The post WATCH LIVE: Breaking down the golf trip of a lifetime, an InsideGOLF exclusive appeared first on Golf.

The post WATCH LIVE: Breaking down the golf trip of a lifetime, an InsideGOLF exclusive appeared first on Golf.

Three courses, three countries, three days. That’s the absolutely wicked itinerary I crafted for my coworker Dylan Dethier and myself in the middle of August. 

We were tasked with taking a trip through the linksland, casting away the comforts of the American summer for whatever whipped in off the Irish Sea. And we wouldn’t just be playing top courses; we had lined up the next three Open Championship hosts: Royal Liverpool, Royal Troon and Royal Portrush. As tricky as this boondoggle was logistically — think redeye flights, 4 a.m. wake-up calls and driving on the left side of the road — one of our favorite aspects was this whole thing was attainable. 

Playing the best courses in America takes connections, networking, invites. In the U.K. just because a course is private doesn’t mean it’s off-limits. So, yes, you can do this trip, too. Or you can add to it and create something even more grand. How? We’ll tell you all about it in a special InsideGOLF Zoom call, happening LIVE on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 4 p.m. ET. Not already an InsideGOLF member? Join here for only $20 and enjoy more than $100 in benefits.

Dylan and I will explain our favorite parts of each course, the can’t-miss stops in each town and what you gain as a golfer when you make a dream buddies trip like this one happen. So click here to join InsideGOLF — where you’ll get access to our editors, our trips, our stories and much more — and come prepared with questions for the two of us. Anything is on the table!

The post WATCH LIVE: Breaking down the golf trip of a lifetime, an InsideGOLF exclusive appeared first on Golf.

The post To better understand LIV vs. PGA Tour, I talked to a top player in the fray appeared first on Golf.

The post To better understand LIV vs. PGA Tour, I talked to a top player in the fray appeared first on Golf.

In Xander Schauffele’s mind, none of this is particularly simple.

The world of men’s professional golf has begun imitating the world at large. Pick a side. Dig in deep. Cover your ears. That’s how we get Shane Lowry winning “one for the good guys” as a Tour loyalist triumphing over LIV defectors. It’s how we get to Talor Gooch trumpeting that LIV’s atmosphere was like a Ryder Cup. We’re prone to simplicity, hyperbole, tribalism. So it goes.

As for Schauffele: How long you got? The No. 5 player in the world is thoughtful. He’s intentionally understated. He chooses his words carefully. And now that the job requirements of his profession have surpassed athletic excellence to include understanding of geopolitics and the legal system, whew, sometimes it’s easier to say relatively little instead. While his PGA Tour peers were gearing up for an awkward showdown at the BMW PGA Championship, Schauffele went off the grid. He and Maya, his wife, joined Patrick Cantlay in Napa for what turned out to be Cantlay’s engagement weekend. Then he laid relatively low, fulfilling a couple sponsor obligations in southern California (his original home) before packing up his car for a road trip to Las Vegas (his new home). That’s where I caught up with him, sitting in traffic, to recap an unforgettable PGA Tour season. And once he knows what he wants to say, Schauffele isn’t afraid to do so. He’s a straight shooter. You can listen to the entire chat on the Drop Zone podcast below (or here on Spotify).

We worked our way through his entire year, beginning at last fall’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, where he won three points and then worked his way through an assortment of High Noons and champagne before a memorable performance at Team USA’s winning press conference. We dived into his red-hot stretch of wins, too, and his relief at getting over the line on the PGA Tour after so many close calls. “I think subconsciously it definitely was [weighing on me] more than I wanted to admit,” Schauffele said. And then, as all golf conversations do these days, ours gravitated to LIV vs. the PGA Tour.

Of late, Schauffele has made it clear his interests are with the PGA Tour. But that’s not to say he was never curious about an alternative to the current setup. He went to the Saudi International, after all, where there was plenty of talk about the rival circuit. But he said there was nothing more to that decision than dollars and cents.

“I went to collect an appearance fee, I’m not going to sit here and lie about it,” he said. “Nothing really came of it except playing a tournament on a different continent and me collecting some cash.”

