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What would you build if someone handed you a lakefront property in Prince Edward County and a blank cheque? Stefan and Cole set out to answer that live, with no script and no notes. The rules: ten minutes each to pitch an imaginary room of investors on the course, the experience, and why two guys from Kingston, Ontario should be trusted with their money. And since it’s improv, neither of them is allowed to say “no.” Along the way you’ll hear: - A links-style layout with a few things nobody’s done before - A plan for the 18th hole that turns finishing your round into a spectator sport - Why this resort is “sparing no expense,” and where the ask ends up - A drink deal that definitely doesn’t make money - Who gets to be the Steve Jobs, and who has to settle for Wozniak Plus, our Scotland trip is eight days out, and the St. Andrews forecast has Cole checking the weather hourly. If you’ve ever argued about the perfect golf trip, the perfect tee box, or what a golf resort should be, this one is for you. 🎧 New episodes every week. Subscribe, like, and tell a buddy. --- ⛳️ TIMESTAMPS 1:20 The setup: a piece of land, a lake, and one rule 3:35 The pitch format: three categories, a ten-minute clock each 5:45 Category 1: the course, and why the loops aren’t what you’d expect 7:36 Who’s paying the power bill? 9:01 Two modes, one course 11:00 How the 18th hole ends 12:38 The Jurassic Park of golf 14:32 Architects, practice facilities, and a very specific shopping list 16:10 “Three for me, three for you” 16:40 Category 2: who gets to be here, and who doesn’t 18:26 Two restaurants and an unreasonable amount of entertainment 21:06 Why you’ll never pull out your wallet 22:02 The pro shop, the partners, and the cart situation 24:30 The Airbnb problem, solved 25:11 Category 3: why you should back us (Jobs vs. Wozniak) 30:31 The ask 32:09 Legacy, benches, and one very large fund 33:14 The lifetime membership offer 35:00 Ideas that came too late for the pitch 36:48 Scotland countdown

Ten rounds. Ten ridiculous categories. Two guys with zero notes and very strong opinions. Welcome to the Sandbagger Draft. This week Cole and Stefan throw out the news cycle and draft professional golfers (men's and women's) for the scenarios that actually matter. Who do you want next to you when a drunk member corners you in the parking lot? Who gets the 10-footer when your life is on the line? Which pro would name a boat after themselves? And who could break 80 at your home course, with your clubs, after twelve beers, with $10 million on the line? Along the way: a putting stat so absurd it sounds made up, a 15-hour private jet story you have to hear to believe, a caddie confession involving a banana, one pick so bad it had to be bleeped, and a draft that goes right down to the 18th hole. Plus, Stefan's road-rage run-in after a rough round, why ugly swings keep producing good scores, how much YouTube golfers are really making, and the countdown to Scotland is officially on. Who won the draft? You decide. Drop your picks in the comments and tell us who got robbed. ⛳ CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Episode 32 01:30 Stefan's rough day at Cataraqui (and a road-rage run-in) 06:20 Why ugly swings keep producing good scores 08:30 Scotland countdown: three weeks out 09:30 The Sandbagger Draft explained 11:30 Round 1: Who you want for six beers 17:00 Round 2: Mixed Ryder Cup partner, 2 down with 3 to play 19:40 Round 3: A 10-footer to save your life 24:40 Round 4: Your backup in a parking lot fight 27:50 Round 5: The one pro you'd punch in the face 33:00 Round 6: The leaked DM that ends a career 37:40 Round 7: Last-minute fourth for the buddies trip 42:20 Round 8: The golfer who names the boat after himself 46:00 Round 9: Two hours, off the record, they must tell the truth 52:00 Round 10: $10M, 12 beers, your clubs – break 80 55:40 Bonus round: we tried something… it did not go well 59:30 Scotland plans 1:00:15 Final recap: who won the draft? 🎙️ Sandbagger Sessions is a golf podcast that's equal parts comedy and genuine golf knowledge, hosted by Cole Atkinson and PGA of Canada professional Stefan Thedorf. New episodes weekly. 👍 Like, subscribe, and tell us your picks below. #golf #golfpodcast #pgatour #lpga #livgolf #golfhumor #sandbaggersessions

