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Talk Birdie To Me
Ep54: Nick O'Hern 'I Was DQ'd Because of a John Daly Bender' & Scheffler's Putting Back on Track
Season 2, Ep. 54
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We're doing Talk Birdie To Me internationally this week, well in part anyway. Nick O'Hern is at Tara Iti and Te Arai in New Zealand, and Mark Allen is at Australian Golf Headquarters in Melbourne. Mark is ever so slightly jealous of Nick being at Tara Iti as he's not played it and wants to! Nick is playing Tara Iti this week, but over the last few days has played the north and south courses of Te Arai, and he discusses the two courses and which is harder.
Mark asks Nick if, as in the US and NZ, should Australian private clubs explore 'Member/Guest' weekends and tournaments. Huge in the US, could they work in Australia? Are there any already? Let us know if you're aware of any.
Wyndham Clark. Was it a rules violation or not? Nick and Mark discuss what happened on the 18th hole at Bay Hill and whether the right decision was made by the officials. Nick and Mark disagree on the interpretation, and Nick says professional golfers always know if they move their ball - despite what they might say.
Scottie Scheffler found his putting mojo, at least to a degree. The technique might still not be perfect, but he got into a rhythm, and Nick and Mark discuss what he has changed. Mark says if he nails his putting consistently, he will terrify every golfer on the tour. However, when putting, Mark believes Scheffler has what he calls an 'anxious head', and that's what this weeks masterclass is on.
Leads to a chat on the Netflix Full Swing 2 series. Brilliant. Mark discusses an episode where Wyndham Clark sees a sports psychologist.
Back to Bay Hill, a course Nick dislikes immensely, and Nick tells a story about being DQ'd from the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of John Daly going on a bender...a very funny story, not at the time for Nick, but in hindsight.
Top 5 this week was suggested by pod listener Chris Payne who was keen to hear Nick and Marks thoughts on the Top 5 players who were right-handed, but pretty handy as lefty's. Chris said Mac O'Grady was a highlight, and he makes the list, however Mark disagrees with Nicks choice for #2.
Lots of feedback, and some questions for the guys, always great - shoot any questions or comments through.
Massive PING global results this week, with plenty of Aussies around the world doing well - Minjee Lee a standout, and on the verge of something special according to Nick and Mark.
And Marks masterclass on having an 'anxious head' when putting is a ripper.
We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.
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68. Ep68: US Open Full Wrap, Why Rory Needs a New Caddie, Pressure Putting Masterclass.
01:01:59What a US Open, absolutely riveting. There were celebrations, heartbreak, twists and turns, and Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen run the ruler across it all today on the Talk Birdie To Me podcast.In fact the first half of the pod is pretty much all US Open. Nick and Mark start by discussing Rory's use of the 7 iron on the 15th hole, and that this was where it started going wrong. They make the comment, which they've said many times before, that Rory has the wrong caddie, and that there is no way that a competent and experienced caddie would have allowed a 7 iron in that situation, and that decision cost Rory the tournament. Both Nick and Mark felt 'sick' after Rory's final putt on 18.Nick and Mark run through some moments in the tournament for Bryson and Rory. Mark says Brysons iron play was exceptional, and he runs through his stats from the tournament. Nick remains concerned about the number of looks that Rory is taking and says he must cut them down.Mark watched the video of Johnson Wagner after the tournament, when Bryson came down whilst he was filming. Brilliant. He explains what happened as Nick hadn't seen it. If you haven't, you can see it here, it's a ripper.Scottie Scheffler had a tough day at the office, we discuss and look at some of his key stats. Mark was impressed with what he saw of low amateur winner Neil Shipley, and reckons he is great fun to watch.Back to Rory, can he win again? Can he come back? Mark has some interesting stats from US journo Rob Lusetich on the age that previous icons won their final major.After the turn, inspired by the US Open, Nick counts down his Top 5 notable missed putts in majors, and we found out what Nick and Marks most notable missed putt in their careers were. And we have a voicemail from former tour pro Scotty Laycock adding some info to what happened at the infamous 2002 Australian Open. Plenty of golf around the world that Nick covers off in the PING global results today, and then we hook into some feedback. No whacks this week! But we're sure more will come. And the hotline rings - it's Mark from Nudgee in Queensland who has a question for Nick and Mark about Rory's putting in the US Open.Masterclass this week from Mark on 'pressure putting' with some excellent advice from both Nick and Mark. And we wrap with some whispers we're hearing about the Australian Open. Fingers crossed.A big thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;and the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.
