David Feherty
David William Feherty (born 13 August 1958) is a Northern Irish-born former professional golfer and current golf broadcaster. As a touring professional he won five European Tour events, competed at the Open Championship twice (1989 and 1994), and played on Europe's 1991 Ryder Cup team. Late in his career he joined the PGA Tour. Since retiring, he has worked as a television personality; from 1997 through 2015 Feherty served as an on-course reporter for the PGA Tour on CBS. In 2011, he introduced a self-titled interview series on the Golf Channel and subsequently joined NBC Sports full-time in 2016. In July 2022, it was announced that Feherty would depart NBC and become an analyst for LIV Golf.[2][3]
"Feherty" redirects here. For the TV series, see Feherty (TV series).David Feherty
David William Feherty
13 August 1958
Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Anita
1976
11
33 (16 February 1992)[1]
5
3
3
T52: 1992
T7: 1991
CUT: 1992
T4: 1994
Golf career[edit]
Feherty turned professional in 1976 and spent most of his playing career in Europe, where he won five times and finished in the top ten twice in the European Tour's Order of Merit, placing tenth in 1989 and eighth in 1990. He spent 1994 and 1995 playing mainly on the PGA Tour in the U.S., and the best result on the tour was a second-place finish at the 1994 New England Classic. His combined career earnings exceeded $3 million. Feherty represented Ireland in international competition and captained the victorious 1990 Alfred Dunhill Cup team. Feherty played for Europe on the 1991 Ryder Cup team.
Personal life[edit]
Feherty was born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. He lives with his second wife Anita and their five children in Dallas, Texas. They have one daughter, Erin, born in 1998. Anita Feherty has two sons from a former marriage. Until 1995 he was married to Caroline Feherty, a South African beauty queen. They have two sons.
Feherty has had a long struggle with depression and alcoholism,—which he publicly addressed in 2006[4][5]—however these symptoms, in addition to racing thoughts and insomnia, proved to be part of a Bipolar disorder diagnosis he received in 2011.[6] In an interview with Golf Magazine about his problems, Feherty said: "I used alcohol to mask my inner demons". The outspoken columnist then took a shot at actor and noted Scientologist Tom Cruise, who has said that therapy and drugs are useless and that depression can be cured by physical exercise: "Actually, some sort of exercise would have helped me. If I kicked the shit out of Tom Cruise, I'd feel a lot better about myself."[7] Along with George Lopez, Feherty hosted the Lopez-Feherty Foundation Anti-Pro-Am in November 2005.
In 2008, Feherty was hit by a truck while cycling. He suffered three broken ribs, which punctured his lung. He was hospitalised for a few days with a tube in his chest. He resumed his broadcast duties at the 2008 Masters Tournament.[8]
Feherty became a naturalised citizen of the United States on 23 February 2010.[9]
In 2012, Feherty was awarded the third-highest honor within the Department of the Army Civilian Awards, the Outstanding Civilian Service Award, for substantial contributions to the U.S. Army community through his work with the Troops First Foundation.
On 29 July 2017, Feherty's oldest son, Shey, died after a drug overdose on his 29th birthday.[10]
Feherty describes himself as a "diehard atheist".[11]