The LPGA Edge

Kent and Scottie are joined by two LPGA Tour players, Mina Kreiter and Jennifer Chang, for a special edition on the priority list: the ranking that decides who gets into which tournaments. Mina, on tour since 2010, has played from both full and limited status; Jennifer, on tour since 2020, has split her seasons between the LPGA and the Epson Tour. They explain why a February start versus a May start can shape a whole year, what the reshuffle feels like when every start counts, what fans get wrong about limited fields like the Asia swing, and what a season of last-minute travel really costs. Scottie argues that players 81 to 100 on the CME list should rank ahead of the Epson Tour's top 10; Mina's hot take is that those Epson cards should face the reshuffle. Plus: the darkest moments of limited status, sponsors and social media, what they'd tell their rookie selves, and the time Scottie, on his first bag for Jennifer, drove on the wrong side of the road.CHAPTERS (runtime 56:46)0:00 Cold open — "Just keep it to myself"0:43 Welcome — Scottie's off to Asia; meet Mina Kreiter and Jennifer Chang2:21 Full status vs. conditional: why February vs. May changes everything3:36 Reshuffle pressure — the ShopRite finish that changed Jennifer's year4:21 Mina on both sides of the list, and her new job as a club fitter6:05 Does the system find the best players, or reward access?7:36 Kent's numbers: ~20 spots turn over a year, and the no-cut Asia swing10:06 Where should "full status" really start?13:24 "Why aren't you in Thailand?" — what fans get wrong14:57 Deep fields and late calls: getting in the week before17:18 The money: last-minute travel and what a season costs19:31 What CME points are actually worth20:55 Epson Tour cards: playing for status, not purses23:34 Can you get better on a limited schedule?25:53 The darkest moments: "a constant flow of what-ifs"27:20 Fixing the plane while flying it28:50 Sponsors, social media, and the LPGA marketing question32:12 If you could change one thing about the priority list35:37 Scottie's take: 81–100 ahead of the Epson top 1036:53 Mina's hot take: make the Epson top 10 face the reshuffle39:36 How a priority-list change actually happens41:00 The PGA TOUR comparison42:13 Retention, and why the top 80 is "sticky"43:42 Move the reshuffle? Put the Asia swing at the end?46:32 Next year's schedule: five events to play your way into the Chevron48:14 How do you explain this pressure to friends and family?49:33 Scottie's first bag: Jennifer, the Scottish and the British51:21 What they'd tell their rookie selves53:33 Eight Asia events, no cuts: "Guaranteed money too"55:31 Scottie's first time on the wrong side of the road

Kent and Scottie, back from Hawaii, recap the Lotte Championship, where Jeeno Thitikul won again despite a double bogey on 16. Scottie argues she's only 23 and should be left to be herself; Kent asks whether the LPGA has actually moved forward this year. That opens the episode's big argument: a tour full of storylines that nobody in the press room is asking about. Jeeno's press conferences, Lilia Vu, the Natasha Andrea Oon model, and what LPGA media should do when no national media shows up. Then the new Hawaii swing and the Lotte's move to Kapalua. After the break: the LPGA's $20 million career-earnings club, and the Black Desert Resort giving up its tournament purse to become an LPGA marketing partner, which sets off the hosts' purse debate (Scottie: never take money out of purses). Then the Epson Tour Championship, how last year's Epson class has fared, reshuffles explained, Jiyai Shin's JLPGA grand slam, and Scottie heading off to Asia.0:00 Cold open — "She will."0:26 Welcome — Scottie's back from Hawaii, bearing plushies1:04 The tee markers on No. 9 at the Lotte2:04 Jeeno Thitikul wins again2:39 The double on 16, and the bunker shot that stayed up4:21 Scottie: why 16 is harder than it looks6:14 She's only 23 — let her be her7:25 Eleven wins and the $20 million mark8:27 Has the LPGA actually moved forward this year?9:12 Scottie: the marketing missed the 27 winners, and Nelly's run11:05 Depth doesn't sell, dominance does11:35 45 press conferences — what did we learn about Jeeno?13:30 The Natasha Andrea Oon model16:10 How do the press-room questions get better?18:01 Lilia Vu, and the questions nobody asked20:30 Scottie's list: Michelle Zhang, Polly Mack, Carolina Melgrati21:30 A mindset shift for LPGA media23:45 The new Hawaii swing — the Lotte moves to Kapalua27:49 Everything begins with money: the $20 million club29:15 Scottie: how much better times are for players30:32 Jeeno: $20 million in 101 starts31:27 Should some purse money go to marketing?32:18 Black Desert trades its purse for a marketing partnership35:01 Scottie: never take money out of purses38:21 A running list of things we disagree on40:44 The purse arms race42:46 The Wangs and their commitment to the LPGA46:17 Epson Tour Championship — Reagan Zibilski's 6247:25 How last year's Epson class did49:48 Scottie: the Epson class of 202651:55 Reshuffles, explained52:41 Jiyai Shin completes a JLPGA grand slam55:03 The 2027 schedule and the Olympics57:01 Scottie's off to Asia — a slower cadence ahead58:39 Sign-off — "not as good as I once was"

