2026 PGA Championship preview and expectations with Mark Schlabach 🏌️ | The Pat McAfee Show

0:00 Ladies and gentlemen, he's go dogs and he's boots on a grind.

0:03 PGA Championship.

0:05 A man who was not willing to give up his pass to Augusta to talk to us.

0:09 So, he went across the street into a grocery store behind a dumpster.

0:13 Ladies and gentlemen, our friend Mark Slaw.

0:16 Come on,

0:18 guys.

0:19 How you doing,

0:20 Pat?

0:20 I was good.

0:21 I went to live DC last week, so one major to the next.

0:24 Hell yeah.

0:25 How was it?

0:26 Hey, I heard John Rom hit an albatross.

0:29 Is that your video?

0:30 Nobody saw it.

0:31 It wasn't I don't think they see it.

0:33 All right.

0:34 Oh, there it is.

0:34 So,

0:35 great video from back uh 200 yards away.

0:37 Um

0:39 Okay.

0:39 Oh, didn't Wait, that didn't make the broadcast.

0:42 No.

0:41 No.

0:42 Yeah.

0:42 Legion 13 got it.

0:44 I was I was traveling.

0:45 All right.

0:45 Legion 13 got it.

0:47 No, look, everybody was pros.

0:48 I did catch one of the Range Goat support guys

0:51 giving me a little bit of a stink up hat,

0:52 but other than that, um other than that, it was a good week.

0:56 They were all gentlemen.

0:57 Bryson was great.

0:58 Ron was great.

0:58 There's good people over there and I've decided I'm going to take better tact

1:02 with Liv and and give them a chance here as they try to find $5 billion.

1:06 Okay, they've gone through five billion already.

1:08 That doesn't mean that they need five billion.

1:11 They're certainly going to need some funding.

1:12 And if we're able to watch them, I think that would be good.

1:14 Foxy found himself watching on Fox this past weekend.

1:18 I couldn't believe it.

1:19 We have all this drama and everyone's wondering where do you find Liv?

1:22 I can't watch Liv.

1:23 It's on CW.

1:24 It's on Nickelodeon.

1:25 It's on Disney Channel.

1:26 It's everywhere.

1:27 We can't find it.

1:28 And then finally this weekend, it's on the main Fox channel.

1:32 I not finally.

1:33 It's been on for the last two years.

1:34 You just haven't attention.

1:35 But on they seemingly are doing better than we thought they were going to be

1:38 when we thought there was going to be a total collapse at the time.

1:41 Maybe they're able to survive.

1:43 But the PGA had two turns.

1:45 Brooks Kepka seemingly having to earn his stripes to get back.

1:48 Early morning tea time in Myrtle Beach performed well.

1:51 Not at the elevated event.

1:52 We had three golf tournaments going this weekend.

1:54 A lot of golf happening in this upcoming weekend.

1:56 Obviously, we have a massive one in the PGA Championship.

2:00 You're down there right now.

2:01 Scotty Sheffler's been training allegedly for the last

2:03 couple weeks to defend his PGA Championship title.

2:06 What should we know going into the weekend, Mark?

2:09 Uh, right now it's it's it's a soft course.

2:12 Um, the rough's only about three and a half inches long.

2:15 There's some more rain expected maybe Wednesday and Thursday.

2:19 Kind of think it's going to be a grip it

2:20 and rip it type of course if if those conditions stay.

2:23 Um, that means Rory Moy, I think, would have a shot, a good shot.

2:27 Didn't have to clean up the short game a little bit.

2:29 He wasn't very good around the green

2:31 at the truest championship this past weekend.

2:33 Scotty's going to be there again trying to defend his championship.

2:36 Xander Schoffley, Chris got her up, New Jersey guys,

2:39 another guy that uh that rips it.

2:41 How about the guy that won at um in Charlotte,

2:44 Christopher Wright, uh guy from Norway.

2:47 You know, we I talked to you a while back about

2:50 um Maverick McNeely being the last guy out here who needs money.

