Noah Kahan’s Celebrity Ryder Cup Prep: How PGA Coach David Jankowski Built a Pressure-Proof Golf Mindset

Noah Kahan is no stranger to performing in front of large crowds. He has been in front of tens of thousands of people singing every word of his songs at stadiums and festivals all over the world. 

However, standing over a golf ball with nearly 100,000 spectators lining the fairway? That was a whole new type of pressure he had never experienced. 

“Playing in front of massive crowds musically doesn’t translate to golf pressure at all,” said David Jankowski, PGA, Kahan’s golf coach. “On stage, he knows exactly what he’s doing. On a golf course, human nature kicks in—you start thinking about what could go wrong.”

That reality shaped everything about how Jankowski prepared Noah Kahan for one of the most high-pressure celebrity golf events in the world, the Celebrity Ryder Cup.

David and Noah’s relationship started with a simple phone call. 

“He just called one day and said, ‘Hey, it’s Noah Kahan—do you have any bays available?’” Jankowski said. “He came in, and the person after him ended up canceling.”

Jankowski noticed Kahan struggling. Instead of letting him pack it in, he made an offer.

“I asked if he wanted to stay longer, and then I asked if he needed any help,” Jankowski said. “He said, ‘I need a lot of help.’”

This lesson turned into a much deeper relationship. Kahan came back two or three more times that week before leaving town but the golf lessons did not stop.

Like many others, Noah began playing golf during COVID at a nine hole course near his hometown at about the same time that his music career began to explode. 

“The jump from playing a small nine-hole course to being invited to some of the most exclusive clubs in the world doesn’t usually happen that fast,” Jankowski said. “He realized how much skill he needed to develop—and how little he knew about the game.”

Kahan didn’t want to just show up. He wanted to play those courses the right way.

“He went back to that course one day and shot one of the best rounds of his life,” Jankowski said. “He sent me a picture of the scorecard. He was so pumped.”

When Noah mentioned the Celebrity Ryder Cup to David just a couple months before the event, their lessons took a new focus. 

“He loves putting himself in high-pressure situations,” Jankowski said. “But where he is in his development as a golfer is still very early.”

Rather than chasing perfection, Jankowski prepared Kahan for reality.

“It wasn’t ‘if’ something bad was going to happen—it was ‘when,’” he said. “You’re going to have 100,000 people around. If it happens, what are you going to do next?”

One miss, in particular, haunted Kahan: the shank.

“My biggest concern was that he’d hit one and it would turn into a domino effect,” Jankowski said. “So we worked on how to respond, not how to avoid it.”

The preparation that David and Noah did prior to the event ended up paying off in a big way. Early in the Celebrity Ryder Cup, Noah hit the dreaded shank but this time he was prepared. 

“He hit one, but he got right back out of it,” Jankowski said. “He finished really strong. That was the whole goal.”

For Jankowski, hearing that Kahan didn’t spiral was everything. change it.

“When I heard he hit one and didn’t hit another, it completely validated the work we did,” he said. “That was a testament to the preparation.”

Despite the comfort that Noah Kahan has on stage, golf presents an entirely new set of challenges. 

“When he plays in front of 60,000 people musically, he’s trained for that,” Jankowski said. “He knows it’s going to go right. On the golf course, when you’re not fully comfortable yet, your brain goes the other way.”

The difference, he said, comes down to confidence built through repetition.

“When he does start hitting good shots and finds momentum, it’s off to the races,” Jankowski said. “The challenge is getting into that space.”

Noah Kahan is a relatively new golfer, but he brings the same competitive drive that is constant throughout his life. 

“His ability to compete is what stands out the most,” Jankowski said. “That’s why he keeps putting himself in these situations.”

As a student, Kahan is overwhelmingly feel-based—something Jankowski leans into.

“We talk a lot about tempos and timing,” he said. “I reference music all the time.”

That shared language helped accelerate their connection.

Coaching a touring musician comes with its own unique set of challenges. 

“He was on tour in Ireland and got stuck in a pattern,” Jankowski said. “I told him to find a simulator, and we did lessons remotely.”

They have found many creative ways to meet, whether that is Golf Live calls, FaceTimed from simulators, and squeezed in sessions whenever possible.

“This is about building golf into his life,” Jankowski said. “Not fighting against everything else he has going on.”

David Jankowski has visions for Noah Kahan to be a lifelong golfer. 

“He just bought a house. He’s about to head into another tour. He’s in the thick of it right now,” Jankowski said. “Our goal is to keep him enjoying the game, not getting frustrated.”

The focus moving forward is simplicity.

“How can we build a game where he doesn’t have to grind?” Jankowski said. “Once the body motion is in the right place, it gets a lot easier.”

For Jankowski, the experience has been unique, but also extremely rewarding.

“As a PGA Professional, getting to work with someone like Noah Kahan is an honor,” he said. “At the end of the day, we love helping people enjoy golf more.”

And like most great coach-student relationships, this one has grown into something deeper.

“The people you coach,” Jankowski said, “you always build a friendship with them.”

For Noah Kahan, the Celebrity Ryder Cup wasn’t the peak of his golf journey—it was just the beginning.