The Drop Zone

16 Episodes
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By: Dylan Dethier

The Drop Zone is a weekly show hosted by Dylan Dethier for GOLF Magazine. Each episode sets out to answer one thoughtful question about golf, answered with the help of a guest.

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Inside LIV Golf’s Strange Final Week ft. Sean Zak
#16
Today at 8:00 AM

LIV Golf may continue on — but this year's season finale was a reminder that it'll never quite be the same. Writer Sean Zak was on the ground at LIV Indy some four-plus years after being on the ground at the inaugural LIV UK event. He relives those first flashy experiences and takes us inside this week's messy conclusion, from glitzy concerts and epic comebacks to missed payments and hidden music messages as the mystery around LIV's future contnues. 


How The World No. 5 Started Peaking In His Mid-30s
#15
08/06/2026

Russell Henley is undoubtedly one of the best golfers in the world — but he keeps sliding under the golf world's radar. How did he upgrade his career from "journeyman" to "elite" starting in his mid-30s? Dylan Dethier checks in with Henley at home ahead of the PGA Tour's postseason for a dive into his life in Georgia, his shift in mindset, the roles of his coaches, his wife, his faith and more.


What We Learned In The 2026 Majors ft. Michael Bamberger
#14
07/28/2026

What's one lesson from every men's major championship in 2026? Recurring guest Michael Bamberger — who attended all four in person — joins the Drop Zone to discuss, now that they're in our rearview. From Rory McIlroy's Masters to the standout charm of Aaron Rai to gambling's effect on the U.S. Open and Bryson DeChambeau's Open Championship side-story, Bamberger and Dylan Dethier trade favorite memories and important takeaways from this year's four biggest events.


How Cameron Young Made His Massive Leap
#13
07/06/2026

Cameron Young may not have grown up on the mean streets of New York City — but his rise to the top of professoinal golf is fascinating nonetheless. Young joins the Drop Zone as part of his GOLF Magazine cover shoot and lets us behind the curtain in the process, giving in-depth access to the Players champ and World No. 3.


Secret Winner of the PGA Tour's Siggies? w/Paul Hodowanic
#12
07/01/2026

The PGA Tour's Signature Events just wrapped for 2026, leaving us with a surprising slate of winners — and plenty of questions about the Tour and its top players. Tour writer Paul Hodowanic was boots on the ground for nearly every one of 'em and joins to break down who REALLY won the Siggies this season — plus an enduring image, the quote of the season and plenty of good Viktor Hovland chatter.


Michael Bamberger: What's Wrong with Golf
#11
06/09/2026

Is golf actually broken or are we all just overthinking it? Dylan Dethier calls up the greatest living golf writer, Michael Bamberger, to chew on one deceptively simple question: what's really wrong with golf right now? Bamberger pushes back on "grow the game" and "shrink the game" as empty corporate framing, connects the dots from Jon Rahm's LIV move to $80 parking at a TGL match, and digs into the "broification" of the game — a culture that increasingly rewards looking the part over thinking for yourself. He also makes the case for why the PGA Tour's obsession with stats is cr...


Amy Alcott: Why the U.S. Women's Open belongs at Riviera
#10
06/02/2026

Amy Alcott won 29 times on the LPGA Tour, took five majors, and landed in the World Golf Hall of Fame — but she started by hitting into a net at a Westwood golf school and running a make-believe country club out of her front yard, billing her parents' dinner guests for drinks.

Ahead of the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera, the lifelong member talks with Dylan Dethier to trace her path from sneaking onto the course as a kid to serving as its ambassador this week.

She gets into the movie stars she grew up ar...


10 Secrets from a Retiring Pro: Best (and Worst) of Life on the PGA Tour
#9
05/27/2026

Martin Trainer is retiring from professional golf. He joins Dylan Dethier to tackle a question — what did he learn playing pro golf? — and runs through 10 answers (plus some more) as he pulls back the curtain on the myths and realities of the PGA Tour. This is the stuff you don't get from a Sunday broadcast or a simple player profile.

So what's it like staring down Rory McIlroy in a playoff? What's it like missing a whole bunch of cuts in a row? What single course on Tour REALLY stands out? Which stop has the best food? What...


2026 PGA Championship: Winners and Losers w/ Sean Zak
#8
05/18/2026

Aaron Rai won the 2026 PGA at Aronimink. But who else won, too? Dylan Dethier and Sean Zak break down the week’s action from on site in Philadelphia, catching you up on who’s leaving a winner.


Will from DataGolf: Who Wins The 2026 PGA Championship?
#7
05/12/2026

How do you model a major? Will Courchene, co-founder of Data Golf, joins Dylan Dethier to talk through the 2026 PGA Championship — and pick a winner. Who is Aronimink expected to favor? Who is actually in pro golf's "A" Tier? And how many players actually have a chance to win? Dylan and Will run through data, favorites, vibes and much more en route to picking a winner.


Grant Boone: How Nelly Korda’s Changed—And What That Means
#6
05/05/2026

Nelly Korda keeps winning. What has that looked like and felt like — and what does it mean? Grant Boone, who has been there every step of the way, tells us what it's like calling the action through the and bad for the LPGA’s biggest star. He also tells us what's next and what a big win for the league would really mean.


Tom Coyne: What’s The Greatest American Golf Course
Tom Coyne: What’s The Greatest American Golf Course episode artwork
#5
04/28/2026

What’s the greatest American golf course? It’s complicated — but we’ve got the right guy to take us down a wandering path to an answer.

Tom Coyne has walked all of Ireland. He’s criss-crossed the United States. Most recently, he bought a failing golf course in Upstate New York. And he’s written books about all of the above. So he can speak to the ingredients of a “great” golf course, he knows the difference between great golf in the U.K. and Ireland versus great golf in the U.S. — and now he knows the nuts and...


Robby Berger: Inside Lebron's YouTube Golf Debut
#4
04/21/2026

The world of YouTube Golf has been on the rise. But brand-new golfer LeBron James' appearance on Bob Does Sports still felt like a sign that things have really gone big-time. How did it happen and what does it mean? Robby Berger joins the show to go deep on the process of getting LeBron, what he's like in person and what his appearance means big picture for their group and the golf space at large.

The ex-guest services manager at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills also . This week, Dylan has on the face of Bob Does Sports...


Michael Bamberger: How Rory McIlroy Won The Masters
#3
04/13/2026

Rory McIlroy won his second straight Masters. Dylan sits down with legendary golf writer Michael Bamberger to break down how he did it.

Michael and Dylan bring their perspective from on the ground at Augusta National. They dig into what made Rory’s final round click, why he’s one of the most likable players in the game. 

Also, Golf Stuff I Like, winners and losers and one lasting memory from this year’s Masters. 


Wright Thompson: Is Augusta National's Mystique Real?
#2
04/07/2026

We asked legendary sportswriter Wright Thompson a question: What actually makes the Masters so special? His answer taps into his decades spent immersed in Augusta's lore — not just as a writer but as a son, a sports fan, a Southerner, and more. He's written about Augusta National in feature stories, in sprawling personal essays, in tournament coverage, in TV voiceovers and more, making him the man for the job.

Thompson's appreciation for Augusta National is complemented by his love for the magic of the muni, which is why his new ESPN series 'Where it Lies' glorifies golf's gr...


Welcome to the Drop Zone!
Welcome to the Drop Zone! episode artwork
#1
04/02/2026