Steve left us a voicemail on Monday, he was struggling to maintain his focus when he was close to making par - which he's never done before - he'd get nervy, and his game would fall away.

So he hit Nick and Mark up for some ideas on how to address it. Steve went out onto his local course at Ocean Shores near Byron Bay, and put Nick and Marks advice into practise. He left us another voicemail to let us know if the advice made a difference (or not). Over to Steve.

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 we read through some of your questions and comments, and we start with a comment about Magnolia Lane at Augusta which Nick made last week. Whilst talking The Masters, it was exciting to see the GolfLoot prize drawn on Sunday - Geoff from Moonah Links won a trip to next years Masters with a friend!! Unbelievable !!! Heaps of other great prizes on offer at GolfLoot, including playing with, and having a lesson from, Nick O'Hern. Details here.

After Mark revealed on the show last week that he does not eat fruit, not most fruits anyway, Nick and Dan were horrified and thought that nobody else would share this dislike of fruit.....turns out we were wrong. We were inundated with feedback from fellow fruit-hating wolfpackers who were backing Mark up. We read out 3 or 4 of the dozens we received. Which flows into a chat about Vegemite, American bread, Peanut Butter.....this podcast has clearly jumped the shark.

So onto the golf. Wolfpacker Mark has some feedback on commentators from The Masters, Paul has a comment about a commentator he loved who was unceremoniously dumped from The Masters coverage after a couple of gags that the Men of the Masters did not appreciate.

Bruiser enjoyed the 66/76/86/96/06/16 Masters analysis last week, but suggested the 79 win by Gary Player is equally worth a chat, he's not wrong, it was a ripper. Mark makes a diary note to do that in 2029. Fair chance he'll forget. But we do kick around the 7's...

Roy loved the recent chat with Mike Harwood, if you haven't heard it or watched it - worth a look/listen, Mike is a gun.

And we finish on some memories of one of the gentlemen of Australian golf, Alex Mercer, who turned 92 a few weeks ago.

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.

Masters Review this week, and we start of course by discussing Rory. Where does he sit in the pantheon of Mens Golf? Mark saw a tweet from Flushing It that he reads through which outlines his wins beautifully. Is he the best European golfer in history? Nick and Mark discuss, and list the other Europeans who would be in the discussion.

Rory was brilliant, but he had a couple of wobbles on Saturday, we chat about some of the players who were coming for him - Cameron Young and Justin Rose in particular. We talk about the influence the great man, Jack, may have had on Rory's approach.

Mark says that of all the majors, Augusta is the 'choke' venue, and explains why. Which is one reason why Rory played the venue for 2-3 weeks prior, he explains why, we play the audio, where Rory also outlines Tom Watson's advice to him on how to play Augusta.

Nick says Scheffler made the greatest Birdie he has ever seen on the 15th hole, and talks us through it.

Our Betr multi was looking a shot early on Sunday when Ludvig got off to a good start, unfortunately he fell away.

Nick and Mark discuss the LIV players performance in The Masters, particularly Bryson and Rahm, who played poorly. And we look at the Aussies - Cameron Smith, and Min Woo Lee - both had a tournament to forget. Nick gives some thoughts on where Min Woo's game went wrong.

For Hostplus, our That's a Plus for golf was Jason Day's performance, he was in the hunt and playing well. Almost an 'anti plus' was Sergio Garcia's tantrum which Nick and Mark refer to as child like, Nick says he definitely would have received a warning.

BMW Touch of Class this week goes to Phil Mickelson for his gracious congratulations to Rory on the win, despite the history the pair have.

After the Turn, we give a shout out to our friends at Te Arai in New Zealand who had a nasty fire at the weekend which burned down one of the restaurants. Clearly they need a Switchstar installed. Check them here.

Marks Top 5 for Betr is the Top 5 'choke' holes at Augusta. The PING Globals is nearly all Masters, plus a Japanese tournament. Feedback is all Masters, comments and questions on Rory, Rory's caddy Harry, Sergio, Min Woo, Bird Noises, Commentary, and Broadcast coverage.

And Nick's masterclass today for the Golf Clearance Outlet is on committing when you're hitting on a slope.

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 mini today where Nick and Mark have a listen to a voicemail from wolfpacker Steve whose goal is to break par for the first time, yet whenever he gets close, nerves take over. Steve is keen to know if Nick and Mark have some tips for dealing with the nerves in this pressure situation. They do!

Nick explains how he'd deal with nerves and relax himself when he was on tour, and Mark talked through his approach.

Mark tells a story about when exactly what Steve is talking about happened to him recently, and Nick explains the time it happened to him playing in the US Open!!

Oh and we talk sitcoms. Mark and Dan are unimpressed with Nick's sitcom of choice....not that it's a bad show, but it's not up there with Mark and Dans preferred sitcoms.

A fun mini, thanks for the voicemail Steve!

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 feedback pod today, and we start with a very blunt question from a wolfpacker about Marks eating habits - following the revelation a week or two ago that he has never eaten a cucumber. And we find out some other, surprising, food items he has never (and says he will never) eat.

Mark tells a very funny story about playing in a tournament , about to be called to the first tee, when his mother turned up with something he had forgotten to bring...hilarious, but also quite sweet.

But enough food chat. Onto golf. Feedback from a wolfpacker who saw Steve Bowditch play live and said, until he did, he wasn't aware of how much of a flusher he was. Ken saw Bubba play at Coolum with Nick and shared that memory. And Colin from New Zealand has a very important question about a hole in one...and whether it counts or not. Nick and Mark give their view.

And we have a NSW wolfpacker who is a sparky and given Marks challenge in being able to find one locally to install his Switchstar, has offered to fly down and install it if Mark takes him for a round at Kingston Heath....mmm interesting idea.

After the turn, we have a comment and a question from Phillip regarding the worst shot ever in a pressure situation, with Rory the one being nominated....Nick and Mark discuss, and Mark talks about the famous Jean Van Der Velde incident at Carnoustie saying he feels Jean was horribly unlucky and only hit one bad shot.

Nick and Mark reveal what they believe to be the worst shot they each ever hit in a tournament....funny (for us not them).

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 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.