Talk Birdie To Me

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Tour Pro's Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen talk everything golf every week on the leading Australian Golf podcast. The latest news, issues, and stories from Australia, Asia, the USA, Europe and they cover the PGA and LIV, and everything in between. They tell it like it is and take you behind the scenes to get an inside look into the world of golf from two blokes who played at the highest level internationally. And we get listeners on to ask questions and tell us about their golf game. Nick O’Hern reached #16 in the world rankings and is the only person ever to beat Tiger Woods twice in matchplay. Mark Allen is a former Touring Pro of 15 years - played a British Open at Carnoustie, and in his career has hit 12 hole in one's.....you can see the video of one of them here! Together, this is their podcast - Talk Birdie To Me. Everything golf, every week. Wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Talk Birdie To Me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or TikTok. Executive Producer: Kaizen Media. Sound Design: Loud Zebra. For enquiries click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick O'Hern & Mark Allen


    • Dec 31, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekdays NEW EPISODES
    • 30m AVG DURATION
    • 381 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Talk Birdie To Me

    Mini: Tour Pro Paul Moloney on getting a 'Seve Masterclass', and Why He Thought 'My Life Was About to End'

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2025 18:13


    This is fun. Today we chat with the 1993 Singapore Open Champion and wolfpacker Paul Moloney who has a couple of great stories.He starts with a story about a one on one masterclass essentially that he had with Seve Ballesteros in Paris, and recounts what Seve was practising and aiming to do with his putting. Fascinating insights. And then a story about playing on Madeira Island with Gabriel Hjertstedt and some of the hairier moments in getting onto and off the island which has quite a unique climate, and airport.Mark recounts one of the two most amazing things he has ever seen in golf, once of which involved Gabriel. Nick talks about his experience playing on Madeira Island and why he has no desire to go back.And we finish with Mark giving Paul a belated (by 32-years) thank you for something significant in his career that came about due to Paul.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    ☎️ Voicemail: Tour Pro Scotty Laycock on 'Air Swings'

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2025 1:13


    Scott Laycock is a Tour Pro with plenty of stories and after a recent pod where Nick and Mark spoke about Rory's airswing in The Australian Open, and their experiences with airswings, Scotty left a voicemail about an airswing he had at Victoria Golf Club as a Pro.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Feedback: Bill Wants Sandbelt Advice, Kristin is After NSW Golf Club Advice, and a Compliment for Monty !?!?!?!

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2025 19:51


    Feedback pod today and we start with a video call from wolfpacker Bill in Florida. Bill is planning a trip to Australia, and is keen to play some courses on the sandbelt - he's after some advice on courses that he can both get onto, and won't break the bank. Mark has a ripping idea that Bill accepts on the spot! He's also curious about when the weather in Melbourne might be most suitable for golf....as any Australian knows, trying to predict Melbourne weather is a little like picking lottery numbers....but Mark has a recommendation nonetheless.Then we have a comment from Brad about watching Peter Senior play recently - which gives us the idea of getting Pete on for a chat. Homework for Mark over the Christmas/New Year Break is to give Pete a call and try and lock him in. We'll keep you updated on how that goes.JD has some feedback on an interaction he had with Colin Montgomerie which is bound to get Mark riled up a little. And it does. Tim has a comment about one of Marks masterclasses and the connection the Jack Nicklaus. David has a question about the golf schedule, and an idea for a new tournament - which is no unlike an idea proposed by Frank Nobilo some time ago.Kristin is visiting Australia soon and has a day booked with family to play NSW - she is keen on any tips Nick and Mark have for the course, they discuss a few of the holes and what Kristin may consider.And we wrap up with a couple of messages about 'golf sayings', one from Stan and one from Martin. And Mark notices Dan is wearing a new pair of FootJoys, rather than one of the older pairs he's been rocking around in for a while....how do they feel? You know they feel good.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Mini: Kangaroo Island - "This Course Needed to be World Class"

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2025 21:39


    This is fun. Today we chat with Darius Oliver from Planet Golf who, among others, designed Cape Wickham. His current project is very special, a new course on the cliffs at Kangaroo Island in South Australia.We start with Darius talking about what makes Kangaroo Island so special, he says that it gets in your blood and mentions a New York Times comment that it is like 'a zoo without fences' due to the abundance of wildlife on the island.Nick and Mark ask about his philosophy in designing this new course and Darius tells us that it needed to be world class, the best possible course it could be on the land, and that his intent was not to look at Top 100 lists but rather to build 18 interesting holes that are each different and are fun to play for golfers. And he is confident that they have done so.Nick asks Darius will Kangaroo Island surpass Cape Wickham? A fascinating mini today and we cannot wait to see this stunning new course when it's ready to open!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Mini: Technology in Golf - Wolfpacker Mike Gives Nick and Mark an Alternate View

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2025 12:34


    Another Talk Birdie Mini, as we get thisclose to Christmas, and we chat with Mike from Bundaberg who has a slightly different view from Nick and Mark on technology in golf and how it is being used to manage scores and pros monstering courses.Mike reckons there are ways to do it outside of technology changes, and he puts his case to Nick and Mark to get their thoughts. He also makes an excellent point about when Augusta tried to 'Tiger Proof' the course, which backfired completely.Keep your comments and questions coming, we love them, and have a wonderful Christmas!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Mini: PGA Pro Emma Larson on Her Career and Pathway Post Playing Professionally

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2025 9:36


    After a question last week about golf pathways, we discovered that Acushnet (who operate Titleist and FootJoy) have 18 PGA Pros working for them in various roles around Australia and New Zealand, and we thought it worthwhile chatting to one about their path and how it came about.And Emma Larson is the perfect person to talk to. Emma works for Acushnet in the Melbourne office, made 11 Australian teams and was at one point ranked #1 in Australia - so she's got some serious chops! Emma drops in to talk to Nick and Mark about her story from gun amateur golfer (our words not hers), to being a Tour Pro, and then retiring on medical advice.Emma explains what happened next with her golf career and pathway, and how she initially considering coaching, and tells us why she gave that up....her reasons were not dissimilar to Nicks!A great chat today with Emma Larson from Acushnet, and she shows a great example of one of the many and varied career pathways that are available to PGA Professionals.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Mini - Moore Park Sydney - 'Golf Courses are in the Cross-Hairs'

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2025 8:42


    There's been plenty of controversy around the proposed changes to the Moore Park golf course in Sydney, and in our view there is no valid argument to reduce the golf course. The facts don't stack up. Today on a Talk Birdie Mini we have some feedback from wolfpackers on the plan, and Nick and Mark give their view.Neither Nick or Mark have played the course a lot, however they know the area well, and they know the numbers of people who play it - Moore Park is the most popular public golf course in Australia.Mark says Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is wrong with her view on golf and who plays it, and NSW Premier Chris Minns needs to be more transparent with the costings.Golf courses serve a wonderful role in communities, and we need to protect them.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Feedback: Can Kingston Heath Handle a Huge Australian Open Crowd? And Nick tells a Wolfpacker that 'He's Dreaming'.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2025 20:58


    Feedback pod today with some great questions for Nick and Mark.Dan has a question about whether Kingston Heath can handle big crowds for next years Australian Open. Nick and Mark discuss that, and how the course will prepare for the big hitters, will the course be changed to accommodate them?Keith has written it to mention that Bill Dunk, who Dunk's Island at Royal Melbourne is named after, recently had a birthday and he felt Bill should be acknowledged. Nick and Mark agree and decide to reach out to Bill to get him on the show next year. Mark has a great story about Bill winning a small tournament and the speech he gave. Ryan went to The Australian Open at Royal Melbourne and was blown away by the course - but is torn, because he'd love to play it, or one of the other big sandbelt courses, and wants to know is there any way that a normal golfer can get on these courses?A comment on St Andrews Beach from someone who loves it and challenges Nick and Marks comments about it - presumably their comments about its Top 100 worthiness. Nick finds a spot to insert a gag referencing the classic Australian movie 'The Castle'. Great movie. How's the serenity.Ian has a creative solution for sand buckets. Stephen loved the Finchy interview. And Kent loved Nicks thoughts on swapping between left and right saying it saved his game.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep188: Does Brooks Want 'Out' of LIV?, Feedback on Marks 'PGA Should Move to Sydney' Idea, and New Tournament in March Revealed.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2025 56:09