LIV Golf just filed for Chapter 11 — and somehow that's not even the wildest turn this week. In Episode 31 we flip the format: Cole puts Stefan, our PGA of Canada professional, in the hot seat for a no-notes AMA where the questions range from dead serious to completely unhinged. Before the hot seat, we run the tables on the biggest stories in golf right now: LIV's messy "next era," the purest weekend of the year at the Walker Cup, the blurred line between amateur and pro, and previews of both the Presidents Cup and the Solheim Cup. Then the AMA gets into the questions every golfer actually argues about — what a healthy, distraction-free Tiger Woods really could have done, what genuinely makes someone a "good golfer," and whether today's speed-and-distance obsession is quietly ruining the game for beginners. Plus the two most ridiculous hypotheticals we've ever put on the show. Grab a beer (or, like Stefan, a water sponsored by nobody) and settle in. Chapters: 05:55 — Today's format: putting the pro in the hot seat06:30 — LIV Golf files for Chapter 11 (and the most hopeful bankruptcy email ever written)12:00 — The Walker Cup and the purest form of golf16:00 — When should a pro lose amateur status? The Colt Knost problem22:30 — Why a round in Ireland now costs what it costs23:15 — Presidents Cup preview: is there any hope for the internationals?28:00 — Solheim Cup & giving the women centre stage30:45 — Ryder Cup vs Presidents Cup: the format, explained33:40 — The PGA Tour's baffling rebrand36:20 — AMA: Did LIV actually change golf for the better?42:00 — AMA: How many more majors does a healthy Tiger win?48:15 — AMA: What actually makes someone a "good golfer"?56:10 — AMA: Save the planet — pick your 4-player golf team1:00:15 — AMA: Is speed-and-distance culture ruining new golfers?1:08:10 — AMA: You wake up as the best golfer on Earth. Now what?1:16:30 — Wrap-up & what's coming next week New episodes every week. If you're enjoying the show, follow/subscribe and leave a rating — it genuinely helps. #golf #LIVGolf #TigerWoods #PresidentsCup #SolheimCup #WalkerCup #PGATour #golfpodcast #golftips #breakingeighty

Golf is sick - and we listed out everything we are IN on. Before that... The Good Good and Callaway situation: the ad, the fallout, the sponsors, and whether the response actually fit the crime. We don't all agree, and one of us is definitely going to catch some strays for it. The season-long money bet finally comes to an end (someone's buying dinner, and they're not happy about it), we talk about the looming end to another outdoor season up here in Canada, and then we flip last week on its head with a brand-new list: everything that's SICK about golf. First tee times, wild pars, playing a course for the second time, Ireland, hitting cups, beating that guy… we go back and forth until we both agree — or send it to the jury. Grab a beer (it's allowed, there are only two places where time doesn't matter) and settle in. ⛳ New episodes every week. Hit LIKE & SUBSCRIBE — we need all the help we can get. Timestamps 00:00 – Cold open: setting the lineup 07:30 – The season-long bet: someone lost… 13:45 – The Good Good & Callaway fallout (our honest takes) 21:50 – Saying goodbye to the season & what fall golf really means 25:30 – "Stuff That's SICK About Golf" — the list begins 27:24 – First tee times, frost delays & fall golf 35:00 – The magic of playing a course for the second time 44:37 – A hot take on music on the course 47:37 – Hitting cups & the sweetest sound in golf 49:40 – Why the 18th hole hits different 56:10 – Old clubhouses, questionable showers & a peanut incident 59:19 – Beating "that guy" + the best 2v2 game you've never played 01:02:28 – The quiet moments (and a sign-off you won't expect) Sandbagger Sessions: a golf podcast that's equal parts knowledgeable and unserious, hosted by a PGA of Canada professional and a guy who just really loves the game. #golf #golfpodcast #GoodGood #Callaway #PGATour #fantasygolf #golftrip #Ireland #matchplay #golftok

Note: this episode touches on some sensitive topics regarding mental health. If you or anyone you know is feeling similar, talking about it is the strongest thing you can do. If you or someone you know is ever in urgent need of help, call or text 988 in both the US and Canada. --- After a two-month break, we're back; and we came back swinging. Before any of the golf talk, Cole opens up about what the last few months have actually looked like, including a depression diagnosis and why "having nothing to be depressed about" makes it harder, not easier, to say out loud. Stefan gets into undiagnosed head injuries from a life of extreme sports, why the brain doesn't heal like a broken leg, and the difference between self-diagnosing on TikTok and actually walking into a doctor's office. It's the most honest 15 minutes we've recorded. Then we get to the fun stuff: a full episode building our official list of things we are out on in Golf. One of us proposes it, the other has to agree. Or it doesn't make the list. We debate, we argue, we put a few on the "monitor the situation" practice squad, and we somehow talk ourselves into being out on stroke play entirely. We also close out our season-long PGA Tour picks, heading into the Tour Championship at East Lake — it's down to $15.7M vs $15.4M after 45 events, and the humbling news that neither of us out-earned Scottie Scheffler. ⛳ If any of the mental health conversation hits close to home, talk to someone — a doctor, a therapist, or just a mate. Seek the helpers.

