In this debut episode of In Between Shots, Patrick McDonald sits down with five-time PGA TOUR winner Harris English for an honest and nuanced breakdown of the defining moments of his career.
From his early days to his Ryder Cup pressure moments, Harris opens up about the shots, decisions, and emotions that shaped him as a player. This isn’t a surface-level highlight reel — it’s a rare behind-the-scenes look at how a world-class golfer thinks, processes, and competes under the biggest spotlight.
Patrick guides Harris through key chapters of his journey, including:
🇺🇸 What the Walker Cup taught him about team golf
🔥 The shot-making and confidence behind his 2013 St. Jude victory
🎯 A pivotal moment at the 2019 PLAYERS Championship
🌺 His performance at the 2021 Sentry
⛳ One of the wildest finishes of the decade at the 2021 Travelers Championship
📐 Why his putter is the quiet engine behind his success
🇺🇸 Inside the 2021 Ryder Cup pressure — and his mindset heading into 2025
📩 And yes… Harris finally shares his thoughts on the Ryder Cup Envelope Rule
Whether you love strategy, storytelling, or simply hearing elite players break down exactly what they were thinking in the moment, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Hit subscribe for more episodes of In Between Shots — the series where the game’s best players take us inside the shots that changed everything.
0:00 Intro
0:20 2011 Nationwide
1:00 Walker Cup
2:00 2013 St. Jude Classic
3:30 2019 Players Championship
4:30 2021 Sentry
6:05 2021 Travelers Championship
8:35 His putter
10:30 2021 Ryder Cup
11:30 2025 Ryder Cup
12:15 Envelope Rule
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Golf on CBS Podcast with Shane Bacon & company delivers expert insight, sharp analysis, and behind-the-scenes stories from the PGA Tour every Tuesday. The show breaks down the biggest events, preview upcoming tournaments, and bring you unfiltered conversations with golf’s biggest names — all with the trusted voice of CBS Sports.
on the envelope rule. Do you think the rule should change at all moving forward? I know it’s been been in play for a long time. I I know that I might not ever play RDER Cup again. It’s over. I’m Harris English and this is in between shots. First shot we’re going to talk about Nationwide back in uh 2011. Third am ever to win on the Nationwide Tour. Playing alongside John as well that final day. kind of take us through this putt. Dad on the bag if I recall correctly too and uh you know winning as an amter. Yeah, first of all I mean it was such an unbelievable um opportunity to get to play in that um as an amter. Um I was playing some good golf leading into that. I I played pretty good in the pub links a few weeks before this. I won the southern amter the week before so I was playing with a lot of confidence and it was awesome to to win that event and I stayed amitter. My my whole goal that summer was to make the Walker Cup team and that really put me in a position to make the Walker Cup team and I I was going to say you had a hell of a summer between the Walker Cup who like Kentley was on that team speed Uline Patrick Rogers Russell Henley Nathan Smith was our midam guy who was the Walker Cup captain this past year. Chris Williams I think was like the number one amateur. Blaine Barber, Kelly Craft. So a lot of guys that I I’ve seen on the PJ tour for years. We had a we had a great team and and that was my first time playing Lynx golf and I think we lost by like a point and a half. It was a great match at Royal Aberdine and um one of those experiences I’ll never forget. Growing up in South Georgia, I came over to the Walker Cup in 2001 at Ocean Forest and I I saw a lot of those guys like your Lucas Glover, Luke Donald played and I remember I think I was like 12 or 13 years old and and coming over and I was like I I want to play in the Walker Cup someday and I made that one of my goals and it was uh awesome to make the team. And then a couple years later, first went on the PGA tour. I think Phil Mickelson was kind of trying to track you down there. Uh big birdie here on 17 late to kind of seal the deal. Yeah. So I I had a one shot lead going in 17. Um hit 3-wood off the TE. One of the best three wheels of my life. Um the 17’s one of the tough holes toughest holes out there. Um I hit it kind of on the left center of the fairway and I had this branch that was kind of overhanging the the trees on the left and it it kind of forced me to hit this like low cut which I I prefer. Like I I grew up in South Georgia. I was in the trees a lot. Like I I didn’t hit it that straight. So I love when trees kind of make you for force you to hit a shot. And I had a little low low cut 7R. I flushed it to 15 20 ft past the hole and and that putt on 17. I’m just trying to lag it down there. Um that’s not one I’m really trying to make. But you kind of get in the zone so much and it just comes off perfect and ends up going in. And you got a two- shot lead going into 18, which is a pretty tough hole. And I was definitely nervous, but one of those moments when you know you’re playing some good golf and and every shot you hit coming down the stretch is exactly how you’re seeing it. Were you a leaderboard watcher in your career? Early in your career? I I am a little bit. Um especially when it comes down the stretch like that. I I like knowing what I have to do. Yeah. And and kind of setting the table. Um so that that definitely helped me out. I knew I had a one shot lead going in 17 and after making that birdie, I knew that two shot lead’s a lot more comfortable than having a one shot lead. So, it it definitely helped me out in that scenario. So, we have another shot, of course, with a lot of trees. TPC