The Smylie Show

Smylie Kaufman is a PGA Tour winner, pro golf broadcaster, and the host of "The Smylie Show". Every week, along with his producer and co-host Charlie Hulme, Smylie provides insights and analysis on the game of golf (along with a handful of other miscellaneous items), in addition to sharing long-form conversations with Tour pros and other celebrities who love the game.

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#377
Yesterday · 24 min
377: LIVE from Medinah: USA leads INT 3-2 after Day 1 of the Presidents Cup
Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme are LIVE at Medinah's 16th hole to break down all the Thursday action at the Presidents Cup, including: - Jackson Koivun wins his Team USA debut alongside Justin Thomas - A wild relief ruling on the 17th hole that led to a Scottie Scheffler & Sam Burns win - Ryo Hisatsune shines in his Presidents Cup debut alongside fellow countryman Hideki Matsuyama - Tom Kim nearly aces the 16th to close out the final match of the day Tune in for live shows every day as we break down all the Presidents Cup action as soon as matches are complete! **NOTE: Technical difficulties resulted in the removal of the last five minutes of pairing analysis, which you can still find - with audio issues - on our YouTube channel.**
#376
Wednesday · 50 min
376: LIVE from Medinah: Presidents Cup Preview Show
Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme are LIVE at the 16th hole for this week's competition at Medinah #3, breaking down: - The just-released Presidents Cup pairings for Thursday four-ball matches - Smylie's notes on Medinah after walking the course - Answering viewer questions & comments - Predictions for the week Tune in for live shows every day as we break down all the Presidents Cup action as soon as matches are complete!
#375
Monday · 23 min
375: Wins for Jacob Bridgeman & JJ Spaun Heading Into Presidents Cup Week
Before they head to Chicago to cover the Presidents Cup at Medinah, Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme discuss wins for Jacob Bridgeman - a captain’s pick in excellent form - and JJ Spaun - snubbed for a pick despite finishing Top 12 on points - and whether the right team was picked. We also look ahead to a new two-part series dropping today: Smylie and Justin Thomas reliving the 61 JT shot at Medinah for the course record in 2019. Don’t miss it! Chapters 0:00 Intro & Presidents Cup week 1:50 Smylie's Austin golf trip 3:28 Charlie's Hope Valley weekend 4:17 Alternate-shot format fun 5:50 This week's golf news tease 9:04 JJ Spaun wins & gets snubbed 11:23 Ryan Gerard's Medinah case 12:16 Jacob Bridgeman's big year 13:27 Bridgeman wins Biltmore Championship 15:26 Bridgeman's quiet confidence 18:05 Biltmore's fan support & future 19:18 BMW PGA leaderboard recap 20:05 2028 tour restructuring preview 22:11 JT's Medinah 61 video series 23:29 Sign-off & what's next #presidentscup #golf #pgatour #JacobBridgeman #SmylieKaufman #Smylieshow
#374
September 15 · 28 min
374: Notah Begay III: Tiger Woods Presidents Cup Story + Receiving the Payne Stewart Award
Smylie Kaufman sits down with NBC/Golf Channel analyst and four-time PGA TOUR winner Notah Begay III, fresh off his Payne Stewart Award, to discuss the state of the Presidents Cup as member of the 2000 USA team which won on home soil (including a rarely-told Tiger Woods story from that competition). Plus: the NB3 Foundation's 20-year, $10 million run investing in Native communities, Notah getting back into the grind of competition on the Champions Tour, Jackson Koivun's leap from Notah's Junior Presidents Cup team to Team USA at Medinah, and a pitch for fixing the Presidents Cup format for good. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Payne Stewart Award 3:56 NB3 Foundation's impact 6:04 Duff Foreman AI reveal 9:30 Naming Duff Foreman 11:11 Champions Tour return 14:31 Left-handed putting fix 18:16 Tiger Woods yardage standoff 22:31 Jackson Koivun's rise 23:41 US vs. International depth 27:14 Sign-off & Medinah preview #golf #notahbegay #tigerwoods #presidentscup
#373
September 14 · 51 min
373: Presidents Cup Course Preview: Inside Medinah's OCM Redesign with Mike Cocking
Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme sit down with Mike Cocking - the "C" in OCM Golf, the "O" belonging to International Team Captain Geoff Ogilvy - days before the OCM redesign of Medinah #3 takes the stage as the host of the Presidents Cup. Mike explains how the closing stretch of the storied American venue was reimagined to better bring natural features into play, and what that means for strategy and entertainment as the world's best prepare to take it on. Plus: OCM's origin story (including the "M" - Ashley Mead), inspiration from a childhood spent playing golf on Melbourne's Sand Belt, the Kingston Heath and Shady Oaks projects (including a Ben Hogan keepsake story), the agronomy issue that drove the Medinah rebuild, whether Ogilvy has a built-in edge as International Team captain, and Cocking's prediction for who wins at Medinah. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro & OCM's origin story 3:47 Sand Belt & UK inspirations 6:34 Strategy over penal golf 9:04 Kingston Heath project 11:21 Width over narrow fairways 14:04 Shady Oaks & Ben Hogan 17:03 Favorite Hogan story 19:23 Landing the Medinah job 22:39 Medinah's pedigree & old bunkers 26:41 Rebuilding holes 13-18 30:40 New short par-4 16th 32:56 Another standout short par-4 34:52 New routing for Presidents Cup 39:06 Ogilvy's captain's edge 43:45 Agronomy problems drove renovation 47:42 Cocking's Presidents Cup prediction 50:09 Next up & sign-off #golf #presidentscup #Medinah #pgatour #smylieshow
#372
September 9 · 52 min
372: Akshay Bhatia Gets Technical On Driver Work, Bunker Play, & His Go-To Cook Out Order
Akshay Bhatia joins Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme for his third appearance on the show (rising up the all-time leaderboard - watch out Justin Thomas and James Nitties!). Fresh off his third straight Tour Championship, Akshay opens up on why he's calling his 2026 season "mediocre," the exact swing changes he's targeting this off-season to fix his driver, and what it would mean to finally crack the top 20 in strokes gained off the tee. Plus: his partnership with caddie Joe Greiner after their first year together, his cross-handed chipping technique and elite bunker play, the mind-blowing way he uses ball speed as a distance control mechanism with his irons, and with a childhood spent in North Carolina - his go-to Cook Out order. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro 2:00 Magic Shoes? 7:07 Ground rules for the dogs at home 8:19 NC golf courses & Cook Out order 11:38 2026 season reflection 14:05 Marriage & life at 24 16:22 Tour friend group & housing 18:33 Tuesday money games 20:39 Three straight Tour Championships 23:04 Caddie Joe Greiner 25:33 Driver rebuild for 2027 33:00 Playing golf with Joe 34:44 Cross-handed chipping technique 40:49 Ball-speed feel for distance 43:28 Best bunker player on tour? 46:54 Lining up the golf ball 51:30 Sign-off & Japan trip #golf #pgatour #akshaybhatia #smylieshow
#371
September 7 · 1 hr 8 min
371: Presidents Cup Picks Reaction + The 2026 PGA Tour Season In Review
Brandt Snedeker and Geoff Ogilvy have set their 2026 Presidents Cup rosters, and Smylie and Charlie break down every pick — starting with the headline move: 21-year-old Jackson Koivun, who was outside the top 40 on points and only a few months into his pro career, getting the nod for Team USA over veterans with far bigger resumes. They get into why the pick makes sense, and what it means for Koivun's career. Plus: the full US and International rosters for Medinah, the stat-driven case for why Ryan Gerard should've made the team, dream-pairing predictions for both sides, and why Team USA's depth might make this one lopsided on paper. From there, Smylie and Charlie shift into a full 2026 PGA Tour season review — favorite events and storylines, the "old guys" who had big years, feel-good stories, and players who took steps forward and back. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Presidents Cup picks are in — the Jackson Koivun reaction 2:03 Comparing Koivun's pick to Jordan Spieth's in 2013 4:40 Full rosters: all 12 players on both teams 5:40 J.J. Spaun's injury and the roster fallout 9:16 The stat case for Ryan Gerard 13:17 Data Golf's rankings & the match format explained 16:36 Bezuidenhout's surprise pick & Medinah's conditions 18:35 International team culture under Ogilvy and Immelman 20:17 Nico Echavarria, the most underrated pick 20:53 Dream pairings: Team USA 25:07 Dream pairings: the International side 26:09 USA's depth advantage, on paper 28:57 2026 season review begins: favorite storylines 31:31 Theme: the old guys had a year 33:00 Feel-good stories of the season 34:36 No-cut fields and Doral's flat comeback 36:44 Previewing the 2027 Florida Swing shuffle 37:31 Guessing the 7 elevated Challenger Series events 42:15 Valspar's sponsor dilemma & the confirmed Championship Series lineup 43:37 Phoenix Open's Super Bowl date standoff 48:12 Theme: the young guns' breakout stretch 48:49 The Fitzpatrick brothers' year 53:15 Marco Penge: a rookie year bigger than the scorecard 56:14 Steps forward: Burns, Si Woo Kim, Fitzpatrick & Gotterup 58:55 Made it back: Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa 1:03:41 2027 outlook: Jordan Spieth's redemption year? #golf #pgatour #smylieshow #presidentscup
#370
September 2 · 1 hr 16 min
370: Walker Cup Preview: Ryder Cowan, Jack Whaley & TJ Ford Break Down Lahinch
Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme preview the 2026 Walker Cup at Lahinch Golf Club with three guests: Team USA's Ryder Cowan, US Amateur champion Jack Whaley - whose victory at Merion earned him a GB&I roster spot, and Lahinch operations manager TJ Ford, who walks us through some truly stunning flyovers. Ryder discusses matching Jackson Koivun for low-amateur honors at the US Open, what he learned studying Koivun's game, and the golf balls he forgot before his Round of 64 win over Miles Russell. Jack recaps his US Amateur run at Merion — wasp sting included — and the major exemptions that came with it. TJ takes them through Lahinch's Old Tom Morris and Alister MacKenzie design, the club's famous roaming goats, and tells an incredible stories about some caddie shenanigans on the 5th hole. Charlie and Smylie close it out with the full team rosters and their own final score picks. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro: Walker Cup broadcast schedule & preview 8:20 Ryder Cowan joins: earning his Walker Cup spot 10:20 Tying Jackson Koivun for low-amateur honors 13:21 What Ryder learned studying Koivun's game 19:09 Forgetting his golf balls before facing Miles Russell 23:20 Beating Miles Russell & Walker Cup teammates 28:39 Jack Whaley joins: US Am win & major exemptions 29:49 Merion's brutal, back-loaded finish 31:19 Wasp sting, a storm, and battling back 36:00 Walker Cup matchups & English course roots 39:10 FSU's pipeline, airport rankings & sign-off 41:40 TJ Ford joins: his game & Lahinch's history 43:50 Course design history: Old Tom Morris & MacKenzie 45:44 Flyovers begin 53:18 2019 Irish Open flashback: Rahm's 62 56:55 MacKenzie's design philosophy & the toughest holes 59:17 Lahinch's famous roaming goats & Jordan Spieth 1:03:12 New clubhouse & TJ's prediction 1:06:14 Walker Cup rosters & matchup breakdown 1:12:09 Final score predictions #golf #pgatour #walkercup #lahinch #smylieshow #smyliekaufman
#369
August 31 · 1 hr 25 min
369: Scottie Scheffler Wins the Tour Championship + Brian Rolapp's 2028 PGAT Overhaul + Presidents Cup Talk
Smylie and Charlie are back to break down Scottie Scheffler's win at the Tour Championship — his second FedEx Cup, his third title of the year, and the moment he passed Tiger Woods for the all-time PGA Tour money record. They dig into the stats, his Jack Nicklaus comparison, and his pointed press-conference comments on East Lake's pin positions and setup. Plus: the full breakdown of Brian Rolapp's 2028 PGA Tour overhaul — the Championship Series schedule taking shape around GO by Raymond James and 14 sponsors chasing the final four spots, the new two-week match play finale format, Rory McIlroy's 15-event rule likely going away, LIV players' return conditions, whether East Lake stays in the Tour Championship rotation, and the wishlist of historic clubs (Olympic Club, Baltusrol, Cypress Point) that could host a reimagined postseason. Lastly, SK and Charlie dive into the Presidents Cup discussion as we look ahead to Medinah. Before all that: Charlie makes his first-ever albatross on Saturday — and discovers a fan who shares his name made one on the very same day. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro & toasting the 2026 PGA Tour season's end 2:05 Charlie's albatross and the "other Charlie Hume" 6:15 Ryan Gerard's murky tour status 6:37 Scottie's FedEx Cup playoff run 10:39 Scottie's loose press-room mood & the Brandel Chamblee shoutout 12:36 Scottie's 2026 season in review: near-misses & the Nicklaus comparison 16:24 By the numbers: strokes gained, scoring records & passing Tiger on the money list 18:21 The two stats behind the leap: proximity and putts made from 25+ feet 23:53 Scottie's East Lake pin-position rant, in his own words 26:14 Course architecture debate: this year's setup vs. old East Lake 31:34 Should East Lake stay in the Tour Championship rotation? 35:13 Brian Rolapp's leadership style & the state of the 2028 overhaul 38:19 Championship Series update: GO by Raymond James and the chase for the final 4 events 40:21 Scarcity by design: how the new model out-leverages LIV on star power 42:29 Board meetings, FedEx's sponsorship future & criteria for the last 4 spots 43:27 LIV return conditions, Rory's 15-event rule going away & a fall "world tour" 47:43 Inside the new 2-week match play finale format 49:59 The "no winner after week one" problem & the TV coverage challenge 52:29 Group of death, tournament luck, and the case for match play 54:19 Separating the season-long trophy from the finale spectacle 57:19 Venue wishlist: Olympic Club, Baltusrol & golf's most exclusive clubs 59:29 Smaller crowds, bigger engagement — the Cypress Point/Walker Cup comparison 1:01:56 "What is amateur golf in 2026?" — why the top clubs are still cautious 1:11:40 Presidents Cup discussion #golf #pgatour #scottiescheffler #tourchampionship #golfrecap #golfhighlights #smylieshow
