tiger Woods learn it.

DiMeglio introduced out the most effective in Woods. He seldom wrote about Woods’s struggles in his non-public life. He felt an athlete ought to be capable to lead a personal life. However together with two shut buddies, Doug Ferguson of the AP and Bob Harig of Sports activities Illustrated, no one chronicled Woods’s surgical procedures with extra precision. These surgical procedures impacted Woods’ public life.

DiMeglio wrote with unimaginable financial system, pace and accuracy, but additionally with perception and a way of golf historical past. He could possibly be hilariously and remarkably direct. He would typically ask individuals, “What’s your vice?” He knew having a vice was an important a part of the human situation. The one time he actually judged individuals was when reporters dropping in on the golf beat would ask boring, rally-killing, stem-winding questions at press conferences.

Earlier than the rise of Google, DiMeglio may identify all of the LPGA commissioners, together with Invoice Blue, who lasted solely two years. DiMeglio knew the ins and out the ladies’s tour practically in addition to he knew the lads’s. He counted Dottie Pepper, Paula Creamer and Lexi Thompson as buddies and as sources. It may be difficult for reporters, to navigate these sorts of relationships. For DiMeglio, it was second nature.

He would communicate with immense satisfaction about his late father, a college professor. He was a voracious reader of newspapers and magazines and appeared to retain every thing he learn, however he was completely unpretentious and considerate, in his personal means. When he smoked in your presence, he cupped his hand across the cigarette and blew his smoke away from you. 

DiMeglio got here to the golf beat after protecting main league baseball for years and regardless of the place the dialog went he was all in: baseball, golf, nationwide politics, traditional rock music, administration efforts to bust unions at newspapers and Large Three vehicle producers auto crops, then again to golf. On politics, he was an avowed liberal. He had a conservative stance about most adjustments in golf. He was nearly comically dismissive of LIV Golf. Nicely, he did dwell a pair miles from the PGA Tour workplaces. You nearly by no means noticed him speaking on TV. He believed writers ought to be learn and never seen.

When his editors gave him house, DiMeglio would write wealthy, detailed items, typically about sudden topics, like Jack Nicklaus’s sixth-place end on the 1998 Masters at age 58.

On the 2019 Masters, at Woods’s pre-tournament press convention, DiMeglio requested Woods what everyone wished to know.

DiMeglio: “A pair fast ones. To start with, what’s the brand in your shirt?”

Woods: “Frank.” 

DiMeglio: “What?”

Woods: “Frank, my head cowl.”

DiMeglio, shifting on: “Are you able to inform us, what you consider the adjustments made on 5 and the way will you play that gap in another way?”

Woods: “5, it’s simply lengthy. The bunkers, they’re nonetheless deep. I feel they’re unplayable, to get the ball to the inexperienced. You must be very fortunate and get a state of affairs that you simply would possibly be capable to get to the entrance fringe of the inexperienced. You want to keep out of these bunkers. However it’s simply actually lengthy.

“The inexperienced, I do know it’s been softened. That new pin up on the highest left, they created years in the past, for them to provide a chance to place a pin there. However now they’re undoubtedly going to have a pin up there.

“Will probably be fascinating to see what they do with the course setup on that gap. It been raining right here. It’s mushy. The fairways aren’t going to provide it up. If that’s the case, I don’t know if we’re going to play the fifth at 495 yards each day. I’m positive the tee can be moved up, similar to what we see on seven, typically on one. Typically the tee containers are moved up. Different instances, if it’s heat, they put the tee containers again.

“There’s great flexibility in how they create these tee containers as a result of they’re so lengthy. You may transfer across the golf course, you’ll be able to play it in all probability play it 7,400 yards in the event that they wish to play it on the quick facet and north of seven,500 in the event that they wish to play it on the lengthy facet.

“Will probably be fascinating to see how they set it up, however I’m positive that they may do an unimaginable job like they at all times do and current us with an extremely powerful check, however one that’s extraordinarily honest.”

You see the size of that reply, the hassle Woods made, the small print he offered? In a fashion of talking, all of that could be a operate of the standard of the query, and a mirrored image of how Woods felt concerning the reporter who requested it.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your electronic mail at Michael.Bamberger@Golf.com