Five Clubs 5 Clubs

The 2024 U.S. Open marks the 4th time in 25 years for Pinehurst No. 2 to play as the host venue. Gary Williams, Johnson Wagner and Taylor Zarzour discuss Pinehurst as an anchor site, the approach of the USGA to tighten the U.S. Open rotation, the identity of the championship and how it will stand up this year.

The guys also discuss styles that are rewarded at No. 2, plus Scottie Scheffler’s place as a favorite, Xander Schauffele’s chances to go back-to-back, Rory McIlroy's strengths being rewarded and his weaknesses being exposed by this venerable course . Plus, players who need a week, Bryson DeChambeau’s outlook, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm trying to save the major season and what to expect of and from Tiger Woods. Also, the tournament long shots, hunches, winners and where does Pinehurst’s first U.S. Open in 1999 rank all time in Open history.

Emma Carpenter was joined by her University of Minnesota golf teammate Bella McCauley and the Golden Gophers duo discussed their time together as well as the path that has led to Bella to becoming one of the top collegiate players in the country. McCauley was an accomplished junior player in the state of Minnesota and has qualified for the NCAA Tournament the last two years as an individual.

Other topics the two discussed were McCauley's recruiting process which occurred during Covid restrictions, what led her to stay in her home state, playing in the cold, the early success that lead to getting hooked on golf, how she grew up more as a "feel" player versus diving into the analytics, her devotion to her short game, her ability to perform and go low in pressure situations, and some fun questions to close it out.

What is an Ivy League educated guy spending his days moving dirt around? Beau Welling saw Augusta National and Cypress Point as a kid and both places got to him. After years working and learning from Tom Fazio, Welling has established his own design firm among the best in the industry. This conversation is about Beau’s background and experiences, the state of the design industry and is the cash influx sustainable. Plus, his favorite holes, why he loves curling and Alistair Mackenzie as a drinking buddy. It’s all in this 5 Clubs conversation with Gary Williams.

Johnson Wagner and Brendon de Jonge are back with a new episode of The 'Wagyu Filet Show' after a historic PGA Championship at Valhalla. They dive into that as well a look into the recreations that Johnson has been doing for The Players and PGA Championship that have become fan favorites. They talk about how these came about and what kind of planning goes into them and might mention how terrible some of the chipping has been on live TV. They also discuss what a mess of a situation Friday morning was with the tragic accident and the Scheffler situation and finish with rating top players major performances so far this season and give a look ahead to the final two majors of the year.

Taylor Moore dropped by the 5 Clubs studio to join Gary Williams in person in advance of the Wells Fargo Championship to talk about his career to date. They dove into his lifelong love of sports and baseball, his Arkansas Razorbacks and about his contemporaries on tour. They talked in length about his experience on the Canadian Tour and his more recent success on the PGA Tour including his work with coach Josh Gregory and the improvement in his mental game since working with Sarah Taylor. Moore also shared the scary story of his collapsed lung and the impact that made on him as he continued to chase his professional golf career.

Part 2 of our 2024 PGA Championship Preview Show assesses the form and chances of Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and other LIV challengers, Ludvig Aberg and the return appearance of Michael Block. The crew of Gary Williams, Johnson Wagner, Brendon de Jonge and Taylor Zarzour also take aim at their long shots, missed cuts, contenders and ultimate winners of the Wanamaker Trophy.