See? Straight shooter, once he gets around to it.

We talked about the Genesis Invitational, which was a particularly pivotal week for the LIV-PGA Tour dynamic. That was the week LIV seemed to be getting close to launch. It was also the week that Alan Shipnuck’s book excerpt was released, an excerpt that included biography subject Phil Mickelson opening up about his feelings on the Saudis. His “scary m—–f—–s” comment made headlines. Mickelson vanished. The Tour secured vocal commitments from top pros — Schauffele included. It was a strange chapter in the saga given Schauffele and Mickelson are friendly and were in the habit of playing sporadic practice rounds together at home. Schauffele wasn’t eager to condemn Mickelson; he offered praise for his general vision. But he didn’t let him entirely off the hook, either.

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“He said what he said, so in terms of feeling bad for him, it’s hard,” Schauffele said. But like some other players, he’s somewhat sympathetic to Mickelson’s claim that he thought his comments were off the record, calling it a pro’s “worst nightmare” when speaking to the media.

As for Mickelson’s larger goal? When it comes to leverage, Schauffele thinks he had a point.

“The main points he was trying to make, and what he really wanted in his vision, maybe we’re living it out now on the PGA Tour, and it’s unfortunate he isn’t a part of that, because this is pretty much what he so wanted,” he said. “But at the same time, he kind of knew it would take something drastic, and he had to pick which side of the fence he wanted to be on.”

Thus far they’ve found themselves on opposite sides of that fence.

Schauffele met with the LIV group. “I felt like it was stupid for me not to do that,” he said. He wasn’t sure how things would break from there. Wasn’t sure what the end result would be. Now, though, he thinks there has unquestionably been financial gain for all players involved.

“Everyone that’s gone over there has obviously gotten a lot of guaranteed money, and people that are on this side of the fence here are making more money because of the LIV tour and what they’ve presented,” he said.

Schauffele was also at the PGA Tour players’ meeting in Delaware that yielded a relatively unified front; he felt that was a turning point for the collective power of its players. He appreciated the commanding presence of Tiger Woods plus the newer leadership of Rory McIlroy and gave credit to Cantlay, too, who he called “a very good thinker.”

“One of the things I’m wary of is that we need to continue to stay together during this process because we are stronger together,” he said. “So yeah, absolutely, walking out of that room I think everybody felt a lot better than they did before they walked in.”

As for the flow of pros from one tour to the other? Schauffele is done being surprised when new pros leave. Loyalty to the establishment has proven flexible, to say the least.

“In terms of other guys going over there, I really couldn’t tell you,” he said. “I think everybody has a number or a reason, and they don’t seem too afraid to shell out. So I could imagine, if you tell me five or 10 more guys are going to go in the next year, I wouldn’t bet against you. I don’t know any more names personally, but the way things are going, based on our short historical analysis here, you wouldn’t bet against it, either.”

You can listen to the entire conversation with Schauffele in the player below or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

The author (cautiously) welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com.

The post To better understand LIV vs. PGA Tour, I talked to a top player in the fray appeared first on Golf.

The post Was Phil Mickelson right? Xander Schauffele weighs in: ‘This is what he wanted’ appeared first on Golf.

The post Was Phil Mickelson right? Xander Schauffele weighs in: ‘This is what he wanted’ appeared first on Golf.

Even some seven months later, the Phil Mickelson-PGA Tour saga continues to mystify Xander Schauffele.

The Olympic gold medal winner (and PGA Tour mainstay) found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place when Mickelson infamously accused the Tour of “obnoxious greed” back in January, igniting a fight that has spanned the majority of the year and included Mickelson’s unceremonious defection to LIV Golf and subsequent multi-year suspension from the Tour. Here was Mickelson, one of Schauffele’s mentors, friends and practice partners, battling against Schauffele’s place of work, the PGA Tour, the platform that had allowed Schauffele to earn millions and make an international name for himself.

