In this episode of The Golf Sit Down, Ryan and Seth sit down with Ben Polland, PGA, Director of Golf at Shooting Star (WY) and reigning 2024 PGA Professional Champion. Ben shares his incredible journey from late-blooming high school golfer to competing on the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR events, and representing the PGA of America internationally.

We dig into:

• Why competing often is the fastest way to grow • The mental game shift that changed Ben’s career • How to pick a great coach (and when to move on) • Why junior golfers MUST play more tournaments • What Ben learned playing with Scottie Scheffler • How to practice with purpose — even while working full-time

If you're a junior golfer, parent, coach, or competitive golf nerd, this episode is packed with insights you can use TODAY.

👉 Like, comment, and subscribe for more elite-level conversations! Hosts: Ryan Dailey, PGA & Seth Thompson, PGA Executive Producer: A.J. Reimann Find The Golf Sit Down: https://linktr.ee/TheGolfSitDown

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Intro: Welcome Ben Pollin, PGA 00:09 – Ben’s background & growing up in Minnesota 02:00 – Choosing golf over baseball 03:00 – Why Ben chose Campbell University 04:10 – Early struggles & learning modern instruction 06:00 – Internships at Sebonack & Deepdale 07:30 – First major success & qualifying for nationals 09:40 – Turning pro & chasing the tour dream 11:00 – Competing to get better 14:00 – Playing with Scottie Scheffler 17:00 – Learning from elite players 19:00 – When self-belief finally clicked 21:00 – Pressure on tour vs. freedom now 23:00 – Managing a team while competing 24:30 – The importance of good coaching 27:20 – How to know if coaching is working 30:20 – Grip changes & experimentation 32:38 – Junior golf challenges & building programs 33:49 – How tournaments shape young players 35:49 – The Catherine Andino story 37:30 – How many tournaments juniors should play 38:52 – Mental freedom & pressure 39:50 – Why nerves are GOOD 41:38 – Big takeaways for parents & juniors 42:47 – Growth & comfort don’t coexist 43:26 – Closing thoughts & gratitude

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