    Mark has come in excited today. After lending a mate a driver 35 years ago, it was returned this week! He's stoked....but 35-years, sheez....can anyone from the Wolfpack beat that timeframe for a bit of golf gear loaned out and returned? He was also given a ball that he autographed many years ago and brings it in to show us.And then onto the pod. Both Nick and Mark have been hearing from people consistently about just how good The Australian Open was, Nick has written a blog article about it on his website and you can read it here. Nick is still blown away by how exciting the finish was, and Rasmus up and down on the 18th on that final day - although he'd have loved one of the reporters to ask Rory what he thought of Royal Melbourne after he'd finished the tournament.Speaking of Rory, there was a rumour that he was a little frustrated by the Pro Am on the Wednesday, we discuss Tour Pros and their views of Pro Ams generally - Nick and Mark always enjoy them, for different reasons, but do have a couple of rough stories which they share.Rumour this week that Brooks Koepka may want out, in some way, of LIV. Is it correct, how could it even happen given he's got a year to go? Nick and Mark discuss. We talk about how Laurie Canter is looking at a million pounds in fines as he joins LIV and he has apparently said he'll pay them.Mark puts out a call for any wolfpackers in Sydney to come on the pod and give us a review of Royal Sydney. And remember the mysterious gap in the schedule in early March next year? We have found out what tournament is going in there....and it's pretty cool !!A Touch of Class for BMW is from Nick today, and he has chosen an Aussie LIV player for something that happened this week. And he backs it up, for Betr, with his Top 5 moments of 2025. His #1 moment is surprising, but very good.For Southern Golf Club, plenty of feedback - Leishman, Pro Am's this week in the Bendigo area with Lucas Herbert giving back to his home area, reaction to Mark saying The Australian PGA should move from Brisbane to Sydney, and a couple of hairy ones for Nick - one a question about Elvis Smylie, and the second about Peter Thomson - a gentle whack from a wolfpacker.Plenty in the PING Globals, including Nicks performance at Cathedral, and our wolfpacker Darren's performance in the Vic PGA Pro Am, along with Snowy from FootJoy and Hummer from Betr.And we finish, for watchMynumbers, with a cracking masterclass from Mark on some ways to get the most from your chipping practise.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Mini - Video Swing Review with Wolfpacker Pat from Nashville

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2025 12:36


    A fun mini today, Pat from Nashville has sent a couple of videos of his swing through for Nick and Mark to review. If you're listening, obviously you won't see the videos however we talk through what we're seeing in detail so you will definitely get the idea and the tips and comments will make sense.Nick and Mark are very impressed with Pat's swing, he's self-taught aside from a few lessons from his GrandDad, has been playing for 3-years, and is off scratch.....seriously impressive stuff. He is a lefty, and Nick and Mark discuss how they like to flip lefty swings around and watch them as rightys, and explain why - and they give Pat a few thoughts on what they're seeing.We love reviewing videos of anything you're working on - be it driving, putting, chipping, whatever - so feel free to send us in a vid and Nick and Mark will take a look!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Feedback: 'Aim Point is Completely Selfish and Needs to be Banned'.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2025 21:53


    Feedback pod today with some ripper questions and comments from the Wolfpack. We start with a comment about the OWGR points and the discrepancy between The Australian Open and Tiger's Bahamas event. Then Brian has a question for Nick and Mark about 'green spotting' during tournaments.Last week Mark raved about Royal Adelaide, and there was plenty of feedback on those comments - the vast majority agreeing with him. There was also a fair bit of feedback on Nick's most 'interesting' hole in ones (or is it holes in one?) and there were a couple that you reckon he missed....one in particular.Jason wrote in mentioning his fave commentators, and Nick spoke about what it was like having Ian Baker-Finch in the commentary booth during the PGA and the Open. George had a question for Nick about David Puig and Marc Leishman, and Adrian is about to start his PGA traineeship and was keen to hear the boys experiences.Kristin wants to know whether Mark, in his time in Texas, played Prairie Dunes, and then we get to the comments from last week about the Old Course where wolfpacker Roger was critical of the course. Couple of comments including Roger replying to Nick and Marks observations on his opinion.And we finish on Aim Point, with a question from wolfpacker Mark....who is keen on Nick and Marks opinions on it. They don't miss.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep187: The Australian Open is Back !!! We Review it all. What Was Great, What Should Happen Next.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2025 61:43


    What a weekend......The Australian Open was sensational, and we are going to spend the next hour reliving it.Mark is in Queensland with the family, Nick and Dan at Titleist and FootJoy HQ in Melbourne, so the show sounds a tad different today. Onto the AO. Nick and Mark loved it. The Australian Open is back, and it was an event that everyone involved, and golf fans broadly, should be very proud of. Mark says last years Open was a 2/10 rating, this years was an 8/10, and he has a Top 5 later in the show of things that could get it to a 10/10 in his view. The big one being the date, it is a challenging date with the South African event and the Bahamas event on at the weekend attracting a lot of big name players. That said, Mark says on TV those two looked second-rate compared to The Australian Open. Changing the date is a no-brainer says Mark.Nick notes that each of the 4 days had completely different weather which made the event challenging but exciting, and he loved the Sunday pin placements...he also said that he was 'sweating bullets' on friday when Rory was sailing a little close to the cutline.But that finish. In fact the 17th and 18th holes. Extraordinary. We analyse what happened, how Rasmus and Cam played the holes. The pressure was huge and Rasmus came out on top obviously.Nick talks about some of the older players who played, and he loved it. And some players who missed the cut who really shouldn't have. How about Min Woo Lee's Open, a tough sunday according ti Nick, and Mark says can you imagine if Adam Scott's putting was more consistent what might happen.Then, Mark makes a big call about the BMW Australian PGA Tournament saying it needs to be moved out of Queensland. He explains why.The BMW Touch of Class today is Richard Forsyth and his team at Royal Melbourne for the incredible job they did getting the course into the shape it was in, it looked magnificent and considering how it was only a few months ago, Mark says that they are well deserving of the Touch of Class award. Speaking of BMW, Nick bumped into his good mate Wolfgang, the former boss of BMW Australia, now in Germany, and a huge supporter of golf in Australia.The Top 5 for Betr....Marks Top 5 things to get The Australian Open to the next level, including a red hot crack at the commentary....which is a little awkward given Nick is one of the commentators.And for Hostplus, each week we look at what is a plus for golf - today, the running of the event by Golf Australia in how they handled a monster crowd over the week, the number of kids roaming around Royal Melbourne, and Mark adds a final one involving Nick O'Hern.PING Globals, well there was plenty of golf on aside from the Australian Open, and Nick runs us through all the results that matter. Next week on the show we'll have two particular results of interest, firstly the Cathedral Invitational, and secondly the Vic PGA Pro Am in which our mate Snowy from FootJoy is defending his title in, and our Talk Birdie Wolfpacker Darren from Toowoomba will be playing in. Can't wait!For Southern Golf Club, feedback this week is all about The Australian Open, and we have a voicemail from Michael in Hobart who has a question about the AO and a Tour Pro who he says 'made a dick move', and wants Nick and Marks thoughts.After last weeks masterclass, for watchMynumbers, from Mark was branded the 'laziest masterclass we've done', Nick says he is doing a lazy one - although it turns out to be excellent. Nick talks about handling pressure at key points, Ala Cam and Rasmus.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Guest: Ian Baker-Finch Talks About the 91 Open Championship, the Mentor who 'Created My Life in Golf', and What's Next?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2025 45:11


    A very exciting episode today, we are hosting the legendary Ian Baker-Finch, Australian golfing superstar, former CBS commentator in the US, and the Chair of the PGA of Australia. This is a wide-ranging and open chat with Nick and Mark, starting with Mark asking Finchy about winning the NSW Open by 13 shots in 1984 !! How did it come about that he played it so much better than anyone else? Finchy reveals some behind the scenes information about the famous St Andrews Greenkeeper story.The late, great Peter Thomson was renowned for helping many golfers, and he had a significant influence on Finch's career - he explains how that happened, and why Peter Thomson's presence was so important to him saying that "He Created My Life in Golf".Finchy was on of the worlds great putters, and Nick asks him why he always putted with a glove on, and whether it was inspired by Jack Nicklaus.He tells Nick and Mark about the importance of setup and routine on his golf, and on anyones, saying whilst it is not talked about enough.The 1991 Open Championship. How did he prepare? Finchy talks through the weeks leading up, and how he should have won a tournament just prior to but couldn't close it out. The front 9 of The Open was where he did the damage, leading by a mile, he talks us through what he played on each of those 9 holes.But like many golfers, it wasn't always rosy, and Finchy had some challenges when he 'lost' his game. He talks about what happened, why, and what the contributing factors were. He reveals to Nick and Mark that he actually has one leg shorter than the other, which made golf difficult. Ironically, his challenges on the course and injuries were what allowed him the time to explore the world of television, he tells us how that came about and how he got into television in the US.After the turn, Finchy talks about 'the end game', what is possible for Australian golf? He explains the one thing Australian golf needs to go to the next level saying we have all the ingredients for a world class tour and a world class pathway, aside from a couple of things.And we wrap a wonderful chat with where Finchy sees himself in the next phase of life, in his retirement phase, how does that look for him and what is he planning to do?A great chat and a privilege to host Ian Baker-Finch on Talk Birdie To Me. We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Rory McIllroy Bites the Hand: 'Royal Melbourne Not the Best Course in Melbourne'. Nick and Mark Live from Royal Melbourne.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2025 24:04


    The Australian Open starts tomorrow, and today Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen are live from Royal Melbourne. We start with a special guest - Tour Pro Elvis Smylie has dropped him and Nick, has just come from a weather briefing and runs through for Elvis what they've just found out about tomorrow's weather. Warm and Windy......the warmth was expected, the wind was not.We ask Elvis how he's planning to play the course, and how the greens are playing in his practise runs. Mark has had a couple of spies watching a number of players and his mail is that the greens are fast...Leishman was struggling to stop the ball, but Rory was able to. The fringes have been the subject of much talk, what does Elvis think? And will his play differ from last week at Royal Queensland.After Elvis heads off, former Royal Melbourne Captain and historian of the course Andrew Kirby drops in. Kirbs tells Nick and Mark how the course has been set up, and how it may play given the wind. In some breaking news literally 2 minutes before Kirbs dropped in, Rory has just had a press conference where he was asked what the best course in Melbourne was - we all expected he'd say Royal Melbourne.....he did not. Much to everyone's surprise, and Mark says that Rory is clearly a 'bad judge of golf courses'.Kirbs, with his long history, explains what makes Royal Melbourne so special for him, and what his favourite tournament ever has been here.And after those couple of chats....we're all off to walk the course and soak it all in !We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep186: PGA Review, AO Preview. Plus Unusual 'Hole in Ones', Vale Fuzzy Zoeller, and Why Mark Made Late Night Television News

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2025 62:55


    It's Australian Open week, and we're excited...but...we start by chatting about the BMW Australian PGA at Royal Queensland. Fantastic win by David Puig, and an exciting tournament to watch. Mark asks Nick how the LIV / DPWT arrangements work and how Puig will manage his schedule now. Both Nick and Mark raved about how Puig constructed his tournament.Without any notice for Nick to take cover, Mark comments that he loves the commentators, but he has an issue with how the coverage is put together, and he launches in with poor Nick completely unawares.Golf.com have released a new Top 100 list (see it here), and Nick and Mark discuss some of the placings and muse over where Royal Melbourne Composite would rank were it a rankable course. Nick gives Mark payback for his comments on the commentary by making an observation about Kingston Heaths drop on the list, and what the cause might be. Mark ducks for cover.Mark played Royal Adelaide last week and describes it as 'a national treasure', he tells Nick why he loves it so much. Nick is playing the Cathedral Invitational shortly and he has had no time to practise, he is worried.....but at the same time he's excited about the tournament given the course and the calibre of players. Mark says the Cathedral Invitational is good for golf, and a real plus, given the players, the cost, and the proximity the fans get to the players.We pay tribute to Fuzzy Zoeller who passed away last week, and we replay one of his most iconic moments. Then onto the BMW Touch of Class, which has two entrants today !!And then, perhaps in payback for Nicks Kingston Heath comments, Mark has a crack at something else he felt was missing from the TV coverage of the BMW Australian PGA at the weekend.The Top 5 for Betr, inspired by Fuzzy, is the Top 5 most interesting hole in ones. We hear the story of when Mark hit an Ace and thought he'd won a car. Spoiler, he hadn't. The story is an absolute cracker.Lots of feedback today - carts, Minjee, Cam Smith, LIV, The Old Course - and Nick gives his thoughts on why Cam Smith's form has been off.Clearly lots of golf this week to cover off in the PING globals and Nick takes us through it all.And then....for watchMynumbers....Mark gives his masterclass. We need to be honest, Mark thought Nick was doing it, and prepared nothing. And truth be told, the masterclass reflects that lack of preparation. Mark feels it is valid. Nick is unconvinced. Dan is extremely underwhelmed. You be the judge. Feedback welcome.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bonus: Australian Open Preview: Does the Weather Change How to Play? And the Drivable Par 4's, How Will The Pros Play Them.

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2025 20:17


    The BMW Australian PGA last weekend was excellent, and this week our attention turns to The Australian Open at Royal Melbourne. We start with a chat about the weather, it has been very wet in Melbourne, although the forecast for the day prior to the Open is for a hot and dry day, nonetheless the course has had plenty of moisture, what does that mean for it? Nick and Mark discuss.We run through some of the field, and Mark wants Nick to give a view on how some of the big boys will play the three Drivable Par 4's at RM. And we discuss a couple of smokeys who Nick and Mark feel might play well this week.And then we frame up a Betr Talk Birdie Multi with 3 legs. Only one of our multis has come off, but if you were on each of them Mark calculates you're still ahead. pick and Mark explain why they're confident about this one. Before we get the price back for the multi from Betr, Dan raises that he has spotted Mark fighting with wolfpackers on Twitter again....Mark doesn't deny it, in fact leans into it. And then the odds for the multi are in. A handy 21 bucks. Remember to gamble responsibly.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Feedback: 'The Old Course is the Worst Course on the Open Rota'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2025 24:25


    Today on a Talk Birdie Feedback pod, we have some comments from wolfpackers about Nick and Marks discussion a week or so ago in which Mark said that Brooks Koepka would not get back to top form unless he returns to the PGA tour. Some had a different view, and felt there was context around his form over the last couple of years that was relevant.Nick comments that for some players (Bryson) LIV feels a great fit, and muses that he feels Rahm might prefer to be back on the PGA Tour.Then we have some brutal comments from wolfpacker Roger about the Old Course. Nick and Mark respond.After the turn, is the story of an amateur player partnered with Nick in a Pro Am telling him that he should do something else because he won't earn a living with his golf ability true? We find out.On that note, if Nick and Mark hadn't been Tour Pros, what would they have been? We find out the 'sliding doors' career paths. And Mark reveals how the Texas Tech opportunity came about and why wagging school might just be the best thing he ever did.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Talk Birdie Mini: Have Golf Carts 'Destroyed' Golf ?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2025 13:29


    A Talk Birdie Mini today, no time for a longer pod as Nick is commentating at the BMW Australian PGA and Mark is glued to the TV watching it....but we can sneak a mini in!Today, after Mark saw a tweet from a guy called 'Rick Golf' (Twitter page here) on how golf carts have 'destroyed' US Golf, he wanted to discuss carts with Nick.Both Nick and Mark are 'walkers' although Mark doesn't mind using a cart for 9 holes if he's playing 18, but both enjoy the walking element of playing golf. Nick makes a case that he plays better when he walks as you have better visibility, you can read the greens more effectively, and he finds it helps with the rhythm of his round. Mark agrees, and says if you are using a cart, there is nothing better than your playing partner driving off in a cart, and you walking down the fairway with just a putter in hand after hitting a 3 or 5 wood on a Par 5 !!A fun mini today - and now back to the BMW Australian PGA !!!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bonus: Australian PGA Boss Gavin Kirkman: 'This Years BMW Australian PGA Field is the Strongest in 20-Years'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2025 19:45


    The BMW Australian PGA starts today at Royal Queensland and we sat down with the Australian PGA CEO Gavin Kirkman for a chat about the tournament and what he is working on currently to grow golf.We had to start with an update. Brisbane has been hit by some quite severe storms last week, and as recently as Monday this week, was the course damaged, and have the storms caused any issues with, or changes to, the structure of the tournament? Gavin gives us the latest information and looked at everything having just walked the course prior to our conversation.Nick and Mark are impressed with the calibre not only of the Australian and New Zealand players, but of the International contingent who have come to Brisbane for the event, and ask Gavin whether he feels there is further plans for co-sanctioning with the DPWT, following the excellent work with the Hotel Planner Tour. Gavin reveals that the DPWT CEO Guy Kinnings is travelling to Australia for the event, and then heading to Melbourne for talks about working more closely with the Australian PGA....that is great news.After the turn, we discuss Tuesday nights PGA awards in Brisbane, and the announcement of Minjee Lee as the Greg Norman medal recipient for the 4th time. Well deserved, in a tough field.Nick has spotted on the calendar a new event pencilled in as TBC for March 2026 and asks Gavin outright what it is. The early part of 2026 looks excellent with the Webex series events, and 4 Ladies European co-sanctioned events in Australasia.Mark asks Gavin why the Queensland PGA event last week had a smaller field than usual. Gav explains....it has something to do with cows and curtains. Classic Queensland.....And before we wrap up, Gav tells us about the time he watched Nick O'Hern in a playoff against Peter Lonard at one of Nick's favourite hunting grounds - Coolum.A great chat with the PGA of Australia boss today! Enjoy the tournament over the weekend !We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bonus: BMW Australian PGA Tournament Preview: Who Wins and Why? The Aussies vs Internationals. And a Solid Talk Birdie / Betr Multi.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2025 15:56


    It's a massive fortnight in Australian golf, the BMW Australian PGA starts in a day at Royal Queensland, and next week the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne. What a time to be a golf lover!Today Nick and Mark run through the field for Brisbane, and it's impressive. Some wonderful Australian players of course, but the international field is very strong. We run through a few of the players who could mount a claim for the win. Nick produces a great stat regarding international vs Australian winners of the tournament....which helps to frame the discussion around our Talk Birdie / Betr multi. Nick and Mark are also feeling confident that Cameron Smith will come ready to play, and that Marco Penge will be looking for redemption after a poorer than expected performance a week or so ago.Brisbane has had some major storms, what does that mean (if anything) for the course and how it will play, Nick and Mark discuss.And then Nick and Mark name their predicted winner of the tournament and explain why, and their dark horse.Remember to gamble responsibly, but if you'd like to have a look at our Talk Birdie / Betr multi - head to the Betr website or app, search Betr specials and the Talk Birdie multi is there waiting for you!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep185: The 'Bubble': the Pain, the Emotion, the Joy. And Why Did Iconic Pro Ossie Moore have a Crack at Nick O'Hern?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2025 53:15


    Huge pod today, for a number of reasons. Firstly we welcome Hostplus as a major partner, Hostplus have been a huge supporter of golf for a number of years, and we're excited to be partnering with them at Talk Birdie To Me.Secondly we have a very special guest on the masterclass with Nick O'Hern today, he has a legend of Australian golf giving a putting masterclass later in the show. You don't want to miss it.But the drama....the stories....the emotions...of the final US Tour Event and those players on the bubble. It was a rollercoaster over the weekend. Nick and Mark watched plenty of it and discuss today, and we have a listen to one Tour Pro who has lost his card as of the weekend. It's a difficult listen as the emotions run over.And in exciting news, the idea Nick and Mark floated a few months ago of a show focused on the cutline actually eventuated! With the PGA cutline show starting last week. Only one downside, they didn't take our suggestion of getting Monday Q's Ryan French to host it....but maybe that will come. The shortened cutline is hugely significant to players, and we chat about that.A number of movements in and out of LIV this past week, which we look over, including the Laurie Canter story.The Australian PGA in Brisbane this week, later in the week we'll have a chat to Golf Australia boss Gavin Kirkman who is at the event and get the inside word on it, and we're giving some thought to a Betr multi to sort....that will be in the next 24-hours....we'll try and rinse Hummer at Betr. Nick and Mark are excited for the tournament, Mark is pumped about the number of DPWT and LIV players who've travelled, it will be a ripper weekend. Can Elvis Smylie defend the title?Nick and Mark discuss Metropolitan in Melbourne and how the course is settling in - Nick has many fond memories of Metro, and one bad one....which he explains.For BMW Mark's turn for a Touch of Class this week, after being briefly hijacked by Dan, and Mark has an unusual recipient of the Touch of Class award.After the turn we toy around with a new segment we've loosely called 'Good for Golf', which is essentially something that has happened, or should happen, which would be a 'plus' for golf. Hostplus are good for golf, and have supported the sport for years, so it's a natural fit. Mark has a great suggestion.Ping Globals from Nick, it might be getting to the end of the year, but gosh there's been some great golf played. And the Betr Top 5 from Mark is his Top 5 fave Queensland golfers who never won a major. Nick tells a hilarious story about Ossie Moore during Marks Top 5.For Southern Golf Club, plenty of feedback - iron covers (again), Aaron Rai (again), Tech in golf, broomstick putters, some feedback on last weeks course record with GUR, and we touch on the 'Dixon' incident on last weeks podcast.....And then, for watchMynumbers, Nick O'Hern's masterclass. Today it is on putting, and he has enlisted the master - Ian Baker-Finch - to give us a masterclass on putting. It's great to listen to, and you should also watch the video on YouTube here.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Talk Birdie Mini: 'LIV Has Stuffed Brooks Koepka's Game' - says Mark Allen.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2025 13:18


    A Talk Birdie Mini today, and we have a question from Matthew in Nebraska who asks for Nick and Marks thoughts on what he calls 'a rather uncompetitive year' for Brooks Koepka. Nick has been surprised, saying that he felt the LIVG structure and style would have suited Brooks, however it seems to not have. Mark says that his swing, his putting, everything else is still the same - aside from the scores. Mark says that in his view 'LIV has stuffed Brooks game, and the move has backfired for both Brooks and Cameron Smith'. We discuss the difference between the 3 round and 4 round structure, and Nick and Mark talk about playing 6 rounds at times during their career. Pro Ams come up, and Mark says his view is that Pro's should play very few Pro Ams, he explains why.And we end by discussing if we will see Brooks at his best again? Mark says yes. But only when he returns to the PGA Tour.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bonus: Royal Melbourne Update a Fortnight from the AO, Nick Plays with Min Woo's Caddy. Live from the Golf Clearance Outlet in Mornington!

