The Smylie Show 279: Rick Gehman on Modern Golf: Distance, Data & the New Way to Win
Dec 2, 2025
01:00:34
Smylie Kaufman is joined by golf analytics authority Rick Gehman, the creator of RickRunGood.com and host of CBS Sports’ First Cut Podcast, for a deep dive into the world of golf data, modeling, betting edges, and modern player strategy.
Rick breaks down how the PGA TOUR is evolving through analytics, why driving is more valuable than ever, how players misinterpret ShotLink data, and where fans can actually find a meaningful betting advantage.
Smylie and Rick also get into:
- Why baseball analytics paved the way for golf
- How players should interpret their own ShotLink stats
- Why proximity is one of the most misunderstood metrics
- What really wins under pressure
- The biggest Ryder Cup mistakes made by Team USA
- Why the European model works — and how the U.S. can fix it
- Which rising players are primed for breakout seasons
- And the surprising ways modern players use (and misuse) data
This episode is packed with insight for golf fans, bettors, stat nerds, and players alike.
Don't forget to like, comment & subscribe to support the show!
CHAPTERS:
00:32 Rick’s background: baseball → data → golf
02:08 Building the golf database
03:27 Baseball analytics ⇄ golf analytics
04:38 How data changed modern golf
05:30 ShotLink: what players misunderstand
06:32 How younger players use tech + data
08:12 Why hitting driver is more valuable than ever
10:08 Misleading stats: Proximity explained
12:26 Real strategy: Driver vs. iron off the tee
14:06 Modeling golf courses & comp-course analysis
16:22 What pros ask Rick for (custom reports)
17:31 Predicting performance on new / unfamiliar courses
19:34 Ryder Cup breakdown: U.S. vs Europe strategy
21:03 Where Team USA went wrong
22:49 Pairing mistakes explained (Scheffler/Bryson, etc.)
24:59 Why Europe trusts data more effectively
27:15 If Rick ran Team USA strategy
29:20 Presidents Cup → How USA should use it better
31:36 Shot-shape & trajectory analytics (new radar data)
33:31 “Go-to shots” under pressure
35:02 Darts, proximity, and scoring insights
36:27 NEW stat idea: Strokes Gained Under Pressure
38:41 Bonus Putting metric
40:14 Rising talents who will break out
42:03 Players who maximize limited skillsets
45:06 The importance of speed in the modern game
49:05 Ben Griffin’s leap explained
51:28 The Jordan Spieth question
54:11 Chris Gotterup’s ceiling
56:00 Outro + In memoriam for Scott Hulme
#TheSmylieShow #RickGehman #GolfAnalytics #PGATour #GolfBetting #GolfStats #RickRunGood #GolfPodcast #DataGolf #ShotLink #GolfStrategy
Rick breaks down how the PGA TOUR is evolving through analytics, why driving is more valuable than ever, how players misinterpret ShotLink data, and where fans can actually find a meaningful betting advantage.
Smylie and Rick also get into:
- Why baseball analytics paved the way for golf
- How players should interpret their own ShotLink stats
- Why proximity is one of the most misunderstood metrics
- What really wins under pressure
- The biggest Ryder Cup mistakes made by Team USA
- Why the European model works — and how the U.S. can fix it
- Which rising players are primed for breakout seasons
- And the surprising ways modern players use (and misuse) data
This episode is packed with insight for golf fans, bettors, stat nerds, and players alike.
Don't forget to like, comment & subscribe to support the show!
CHAPTERS:
00:32 Rick’s background: baseball → data → golf
02:08 Building the golf database
03:27 Baseball analytics ⇄ golf analytics
04:38 How data changed modern golf
05:30 ShotLink: what players misunderstand
06:32 How younger players use tech + data
08:12 Why hitting driver is more valuable than ever
10:08 Misleading stats: Proximity explained
12:26 Real strategy: Driver vs. iron off the tee
14:06 Modeling golf courses & comp-course analysis
16:22 What pros ask Rick for (custom reports)
17:31 Predicting performance on new / unfamiliar courses
19:34 Ryder Cup breakdown: U.S. vs Europe strategy
21:03 Where Team USA went wrong
22:49 Pairing mistakes explained (Scheffler/Bryson, etc.)
24:59 Why Europe trusts data more effectively
27:15 If Rick ran Team USA strategy
29:20 Presidents Cup → How USA should use it better
31:36 Shot-shape & trajectory analytics (new radar data)
33:31 “Go-to shots” under pressure
35:02 Darts, proximity, and scoring insights
36:27 NEW stat idea: Strokes Gained Under Pressure
38:41 Bonus Putting metric
40:14 Rising talents who will break out
42:03 Players who maximize limited skillsets
45:06 The importance of speed in the modern game
49:05 Ben Griffin’s leap explained
51:28 The Jordan Spieth question
54:11 Chris Gotterup’s ceiling
56:00 Outro + In memoriam for Scott Hulme
#TheSmylieShow #RickGehman #GolfAnalytics #PGATour #GolfBetting #GolfStats #RickRunGood #GolfPodcast #DataGolf #ShotLink #GolfStrategy