The post Which celeb golfer is the longest of them all? Curry, Kelce … Barkley?! appeared first on Golf.

The post Which celeb golfer is the longest of them all? Curry, Kelce … Barkley?! appeared first on Golf.

At the American Century Championship on the shores of beautiful Lake Tahoe last month, active and retired athletes, artists, and personalities teed it up for 54 holes, with Tony Romo prevailing the third time after carding a three-under 69 in the final round.

Others found more luck at the long-drive competition hosted by GOLF’s Subpar co-host Drew Stoltz.

In this contest within the contest, eight competitors recorded carries of more than 300 yards. (Sir Charles Barkley was not among them, but he was much closer than you may think.) 

The NFL showed up in a big way with six of the top 10 making the longest drive leaderboard, but the winner was an MLB pitcher. 

Before you put your head in your hands, wondering how these celebs who play golf as their second (or third) sport hit the ball so much further than you, remember where the event was played! The elevation at Edgewood Tahoe is more than 6,000 feet above sea level — and, according to Andrew Rice’s research, for every 1,000 feet of elevation, your tee shots will carry an additional 2.5 yards.

To see Stephen Curry, Travis Kelce, Sir Charles and other celebrities hit some blasts, check out the video above.

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The post Charles Barkley says he won’t join LIV Golf broadcast team in blow to new league appeared first on Golf.

The post Charles Barkley says he won’t join LIV Golf broadcast team in blow to new league appeared first on Golf.

For a little while there appeared to be a chance NBA legend and TNT analyst Charles Barkley would join the Saudi-backed upstart LIV Golf league. But according to a new report from the New York Post, the potential Barkley-LIV partnership will not manifest.

A week ago, Barkley dined with LIV CEO Greg Norman to discuss a potential role, and Barkley agreed to tee it up in the pro-am at the LIV event at Trump Bedminster Thursday.

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In an interview with the New York Post earlier in the week, Barkley revealed that due to the “risk” joining LIV would cause to his sponsorships and his current $30 million TNT deal, “it would have to be some serious money thrown my way” to get him to sign on.

On Monday, during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Barkley provided a few details about his dinner with Norman, saying “I don’t know anything to be honest with you. I met with Greg, he asked me if I was interested and I said ‘Of course, I’m here, I wouldn’t have had dinner with you if I wasn’t interested.’ I’m waiting for them to make me an offer, I guess. But it’s been very stressful on me.”

Barkley did indeed play the pro-am at Bedminster on Thursday, alongside pros Sergio Garcia and Louis Oosthuizen. But it appears the experience, and whatever offer LIV may or may not have made, was not enough to lure Barkley away from his TNT NBA gig.

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“I want to thank Greg Norman and LIV for their interest in me,” Barkley said in a phone interview with the New York Post. “I wish those guys great success and nothing but the best. But, in my best interest, and being fair to Turner — because Turner and basketball have given me every single thing in my life — It is best for me to move on and I’m staying with Turner for the rest of my TV career.”

Though Barkley was likely a dream hire for LIV given his celebrity and broadcasting skill, they have had success drawing TV talent to the new league. Earlier this month, longtime NBC Golf on-course analyst David Feherty announced he was leaving NBC to work 8-10 LIV events per year.

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The post What would it take Charles Barkley to join LIV Golf? ‘Something crazy.’ appeared first on Golf.

The post What would it take Charles Barkley to join LIV Golf? ‘Something crazy.’ appeared first on Golf.

He is LIV Golf’s hottest new target, and with any luck, he’ll never be seen so much as holding a club.

He is, of course, Charles Barkley, owner of golf’s most-infamous swing and sports television’s least-censored voice. In recent days, Barkley has found himself at the center of the LIV rumor mill after an impromptu dinner with the Saudi-backed league’s CEO, Greg Norman. Could Barkley, who is entering the final year of his deal with TNT, be LIV’s latest high-profile broadcast addition? The answer, according to the man himself, is a firm maybe.

“It’s been very stressful. It’s been tough. I don’t know anything to be honest with you,” Barkley told the Dan Patrick Show on Monday afternoon. “I met with Greg, he asked me if I was interested and I said ‘of course, I’m here, I wouldn’t have had dinner with you if I wasn’t interested.’ I’m waiting for them to make me an offer, I guess. But it’s been very stressful on me.”

It’s a move that makes some sense for both parties. For a league still battling for notoriety, Barkley would be a shrewd addition to move the needle with both potential broadcast partners and sports-watching audiences — two groups LIV has struggled to make inroads with to date. For the former NBA MVP and current TNT NBA analyst, LIV represents an opportunity to make a boatload of money while simultaneously reducing his week-to-week schedule.

