Spaun Strikes Oil in Texas, The Wait For Augusta Is OVER! — with special guest Lorne Rubenstein
It’s Masters week!!! — the first major of the year and the unmistakable signal that golf season has officially arrived.
This week on Tough Lies, Colin and Richard recap J.J. Spaun’s gritty win at the Valero Texas Open, where a simple mindset adjustment helped him chase down the field from seven shots back on the back nine. It’s a performance that reinforces one of golf’s toughest truths: you don’t need your best game to win.
They also run through a busy week across professional golf, including a clutch closing stretch from Jeremy Gandon and continued consistency from Canadian players like Sudarshan Yellamaraju and A.J. Ewart, who keep stacking results and building momentum.
Then, with Augusta National front and center, they’re joined by one of golf’s most respected voices — Lorne Rubenstein, a true sage of the game whose decades of writing and storytelling bring rare perspective and wisdom. From the evolving structure of the PGA Tour to the debate around distance and rollback, Lorne shares his view on where the game stands today — and where it may be headed.
The conversation then turns to The Masters: what defines success at Augusta, who fits the course this week, and whether a Canadian could be in the mix.
Plus: a MindTRAK mental moment on playing without your best — and why acceptance, not perfection, might be the most important skill in golf.
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Thanks for listening to Tough Lies ~ The Golfer's Podcast
~ with Colin McDougall & Richard Zokol.
“Because the toughest lies in golf aren’t always on the course.”
What is Tough Lies ~ The Golfer's Podcast?
Tough Lies – The Golfer’s Podcast is where golf’s harder conversations finally get airtime.
Hosted by PGA Tour veteran Richard Zokol and marketing strategist Colin McDougall, Tough Lies goes beyond equipment launches and leaderboard chatter to explore the real issues shaping the modern game — from the mental side of competition and modern professional golf, to the narratives and assumptions shaping the game, questioned thoughtfully, critically, and constructively.
Each episode blends insider perspective with candid conversation, featuring stories from inside the ropes, lessons learned the hard way, and thoughtful takes on where the game is headed — and why.
This isn’t hot takes for clicks. It’s honest dialogue, grounded experience, and constructive debate — for golfers who love the game enough to question it.
If you’ve ever thought “someone should talk about this” while watching golf… this is that podcast.