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.