Bonus: Nick & Mark Q&A Session
23:48A bonus pod this week, we've been getting so many questions from you that we can't fit them all in the weekly podcast, so from time to time we'll do a bonus pod ripping through a few questions.Seven questions on this bonus Q&A pod.Peter asks for an update on the development of 7 Mile Beach Golf Club in Hobart.Paul wants to find out what reasonable green fees are on public courses, he reckons he's paying a bit much at the moment.Darren has a scenario that he puts to Nick and Mark involving Scottie Scheffler vs a 15 Handicapper.Matt from Barwon Heads has a whack for Nick, we read it out, and Nick responds.Scott asks the boys about how Brett Coletta and Daniel Gale would be preparing for the DP World TourSteve, our mate at Rich Rivers Golf Club, has a question on tight driving holes.And we wrap with a suggestion for a guest for the pod from KR. Marko likes this one.Keep the feedback and questions and comments coming, we love it.A big thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;and the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.67. Ep67: Nick: 'Why Rahm Can't Win the US Open', Marks Top 5 Shots to Win US Opens, & We Talk Milkshakes at Golf Courses
01:12:34Mens US Open week and Nick and Mark are excited. Plenty to discuss. We start by sharing some stories about the legendary, late Payne Stewart and some memories of him. Nick and Mark agree that the Payne Stewart statue has to be the best statue of all time.Nick tells the story of when he decided to stop playing conservatively after two rounds at Pinehurst, and to play aggressively. Did it work? Nick says that was the day he learned not to 'take on' golf courses. Mark asks Nick to explain the difference between when he played conservatively and aggressively, what changed in his game.We're interested to see how Pinehurst is set up this year, particularly if the rough will be more prominent. And Nick predicts what he believes the winning score will be.The Washington Post has reported the story that Nick and Mark discussed a fortnight ago on the conditions around the investment from the Strategic Sports Group into the PGA. Mark is seeing some good news that could come out of this, and feels we might be in a reasonable spot at the moment.Nick watched the Scheffler bodycam footage this week and found it hilarious, which leads to a chat about Scottie's wins this year. Guaranteed future Hall of Famer according to Mark.We chat with Paul Gumbleton from Teven Valley Golf Club in NSW Northern Rivers region, who have just laid Zoysia grass from tee to green pretty much. He talks us through the process, why they've done it, and how it's going.Top 5 this week from Mark, his Top 5 shots ever seen to win a Mens US Open. Has he missed any? Number One won't surprise you.A ripping voicemail with an idea to put to the guys about the USPGA and how they might support Australia.It's a massive PING global results today, tournaments and players everywhere in the last week, Nick runs us through them, and we have an interlude when we need input on a ruling on the LPGA tour from our rules guy Stu of the Golf Rules Questions podcast.Lots of feedback, so much so that we'll do a bonus pod later in the week just focused on your feedback and questions. Look out for that.It is bowel cancer awareness month, and Mark talks us through the signs to look for. Important for all of us.A great masterclass from Nick inspired by Sebastian Söderberg on short putts. Plus Nick and Mark give their predictions on the US Open - winner and notable who can't win.A big thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;and the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.Voicemail: Former Tour Pro Scott Laycock
01:23Plenty of feedback on socials on the Coffs Harbour situation, and another voicemail about it from fomer tour pro Scotty Laycock from Royal Hobart.If you want to leave a voicemail - it's easy, head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, you'll be done in 60-seconds.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here. And watchMynumbers, the powerful data-based golf app in the world - play smarter by using data. Download from the AppStore or GooglePlay.And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.