#368
August 26 · 1 hr 5 min
368: Tommy Fleetwood: Breakthrough Win At East Lake, Working With Butch Harmon, and Fatherhood
Smylie and Charlie are joined by defending TOUR Champion Tommy Fleetwood on the latest episode of The Smylie Show! Tommy reflects on his breakthrough win - his first on the PGA TOUR - in 2025 at East Lake a year later, the near-misses at the Travelers Championship and FedEx St. Jude that preceded it, the "instant gratification" he felt on the flight home, and how that mindset has carried into this season. Plus: His work with Butch Harmon and the power of simplicity, his love for the nine wood and mini driver, an emotional week playing the Open Championship at home in Southport, and his "fatherhood foursome" featuring Oscar, Murray, and Frankie (and the antics that usually ensue during and after). We also get a highly entertaining behind-the-scenes look at Frankie's prep process ahead of the 2025 Masters Par Three Contest. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 1:00 "Tommy, Tommy Tommy" 3:23 The road to his first PGA Tour win 10:29 Winning his first event on the PGA TOUR at East Lake 12:15 Life in Dubai, London & the PGA Tour travel grind 16:10 Staying consistent on a condensed schedule 19:37 DP World Tour cards & the new Championship/Challenger Series 23:35 Butch Harmon and the power of simplicity 26:45 Practice habits — slow-motion swings, staying disciplined 29:20 Learning to trust the fade 34:41 The shoulder-to-shoulder swing 37:18 Why the nine wood & mini driver are must-haves 41:20 Playing the Open Championship at home in Birkdale 47:04 Premier League preview — Everton, Tottenham & old grudges 50:12 Golf merch, logos & the return of pleats 54:05 Underrated English golf courses for a trip 57:01 Fatherhood & the boys' Masters Par Three tradition 1:04:12 Sign-off #golf #pgatour #tommyfleetwood #smylieshow #smyliekaufman
#367
August 24 · 1 hr 27 min
367: BMW Championship Recap: Wyndham Clark or Scottie Scheffler For Player of the Year?
BMW Championship Recap: Wyndham Clark or Scottie Scheffler For Player of the Year? Smylie Kaufman heads straight from the airport (with an update to his airlines Big Board!) to the studio to join Charlie Hulme for a recap of the BMW Championship, where he broadcasted the action from Bellerive Country Club all week long. Smylie and Charlie discuss Wyndham Clark's third win of the 2026 season, and where that places him in an increasingly interesting Player of the Year race that also includes Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick and Chris Gotterup. SK and CH also recap a disappointing ending - but a much improved week - for Rory McIlroy. A discussion about a "flat cat" putting grip that Rory has been using as a training aid leads to a conversation about the most unique aids that Smylie has seen while playing on Tour. Also in this episode: Smylie puts together his most likely Presidents Cup team with six USA players now automatically qualified, and Scottie's week dealing with hand, foot and mouth - a familiar experience for fathers of young children. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro: late-night taping & two dad topics 2:19 Smylie's dad-neck injury 6:22 Movie review: Smylie watches The Odyssey 10:48 Scottie Scheffler's hand, foot and mouth battle at Bellerive 16:54 Wyndham Clark wins the BMW Championship over Rory McIlroy 21:33 Rory's "flat cat" putter grip + training aids on Tour 28:30 Player of the Year race: Scheffler vs. Wyndham Clark? 39:15 FedEx Cup playoff points cut & this year's muted bubble drama 44:32 Should the Tour Championship go to match play? 53:39 Bellerive, St. Louis & should host cities rotate? 59:56 Presidents Cup team predictions: Smylie's 6 picks 1:05:54 Presidents Cup: youth development & the Ryder Cup comparison 1:13:39 Airlines Big Board: Southwest Airlines review 1:19:02 Charlie's putter update: the blade movement returns 1:20:46 Sign-off: tennis racket meltdown, Tree of the Week & Tommy Fleetwood next week #golf #pgatour #BMW #WyndhamClark #ScottieScheffler #SmylieKaufman #golfhighlights #golfrecap
#366
August 19 · 59 min
366: Robert MacIntyre on Playing with an Edge, Chasing His First Major, and Finding Happiness at Home
