Throughout his 16‑year Major League career, Mark Grace earned a reputation as one of baseball’s purest line‑drive hitters. After retiring, he turned his focus to the celebrity golf circuit, where he met a fellow athlete equally adept at dispatching frozen ropes.
On the latest episode of the Subpar podcast, Grace—an established competitor at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro‑Am—shared memories of a memorable range session that turned into a masterclass in one of golf’s most valuable shots.
Like many players, even those accustomed to the spotlight, Grace confessed feeling jittery before his round at Pebble Beach. While warming up on the range, he glanced over to see Vijay Singh, then at the height of his powers, placing his bag beside him.
Grace had expected the three‑time major champion to begin with wedges and gradually progress through ਮੈਂ.’s set.
Instead, Singh immediately reached for his driver.
However, rather than teeing the ball high for a soaring flight, Singh hush‑dropped the clubhead and struck low, piercing drives that barely rose fifteen feet off the mat—a golf analog to a “gap double.”Grace described the shots as “bullet‑like.”
He asked Singh to explain his reasoning, never having seen a skilled golfer start a range session directly with a driver.
Singh offered a straightforward answer.
“Mark, when you play Pebble Beach, you better have that shot ready,” Singh advised. “Because of the wind—it can blow at 45 mph. You better have it or you’re heading home.”
The anecdote sparked a broader discussion about Singh’s often-misunderstood reputation. Co‑host Colt Knost recalled finding Singh funny and engaging, while Grace compared the dynamic to Barry Bonds—another superstar whose public image sometimes diverges from his true character.
Listeners can hear the full interview—and additional anecdotes from Grace’s Pebble Beach experience—on the current episode of Subpar.
