The Perfect Number Podcast

What a run it has been! Not just the end of a 50-event PGA Tour season, but nearly four years of this podcast. Let's wrap all of it up together. Will breaks down the stat winners from the PGA Tour season, discusses the PoY race along with Ryder Cup thoughts. He dives into biggest improvers to keep an eye on in 2021-22 and also those whose games are struggling. Finally, this is the end (for now?). Thank you to all of the loyal listeners, amazing guests and helpful knowledge. Until we pod again.

Of all of the modern advancements in the game of golf, especially at the professional level, the acceptance of and investment in physical training has been a major part of the revolution. Naysayers on the PGA Tour are being passed by stronger, fitter and healthier peers. Aging players are getting longer and staying stronger. Why? Because of the work of people like Dr. Troy Van Biezen, a PGA Tour trainer for nearly 20 years. What has he learned? How has his work evolved? And how does the understanding of biomechanics influence the game's best... and you??

The final golf major of 2021 is here and it's the hardest to handicap!? Or is it? Reid Fowler from DraftKings joins the pod to talk favorites, ownership percentages, game theory, value, longshots, betting strategy and a few other things. Don't set your lineup or place your bets without it.

Golf's major season is jammed packed, and the winners are living up to the hype. Fresh off the heels of not one, but two US Open championships, Golf/NBC analyst Paige Mackenzie joins the pod to break it all down. What wins by Jon Rahm and Yuka Saso mean to the sport. Is a traditional USGA setup the way to identify a champion? How does all of the data inform those opinions in the men's game, versus how we frame the same opinion in a women's game with less data? Plus, the exciting horizon on the LPGA. 

Golf has been changed by Phil Mickelson winning the PGA Championship at the age of 50. How? It has offered us a way to study his path, his process, and connect with his success to bring good golf to our games. Who better to discuss this trailblazing win than another trailblazer. Suzy Whaley is an accomplished player and coach, and - as the first woman to be named PGA of America President - had a front row seat for Phil's win. She discusses the lessons learned from Kiawah, how coaching has changed in golf and why data strategy can actually free your mind.

With the PGA Championship here, all eyes are on Kiawah. Who has the best chance at winning? How does one tournament in 2012 inform course fit and history? Who has the best value? How do you merge European Tour stars into the field? All of these are discussed with the Courchene brothers of Data Golf. They lend their expertise and also share some of the new tools on their site that fans can use to make their own predictions.

How golfers could learn from... axe throwing??? Golf is a repetitive sport. Trying to repeat the same motion, in the same manner. The same golf swing must battle doubt, nerves and failure. Understanding and overcoming those is a major key to success. The same can be said in the very new sport of axe throwing. Ryan Smit picked up an axe in early 2019 and was a world champion a little over a year later. How? Amazing dedication and research. He shares his secrets, which can transcend across many sports and disciplines. 

Golf on the PGA Tour is not the only place where you will find players and coaches unearthing every morsel of data and information to get better. The embracing of stats, technology and fitness is rapidly improving the women's game, including at the college level. Justin Silverstein leads the powerhouse program at USC, and pulls back the curtain on their improvement philosophy, data gathering, stat programs and more. Plus, we chat the growth of the women's game and its potential.

Is there a sport that breaks down the intricacies of the process more than golf? The swing is dissected to takeaway, positions, angles, heights, impact, balance, finish and any other number of factors. Added technology has increased those measurements. What is available? What are we learning? How are the best professionals looking at their swings? Is it actually allowing more variety again in swings? Luke Kerr-Dineen covers all things golf improvement for Golf.com and joins. That, plus our own journeys with our swings on video (or not).

The first time Ward Jarvis came on the podcast, he said Brendon Todd was close to winning. Todd then won back-to-back PGA Tour events. Jarvis joins the pod again to discuss the mental side of the game, infusion with stats, growth, perspective and more. We use it all to discuss Max Homa winning, Tony Finau not, Jordan Spieth's return, Koepka's Alpha male, length, pressure and more. Great chat with takeaways for all levels of golfer and fan.

Of all of the finely tuned elements in golf, the one still being figured out may be fitness. How do golfers fuel their strength gains? How do the best setup a week of eating to maximize performance? What in-round snacks and drinks are used to keep a golfer at his best? Jamie Greaves has been working with golfers of all levels with their fitness and nutrition and sheds some light on strategies to keep the fuel efficiency a peak levels.

Okay, this episode is personal. One of the earliest stops in my golf journey was as a club professional in northeast Indianapolis. I met a young kid (6 at the time) through his family and junior clinics. Today, Johnny Watts is three years removed from an all-everything college career and trying to make it in pro golf. We catch up to talk improvement, tracking success, perspective during the shutdown, tiers, thin lines, teams and bucket lists. Nobody is rooting harder for Johnny than this podcast!

