Talk Birdie To Me

A very exciting episode today, we are hosting the legendary Ian Baker-Finch, Australian golfing superstar, former CBS commentator in the US, and the Chair of the PGA of Australia.

This is a wide-ranging and open chat with Nick and Mark, starting with Mark asking Finchy about winning the NSW Open by 13 shots in 1984 !! How did it come about that he played it so much better than anyone else?

Finchy reveals some behind the sce...

The Australian Open starts tomorrow, and today Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen are live from Royal Melbourne. We start with a special guest - Tour Pro Elvis Smylie has dropped him and Nick, has just come from a weather briefing and runs through for Elvis what they've just found out about tomorrow's weather. Warm and Windy......the warmth was expected, the wind was not.

We ask Elvis how he's planning to play the course, and how the gr...

It's Australian Open week, and we're excited...but...we start by chatting about the BMW Australian PGA at Royal Queensland. Fantastic win by David Puig, and an exciting tournament to watch. Mark asks Nick how the LIV / DPWT arrangements work and how Puig will manage his schedule now. Both Nick and Mark raved about how Puig constructed his tournament.

Without any notice for Nick to take cover, Mark comments that he loves the comm...

The BMW Australian PGA last weekend was excellent, and this week our attention turns to The Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.

We start with a chat about the weather, it has been very wet in Melbourne, although the forecast for the day prior to the Open is for a hot and dry day, nonetheless the course has had plenty of moisture, what does that mean for it? Nick and Mark discuss.

We run through some of the field, and Mark wa...

Today on a Talk Birdie Feedback pod, we have some comments from wolfpackers about Nick and Marks discussion a week or so ago in which Mark said that Brooks Koepka would not get back to top form unless he returns to the PGA tour. Some had a different view, and felt there was context around his form over the last couple of years that was relevant.

Nick comments that for some players (Bryson) LIV feels a great fit, and muses that h...

A Talk Birdie Mini today, no time for a longer pod as Nick is commentating at the BMW Australian PGA and Mark is glued to the TV watching it....but we can sneak a mini in!

Today, after Mark saw a tweet from a guy called 'Rick Golf' (Twitter page here) on how golf carts have 'destroyed' US Golf, he wanted to discuss carts with Nick.

Both Nick and Mark are 'walkers' although Mark doesn't mind using a cart for 9 holes if he's pl...

The BMW Australian PGA starts today at Royal Queensland and we sat down with the Australian PGA CEO Gavin Kirkman for a chat about the tournament and what he is working on currently to grow golf.

We had to start with an update. Brisbane has been hit by some quite severe storms last week, and as recently as Monday this week, was the course damaged, and have the storms caused any issues with, or changes to, the structure of the to...

It's a massive fortnight in Australian golf, the BMW Australian PGA starts in a day at Royal Queensland, and next week the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne. What a time to be a golf lover!

Today Nick and Mark run through the field for Brisbane, and it's impressive. Some wonderful Australian players of course, but the international field is very strong. We run through a few of the players who could mount a claim for the win. Ni...

Huge pod today, for a number of reasons. Firstly we welcome Hostplus as a major partner, Hostplus have been a huge supporter of golf for a number of years, and we're excited to be partnering with them at Talk Birdie To Me.

Secondly we have a very special guest on the masterclass with Nick O'Hern today, he has a legend of Australian golf giving a putting masterclass later in the show. You don't want to miss it.

But the drama.....

A Talk Birdie Mini today, and we have a question from Matthew in Nebraska who asks for Nick and Marks thoughts on what he calls 'a rather uncompetitive year' for Brooks Koepka.

Nick has been surprised, saying that he felt the LIVG structure and style would have suited Brooks, however it seems to not have. Mark says that his swing, his putting, everything else is still the same - aside from the scores.

Mark says that in his ...

It's a Saturday morning (in Australia for international wolfpackers) and we're live from the Golf Clearance Outlet's brand spanking new store in Mornington, Victoria.

The Australian Open is now a fortnight away, and to see how Royal Melbourne is shaping up both Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen played it this week, and compare notes on how it looks and how it plays. Mark said a few months ago that it would need a 'minor miracle' to be ...

Okay....so some context here. Last week Mark Allen's Top 5 was, shall we say, slightly controversial. He listed the Top 5 (which became a Top 20) things that Pro Golfers laugh at Amateurs for doing. Some of the Wolfpack loved it, some didn't....and were not backwards about expressing their view on the list.

So today, in the first half of the pod, we read out some of the feedback we received....these whacks are as big a whack as ...

Nick and Mark have come in with plenty to discuss, they both watched a heap of golf over the weekend and have seen some great performances that they want to discuss. The one-handed putting of Adam Schenk a highlight, and we discuss one-handed putting. Nick has been reading about a new technique called 'heads up putting' that he explains to Mark.

Young pro Max Charles performed well at the weekend and Mark was particularly proud...

An interesting Talk Birdie Mini today. Wolfpacker Mike has reached out, he's currently a 12.4 handicapper and plays 2-3 times a week. However, in February he is having his first baby and his expectation is that is golfing will come down to once a fortnight....with a new baby that might be a tad optimistic, but fingers crossed Mike! His question is this....for new parents, are there some tips and tricks that Nick and Mark can sugges...

Wolfpacker Mick from Bedford in the UK watched this weeks Talk Birdie To Me, and took umbrage at something Mark said. Mick left a voicemail explaining what that was, and giving Mark a clip around the ears.

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Feedback pod today and we start with a comment from Jeff who watched the Abu Dhabi tournament at the weekend and found some of Wayne 'Radar' Riley's commentary on Aaron Rai amusing. We chat about Radar and how much Nick and Mark love him.

Peter has a comment about players on the Champions Tour using carts. He doesn't like it. What's Nick and Mark's view?

Clinton is keen about what caddies get paid, and Nick and Mark outline w...

Fun bonus pod today. We've been running a huge competition with our friends at FootJoy to give away a spot as the official Talk Birdie To Me entrant in this years Vic PGA Pro Am, being held at Moonah Links on the Mornington Peninsula in December.

The prize includes entry (obviously) into the tournament, plus accomodation, transfers and if the winner is from interstate or overseas return flights to Melbourne. Plus Snowy at FootJo...

Todays pod starts with a discussion about Aaron Rai, clearly an excellent player, and a big win at the weekend in Abu Dhabi for him - however Mark tells Nick that Aaron 'makes me laugh', and he explains why. One of the reasons is wearing two gloves, and Nick explains why he does.

That said, a fantastic win at the weekend by Aaron, at a course Mark describes as a 'fake links course', and he has a theory on what any 'fake links co...

Bonus pod today with Nick O'Hern and Mark Allen previewing the DP World Tour Championship this weekend in Dubai at the Earth Course.

We discuss who is coming in with good form and whilst there are plenty of great players in the event, Nick and Mark believe the combination of Rory's form coming in, and the type of course it is - which Mark says is 'built for Rory' - means he is an excellent chance of winning.

Nick says the Ea...