But for Barkley, the former would be the key to it all: a boatload of money.

For LIV to wrangle Barkley, the payday would have to be significant — as much as two-to-three times his current annual salary, which is believed to be around $20 million. But the payoff could be just as large, giving LIV a star with cross-sport appeal whose appearances on The Match broadcasts have made him something of a known entity among golf fans.

“Well, man, I love TNT. I love Ernie [Johnson], Kenny [Smith] and Shaq. But if those dudes [LIV] throw something crazy at me, I have to listen,” Barkley said. “I’m not going to get on here and say it’s not about the money. Of course it’s about the money.”

But just fielding the conversation could prove detrimental for Barkley. LIV’s ties to Saudi Arabia — and the nation’s porous human rights record — have made the league deeply controversial since its inception. Barkley’s potential involvement could help the league make in-roads with wary fans, or it could make fans wary of Barkley.

“I don’t deal with this selective prosecution. Everybody picks and chooses. I just think it’s funny that people are worried about civil rights in Saudi Arabia, a place 99.9 percent of people in the United Stated have never been,” Barkley said. “You don’t worry about civil rights here in the United States, but all of the sudden when people start taking money they’re like, ‘I’m worried about civil rights here in Saudi Arabia.'”

Ultimately, Chuck says, his decision won’t be motivated by his conscience, but by something far simpler: cold, hard cash.

“Most people I’ve talked to, my close confidantes, say nah man you’ve got to sit down with them and listen to what they’re offering,” Barkley said. “I know you love TNT, but they’re giving dudes $200 million, $150 million, $125 million. I’d be stupid not to listen to that conversation.”

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The post Stephen Curry, Travis Kelce, Charles Barkley and other celebrities show off in long drive contest appeared first on Golf.

The post Stephen Curry, Travis Kelce, Charles Barkley and other celebrities show off in long drive contest appeared first on Golf.

At the American Century Championship on the shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe, these celebrities certainly drove for show. Active and retired athletes, artists, and personalities teed it up for 54 holes of modified Stableford play. Shoutout to Tony Romo who won the event for the third time after carding a three-under 69 in the final round. Check out the leaderboard to see how your favorite celebrities fared.

Others found more luck at the long drive competition led by GOLF’s Subpar co-host Drew Stoltz, where their capabilities in the gym held more importance. Eight competitors recorded carries of over 300 yards, but you’ll be devastated to hear that Charles Barkley was not one of them. However, he was much closer than you may think. 

The NFL showed up in a powerful way with six of the top ten on the longest drive leaderboard, but the winner was an MLB pitcher who isn’t even known for his speed. Maybe we should take a lesson from John Lester about hitting the center of the club face. 

Before you put your head in your hands, wondering how these celebrities who play golf as their second or third sport hit the ball so much further than you, take a look at where the event was played. 

At the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada, the elevation is over 6,000 feet above sea level. According to Andrew Rice’s research, your driver will carry an additional 2.5 yards for every 1,000 feet of elevation.

To see Stephen Curry, Travis Kelce, Charles Barkley and other celebrities show off in long drive contest, watch the video above.

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The post Tour Confidential: Ryder Cup concerns, Brooke Henderson, LIV broadcasts appeared first on Golf.

The post Tour Confidential: Ryder Cup concerns, Brooke Henderson, LIV broadcasts appeared first on Golf.

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us @golf_com. This week, we discuss concerns over the Ryder Cup, Brooke Henderson’s win at the Evian Championship, LIV broadcasts and more. 

1. Ryder Cup Europe removed Henrik Stenson as its 2023 captain after Stenson was among the latest batch of pros to join LIV Golf. At this point, how worried should the governing bodies of the U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams be that their premier event could be watered down? What’s the solution?

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Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): I think their biggest worry should be the fact that the players whose careers have been most defined by the Ryder Cup — think Sergio and Poulter — were so willing to give it up, and now Stenson was willing to go back on his word and give up the captaincy, too. The European core of Rory and Rahm are still eligible, and most of its top young pros are, too. But it’s worrisome that the Ryder Cup’s cache doesn’t stand up to a bucket of gold bricks. It’ll be interesting to see if they hold that line.

Josh Sens, senior writer (@joshsens): Losing Stenson, Poulter and the like doesn’t significantly water down the Ryder Cup since those players’ Ryder Cup careers are largely behind them. But the balance feels very precarious. If bigger and younger names continue to jump to LIV, the Ryder Cup as we know it will feel radically changed. 