2:54 This guy needs no money.

2:55 His grandfather founded basically the BIES of Norway

2:59 minus the brisket and the beef jerky.

3:01 It's worth $9 billion.

3:04 This guy, his family, his grandfather.

3:07 Yeah.

3:09 Wow.

3:08 He's like I mean it literally is like the 7-Eleven or Bies in Norway.

3:14 Okay.

3:13 And his uh his sister's a pop star over in Norway as well.

3:16 Nice.

3:17 Okay, the writing family crushing it.

3:19 I I would like to let Christopher uh know that we appreciate

3:22 and respect the fact that he could have his golf cleat up,

3:25 but instead he's worked his ass off to become an elite golfer.

3:29 He looked phenomenal this weekend.

3:30 I didn't know much about him.

3:31 He has a great resume, I guess, overseas, a DP,

3:34 and then some other tournaments that he's won over there.

3:37 Him coming here and getting introduced to the world in an elevated

3:39 event the week before a PGA championship was certainly a fun ride.

3:43 Now I know he's worth billions of dollars.

3:45 So the fact that he has the mental toughness to fight through being

3:47 a lazy fatso and especially with if it's a Bies of over there,

3:51 who knows what the food could be.

3:54 Oh my god.

3:55 Gas station food over there.

3:57 I mean, I've been to so I can imagine.

4:00 Michelin star.

4:01 Yeah.

4:01 What is it?

4:02 They got pork roast.

4:03 They got like taquitos, but they're made out of gold.

4:06 Yeah.

4:06 Bingo.

4:06 Taquitos made out of gold.

4:10 Basically Norwegian taqua made out of gold.

4:11 Yeah.

4:11 It's like sushi.

4:13 Sounds like you guys have never been there.

4:16 Sounds like you guys are kind of making this up right now.

4:18 Esar go.

4:19 Mark, what are they eating over there at the Bies of Norway?

4:23 Uh, I would ass I I wouldn't know either,

4:25 but I would assume it's a hell of a lot

4:26 healthier than what we find in the US and THE BIES.

4:29 KNOW THAT.

4:30 WATCHING THERE'S A FAT AMERICAN right there who

4:32 wants all the preservatives and in their food.

4:35 I went to Australia for 11 days, Mark.

4:37 And well, this is called, you understand this?

4:39 This is a little filling here because we

4:40 got a heart out in 30 seconds or whatever.

4:42 Uh, so we want to get to our next conversation with you after

4:45 that heart out because we want the world to know that this continues digitally.

4:49 Okay.

4:49 The Sports Center will take you from here on ESPN,

4:52 but I went to Australia for 11 days.

4:54 I eat their food.

4:55 I never felt better.

4:56 I never felt better.

4:57 I come back to America.

4:58 I start eating food.

4:59 Obviously, I start my pants again doing the entire runaround.

5:02 And then I'm called a loser for digging into the conspiracies.

5:06 Just know the Bies in Norway,

5:08 I know they got funions and this guy's been living off them for a long time.

5:12 Nailed it.

5:12 Okay.

5:13 All right.

5:13 Let's move along.

5:14 Mark, now we move.

5:15 Let's continue this conversation about the PGA Championship.

5:17 Grip it and rip it.

5:18 Is Sheffler going to be a guy that's going to be able to figure it out?

5:21 And obviously Rory skipping a couple events

5:23 to prepare for the Masters as the reigning champ

5:25 for a few weeks was a topic of discussion

5:27 going in there and he voted pretty well.

5:29 Uh with Scotty Sheffler defending his PGA championship

5:32 being on the course for a few weeks,

5:33 how does that affect him?

5:34 Is this always something that he has done?

5:38 Uh, yeah.

5:38 I mean, he he's he's probably experimented

5:42 with a lot of different ways of doing it.

5:44 Um, you know, he'll show up the week before in the past,

5:47 didn't work, took a couple of weeks off, it worked.

