A mini today where Nick and Mark have a listen to a voicemail from Mick in the UK who has a suggestion for a Top 5, in fact two Top 5's. We don't do the first one, and the second is impossible, because we cannot fit the answers into just 5.....Mick has asked Nick and Mark to name their favourite commentators, on or off course.

As we talk, more names come to mind, and a Top 5 is simply impossible...but what a wonderful chat about some legendary people in our game.

If we've missed anyway, let us know!

And we end this mini with a very special piece of audio. If your life has been impacted by Alzheimers, or you've lost your Dad (or Mum), it's worth a listen.

We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:

• Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partner
• BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;
• Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;
• FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;
• PING will help you play your best;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;
• Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;
• And Southern Golf Club.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phew this is a big pod today, one of our longer ones....we try to keep the main pod no longer than an hour, but it's a tad hard in Masters week! We start today with Mark asking Nick how he prepared for The Masters given he played it 4 times. Nick explains what he did, and he talks about the first time he saw the course, and what he did. He explains the how the wind works on 11,12, and 13.

We talk about preparation in the lead-up, and Nick explains why living at Isleworth in Florida was the perfect preparation - if you know why, the story is worth hearing again, if you don't - it is wild. Mark asks about the risks of overdoing your preparation when you arrive at Augusta, particularly as the course is so hilly.

The facilities have had an upgrade at Augusta (of course they have, they're loaded), and we hear about the new carpark for the players....sheez.

Onto the Ryder Cup, with Tiger now not in consideration, who will be the captain for the US team? We talk about the names being mentioned and Nick and Mark suggest who they think it will be and why.

Mark runs through The Masters '6's'. That is: 1966, 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006 - all years where extraordinary things happened. And he tells a great story about Greg Norman from the 96 Masters, not great for Greg, or for Australians, but amusing in hindsight.

What about the Augusta National Women's Amateur - 18-year old Raegan Denton from Adelaide finished T4, the highest ever finish by an Australian in the tournament! A star on the rise for sure, and we award her our Hostplus 'Plus for Golf' this week. She certainly is.

After the turn, into the back 9....sorry, Masters week so it's the second 9. We hear about a few of the rules at Augusta, overall they are strict but they all add to the prestige.

For BMW our Touch of Class goes to Justin Rose, Nick watched his interview at Augusta and given the pressure he must be feeling, it really was a classy interview.

Then, for Betr, Nick lists the Top 5 memorable moments from the 12th hole at Augusta...there are some absolute rippers!

Feedback for Southern Golf Club is Masters centric this week: comments from you on 1986, on Rory from last year, The Shark in 86, Nick's results, and a great story from David in Brasil about Jack Nicklaus in 86, which Mark follows up with an amazing Golden Bear stat.

Lots of results for Nick to run through in the PING Globals today....we divert slightly from them to hear a story of Nicks run-in with US Police, and how he got out of it....sneaky...

And finally, Mark's Masterclass for Golf Clearance Outlet is on lag putting - when the greens are running hot, and there are undulating greens, lag putting is your friend. Nick and Mark discuss.

We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:

• Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partner
• BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;
• Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;
• FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;
• PING will help you play your best;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;
• Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;
• And Southern Golf Club.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Masters week and today Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen preview the tournament. You'd think we'd start off by chatting golf, but no, Mark brings a fun fact about trees (albeit Augusta trees) to the table, and Nick counters with another 'tree trivia' item.

But after we get 'tree chat' out of the way, it's onto the real stuff. Nick and Mark discuss the Aussies and Kiwi, and what their chances are. Nick likes Min Woo the best of the Aussie and Kiwi players, Mark feels Adam Scott is in a purple patch and is the most likely of them. Each give their reasons.

What about Jason Day, can he win even with a toned down outfit on? And Cam Smith? The boys are not confident. Does Ryan Fox have the game to compete at Augusta? We discuss.