James Colgan, assistant editor (@jamescolgan26): Agreed, Dylan! I saw someone ask the other day who was left among the Europeans to captain a Ryder Cup team … and I don’t know the answer! And on the American side, who, if not Phil, is going to captain them at Bethpage in ‘25? What a hornet’s nest the powers-that-be have wandered into.

Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): They should be worried. The Ryder Cup always seemed untouchable to me. When LIV defections started, I didn’t think those players would be key Ryder Cuppers — at least not the ones who have several good years left in the event. But as LIV picks up steam, I’m starting to think the Ryder Cup might take more of a hit. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. A watered-down Ryder Cup stings a bit, but I don’t see the PGA of America giving in.

2. Brooke Henderson won the Evian Championship to claim her second career major title, and now, at just 24 years old, she’s the first Canadian-born player (male or female) to win multiple major titles. Does this feat alone make her the best Canadian-born player ever? And are you taking the over/under on 4.5 career Henderson majors?

Dethier: Oh boy. Props to Henderson for righting the ship on Sunday (after an early four-putt!) and doing some seriously big-time stuff down the stretch. Birdies at 14, 15 and 18? Hell yeah. I’ll resist becoming a prisoner of the moment and take the under. Four majors for Henderson, when it’s all said and done. I’d gladly be wrong!

Sens: It makes her the most accomplished Canadian-born player. But I’d still probably take Moe Norman or Mike Weir in theoretical match play. I’ll take the under on 4.5 because winning is hard. How long has Rory been stuck on four again?

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Colgan: Someone call the oddsmakers, we need a line adjustment! I’ll take the under on 4.5 majors, and the over on 3.5.

Berhow: I couldn’t believe she’s still only 24 when I looked it up today. It was a pretty entertaining victory with all of the necessary ups and downs, but I think she’s got lots more great things to show us. Give me the over.

3. NBA Hall-of-Famer Charles Barkley confirmed in an interview with the New York Post that he recently met with Greg Norman to discuss a broadcasting role with Norman’s controversial, Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series. While Barkley didn’t commit to anything publicly, David Feherty announced he is leaving NBC for LIV, and a Golf Digest report confirmed that Gary McCord has also been in discussions. What would this crew do for interest in the league? Would a newcomer like Barkley help interest?

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Dethier: It would up the entertainment value, though not necessarily the golfy credibility. Barkley has been a welcome addition to the Match broadcasts and can shake up golf’s too-stodgy defaults. So yeah, Barkley may add to the “exhibition” feel, but he’d help drum up interest. How many media members are better or less predictable quotes?

Sens: There’s not a more entertaining broadcaster in any sport so yes, Barkley would move the needle. But I think we are still at the point with LIV where every move still fits with people’s confirmation biases. For LIV supporters, landing Barkley would seem like an extra-strength boost in mass-market appeal. Anti-LIVers would see it as further evidence that LIV is deeply funded but dumbed-down golf. Each side digging in its heels. 

Colgan: I think the biggest question re: Chuck is whether he took seven figures to go to LIV, or eight. (I think the answer is eight.) Adding Chuck does *nothing* to help the league’s credibility among golf audiences, but perhaps that’s the point? LIV seems rather laser-focused on ‘winning’ with Gen Z, but is it worth sacrificing everyone else to do it?

Berhow: At least initially, I think it’s going to be hard for LIV to get fans to care about who wins. It’s 54 holes, has an odd field and still seems like an exhibition. And adding Sir Charles to that mix just seems even more like an exhibition. Maybe that will go away eventually. But it would be a splashy hire, which I think LIV would count as a major win.

4. The USGA hosted the first-ever U.S. Adaptive Open this week in Pinehurst, N.C. The 54-hole event featured a field of 96 players (both men and women), each of whom had a disability. The hope, USGA CEO Mike Whan told GOLF, is to elevate adaptive golf’s profile in the United States, starting with its inclusion in the Paralympics. Why was this week an important development for the sport writ large?

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Dethier: Because it was taken seriously. (James Colgan told the story wonderfully from on site.) The USGA gets a lot of heat, but this was a concrete example of doing something innovative and doing it well. I’m allergic to the phrase “growing the game,” but this certainly moved it forward.

Sens: Exactly. Handled poorly, it could have felt gimmicky or patronizing. It was beautiful and Inspiring. But also serious and sustainable.

Colgan: I can’t begin to tell you how many families and players told me they had no idea adaptive golf *existed* until they started playing. That is an unbelievable issue — and hopefully one that ceases to exist should this event help bring adaptive golf into the Paralympics. 

