The Smylie Show

• 281: Steve Sands on the best Tour pro at handling media + the Golf Channel Games

  Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme open the show by breaking down the latest shifts in professional golf — from Tiger Woods’ role on the Future Competition Committee to the PGA Tour’s potential move toward a more condensed schedule. Smylie is later joined by Golf Channel’s Steve Sands for a wide-ranging conversation on the Golf Channel Games, covering golf in the modern media era, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler’s legacy moments, LIV Golf’s long-term impact, and what fans and broadcasters want from the future of the game. Don't forget to like, comment, & subscribe! Thanks for tuning in ⛳️ 00:00 – Welcome to The Smylie Show 01:10 – Winter golf, travel & working through swing changes 04:05 – Tiger Woods & the Future Competition Committee 08:00 – Condensed schedules, TV windows & golf’s business reality 12:05 – Player pathways, relegation & tour structure concerns 16:15 – What golf can learn from college football’s evolution 19:25 – LIV Golf leverage, contracts & returning players 23:50 – What happens to Korn Ferry & development tours? 28:10 – Is scarcity good for golf or risky? 33:45 – Smylie sets up the Golf Channel Games 34:30 – Steve Sands joins the show 36:10 – Inside the Optum Golf Channel Games format 38:45 – Rory vs. Scottie & Ryder Cup subplots 42:00 – Competitive fire, entertainment & miked-up stars 45:40 – Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods & handling the media 49:30 – Which players handle media pressure best? 54:15 – Is a 20–25 event PGA Tour season realistic? #golf #golfmedia #golfchannel #smylieshow #smyliekaufman #pgatour #livgolf #golfhighlights #grantthornton #scottiescheffler #rorymcilroy

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• 280: Aussie Open Champ Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen Joins The Show! + Hero World Challenge Recap

  Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme are back for a packed episode featuring a guest appearance from 2025 Australian Open champion Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen - fresh off his win at Royal Melbourne! Charlie opens and closes the show with some heartfelt reflections following his father’s passing. The guys then jump into all the action from the Bahamas - Hideki Matsuyama’s outrageous short game and putter collection, grading Scottie Scheffler's first year with a new putting grip, Wyndham Clark’s viral “turf conditions” quote, and a behind-the-scenes look at Smylie's pro-am round in Albany. Then Rasmus joins the show — jet-lagged, honest, and riding high. He walks Smylie through: • The intense crowds in Australia • Playing head-to-head with Cameron Smith • How firm Royal Melbourne truly played • The near-impossible chip on 18 • The pressure of closing out a win overseas • How he processed the moment on a 20+ hour flight home Thanks for watching — subscribe for more episodes, interviews, and weekly golf breakdowns! CHAPTERS: 0:00 – Welcome Back 4:00 – Smylie’s Airline Disaster 10:00 – Hero World Challenge Reactions 15:00 – Hideki’s Iron Game & Short-Game Brilliance 20:00 – Why Hideki Tinkers With 400 Putters 26:00 – Alex Noren’s Rise & Unique Swing Rehearsal 32:00 – Shot Shape Trends & Modern Fade-Dominance 38:00 – Smylie’s Pro-Am Stories + Albany Short-Game Test 44:00 – Wyndham Clark’s Turf Comments & Course Debate 50:00 – Q-School Controversy: Weather, Contracts, and Fairness 56:00 – Rasmus Interview Begins 1:00:00 – Royal Melbourne Conditions & Massive Crowds 1:06:00 – The 18th Hole: Rasmus Breaks Down the Chip 1:12:00 – Fastest Greens? Comparing Sandbelt to Augusta 1:16:30 – Remembering Charlie's Dad #golf #smylieshow #pgatour #golfhighlights 

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• 279: Rick Gehman on Modern Golf: Distance, Data & the New Way to Win

