Sandbagger Sessions

🎙️ TSN's James Duthie Joins Sandbagger Sessions | Playing Augusta National, Covering The Masters, The Gretzky Question & MoreTSN's James Duthie - one of Canada's most iconic sports broadcasters - sits down with Sandbagger Sessions for an incredible conversation about his deep love of the game of golf. This one is special.James opens up about his origin story in golf. Sneaking onto Pine View Municipal before dawn as a kid, never paying a dime, and falling in love with the game on those early morning rounds with his late best friend Mark Ward. From there, he takes us inside decades of covering the Masters for TSN, including what Augusta National is really like behind the scenes, what it's like watching the tournament without a cell phone in 2026, and how TSN ended up sandwiched between ESPN and Golf Channel next to the driving range.James shares the full story of winning the Augusta National media lottery and playing the course, showing up with dusty clubs, one golf ball, and an early morning Walmart run for Top Flite Hot XLs after discovering he only had one ball in his bag.The conversation dives deep into Rory McIlroy's 2025 Masters win - what James calls "the greatest sports movie of all time" - and the raw emotion on the media sets when Rory finally sank that putt.We also get into: his thoughts on this year's Masters contenders, why he thinks Canadian golf fans might be the most passionate in the world, his top five courses, the Joe Mayo bunker technique that's changing his life, and a hilarious New Zealand travel story involving a TSN colleague.James also takes us behind the scenes of his Wayne Gretzky interview at the Milano Cortina Olympics: the question that divided Canada. He walks through exactly how he prepared the question, why he gave Gretzky a heads-up beforehand, and how he handled the backlash from both sides (including one very apologetic drunk DM).Whether you're a Masters die-hard, a Canadian golf sicko, or you just want to hear one of the best storytellers in Canadian media talk about the game he loves, this is the episode.Also this week on Sandbagger Sessions:Tiger Woods — his latest DUI arrest, what it means for the Masters, and why we think it's time for Tiger to step away and get helpGary Woodland's incredible comeback win and his courageous battle with a brain lesion, PTSD, and fear — the feel-good story of the yearStefan reads an official statement after getting destroyed in the picks competition (written by Cole, obviously)A "statement from Prime Minister Mark Carney" regarding Cole's citizenship status and his lack of support for Taylor PendrithAlex Fitzpatrick wins on the DP World Tour — Matt's brother gets his first winLydia Ko fires a 60 on the LPGA Tour and nobody noticed (a bogey for LPGA social media)Valero Texas Open picksMasters bet stakes revealed📲 Follow us: @sandbaggersessions 🎧 New episodes weekly 👍 Like & Subscribe if you enjoyed the episode — we're building something here and every sub matters.#Masters #TheMasters #AugustaNational #JamesDuthie #TSN #Golf #GolfPodcast #PGATour #RoryMcIlroy #TigerWoods #GaryWoodland #CanadianGolf #SandbaggerSessions #MastersWeek #GolfContent

Should you buy drinks after a hole-in-one? Can you wear a hat in the clubhouse? Should dress codes still exist in modern golf? Cole and Stefan go deep on the unwritten rules of golf — debating which traditions deserve to stay and which ones need to go.But first: the guys break down Chasing Sunday, the PGA Tour's behind-the-scenes documentary from The Players Championship — released just 48 hours after the final putt dropped. Stefan calls it 10x better than Full Swing. Cole gives it a par. They dig into what they actually learned about Akshay Bhatia and his caddy Joe Griner's relationship, why Brooks Koepka doesn't carry a yardage book (and why that's actually kind of insane), Rickie Fowler being way quieter than expected on the course, and what a "PGA Red Zone" would look like.Then: Valspar recap featuring Matt Fitzpatrick's win, a Sungjae Im Sunday collapse, and the incredible story of Will Wilcox — a former PGA Tour player who lost everything to drugs, lived in a trailer in Alabama, and is now caddying for one of the tour's biggest grinders. Stefan gives Cole a well-deserved bogey for back-to-back miss cuts with his fantasy picks, while Cole somehow continues to lead by $1.6 million in the season long race.Plus: Cole and Stefan both land on their picks for the Houston Open and make a bet with consequences if Taylor Pendrith beats Aldrich Potgieter.In this episode:- Chasing Sunday full review — is it better than Full Swing?- Brooks Koepka doesn't use a yardage book — caddy genius or insanity?- Golf's unwritten rules: dress codes, logos from courses you haven't played, hat etiquette, walking through putting lines, and more- Valspar recap + the Will Wilcox redemption story- Fantasy picks for the Texas Children's Houston Open- TGL season finale disappointment- Masters buildup beginsSubscribe and hit the bell to catch the Masters preview episodes coming up — including a special guest next week.#Golf #PGATour #ChasingSunday #GolfPodcast #UnwrittenRules #SandбaggerSessions #ThePlayers #Valspar #MattFitzpatrick #BrooksKoepka #Masters2025 #GolfTwitter

Cameron Young wins The Players Championship in dramatic fashion as overnight leader Ludvig Åberg collapses down the stretch — and we break down every moment of one of the wildest final rounds in recent memory.Then we get into the big one: PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolapp's strategic press conference and the six major themes that could reshape professional golf as we know it. Two-tier competition, relegation systems, playoff overhauls, and a season opener that actually means something — we cover it all and give you our honest take on whether this is real change or just noise.Plus our weekly Birdie/Par/Bogey breakdown, tournament picks for the Valspar Championship, and the season long fantasy battle continues.In this episode:- Cam Young's stunning Players Championship win and that 375-yard drive on 18- Ludvig Åberg's back-nine collapse — Rory 2011 Masters parallels?- PGA Tour two-tier system explained: what it means for the game's biggest names- Relegation in professional golf — good idea or disaster?- Match play playoffs and a win-or-go-home postseason format- Why the PGA Tour needs its own Cooper Flagg storytelling moment- Valspar Championship picks

Episode 14 is here, and it's a big one.Cole and Stefan break down everything you need to know heading into Players week at TPC Sawgrass, fresh off a wild Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.Before getting into the Players, the boys react to one of the most entertaining Sundays of the PGA Tour season so far. The Berger vs Bhatia duel at Bay Hill had swing after swing momentum shift, and Cole and Stefan break down some key course management moments that tell you a lot about how the best players in the world think. There's also a deeper conversation about putter length rules, the anchoring debate, and what the pros are actually doing out there.Then it's all Players, all the time:The fifth major debate gets a full Canadian verdict, the island green at 17 gets the deep dive treatment (including a legendary 1985 tournament story you have to hear to believe), and the boys share some wild stats about what the hole actually does to amateur golfers. There's also a Player Championship history trivia segment that will test even the most hardcore golf fans.On the competitive side, Stefan and Cole make their picks for the week, and let's just say one of them goes full analytics mode while the other is riding pure vibes. A Scotty vs Rory side bet also gets locked in, with some spicy handicapping on the line.Other topics include the PGA Tour's shrinking field and what it actually means for field strength, what to expect from Brian Rollap's upcoming press conference, the fate of the creator classic, and some genuine debate on whether the PGA Championship is doing its job as the unofficial "fifth major."---Today's episode is dedicated to Jim Barber. Jim was a stalwart and legend of the golfing community here in Kingston, Ontario. The brain and founder behind the Landings Golf Course and Teaching Centre, Jim dedicated his life to making golf more fun and accessible for people of all ages in the Kingston area. Our thoughts go out to all of the Barber family after the sad news of Jim's passing this week. We will miss you Jim, thank you for everything.---Subscribe, leave a review, and we'll see you next week for Episode 15 and the full Players recap.#ThePlayers #TPCSawgrass #PGATour #GolfPodcast #SandbaggerSessions #GolfCanada

Golf has plenty of great stories… but some of the strangest and darkest ones happen off the scorecard. In this special “Dark Episode” of Sandbagger Sessions, we dive into the weird, creepy, and sometimes downright criminal stories connected to golf courses around the world.From unsolved crimes and haunted golf courses to golfers doing truly bizarre things, we each bring a list of the most unusual and unsettling stories we could find in the world of golf. Some are historical mysteries, some involve real crimes on the course, and some are just the kind of strange golf folklore you wouldn’t believe unless you heard it.In this episode we talk about:A haunted golf course built on thousands of graves in San FranciscoA chilling murder–suicide connected to a meeting on a golf courseA man who assaulted people with golf clubs during a dispute on a courseThe bizarre story of a fake Titleist rep scamming golfers with nonexistent clubsA strange mini-golf statue theft at 4amAnd more dark, weird, and unbelievable golf storiesIf you love golf history, bizarre sports stories, and the strange side of the game, this might be the darkest golf episode you’ll ever hear.⛳ New episodes of Sandbagger Sessions every week.

This week we're diving into the world of YouTube golf. Who's must-watch content? Who's just in it for the clicks? We're ranking them all.We kick things off with a recap of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, including the breakout performance of rising PGA Tour star Jacob Bridgeman, why Riv in February is a mistake, and what Tiger's broadcast hints might mean for the future of the California Swing.Then we get into the main event: our YouTube golf tier list. From the Godfather of YouTube golf to the channels we'd never click on in a million years. We break down who's earning their views and who's just making content for the algorithm.We rank:Rick Shiels 👴 (the godfather… but has he fallen off?)Good Good 🤔 (empire or chaos?)No Laying Up ⭐ (unanimous S tier?)Grant Horvat, Foreplay, Bob Does Sports, Brad Dalke, Luke Kwon, and more.Plus our picks for the Cognizant Classic, a tournament money update (Cole is still miles ahead), and a sneak peek at what's coming for Episode 13 - we're going DARK.Like, subscribe, and let us know your YouTube golf tier list in the comments. Who did we get wrong?🎙️ Sandbagger Sessions | Golf Podcast with Stefan & Cole🏌️ New episodes every week#GolfPodcast #YouTubeGolf #GolfTierList #RickShiels #NoLayingUp #GoodGood #PGATour #GenesisInvitational #SandbaggerSessions #GolfContent

The night of March 15 2022 changed Hayden Underhill's life forever.Travelling home after a collegiate golf tournament close to Midland, Texas, Hayden along with his coach and teammates from the University of the Southwest were struck in a tragic and disastrous head on collision that claimed 9 lives.Hayden was thrown almost 100 yards from the vehicle, and his friend and teammate Dayton had to be pulled from the van that had burst into flames. They would be the only two survivors of the crash.After a 5 day long medically induced coma, Hayden awoke and began his physical and emotional recovery.He sits down with us today to tell his story. The tragedy, confronting the loss head on, and all the work he has had to put in to not only recover, but return to competing at the highest level in Collegiate golf.Big thanks to Hayden for sharing his emotional and inspiring story with us. Make sure you follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydenunderhillgolfAnd watch the "Second Shot" episode from TSN, hosted by James Duthie, on Hayden and his friend Dayton: https://youtu.be/MeMdVhlRIws?si=3lPXVxD0XCsyZ_UqFOLLOW US!Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandbaggersessionsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandbaggersessions/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SandbaggerSessionsX: https://x.com/sandbaggersesh

EMERGENCY EPISODE!Patrick Reed announced his departure from LIV Golf, and will be returning to the PGA Tour for 2027 under the past Champions category. However, he will be eligible to play in events as early as August this year.We break down today's news, what it means for LIV Golf's disastrous offseason, and why Captain America was once one of the most hated men in professional golf.

What does it take to loop a bag at the pinnacle of professional golf?In Episode 9 of Sandbagger Sessions, we sit down with LPGA Tour caddie Nate Blasko.Nate is a local to Kingston Ontario, a former amateur golfer. And now… he loops inside the ropes with the best in the world.Nate has caddied for some of the world’s best women’s golfers, including his longest stretch of six seasons on the bag for Australian, Hannah Green. As a caddie he has racked up 7 LPGA Tour wins, one major championship win, and carried the bag at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.He breaks down what fans don’t see: the pressure, the prep, and what it’s really like caddying when every shot matters.

Welcome to The Blind Episode! This week we're mixing it up - Stefan's bringing something, Cole's doing the same, but they're completely blind: neither knows what the other one is bringing.Is it outlandish course rules? Biggest meltdowns? Craziest rounds in the history of the game? Tune in to Episode 8 to find out more.FOLLOW US!@sandbaggersessions on Instagram, TikTok, Youtube@sandbaggersesh on X/Twitter

Who is Cole Atkinson? This week, Stefan puts Cole in the hot seat to answer that very question.Why did he move to Canada from New Zealand?How did he get into golf?What are some of his top golfing moments (and what handicap is he)?Finished out with Cole's top 10 courses he's played, plus his top bucket list courses he'd like to play in the future (and maybe a pep talk from Stefan).---FOLLOW US! ⁨@SandbaggerSessions⁩  on YoutTube, Instagram, TikTok@sandbaggersesh on X/Twitter

2025 was a massive year for golf.There were 46 PGA Tour tournaments. 33 LPGA tournaments. 35 DP World Tour tournaments. 14 LIV Golf tournaments. 28 PGA Tour Champions tournaments.Not to mention both the Walker Cup and Ryder Cup.What were some of the best moments of the year? What were some of the worst? Was Rory's win at The Masters the best of all time? Has Phil Mickelson played his last US Open? We break it all down in our 2025 Year in Review.---SUBSCRIBE TO US ON SOCIALS!⁨@SandbaggerSessions⁩  on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok. @sandbaggersesh on X/Twitter.

You know about Stefan's Daddy's buddy, but who is Stefan Thedorf? How did he get into golf and become a PGA Professional?We break down all of this and more in part one of our Sandbagger Sessions interview series:How did he become a PGA Professional?What's the difference between a Professional Golfer and a Golf Professional?What's some things about the golf industry he would like to see changed?Common uncomfortable truths for golfers of all levelsWhat's in his bagTop 10 golf courses of his life, plus the one bucket list course he hasn't managed to play yet.FOLLOW US!@sandbaggersessions on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok.@sandbaggersesh on X/Twitter.

In Episode 4 we were thrilled to be joined by Mr Ryan French AKA Monday Q Info on Twitter/X.Ryan's humble origins as Monday Q Info started as a passion project while he looked after his son through serious illness. Since then, his community and his following have grown into one of the most popular followings for fans of golf on social media.In this episode, we have an amazing chat with Ryan covering:- How Monday Q Info got started, and just how unexpected it is for him to be where he is today.- His relationship with Phil Mickelson, and some of his experiences playing with Phil.- The grind of Qualifying School (Q School) on the PGA Tour, just how good these guys are, and what are some of the stories to come out of the 2025 final round.- Changes from the PGA Tour that are shrinking the game, and some of the things he would like to see change instead.- Some of his upcoming work exposing real allegations of cheating on professional tours around the world, and everything professional golf does to cover up cheating.FOLLOW RYAN!Twitter/X: https://x.com/acaseofthegolf1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mondayqinfoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@mondayqinfo⁩  Website: https://mondayqinfo.com

What are your "most wanted" things for golf in 2026? No mater how realistic or ridiculous.Tiger gets back in the winners circle? You shoot a course record? Your friend makes it onto the PGA Tour?In Episode 3 Stefan and Cole break down their most wanted list for 2026 - some outrageous, some... possible.Plus we breakdown some feedback from inside the tours on some of the most disliked golfers in the world right now.

Who is Stefan's Daddy's buddy? What do we make of Justin Thomas' comments about Bethpage Black? And are there changes coming to the PGA Tour Schedule? All of this and much more on Episode 2 of Sandbagger Sessions, brought to you by Celtic Golf Centre.

Net Golf Tournaments are a joke (and many more spicy takes).Join Stefan and Cole as our debut episode dives unfiltered into some of hottest and spiciest takes from the year so far in golf.