Berhow: James did a great job telling stories for us while he was there, and it’s only going to get bigger as it gets more exposure. Also very cool to see it all happen at a place like Pinehurst. Unbelievable athletes.

5. The 245-yard par-3 5th at Anstruther, down the road from St. Andrews in Scotland, is the stuff of nightmares and was even once dubbed the hardest par-3 around by a British golf magazine. (A few of our staffers put it to the test.) What’s the most difficult hole you’ve ever played?

Dethier: The first hole at Gamble Sands in central Washington, where I played U.S. Open qualifying last summer after a few years away from any sort of tournament competition. It was playing over 500 yards, which made it a beefy par-4. I hit a weak push off the tee, lost the ball and made 8. It was a reminder that it’s more often the artist rather than the canvas. A nervy golfer can make any hole hard.

Sens: The jitters I felt on the first tee of the 1994 Masters were so intense that …. wait. That wasn’t me. But this was — at a course called Dinosaur Trail in Drumheller, in western Canada. It’s cut through a wild badlands-like landscape, kinda like Wolf Creek in Mesquite, Nevada, but more extreme in places. As I remember it, a couple of holes had fairways about as wide as sidewalks with severe drop-offs into oblivion on either side. By the time I got to the back nine, I was convinced I was on Candid Camera. This couldn’t be a real course. Someone had to be pranking me. 

Colgan: I think I need to play more with you, Sens. Scariest hole of my life? Probably the 100-yard par-3 5th at my old place of employment, Rockville Links. Most hours of the day, the hole is a cupcake — a flipped wedge over a manmade lake — but that all changes around dinner time. The hole overlooks the clubhouse patio, which is usually packed in the early evening (coincidentally the same hour caddies were permitted to sneak out for a twilight nine). From the tee box, I never stood more than a shanked wedge away from the end of a poor diner’s life — and my looping career. 

Berhow: Every hole at Oakmont. Also, when on a family vacation a few years ago, I snuck out to Top of the World Golf Club a few hours north of New York City. I can’t recall the hole number, but it’s a par-4 with almost an exact 90 degree turn about 200 yards or so off the tee. You are enclosed by trees, so you need to position your tee shot in an extremely small window there or be forced to punch out to a better angle. From there, it’s a downhill shot that’s not necessarily hard, but getting into Position A is difficult. Although maybe that’s not necessarily a difficult hole. It might be more peculiar.

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The post Charles Barkley opens up on potential LIV offer, says ‘we all have sportswashed’ appeared first on Golf.

The post Charles Barkley opens up on potential LIV offer, says ‘we all have sportswashed’ appeared first on Golf.

Charles Barkley, who once made his money as a basketball player, has given little doubt what he would do if offered the figures reportedly being tossed out recently to golfers. 

“Listen, if someone gave me $200 million,” he said last month in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, “I’d kill a relative.”   

Greg Norman appears to have heard. 

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Barkley, the NBA Hall of Famer, NBA analyst and much-lampooned golfer, confirmed in an interview with the New York Post that he had dinner with Norman on Wednesday to discuss a broadcasting role with Norman’s controversial, Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series. While Barkley said he and Norman only talked, he did commit to play in the pro-am of LIV’s next event, to be played next week at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.

Barkley, the Post reported, is under contract with Turner Sports for three years and $30 million, though he told the newspaper that he could also work for LIV. 

“In a perfect scenario, I would love to do both,” Barkley told the Post. 

In the interview, Barkley also revealed strong thoughts on the concept of ‘sportswashing,’ saying, “We have all taken ‘blood money’ and we all have ‘sportswashed’ something so I don’t like those words, to be honest with you. If you are in pro sports, you are taking some type of money from not a great cause.” LIV is supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and the PIF serves as the financial arm of the Saudi government, which has committed numerous human-rights violations. 

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But Barkley also told the Post that his sponsors reached out to him after hearing he was meeting with Norman. 

“Between [my Turner contract] and all my commercials, for me to risk all of that, it would have to be some serious money thrown my way,” Barkley told the Post. 

Stay tuned then. Of course, a big-money inclusion of a basketball player and analyst to a golf broadcast may surprise, though Barkley’s love of the game is well-documented and he’s played in and announced for the Match series. 

The Barkley-to-LIV conversation started publicly during his Pat McAfee Show appearance. It was recorded during the second round of the U.S. Open, and Barkley said: “I want all the LIV guys on top of the leaderboard. I want to see the PGA Tour shaking in their damn boots. Listen, I’m not a religious dude, but I want chaos this weekend at the U.S. Open.” 

