The Slam podcast: Are the world golf rankings now irrelevant?
Between Lexi and LIV Golf, there has been plenty to talk about in the tour golf world over the last few days. Steve Carroll and Matt Coles get stuck in
Well, that was quite a week.
In this episode of The Slam podcast, Steve Carroll and Matt Coles look back on Lexi Thompson’s participation in the Shriners Children’s Open and ask whether more women should tee it up in PGA Tour events.
They also consider the Official World Golf Rankings’ decision to reject LIV Golf’s application to become an eligible tour.
Was it the right thing for the sport? Does not having Bryson DeChambeau and co in the listings make a mockery of the figures – even if you accept the players took their own decisions?
Will LIV Golf eventually accepted into the fold anyway, and what should happen in the meantime with the majors?
With the first LIV players now set to be relegated, Steve and Matt also try and figure out what an earth ‘free agency’ is all about.
And with the first 10 PGA Tour cards about the be awarded on the DP World Tour – because of the strategic alliance between the two bodies – our pod team look at the talent that might set up stateside and ask what it means for the overall vibrancy and viability of golf on this side of the pond.
The views are forthright as always so what are you waiting for? Have a listen…
The Slam podcast is produced in association with Callaway Golf.
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What do you think? Should more LPGA and LET players get the chance to play in men’s events? What does the OWGR’s decision mean for the world golf rankings, and is the DP World Tour in danger of becoming irrelevant? Why not let us know by leaving a comment on X.
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