5:50 You know, these guys, all these guys are, I wouldn't call them superstitious,

5:53 but they're going to they're going to finagle with it

5:54 a little bit to come up with the best plan of action.

5:57 Um, he's always going to be in the mix.

5:59 You know, he was runner up three events in a row.

6:03 wasn't uh wasn't wasn't his agame and still

6:05 finished second at the Masters as we discussed,

6:07 but you know, he he does well on these courses with with wide fairways.

6:12 Spins it as well as anybody.

6:13 If he can get a wedge in his hand, I I like his chances this week.

6:17 All right.

6:17 I can't wait to watch it unfold.

6:19 If Sheffller's name is on the leaderboard, everybody will watch.

6:23 Yep.

6:23 You know, kind the truest leaderboard.

6:26 Okay, I'm not going to say it, but I don't know anybody.

6:31 You know, Ricky Fowler goes on a run.

6:33 I'm like pumped for him.

6:34 Yeah,

6:34 I was super pumped for Ricky.

6:36 I'm like, "Holy hell, I didn't know we're still doing this.

6:38 He's kind of going." The new Fitz goes on his run.

6:41 It was It felt like it was a nice introduction or a reintroduction

6:44 to a lot of golfers and it's an elevated event.

6:48 Scotty missed the elevated I thought the elevated events were supposed

6:51 to be like the ones that PGA were putting out there and then

6:55 having a PGA championship a week after the elevated event.

6:57 How's that come to be?

6:58 because, you know, I thought that was supposed to kind

7:00 of fill time like a snack in between meals

7:03 and it was after the Masters last time.

7:05 That that was the whole thing.

7:06 There's an elevated event, not before.

7:08 Yeah.

7:08 Why did we choose this particular weekend?

7:10 Because I didn't like not seeing Sheffler in an elevated

7:12 event on the potential leaderboard on Sunday because he's always lurking.

7:16 Always lurking out there.

7:18 Yeah.

7:18 I don't They uh they're going to double

7:20 the number of signature events going forward possibly.

7:23 Um, you know, back when these first started

7:25 in direct reaction to the threat of live, it was mandatory guys showed up.

7:30 Uh, Rory skipped that that one um after the Masters when he

7:34 when he blew that that late lead and and got fined for it.

7:36 Now, you know, you just show up when you want to show up.

7:39 But, um, they got they got to figure it out.

7:42 This this one, look, the PJ Championship is a great event.

7:45 The PJ of America is a great organization.

7:47 It's clearly the number four major at this point.

7:50 They used to play it back in August in the PGA Tour.

7:53 Wanted to take over a August for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

7:56 Uh the PGA Championship doesn't want

7:58 to compete with the Olympics every four years, but this one, you know,

8:01 after back-toback elevated events,

8:04 it's just it it clearly doesn't have the same buildup as the other ones.

8:07 Yeah, I'm excited to watch it.

8:08 Obviously, anytime the big names are playing,

8:10 you're going to watch, especially if they're on the leaderboard.

8:12 Just this past weekend,

8:13 I was so fascinated that it felt like a showcase of new

8:16 or maybe still around as opposed to the names that we know.

8:20 This weekend will be different.

8:21 You talked about uh obviously the Liv guys in the conversations in the past.

8:25 We've obviously heard your opinions on it all.

8:27 We think some of these elevated

8:28 events have potentially been booked against Yeah.

8:31 live events as well.

8:32 You know, John Rom hits an albatross.

8:34 How about an elevated event though right over here

8:36 that not all the PGA guys actually get to play in?

8:39 I like the way the business has been going.

8:41 You've obviously been on top of all of it.

8:43 Go ahead, Tone.

8:43 Yeah, Mark.

8:44 Uh your scoop, your uh talks with Bryson,

8:47 your article last week on Bryson made a ton of news uh

8:51 with obviously coming off the live in the piff situation and him talking about,

8:54 you know, doing YouTube uh and potentially, you know,

8:57 having egos with the PJ tour that it made.