Kent and Scottie — Scottie fresh off a week in contention in Arkansas and now in rainy Honolulu — recap the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, where Yuna Nishimura went wire-to-wire (63-63-66) to win by five. They argue about whether 54-hole events are a soft week or the crown jewel of the schedule, and cover Lauren Coughlin's nine straight birdies. Kent makes the case that Japan, not Korea, is now the LPGA's rising power. Then the week's real news: chief marketing officer Chad Coleman steps down after barely half a year. What his exit says about Craig Kessler's LPGA, the new marketing org chart, a tour that can't react in real time, and whether the players still trust the room. After the break: Golf Saudi cuts its women's golf investment by 80% and what that means for the LET; then the Epson Tour Championship, with fifteen cards on offer but five of them "fake," the priority list explained, and whether the Epson Tour is really the LPGA's talent incubator.CHAPTERS (timed to the exported cut — runtime 43:31)0:00 Cold open — "some really loud questions to be asked"0:25 Welcome — not a Walmart-brand-quality episode1:00 Scottie's favorite week on tour: Pinnacle CC and Bentonville's restaurant scene1:55 54 holes: a soft week or the crown jewel of the schedule?3:48 Yuna Nishimura goes wire-to-wire — 63, 63, 66, wins by five4:55 Annika's three-round rule, and why the LPGA once played mostly 546:03 Lauren Coughlin's nine straight birdies7:41 The lagging indicator: Japan, not Korea, is the LPGA's rising power10:00 Scottie in contention, on a new bag10:47 Chad Coleman steps down — "a little smelly"11:37 The Dude Perfect hire and the stories he promised to tell13:52 Too early to judge Kessler? The new marketing org chart15:16 From inside the building: engagement isn't consumption17:21 A tour that can't react in real time — Lydia Ko's almost-5918:40 Another "family reasons" exit, and Valhalla 202820:36 Serving fans or serving purses? Player buy-in and trust22:20 Is Coleman's exit building or losing trust with the players?23:57 One more on Coleman: where he lands next matters25:07 Golf Saudi cuts its women's golf money by 80%26:54 Scottie: the LET needs the LPGA more than ever27:42 Room for both the LET and the Epson Tour? The JLPGA/KLPGA pipeline29:30 A tour without stars — and a Solheim eligibility lever31:40 Epson Tour Championship: fifteen cards, five of them "fake"32:04 The priority list, explained33:48 A "temp visa" — who's on the bubble34:41 Scottie: "Let's not sell false dreams" — play for ten real cards36:40 Should Epson grads rank above 81–100 on the CME list?37:28 Is the Epson Tour really the talent incubator?41:07 No lei in Honolulu — and what's at stake before the Asia swing42:30 Sign-off — Worldwide Scottie goes to Asia

