276: LIV’s 72-hole pivot, DP World Tour crossroads, and Smylie’s dad-back disaster

Before Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme get to golf’s biggest news of the past week - LIV Golf moving from 54 to 72 holes - we begin by detailing Smylie’s brutal onset of “dad back” that left him crawling around the house. Charlie then recounts his cathartic return to golf at Hidden Creek - from a rain-soaked finish to a well-deserved steam shower. From there, the guys dig into LIV’s move to 72-hole events: does it help majors performance, OWGR hopes, or brand identity? They hit fan reactions, Rory’s take, player pathways, and why 72 holes might help some stars while blurring what made LIV different. In the back half of the episode, they tackle the DP World Tour dilemma: Rahm and Hatton’s appeals, Ryder Cup eligibility, the PGA Tour partnership, TV product realities, and whether “home games,” nations, or mixed-gender teams could make team golf click. Chapters: 00:00 On the road; off-season check-in 00:28 “Dad-back” hits: stairs, stroller, and full-body spasms 04:59 Crawling the house, bathroom saga, and the recovery plan 07:24 Dry needling, PT, and week-to-week swing timeline 07:50 Hidden Creek trip: first rounds back after surgery 09:51 Birdies in a downpour, finishing 18, and the steam-shower reward 12:50 News segue: DP World Tour wrap, Ben Griffin’s win, LIV headlines 13:31 Main topic: LIV moves from 54 to 72—first reactions 14:16 OWGR reality vs format; the closed-shop and pathways problem 15:38 Preparing for majors versus blurring LIV’s brand identity 17:02 Rory’s comments and field-strength implications 18:05 What would actually move the needle: tee times, relegation, field size 18:49 Why 54 could create different winners vs 72’s “truer” leaderboard 19:29 Shotgun starts, sleeping on leads, and pressure differences 21:22 Everyone backtracks sometimes: gear, coaches, and sports takes 25:06 “54” spin vs holes played; player-lens view on 72 vs 54 26:21 The game-within-the-game over 72 holes; form building before majors 27:16 Major-exemption math and why results at the majors are the judge 33:13 Expectation-setting for LIV at the Masters and beyond 34:19 Shift to DP World Tour: Rahm/Hatton appeals, fines, and Ryder Cup stakes 35:36 DPWT’s position in the ecosystem: partner with PGA Tour or pivot toward LIV? 40:03 Funding realities, TV product challenges, and sustainability questions 41:12 What if DPWT had been the Saudi-backed “strong international tour”? 42:42 US TV windows vs international schedules; business trade-offs 45:20 Team-golf ideas: legends + current pros + LPGA, or nations-based squads 46:47 Nations/home-game model and why fans might care more 47:35 Make it a fun product, not an OWGR product; formats beyond 72-hole stroke play 50:05 Borrowing from what works in modern golf content without breaking broadcast logic 51:26 Tape delay vs betting/live; what matters for engagement and sponsors 53:14 Bottom line: does the 72-hole shift simply aim at better major results? 53:41 Has LIV created a star? Tom McKibbin as a possible homegrown example 55:16 DPWT cards via top-10 pathway; late-season stakes and names to watch (closing) #Golf #SmylieShow #LIVGolf #PGATour #DPWorldTour #OWGR #RyderCup #JonRahm #TyrrellHatton #HiddenCreek #GolfPodcast