The Perfect Number Podcast: Recent Episodes
Will Haskett
The path to success in golf has many roads to the finished product. At the professional level, the toolbox is full of a variety weapons; Analytics, strokes gained stats, technology, launch monitors, nutrition, fitness, psychology and more mold golfers into ultimate golfing machines. Veteran golf broadcaster Will Haskett tackles them all, plus their impact on fantasy sports, wagering, rankings and history.
What a run it has been! Not just the end of a 50-event PGA Tour season, but nearly four years of this podcast. Let's wrap all of it up together. Will breaks down the stat winners from the PGA Tour season, discusses the PoY race along with Ryder Cup thoughts. He dives into biggest improvers to keep an eye on in 2021-22 and also those whose games are struggling. Finally, this is the end (for now?). Thank you to all of the loyal listeners, amazing guests and helpful knowledge. Until we pod again.
Of all of the modern advancements in the game of golf, especially at the professional level, the acceptance of and investment in physical training has been a major part of the revolution. Naysayers on the PGA Tour are being passed by stronger, fitter and healthier peers. Aging players are getting longer and staying stronger. Why? Because of the work of people like Dr. Troy Van Biezen, a PGA Tour trainer for nearly 20 years. What has he learned? How has his work evolved? And how does the understanding of biomechanics influence the game's best... and you??
The final golf major of 2021 is here and it's the hardest to handicap!? Or is it? Reid Fowler from DraftKings joins the pod to talk favorites, ownership percentages, game theory, value, longshots, betting strategy and a few other things. Don't set your lineup or place your bets without it.
Golf's major season is jammed packed, and the winners are living up to the hype. Fresh off the heels of not one, but two US Open championships, Golf/NBC analyst Paige Mackenzie joins the pod to break it all down. What wins by Jon Rahm and Yuka Saso mean to the sport. Is a traditional USGA setup the way to identify a champion? How does all of the data inform those opinions in the men's game, versus how we frame the same opinion in a women's game with less data? Plus, the exciting horizon on the LPGA.
Golf has been changed by Phil Mickelson winning the PGA Championship at the age of 50. How? It has offered us a way to study his path, his process, and connect with his success to bring good golf to our games. Who better to discuss this trailblazing win than another trailblazer. Suzy Whaley is an accomplished player and coach, and - as the first woman to be named PGA of America President - had a front row seat for Phil's win. She discusses the lessons learned from Kiawah, how coaching has changed in golf and why data strategy can actually free your mind.
With the PGA Championship here, all eyes are on Kiawah. Who has the best chance at winning? How does one tournament in 2012 inform course fit and history? Who has the best value? How do you merge European Tour stars into the field? All of these are discussed with the Courchene brothers of Data Golf. They lend their expertise and also share some of the new tools on their site that fans can use to make their own predictions.
How golfers could learn from... axe throwing??? Golf is a repetitive sport. Trying to repeat the same motion, in the same manner. The same golf swing must battle doubt, nerves and failure. Understanding and overcoming those is a major key to success. The same can be said in the very new sport of axe throwing. Ryan Smit picked up an axe in early 2019 and was a world champion a little over a year later. How? Amazing dedication and research. He shares his secrets, which can transcend across many sports and disciplines.
Golf on the PGA Tour is not the only place where you will find players and coaches unearthing every morsel of data and information to get better. The embracing of stats, technology and fitness is rapidly improving the women's game, including at the college level. Justin Silverstein leads the powerhouse program at USC, and pulls back the curtain on their improvement philosophy, data gathering, stat programs and more. Plus, we chat the growth of the women's game and its potential.
Is there a sport that breaks down the intricacies of the process more than golf? The swing is dissected to takeaway, positions, angles, heights, impact, balance, finish and any other number of factors. Added technology has increased those measurements. What is available? What are we learning? How are the best professionals looking at their swings? Is it actually allowing more variety again in swings? Luke Kerr-Dineen covers all things golf improvement for Golf.com and joins. That, plus our own journeys with our swings on video (or not).
The first time Ward Jarvis came on the podcast, he said Brendon Todd was close to winning. Todd then won back-to-back PGA Tour events. Jarvis joins the pod again to discuss the mental side of the game, infusion with stats, growth, perspective and more. We use it all to discuss Max Homa winning, Tony Finau not, Jordan Spieth's return, Koepka's Alpha male, length, pressure and more. Great chat with takeaways for all levels of golfer and fan.
Of all of the finely tuned elements in golf, the one still being figured out may be fitness. How do golfers fuel their strength gains? How do the best setup a week of eating to maximize performance? What in-round snacks and drinks are used to keep a golfer at his best? Jamie Greaves has been working with golfers of all levels with their fitness and nutrition and sheds some light on strategies to keep the fuel efficiency a peak levels.
