WEBVTT - Fire Drill 073: The Masters Is Here…Finally 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:07.040 The build up to what is about to unfold, and 0:00:07.120 --> 0:00:11.680 for all the reasons we've already discussed, I just it's 0:00:11.680 --> 0:00:17.799 just almost too much to comprehend. I got thoughts in 0:00:17.960 --> 0:00:23.880 my head, can't get them Joan nothing what I'm thinking about. 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:29.920 Thoughts in my head, can't get them out. Not think 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:40.400 what I'm thinking about? Hello with this zilence, Chip knuck 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:43.000 back for another fire Drill podcast. It is Masters Week, 0:00:44.000 --> 0:00:47.720 best week of the year. Too many not all. Um 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:50.240 It's been quite a build up. It's always a long 0:00:50.280 --> 0:00:53.840 preamble from the last Major until the Masters. This year 0:00:53.960 --> 0:00:57.560 was extremely um action packed with all the all the 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:00.920 subplots and everything else. So here to unpack it all 0:01:00.960 --> 0:01:04.720 at Michael Bamberger, Matt Janella, gents, thanks thanks for doing 0:01:04.760 --> 0:01:08.240 this pleasure. I mean, come on, we're talking to the master. 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:11.760 I mean, this is like when I lived in the Northeast. 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:15.600 This sort of was the week in which you allowed 0:01:15.640 --> 0:01:18.959 yourself to think that spring was about to spring. You 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:22.600 know what I mean. It was this was when we thought, 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:25.240 like when we got back from covering one of them, 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:28.720 you know how many Masters have we been going to this? 0:01:29.000 --> 0:01:31.880 That was when you could start playing golf again. So 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:35.080 there's that I've generally just already build that excitement. But 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:38.360 also I just think the Major, the current state of 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:40.319 the game, the majors are even more major, and the 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.200 Masters has always been an amazing major. And now it's 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:47.480 even the theater about what's about to unfold. It is 0:01:47.520 --> 0:01:50.320 just I just can't wait. Well, now it starts a 0:01:50.400 --> 0:01:53.360 week early with you know, with the Annua, which was 0:01:53.760 --> 0:01:57.440 must watch this year with Rose, and people are still 0:01:57.480 --> 0:01:59.080 debating whether should have laid up or not on the 0:01:59.120 --> 0:02:02.400 fifteenth hole. It's like the Master now, Allan, Allan, Allan, Yes, 0:02:02.560 --> 0:02:06.280 they're not debating. Let's yeah, well, okay, let's just so. 0:02:06.720 --> 0:02:08.839 I mean, I know it's only one person, maybe two, 0:02:09.120 --> 0:02:12.520 the dad and the and the winner for he didn't. 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:14.760 I didn't hate it. She was playing to win. It's 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:17.639 like a birdie there and the tournament's over and like 0:02:17.960 --> 0:02:19.960 she was trying to go. She was going for the juggular. 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:22.720 I thought it was cool. But Matt, Matt, that's why 0:02:22.800 --> 0:02:25.680 our distinguished colleague was a cartboy, not a caddy. At 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:28.000 the Pebble Beach legs, though there aren't really there are 0:02:28.120 --> 0:02:30.760 too many water hazards there. Mother is a big lake 0:02:31.200 --> 0:02:37.320 left of eighteen. I don't see Allan, it's an absolute layout. Well. 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:40.959 One of the great pleasures of watching the UH the 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:45.040 Augusta Nasheal Women's Amateur was Bones visit. You could hear 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:47.560 his discomfort. He was just dying to take the bag 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:50.720 off of Rosing's father's shoulder and get in there. He 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:54.040 was so bothered by the whole thing. The one thing, 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:56.919 the one thing I miss about Bones being back on 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:03.279 JT's bag is Bones the broadcaster, the ouncer, the color commentator. 0:03:03.440 --> 0:03:07.640 I just I miss him well, especially anything Augusta related. 