The Smylie Show

Ludvig Åberg joins Smylie Kaufman to dive deep on a number of topics - witnessing Rory McIlroy's shot of the 2025 Masters from a fairway over, the strategy he employs at some of Augusta National's most pivotal holes, and nearly shooting a 59 at Bethpage Black!One of the most talented young players in the game of golf, Ludvig begins by retracing an unusual start to the 2025 season - tons of promise derailed by sickness at Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach, before receiving a redemption shot a month later at the Genesis Invitational.Ludvig also details some of the swing struggles he experienced in 2025, and what he's been working on to get to a more consistent place with the full swing, the short game, and even his putting setup.Finally, Charlie Hulme joins for a brand-new show segment - "The E9" - to rapid-fire through a series of questions with Ludvig, ranging from golf to anything but.Like, comment & subscribe for more golf insight ⛳️ Catch us every Wednesday on the Golf Channel at 9am ET!CHAPTERS:00:00 – Welcome to The Smylie Show00:56 – Life in Jacksonville & offseason routine02:49 – Early 2025 season & illness at Torrey Pines05:21 – Pebble Beach withdrawal & physical recovery07:18 – Genesis Invitational moves to Torrey Pines08:46 – Sunday at Torrey: realizing a win was possible11:38 – Seven-wood on 18 & closing the tournament12:55 – Confidence after the biggest win of his career14:12 – Augusta National: second-year advantage20:00 – Sunday at Augusta with Rory & Bryson charging22:23 – Aggression vs patience late on Sunday26:17 – Why pressure situations are the goal27:30 – Evaluating the 2025 season as a whole29:42 – Swing changes: clubface control explained33:12 – Pelvis load, sequencing & power36:01 – GEARS data & offseason technical work37:06 – Short game growth & wedge changes41:15 – Putting setup, Quintic data & consistency44:05 – Almost shooting 59 at Bethpage46:15 – Ryder Cup fans, chirps & atmosphere48:19 – "The E9" with Charlie Hulme56:17 – Ludvig's upcoming PGA TOUR schedule#golf #pgatour #golfchannel #ludvigaberg #smylieshow #smyliekaufman #golfhighlights #golfpodcast

The PGA Tour season officially begins at the Sony Open, and Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme break down everything you need to know about Waialae Country Club — from course architecture and strategy to which players are best positioned to start the year strong.Later in the episode, Smylie sits down with longtime Hawaii golf voice Mark Rolfing for an important conversation on the future of professional golf in Hawaii, the water crisis at Kapalua, and why these tournaments matter so deeply to the islands.From Sony Open contenders and course fit to Ryder Cup crowd behavior and LIV Golf movement, this episode covers far more than just a weekly preview.Make sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more, and check us out on Wednesdays at 9am ET on the Golf Channel!00:00 – Welcome + Why the Sony Open Feels Like the True Season Opener03:30 – Waialae Country Club: History, Seth Raynor & Classic Design07:30 – How Waialae Plays: Wind, Bermuda, Angles & Decision-Making12:00 – Sony Open Strategy: Where Scores Are Actually Made17:00 – Player Fits, Storylines & Early-Season Momentum22:00 – Ryder Cup Crowds, Fan Behavior & Where the Line Is27:30 – LIV Golf Moves, Career Choices & Tour Fragmentation34:00 – Big Picture: Where the PGA Tour Is Headed38:30 – Setting the Stage for Hawaii Golf’s Bigger Conversation40:00 – Mark Rolfing Joins: Why Hawaii Golf Is at a Crossroads44:30 – Kapalua, Water Issues & Tournament Uncertainty50:30 – Community Impact, Charity & What the Tour Overlooks57:30 – Golf Architecture, History & Why These Courses Matter01:04:30 – Wrapping Up with Mark Rolfing01:06:30 – Back with Smylie & Charlie: New Year Goals & Mindsets01:12:30 – Final Thoughts, Sony Open Week & Episode Wrap01:16:00 – Outro

