Steve Tees Off Podcast

Ilirian Zalli and Jackson Jacob are two young pros taking very different paths toward the same goal — breaking through in professional golf.

Ilirian joins Steve Tees Off after winning the Vancouver Open, and talks about growing up in Vancouver, turning pro at 18, representing Albania, and the journey that led to his DP World Tour debut.

Jackson returns to the show to catch us up on his season, his experience working on Apple TV+’s Stick with Owen Wilson, and why golf ultimately remained the priority.

Together, they take us inside the reality of DP World Tour Q-School in Sweden — preparing for an unfamiliar course, managing the pressure of 72 holes, and knowing how much one week can change a career.

They also get into their journey together at the MNP BC Match Play, how their games complement each other, who’s more aggressive, and why team golf brings out a completely different side of competition.

Plus: life on the road, the grind of professional golf, funny stories from the course, and what comes next for both players.

Brought to you by Riverside Golf and Kings Links by the Sea.

Steve Tees Off — golf stories, tour talk and conversations from inside the game.

The International Team had the Presidents Cup in its hands — leading 10.5–7.5 heading into Sunday at Medinah.

Then everything changed.

Steve welcomes PGA Golf Coach Tim Wilson back to break down the 2026 Presidents Cup, including the Internationals’ dominant Friday foursomes sweep, Team USA’s huge Sunday singles performance, and the moments that ultimately decided the Cup.

They also get into Corey Conners and Nick Taylor’s strong week for Canada, Patrick Cantlay’s massive 57-foot putt, Jacob Bridgeman’s clinching point, Scottie Scheffler’s memorable act of sportsmanship, and the captaincy decisions that shaped the final result.

Plus: was fatigue a factor, can “clutch” be coached, did the Presidents Cup live up to the hype, and could a Canada vs. USA “Border Cup” actually work?

Brought to you by Riverside Golf and Kings Links by the Sea.

Steve Tees Off — golf stories, analysis, instruction and conversations from inside the game.

What if the secret to more power and consistency in your golf swing starts beneath your feet?

PGA of Canada Class “A” Professional Ryan Holley joins Steve Tees Off for a fascinating deep dive into the science of the golf swing, ground reaction forces, biomechanics and the technology changing how golfers understand their movement.

Ryan specializes in analyzing how golfers interact with the ground — when they apply force, how much they generate, and how the timing and direction of that force influence body rotation, clubhead speed, club delivery and ball flight.

Using technology such as force plates and launch monitors, Ryan helps golfers understand what's really happening in their swing rather than relying on guesswork.

His work has included advising Nick Taylor and working with elite players, including Tony Finau, J.J. Spaun and Michael Gligic.

In this episode, Steve and Ryan explore:

• Why your golf swing starts from the ground up
• What force plates reveal that traditional video analysis may miss
• How ground reaction forces influence power, speed and consistency
• The difference between pressure, balance and force
• Why copying another golfer's swing isn't always the answer
• What everyday golfers can learn from Tour-level swing analysis
• How data and technology can help identify what you actually need to improve
• The future of golf coaching and biomechanics

We also discuss Ryan's journey from Southwestern Ontario to British Columbia, the challenges facing junior golf in BC, and what it will take to develop the next generation of Canadian PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players.

Whether you're a competitive golfer, a golf coach or a weekend player looking to better understand your own swing, this conversation goes beyond conventional golf tips and into the mechanics behind better ball striking.

Learn more about Ryan Holley:

https://ryanholleygolf.com/

Follow Steve Tees Off on Spotify for more golf stories, tips and conversations with the people shaping the game.

Brought to you by: RiversideGolf.ca and Kings Links by the Sea

Taylor Kim has lived almost every side of competitive golf — junior golf, Team Canada, NCAA competition, professional events, coaching, and now another championship win.

In this episode of Steve Tees Off, Taylor joins Steve after capturing her second PGA of BC Women’s Championship and talks about what it took to come from behind, stay patient, and win without feeling like she had her best game.

That lesson is especially meaningful because it’s the same one she gives her own students: you don’t need your A-game to compete.

Taylor takes us back to the beginning — learning the game from her father, travelling for tournaments as a teenager, dealing with the pressure and anxiety that can come with elite junior golf, and eventually representing Team Canada before earning a Division I scholarship at Kent State University.

We also talk about her transition from player to coach, her work at Beach Grove Golf Club, coaching with the UBC women’s golf program, and why she believes women’s golf in British Columbia is in such a strong place right now.

This is a conversation about more than being a player — it’s about the journey, the lessons, and helping build the next generation.

Follow Steve Tees Off on Spotify for more golf stories, tips and conversations with the people shaping the game.

Brought to you by: RiversideGolf.ca and Kings Links by the Sea

Why does Vancouver keep producing PGA Tour players?

Returning guest Fraser Mulholland, President and Commissioner of the Vancouver Golf Tour, joins Steve Tees Off to talk about the competitive golf pipeline in BC and what it takes to move from local tournament golf to the professional game.

Fraser shares what he’s seeing across the 2026 VGT season, which players are standing out, how the depth of talent is changing, and why competing under real pressure teaches golfers things practice simply can’t.

We also get into the VGT’s long history of helping prepare players who went on to bigger stages, including Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin, Adam Svensson and A.J. Ewart, and Fraser explains what he looks for when a young player starts to show that next-level potential.

