Meet Patrick Cocherl III of Paddy Whack Golf & Rockin With The SEALs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Cocherl III.

Hi Patrick, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2011, I met my mentor, friend, and business partner, Mike “Ziggy” Zeigler, at an event in Florida. He was doing a Long Drive and Trick Shot Exhibition and I was enthralled. He hung out after, and the following day, he saw me hitting some drives on the range and came up and chatted with me. We exchanged numbers.

I saw him again the following year, and we decided we needed to hang out, and he was going to help me learn to hit the ball further and be a little more consistent than I had been. We got together later that summer and he worked me out harder than I had been worked out since college baseball. He gave me a belief that not only could I potentially compete in World Long Drive, but that I could make a career out of Golf Entertainment.

In 2013, I had a breakdown and was sent to Shawnee Mission Medical Center’s Psych Ward (now Advent Health). I was there for two weeks and was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Type II. I began a new path in my life as an already recovering alcoholic/addict and now newly diagnosed Bi-Polar. Golf was a great outlet for me to channel my mental health struggles. Later that summer, I qualified for the World Long Drive Championship Tournament and even hit a ball of 41 yards in that competition. In October 2013, I would do my first golf entertainment for a small charity called The AbNormAl Society, and I haven’t looked back since. I average roughly 35-40 events a year across the United States. I do full-on hour-long exhibitions for crowds as small as 50 and as large as a couple hundred.

Most events bring me out for the day where I’ll hang out on a hole and entertain each group with some trick shots and long drives while raising money for their respective charities. I use my exhibitions from time to time to share my story and how golf and golf entertainment has helped save my life. I try to seek charities or organizations that provide services for those afflicted with mental health disorders or addiction issues. Through my partnership with Ziggy, I have become very involved with helping our veterans and their charities.

We run a few events together where we provide a fun 2-3-day getaway for some of our nation’s finest heroes where they get to get away be around brothers and sisters, enjoy some live music, and golf. Our partnership has helped raise roughly 10 million dollars for various Veteran-focused charities. We are looking to add two more events next year to bring five events a year. I have the best “job” in the world. I’m not even that great of a golfer; I just can hit it far and have good hand-eye to pull off some severe trick shots.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As I mentioned, I suffered a breakdown in early 2013. So some backstory. I started my sobriety journey on September 9, 2009. I started drinking at the age of 13 and my addition really progressed quickly around my senior year of high school and I bottomed out pretty much the entirety of 2007-2009. The reason I share that, even though it does not overlap my Paddy Whack Golf journey at all, is because the breakdown does intersect with Paddy Whack.

I had always had some very dark thoughts and a low self-value. But for basically all of my teens and into young adulthood I self-medicated those thoughts with booze and drugs. And while I was in the psych ward at AdventHealth in early 2013 someone explained what was happening to me in a way I’ve never forgotten. “You’re like a sponge and you had lots of years where you were soaked in drugs and alcohol; but you stopped that so you started drying out, and as you continued to dry out, all those issues you hadn’t dealt with started coming more and more to the top of the surface.”

Ever since that break, it’s been (and this will sound crazy) but a daily struggle with my Bi-Polar. I often have thoughts that come across that “It would just be better for everyone if I wasn’t here”. And early in my journey with Bi-Polar, I gave those thoughts a lot of weight. But as I’ve progressed with help from my psychiatrist, and psychologist I’ve been able to lessen the weight those thoughts carry, and I can healthily move through them.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Paddy Whack Golf & Rockin With The SEALs?
Paddy Whack Golf was started in late 2013. I perform at roughly 35-40 golf events a year. I work coast to coast from roughly February thru mid-November. Locally I have been partnered with the AdventHealth Championship (a PGA Korn Ferry Tour Event) since 2014, providing on-course fundraising during the Pro-Am day and for 6 of the 7 years, I’ve done a youth-centric trickshot show. Since 2013 I’ve helped raise over 1.5 million dollars for charities all over the country. I am available for corporate outings, team-building retreats, charity golf outings, private club events… etc.

I have been business partners with Ziggy for 5 years now. Our Rockin’ With The SEALs organization specializes in on-course, pre, and post-tournament entertainment. We provide unique auction items for events and fundraising capabilities. It started with an event Ziggy hosts in Canton, OH for the last 9 years. We now run 3 events that follow our Ohio event model and are deeply involved with 4 more.

We are hoping to add 2 more signature events, and we focus 90% of what we raise money for to be Veteran or Veterans Families Charities. Since 2012, Rockin With The SEALs has helped raise roughly 10 million for various charities throughout the country.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I am married to my wonderful and supremely hard-working wife Annie and we have two amazing sons (Pj & Zachary). I have an Instagram for Paddy Whack Golf where people can check out some videos of my trick shots.

I have been in a @GM__Golf YouTube video and a Good Good Golf YouTube video as well. I once had a natural Eagle in front of Tom Watson.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paddywhackgolf/

Image Credits
Mark Higgins of Welcome House