“I think I looked at the board: Dustin’s the only one in contention,” he also said on the show. “I would love to see Dustin against Rory and Justin Thomas because, man, that would be so awesome for TV. Because like I say, I don’t judge other people. Listen, if someone gave me $200 million, I’d kill a relative.”

A week ago, while the Open Championship was being played, Barkley then appeared on the Next Round show, and, after being asked to confirm a rumor that LIV was pursuing him for an analyst spot, Barkley did. 

“They called me and asked me would I meet with them and I said yes,” Barkley said on the show. “Nothing is imminent. I actually don’t know everything they want from me, or what they technically want me to do. But you got to always look at every opportunity that’s available. So the answer to your question is, 100 percent, yes, I’m going to meet with LIV.”

The Post and Next Round both talked to Barkley afterward, and Todd Schuster of golf site No Laying Up tweeted out pictures of Norman and Barkley from the meeting, which you can see in the image at the top of this story.   

LIV, which broadcasts in the U.S. on its home page, Facebook and YouTube, has an announce team of play-by-play man Arlo White, analysts Jerry Foltz and Dom Boulet and on-course reporters Su-Ann Heng and Troy Mullins. The New York Post also reported this week that analyst David Feherty was leaving NBC for LIV.   

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The post ‘Manningcast’ may be coming to golf. Here’s who could be on it. (Phil!) appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Manningcast’ may be coming to golf. Here’s who could be on it. (Phil!) appeared first on Golf.

Phil Mickelson, golfer, was talking football as if he were Phil Mickelson, quarterback. The six-time major champion had joined brothers Peyton and Eli Manning, themselves former QBs, in mid-November on their “Manningcast” broadcast and was dissecting the Monday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams with almost as much care as he would show in trying to hit a wedge.

Mickelson asked about 49ers rookie running back Elijah Mitchell: “So looking at the Niners, I know they’ve struggled a little bit. And No. 25 there, Elijah Mitchell, he came in as a sixth-round draft pick and beat out Trey Sermon from Ohio State as a third-round pick, and you see this happen where a lot of guys come in who are lower draft picks or what have you and they outplay people ahead of them. What about Elijah Mitchell, what about players who are drafted later in the rounds gets them to propel into the starting lineup? Is it heart? Is it work ethic? Intellect? What do you guys see?”

He asked whether the Rams should consider running the football: “I got a football question here, all right. The Rams, their strength, they’re the third passing offense. They’re an awesome passing team. But you lose Robert Woods, you don’t have the chemistry with a new receiver. So do they play to their strength, or do they, down 14, go against the opposing team’s weakness, which is the run. San Francisco is almost last in stopping the run. Would you consider running the football, trying to get a little more physical and try to control the game and keep it close, playing to their weakness, or playing to your strength. What would you say?”

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On and on it went. And after an announcement on Wednesday, the back and forth could continue — in the sport Mickelson is best known by. 

ESPN said it will expand its agreement with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions Company, which last year started the “Manningcast,” where the Manning brothers would watch Monday Night Football and be joined by various guests. As part of the deal, “alternative presentations” will be shown for UFC, college football and, yes, golf. 

A press release did not reveal which events would be broadcast — ESPN is the home for Masters and PGA Championship coverage, and its ESPN Plus platform broadcasts PGA Tour Live — nor did the release say who would be the hosts. When asked specifically about golf, Andy Hall, ESPN Communications Director, told GOLF.com: “We don’t have any more details at this time but will be exploring in the future.”  

Of course, that won’t stop us from having a little fun. If the Manningcast style is used, the thought is that it follows the Manning formula — a well-known athlete, with personality and connections. Here, then, is who could be in the booth.

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The Mannings 

Why not? They understand the format and guest part, and they both can knock it around on the golf course — Peyton has been part of two Matches (teaming with Tiger Woods in the second version, and Steph Curry in the third) and Eli proved his golf chops during Mickelson’s Manningcast appearance. Sort of. There, Eli hit into a simulator, and Lefty offered the following critique:

“Well, I mean overall, one word to describe it is cute. I think it’s a cute little swing.”     

Phil Mickelson 

If Golf Twitter is any indication, Mickelson would be the host with the most. His brief appearance in the CBS booth during the 2020 PGA Championship was perhaps more memorable than any shot he took that year. You would imagine he wouldn’t have trouble lining up guests, either. (Though if he’s playing golf in another league … But maybe that frees him up for TV work!)

Charles Barkley 

Is Charles Barkley a pro golfer? No. Is Charles Barkley a golfer? It’s getting better. But is Sir Charles one of the most entertaining analysts, regardless of sport? Yes. Some would argue that his commentary during the Matches has played the biggest part in making them what they are — entertaining. And you would think there would be no shortage of personalities who would love to jab Barkley’s golf game. 

