With Tour's future in focus, is Kapalua the best way to kick off the year? | Golf Channel Podcast

[@indiesludge]

Thank you guys as always! I listen every show

[@golfbbqandwatches]

I look forward to Kapalua every year. There needs to be incentive for the best players to go, or else none of them will make the long journey. It’s a stunning course that I’d love to play one day. It also works well for live viewing in Australia, we can watch live from about 10am on the east coast Friday to Monday. Love the Sony Open too. Ready to see Rory open is season in Dubai, Rolex Series events on DPWT are awesome!

[@wbwright79]

i think the Sentry on Maui is perfect; i'd love to play that course. Hideki is a modern day warrior who just cut down the best of what remains the PGA tour. i don't usually have recency bias, but if he putts very good at Augusta, look out.

[@Oahugolfguy]

Yes Kapalua a great start. There are very few places that would be a better start. It is unfortunate there is never much wind in early January in Hawaii. Considering the lack of wind that time of year they should find creative ways to toughen up the course -such as pinch in rough like the euros like to do for the Ryder cup. But if there is going to be guys pushing 40 under it makes sense it happen at this event designed for the best on the Tour to get a fun dreamy start to the season. The pga tour needs a lot of things to change but Kapalua is still one of the bright spots. Tiger and Phil snubbed it but for the most part guys love to play it. I am baffled how many guys choose not to play Sony the following week. It’s such a nice combo Kapalua and Waialae.

[@shankedit65]

Make a knock out event 80 start, day 1 cut to 60, day 2 40 final round top 20 only. The final round obviously shortened time wise to fit in around the football. Top 20 ensures enough stars make the final day.

[@dovejones5598]

Omg - you’ve been 37 birdies when I’ve played with you 😃

[@josephboza7448]

Update since this was recorded Scottie Schieffler posted a statement on his instagram where he has w/d from the American Express. Now he is hoping Pebble Beach. If he isnt at Pebble Beach that tells me this was a bad cut he did. I think he shouldnt be back till Florida swing.

[@storybookgolf436]

Lav: not a true test of golf Also Lav: drop the 72 holes, skills competition 😂

[@ryanlavnerGC]

not a true test of golf ... for what it's designed to be. which is a big-money, important signature event that brings the best players together. big difference imo!

[@storybookgolf436]

I agree. I’m just giving you a hard time. And I would actually love a skills competition and believe most others would too. Love the pod. Keep up the great work.

[@josephboza7448]

My question, Should the Sentry not be hosted at Kapualh? Smylie Kaufman said it on his podcast the Smylie show that this course needs wind in order for it to be defensive. Round 1 had a average of -2 with 15-25 mph winds. Otherwise -5 rest of the way. If this tournament was to be moved what other course could host it?

[@squidlesfiddles]

Kapalua is an absolute classic course, we don't need this event to be anywhere else. Why is -35 bad to you? Hideki and Colin were ABSOLUTELY COOKING! Enjoy good golf and stop crying for change

[@josephboza7448]

@@squidlesfiddles -35 aint bad to me. I was asking cause Lav wasnt a fan of -35. Hideki and Collin were defently cooking. They look in here for questions.

[@Oahugolfguy]

Problem is every year sentry and sony weeks tend to be windless for a long time now.

[@josephboza7448]

@@Oahugolfguy I agree. I was just asking it as a hypothetical question cause sometimes Rex and Lav will take questions from here as a segment for the show.

[@ANTPS32CREWCHIEF]

If this had been a LIV event we'd be bombed with "Rahm shot -35 and is the greatest golfer in the galaxy!" I just read that Morikawa fired his swing coach and is going "Full Hovland".

[@shankedit65]

I have no problem with the score for a season opener, you still have to hit the shots and make the putts. Riviera is the 1st proper test of the season, we all know that.

[@nickmclean9401]

Torrey South?

[@shankedit65]

@nickmclean9401 yeah and pebble but it's a pro am so not set up how they can be if you get my drift

[@brianmccloskey6451]

Please please please...PGA Tour...do NOT listen to Lav. A skills competition???? Who cares what the final score in Kapalua was, Hideki simply played some spectacular golf. Was it entertaining? Personally I'm fine with this as an opening event. With the monster NFL still in full swing, January golf is never going to attract a big audience. Rex is right: keep it as is with possibly a few minor tweaks. But for goodness sakes don't start gimmicking up the works with some bogus skills competition.

[@PhoenixLefty]

The NHL regular season champion (first overall 32 teams) wins The President’s Cup..then The Playoffs start! There are no byes but higher ranking teams in every series get home ice advantage in a up to 7 game series…so 16 teams make the playoffs and it’s damn hard to win the Stanley Cup as the cup winner has to win 4 series…an extremely good team might take 3-4 years to win a cup but then its’ value is sky high and is a lifetime achievement for the players…so yes I agree..have a regular season FedEx champ, then have a playoff champion coming from the top 30 players and if Scotty loses, well the next year he’ll be even more determined to be ready to win…and his fans will be excitedly waiting to see it a year in advance..

[@caddymasterlooper]

Good idea. And to borrow from baseball, the regular season champion wins the FedEx Pennant and a sizable prize. Whoever prevails in the playoffs wins the FedEx Cup, which is worth X amount of money. But if you also won the FedEx Pennant, you get 2X. So, as in baseball, winning the pennant means something, but winning it all at the very end means more.

[@edwardcreighton2638]

Sentry is a boring snoozefezt. -35 winning is a joke. I looked through the schedule, only 11 PGA events + 4 majors are of interest to me because too many courses are set up too easy. -8 to -16 winning scores means we get lots of birdies and bogeys, the course provides challenge. During Christmas I watched lots of Peter Finch, Grant Horvat, Rick Shiels, Matt Fryer, Andy Carter, Bryan Bros. Watched zero Sentry. Unlikely to watch the PGA tour until the Farmers. Stop watching after the tour championship. LIV courses set up too easy. Will watch Dubai soon but for the most part professional golf is increasingly boring as players hit it so far. Great pod!

[@alexsamain812]

Doral is easy?

[@edwardcreighton2638]

@@alexsamain812 take part of my comment back, Doral and Valderamma are beasts!

[@tomyandrade]

Negativity of this podcast clearly shows the state of golf at the moment

[@sbMaine1881]

Lav comes out against the season opener. I wish they discussed the season and didn't cosplay over the merger. It gets old. Lav is an idiot

[@ryanlavnerGC]

thank you

[@sbMaine1881]

@ryanlavnerGC i want Congress to put you on a project, a new calendar. You're always making claims about moving tournaments and avoiding the NFL. Maybe if we had 90 weeks in a year, you can cosplay the ratings up.

[@jam180digital]

PGA tour has lost its appeal. We no longer follow

[@PhoenixLefty]

The Sentry is great as it starts in beautiful Hawaii while it is still winter most places..I played Plantation in November but in 30 mph winds…Crazy tough then!…Forget that it is the opening tournament of the season for the PGA…expand it to include the 14 winners from LIV, maybe select winners from the DP Tour, Sunshine Tour and Aussie tour and THEN you will have a great kickoff to pro golf…Kapalua and Hawaii tourism will benefit massively and all golf leagues will have a nice spotlight on their players and golf in general. 👍🏌

[@squidlesfiddles]

I hate how negative golf commentators are about the game they cover..... its just exhausting to constantly hear people talk about what to change..... anytime someone dominates, it's what's wrong with the course.... its people like this that got the USGA to rollback the golf ball..... YOY ARE RUINING THE GAME!! Just STFU and try to enjoy the sport you get paid to cover