The Golf Insiders

09/26/2012 The Golf Insiders

Host Holly G and Rich Bianco are in the studio on the eve of the Ryder Cup.

Bob Harig from ESPN.com calls in from Medinah to talk about the atmosphere surrounding the Ryder Cup. A lot of people are there on Tuesday and Wednesday have shown up in droves to pack the stands and line the fairways to watch practice.

Holly and Bob talk about the fact that a lot of the European players are widely known in the U.S. due to the fact that some live here in the U.S. or just their notoriety on the Tour. Bob discusses that in the past the U.S. players have been unable to make key putts against their opponents.

Rich and Bob also talk about the idiosyncrasies of best ball and four ball that shows up in Ryder Cup competition. Your style of play changes depending upon your partner. You have to know your partner well and be able to hit shots when you need to. Bob feels that the key comes down to putting. The team that does that the best wins.

Brian Hewitt from Global Golf Post calls in from Medinah to talk about the Ryder Cup. Brian lived 30 years in the Chicago area and knows the courses well. Bob also talks about how many fans have shown up so early to support the competition.  It’s like the World Series and Super Bowl put together. Bob talks about Davis Love III’s approach with the team. The rough at Medinah Number 3 is almost like no rough at all the way that Davis Love has set up the course to “favor” the Americans. Two most important players Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods that need to play well. The main characteristic that both of them benefit from is no rough like Augusta where both have played well. Brian feels that players with the best Ryder Cup records are on the other side playing for the best are on the European side.

Jeff Shain, Orlando Sentinel, calls in from Medinah to talk about the pairings for the Ryder Cup and how that will affect each team. Jeff feels that the infusion of young players on the U.S. will help bring energy to that team. Holly and Jeff talk about possible weak links on the European team. Kaymer’s game has dropped off going from number 1 in the world and dropping out of the Top 20. Jeff feels that Nicloas Colsaerts will help the European Team. The trio also talks about the presence of the late Seve Ballesteros will be at the first Ryder Cup since his passing. Jeff points out that anyone with a hot putter has a chance to be a hero at the Ryder Cup.

09/19/2012 The Golf Insiders

Holly G and Rich B are in the studio talking all things golf. They kick off the show talking about the Tour Championship with Bob Harig, ESPN.com. A lot of different possibilities, except for the top 5 in the standings. If McIlroy, Tiger, Watney, Mickelson or Snedeker wins, then they would win the FedEx Cup. Holly G and Bob talk about how all of the members of the Ryder Cup team are at the Tour Championship.  Bob makes the point that players who are competing in the Ryder Cup tee off on Friday with the same pressure as you would have if you were in a final Sunday. If you are in a Sunday final, you played well enough on the first three days to get into the final. For the Ryder Cup, you start off with that pressure. The three talk about the Tiger vs. Rory rivalry and if Tiger feels any intimidation. Bob likes Phil to win the FedEx Cup. He feels that Phil is playing really well right now and has played well in Atlanta. Holly and Rich are joined by Marty Perlmutter, President of the Leaderboard of Miami, to talk about an upcoming charity golf tournament to benefit the Greater Orlando Children's Miracle Network. The 10th Annual McLane Foodservice Golf Tournament will be Sept 29 at Falcon's Fire. Register at www.mclanecharitygolftournament.net or show up at 7:30 a.m. for an 8:30 tee off. $150 per person. The golf tournament annually raises money for the Children's Miracle Network and the Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando. The scramble golf tournament will include a skills challenge for all players, a live auction, helicopter ball drop and a couple of unique on-course games. Jeff Shain, Orlando Sentinel, calls in from East Lake to talk to the Golf Insiders about the course in Atlanta and the transformation of the area. Jeff also talks about the potential possibilities for any of the 30 participants. Jeff also talks to Holly about the Women's Open Championship and how well Paula Creamer and Jiyai Shin have played the past couple weeks. Shin won and Creamer finished 3rd. The two had played the week before in a 9 hole playoff that Shin won on Monday. Todd Lewis calls in to wrap up the show. Holly and Todd talk about the Freddy Couples being selected to the Hall of Fame and Steve Stricker named 2012 Payne Stewart Award recipient at East Lake. Todd likes Luke Donald.