Okay, this episode is personal. One of the earliest stops in my golf journey was as a club professional in northeast Indianapolis. I met a young kid (6 at the time) through his family and junior clinics. Today, Johnny Watts is three years removed from an all-everything college career and trying to make it in pro golf. We catch up to talk improvement, tracking success, perspective during the shutdown, tiers, thin lines, teams and bucket lists. Nobody is rooting harder for Johnny than this podcast!
Increased strength and athleticism in golf has become the biggest non-equipment gain in the modern sport, with professional golfers becoming highly tuned athletes first in many cases, and then golfers second. Why? The proof is in the results, with speed and power directly correlating to success. How does that trickle down to the average golfer? How are pros tailoring their workouts? What can be done with a pandemic still around us? Michael Carroll returns to the podcast to discuss it all.
A detailed conversation with Ben Crane and how he found success on the PGA Tour. The value of knowing your strengths. Understanding more about those strengths through data. The power of a good team and what those closest to a golfer should be doing. Is golf one-dimensional? What makes a good putter? First tee reality checks. Stats to ignore and others to love. Insightful stuff from one of the more thoughtful pros in the game.
Golf is divided right now on what to do with equipment. Pros hit it too far and amateurs chasing the same distance are doing a disservice to the game. Are they? Is Bryson's bulk year really that big of a story or just a part of the evolution of the sport we've seen throughout history? How do we look at this debate objectively? Maybe we don't at all. We reflect back with some clips from episodes throughout the year to try and sum the debate up.
2020 will be a year defined by world-changing events. One of them is the continuation of the movement for racial equality and acceptance. Golf has a complicated history with race, and its inherent inequalities make it a perfect sport to discuss societal problems and how we can improve to make the world better. But how? Damon Hack has been a steady voice in the golf community and joins the podcast to discuss what has been learned this year, what can be done by all and optimism for how golf can be an agent of change.
Hard to believe in a stop-and-start year of professional golf that the final PGA Tour event is here, which gives us a great chance to reflect and project. Who fits El Camaleon this week? Who is trending into the next year? We take a look at the numbers from 2019 and 2020 to show who is rising, a few who are falling and make some bold predictions for who to keep an eye on this week and beyond.
The Masters is both behind us and in front of us, and the golf world got treated to a tour de force from Dustin Johnson, putting an exclamation point on his spot as the top player in the world. We recap his recent run, his historical place in the sport and how his week impacted the storylines around the final major of 2020. We also introduce our audience to Inrange, the latest in smart ranges, where golfers of all skills can learn, improve and play together.
RSM Picks at 38:00
Will the wait be worth it for the 2020 Masters? The golf world thinks so. What makes a Masters winner? How will a wet forecast and November impact the favorites, if at all? How many guys truly can win? How do we analyze the favorites? Who are the value plays this week? All of this is discussed from front to back on the pod, including a chat with Reid Fowler, analyst for DraftKings.
The polarization in golf right now about how the game should be played misses the point. The best play the game, attack the game and practice the game with a balanced, multi-faceted approach. Josh Gregory continues his chat this week about how he works with players on the PGA Tour to improve. We talk about practice games, learning from stats and embracing what it takes to make a living playing golf.
Houston Open advice at 33:00
Golf has been everything for Josh Gregory. An accomplished amateur player (twice), he guided Augusta State to back-to-back national championships. He then coached Bryson DeChambeau at SMU. Now, he coaches a stable of players on the PGA Tour and beyond. In part one of our chat, we talk about the mental strength and commitment of both Bryson and Patrick Reed, reflect on those title teams, discuss the growth of the game and more.
Bermuda Championship picks at 31:00
Back for more, Arron Oberholser goes big picture on the world of golf, especially in the professional game. How much has been learned in the last 25 years? From that technology and data, what can be contained and what will never be lost? Lessons learned from his journey to the PGA Tour, injury and a transition to the media. A great chat.
Golf has been turned upside down by the rapid gains of Bryson DeChambeau. Just when the story was reaching its shelf life, Matthew Fitzpatrick through another log on the fire with comments last week. Was he taken out of context? Was he right or wrong? Are there sour grapes? We review the transcript, discuss the buzz words and bring in Arron Oberholser to talk about that, plus his view of Shadow Creek this week.
We know the golf ball goes farther. We know that hitting it farther is an advantage. We know courses can be overpowered. What we don't know, with consensus, is which of those are bad and what should be done. Jason Straka has been building and renovating world class golf courses for decades, and joins the podcast to lend his scientific, artistic and professional perspective to the biggest conversation in golf.