0:03:07.720 --> 0:03:11.000 I mean, he's so authoritative on the piets and anything 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:15.760 but the masters. He takes now he has seen a 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:18.000 lot of it in his life, but he takes bad 0:03:18.160 --> 0:03:22.519 course management personally. So like if Jean Vandevelt does something, 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:26.400 he's still bad at Jean Vandebilt. It's like John Vandeville's 0:03:26.400 --> 0:03:30.080 trying his best, but Bones can't see it though. And again, 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:33.720 Alan and I were both standing there in two thousand 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:36.800 and six in the eighteenth fairway, and the one thing 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:39.400 I noticed is Bones was just not They just were 0:03:39.520 --> 0:03:41.920 not talking to each other. They just were not having 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:45.160 any conversation. So yes, he had taken it personally that 0:03:45.280 --> 0:03:49.920 Phil was doing what Phil was doing. That's great. Well, yeah, 0:03:49.960 --> 0:03:52.840 so it's amazing. How and we've talked about this before, 0:03:52.920 --> 0:03:55.680 Michael and I how just the Masters used to be 0:03:55.760 --> 0:03:58.280 this small invitational and it was an important tournament, but 0:03:58.320 --> 0:04:01.320 there was an intimacy and it was, uh, you felt 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:03.760 like you were guests of this little club. And now 0:04:03.800 --> 0:04:05.960 the campus has become supersized. It's kind of like this 0:04:06.080 --> 0:04:09.840 golf Disneyland. And and now Master's Week. I mean even 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:13.640 Sunday you have we're taping Sunday evening here. It's you 0:04:13.720 --> 0:04:15.880 have the drive chip and putt. You have all a 0:04:15.960 --> 0:04:18.640 lot of players are starting to begin their Masters preps, 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:21.040 including Tiger walked around with some wedges and a putter 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:23.560 as he has did back in twenty nineteen late on 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:26.520 Sunday afternoon, and you have bernhard Longer hitting balls on 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:28.160 the rains next to kids warming up for the drive, 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:31.880 chip and putt. Like there's this this intermixing of the 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:36.080 events and the cultures of it all is it's a 0:04:36.120 --> 0:04:39.400 fascinating part of the preamble that didn't even exist, you know, 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.159 four or five years ago. So Master's Week just gets 0:04:42.200 --> 0:04:46.200 bigger and bigger, just just like the Augusta National Footprint. Well, 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:48.400 we're here, we are. I should take a second, we 0:04:48.480 --> 0:04:51.799 should take a second and talk sponsorship really quickly, because 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:55.520 you're talking about drive, chip and putt and while you're 0:04:55.560 --> 0:04:58.120 talking about a lot of transcendent eyes coming to the 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:03.040 to the game this week, this weekend, this upcoming week 0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:06.840 and weekend. And I finally have the definitive answer, by 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:09.000 the way to a question in which I know we 0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:11.840 get a lot. If someone is new to the game, men, 0:05:11.960 --> 0:05:16.200 women or children and they want to look into buying 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:21.359 a set of clubs, the answer now is Robin Golf 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:25.880 Robin Goolf dot com. These people, it's a family owned business. 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:31.480 They make these really sleek, cool looking sets of clubs 0:05:31.560 --> 0:05:36.600 for kids and beginners, men and women. This is a 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:39.600 bit of a gateway solution from like no, you know 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:42.719 clubs to an actual set of clubs before you maybe 0:05:42.839 --> 0:05:45.720 get fit for a set of clubs. Go now to 0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:48.159 Robin Goolf dot com. We got Mother's Day coming up, 0:05:48.200 --> 0:05:50.080 We got Father's Day coming up. Kids are getting out 0:05:50.080 --> 0:05:53.719 of school soon. Fire Pit fifteen gets you fifteen percent 0:05:53.760 --> 0:05:57.159 off promo code fire Pit fifteen Robin Golf guys excited 0:05:57.200 --> 0:05:59.400 to have them be a part of what we're doing. 0:05:59.560 --> 0:06:02.440 And um, their sets are on the way from my 0:06:03.160 --> 0:06:06.600 uh son and daughter and wife, and I look forward 0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:09.360 to breaking them in. Matt. How how many clubs do 0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:11.080 they want you to start with your you're a ten 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:13.840 year old kid, you're athletic, but you're new to golf 0:06:14.200 --> 0:06:16.960 like your son. How many how many clubs do they 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:18.960 want in the best seven or nine? Seven to nine? 0:06:19.000 --> 0:06:21.080 I think is good. A couple, you know, a couple 0:06:21.520 --> 0:06:25.159 a driver and maybe a hybrid and like a five wood, 0:06:25.360 --> 0:06:28.120 you know, some sort of you know those three clubs 0:06:28.400 --> 0:06:31.000 a putter obviously, and then like a five and a 