David Feherty

If there’s a format that fits David Feherty, it’s this. Watch the golf? Cool. Dish on a story about golf, but not necessarily about the golf at hand? Cool. He’s been Manningcast before Manningcast. And Feherty hosted a wildly popular talk show on Golf Channel. Playing with others wouldn’t be hard.

Johnny Miller

A long shot, right? Maybe. Though in an interview with Golfweek’s Adam Schupak last year, the longtime NBC analyst was asked if he would consider coming back for the majors or the Ryder Cup, and Miller said, “I could do that.”

Tiger Woods 

Tiger Woods may not be as verbose as Mickelson or Barkley. But no player moves the needle in golf like the 15-time major champion. He was last in a booth in December during his Hero World Challenge, too, and as golf’s biggest name, guests wouldn’t be a problem. If you’re a Woods fan, and his return from injury is delayed, this is where you want him to be. 

Any player   

During the Zozo Championship, Golf Channel picked a different player each round to join its broadcast, and Rickie Fowler, Pat Perez, Charley Hoffman and Ryan Palmer dished on their rounds, the course and the play in front of them. (After the event, GOLF’s James Colgan offered a list of other pros he’d like to see in the booth in that setup, and you can find that story here.) It would require some coordination to make sure that a spur-of-the-moment pro would be enlightening, but who better to give insight to that tournament than a player in the event?  

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The post ‘I wanna be dead broke’: Mickelson and Barkley’s 8 most hilarious moments from The Match appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘I wanna be dead broke’: Mickelson and Barkley’s 8 most hilarious moments from The Match appeared first on Golf.

On Friday afternoon it was Brooks Koepka vs. Bryson DeChambeau in Las Vegas, and a couple of hours after it started it was Koepka who walked away with an easy 5-and-3 win.

But the two other winners? Charles Barkley and Phil Mickelson. Sir Charles and Phil were stars of the broadcast, offering their quick analysis and even quicker wit. They added some much-needed energy to a match that lacked big-time shot-making or effortless player commentary. It also helped they could communicate directly with players through earpieces.

Luckily for you, we compiled the best Mickelson and Barkley moments of The Match. Check them out below.

‘I have no problem cheating; I’m not gonna lie’

You have to appreciate Barkley’s honesty here.

‘You can still hear me?’

In what should be a surprise to no one, Mickelson enjoyed talking, but on one hole he might have enjoyed it a little too much.

DeChambeau was in the green-side bunker on the 1st hole, and Mickelson was breaking down DeChambeau’s bunker game as DeChambeau stood over the ball. He took several practice swings, backed off and seemed to be taking his sweet time with the shot. Why? Because Mickelson wouldn’t stop talking.

“This is in a spot that’s really tough,” Mickelson said. “Even though it’s a slight uphill lie he has a chance, but because the green goes away it’s difficult with his wedges he has because all of his clubs are very upright, because it’s very hard to slide this club underneath and create a high shot. Where he’s really good are the basic shots, but the ones where he has to get really high and soft are more difficult. I think a really good shot for him would be six to eight feet feet past the hole—”

Travel

DeChambeau interrupted. “Just waiting on you, Phil.”

What’s harder than hitting a tricky bunker shot on live TV? Having Phil Mickelson analyze it and talk about why you might struggle immediately before you hit it.

“Oh, you can still hear me?” Mickelson said.

Luckily for Bryson, he got up and down for par and tied the hole.

‘You two are dangerous together’

Mickelson and DeChambeau are two of the game’s deep and technical thinkers, so they can get into some compelling conversations. On the 7th hole, Mickelson asked DeChambeau a question about his thought process and getting his mind right to play. Bryson, in a lengthy and thoughtful response, touched on frequency movement, brain waves and mindsets of supreme focus and clarity.

Barkley wasn’t following.

“Yo man, I’m telling you, I gotta keep you two apart,” Barkley said. “You two are dangerous together. Seriously, what does all that mean? I’m being honest.”

DeChambeau explained further, and Barkley seemed to grasp it a litter better, saying….

‘That’s kinda like yoga’

Sure! A little like yoga. But here’s Barkley’s great explanation, transcribed by my co-worker Dylan Dethier:

‘I need that liquid lube’

Mickelson asked Barkley if he reads putts better or worse after a few visits to the beverage cart.

“I need that lube. I need that liquid lube,” Barkley said. “I have a couple cigars and have me a couple alcoholic beverages. Listen, you can’t play golf and not drink. It’s the only sport they let you drink while you are playing it. There’s a reason why: it’s the most unbeatable game in the world.”

