WEBVTT - Steve Sands 0:00:06.000 --> 0:00:09.119 It's the Son of a Butch podcast comes at you 0:00:09.240 --> 0:00:12.480 every Wednesday. This week's guest, one of the voices of 0:00:12.480 --> 0:00:15.120 the PGA Tour one of my favorite people in the game, 0:00:15.240 --> 0:00:18.680 Steve Sands. I've had the pleasure to meet Steve and 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:21.680 get to know him both on the course and off 0:00:21.720 --> 0:00:24.160 the course, and I just think he does a fantastic 0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:29.080 job for Golf Channel in NBC, and he spends so 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:33.960 much time with the players learning about what they're doing. 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:37.080 He's always, you know, messaging me and other coaches and 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:40.520 about what he's you know, going to talk about and 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:43.560 getting all the information. And I think, you know, that's 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:46.479 why he is so popular. I mean, that is why 0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:50.120 everybody on tour loves the guy, because he does his homework. 0:00:50.640 --> 0:00:53.159 He wants to make sure the information he's getting right 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:55.880 is right. And I can't tell you how happy I 0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:58.160 am that he decided to come on the pod. We've 0:00:58.160 --> 0:01:00.040 been trying to get it done for a while and 0:01:00.160 --> 0:01:02.600 when when I started this a couple of years ago, 0:01:02.640 --> 0:01:04.880 the idea was to sit down write a list of 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:06.800 people that I wanted to have on, and he was 0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:08.800 definitely at the top of that list. So I'm excited 0:01:09.920 --> 0:01:18.440 and sit back and enjoy the interview with Steve sand So. 0:01:18.520 --> 0:01:21.880 My guest is one of the voices of the PGA Tour, 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:24.200 Steve sand Sandy, we were talking before we came on 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:28.759 in this crazy twenty twenty three PGA Tour Live Battle World. 0:01:29.160 --> 0:01:31.479 I haven't seen you since walking down the fairway at 0:01:31.520 --> 0:01:35.360 the Open Championship. And I don't think people realize how 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:38.080 I mean, you guys in the TV world are as 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:40.800 much a part of the fabric of the PGA Tour 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:43.679 as as everyone else. And you know the fact that 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:45.440 I've been spending most of my time because all my 0:01:45.480 --> 0:01:48.840 guys are on live, I just haven't seen you. So 0:01:48.840 --> 0:01:51.080 it's good to see him. Man, it's great to see you. Glad. 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:53.000 I'm glad you're doing well. I mean, we've been friends 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:56.800 twenty twenty five years and we usually dine or raise 0:01:56.880 --> 0:02:00.120 a glass, you know, multiple times a year and just 0:02:00.160 --> 0:02:02.760 see you in the fairway. What's that seven eight months ago? 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:06.640 It's crazy something retext and everything. It's funny you brought 0:02:06.720 --> 0:02:10.359 that up. You brought that up. I was at the 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:15.040 Bears Club a couple of months ago when Camillo and 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:19.079 Maria had their first charity event for Mia everybody understands, 0:02:19.080 --> 0:02:21.799 you know, who passed away at such a young age, 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:24.120 of such a tragic thing. They had a big MIA's 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:27.480 Miracles event and they asked me to come down. Claude 0:02:27.960 --> 0:02:29.640 Camillo called and said, hey, would you come down at 0:02:29.760 --> 0:02:32.280 m see it. As of course, I'm happy to drive 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:34.560 down a couple of hours from from where we live. 0:02:35.520 --> 0:02:38.080 And who's the first person I run into was Dustin Johnson. 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:42.200 And they're all I mean, Rory's there, Ricky's there, Dustin's there, 0:02:42.200 --> 0:02:44.120 They're all of the One of the great things about 0:02:44.160 --> 0:02:46.760 this sport, as you know, Claude, is they support their 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:50.400 own and they support whatever charities it is, whatever cause 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:53.360 it is. And in this case, everybody knew what happened 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:55.600 with Camillo and his wife Maria, and it was just 0:02:55.639 --> 0:02:57.760 an awful thing. So anyway, I run into Dustin. Johnson's 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:00.200 the first guy I see. Now, like you, I was 0:03:00.240 --> 0:03:03.960 in Dustin and months. You know, I love Dustin. So anyway, 0:03:04.080 --> 0:03:06.080 I walk up to him and say hello, give each other. 