Laird Shepherd defines the grind. A native of Brighton, England, he and his twin brother were born eight weeks premature, weighing less than four pounds. At Stirling University in Scotland, Shepherd’s golf career was stalled by back pain and knee surgeries, followed closely by a global pandemic. In January of 2021, on a cold and wet afternoon at the driving range, Shepherd contemplated quitting the game. A serendipitous tip from a friend helped his posture and alleviated spinal pressure, allowing Shepherd to start swinging freely again. Just in time for the 2021 British Amateur Championship. He played well enough to qualify for match play. And then he won a match. And won some more. Eventually, he found himself in the 36-hole final, only six months after nearly giving up on his dream of playing golf for a living. And after being 8-down with 19 holes to play in the 36-hole final of the British Amateur, Shepherd started grinding again. The putts started falling… and kept falling until he had pulled off a historic comeback.

And that’s when the Fire Pit Collective started following Shepherd and his preparations for the 2022 Masters. From trips to a snow-covered range in which he shags his own balls, to the Open Championship, the Georgia Cup and ultimately a drive down Magnolia Lane, episode six of “The Grind,” brings to life Shepherd’s unlikely journey with access and intimacy. Shepherd shares it all with his loyal inner-circle of friends: his goals, hopes and expectations, as well as the heartaches, frustrations and disappointments. The beauty and cruelty of the grind are all on display in this riveting episode.

For an update on Shepherd’s life and career since the 2022 Masters, we present this Fire Drill podcast:

This four-part Fire Pit podcast on the 2021 British Amateur Championship collects all of the relevant voices, including Shepherd’s father, the announcers who called the historic comeback, and Monty Scowsill, who, after being 8-up with 19 to play, lost that final match:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4: