364: Hunter Mahan on His Pro Golf Comeback, Why He Stepped Away, & Coaching High School Golf

Six-time PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan joins Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme to talk about his unexpected return to golf. Mahan opens up on why he stepped away from competing in 2021 — burnout, the grind of travel, and an envy that "took over" and wasn't good for his soul — and what's pulled him back into playing after several years coaching high school golf at Liberty Christian in Argyle, Texas, alongside football coach Jason Witten. A few months of posting practice-round videos to social media turned into a full comeback arc, complete with a new equipment deal through Grant Horvat's Primo.Plus: Hunter breaks down the swing videos he's been posting — his takeaway feel, getting the clubface more shut, and clearing up the Justin Rose "shallowing" myth — and walks through his short game reboot under Stan Utley (of Parker McLachlin's Short Game Chef), including the shaft-angle and forearm-rotation keys that turned his chipping around. The guys also get into a wide-ranging Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup conversation: why Team Europe consistently looks looser under pressure, Mahan's own Presidents Cup debut alongside Justin Leonard and Paul Azinger, the case for a real U.S. national team pipeline, and a frank look back at the U.S. team's collapse at Bethpage in 2025.Before they let him go: Hunter's top tips for teaching your kids golf, and a very serious debate over which foursome wins — the Golf Boys or the 2016 Spring Breakers.Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow!Chapters0:00 Intro & why the beard came off1:41 Why Hunter Mahan stepped away from the tour — and what's pulling him back3:03 Coaching high school golf with Jason Witten at Liberty Christian7:42 The burnout and envy that pushed him away from competing9:56 What went wrong with his swing after 201515:11 Breaking down Hunter's Instagram swing videos 21:53 Inside his short-game reboot with Stan Utley27:16 Who spins it best around the greens on tour? 29:33 Utley's keys: shaft angle, forearm rotation, hitting it high vs. low33:09 The "level eyes" fix and driving through the chip40:33 Ryder Cup vs. Presidents Cup — why Team Europe has the edge49:44 Mahan's Presidents Cup debut: Justin Leonard & Paul Azinger52:42 Building a real U.S. national team pipeline56:18 Bethpage 2025 post-mortem: "everyone's got a plan till they get hit in the mouth"59:06 Hunter's top tips for teaching kids golf1:02:32 Hypothetical: Golf Boys vs. the 2016 Spring Breakers1:06:03 Sign-off#golf #huntermahan #pgatour #smyliekaufman #smylieshow #golfpodcast #golfhighlights