Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Sony Open in Hawaii Special | Pull Hook Golf Podcast

On this episode of the Pull Hook Golf podcast, host Matt Cook and guest Shaun Clark discuss the recent Sentry Tournament and the upcoming Sony Open in Hawaii. They also talk about the performance of Jordan Spieth, who won rookie of the year on the PGA Tour, and the latest news on Tiger Woods parting ways with Nike after 27 years. As always the show ends with the latest LIV Golf News. **Key Takeaways:** - Chris Kirk's victory at The Sentry Tournament was a great comeback story after giving up alcohol. - Sahith Theegala had an impressive performance, finishing second in the tournament. - Jordan Spieth showed signs of improvement but struggled with his short game. - The windy conditions at the Sony Open in Hawaii will be a challenge for the players. - Brian Harmon and JJ Spawn are two players to watch in the tournament. - Greg Norman believes that LIV Golf and the PGA Tour could have coexisted from the beginning. **About The Guest(s):** Shaun Clark is a PGA professional from St. Andrews, Scotland. He has a background in high-end men's fashion and is a diehard Tiger Woods fan. **Listeners:** Get 25% off at Swannies.co by using promo code PullHookGolf25 at checkout. 0:00:00 - Introduction to the episode and guest, Shaun Clark 0:02:10 - Recap of The Sentry Tournament 0:04:57 - Discussion about Jordan Spieth's performance and potential for the year 0:08:08 - Mention of Molinari's decline after the Masters 0:09:50 - Speculation on whether Spieth will use his performance as motivation 0:10:48 - Mention of announcer botching Sahith Theegala's name 0:11:47 - Acknowledgement of potential mispronunciations on the show 0:13:00 - Desire to be a golf broadcaster and inject young talent 0:14:46 - Nervousness of Kevin Kisner in his broadcasting debut 0:16:39 - Sungjae Im breaks PGA Tour record for birdies 0:18:12 - Max Homa's impressive 477-yard drive 0:19:40 - Golf ball factory explosion in China 0:21:15 - Titleist's involvement in including amateurs in golf ball discussions 0:22:42 - Leaderboard rundown of The Sentry Tournament 0:23:43 - Jason Day's performance and mention of Xander Schauffele 0:24:06 - Mention of Straka, Cantlay, Hadwin, and Tyrrell Hatton 0:24:18 - Recap of a Hatton's hilarious negative post-round interview 0:25:15 - Impressed by golfer Akshay Bhatia 0:25:53 - Discussion about golfer Viktor Hovland 0:26:18 - Positive opinions about golfer Kevin Kisner in the booth 0:27:11 - Kevin Kisner playing in the upcoming Sony Open 0:28:02 - Mention of the Monday qualifier for the Sony Open 0:29:54 - Description of the Waialae Country Club and its windy conditions 0:31:14 - Personal preference for playing golf in the wind 0:32:53 - Notable golfers in the field for the Sony Open 0:35:15 - Discussion about players participating in the Sony Open 0:36:14 - Mention of last year's winner, Si Woo Kim 0:38:02 - Dislike for Signature events and impact on fan favorites 0:39:16 - Predictions for this week's tournament and players to watch 0:42:22 - Introduction to the Swannies Style Segment 0:45:11 - Opinion on Jason Day's pants 0:46:57 - Discussion on betting and favorite players for the week 0:47:55 - Comparison of golf to tennis and the focus on majors 0:48:29 - Mention of Ludvig Åberg and expectations for his performance 0:49:07 - Penny Bets 0:50:10 - Discussion on birdie fest tournaments 0:51:48 - Waffle House hat and Xander's new apparel 0:54:12 - Tiger Woods and Nike part ways after 27 years 0:57:42 - Nike's golf division and Tiger's impact on apparel 0:58:39 - Twitter reply about Matthew Wolff leaving Nike 1:00:04 - Ownership of TW logo and future plans for Tiger 1:01:12 - Shaun's encounter with Swannies' logo in Key West 1:02:43 - Surprise and confusion over PGA Tour Rookie of the Year 1:06:09 - Mention of Jersey Jerry's simulator hole-in-one 1:07:54 - Debate on whether simulator hole-in-ones should count 1:09:59 - Shaun Clark's two real hole-in-ones 1:12:57 - Shaun and Matt discuss their recent golf experiences and hole-in-ones 1:15:45 - They talk about Rory McIlroy's changing stance on LIV Golf 1:16:31 - Shaun expresses skepticism about Rory's flip-flopping 1:17:29 - Matt suggests there may be undisclosed factors influencing Rory's decision 1:18:58 - Phil Mickelson defends Rory and hopes he joins LIV Golf 1:19:59 - Pat Perez's divorce and personal struggles are discussed 1:22:13 - Matt wishes the best for Pat and mentions Greg Norman's interview 1:23:27 - Greg Norman praises LIV Golf's business model 1:24:20 - Norman suggests LIV Golf and PGA Tour could have coexisted 1:25:30 - Shaun believes Norman's reputation hindered potential collaboration 1:26:26 - Yassir's refusal to remove Greg Norman from PGA Tour dealings 1:27:07 - Call for authenticity and transparency in LIV Golf events 1:28:11 - Countdown to first LIV Golf event, Jon Rahm still without a team 1:29:32 - International fans of LIV Golf, particularly in Australia 1:29:37 - Limited viewership of LIV Golf, mostly through social media clips