Shriners Picks at 47:00
Your golf game can be modeled after the most successful golf professionals. Maybe not always in results, but certainly in process. They don't go all-in in one area, and neither should you. Jon Sherman, founder of Practical Golf, continues his conversation by applying everything - stats, strategy, fitness, psychology, etc. - to the amateur game for improvement.
Sanderson Farms Picks at 34:00 and a giveaway!
Bryson DeChambeau's 2020 U.S. Open win set off a firestorm of conversation about how golf has played, his approach to it and what it means to the game. Are we missing the point? Are we missing what he actually did? Will the ripple effects do much beyond him? All of this is worthy of discussion in what has been a chatty week in the sport. Jon Sherman covers all angles in helping golfers get better and joins for part one of our conversation about the game, through the lens of Bryson's win.
Corales Puntacana picks at 37:00
Golf's second major took nine-and-a-half months to arrive in 2020, but maybe the wait was totally worth it. Jason Sobel stops by the pod to help break down the field. Is DJ-Rahm a two-man top tier? Who do you fade from the top? Who is worth a run from the middle? Some long shot value picks, plus how to go about setting your wagering strategy any week. It's all in this chat in advance of the 120th United States Open Championship.
With only 48 hours between golf seasons on the PGA Tour, the time for reflection is short. Who should be Player of the Year and why? Who did something rare? Who truly won the scoring title? What did we learn from the Bryson experiment? That and more with PGATour.com's Sean Martin, co-host of The Center Cut Podcast.
Golf is supposed to bring people together, but what does it feel oftentimes like it is pushing us apart? Are too many birdies bad? Should golf courses play tougher? How do we control the equipment? Should we? These debates rage on in social media and Grill Rooms every day. Guess what? It's always been that way. Garrett Morrison hosted a Fried Egg Stories on the golf ball, but more than the ball, it offered a perspective on the varying philosophies of the game. We come together to provide perspective.
Tour Championship picks at 38:00
Zach Guthrie has fit a lot of the golf world into his career. From a college player, to coach, to caddie for his brother, Luke, he now totes the bag for PGA Tour winner Tyler Duncan. As they try to make it to the Tour Championship, Zach joins the pod to talk about the journey, pushing the right buttons, the tools of research, modern golfers and much more.
BMW Championship Picks at around 46:00
With golf having only one major to this point of the craziest season on record, do the FedEx Playoffs seem bigger? How much more will they factor into the Player of the Year race? Who is the favorite now? Who will win? Dark horses? Value Picks? Fades? Strategy. Math. It's a full conversation with Golf Channel's Will Gray. JT, Tiger, Bryson, Collin, Webb, Brooks, Day, Sungjae, Rory, Xander and probably a dozen other player breakdowns.
Measuring one's golf game against that of peers is something beyond just the PGA Tour. The concept of strokes gained can be applied to golfers of all skill levels. How? Sal Syed, co-founder of Arccos Golf, has refined the tools to make it happen. He stops by the pod to talk about the technological improvements, variance of skill throughout the game of golf, measuring against pros, improvement, the future and more. This was a great chat!
Wyndham Picks at the 37:00 mark.
By now, everybody knows what the 15th Club is doing to bring data analytics to golf and improve performance. Whether it is national teams, individual players or broadcast partners, their work has been incredibly successful. Duncan Carey is the Partnerships Manager for the company and talks 15th Club's origin, philosophy and growth. We also use the data to talk about players and predictions heading into the PGA Championship at Harding Park. Phenomenal stories and insight!
Like a golfer making the turn off a quad, there was a quick adjustment this week to the podcast. I use the space to talk about "our" industry's most recent Twitter beef, filling the time with a Kumbaya call to action. Picks for Memphis slide in at 12:30 mark.
For the first time in 57 years, the PGA Tour had two events contested on the same course in back-to-back weeks. How did it manage to be so different? Chad Mark is Director of Grounds Operations at Muirfield Village, and shared the work for both weeks, the use of data in setup, technological advances, and the future of the course with a revision now underway.
3M Picks at 29:30
The biggest field in golf this year is this week. The Memorial Tournament almost always lives up to the hype, but this year seems even bigger. On the heels of the JT-Morikawa duel, Tiger returns, Rory returns, and the strongest field ever for a regular season PGA Tour event has everybody salivating. How do you pick a lineup? Where are your best bets? How should we be navigating these big fields? A look at numbers and strategy with Skyler Hoke (formerly Golf Gurus).
For the second consecutive week, we go in between the ears on the podcast, getting Dr. Gregg Steinberg's perspective on what makes a mentally strong PGA Tour golfer. We discuss the Alpha gene of Tiger Woods, the grounded approach of Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau's active mind, and tips any golfer can use to focus better. Plus, a tiny recap of Bryson's golf-changing win in Detroit.
