Nuanez Now · ESPN Missoula

Nuanez Now April 9, 2026 - Hour 1 - Andrew Schmidt, Kelsey Phillips

April 9, 2026·57 min·4 clips
Rory McIlroy shoots a 67 at the Masters after saying he didn't care if the tournament ever started.
The hour starts with sponsor copy. Before the golf really gets moving, the excerpt checks in on Blackfoot fiber, Bob Ward's tournament gear, and Stockman Bank sportsmanship copy. Then it is Masters time. Andrew Schmidt talks about Scotty as the player everyone keeps watching, the one who can change the mood of the field once he starts firing. Rory gets real respect too. If he keeps playing loose, Schmidt says, it is hard to bet against him, which is one of the cleaner reads in the segment. Brooks Koepka gets called the Terminator. Schmidt has him at even par, points to his major record, and figures he is still close enough to matter. Jordan Spieth stays in the picture for the same basic golf-radio reason: hang around even par, avoid the disaster hole, and there is still time to make noise. Gary Woodland brings the emotion. His return after brain tumor surgery in 2023, with seizures part of the backstory, makes a two-under position feel bigger than a leaderboard note. Schmidt treats a Woodland win at the Masters as the comeback that would stay with people. Then the speed round kicks in. Max Homa and Wyndham Clark are both at even par after 72s, but Schmidt sells both pretty quickly. The Wyndham read is sharp. Schmidt says he is too angry to win this, which fits the show's mix of golf analysis and personality judgment. Adam Scott gets a buy. Sergio Garcia is closer to a sell, partly because Schmidt does not like him and partly because he thinks Garcia may fade as an older former champion, though he admits former champions are never fully out of it.

As heard by us

A brisk, opinionated Masters pulse check with quick contender talk and a strong Gary Woodland comeback angle.

This segment moves like a quick Masters check-in, opening with the leaders and then widening out to the bigger names still hanging around. The pacing is the main draw.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Want a quick Masters pulse check with rapid-fire opinions and a human story?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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