Golf: next on the tee

In this episode, I'm joined by 2 of the Top Instructors in the game, Tom Patri and Tony Ruggiero plus former Tour Pro Mark Lye, and 20-year Army Combat Veteran now a 40-year-old member of the Stephen F. Austin men's golf team Jonathan Shuskey.

TP shares his thoughts on the Presidents Cup, the great week that Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, and Max Homa had, and the forgettable one that Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns did. I also get his thoughts on the rise of Tom Kim, and a playing lesson for how to dial in our wedges from 100 yards in.

Mark Lye was an All-American in college at San Jose State and played on Tour from 1977 to 1994. During his high school days, he never lost a match yet colleges thought he was too small and his game was too erratic to recruit him. The only one who came knocking was San Jose State. He made the others school regret their decision. Mark won the 1976 Australian Order of Merit and the 1983 Bank of Boston Classic. Hear those stories and more in his segment.

Jonathan Shuskey was a 20-year Army Combat Veteran who saw 5 tours of duty in the Middle East. We hear about his play on the All-Army golf team, winning the Fort Benning Club Championship 3 times, and what it's like being a 40-year-old Sophomore playing on the Stephen F. Austin men's golf team.

Tony Ruggiero is a Golf Digest Top 50 Instructor and Host of the Tour Coach Podcast. He and I have a lot of synergies with show partners and mutual guests. Tony recently had an amazing conversation with Hal Sutton. We talk about that and how Tour Pros focus on their good shots instead of obsessing over their bad ones. We also get a playing lesson on how to fix our slice and square the clubface at impact.

In this episode, I'm joined by: former PGA Tour Pro now fantastic Host of The Charlie Rymer Golf Show Charlie Rymer, the Founder of Sports Geeks Radio Network in Wisconsin, Chris Carter, former Billy Joel Band Drummer Liberty DeVitto, and Sqairz Golf Founder Bob Winskowicz.

Charlie shares his year-long battle with stage 3 colon cancer. We hear how the doctors discovered, the treatment and surgeries he went through, and how he ultimately rang the bell for being cancer free. We also talk about some of the recent episodes of his show featuring guests Paige Spiranac and John Daly.

Chris Carter talks about the great courses they have up there beyond Whistling Straits and Erin Hills. He also shares his thoughts on why LIV Golf is good for professional golf and the fans.

Listening to Liberty DeVitto was one of the most fun segments of the year. We hear how his love for the drums started when he was 1 1/2 beating on the pots and pans in the kitchen and when he saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show, that cemented his desire to be a musician. Liberty tells us about what it was like traveling with Billy to play in Cuba and Russia. We hear the funny story of how he ended up playing with Paul McCartney, how much he and the band hated Just The Way You Are, and thought that Scenes From An Italian Restaurant was too long. He also talks about their concerts at Yankee Stadium and on New Year's Eve 1999 at Madison Square Garden.

Bob Winskowicz updates us on the tremendous growth of Sqairz Golf this year. We hear why you should throw away any golf shoes that you can twist in your hands. We hear why Sqairz gives you greater stability which leads to more distance and greater accuracy. Bob worked with Arnold Palmer for years at Mr. Palmer's golf company, and he tells how Mr. Palmer's principle of "what's in it for the consumer" is at the forefront of everything they do at Sqairz.

On this episode, I'm joined by Top Instructor Tom Patri, PGA Tour VP of Product Development Allison Fillmore, and Brenda Calcavecchia, Mark's wife, caddie, and by his own admission, funnier half.

Tom Patri shares his thoughts on some of the all-time great swings, players like Sam Snead, Fred Couples, Tom Weiskopf, Tom Purtzer, and Adam Scott. On the opposite side of that coin, Tom talks about how you go about fixing it when a player with an unorthodox swing starts to struggle. I also get Tom's thoughts on Sergio withdrawing from the BMW Championship and showing up on the sidelines at the Texas/Alabama game. Plus, we get a lesson on how to make sure our setup and alignment are correct. Be sure to subscribe to Tom's channel on YouTube to get over 300 free video lessons.

It was great having Allison Fillmore back on the show. She catches us up on the great things she's been doing over the past year since she was last on the show. We hear about her new role as PGA Tour VP of Product Development. She tells why it's good business to partner with sports organizations. She also talks about what it was like for her to return to her previous stomping grounds at East Lake Country Club for the Tour Championship and the exciting Sunday she got to see firsthand at the tournament.

Brenda Calcavecchia was a hoot. She tells the story of how she met Mark at the 2001 Memorial Tournament and what led to them starting to date. We hear why she decided to start caddying for Mark, the things she can get away with saying to him that would get other caddies fired, their amazing experience this year at The Open Championship when they got to wave goodbye to the fans from the Swilken Bridge, and their life RV'ing from tournament to tournament.

Tour Legends Neal Lancaster, Juli Inkster, Plus Par 4 Success Founder Chris Finn join me...

This week, Bruce Devlin, Tom Purtzer, Bob Estes, & Tom Patri Join Me...

