Sliced is back and we're sorry there's so much LIV Golf news to see us into 2026, following news of Brooks Koepka's departure (and that of Mito Pereira), and Bryson DeChambeau's demand for improvement from the league. We also talk about Rory McIlroy's appearance on Stick to Football, Luke Donald's interview in The Times, TGL line-up drama and personal injuries, before a good chunk of time is spent drafting our respective teams of 2026 DP World Tour winners. 

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We end our first year of Sliced with a Christmas (but not Christmas-themed) Q&A, including major predictions, our favourite winners, how we'd revamp the majors, who is going to win them in 2026, strokes-gained explained, and plenty more. It was that or an in-depth preview of the Tata Open, which we felt not even our most hardened of subscribers really needed.

Thanks from both of us for listening this year. If we could have one final Christmas gift from you, it would be a star rating (five, please), review, comment, share and/or subscribe. 

🎄 Merry Christmas from Sliced 🎄

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On this week's Sliced we reflect on a miserable birthday which Sam makes up for with an excellent quiz, and that wasn't the only frustration of the week just gone having been right about Jayden Schaper without benefiting from his brilliant play-off win in Joburg. There's praise for the runner-up, a brief word on the pairs' event in the USA, then it's on to the latest cycle of LIV news, including Si Woo Kim's decision to reject the Ironheads and the implications that may have. We talk Sports Personality of the Year, PGA Tour Q-School, the Mauritius Open and more as the year in professional golf finally draws to a conclusion this week.

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Royal Melbourne was the star of the show in the Australian Open and we talk about what a great test it provided, for Rory McIlroy and for the winner, Sliced guest Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. Kristoffer Reitan's all-the-way win at Sun City is also discussed while Ben provides blow-by-blow coverage of the Hero World Challenge play-off, which took place during recording. Once over that drama there's talk of Tiger Woods and retirement (separately, rather than together) and then it's onto this week's not-the-Joburg-Open in Joburg, and the pairs' competition in Florida. There's deja vu in Highest Bidder before a few reminders about our upcoming Q&A and a 2026 golf day (see links below for more).

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Rory McIlroy at Royal Melbourne is enough to send golf fans bouncing into December and that makes up part of this week's episode, after we've discussed a dominant David Puig win, pigeons, and a lack of sleep. There's more on the state of the PGA Tour after Brian Rolapp's latest comments and then plenty of time to get stuck into why different skills will be needed in Australia than those required in the Nedbank Golf Challenge. There's a brief word on the Hero, too, where world number one Scottie Scheffler is a very short-priced favourite, before we bring listeners EXCITING NEWS (see below).

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We are delighted to bring you our latest bonus interview as new PGA Tour member Jordan Smith joins the podcast. He chats to us about the state of the DP World Tour, his plans for 2026 on the PGA Tour, and why LIV's latest move might see Dan Brown join him in the US. He tells us what it was like when he missed out on a card under similar circumstances last year and why he feels his putting is better than he's given credit for, plus how he produced the round of his life in Dubai. We ask him whether he feels he should've won more and what he's doing to try to put that right, and there's talk about the state of the game, stars of the future, and what he'll miss about playing mostly in Europe.

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The DP World Tour season is dead! Long live the DP World Tour season! Yes, after 10 days or something, the transition from 2025 to 2026 is complete and we have players to follow for the new campaign. Before that there are reflections on the RSM Classic and a win for Finland's Sami Valimaki, plus the latest analysis of LIV Golf's off-season recruitment with Laurie Canter set to join Victor Perez. We try to make sense of golf's newest cheating scandal and then it's a spin around the world of golf this week, those players to follow, and a rushed Highest Bidder debacle.

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Please note slight audio issue for first 9 minutes - Ben apologises

This week's podcast is a celebration of all things DP World Tour after a magnificent ending to the season in Dubai, where Matt Fitzpatrick edged out seven-time Race to Dubai champion Rory McIlroy. We also talk two Sliced guests who are now PGA Tour members after a stunning finish for one of them, and how the HotelPlanner Tour class of 2024 proved to be outstanding. The rest of the show includes Adam Schenk winning in the Bermuda winds, a breeze around the world of golf including the RSM Classic, and unfortunate news of surgery for Justin Thomas.

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This week's podcast begins with reflections on Abu Dhabi and Mexico, where Aaron Rai and Ben Griffin were the winners. So was Sami Valimaki but perhaps less so Garrick Higgo after his ruling hijinks in an event which may not live long in the memory. Speaking of LIV, their change from 54 to 72 holes takes up a chunk of our news slot along with some curious potential new team names, before we get onto the DP World Tour Championship and the end of our first season of Sliced. Like all great golf tours, the next one begins as early as Monday. Subscribe, rate, review and comment before joining us then.

