Drop Zone - GOLF Podcast

The Story of Arccos

The story of Arccos, a golf performance tracking company, begins in Pakistan of all places. That’s where Sal Syed, CEO and co-founder of the company, grew up. It’s where he first studied advanced mathematics and fell in love with golf. There are a number of steps between advanced mathematics in Pakistan and launching a golf app on iTunes in the United States with coworkers and plenty of champagne. Syed recently sat down with Sean Zak to tell the story of all those steps, how his company came together, how he brainstormed with buddies at Bandon Dunes. Syed also explained where his company is headed, and just how it plans to bring all kinds of golfers along with it. This is the story of Arccos and, more generally, a story about why you need to look into tracking your own golf performance like you never have before.

Sandra Gal

The 10-year LPGA vet joins Alan Shipnuck to discuss why he thinks she is the most versatile professional golfer in the world. Not versatile in the sense that she can do everything the game asks of her, but rather versatile in hobbies and skills. Yes, she has a budding music career, and is one of the most introspective golfers you'll meet, thanks to a commitment to meditation. Those are just two of the many examples they discuss.

The Masters & the Art of Covering it

Sports Illustrated Senior Writers Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger discuss the most recent Masters, how Shipnuck covered it for the print magazine version, and how they both view various aspects of writing. The discussion includes: 1:20 -- Watching Sergio finally win 5:50 -- The art of reporting at a major championship 11:30 -- Chasing offbeat stories 13:00 -- Covering Tom Watson 21:40 -- Writing for a magazine 31:15 -- The lineage of SI golf writers 41:05 -- Tiger Woods' relationship with media

The 2017 Masters

Sean Zak and Jeff Ritter take you through the story of the 2017 Masters, from Monday's rainout to Sunday's final putt. You'll hear from numerous players along the way, including their many thoughts from each day, as they chased the green jacket.

Masters Preview

Our apologies if you've listened to all the Masters preview podcasts out there this week, but here's another one. Jeff Ritter joins Sean Zak to discuss every storyline ahead of the 2017 Masters. That means DJ, Spieth, McIlroy, Mickelson and others.

Jane Park

LPGA veteran Jane Park jumped onto the scene 13 years ago winning the 2004 U.S. Amateur. She is unequivocally one of the most beloved players on the LPGA Tour. Ask players, media, fans, etc. She loves life as a professional. She also loves butts. It's a long story, so you'll just have to listen to get her explanation. Park recently sat down with Alan Shipnuck and discussed the following topics: 7:25 -- When a player dates a caddie 14:15 -- Life after golf 32:00 -- Her sushi obsession 39:35 -- Weird interactions with fans 48:35 -- Why she likes butts 58:25 -- Tiger Woods' new book 1:01:35 -- The best butts on the PGA Tour

The Hot Take Podcast 2.0

It's that special time of year where the takes are the hottest. Here on the GOLF.com Podcast, we've assembled some of the hottest takes in the sport, from some of the most provocative voices in golf's online arena. This is the second annual Hot Take Podcast. Included are the voices of Chris Solomon and Tron Carter from NoLayingUp, Brendan Porath from SB Nation and Coleman McDowell from GOLF.com. Kyle Porter from CBS had a nuclear take that we'll have to share sometime in the future. The timing just wasn't right today. The fiery takes are outlined below: 1:03 -- Jordan Spieth will win the Masters by four, and another three green jackets in the future 10:22 -- Sergio Garcia's happiness is leading him to a backdoor major victory 16:55 -- Pro golfers shouldn't wear hats 18:30 -- Patrick Reed is bad for golf 25:10 -- Tiger Woods must rescind his 2000 PGA Championship victory 33:05 -- Dustin Johnson will be the GOAT Note: Don't take these takes TOO seriously. That being said, if Spieth or Garcia misses the cut at Augusta, please feel free to unleash the hate.