Workday Charity Open Picks at 28:00
Being a professional golfer on the PGA Tour is already a tough mental challenge. Golf lends itself to tricks of the mind. Finding tunnel vision or mindfulness can be hard to do. Add in the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, and being mentally sharp has never been more important. Dr. Gregg Steinberg works with many professional golfers and joins the podcast to discuss the tactics used by professional athletes to overcome the uncertainty of today.
Rocket Mortgage picks at 27:00
With two weeks of insane golf since the PGA Tour returned from hiatus, it was time to gauge where things stand. Why is Bryson's distance so much better when looking at all his numbers? Why did Dustin Johnson fall from being a top 5 player? Where are Rory and Rahm lagging behind? Who is the next winner. Plus, a rabbit hole on the best putting rounds ever, highlighted by JJ Henry.
Travelers Picks at 27:00
Winning twice on the PGA Tour is a huge stepping stone for a professional. For Nick Taylor, out-dueling Phil Mickelson at Pebble Beach in February was a dream way to get it done. He joins the podcast to talk about life away from golf, the psychological impact of becoming a father, putting technique, managing stats and data, the distance debate, amateur golf and a whole lot more.
Fantasy Picks for RBC Heritage at the 49:00 mark
Golf is being bet on in all areas. With more wagering available, where do we go? Evolving from traditional lineup DFS models, Jock MKT launched this week, making players tradable commodities in a user-controlled market. Why? How? Co-founder Dave Isman joins to talk about the industry and his new product. Plus, golf is back!!! Picks from a loaded Colonial field at the 27:00 mark.
With no big-time golf in over 80 days, how do we navigate the already unpredictable professional landscape when the PGA Tour returns to action in a week. Ben Coley is one of the best in the business, working for Sporting Life. He joins the podcast to talk scuttlebutt of players revving back up - or still apprehensive - and who to watch. Also, a general conversation on betting golf strategies.
Walk a range on the PGA Tour and every player has a launch monitor. Why has it become the most important tool? What data from it means the most? How does somebody like Bryson DeChambeau use it to prepare for the feel he will need on the course? How can we learn from that for at-home, amateur practice? All of those questions and more answered from Alex Trujillo from FlightScope.
In a continuation of our interview with author Brett Cyrgalis about his just-released book, Golf's Holy War, we dive into some of the big, specific topics that showcase golf's historic battle between nirvana and technology. Tiger Woods, the architecture debate, bifurcation and the mystique of Ben Hogan. All play big parts in the book and in the dualism of the game.
Golf opens itself up for debate and contradiction more than any other sport. For every purist longing for the 1920's and hickory shafts, there is a grip-it-and-rip-it modern player running to his Trackman to see his latest speed data. The duality of the sport gives it great beauty and great conflict. Brett Cyrgalis set out to tell the history of that rift in his book "Golf's Holy War." Read how golf got technical and bridge the gap between nostalgia and modernism. Part 1 of our chat introduces the concept and talks instruction, psychology and more!
Mark Wilson won five times on the PGA Tour, in a career that spanned over 15 seasons. At just 5' 6", he won in an era where being longer helped. How did he navigate that? As a math major, how did the growth of stats and data shape his view of the game? What does he learn about players now as analyst on golf broadcasts. That, plus stories of Titleist NXT and is artistry returning to pro golf masked by technology?
While golf is on hold on the PGA Tour, we have (more than) half a season worth of stats and data to look over. From that, who have been the biggest gainers and losers, and in what areas? Who does the break help the most? What should players be working on in this prolonged break. Sean Martin, from the PGA Tour and the Center Cut Podcast, joins to break it all down.
While the 2020 Masters looks to still be seven months away, we still prepare for golf's biggest major the week it was scheduled to be played. Justin Ray, head of content at the 15th Club, joins the pod. We talk about preparing players for Augusta, stats of importance and historical facts that blow your mind. Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and even nods to Roger Maltbie and Lloyd Mangrum, to name a few. Win your Masters trivia party!
Golf fans have gotten more familiar with the name Corey Conners over the last 12 months, after he broke through on the PGA Tour and won the 2019 Valero Texas Open. He returns to the podcast, where he shares a love for all things math, and reflects on how he measures his improvement, schedules, practices and plays with all of the analytics as his disposal. That, and his Perfect Number has changed!!
No golf? No problem! No sports? Not an issue! Back by popular demand, our doppelgänger comparison of the top 64 golfers in the OWGR to their corresponding March Madness NCAA tournament team. Yes, all of our brackets were busted by Covid-19, but that doesn't mean the fun had to be quarantined too! Enjoy this fun exercise in making comparisons.