66. Ep66: Live at Southern Golf Club: Minjee's US Open, Top 5 Golf Divorces, New PGA Chair Ian Baker-Finch, & Coffs Feedback
01:02:57We love it when we can do the pod from a golf club, and today we're in Melbourne's sandbelt at the stunning Southern Golf Club to celebrate the unveiling of a statue of the legendary Bob Shearer. It looks incredible, we've put some pics on our socials. Nick and Mark have a couple of cracking stories about Bob, including one where Victoria Golf Course was famously deemed 'unplayable' in Round 1 of the 2002 Australian Open with Bob, Mark and Richard Ball. Mark explains what happens to them all on the tee to cause the days play to be cancelled, leading to that famous picture of Peter Thomson dropping the ball to check the green. It was quite a dark day for Australian golf.After the turn we chat with the head honch at Southern, Brad Robb, and find out the backstory and hear some more stories about Bob.Onto some golf news from the past week. Minjee Lee. We love her so it was disappointing to see her fall away in the US Open at the weekend. She was doing so well, but then a rough few holes knocked her out of contention. However credit to Yuka Saso who played beautifully to win the tournament.What kind of Chair will Ian Baker-Finch make? Nick and Mark discuss what the PGA of Australia need, and what his style might be.Nick loved the story of Robert MacIntyre winning the Canadian Open at the weekend, with his Dad Dougie as his caddie. Great scenes, plenty of emotion. Fantastic stuff.We call pod listener Pete from Western Australia, who has a comment of some recent advice that Mark Allen gave here. Pete tells us the impact that it has had on his game. It's a ripping story.After the turn we have a chat with Brad Robb, the General Manager at Southern Golf Club. He talks us through how the statue of Bob Shearer came about, who they commissioned to design it and why, and some of the work they've been doing on the course to make it even better. Southern have been working with our mate Mike Cocking at OCM which means you know the outcome will be stunning.Nick counts down his Top 5 divorces in golf. One may surprise you.Plenty of feedback, lots on young Eden from Coffs Harbour, far too much to read out, but we touch on a couple. And a couple of great questions for Nick and Mark.Nick takes us around the world with the PING global results, and for our mates at the new watchMynumbers app, Mark has a masterclass inspired by Minjee Lee and something he saw her doing in the US Open.A big thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;and the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.
Voicemail: Ed from Adelaide
01:24We always love getting voicemails, some we play on the show, some we pop in the feed here.Lots of comments on the Coffs Harbour Golf Club decision regarding young Eden and the rules around her playing. Ed from Adelaide, who is a member at The Grange had an opinion he wanted to share.If you want to leave a message for us - it's easy, head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, you'll be done in 60-seconds.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here. And watchMynumbers, the powerful data-based golf app in the world - play smarter by using data. Download from the AppStore or GooglePlay.And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.