Peter Jacobsen

One of the most varied men in golf, Peter Jacobsen, joins the podcast for the second time to share some of his greatest memories of Arnold Palmer, the Ryder Cup and Tiger Woods. Jacobsen and Alan Shipnuck roll through all topics listed below. 1:50 -- When he played with 13-year-old Sam Saunders 5:45 -- When he first met Palmer 9:50 -- Why players should have shown up for the API 12:25 -- His Golden Tee venture 16:55 -- The 1985 Ryder Cup 26:55 -- Is he satisfied with his pro career? 29:40 -- Mike 'Fluff' Cowan 33:30 -- Tiger Woods

Ian Poulter

One of the most polarizing figures in golf, Ian Poulter, joins Alan Shipnuck from the Arnold Palmer Invitational to discuss everything from his Ryder Cup dominance to his social media squabbles, and even details on why he was forced to fold his apparel company. The 75-minute conversation includes the following topics and much, much more: 2:25 — The 2008 British Open 7:20 — His current form 9:45 — His new take on social media 12:30 — How verbal abuse affected his game last year 23:00 — His humble beginnings in golf 29:24 — The 2008 Ryder Cup 38:10 — Why he’s been burned by the media 43:05 — Opportunities he sees in business 45:20 — The 2012 Ryder Cup 51:00 — How he took over at Medinah 1:01:30 — The 2013 British Open 1:04:22 — Why he hits shanks more than most players 1:07:38 — One of his most embarrassing stories 1:11:10 — How Shotlink once screwed with his head 1:13:10 — When he accidentally tossed a ball into a hazard

NOW is the Time for Golf Course Development

Golf course management company KemperSports claims some of the most impressive courses in the world. We're talking Bandon Dunes, Streamsong, Sand Valley, etc. KemperSports president Josh Lesnik joins Coleman McDowell this week to discuss why he thinks now is the best time to be in golf course development. The conversation includes: 5:15 -- The creation of Bandon Dunes 9:35 -- Symmetry between Bandon and Sand Valley 15:15 -- What makes Sand Valley special 22:00 -- How to build a golf resort 27:40 -- Why now is the best time to build 31:30 -- The most powerful people in golf

Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko, the top-ranked female player in the world, joined Marika Washchyshyn this week to catch up with all the changes she has made in and around her game the last few months. The discussion includes: 10:45 -- How her game feels right now 12:35 -- Why she thinks Ariya Jutanugarn is her best competition 13:35 -- Why she made so much change in her offseason 14:30 -- The difficulties with changing coachs 18:00 -- What's different about her new swing 23:15 -- Why she'd be honored to play with President Trump 24:35 -- Last year's rally to earning a silver medal 26:45 -- Why being an Olympic medalist is special 30:10 -- Her decade-long goals as she turns 20 years old

The Rules of Golf Are Changing!

The USGA and R&A have proposed a revamping of the Rules of Golf. More than 100 rules changes have been proposed, more than 30 of them being major rules changes. The staff at GOLF.com hosted a roundtable Wednesday morning to discuss what is great, what is lacking and what we're still unsure about with the proposal. The topics included are: 2:02 -- Dropping a ball 5:45 -- Pace of play changes 12:00 -- Accidentally moving your ball 14:30 -- Leaving the flagstick in the hole 17:30 -- The Dustin Johnson Rule 19:50 -- Fixing spike marks 23:20 -- Bunker rules 26:15 -- Equipment rules 29:25 -- Empowering the player

Jordan Spieth's coach Cameron McCormick

One of the top coaches in the game, Cam McCormick, joins the podcast this week to talk a number of things about teaching, the Masters and his top client, Jordan Spieth. McCormick and Sean Zak discuss the following topics: 0:55 -- His beginning in golf 2:45 -- Why he chose teaching 7:15 -- His relationship with Jordan Spieth 10:45 -- How he challenges Spieth 13:05 -- What he and Spieth worked on most this offseason 23:15 -- The keys to spotting potential 27:05 -- How coaches can improve pace of play 29:55 -- How Spieth should approach the Masters this year 32:50 -- What his Masters tune-up session with Spieth includes

Danny Willett

Danny Willett joins Alan Shipnuck (in Dubai) to discuss his world away from golf. That includes his wife and newborn baby, his brothers and an easy-going life in Yorkshire. Shipnuck and Willett go in depth on the following topics: 2:45 -- Life in Yorkshire 3:50 -- The Yorkshire dialect 8:10 -- The Yorkshire bread debate 11:30 -- Why he hasn't dry cleaned his Masters green jacket 13:00 -- The details of his perfect day 16:00 -- His brother Pete's writing 19:40 -- How 2016 wore him out 21:45 -- His plans for the Masters Champions dinner

Visiting Streamsong

One of the best golf resorts in America is situated equidistant from Tampa and Orlando down in central Florida. It's called Streamsong. You may have heard of it. We had the pleasure of visiting the resort again and touring the highly anticipated Black Course, designed by Gil Hanse. We tell you all about that, the Blue Course, the Red Course and the rest of the Streamsong experience here. 5:00 -- Black Course 10:20 -- Blue Course 23:00 -- Red Course 33:50 -- 6-Hole Loops // The Roundabout