0:06:31.080 --> 0:06:33.320 seven iron or a wedge you know, from you know, 0:06:33.400 --> 0:06:37.720 seven to nine clubs essentially nice that's what Michael plays now. 0:06:38.200 --> 0:06:42.400 An yeah, John Ashley, you know, I mean one of 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:44.920 the great things about you know about the Goat and 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:48.360 where my family plays golf is they have the Kid's course, 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:51.880 they have the Goat Teas, they have a forty eighteen 0:06:51.920 --> 0:06:56.080 hole golf course. They can climb the ladder literally in 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:58.880 one place, and um, and they're gonna be doing using 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:02.159 it rob They're gonna be doing it using Robin golf clubs, 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:04.800 So that's cool. We should note that Robin Golf is 0:07:04.880 --> 0:07:08.040 going to be sponsoring everything we do this this week. 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:12.520 Michael and I will be typing regularly pretty much every day. 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:14.920 We'll be podcasting throughout the week. I think we're gonna 0:07:15.040 --> 0:07:17.040 wrangle Jeff Ogilvie for a few of those pods. So 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:21.120 thanks for Robin Golf for the sponsorship. So let's let's 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:23.600 look ahead to this this Master's there's there's so many 0:07:23.680 --> 0:07:26.520 things percolating, not least you know, brooks Keepka's now one 0:07:26.560 --> 0:07:29.560 Tuova's last six starts. How much weight do we put 0:07:29.640 --> 0:07:33.800 on that because they're on live unknown? You know this, 0:07:34.000 --> 0:07:36.040 this master has become such an important yardstick for all 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:38.720 those guys who went to the other tour, and you know, 0:07:38.840 --> 0:07:40.960 they're they're sort of playing for their credibility, to prove 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:43.960 that they still got it, and all the slings and 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:47.480 arrows about exhibition golf and carts and shotguns, and I 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:49.640 think they're going to compete with quite an intensity. But 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:55.239 other things, you know, Rory looking for the mythical green jacket. 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:58.480 You've got this battle for number one, Scheffler trying to 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:00.560 go back to back, You've got the like of Ram 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:04.520 and other people who are trying to cement their standing 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:07.240 as at the top of the game. I mean, Michael, 0:08:07.280 --> 0:08:10.200 what as you look atter this masters, what are you 0:08:10.280 --> 0:08:14.240 most keenly interested in? What? What are you most excited about? Well, 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:16.920 I'll answer for the broad public for us, because there's 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:20.080 such interest in Rory because he's been so out in front. 0:08:20.400 --> 0:08:22.800 You know, Alan, you have alluded to this several times 0:08:22.880 --> 0:08:25.000 and it's taken me a while to Ashley grasp but 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:27.560 that Rory mclroy really is the biggest name in golf 0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:31.400 right now. He's the only person this week who can 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:35.319 complete the career Grand Slam and um, and I think 0:08:35.360 --> 0:08:38.640 they'll be He's been playing some great golf, he hasn't 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:41.400 won a major and forever, so I think going in that, 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:43.880 you know, for people who are not falling golf keenly 0:08:44.000 --> 0:08:46.680 but followed to some degree, people want to know ken 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:49.719 this guy closed the deal? He can he win the 0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:52.480 career Grand Slam? Um. Think about the last shot that 0:08:52.559 --> 0:08:54.959 Rory hit at Augusta Nashville, that whole out from the 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:58.240 bunker are on Sunday afternoon. You got him the second 0:08:58.240 --> 0:09:00.520 place last year, which is his best finish, and he's 0:09:01.720 --> 0:09:04.079 he's actually been a top ten machine at Augusta that 0:09:04.240 --> 0:09:05.960 just a lot of them have felt a little backdoor 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:07.800 ish and he hasn't really been in the thick of it. 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:10.760 But across tenny two holes, he tends to shoot a 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:14.280 score that puts him not not that far from from 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:17.040 the top. So it's just can you get incrementally better? 