Then onto the power rankings, and we look at the big US and international players from 1-12-ish, deliberately skipping over one player who neither Nick or Mark enjoy watching. Nick wonders if, with the monkey off his back, Rory might go crazy this weekend, and we discuss how Scheffler might play with a new baby having just arrived.

Mark is red hot for one particular player, saying he believes in 'magic' at Augusta, and this player winning would be that.

Then we construct our Betr multi...and there is trouble in paradise. Nick and Mark agree on two of the legs, however have a disagreement on the third....so we 'rock paper scissors' it to see which we'll go with.

After the turn, an Augusta weather update from Nick 'meteorologist' O'Hern, then we hear back from Hummer on the pricing for the multi....it's pretty good! And Mark reckons we're on a roll so it's a good one to get on board. Mark might be whacking some mayo on what defines 'on a roll', given we won our last one, and we're hardly stringing multiple wins together, but hey, let's go with it.

Get on board at the Betr website here, or on the app - search Betr specials and you'll find the Talk Birdie To Me multi there.

We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:

• Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partner
• BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;
• Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;
• FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;
• PING will help you play your best;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;
• Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;
• And Southern Golf Club.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Masters week and today Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen spend some time reminiscing and sharing their memories of what is, in many eyes, the greatest golf tournament ever played - the 1986 Masters, during this week, it's 40th anniversary.

Nick and Mark focus on the Sunday, when Jack Nicklaus started the day with 7 (incredible) players ahead of him and through the course of the day chased them all down.

We hope you enjoy this Talk Birdie To Me where we go down memory lane and enjoy the wonderful memories, and hear some of the amazing shots, from players like Jack, Seve, Kite, Shark.

And happy Masters week!!!

We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:

• Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partner
• BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;
• Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;
• FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;
• PING will help you play your best;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;
• Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;
• And Southern Golf Club.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Talk Birdie Mini today where we read out a handful of the hundreds of messages we've received on what your first ever set of clubs were!

It's fun to reminisce, and to simply hear some of the old brand names again...some flashbacks to an earlier time! And of course, your messages on clubs lend themselves to some interesting stories from Nick and Mark....including finding out that one of the two had 'cleaning golf club toilets' as their first ever job! Sheez.....

We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:

• Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partner
• BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;
• Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;
• FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;
• PING will help you play your best;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;
• Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;
• And Southern Golf Club.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the pod we have a special guest. Jayden Hunt is a former AFL footballer who played 172 games for Melbourne and the West Coast Eagles, you don't get to that number of games unless you're a gun! These days, his (sporting) life revolves around golf, and he has embarked on a challenge to play 52 of the Worlds Top golf courses in 52 weeks.....we wanted to find out why, how, the plan....so many questions!

We start with Jayden telling Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen how he got into golf, where the bug came from....and he talks us through his handicap journey over the last few weeks, it is mind blowing...he tells us the amount of golf he is playing to achieve his current handicap. He went to Q School last week, he tells us how he went, and his plans to return.

He's working his way through 52 of the Worlds best 52 courses at the moment, he heads off to the US on Monday - and whilst there will be attending The Masters. But of all the courses he is playing, which one is he most excited about? And, how on earth is he managing to get on these courses ?!?!?

He explains the backstory of how he did it. Which is fascinating. Jayden also talks through his partnership with GolfLoot, a new Australian company where memberships provide the chance to win some quite extraordinary prizes, with a focus on 'bucket list golf trips', there are a number on offer - the big one right now is a chance to win a trip to the 2027 Masters for two people - flights, accom, tickets - amazing prize, the winner is drawn on Masters Sunday (12th April) so well worth entering now...you can find out more details here: https://www.golfloot.com.au/

Jayden talks about his fascination with the mental aspect of golf, and Mark suggests that it would be great for him to play some tournaments over the next year or so.

A great chat with Jayden Hunt , clearly a great footballer, and now an excellent golfer.....we'll keep in touch with him as he works his way around the world through these 52 courses!