The PGA Tour just blew up its entire structure - and we brought in the one guy who might actually know what it means. Wyndham Clark went wire-to-wire to win the US Open at Shinnecock, but the bigger story broke before Wyndham could even shake off his hangover: the PGA Tour's massive 2028 overhaul. Cole and Stefan break down the US Open, the "did this major lack oomph?" debate, the soft setup and fog delay, a genuinely brutal NBC broadcast, and the crowd drama that's followed Clark around all year. Then Ryan French (Monday Q Info) joins the boys to unpack the new Championship Series and Challenger Series of the PGA Tour. A new promotion/relegation system that could put 560+ players under the PGA Tour umbrella. Is it the future of golf, or the beginning of the end? We also make our picks for the Travelers Championship and the KPMG Women's PGA, dig into Ryan's skepticism on whether $30M purses are actually sustainable, and play a ruthless game of "keep or punt" with the entire tour schedule. Plus: Ping's $60,000 gold putter problem, Scottie Scheffler's "C game" that still nearly won, and Ryan's surprise new gig co-hosting the Big Break reboot. 🎙️ Guest: Ryan French — Monday Q Info Make sure you follow Ryan and show him some love: mondayqinfo on all of your socials, and watch his podcast "Any Given Monday" with Professional Golfer, Mark Baldwin, everywhere you get your podcasts. ▶️ Like, subscribe, and do all the stuff you normally do to help us out! TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Welcome back (Episode 28) & firing the producer 1:00 — US Open at Shinnecock: Wyndham Clark goes wire-to-wire 2:27 — Did the US Open lack "oomph"? Soft setup, carnage & the fog delay 4:17 — Scottie Scheffler's "C game" — and still almost winning 6:14 — Ping's $60K gold putter problem 7:17 — Why the NBC broadcast was brutal 18:56 — Crowd behaviour, Wyndham's villain edit & the apology speech 22:35 — Picks: Travelers + KPMG Women's PGA 26:30 — Guest: Ryan French on the PGA Tour blowup 27:36 — The new structure: Championship & Challenger Series explained 29:20 — 560 players, promotion & relegation: is it sustainable? 35:28 — The marketability problem: who actually watches? 40:30 — The Canadian Open's identity crisis 46:54 — Ryan's new gig: co-hosting the Big Break reboot 47:46 — Closing: match play at Pine Valley & the made-for-TV final 56:28 — The schedule game: which events stay, which get punted #golf #pgatour #usopen #wyndhamclark #ryanfrench #mondayqinfo #golfpodcast #sandbaggersessions #kornferrytour #travelerschampionship #kpmgwomenspga #scottiescheffler #golfnews

This week we sit down with Barry Forth of Copetown Woods — one of the best public golf courses in Ontario and, in Stefan's words, the kind of place you could play every single day and never get tired of. What started as a broccoli farm just northwest of Hamilton became a fully public, sand-based golf course that opened in June 2003 — built in just 14 months, and perfect for firm, fast, links-style golf. Barry takes us through the whole journey: walking the property as a 24-year-old with zero golf experience, partnering with builder Dick Kirkpatrick on his first-ever solo design, and the philosophy that's defined the place ever since — "we're not splitting the atom." Good facilities, great conditions, nice people, and don't be greedy. The heart of this conversation is the care and pride Barry and his team pour into Copetown. This is a course with no members, no budget, no forecasting, and no tournaments — just straight tee times every single day. Barry explains why he's never been tempted to go private, why the parking lot is his only spreadsheet, and how "Super Pete," his superintendent since 2007, runs the turf with no Greens committee slowing him down. We get into firmness and fescue, autonomous mowers, the post-COVID influx of golfers, and the now-famous "no rakes in the bunkers" debate — Barry's grow-the-game, police-yourself stance that earned him a wrist-slap from the Golf Canada Industry Advisory Council. Plus: a first look at the brand-new 10-hole short course (six par 3s, four par 4s) Copetown has in planning with the City of Hamilton, designed by Christine Fraser. If you're anywhere in Ontario — or just across the border — Copetown Woods is a genuine must-play destination. The reviews back it up: premier conditioning, an atmosphere that makes you want to come back, and an owner who actually gives a damn about your day. Put it on the list. Before the interview, we break down a stacked week of golf: U.S. Women's Open at Riviera — Nelly Korda grinds out her second major of the yearThe Memorial — JT Poston's 4th PGA Tour title and Ryan Gerard's instant-classic "it's not in the bunker, dog"U.S. Open qualifying — the longest day in golf, Miles Russell, Ben Silverman and Max Homa getting throughRBC Canadian Open preview at TPC Toronto, plus our weekly fantasy picks 🎧 New episodes weekly. Hosted by Cole Atkinson & Stefan, PGA of Canada professional. 📍 Copetown Woods Golf Club — northwest of Hamilton, Ontario 📸 Follow Copetown Woods on Instagram: @copetownwoods #Golf #PublicGolf #CopetownWoods #OntarioGolf #SandbaggerSessions #GolfPodcast #HamiltonGolf #GolfCourse #LinksGolf #NellyKorda #CanadianOpen #PGAofCanada