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:18.880 Can he tighten it up? He's had played a lot 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:20.719 of mediocre first rounds. Can he got off to a 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:23.280 hot start? Like? But I agree, I mean all eyes 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:25.679 on Rory Um. There's also got him Tiger Woods. We 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:27.760 haven't seen him with a golf club in his hand 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:33.040 for a little while, and he's he's always a huge interest. 0:09:33.120 --> 0:09:36.240 If there's there's any course where he where he turns 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:38.360 into a chess match and and Tiger can can just 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:41.319 rely on his knowledge and his magic hands and his 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:44.680 his his ability to think his way around a golf course. 0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:46.800 I mean, you would think would be Augusta National. What 0:09:46.880 --> 0:09:49.280 about you, Matt, what are you looking forward to? I 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:53.480 mean that the storylines are just it's endless. It's endless. 0:09:53.840 --> 0:09:57.040 I can't believe you know, I'm just right, Cam Smith. 0:09:57.280 --> 0:09:59.920 You know where is he at you know, yeah, Brooks 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:02.960 is one thing, but like Cam Smith and what he's 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:07.000 done the last couple of years in the big venues, 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:10.280 in stages, his short game, and what he did at 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.480 the old course and where I think he kind of 0:10:14.000 --> 0:10:16.480 sits in the game of golf with a real like 0:10:16.800 --> 0:10:18.719 I don't really give a shit kind of an attitude 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:22.959 is very dangerous and uh and this golf course obviously 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.280 suits him. You got guys like Jason Day, Adam Scott, 0:10:26.440 --> 0:10:30.160 justin Rose. They've shown a pulse. They love this golf course. 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:35.160 It seems to like them. And obviously Patrick Reid, Rory Brooks. 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:37.839 I mean, you know Scheffler by the way, I mean, like, 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.319 you know, is he gonna is he gonna defend? I 0:10:40.400 --> 0:10:43.680 mean Xander Schoffleigh here is playing really good, feels really confident, 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:47.440 really likes this golf course, it likes him. I mean, 0:10:47.520 --> 0:10:51.400 it's it's just endless. And again to me, the majors 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.680 have become more major, and I just I can't wait 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:59.240 to consume all of this what's about to unfold. I 0:10:59.320 --> 0:11:01.559 agree with that the major's have become more major, and 0:11:01.640 --> 0:11:04.679 then this particular major is more major yet because we 0:11:05.120 --> 0:11:07.920 didn't really have much of a president's scup. So since 0:11:08.080 --> 0:11:10.719 the last round of an incredible British Open at the 0:11:10.760 --> 0:11:12.160 Old Course of the three of us were there for 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:16.440 that cam Smith shooting that thirty coming home to beat 0:11:16.520 --> 0:11:19.760 Rory McElroy who was the sixty three whole leader. This 0:11:20.000 --> 0:11:24.559 particular major with live versus the PGA Tour, you know, 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:29.199 the cam Smith's versus the Rory mcelroys has just so 0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:35.840 much extra emotion to it. To use Allan's word, it's fraught. Okay, 0:11:35.880 --> 0:11:38.160 I'm gonna retire that word for the short term. Thank 0:11:38.160 --> 0:11:41.640 you for pointing that out. I mean, the most anticipated 0:11:41.720 --> 0:11:44.160 dinner in the history of golf. No, it's not the 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:47.840 Wednesday Night Golf Writers Awards ceremony. It's it's Tuesday night, 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:50.160 the Champions Dinner, you know, which is kind of this 0:11:50.240 --> 0:11:52.559 tired old tradition, like I really don't care who serves what. 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:54.599 Year to year it's I just rolled my eyes. But 0:11:54.720 --> 0:11:58.480 this year it's like it's it's like a mid East 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:02.560 Piece summit or something, and um, you you bring all 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:06.440 these wild cards together, from Gary Player to Bubba Wattson 0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:10.520 to Phil Mickelson like anything, if you if you tell 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:12.760 me on Wednesday morning, someone got their eyes stabbed out 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:15.240 over dessert. I would, I will totally believe that. I mean, 0:12:15.400 --> 0:12:18.959 anything could happen there despite there's this this you know, 0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:23.839 very thin veneer of southern gentility. I mean it's a 0:12:23.920 --> 0:12:27.079 lot of egos, it's a lot of bitterness, it's a 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:30.360 lot of everything. So who knows what's going to happen. 