Golf is a brilliant sport because of all of the types of players it can support. Conversely, golf is the most debated sport because those variety of players all have differing opinions. Ten-time PGA Tour winner Mark McCumber has the experience to see the game from both sides. A veteran champion and, now, the father of a PGA Tour rookie, he shares his insight from being inside and outside the ropes in different eras. The distance debate, fitness, technology and junior preparedness, all with one of golf's kindest voices.
One of the fairest tests in all of golf is the Players Championship. With one of golf's deepest fields, the gem of architect Pete Dye tests all aspects of the game. Mark McCumber passed that test in 1988 and joins the podcast to relive that win, the pressure shots of TPC Sawgrass, who the course favors and more. 2020 Players Picks at the 24:00 mark.
Golf is the hardest sport to broadcast. From the large ballpark, to the skill needed to operate cameras, not to mention the number of players competing at the same time, it is hard. Fans of the game want more and the PGA Tour is delivering that, starting at the 2020 Players Championship. Every Shot Live will be an epic project where every single shot will be accessible. Scott Gutterman is the VP of Operations and Product Development for PGA Tour Digital and joins the pod to talk rollout, scale and the future of golf viewing.
API Picks at 34:00
College golfers are becoming professional winners quicker than ever. How do we explain that, and how do we measure success. Nobody has covered college golf better, or with more passion, than Lance Ringler of Golfweek. We talk strengths of the college game (men and women), the Hovland-Wolff-Morikawa class, and then transition to the pro game for some chatter on the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Who is overrated or underrated.
Honda Classic Picks at 38:00
Three flights in four days, two tournaments and a little in between has the host running ragged this week. No guest, so Will recaps Riviera and shares some anecdotal stories on why Adam Scott is a great dude. In addressing some user questions, what stars will regress in 2020? That segues nicely into picks from Mexico City.
We study all of this data in golf to understand the professional game, but all of the tools the pros use is readily available to help us improve as golfers too. Club fitting is more scientific than ever. One of the best at it is Club Champion, expanding throughout the country to help golfers get in the right equipment. Nick Sherburne is the company's founder and master fitter. He joins to talk about the data that is collected, the most important part of the club, comparing Ams to Pros and more. Genesis Invitational picks at 40:00.
Golf is officially gonzo already in February. With the dust still having not settled from details about the Premier Golf League leaking, the joint-authored report on the distance growth in golf adds another layer to the conversation. Ryan Ballengee of Golf News Net has done deep research on both. He joins to talk the realties of each, we offer our own predictions and solutions, not to mention Pebble Beach picks at the 50:00 mark.
Justin Thomas is a consensus top 5 player in golf right now. He is arguably the best all-around player in the game. He has had one swing coach his entire life, his father, Mike. Justin entrusts his statistical analysis to his father. How has he adapted as an old-school pro? How does it impact course strategy? What is important and what isn't? We have a thorough conversation about it all. Plus, how to navigate a star-studded field in Phoenix. Picks at 36:00 mark.
After breaking down some of golf's biggest questions in the previous episode, we go micro in the second part of this chat with Richie Hunt. A breakdown of which players are on the rise and who is fading. What are the five cornerstones in golf, and who is excelling in all or most. Plus, what he has learned working with PGA Tour players. That, and fantasy picks for the Farmers Insurance Open.
With decades worth of data now providing golf analysts with plenty of ammunition to fight stereotypes in the game, what have we learned? Richie Hunt is a golf analyst, with players and professional caddies as clients. His recently published Pro Golf Synopsis breaks down every player and every shot. In Part One of our chat, we look at the bigger talking points: The fallacy of the two-way miss, driving & putting combined, when to be aggressive and more.
The rise of power in golf is a huge talking point. Strategy has changed. Golf courses are being forced to change. Scoring is getting lower. So much discussion centers on technology, but golfers becoming athletes is a huge component. Michael Carroll trains golfers. His app, Fit For Golf, is a tremendous guide to getting in golf shape. We talk fitness, Tour data, Rory, Brooks, legs, explosiveness, LeBron and much more. Plus, Sony Open betting picks at 48:00
Golf's geekiest podcast is now weekly. Rick Gehman, of DFS on Demand and CBS Sports, swings by to lend a hand at fantasy strategy. We talk trends, Rahm & JT on fire, biggest stories for 2020 and then transition into betting strategy for the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
We celebrate two years of breaking down golf, stats, analytics and the PGA Tour with Dennis Paulson. A veteran winner, his embracing and understanding of stats, technology and data provides the perfect perspective of how we balance using all those tools in the modern game. Good stats, bad stats, the distance debate, key players. You name it, we talk about it. Plus, a BIG announcement about the future of the podcast.
Golf has given us a lot to talk about in 2019, and nobody has seemingly crunched as much information as Lou Stagner. A year removed from his introduction to our audience, he returns to the podcast as one of the most sought after data analysts in golf. We talk flagsticks, putting, Rory vs. Brooks, Tiger, professional vs. amateur expectations, flaws in the system and so much more. This is a BIG conversation.
