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Ever left a party without goodbyes and felt oddly right about it? That’s our jump‑off point for a fast, funny, and candid ride from a midnight move out of Charleston to a new life in Harrisonburg—where a sore back, a pool streak, and a golf addiction spark a deeper look at how we chase joy and manage wear and tear. We talk about the quiet power of leaving at the right time, then get honest about aging, fitness, and the tradeoffs we make when passion runs hot.

From there, the conversation widens to sports culture and the gravity of star power. The PNC Championship felt lighter without Tiger and Charlie, and it raises a tough truth: icons change the temperature of a game. That same force ripples through college sports as NIL and the transfer portal reshape loyalty. We break down how revenue sharing made long‑overdue corrections but eroded season‑long narratives, and we pitch a fix that preserves mobility while restoring meaning—move the portal window until after the national titles so coaches coach, players finish, and fans get closure.

Golf’s civil war takes center stage next. LIV’s shotgun chaos and giant purses versus the PGA’s tradition and tension—what did money fix, and what did it flatten? We sketch a realistic path for big names to return: fines, a delayed runway, and limited access to premium events at first. Not out of nostalgia, but because stars lift the ceiling for everyone—attendance, ratings, and the feeling that anything can happen on 18.

We close with a sharp watch pick: Plurribus on Apple TV, Vince Gilligan’s mind‑bending series anchored by Rhea Seehorn. It’s a reminder that the best stories—on a course, a stage, or a screen—bind us together. Hit play, then tell us: which rule would you change first—portal timing, LIV returns, or something we missed? And if this resonated, follow, share, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show.

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Finding your zone in golf requires mental clarity, physical precision, and an ability to get out of your own way when it matters most.

• What being in the zone feels like - the ball feels "like nothing" at impact
• Three Charleston National players share their unique mental strategies
• Wright Blanchard's comeback story - from hole-in-one to victory
• Brady Nash's technique of focusing on a single dimple on the ball
• Willie Charles' data-driven approach from analyzing 1,750 rounds
• Why "slumps" are a mental construct that players create for themselves
• The danger of negative self-talk and how it affects your performance
• Mental techniques to recover when you start a round poorly
• The importance of pre-shot routines in maintaining focus
• How visualization techniques help top players execute under pressure

Ready to find your zone? Practice getting your mind right before your body. Remember that golf is "90% mental and the other half is physical." Feel it, focus, then forget it.

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Rich Easton dives into the controversial LIV Golf Tour, examining the hypocrisy in responses from the PGA Tour and certain players regarding the Saudi-backed competition. He explores the fundamental differences between tours, questioning why players can't compete across multiple platforms and suggesting how the PGA could innovate to retain talent rather than forcing ultimatums.

• The recurring segment "What Annoys Me This Week" focuses on hypocrites who don't recognize their contradictory behaviors
• The first LIV Golf event in London featured shotgun starts, team formats, and $25 million in prize money
• PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan suspended 17 players who participated in the LIV Tour event
• LIV offers a "play less, earn more" model with only 8 events versus the PGA's 40+ week schedule
• The argument against "sports washing" by Saudi Arabia falls flat when considering PGA events in China
• Golfers who want to improve must practice regularly rather than expecting results without putting in the work
• Confidence from practice is the number one emotional contributor to better performance on the course

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Tales from the First Tee wherever you get your podcasts, and join me next week for more insights from beautiful Charleston, South Carolina.

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