In recent weeks, that awkwardness has only grown more pronounced. First, there was the announcement from the PGA Tour that outlined wholesale format and structural changes in order to better compensate its top players. The changes include expanded bonus pools and high-purse “elevated” events for the game’s top players, and were made with the no-so-subtle intention of slowing the bleed of talent following Mickelson from the PGA Tour to LIV. Then, there was Mickelson’s victory lap press conference at LIV Boston, in which he lauded players for achieving the changes he’d fought for, and the PGA Tour for “magically” finding the money to fund those changes.

On this week’s episode of “The Drop Zone,” Schauffele spoke for the first time about his perspective from the middle of the fray, and about making sense of Mickelson’s “success” (or lack thereof) in reaching the change he so desired. A wide-ranging interview encompassing the entire PGA Tour season eventually landed, inevitably, on Mickelson.

“I think recent articles come out, where people were like, ‘well he wasn’t too far off, he just said some unsavory things,'” Schauffele said, referring to Mickelson’s other now-infamous interview with The Firepit Collective‘s Alan Shipnuck, in which he called LIV Golf’s financiers ‘scary motherf—–s.’

“It’s unfortunate that he wasn’t able to get his point across or his point was taken kind of aggressively. Not out of context, but without him really knowing. It’s sort of every player’s nightmare, I guess — that’s why we get scared to talk to you guys.”

While Schauffele understands Mickelson’s plight (Phil claimed he believed their conversation was off the record, a statement Shipnuck disputes), he’s not quite sure he reaches the degree of feeling sympathy for Phil.

“He said what he said, so in terms of feeling bad for him, it’s hard,” Xander said. “But at the same time, whether he was emotional and behind closed doors, that’s one thing.”

Still, Xander says, even if Mickelson’s methods were unsavory, it’s hard to argue with their effectiveness. Phil sought to improve the conditions for the sport’s top players, and to that degree, he was successful.

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“He knew it would take something drastic, and he had to pick which side of the fence he wanted to be on,” Schauffele said. “He’s been such a staple on the PGA Tour and such a staple in our game of golf, that it’s… I don’t hold anything against him or think of him much differently. Regardless of what people have written about him.”

The irony, of course, is that of all the people to bear the fruit of Phil’s labor, Phil himself won’t be one of them.

“The main points he was trying to make, and what he really wanted in his vision, you know maybe we’re living it out now on the PGA Tour,” Schauffele said. “It’s unfortunate he isn’t a part of that, because this is what he so wanted.”

To hear the rest of Schauffele’s Drop Zone interview, including his thoughts on the whole of LIV Golf, check out the link above, or download the episode on Spotify here or Apple Podcasts here.

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The post Eddie Pepperell on LIV Golf defections and why he’ll never join appeared first on Golf.

The post Eddie Pepperell on LIV Golf defections and why he’ll never join appeared first on Golf.

Eddie Pepperell doesn’t see himself as a golfer. In his mind, he’s just another person who happens to hit more fairways than you or me. If you are one of his 163k Twitter followers, you’d know that Pepperell is a dog lover (owner of Gus and Pip), a Stranger Things enthusiast and is honest to a fault. 

He also has a unique ability to separate his character from his profession, allowing him to more honestly answer the tough questions asked by Drop Zone Podcast co-host Dylan Dethier. 

When asked about what the rise of LIV Golf means for the state of the game, Pepperell didn’t hold back. 

“It’s like they’re trying to deal the PGA Tour and DP World Tour a slow death by a thousand paper cuts,” he said.  

When players make the jump, some sponsors have even ended deals. With ties to Saudi Arabia’s human-rights record, only 14 events and a smaller presence than the PGA Tour, they see sponsoring a LIV golfer as less appealing. However, players are finding ways to make sure this loss is offset. 

The most recent defection is Henrik Stenson, who was then stripped of his Ryder Cup captaincy. Pepperell isn’t the only one who is upset about Stenson’s decision.

“A lot of the guys clearly played a relatively clever negotiation tactic,” Pepperell said.