0:03:06.240 --> 0:03:07.760 You know, a huh he llah blah blah, has a 0:03:07.840 --> 0:03:09.760 gone family, all that kind of garbage. And I look 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:12.480 at him, so I gotta tell you, man, of all 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:14.720 the things that have happened in the last year. You 0:03:14.760 --> 0:03:16.960 know what I missed most. He's like, what's that I said, 0:03:17.560 --> 0:03:21.760 saying the phrase Johnson for Birdie at twelve. Just it 0:03:21.919 --> 0:03:25.679 just he's missed Claude, He's missed on the PGA. I'll 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.880 know if everybody is missed, but he is missed on 0:03:29.120 --> 0:03:31.960 and off the golf course. You know. I say this 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:33.320 to a lot of the people that I have on 0:03:33.360 --> 0:03:35.640 the show. Um, you know that are in the golf space, 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:37.360 you know, like you guys who are in the players 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:40.560 and stuff. I mean, even when we saw each other 0:03:40.600 --> 0:03:44.520 at the Open Championship at Saint Andrew's, if you could 0:03:44.560 --> 0:03:46.640 look forward and I would have told you have gone 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:49.200 to the future and this is where we are in 0:03:49.680 --> 0:03:53.200 mid season started the floor to swing. I mean, it's 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:57.160 just the landscape of professional golf really has has changed. 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:01.680 But having said that, I don't think Jaynahan and the 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:05.640 boys at Pontavidra could have dreamed up a better start 0:04:05.680 --> 0:04:08.720 to this new season. I mean, you were a big 0:04:08.720 --> 0:04:11.920 part of the West Coast swing. I mean there has 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:16.520 been some unbelievable golf being played and you being so 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:23.080 much a part of the broadcasts. How crazy and how 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:26.000 special is what John Ram is currently doing. I mean, 0:04:26.000 --> 0:04:28.320 you've seen, you know, a lot of golf over your time. 0:04:28.560 --> 0:04:30.680 I mean, you saw all the Tiger stuff, You've seen 0:04:31.080 --> 0:04:33.840 all the great players. But this kid is just I mean, 0:04:33.839 --> 0:04:38.200 he is playing some unbelievable golf. Santy. Yeah, he is 0:04:38.240 --> 0:04:42.320 off the charts. Watching him, watching him go about his business, 0:04:42.760 --> 0:04:45.360 how he takes care of his craft, and then how 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:48.360 he implements the game plan that he has said forth 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:52.400 and executes it so well. It's just remarkable. I was 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:55.840 talking to somebody the other day Claude about John and 0:04:55.920 --> 0:04:58.080 everybody knew he had the promise. Everybody knows he has 0:04:58.120 --> 0:05:00.560 the game, but to put it all together is a 0:05:00.560 --> 0:05:03.400 totally different thing. And I think there's a couple of 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:05.719 things in sports. You never want to rub the anointing 0:05:05.720 --> 0:05:09.280 oil all over somebody. I can't stand that. Now he's 0:05:09.320 --> 0:05:14.039 an incredibly great player and he's established, and now he's hot. 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:18.360 There's a huge difference in sports, Claude, from being great 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:22.479 and being hot. He's hot, but he's also great. You 0:05:22.560 --> 0:05:26.040 win three times in a span of a month or 0:05:26.120 --> 0:05:32.119 in change on the PGA Tour, playing different venues, different fields, 0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:36.080 going up and trying to do it from the jump, 0:05:36.120 --> 0:05:38.760 when you're the favorite, or when you're trying to recapture 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:41.600 being number one. I think what John has done. I'm 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:43.360 not going to compare him to Tiger and all those 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:45.720 kinds of things, but when you look at someone who 0:05:45.800 --> 0:05:50.160 wins two consecutive starts on tour, that's pretty strong, and 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:54.280 then he backs it up with another wins, that's an 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:58.880 otherworldly type of situation. Claude, I think he is. I've 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:02.080 changed my mind back and forth on who's the best 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:05.040 player in the world when they are playing their best. 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:08.120 When Dustin Johnson was playing his best, I didn't think 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:11.080 anybody could beat him. When John rom is playing his best, 0:06:11.080 --> 0:06:13.480 When Rory mcaroy is playing his best, I don't think 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:16.080 they can be beaten. Justin Thomas can be in that 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:19.520 category as well, and maybe a couple of other guys. 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:21.720 But John Rom's the best player in the world right now, 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:24.280 and I don't think it's even a debate. And that's 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:27.520 saying something because Scheffler's already won and mcaroy has been 0:06:27.560 --> 0:06:29.760 playing some great golf. But I think Rom right now 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:32.159 is the best player in the world. What do you think, 0:06:33.000 --> 0:06:35.040 will you watch him you get to be around him 0:06:35.080 --> 0:06:38.359 and interview him. What do you think he's the intangible 0:06:38.920 --> 0:06:41.880 that he has apart from the goal. I mean, he's 0:06:43.200 --> 0:06:45.080 when I watch him play golf, and I'm sure you 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:47.560 feel the same way. I don't know how he doesn't 0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:50.279 win every week because it just doesn't look like he 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:52.719 can hit it offline the way that his golf swing 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.560 is how accurate. I don't think he gets nearly the 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:59.680 credit for having the full package, right. We all know 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:01.760 he can hit the golf ball miles. He's a big kid, 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:07.239 but he is the total total package from a golfer. 0:07:07.279 --> 0:07:09.880 But what do you see, as you know that thing 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:12.400 that all of the great ones have, not only in golf, 0:07:12.440 --> 0:07:16.480 but that extra thing that every great champion, regardless of 0:07:16.520 --> 0:07:18.320 what the sport is. What do you think that is 0:07:18.360 --> 0:07:21.080 that he has. I think it's his energy, claude. He 0:07:21.120 --> 0:07:22.920 has the game obviously. We know that. We know he 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:24.640 can drive the golf ball. We know he can make 0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:26.360 big putts. We know he can chip and pitch. We 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:28.560 know his irons are great, we know his bunker plays great. 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:31.640 I think his attitude when he first came out on 0:07:31.680 --> 0:07:34.679 the PGA Tour, his attitude coming out of Arizona State 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:38.240 maybe hurt him a little bit professionally, and he had 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:40.200 to get used to being out there in front of 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:42.200 all the TV cameras, being out there in front of 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:45.400 all the people, all the ropes, all the craziness that 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:48.480 goes on with being a professional golfer. And here's a 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:50.800 young kid, Claude. These kids grow up in front of 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:54.880 our eyes. He's now married to Kelly, two kids. His 0:07:55.080 --> 0:07:58.760 life off the golf course is incredibly settled, very comfortable. 0:07:59.000 --> 0:08:02.960 Allows him to just go play golf and do his thing. 0:08:02.960 --> 0:08:07.680 And I think that energy that perhaps harnessed him a 0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:09.960 little bit in the early stages of his career, and 0:08:10.000 --> 0:08:12.920 he's become a better player, obviously as he's gotten more maturity, 0:08:12.920 --> 0:08:15.920 he's gotten older. But I also think that energy that 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:19.320 used to be a harness on him is now allowing 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:21.640 him to freewheel it out there. I think he has 0:08:21.680 --> 0:08:25.040 taken some of that energy that perhaps was either pent 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:27.560 up or maybe a little bit on the angry side. 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:29.400 And I mean that in a good way, in an 0:08:29.400 --> 0:08:33.320 athletic way. You need to have some of you know, 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:35.520 to be great. There is no such thing as being 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:40.080 great and being the nicest man on the planet all day, 0:08:40.160 --> 0:08:42.600 every day. That's not how it works. So it's a 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:46.160 singular pursuit, Claude, it's a bit of a selfish pursuit. 0:08:46.480 --> 0:08:49.520 And you've got to be able to take that energy 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:52.600 that perhaps is holding you back and harness it in 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:55.440 a way that's in a positive light as opposed to 0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:59.160 a negative. And I think that between his wife, between 0:08:59.200 --> 0:09:02.960 Adam Hayes being his caddy and being a regular presence 0:09:02.960 --> 0:09:06.280 in his life, having two children, to allow some perspective 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:09.480 and some context to him at an early age. Claude, 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:12.720 it's not like his life is drastically changed over, you know, 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:15.439 of course, of fifteen years of being single for ten 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:18.199 or twelve years, he's young in having this family. Yeah, 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:21.760 I think look out for him. I think that the 0:09:21.800 --> 0:09:24.960 world in this sport is his oyster. And I think 0:09:24.960 --> 0:09:28.200 that that energy that used to hold him back, I 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:33.000 think he has managed to transform it into a positive thing. 