Sawrass. Uh 19 players championship. I’m not sure if you’re going to remember this. Albatross. Uh there on number 11, the par five. Yeah. Uh you remember the club? You remember what you were thinking at all? Yeah, it was definitely a full three iron. Um with that pin on the front like that, like I’m I’m okay with just leaving in the front bunker. you have a pretty easy bunker shot, but it just comes out just how you wanted to. Obviously, right at the flag and and you’re not thinking about making a two on that hole. I’m just trying to get it on the green or somewhere around the green where I can make a pretty easy birdie. Um I don’t think I was playing that great leading into that that hole and and that you make an albatross, it it uh turns it around pretty quickly. How many of those do you have? Just like total, not professional. I think that’s my only one. Really? Yeah. Dang. Yeah. Okay. Do you have that picture framed anywhere? I don’t. I don’t. I made a I made a eagle on 18 this past year. Hold out on uh with a eight iron on 18. So I’ve I’ve had some pretty good hole outs there. Like one of my favorite holes as a viewer 18 at Capalua. Unfortunately not going this year. Um but in route to your first win in a little bit of time there. How first off, how fun is it to sling an iron down 18 and into that green? I love playing that hole. I mean that’s one of the widest fairways we play on the PJ tour. And when you’re around the lead or have the lead, that’s that’s a fair fairway you want to step up to and and feel like you can hit a drive as hard as you can and you’re not going to miss the fairway. And that was a good a good yardage for me. I mean, I think that was the same three iron I I made the albatross with in 2019. It’s been in the bag for a long time. Um, a club I’m very comfortable with. And and just that shot like the the kind of downhill right to left lie. You got plenty of room to work it from right to left. Like I I love visualizing that shot and and that’s one of the more iconic holes we play on the PJ tour and hit a really good one in regulation and and hit it probably 12 to 15 feet and um barely missed the Eagle putt, but had the same shot again in the playoff against Walke Neman and and hit the same shot and and uh made birdie and and got out of there with a win. What’s uh the difference between the actual and what you’re playing at there? Like cuz on TV it’s tough to tell how drastic that is. Yeah, I would I would say it’s at least 20 yards downhill downhill and and with with the ball coming in so low, you’ve got so much room short to run it up. So, you could have 240 250 front, but you’re only trying to land it 215 220. Um, just hit that heater. Let the let the hill kind of take it in there. And then uh another one 2021 was I mean banner year, you know, not to pump you up too much, but uh Tra can’t talk can’t talk without talking about the Travelers Championship against Kramer Hickok, eight holes. I heard that you weren’t quite 100% during that. Is that true? Yeah, that was a long day. I finished and I played with Jason Day and then went to the range and hit balls and then came out to the playoff. It was hot. been out there all day and going eight holes. I I’ve I’ve not done that before. Um it’s crazy how many people still come up to me and and like talk about the the eight-hole playoff of how much fun they had at their house or going to a dinner party and and having a few more beers, having a few more cocktails and and watching this eight-hole playoff. I wish we could have given him a few more birdies to cheer about, but it was a it was a great battle. Kramer hung in there unbelievably well. He was making putts, I was making putts. It was a It was a great back and forth. And um I had a really good chance to close it out at one point um number six sixth hole. The sixth the sixth time. And then I had the very similar putt on the eighth playoff hole and ended up converting. But Travelers is one of my favorite tournaments. It’s such a fun place for us to play. The the fans really get into it. It’s so much fun to to play Kramer in that a-hole playoff and ended up winning. Do you think they should add 15 to the playoff rotation? I think they should. That’s that’s definitely a do or die hole. I mean, you step up there and you hit a good three-wood or three iron and can make eagle or you miss a shot and you can make bogear double in a heartbeat. Yeah. Um I think if you play 15 every single time, you’re going to have a winner within two or three holes. Okay. Well, uh we’ll tell the PJ tour that moving forward. Um I’m curious the second playoff hole when you saw your ball was buried. What was going through your mind there? Yeah, that that was you kind of have to get over missing it in the absolute worst spot you could. Like, okay, well, I’m a little bit on an ups slope. Um Kramer is at worst going to make par, so I have to play pretty aggressively with this shot and and if I leave it in the bunker, fine. But I I’ve got to play a pretty aggressive shot. And that ball being a little bit on the ups slip helps a lot. And you can just splash it out. And it’s not like you practice those plug lies that often. you just kind of learn how to hit them and and it’s a very much a feel shot and it’s one of those where it comes off exactly how he wanted to and I was putting really good that day and that week and um made a really good six-footer to keep it going. I’m curious about the putter like how long have you had that in the bag? I started putting with it my senior year of college. So 20 spring semester of 2011 every win with it. I’ve I’ve deviated off of it a little bit. I think I’ve I’ve won with another ping putter called the the