What's the most important club in the bag — and would you give up bombing it 350 down the middle just to never miss a putt again? 🏌️ This week on Sandbagger Sessions, Cole and Stefan turn a random radio segment into the ultimate Golf Would You Rather showdown — and it gets surprisingly heated. Augusta once or the Old Course every single year for life? Twenty PGA Tour wins or one major? Jack Nicklaus's legacy or Tiger's money, fame and chaos? Eleven impossible golf questions, almost zero easy answers — and a few where Lou Stagner's data settles the argument for good. Before the main event, the guys get into Stefan's brutal PGA debut (an 86 he'd rather forget), Russell Henley's clutch finish at the Charles Schwab, whether Ludvig Åberg is honestly playing like a C-minus right now, a slow-play penalty that cost a real shot at a title, and Bryson's new Gemini-powered AI coaching app — the future of the golf swing, or just a great salesman at work? Plus a full US Women's Open preview from Riviera and this week's picks (including a side bet on the wives' round that they can absolutely never find out about). Stefan is a PGA of Canada professional, so you get real swing and stats insight buried under way too many tangents — exactly how you like it. 👉 Hit subscribe, drop YOUR Would You Rather answers in the comments, and tell us who got each one right. ⛳ ▶️ Timestamps0:00 – Cold open & welcome to Episode 260:41 – Stefan's first PGA event: an 86 at Castleview, a tee shot that nearly took out a spectator, and what tournament golf teaches you8:54 – PSA: please yell FORE (Scott takes one straight to the forehead)9:40 – Pro V1 giveaway winner + housekeeping10:47 – Charles Schwab Challenge: Russell Henley's clutch closing birdies & Eric Cole's costly 9th hole14:43 – Ludvig Åberg — all that hype for a C-minus right now?17:25 – LPGA Shoprite: Céline Boutier wins & a slow-play penalty that actually stung19:26 – The side-saddle wizard at Cataraqui + the most painful putt in NCAA history22:09 – Bryson, Gemini AI & the future of golf coaching (genius tool or sales pitch?)28:49 – US Women's Open preview at Riviera (+ the genuinely gross origin of "waste areas")35:30 – The picks: Women's Open, the Memorial & a secret bet on the wives' round41:49 – 🎙️ MAIN EVENT: Golf Would You Rather42:30 – Bomb it 350 down the middle every time OR never miss a 10–20 footer?45:50 – Play Augusta once OR the Old Course every year for life?48:50 – One golf trip forever: Scotland OR Australia & New Zealand?51:50 – 20 PGA Tour wins OR a single major?54:45 – Know your exact number on every shot OR one do-over per round?55:50 – Caddy for every major champion for a year OR make one PGA Tour cut?58:13 – Scratch golfer forever OR a 4-handicap who can still improve?1:01:00 – Be the biggest Sunday choker ever OR completely forgotten?1:03:20 – Summer of your life then quit OR the Charles Barkley swing forever?1:05:00 – Jack Nicklaus's career OR Tiger's (money, scandals and all)?1:08:40 – Live with LIV OR erase it from golf history?1:12:07 – Wrap-up: Barry from Copetown Woods next week + Canadian Open & Kingston's own Ashton McCullough #golf #golfpodcast #wouldyourather #pgatour #uswomensopen

Is golf too expensive, or are we just soft? This week Cole and Stefan stop crying into their credit card statements long enough to actually run the numbers — and what they found is wild. From the COVID golf boom that added nearly 50 million players, to drivers that somehow cost a grand, to $83 dozens of Pro V1s, we break down exactly where your golf money is going and whether any of it is actually worth it. But first: a full recap of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, including a course that spent $1 million+ per hole and STILL got lit up for 60. We get into Wyndham Clark's win and why his post-round comments rubbed us the wrong way, and the 446-yard drive that broke our brains. Plus the Blades Brown breakout at 19 — and the brutal PGA Tour status catch-22 that comes with it. Then it's the main event. Green fees in