Jason Sobel - award-winning golf journalist and SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio host - joins The DROP Podcast for an in-depth conversation on where professional golf stands right now and where it may be headed next.

In this episode, Jason walks through his career covering the game, from his first assignment at Tiger Woods’ historic 2000 U.S. Open to years spent reporting from inside PGA Tour events, media trucks, and broadcast booths. We discuss how professional golf has changed over that time, break down the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program as it’s written, and talk through what the current structure means for players, fans, and the Tour moving forward. The conversation widens to the future of the PGA Tour, how the next generation could shape the game, and how this era may ultimately be viewed in hindsight. Jason also shares his picks for upcoming major champions and reflects on what still matters most when covering the sport.

If you’re a New Jersey golfer who follows the professional game and enjoys thoughtful, informed golf conversations without hot takes, this episode is a great place to start with The DROP Podcast. Listen in, follow the show, and pass it along to the golfer in your group who always wants the full picture.

#GolfingInTheGardenState #NJGolf

The 2026 season didn’t just start - it shifted. Chris Gotterup opened the year with authority at the Sony Open in Hawaii, firing a final-round 64 to seize control on Sunday and pull away late at Waialae Country Club. With the pressure rising and the leaderboard tightening, Gotterup separated himself on the back nine through patience, power, and clutch putting - the kind of close that hints something bigger is coming this season.

And the numbers back it up. With this win, Gotterup matched his lowest final-round score on TOUR, claimed his third PGA Tour victory since January 1, 2024, and vaulted from No. 195 to No. 17 in the Official World Golf Ranking in just one year. That places him in rare company alongside Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, and Xander Schauffele - and signals a real shift as the PGA Tour season begins. This wasn’t a hot start. It was a line crossed - and a statement the rest of the field can’t ignore.

There are private golf courses in New Jersey that still feel like unfinished business - courses that keep calling even after years of playing some of the best the Garden State has to offer. In this episode of The DROP Podcast, host Mike Puorro takes a different approach, focusing not on what he’s played, but what he hasn’t: his Top 5 Private New Jersey golf courses he’s chasing in 2026. This isn’t a ranking and it’s not about access; it’s about architecture, history, reputation, and the quiet curiosity every serious golfer understands - the courses that stay on your mind long before you ever step on the property.

Joined by Head Golf Professional Chris Dymek, the conversation explores classic Golden Age designs, modern championship layouts, under-the-radar private clubs, and even a brand-new Tiger Woods–designed course that hasn’t yet found its place in the rankings, touching on names like Morris County Golf Club, Trump National Bedminster (Old Course), Mountain Ridge Country Club, Due Process, and Trout National – The Reserve, along with a few honorable mentions that still loom large in New Jersey golf history. If you care about NJ golf, course design, club culture, or the local golf scene, this episode speaks to that feeling of knowing there’s still more out there - still a few boxes left unchecked.