There is more conversation than ever in golf and on the PGA Tour about the various tools used for success. Stat consultants and mental coaches are part of the "teams" players employ to chase wins. On the heels of Brendon Todd's magical run, how does data intersect with the mental game? That's what fascinates Kevin Moore, a college math professor and former college golfer. He advises amateur players, college teams and others with his own strategic analysis. We talk about that, Rory, what works and what's to come.
Golf is nuanced. We know that. Talent, fitness, data and repetition are all tools needed by the world's best golfers, on the PGA Tour and beyond. Even more important, to some, is the space between the ears; the mental game. Ward Jarvis is a performance coach who was instrumental in Brendon Todd overcoming the "yips" and making it back on Tour. We talk approach, positive thinking, Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka and the growing business of mental coaches in golf.
The conclusion of a two-part series on the growth of women's golf. After establishing how strong the game of golf is on the LPGA Tour and beyond, how can the game attract more fans? Does the lack of a superstar player matter? Does there need to be an American at the top of the sport? What are the television hurdles facing the game? All of these questions aren't as simple to answer. Here from the best voices of the sport, including Mike Whan, Commissioner of the LPGA Tour.
Women's golf is better and deeper than ever. Is that debatable? Well, as it turns out, not really. We assembled an all-star panel of experts to discuss the strength of the women's game. What numbers back up that statement? Why have players gotten better? Why are more players so dominant? All those questions are tackled in this multi-voice, multi-part exploration of the women's game.
With the PGA Tour season recently completed and all of the data and statistics compiled, what did we learn? Did leaving the flagstick in alter putting statistics? What stats translated to most wins, and money? Who had the best strokes gained performances? Who had the best tournament and didn't win? How are we comparing results across tours? Who packs the biggest punch with the smallest size? We break it all down!
Another PGA Tour season is in the books, and with more data than any other tour, there is a lot to break down. Sean Martin from PGATour.com joins the annual debrief. We discuss the stat winners, Rory McIlroy's historic season, Brooks Koepka's Alpha gene, biggest improvers, trivia and more. No number goes unturned.
Fresh off another NCAA men's golf championship, Stanford Head Coach Conrad Ray is a walking encyclopedia of how to approach the game of golf. A former teammate of Tiger Woods, he's won as a player and coach. But how he has won has evolved with the game. We talk about the improvement of college players and preparedness for the professional game. What data is being used? How has fitness improved? How do you coach the mental game? Why are players better? All that and more with one of golf's best minds.
The explosion of golf data and legalized sports wagering is seeing a huge increase in attention in the sport. Rufus Peabody has been analyzing and betting on sports his entire career, with some significant success in golf. He joins the podcast to talk about recent wins, current player trends, player predictions and the future of gambling in golf.
Golf is turning into a sport of athletes. Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy and Gary Woodland have dominated 2019. What do they have in common? Incredible fitness. Like data and stats, fitness is a weapon golfers can't afford to leave out of the equation. How advanced has a player's workout gotten? The PGA Tour now partners with Technogym, a worldwide leader in wellness, to outfit the traveling Performance Centers. Marty Miller is the Director of Training and Education. He talks about the technology, learning from Olympic athletes and the biomechanics of professional golfers.
For at least one week, golf returns to its roots at the Open Championship. True links golf is hard to find, and succeeding at it seems like a career pursuit. As golf's purest test returns to Royal Portrush, who is the favorite? What skills translate the most to success on a links layout? How do we compare players coming from the European Tour to those from the PGA Tour? What information do players seek out to win? We cover all of that with 15th Club analyst Dylan Beirne.
Golf has dozens of professional tours in the United States. Making it to the PGA Tour is the dream. Getting there? Easier said than done. The grind is real, and guys are chasing opportunities in the oddest and, sometimes, most grueling ways. Ryan French runs the Twitter account Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) and is the go-to expert on guys grinding to make the Tour. We take a quantitative and qualitative approach to discussing the fine line of making it in pro golf.
The Godfather of golf stats is back! Mark Broadie makes another appearance on the pod to talk about his recent article breaking down the quest of PGA Tour players to avoid bogeys versus making birdies. Is there a proper strategy of aggressiveness? Plus, adjusting stats for course difficulty, the Koepka enigma, 2019 observations and much more with the developer of strokes gained.
In professional golf on the PGA Tour, the casual fan is likely not aware of the tournament structure. While there is central oversight and requirements, almost every week on Tour is its own individual event. Tournaments are individual non-profit entities, tasked with having both a golfing impact nationally and a community impact locally. What is raised? How many volunteers are needed? How do sponsor invites work? That and more with Clair Peterson, who's been running the John Deere Classic since 2002.