Increased strength and athleticism in golf has become the biggest non-equipment gain in the modern sport, with professional golfers becoming highly tuned athletes first in many cases, and then golfers second. Why? The proof is in the results, with speed and power directly correlating to success. How does that trickle down to the average golfer? How are pros tailoring their workouts? What can be done with a pandemic still around us? Michael Carroll returns to the podcast to discuss it all.

A detailed conversation with Ben Crane and how he found success on the PGA Tour. The value of knowing your strengths. Understanding more about those strengths through data. The power of a good team and what those closest to a golfer should be doing. Is golf one-dimensional? What makes a good putter? First tee reality checks. Stats to ignore and others to love. Insightful stuff from one of the more thoughtful pros in the game.

Golf is divided right now on what to do with equipment. Pros hit it too far and amateurs chasing the same distance are doing a disservice to the game. Are they? Is Bryson's bulk year really that big of a story or just a part of the evolution of the sport we've seen throughout history? How do we look at this debate objectively? Maybe we don't at all. We reflect back with some clips from episodes throughout the year to try and sum the debate up.

2020 will be a year defined by world-changing events. One of them is the continuation of the movement for racial equality and acceptance. Golf has a complicated history with race, and its inherent inequalities make it a perfect sport to discuss societal problems and how we can improve to make the world better. But how? Damon Hack has been a steady voice in the golf community and joins the podcast to discuss what has been learned this year, what can be done by all and optimism for how golf can be an agent of change.

Hard to believe in a stop-and-start year of professional golf that the final PGA Tour event is here, which gives us a great chance to reflect and project. Who fits El Camaleon this week? Who is trending into the next year? We take a look at the numbers from 2019 and 2020 to show who is rising, a few who are falling and make some bold predictions for who to keep an eye on this week and beyond.

The Masters is both behind us and in front of us, and the golf world got treated to a tour de force from Dustin Johnson, putting an exclamation point on his spot as the top player in the world. We recap his recent run, his historical place in the sport and how his week impacted the storylines around the final major of 2020. We also introduce our audience to Inrange, the latest in smart ranges, where golfers of all skills can learn, improve and play together. RSM Picks at 38:00

Will the wait be worth it for the 2020 Masters? The golf world thinks so. What makes a Masters winner? How will a wet forecast and November impact the favorites, if at all? How many guys truly can win? How do we analyze the favorites? Who are the value plays this week? All of this is discussed from front to back on the pod, including a chat with Reid Fowler, analyst for DraftKings.

The polarization in golf right now about how the game should be played misses the point. The best play the game, attack the game and practice the game with a balanced, multi-faceted approach. Josh Gregory continues his chat this week about how he works with players on the PGA Tour to improve. We talk about practice games, learning from stats and embracing what it takes to make a living playing golf. Houston Open advice at 33:00

Golf has been everything for Josh Gregory. An accomplished amateur player (twice), he guided Augusta State to back-to-back national championships. He then coached Bryson DeChambeau at SMU. Now, he coaches a stable of players on the PGA Tour and beyond. In part one of our chat, we talk about the mental strength and commitment of both Bryson and Patrick Reed, reflect on those title teams, discuss the growth of the game and more. Bermuda Championship picks at 31:00

Back for more, Arron Oberholser goes big picture on the world of golf, especially in the professional game. How much has been learned in the last 25 years? From that technology and data, what can be contained and what will never be lost? Lessons learned from his journey to the PGA Tour, injury and a transition to the media. A great chat.

Golf has been turned upside down by the rapid gains of Bryson DeChambeau. Just when the story was reaching its shelf life, Matthew Fitzpatrick through another log on the fire with comments last week. Was he taken out of context? Was he right or wrong? Are there sour grapes? We review the transcript, discuss the buzz words and bring in Arron Oberholser to talk about that, plus his view of Shadow Creek this week.

We know the golf ball goes farther. We know that hitting it farther is an advantage. We know courses can be overpowered. What we don't know, with consensus, is which of those are bad and what should be done. Jason Straka has been building and renovating world class golf courses for decades, and joins the podcast to lend his scientific, artistic and professional perspective to the biggest conversation in golf. Shriners Picks at 47:00

Your golf game can be modeled after the most successful golf professionals. Maybe not always in results, but certainly in process. They don't go all-in in one area, and neither should you. Jon Sherman, founder of Practical Golf, continues his conversation by applying everything - stats, strategy, fitness, psychology, etc. - to the amateur game for improvement.  Sanderson Farms Picks at 34:00 and a giveaway!

