281: Steve Sands on the best Tour pro at handling media + the Golf Channel Games

Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme open the show by breaking down the latest shifts in professional golf — from Tiger Woods’ role on the Future Competition Committee to the PGA Tour’s potential move toward a more condensed schedule.

Smylie is later joined by Golf Channel’s Steve Sands for a wide-ranging conversation on the Golf Channel Games, covering golf in the modern media era, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler’s legacy moments, LIV Golf’s long-term impact, and what fans and broadcasters want from the future of the game.

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00:00 – Welcome to The Smylie Show
01:10 – Winter golf, travel & working through swing changes
04:05 – Tiger Woods & the Future Competition Committee
08:00 – Condensed schedules, TV windows & golf’s business reality
12:05 – Player pathways, relegation & tour structure concerns
16:15 – What golf can learn from college football’s evolution
19:25 – LIV Golf leverage, contracts & returning players
23:50 – What happens to Korn Ferry & development tours?
28:10 – Is scarcity good for golf or risky?
33:45 – Smylie sets up the Golf Channel Games
34:30 – Steve Sands joins the show
36:10 – Inside the Optum Golf Channel Games format
38:45 – Rory vs. Scottie & Ryder Cup subplots
42:00 – Competitive fire, entertainment & miked-up stars
45:40 – Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods & handling the media
49:30 – Which players handle media pressure best?
54:15 – Is a 20–25 event PGA Tour season realistic?

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