WEBVTT - Fire Drill 034: Destiny Awaits 0:00:04.280 --> 0:00:06.760 Happened to bump into Jerry McElroy and the and the 0:00:06.800 --> 0:00:09.360 elevators as we were on our way up here, and 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.520 he was holding a pizza and going to the the elevator. 0:00:11.560 --> 0:00:13.880 I said, good luck tomorrow, and he said he's playing 0:00:13.960 --> 0:00:16.160 quite nicely, isn't he? And I said he is. And 0:00:16.720 --> 0:00:18.800 he said it would be good for the game of 0:00:18.840 --> 0:00:21.160 golf if you want it, and I said, can't argue 0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:32.840 with that. Put another log on the fire. Nobody hears 0:00:33.560 --> 0:00:41.879 give the time. Hello, This is Alan Schipknuck back for 0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:47.200 another Fire Drill podcast. Michael Bamberger, Matt Ginella, RNA Clubhouse. 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:51.199 We're here on the balcony of the russ As Hotel. 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:54.880 It's late Saturday night. Pretty epic day of golf today. 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:59.640 The leaderboard nothing but great players. But it's clarified a 0:00:59.640 --> 0:01:02.240 little bit. It with Rory and Victor Holland at the top. 0:01:03.840 --> 0:01:07.720 There was a little clucking from Matt Fitzpatrick and others 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:10.000 about the course set up. So Michael, let's start there. 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:11.560 What do you think of how the old course played 0:01:11.600 --> 0:01:13.440 and what it revealed about the players on the board? 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:16.000 Are we are we burying the lead that Matt began 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:18.920 his birthday by hanging out with Joe Lacava as midnight 0:01:19.080 --> 0:01:22.959 struck here in the Russak's Hotel. Worth mentioning, Yeah, we're 0:01:23.040 --> 0:01:27.920 worth worth mentioning, Matt, Happy birthday, Happy birthday to you. 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:30.440 You know, Alan and I have a great friend and colleague, 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:33.399 him ideas when we were having this conversation with him 0:01:33.440 --> 0:01:36.160 on our way to dinners today, and the question is 0:01:36.160 --> 0:01:38.320 is this golf course holding up? Yes or no? If 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:41.440 twenty underwins, would you say that this golf course held 0:01:41.520 --> 0:01:44.200 up or not? And there are lots of different ways. 0:01:44.400 --> 0:01:46.160 You and I have both argued at two different ways. 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:49.120 I'm saying overall it's holding up because we get a 0:01:49.120 --> 0:01:50.800 great leader order, we're gonna have a great Sunday and 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:53.680 it's a great tournament. Yeah, I mean I agree with that. 0:01:53.600 --> 0:01:56.080 The fact is you would like to see the players 0:01:56.120 --> 0:01:58.440 hitting longer clubs into the greens because that creates more 0:01:58.440 --> 0:02:02.080 of a dispersion. Well, there's more danger in play, possibly 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:05.160 more recovery shots and getting too funk your spots. But 0:02:05.280 --> 0:02:08.200 it is what is. It's burnt out super fast golf course. 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:10.560 The ball goes too far, So the test that's being 0:02:10.600 --> 0:02:13.360 presented is still fascinating. I mean, the RNA's come up 0:02:13.360 --> 0:02:15.639 with some very spicy pins and they've asked a lot 0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:18.120 of difficult questions and the players have mostly answered. But 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:20.519 it's still fun to watch. And today when when Sat 0:02:20.600 --> 0:02:23.160 Larry is holding out for eagles and birdies were flying around, 0:02:23.320 --> 0:02:25.160 I mean, it was fun. It was thrilling. So Matt, 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:27.799 what are your thoughts on how this course is play? Yeah, 0:02:27.800 --> 0:02:30.440 I mean it's it's it's like the course for me, 0:02:31.000 --> 0:02:35.400 it's links golf links Scoff. The defense to link Skoff 0:02:35.680 --> 0:02:38.840 is the you know, in large part the elements. I mean, 0:02:38.880 --> 0:02:41.960 you can't to to you know, to sort of you 0:02:42.040 --> 0:02:45.079 just have to just change expectations. And it's let's say 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:47.920 it's a par seventy. There's no there's no really no 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:50.680 real part five. Just let it be a part seventy. 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:54.359 I mean what who cares? Like, is anybody bothered by 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:58.600 that that, you know, someone's a lot under par um. 0:02:58.639 --> 0:03:01.960 Some people are bothered, I'm on golf Twitter, like they're 0:03:01.960 --> 0:03:04.720 offended that the scores are low, where we would just 0:03:04.800 --> 0:03:07.560 argue that that's the lowest total wins. You know, someone's 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:10.040 gonna shoot two seventy or two sixty five or two 0:03:10.080 --> 0:03:12.960 sixty two, they're they're the winner. Par is a construct. 