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James Morrison's emotional Grand Final win and Tom McKibbin's Hong Kong romp kick off our latest episode, before we get legal with the latest Phil Mickelson news. There's more from LIV Golf via Martin Kaymer's search for a new Cleek, confirmation of the International Series promotion system and Patrick Reed's take on New York crowds, before we get into Final Stage Q-School with some names to look out for. Both main tours are back this week too so we chat Abu Dhabi and Mexico's million-yard fairways, then it's onto Fantasy Picks and Highest Bidder.

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With no DP World Tour or PGA Tour action this week, we take the opportunity to chat with Ryan French, the man behind Monday Q Info. He tells us about his fears over the direction the PGA Tour is heading, why weak fields create strong stories, and how the PGA Tour made him an offer he absolutely could refuse. Ryan also reveals how widespread cheating has become and asks why tours the world over are turning a blind eye, before taking on a particularly tough game of Highest Bidder.

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We kick off the latest episode with reflections on Tommy Fleetwood's win in India where his putter got hot to deny Keita Nakajima, whose consolation prize is moving into the PGA Tour card slots. That's again a big focus of discussions as we enter the final week of the regular season with a big problem: several of those needing points can't even get a game. Before we get that far there are a couple of news items covered, including Sergio Garcia's Ryder Cup future and Gary Player putting the Ryder Cup right up there with the Masters as one of the worst events in golf. 

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We Sliced hosts begin by reflecting on very differing weekends and then it's into a Marco Penge hat-trick and why Max Greyserman shouldn't be written off as a serial loser. We discuss an aid worker winning in Australia, where there's another inspiring story among the also-rans, and dig into the Korn Ferry Tour graduates. Our news round-up begins with Tiger Woods' latest surgery and some more LIV Golf rumours, while we wonder whether Jon Rahm might rethink his schedule in 2026. Then it's a spin through this week's events including a warm welcome back to Delhi, fantasy picks, and an unsavoury Highest Bidder.

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We are a tired Sliced duo this Monday but that doesn't stop us getting stuck into some Dunhill Links controversy and an impressive win for Robert MacIntyre, plus Steven Fisk's clutch finish in Jackson. LIV Golf is back in the news with a marquee signing from the world of rugby and claims that the money is secondary, and then it's on to bubble watch as things get tense on the DP World Tour.

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We reflect on a remarkable Ryder Cup as Europe held on to beat USA 15-13 after a singles charge from the home side at Bethpage. There's plenty of praise for Europe, from Donald through to Aberg, plus a look at what went wrong for the USA, including how crowds stepping over the line hurt rather than helped them.

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Sam and Ben preview their first Ryder Cup since the launch of Sliced and, in the interests of balance, they've invited along an American to chat captains, players, course, pairings and more. That American is No Laying Up's Tron Carter, who might be even more pro-Europe than the presenters. Find out why he thinks they'll win, and how he gets on in Highest Bidder...

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Sam and Ben are joined by Sir Nick Faldo, who offers his view on the Ryder Cup, Europe's experienced side and the depth they now have, and what it'll be like in front of big crowds at Bethpage. Sir Nick also talks the British Masters, an event he hosts, and reveals that a new sponsor is lined up for 2026, plus there's time to wonder 'what if?' Rory McIlroy hadn't won the Masters on that famous Sunday in April. We hear about some of his Masters and major memories, how fixing a weakness is key to achieving your potential, and what he'd change to improve the sport he loves.

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It's a geek week as Sam and Ben get into the weeds of the DP World Tour membership criteria and schedule changes for 2026. Before that, Alex Noren's Wentworth win and a rinse and repeat from Scottie Scheffler are discussed along with Charley Hull's win on the LPGA Tour. Finally, it's off to France this week, there's news of an upcoming bonus, and Highest Bidder kicks off our Ryder Cup countdown.

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Sam and Ben reflect on another moment of brilliance in a remarkable year for Rory McIlroy, following Sunday's Irish Open showstopper. Then the DP World Tour hogs the limelight again with the BMW PGA Championship, which we preview along with a word on the battle for 2026 status, but Alex Bjork doesn't want any of that as he calls it a day. Sergio Garcia's Ryder Cup 'snub' chat has our duo puzzled, and that's very much the word to describe Highest Bidder, while there's time too for Walker Cup, Charley Hull, and the return of the PGA Tour.

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Sam is back from Greece and ready to get stuck into Europe's predictable Ryder Cup picks, plus Keegan Bradley's decision not to pick himself. That comes after a look back on a painful finish to the European Masters for Ben, while Sam has a positive word for a Danish veteran who has worked his way back to form as the season nears its end with limited chances left. Category 12 comes up again before we move on to the Irish Open and a suitably-themed Highest Bidder.

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