The Biggest Cinderella Story at the 2025 British Open

In a new podcast episode of the Dan's Golf World Show, a closer look at a British Open comeback story and highlights from the celebrity event at Lake Tahoe.

A new Dan's Golf World Show explores the Tahoe celebrity event and previews this week's Open. / Dan Evans

In this week’s episode of Dan’s Golf World Show, Dan Evans breaks down the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe—where Joe Pavelski went wire-to-wire to win, Charles Barkley holed out from off the green and a celebrity-packed field gave golf fans a week of unpredictable, low-stakes chaos.

But the most compelling story this week doesn’t come from Tahoe. It comes from Royal Portrush—where Ryan Peake, a former golf prodigy turned inmate, is now playing in the Open. After serving seven years in prison, Peake earned his way back into competitive golf, won the New Zealand Open, and will now tee it up on one of the sport’s biggest stages. It’s a rare kind of comeback, and Evans gives the story the weight it deserves.

The episode also tracks Rory McIlroy’s evolving energy ahead of the major, with a fresh haircut drawing more attention than expected and a subtle shift in his public demeanor. Dan reflects on the quiet split between Joel Dahmen and longtime caddie Gino Bonnalie, examines Charlie Hull’s mid-round collapse and unpacks the curiosity around Grant Horvat’s decision to turn down a PGA Tour start. The questions this week aren’t always about who wins—but about why we play.

Watch the full episode of Dan’s Golf World Show above and look for more episodes on SI Golf.

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