(Weekend hackers nod head.)

‘Thank you, Nebraska’

Why could Barkley only donate $25,000 to charity if DeChambeau hit the fairway on the long-drive hole? Well, because Nebraska was up big and eventually lost 28-21 to Iowa.

He was kidding. We think.

“I wanna say one last thing,” Barkley said later in the broadcast, seconds before the production signed off. “Thank you, Nebraska.”

It dripped of sarcasm. OK, maybe he wasn’t kidding.

‘So, are we done?’

Kind of. That’s the question Barkley asked after DeChambeau conceded Koepka’s putt on the 9th, giving Brooks a 5-and-3 win with a couple of challenges, three holes and about an hour of air time remaining.

“So are we done?” Barkley asked as the players walked off the 9th green. “Oh, I was getting ready to tell them to crank up the plane so I can get to the Iron Bowl. I was gonna get out of here early y’all!”

Turns out Barkley had to stay as the players played on and raised lots of money for charity, but we’re guessing Sir Charles got to the Iron Bowl just fine.

‘I wanna be dead broke’

Barkley mentioned how lovely the view was at the par-3 18th finisher, and Mickelson asked if that was because you could see the casinos in the background.

“Listen, everybody knows I like to gamble,” Barkley said. “I wanna be dead broke when I keel over, Phil. I don’t want to leave all that money for my free-loading family. I’ve been taking care of them my whole life. I wanna be dead broke at my last breath.”

He was kidding. We think.

The post ‘I wanna be dead broke’: Mickelson and Barkley’s 8 most hilarious moments from The Match appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside Charles Barkley’s quest to fix his flawed golf swing appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside Charles Barkley’s quest to fix his flawed golf swing appeared first on Golf.

In his iconic 1993 Nike ad, Charles Barkley famously said, “I am not a role model.” For as long as golf fans can remember, that sentiment held true when it came to his unique swing. 

Funny thing is, Barkley was a strong player when he first started. His game slowly deteriorated when he started taking too many lessons from too many different teachers.“

The next thing I know, I got 10 voices in my head standing over a golf ball,” Barkley says. “I went from breaking 80 to not being able to break 100.” 

It wasn’t until 2018, when he crossed paths with Stan Utley, the well-respected teacher out of Grayhawk Golf Club near Barkley’s Scottsdale, Ariz., residence, that things started to change.

Like the rest of the world, Utley saw Barkley’s swing going downhill for years. “I don’t know how he got there, but it was bad,” says Utley. “I don’t want to know, either. It’s close to the worst swing I’ve worked with.” 

From an outsider’s perspective, it appeared there was a mental hurdle Barkley was unable to get over to complete his swing. He would start, then stop, and then drastically dip to hit the ball. 

It was a lot to deal with, but Utley was able to identify the root cause: Barkley’s infamous swing hitch was his attempt to retain lag for too long before impact. 

“When you don’t let any of that angle out, the clubhead’s never going to get to the ground,” he says. “When you don’t let the wrist out, you can’t reach the ground, so you dive for it.” 

Utley explains that all Barkley’s problems stemmed from this technical glitch, which caused him to overthink everything else. 

The freedom to focus on just one good swing thought had the added bonus of simplifying everything else. So what was the one swing tip that clicked? Cast the club. This simple idea allowed him to release the angle of his wrists, which had the added bonus of freeing his mind and his swing. 

“Stan calmed my brain down. He said, ‘Hey man, you can’t think about 10 things over the ball,’ ” Barkley says. “That one thing calmed me down.” 

The entire lesson took about 40 minutes. He and Stan worked together only a handful of times after that, and it took nearly two years for Sir Charles to get back to playing solid golf.

Barkley has taken the same attitude that made him a Hall of Famer on the basketball court to the golf course. 

“I put him back in a golf swing,” says Utley. “I wouldn’t call it a good golf swing, but he’s making a circle, and his talent is so high that he can take a bad swing and hit good shots. His hands are that good. He finds a way to square up on the ball. The skill I’ve helped bring back to him is making his swing back into a circle. I simply taught him the one thing that unleashed him. He did all the work.” 

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During their last range session together, Utley asked Barkley to come over and meet a handful of mini-tour players he was coaching. Charles was happy to oblige. “How hard are you willing to work for your goals?” Barkley asked. “Determination is what separates great athletes.” It’s a message he’s applied to his own golf journey. 

Turns out, nearly 30 years later, Sir Charles is a role model after all. He’s worked hard to get where he is with his golf. It didn’t happen after one range session. Barkley’s determination, along with the right messaging, has him enjoying the game for the first time in 25 years. 