The Korn Ferry Tour is producing real PGA Tour talent — but the pipeline is tougher than ever with fewer cards available.Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme are joined by Golf Channel analyst James Nitties to break down the 2026 PGA Tour rookie class, including: • Why winning on the Korn Ferry Tour doesn’t guarantee a PGA Tour card anymore • Which players have true star potential (including Johnny Keefer) • What went wrong — and what changes — for Adrien Dumont de Chassart • Why Pierceson Coody is a breakout candidate if he settles the mental side • The upside (and challenges) of mega-bomber Christo Lamprecht • Why golf needs more personality — and who might actually bring it⛳️ New Smylie Show episodes weekly, and now on Golf Channel starting Wednesday 01/14! Subscribe for interviews + Tour insights.00:00 – Intro + James Nitties’ 3rd Smylie Show Appearance01:20 – Korn Ferry Reality Check: Why It’s Harder Than Ever02:10 – Surprises from the 2024–2025 Korn Ferry Classes03:40 – “Winning Isn’t Enough” (Cards Are Razor Thin)04:35 – What Needs to Change for Adrien Dumont de Chassart & Pierceson Coody05:15 – Neal Shipley: High-End Golf vs Missed Cuts06:40 – Pierceson Coody: Split Schedules & The Mental Game07:35 – Dumont de Chassart: Wrist Injury, Grip Change, New Miss08:30 – Why Grip Changes Are the Hardest Adjustment10:05 – Knowing Your Miss = Comfort (and Why Two-Way Miss Kills)11:10 – Dumont de Chassart Shoots 33-Under (What It Means)14:30 – Johnny Keefer Deep Dive (“Keith Dog” Breakdown)16:05 – Is Johnny Keefer the Most “Ready” Graduate Yet?18:05 – Ryder Cup / Presidents Cup Talk for Keefer20:40 – Player Comp for Johnny Keefer (JT Traits)23:15 – The New Bomber: Christo Lamprecht26:00 – Height, Mobility, Injury Prevention & TPI Testing29:00 – Nervous Moments + The “Cold Top” Q-School Story31:10 – Power vs Accuracy (and why guys still want MORE distance)33:00 – Veterans Returning + Motivation on Korn Ferry36:00 – Confidence Shifts: Why Some Guys Finally Stick38:30 – Trace Crowe: Injury Timing & Schedule Strategy43:25 – Breakout Pick: Pierceson Coody in 202647:20 – Personality on Tour: Why Golf Needs More Characters53:30 – Cards Cut Down (30 → 20): Player Perspective56:10 – Is Korn Ferry the 2nd Best Tour in the World?#golf #pgatour #kornferry #golfhighlights #smylieshow

The 2026 golf season is here. On this episode of The Smylie Show, Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme break down the upcoming year in professional golf with full-season predictions. They dive into: - Who dominates the PGA Tour in 2026 - Over/unders on Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy & Tommy Fleetwood - Major Championship previews and winner picks - What stats actually matter heading into the season - Which stars could break through — and who might regress From Augusta to Royal Birkdale, this is the ultimate 2026 golf season preview. 📌 Subscribe for weekly episodes, tour insights, and player-driven analysis. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe! 0:00 Welcome Back + Life Updates 5:30 2026 Season Preview: How We’re Doing This 6:15 The “Big Three” in Golf Right Now 9:30 Scottie Scheffler Win Total & Dominance 14:20 Why Scottie Has No Weaknesses 21:30 Rory McIlroy: Schedule, Motivation & Expectations 29:00 Tommy Fleetwood After Breaking Through 33:25 Major Championship Previews Begin 37:50 Masters Preview + Winner Pick 41:30 PGA Championship Preview + Picks 47:05 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Preview 52:20 Dark Horse Major Candidates 55:15 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Preview 1:04:30 Breakout Players & Season-long Predictions 1:19:55 Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up #golf #pgatour #golfhighlights #smylieshow #smyliekaufman

The final Smylie Show of 2025 is here — and there’s a LOT to unpack. Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme break down the biggest golf storylines of the year, starting with the shocking news that Brooks Koepka is leaving LIV Golf, what that means for the league, and how it impacts players like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm moving forward. We dive into: What Brooks’ exit really means Whether Bryson could eventually leave LIV How the PGA Tour might handle players returning The future of LIV Golf as a product And the ripple effects across professional golf Then, we close out the year with a fun 2025 Year-in-Review game, debating the biggest moments in golf — from Rory McIlroy's grand slam, to the Internet Invitational, to some hilarious TGL bloopers involving Tiger Woods. A mix of serious golf analysis, hot takes, and classic Smylie–Charlie banter to close out the year. 👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments — who had the moment of the year? 00:00 – Holiday catch-up, family life & Christmas chaos 06:30 – Playing golf over the holidays + end-of-year reflections 13:00 – Brooks Koepka leaving LIV: what happened 16:00 – Why Brooks was never fully comfortable in LIV 19:30 – Can Brooks return to the PGA Tour? 23:00 – Rules, suspensions & politics around returning players 26:00 – Bryson DeChambeau’s leverage going forward 29:00 – Jon Rahm’s complicated situation 32:00 – LIV’s long-term future & roster depth 35:30 – Mito Pereira stepping away from LIV 38:30 – Was LIV still worth it financially? 41:30 – Big picture: where pro golf goes from here 43:00 – Transition into 2025 year-in-review discussion 45:00 – How we’re defining the “best moments” of the year 47:00 – Tommy Fleetwood’s year vs Justin Rose 49:30 – Frankie Fleetwood & emotional golf moments 52:00 – JJ Spaun’s Oakmont moment 55:00 – The Internet Invitational & YouTube golf explosion 58:00 – Scottie Scheffler at Portrush 1:01:00 – Why Scottie’s dominance feels different 1:04:00 – Pressure, greatness & defining careers 1:07:00 – Ryder Cup implications & away wins 1:10:00 – Europe vs USA mindset debate 1:13:00 – What moments actually last 10–15 years 1:16:00 – Final thoughts on the year in golf 1:18:30 – Wrap-up & closing #golf #smylieshow #pgatour #liv #golfrecap #golfpodcast #smylieshow