Alan Shipnuck

A graduate of Salinas High and a former stringer for the Salinas Californian, Alan Shipnuck wrote his first Sports Illustrated cover story as a 21-year-old intern. Upon graduating UCLA in 1996, he became the youngest staff writer in the magazine’s history. Shipnuck wrote two dozen cover stories for SI, including “Sportsman of the Year” features on Brett Favre (2007) and Michael Phelps (’08). In 2008, he became the first writer to place first in both the feature and news categories in the annual writing competition conducted by the Golf Writers Association of America. He has won 12 first-place awards, breaking the record of Dan Jenkins, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Shipnuck is the author of eight books, including national best-sellers Bud, Sweat & Tees; The Swinger (with Michael Bamberger); and PHIL. In 2021, he left Golf Magazine to co-found his own golf media company, the Fire Pit Collective.