Plus:

• The state of the 2026 Vancouver Golf Tour season
• Who’s playing the best golf right now
• The next generation of BC golf talent
• Why seasoned professionals still return to VGT events
• How amateurs and juniors can get involved
• What first-time players should expect
• The Race to Wailea
• The Vancouver Open and the biggest events on the schedule
• Why competitive golf in the Lower Mainland continues to grow

Fraser also talks about what makes links golf different, how local sponsors help strengthen competitive golf, and why giving players meaningful opportunities to compete matters so much for the future of the game.

If you follow Canadian golf, junior golf, amateur golf, the PGA Tour or the next wave of BC talent, this is an episode worth hearing.

Follow Steve Tees Off on Spotify for more golf stories, tips and conversations with the people shaping the game.

Brought to you by: RiversideGolf.ca and Kings Links by the Sea

Scottie Scheffler closed out the Tour Championship with another dominant performance — but the bigger story may be what the PGA Tour is changing next.

Returning guest Tim Wilson joins Steve Tees Off to break down the Tour Championship at East Lake, Scheffler’s win, Viktor Hovland’s Sunday fade, Rory McIlroy’s charge, Ryan Gerard’s impressive debut, and the staggering amount of money now attached to professional golf.

We also dig into the $33 million Scheffler earned across the FedExCup bonus and Tour Championship, and ask whether the current postseason format delivered enough drama.

Then we look ahead to the PGA Tour’s major changes coming in 2028, including:

• A new Championship Series and Challenger Series
• Promotion and relegation
• A reworked postseason
• Match play over multiple weeks
• A 32-player pool stage
• A 16-player knockout bracket
• Fewer exemptions and more emphasis on merit
• A format designed to create more unpredictability and better television

Tim and Steve also debate whether match play will actually improve golf viewership, whether fans will understand multiple end-of-season trophies, and whether a dominant player should be able to lose everything in a head-to-head format.

Plus, we get into the coaching side of the game: what happens under Sunday pressure, why putting can disappear at the worst possible time, and what club golfers can learn from match play.

If you follow the PGA Tour, Scottie Scheffler, FedExCup, golf coaching or the future of professional golf, this episode is for you.

Follow Steve Tees Off on Spotify for more golf stories, tips and conversations with the people shaping the game.

Brought to you by: RiversideGolf.ca and Kings Links by the Sea

Rob Houlding has spent more than four decades developing golfers from the junior ranks through national competition, Team Canada and the PGA Tour.

In this episode of Steve Tees Off, Rob talks about how he found the game, why he moved from playing into coaching, and what decades of player development have taught him about what golfers actually need from a coach.

We also get into the future of golf instruction — including technology, data, AI and the launch of GolfCoachOS, the platform Rob has been building for coaches, academies, players and families.

Rob shares his perspective on why great coaching has to go beyond fixing a golf swing, why long-term development matters, and what he believes needs to change as the next generation of Canadian golfers comes through the system.

Rob is a PGA of Canada National Teacher of the Year and Golf Digest World Top 75 International Teacher with decades of experience developing competitive golfers.

A wide-ranging conversation about golf coaching, junior development, Canadian golf and where the profession is heading next.

Follow Steve Tees Off on Spotify for more golf stories, tips and conversations with the people shaping the game.

Brought to you by Riversidegolf.ca

Matt Daniel is back on Steve Tees Off — but this time, he’s got one hell of a story to tell.

Just weeks after turning 50, Matt battled through qualifying and earned his way into the 2026 U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club. Now he takes Steve inside the entire experience: arriving in Ohio, practice rounds, tournament pressure, the course setup, his pairings, and what it feels like to suddenly find yourself competing alongside some of the biggest names in golf.

Matt also talks about what he noticed watching players like Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker and Stewart Cink up close — and whether the very best players really do have something the rest of us don't.

Plus, the lessons he brought home from Scioto, some of the funniest and most surreal moments of the week, his recent Cultus Open victory, and the big question:

After making it to a U.S. Senior Open, where does Matt Daniel go from here?

A great conversation about competitive golf, confidence, longevity — and finding out exactly where your game stacks up when you finally get inside the ropes.

Presented with support from RiversideGolf.ca.

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Padraic O’Rourke has built a golf career that has taken him from Ireland to some remarkable places in the game — including Ballybunion, Pine Valley, Whistler and ultimately Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver, where he now serves as Director of Golf.

On this episode of Steve Tees Off, Padraic joins Steve to talk about growing up with golf in Ireland, making the move to North America, building his career in Canada and the unexpected path that eventually brought him to Marine Drive.

They also get into junior golf, accessibility and growing the game, life inside the golf industry, memorable moments on the course, and some great stories from crossing paths with players including Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington.

Plus, Padraic shares his perspective on today’s golf landscape and the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

A great conversation about the people, places and experiences that can shape an entire life in golf.

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Brought to you by Riversidegolf.ca

What does it really take to spend more than a decade chasing professional golf?

PGA of Canada professional Steven Lecuyer joins Steve Malkowich to share the path from junior and collegiate golf to competing professionally across North America and internationally.

Steven talks candidly about earning his Canadian Tour card, life on PGA Tour Canada, the Sunshine Tour and the Adams Tour, and the pressure, travel, uncertainty and mental resilience required to keep pursuing a career in the game.

Now an instructor at Seymour Creek Golf Centre in North Vancouver, Steven explains how his competitive experience shapes the way he coaches, what amateur golfers often misunderstand about improvement and why becoming a better player requires much more than simply fixing your swing.

They also discuss junior development, college golf, tournament preparation, handling adversity and some of the wildest moments Steven has witnessed on a golf course.

An honest conversation about ambition, sacrifice and the lessons learned from building a life around golf.

Brought to you by Riversidegolf.ca