Smylie welcomes Robert "Bobby Mac" MacIntyre to the show (filmed ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship) for a deep dive into what makes Bob tick. Bob opens up on some close calls in 2025 — Scottie Scheffler's stunning chip-in at the BMW Championship and J.J. Spaun's dramatic birdie putt at the U.S. Open — and what those near-misses taught him about handling major championship pressure. He also talks candidly about becoming a father to son Finlay, why home in Scotland means so much to him, and his dream of winning a major. Plus: what Shinty (Scotland's Highland stick-and-ball sport) is actually like, the scholarship that took him to McNeese State, life inside the European Ryder Cup team room (including a prank-call story), three hidden-gem Scottish links courses to add to your must-play list, and his surprisingly strong feelings on private jets. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:00 Bob, Robert, or "Bobby Mac"? 3:09 FedEx St. Jude & Memphis heat 4:47 Adjusting his ball flight for American golf 7:03 McNeese State: the scholarship story & Cajun culture shock 12:04 Shinty 101 22:31 Playing with an edge 25:32 Defining happiness: chasing tour success vs. being home 29:37 The BMW Championship battle with Scottie Scheffler 34:44 U.S. Open pressure & J.J. Spaun's stunning finish 36:11 Two Ryder Cup wins, the Scottish Open, and chasing a major 39:21 Inside the European Ryder Cup team room (the prank-call story) 43:04 Scotland's college golf pipeline 46:01 Fatherhood: son Finlay's arrival 50:14 Three hidden-gem Scottish links courses 54:40 Scottish football & Premier League predictions 57:23 Private jets vs. Ryanair
#365
August 17 · 1 hr 22 min
365: Why Merion is so Special, Golf's Best Trees & Scottie Dominates in Memphis
Smylie Kaufman is back home after broadcasting the U.S. Amateur at Merion, and he and Charlie Hulme spend the front half of the show breaking down the course — its unusual routing, the brutal 14-18 closing stretch, the debate over how much green-complex slope can survive modern speeds, and why it's such a compelling preview for the 2030 U.S. Open there. Jack Whaley beat Jay Leng Jr. for the title, with Ryder Cowan and Carter Loflin standing out as names to know. From there, the guys run their favorite trees in golf — a loose, hilarious countdown through Merion, Pebble Beach, The Renaissance Club, Cypress Point, TPC Sawgrass, Panmure (where Ben Hogan prepped for the 1953 Open), Prairie Dunes, Seminole, Monterey Peninsula, and the tree at Augusta National. Plus: the case for Scottie Scheffler as the clear Player of the Year after his 8-shot win at TPC Southwind, what the PGA Tour's new playoff points structure means for players fighting to stay inside the top 50, and the fallout from Jon Rahm's reported LIV Golf exit — including what it means for the DP World Tour, the Challenger Series, and the sport's shifting global landscape heading into 2027. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro & catch-up: fresh off the U.S. Amateur at Merion 2:59 Merion's unique routing and standout holes 7:47 Tangent: the Bobby Jones cinematic universe 11:33 Merion's brutal closing stretch and the 17th green debate 12:49 Setting up Merion for a 2030 U.S. Open 18:46 The story behind Merion's wicker-basket logo 22:27 Merion trivia: director-of-golf tenure & clubhouse details 27:05 Best trees in golf: the debate begins (Merion's 8th) 29:03 Pebble Beach's 18th hole cypress 31:58 The Renaissance Club's 11th hole 33:16 Cypress Point: Walker Cup picnics & the 17th tree 36:47 TPC Sawgrass's tree-lined holes 38:29 Panmure: where Hogan prepped for the 1953 Open 40:08 Prairie Dunes' "The Shoot" at 15 42:15 Seminole's 16th hole palms 43:42 Monterey Peninsula's 11th hole 45:54 The Tree at Augusta National & honorable mentions 48:10 U.S. Amateur standouts: Ryder Cowan & Carter Loflin 50:26 The case for Scottie Scheffler as Player of the Year 59:07 PGA Tour playoff points shakeup & the scramble for top 50 1:04:41 Jon Rahm, LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour's shifting landscape 1:19:11 Sign-off: Bob McIntyre preview, Ryder Cup to the South & JT's Firestone flashback #golf #pgatour #smylieshow #scottiescheffler #Merion
#364
August 12 · 1 hr 7 min
364: Hunter Mahan on His Pro Golf Comeback, Why He Stepped Away, & Coaching High School Golf
Six-time PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan joins Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme to talk about his unexpected return to golf. Mahan opens up on why he stepped away from competing in 2021 — burnout, the grind of travel, and an envy that "took over" and wasn't good for his soul — and what's pulled him back into playing after several years coaching high school golf at Liberty Christian in Argyle, Texas, alongside football coach Jason Witten. A few months of posting practice-round videos to social media turned into a full comeback arc, complete with a new equipment deal through Grant Horvat's Primo. Plus: Hunter breaks down the swing videos he's been posting — his takeaway feel, getting the clubface more shut, and clearing up the Justin Rose "shallowing" myth — and walks through his short game reboot under Stan Utley (of Parker McLachlin's Short Game Chef), including the shaft-angle and forearm-rotation keys that turned his chipping around. The guys also get into a wide-ranging Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup conversation: why Team Europe consistently looks looser under pressure, Mahan's own Presidents Cup debut alongside Justin Leonard and Paul Azinger, the case for a real U.S. national team pipeline, and a frank look back at the U.S. team's collapse at Bethpage in 2025. Before they let him go: Hunter's top tips for teaching your kids golf, and a very serious debate over which foursome wins — the Golf Boys or the 2016 Spring Breakers. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro & why the beard came off 1:41 Why Hunter Mahan stepped away from the tour — and what's pulling him back 3:03 Coaching high school golf with Jason Witten at Liberty Christian 7:42 The burnout and envy that pushed him away from competing 9:56 What went wrong with his swing after 2015 15:11 Breaking down Hunter's Instagram swing videos 21:53 Inside his short-game reboot with Stan Utley 27:16 Who spins it best around the greens on tour? 29:33 Utley's keys: shaft angle, forearm rotation, hitting it high vs. low 33:09 The "level eyes" fix and driving through the chip 40:33 Ryder Cup vs. Presidents Cup — why Team Europe has the edge 49:44 Mahan's Presidents Cup debut: Justin Leonard & Paul Azinger 52:42 Building a real U.S. national team pipeline 56:18 Bethpage 2025 post-mortem: "everyone's got a plan till they get hit in the mouth" 59:06 Hunter's top tips for teaching kids golf 1:02:32 Hypothetical: Golf Boys vs. the 2016 Spring Breakers 1:06:03 Sign-off #golf #huntermahan #pgatour #smyliekaufman #smylieshow #golfpodcast #golfhighlights
#363
August 11 · 53 min
363: LIV Golf 2.0: Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and the $250M Investor Deal
Smylie and Charlie dive deep into LIV Golf's uncertain future, breaking down the reported $250 million investment from BC Partners, the shift to a player-equity model, and what a 10-event "LIV 2.0" schedule would actually look like. They also unpack the confirmed cancellation of the Team Championship in Michigan, leaving Indianapolis as the tour's lone remaining event of 2026. Plus: Bryson DeChambeau's headline-grabbing New York Post quotes, why he might be the one player who keeps LIV alive no matter what, the brutal math facing Jon Rahm if he wants back on the PGA Tour, LIV's business missteps (from its team-branding strategy to its mounting legal bills), and a fun hypothetical — could a Bryson-led YouTube golf tour actually work? Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro & why we're breaking down LIV's future 1:52 LIV 2.0 restructuring — bankruptcy, equity, and the "$250M mini tour" 5:12 Who's funding this? BC Partners and the players-investors standoff 8:30 Which players get a fast track back — Rahm and Niemann 9:24 Bryson's New York Post quotes, dissected 10:26 Bryson's YouTube empire and why he's all-in on LIV 14:56 The failed $500M ask from PIF 16:14 Bryson's major exemptions status through 2029 17:41 Bryson is the engine keeping LIV alive 19:50 The Q-School pathway back to the PGA Tour 22:24 LIV 2.0's reality check: purses shrink from $40M to $15M 24:37 Who pays the penalty? Koepka's buyback and Rahm's price tag 27:37 Jon Rahm's business decision 29:09 LIV's mistakes: legal fees and a fumbled team-branding strategy 33:25 The road not taken — a joint venture instead of a rival tour 36:34 Could LIV become a YouTube-native golf brand? 38:21 Selling YouTube golf to sponsors — the measurement problem 40:36 Hypothetical: a Bryson-led touring roadshow 42:28 LIV's other lawsuits: Premier Golf League and Mobii Systems 47:17 Prediction: Rahm's decision and a September deadline #golf #LIV #pgatour #jonrahm #brysondechambeau #smylieshow #smyliekaufman
#362
August 10 · 36 min
362: Playoff Makers & Missers Breakdown + Michael Brennan's 2nd PGA TOUR Win Keeps Youth Movement Rolling
PART TWO: LIV GOLF SEGMENT: Dropping tomorrow morning (08/11/26) With a third straight PGA TOUR winner under the age of 24 in the books thanks to Michael Brennan's Sunday birdie streak, Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme look back at his year, and the continued emergence of young American talent on the PGA TOUR. SK and CH also discuss which big names made or missed the FedEx Cup playoffs, discuss the origins of "AimPoint" green reading, and review some comments from Brooks Koepka after missing out on the playoffs. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro & this week's storylines tease 1:19 Spotting a Smylie Show hat at the Wyndham Championship 2:45 Sick kids and a rough week at home 6:37 Michael Brennan wins the Wyndham Championship 8:13 Brennan's rise: Korn Ferry Tour to PGA Tour winner 11:09 Brennan hires putting coach Marcus Potter 11:27 Young Americans and the Presidents Cup conversation 13:03 Ben James, Miles Russell & American golf's next wave 14:02 Brennan's FedEx Cup jump and Presidents Cup odds 15:06 Why winning on the PGA Tour still matters most 16:33 Heat, humidity, and the "worst month" debate (plus a daylight saving tangent) 20:47 Jackson Koivun sneaks into the FedEx Cup top 70 24:26 The AimPoint putting debate 30:45 Tom Kim climbs to 26th; three playoff streaks snapped 31:42 Brooks Koepka's brutally honest 94th-place assessment 32:55 Diagnosing Koepka's season & his road back from LIV #golf #pgatour #golfrecap #golfhighlights #smylieshow #smyliekaufman #golfpodcast #wyndhamchampionship #michaelbrennan #fedexcup
