The Identity of the PGA Championship + Ryder Cup Captaincy with Shane Ryan

Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan joins Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme fresh off the PGA Championship to unpack one of the strangest stories of major week: Garrick Higgo’s “late, but on time” tee-time penalty — and Shane’s now-viral follow-up question that cut straight through the confusion.

From there, the conversation turns into a wide-ranging look at the modern PGA Championship: finding an identity in the wake of the move from August to May, whether Aronimink produced a fair major test, expectations for PGA Frisco next year, and what makes this championship feel so unique to the Masters, U.S. Open, and Open Championship.

Shane also dives deep into the Ryder Cup, where he breaks down why Jim Furyk may actually be the right pick for Team USA, why Luke Donald and Europe continue to operate with such an edge, and whether the Americans are still searching for a system that can finally match Europe’s continuity.

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Chapters
00:00 Shane Ryan joins The Smylie Show
00:39 Garrick Higgo’s viral “late, but on time” moment
03:08 What is the PGA Championship’s identity now?
08:50 Was Aronimink a fair major test?
13:53 Shane’s ideal PGA Championship setup
16:23 Why PGA Frisco has pressure on it
20:40 How PGA crowds compare to other majors
21:11 Jim Furyk, Luke Donald & Ryder Cup leadership
26:45 Why Team USA’s Ryder Cup job is so hard
30:40 Europe’s Ryder Cup system vs. America’s chaos
32:26 Biggest Ryder Cup captain snubs
34:21 Could Luke Donald captain forever?