the US vs. Canada vs. the UK & Ireland (North Berwick, Nairn, Turnberry — the numbers are insane), why the one-year driver cycle is finally cracking, the truth about Miura and direct-to-consumer irons, golf balls being the only purchase that actually makes sense, and why $5,000-a-day golf lessons exist. We even put it all in context against NFL tickets, movie nights, and ski passes. A PGA of Canada pro and a 3.5 handicap who buys too many clubs argue economics, status, and whether the bubble is about to burst. You already know the answer — but you'll enjoy getting there. #golf #golfpodcast #golfequipment #pgatour #wyndhamclark #titleist #taylormade #provi #golfcourse #sandbaggersessions ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 — Cold open: hole-in-ones, Habs vs. Leafs & a Premier League tangent02:46 — The big question: is golf too expensive?03:49 — CJ Cup Byron Nelson recap & a $1M-per-hole course design rant06:17 — Wyndham Clark's win + the Oakmont controversy he won't own09:00 — Longest drives on tour (446 yards is not real)10:23 — Blades Brown's breakout at 19 & the PGA Tour status dilemma17:11 — The brutal gap between a plus-handicap and an actual pro18:13 — Fantasy picks update + Charles Schwab Challenge picks22:29 — Scotland trip hype: Carnoustie, North Berwick & birthday golf24:22 — MAIN EVENT: Is golf too expensive?25:59 — The COVID golf boom, by the numbers29:19 — Green fees: US vs. Canada vs. UK & Ireland37:49 — Resident pricing, golf tourism & Ontario destinations41:18 — Drivers: why are they $1,000 now? (one-year vs. two-year cycles)49:00 — Grips, used clubs & the great golf price-gouge57:00 — Miura, direct-to-consumer irons & golf as a status symbol59:00 — Golf balls: the one purchase that actually makes sense1:09:00 — The truth about $5,000 golf lessons1:12:00 — Everything's expensive: NFL tickets, movies & ski passes

Aaron Rai is your 2026 PGA Champion — and we've got a LOT to talk about. Cole and Stefan break down a wild week at Aronimink, from the controversial "Diet Coke US Open" setup, to Garrick Higgo's now-infamous 1-minute late tee time that cost him the cut by a single shot, to the FootJoy rain gloves and iron headcovers heard around the world. Plus: Cole returns from the Flagstick Open at Equinelle with a tale of "Ireland-level wind," a missed 6-inch tap-in, and an honest C+ grade for his weekend. Stefan tees it up at Lookout Point in Fonthill, and we go deep on whether Rory's back on the "bitchy train," why Cam Smith is the Australian Patrick Reed, and how Eugenio Chacarra walked off a US Open qualifier playoff to catch a flight to Belgium. Throw in a Jordan Spieth pitch shot only five guys on Tour can hit, a heartwarming win on the LET (13 years after being given a 4% chance to live), Bridgestone's new black golf balls (??), Kingston's own Noah Steele Monday qualifying on PGA Tour Americas, and a full breakdown of the International Presidents Cup race where the Canadians are in trouble. Hit subscribe, leave a review, and let us know in the comments: was Higgo robbed, or were the rules just the rules? ⏱ Timestamps01:47 — Cole's weekend at the Flagstick Open at Equinelle (Kemptville, ON)05:31 — Stefan plays Lookout Point in Fonthill: tiny Royal Dornoch-style greens on the escarpment08:50 — What IS an escarpment? (For our international listeners)09:40 — PGA Championship at Aronimink — the big breakdown begins10:32 — The "Diet Coke US Open" setup debate + Data Golf's rough stats15:30 — Aaron Rai wins his first major: work ethic over natural talent?17:11 — The FootJoy rain gloves, iron headcovers, and "me and my golf" logo20:48 — "Working hard is a talent" — Stefan's takeaway21:55 — Garrick Higgo's 2-stroke penalty for a 1-minute late tee time23:00 — Cole's rant: easy to be early, impossible to be on time27:36 — Jordan Spieth's 67-yard pitch shot — "only 5 guys on Tour can hit that"29:14 — Justin Rose, JT's 65 Sunday, Rahm + Cam Smith resurface from LIV31:36 — Patrick Reed gunning for the PGA Tour card via the DP World Tour top-1032:13 — Rory kicks a fan out — is he back on the "bitchy train"?33:35 — Schedule talk: Canadian Open, Memorial, US Open, the Scottish Open question36:28 — Leonie Harm's LET win — 13 years after a drunk driver gave her a 4% chance to live37:31 — Kingston's Noah Steele Monday qualifies into PGA Tour Americas38:15 — Eugenio Chacarra leaves a US Open qualifier playoff for a DP World Tour flight40:58 — Bridgestone's new black golf balls — what are we doing here?42:46 — Picks time: Blades Brown vs. Si Woo Kim for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson45:23 — Is Corey Conners cooked? The Canadians' Presidents Cup standing47:21 — International points top 6 + Geoff Ogilvy as captain + the Snedeker playing-captain idea