Bonus: Todd Woodbridge 'Golf Opened More Doors For Me Than Tennis'
30:07A fun bonus pod today with Aussie tennis superstar Todd Woodbridge, who is also a veeeery handy golfer.Nick O'Hern & Mark Allen speak Todd about his commentary and how he navigates the personalities of guys like John McEnroe and Jim Courier. He tells us why he loved doubles so much.How did Todd go from tennis commentator to game show host? And why does he feel that commentating has helped him prepare for hosting a game show. Todd talks through the audition process when he got the gig on Tipping Point.Todd spent a lot of time with the late Payne Stewart and we hear some of those stories, and how that friendship came about, and what Payne taught him.Todd tells us the one thing that is different about golf than any other sport and why he loves this aspect of it. We hear how Todd and Nicks friendship came about and find out if Todd could have made it as a golfer....and we find out the superstar US golfer that Todd beat and how it happened. And finally, in the wake of Scottie Scheffler being arrested, and Nick and Mark sharing their stories of being arrested, or close to it in Nicks case, Todd tells us about the time he was arrested in Atlanta, spent time in a jail cell, and went out the next day and played tennis in the Olympics, ultimately winning gold!A big thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;and the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. And we'd love you to share the pod with a friend. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.65. Ep65: Vale Grayson Murray, Top Aussie Lefties, & Mark: 'The Stupidest Thing in Golf I've Seen in My Life'
01:01:18Another big episode of Talk Birdie To Me today, and we start by discussing the awful news from the weekend at Colonial with the passing of Grayson Murray. Our thoughts are with his family and friends, and we hope they navigate through this terrible period with all the support they'll need. If you're struggling or need someone to talk to, you don't have to go it alone. Lifeline provide 24-hour crisis counselling on 13 11 14, and Beyond Blue can help if you or a loved one need help on 1300 22 46 36. Vale Grayson.Onto the rest of the show. Nick and Mark have come in worked up over the situation in Coffs Harbour where an 11-year old girl has been refused entry into a competition by the club. On the surface it seems ridiculous, and after a chat with Golf Australia it seems even more ridiculous. Mark says that he has 'never seen anything so stupid in all my life', and that the board at Coffs Harbour Golf Club need to 'pull their head out of their arse'. Hard to argue. It's a dreadful position to take and against the spirit of what the game is trying to do.We discuss Colonial from the weekend, Nick and Mark were impressed with the tees and greens given they ripped up the course only a year ago. We discuss the grass they've used, it's not Pure Distinction, it's not Zoysia, but it is 007 Bentgrass. Mark is keen to see if Australian courses are considering Zoysia given it is drought-resistant and holds its colour, and Nick thinks that Mount Lawley might have put 007 in. Mark is annoyed with Richard Bland in the seniors, who knocked out a couple of Aussies - Richard Green and Greg Chalmers. We discuss how Nick and Mark use their left and right arms when putting or driving.Fun voicemail from Chris with a comment about Cape Wickham vs Royal Melbourne. After the turn we get back to the lefty conversation with Mark counting down the best Aussie lefties. Plenty of results from around the world, Nick runs through the PING global results. Lots of feedback, some great questions for Nick and Mark. Keep them coming at our website here. We chat with Steven Loader who is a Director of Rich Rivers Golf Club and a pod listener, and has some thoughts on the importance of the Top 100 course list to clubs. He also gives a plug to Golf on the Murray, a great website to plan a golf trip on the Murray.And a great Masterclass from Nick on the difference between your iron swing and driver swing.A big thanks to our Talk Birdie partners:PING, they'll help you play your best, you can see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting;the new watchMynumbers app, the most powerful data based golf app in the world, download from the App Store ;and the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here.Subscribe to never miss a Talk Birdie To Me ep. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, send a voicemail here, and see our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.
Voicemail: Damian from Melbourne
01:30We love to receive your voicemails, some are questions for Nick and Mark, others are you simply leaving a comment or a story. So, from time to time, we'll pop a voicemail in the Talk Birdie To Me podcast feed.Today, Damian from Melbourne has called in regarding the Top 100 discussion, he's played Cape Wickham at the weekend and has some thoughts. If you want to leave a message for us - it's easy, head to our website here on your mobile or computer, hit the record button, tell us who you are, where you're from, where you play your golf, and leave your message. Couldn't be easier, you'll be done in 60-seconds.We're here each week with the great support of PING, see your local golf shop or professional for a PING club fitting. Just like they have with Nick O'Hern, PING will help you play your best. And the Golf Clearance Outlet, great prices on the best gear. See them instore in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, or online here. And watchMynumbers, the powerful data-based golf app in the world - play smarter by using data. Download from the AppStore or GooglePlay.And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and you can see all our Masterclass videos on YouTube here.