gnome. Okay. So, we had Sneds in here talk about his putter and how the Tors like come in and made him change the grip. I know that happened to you at the RDER Cup as well. Was that more mental for you or like actually the grip like messed with your stroke a little bit. I’m not saying you puted bad. Yeah. I’m just saying in general. The the grip did not mess with me at all. It’s almost like the rattier it is, the better I like it. Um I like a very worn-in grip. Sometimes those new grips, they’re a little slick and and especially out on the course, like my hands sweat a good bit and I don’t like how slick those grips are. So sometimes if I put a new grip on, I’ll almost sand it down to get that new finish off there. Like I like it worn in really. I don’t know if somebody So the I’m walking into the course on Sunday morning getting ready for my singles match and Steve Stricker calls me literally as I’m walking in the clubhouse and he’s like, “Harry, like there’s something wrong with your grip. Like I don’t know. Somebody called into the PJ of America and we’ve got to we’ve got to look at your grip. Like something’s not right.” So I go in there and of course Davis Love gets out like a Xacto knife or something and he’s doing surgery on my grip and taping it up and doing all this stuff because it was I don’t know what they deemed it but there’s nobody else on the team or the European team who have wanted to putt with that grip. So it’s not like it helped me but I guess it was worn beyond what is legal and somehow they fixed it. They taped it up. Whatever. Like it didn’t it didn’t really bother me. Do you know how long it it was in use before? Those grips those those wind grips wear out pretty quickly, but it it was at least two years probably. Okay, gotcha. I mean, what was that first RDER Cup like for you? You teamed up with Tony Fen now. Yeah, a bunch. Uh I mean, that must have been an alltime experience, especially with I mean, how confident you all were playing? I mean, you look at that team, some incredible golfers teaming up with Tony Fenel. Um he’s become a really good friend out here. I mean, rock solid. Best family guy I’ve ever met. Um, our our demeanors were very much the same. Um, he was playing really well. He was putting really well. So, I was just kind of riding his coattails the whole week and I felt like I played really solid and made a ton of pars out there and and Tony was the one who was kind of being more aggressive and and making a lot of birdies. So, playing for Stricker up there was unbelievable. I know how how much playing in Wisconsin meant to him. Um he’s been a great mentor of mine um for a long time and and when I first came on tour I’ I’d play a good many practice rounds with him and go out to dinner with him some and um it was very special for me to to play for him at a RED Cup. How different was the experience this time around having kind of the experience already of being on the team before? Yeah, it was it was definitely different. I I knew kind of what to expect going into it. I knew how rowdy the crowds would get. I knew how nervous or how much adrenaline you’re going to have on the first tee. Um, and kind of what to expect leading up to the week. Like your first RDER Cup, you don’t understand how many dinners and obligations you have leading up to the tournament. And then once the tournament gets there, it’s it’s like a a blur to the finish. Only two days or three days, 36 holes um in two days. And it’s a lot. So, I had I knew knew what to expect going into New York this year. What uh what was your perspective on Sunday with the envelope rule and kind of what did your day look like? Yeah, it was tough. It was tough. I was in the locker room warming up, getting ready to play. I knew Victor um wasn’t feeling well from the day before and um yeah, was it was tough to get that news. Um but I kind of had to get over it as quickly as I can and change like, okay, I’m not I’m not playing golf today. I’m going to be the best teammate I can and go cheer on my team and and watch them play and and almost had an unbelievable comeback. I mean, every every single guy was was playing some really good golf and um we almost had an alltime epic comeback. Do you think uh you know, did you feel a moment there on Sunday where you thought you guys were going to pull it off? Oh, 100%. I mean, I was looking at the the pairings even before before the round. I was like, I can see a scenario where we win every single match. Mhm. And it almost happened. Um I know the Europeans were probably getting nervous. Um we were getting a lot of momentum going and they could have easily flipped to where we could have won every single match. Do you think the rule should change at all moving forward? That’s a tough question. I know it’s been been in play for a long time. Um I don’t know how to change it. Um I know Victor Victor was hurt. I I know that he came up to me. Um, I know he couldn’t play, but it it hurts my ability to play for my team on Sunday. And it’s something I’ll never get back. And um, I I know that I might not ever play RDER Cup again. So, it it hurts. It definitely hurts the other player who is able to play and and loses that opportunity to play. So, I don’t know how they should change it. I mean, I I get that you don’t want to have an alternate up there the whole week. Um, but it’s tough. I mean, I know that rule has been in play for a long time and they’ve only had to use it a couple times and um it just sucks that it happened this year. Yeah. Well, you’ll just have to be on the team in Ireland, right? I 100% agree. Absolutely. Well, Harris, that’s all we’ve got got for you. We appreciate your time. Thank you. Thank you. Great questions.