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2025 23:01


    It's a Saturday morning (in Australia for international wolfpackers) and we're live from the Golf Clearance Outlet's brand spanking new store in Mornington, Victoria.The Australian Open is now a fortnight away, and to see how Royal Melbourne is shaping up both Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen played it this week, and compare notes on how it looks and how it plays. Mark said a few months ago that it would need a 'minor miracle' to be ready in time....he gives his verdict on whether that miracle has occurred or not on the pod today.Nick played with Shane Joel, who is Min Woo Lee's caddy, and throughout the day they discussed Min Woo's game, how he might play certain holes, and how far his carry is with his Driver, Mini Driver, and 4 Iron....and Nick and Mark chat about the clubs that Min Woo and Rory McIlroy might use of the tee when they play the Royal Melbourne Composite course in the Open.After the turn, we have a chat with the big boss at Golf Clearance Outlet, Sam Colosimo, and he gives us a snapshot of how the stores are going, what stock is working well, and some of the things you can find instore. Mark rips out to the car to bring in a putter that he bought from Golf Clearance Outlet that he loves, and he shows it off on the pod.A fun Saturday, and good to see the Golf Clearance Outlet team - if you're near a store, check them out in person, if not, everything is online here.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Feedback: 'Disgraceful', 'Snobs'', 'Obnoxious' - This Week We Have Received Our Biggest Whacks Ever! Hear Why.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2025 16:35


    Okay....so some context here. Last week Mark Allen's Top 5 was, shall we say, slightly controversial. He listed the Top 5 (which became a Top 20) things that Pro Golfers laugh at Amateurs for doing. Some of the Wolfpack loved it, some didn't....and were not backwards about expressing their view on the list.So today, in the first half of the pod, we read out some of the feedback we received....these whacks are as big a whack as we've ever received so the Top 5 certainly hit a nerve! But we're always prepared to face the music.....and we do.After that, things calm down, and we chat to Darren from Toowoomba who is representing Talk Birdie To Me in the Victoria PGA Pro Am at Moonah Links in December. We find out about his preparation, how he's feeling, and whether he's got a caddy sorted yet. Looking forward to seeing how Darren goes, one thing is for sure, he's going to have a lot of fun!Now, off to recover after the first half of the pod whack-fest......We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep184: One-Handed Putting, Nick Talks 'Heads Up Putting', Mark Talks 'Formalising Acceleration', and the 'Class' of Rory McIlroy

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2025 65:43


    Nick and Mark have come in with plenty to discuss, they both watched a heap of golf over the weekend and have seen some great performances that they want to discuss. The one-handed putting of Adam Schenk a highlight, and we discuss one-handed putting. Nick has been reading about a new technique called 'heads up putting' that he explains to Mark. Young pro Max Charles performed well at the weekend and Mark was particularly proud of how Max went given he has been giving him a few pointers, and pinching (with credit) some of Nick O'Hern's tips. Mark discusses what he calls 'formalising acceleration', what it is, and what it achieves. On that, Mark predicted a 64 in the Box Hill Pro Am, he didn't quite get there with his up and downs letting him down.Nick talks about 'the feel'. When you've got it, you're on. He talks through a time playing the Congressional in Washington when he had the feels, and Mark has a story about watching, and then copying Raymond Floyd.Mark gives an update on Charlie Woods and explains why he is a fan of the young fella. Nick's Touch of Class for BMW is on something that Rory McIlroy has done, and not on the golf course. We have a listen.After the turn, we touch on what went wrong with our Betr multi at the weekend. Mark and Dan blame Nick saying he put the mozz on the multi and is at fault. When you hear the facts it is hard to argue. Although Nick defends himself. If this was a court case, Nick would be found guilty and the sentence would be significant. Probably with no non-parole period.Our Betr Top 5 is less controversial than last weeks. We've had a mountain of feedback following Marks Top 5 things that Pros laugh at Amateurs for doing last week, which we'll discuss in a bonus pod later in the week. Today, Nick lists his Top 5 unusual things you see Pros do.Feedback today for Southern Golf Club - some comments about Nicks photo from the Shepparton Golf Club in front of the honour board, Gary Player, Trees on Links courses, and Marks old caddy Drew has written in...Mark reveals the first time he ever hired Drew to caddy for him, and why it went pear-shaped on the 3rd holeA big PING global results today with plenty for Nick to run through - Dubai, LPGA, and a heap more. So much for it being a quiet time of the golfing year!And the masterclass for watchMynumbers.....Mark has brought a chopstick in to illustrate a point in todays masterclass which has to do with having enough 'space' when you're driving.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Talk Birdie Mini: Three Tips for New Parents to Lower (or Maintain) Your Handicap

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2025 9:48


    An interesting Talk Birdie Mini today. Wolfpacker Mike has reached out, he's currently a 12.4 handicapper and plays 2-3 times a week. However, in February he is having his first baby and his expectation is that is golfing will come down to once a fortnight....with a new baby that might be a tad optimistic, but fingers crossed Mike! His question is this....for new parents, are there some tips and tricks that Nick and Mark can suggest to help him lower his handicap in a situation where he is playing far less golf..Nick and Mark have 3 tips, including one inspired by Tiger Woods Dad Earl.And this is where you come in....got any tips for Mike? Let us know, message us on socials or leave a voicemail here letting us know your tip(s).We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    ☎️ Voicemail: Mick from the UK With a Whack for Mark Allen

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2025 1:19


    Wolfpacker Mick from Bedford in the UK watched this weeks Talk Birdie To Me, and took umbrage at something Mark said. Mick left a voicemail explaining what that was, and giving Mark a clip around the ears.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep183: Feedback: Nick and Mark Reveal 'What We Paid Our Caddies' on Tour, and What is 'Chiselling' in the Pro World ?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2025 23:46


    Feedback pod today and we start with a comment from Jeff who watched the Abu Dhabi tournament at the weekend and found some of Wayne 'Radar' Riley's commentary on Aaron Rai amusing. We chat about Radar and how much Nick and Mark love him.Peter has a comment about players on the Champions Tour using carts. He doesn't like it. What's Nick and Mark's view?Clinton is keen about what caddies get paid, and Nick and Mark outline what they used to pay their caddies when they were on tour, and how the bonuses worked. And they explain what 'chiselling' is in the caddy world. Mark says that for the most part caddies aren't making huge money, but the payday comes when a good, or rising, player spots them and they can then hitch their wagon to that player.And we discover what a 'mystery' is in the pro environment. Nick talks about the biggest 'mystery' that ever happened to him, and Mark talked about the 'mystery' that nearly happened to him.And after the turn.....bad language alert....we have a question on the, ahem, Yips from wolfpacker Vek who has an issue. Nick and Mark discuss what Vek might do, and tell a great story about Brett Ogle and his yip phase.Keep your questions and comments coming in, we love them!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bonus: Who Will Be Talk Birdie's Official Player in the 2025 Vic PGA Pro Am !?!?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2025 11:44


    Fun bonus pod today. We've been running a huge competition with our friends at FootJoy to give away a spot as the official Talk Birdie To Me entrant in this years Vic PGA Pro Am, being held at Moonah Links on the Mornington Peninsula in December.The prize includes entry (obviously) into the tournament, plus accomodation, transfers and if the winner is from interstate or overseas return flights to Melbourne. Plus Snowy at FootJoy will kit out the winner so they're looking the part as well. Massive prize!Today, Snowy is on the pod to draw the winner - which is a random draw of all entrants who qualified, that is who had an official handicap, and were not a Pro. Snowy is not just the FootJoy boss, he also won the event last year so we take advantage of his experience and find out what it was like, if he has any tips for the winner, and if he is playing again this year to defend the title.And then.....(drumroll)......we draw the winner. If you're one of our huge number of entrants, in the end there were nearly 300 people who entered, good luck.....we announce the winner on today's bonus pod!!!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep182: Top 5 Things Tour Pros laugh at Amateurs for Doing, A Tour Pro Who Shot 12 on a Par 4 at the Weekend !?!?!? And 'Fake Links' Courses.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2025 64:09