Zac Blair 2.0

Zac Blair joins Alan Shipnuck to share the story of The Buck Club, a golf club he is creating in Utah. Over the course of 28 minutes, Blair touches on the following: What the Buck Club is (1:30) His architecture influence (4:46) Why signing a big name architect would be "a waste" (7:33) His epic long island golf birthday (11:49) When we'll see The Buck Club completed (16:00) His biggest gripe with courses (17:25) The most unusual request he's received (20:50) How the course got its name (26:40)

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson joins Alan Shipnuck on the GOLF.com Podcast to share stories from his career, lessons he has learned and even advice for approaching women. Seriously. Over the course of an hour, Shipnuck and Mickelson dive deep into a number of juicy topics, including: Why Phil needed offseason surgery (4:01) How Bones likes to use his yearly veto (17:05) The dumbest shot he ever played (18:18) His Tuesday money games (25:10) Why settling up bets quickly is vital (29:20) American Ryder Cup strategies (34:00) His relationship with Tiger Woods (39:32) Why golf is his therapeutic release (41:15) AND MUCH, MUCH MORE.

Greg Norman ep 1

The Shark joins the podcast to discuss how he turned his golfing career into a successful life as an entrepreneur. We start with how he recognized he would become a brand (2:35) and ended with why he wants to invest in your sports business ideas. Everything else in between is located below. 6:30 -- When he knew his brand would become international. 7:25 -- Why he thinks his logo is sexy. 8:25 -- How the 2008 market collapse changed his company forever. 10:50 -- His favorite test for finding employees he would hire. 13:15 -- Why he wants to be 'a mile wide and an inch deep.' 18:35 -- How he's prepping his brand for 200 years from now. 20:00 -- Why golf course design is still his favorite business. 21:30 -- Why he feels ready to disrupt the golf industry.

Tony Ruggiero

Smylie Kaufman's coach and recently awarded Top 100 Golf Teacher Tony Ruggiero joins the podcast to discuss his work with the 25-year-old Tour winner. The conversation begins with a flash back to the 2016 Masters, where Kaufman played his way into the final pairing on Sunday, but faltered in his final 18 holes. Ruggiero believes that all great players need an experience "by fire" like Kaufman had that day. He shares stories about that Masters and more.

ESPN's Chris Fallica

Chris Fallica, better known as 'The Bear' on College Gameday, joins us to talk about gambling on golf. The conversation includes a breakdown of Tiger Woods vs. the Field (12:08), why you need to bet on the longshots (17:55), and what you should look for in gambling on the Masters (22:06). Stay for Fallica's admission that while Tom Watson lost the 2009 British Open, he was holding a winning ticket (29:15).

You've Been Playing Match Play All Wrong

Playing off the low-handicap is an antiquated (and most popular) form of match play. Spoiler alert: it may be unfair. Martin Puterman joins us to explain why playing match play that way puts the weaker player at a disadvantage. He also offers a multi-layered solution to make match play uniformly fair. For a summary of his findings, check out GOLF.com.

Before Hideki Matsuyama, There Was Jumbo Ozaki

Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki is the greatest Japanese golfer of all-time. He's also likely the most mysterious golfer of all-time, at least in America. We travel back to 1998 with writer John Garrity to try and understand the golfer who: 1. Played professional baseball 2. Was often accused of cheating 3. Was allegedly linked to the Japanese mafia 4. Still competes today, at age 69.

Tiger Woods, Then and Now

As Tiger Woods returns to professional golf this week, we return to his 1996 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award. Woods won the award as a 20-year-old and legendary writer Gary Smith profiled Woods for SI. This week, we talk with Smith and Jeff Ritter about that article from 20 years ago, the influence of Woods' parents, and what it means for the Tiger Woods we'll see now and in the future.

Gil Hanse

World renowned golf course designer and architect Gil Hanse explains everything you didn't know about golf course design...at least as much as he could in 30 minutes. Hanse talks about the process of building a golf course from start to finish, the differences between restoring and renovating and how courses need to be designed with a player in mind. We also revisit the Olympic Golf Course in Brazil and how that project received incredible reviews from the Olympians themselves.

Pat Perez

Recent Tour winner Pat Perez sounds off on his comeback from surgery, the absurdly long PGA Tour season, playing against Tiger Woods as an amateur, his beloved San Diego Chargers and much more.