On this week's episode of The Cart Barn, Chris Lemley and Gregg Dewalt are joined by Samford University senior and reigning Alabama Women's Amateur champion Gabi Nicastro, fresh off a semifinal run at the 2026 U.S. Women's Amateur. The Huntsville, Alabama native talks entering the national tournament as the 44th seed and ranked 380th in the world, beating four higher seeded golfers to reach the final four, and falling to top seeded Anna Iwanaga after playing in a field alongside nationally ranked names like Asterisk Talley and Scarlett Schremmer. Gabi also talks her path from softball to golf, working with swing coach Craig Bachand, her What's In The Bag rundown, and the school record 10 under 62 that gave her her first collegiate win at Samford.

UAB football head coach Alex Mortensen joins The Cart Barn for a 2026 season preview, recorded on the range at the Regions Tradition just days before college football kickoff. Mortensen, who spent nine seasons on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama, breaks down NIL, revenue sharing, the transfer portal, and how UAB football is closing the recruiting gap on American Conference contenders like Tulane, Memphis, and USF.

Mortensen also tells the story of UAB taking the field against Tulsa 40 players short, and winning the program's first road game in three years.

Alex Mortensen is the head football coach at UAB, hired in December 2025 after nine seasons on Nick Saban's Alabama staff. He is the son of the late ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

Jason Bohn is a two-time PGA Tour winner, University of Alabama golf alum, and now a PGA Tour Champions player competing this week at the 2026 Regions Tradition in Hoover, Alabama. On this episode of the Cart Barn Podcast, Bohn tells the story of the day Ernie Els, a four-time major champion and World Golf Hall of Famer, walked up to him on the practice green and asked him for putting tips. Bohn's response: "you're a Hall of Famer, bud, what are you asking me for?"

That moment lines up with what Bohn says makes the PGA Tour Champions circuit different from the tour he grew up on: players are far more open with each other, trading tips and advice no matter whose resume is bigger. It's the same reason you can get Vijay Singh alone in a bunker for an hour and he'll tell you everything he knows.

Bohn also talks about choosing Alabama golf over a hometown offer from Penn State, life in Atlanta playing with fellow PGA Tour pros Stewart Cink and Billy Andrade, Wednesday night Bible study with Cink and Zach Johnson, buying a house in Tuscaloosa his own kids aren't allowed to live in, Alabama's new golf facility, and where he lands on NIL money in college golf.

Topics covered:

• The Ernie Els putting green story
• Choosing Alabama golf over Penn State for the weather
• His college teammates, including Dicky Pride
• Why PGA Tour Champions feels like a throwback to the 1950s and 60s barnstorming days
• What Vijay Singh will teach you if you get him in a bunker for an hour
• Life in Atlanta, playing with Stewart Cink and Billy Andrade
• Season tickets, a Tuscaloosa house just for him and his wife, and raising two future Alabama students
• The new Alabama golf facility Coach Sewell calls a "Lamborghini"
• NIL, college golf's facilities arms race, and why today's junior golfers are just better athletes

Every golfer has a story worth preserving. Thanks for letting us help preserve yours.

Freddie Jacobson's path to professional golf wasn't typical.

Growing up in Sweden, he played multiple sports before committing to golf. That journey eventually brought him to Wallace State Community College in Alabama, where he arrived speaking very little English but found an opportunity that helped launch a career spanning the European Tour, PGA TOUR, and now PGA TOUR Champions.

Recorded on-site at the Regions Tradition, Freddie joins Chris Lemley and Gregg DeWalt to discuss:

• Why Sweden has produced so many world-class golfers
• The value of playing multiple sports as a junior
• Choosing golf over hockey
• Coming to Alabama without speaking English
• Life at Wallace State and college golf
• Building a career on the European Tour and PGA TOUR
• Competing today on PGA TOUR Champions
• Why preparation and patience matter at every level of the game

Whether you're a competitive golfer, a fan of the game, or simply enjoy great stories, Freddie's journey proves that success often begins in the most unexpected places.

Guest

Learn more about Freddie Jacobson:

Freddie Jacobson – PGA TOUR Champions Profile

This week, we're taking a short break from guest interviews to catch up on what's happening in golf and share one of the most memorable golf trips we've ever discussed on The Cart Barn Podcast.

Gregg recently traveled to Nebraska, where he played everything from nationally ranked courses to hidden nine-hole gems. Along the way, he discovered something neither of us had ever seen before—a golf course with sand greens, including one unforgettable hole known simply as "The Bull Pen."

