With a golf club in hand, David Feherty performed before thousands of people during the game’s biggest tournaments.

On television, Feherty analyzes golf for millions of viewers throughout the world. Sometimes, he even makes sense.

On Monday, though, Feherty stepped on a different kind of stage. He hosted a David Letterman-like talk show in front of a full house at the Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove, Ill. Among his guests were Michael Phelps and a surprise appearance by Michael Jordan.

Feherty was taping a new version of Feherty Live, which airs on the Golf Channel Wednesday at 9 p.m. I’m not sure how you call a taped show “live,” but who am I to quibble with semantics?

This is the second time Feherty has done a show before a studio audience. He did it at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Feherty now has a great appreciation for Letterman and all the other talk show hosts who do this for a living.

“Oh, absolutely,” Feherty said. “You know, they’re so comfortable with it, and I’m not.  I was jumpier than a box of frogs until the bell rang last night.  That’s typically ‑‑ I’d be worried if I wasn’t, because like I said in the opening monologue, confidence is that warm, fuzzy feeling you get before you fall on your ass.

“But yeah, it does give me an appreciation for what ‑‑ and they go through it every night it seems.  They tape, what, two or three shows a day.  It’s a different discipline, that’s for sure, than just walking around behind the leaders making inane comments every now and then.”

He had plenty of inane comments, er, observations during Monday’s show. Feherty, though, is in his element. Give him a captive audience, some stories and jokes, and he’s good to go. He’s done it at pubs throughout the world.

The native of Ireland, who now is a U.S. citizen, came out rocking a suit that was half American flag, half European flag. He actually shot a taped opening wearing a speedo in honor of Phelps. No, the guy isn’t shy. And no, it’s not something I want to see again.

Among his lines:

About the Ryder Cup: “The U.S. defends itself against the rest of the world. Kind of like a United Nations meeting.”

On the U.S. early dominence over Great Britain and Ireland: “(The figure on the trophy) is bent over alright, but it has nothing to do with putting.”

On Seve Ballesteros: “Seve united Europe. Even the French.”

To Phelps: “You must have come out of your mother like a dolphin.”

To Jordan and Phelps: “Among the three of us, we have 18 gold medals, 6 NBA titles, and 2 Irish PGA Championships.”

The highlight of the show came when Jordan surprised Phelps; the basketball star was his hero. Feherty needed the boost from MJ because the other Michael was about as dull as a 3-iron.

According to the Golf Channel’s Dan Higgins, Phelps said “he froze from the shock of seeing Jordan entering the stage and thought he was going to burst into tears.”

Said Feherty: :(Phelps) was sort of overwhelmed, I think, by the moment.  He’s such a Michael Jordan fan, and I think to have the big man come up on stage… I was so grateful that (Jordan) chose my show to come on this week because he’s been tortured by a lot of people.  Why on earth he would pick me is another story.”

Later, Feherty mined more familiar territory with former Ryder Cup captains Paul Azinger, Sam Torrance, and Lanny Wadkins. Plenty of terrific stories.

Afterward, Feherty appeared to be spent. I asked what’s harder: Walking 5-hours in the 90-degree or doing a one-hour show?

“(I’m) much more tired than I’d be after walking 18 holes with Tiger or whatever,” he said  “I was really sort of jumpy before the show, and I felt like somebody had let the air out of me afterwards with a loud rasping noise characteristically.”