The Yak - Episode: "Steven Cheah Gets HEATED During 1v1 Mini Golf Match vs. Tate" (April 10, 2026)

Overview

This episode of The Yak is a chaotic, hilarious deep dive into Barstool's in-office mini golf tournament, culminating in a high-stakes (and highly emotional) 1v1 showdown between Steven Cheah and Tate. The crew—Big Cat, Kate, Hank, Titus, Danny, Eliot, Kyle, Che, Tate, and others—dissects the aftermath of their multi-day mini golf war, debates performance (and who is "dog" at golf), and amps up the friendly rivalries and running bits that make the show tick. The episode also features lots of post-match analysis, stories of personal embarrassment, meta-competition about office life, plans for future tournaments, and ample digressions into office lore.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Technical Difficulties and Office Banter

[01:14 – 10:00]

• The show begins with on-air confusion due to technical issues—the team can’t see themselves on screen, which leads to joking about tech support “Stefan” and reminiscences about his “bubbly” personality when he first started.
• “I just cannot comprehend how we're live right now without having to see ourselves right in front of us.” (Dave | 02:48)
• Titus reveals he shaved his face before vacation, causing a stir (“I'm gonna be so fucking tan when I get back.” | Titus | 03:13).
• They riff about buying Instagram-ad clothes and inevitably being disappointed (“I'm buying the scene. I'm not buying the actual clothes.” | Dave | 12:26).

2. Mini Golf Tournament—Team Review and Drama

[19:12 – 44:54]

• Detailed analysis of the in-office mini golf tournament: team matchups, strategy mistakes, unconventional putts, and who let the squad down.
• Big Cat takes responsibility as captain for some bad strategic pairings, especially the decision to keep Tate on his team ("I think if we had Eddie instead of Tate, we would have won.” | Dave | 21:11).
• Kate discusses being too kindhearted to competitors (“...after every bad shot, you'd be like, ‘Oh, that's okay, you're gonna get me this hole.’” | Che | 42:08)
• The legend of “relief” rules is dissected, and “dog” status (i.e., being bad at mini golf) gets thrown around as the ultimate insult and motivator.

3. “Heated” 1v1 Mini Golf: Cheah vs. Tate—The Main Event

[44:54 – 132:34]

• Lots of betting as Che and Tate agree to a high-stakes 18-hole match, with escalating side bets for trick shots and hole-in-ones. Drama unfolds live with constant commentary from the rest of the crew.
• “If you didn't score a point in this, you're dog!” (Tate | 46:08)
• Che is methodical and slow (“He stopped the whole tournament for about 10 minutes sizing up a putt that just had no chance.” | Dave | 23:54)
• Che gets flustered about not being “warmed up” and is accused multiple times of ‘scooping’ his putts (illegally lifting the ball)—“That's a scoop, 100%.” (Hank | 104:12)
• Tate ultimately wins both rounds—Che refuses to admit defeat, invoking a “rematch clause,” which becomes farcical as he loses again, leading to everyone dubbing him “Turbo Dog” (super bad at mini golf).

4. Office Antics, Running Jokes & Other Highlights

[66:01 – end]

• The show pivots through a series of fast riffs and recurring office bits: spinning off into stories about giving weird gifts, the infamous hot dog-on-the-ceiling rescue, wild deliveries, talk about gambling events like “Icecon,” and idiotic office competitions.
• Notably, the idea of a “Che Invitational” is proposed—a future mini golf event where Che faces only 9-year-olds for redemption (“That would actually be an electric Yak stream.” | Dave | 130:18)
• Kate reveals she paid Connor Griffin $130 on Venmo for making a joke at his expense (“That is the most Kate thing ever.” | Dave | 41:48)
• Absurd proposals for future Yak content: roofball tournaments, birthday party hosting, home run robbing challenges for Kate’s hypothetical bachelorette, etc.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• On Mini Golf Pressure:
  “You put your... You hype yourself up. The pressure and like, even coming, like, today when I came in and I was like, oh, the course is still set up, and I started... putting around. It doesn’t scratch the itch. Like, playing a hole with no pressure does not scratch the itch.”
  (Dave | 29:39)

• Che’s Self-Belief:
  "[Che] would hit, like, eight shots in a row, like... all out of bounds... then the ninth one would be not that bad... and he would turn to me and be like, ‘I think I figured this out.’”
  (Titus | 24:44)

• On Office Competition Addiction:
  “Whenever we can LARP as professional athletes, we’re just LARPing.”
  (Dave & Kate | 38:12)

• Mid-Match Frustration:
  “He’s getting mad. I can tell Che is getting mad.”
  (Dave | 73:57)

• Betting Gone Wild:
  “All right, I'll do a hundred bucks. I don't love the bet, but I love betting.”
  (Dave | 50:53)

• Che on Losing Twice:
  “Way too black and white.”
  (Che | 128:14)

• Debate on 'Dog' Status:
  “You just got worked twice.”
  (Dave to Che | 126:41)

• Classic Yak Office Moment:
  [On the infamous hot dog rescue] “That might be my favorite Max ever. He spikes the hot dog. He takes a bite of it.”
  (Dave | 109:27)

Mini Golf 1v1: Tate vs Che – Live Timeline

• [49:31] – Challenge set: Che and Tate leave to play 18 holes while bets are set.
• [73:10] – Che gets heated: Shows visible frustration as he falls behind, blames not warming up.
• [87:44] – Tate closes first match: Wins; Che invokes an “automatic rematch clause.”
• [89:00 - 131:00] – Rematch: Second 18; Che makes a run but Tate prevails again; Che’s “Turbo Dog” status is confirmed by all.
• [128:04] – Che’s final defense: “I started off and I played terribly. I had a chance to step on Tate at 8...” (Che, still refusing dog status)
• [130:13] – The Che Invitational idea is born: Che to play a room of 9-year-olds in future episode.

Fun Sidebars & Subplots

• Kate’s Kindness Handicap: Kate’s habit of excessively encouraging opponents (“You built him back up.”)
• Connor Griffin Jersey Saga: Venmo diplomacy after a misunderstood joke.
• FedEx Guy Interlude: Random delivery driver asserts dominance on the office simulator; “That rocks.” (Dave | 78:03)
• Nostalgia Riffs:
  • “Do you jerked off to China [the wrestler]?” (Dave | 67:04)
  • “I got the hard copy of One Night In Paris for my confirmation.” (Hank | 68:16)
• Hot Dog on the Ceiling Legend: Revisiting Max’s all-time moment in office lore.

Conclusion & Takeaways

This episode epitomizes The Yak’s unique blend of absurd office competition and stream-of-consciousness humor. What starts as a recap devolves (or evolves) into live gambling, real-time sports drama, heated but affectionate bickering, and new content ideas—all interspersed with recurring Barstool personalities and inside jokes. The tension of Che’s refusal to accept “dog status” keeps the whole crew engaged, and the stakes of mini golf—made epic with commentary—remind listeners why this office treats everything like the Super Bowl, with genuinely funny results.

If you missed the show, this one is a perfect encapsulation of The Yak’s office culture, fueled by highly competitive nonsense, memorable personalities, and ceaseless new bits.