The PGA Championship is here, and Aronimink is the great unknown. Cole and Stefan break down the year's second major in obsessive detail — picks, dark horses, course strategy, and whether anyone can stop Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy from making this another two-horse race. First, they recap Kristoffer Reitan's stunning underdog win at the Truist Championship — a guy ranked 1,945th in the world four years ago, suddenly a PGA Tour winner and Top 25 player. Then they debate whether Quail Hollow actually deserves major championship pedigree, dig into the Aronimink setup (Donald Ross design, the tree removal debate, par 70 at 7,394 yards), and ask the question nobody's answering: if there's "no strategy off the tee," is this really a major championship test? Plus: their PGA Championship picks, a dentist-themed analogy for Cam Young that's somehow perfect, why Brooks Koepka is quietly the most interesting man in golf, Jordan Spieth's career Grand Slam shot, Cam Young's mysterious "rollback conforming" golf ball, and a brutally honest take on what "grow the game" actually means after Graeme McDowell's regret admission and Jon Rahm's telling no-comment on his LIV decision. Cole is also playing the Flagstick Open this weekend, Stefan gave him a last-minute driver fix, and the episode wraps with a free lesson on why you should probably stop taking swing tips from Instagram. ⛳ Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to the new studio + Stefan's own swing-change update 01:30 — Listener Dan Eddy shoots his best round ever after the Breaking 80 episode 03:00 — Stefan's pre-tournament driver lesson with Cole + the Brooks Koepka quote on losing your swing 04:30 — Flagstick Open promo + why amateur tournaments are where real handicaps get exposed 06:50 — Club-slamming season: three re-shaft requests already this year 08:25 — Truist Championship recap: Kristoffer Reitan's run from 1,945th in the world to PGA Tour winner 11:00 — Does Quail Hollow actually deserve to host a major? 22:00 — Pick 'em update: Stefan's $3.5M lead heading into the second major 25:24 — PGA Championship picks revealed 27:00 — Aronimink breakdown: Donald Ross design, the rough, the side-hill lies 31:00 — The Aronimink tree-removal debate + the Augusta comparison 33:00 — Cam Young's "rollback conforming" ball — what is going on here? 35:00 — Kiawah Ocean Course war stories 36:00 — Scottie's "off year" by the numbers (spoiler: he's still No. 1 in strokes gained total) 39:00 — Rory's toenail saga + the post-Grand Slam mindset 44:00 — The Cam Young dentist analogy and why nobody remembers his wins 47:00 — Big Three or Big Four? Where does Matt Fitzpatrick fit? 49:30 — Jon Rahm's contract no-comment, Graham McDowell's regret, and "you cannot buy history" 54:00 — What does "grow the game" actually mean anymore? 55:30 — Bryson, Ludvig, Xander, Tommy — who's actually in the mix? 58:30 — Brooks Koepka as the sneaky pick + a "he just wants to win" appreciation 1:00:00 — Jordan Spieth's career Grand Slam shot + Ricky Fowler's resurgence 1:06:00 — Real dark horses: Sepp Straka, Russell Henley, Rickie Fowler 1:07:00 — Field deep-dive: how did Luke Donald get in? Plus the Canadian contingent 1:10:00 — Justin Rose's two-bag situation with McLaren irons 1:11:30 — The Michael Block redemption arc — is he in on the joke? 1:15:00 — Cole's Flagstick Open preview + a live-leaderboard call to the listeners 1:17:00 — Stefan's end-of-episode rant: please stop taking driver tips from Instagram 🎙️ Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss next week's tournament breakdown and PGA Championship recap. DM us at @SandbaggerSessions during Cole's tournament — you'll know which holes to ask about.

Cole and Stefan are back — running on minimal sleep and maximum good vibes after Cole's bachelor party weekend at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ontario. Four rounds in three days, hail, rain, snow, and a surprise appearance from their buddy James Duthie of TSN. Then it's straight into tour news, LIV Golf chaos, fantasy picks, and the main event — a full breakdown of exactly what it takes to break 90 and break 80, from a PGA of Canada golf professional. Whether you've been chasing that milestone for years or just want to shave strokes this season, this is the most practical golf improvement episode Sandbagger Sessions has ever done. 