  Smylie Kaufman is joined by golf analytics authority Rick Gehman, the creator of RickRunGood.com and host of CBS Sports’ First Cut Podcast, for a deep dive into the world of golf data, modeling, betting edges, and modern player strategy. Rick breaks down how the PGA TOUR is evolving through analytics, why driving is more valuable than ever, how players misinterpret ShotLink data, and where fans can actually find a meaningful betting advantage. Smylie and Rick also get into: - Why baseball analytics paved the way for golf - How players should interpret their own ShotLink stats - Why proximity is one of the most misunderstood metrics - What really wins under pressure - The biggest Ryder Cup mistakes made by Team USA - Why the European model works — and how the U.S. can fix it - Which rising players are primed for breakout seasons - And the surprising ways modern players use (and misuse) data This episode is packed with insight for golf fans, bettors, stat nerds, and players alike. Don't forget to like, comment & subscribe to support the show! CHAPTERS: 00:32 Rick’s background: baseball → data → golf 02:08 Building the golf database 03:27 Baseball analytics ⇄ golf analytics 04:38 How data changed modern golf 05:30 ShotLink: what players misunderstand 06:32 How younger players use tech + data 08:12 Why hitting driver is more valuable than ever 10:08 Misleading stats: Proximity explained 12:26 Real strategy: Driver vs. iron off the tee 14:06 Modeling golf courses & comp-course analysis 16:22 What pros ask Rick for (custom reports) 17:31 Predicting performance on new / unfamiliar courses 19:34 Ryder Cup breakdown: U.S. vs Europe strategy 21:03 Where Team USA went wrong 22:49 Pairing mistakes explained (Scheffler/Bryson, etc.) 24:59 Why Europe trusts data more effectively 27:15 If Rick ran Team USA strategy 29:20 Presidents Cup → How USA should use it better 31:36 Shot-shape & trajectory analytics (new radar data) 33:31 “Go-to shots” under pressure 35:02 Darts, proximity, and scoring insights 36:27 NEW stat idea: Strokes Gained Under Pressure 38:41 Bonus Putting metric 40:14 Rising talents who will break out 42:03 Players who maximize limited skillsets 45:06 The importance of speed in the modern game 49:05 Ben Griffin’s leap explained 51:28 The Jordan Spieth question 54:11 Chris Gotterup’s ceiling 56:00 Outro + In memoriam for Scott Hulme #TheSmylieShow #RickGehman #GolfAnalytics #PGATour #GolfBetting #GolfStats #RickRunGood #GolfPodcast #DataGolf #ShotLink #GolfStrategy

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• 278: Brad Dalke: PGA Tour Dreams, Driver Yips, Good Good, & Beef’s Legacy

  Brad Dalke joins Smylie Kaufman following his victory at the Internet Invitational — an event that shattered YouTube golf records and introduced millions to one of the most talented ball-strikers in the creator space. Brad breaks down: • What the week was really like • The emotion of winning alongside Francis and the late Cody “Beef” Franke • How the million-dollar pressure exposed every golfer • His unbelievable junior/amateur career (Thunderbird win at 13, 5 Wyndham Cups, U.S. Am finalist) • Arm-wrestling Rory McIlroy at 13 • Battling driver issues through college & pro golf • His unexpected transition into Good Good & YouTube stardom • The future of creator golf, Big Break returning, and where he sees golf content headed • Building the “perfect YouTube golfer” Chapters below ↓ #TheSmylieShow #BradDalke #InternetInvitational #GoodGoodGolf #BobDoesSports #YouTubeGolf ⏱️ FULL CHAPTERS 00:00 – Brad Dalke Joins the Show 01:00 – Keeping the Win Secret (NDAs, wives, chaos) 03:00 – What the Internet Invitational Did for YouTube Golf 04:30 – How Brad Got Invited (Bob reaching out) 06:00 – Why the Format Worked Perfectly 07:10 – Draft Strategy & Riggs’ Captain Decisions 08:20 – Frankie’s Heartbreak  10:00 – The Pink Jacket + Champions Dinner 11:30 – Francis’ Food Rituals 13:00 – Luke Kwon  14:45 – Transition to Brad’s Junior/Amateur Greatness 15:30 – Starting Golf at 11 Months Old 17:00 – Junior Tour Battles with Scottie Scheffler 18:40 – AJGA Majors & Thunderbird Win at Age 13 19:50 – Committing to Oklahoma at 12 (!!) 22:00 – How Coach Hybl Shaped His Game 23:45 – Rory McIlroy Arm-Wrestling Story 27:30 – Pressure of Expectations vs. Pro Golf Reality 29:00 – Battling Driver Issues & the Low-Point Miss 31:30 – Finally Finding the Technical Fix 33:20 – Running Out of Money on the Mini Tours 35:00 – The God-Moment That Brought Him to Good Good 37:00 – What YouTube Golf Gave Him Back 38:20 – Behind the Scenes of Good Good Production 49:00 – Kids & Amateurs Asking Brad for Advice 51:20 – Building the Perfect YouTube Golfer 55:15 – The Return of Big Break & Brad’s Involvement 56:20 – Closing Thoughts