Bryson DeChambeau's 2020 U.S. Open win set off a firestorm of conversation about how golf has played, his approach to it and what it means to the game. Are we missing the point? Are we missing what he actually did? Will the ripple effects do much beyond him? All of this is worthy of discussion in what has been a chatty week in the sport. Jon Sherman covers all angles in helping golfers get better and joins for part one of our conversation about the game, through the lens of Bryson's win. Corales Puntacana picks at 37:00

Golf's second major took nine-and-a-half months to arrive in 2020, but maybe the wait was totally worth it. Jason Sobel stops by the pod to help break down the field. Is DJ-Rahm a two-man top tier? Who do you fade from the top? Who is worth a run from the middle? Some long shot value picks, plus how to go about setting your wagering strategy any week. It's all in this chat in advance of the 120th United States Open Championship.

With only 48 hours between golf seasons on the PGA Tour, the time for reflection is short. Who should be Player of the Year and why? Who did something rare? Who truly won the scoring title? What did we learn from the Bryson experiment? That and more with PGATour.com's Sean Martin, co-host of The Center Cut Podcast.

Golf is supposed to bring people together, but what does it feel oftentimes like it is pushing us apart? Are too many birdies bad? Should golf courses play tougher? How do we control the equipment? Should we? These debates rage on in social media and Grill Rooms every day. Guess what? It's always been that way. Garrett Morrison hosted a Fried Egg Stories on the golf ball, but more than the ball, it offered a perspective on the varying philosophies of the game. We come together to provide perspective. Tour Championship picks at 38:00

Zach Guthrie has fit a lot of the golf world into his career. From a college player, to coach, to caddie for his brother, Luke, he now totes the bag for PGA Tour winner Tyler Duncan. As they try to make it to the Tour Championship, Zach joins the pod to talk about the journey, pushing the right buttons, the tools of research, modern golfers and much more. BMW Championship Picks at around 46:00

With golf having only one major to this point of the craziest season on record, do the FedEx Playoffs seem bigger? How much more will they factor into the Player of the Year race? Who is the favorite now? Who will win? Dark horses? Value Picks? Fades? Strategy. Math. It's a full conversation with Golf Channel's Will Gray. JT, Tiger, Bryson, Collin, Webb, Brooks, Day, Sungjae, Rory, Xander and probably a dozen other player breakdowns. 

Measuring one's golf game against that of peers is something beyond just the PGA Tour. The concept of strokes gained can be applied to golfers of all skill levels. How? Sal Syed, co-founder of Arccos Golf, has refined the tools to make it happen. He stops by the pod to talk about the technological improvements, variance of skill throughout the game of golf, measuring against pros, improvement, the future and more. This was a great chat! Wyndham Picks at the 37:00 mark.

By now, everybody knows what the 15th Club is doing to bring data analytics to golf and improve performance. Whether it is national teams, individual players or broadcast partners, their work has been incredibly successful. Duncan Carey is the Partnerships Manager for the company and talks 15th Club's origin, philosophy and growth. We also use the data to talk about players and predictions heading into the PGA Championship at Harding Park. Phenomenal stories and insight!

Like a golfer making the turn off a quad, there was a quick adjustment this week to the podcast. I use the space to talk about "our" industry's most recent Twitter beef, filling the time with a Kumbaya call to action. Picks for Memphis slide in at 12:30 mark. 

For the first time in 57 years, the PGA Tour had two events contested on the same course in back-to-back weeks. How did it manage to be so different? Chad Mark is Director of Grounds Operations at Muirfield Village, and shared the work for both weeks, the use of data in setup, technological advances, and the future of the course with a revision now underway.  3M Picks at 29:30

The biggest field in golf this year is this week. The Memorial Tournament almost always lives up to the hype, but this year seems even bigger. On the heels of the JT-Morikawa duel, Tiger returns, Rory returns, and the strongest field ever for a regular season PGA Tour event has everybody salivating. How do you pick a lineup? Where are your best bets? How should we be navigating these big fields? A look at numbers and strategy with Skyler Hoke (formerly Golf Gurus).