We also discuss:

• Jackson Koivun's incredible start on the PGA TOUR
• The Alabama Open and Carter Goodwin's wire-to-wire victory
• Gregg's visit to the USGA Women's Amateur Media Day at The Honors Course
• Why Nebraska may be America's most underrated golf destination
• The unique traditions that still exist in small-town golf
• Alabama Golf News' new Oakmont caddie series featuring stories from golf's past

Sometimes the best golf stories aren't about championships—they're about discovering something you've never seen before.

Every golfer has a story worth preserving. Thanks for letting us help preserve yours.

This week we're doing something a little different.

Instead of sitting down with a guest, Chris and Gregg catch up on what's happening in the golf world and revisit Gregg's recent golf trip through Nebraska.

The journey included nationally ranked golf courses, hidden nine-hole clubs, sand greens, and one unforgettable hole called The Bull Pen—a golf hole unlike anything either of us had ever experienced.

Along the way we also discuss:

• Jackson Koivun's rapid rise on the PGA TOUR
• The Alabama Open recap
• The USGA Women's Amateur at The Honors Course
• Why Nebraska deserves a spot on every golf travel bucket list
• The newest storytelling series on Alabama Golf News

Whether you love discovering hidden golf destinations or simply enjoy great stories from the game, this episode is for you.

Subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday.

Every golfer has a story worth preserving. Thanks for letting us help preserve yours.

Chapter Markers

00:00 Cold Open – What Is This? (The Bull Pen)
00:28 Intro
02:05 Jackson Koivun's PGA TOUR Win
03:10 Alabama Open Recap
04:30 USGA Women's Amateur at The Honors Course
08:20 Nebraska Golf Adventure Begins
11:15 Sand Greens & The Bull Pen
21:30 Hidden Nine-Hole Golf Courses
29:45 Alabama Golf News' Oakmont Caddie Series
34:00 What's Next for The Cart Barn
36:30 Closing Thoughts

Episode Keywords

Golf Travel

Nebraska Golf

Sand Greens

The Bull Pen

The Honors Course

USGA Women's Amateur

Jackson Koivun

Alabama Open

Golf Stories

Golf Podcast

Golf History

Hidden Golf Courses

Golf Travel Destinations

Small Town Golf

The Cart Barn Podcast

What happens after you shock the golf world at 16?

In this episode of The Cart Barn Podcast, Chris Lemley and Gregg DeWalt sit down with Anna Davis, the 2022 Augusta National Women's Amateur Champion, Curtis Cup champion, and Auburn University standout.

Anna reflects on how her life changed after Augusta, representing Team USA, competing in one of college golf's toughest conferences, and preparing for the next chapter of her career. She also shares stories from Augusta National, Pine Valley, Bel-Air, Muirfield, and other legendary golf courses while offering an honest look at the pressure, growth, and joy that come with competing at the highest level of amateur golf.

Whether you're a competitive golfer, an Auburn fan, or simply enjoy great golf stories, this conversation offers a rare look inside the journey of one of the game's rising stars.

Anna Davis
Augusta National Women's Amateur
Curtis Cup
Auburn Tigers
Women's Golf
College Golf
LPGA
Team USA
Golf
Golf Podcast
Amateur Golf
The Cart Barn Podcast

What does it really take to build a championship golf tournament?

Tournament Director Wade Dockery of the Alabama–Northwest Florida PGA Section takes Chris Lemley and Gregg DeWalt behind the scenes of the Alabama Open, revealing what most golfers never get to see. From preparing the golf course and building the purse to attracting the region's top professionals and amateurs, Wade explains what it takes to stage one of the South's premier state championships.

The conversation also explores the rich history of the Alabama Open, its partnership with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, and the champions who have shaped its legacy, including Steve Lowery, Spike McRoy, Tom Lovelady, Wes Tuck, Todd Bailey, Lee Williams, Ian Steele, and many others.

Whether you've competed in a State Open, dreamed of playing in one, or simply love championship golf, this episode offers a rare look inside what it takes to build a tournament worthy of its champions.

Every golfer has a story worth preserving. Thanks for letting us help preserve yours.

Golf has always been about more than scorecards.

It's about the people we meet, the courses that shape us, and the stories that stay with us for a lifetime.

In this episode, Daryle Sager joins Chris Lemley and Gregg DeWalt to reflect on a different era of amateur golf. From Bonnie Crest Country Club and the legendary players who came through its fairways to the lifelong friendships formed through the game, James shares why these stories deserve to be remembered.

The conversation also explores how amateur golf has changed, what has been gained, what may have been lost, and why preserving the history and character of the game still matters.

If you enjoy golf history, unforgettable personalities, and conversations that go beyond the scorecard, this episode is for you.

Every golfer has a story worth preserving.

Thanks for letting us help preserve yours.