Golf is a grass business. And the turfgrass industry has become data heavy in recent years. As the weather becomes more extreme and unpredictable, courses must adapt faster. As PGA Tour players have gotten better and better, tournament courses have had to find ways to push it to the limit. Thomas Bastis serves as the liaison between the PGA Tour and the course superintendents tasked with creating the perfect course. From moisture to clipping yields, he talks about the data, technology and collaboration needed to make the perfect Tour venue.
Will and Matt Courchene are back! The success of their site, Data Golf, has seen them add more data models and improve their player rankings, trends and tools. They join the podcast to talk growth of the industry, the Brooks Koepka enigma, Jordan Spieth's resurgence(?), who's hot, who's not, course history and much more.
How close is the top golfer in the world from No. 100? What about 100 vs. 1000? What skills in golf separate the best from the rest? What keeps a guy on Tour, or stuck without a card? Steve Scott is a PGA Professional who was the top-ranked amateur in the world and the runner-up to Tiger Woods in the legendary U.S. Amateur final in 1996. We discuss the strength of field at the PGA Championship, the fine lines in golf success, quantifying Brooks Koepka's killer instincts, Tiger Woods and gator clamp putting.
The most watched golf tournament of the year is here, The Masters. More people will ask you, 'Who is going to win?' How can we predict who has the best chance? What statistics, historically, offer a preview of success? We break down those numbers, who fits where and eliminate every player in the field until one remains. Find out who in this short, fun exercise.
Golf data has been tracked in many forms over the years, but the explosion of its coverage on the PGA Tour centers around when ShotLink was developed. From walking scorers with pencil and paper to 3D triangulation on greens, how data is collected and analyzed has become a big part of the PGA Tour's operations through its evolution. Don Wallace has seen almost all of the development. As Senior Director of ShotLink, he joins this episode to talk about the Tour's data collection then, now and in the future.
Strokes Gained seems like a modern statistical development in golf, but the reality is far older than that. Peter Sanders developed a strokes gained system in the 1980's, called it Shot by Shot, and has been helping golfers of all levels and abilities since. Today, in addition to his publicly available software, he advises professional golfers, including Zach Johnson and several others. He talks the history of his system, misnomers in golf stats and where we can get better.
Golf on the PGA Tour is in its glory stretch of venues. From iconic locations on the west coast, to diabolical tests in Florida, to Augusta in April. For three months, some of the world's best golf courses are on display and tested by the best players. Pebble, Riviera, PGA National, TPC Sawgrass, Augusta National. What a schedule! But, which is the best stop of the entire PGA Tour season? We assembled a panel to tackle that question. Hear from Brendan Porath, Andy Johnson, Mark Carnevale, Neil Allen and host Will Haskett on which is the best.
Golf is in a statistical and technological revolution. Launch monitors and shot tracking have changed the way we analyze the sport and golfers approach it. This overnight phenomenon mirrors what happened in baseball over the past two decades. Will Carroll has covered it all. He chimes in on the history of stats in baseball, the comparisons to golf and also talks Tiger's surgery and biomechanics in the game.
As golf chatter and debate has gone, there hasn't been another person as passionate as Scott Fawcett on social media when it comes to embracing (the right) data to be successful. A former mini tour professional, Scott's DECADE system and seminars now help several young golf pros achieve their maximum potential. He joins the pod to discuss scatter charts, the shotgun visual, proper strategy, the misnomer of aggressiveness and several hot topics in the golf analytics world. Applicable to both pros and casual golfers.
The fascination with golf equipment seems to be at an all-time high. No longer is it good enough for golf fans to know what brand a PGA Tour player has in his bag. Today, you want to know his specs, the grinds of his wedges, the shaft in his driver or the lie of his putter. Golf.com's Jonathan Wall saw a niche in golf media several years ago and has become the go-to reporter for golf equipment in professional golf. What's the best he's seen, the worst equipment switch or the rising tech story? That and more...
Golf has reached its golden age of statistics. They are everywhere. Players use them (more than they admit), broadcasters use them (some reluctantly) and fans study them. (?) Shane Ryan recently wrote a piece for Golf Digest about the 10 greatest statistical accomplishments in golf in the Strokes Gained Era. Tiger Woods' dominance in numbers. Jason Day's putting prowess. The difficulty of the 100-yard shot. He joins the podcast to talk that and the reluctant acceptance of stats in golf.
The game of golf has shown that there are multiple ways to win. Different personalities, different approaches and different skill sets can all hoist a trophy. John Rollins won three times on the PGA Tour in a career that lasted almost two decades. He went from long to accurate. He found success with great mental preparation. He learned what worked best for him. He joins the podcast to talk about his journey and how players today juggle all of the information, technology, stats and noise in an attempt to be the best.
