The Smylie Show

Smylie Kaufman is joined by two-time major champion Xander Schauffele on our latest longform conversation with a Tour pro on "The Smylie Show." We go all the way back to Xander's college days, the pressures of Q School and the Korn Ferry Tour that followed, and the manner in which he bursted onto the PGA TOUR scene. Xander details several key moments during that rookie year that were pivotal in his development, his near misses at majors in the ensuing years, and what it felt like to finally win one - and then another one - in 2024. We finally let Xander (and his two dogs) go to complete their move to a new home, but not without some cigar talk and a hilarious fishing story from his rookie year.   Chapters 00:00 Xander's Moving Experience 02:00 Eating Habits and Cigar Culture 03:52 Adjusting to Florida Life with Pets 05:04 College Journey and Early Career 07:53 Transitioning to Professional Golf 10:56 Challenges on the Korn Ferry Tour 13:51 First PGA Tour Experiences 16:54 Breakthrough at Erin Hills 19:50 Winning on the PGA Tour 24:45 The Journey to Success 28:32 Mentality and Growth in Golf 30:58 The Road to Major Championships 38:34 Overcoming Challenges in Major Tournaments 49:24 Validation and Future Aspirations

13 Marras 202452min

Join Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme as they delve into the latest news in the golf world, including Austin Eckroat's victory at the World Wide Technology Championship and Rory McIlroy's swing changes. Smylie and Charlie also cover Maverick McNealy's analysis of, and proposal correcting, FedEx Cup points distributions that seemed skewed in 2024. SK and CH continue to review player reaction to the PGA TOUR card changes proposed for 2026, examine the DP World Tour's place within the professional golf ecosystem, and discuss comments made by Rory McIlroy that could be the final straw in instigating change for the FedEx Cup playoffs.   Chapters 00:00 Tough Weekend Scene for Smylie & Charlie 02:57 Austin Eckroat's second PGA TOUR win 05:59 Comparing Young American Golf Stars 09:08 Max Greyserman's Recent Performances 15:04 Doppelganger Talk 22:22 Maverick McNealy fixes the FedEx Cup point problem 34:24 Player Reactions to PGA TOUR card and field size changes 38:09 The Future of the DP World Tour 49:54 The Race to Dubai: Analyzing the Current Standings 59:47 Rory McIlroy's Swing Changes and 2025 Schedule 01:05:53 The Future of the FedEx Cup Playoffs

11 Marras 20241h 9min

In this episode, Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme discuss the current state of professional and amateur golf, beginning with reports that the PGA TOUR and LIV GOLF - via the PIF - are close to a deal that would bring the two leagues under the same umbrella. Brentley Romine joins the show to discuss the shifting landscape of collegiate athletics, and the challenges facing college golf programs, including roster cuts and the effects of NIL on recruiting. Chapters 02:40 Reports that the PGA TOUR is close to a deal with the PIF to unify with LIV GOLF 06:04 Antitrust Issues and Political Influence 09:50 The Future of Professional Golf 12:43 Where Team Golf fits in the Pro Golf Landscape 15:10 Changes in College Golf 22:11 Interview with Brentley Romine on College Golf 33:07 NIL and College Athletics Compensation 36:55 The Impact of Money on College Golf Decisions 39:22 PGA Tour U and Player Development 43:28 Gordon Sargent's Decision to Stay in College 46:41 Evaluating PGA Tour U Points System 51:19 Fall Season Insights and Predictions 54:16 The Future of College Golf Championships #LukeClanton #GordonSargent #PGATOURU #golf #golftips #golfswing #pgatour #golfpodcast #progolf #golfpodcast #smyliekaufman #smylie #smylieshow #swingtips #presidentscup #rydercup #tobaccoroad #golftrip #golftrips #youtubegolf #goodgood #fyp

