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Watch Matt Lauer's golf swing in motion -- which impressed Michelle Wie and David Leadbetter at the KPMG
HARRISON, N.Y. -- Pro golfers get to play with celebrities, athletes and successful leaders in pro-ams every week on tour. But when Michelle Wie got word that she was playing withToday Show host Matt Lauer, she was beyond excited.
"It really is so cool," Wie said, walking the fairways during the Women's KPMG Championship. "Matt's a true golfer. He's really knowledgable about it and has some great stories. He's a ton of fun to play with."
From having been on The Today Show twice in her career, her last time being after her U.S. Women's Open win last year, Wie and Lauer have gotten to know each other. So they were sharing laughs and playable banter the whole day at Westchester C.C.
"You get to play with someone like Michelle, and it's great. Her swing is effortless and the ball goes a mile," Lauer said. "But to top it off, she's a nice person. Michelle takes time to talk to you, she's interested in you and is asking you questions, so she's made it a lot of fun."
Lauer, who was rocking a white Masters glove, says he plays in about one pro-am per year, having gone from a guy who used to play a lot of golf, to now spending more time with his three kids. He plays most of his golf at Sebonack and Deepdale out on Long Island, and even takes his oldest son out to play, too.
"I still love it," Lauer said, whose handicap is listed as a 6.9, with only two rounds posted in 2015. "I can actually start to play with my oldest son, who's 13 now. So it's great. I'm loving it."
Here are a couple videos of Lauer's golf swing, which impressed world-renowned swing coach David Leadbetter, who was following Wie during the pro-am grouping.
Leadbetter, asked for a quick analysis of Lauer's swing, said he'd see his left wrist more neutral at the top, which would allow Lauer's clubhead to release more. He had a tendency to leave the face shut, Leadbetter noticed.
"But he has a great athletic motion. He has the parts to have a really, sound swing if he works a little on it," Leadbetter said
The Today Show host had his Handicap listed as a 5.6 back in 2007 when Golf Digest did our "Hollywood" ranking. He's one of the top sticks on TV!