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• 277: We're headed to GOLF CHANNEL! + Breaking down big changes in 2026 for the PGA TOUR

  The PGA TOUR is changing — but is it changing for the better? With the fall PGA TOUR season headed towards a close, Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme take a look some big category and card changes on the way for the 2026 PGA TOUR season. Smylie and Charlie take a look back at the 2025 season to examine how differences in points for signature and full-field events played out, and whether certain players benefited more than others in that structure. PLUS — huge news: The Smylie Show is heading to GOLF CHANNEL beginning January 2026, airing Wednesdays at 9 AM Eastern. Smylie and Charlie reflect on the journey, what the TV version of the show will look like, and how the audience helped get the show here. Tune in, subscribe, and stick around for more golf storytelling and behind-the-scenes insight! Chapters ↓ 00:55 — The Smylie Show is heading to the Golf Channel! 01:36 — Reflecting on the three-year journey of the show 03:06 — Show changes to look for in 2026 06:05 — Setting the Table: 2026 PGA Tour Rules & Categories 06:45 — Are PGA Points Fair? Full-Field vs Signature Debate 07:18 — The Maverick McNealy Case Study 08:22 — Is Winning a Full-Field Event Actually Harder? 10:13 — What the Data Says About Difficulty 11:45 — The 200-Point Problem 13:11 — Why Signature Events Give Huge Built-In Advantages 14:06 — Should a Top-10 Be Worth More in Full-Fields? 15:16 — How Signature Starts Create Long-Term Inequality 16:05 — Reviewing the Signature Event Chart (Audio Notes) 17:14 — Case Study: Kurt Kitayama vs Hideki Matsuyama 19:24 — Do Signature Events Artificially Inflate Some Players? 20:32 — Chris Gotterup & the “Late Season Unfairness” Issue 23:16 — Signature Events vs Full-Field: Who Really Benefits? 24:12 — How Players Ride Momentum — or Don’t 25:18 — Why You MUST Play Well Early on Today’s PGA Tour 26:21 — Low Full-Field Point Earners: Morikawa, Aberg, More 27:33 — The No-Cut Advantage Problem 29:06 — What the Tour Actually Wants: Star Protection 29:26 — Tony Finau vs Gary Woodland Breakdown 31:43 — Can You Play Your Way Off Tour With Signature Starts? 32:35 — Adam Scott & Max Homa Examples 34:51 — Rickie Fowler’s Special Case 36:23 — Why Sponsors Will Always Influence Signature Events 37:14 — Golf Is Niche — And That Shapes the Entire System 38:18 — What the Top-100 Cut Means for Journeymen 39:04 — The New 2026 Rules: Field Sizes, 120-Player Players, Q-School 41:23 — DP World Tour vs Korn Ferry: Who Deserves More Spots? 44:41 — Should the DPWT Really Get 10 Cards? 47:55 — The DPWT’s Crossroads: PGA Tour vs LIV 49:45 — Reviewing This Year’s DPWT Grads 52:02 — The Challenge of Jumping from Europe to the PGA Tour 54:07 — Breaking Down the 101–150 Conditional Groups 56:14 — Past Champion Category & Where Smylie Would Slot In 57:31 — Tiger Woods Leading the Competition Committee #smylieshow #pgatour #golfchannel #golfnews #golfpodcast #golf

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