Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle discuss several topics with Ted Bishop, past Pres. of the PGA of America. Included in this jam-packed show: new entity that will be created by the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and PIF and how that affects players for Ryder Cup -- Ted explains the PGA of America's rules on that issue; the reported size of the Tour's legal fees; and much more.
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle talk with former PGA Tour player Terry Diehl about the upcoming PGA Championship, which is being played at Oak Hill in Rochester, NY, where Diehl had a junior membership.
Diehl had lessons from Claude Harmon and became friends with all the Harmon sons: the late Craig, Dick, Billy and Butch.
Who does he pick to win? It might be someone from a competing Tour!
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle find out about Neighborhood National, a way for golfers to have simulators in their garages for use by neighbors who become "club members."
Jeff Testa created the idea during the pandemic when he decided to put a simulator in his garage.
Jay Hubbard of Ace Indoor partnered with Jeff to turn his idea into a business that can work for for many locations, whether a garage, a vacant retail space, a warehouse.
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle talk to Bernard Bernacki, President of the Golf Heritage Society, and George Petro, At-Large Director of the Golf Heritage Society, about golf collectables.
Did you know about the $87,000 paid for an original snapshot of Bobby Jones
A collecting card worth $27,000
A signed book by architect Charles Blair MacDonald worth $15,000.
Van Sickle shows off his his Brandel Chamblee rookie card (worth 99 cents)
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle talk with Tom Purtzer about his miraculous Texas Wedge shot from the 13th hole bunker at Colonial CC, a great prank Larry Mize and Purtzer pulled on Van Sickle, what Purtzer thinks about the distance issue and the proposed roll-back of the golf ball, what he thinks about the LIV situation. And Purtzer reveals that he has a new career in real estate.
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle talk with Dr. Blyth Bell, historian at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, and George Petro of The Golf Heritage Society. Included:
Bobby Locke's gold medal from 1947
Silver bowl which belonged to Harry Vardon.
Dr. Bell on amateurs who won The Open Championship: John Ball, Harold Hilton, and Bobby Jones, whose win at Royal Liverpool was 2nd leg of the Grand Slam.
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle talk with Mark Russell, one of the leading experts on pace of play at PGA Tour events and golf events in general.
Russell explains exactly why play is slow.
Russell was with the PGA Tour rules staff for 40 years overseeing course set-up and making rulings on every imaginable situation found on a golf course.
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary VanSickle discuss Retro Golf with its creator Cory Crelan. Crelan offers sets of Retro Clubs, persimmon woods and blade irons plus vintage putters and wedges, for use in Retro tournaments or outings. Clubs are from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Crelan talks about how he found clubs, what he did to restore them to playable condition. For many, it's a step back to the days of the DeLorean.
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle interview Tygh Campbell, one of the owners of The Retreat at Silvies Valley Ranch, and golf course architect, Dan Hixson, who created their courses, including one 8000 yards long, the Hankins Course.
The 5th hole is super long, playing as a 680-yard par five.
The course is also reversable. They play the course the regular way and then reversed, alternating days depending on whether the day is even or odd.
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle debate:
Were The USGA & R&A were smart rein in the ball for the pros.
Should the PGA Tour and the Masters go along with the change?
Are the PGA Tour's elevated events a good idea?
Will Tiger Woods will play in an event other than majors this season?
It's Masters time, and co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle visit with Golf Collectors Bern Bernacki and Eric Lucy to discussing collecting Masters memorabilia. Lucy has badges from every Masters tournament,, many signed balls, signed photos and more.
Plastic badges from the ‘60s and ‘70s
’34 ’35 badges
What Lucy has been offered
Other collectibles: Pins, pairing sheets
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle, aka Gary Van Masters, golf whisperer, discuss:
Tiger Woods and his chances to win yet another green jacket
Brooks Koepka's rejuvenated game,
Augusta National's decision to accept a tournament ball as suggested by the USGA.
Rory and Tiger say they will play the new shorter distance ball, which guarantees that it will happen.
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle talk with Dr. Mike Sheehan one of the owners of District 1 Brewing which has created a beer for Steve Stricker called Strick 9. Poisonous name for a nice guy's beer. They debuted it at the USGA Senior Open held at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where District 1 is also located. Hear about Stricker's brew, Strick 9, how it happened, what the label and cans look like, and how you can get some!
Cohosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle discuss the USGA & R&A decision to restrict golf ball distance.
How does it affect majors?
How does it affect PGA Tour events?
Will club manufacturers adjust their drivers or shafts or club faces to get the distance back?
Will there be law suits?
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van Sickle interview Andrew Georgiou, creator of Golf Played a FREE app that lets golfers keep track of the courses they have played, hence the name.
Van Sickle has played nearly 1500, but he's behind the leader in the clubhouse, a golfer from South Carolina who has teed it up at more than 2000 tracks.
Co-hosts Kathy Bissell and Gary VanSickle find out about the special historic collection at Merion Golf Club from John Capers III, club historian, and learn how George Perto , at large director of the Golf Heritage Society, found his collecting dreams come true with golf. We see some of George's U.S. Open medal collectibles from 1955 when Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan. And much more.
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Cohosts Kathy Bissell and Gary Van SIckle discuss Michael Bamberger's latest book, The Ball in The Air which follows how golf weaves in and out of the lives of three amateur golfers.
The discussion ranged from the recent Masters, whether Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth or Jon Rahm will be most likely to win the next major or the next grand slam.