Kent and Scottie — Scottie from a car on the way through Arkansas — bring in Golf Digest's Shane Ryan, author of The Cup They Couldn't Lose, for what may be the only public post-mortem of Team USA's Solheim Cup. Shane wrote the book on why the American men spent decades losing Ryder Cups, and he sees the same symptoms: a captain who sent Angel Yin and Megan Khang out first and third at 8–8, a program that treats loading the boat as optional, and a management structure that picks captains without ever asking for a plan. From there: how front-loading became gospel from Brookline '99 to Medinah, Davis Love's "biggest mistake of my career," Stacy Lewis and Justin Ray, the CEO test for choosing a captain, and whether Paula Creamer is next. After the break: the beer-bus video and the sports karma gods, Bernhard Langer's "I want the record," what's fair to criticize before the matches and what's just hindsight, the Angel Yin decision and the alternate that wasn't, why the qualifying system tied the captain's hands, the Rolex rankings that say this was the worst US team on paper, Tony Jacklin's 1983 blueprint for beating a better team, and Luke Donald's mattresses. Plus Shane's case against a mixed Presidents Cup, Kent's Queen's Cup, and Korea as the Soviet Union of women's golf.CHAPTERS0:00   Cold open — "the sports karma gods"0:27   Welcome: Scottie from a car, and the only public Solheim Cup post-mortem0:57   Enter Shane Ryan — Golf Digest, The Cup They Couldn't Lose, Commissioner of Rigamarole1:48   Does Team USA have the Ryder Cup disease? (Stacy Lewis read the book — twice)2:59   Loading the boat: the simplest strategy in team golf, and Team USA skipped it3:26   Angel Yin and Megan Khang out first and third at 8–8 — "unforgivable"5:02   "It's insane": Jason Aquino's rule on captaincy malpractice5:41   The lineup graphic — where was Yealimi Noh?6:24   Brookline '99 and 2002: how front-loading became gospel8:47   Medinah 2012: Davis Love, Darren Clarke and "I didn't know"10:10  "A referendum on who you are as a captain" — and where Yin and Khang should have gone11:58  Stacy Lewis, Justin Ray, and "hire somebody smarter"13:22  Why an American captain is always under pressure — Europe's motivation edge14:10  Should the USA change how it picks captains? The CEO test16:21  Paula Creamer next — and a captain who has never played alongside her team18:17  The swearing policy opens the floodgates — then advice for the committee19:08  "Lifetime achievement award" captaincies21:09  Captain or management structure — which matters more? Water trickles downhill22:07  The beer-bus video: "why would you ever post that?"22:57  Sports 101 — the Si Woo Kim nighty-night and the karma gods23:56  Bernhard Langer, 2004: "I want the record"25:38  "You needed a miracle to get to 8–8" — and Europe's competitive juice26:29  What you could criticize before the matches, and what's hindsight28:30  Angela Stanford's last Instagram post — "Saturday night was the end"29:02  Couples counseling: should Angel Yin have stepped aside?30:28  Boston, Canada and Lilia Vu — the choices that were actually on the table31:53  Qualifying: the US just changed its system — one bad decision after another33:58  The Viktor Hovland option — take the free half point34:54  Lexi 2023, and a better system: recency and six picks37:24  The Rolex rankings graphic — the worst US team on paper38:07  Tony Jacklin 1983: when you're outgunned, look at everything39:48  "Nothing more satisfying" — beating a better team by being smarter40:29  Luke Donald's mattresses — an investment problem or a captain problem?42:24  The twelve tropes: should Yealimi Noh have played foursomes?45:16  Scottie drops out, and one last question: a mixed Presidents Cup? Count Shane out47:21  Welcome back, Scotty — the Queen's Cup, and Korea as the Soviet Union of women's golf49:10  Sign-off — "Paula needs to call you"

Europe took the Solheim Cup back, 15–13 at Bernardus, and Kent and Scottie — Scottie from a gate at Denver International Airport — go straight at why. Kent walks through how it happened: level after Saturday, Jennifer Kupcho flipping the last match of the session on the 17th and 18th, the Americans celebrating like the job was done, and Europe front-loading its Sunday order with Charley Hull, Esther Henseleit and Linn Grant so it never came down to the last group. From there: Megan Khang and Angel Yin sent out first and third in the form they were in, Kupcho's match-play record against the hype, why Europe keeps getting more out of the bottom of its roster than the Americans do, Nastasia Nadaud and Mimi Rhodes as the pairing Scottie admits he got wrong, whether Lottie Woad and Charley Hull should play every session together, and the flowers Kent earns for calling the Henseleit putt that changed Europe's roster. Then Team USA's decisions — Lauren Coughlin going five sessions, Yealimi Noh kept out of foursomes, Lilia Vu as an alternate — and the argument the two of them cannot settle: should Angel Yin have stepped aside, and could a captain even ask? After the break, the state of the two programs: why 2026 has to be the year Team USA decides how urgently it wants to win, who captains next, a roster whose top points earners are its oldest players, Europe's four players under 25, and a closing case for turning the International Crown into a Presidents Cup-style event. Plus Auston Kim's resting focused face, the Waffle House theory of team golf, and Scottie's 2028 Valhalla prediction.CHAPTERS0:00   Cold open — "how urgently they want to win"0:25   Welcome from Denver Airport — Europe wins the 20th Solheim Cup1:04   How it happened: the Kupcho charge, the beer on the bus, Europe's Sunday2:58   The singles orders — Europe front-loads its firepower4:43   "Sacrificial lambs": Megan Khang out first, Angel Yin third8:35   Jennifer Kupcho's match-play record vs. the hype11:07  Europe gets the bottom of its roster to outperform12:13  The US captaincy philosophy that limited its options15:33  Captains' choices, amplified — Europe's decisions under the microscope17:39  Nadaud and Rhodes: the pairing Scottie got wrong20:36  Lottie and Charley together every session — spread the talent?22:38  Europe's back channels, and Julia Lopez Ramirez's pick24:23  Flowers for Kent: the Esther Henseleit putt that changed the roster25:08  Team USA's decisions: Coughlin five sessions, Angel one, Lilia Vu as alternate25:57  Why wasn't Yealimi Noh in foursomes?27:25  "The US gets married to players"28:06  Should Angel Yin have stepped aside?31:57  "Two liabilities on this team" — the argument35:44  State of the programs: does the US want to win urgently enough?39:08  The Kobe "job's not finished" meme vs. the celebration video39:38  "What matters more than being a great teammate? Being a great golfer"40:14  Questions over Angela Stanford's captaincy42:32  Who captains next — Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie West, Lexi?44:13  Roster turnover: the top US points earners are the oldest players46:03  "Good old boys club" — how the US picks its teams46:38  Europe's youth movement: four players under 2548:48  "I'm not feeling good about the red, white and blue"50:18  The bigger picture: International Crown vs. a Presidents Cup format50:59  Auston Kim's "resting focused face"53:26  The Waffle House theory of women's team golf56:02  Final thoughts — Scottie's 2028 Valhalla prediction57:11  Sign-off