0:12:30.520 --> 0:12:34.240 I can you know, look at JP McManus program in 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:37.520 Ireland had a dare. There was it was there was 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:41.559 some tension, it was there was some concern they'll live 0:12:41.679 --> 0:12:44.439 players and and and tour players were all going to 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:48.079 be under one roof, but on behalf of J. P 0:12:48.240 --> 0:12:52.520 McManus and what he had done and what you know, 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:56.520 sort of the the genteel sort of nature of this event, 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:59.719 there was no problem. And I think if you take 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:03.040 a Austin National, a champions dinner, everyone's got a green 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:06.680 jacket on and you got Ben Crenshaw leading the way, 0:13:07.000 --> 0:13:10.520 and it is what it is like. I just I 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:15.480 just don't I don't see anybody being the one. You know, 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:17.120 you know, it's like a company party. You want to 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:18.800 show up late, you want to leave early, and you 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:20.559 don't want to be the one they're talking about the 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:23.599 next day, and I just don't think anybody wants to 0:13:23.679 --> 0:13:25.679 be the one that they're talking about the next day 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:31.400 on the on that Wednesday. I agree and I disagree, Matt. 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:35.800 I agree on the surface that will happen. Everyone will 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:42.160 apply to each other, even though Bubba Gary Player especially 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:45.680 fill to a lesser degree. They are half nut jobs, 0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:47.319 and you don't know what's going to come out of 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:51.719 their mouth on any given day. But then there's what 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:54.120 you know. Then it's like everything in life, there's what's 0:13:54.160 --> 0:13:56.480 being said, and then there's what's not being said, and 0:13:56.640 --> 0:13:59.640 what's not being said will be in their minds. So 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:03.079 you don't really have the camaraderie, you don't really have 0:14:03.320 --> 0:14:06.000 the regaling of the stories. You might be going through 0:14:06.040 --> 0:14:08.240 the motions of it, but I mean you need a 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:11.720 John Updike level novelist to really sort through it all 0:14:11.760 --> 0:14:13.480 and tell us what's really going on. I think when 0:14:13.520 --> 0:14:15.600 we're really going to see the tension of the two 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:18.240 line dinner show up is Sunday night, if it's cam 0:14:18.360 --> 0:14:21.880 Smith versus Rory again. And then knowing these yahoo's who 0:14:22.240 --> 0:14:24.280 you know, they like to say how genteel the patrons 0:14:24.320 --> 0:14:26.480 are there but really they're a bunch of redneck yahoo's. 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:30.480 They might go crazy on Sunday if it's if it's 0:14:30.760 --> 0:14:34.720 if it's let's say it's Justin Thomas or you know, 0:14:35.520 --> 0:14:39.760 any any red meat American, you know, Jordan Spieth versus 0:14:40.520 --> 0:14:43.640 Patrick Read or any of the of the livesters. I 0:14:43.680 --> 0:14:45.920 think it'll be a nutty scene on some I think 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:48.840 you see something like we've never seen before, a gustinessh Well, 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:51.640 you know Ian famously, Ian Wosenham got heckled in Amen 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:53.880 Corner of the Year he won and that fired him up, 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:56.400 and you know that was kind of the height of 0:14:56.840 --> 0:14:58.840 when all the Europeans were winning the Masters every year 0:14:58.920 --> 0:15:02.600 and there was a sort of low okey xenophobia. It 0:15:02.680 --> 0:15:04.480 will be fascinating. I mean, I think you both are 0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:09.280 right that Ben Crenshaw's presidence. You have Jack there, you 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:12.720 have Fred Ridley, who um is like the school principle. 