    Todays pod starts with a discussion about Aaron Rai, clearly an excellent player, and a big win at the weekend in Abu Dhabi for him - however Mark tells Nick that Aaron 'makes me laugh', and he explains why. One of the reasons is wearing two gloves, and Nick explains why he does.That said, a fantastic win at the weekend by Aaron, at a course Mark describes as a 'fake links course', and he has a theory on what any 'fake links course' needs to do in order to improve the look of the course. He compares the Yas Links course and how it looks to how Tara Iti and 7 Mile Beach look. We discuss the tournament and the 'brutality' of the course, and look at some of the stats from a number of players. Plenty of great performances.Mark brings up the World Wide Technology Championship, and in particular one Tour Pro who made the cut and had a shocker on one of the Par 4 holes shooting 12. Ouch.Tour Pro Ian Poulter spoke with Rick Shiels this week and listed his Top 6 golf courses in the world, there was one he listed that made Nick and Mark laugh, with their view being it should not be on any Top 6 list....but they have a theory as to why Ian put it there, which we investigate. Mark tells a couple of stories about escorting Ian around the hospitality tents when he was in the country for the Australian Masters and talks about how Ian was to deal with.For BMW our Touch of Class is Ludvig Åberg, the vision is spectacular and you'll see it on our YouTube show, but Nick and Mark talk through it and explain why it is so good.Inspired by Aaron Rai, Mark's Top 5 today for Betr is the Top 5 (or is it Top 20?) things that Pro Golfers laugh at Amateurs for doing.Plenty of results for Nick to run through in the PING globals today, and one result next week which will no doubt get a run - is Marks performance in the mighty Box Hill Pro Am this week....he is forecasting a 64 so we'll watch with interest.Heaps of feedback on our Gary Player mini, we read out a couple. Plenty of comments on the discussion around technology in golf and how to address the flow on effects, and a couple of comments and our poll result on the LIV changes from last week.And todays masterclass for watchMynumbers from Nick is inspired by Moe Norman, and what Nick has taken from Moe and is incorporating into his game.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Preview: DP World Tour Championship: Nick and Mark Pick Their Winner

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2025 10:37


    Bonus pod today with Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen previewing the DP World Tour Championship this weekend in Dubai at the Earth Course. We discuss who is coming in with good form and whilst there are plenty of great players in the event, Nick and Mark believe the combination of Rory's form coming in, and the type of course it is - which Mark says is 'built for Rory' - means he is an excellent chance of winning.Nick says the Earth Course suits long hitters perfectly. So he agrees that Rory looks good, as does Marco Penge as a fellow long hitter in great form. Mark is confident that Elvis Smylie is ready to step up and perform well, particularly with the ramifications for him from this tournament important. So we have built a Betr multi exclusively for Talk Birdie listeners, one which we are quietly confident about - but of course there is never any guarantee, so if you can't afford to lose it, don't bet it. If you want to have a small punt, find our Talk Birdie multi on the Betr app, or website (here) and look under Betr Specials to find us.Rory to win.Penge Top 10 plus tiesSmylie Top 20 plus tiesPaying 31 bucks for Talk Birdie listeners.Good luck, and gamble responsibly!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Talk Birdie Mini: "The Time I Punched Gary Player" - Nick O'Hern Explains

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2025 14:10


    Last week Gary Player was interviewed and asked about the best golfers in history and made the statement that while Tiger and Jack were 1 and 2, there was no doubt that he was #3 of all time. There is an argument for that, but it did generate plenty of discussion, so today a Talk Birdie Mini where Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen discuss if indeed Gary is #3 or, if not, who is and what criteria is used.The boys share some stories about Gary, and do their impersonations of him. Mark talks about meeting Gary at The Vines, and Gary asked him to punch him in the stomach....Nick says Gary also asked him (and almost everyone) to punch him in the stomach - which he did! And Nick shares a story about witnessing Gary like up the parents of an overweight kid on the range about his eating habits.A fun Talk Birdie Mini today!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    ☎️ Voicemail: Tour Pro Scotty Laycock on the 'Yips'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2025 1:09


    Tour Pro Scotty Laycock was listening to Nick and Mark chatting about US golfer Jerry Haas getting the yips when Mark was playing with him, and had a story to share about a player he saw having the yips some years ago in Brisbane. Ouch!Hear Scott's voicemail here.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep181: Feedback: Whacks Aplenty. Nick Cops it, Mark Cops it, the Entire Pod Cops it. It's Carnage on Todays Podcast !!!!

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2025 23:58


    A feedback pod today and we've had a few whacks come in, so we thought we'd take our medicine and spend the first half of this pod copping a serve...and a few wolfpackers have not held back!Kevin lines up Nick for something he did when he was on tour. Parrot has a crack at Mark saying he has no idea what he's talking about on a particular issue.Carlos has a crack at the entire pod over our view on one specific aspect of golf.And Shane listened to a recent interview on the pod and said it was disappointing and we were 'soft'.Sheez....after the turn, we could do with some positivity so we chat with wolfpacker Rod who has some great stories about meeting the great Jack Newton when he was younger, and getting some tips from him! We spend some time reminiscing and sharing stories about the great man.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep180: More on the LIV Moves, The Old Course Changes, and Golfs 'Length Problem'...How to Solve It.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2025 63:09


    Well it might be a quiet time for tournaments, but goodness there is plenty of golf news to discuss this week!But first today, a reminder of our Victoria Pro-Am comp. We're looking for one wolfpacker to be our official player in the Vic Pro-Am in December, send us a pic or video of you rocking a pair of FootJoys, your handicap, where you play, and all eligible entrants (ie: who have a handicap and aren't a pro) will be in the draw next week on the show. If you're in Melbourne great. If you're interstate, regional Vic, or New Zealand, we'll sort your travel and accomodation. Entries close COB Monday November 10th. We discussed the huge LIV changes on yesterday's bonus pod, if you've not heard it, it's in the feed and worth checking out. Nick and Mark discuss what LIV's move might mean, and explore some of the questions that arise now about how they'll do it. Given the magnitude of the move, there is more to discuss, so we chat LIV today.The Old Course at St Andrews is undergoing some changes in preparation for the 2027 Open Championship, in part to address golf's length issue. Nick has a firm view on how to address this, and he doesn't believe extending courses is the way to go. Mark has some thoughts as well. We run through the Old Course changes, and discuss whether they'll make a difference, or are relatively minor.Marks Touch of Class for BMW is on a young 20-something player he saw at the weekend who played beautifully....he explains the context and reasoning. Nick raises Lee Trevino's comments about the Top 3 players in the world, following Gary Players thoughts. And the WPGA schedule has been released for 2027, it looks good. Nick talks us through it.Top 5 for Betr, in light of the St Andrews changes, Nick lists his Top 5 holes that have been lengthened - for better or worse. Mainly for better. In fact all for better. Slightly misnamed Top 5.The mighty Southern Golf Club bring us feedback, and we start with a whack for Mark over comments he made on last week's podcast. Into a number of various 'yip-centric' comments following our yip-heavy pod last week. Also, a number of comments on Nick O'Who's performance in the Titleist simulator last week. Mostly positive, with one piece of constructive criticism. And some feedback from Tour Pro and legend Bradley Hughes on the drivers.PING Globals, Nick takes us around all the results from the last week. Mark has a crack at the music in the opener. Some things never change. He invites wolfpackers to suggest a new opener. Don't listen to him.Into the masterclass for watchMynumbers, Mark played at the weekend and in his words 'played bad', he had an issue with his swing, but he reckons he may have solved it. He explains the problem, and what he did to address it.If you haven't heard our LIV bonus pod from yesterday, it's in the feed here and on YouTube here.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bonus: LIV Golf Reveals Massive Upheaval in Structure for 2026

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2025 14:31


    Big news from LIV Golf today with the announcement of a move to 72 hole tournament in 2026, we read the statement that LIV released. Nick and Mark discuss the implications, why they've done it, and what it may or may not mean.How will it work within the Teams & Individuals structure?. Could a cut be on the cards in LIV tournaments? Why are they doing it? Mark believes it is designed to put pressure on Trevor Immelman who basically oversees the OWGR these days.The PGA are yet to respond, however Nick reads through the PGA's response from a couple of days ago to the LIV Promotions format and what the PGA have said in response.Massive news, and Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen are all over it on Talk Birdie To Me.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep179: Nick O'Hern: "He Has No Clue What He's Talking About', and the 'Magic' of the St Andrews Old Course.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2025 25:45


