The Smylie Show

371: Presidents Cup Picks Reaction + The 2026 PGA Tour Season In Review

The Smylie Show

Show Notes

Brandt Snedeker and Geoff Ogilvy have set their 2026 Presidents Cup rosters, and Smylie and Charlie break down every pick — starting with the headline move: 21-year-old Jackson Koivun, who was outside the top 40 on points and only a few months into his pro career, getting the nod for Team USA over veterans with far bigger resumes. They get into why the pick makes sense, and what it means for Koivun's career. Plus: the full US and International rosters for Medinah, the stat-driven case for why Ryan Gerard should've made the team, dream-pairing predictions for both sides, and why Team USA's depth might make this one lopsided on paper. From there, Smylie and Charlie shift into a full 2026 PGA Tour season review — favorite events and storylines, the "old guys" who had big years, feel-good stories, and players who took steps forward and back. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Presidents Cup picks are in — the Jackson Koivun reaction 2:03 Comparing Koivun's pick to Jordan Spieth's in 2013 4:40 Full rosters: all 12 players on both teams 5:40 J.J. Spaun's injury and the roster fallout 9:16 The stat case for Ryan Gerard 13:17 Data Golf's rankings & the match format explained 16:36 Bezuidenhout's surprise pick & Medinah's conditions 18:35 International team culture under Ogilvy and Immelman 20:17 Nico Echavarria, the most underrated pick 20:53 Dream pairings: Team USA 25:07 Dream pairings: the International side 26:09 USA's depth advantage, on paper 28:57 2026 season review begins: favorite storylines 31:31 Theme: the old guys had a year 33:00 Feel-good stories of the season 34:36 No-cut fields and Doral's flat comeback 36:44 Previewing the 2027 Florida Swing shuffle 37:31 Guessing the 7 elevated Challenger Series events 42:15 Valspar's sponsor dilemma & the confirmed Championship Series lineup 43:37 Phoenix Open's Super Bowl date standoff 48:12 Theme: the young guns' breakout stretch 48:49 The Fitzpatrick brothers' year 53:15 Marco Penge: a rookie year bigger than the scorecard 56:14 Steps forward: Burns, Si Woo Kim, Fitzpatrick & Gotterup 58:55 Made it back: Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa 1:03:41 2027 outlook: Jordan Spieth's redemption year? #golf #pgatour #smylieshow #presidentscup

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Oct 21, 2026

Smylie Kaufman is joined by Auburn men's golf coach Nick Clinard to discuss winning two national championships in three years ... and somehow, neither of those was the best team he's coached! Clinard tells the story of a phone call from Jackson Koivun about the Presidents Cup, and answers a question from senior Tiger - and recent guest on the show - Josiah Gilbert. Plus: the handwritten letters that nearly got Smylie to UCF, building Auburn's culture, and why roster limits are squeezing out late bloomers. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Welcome Coach Clinard 2:03 Recruiting Smylie at UCF 5:44 Building Auburn golf 7:19 Culture & Blayne Barber 9:01 Roster limits & House settlement 14:06 Koivun's work ethic 17:21 Koivun's Presidents Cup leap 21:56 Josiah's question: best team 24:03 Chris Williams & Buddy Alexander #Auburn #Golf #pgatour #JacksonKoivun #smylieshow #smyliekaufman

Oct 19, 2026

Stay tuned for part 2 with Auburn Men's Golf HC Nick Clinard, dropping Wednesday morning! Our college golf tour continues as Smylie Kaufman is joined by Auburn senior Josiah Gilbert! Josiah grew up in an Outback mining town where the only golf course used red dirt for fairways, and didn't take golf seriously until he was 12. Three months after his family moved to Alabama, he was committed to Auburn. Josiah tells Smylie how one casual round with the team changed everything. Plus: junior golf alongside Aldrich Potgieter, living with Brendan Valdes through his cancer fight, and why he switched his flag from Australia to the USA. Josiah also leaves a question for Coach Nick Clinard, who joins the show Wednesday. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Welcome Josiah Gilbert 1:19 Mount Isa upbringing 7:53 How Auburn found him 12:18 Learning from Auburn's leaders 14:47 Brendan Valdes' cancer battle 17:19 Cracking the lineup 25:30 Auburn's best team 27:48 Choosing Team USA 31:25 Question for Coach Clinard #Auburn #Golf #PGATour #AuburnGolf #smylieshow #smyliekaufman

Oct 14, 2026

We are checking in on the world of collegiate golf with a bonus episode this week! Charlie Hulme sits down with UNC sophomore Carson Bertagnole ahead of the Williams Cup at Eagle Point (Oct. 18–20) - a course that both Carson and Charlie love. Carson takes us inside the four-man playoff that punched his ticket to the Puerto Rico Open, what two PGA TOUR starts showed him about the gap between college and tour golf, and the importance of "process" and using certain triggers to reset during a round. Plus: his first college win at the Fighting Irish Classic, the best hole at Eagle Point, NIL in college golf, a course-record 61 at Atlanta Athletic Club, and the perfect Chapel Hill day. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Chapters 0:00 Williams Cup preview 1:01 Fighting Irish Classic win 4:11 Eagle Point favorite holes 6:40 Playoff for Puerto Rico Open 9:00 Lessons from PGA TOUR starts 15:00 NIL and college golf 17:29 Record 61, Walker Cup snub 19:29 Perfect Chapel Hill day #golf #UNC #WilliamsCup #thesmylieshow #collegegolf

Oct 12, 2026

With Jon Rahm's announcement that he will not participate in LIV 2.0 - and a number of other LIV players looking to follow suit in breaking their contracts - Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme discuss the current state of LIV Golf, what to make of the years that Rahm spent on that tour, and which pathways should be available to Rahm should he want to come back to the PGA Tour. Also: Will Bryson DeChambeau participate in LIV 2.0, or do something else entirely? How many LIV 1.0 players will we see on the DP World Tour next year, and how many cards will be available as the PGA Tour changes its competitive structure in 2028? And why is Charlie broadcasting from a golf cart in his garage? Plus: A shoutout to Austin Hitt as he wins the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, and Smylie laments the state of LSU football. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! CHAPTERS: 0:00 Golf cart garage studio 4:22 Jon Rahm leaves LIV 2.0 12:44 LIV exodus to DP World Tour 15:48 DP World Tour cards 17:18 Rahm's road back 26:09 Championship Series exemptions 31:14 LIV 2.0 deadline & Bryson 35:54 LIV postmortem 41:29 Merit & Challenger Series 48:25 Going global like the NFL 1:00:40 Austin Hitt & UNC on tour 1:02:55 Lane Kiffin's punt 1:06:09 Sign-off

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This week on the show - we are taking a deep dive into all of the incredible work happening at the Cobbs Creek campus in West Philadelphia! Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme are joined by Jim Wagner of Hanse Golf Course Design, who alongside Gil Hanse and a team of "cavemen," are bringing a historic canvas for golf back to life: the Olde Course, originally established in 1916. Jim walks Smylie and Charlie through the history of the property, its connection to other historic Philadelphia golf clubs, holes and green complexes that are coming to life, and the future of the Cobbs Creek campus - including the potential to host a PGA Tour event. If you'd like to support the Cobbs Creek Foundation - a mission which includes a classroom impact for the youth of West Philly, in addition to making golf accessible to that neighborhood - you can do so here: https://cobbscreek.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate

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