After a successful playing appearance in the celebrity field at Lake Tahoe this past July, and with his swing going viral for a much different reason this year, Barkley sent Utley a text message: “This weekend was awesome. I can’t thank you enough.” 

“I’ve had Charles’ friends come up to me and hug me because their friend can play and enjoy golf again,” Utley says. “Now that’s the ultimate feeling as a coach.” 

What’s next for Barkley’s game? Utley has a suggestion. 

“I’m dying to work on chipping with him,” Utley says. “Once he gets that down, he’ll be dangerous.” 

The post Inside Charles Barkley’s quest to fix his flawed golf swing appeared first on Golf.

The post Charles Barkley 1 a.m. calls and mullets: Pat Perez’s hilarious TV analysis appeared first on Golf.

The post Charles Barkley 1 a.m. calls and mullets: Pat Perez’s hilarious TV analysis appeared first on Golf.

Pat Perez opened this week’s Zozo Championship with rounds of 70 and 69 and was tied for 20th, but this person calling him at 1 a.m. apparently hadn’t gotten past the top 19.  

Charles Barkley would text Perez, too. 

“Yeah, he texted me this morning,” Perez said Saturday. “He called me at 1 o’clock saying, did you retire, because I hadn’t seen the name on the leaderboard, and if you did retire, let me know so I can buy you a gift. 

“I might just take the gift anyway.”

And Perez’s stint as an analyst was under way. 

Golf Channel’s booth is a little bare this week with the Zozo in Japan — George Savaricas is the announcer and Dom Boulet and Alison Whitaker are the analysts — and Savaricas teased on Twitter that players would be pitching in over the four rounds. On Thursday, Rickie Fowler dished on his wife, Butch Harmon and Hideki Matsuyama. On Friday, Charley Hoffman talked Tiger Woods. 

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And on Saturday, minutes after his third-round 73, the always-opinionated Perez shared thoughts on golf in Asia, Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood’s hair and how the 45-year-old “can’t wait” to play on the Champions Tour. And yes, on Barkley, NBA hall of famer, somewhat-less-than-hall-worthy golfer — and Perez’s “friend.”

Let’s have a listen:

On playing golf in Asia compared to doing so in the U.S.

“A lot quieter. The fans are very quiet. When you hit your shot and it takes off, they just, ‘Ooooh.’ They’re very excited to see it. I played behind Hideki yesterday, and the crowds are just — it’s like seeing Elvis. It really is. You know, it’s a wonderful crowd; they’re very nice people; the hospitality has been fantastic this week. I think the guys have had a great time.”

On the pressure Matsuyama faces while playing in his home country this week

“I’ve actually talked to him about it all the time. Because he has so many cameras on him all the time, and I try to talk to him and say hello and this and that, and I say, I don’t know how you deal with the cameras all the time. They watch you do everything. And he goes, I know. He goes, sometimes I pull out my hair. I go, yeah, I don’t know how you do it. I couldn’t do it. But he is such a phenomenal player. He’s had it for many years now it’s second nature to him, but the pressure, I can’t imagine being the guy that he is in this country right now, and everybody wants him to win, and here he is leading and the pressure doesn’t even look like it fazes him, though.”

On the difference between his long hair and the long hair of Fleetwood

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“Tommy Fleetwood, mine’s a little more organized than Tommy’s, so I would say mine is better. He’s a lot nicer guy than I am so I might give it to him. I trim about every six months, but now I think I might let it go for a while.” 

“What’s the hair maintenance?” Savaricas asked. 

“It’s a brutal process. It really is. Mine’s longer than his so — mine comes out, and it looks like ‘Animal.’ So combing it through 40 times to try to get it straight, then fit in a hat is quite an issue.”

On playing the Champions Tour

“I actually can’t wait to get to the Champ Tour because I’m not going to have to play a hole where I have to hit a 3-wood into a par-4. That I’m really looking forward to. Three days, cart, I mean, I’m really looking forward to that. I got four and a half years. I’m hoping to have some more good years out here, try to compete and play well, but it’s nice to know I have the Champ Tour kind of in my back pocket if I want to. You know, the game’s tough. The courses are getting longer; the guys are getting better; kids are getting younger. I mean, there’s so much great talent out here now, it’s amazing. So you know, hey, I’m just doing what I do and try to get by and try to make some more cuts, try to make — keep my car card, get to the playoffs again and see where we go.”   

The post Charles Barkley 1 a.m. calls and mullets: Pat Perez’s hilarious TV analysis appeared first on Golf.