Days from the 20th Solheim Cup, Kent and Scottie do something the show has never done: tier all 24 players, S through F, one at a time. Nelly Korda, Lottie Woad and Charley Hull anchor the top — but the first real argument lands early, when Scottie puts Alison Lee in S tier on the strength of a climb from outside the world's top 300 to the top 60 in five months, and Kent counters with a 2-5 Solheim record. From there it's Rose Zhang, Esther Henseleit, Lauren Coughlin, Allisen Corpuz and Céline Boutier through A tier; Maja Stark as Europe's tipping-point player, plus Leona Maguire, Nastasia Nadaud, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Jennifer Kupcho, Yealimi Noh and Andrea Lee through B; and a C tier that swallows a third of the field — Linn Grant, Lindy Duncan, Megan Khang, Carlota Ciganda, Julia Lopez Ramirez. The widest gap between them is Angel Yin: A tier for one, D tier for the other, and neither man moves. They finish on Mimi Rhodes' captain's pick, Lilia Vu turning up at Bernardus as an alternate — "an unserious decision" — where Anna Nordqvist would rank as a player, whether Europe pushed its changing of the guard one Solheim too early, and a final score prediction with the DraftKings line hanging over it.0:00   Cold open0:33   Welcome — the 20th Solheim Cup1:53   How the tiers work: S through F2:44   S tier3:58   Nelly Korda6:35   Lottie Woad9:11   Charley Hull vs Alison Lee — the first split16:38  A tier17:43  Rose Zhang20:57  Esther Henseleit22:49  Lauren Coughlin26:05  Allisen Corpuz28:53  Céline Boutier32:31  Angel Yin — the biggest disagreement on the board34:16  Auston Kim35:47  B tier37:20  Maja Stark, Europe's tipping point40:43  Leona Maguire43:56  Nastasia Nadaud46:20  Nanna Koerstz Madsen47:35  Jennifer Kupcho49:00  Yealimi Noh51:05  Andrea Lee53:47  C tier55:12  Linn Grant57:21  Lindy Duncan59:53  Megan Khang1:03:08 Carlota Ciganda1:05:54 Julia Lopez Ramirez1:07:35 D tier and F tier — Mimi Rhodes1:10:22 Angel Yin in D tier1:12:18 The full 24, tier by tier1:13:44 What surprised you most1:15:39 Lilia Vu on the ground as an alternate1:20:54 Where Anna Nordqvist would rank as a player1:23:29 Europe's changing of the guard1:31:01 Predictions — and the DraftKings line1:32:13 Sign-off