Last year, Lou Stagner was listening to this podcast and was drawn to the endless ways to measure golf. A professional data analyst and avid golfer, Lou wanted to answer some of the questions posed on the pod. In just a few months, he has built new tools that measure clutch factor, putting with the flagstick in and the benefit (or not) of playing angles. It's just the beginning. Catch the convo with one of the newest and sharpest minds in golf data analysis.
Golf had a great year in the professional ranks. An epic Sunday duel at the Masters. A multiple major winner. The triumphant return of Tiger Woods. An overhyped Ryder Cup with an overwhelming performance from Team Europe. But which player had THE BEST year? Does Brooks Koepka's resume trump Justin Rose's consistency? What about the scoring data of Dustin Johnson, or the hot streaks of Bryson DeChambeau and Francesco Molinari. Our favorite guests plead their cases!
One of the biggest stories in professional golf this past year was The Ryder Cup. From all of the hype and the assembly of talent came one of the most shocking results in terms of the scope of the win. Team Europe smashed Team USA. Why? Course fit? Better Players? Better form? Better Preparation? You could answer 'Yes' to all of those. A big reason was Team Europe's embracing of data and analytics. Blake Wooster, co-founder and CEO of the 15th club, joins Dylan Beirne, a 15th Club analyst, to break down how the numbers added up to a Team Europe victory.
There isn't a golf nugget of information that Justin Ray hasn't unearthed. First at ESPN, now at Golf Channel, his attention to detail and dedication to research has provided golf fans with some of the greatest notes. From Tiger Woods' ridiculous dominance to some of the most epic collapses from leaders, Ray consistently provides intel for his followers, fellow colleagues and Golf Channel shows. Learn about his style, his unique story and what he believes are the key elements to tracking golf success.
Corey Conners just finished his rookie season on the PGA Tour. One of golf's great, young minds, Conners joins the podcast to talk about his golf evolution. From a chance encounter as a teenager with the legend Moe Norman, to playing with the lead as a rookie on the PGA Tour, Conners reflects on how it all shaped his growth as a player. How does he use golf stats to get better? How did Team Canada help guide him to the Tour? How does he balance an active mind with the pressure of each shot? Great insight from a young, rising star.
Professional golf has become a marriage of many areas: talent, swing, conditioning, diet and stats. Yes, stats. Richie Hunt advises several PGA Tour professionals as a stats analyst. What do pros want to learn about? How do the numbers help better prepare them? What should Team USA learn about the Ryder Cup failure in Europe to better prepare future teams? Richie shares his research and answers to all of those questions in this conversation.
How much information is too much information in golf? At the professional golf level, especially on the PGA Tour, greens reading books are produced with intricate levels of detail. Now, the USGA and R&A are on the verge of deciding how (if at all) greens reading books will be regulated in 2019 and beyond. Is putting statistically better with the books? How are they created? How does golf absorb inevitable technological advances? Hear from Jim Stracka, whose company produces the books. Sound bites from Adam Scott and others too.
Tiger Woods has won. The Ryder Cup is on deck. Another PGA Tour season is in the books. Golf and the world of professional golf can't get much better right now! Now is the perfect time to navigate through all of the numbers and see what's what. Who is (or isn't) in form heading to France? How does Jim Furyk use data with Team USA? What are the numbers for players who tee it up in all 5 matches? What do the numbers tell us about the seasons of Tiger, DJ, Spieth, Koepka and others? It's all in this pod.
The golf world and the PGA Tour got final clarity on the future of the FedEx Cup and how a winner will be determined starting in 2019. Is it fair? It is right? How does it impact the chances for any player to win? Allowing 24 hours to digest it, Will Gray from Golf Channel joins to volley ideas back and forth. Plus, which players at the Ryder Cup next week are key or worrisome to each side? Can Bryson steal Player of the Year from Brooks Koepka? All discussed.
Understanding golf is a healthy balance of a variety of methods. Whether the swing is taught from tried and true methods, or built from a data set of probabilities, all of that information is important to the overall conversation. Mark Immelman, host of the On The Mark Podcast, joins for a joint podcast. We take turns interviewing each other. What do statistics and data provide to watching and playing golf? How has golf instruction evolved with all of the tools available today? We marry both ideologies in one co-branded golf podcast together.
Professional golf is more than Tiger, superstars and majors. At its core, the game is made up of a majority of players and caddies living year-to-year. At the end of each season, that drama builds for those trying to keep their PGA Tour lives afloat. For Jeff Willett, caddie for Nick Taylor, it came down to the final round of the 2017-18 season. We relive the drama of keeping Taylor's card at the Wyndham Championship, plus explore the 16-year career of a caddie who has seen it all.