9:00 There was a there was a lot of golf talk

9:02 on the internet last week because of you and Bryson.

9:04 Well, job well done.

9:05 What do you think eventually happens with Bryson?

9:08 like does does he have a contract that's through 2029 like ROM with Liv?

9:13 Do you think he'll just do YouTube and then just play majors?

9:16 What's your feeling after after talking to Bryson?

9:19 Yeah, I've always found Bryson to be interesting as hell and fascinating,

9:23 but he tends to talk a little bit too much at times.

9:26 Um some of the some of the things he said about the the PGA Tour struggling

9:31 as well and you know they're laying people off

9:33 and they're cutting events and and and all this.

9:36 I mean, that's not the time and place to say it when

9:39 you may have to try to to come back to the PGA tour.

9:42 But look, he he has his feelings and his opinions.

9:46 He might be the only guy on earth

9:48 that that thinks the the Crushers are worth 400 million.

9:51 Um, you know, and he said there he said, "Look,

9:54 these teams are worth 200 million." And I'm not even talking about my team,

9:58 but none of those teams have been sold.

10:00 and and talking to be honest with you talking to some of the guys

10:03 on on live on on background they don't know that the team the team

10:08 competition is the way to go in the future you know they spent5 billion

10:12 dollars trying to figure out if it'll work and it and it hadn't really worked

10:15 so we'll see what happens but they they've dug in I mean they Scott

10:19 O'Neal the CEO he thinks the value in the league is in the teams

10:23 and it's the one thing they do differently than anybody else but I think some

10:27 guys over there would just like to to tee up and play They do that.

10:31 You get an opportunity to do that every single week.

10:33 Shotgun start as well.

10:34 Okay.

10:35 So, you know that you kind of get through the rounds quicker.

10:37 You're not always going to end on 18.

10:39 Not every course was designed for you to finish the way No.

10:42 that you're supposed to finish.

10:43 Okay.

10:44 It's it's a it's a shotgun start like a a scramble would,

10:47 like a charity a charity golf scramble.

10:49 It's fun.

10:49 It's golf but louder.

10:52 You see?

10:52 But it does feel like new CEO has new ideas, right?

10:56 And I feel like there is newer ideas

10:57 potentially to evolve and to make it survive.

11:00 He has to say that he thinks it can

11:02 survive obviously because he's been tasked with making it survive.

11:05 If they get a couple, you know,

11:06 TV deals now that Saudi Arabia is not associated with it.

11:09 A new TV deal potentially get into the content game.

11:12 I think they have to become big-time YouTube

11:14 creators if they want to continue to go there.

11:16 Maybe they survive instead of Mark's dreams and fantasies of them collapsing.

11:22 Somebody somebody mentioned to me that uh

11:25 Scott O'Neal convinced Philadelphia fans to buy

11:29 76 Sixers tickets when they were tanking and won nine games in a season.

11:33 So maybe he can get this done.

11:35 Okay.

11:35 All right.

11:36 Uh Connor has a question for you.

11:38 Yeah, Mark.

11:38 Uh one of our guys, Ty,

11:40 is out right now and I have to ask for him

11:42 because his favorite golfer is back this weekend in Philly.

11:46 Uh Michael Block, baby, he is here.

11:49 He is playing again.

11:50 What are the chances that you kind of just lock in on him,

11:54 maybe follow Blocky this upcoming week?

11:56 It feels like we haven't had a star like Blocky in quite some time.

12:00 Um, what what should we be expecting

12:02 from Blocky and why is his story so special,

12:05 especially this weekend in Philly?

12:09 Um, I mean, I was hoping we had a two o'clock hard out

12:12 because he was about to tee off in his practice round at 20:05.

12:16 Oh.

12:15 And he was definitely the guy,

12:16 the first guy I wanted to see boots on the ground.

12:19 Um, Mark, no.

12:20 I mean, look, the guy did the guy the guy did a hell of a job in Rochester.

