For pop-rock star Pat Monahan, inspiration has always come fast.
The Train frontman says the best songs arrive like lightning strikes in sudden, instinctive bursts of creativity. His band’s 2001 Grammy-winning hit, “Drops of Jupiter,” took shape in about 15 minutes. “If it’s fast, it’s good,” Monahan said. “If you have to dwell on it for weeks, you should probably move on.”
Golf, as he’s discovered, works differently.
On a recent episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast, Monahan reflected on his experience at the 2026 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where the 8-handicap admitted to playing some of the worst golf he’s ever produced in the event. Paired with pro Steven Fisk and grouped alongside rising Tour star Jake Knapp, Monahan found himself searching for answers. Or, at least, some promise for improvement.
Enlightenment came in an offhand comment.
“Jake said something that really made a difference,” Monahan said. “He said, I find so much joy in practicing.”
Say what?
“I was, like, really, that sounds crazy to me because I don’t really practice,” Monahan said.
Instead, he would just show up and play, waiting for inspiration the way he might wait for a melody to arrive. But what works in the studio wasn’t working for Monahan on the tee. Time to try something different.
Back home at Aldarra Golf Club in Sammamish, Wa., Monahan adopted a fresh approach. He headed to the range with headphones, hip-hop pumping, determined to spend time working on his game. Something unexpected happened: he enjoyed it.
“I got in the zone,” he said. “For the first time I liked practicing because someone told me I was supposed to like it.”
Extra time might not get him another billboard hit. But it should help deliver some purer strikes. You can check out the entire interview with Monahan here.