    A feedback pod today and we start by looking at a tweet from golf stats guy Lou Stagner that a wolfpacker sent in, both Nick and Mark enjoy Lou's insights usually, but this time he has made a comment that they both vehemently disagree with regarding the St Andrews Old Course.We discuss the Old Course and why it is special. Mark brings up the 1984 Open Championship, famous for Seve, but tells the story of what happened to Ian Baker-Finch on the last shot of the day as a result of the sprinkler the night before. Speaking of IBF, Paul has written in with a suggestion for Australian golf coverage. Ken replies to wolfpacker Martins comments last weeks about The Players being a possible major, and Ken pretty much gives everyone a whack - Nick, Mark, Golf Australia. Ross has a question about Tour Pro's moving back to amateur status, and Nick and Mark talk through why they would never do it.A question from lefty Matt on his concerns about being fitted for new clubs.David reckons Nick and Mark are being too kind to LIV Golf and believes it is a failure. We discuss some of the players currently re-signing with LIV.Scott has an idea regarding the Australian Masters, and it reminds us that we've not reviewed Royal Sydney yet - if you've played it, we'd love your thoughts.And we finish on a comment from Paul about returning to golf after some tideway, and the difference hybrids have made for him.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep178: 'The Greatest Yipping Story Ever', plus Win a Spot in the Vic PGA as our Talk Birdie Official Player!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2025 61:50


    Big pod today, we start by discussing the great win by the Australian Women in the International Crown in South Korea. Sensational! A wonderful performance.Speaking of fantastic womens golf, Nick was excited to see Yani Tseng back in the winners circle, and what a finish it was. It's been a long time, great to see her back.Mark has a history of, from time to time, teeing off on local councils. And today he has a bee in his bonnet about a local council and what they have done to a suburban Melbourne golf course.Then, we talk yips. Risky territory we realise that. But we chat about the yips, how they occur, how to fix them, and hear some hilarious stories on the way. Mark talks about being a tad yippy at one point and how he fixed it, Nick explains why he moved to putting right-handed and what he had to learn to do, and Mark tells us what he calls 'the greatest yipping story ever'. A bold claim, but to be fair, it's a pretty funny story. Mark raises Peter 'Pom' O'Malley and his flirtation with a bit of yip activity, and wants to confirm whether his memory is correct so he texts Shags, Poms caddy, to ask him for clarification.A fantastic Touch of Class for BMW today featuring Michael Brennan, who won his first PGA tour event at the weekend, however the Touch of Class is not about his performance as such, but something else related.After the turn we launch a massive opportunity for one wolfpacker. We have a spot in the Victorian PGA event coming up in early December to give to one Talk Birdie listener! It's a Pro AM, so you'll be partnered with a Tour Pro and in the same group as last years winner Tim Snow (of FootJoy). To have a shot - send us a pic of you rocking a pair of FootJoy's, your handicap (you need one to play), where you play your golf, and a video of your swing would be fun to see as well. We'll pick 10 finalists, and randomly draw one on the pod in a couple of weeks.If you're in Melbourne you're sorted. If you're interstate, regional or international, we'll fly you to Melbourne and put you up for the time you're here. Send your entry to us either via socials, our website or email it here.Top 5 for Betr is on, what else, the Top 5 'yippers' of all time. Yikes.Nick runs us around the world in what really was quite a massive weekend of golf in the PING Global results.Been a long show today, so a shorter version of feedback for Southern Golf Club - we always love to hear from wolfpackers, keep it coming.And we wrap with a masterclass from Nick, for watchMynumbers, inspired by Yani Tseng on putting the opposite way.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bonus: 'Moore Park is So Important, We'll Exhaust Every Avenue (to Save it)': Golf Australia's Damien de Bohun

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2025 13:57


    A bonus pod today with Damien de Bohun, Golf Australia's General Manager - Clubs, Facilities, and Places to Play. Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen have two items on the agenda to discuss with Damien today:Firstly, the new Golf Australia handicap system and how the rollout is going. We've had mixed feedback from wolfpackers. Many love it and think the change is excellent, however some are critical of some of the bugs that have emerged, and importantly we've had a number of listeners who have suggested their scores are not being captured correctly - including wolfpacker Tom who wrote to us, so we want to ask Damien about those things and find out the latest. Mark is also keen to know why the change was necessary, what was wrong with keeping it the way it was?Secondly, there have been developments today on the Moore Park saga in Sydney where NSW Premier Chris Minns and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore appear to be pushing ahead with their plan to cut one of Australia's busiest golf courses in half, moving it from 18 holes to 9 holes. Damien talks about the latest developments and the Golf Australia proposal which he says lays out clearly how they can achieve what the Premier and Lord Mayor are looking for, more parkland, and retain 18-holes at Moore Park. Damien says that given how important Moore Park is, Golf Australia are seeking a meeting with the Premier and Lord Mayor in the coming days and are confident that when the proposal is understood, it should be received favourably.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Talk Birdie Mini: The Case For and Against 'The Players Championship' Being a 5th Major

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2025 10:56


    This past week we received a message from wolfpacker Martin on a subject that Nick and Mark have strong views on - the introduction of a 5th major. Mark has held the view for some time that The Players Championship should be given major status, Nick loves the event but disagrees. Martin believes Mark is wrong and it would be a bad move to give The Players major status, and he has a number of points to make to support his view.In a Talk Birdie Mini today, Nick and Mark discuss how a 5th major might look, and respond to Martins comments.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    ☎️ Voicemail: Michael from Victoria on his Club Championship. A Close Call !!

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2025 1:43


    Michael from Stawell in Victoria was listening to our chat about Club Championships a couple of weeks ago and left a voicemail with his experience....it went right down to the wire!!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep177: Feedback: Why the US Caddy Culture is Brilliant, Club Songs, and Pre-Shot Routines

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2025 27:22


    A big feedback pod today prefaced with a warning. A wolfpacker wants to give one of the two a massive whack. Is it deserved? We'll find out when we get to that after the turn.Firstly - Greg has messaged in about our recent question on people who inspired your golf, and he has a family of people to mention....four tour pros in the one family! John has written in about a song at his club The National in Victoria, and that reminds Mark that he got a slap around the choppers last week when he said Kingston Heath needed a song - it turns out that they have one. Is it better than Marks AI effort to create one? It could hardly be worse. We'll play it at the end of the show today and if you feel so inclined you can have a listen.Robert has some feedback on Vietnam - a course he thought was ordinary, and one he thought was excellent albeit over-priced. Subby wants to know if Mark has been using his new hip turn technique and if so how it is going.Then a comment from a wolfpacker in the US who caddies on a major course and says that he feels many players don't use caddies in the correct way. Mark loves the US caddy culture and would love for it to catch on in Australia. We end from the same wolfpacker with a story of when he played with Moe Norman !!!!To the whack. Tim has an issue with Mark. Brutal.Then we speak with Geoff on WhatsApp who did an Open Rota tour a while back, and has some comments own using caddies when he was travelling through the UK.Lee has a question about the Australian Open timing - not the date but the times play commences....which gets Mark onto one of his pet hates - the U-Draw.Bill has a comment on Pre-Shot Routines. And 'ShankedIt' has a goal that they use in their golf to share.Stick around after the credits for the Kingston Heath club song, and see if you make it all the way through.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep176: Mark: A LIV/PGA Possible Merger is 'Cooked', Should You use Hybrids? And Nicks Top 5 Unique Greens in World Golf.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2025 62:11