One week before the Solheim Cup, Alison Lee explains how a player who wasn't on Angela Stanford's radar in January played her way onto Team USA by June — after an emergency C-section, a first range session that ended in tears, and a driver that "looked like I hit a marshmallow." She goes back to the week she finished dead last in Dallas and nearly walked away, the swing coach who "brought me back from the dead," the Freddie Couples text thread that flipped a switch, and the broomstick putter she wishes she'd found three years earlier. Kent and Scottie get her on the points system she'd change, why she's never been on a losing U.S. team, what a 2015 rookie learned from Cristie Kerr and Paula Creamer, the WTGL, Golf Saudi's money and what it means for the LET — and Caddy Corner, where the most underrated tour stop stumps her cold. Plus: what she hopes her son thinks when he watches her play, and the retirement plan that kicks in the moment she finally wins.0:00 Cold open — "I got dead last"0:37 Welcome — Solheim Cup week0:50 Alison Lee joins2:14 How she got onto Angela Stanford's radar5:41 The Golf Channel booth with Grant Boone8:36 The points system she'd change15:32 Never on a losing U.S. team17:26 A 2015 rookie, starstruck — now the veteran21:37 The last American mom at a Solheim was 201723:36 The marshmallow driver — coming back after Levi25:35 Winning overseas and what a team room needs30:21 How the LPGA has changed since 201533:17 A rookie class for the ages37:08 The lowest point — dead last in Dallas38:20 Chris Mason and the turnaround39:11 Perspective: UCLA, friends, and her mom41:57 The Freddie Couples text thread44:18 The broomstick49:21 WTGL — what year one has to do52:03 Golf Saudi, LIV and the LET55:24 Caddy Corner58:46 "I hope he thinks I'm a cool mom"60:19 Sign-off

Sean Melia of Bay State Golf spent the week on the ground at TPC Boston, and he cameback with the story of the FM Championship that the broadcast didn't tell: MeganKhang's father, who is also her coach, cheerfully absolving himself of anyresponsibility for his daughter's putting — while half-swinging a club on the rangeas she played. Kent and Scottie work through Ruoning Yin's sixth win and first inover 600 days, what TPC Boston is actually like as a fan and a photographer, andwhether a tournament with this much investment behind it deserves major status. Thenthe Solheim Cup, where both captains have already made calls worth questioning:Anna Nordqvist retiring mid-captaincy and taking herself out of a roster she'd walkonto, and Angela Stanford leaving the Angel Yin decision open far too long. Plus theWTGL rosters finally land — five teams, twenty-five players, and one very loudabsence.Chapters 0:00  Cold open — "I'm a great putter, I don't know why she can't make any putts"0:24  Ruoning Yin ends 600 winless days at the FM Championship1:23  Sean Melia of Bay State Golf joins from the ground2:08  What TPC Boston was actually like all week11:40 Playing half the public courses in Massachusetts14:49 The Athletic's story on players and the people who follow them19:06 Does the FM Championship deserve major status?20:25 The mystery of Megan Khang30:40 Both Solheim captains have already slipped32:05 Angela Stanford, Angel Yin, and a cutoff set too late43:21 The WTGL rosters land — and Nelly Korda says no54:37 Sean's plug and sign-off

One week before the Solheim Cup, Angel Yin sits down for her first podcast interview sincethe illness that knocked her out of the KPMG — and tells the whole story: theThursday-night ER visit between rounds ("I told him, I have to leave — it's amajor"), the weeks that blurred together, and the agreement with captain AngelaStanford that made Boston her test run. She breaks down why an 81-76 doesn't saywhat you think it says, the 5-3-1 Solheim record she credits to her partners, andwhy she refuses to look at Bernardus before she lands. Scottie brings the caddie'sanswer to the form question — believe — and Kent tries to get a pairing out of her(she's "secretive"). Plus: the diet ("I'm going to abolish 'restrictive'"), tworotisserie chickens a week, a PS5 from Costco, the story behind the HACI hat, anda Caddy Corner where Scottie rats out what she really shot at Norton. It ends theonly way it could: "This is your spot. You've earned this."Chapters0:00 Cold open0:31 Taco trucks first, golf second1:57 "You are going to the Solheim Cup"2:32 The ER visit between rounds at the KPMG5:34 "Very resolvable" — what recovery actually looked like10:08 One week of prep and a leap of faith12:58 The Friday call to her caddie14:35 "Everyone and their moms have an opinion"16:15 Three captains: Juli, Stacey, Angela17:39 "Golf is life" — never separated20:38 Not all 81s are created equal24:13 The caddie's answer to the form question27:40 Consistency — and the fortune-teller at the takeout counter29:27 Abolishing "restrictive": the two-rotisserie-chicken week33:37 The only thing that could stop her34:47 The SoCal gang goes to the Netherlands35:32 5-3-1: the partners behind the record36:51 Who's she playing with? "I'm secretive"38:50 Reading roars on the road40:25 Teamwork, unity — and Lady Luck41:39 Why she won't Google the course (ask JJ Spaun)43:15 The captain's ask: putt and chip44:13 Team Angel: Jesus, Carmen, and the group chat45:54 A PS5 from Costco: Borderlands, Spider-Man, GTA50:03 Caddy Corner: the HACI hat and what she shot at Norton53:54 Eight under through nine — and banned from ESPN's Top 1054:36 Who should be next?56:51 "This is your spot. You've earned this."