12:25 I mean, he stole the show.

12:26 I mean, he was he was the biggest story of the week.

12:28 Brooks won, but Block won the week.

12:30 And, you know, he got an ace playing in the final round with Rory.

12:35 Um, but like I said, you know, he just he flew a little bit close to the sun

12:38 and got a little big-headed and some people don't like it.

12:41 Look, he's one of those guys you either love him or you hate him.

12:43 I love him.

12:43 It's kind of like it's kind of like Lane Kein.

12:46 You either love the guy or you hate him.

12:47 Lane Kein.

12:49 I mean, give him give him give him credit.

12:51 I mean, he keeps getting back in the damn thing.

12:54 How does that work?

12:55 He So, all the PGA pros that are like

12:57 the professionals at these golf courses across the country,

12:59 they're called the the is it the PGA pros?

13:03 Yeah.

13:03 Right.

13:04 Yeah.

13:04 I don't know.

13:05 PJ Professional Championship.

13:06 They had the one they had out in Bandon News a couple weeks ago in Oregon.

13:10 PJ.

13:10 It's all the club pros from around the country play

13:13 against each other and then if you are top whatever, top 20.

13:16 Top 20, I believe.

13:17 Yeah, you get into the PJ champ.

13:19 So, so this is Blocky's what?

13:21 10th major.

13:22 Is that what the video?

13:23 I don't know.

13:23 Whatever the case is, this is Blocky is he's come into our world this way.

13:28 Is he good enough to like

13:29 if he isn't on tour?

13:32 Why?

13:32 Yeah, exactly.

13:32 Why isn't he like I don't know enough

13:35 and it sounds like you're probably going to give

13:36 a very condescending hilarious answer like if I was

13:39 to ask Tai Schmidt why this is the case,

13:41 but he he scores in the top 20 regularly

13:44 now at this point in this particular golf tournament.

13:46 plays in the Is there that big of a I guess there's that vast of a difference

13:51 between the top golfers in the world versus maybe

13:53 people that can just qualify in these other tournaments?

13:56 Yeah.

13:56 Well, I mean, he said it.

13:57 I mean, if he could hit the ball 20 yards further, he'd be better than Rory.

14:00 Um or be as good as Rory.

14:01 There it is.

14:02 But, you know, you got to you got to spin it.

14:04 You know, short game and it's I mean,

14:08 there is such a razor's edge difference between these guys

14:12 out here and they're the best 200 players in the world.

14:15 There's a bunch of them over at Lift, too.

14:16 I'll admit that.

14:17 Um, but yeah, there's pretty big difference.

14:21 Pretty big difference.

14:22 Hey, Mark, we appreciate you, buddy.

14:23 Okay, we appreciate you.

14:24 We need you to give us something that maybe

14:26 we can find a crown on though, please.

14:27 Anybody has a question for you.

14:29 Trying to get this crown is getting away from us.

14:31 Who's your best bet?

14:31 I know we have the list up here.

14:33 A lot of household names on this list, including Blocky.

14:36 Anybody that's not on this list that would be the best bet

14:40 this weekend?

14:42 Yeah, I I'm terrible at picking guys.

14:44 Um, but you said I mean I'd go I'd go with I'd go I'd go Aory.

14:48 I'd go Aory.

14:49 I mean look the best story.

14:50 What would be the best STORY THIS WEEK?

14:53 BLOCKY.

14:53 Michael Block plus other than easily.

14:56 I mean I would definitely ride with that.

14:59 Uh I mean Rom or Dshambo winning this thing.

15:02 Yeah that would be best story live guy winner actually.

15:05 Yeah.

15:04 Yeah.

15:04 He's a live guy.

15:05 He's been in a lot of their live proams throughout the years.

15:08 Open supporter.

15:08 Got helped get him into the game.

15:10 I love Absolutely.

