The NCG Golf Podcast

The Slam: We went to LIV Golf London! But what changed since last year?

In the latest episode of The Slam Podcast, Matt Chivers talks Matt Coles through his days spent at LIV Golf London, just over a year on from the tour's inaugural event at Centurion!

What has changed about the breakaway league? Did the crowds flock to Hertfordshire? Have LIV Golf events improved from a spectator perspective in 2023?

The team also discusses Allisen Corpuz' impressive win at the US Women's Open at Pebble Beach, and a couple of the big talking points emerging from an exciting final round.

Europe also saw Sepp Straka and Rasmus Hojgaard both win on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour respectively at the weekend, but will they be chosen by Luke Donald for the Ryder Cup side in September?

NCG also watched Final Open Qualifying at West Lancashire where a host of big names attempted to earn a spot at Royal Liverpool, but Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell failed to get through!

The Slam Podcast is a National Club Golfer Podcast in association with Callaway.

The Slam: Will LIV Golf star Talor Gooch be selected for the US Ryder Cup team?!

In the latest episode of The Slam Podcast, host Matt Chivers is joined by Matt Coles - the newest member of the NCG team.

The Matt's discuss Rickie Fowler's first win on the PGA Tour in four years at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, and his road back to glory after plummetting in the world rankings!

The team also talks Fowler's Ryder Cup hopes and analyses the American rankings to discuss who could be in or out by the time September comes around.

Could Talor Gooch be on Zach Johnson's team? He notched his third LIV Golf win at Valderrama at the weekend, so we delve into his chances of being selected.

At the same event, Richard Bland was penalised for slow play! So, is this a chance for LIV Golf to crack down on slow play in professional golf and become pioneers of this debate as old as time?

The team discusses these topics plus much more in this week's episode!

The Slam Podcast is a National Club Golfer Podcast in association with Callaway.

All the gear: How often should you get up and down?

Golfers always have high expectations from their game, but is this holding you back from performing your best?

 

We've teamed up with Shot Scope to take a deep dive into club golfers' statistics and see where you can make the biggest gains to improve your golf this season. 

 

Today Hannah Holden and Jack Backhouse discuss how often players of different handicaps get up and down and which club they should be using to get up and down more. 

The Slam: Richard Bland talks LIV Golf, DP World Tour resignation + the PGA Tour-PIF merger!

LIV Golf player Richard Bland joins Matt Chivers in the latest episode of The Slam Podcast.

Bland joined LIV Golf in June 2022, but he takes us back to his memorable win at the Betfred British Masters in 2021 and how his life has changed since then.

Having now resigned from his DP World Tour membership, Bland discusses the potential of returning and he also shares his views on the PGA Tour's merger with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, PGA Tour CEO Jay Monahan, and his ineligibility to play at The Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl in July.

You don't want to miss this one!

The Slam is a National Club Golfer Podcast in association with Callaway.

The Slam: Will Rory McIlroy FINALLY end his major drought at Hoylake? + An honest assessment of LA Country Club!

In the latest episode of The Slam Podcast, Matt Chivers is joined by Tom Irwin to discuss the US Open and Wyndham Clark's fantastic display which earned him a maiden major title.

It was an emotional win for Clark, 10 years on from the death of his mother, and it was another major that got away from runner-up Rory McIlroy.

When Clark wobbled on the back nine, why didn't McIlroy capitalise? Matt and Tom discuss this, as well as his chances of major glory at Royal Liverpool in July, where he won The Open in 2014.

The team gives an honest assessment of Los Angeles Country Club as a host venue for the US Open. What needs to change about the club between now and the next time it holds the event?

The Slam is a National Club Golfer podcast in association with Callaway.

From the Clubhouse: What would you still fix about the World Handicap System?

It's been a big week for the World Handicap System. The ability to use your phones to submit digital scores across borders in Great Britain & Ireland has gone live and many will see its introduction as a positive for the still fledgling system.

In this week's From the Clubhouse podcast, Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll chat about the new feature and when they plan to use it, before branching out into a wider discussion about what can still be developed as WHS moves forward.

Steve reflects on a week's refereeing at the English Senior Amateur Championship, while Tom's just got to get something off his chest about gender neutral tees.

It's another lively discussion we hope reflects what's being talked about in your clubhouse bars. So let's get listening.

From the Clubhouse is a National Club Golfer podcast in association with TaylorMade Golf.

 

The Slam: Will Jay Monahan resign as PGA Tour boss? + Our US Open betting preview with an expert tipster!

The PGA Tour has announced a groundbreaking merger with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia in what is one of the biggest stories in professional golf history!

The tour, LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour will run as one entity, but how will this work? The move represents a significant U-turn from PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan, so Matt Chivers and Steve Carroll discuss the CEO's future and if some players' lack of trust could lead to his downfall.

In the second half of the podcast, Oddschecker's betting expert Tom Jacobs joins to discuss the US Open, the third men's major of the year, to be played at Los Angeles Country Club.

Matt and Tom tell us their favourite bets as well as some selections at triple figures to keep you occupied across the week!

The Slam is a National Club Golfer podcast in association with Callaway.

The Slam: DP World Tour a feeder to the PGA Tour? Ryder Cup hopeful Jordan Smith joins the pod!

Double DP World Tour winner Jordan Smith joins the latest episode of The Slam to chat about the exciting steps he's made in his career so far!

From shooting 30-under to win the Portugal Masters to finishing in the top 10 on his PGA Championship debut, Smith chats to NCG about what the future could hold when it comes to the PGA Tour and the Ryder Cup.

The Englishman also chats to Matt Chivers about the DP World Tour's position in the current professional golf climate, and looks back on practicing next to Tiger Woods at The 150th Open!

The Slam is a National Club Golfer podcast in association with Callaway.

From the Clubhouse: Inside Royal Liverpool with Links Manager James Bledge

We're counting down the weeks to the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool and as the excitement builds for the From the Clubhouse team of Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll, they've bagged a special guest for this week's episode. 

They're joined by Hoylake's Links Manager, James Bledge, to look ahead to the year's final major and talk about his stellar career in greenkeeping.

You will not want to miss the story of what happened on James' first day as a greenkeeper, and he's got plenty of anecdotes and stories from a life spent at some of golf's most glorious courses.

And while he can't quite give you an inside track on the Open course set-up - we can't let the competitors know what's coming! - he does give us some insight into just how huge the event has become, what it takes to get a course ready to hold it, the new 17th hole that everyone is hoping will provide a thrilling climax to Sunday's final round, and the sheer scale of the team he will have on site throughout the week.

If this doesn't get you up for The Open, nothing will. So let's dive straight in.

From the Clubhouse is a National Club Golfer podcast in association with TaylorMade Golf.

The Slam: DP World Tour star Dan Bradbury joins the pod!

DP World Tour winner and Yorkshireman Dan Bradbury chats to NCG about his stellar career so far on the latest episode of The Slam podcast!

Bradbury broke through on Tour in South Africa in November, winning the Joburg Open on just his third start. Matt Chivers chats to Dan about this as well as his weekend with Rory McIlroy at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, his exciting college golf career, his aspirations to play in the Ryder Cup, and which LIV Golf players he's spoken to since the rebel tour's inception!

The Slam is a National Club Golfer podcast in association with Callaway.