And have a look at GolfLoot, the monthly fee is very reasonable considering what you'll get - and the chance to win a trip to The Masters in 2027 is worth it just on its own!!

https://www.golfloot.com.au/

We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:

• Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partner
• BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;
• Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;
• FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;
• PING will help you play your best;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;
• Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;
• And Southern Golf Club.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another massive pod today, we start with Mark reviewing Huntingdale, he played it at the weekend. Does it play as good as it looks? He tells us.

And then. Gary Woodland. What a performance, what a story, and what emotion. A fantastic and very popular win in Texas, nobody deserved this more. Nick and Mark discuss his performance and how he has come to this point. We listen to/watch the winning putt, and hear some of the post win interview.

Are challenging pin placements late in a round good or bad for golf? That might depend on whether you're playing or watching. Certainly Karl Vilips might have some strong views after he ping-ponged across the green at the weekend. Nick and Mark give us their thoughts.

Tiger. We have to discuss Tiger. And we do.

The BMW Touch of Class this week goes to Min Woo Lee after his extraordinary bunker shot at the weekend. And we award the Hostplus 'Thats a Plus' for golf to, who else, Gary Woodland.

7 Mile Beach. Nick and Mark have heard contrasting reviews - some love it, some feel it's very tough, maybe too tough. We discuss the reviews.

After the turn, for Betr, Mark lists his Top 5 'gotcha holes', those holes that lull you into a false sense of security and you think you've got them, but then BAM they nail you.

Nick takes us around the world in the PING Global Results.

And in feedback for Southern Golf Club, plenty of whacks....some for one member of the team for something on last weeks pod, some for the entire team after something different on last weeks pod. And Mark reads out a text from a Tour Pro who listened to last weeks show where we discussed the Monday Q story on the player suspended for cheating, and makes some WILD accusations.

We wrap the show with a masterclass from Nick - he calls this a 'combination masterclass', and it's a ripper.

We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:

• Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partner
• BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;
• Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;
• FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;
• PING will help you play your best;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;
• Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;
• And Southern Golf Club.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We must apologise for the start of today's pod. Mark and Dan were ready to go, Nick was extremely unprofessional and decided to send a text just as the show began, so there's a slight delay while Nick finishes his extremely important, far more important than Mark, Dan and the Wolfpackers, text message.

But...once we get through this hiccup in the Talk Birdie Zen, we get on with the show! JH has a request for Nick and Mark which the boys don't mind....and this leads onto a chat about a very famous, and very funny, movie that Nick has (embarrassingly) never seen !?!?!?! He really is having a shocker today.

Onto Andrew, who has a comment on 'golf farces'. Tony heard Mark talking about his desire to travel to Ireland, and has some course suggestions for him. Whilst in the UK, Craig played the London Club last week and gives a report on the conditions.

Trevor has messaged us about slow play and aim point, and believes a particularly massive Tour Pro is guilty of the former - but is a protected species.

Mark has been shopping on Temu again....sheez.

Alex has a question. His club head speed isn't great and he has found a way around it that works for him, and is interested in Nick and Marks thoughts on it. Peter watched John Senden play a few months back in the Australian Open, with Parkinsons, Peter also plays with Parkinsons and has asked if we can get Sendo on the pod to chat about how he does it, some of the tools he uses. Mark tells a great story about playing with Sendo in New Zealand where a shot went extremely pear-shaped.

And Chris from Toronto writes in to let us know he enjoys watching the pod on YouTube, and has a recommendation for another pod we should check out....we've not heard of it, but when we google it, it is massive!

We're live from Titleist and FootJoy HQ thanks to our great partners:

• Hostplus, Talk Birdie To Me's official retirement partner
• BMW, luxury and comfort for the 19th hole;
• Titleist, the #1 ball in golf;
• FootJoy, the #1 shoe and glove in golf;
• PING will help you play your best;
• Golf Clearance Outlet, they beat everyone's prices;
• Betr, the fastest and easiest betting app in Australia;
• And Southern Golf Club.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.