He mentioned Phil Mickelson as one of the LIV golfers who waited it out before cashing in. Later in the episode, he alluded to why Mickelson was looking for the extra dollar.

“Some of them have obviously had life experiences who have meant they’ve lost money along the way,” he said. 

Despite Pepperell’s disappointment, he understands why an older player who is past their prime might join. For younger players, forget about it. 

“I’m somewhat exasperated why anyone who’s under the age of 35 would go,” he said. 

But Dethier wondered what would happen if LIV Golf extended an offer to the 31-year-old Englishman. He pointed out that Pepperell’s followers are calling his bluff; they argue that if LIV paid him, he’d go in a heartbeat.

Currently ranked 551st in the world and, in his words, often “traveling home on Friday nights,” there is still no scenario in which Pepperell would take an offer. He has made less than €100,000 in prize money this year, but his recent struggles will never change his values. 

“I don’t play golf for money,” he said. 

If you’d like to hear more about Pepperell’s real-world comparisons to LIV or how he plans to revitalize his golf career, check out the full episode below.

The post Eddie Pepperell on LIV Golf defections and why he’ll never join appeared first on Golf.

The post Drop Zone: U.S. Open conditions will be extremely difficult. Here’s why that’s a good thing. appeared first on Golf.

The post Drop Zone: U.S. Open conditions will be extremely difficult. Here’s why that’s a good thing. appeared first on Golf.

The world’s best are quickly finding out that they face a tough test this week at The Country Club. As Luke Kerr-Dineen tells Dylan Dethier and Claire Rogers, the USGA may not give players a setup they like, but that’s exactly how it should be.

The post Drop Zone: U.S. Open conditions will be extremely difficult. Here’s why that’s a good thing. appeared first on Golf.

The post What Jordan Spieth’s Win Means, PGA Tour Vibe Checks | Drop Zone appeared first on Golf.

The post What Jordan Spieth’s Win Means, PGA Tour Vibe Checks | Drop Zone appeared first on Golf.

Jordan Spieth turned what should have been a sleepy week on the PGA Tour into a Sunday nail-biter. What should you make of his victory?! Sean Zak and Dylan Dethier break it all down on this week’s episode of the Drop Zone.

Plus they talk Patrick Cantlay’s near-miss and do a Vibe Check on some of the game’s biggest names including Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and the U.S. Presidents Cup team. Enjoy!

You can find the episode of the Drop Zone below or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Quote of the week

Sean Zak on Jordan Spieth’s message to group texts everywhere: “Keep my swing outcha mouth.”

Looking for more Drop Zone content? Find it on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The post What Jordan Spieth’s Win Means, PGA Tour Vibe Checks | Drop Zone appeared first on Golf.

The post Masters Recap: Scheffler’s win, Rory’s 64, Tiger’s showing, Strikes and Gutters from Augusta National appeared first on Golf.

The post Masters Recap: Scheffler’s win, Rory’s 64, Tiger’s showing, Strikes and Gutters from Augusta National appeared first on Golf.

Sean Zak and Dylan Dethier break down the Masters from on the ground at Augusta National. How did Scottie Scheffler sneak up on us? What did Rory McIlroy’s 64 mean? What do we make of Tiger Woods’ return to competition? The fellas tack on a segment called “Strikes and Gutters” for good measure.

You can find the episode of the Drop Zone on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Quote of the week

Sean Zak on Scottie

“What he’s done is Tiger-esque. Four wins in six events. That doesn’t happen on the PGA Tour. It is reminiscent but better than what Jason Day did in 2015 and what Spieth did in 2014-15 … I want people to be comfortable using Tiger’s name in this scenario. When other times they abuse it, this is a fitting time.”

Looking for more Drop Zone content? Find it on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The post Masters Recap: Scheffler’s win, Rory’s 64, Tiger’s showing, Strikes and Gutters from Augusta National appeared first on Golf.

The post Limited-Edition Drop Zone x Radmor hoodies, tees and crews are here appeared first on Golf.

The post Limited-Edition Drop Zone x Radmor hoodies, tees and crews are here appeared first on Golf.

Every week on The Drop Zone, GOLF’s Dylan Dethier and Sean Zak break down the most important and most entertaining moments from the world of golf. They talk about the week’s event(s), conduct interviews with notable golf personalities, discuss some of the world’s best courses, etc. If there’s something exciting going on in the golf world, The Drop Zone will have the scoop you need.

The show has gone deep with golf’s big names like Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa and even Peyton Manning, but they’ve never had any gear. Radmor Golf, the pod’s newest sponsor, has changed that.

“We’ve never had Drop Zone apparel before. The closest thing we got was a giant circular piece of turf — a ‘drop zone’ — that we’d lug around and sit in to record live shows, which was fun but a real pain.” Dethier said. “The idea that we now have this collaboration, where the clothes look so good that I can get excited about other people wearing them, too? That’s incredibly exciting to me.”

“Same,” Sean Zak added.

This week, the boys are down at Augusta and will be recording the pod in person — something rarely seen ever since the pandemic. The episode will take place at the Savannah River Brewing Company where GOLF is hosting a Clubhouse Experience. If you’re lucky enough to be on site, you can snag some of this gear at the event. For those of us less fortunate, we can also buy directly from Radmor’s website.

Better yet, there’s a Drop Zone discount code you can use to get a whopping 25% off! Head to radmorgolf.com, enter code DROPZONE at checkout and use all your savings for a juicy Masters bet. Or shop below!

The Radmor x Drop Zone – ‘Augusta’ Loop Terry Hoodie (Cypress)

The RADMOR x Golf Drop Zone – ‘Augusta’ hooded sweatshirt is a medium weight loop terry, knit from a proprietary blend of BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) Organic Cotton and Elastane for performance.

$120 from radmorgolf.com

Radmor x Drop Zone – ‘Drop Zone’ Organic Cotton Loop Terry Crew Sweatshirt (Sage)

The RADMOR x Golf ‘Drop Zone’ sweatshirt is a medium weight loop terry, knit from a proprietary blend of BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) Organic Cotton and Elastane for performance.

$110 from radmorgolf.com

Radmor x Drop Zone – ‘Augusta’ Players Tee (Black)

The Maxwell ‘Augusta’ Players Tee is an all-season 30/1 jersey t-shirt knit from our Pimalite jersey featuring the finest quality 100% Peruvian Pima Cotton.

$56 from radmorgolf.com

Like what you see so far? Radmor’s mission is to create sustainable golf apparel by limiting the use of virgin polyester from their clothes, all without sacrificing style, comfort or quality. Scroll down to explore more Radmor gear.

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The post Peyton Manning Interview: Playing with Tiger, playing Augusta, Golf Advice appeared first on Golf.

The post Peyton Manning Interview: Playing with Tiger, playing Augusta, Golf Advice appeared first on Golf.

Peyton Manning wears many hats, even in the golf world. Course owner. Augusta National member. Tiger Woods’ playing partner. And, as of this week, golf course small project manager, too.

A big golf week calls for a big golf guest! And this Masters Week, Manning joins the Drop Zone to preview the Masters, break down Augusta, tell Tiger Woods stories, give golf advice, introduce his new bourbon, Sweetens Cove Kennessee and announce the “Give-A-Little” program. Then Sean Zak, Dylan Dethier and Luke Kerr-Dineen break down the Masters — specifically Tiger Woods’ appearance — from on the ground in Augusta, Ga. This is a good one. Enjoy!

You can find the episode of the Drop Zone on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Quote of the week

Peyton Manning on playing with Tiger Woods: “It’s kinda made my golf matches with my buddies and a couple member-guests disappointing since then. It’s been a major letdown when my friend Eric Black can’t get up and down from some of the places Tiger did. ‘Like, what are you doing? Tiger gets up and down there all the time.’ And he’s like ‘Yeah, I haven’t won that many majors.”

Looking for more Drop Zone content? Find it on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The post Peyton Manning Interview: Playing with Tiger, playing Augusta, Golf Advice appeared first on Golf.

