About John Davis
Ever since high school, when he wrote regularly for his hometown newspaper, John Davis knew he wanted to be a sports journalist because he figured it would always keep him "close to the action."
So it comes as no surprise that, since completing military service as a medical specialist, he has spent many of his waking hours in sports venues, and even slept in a few.
"JD," as friends and colleagues know him, has covered every major sport, primarily in his home state of Michigan and Arizona, and still resides in both. When not enjoying the winter respite of the Valley of the Sun, he is on the shores of Lake Michigan in a popular golf area known as Michigan's "Gold Coast."
It was there, at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, that he began his daily newspaper career and, among other things, covered the high school basketball games of Dan Majerle, who later reached stardom with the Phoenix Suns at a time when John happened to be covering that NBA team. They also are fellow Chippewas, having graduated from Central Michigan University. But, as JD likes to say, "I'm the Chippewa. He's the Chippendale."
John's sports beats also have included the NFL, NHL, major league baseball and college football and basketball, but he is best known for his golf writing. He covered his first major championship in 1979 at Oakland Hills near Detroit and since has penned stories from many more majors and Ryder Cups around the world.
For 10 years he was golf writer at the Arizona Republic after covering golf and other sports for the former Phoenix Gazette. He has won numerous writing awards and continues to write for the Republic and other newspapers and magazines around the country on a freelance basis.
And when he turns off the computer, you can find him teeing it up, watching mob movies and Seinfeld reruns, enjoying Italian cuisine or just chilling out with a "Stella" and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
In any case at any place, JD will tell you, "It's all good."
And we think it's really good that JD is putting his golf writing expertise to work for the Arizona Golf Authority!
About Bill Huffman
There is one person in the Arizona golf community that knows all the news before it is broadcast, the Arizona Golf Authority's own Bill Huffman. It happens all the time, you call Bill with what you think is insider information only to be told "yeah, I know that." Then he'll go on to provide all the details you didn't have.
Huff Daddy, as we fondly call him, can't help it. He has a natural nose for sports news and it all started with his first "real" job covering high school football for the San Antonio Express-News, where he eventually became the assistant sports editor.
From 1977-82 he was the copy desk chief/assistant sports editor of the Des Moines Register - "The Big Peach." In the fall of 1982 he moved to Arizona as the copy desk chief of the Arizona Republic. In 1985 he became the assistant sports editor. Among his other accomplishments, Huffman served as the national president of the Associated Press Sports Editors Association in 1995, and was a member of the executive committee of the Golf Writers Association of America from 1996-98.
The first major golf championship he covered was the 1988 U.S. Open at Brookline near Boston, and he has covered 48 majors and Ryder Cups since, including 20 Masters. In addition to providing Huff Daddy insights for the Arizona Golf Authority, he writes about golf for the Arizona Golf Association, as well as publications like Arizona the State of Golf, Avid Golfer, Stratos, Luxury Resorts & Courses, and many more. And if that isn't enough, he and partners Corey LaRusso and Rick Levy have hosted Backspin the Golf Show since 1999.
Bill was born in Iowa City, Iowa, graduated from City High School in 1969, and from the University of Iowa in 1973 (bachelor of general studies) and 1975 (masters degree in journalism). He has three children - Kristen, Sky and Meghan - and lives in Tempe with his dogs Sampson and China and cats Jackson and Toby. He plays out of Whitefish Lake Golf Club in Montana, his "second home" and favorite place on Earth.
Yet another reason to admire Annika Sorenstam - she makes great wines. ANNIKAVineyards, a joint venture between Sorenstam and family-owned Wente Vineyards, launched in 2009 with the release of an elegant, full-bodied 2006 Syrah. It begs for a big, juicy steak - or some velvety, extra dark chocolate -to match its richness.
I had the good fortune to attend the Second Annual Annika Golf and Wine Event in July 2010, held at Wente Vineyards to celebrate the new 2008 Chardonnay. During the shotgun golf tournament, Annika poured the Chardonnay on the 7th tee and hit a tee shot for each foursome on the downhill par-3. She watched as each of us hit our tee shots - they turned out to be probably our worst drives of the day!