#361
August 5 · 40 min
361: Sean Foley on Thorbjornsen's First PGA TOUR Win, Tom Kim's Comeback & Michael Kim's Rebuild
Sean Foley joins the show to break down Michael Thorbjornsen's first PGA Tour win at the Rocket Classic — a bogey-free final-round 63 that came together in barely six weeks of work with Foley, built around going back to video of Thorbjornsen's swing from Stanford in 2018. Foley walks through exactly what he saw, what they're working on, and why the answer was already in Thorbjornsen's own history. Plus: Foley digs into his full player room this summer — Tom Kim's emotional Genesis Scottish Open win, Michael Kim's historic 59 at the 3M Open and the three-month process of retraining his swing around a stronger grip, Ben An's four-year driver transformation, and the "humans first, golfer second" coaching philosophy he's built over two decades on tour with players like Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, and Hunter Mahan. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro & congrats to Sean Foley on Thorbjornsen's Rocket Classic win 2:08 Foley on watching Thor's win & his history with Michael since age 16 4:02 Foley's 20-year coaching evolution — "player support," humans first golfer second 6:29 Scottie Scheffler's rising floor & the new generation's mindset 7:28 Tom Kim & Thorbjornsen's shared high expectations turning pro 8:23 Coaching Tom Kim: rebuilding posture, connection & swing DNA 11:09 Thorbjornsen's swing fix: back to his 2018 Stanford video 12:14 Breaking down Thorbjornsen's swing — grip, posture, wrist angles 19:32 Thor's shot-shape arsenal beyond the draw 21:13 Foley's coaching philosophy 23:23 Michael Kim's comeback 25:16 Retraining Kim's pattern — hitting snap hooks for 3 months 28:16 Coaching psychology — bad memories & letting players enjoy wins 30:18 Consistency over "feel" & the dad-as-coach dynamic 32:35 Enjoying golf vs. having fun — and Foley's "do no harm" rule #golf #pgatour #smylieshow #michaelthorbjornsen #rocketclassic #smyliekaufman
#360
August 3 · 1 hr 34 min
360: Michael Thorbjornsen's Breakthrough Win + Stephen Sweeney Joins To Discuss Putting Work With Thor
Charlie Hulme and Smylie Kaufman break down Michael Thorbjornsen's first PGA Tour win — a bogey-free final-round 63 at the Rocket Classic, sealed by a long birdie putt on 18 that held off a hard-charging Xander Schauffele. Thor's putting coach, Stephen Sweeney, joins the show to explain how a stance and ball-position overhaul helped refine a raw approach into more short makes and better speed control on long putts. With the final PGA TOUR regular-season event up next, we take a bigger-picture look at the rest of the season and beyond. Which players are in danger of losing their cards, missing the playoffs, or not qualifying for signature events? And how would all of this look via a restructured competitive format in 2028? Plus: Detroit Golf Club's Donald Ross restoration, debating our favorite golf course design features, and the fantasy game Smylie would like to see in 2028 with the Championship and Challenger Series in place. Check out our original putting instruction video with Stephen Sweeney here: https://youtu.be/JVh5Xy7YRQM CHAPTERS: 0:00 Intro: Charlie's HVAC and studio backdrop saga continues 3:15 Smylie plays through a mild flu — new Sam Burns/Scottie Scheffler swing thoughts 6:58 Charlie's putter and grip breakthrough 8:14 Detroit Golf Club's Donald Ross restoration & tour's vanishing classic courses 16:03 What makes a golf hole memorable 19:16 Favorite/least favorite design features: cross creeks & sloped tee boxes 23:52 Caddie yardages: raw numbers vs. adjusted advice 27:39 Stephen Sweeney joins to talk Thorbjornsen's win 33:36 Thorbjornsen's raw putting DNA — from cross-handed to fundamentals 39:12 Video breakdown: fixing Thorbjornsen's stance & ball position 45:14 Thorbjornsen's ceiling 47:27 Sweeney's new ventures: Golf.com content & The People's League 55:25 Rocket Classic recap: Thorbjornsen's bogey-free 63 & the winning putt 57:37 Xander Schauffele's runner-up finish & 2026 bounce-back 58:21 FedEx Cup Playoffs / Top 100 PGAT Bubble Discussion 01:08:00 Presidents Cup Outlook 01:12:00 Future PGAT Changes #golf #pgatour #rocketclassic #MichaelThorbjornsen #SmylieShow #SmylieKaufman Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow!