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:15.160 I mean, it's probably the legit par sixty eight for 0:03:15.160 --> 0:03:17.160 some of these guys, But it's still the guy who 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:18.919 takes a few of strokes. And that's what the game 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:21.840 has always been about and always will be about. Michael 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:24.080 jumping here. Well, i'm you know, I'm I'm with that. 0:03:25.480 --> 0:03:28.919 I'm with that in fury. Uh Having said that, it's 0:03:28.960 --> 0:03:31.720 a little bit the whole discussion of thirteen und augusta National. 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:34.040 You could have eighteen times here. Is it really the 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:36.920 road hole if you're not hitting the foreign and uh no, 0:03:37.280 --> 0:03:40.120 is it really a part four eighteen pole if everybody 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:41.880 in the field can drive it with a three wood 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:45.800 or seven wood, as I think Dustin Johnson h a 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:51.080 hit here, you're using in iron. So um, there would 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:54.400 be no dialing back. There's no dialing back any ball 0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:57.040 to the point that this would they still wouldn't be 0:03:57.080 --> 0:04:01.080 able to drive this green days like today, there's no 0:04:01.240 --> 0:04:04.440 there is no uh in theory thought, unless we go 0:04:04.520 --> 0:04:09.640 back to featheries and persimmons, this this golf course on 0:04:09.840 --> 0:04:12.920 days like today, they'd still be way under par. They're 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:14.840 really good at this game. This is. You know, this 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:17.520 is none indictment on anything other than there's no wind, 0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:20.800 right and I and I would I would add to that, Matt, 0:04:21.279 --> 0:04:23.840 this is a golf course that even at these teas, 0:04:23.920 --> 0:04:26.479 but we wouldn't played at these teas that anybody can play. 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:28.599 And you would never say that of oakmon at seventy 0:04:28.600 --> 0:04:31.640 five hundred or August National and seventy five hundred or 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:34.960 Tulsa worry were this year this, you know, And that's 0:04:35.000 --> 0:04:36.880 part of the greatness of this is that I think 0:04:36.880 --> 0:04:39.200 the ordinary golfer can watch this and sorry to relate 0:04:39.279 --> 0:04:41.400 to it. You know. I asked this of Rory after 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:43.159 the round. He said, you uh. I said, how do 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:44.720 you feel about, you know, using your putter as a 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:46.880 chipper basically? And he said, you know, if it's good 0:04:46.960 --> 0:04:49.000 enough for me, it's good enough for you guys. And 0:04:49.080 --> 0:04:51.559 that's fun for that's fun for all for a first 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:54.040 all to see. Yeah, all right, so let's let's talk 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:56.400 about Rory because he's the man of the moment. I mean, 0:04:56.400 --> 0:04:59.400 this is clearly his tournament to win. There was a 0:04:59.400 --> 0:05:02.000 little magic dust there when you hold out on number ten. 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:03.560 You know, those are the kind of shots to flip 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:05.320 a whole tournament, like thinking when he hit in that 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:07.440 bunker he might make a five. Instead he makes a two, 0:05:07.960 --> 0:05:11.360 and him in Hobland of obviously separated themselves. The crowd 0:05:11.440 --> 0:05:14.640 is clearly on Rory's side. I mean, he's just become 0:05:14.720 --> 0:05:17.680 the conscious of golf. He's such a great ambassador. He 0:05:17.720 --> 0:05:19.840 hasn't won one of these in almost a decade. I mean, 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:22.560 the whole world wants Rory to do it. Is he 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:24.839 going to do it? Guys? On the subject of Rory 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:28.280 being the crowd favorite, I actually recorded Rory coming up 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:33.080 eighteenth Fairway, which you know again was definitely by far 0:05:33.480 --> 0:06:10.520 the most applause of anyone. Jake let him hear it. Yes, 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:13.480 it would be great, great, great for golf if if 0:06:13.560 --> 0:06:15.960 Rory wins this thing. But you know something, let's with 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:18.800 all due credit to Rory this Victor Hovland is a 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:23.160 tremendously likable guy and plays. I didn't know he's such 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:24.480 a great driver, and