The Power of Storytelling in Sport: Inside Cobra's Go Chase More with John Nichols

*In Partnership with Cobra Golf

Great storytelling isn't just about recounting events—it’s about perspective. It’s about the people, the places, the emotions, and the moments that make something feel real, tangible, and unforgettable. Cobra's Go Chase More campaign understands this deeply, crafting a six-part series that doesn’t just celebrate golf but explores the passion, the obsession, and the relentless pursuit of more that defines every golfer’s journey.

For John Nichols, the first featured storyteller in the Go Chase More series, this wasn’t just another campaign. This was personal. This was about home. This was about St. Louis, about friendships, about family, and about realizing, sometimes too late, the deeper reasons we fall in love with this game.

I sat down with John to unpack the experience of bringing this series to life—what it meant to him, how the creative process unfolded, and why storytelling through sport is more powerful than we sometimes realize.

A Story Rooted in Home

When Cobra approached John for Go Chase More, it wasn’t a corporate pitch. It was about alignment. “They saw what I was building with 12 on Mondays, and there was a lot of overlap in how we approached storytelling,” he shared. “They weren’t just looking for someone who played golf—they wanted a story that meant something.”

And for John, there was only one way to tell his story: "At home".

“Being at the crib was important,” he told me. “Being in St. Louis was important. My grandmother, my actual friends—everything had to be real. This wasn’t just about me; it was about the community that’s been with me through everything.”

It wasn’t just nostalgia—it was about legacy. John’s story isn’t just about how he came to love golf; it’s about what it means to bring his people into the game. “The homies in that video? Those are my real friends. The same people I’ve always been with. 12 on Mondays isn’t about creating some new community—it’s about bringing my existing one into the space.”

That message was something Cobra embraced, letting John drive the creative decisions. “They let me pick the locations, pick the people. They just let me move how I needed to move,” he said. The result? A story that felt raw, unfiltered, and deeply personal.

The Moment That Changed Everything

Every great story has that moment—the moment where everything clicks, where the emotion is undeniable, where the story reveals something deeper. For John, that moment happened on camera.

“I always knew my grandmother wanted me to play golf, but I never really thought about why,” he admitted. “I just figured she wanted me to love the game. But while I was filming, I realized—it wasn’t about the game. It was about me and her.”

He paused.

“That broke my heart. Because I didn’t get it at the time. I didn’t realize she was trying to create time with me, trying to give me something we could share. And I missed that opportunity. That’s my biggest regret.”

That raw emotion wasn’t planned. It wasn’t scripted. It wasn’t something Cobra asked for. It was real, and it was powerful.

“When I started getting emotional on camera, I remember thinking, ‘Man, I messed up. I shouldn’t be doing this.’ But they just let me have the space. They didn’t rush me, they didn’t cut it. They let me be.”

That’s what makes Go Chase More special. It’s not just about celebrating golf—it’s about celebrating what the game gives us.

Creating Something Bigger Than Golf

For John, the campaign wasn’t just about telling his story—it was about opening the door for others to see themselves in the game.

“If you don’t see yourself in golf, pull up,” he said, laughing. “That’s my message. Because everybody’s out here tinkering, everybody’s learning. Golf’s not about being perfect—it’s about showing up, being outside, being with your people.”

Since the campaign launched, the response has been overwhelming. “I get more love for my golf content than anything else I’ve done,” he told me. “I’ve been doing basketball stuff forever, but the golf response has been different. It’s constant. It’s people saying, ‘Yo, keep doing this.’”

That’s because stories like John’s aren’t just stories—they’re signals. They tell people who have never considered golf that maybe, just maybe, this game is for them too.

And that’s why storytelling in sport matters. It’s not just about the moments captured on film—it’s about what those moments unlock in the people who watch.

With Go Chase More, Cobra has done something that few golf brands have truly mastered. They’ve told a story that isn’t about their product—it’s about people. About passion. About community. And about the moments that make us realize why we’re chasing more in the first place.

For John Nichols, that moment wasn’t just about driving the green at Westchester. It was about realizing that golf wasn’t just a game—it was a bridge. A bridge to his past, to his people, to a deeper understanding of what his grandmother saw in him before he ever saw it in himself.

For those watching, Go Chase More isn’t just an invitation to pick up a club. It’s a call to find your own bridge—to something bigger, to something more. To chase not just a better game, but a deeper connection to the people, places, and experiences that make life worth playing.

The first two episode of the Go Chase More video series are out now on Cobra's YouTube channel. After Nichols' in the premiere episode is Kyle Berkshire in episode two detailing his chase for a PGA TOUR win. The final four episodes will focus on four different golfers and their individual pursuits in the game of golf—including pro golfer Shasta Averyhardt's comeback journey, golf photographer Patrick Koenig chasing records, speed golfer Rob Hogan and former sports talk show host Peter “Tubes” Dale.