Michael Bamberger was born in Patchogue, New York, in 1960. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982, he spent a more than a decade as a newspaper reporter, followed by twenty-two years at Sports Illustrated . He has written nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Men in Green , The Ball in the Air , The Second Life of Tiger Woods , To the Linksland, as well as a play, Bart & Fay. His work has appeared in The Best American Sports Writing and other anthologies. In 2022, Bamberger received the Memorial Golf Journalism Award at Jack Nicklaus's annual tournament. Alan Shipnuck is the author of nine books, including the New York Times bestseller Phil and the national bestsellers Bud, Sweat & Tees and The Swinger (with Michael Bamberger). Shipnuck has received thirteen first-place awards from the Golf Writers Association of America, breaking the record of Dan Jenkins, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. After a quarter-century at Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine , Shipnuck is now a partner and executive editor at the golf media company the Fire Pit Collective, where all his writing, podcasts, and video storytelling can be found.

Shipnuck lives in Carmel, California.