Mike Clayton
Co-Host of State Of The Game
Mike Clayton is a former touring professional turned commentator, course architect and columnist. He is widely regarded as Australia's most forthright spokesperson on the game.
Mike Clayton has hosted 125 Episodes.
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SOG Ep 093: Bob Denney on AW Tillinghast
May 9th, 2019 | 1 hr 34 mins
With the PGA Championship set to return to the Bethpage Black course in New York next week there will be plenty of discussion about course design AW Tillinghast. While known mostly as a course architect, Tillinghast had many more strings to his bow including a well known - though little understood - tour of the US during the depression years to advise courses on more financially sustainable management practises. What is less known is the extensive records he kept of that period and PGA Historian Bob Denney joins Geoff Shackelford, Mike Clayton and Rod Morri on Episode 93 to delve into the life and times of one of the game's great contributors.
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SOG Ep 092 Master Coach Denis Pugh
May 3rd, 2019 | 1 hr 14 mins
Denis Pugh is a 40 year overnight success story. In his early years as a coach his theories were often scorned but having worked with more than 200 touring professionals - including Colin Montgomerie, our own Mike Clayton and of course the reigning Open Champion Francesco Molinari - his thirst for knowledge and communication skills have been proven. Denis talks everything from what it takes to succeed at the top level in the modern game to how he helped Molinari go from merely very good to truly elite.
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SOG Ep 091 The Masters Big Picture
April 22nd, 2019 | 1 hr 22 mins
Tiger Woods winning his fifth green jacket was something special but The Masters is about so much more than just the 72 holes each year. Join Geoff Shackelford, Mike Clayton join Rod Morri as they break down what the 2019 Masters means in the bigger picture, from changes to the course (in particular the fifth hole) to media, technology and the role of the Augusta National Women's Amateur. Oh, and there's mention of the possibility that distance might be an issue as well.
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SOG Ep 090: Old Course Rough and Rules, Rules, Rules
March 2nd, 2019 | 1 hr 22 mins
Is golf going into meltdown or are we just having a rough patch because of the new rules? Geoff Shackelford, Mike Clayton and Rod Morri delve into the seemingly weekly rules snafus in the professional game while also touching on the 'enhanced' rough we can expect at the 2021 Open at St Andrews and what might happen if the pro game made its own rules.
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SOG Ep 089: Saudi Arabia, Hao Tong Li and Augusta National
February 1st, 2019 | 1 hr 35 mins
The storm over the European Tour's visit to Saudi Arabia is only intensifying but it's not the only controversy bubbling in golf. There is still lots of disquiet over the penalising of Hao Tong Li in Dubai as well as discussion about Lucas Herbert's explanation of his actions in removing loose impediments with his club in wasteland in the same event. It's not all bad news though, with Geoff Shackelford believing changes to the 5th hole at Augusta National made public this week suggesting the course may be moving back in the right direction.
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SOG Ep 088: Lucy Li and the Rules of Amateur Status
January 11th, 2019 | 1 hr 15 mins
New rules in 2019 always suggested there would be a rules controversy in January but the one involving Lucy Li isn't what most were expecting. The 16-year-old is in danger of losing her amateur status after appearing in an ad for the Apple Watch with the USGA now investigating. It's a difficult situation for the ruling body who will no doubt be damned if they do and damned if they don't but Geoff Shackelford says the situation is really one of their own making.
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SOG Ep 087: Ru Macdonald and the power of Instagram
December 23rd, 2018 | 1 hr 23 mins
What's the best social media platform for golf? Geoff Shackelford says its Instagram and with the help of Scottish Golf Podcast host and European Tour Social Media team member Ru Macdonald he explains why to co-hosts Rod Morri and Mike Clayton in episode 87 of State of the Game.
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SOG Ep 086: Richard Gillis and Over The Top TV
December 16th, 2018 | 1 hr 25 mins
Golf on TV is big business and its in the midst of some dramatic change. Sports business writer and consultant Richard Gillis joins Geoff Shackelford, Mike Clayton and Rod Morri to explain the concept of 'Over the top TV' and why the game's two biggest Tours - and Tiger Woods - are rushing to be a part of it. Also, for the golf course architecture nuts, places are now open for our Golf Course Study Tour to Barnbougle Dunes with Mike Clayton in May 2019. Three days of golf including playing with Mike Clayton and lots of talk about GCA and the game more broadly for less than $1500. All you have to do is get yourself to Launceston airport and the rest is taken care of. Check out the information page (https://stateofthegame.fireside.fm/gca-tours), send us an email using the link at the bottom and we'll be in touch to finalise details.
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SOG Ep 085: Golf's New Rules
November 22nd, 2018 | 1 hr 16 mins
Golf's new rules come into effect in less than two months but how many people are really ready? USGA Manager of Rules Outreach & Programming Joe Foley joins Geoff Shackelford, Mike Clayton and Rod Morri to discuss that plus lots more including backstopping and the potential for bifurcating the game's equipment rules. Also, we are excited to announce our inaugural Golf Course Architecture golf and live podcast Tour will take place May 3-5 next year at one of the game's greatest public venues, Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania. Check out the GCA Tours tab at the top of the page for details and click the link to register your interest via email today.
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SOG Ep 084: The Euro Tour and Saudi Arabia
November 15th, 2018 | 1 hr 4 mins
Should the European Tour be playing a tournament in Saudi Arabia? Simple question, complicated set of answers. Geoff Shackelford, Mike Clayton and Rod Morri are joined by Middle East expert Arthur MacMillan to discuss the as yet unnamed Saudi event and what its future might be in the wake of the murder of journalist Jamal Khassoggi.
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SOG Ep 083: Jason Day Architecture Critic
October 14th, 2018 | 1 hr 40 mins
Jason Day says architects are to blame in the distance debate but SOG co-hosts Geoff Shackelford and Mike Clayton beg to differ. Hear their thoughts on that as well as how the handicap system is killing golf's adventurous spirit, why the PGA Championship likely won't be coming to Australia - or any other country - any time soon as well as the fascinating media experiment behind the Phil Mickelson/TIger Woods match.
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Episode 81: SOG Ep 81 - The Tiger/Phil Match (and more)
August 30th, 2018 | 1 hr 33 mins
A delve into pro golf
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Episode 80: SOG Episode 80 - Andrew Coltart and Scottish Golf
August 1st, 2018 | 1 hr 25 mins
Mike Clayton and Rod Morri are joined by former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart to discuss the state of Scottish, and world golf. Coltart won the 1997 Australian PGA at NSW Golf Club, a tournament made famous by another incident involving Clayton...
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Episode 79: SOG Ep 79 US Open fallout - the big picture
June 29th, 2018 | 1 hr 16 mins
It's been a couple of weeks but the controversy from the US Open continues to bubble with many believing the USGA has lost a significant amount of credibility after happenings at Shinnecock Hills. Geoff Shackelford and Mike Clayton join Rod Morri to...
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Episode 78: SOG Ep 78 - Clayton remembers Peter Thomson
June 22nd, 2018 | 1 hr 32 mins
Peter Thomson was a giant of the game, not only in Australia but around the world. His five Open titles put him among the greats in history but his contributions to golf extend far beyond simply his brilliance with clubs in hand. His writings on the...