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:16.400 So I think I think it'll be okay. But we 0:15:16.520 --> 0:15:18.400 all know a guy named James P. Harry. He was 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:21.480 he was legendary editor at Sports Illustrate, and he coined 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:23.080 I don't know if you coined it. He introduced me 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:26.120 to the term smile fuck and they all use that 0:15:26.200 --> 0:15:28.600 a lot of talking about the Masters and Augusta National 0:15:28.680 --> 0:15:32.080 folks like they smile fuck you there they pre hear 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:36.000 to be like nice and and accommodating, but then then 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:39.360 in the end you never get your way and you 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:42.520 get pushed around. Like so it's just gonna be it's 0:15:42.560 --> 0:15:45.200 gonna be a fun, fun bit that everyone's gonna be 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:48.320 focused on and smile fuck or also known as blessed 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:52.720 that bless your heart like that it's other. Oh and 0:15:52.800 --> 0:15:55.640 then there's some one McCallum, you just love love the death. 0:15:55.960 --> 0:16:00.320 But and then whatever came after the butt was the 0:16:00.320 --> 0:16:04.200 guy that had the chance. Uh yeah, just a quick 0:16:04.280 --> 0:16:07.680 just a quick smile. Fuck Uh. When Wosom was playing 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:11.360 that fourth round, his playing partner was Tom Watson. And 0:16:11.520 --> 0:16:13.760 Tom Watson, you know, it really was. It was a 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:16.680 great playing partner that day. And I think really from 0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:18.880 from it was just by the book, he was straight, 0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:22.880 kind of like what Tiger was. Later. Um, Tiger may 0:16:22.960 --> 0:16:25.240 have actually had more warmth than Tom Watson, which is 0:16:25.360 --> 0:16:29.120 really saying something, but I digress. So Watson said to Woosom, 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:32.479 just do what Don January used to do in these situations, 0:16:32.760 --> 0:16:34.560 just not and say fuck you, Fuck you very much, 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:38.160 Fuck you very much. You got him through that that round. 0:16:40.560 --> 0:16:45.360 This podcast has escalated quickly. Um, But to talk about 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:48.000 you know, poseic golf matters. You know, when we talked 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:50.760 about who who's a favorite this week? I mean, unfortunately, 0:16:50.800 --> 0:16:52.960 if you've looked at the forecast, there's a lot of 0:16:53.080 --> 0:16:56.480 rains supposed to start falling. So a guy like Cam Smith, 0:16:56.640 --> 0:17:00.440 if it's firm and fast and crispy, uh, that that 0:17:00.560 --> 0:17:04.080 sets up the short game magic that if it if 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:06.680 it plays long and soft, then of course we all 0:17:06.720 --> 0:17:09.240 know that favors a guy like Rory and or Brooks 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:12.399 and some of the bombers. And so the weather August 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:15.320 is always volatile this week and I don't put too 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:18.120 much stock into the forecast four days out, but as 0:17:18.200 --> 0:17:20.800 of this moment, it looks, it looks a little looks 0:17:20.800 --> 0:17:24.040 a little grim. So um, you know, oh, Patrick read 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:26.240 another guy who's gonna be at that dinner on Tuesday 0:17:26.320 --> 0:17:29.320 night who's a little unpredictable. So you know, when when 0:17:29.480 --> 0:17:32.840 when the course is really firm, guys like Reid and 0:17:33.000 --> 0:17:35.919 Cam Smith I think go to the front ranks. But um, 0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:39.359 if it's playing, if it's playing in a different different 0:17:39.400 --> 0:17:41.440 way than they lose a lot of their advantage. And 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:44.600 we should also mentioned the thirteenth hole, which is m 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:46.440 which is going to be a huge talking point. And 0:17:46.480 --> 0:17:48.280 I was, I was thinking about this on the flight. 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:50.879 It's like, I almost think that the scoring average is 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:53.280 gonna go down because more guys are going to wind 0:17:53.359 --> 0:17:56.680 up laying up and you know, from one hundred yards, 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:58.280 you're gonna knock it on the green, either you make 0:17:58.320 --> 0:17:59.720 the put or you don't. I think there'll be a 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:02.760 lot fives, whereas going for it introduces the six and 0:18:02.840 --> 0:18:05.920 the seven, and I think, if if you know, that's 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:07.680 something that we're all going to watch closely to see 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:09.119 how that whole plays out, because the last thing you 0:18:09.200 --> 0:18:11.120 want is for it to turn into one hundred yard 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:13.440 Part three, which it very well could if it's playing 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:18.399 soft and