15:11 I came to the game when Liv kind of came into the I

15:14 love competition and it made the PGA better I think and I

15:17 just like watching these pros and I that's why I'm going to love

15:19 this weekend when all of them are actually playing against each other.

15:21 And on that note, Mark, uh Liv made PGA better.

15:25 We will say that.

15:26 Okay.

15:26 Uh gambling on things I think has made uh spectators life better.

15:31 Winning on bets would make everybody's life much better.

15:35 And when you say I don't I'm not good at these things or whatever,

15:38 we're coming to you for answers.

15:39 Come on.

15:40 Okay.

15:40 So, so whenever you start doing these types of things, okay,

15:43 we need a little bit more confidence because

15:44 now I have no confidence in what you said,

15:47 but you should be good at these things because of what you said earlier.

15:49 You said it's going to be a grip it and rip it weekend.

15:51 Rip it.

15:52 I mean, look, Scott.

15:53 Yeah.

15:53 Scotty, Rory, Cam Young blasted the hell out of it.

15:57 He for putt at the first hole yesterday, I believe.

15:59 Kind of took him out of it.

16:01 He'll be there in the mix.

16:02 Lewig Goldberg, another long hitter.

16:05 Um, I need to sleep or sneak on my fantasy team.

16:07 Yeah, I got a five piece.

16:08 down to 10,000 or something.

16:10 I forget.

16:10 What's the winning score going to be, Mark?

16:11 How low are they going to go?

16:12 What do you think wins it?

16:14 Uh 1314.

16:16 Okay.

16:16 15 maybe.

16:17 Good.

16:17 It's good.

16:17 Right where it should be.

16:20 Um I did see our guy Sergio in DC, by the way.

16:24 He didn't stop again.

16:24 He never stops.

16:25 Oh, balling.

16:27 I saw him focus.

16:28 He kept I thought I've thought I've thought I've thought about this Pat.

16:31 There's a direct correlation between Sergio and Harvey Updike.

16:35 Remember him?

16:36 The guy who killed the trees at Auburn?

16:37 Yep.

16:39 Yes.

16:39 Harvey and I Harvey and I Harvey and I got

16:41 to know each other pretty well before he passed away.

16:43 And um you know he killed he killed the most famous trees in Alabama.

16:48 Sergio killed the most coveted side on earth at Augusta National.

16:52 Little dramatic comparison I think but I do.

16:54 Yeah.

16:55 Yeah.

16:55 But it is Augusta.

16:56 But it is Augusta.

16:58 And uh Harvey called me one time.

17:01 It was a 205 number on a on a Saturday and uh Friday,

17:04 Sunday night uh before the SEC championship game.

17:07 George and Alabama were getting ready to play again.

17:09 It was a 205 area code.

17:10 I figured it was Kirby Smart or somebody called from the Alabama offices.

17:14 And I answered it and he said,

17:15 "Mark," I said, "Yeah." He goes, "This is Harvey Updike.

17:18 Remember me?" I said, "Harvey, where you at?" He said,

17:19 "I'm at the Alabama State Mental Hospital in Tuscaloosa.

17:22 They're evaluating me." He said, "I get one phone call a week." I said,

17:26 "Why in the hell are you calling me then?" He said,

17:29 "What are Alabama's chances Saturday night

17:33 in the Too He had too much Bama in him and Sergio's

17:37 just got a little too much anger in him, I guess." Roll Todd.

17:40 Go Serge.

17:41 What a time.

17:42 Respect, Harvey Updike.

17:43 I love the P.

17:44 Hey, we're 110 days away from college football.

17:46 Yes, we are.

17:47 110 days.

17:47 Thank God.

17:48 Thank God.

17:50 Thank God.

17:51 Thank God is right.

17:52 You're the man.

17:52 We appreciate you.

17:53 Enjoy this weekend.

17:54 Be nice to the live guys.

17:56 Oh, I'm gonna go walk with him right now.

17:59 And Blocky and Blocky and Blocky.

18:03 Have a good week, fellas.

18:07 Mark