What went down: Soly has declared the fall series a 1-hour or less podcast challenge! TC and KVV co-pilot as the trio embarks on a brief but informative Sunday recap.
(2:45) TC, notorious for his Tom Kim hate train (get out of the way, Thomas The Tank Engine), offers a short history lesson on his least fave – he’s been a pro for five years! Kim had some big expectations coming out of 2022, but other than a repeat winner at the Shriners, the only other noise he’s made were some big finishes at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. The crew debated whether it was overhyped and what his career trajectory could look like. Young Tom Kim edged out Adam Hadwin down the stretch after a costly bogey on 15 took Hadwin out of it and Kim cruised with pars on his last three holes.
(13:00) Vegas has so much potential – and with a decent-sized purse and a smaller field, why does Shriners struggle to gain some juice? Well, the guys found some: Tommy Gainey, a known participant in “Operation Santa’s Naughty List,” earned an exemption into the field.
And so did Lexi Thompson – who became the seventh woman to ever play in a PGA Tour event. Lexi battled on Friday to try to make the cut but missed by three shots. Was it the right time to give her that exemption, given her recent struggles? Is Lexi bored of the LPGA?
(27:00) The Spanish Open: Matthieu Pavon, the Frenchman, wins by four over Zander Lombard.
(28:55) Angel Yin and Lilia Vu clash once again in a playoff (TBT to Chevron). This time, Angel comes out victorious at the Buick LPGA Shanghai for her first career victory.
(31:15) King Abdullah Economic LIV City Golf Money Event Thing: Brooks Koepka wins the event, but Talor Gooch wins the season-long points race…and made $35.2M this year alone? Soly then compares LIV earnings to NBA player contracts.
All that aside: In year two, is LIV interesting yet?
(39:00) Some updates on the status of the PGA Tour and PIF framework agreement, including the possibility of extending the deadline of the deal.
(40:50) LIV losing its OWGR bid for ranking points. Phil and his chess moves. Paying players discourse ensues.
(53:15) Are the Jaguars back? And miscellaneous football commentary from the weekend.
(55:40) Pivoting back to golf: More TGL endorsements!
(58:35) Byeong Hun An suspension from the Korean cough syrup.
(59:25) Housekeeping items: KVV’s column, reminding ourselves why we like golf, etc., an NLU Roost Club Championship recap, and WANTED: Ingrid Lindblad’s suitcase snatcher.
Best take: (50:30) While I’m all for paying the Ryder Cup players (even if it isn’t an earth-shattering amount) I think there’s a certain level of read-the-room golfers should have when it comes to their demands to command the big bucks. The institution of pro golf has a responsibility to better market you, but so do you! And for the most part, there’s not a lot of captivating characters out here. The general public is pretty lukewarm about the brand of pro golf.
KVV said it best: “They’re so detached from reality. They have no f***ing clue about golf’s position in the world of sports. They wanna be paid like larger sports that generate large amounts of revenue, someone came along to satiate that economic insecurity and it’s not driven by actual interest.”
Worst take: (19:35) I also have to hand you the worst take, KVV. While I don’t think Lexi playing a PGA Tour event is the most needle-moving thing for women’s golf, I think it brought some of the most intrigue women’s golf has had on a weekday all year. I certainly saw more people talking about it than the LPGA event this week (sigh) but amplifying women’s golf, especially when it’s breaking the gender barrier, is always a net positive.
Ludvig Aberg tangents: 2
Quotables:
(4:30) “It was a rotating cast of mules – and Ludvig.” -T.C.
(9:20) “Country music star Eric Cole with his new single “Boys Trip to Vegas” tops the charts again.” -Soly
(47:35) “No longer reporting TV ratings, that’s chess move number four!” -Soly
Referenced works: (15:00) Tommy Gainey: Operation Santa Naughty’s List
(39:55) Bob Harig: A Delay Could Be Coming in the Deal Between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf's Backers
(46:22) CHESS FROM PHIL
(59:25) KVV column: The Prevailing Magic of Golf
Ads:
(1:30) This episode is brought to you by our friends at Titleist, the tee-to-green choice for Tom Kim! The major contributor to his back-to-back victories in Vegas: The Pro V1 golf ball and a full bag of Titleist equipment – TSR3 drivers, new T-series irons, four Vokey SM9 wedges and a Scotty Cameron putter. Visit the Titleist website to find a fitter or fitting event near you.
(26:00) Shoutout to our very own No Laying Up pro shop! Check out the new Holderness and Bourne x NLU fall collection, as well as our headcovers, towels, ladies’ gear and more! Stay up to date on our newest releases and the content front by signing up for our newsletter here – by doing so, you’ll get a free towel with your first purchase of $50 or more at the pro shop.