08/29/12 The Golf Insiders

Rich Bianco is in the studio with special guest Peter Kessler, "The Voice of Golf". The show is joined in progress as the two are talking about Watney's success and the FedEx Cup playoffs. Bob Harig, ESPN.com, calls in to join the discussion about the FedEx Cup Playoffs with Rich and Peter. Bob's point is that Nick Watney is taking advantage of his win at the Barclays, the only win this season. His best finish prior to that was 8th, but now he is right there in the mix with all the golfers who have played well all year. Fair or not? That's the way the FedEx Cup is set up for now. Bob also brings up the point if people are expecting too much of Tiger with all that he has been through?  His age, his injuries, his personal life. He is back to second in the standings and if you take away the name Tiger Woods, everyone else would be a major success story. Rich B and Bob talked about the upcoming Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, Norton, Mass. Adam Scott is Bob Harig's pick. Todd Lewis, The Golf Channel, calls in to talk about the Ryder Cup and Europe's team. The duo talks about Gary Woodland's success last year and didn't qualify for the Top 125 this year as he has been battling injuries. Todd feels that he will get healthy and come back strong in 2013. Todd talks about the Deutsche Bank Championship and how it differs from Beth Page and it may be the easiest course of the four in the FedEx Cup Playoffs this year. Jeff Shain, Orlando Sentinel, calls in to talk to the duo about the LPGA and the Tour's youngest winner, 15 year old Lidia Ko from New Zealand who was born is South Korea. Peter brings up the point that Suzanne Petterson has not dominated the Tour like one would think she could with all of her abilities. Jeff also talks about Watney's success and the rest of the FedEx Cup. Chris King, communications director for marketing cooperative Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, calls in from the World Golf Amateur's 19th Hole to wrap up the show and update the status of the weather and how the tournament has been going at the tournament. The 29th Annual Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship features approximately 3,100 players.

08/22/2012 The Golf Insiders

Holly G s in the studio with Rich B and special guest Phillip Jaffe, PGA Member/Teaching Professional and Designer of Palmbird Putter Grips. The duo talks about Sergio Garcia's Monday finish with his new caddy. Bob Harig, ESPN.com, calls in and talks about Sergio Garcia's long overdue win at the Wyndham Championship. Bob had actually picked Sergio to win. The trio also talk about the upcoming Ryder Cup selections for Davis Love III. Furyk, Stricker, and maybe Hunter Mahan and Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler or Brandt Snedeker. Bob also talks about the FedEx Cup Playoffs and how it keeps the top players around after the PGA Championship whereas before the FedEx Cup, players were very sporadic where they played or if they even played the rest of the year. Bob and Holly also talk about how they might improve the FedEx Cup playoffs so that it is a lot easy to understand.  Bob says its hard for the players to know where they stand let alone the fans know who is winning. Holly and Rich B talk about the upcoming World Amateur Handicap Golf Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C. with Chris King. More than 3,000 golfers from all 50 states and more than 20 foreign countries vie to become world champion. The largest and most fun-filled amateur golf tournament on the planet was first played back in 1984 with 684 participants. The tournament is played on approximately 60 different Myrtle Beach area courses, including several Top 100 public layouts, and each flight plays a different course each day. www.worldamgolf.com Phillip Jaffe, PGA Member/Teaching Professional and Designer of Palmbird Putter Grips keeps the club head online and helps you make a lot of short putts. It is designed after the bird of paradise flower. The PalmBird’s Design, covers a larger surface area in your palms, which allows the putting stroke to be initiated from the shoulders instead of the hands and wrists and is naturally back weighted. Jeff Shain, Orlando Sentinel, calls in to talk to Rich B and Holly G about Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore being accepted as members at Augusta National.  Jeff talks with the team about the two-year vetting process to get accepted as a member.  Jeff also gives his thoughts about The Barclays and the rest of the Playoffs for the FedEx Cup. Holly will be at the World Am in Myrtle Beach doing the Golf Insiders Show.