For the second consecutive week, we go in between the ears on the podcast, getting Dr. Gregg Steinberg's perspective on what makes a mentally strong PGA Tour golfer. We discuss the Alpha gene of Tiger Woods, the grounded approach of Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau's active mind, and tips any golfer can use to focus better. Plus, a tiny recap of Bryson's golf-changing win in Detroit. Workday Charity Open Picks at 28:00

Being a professional golfer on the PGA Tour is already a tough mental challenge. Golf lends itself to tricks of the mind. Finding tunnel vision or mindfulness can be hard to do. Add in the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, and being mentally sharp has never been more important. Dr. Gregg Steinberg works with many professional golfers and joins the podcast to discuss the tactics used by professional athletes to overcome the uncertainty of today. Rocket Mortgage picks at 27:00

With two weeks of insane golf since the PGA Tour returned from hiatus, it was time to gauge where things stand. Why is Bryson's distance so much better when looking at all his numbers? Why did Dustin Johnson fall from being a top 5 player? Where are Rory and Rahm lagging behind? Who is the next winner. Plus, a rabbit hole on the best putting rounds ever, highlighted by JJ Henry.  Travelers Picks at 27:00

Winning twice on the PGA Tour is a huge stepping stone for a professional. For Nick Taylor, out-dueling Phil Mickelson at Pebble Beach in February was a dream way to get it done. He joins the podcast to talk about life away from golf, the psychological impact of becoming a father, putting technique, managing stats and data, the distance debate, amateur golf and a whole lot more. Fantasy Picks for RBC Heritage at the 49:00 mark

Golf is being bet on in all areas. With more wagering available, where do we go? Evolving from traditional lineup DFS models, Jock MKT launched this week, making players tradable commodities in a user-controlled market. Why? How? Co-founder Dave Isman joins to talk about the industry and his new product. Plus, golf is back!!! Picks from a loaded Colonial field at the 27:00 mark.

With no big-time golf in over 80 days, how do we navigate the already unpredictable professional landscape when the PGA Tour returns to action in a week. Ben Coley is one of the best in the business, working for Sporting Life. He joins the podcast to talk scuttlebutt of players revving back up - or still apprehensive - and who to watch. Also, a general conversation on betting golf strategies.  

Walk a range on the PGA Tour and every player has a launch monitor. Why has it become the most important tool? What data from it means the most? How does somebody like Bryson DeChambeau use it to prepare for the feel he will need on the course? How can we learn from that for at-home, amateur practice? All of those questions and more answered from Alex Trujillo from FlightScope.

In a continuation of our interview with author Brett Cyrgalis about his just-released book, Golf's Holy War, we dive into some of the big, specific topics that showcase golf's historic battle between nirvana and technology. Tiger Woods, the architecture debate, bifurcation and the mystique of Ben Hogan. All play big parts in the book and in the dualism of the game.

Golf opens itself up for debate and contradiction more than any other sport. For every purist longing for the 1920's and hickory shafts, there is a grip-it-and-rip-it modern player running to his Trackman to see his latest speed data. The duality of the sport gives it great beauty and great conflict. Brett Cyrgalis set out to tell the history of that rift in his book "Golf's Holy War." Read how golf got technical and bridge the gap between nostalgia and modernism. Part 1 of our chat introduces the concept and talks instruction, psychology and more!

Mark Wilson won five times on the PGA Tour, in a career that spanned over 15 seasons. At just 5' 6", he won in an era where being longer helped. How did he navigate that? As a math major, how did the growth of stats and data shape his view of the game? What does he learn about players now as analyst on golf broadcasts. That, plus stories of Titleist NXT and is artistry returning to pro golf masked by technology?

While golf is on hold on the PGA Tour, we have (more than) half a season worth of stats and data to look over. From that, who have been the biggest gainers and losers, and in what areas? Who does the break help the most? What should players be working on in this prolonged break. Sean Martin, from the PGA Tour and the Center Cut Podcast, joins to break it all down.

While the 2020 Masters looks to still be seven months away, we still prepare for golf's biggest major the week it was scheduled to be played. Justin Ray, head of content at the 15th Club, joins the pod. We talk about preparing players for Augusta, stats of importance and historical facts that blow your mind. Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and even nods to Roger Maltbie and Lloyd Mangrum, to name a few. Win your Masters trivia party!

Golf fans have gotten more familiar with the name Corey Conners over the last 12 months, after he broke through on the PGA Tour and won the 2019 Valero Texas Open. He returns to the podcast, where he shares a love for all things math, and reflects on how he measures his improvement, schedules, practices and plays with all of the analytics as his disposal. That, and his Perfect Number has changed!!

No golf? No problem! No sports? Not an issue! Back by popular demand, our doppelgänger comparison of the top 64 golfers in the OWGR to their corresponding March Madness NCAA tournament team. Yes, all of our brackets were busted by Covid-19, but that doesn't mean the fun had to be quarantined too! Enjoy this fun exercise in making comparisons. 

Golf is a brilliant sport because of all of the types of players it can support. Conversely, golf is the most debated sport because those variety of players all have differing opinions. Ten-time PGA Tour winner Mark McCumber has the experience to see the game from both sides. A veteran champion and, now, the father of a PGA Tour rookie, he shares his insight from being inside and outside the ropes in different eras. The distance debate, fitness, technology and junior preparedness, all with one of golf's kindest voices.