Tom Patri and I discuss the players that continue to stream over to LIV Golf plus his reaction to what we say at the Tour Championship, was Rory's win bigger for him or for the PGA Tour, the surprise crowd reaction to Cam Smith, and a gotcha playing lesson for what not to do as we all chase more clubhead speed.

Tom Purtzer shares his thoughts on LIV Golf. We go back in his playing career and hear what it was like being paired with Jack Nicklaus in the final round of the 1977 Tournament of Champions, and his memories of Tom Weiskopf.

Bob Estes is one of the best players in the history of both the University of Texas and the State of Texas. We talk about his 6 wins during his college days. We also talk about the year he's having out on the Champions Tour, and his thoughts on LIV Golf as well. We also learn what made him one of the top putters on Tour.

Bruce Devlin and I walk through his great career. You'll hear how he got started in the game, winning the 1959 Australian Amateur Championship, his 19 wins on the Australian/New Zealand circuit, playing against Arnold Palmer in the 1964 Masters, being tied with Roberto De Vincenzo going to the back 9 of the 1968 Masters, beating Billy Casper at the 1966 Carling World Open, teaming with David Graham to win the 1970 World Cup matches, being inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, and the podcast he's doing now with Mike Gonzalez called "Fore The Good of the Game.

In this episode, I'm joined by 1984 Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater Scott Hamilton and LIV Golf's Chief Events Officer Ron Cross.

Scott details his lifelong battle with cancer that he learned started at birth. Scott stopped growing at 4 years old and doctor after doctor either couldn't figure out why or misdiagnosed him. At one point his parents were told he had 6 months to live following a misdiagnosis of a disease he didn't have. Throughout his life, he's battled testicular cancer and an ongoing brain tumor that continues to shrink and grow to this day. Hear about his battle with the disease while simultaneously reaching the summit of men's figure skating.

Ron Cross answers all the questions we've been asking ourselves about LIV Golf.

What do you say to the naysayers about where the money comes from?Will the Saudi's get tired of spending the money 2 years from now and shut LIV Golf down?Is team franchise ownership the model for how they will make money?Are more guys set to jump to LIV following the Tour Championship?Is a network TV on the horizon for next year?Is there a way for LIV and the PGA Tour to work together?Will there be a Women's LIV Golf Tour?

Hear his answers to these questions plus his growth in the game from tournament volunteer to various VP roles he had with the PGA Tour.

In this episode, I'm joined by Top Instructor Tom Patri, 1989 Open Champion Mark Calcavecchia, & Jon Goin, Owner of Timber Truss Golf Course in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

TP shares his disappointment about LIV Golf and the impact it's having on the game. As we wait to hear the details about the players-only meeting Tiger Woods earlier in the day, we speculate on what he might have been sharing. We also talk about whether it's time for the PGA Tour to at least reimburse players for their expense money if they don't make the cut. Since they seem to have more cash than they've let on, should players get reimbursed for their travel, lodging, food, and caddie expenses if they don't make the cut?

Mark Calcavecchia shares his experiences from playing in his final Open Championship a few weeks ago. We hear what it was like to stand on the Swilken Bridge and make that final wave to the fans that we've seen so many legendary players make. Mark also shares his thoughts on LIV Golf and what he might have said had Greg Norman presented him with this opportunity during his prime.

Jon Goin updates us on all the great things going on at his course Timber Truss. Jon always puts the emphasis on how to create fun experiences first and then providing a great golf course to play. He talks about their use of single rider Finn Scooters that ramp up the fun as well as the pace of play. We hear about the family friendly simulators they have available year-round. Jon was also the Head Golf Professional and General Manager at TPC Southwind for several years. Southwind is the site of the FedEx/St. Jude Classic. Jon shares his thoughts about this year's tournament and Will Zalatoris getting his first PGA Tour win.

Check out this special segment of Next on the Tee featuring my guest Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor Tim Cusick. Tim shares his thoughts on:

The latest updates from the PGA of America headquarters in Frisco, Texas.Preparation for next year's Sr. PGA Championship.How he was named a Golf Magazine Top 100 Instructor.Why Texas players are so good playing in windy conditions and how we can be too.Tips for fixing the over-the-top pull hook.How to make more putts.

Former Champions Tour Pros Bob Friend Jr. & Donnie Hammond join me. Hear stories from their playing careers plus they drop their thoughts on:

LIV GolfOut working other playersOne of the all-time great college coaches Buddy AlexanderGreg NormanWhy Cam Smith shouldn't join LIV.Why the PGA Tour should reimburse expense money to players who miss the cut.Augusta National lengthening the 13th hole.Could the LPGA survive if there's a LIV Women's TourSt. Andrews without wind.Are majors just another tournament after the first tee?Vin ScullyNeal Schon & JourneyNASA's return to the moonAnd much more...

In this special episode of Next on the Tee I'm joined by one of the all-time great broadcasters, Brian Katrek. Brian is one of the best in the business. He makes every broadcast/show he's a part of better. I've admired his work for a long time. He's the gold standard in broadcasting. In this bonus edition of the show, Brian shares stories about:

The late start he got in the game.The influence Greg Powers had on him and his career.His experience caddying on the PGA, Champions, and LPGA Tours.How he got his start in broadcasting.Plus his thoughts on LIV Golf