The Smylie Show

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!Chapters0:00 Intro: Walker Cup broadcast schedule & preview8:20 Ryder Cowan joins: earning his Walker Cup spot10:20 Tying Jackson Koivun for low-amateur honors13:21 What Ryder learned studying Koivun's game19:09 Forgetting his golf balls before facing Miles Russell23:20 Beating Miles Russell & Walker Cup teammates28:39 Jack Whaley joins: US Am win & major exemptions29:49 Merion's brutal, back-loaded finish31:19 Wasp sting, a storm, and battling back36:00 Walker Cup matchups & English course roots39:10 FSU's pipeline, airport rankings & sign-off41:40 TJ Ford joins: his game & Lahinch's history43:50 Course design history: Old Tom Morris & MacKenzie45:44 Flyovers begin53:18 2019 Irish Open flashback: Rahm's 6256:55 MacKenzie's design philosophy & the toughest holes59:17 Lahinch's famous roaming goats & Jordan Spieth1:03:12 New clubhouse & TJ's prediction1:06:14 Walker Cup rosters & matchup breakdown1:12:09 Final score predictions#golf #pgatour #walkercup #lahinch #smylieshow #smyliekaufman

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!Chapters1:00 "Tommy, Tommy Tommy"3:23 The road to his first PGA Tour win10:29 Winning his first event on the PGA TOUR at East Lake12:15 Life in Dubai, London & the PGA Tour travel grind16:10 Staying consistent on a condensed schedule19:37 DP World Tour cards & the new Championship/Challenger Series23:35 Butch Harmon and the power of simplicity26:45 Practice habits — slow-motion swings, staying disciplined29:20 Learning to trust the fade34:41 The shoulder-to-shoulder swing37:18 Why the nine wood & mini driver are must-haves41:20 Playing the Open Championship at home in Birkdale47:04 Premier League preview — Everton, Tottenham & old grudges50:12 Golf merch, logos & the return of pleats54:05 Underrated English golf courses for a trip57:01 Fatherhood & the boys' Masters Par Three tradition1:04:12 Sign-off#golf #pgatour #tommyfleetwood #smylieshow #smyliekaufman

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!Chapters0:00 Intro1:00 Bob, Robert, or "Bobby Mac"?3:09 FedEx St. Jude & Memphis heat4:47 Adjusting his ball flight for American golf7:03 McNeese State: the scholarship story & Cajun culture shock12:04 Shinty 10122:31 Playing with an edge25:32 Defining happiness: chasing tour success vs. being home29:37 The BMW Championship battle with Scottie Scheffler34:44 U.S. Open pressure & J.J. Spaun's stunning finish36:11 Two Ryder Cup wins, the Scottish Open, and chasing a major39:21 Inside the European Ryder Cup team room (the prank-call story)43:04 Scotland's college golf pipeline46:01 Fatherhood: son Finlay's arrival50:14 Three hidden-gem Scottish links courses54:40 Scottish football & Premier League predictions57:23 Private jets vs. Ryanair

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!Chapters0:00 Intro & why the beard came off1:41 Why Hunter Mahan stepped away from the tour — and what's pulling him back3:03 Coaching high school golf with Jason Witten at Liberty Christian7:42 The burnout and envy that pushed him away from competing9:56 What went wrong with his swing after 201515:11 Breaking down Hunter's Instagram swing videos 21:53 Inside his short-game reboot with Stan Utley27:16 Who spins it best around the greens on tour? 29:33 Utley's keys: shaft angle, forearm rotation, hitting it high vs. low33:09 The "level eyes" fix and driving through the chip40:33 Ryder Cup vs. Presidents Cup — why Team Europe has the edge49:44 Mahan's Presidents Cup debut: Justin Leonard & Paul Azinger52:42 Building a real U.S. national team pipeline56:18 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 golf1:02:32 Hypothetical: Golf Boys vs. the 2016 Spring Breakers1:06:03 Sign-off#golf #huntermahan #pgatour #smyliekaufman #smylieshow #golfpodcast #golfhighlights