📍 Timestamps 00:00 – Bachelor party recap: 4 rounds in 3 days at Wooden Sticks, James Duthie makes an appearance, and middle-aged men asking for chapstick and massage guns04:00 – Tour news: Cam Young goes back-to-back, Stefan's fantasy picks sweep the weekend (Cam Young + Nelly Korda), and the embarrassing attendance at Doral06:30 – LPGA pay gap: Cam Young wins $3.6M, Nelly Korda wins $375K — the boys react08:30 – LIV Golf is (basically) dead: PIF pulling funding, anonymous owners calling investment "completely not viable"13:30 – Truist Championship picks18:00 – Main topic begins: Stefan breaks down what it actually takes to break 90 and break 80 (22 episodes in and we finally did this)20:00 – Breaking 90: The real theme is disaster avoidance — work your game from the green backward, stop trying to flush it27:00 – The three-putt stat that separates 90-shooters from 95-shooters, and why speed beats line every time from 30 feet31:00 – Play the right tees, give yourself a shot at the feeling of going low, and why Bryson's "breaking 50" series is actually genius practice34:00 – The driver trap: at 236-yard average carry, the guy trying to break 90 needs to stop OB'ing it, not hitting it further45:00 – Transitioning to breaking 80: why it's less different than you think, and the one thing Stefan would tell every 15-handicap today1:00:00 – Breaking 80 off the tee: pick ONE shot shape and never deviate. Dustin Johnson hits zero draws. Michael Kim draws everything. Both win on tour.1:02:00 – The speed training hack: end every range session with 30 max-effort swings — you're not trying to swing 110 on the course, you're raising your floor1:05:00 – Final summary: "Make better decisions" — from two guys who made terrible ones all weekend 🏌️ Key Takeaways for Golfers: Breaking 90 and breaking 80 aren't about ball-striking — they're about decision-making, disaster avoidance, and ego management. Stefan and Cole break down the stats, the mental game, and the specific habits that will actually move the needle on your scorecard. Subscribe for weekly episodes covering PGA Tour news, LIV Golf drama, fantasy picks, and real golf improvement content. #Golf #BreakingPar #GolfTips #SandbaggerSessions #LIVGolf #PGATour #GolfPodcast #HowToBreak90 #HowToBreak80 #GolfImprovement

Stefan has a confession. Justin Rose made a questionable decision. And we settle the debate: what ACTUALLY makes a great golf trip? Episode 21 is packed — we recap the Zurich Classic, Nelly Korda's dominant Chevron win, dig into the new Full Swing season, break down the Ryder Cup captain situation in the US, and talk about the hottest amateur in golf right now. Then we go deep on what separates a legendary golf trip from a forgettable one — and the 8 types of guys every great group needs. Oh, and Stefan picked up a free electric push cart off someone's driveway. He has thoughts. So do we. 📝 Full DescriptionStefan has a confession, and he's getting ahead of it before the rumours spiral: he picked up a free Motocaddy off someone's driveway and he might be an electric push cart guy now. Cole is not taking it well. From there, we get into a full week of golf — the Fitzpatrick brothers pull off one of the cooler wins of the season at the Zurich Classic, but we debate whether a team event should really be handing out PGA Tour cards. Nelly Korda wins her 3rd major at the Chevron Championship and looks absolutely unbeatable through 72 holes. Justin Rose decides to put McLaren golf clubs in his bag two weeks before the PGA Championship, and Stefan delivers a swift double bogey on that decision. On the Ryder Cup front, Jim Furyk has been named US captain for Adare Manor — and we don't love it. We also talk about Jackson Koiven, who according to DataGolf is now the greatest amateur since 2010, and who Stefan believes will be on the Ryder Cup team next year. Big call. We break down the new season of Full Swing, dig into the Alan Shipnuck Rory McIlroy book, and Stefan makes a compelling case that Bryson DeChambeau would be a cult leader if he wasn't good at golf. Then we get into the main event: what actually makes a great golf trip? Stefan runs through his top 5 factors (accommodations, meals, location, planning, and the group itself), Cole challenges the order, and we land on a full breakdown of the 8 personas you need in your golf trip group — the planner, the down-for-anything guy, the hidden gems guy, the games guy, the life of the party, the connector, the photo/video guy, and the overpacker. Plus the three types that will ruin a trip: the moody one, the person who can't sit in silence, and the FaceTime guy. Cole's bachelor party is this weekend at Wooden Sticks in Uxbridge. Scotland is coming. Episode 22 might include some field footage. Subscribe so you don't miss it.

Will LIV golf live? The biggest story in professional golf right now and possibly the biggest story in a number of years - and the man who broke it first is back with us. Ryan French (Monday Q Info) returns to Sandbagger Sessions to walk us through exactly how he broke the bombshell story that PIF is pulling its funding from LIV Golf, what it means for the future of the tour, and where professional golf goes from here. Ryan takes us behind the scenes: one unexpected phone call, 50+ calls to sources inside and outside of LIV, and a long conversation with his business partner before hitting send on a tweet that ended up with him on CNN, the Golf Channel and much more. He explains why he doesn't regret it - and why he was never doing it for the clicks. We also break down the weekend in golf, Hannah Green's ridiculous stretch of form, and make our Zurich Classic picks for a field so thin that Smiley Kaufman could have gotten in. Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome to Episode 201:03 – LIV bombshell teaser + Ryan French is back2:54 – Weekend recap: Matt Fitzpatrick wins in a playoff over Scottie Scheffler3:52 – Hannah Green is winning at an 80% rate in her last 5 starts5:10 – Zurich Classic field breakdown9:08 – Fantasy picks for the Zurich Classic11:35 – Ryan French joins: how tired is the man who broke golf's biggest story?13:43 – The timeline: one phone call turned into 8-10 hours of digging17:26 – What is PIF, who is MBS, and how does LIV's funding actually work?24:51 – What happened after the tweet dropped; and why the silence spoke volumes28:02 – Scott O'Neill's response, the deleted interview, and the PR disaster31:11 – The unnamed sources debate: Ryan pushes back36:56 – Vendors unpaid, players on edge - "hour by hour" inside LIV39:09 – The course correction: PGA Tour layoffs, purses coming down, and what golf actually is as a sport46:00 – Why has LIV been so divisive? Ryan gives his honest take47:10 – Ryan's prediction: what does the next 6 months look like for LIV?57:18 – Cole & Stefan react + their own predictions for player movement A big thanks to our guest, Ryan French, for coming on and being so generous with his time. Make sure you follow Monday Q Info: @caseofthegolf1 on Twitter/X Sandbagger Sessions is a golf podcast hosted by Cole Atkinson and Stefan Thedorf, a PGA of Canada golf professional. New episodes every week. #LIVGolf #RyanFrench #MondayQInfo #PIF #GolfNews #SandbaggerSessions #PGATour #GolfPodcast #LIVGolfDead #MattFitzpatrick #ZurichClassic

Rory McIlroy just went back-to-back at Augusta National — and we have THOUGHTS. On Episode 19, Cole and Stefan break down every angle of the 2026 Masters: the legendary finish, the CBS broadcast disaster, Sergio Garcia's embarrassing meltdown, LIV Golf's continued major problem, and whether Rory McIlroy is now a top-10 player of all time. Plus, we debate the Sunday pin placements, rank our favourite shots of the week (Cam Young's chip on 8 is filthy), and break down the caddying masterclass from Harry Diamond on hole 12 that helped win Rory the tournament. We also preview the RBC Heritage and make our picks. ⛳ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Intro: Stefan takes the season-long money race lead 2:02 – Masters recap begins: Birdie, Par, or Bogey for the 2026 Masters overall? 5:59 – Augusta's identity crisis: Kevin Hart, Jason Kelce & celebrities at the Par-3 Contest — is Augusta losing its mystique? 7:25 – CBS broadcast gets a TRIPLE BOGEY: bung shot tracers, missing critical moments on 18, and Ian Baker-Finch's replacement Colt Knost trying too hard? 14:18 – Course setup debate: were the Sunday pins too easy? The hole 16 pillow fight argument 18:52 – The ugly: Par fives playing too soft on Sunday — could Augusta have been tougher? 24:39 – Sergio Garcia smashes his driver into the tee deck on hole 2 and gets an official warning — Cole is DONE with Sergio 31:00 – Was Rory's Augusta practice advantage unfair? Stephen A. Smith says yes. Michael Kim and Kevin Kisner say no. We weigh in. 33:17 – Haotong Li appreciation post — and his catastrophic 10 on hole 13 36:00 – Is Jordan Spieth back? Stefan says yes (and bets $50 at 5-to-1 odds that he wins in 2026). Cole disagrees strongly. 39:00 – LIV Golf at the Masters: only Tyrrell Hatton showed up. Where was Jon Rahm? Where was Bryson? 41:00 – Bryson DeChambeau's one-length irons exposed at Augusta (again) 44:00 – Justin Rose: the "thespian" of Augusta. 46:00 – Alex Norén clutches a 50-foot putt to make the cut on Friday. Absolute gamer. 48:23 – Favourite shots of the week: Cam Young's chip on 8, Jordan Spieth from behind a bush on 10, and more 49:33 – Scottie Scheffler breakdown: his par fives cost him the green jacket — and the personal context behind a tough week 57:43 – Shot of the tournament nominees + alternate universe scenarios (Justin Rose's eagle putt, Scotty's putt on 17) 1:00:37 – Rory's tee shot on 12 on Sunday: the caddy masterclass from Harry Diamond that changed everything 1:05:00 – Full Rory McIlroy back-to-back breakdown: how did he do it and what does it mean? 1:06:35 – Is Rory the greatest European golfer of all time? Is he top 10 all time? The resume speaks for itself. 1:09:00 – How many majors does Rory McIlroy end his career with? Over or under 9.5? 1:19:27 – RBC Heritage preview: Harbor Town, shot-shapers paradise, and the boys picks. Bonus: Ryan Gerard sleeper pick. 1:24:00 – Episode 20 preview + Zurich Classic team picks incoming 📌 About the Podcast Two golf obsessives — one of them a PGA of Canada professional — break down everything happening in the golf world. We bring the knowledge, the hot takes, the debates, and enough comedy to make the commute fly by. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss Episode 20 🔔 #Masters2026 #RoryMcIlroy #Masters #PGATour #GolfPodcast #RBCHeritage #ScottieScheffler #SerioGarcia #LIVGolf #AugustaNational #GolfNews #GolfHighlights #BackToBack #HarryDiamond #BrysonDeChambeau #JustinRose