Chasing Pars Golf Podcast

(Ep 141) The 152nd Open Championship (with Joe Idone)

After a sweet homecoming win at The Renaissance Club for Robert MacIntyre in dramatic fashion draining a 22ft birdie put on the 72nd to win his home Open and jump to a career high of 16th in the OWGR! It was a truly monumental day for Scotland!
 
We are at the final Major Championship of the year on the men's side for the most prestigious Championship in all of Golf for the right to be called 'The Champion Golfer of The Year' its the 152nd edition of The Open Championship at Royal Troon as we return to the Ayrshire Links for the first time in 8 years after the historic dual of 2016 between Henrik Stenson & Phil Mickelson who completed lapped the field that week as the Swede became a Major Champion for the first time! This pristine links has added an extra 190+ yards since 2016 and will play as 7,350 yards Par 71. You will need to have everything working as you navigate this testing golf course! 
I was joined by Joe Idone (@TourPicks) on X as we breakdown Royal Troon and who the contenders this week might be after Brian Harman's rout of Royal Liverpool last July! We have a strong hand of selections this week. Scottie Scheffler returns having missed Scottish Open last week while we all have out say on Rory, Xander, Bryson, Morikawa & Ludvig! Joe is one of the most respected names in the Golf Content Industry and done a really good job here of providing good information! Could we see an 11th different name in a row on the Claret Jug in what has definitely been the most unpredictable Major of the 4!
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Thanks

(Ep 140) Amundi Evian Championship (with Ryan Ballengee)

We have reached the summer and the peak of the beautiful game! This week we are back in Evian-les-Bains, Haute Savoie by Lake Geneva for the 4th Major of the Year for the Major that by fellow pros still gets a lot of slander for its suitability to host a biggie. It's Evian week! One of the most beautiful places on earth with picturesque views of Lake Geneva but a very hilly and tricky Golf course at Evian Resort!
I am joined by Ryan Ballengee of Golf News Net to go over everything you need for the Major that was absolutely dominated last year by Celine Boutier who won by 6 shots to Brooke Henderson in the end! We go over the board from with our views on the top with World Number 1 Nelly Korda returning from a freak dog bite injury this week! Myself & Ryan give our views on who we like & who we are swerving this week with Craig really keen on a new Thai Major winner. We also call some mid range shouts and some long shots! It should be a good event!
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Enjoy! 

(Ep 139) Lauren Coughlin

In this latest Player Interview I am joined by LPGA Tour player & current World Rank Number 56 Lauren Coughlin as we talk through her stellar start to 2024 with 3 Top 10's and 8 Top 25's amassed already including a LPGA career best finish of T3rd at the first Major of the year at Chevron Championship where Lauren was First Round Leader after shooting a 66! She's followed that performance at Chevron with a T8th at Ford Championship and T9th at LPGA ShopRite Classic. We find out how she has found more consistency within her game at the top level which she puts down to improvement with the Putting all year! 
Lauren is a 3x Virginia Amateur Champion & won the 2016 ACC Individual title in College at University of Arizona where she has resided since 10 years old! Lauren turned professional in 2016 starting off on the Symetra Tour (Epson) with not much success at the start but things changed in 2018 after winning a LPGA Tour Card at LPGA Final Quali Tournament finishing T7th to gain status on Tour, while making a cross over back to the Symetra Tour Lauren would win the 2018 PHC Classic by a shot to Dottie Ardina as a result Lauren would make her Major Championship debut appareance at Evian Championship! 
We also talk about last week's Dow Championship pairs event with Bailey Tardy, Lauren's hopes of representing Team USA at Solheim Cup this year in her home state, find out why she is massively looking forward to AiG Womens Open at St Andrews in August! Lauren is also sponsored by the guys from No Laying Up Podcast after the opportunity arisen in 2019!
A brilliant chat with a down to earth lovely person. Thanks Lauren!
I hope you enjoy this great episode! 
 
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(Ep 138 KPMG PGA Championship (with TerrordactylGB)

After an unbelievable US Open at Pinehurst #2 which seen Bryson DeChambeau play the bunker shot of his life to 4 foot to become a 2x US Open Champion at the expense of Rory McIlroy who yet again let another Major Championship slip away missing 2 3 footers in the last 3 holes, that is now 21 Top 10s in Majors since 2014 for Rory will he win one again?
In this episode I am joined by Kevin (@TerrordactylGB on Twitter) to deep dive through a sublime golf course this week at Sahalee Country Club in Washington for this week's 3rd Major of the Year on the LPGA for KPMG PGA Championship where Ruoning Yin won at a tough Baltusrol last year! This Ted Robinson/Rees Jones beauty is a tough test with many large trees surrounding the property and mega narrow Fairways pinning more on Driving Accuracy & Off the Tee. We discuss the favourites, fades & go over our picks for this week's test in Washington!
Thanks to Kevin for taking time out to come on!
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(Ep 137) US Open Championship (with Chris Callow)

It's the 3rd Major of the Year this week for the US Open Championship at the iconic Pinehurst Number 2! This truly great Donald Ross design measuring 7,500 yards with a Par 70 this week is a true brute of a Golf Course with absolutely lightning fast Greens for this week set for Pinehurst. Craig & Chris Callow @shallowcalgolf deep dive into the odds board where we discuss who can potentially put in the greatest threat to the Undeniable Best Player in Planet Golf in Scottie Scheffler! Could we see a shock winner this week or will it be a formality for the Number 1 player?
Find out who we like and dislike for this week for a proper classical US Open! This should be phenomenal
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(Ep 136) The US Women's Open (with Scott Mader)