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!Chapters0:00 Intro & this week's storylines tease1:19 Spotting a Smylie Show hat at the Wyndham Championship2:45 Sick kids and a rough week at home6:37 Michael Brennan wins the Wyndham Championship8:13 Brennan's rise: Korn Ferry Tour to PGA Tour winner11:09 Brennan hires putting coach Marcus Potter11:27 Young Americans and the Presidents Cup conversation13:03 Ben James, Miles Russell & American golf's next wave14:02 Brennan's FedEx Cup jump and Presidents Cup odds15:06 Why winning on the PGA Tour still matters most16:33 Heat, humidity, and the "worst month" debate (plus a daylight saving tangent)20:47 Jackson Koivun sneaks into the FedEx Cup top 7024:26 The AimPoint putting debate30:45 Tom Kim climbs to 26th; three playoff streaks snapped31:42 Brooks Koepka's brutally honest 94th-place assessment32:55 Diagnosing Koepka's season & his road back from LIV#golf #pgatour #golfrecap #golfhighlights #smylieshow #smyliekaufman #golfpodcast #wyndhamchampionship #michaelbrennan #fedexcup

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/JVh5Xy7YRQMCHAPTERS:0:00 Intro: Charlie's HVAC and studio backdrop saga continues3:15 Smylie plays through a mild flu — new Sam Burns/Scottie Scheffler swing thoughts6:58 Charlie's putter and grip breakthrough8:14 Detroit Golf Club's Donald Ross restoration & tour's vanishing classic courses16:03 What makes a golf hole memorable19:16 Favorite/least favorite design features: cross creeks & sloped tee boxes23:52 Caddie yardages: raw numbers vs. adjusted advice27:39 Stephen Sweeney joins to talk Thorbjornsen's win33:36 Thorbjornsen's raw putting DNA — from cross-handed to fundamentals39:12 Video breakdown: fixing Thorbjornsen's stance & ball position45:14 Thorbjornsen's ceiling47:27 Sweeney's new ventures: Golf.com content & The People's League55:25 Rocket Classic recap: Thorbjornsen's bogey-free 63 & the winning putt57:37 Xander Schauffele's runner-up finish & 2026 bounce-back58:21 FedEx Cup Playoffs / Top 100 PGAT Bubble Discussion01:08:00 Presidents Cup Outlook01:12:00 Future PGAT Changes#golf #pgatour #rocketclassic #MichaelThorbjornsen #SmylieShow #SmylieKaufman Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow!

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!Chapters0:00 Intro & Ryan Fox's dad, All Blacks legend Grant Fox2:39 Has life changed since becoming Champion Golfer of the Year?3:39 New Zealand's 4th major champion & ending a 63-year Claret Jug drought4:29 The Claret Jug's wild flight home9:19 Echoes of Hideki Matsuyama's Masters travels10:19 Friday's grind just to make the cut12:12 Saturday's record-tying 6213:14 The bunker shot and putt that closed out the 6218:29 The 13th hole driver gamble and riding the wave of momentum23:24 The approach at 16 and feeling the crowd's energy29:03 Composure and nerves on the 18th green32:45 The backstory on Ryan's putter34:42 No snakes in New Zealand???35:57 The 2014 Muriwai Open and New Zealand's links golf38:00 The 2021 Muriwai win with Steve Williams caddying39:48 Touring New Zealand's booming golf course scene42:50 Could the PGA Tour — or a Presidents Cup — come to New Zealand?46:25 Wine talk: Bordeaux, Hawke's Bay, and the Claret Jug48:23 Sign-off

Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme react to the PGA TOUR’s newly announced 2028 competitive structure, including the Championship Series, Challenger Series, promotion and relegation, minimum purse changes, no sponsor exemptions in top-tier events, and a revamped fall “last chance” series.The guys break down what this means for players, sponsors, fans, Korn Ferry Tour graduates, DP World Tour pathways, and the future of the FedExCup Playoffs — including the possibility of a rotating, match-play Tour Championship at some of golf’s most iconic venues.CHAPTERS00:00:57 — PGA TOUR’s 2028 shakeup00:02:23 — Smylie’s first reaction to Brian Rolapp’s plan00:04:52 — Why the two-tier model makes sense00:07:08 — What it means for players and purses00:13:26 — Can stars still play hometown events?00:15:17 — Midseason promotion and smaller fields00:18:18 — Why schedule clarity matters00:24:19 — Is this better for mid-tier PGA TOUR players?00:28:36 — No sponsor exemptions in Championship Series00:31:39 — “Last chance” fall series explained00:38:40 — Match play and the future playoffs00:42:58 — Pine Valley, Cypress Point, Seminole rumors00:49:23 — Could elite private clubs actually host?00:53:18 — Why match play can work anywhere00:55:36 — Why 2027 suddenly matters more#golf #smylieshow #smyliekaufman #pgatour #pgatournews #golfrecap #golfhighlights