279: Rick Gehman on Modern Golf: Distance, Data & the New Way to Win

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) dataThis 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 → golf02:08 Building the golf database03:27 Baseball analytics ⇄ golf analytics04:38 How data changed modern golf05:30 ShotLink: what players misunderstand06:32 How younger players use tech + data08:12 Why hitting driver is more valuable than ever10:08 Misleading stats: Proximity explained12:26 Real strategy: Driver vs. iron off the tee14:06 Modeling golf courses & comp-course analysis16:22 What pros ask Rick for (custom reports)17:31 Predicting performance on new / unfamiliar courses19:34 Ryder Cup breakdown: U.S. vs Europe strategy21:03 Where Team USA went wrong22:49 Pairing mistakes explained (Scheffler/Bryson, etc.)24:59 Why Europe trusts data more effectively27:15 If Rick ran Team USA strategy29:20 Presidents Cup → How USA should use it better31:36 Shot-shape & trajectory analytics (new radar data)33:31 “Go-to shots” under pressure35:02 Darts, proximity, and scoring insights36:27 NEW stat idea: Strokes Gained Under Pressure38:41 Bonus Putting metric40:14 Rising talents who will break out42:03 Players who maximize limited skillsets45:06 The importance of speed in the modern game49:05 Ben Griffin’s leap explained51:28 The Jordan Spieth question54:11 Chris Gotterup’s ceiling56:00 Outro + In memoriam for Scott Hulme#TheSmylieShow #RickGehman #GolfAnalytics #PGATour #GolfBetting #GolfStats #RickRunGood #GolfPodcast #DataGolf #ShotLink #GolfStrategy