DANNY GUISE—BIOGRAPHY

Danny Guise was born on Feb. 27, 1995, in Greenwich, Conn., and is the only son of Debbie and Joe Guise, who had moved to Greenwich from New York City a little less than a year before his birth. Debbie and Joe both played a variety of sports growing up in New Haven, Conn., and Oceanside, N.Y., respectively, but neither played golf—that is, until they moved to Greenwich. Introduced to the sport by some close friends as well as Debbie’s parents, who were members at Woodbridge Country Club just outside New Haven, Debbie and Joe began playing golf at Bruce Memorial Golf Course, a municipal course in Greenwich that was later renamed Griffith E. Harris Golf Course. Joe, in particular, caught the golf bug and began playing in weekly games with friends. He was hooked, and soon those weekly matches led to trips all over the U.S. and even Scotland for Ryder Cup-style competitions with friends. Joe also organized an annual golf tournament called the Guise Classic for family and friends that started out with 16 players and later swelled to 72.

At age 5, Danny had just started competing in youth soccer and baseball leagues, but naturally he saw his parents playing golf and having so much fun with it that he wanted in on the action. Too young to play on a real course, Danny started hitting balls around his yard with plastic clubs and eventually graduated to driving ranges and small 9-hole courses in the area. In 2002, Danny and his parents made the 50-minute drive from their home in Greenwich to Long Island’s Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. The Black Course at Bethpage was hosting the 2002 U.S. Open. The Guises arrived at the course shortly after the gates opened to the public and weren’t sure how long 7-year-old Danny would want to stay at the course. Needless to say, they remained at Bethpage until the final groups finished their rounds. Throughout the day, they followed as many top players as they could, and Danny absolutely loved the entire atmosphere. Like so many fans at Bethpage, Danny was most eager to watch Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the game’s two biggest stars at the time. It was tough to get near the greens, but Danny used his diminutive stature to maneuver his way into prime viewing position on just about every hole. While Woods would go on to win the tournament, finishing three strokes ahead of runner-up Mickelson, it was Mickelson who captivated Danny with his daring style of play, his friendly interactions with fans and his positive attitude and demeanor while competing. It was the experience at Bethpage that truly launched Danny’s golf career. “I loved watching Phil play, and it was amazing to see how the fans reacted to him,” Danny said. “I knew I wanted to be just like him. and I began dreaming of becoming a pro golfer some day.” Danny’s passion for golf grew exponentially in the months after watching Mickelson at Bethpage—he practiced and played as often as possible, watched the pros on TV every week and attended any pro tournaments in the area (with the mission of watching every single shot Mickelson attempted while also seeking out the best spots both during and after the rounds for any sort of acknowledgement from his idol—a fist bump, a smile, a ball and, in an ideal world, some face time to talk golf—all of which happened on a regular basis from that day forward).

LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN

Even though Danny’s passion for golf was obvious, Joe and Debbie weren’t aware of any outlets for Danny to test his skills in competition. There were no local leagues to match what he was doing in soccer, baseball, and basketball. In fact, basketball was Danny’s first love, in part because his parents both loved the game from an early age and frequently played it with Danny, but also because he had so many opportunities to play and compete in leagues run by the YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club and the town recreation department. Joe did a little research on golf tournaments for children, but it was a golf course ranger who, after watching Danny play a few holes, suggested a few junior golf tours where Danny could test his game against other players. Joe looked at a few of them and picked a tournament run by the Plantation Junior Golf Tour (PJGT) at Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort in Lenox, Mass.

Danny was just 9 years old when he arrived at Cranwell armed with his starter set of five golf clubs. It was all he knew, and he was so proud to have them, but all of the Guises quickly noticed that this was not some small tournament for beginners. There were golfers from seven states and Canada, and all had the full assortment of clubs. One junior golfer, who was Danny’s age, even made a sarcastic remark, suggesting Danny wasn’t a true golfer and should return only when he had real clubs. Joe and Debbie were convinced they had made a mistake. They were worried this was too ambitious a start for Danny and that a poor showing could dampen his enthusiasm for the game. Danny never once complained about his clubs. He was so happy to be at the tournament and wore a Mickelson-inspired smile the entire time. Danny finished second in that tournament to the player who had mocked him, and his competitive fire was stoked. PJGT owner and president Bob Baker made a point to tell Debbie and Joe how impressed he was by Danny’s debut and that he particularly loved the way Danny conducted himself on and off the course. He said there was an obvious bounce in his step whether he hit a good shot or not, and he loved that about Danny. Baker told the Guises about the PJGT’s next tournament, which was at Saratoga Spa State Park Golf Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., just two weeks later. Danny registered for the event on the spot and showed up with the same five clubs. He ended up tied after regulation with the boy who had won the previous tournament after making fun of his clubs. Danny won the first-place trophy in a playoff for his first junior victory in just his second tournament ever. 

