Talk Birdie To Me

Ep228: Mark: 'To be brutally honest (this) is what LIV didn't have', The 'Bubble' - agony and ecstasy, and what Scheffler calls 'the most important chip shot of my career'

Talk Birdie To Me

Summary

Live Golf continues to dominate headlines as players announce their commitments and withdrawals ahead of the upcoming season. Five players, including Richard Bland and Victor Perez, have publicly declared their intention to join the controversial league, while notable names such as Jon Rahm and Ian Poulter have opted out. The discussion highlights the ongoing tension within the golf community as players weigh financial incentives against traditional tour commitments.

Amidst these developments, the financial landscape of Live Golf raises eyebrows, particularly regarding substantial payouts to executives while creditors remain unpaid. The hosts express skepticism about the league's sustainability, questioning how many players are truly committed and whether they can attract enough talent to make the next phase viable. The conversation also touches on the potential for players from the DP World Tour to receive special invitations, stirring further controversy.

As the golf world anticipates the upcoming tour school season, the emotional stakes for players vying for their futures become apparent. The hosts emphasize the importance of showcasing the highs and lows of these competitions, suggesting that the drama of qualifying could be as compelling as the main events themselves. The episode concludes with a reflection on the broader implications for professional golf as it navigates these turbulent waters.

Show Notes

Fun show today, and we start with the latest from the world of LIV. There is a lot going on as we get closer to the deadline for players to decide.

01:00On LIV, the players who have left and those who have confirmed that they are remaining. There are a number of verbal commitments which are yet to be confirmed in contract form. 03:00LIV have messaged us overnight with a statement about their negotiations with players, we read it out on the show. 03:30Mark outlines what he believes a 'verbal commitment' to LIV is designed to achieve for the players. 05:00The payouts to LIV execs and former execs. Reasonable or unfair? 07:00With the exodus, where will LIV 2.0 players come from? Mark feels they'll struggle for players, Nick says they won't. 10:00Is Bryson in for LIV or not? 12:00The bubble time of the year is here, and we love it. 13:30Sean Crocker, on the bubble, and snuck in at 100. We discuss how he did it. 14:30For Hostplus, our Plus for Golf is the DP World Tour showing the bubble action (and Sean for making it). 15:30We discuss what Scottie Scheffler calls 'the greatest chip shot of my career' 16:00Nick talks abut the most important bunker shot he ever played. 17:00Of course for every Sean Crocker, there is someone who misses, and on the Champions Tour Shane Bertsch was that player. We hear what he said afterwards. 20:00The controversy over Q School being dropped as part of the Champions Tour. 22:00DPWT and PGAT - when their current agreement is up, do they remain connected? 25:00Mark asks Nick when he does a coaching day, what it entails? Nick talks through his day long lessons. 28:00What AFL players could learn from golf

After the turn...

36:00For Betr, Mark's Top 5 things to make your scores better. 42:00Nick runs through the Global Result Highlights, including the BMW Touch of Class....it is a ripper! 51:00Feedback for Southern Golf Club: 1992 vs 1977...the final verdict on which was better, a slow play suggestion, Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley using 'the force', Nick using the force, 55:00And following last weeks adhoc Top 5 on 'triggers', where we could only come up with 4 and asked for your help, we've got a heap of suggestions....we fill the 5th spot with one of them. 1:00:00And for the Golf Clearance Outlet, Nick's masterclass is on 'feel vs real'. We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:

Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partner BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole; Titleist, the #1 ball in golf; FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf; Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices; Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia; The Find My Player app - follow every player on every tour; And Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Talk Birdie To Me

Oct 26, 2026

A message today from wolfpacker Grant who recently spoke to Nick about putting right handed, while swinging left handed, and Nick had shared some great tips with him. Grant asked if we could elaborate further on the show. Nick explains why he believes it is an excellent way to solve the (apologies for the language) yips, and he talks about grips. Nick is a huge proponent of this, so it's great to delve into some detail.

Oct 25, 2026

A Monday Mini today, unfortunately beginning with more 'fashion chat' from our resident Miranda Priestley (aka Mark Allen). Feel free to fast forward through the 30 seconds of fashion chat....this show is on the verge of jumping the shark...

Oct 24, 2026

Mark has been banging on over the last couple of weeks about his new stretching routine and says that his body feels better than it has in years. He also made the dubious claim that his stretching routine has caused his hair to become thicker and more voluminous. The first claim may well be right, the second is clearly ludicrous.

Oct 22, 2026

This is awkward. The show gets off to a poor start when Mark is insensitive to a team member, nearly derailing the entire pod for today. Trouble in paradise.

Oct 21, 2026

On the main show this week Nick and Mark were discussing how great Secret Harbour looked for the WA Open, a course designed by Australian legend Graham Marsh, who also designed Kalgoorlie, where the tour was last week. Nick found out in conversation last week that Marshy is redesigning Kennedy Bay in Western Australia - one of Marks favourite courses, and so we thought let's get the man himself on for a quick chat about what he's doing with Kennedy Bay.

See all episodes →