Episode 32 lands the week after the Presidents Cup, and Mike Hicks is back for two segments to sort through what happened at Medinah.
Mike, Payne Stewart's former caddie of 11 years, goes through the United States' comeback from three points down, the 1999 Ryder Cup memories it stirred up, and what actually decided the week. In segment three, Emily Nowak steps in to host while Jeff recaps the Golfers Unite Creator Cup at Tamarack Resort in Idaho.
Here's what went down on Episode 32.
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Caddie's Corner: The Presidents Cup Comeback, 1999 Memories & Cantlay's 57-Footer
Last week Mike previewed Medinah. This week the Cup is over, and the U.S. got there the hard way: down three points going into Sunday, then a 17 to 13 win.
That sent Mike back to the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline, when the Americans overcame a Sunday deficit. He was in the player lounge Saturday night while Phil Mickelson helped fill out the lineup card and stack the early matches, and on Sunday he was in the 17th fairway behind Justin Leonard when the winning putt dropped. Miss it, Mike says, and it haunts you for life.
Alternate shot is an easy format for a caddie. If your player isn't hitting, you wait in the fairway. Mike remembers The Belfry in 1989, paired with Raymond Floyd, who all but caddied for Payne around the course by telling him to paint the picture. This year the International side swept the foursomes 5 to 0.
Jeff brings up Windham Clark, who played well statistically and finished 1-4. Mike's answer is simple: Clark and his partner missed every putt. Three rookies, Chris Gotterup and Min Woo Lee among them, held up fine, and Mike explains why the first tee at a Ryder Cup is a different kind of pressure again.
Then Patrick Cantlay's 57-footer on 16 on Sunday. Mike says Cantlay was a captain's pick because of his putting form late in the year, and describes a tough break that trickled in on the final roll, with Adam Scott leaning on his broomstick putter in disbelief.
They close on sportsmanship: Payne conceding Colin Montgomerie's putt on 18 at Brookline after a day of heckling, and why caddies report unruly fans to security instead of confronting them.
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Caddie's Corner: Presidents Cup Debrief — Captains, Fatigue & the Ryder Cup Plan
Part two is the debrief. Mike's read is that the International side played well in the team formats, sharing green reads, then struggled to read and hole putts in Sunday singles.
His fix is one the U.S. could steal: let players help each other read putts instead of leaning only on caddies, because more perspectives make better reads. He'd also like to see earlier team prep before the Ryder Cup, getting contenders together in June to play matches.
On captains, Mike is blunt: they don't hit shots. Execution decides it. Then fatigue. Players who went all five matches, Ryan Fox and Hideki Matsuyama among them, ran out of gas by Sunday, which showed up in errors like Matsuyama's chips against Collin Morikawa.
Jeff and Mike also go through the numbers. Windham Clark posted the third-best strokes gained of the week and still went 1-4. Tom Kim picked up points. And then the Justin Thomas question: a great clubhouse presence, but do recent stats justify the repeat selections? Mike shares a 1994 precedent, when Curtis Strange weighed declining a pick at Oak Hill because his game was off.
Mike takes charity outings, corporate events, special occasions and speaking engagements. Details at mikehicksgolf.com.
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Guest Segment: The Golfers Unite Creator Cup at Tamarack & the Family Cup Plan
With Jeff fresh off the trip, Emily Nowak hosts this one while he recaps the Golfers Unite Creator Cup at Tamarack Resort, north of Boise, Idaho.
Twenty-eight golfers filled every spot, traveling from as far as Toronto, Virginia and Tampa. Jeff explains how it came together with Richie from the Tamarack family and Brennan Pines, who handled marketing, landing pages and social. Players got preview rounds Thursday and block tee times Friday, with 16 competing for the cup on handicaps calculated in Golf Genius.
Then the golf. Jeff finished third or fourth in net, and the winning low net was around even or plus one. Mountain golf bites: balls flying 10 to 15 yards farther, greens running at a 13 stimp, and slope optical illusions that produced a lot of three-putts.
What's next: the Family Cup, back at Tamarack July 22 to 24, 2027, with ziplining, hiking, boating and a kids' contest. Also on the radar: a possible Thanksgiving event with Ben and his golf simulator Discord community, and a gathering at Jeff's home club around the PGA Show in Orlando.
And a walkthrough of Golfers Unite 2.0: The Hookup for partner and non-partner deals from brands like Pinned Golf, Payne Stewart apparel and Seed Golf, The Down Low for verified course rates across America, and The Read for curated tour and equipment content.
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At Golfers Unite
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