It was then that Joe and Debbie realized Danny was very serious about becoming a pro golfer. He exhibited desire and focus that few kids do at such a young age. They purchased some better clubs and made sure he received lessons from teaching pros. Danny attended a junior clinic at Griff Harris in Greenwich run by head pro Joe Felder. At that clinic, he met and worked with Griff assistant pro Charlie Meola and began taking regular lessons from him. When Meola left for another job, Danny started working with Meola’s replacement, Mike Wanser. When Wanser left, Danny switched to Wanser’s replacement, Ryan George. While Danny learned a great deal from Meola and Wanser, it was George who took Danny’s game to an entirely new level. George became an incredible teacher, mentor, and friend to Danny, and he remains Danny’s coach to this day. Even as George moved on to new jobs, first at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N.Y., which was only 15-20 minutes from the Guise home, and then at Rockaway Hunting Club in Lawrence, N.Y., where he is now the head pro. Traveling to Rockaway Hunting Club on Long Island was a little more problematic for Danny—the trip was roughly 45-50 minutes on a good day but often ballooned to an hour and a half or even longer because of traffic. Still, Danny never wavered. He wanted to stick with George despite the geographic inconvenience. In addition to finding the right coach, another move that paid dividends was joining Westchester Hills Golf Club in nearby White Plains, N.Y. The staff and members treated Danny extremely well and took an interest in his development. Danny was able to play as much as possible and didn’t have to battle for tee times.         

JUNIOR GOLF

Now bolstered by a great coach and a place to play, Danny achieved success at every level possible on the junior golf circuit, from Metropolitan PGA tournaments to regional tours such as the Plantation Junior Golf Tour, the All-Star Junior Golf Tour, and the International Junior Golf Tour. He first gained widespread notice by winning the All-Star Junior Golf Tour’s 13-and-under national championship at famed TPC Sawgrass, home of the PGA Tour's THE PLAYERS Championship. After that, he moved up to prominent tours such as the U.S. Challenge Cup, the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT), and the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). Danny amassed an incredible total of 55 victories during his junior golf career, including a scorching run in 2012 when he won the World Series of Junior Golf at Triggs Memorial in Providence, R.I., the Northeast Junior Classic at Bethpage (in which he posted a tournament and U.S. Challenge Cup record 64 in the final round on Bethpage Red), and the FCWT at Newport National, where he set a tournament record with an 11-under 133 (66-67) and won by a tournament-record 11 shots. In addition, in 2011 and 2012, Guise led Team New England to back-to-back upset victories over Team Florida in the annual Dave Adamonis Sr. U.S. Challenge Cup Match on the Blue Monster at what is now Trump National Doral. In both years, he played in the final group and earned the clinching point of the Ryder Cup-style competition on the final hole. During his junior golf career, Guise won several prestigious awards, including the Sportsmanship Award from the Met PGA, the U.S. Challenge Cup Player of the Year, and the John D. Mineck Award & Scholarship, which is given annually to a top northeast golfer based on golf accomplishments, academic achievement, sportsmanship, passion for the game and community service.

HIGH SCHOOL

In high school, Danny led Greenwich High to undefeated regular seasons (21-0) in 2012 and 2013 as well as FCIAC Conference Championships those same years and the 2012 CIAC state championship. Danny loved playing for GHS head coach Jeff Santilli, who remains a close and supportive friend and adviser. During Danny’s four years of varsity competition, Greenwich High lost just two matches. He also won the Chappa Invitational in 2012 (with Stephen Pastore) and 2013 (with Paul Pastore) and was named the 2012 Connecticut State High School Player of the Year. In 2012, Guise was one of just three high school players in the country to earn a spot in the Northeast Amateur, the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Amateur. It should be noted that Danny continued to play basketball at a high level throughout his golf career, competing for Greenwich High for four years and for an elite AAU team called United Sons & Daughters (USAD) for seven years. During his time with USAD, the team made four trips to the AAU National Championships, including a run to the 2010 Final Four in Little Rock, Ark., that resulted in a third-place finish in the country. Danny was the team’s leading three-point shooter, and it was with USAD where he first became known as DG3 (see The Nickname).

COLLEGE

While Danny loves basketball and continues to put up as many shots as he can in local gyms, it was apparent early on in high school that golf was his future. After many recruiting visits to some of the nation’s top schools, Guise gave a verbal commitment to attend Wake Forest during the summer between his sophomore and junior years of high school. It was his dream to play for Wake, which boasts one of the most tradition-rich college golf programs in the country. Former Demon Deacons who went on to standout pro careers include Arnold Palmer, Lanny Wadkins, Curtis Strange, Jay Haas, Billy Andrade, Scott Hoch, and most recently, Bill Haas and Webb Simpson. During his time at Wake, Guise was first or second on the team in virtually every statistical category. In his first year, he led the team with 17 rounds of even par or better, just one off the school record for a freshman. As a sophomore, he helped lead Wake to three tournament victories, the first time since 2005-06 that Wake won three tournaments in a season and the first time since 2002 that Wake won back-to-back tournaments. When he left Wake, Guise had moved up to fourth in career scoring average among Wake players who competed for two or more seasons since 1981 (a couple of guys named Bill Haas and Webb Simpson sit atop that list). 

PROFESSIONAL

Danny is now starting his climb up the professional ranks with the hope of reaching the PGA Tour. He will be competing on pro tours all over the country and in as many other open pro tournaments as possible. He plans to play in Monday qualifiers for events on the Mackenzie Tour, the Web.com Tour and the PGA Tour and also will attend Q School for both the Mackenzie Tour and the Web.com Tour. During breaks in his playing schedule, Danny also finds time to work as a counselor in the after-school sports program at a local YMCA. In addition, in July 2016, Danny conducted the first-ever Golf Week for The Sports Academy at Brookwood Camps in Glen Spey, N.Y., which is about 100 miles northwest of New York City. He also will make appearances at summer day camps run by TGA Premier Junior Golf of Southern Westchester. In both cases, he will demonstrate skills to campers and teach them about all aspects of golf. Danny loves sharing his passion for the game with younger players and hopes to spark their enthusiasm for golf and all of its benefits as many people did for him.