5.26.26 | Aaron Rai & Julie Elion | Winning a PGA Championship and the Mental Side of Golf | 5 Clubs

About this episode

The episode features discussions on the mental side of golf, the significance of tradition in the PGA TOUR, and insights from PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai and mental coach Julie Elion.

Gary Williams opens this edition of 5 Clubs by reflecting on Colonial Country Club’s historic place on the PGA TOUR as the tournament celebrates its 80th consecutive year at the same venue. Gary discusses the importance of tradition, the value of iconic venues on the PGA TOUR schedule, and why players — not markets — ultimately drive the success of events. He also previews the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship match play portion, highlights Texas star Farah O’Keefe winning the individual title, and shares thoughts on the future of college golf and player development. Julie Elion, performance and mental coach, joins Gary to discuss her new book “Mastering Your Mental Game” and the deeper psychological side of performance. Elion shares insights on vulnerability, self-awareness, pressure, anxiety, and how elite athletes navigate difficult moments both on and off the golf course. She also explains how players can reset after adversity, overcome fear-based thinking, and improve performance through honesty and self-examination. The conversation goes far beyond golf and touches on lessons that apply to everyday life, work, and competition. Aaron Rai, 2026 PGA Championship winner, joins…

People in this episode

Host: Gary Williams

Guests: Julie Elion, Aaron Rai

Topics covered

• PGA Championship
• mental coaching
• performance psychology
• college golf
• athlete mindset
• tradition in sports

Keywords

• golf
• PGA TOUR
• mental game
• performance
• athlete
• tradition
• college golf
• pressure
• anxiety

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NCAA, Colonial Country Club

Books & works: Mastering Your Mental Game

Places: Texas

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