I'm playing long. So that's another subplot to 0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:22.159 keep an eye on. Well. Scheffler talked about it. You know, 0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:25.760 when you go back into that tunnel to hit that 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:29.399 t shot. He could hit a three wood before and 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:32.080 had an easier time drawing his three wood. He has 0:18:32.119 --> 0:18:35.280 a harder time drawing the driver like he does the 0:18:35.359 --> 0:18:37.920 three wood, So he's just going to hit driver out 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:39.800 straight and just try to draw it as much as 0:18:39.880 --> 0:18:42.720 he can have that, you know, next shot in I 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:45.359 would agree with you Alan that I think the scoring 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:50.120 average may actually go down even if they're hitting, even 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:52.639 if they have more yardage into that hole as an 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:55.520 approach shot, because there's just going to be less people 0:18:55.880 --> 0:18:59.399 going forward and playing to that their magic yardage with 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:01.600 the eighty one hundred or whatever that number is, and 0:19:01.800 --> 0:19:04.440 just getting a little more specific on the pin, and 0:19:04.520 --> 0:19:07.520 maybe there will be more birdies, less eagles, and a 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:11.000 lot more parts less bogies. I was surprised to read 0:19:11.040 --> 0:19:14.520 the final accounting is only thirty five yards longer. I 0:19:14.640 --> 0:19:16.960 thought it was going to be lengthened, just given what 0:19:17.040 --> 0:19:18.840 they were doing there and how much land they have. 0:19:19.800 --> 0:19:22.640 I believe Matt, you've seen it much more recently than own, 0:19:22.760 --> 0:19:25.880 or I would have thought you could go much farther back, 0:19:25.880 --> 0:19:27.960 and I thought they would go much farther back. Well, 0:19:28.720 --> 0:19:31.880 it looks way back there, as Scheffler told me, it's 0:19:32.160 --> 0:19:34.400 way back there, but you know, I think thirty five, 0:19:34.800 --> 0:19:37.959 maybe thirty five yards back from where they had tipped 0:19:38.000 --> 0:19:42.520 it out. That's still that's still a big difference when 0:19:42.560 --> 0:19:45.800 you're talking about that specific corner and fairway run out 0:19:45.920 --> 0:19:48.680 and trying to hit that hit that burn as berm 0:19:48.760 --> 0:19:50.840 as you're trying to like get that as he said, 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:54.120 I'll start using the land a little more to accentuate 0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:57.240 sort of any kind of any kind of draw to 0:19:57.400 --> 0:19:59.480 his driver, which which he has a hard time doing. 0:19:59.600 --> 0:20:05.560 But um, you know, it just looks just like eighteen, 0:20:05.680 --> 0:20:09.680 just like fourteen, just like seventeen every time, you know, 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:12.320 just like five. And when you look back, you're like, 0:20:12.760 --> 0:20:15.719 that just seems so far back there. I can't believe 0:20:16.359 --> 0:20:19.520 the distance they're playing, you know, different from from members 0:20:19.600 --> 0:20:22.720 tease to the back teas to your point in your article. 0:20:22.760 --> 0:20:26.000 You know, you just dropped two pretty incredible articles on 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:28.520 fire pick collective dot com Michael and the and the 0:20:28.680 --> 0:20:31.640 rollback article again is you know, I know we kind 0:20:31.640 --> 0:20:36.080 of have see it differently. Um, but I thought, you 0:20:36.160 --> 0:20:38.720 know that some of the points you made are are 0:20:38.880 --> 0:20:42.120 are valid and in terms of the way the game 0:20:42.240 --> 0:20:45.520 is supposed to be played, I just you know, I 0:20:45.640 --> 0:20:48.560 just question why just the ball, why not the club? 0:20:48.800 --> 0:20:51.399 Why not the loft of the club, why not you know, 0:20:52.119 --> 0:20:55.200 why not you know, from an agronomy standpoint, why not 0:20:56.040 --> 0:20:58.680 have the fairways be a little longer instead of you know, 0:20:58.960 --> 0:21:00.520 tighten fat. I mean, I just I think there's so 0:21:00.600 --> 0:21:04.399 many other different versions of what could also take place 0:21:04.520 --> 0:21:09.280 to sort of account for length. So that's it, I mean, 0:21:09.400 --> 0:21:12.080 so one, and that that story you wrote, Michael got 0:21:12.119 --> 0:21:15.760 a tremendous amount of engagement. I mean, when I tweeted, 0:21:15.800 --> 0:21:18.080 I said, it's it's so nice in these contentious times 0:21:18.119 --> 0:21:21.360 of you know, Michael Bamberger's thoughtful, measured takes on these 0:21:21.720 --> 0:21:26.800 issues and which I wholeheartedly endorsed. But one comment I 0:21:26.840 --> 0:21:28.879 thought was interesting. A guy said, well, why do you 0:21:28.920 --> 0:21:30.920 why do we want to go backwards? You know, every 0:21:30.960 --> 0:21:34.280 other sport evolves. That's true, the players do, but the 0:21:34.359 --> 0:21:36.920 playing fields don't. Basketball courts same side. It's always been, 0:21:37.560 --> 0:21:41.800