Good afternoon! Welcome to Shanks, the coolest golf newsletter on the planet. We’re going to be giving away a ton of great golf stuff throughout the rest of the year. Quarterly gift card drawings, merch for referring a friend to Shanks, and…. A trip for you and a buddy to go to the 2024 WM Open.

Stay tuned over the next couple weeks for more details.

Trivia: Which course has hosted the Ryder Cup the most times?

Answer Below. 

Here's what we've got for ya today:

• Doin Lines: Solheim Cup

• Awesome Ryder Cup Thing

• Four or Five?

• Shots Heard Round The World

• LIV Chicago Preview

• Thing We’d Buy If We Weren’t Broke

Doin Lines: Solheim Cup

We debated whether or not to bet on this event, but decided that it would be morally repugnant not to throw some support behind the American women. For the next two weeks, it’s nothing but Stars and Stripes in this newsletter.

🚩 Location: Finca Cortesin

💰 Purse: Pride

👑 Previous Winner: Team Europe

👀 Watch On: Golf Channel

The Teams at a Glance

USA: Stacy Lewis (Captain), Allisen Corpuz, Ally Ewing, Danielle Kang, Megan Khang, Nelly Korda, Cheyenne Knight, Jennifer Kupcho, Andrea Lee, Lexi Thompson, Lilia Vu, Angel Yin, Rose Zhang.

Europe: Suzann Pettersen (Captain), Celine Boutier, Carlota Ciganda, Gemma Dryburgh, Linn Grant, Georgia Hall, Caroline Hedwall, Charley Hull, Leona Maquire, Anna Nordqvist, Emily Pedersen, Madeline Sagstrom, Maja Stark.

The Course

In the heart of Costa del Sol in Andalucía, Spain, lies the illustrious Finca Cortesin, a world-renowned golfing paradise. This golf course, previously playing host to three Volvo World Match Play Championships and consistently ranking among Spain's top five courses, is now set to make history as the host venue for the 2023 Solheim Cup.

Previous Winners

Fortinet

2021: Europe

2019: Europe

2017: USA

2015: USA

Shanks Picks - Solheim Cup

Odds via Fanduel

Team Winner: USA at +100

Top USA Points Scorer: Rose Zhang +500 

Top Europe Points Scorer: Charley Hull +600

Awesome Ryder Cup Thing

This is what the kids online call a “rare W” by CNN. Yes, we know, we know - CNN is a rag. No one cares to hear from them, etc...

Here’s the thing… they put together one of the coolest interactive websites for the Ryder Cup we’ve ever seen.

You can scroll around, read about the history of the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cups, and rehash some of the greatest moments and biggest heartbreaks.

Bottom line: CNN put together a really fun interactive site and it will get you fired up for the Ryder Cup.

Have a look here.

Four or Five?

The Barstool guys have been playing a lot of golf lately… and yesterday a great debate erupted on social media. Is this a four or a five? Let’s just say it got heated.

Shanks Says: Technically, yes it’s a five. Francis should’ve marked his ball before Arian Foster (former NFL RB) attempted his putt, but enforcing that rule on a one foot gimme putt, in this situation? Just a d*ck move. Mark it as a four and move on.

Watch The Full Video Here

Shots Heard Round The World

John Daly: Did the absolute legend flip a cart over last week?

Ryder Cup Radicals: The Last Days Before The Big Days.

Good Timing Kid: Jordan Spieth Welcomes Daughter To The World, Will Still Make It To The Ryder Cup Afterall.

Phil Mickelson Shares Heartfelt Gambling Post:

LIV Chicago

🚩 Location: Rich Harvest Farms

💰 Purse: Billions Of Saudi Oil Dollars

👑 Previous Individual Winner: Cam Smith

👑 Previous Team Winner: 4 Aces

It’s been a while since we’ve seen the LIV Tour on TV and understandably so, a LOT has happened since then. The last tournament was August 11-13 so we’ve seen Ryder Cup selections, the PGA playoffs, and now, the beginning of the Fall PGA Season so it’ll be interesting to see how the LIV Golf Tour season ends up now that we are on one of the final three tournaments.

Heading into the Chicago tournament, the top three teams are 4 Aces (172 points), Torque (163 points), and Stinger (156 points) but number 4 and number 5 are close behind (146 and 143 points).

The individual standings include Cameron Smith at number 1 (170 points), number 2 is Talor Gooch (149 points), and Patrick Reed is our number 3 (120 points), but again, tied for number 4 has each competitor at 112 points. The standings are tight, so all eyes will be on the leaders in the last part of the season.

Looking at power rankings for LIV Chicago:

1. CAMERON SMITH (Ripper GC): He’s the defending champion in Chicago. He’s in great form, having won two of his last three LIV Golf starts.

2. BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU (Crushers GC): Based on recent rollercoaster results, this should be one of his really good weeks.

3. PATRICK REED (4Aces GC): His last four LIV starts include a 5th (Andalucia), 2nd (London) and 4th (Bedminster).

4. JOAQUIN NIEMANN (Torque GC): Finished seventh in Bedminster in his latest start and tied for 4th in Chicago last year.

5. DEAN BURMESTER (Stinger GC): His last four worldwide starts are 8th, 5th, T16th, 7th, so he’s playing consistent golf.

You can watch LIV Golf Chicago on the LIV Golf+ app, YouTube, and The CW.  

Golf Thing We'd Buy If We Weren't Broke

Let’s take a moment to honor all y’all cowboy country clubbers out there. Malbon has recently announced a new collection called “Home on the Range” and it’s giving new life and style to those who prefer a sturdy pair of sh*t kickers over flip flops. Instead of walking you through the entire collection, lets put together a fit:

• Farson Cotton Poplin Shirt: $150 (and don’t worry, this has a proper collar so no one will give yah any trouble for wearing it)

• Casper Intarsia Knit: $185 (the colder weather means you’ll need to layer up)

• Linden Corduroy Pant: $170 (never seen corduroy on the course? Time to change that up)

• Flag Seekers Wood Cover: $120 (if you’re tired of using an old wool sock from your pappy, this is the head cover for you)

• Flag Seekers Glove: $40 (can’t be golfing without a glove. Also, a budget friendly item if you still want something from this collection)

Check out the “Home on the Range” collection available now on MalbonGolf.com. 

Trivia Answer: The Belfry

See you Saturday morning.