We have arrived at the 2nd Major of the year in the Women's game this week as the players head to Pennsylvania for the 79th US Women's Open at the fantastic Lancaster Country Club! It is the 2nd time that the US Women's Open has been hosted at this William Flynn classic design where it hosted the tournament in 2015 where a 20 year old In Gee Chun would win the first of her 3 Majors and maintains a special affiliation with Lancaster! 
With Nelly Korda winning 6 out of her last 8 events including the first major of the year at Chevron beating Maja Stark it is easy to see how it could take a mammoth effort to stop Nelly winning another major and making it 7 wins in 9 but we are here to guide you through some of the best other players! 
Craig is joined by Scott Mader (@BJays 129) on Twitter to discuss who can mount a serious challenge to Nelly in Pennsylvania this week on a course that demands high Greens in Reg/Par 4 Scoring/Approach/Driving Acc with multiple elevation changes, angles of shots/tiny greens & Conestoga River flowing through the course, this US Open should be an interesting viewing to see who can mastermind a strategy of such a stern test. Who has the patience to win a US Women's Open title? 
Thanks to Scott for coming on with me to chat who we fancybwith a couple of regular plays in both cards! 
 
I'd like to say if you are struggling with anything related to Mental Health please reach out to someone it will make the world of good! I hope Grayson Murray had found inner peace, a truly tragic story! R.I.P Grayson Murray!
Listen in & Download via Podbean, Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Thanks a million! Enjoy!

(Ep 135) Soudal Open & Charles Schwab Challenge (with GolfNutter3)

In what was a pretty unforgettable PGA Championship at Valhalla for the good & all of the bad reasons it was Xander Schauffele who had ice in his veins to win a first major title at a record setting -21 to defeat a fired up Bryson DeChambeau by a shot to claim The Wanamaker Trophy while on the LPGA Tour Nelly Korda made it 6 wins from last 7 starts by beating Hannah Green by a shot at Liberty National for Mizuho Americas Open an event that seen no more than 10 withdrawals last week.
In this episode I am joined by Nigel (@GolfNutter3) on X (Twitter) to discuss the fall outfrom Kentucky, we talk Scheffler arrest as well as talk the first event of the European Swing on DP World Tour at Rinkven International in Antwerp for Soudal Open where Jordan Smith & Adrian Otaegui Open up as joint favourites while in Texas on the PGA Tour we are at Colonial for Charles Schwab Challenge where Emiliano Grillo won at -8 in a Playoff. Scottie Scheffler is the 3/1 favourite with Collin Morikawa 14/1 2nd favourite. Listen in to see wo we both facy for the week this week!
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(Ep 134) PGA Championship & Mizuho Americas Open (with ShallowCal)

Hello & welcome to the 2nd Major Championship of the year for PGA Championship at Valhalla where we have an enthralling Major to look forward to with the 3 Golfing juggernauts of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy & Brooks Koepka all coming into this year's PGA Championship with a victory! We also have the generational talent Ludvig Åberg, the ever consistent Xander Schauffele & 2x Major Champion Jon Rahm looking to topple the mighty trio! 
I was joined by a friend of the show this week in Chris Callow (@shallowcalgolf) to give a detailed preview on what to expect at Valhalla this week while we give our thoughts and opinions on some of the best of the rest while in agreement with a couple of picks! Valhalla is a big boy very long golf course which should favour the bigger hitters but take that with a pinch of salt. 
On the LPGA Tour this week in the midst of an epic Rose Zhang/Madelene Sagstrom dual last week at Founders Cup where they were both 13 & 15 shots ahead of 3rd place Gabi Ruffels, the players are back for the 2nd year of Mizuho Americas Open at the epic Liberty National Golf Club. Craig dives over some of the information & has 5 picks this week while feeling fairly confident on an elite South Korean to go mighty close! 
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(Ep 133) ISPS Handa Championship - Japan

We are back this week to chat ISPS Handa Championship at Taiheiyo (Gotemba) course with the picturesque Mount Fuji in the backdrop as the DP World Tour returns after a break. We discuss the domination of the 2 World Number 1's Scottie Scheffler & Nelly Korda who have won 9 of their last 10 events together including 2 Majors in that time with Stephan Jaeger being the only player to win in that sequence in Texas.
Craig also has a bit of a discussion about the direct lack of coverage on the LPGA Tour recently even with a Major Championship last week at the Chevron Champs. 
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(Ep 132) Sophie Walker (LET)

In this episode I am joined by former Ladies European Tour pro & current LET co-commentator for Sky Sports Golf Sophie Walker!
We chat about Nelly Korda's dominance, the disappointing lack of LPGA Coverage, Lottie Woad's win at Augusta and what to expect from Lottie, Sophie's journey into the game and find out how she got into the role commentating on the LET alongside veteran broadcaster Richard Kaufman. 
With it being Masters week at Augusta this week & the first major of the year in the Women's game next week at Chevron Champs we discuss who could go well for them.
Sophie was a great guest & I enjoyed chatting with her! Hopefully have her back on the pod at another point into time! 
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