#359
July 27 · 1 hr 5 min
359: Jackson Koivun Arrives: Will His 3M Open Win Land Him On Presidents Cup Team?
Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme break down Jackson Koivun's stunning 3M Open win — his first PGA Tour title in just his third start as a pro, holding off a hard-charging Scottie Scheffler at TPC Twin Cities. They revisit Smylie's April prediction that Koivun could make the Presidents Cup team, along with a deep dive into Brandt Snedeker's Presidents Cup roster dilemma (young guns vs. proven veterans). Other 3M topics include a fifth runner-up finish for Scottie Scheffler, an ode to Grumpy Old Dudes after a viral Lucas Glover metal spikes moment, and “3Minutes” with producer Jaxon Brown. Before all that: Smylie tweaks his back wrestling his kids into car seats in the rain during a solo parenting weekend, and Charlie gets torched by a mineral sunscreen mishap on the beach. Tune in soon for a fuller breakdown of the state of LIV Golf after a brief discussion to close the episode. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro & episode preview 1:48 Smylie's parenting-duty weekend and "dad back" tweak 4:13 Charlie's beach vacation and sunscreen sunburn saga 9:06 Jackson Koivun's 3M Open win and duel with Scottie Scheffler 13:10 Brandt Snedeker's Presidents Cup roster dilemma: youth vs. experience 22:54 Presidents Cup standings and proposed format changes 25:39 Comparing Koivun to golf's great young major winners 28:08 Scottie Scheffler's incredible, win-light runner-up season 32:14 Scheffler's costly miss on 18 and Koivun's closing par 34:28 Koivun's caddie David Flynn's backstory 35:57 Lucas Glover's shoes-off, metal-spikes controversy 42:52 3M Minutes: Jaxon Brown's on-site report from the 3M Open 53:22 Smylie's neck injury and driver breakthrough 56:23 LIV Golf's collapse and stranded players 1:02:07 Sign-off and next episode tease #golf #pgatour #smylieshow #jacksonkoivun #3MOpen #golfrecap #golfhighlights
#358
July 23 · 49 min
358: Champion Golfer of the Year Ryan Fox On Winning The Open + Check or Carry On the Claret Jug???
Fresh off a thrilling finish at Royal Birkdale which saw him hoist the Claret Jug, Ryan Fox joins Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme to relive his first major win at the 2026 Open Championship — only the fourth Kiwi to win a major, and the first to bring the Claret Jug home to New Zealand since Bob Charles in 1963. Fox walks through his major championship record-tying 62 on Saturday (and the improbable fairway bunker shot on 18 that capped it off), the driver decision on the 13th that swung his Sunday momentum, an incredible approach at 16, and the nerves he felt reading the winning birdie putt on 18. Plus: A brand new Srixon driver responsible for some of the most clutch shots he hit all week + the Z-STAR ball that gave him an edge over the rest of the field in the windy conditions, his dad Grant Fox's legendary All Blacks career and 1987 Rugby World Cup win, New Zealand's golf course boom, whether a PGA Tour event or Presidents Cup could ever land in New Zealand, and a detour into Fox's Bordeaux-heavy wine cellar. Before all that: the saga of getting the real and replica Claret Jugs through airport security and onto the flight home — including an awkward moment in line next to runner-up Cameron Young. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Intro & Ryan Fox's dad, All Blacks legend Grant Fox 2:39 Has life changed since becoming Champion Golfer of the Year? 3:39 New Zealand's 4th major champion & ending a 63-year Claret Jug drought 4:29 The Claret Jug's wild flight home 9:19 Echoes of Hideki Matsuyama's Masters travels 10:19 Friday's grind just to make the cut 12:12 Saturday's record-tying 62 13:14 The bunker shot and putt that closed out the 62 18:29 The 13th hole driver gamble and riding the wave of momentum 23:24 The approach at 16 and feeling the crowd's energy 29:03 Composure and nerves on the 18th green 32:45 The backstory on Ryan's putter 34:42 No snakes in New Zealand??? 35:57 The 2014 Muriwai Open and New Zealand's links golf 38:00 The 2021 Muriwai win with Steve Williams caddying 39:48 Touring New Zealand's booming golf course scene 42:50 Could the PGA Tour — or a Presidents Cup — come to New Zealand? 46:25 Wine talk: Bordeaux, Hawke's Bay, and the Claret Jug 48:23 Sign-off

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