Hally Leadbetter grew up around her dad, David, one of golf's greatest instructors; her mom, Kelly, a former LPGA player; and her brothers, Andy and James, both competitive players themselves. She played at the collegiate level and tasted some of the pro game before going into a career in golf media. This week, she will be an on-course reporter for the inaugural "The Creator Classic" at East Lake Golf Club. Hally breaks down her career journey and explains why The Creator Classic can bring a key audience to the PGA TOUR.
Despite having little experience milling putters, but with the support of his wife and inspiration from his father, Jared Doerfler has taken the leap to creating his own brand in Hanna Golf. From his shop in Mason City, Iowa, he is connecting with his past, and potentially with golfers around the world. Jared also discusses some observations he is in golf business via his Perfect Putt newsletter.
Severiano Saiz (named after Seve Ballesteros) was working in finance when he started designing and selling golf course maps. As the company grew, he took the leap, turning Course Maps into a full business, specializing in custom maps-turned into artwork. Sev has now added content creation into the Course Maps brand, as he scales the company out of New York City. On the pod, he also talks to Jeff about his famous namesake, his side-modeling career and his favorite golf courses to design (and to play).
Pro golfer, personality, entrepreneur and broadcaster Will Lowery joins the podcast to discuss his experience building Underrated Golf with Stephen Curry, his passion for junior golf and why he plays the game cross-handed. Will also shares his experiences on the course with Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, and talks about his new role with Jupiter Links Golf Club of TGL.
Soo Ahn recently introduced himself to cooking enthusiasts through his appearances on Food Network's Chopped and Bravo's Top Chef. But before he entered the food industry, Soo was a professional golfer. After a standout junior career, he played college golf at Duke and reached as high as PGA TOUR Latinoamérica at the pro level. His dream of making the PGA TOUR would eventually be replaced with culinary aspirations, and he currently serves as the executive chef at Adalina in Chicago.
International Golf Federation Executive Director Antony Scanlon jumps on the podcast to talk with Jeff Eisenband about Olympic Golf's preparation for the Paris edition at Le Golf National, how Olympic Golf has opened new international doors for the sport and why the Official World Golf Ranking has been used for player selection, despite comments made by Bryson DeChambeau after his U.S. Open title this past week.
Golf betting experts Stephie Smalls and Reid Fowler join the podcast to dish out their best bets for the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Is Scottie Scheffler a good bet? Where you can find value on the U.S. Open board? Who are the sleepers?
PGA TOUR LIVE and Barstool Sports play-by-play announcer Jake Marsh joins the podcast to discuss what he has learned about calling live golf, life lessons from Big Cat and PFT Commenter at Pardon My Take and why his followers are interested in watching every shot he hits on the golf course, good or bad.
Ethan Andrews, the founder of ParFour, an upcoming app designed specifically for livestreaming golf, joins the podcast to discuss the state of golf content and why he thinks his new company will strive in the golf media landscape. Will YouTubers and golf influencers join ParFour? What technology does ParFour use? Why will consumers watch content on ParFour?
ParFour is scheduled to launch on June 22.
CNN Correspondent Gabe Cohen joins the podcast to discuss what he saw on the ground in Louisville on Thursday, what his sources are telling him about Scottie Scheffler's felony charge and how this case involving a pro golfer compares with other high-profile cases he has covered.
As the PGA Championship, the year's second major, goes to Valhalla, Golf Digest Staff Writer Christopher Powers drops into the pod to preview the action. How can Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka or Rory McIlroy get it done this week? Should Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm be considered? Who are the long shots? What will the Michael Block story be this year?
Carlee Shoemaker grew up in Kentucky and played college golf at the University of the Cumberlands and Eastern Kentucky. As her competitive golf career was nearing its end and her love of golf was fading, she found a fresh way to connect with the game via content creation. She's since built a following on TikTok and Instagram, gotten hired as a freelancer by Golf Channel and has aspirations to inspire golfers, both young and old.
Give her a follow: @carleeshoe on social!
The people's caddie, Geno Bonnalie, joins the pod to discuss his original letter/email to Joel Dahmen, how the two have seen their popularity grow since the release of Netflix's "Full Swing" and how he balances life on the road with being a Dad and a husband back in Idaho. Bonnalie also talks about his famous Winged Foot hotel video, being the mascot in college and his role as one of the five caddie "Ball Masters" for SAXX Underwear.
The Athletic's Gabby Herzig joins the podcast to discuss the potential history that Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda are both chasing. What does Scottie's second Masters title say about his place in the game (and the talent level currently behind him)? Is this just the start for Nelly's dominance? Are superstar personalities needed to drive golf forward?
Entrepreneur, investor and podcast host Joe Pompliano joins the pod to talk about the sports business elements of The Masters that make it such a powerful player in the industry. Joe explains why Augusta National can keep charging low prices for food, how The Masters is making upscale hospitality a focal point and why the entire Masters brand is still building for the future. Plus, Joe gives his take on how a united golf world between the PGA TOUR and LIV Golf would look from a business standpoint.
As 89 players gear up for the 2024 Masters, Jeff ranks the entire field 1 through 89, from Scottie Scheffler to the amateurs and legendary past champions at Augusta National. Who are the sleepers? Who is trending? Who can actually win a green jacket?
Actor and avid golfer Jerry Ferrara (Entourage, Power) joins the podcast to talk about some legendary Entourage golf scenes, including Tom Brady's famous cameo (and why that episode was actually meant to include Peyton and Eli Manning, not Brady and Mark Wahlberg). Ferrara also recalls late nights on the golf simulator with Kevin Dillon (Johnny Drama), a crazy Kevin Connolly (Eric Murphy) shot in front of Wayne Gretzky and the time Phil Mickelson gave him a putt. Ferrara, a New York City native, also explains why the New York fans are going to put on a show at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black and how a Knicks-Team USA double would send NYC into a frenzy.
Also, new Eis On Golf theme music by Jenny Kern (@jennykernmusic)!
4:50: How he got into golf
10:20: Golf scenes in Entourage
15:40: Playing holes with Phil Mickelson
19:00: The Tom Brady scene
28:25: Ryder Cup talk
50:32: Kevin Connolly's shot in front of Wayne Gretzky
Jeff and Producer Sam Brief open the episode with "Briefly Speaking," looking at some of the quotes made by Jay Monahan, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler at The PLAYERS Championship this week. Then (11:34), Jeff welcomes in Sportico's Jacob Feldman and CBS Sports' Patrick McDonald for two different takes on Season 2 of Netflix's "Full Swing" docuseries. Jacob, a sports business reporter, examines the series as a more casual fan, while Patrick takes a look at the series from a hardcore golf perspective. The crew discusses everything from Tom Kim getting lost at The Masters to Rory McIlroy unveiling swing secrets to Keegan Bradley experiencing Ryder Cup heartbreak.
What if the top college golf programs had their best alumni (and current players) battle it out in a March Madness-style bracket? That's the question we asked, as Myan Patel (PGA TOUR LIVE/SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio) and Roberto Arguello (PGA TOUR LIVE/The Action Network) join the show to pick hypothetical winners. Can Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth lead Texas to a title? Can Max Homa and Collin Morikawa deliver for Cal?
The Bracket: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E_qWTcXpB1bLNBwTCes-6q4uaIq5YHYTMKmqGW86NK0/edit?usp=sharing
The Teams: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HOeihSNIr6GoFFam7G2r01WdfeEkTKoRmDYIN2ul_7w/edit?usp=sharing
Some Notes: