Before EJ Tackett became one of the biggest names in professional bowling, golf was his first love.

EJ grew up watching Tiger Woods, spent his summers almost entirely on the golf course, became one of Indiana’s top junior players, and competed against golfers who would eventually make it to the PGA Tour.

Then he got a firsthand look at just how good the best players his age really were.

At the U.S. Junior Amateur, EJ shared a range with Jordan Spieth and watched him hit 8-irons about 160 yards into the same tiny area over and over again. EJ turned to his dad and admitted, “I’m not good enough.”

Around the same time, EJ shot roughly 85 in the Junior PGA Championship while Justin Thomas went out and shot 65.

EJ talks about those realization moments, the influence Tiger Woods had on his competitive mentality, why college golf did not work out, and how he eventually committed to professional bowling.

0:00 Growing up in a bowling family
1:11 Why EJ’s dad has always been his coach
1:46 How golf became part of EJ’s life
2:10 Golf was his first true love
2:46 Growing up watching Tiger Woods
3:30 Learning Tiger’s killer instinct
4:18 EJ barely bowled during the summer
4:39 Becoming a top junior golfer in Indiana
5:00 Competing against future PGA Tour players
6:15 Why college golf did not work out
7:08 Leaving school for the PBA Tour
7:43 Getting his PBA Tour card
8:23 The moment EJ realized he was not as good as he thought
8:51 Sharing a range with Jordan Spieth
9:09 Watching Spieth hit 8-irons
9:36 Justin Thomas shoots 65 while EJ shoots 85
11:28 “We can all thank them for me being a bowler”
11:35 Walking away from the golf dream
12:03 “Bowling is who I am”
12:21 The advice from EJ’s dad that stuck with him

Steph Curry has a new set of golf clubs, and they come with a $5,000 price tag.

The show breaks down Curry’s limited-edition Miura irons, why only 300 sets are being made, what makes them different from the standard versions, and why one club in the set is stamped “30” instead of 6.

That leads into a bigger equipment debate about whether iron numbers even make sense anymore when lofts vary so much from brand to brand.

Then the guys get into Kevin Kisner calling out Rory McIlroy, Rory’s response, and the debate over whether playing international events for appearance money can also be considered “growing the game.”

Plus, a full look at the latest TGL changes, Shane Lowry joining Rory in Boston, the new five-player team format, Tiger Woods return speculation, the upcoming women’s TGL season, and a very unnecessary $85 golf purchase from Dan.

Spotify Chapters:

0:00 Steph Curry’s new $5,000 irons


1:04 Dan’s Steph Curry interview attempt


3:04 Breaking down the Curry golf collaboration


4:12 What the Miura Curry irons actually are


4:57 Why the set costs $5,000


6:31 Only 300 sets are being made


7:26 Why the six iron says “30”
8:08 Should irons use loft instead of club numbers?


9:00 Why every 7-iron is different


12:02 Rory McIlroy is back in the news


12:17 Kevin Kisner calls out Rory


13:24 Rory responds


13:50 The appearance-fee debate


18:24 What does “growing the game” actually mean?


23:08 Why Kisner’s new broadcasting role works


24:51 Curry’s irons cost about $714 each


25:22 TGL’s major roster shakeup


25:44 Shane Lowry joins Rory in Boston


26:34 TGL moves to five-player teams


27:24 Is this TGL 2.0?


27:32 Why Tony Finau did not land a permanent spot


28:22 Alex Fitzpatrick joins the league


30:12 Picking the best TGL teams


32:23 Is Boston now the team to beat?


34:03 How five-player rotations could work


37:34 TGL’s most electric players


38:12 Could Tiger Woods return before Christmas?


39:29 Women’s TGL is coming


40:00 Why the women’s league could be more entertaining

42:02 Charley Hull should be electric mic’d up


43:01 Breaking down the WTGL teams


45:37 The new 11-hole golf course in Mexico


48:34 Dan bought something ridiculous


48:56 The $85 Ventus alignment sticks


50:25 Final thoughts

Dan Evans finally checked Chicago Golf Club off the bucket list.

After years of being asked whether he had ever played one of the most exclusive courses in America, Dan finally got the invitation and experienced Chicago Golf Club firsthand.

He breaks down what makes the course so difficult, from thick rough and deceptive bunkering to brutal green complexes and championship-speed putting surfaces. Dan also reveals what he shot and explains why, in the conditions he played it, Chicago Golf Club felt harder than Augusta National.

The show also dives into what makes Chicago Golf Club so historically important. Dan talks about the club’s role as one of the founding clubs of the USGA, the story behind the out-of-bounds rule, the no-electronics tradition, the historic clubhouse, and the dedicated train car that once brought golfers directly from Chicago to the club.

Plus, the crew gets into Margaret Abbott’s incredible Olympic story, the club’s old equipment history, the Genesis experience that got Dan on property, and why playing Chicago Golf Club felt like stepping back into another era of golf.

Chapters/Timestamps

0:00 Dan finally played Chicago Golf Club

0:42 How hard is it to get on?

1:39 Entering a different golf world

2:23 The clubhouse fire before the U.S. Open

3:21 Why membership is so limited

3:46 How Dan got the invitation

4:31 Having the course almost completely to themselves

4:52 Playing a Presidents Cup-style match

7:05 The full Chicago Golf Club experience

8:36 Meeting a longtime caddie

10:20 What the atmosphere actually feels like

11:50 Dan immediately breaks a clubhouse rule

13:41 Why the rough was so brutal

15:29 The green complexes are unforgiving

17:41 Dan’s only birdie of the day

18:52 Guessing Dan’s final score

19:46 Was Chicago Golf Club harder than Augusta?

20:24 Dan reveals his score

21:23 Why the course looks easier than it is

23:31 Dan immediately three-putts

24:49 Chicago Golf Club’s no-electronics rule

25:17 No rangefinders allowed

26:43 The historic clubhouse tour

28:26 Chicago Golf Club helped shape American golf

28:58 The origin of the out-of-bounds rule

29:47 The green Dan still could not figure out

31:15 The best advice from his caddie

35:33 Margaret Abbott’s unbelievable Olympic story

36:44 She died without knowing she won gold

37:45 Abraham Lincoln’s son and Chicago Golf Club

37:52 The club pro who helped shape golf equipment

43:34 America’s first 18-hole course

43:57 Chicago Golf Club’s private train car

44:24 The club had its own train stop

47:25 Final thoughts on the experience

47:48 The Genesis GV90 at Medinah