    Back for another week, and even on weeks when it feels golf might have been a little quiet, there always seems to be plenty to discuss. We start this week with a reminder about our Talk Birdie survey....we want to know your opinion on the show: good, bad, or indifferent - and one respondent will win $300 to spend at FootJoy, and $300 to spend at Golf Clearance Outlet. The survey takes 8-minutes tops, probably less, and you can find it here. It closes on Friday October 31. We'd appreciate it!Onto golf news. Mark has been reading the New York Times. We were as surprised as you. However he read an article on the LIV/PGA Merger, or lack of, and raises this with Nick. Is it still a chance, is it all over? Nick is curious about the next wave of signings, and re-signings, given the initial contracts for many of them are about to be up. What about the franchise sale model, is that alive or not a starter now? Ultimately whether there is a merger or not, Nick and Mark discuss the increasing number of LIV players playing PGA tournaments and give their view.Nick commentated the WA Open at Mount Lawley over the weekend and loved the course, he may be a little biased given it's his home course and his brother runs the joint, however he said it was brilliant. Mark is keen to know what the players thought. Nick tells a great story about the ultimate winner, Oliver Bekker, and how he saved the tournament on the final hole.Mark saw a tweet from OCM over the weekend on a new course that Mike Cocking has designed in Georgia called Fall Line. The pics are extraordinary, and it looks eerily similar to Sandbelt courses. We discuss, and Mark is going to try and get Mike on the pod perhaps next week when he returns from overseas.And then a voicemail comes in during the pod - it is Rick from Perth with a question about hybrids in his bag.Mark plays a clip of a Scott Fawcett from Decade Golf talking about stats putting from 25 feet.....the stats are revealing. Leads to a story about a coach of Marks who he says was awful.After the turn, Nick awards the Touch of Class for BMW to Scott from Townsville who played in the BMW Golf Cup National Final last week and absolutely shot the lights out. Mark says his scores around Sanctuary Cove were 'pro-level'. A fantastic event, and we find out how you can enter next year if you're keen.Thanks to Betr, a great Top 5 today from Nick - the Top 5 unique greens in world golf that he has played. See if you think he might have missed any.For Southern Golf Club - heaps of feedback : Moe Norman comments, WA Open feedback, a Top 5 observation from last weeks show, and with his induction to the Vic PGA Hall of Fame, one wolfpacker is keen for us to get Robert Allenby on the pod.Onto the PING Globals - Nick takes us around the world, still plenty of golf going on so lots to discuss!And for watchMynumbers, Mark's Masterclass this week is on waggling prior to moving to address and how he feels it has helped his game. We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    ☎️ Voicemail: Wolfpacker Paul on Marc Leishman: 'Is He Really a Superstar?'

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2025 1:22


    Paul watched the WA Open at the weekend and enjoyed it, however has a question about how the commentary team referred to Marc Leishman. Have a listen to his message.....fair point from Paul, or is he over-analysing it a bit?We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep175: The Tour Pro Who Was Paid in 'Laundry Service', and Would a Caddy Help a Low/Mid/High Handicapper?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2025 23:09


    Feedback pod today with a number of questions and comments for Nick and Mark to discuss.Jeff makes the observation that he feels golfers need to 'lower their expectations' in order to achieve better results. His message explains his thinking, and Nick and Mark discuss. 'Tramspotters' has a mate who he says plays practice rounds like comp, and comps like practice rounds and it causes issues. Nick and Mark talk about where you should do your 'tinkering', why, and how they do it.Feedback on our Mini last week where we read out Freds email where he talked about going from hitting it like Scheffler to hitting it like Captain Hook in the one round. Mike said bad shots happen, just deal with it, and we read a message from Scott who plays at the same club as Fred and responds to the discussion.Alan wants to know if caddies make a difference to (non pro) players. Nick and Mark say they do, with some caveats.Spindles has some comments on the Golden Bear, and Nick and Mark discuss the great man.And we end with a message from Thomas who is a huge fan of Moe Norman, and is keen to hear Nick and Marks views on Moe and his game. Mark, as it turned out, had some time with Moe and tells a couple of great stories that you must hear.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    ☎️ Voicemail: Cameron from Brisbane: 'My Club Championship Horror Story'

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2025 1:31


    Cameron from Brisbane left a voicemail after hearing Nick and Mark discussing Club Championship horror stories....his story is indeed a horror one!!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep174: Why a Club Fitting is Important, Demise of Q School, and Elvis Smylie Joins Nick O'Hern for the Masterclass

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 59:59


    Big show today, we're back from the Gold Coast after a great time at Links Hope Island with 80 or so wolfpackers, although Nick has headed back for a BMW event at - would you believe it - Links Hope Island! So Nick is on WhatsApp from Queensland living the good life whilst Mark and Dan slave away at Talk Birdie headquarters keeping the engine running.We start with a couple of stories from the Talk Birdie golf day, and if you haven't watched the video of the day, check it out here, worth a look. Thanks again to the team at Links Hope Island, they looked after everyone beautifully. Then we hear a story from Mark about a guy called Scott who he saw at his golf club at the weekend, and they chatted about his swing - Scott wondered if he was coming over the ball, however Mark discovered a different issue, and it's an important one for any golfer - we discuss what it is, what it does, and why it's important to be across. During that convo, Nick tells a story about Tour Pro Brandt Snedeker, whilst Mark debuts a 'magnet' he bought on Temu to illustrate the point he was making.Nick names the highest maintenance golfer he saw on tour.Nick and Mark discuss the demise of Q School - is it a good thing or a bad thing?BMW Touch of Class today is Marco Penge, the winner of the Spanish Open at the weekend. Mark explains why he has awarded Marco the Touch of Class. For Betr, our Top 5 today is the Top 5 'Shoe Wearing Pros'. What? You Say? Looks weird reading it, but makes sense when you hear it.Nick takes us around the world in the PING Global results, plenty to talk about and of course he gives a shoutout to the mighty WA Open this coming weekend at his home course in WA with a tip to watch out for the 4th hole at Mount Lawley!Lots of feedback for Southern Golf Club - topics include our Talk Birdie Golf Day, Brett Ogle, the China Open, Jeeno Thitikul, a whack for the team from a wolfpacker, and a comment from Tour Pro Steve Elkington who heard Marks story about him and his brother Rob a couple of days ago on the pod.And we wrap with a masterclass for watchMynumbers from Nick, this week from the Gold Coast with special guest, Tour Pro Elvis Smylie!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep173: Feedback: Mark: 'He Sucks the Life from Tournaments', Nick: 'My Brain Fade at The Vines'.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2025 22:29


    Feedback pod today and we start with a comment from wolfpacker Dave on pace of play in the womens game. Which provides a sweet opportunity for Mark to do one of his favourite things - have a crack at Keegan Bradley, which he accordingly does.Martin from WA has a dodgy knee and wants to know if there is anything he can change in his swing technique to be less intense on his knee. Greg has just got back from Vietnam, flying on the same flight as Nick, and is curious as to Nicks favourite course there. John has an up and coming player that he reckons Nick and Mark need to keep an eye on. Jeff very nearly incurs the wrath of Nick and Mark with a misjudged opening line, but goes on to discuss seeing Lucas Parsons play and how much he enjoyed watching him. Rob has a comment and question regarding rule changes and specifically etiquette when it comes to the pin. Craig has a story about meeting Nick and watching him self-combust at The Vines once, Nick explains what happened, where he went wrong that day, and what he learned from it.And Mark raises the rules infraction that Craig Stadler had when he was attempting not to get his pants dirty.....true story!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bonus: Live Wolfpack Q&A from Links Hope Island with Nick O'Hern & Mark Allen

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2025 12:16


    On Wednesday Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen were at the beautiful Links Golf & Wellbeing at Hope Island for an 18-hole Talk Birdie To Me golf tournament with around 80 Wolfpack members. We loved it! So much fun. A chipping and putting clinic in the morning, lunch, then the tournament, along with dinner and presentations to the winners. And then we did a 30-minute live Q&A with everyone. As you would appreciate not everything discussed at an event where no question was off limits is 'publishable', so this audio isn't the entire Q&A, but we thought we'd give you a listen to some of what we discussed on the night after the tournament on the Gold Coast.Great fun, and a huge thanks to David, Abi and Dylan from Links Golf and Wellbeing for looking after us and the Wolfpack, they could not have been more hospitable ! We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Talk Birdie Mini: 'The Hardest Thing to Get Across to Golfers': Nick O'Hern Explains.

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2025 15:19


    We're enjoying doing our Talk Birdie 'Minis' lately, a short episode focused on one theme or question which runs 10 minutes or so (we went a bit long today....). Todays mini is a question from wolfpacker Fred in Queensland who is a scratch marker having a very specific challenge with his game, and he would like Nick and Mark to give him some thoughts on he might address it.It's a great question and one that all golfers deal with at some point, even Nick and Mark, who talk about how they handled the issue Fred raises.We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    ☎️ Voicemail: John from Melbourne 'The Most Amazing Round I've Seen in Over 50-Years'

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2025 1:33


    Voicemail today from John who plays at the mighty Box Hill Golf Club in Melbourne, with a story of what he says is the most amazing round of golf he's seen in over 50 years. When you hear the story, you may well agree!We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;PING will help you play your best;Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;And watchMynumbers and Southern Golf Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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