7 Marras 20241h 5min

PGA TOUR winner (and insightful follow on X) Michael Kim joins Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme on The Smylie Show as they dive into some big proposed changes to how many PGA TOUR cards are available, and the structure of many tournaments, for the 2026 season. We begin the show with a very heartwarming family golf moment for Smylie ... and some big breaking Hope Valley Men's League news from Charlie. SK and CH then discuss family Halloween costumes, before welcoming Michael onto the show. In addition to TOUR changes, Michael breaks down the state of his game, the latest news on the PGA TOUR - LIV GOLF negotiations, and explains how he decided to start sharing an inside look at a TOUR pro's life on X.   CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 01:18 - Catching Up 04:58 - Halloween Costumes 09:04 - Hope Valley Thursday Night Men's League 12:30 - Michael Kim joins the show 18:32 - The state of Michael Kim's golf game 21:45 - Preparing for the PGA TOUR 25:16 - Michael discusses young pros having success on TOUR 26:38 - Chasing freedom in golf 28:53 - Dealing with missed cuts 31:10 - Struggling as a TOUR pro 35:47 - Proposed changes to the PGA TOUR 40:00 - Impact of changes on Korn Ferry Tour 45:50 - DP World Tour pathway to PGA TOUR 51:13 - Interest in joining the PAC? 52:38 - Michael Kim's "commissioner for a day" PGA TOUR changes

4 Marras 20241h 2min

Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme are joined by Kyle Porter, who has gone independent with his "Normal Sport" newsletter (which you can sign up for at NormalSport.com) after twelve years of covering golf for CBS. Kyle discusses recent headline comments made by Rory McIlroy in his newsletter about the way golf is covered, examines the state of LIV Golf three years into the league's existence, and explores the future of golf content - both on the pro side, and on YouTube. The episode concludes with Kyle, Smylie and Charlie snake drafting their favorite (and least favorite) major championships from the last decade.

30 Loka 20241h 5min

Join Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme as they recap the PGA TOUR's lone event in Japan, the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. Smylie and Charlie recap the excellent weeks that both Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler had in finishing top five, and what it means for their 2025 campaign on TOUR. Smylie dives deep on two key pieces of equipment for Rickie, explaining the Mini Driver trend we've seen the past year on TOUR. SK and CH wrap the episode with a letter sent from the Player Advisory Council explaining some big changes on the way in 2026 that could see a significant reduction in PGA TOUR cards.

28 Loka 20241h 21min

As we look ahead to the 2025 season, Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme welcome on a fellow SportsGrid teammate, Keith Stewart, to share some of the expertise he's gained as the founder of Read The Line - check out his work at readtheline.com. Keith shares the story behind his transition from green-grass PGA Professional to golf gambling expert, and provides insight into the way he researches and predicts winners - at an incredibly high rate over the past two seasons.

23 Loka 202457min

Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme recap the action from the 2024 Shriners Children's Open, with Smylie fresh out of the Golf Channel booth! Smylie and Charlie begin by discussing the state of SK's golf game (trending!) and some New York area courses he was able to play this week while working out of Stamford, CT. We then move to JT Poston's win in Vegas, and look at some winners and losers around the Top 125 threshold needed to retain a Tour card for the 2025 season. The episode wraps with an examination of some unusually high ticket prices for the 2025 Ryder Cup, and Scottie Scheffler's College GameDay appearance. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - JT Poston Wins Shriners 05:55 - Smylie's Golf Game Update 08:05 - Piping Rock and Northeast Golf 16:49 - Maury Povich 19:53 - Shriners Open Recap 22:00 - Minimalist House Music Interlude 24:10 - Smylie's Return to Golf 27:30 - JT Poston's Season Overview 31:53 - Joel Dahmen's 15th Club Penalty 34:55 - ZOZO Championship Field 41:35 - 2023 ZOZO Championship Highlights 41:38 - 2025 Ryder Cup Ticket Prices 52:50 - Scottie Scheffler 55:00 - Did Jail Change Scottie Scheffler?! 1:00:00 - Final Thoughts 1:02:15 - Outro

21 Loka 202457min