The post How Peyton Manning wants to help your local golf course, a little at a time appeared first on Golf.

The post How Peyton Manning wants to help your local golf course, a little at a time appeared first on Golf.

Peyton Manning remembers his first trip to Sweetens Cove. It began with a call from a tennis pro.

“Andy Roddick and I go back just from being professional athletes at the same time,” he remembered on this week’s Drop Zone. “So Andy called me and invited me out to South Pittsburg, Tenn., right near Chattanooga, and said, ‘Come play this golf course called Sweetens Cove with me.’

“I’d heard of Sweetens Cove, I spent time around Chattanooga, but I hadn’t played the course. And then I played it with him — and I just got it. It connected with me. It’s a nine-hole course, a public golf course, very inexpensive to play. There was an old shed for a clubhouse and there was just something really cool and magical about it.”

Roddick had an ulterior motive for inviting Manning out.

“Andy said, ‘Why don’t you come in with us and buy this golf course and be a part of something special?'”

It was an easy sell. The course had been a cult favorite for years; golfers made the pilgrimage to nine-hole paradise from all over the country. The tee sheet was filled. All the course required was some investment — and a new business plan — to ensure the experience lived up to the reputation. Manning was in.

“When we bought Sweetens Cove we wanted to keep it cool and unique, we didn’t want to change a lot about it. We added a bathroom, we thought that was pretty groundbreaking to add indoor plumbing. But we kept it special,” he said.

The new ownership group particularly appreciated one course tradition in particular. People would bring their own bottles of bourbon or whiskey and take a shot before they hit the opening tee shot. Some groups would leave their bottle for the next group. The tradition sparked an idea:

“Maybe we ought to start our own bourbon,” Manning remembers.

The initial run of Sweetens Cove Bourbon was a high-end, award-winning product made under the direction of Master Blender Marianne Eaves. It retailed for around $200. On April 1st, the group announced the release of a new product called Kennessee. The new bourbon retails for $60, making it more accessibly priced and opening up a world of cocktail possibilities.

Manning has been on the ground — and on the phone lines — trying to get the Sweetens brand off the ground. Manning went so far as to cold-call a bunch of liquor stores in an attempt to get them to stock the product.

“There are a lot of products out there, we’re a small startup, kind of like the golf course, just sort of building and spreading the word,” he said.

As it turned out, the attempt backfired. Manning’s calls to Indianapolis-area stores went unreturned. Manning said he waited the requisite three days to get a response before reaching out to some mutual friends.

His friend laughed.

“He’s like, ‘He thinks it’s a prank,'” Manning remembers his friend saying. “‘There’s no way Peyton Manning would be calling me, it’s a total prank.'”

Meanwhile, Manning was amazed to see how the little expenses added up around the golf course. Little improvements led to big-time costs. The experience left an impression. As a result the “Little Golf Course that Could” is hoping that proceeds from its new bourbon can help out a few other courses on the margins, too.

In an effort called the “Give-A-Little” program, Sweetens will dedicate $5 from each of the first 10,000 bottles sold. That money will go towards little projects at courses that need it.

“We’re going to try to help out golf courses with those little things. New turf mats with the driving range. A new bench. Paving the parking lot. Little projects that we dealt with a lot,” Manning said. “They need a little help and we’re excited that as part of the Kennessee launch some of the proceeds are going to go to helping out these golf courses in little ways.”

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As for his golf game? Manning says that’s a work in progress, too. Dreams of retiring from football and becoming a scratch player haven’t yet come to fruition. Lately he’s been losing to Roddick, too.

“I think Andy has me right now. Something about that tennis forehand, he kinda can transfer that into his long iron game. I don’t quite have that.”

Know a golf course that could benefit from the Give-A-Little program? DM the spirits company on Instagram (@sweetenscovespirits) with a suggestion or nomination.

And to hear more from Manning about Sweetens Cove, Augusta National, playing with Tiger Woods and giving golf advice, listen to the Drop Zone on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

The post How Peyton Manning wants to help your local golf course, a little at a time appeared first on Golf.