Drop Zone - GOLF Podcast

Our Alan Shipnuck was on site Sunday for the rollicking conclusion to the PGA Championship, and we dive in on how one golfer separated from the pack. What did Collin Morikawa's victory feel like at TPC Harding Park? What did we learn about Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and more? What was it like covering the first COVID-era major championship? Shipnuck answers those questions and more on this week's Drop Zone.

When two Canadian brothers in their 20s launched DataGolf, they didn't realize just how many questions they'd be asking — and answering in the process. What are the biggest myths among golf fans? How do you pick a winner in a sport as random as golf? Even better, how do you create a model so powerful it can give you predictions and update in real time? Here's how DataGolf became one of the smartest voices in the game. Plus, some PGA Championship picks!

These days, it's tough for anyone to get inside the gates at a PGA Tour event — never mind inside the ropes. But our Sean Zak made his PGA Tour caddying debut at this week's 3M Open. How'd he do? What blew his mind? What did he screw up? Here's what we know about the life of a Tour caddie, from Zak's first tournament on the bag.

After four months away from the PGA Tour, Tiger Woods is back this week at the Memorial. Will he live up to expectations? Well, let's set those expectations appropriately. We spend this episode recounting everything Woods has done since he won the 2019 Masters, and why you should be both bullish and bearish on Woods' 2020 season.

Is it Bryson DeChambeau? Is it Rory McIlroy? Is it ... Webb Simpson? During one of the most interesting times in golf, we figure out who is No. 1 and apologize to those who don't make the cut. Sorry, DJ.

It's about time we admit it ... Bryson DeChambeau is changing golf. He changed his body, changed his swing and his results right now might just change the PGA Tour as we know it. We explore everything that Bryson was, is and might become on this week's episode of the Drop Zone.

Rory McIlroy has had the same coach since the age of 8, but you likely know very little about him. Michael Bannon, the man behind the curtain, joins the Drop Zone to dig deep on how a talented young golfer ascended to world No. 1. What was Rory like as a child? What lessons did Bannon learn from coaching him? And what would he tell parents with talented juniors just getting started?

Phil Mickelson is 50 years old. Fifty! In honor of the man known simply as Lefty, we are breaking down the 7 best things to love about Phil, from his legendary amateur career to his hunger for a little action during money games ... to his lack of hunger while fasting. Here's to you, PM. And to 50 more!

Golf is back. The PGA Tour is back. We're back talking about live golf! It's been about three months since we saw play stop at the Players Championship, which is one hell of an offseason. The truth is, you've forgotten countless things about where we left off, like how Tiger wasn't playing well, or playing at all. Or how Patrick Reed was winning his way through the haters, and how it was a two-man battle for Player of the Year. We catch you up on everything you forgot about this Tour season and preview what the rest of the year might hold in store.

When live pro golf made its return at Seminole and Medalist a couple weeks ago, there were no outside media members allowed on the grounds — but our Michael Bamberger has a way of showing up places. He joins the Drop Zone to share what it was like to experience golf’s strange new Florida Swing in person.

In recent weeks, some 98% of U.S. golf courses have opened for play. But it’s hardly business as usual. There are contradictions and unknowns that leads to the industry’s one big question: How are golf courses going to change? How is YOUR golf course going to change? We explore that topic and find some answers in this week's Drop Zone.

Go ahead and name a golf memorabilia item. Chances are, Golden Age Auctions has sold it. Green jackets? Check. Masters trophies? Check. Tiger Woods' golf clubs he used during the Tiger Slam? Check! This week, we dive into the world of golf auctions — one is live right now! — and learn everything there is to know about buying and selling golf history. Eventually, co-founder Ryan Carey entertains us with his top 3 fantasy golf auction items, which might be the next great golf debate.

Malcolm Gladwell hates golf — he's made that clear for years. Most recently, Gladwell called for the "liberation" of courses and republished an anti-golf Revisionist History episode devoted to his issues with the game. We listened back (with open minds!) and found that Gladwell cut a few corners. We're here to set the record straight, breaking down what Gladwell missed about golf while acknowledging there were some things he got right, too.

Behind every Tiger Woods win are the clubs he used and behind Tiger Woods' clubs is a wizard. A wizard club-maker from Texas who has a "gift." His name is Mike Taylor and we tell you all about his magic here on the Drop Zone. Equipment editor Jonathan Wall has the story, straight from the club shop in Fort Worth.

What would YOU do if Tiger Woods appeared out of nowhere during your round of golf — and wanted to play you for a Buick? For Beverly Rettinger, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. For the rest of us, it became the greatest Tiger Woods YouTube video ever.

Tiger Woods is the most famous golfer in the world, but after him? Probably the last two presidents. Next on the list is not Rory McIlroy or Brooks Koepka, but Michael Jordan. The basketball star picked up golf in the 80s, demanded to play in the 90s (and at the Olympics) and is now building the most epic golf playground he can imagine. He's absolutely addicted, and we explore every story of Jordan golf lore on this episode. Enjoy!

Holes in one are funny. They don't discriminate ... or do they? We all know a great player who has never made one, just like we all know that hack who has made multiple. We're going to introduce you to the man who has made more aces than anyone else. His name is Mancil Davis, and he's the luckiest golfer of all-time.

This week’s Drop Zone is an unlikely story of life and near-death at Augusta National. Seeing Amen Corner in person is at the top of most golf fans’ bucket lists. For Johnny Pruitt, it was where his life came to a hard stop — and then began again.

The Drop Zone is back! We’ve been reimagining the show with a new focus: Taking you deeper inside stories from the world of golf. For decades, the chapters of Tiger Woods’ life have played out in front of us. Mostly, they’ve been inspirational. But not always. This week, Michael Bamberger joins the show to break down how Woods has changed — and what we can learn from watching him. Bamberger's new book "The Second Life of Tiger Woods" is out in stores this week and let us add to its industry-wide praise: it is THE golf book to buy this year. -------- Click here for more on the book: https://fave.co/3dJk1pv

We're back! While the Drop Zone went on a slight hiatus, soon we'll be in your feed on a weekly basis once again. Only now, we'll be actually telling you stories. Storytelling and reporting are two things that GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine do better than anyone, so look for Dylan and Sean to host the the absolute best of that right here on this feed, every single week beginning very soon with an episode about Tiger Woods. See you soon ...

Robert Trent Jones Jr. — the man behind Chambers Bay, Poppy Hills, Spanish Bay and others — joins us this week to discuss his career as a designer. We talk through his various projects, reclaiming a course from flooding, creating courses for the U.S. Open and how course architecture is an art form. Enjoy!

Alan Shipnuck sits down with Michael Murphy the famous author of Golf in the Kingdom to discuss his everlasting novels, what golf means to him these days, what it was like watching Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach, and what he intends to do with his Kingdom characters in the future.

How good is Patrick Reed? Does Bryson deserve to be among golf’s most controversial figures? And what are we looking forward to in the Florida Swing? The Drop Zone breaks down a wild finish in Mexico.

Joel Dahmen joined us at the Genesis Invitational to break down all aspects of life on the PGA Tour, from the cliques to the traveling circus. Dahmen even set a prediction for himself at the Genesis...and then blew past it! Thanks to Joel for joining and showing why he’s one of the best hangs on Tour.

After a wild final round at the Genesis Invitational, we break down Adam Scott surviving Riviera, what it’s like to cover the event in person, what Rory McIlroy’s final round means, the state of Tiger Woods’ game and much more.