Tough Lies ~ The Golfer's Podcast

A-A-Ron solves A-ron-imink! This week on Tough Lies , Colin and Richard are joined by golf course architect Armen Suny to break down an unforgettable PGA Championship at Aronimink — where Aaron Rai delivered one of the great closing stretches in recent major history, firing a back-nine 31 to win by three shots over Jon Rahm and Alex Smalley . The guys dive deep into the golf course itself, the set...

Truist Issues: Fowler, Fitzpatrick fumble while Reitan Steals the Show 
 This week on Tough Lies, the biggest story in golf isn’t swing mechanics — it’s self-belief. Colin and Richard break down Kristoffer Reitan’s breakthrough win at the Truist Championship after only getting into the field because of withdrawals — and how a mindset shift toward bringing more freedom and fun back into golf may ha...

Tiger Woods & Insights About Addiction in Elite Sport This week on Tough Lies , the conversation goes beyond the leaderboard. Colin and Richard are joined by Dean Anderson to explore addiction in professional sport, using Tiger Woods as a lens to understand the intersection of chronic injury, pressure, fame, and recovery. From high-profile incidents to the broader realities athletes face, the...

This Shouldn’t Count as a Win… But It Does Nelly Korda continues her quiet dominance, winning the Chevron Championship by five shots and reinforcing her place as the top American player of her generation. But on the PGA Tour, things were far less straightforward. This week on Tough Lies , Colin and Richard break down the bizarre but compelling finish at the Zurich Classic, where Matt and Alex Fitz...

LIV’in On A Prayer! + Fitz Outduels Sheffler The week after the Masters shifts the spotlight to Harbour Town — and a very different kind of test — where Matt Fitzpatrick outduels Scottie Scheffler on the first playoff hole.  This week on Tough Lies, Colin and Richard break down what happened on Sunday, why Harbour Town continues to expose even the best players, and how Pete Dye’s design philosophy...

Rory McIlroy’s Wild Masters Win (From 6-Shot Collapse to Champion) Rory McIlroy had a six-shot lead after 36 holes at Augusta — and by Saturday afternoon, it was gone. In this Masters reaction episode of Tough Lies , Colin and Richard break down one of the most dramatic weeks at Augusta in recent memory, from McIlroy’s early dominance to his Saturday collapse, and ultimately, a gritty Sunday perfo...

Special Masters Episode!!!!  Weir, Augusta, and Winning The Green Jacket There are moments in golf that define a career — and then there are moments that define a country. In this special Masters episode of Tough Lies , Colin and Richard sit down with Mike Weir to revisit one of the most iconic weeks in golf history — his unforgettable victory at Augusta National. From the pressure of Sunday at th...

Spaun Strikes Oil in Texas, The Wait For Augusta Is OVER! — with special guest Lorne Rubenstein It’s Masters week!!! — the first major of the year and the unmistakable signal that golf season has officially arrived. This week on Tough Lies, Colin and Richard recap J.J. Spaun’s gritty win at the Valero Texas Open, where a simple mindset adjustment helped him chase down the field from seven shots ba...

Vulnerability, Victory, and the Rise of Canadian Professional Golf  Gary Woodland’s emotional win in Houston was about more than golf — it was about resilience, clarity, and the search for something deeper than results. This week on Tough Lies , Colin and Richard unpack Woodland’s journey, what it means to play with freedom, and why some players are able to carry momentum while others unravel unde...

Tough Lies ~ The Golfer's Podcast ~ Episode 11 ~ Resiliency, Rollbacks and What’s New in Equipment for 2026!  Matt Fitzpatrick turned heartbreak into victory at the Valspar Championship, bouncing back from a tough loss at The Players with a disciplined, methodical performance that highlights what separates elite competitors from the rest. This week on Tough Lies , Colin and Richard break down Fitz...

Tough Lies ~ The Golfer's Podcast ~ Episode 10 ~ Full Send at Sawgrass - Incredible 375 Yard Drive Wins The Players for Cam Young This week on Tough Lies , Colin and Richard break down the closing stretch at Sawgrass, from Young’s fearless execution to Ludvig Åberg’s costly mistakes, and Sudarshan Yellamaraju’s remarkable T5 finish after learning the game on YouTube without ever taking a lesson. T...

Tough Lies ~ The Golfer's Podcast ~ Episode 9 ~ Bhatia Brings It At Bay Hill + Monopoly, Power and the PGA Tour Akshay Bhatia captured a dramatic playoff victory at Bay Hill — despite never holding the lead during regulation — raising an intriguing question about tournament golf: is it actually easier to chase than to protect a lead? This week on Tough Lies , Colin and Richard break down Bhatia’s...

Tough Lies ~ The Golfer's Podcast ~ Episode 8 ~ Lowry Caught By The Bear Trap & What’s Missing From The Champions Tour A double-double in the Bear Trap. A four-year-old watching her father try to close. A calm winner while chaos unfolds. This week on Tough Lies , we break down Shane Lowry’s collapse, Nico’s composure, Brooke’s putting, and the stars align at Seminole  Then we zoom out. The Cha...

Tough Lies ~ The Golfer's Podcast ~ Episode 7 ~  “Do You Feel Lucky?” — Bridgeman Survives Riviera with One Bullet Left Jacob Bridgeman nearly coughs up a six-shot lead at Riviera — but gets the ‘W’ Why is closing so much harder than chasing? We break down the Genesis Invitational, Aldrich Potgieter’s emergence, and Rory’s latest close call — then pivot to the bigger tension: Jon Rahm, the DP Worl...

Augusta National continues to shape modern professional and amateur golf. It positions itself as guardian of tradition and steward of the game. But when its name surfaces in the Epstein files — even peripherally as it did this week — should it remain untouchable? If you influence the sport’s moral tone, its media access, and its power structure, do you also owe transparency when uncomfortable asso...

Did the PGA Tour almost have a players’ union — and why does that history matter as the Tour moves toward a for-profit structure? In this episode of Tough Lies: The Golfer’s Podcast , we begin with a look at what unfolded on Tour this week, including the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Canadians on Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour, and ongoing concerns about fan behavior crossing the line. The core of the...

Equal swings. Unequal pay. In Episode 4 of Tough Lies, we dig into the LPGA - PGA pay disparity and why it persists in a sport that loves to call itself merit-based. Colin floats a few potential solutions that are bound to spark debate - and maybe, just maybe, move the conversation forward. 

Deep Dive - Blades Brown and the potential perils of being a young golf phenom.

The "Returning Players" program for the PGA Tour.

Zokol and McDougall dive deep into the Ryder Cup and talk Rory McIlroy and Colin Morikawa, plus lots more!

Tough Lies – The Golfer’s Podcast is where golf’s harder conversations finally get airtime. Hosted by PGA Tour veteran Richard Zokol and marketing strategist Colin McDougall , Tough Lies goes beyond equipment launches and leaderboard chatter to explore the real issues shaping the modern game — from the mental side of competition and modern professional golf, to the narratives and assumptions shapi...