so you told me about it, 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:26.160 because when I've watched the Blaze hit Drew in a 0:06:26.200 --> 0:06:28.320 crooked But I guess if you look at this as 0:06:28.440 --> 0:06:31.320 he's a great driver, Interestingly, Rory shown you don't have 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:32.880 to drive a great here. You just gotta drive it 0:06:32.920 --> 0:06:34.880 in the right parts of the of the right roof, 0:06:35.200 --> 0:06:37.840 which this case is the left ruff. Yeah. I mean 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:39.479 he was a little wild with his driver. That's the 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:41.200 only bugo I saw. And Rory, I mean, the rest 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:43.640 of the game looks fantastic. Matt, what are your thoughts 0:06:43.680 --> 0:06:47.920 about what this moment means and Rory's place in it? No, well, 0:06:47.960 --> 0:06:49.840 we said it, I said yesterday, you know, or just 0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:53.159 talking about and noticing back to a dare and all 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:56.159 of what's happening live related. I just think he's been 0:06:56.800 --> 0:07:00.760 he's been poked into a focus that I don't think 0:07:00.800 --> 0:07:03.560 we've really seen from Rory in quite some time. He's 0:07:03.960 --> 0:07:08.039 he's got more of the just seems like more of 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.120 an edge right now to him, to his competitive self, 0:07:11.560 --> 0:07:13.760 and I think that's gonna that ultimately he's gonna bode 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:16.320 well for him. I happened to bump into Jerry McElroy 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:18.160 and the and the elevators as we were on our 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:20.880 way up here, and he was holding a pizza and 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:23.440 going to elevator. I said good luck tomorrow, and he 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:25.520 says he's playing quite nicely, isn't he? And I said 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:28.520 he is, and he said it would be good for 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:30.680 the game of golf if he won it, And I said, 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:35.240 can't argue with that. I mean, and I think Rory 0:07:35.280 --> 0:07:39.200 knows all that is well aware, and I you know, 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:43.320 I can't help but think that I'm looking for Rory 0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:45.760 to win. I would love to see Rory win. Yeah, 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:47.160 I mean more to the point, it'd be good for 0:07:47.240 --> 0:07:49.800 Rory McElroy. I mean, he is in the prime of 0:07:49.800 --> 0:07:52.640 his career and in this long major drought. He's won 0:07:52.680 --> 0:07:54.760 the FedEx Cup, He's won the Race did you buy, 0:07:55.120 --> 0:07:57.280 He's won the Players, He's won all over the world. 0:07:57.320 --> 0:07:59.440 It's not like he's lost his game. He's been playing 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:02.440 an except on high level, but he just can't get 0:08:02.480 --> 0:08:04.280 it done at these majors. And part of it is, 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.360 you know, there's there's an element of Rory where Michael, 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:09.760 You're an old beat writer for baseball, Like he's more 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:12.800 of a thrower than a pitcher, right, Like he's got 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:14.840 it kind of has one speed where I got like 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:17.000 camp Smith, he's got a curveball. He's got to change up. 0:08:17.960 --> 0:08:19.560 And that's always been the tee with Roy. When you 0:08:19.600 --> 0:08:22.680 get at these super exacting tests, you have to play 0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:25.080 a little different. It's just it's not the Phoenix Open. 0:08:25.120 --> 0:08:28.120 You can't just smash and grab, and so that becomes 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:31.280 the question, like at the critical moment, can Rory's wedge game, 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:35.360 can his lag putting, can those things sustain? Because that's 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.040 what's going to decide this thing. And also to that point, 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:40.360 you know, he's one of his major's unsoft wet golf 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:42.680 courses and this is a dry field League golf courses, 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:45.760 he says, And you know, you're always trying to show off, 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:48.959 you know, Jeff Ogilby has taught this to us. Even 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:51.920 these elite golfers, not even they're trying to show off 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:53.680 all the time. They're trying to show off to themselves 0:08:53.720 --> 0:08:56.520 and to their brethren. And I think I think Rory's well, 0:08:56.559 --> 0:08:58.440 he has said it that you know, I would like 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:00.160 to show the fact that I can win and you 0:09:00.160 --> 0:09:03.360 were in any kind of golf course, but he really 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:05.920 never has not at this level. So it would be 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:07.880 neat to see him when on a dry golf course. 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:09.480 But I would take a little bit exception of one 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:11.920 thing you said, Alan, you know, you said Rory needs 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:15.079 I think really truly when it's all I think golf 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:19.559 really does need a likable Now, any of these guys 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.160 really who are in contention, right down to Scottie Shuffler too, 0:09:22.559 --> 0:09:25.360 Dustin Johnson his own way, they all have a likable quality. 0:09:25.400 --> 0:09:28.240 But Rory right now has become a face of the game. 0:09:28.360 --> 0:09:30.880 Not just sort of like for its quote establishment values. 0:09:31.200 --> 0:09:34.520 I think more like really the face of the game 0:09:34.679 --> 0:09:37.520 what golf stands for, which is, you know, a certain 0:09:37.559 --> 0:09:40.680 grace under pressure, be there in good times and bad. 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:42.920 You know you have your hand ready to shake the 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:46.559 guy in defeat. Rory represents all these values that are 0:09:46.600 --> 0:09:49.760 really you can call them old fashioned values, but to me, 0:09:49.840 --> 0:09:54.839 really they're just basic core golfing values. And and you know, 0:09:54.880 --> 0:09:56.560 the world's in a funny place, and golf is in 0:09:56.600 --> 0:09:58.960 a really odd place that his never you know, we've 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:01.040 all been following Skim alone time. We've never seen a 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:03.559 period like this in golf. So in that sense, yes, 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:05.000 of course it would be great for Rory, but it 0:10:05.040 --> 0:10:06.880 really would be great for golf to see Rory win 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:09.080 this thing as well. Having said that, well, we root 0:10:09.120 --> 0:10:11.480 for the story. Rory's probably the best story we could 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:14.280 be rooting for. Oh yeah, well, I root for anarchy 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:17.400 and chaos. So I was kind of pulling for Dustin Johnson, 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:19.880 like in my own little way today. You know, he 0:10:20.040 --> 0:10:21.880 flagged a couple of shots in the first few holes 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:24.800 and he looked so locked in made two quick birdies, 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:28.199 is like, okay, here comes Dustin um. But he lost 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:32.840 his way. And what was interesting is it was Dustin's 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:35.800 round was a great rebuttal that the old courses overmatched 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:39.520 against the bombers because he got completely out of his 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:43.040 out of his game by humps and hollows and pop bunkers. 0:10:43.040 --> 0:10:45.400 He just missed a few shots and the ball ran 0:10:45.440 --> 0:10:47.280 away and he was left with a tougher shot, and 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:50.559 he got completely mental and he was starting yepping putts. 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:52.600 He was he was just he put it off the 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:58.440 green like like, that's how out of the chances of 0:10:58.520 --> 0:11:01.800 Dustin Johnson topping into shot the balls sitting on a 0:11:01.880 --> 0:11:04.960 te Well, that tells you that the old course can 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:06.920 get in your head like no other. So that to 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:09.640 me was the ultimate rebuttal. People say, oh, it's obsolete, 0:11:09.720 --> 0:11:13.560 it can't hold up, like big bad Dustin Johnson got 0:11:13.559 --> 0:11:16.280 the back of the hairbrush from the old course. And 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:19.240 when it was thousands of people last week, did did 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:22.200 you top any shots. No, this guy top me. He 0:11:22.240 --> 0:11:25.199 was my partner. He also did top any there. It's 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:27.800 made that there was five six hunders. Those were no. 0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:32.080 One the lowest score today. Five people shot six hunder 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:35.160 and them went early. When the three of them went early, 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:37.560 when it was you know, calmer, Yeah, the greens were softer. 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:40.640 That makes what Rory and Hovland did all the more 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:43.800 impressive because they went they went late. But nevertheless, like 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:48.360 the scoring is not crazy low. I mean, these are 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:50.480 best golfers in the world. You give them a course 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:53.680 but no wind. That's playing probably effectively six thousand yards away, 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:55.960 the balls rolling, they're gonna make birdies and that's okay. 0:11:56.600 --> 0:11:59.240 Also effectively at part sixty six, when you talk about 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:02.880 basically three four or five drivable part fours, no, no 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:06.679 unreachable part fives, Rory hitting what driver wedge into a 0:12:06.760 --> 0:12:09.920 part five that's over what six hundred yards long? So 0:12:09.960 --> 0:12:12.000 basically talking about a part sixty six course so on 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:15.040 that basis part is not even really a meaningful term 0:12:15.080 --> 0:12:17.520 anymore in a lot of ways. But clota part of 0:12:17.559 --> 0:12:20.880 sixty six gold what it is I did? I did 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:24.280 bump into Joelacova last night upstairs at the bar. He 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:27.760 was just very calmly having a beer amongst a couple 0:12:27.800 --> 0:12:31.400 of the Golf Channel guys, and Uh, I got again 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:33.679 invited down to the table. I hadn't seen Joe in 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:36.600 like eighteen years. It was really it was really amazing 0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:40.240 to sit down next to him. He looked he looked tired, 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:43.920 he was exhausted and uh and when asked sort of, 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:46.200 which is actually in my story that we'll be publishing 0:12:46.200 --> 0:12:50.440 tomorrow morning on Firepit Collective dot com, just about you 0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:53.040 know what was it like? He's just, you know, we're 0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:56.160 we're upset. I mean, we wanted we missed the cut. 0:12:56.200 --> 0:12:59.520 That's it's it's you know, Tiger was upset. It was 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:01.760 all about out. You know, Tiger is out to win. 0:13:02.040 --> 0:13:04.679 Joe Lecavo was here to win. They didn't make the cut. 0:13:05.120 --> 0:13:07.440 It didn't feel good to him, didn't feel good to Tiger. 0:13:07.760 --> 0:13:10.840 It was a a is a bum bummer situation. That 0:13:10.960 --> 0:13:14.560 being said, he obviously was able to appreciate the moment 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:19.880 he said that was happening on eighteen and when asked 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:24.400 at the table about was that rehearsed, allowing it was 0:13:24.440 --> 0:13:27.960 that coordinated amongst the group players and caddies to allow 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:30.920 Tiger to go up the fairway on his own, right 0:13:30.960 --> 0:13:32.840 out of the gate, right from the tea box. And 0:13:32.880 --> 0:13:36.720 he said, no, that was that's just an unspoken rule. 0:13:37.080 --> 0:13:41.320 And everybody was very aware that this was going to happen. 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:43.560 The Tiger was going to have this moment by himself 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:45.679 over the bridge, up the fit middle of the fairway, 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:49.280 waved to the crowd, have that moment on the green 0:13:49.320 --> 0:13:53.000 on his own. Everybody moved away. The bummer being obviously 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:55.960 that he didn't make the birdie Joe said, Tiger didn't 0:13:55.960 --> 0:13:58.000 call him in for the read he had it. This was, 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:01.200 you know, he was upset that that didn't go in 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:06.480 obviously asked him what they and he also someone said, 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:08.400 did it look like there was Rory and Tiger were 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:10.240 going to have a little bit of an exchange there 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:12.600 in the middle of the fairway because Rory was coming 0:14:12.679 --> 0:14:16.800 off the first tea and watched Tiger's tea shot on eighteen, 0:14:16.920 --> 0:14:19.800 watched where it resulted, and Rory was kind of in 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.560 the path of where Tiger was walking up and Rory 0:14:23.640 --> 0:14:26.360 kind of stopped at his ball. Tiger really kind of 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:28.520 just walked by. I mean, there was you know, and 0:14:28.760 --> 0:14:32.040 and when asked, was there ever thought that Tiger would 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:35.160 go over and talked to Rory And Joe said that 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:38.720 would never happen, and out of deference to and respect 0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:41.520 to Rory and being in his round, Tiger would never 0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:44.360 want to do that. And in fact, you know, I 0:14:44.400 --> 0:14:48.480 think there was some internalization of feeling bad for matt 0:14:48.600 --> 0:14:51.680 Max and Matthew Fitzpatrick almost that they were dealing with 0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:55.600 all that was going on with Tiger, that there was 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:58.040 you know, they felt bad and that that that could 0:14:58.040 --> 0:15:01.680 have contributed to mat missing the cut. You know, Max 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:05.280 is very respectful and deferential to Tiger in his place 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:09.160 in the game, and Joe was feeling like maybe that 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:11.680 had some sort of impact. Now, Matthew obviously righted the 0:15:11.720 --> 0:15:14.680 ship and had another great day today. But and then 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:18.440 I asked, lastly, what was the exchange as you guys 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:21.520 embraced on the side of the green, and Joe said, 0:15:21.800 --> 0:15:23.880 he said to me, I love you, buddy, and I 0:15:23.920 --> 0:15:28.000 said back to him, thanks for having me. That's awesome. 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:31.520 And you know, I remember at Valhalla when Nicholas was 0:15:31.560 --> 0:15:34.520 saying goodbye to the PGA Championship and him and Tiger 0:15:34.560 --> 0:15:37.080 repaired together the first couple of rounds and everyone was 0:15:37.080 --> 0:15:39.000 looking for this passing of the baton moment, and there 0:15:39.040 --> 0:15:41.480 was one. It happened on Friday. Jack was going to 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:44.080 miss the cut. They came to like a little bridge 0:15:44.080 --> 0:15:46.880 and they both stopped, and Tiger was like after you, 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:48.680 you know, showing a deference, and Nicholas is like, no, 0:15:48.840 --> 0:15:51.520 after you and Tiger went first. I was like, okay, there, 0:15:51.560 --> 0:15:53.880 we got it. We needed that. And just that little, 0:15:54.360 --> 0:15:57.600 you know, Rory given the tip of the cap, it 0:15:57.640 --> 0:15:59.560 just feels like it's in the stars for him to 0:15:59.560 --> 0:16:02.200 win this thing and to sort of bring it all home. 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:06.040 Tiger's gone, we need a new new boy king. It's 0:16:06.040 --> 0:16:07.960 got to be Rory. He's the only logical choice. But 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:09.920 he's got to win this for that to happen. And 0:16:09.920 --> 0:16:13.080 and and that, Joe made mention of the idea that 0:16:13.320 --> 0:16:18.840 the RNA knows what they're doing by having U, by 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:22.040 having Rory go off at roughly what would be the time, 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:25.280 and then stacking JT right behind him, so JT was 0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:29.200 on the T with bones on the bag. And and 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:32.000 Joe loved all of that. He thought that was that 0:16:32.080 --> 0:16:36.040 was really well done, well orchestrated, and definitely watched the 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:40.160 fact that JT and and Bones were watching, and I 0:16:40.200 --> 0:16:43.120 think Shane Lowry was actually called to the t and 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:45.840 Shane Lowry was like not going to hit his T 0:16:46.000 --> 0:16:48.800 shot and have anything to do with what was happening 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:51.800 for Tiger finishing off and essentially paused and waited and so, 0:16:52.040 --> 0:16:54.680 you know, out of respect to what was happening, and 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:57.760 it was it was watching Tiger. Tiger is such a 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:02.240 golf nerd. He was watching Justin Thomas swinging very closely. Uh. 0:17:02.320 --> 0:17:04.080 He wants to see what his buddy's doing. You know, 0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:05.800 he's just swinging good or not? Can you get back 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:07.440 in this thing or not? In fact, what we do 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:09.200 on our buddies trip of our partners over there, we 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:13.280 got how's he swinging? Yeah? Okay good? Yeah yeah yeah No, 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:15.800 It's true. So this is Roy's open. It has to 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:19.520 be Roy's open if if calamity strikes, and you know, 0:17:19.560 --> 0:17:22.280 he shoots seventy four, like I mean, Holland would be 0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:26.200 a great winner. He's he's charismatic, he's fun loving, he's goofy. 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:28.200 You can go on Spotify and listen to his heavy 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:29.960 metal playlist. You know, he puts it out there for 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:32.320 the public. Um. You know, he's in the death metal 0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:37.359 and all that stuff, like the kids love it. Um. Yeah, 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:41.199 so so so so yeah. I mean, Scheffler is so 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:45.200 good at golf. I know. So that was interesting because 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:48.040 Cam Smith I tweeted us at one point. Watching him 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:52.080 hit chips and pitches around these greens is just such 0:17:52.119 --> 0:17:55.040 a pleasure. I mean, Michael gave him the old bit 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:57.439 confidence that it was like Sevy like and but the 0:17:57.440 --> 0:17:58.879 rest of his game kind of left him today and 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.360 he didn't put great and he looked a little overwhelmed 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:03.840 by the moment. So I'm never have a thirty six 0:18:03.880 --> 0:18:07.280 sol leader who goes south on Saturday incomes back on Sunday. 0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:09.000 You know, mentally you sort of get out of it. 0:18:09.080 --> 0:18:11.159 It's really really hard to get back in it. I 0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:16.320 think he's gone. Yeah. I mean we've got yeah. And 0:18:16.359 --> 0:18:19.719 I mean Kevin Young has played amazing golf, and you 0:18:19.760 --> 0:18:22.120 know he's overlooked because he's a rookie. He's never won, 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:25.560 but this performance will clinch Rookie of the Year for him. 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:28.280 He's clearly got a lot of game. Like. It's a 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:30.239 big ass but no one thought Louis Eustism was going 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:34.040 to do it. So you never know, um other other guys. 0:18:34.240 --> 0:18:36.879 I mean he kind of sputtered coming in unfortunately. I 0:18:36.920 --> 0:18:39.439 mean the thing about the old course, it's so amazing 0:18:39.480 --> 0:18:41.679 to me is on the last ten holes you have 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:45.679 four drivel par fours and you have you have a 0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:48.639 par five like it ain't over till it's over. And 0:18:48.640 --> 0:18:50.560 then of course you have seventeen where Roy was lucky 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:53.560 not to make a six today really like, so anything 0:18:53.560 --> 0:18:57.240 can happen. Um, But I mean, you know, Cebu Kim 0:18:57.280 --> 0:18:59.160 is the nightmare for all the sports writers because he's 0:18:59.160 --> 0:19:02.159 so so good at golf and he could do it 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:04.240 and that would be a bit of a letdown. I mean, 0:19:04.320 --> 0:19:09.600 Dustin no, but I can I can never not think 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:12.560 about him. Do you remember the President's Cup when they 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:15.040 had these people serenading on the first team and they're 0:19:15.080 --> 0:19:18.000 they're singing, there's a song. As you know, Michael being 0:19:18.000 --> 0:19:23.040 a hip hop historian, it's like see shaking head, shaking head. 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:28.560 It was the greatest press conference ever. So every time 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:31.200 I see it's like I see Woo Kim. So I'm 0:19:31.200 --> 0:19:34.800 just gonna share that at that press conference, Tiger, he 0:19:34.920 --> 0:19:39.320 was the only person who was so maybe furic. Yeah, well, 0:19:39.560 --> 0:19:41.960 that was a wild one, that it was like that 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:44.560 it was a classic. But I mean, it just feels 0:19:44.560 --> 0:19:48.320 like both Victor Enry have so much firepower. It's hard 0:19:48.320 --> 0:19:49.760 to imagine that one of them is not going to 0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:52.600 shoot sixty seven and win this. But I know you disagree. 0:19:53.160 --> 0:19:57.120 Just I mean, Sheffer driving par fours and coming from 0:19:57.119 --> 0:19:59.840 behind and nothing to lose and play and loose. H 0:20:00.400 --> 0:20:02.840 I think, really truly, if it weren't any either of 0:20:02.920 --> 0:20:05.000 those two, I think it would be Scheffer if I 0:20:05.040 --> 0:20:08.159 had to actually bet, we bet Chuffer. But you know, 0:20:08.200 --> 0:20:10.440 I always say this about Sam Burns and other people 0:20:10.480 --> 0:20:12.199 and you know who just looked like they could and 0:20:12.200 --> 0:20:16.480 they should and they might probably won't. But I will 0:20:16.520 --> 0:20:20.040 say Dustin Johnson with some red ass could be dangerous, 0:20:20.200 --> 0:20:24.800 like embarrassed, you got humiliated out there missing two footers, 0:20:24.840 --> 0:20:26.920 topping shots, like if he comes out and just lets 0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:30.439 it go like he could shoot sixty three. But I 0:20:30.440 --> 0:20:32.680 don't know, I really think I think nineteen is a 0:20:32.680 --> 0:20:34.359