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:35.560 And now his game is matched up with it. And 0:09:35.720 --> 0:09:38.840 you're looking at the best player on the planet. You said, 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:41.640 you know, obviously it's easy to try, and when anybody 0:09:41.679 --> 0:09:43.920 gets on a run wins a bunch of tournaments. Everybody 0:09:43.960 --> 0:09:47.280 comparison to Tiger and I don't think we're there yet. 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:49.720 But one of the things I think he has is 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:53.960 if he's on the leaderboard, you don't expect him to 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:56.880 back up. And if you've got a lead or the 0:09:57.080 --> 0:09:59.960 one thing I think he has the ability to do 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:04.120 that is very Tiger esque is you give him, you know, 0:10:04.160 --> 0:10:07.360 a one, two, three shot lead, he can go out 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:09.760 and shoot. He's got the game to where he doesn't 0:10:09.800 --> 0:10:11.920 have to take a lot of chances. He can do 0:10:11.960 --> 0:10:14.719 what guys like Tiger used to do back in the day, 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:18.040 to where I remember Tiger telling Adam Scott early on 0:10:18.120 --> 0:10:20.120 in his career in two thousand and one, We're at 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:25.000 the PGA at Atlanta with David Thomas. One. You know, 0:10:25.080 --> 0:10:27.920 Adam's just kind of getting going, hadn't really won a 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:31.599 bunch of tournaments, and Tiger said, listen, you're trying to 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:34.200 win tournaments by shooting zero on Sunday. He said, I 0:10:34.240 --> 0:10:36.120 promise you, the ones that are most fun for me 0:10:36.200 --> 0:10:37.920 is when I've got to one or two shot lead, 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:41.040 I shoot one under and I let everybody else screw 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:43.520 it up. Jack Nicholas did that, and I think John 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:46.400 has that type of presence in that type of game 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:51.120 to where he doesn't have to overpower you. On Sunday, 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:53.360 he can just kind of do what he does. He's 0:10:53.400 --> 0:10:55.360 going to have his chances on the par fives and 0:10:55.400 --> 0:10:58.240 then you know that he's knock going to back up. Yeah, 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:01.600 John's one of those guys. I think it's rare, even 0:11:01.679 --> 0:11:05.160 for the greats of the greats Claude. I think he 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:08.960 can sixty eight sixty nine you to death. He will 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:13.120 just bludgeon you with a butter knife because you look 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:15.000 up and you're like, oh my gosh, here's John Romigan. 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:17.280 Oh my gosh, here's John Romigan. He does it in 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:20.080 the California Desert, he does it at Riviera, he does 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:22.520 it on MAUI. I mean it's like all these different 0:11:22.520 --> 0:11:26.199 places and these different grasses, these different conditions. The thing 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:30.160 about John that I find, Look, I think he's terrific 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:32.600 to deal with. He's a bit of a hard ass, 0:11:32.720 --> 0:11:35.400 and that's okay. I mean, that's that's part of being great. 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:39.640 I love being around him. He's very insightful. He's a 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:42.720 very bright kid. And I also think he has a 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:46.200 high golf acumen, and I think that combination bodes well. 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:48.439 And I think you made a really interesting point there 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:51.880 at the beginning of the question, Claude, he has become 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.440 and it has happened kind of quickly. He has become 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:58.480 one of those guys. And it's rarefied air in this 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:02.840 particular sport when your name's on the leaderboard and everyone 0:12:02.920 --> 0:12:07.200 knows it, everyone everyone expects John rom to play well. 0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:10.360 Maybe he doesn't play well, hey listen, that sports. That happens. 0:12:11.160 --> 0:12:13.480 But when he does play well and he puts himself 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:16.839 in position, he doesn't give that up very often. His 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:19.520 record when he is playing well and is on a 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:25.600 leaderboard is stout and I think he is absolutely with Rory, 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:29.160 with Justin Thomas, with the great players of today. When 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:32.000 Ram's name is on the first page of a leaderboard 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:37.120 late Saturday, early Sunday, I think everybody in the sport 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:41.400 recognizes it and knows what's about to happen. So how 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:43.520 does his game do you think for this year? I mean, 0:12:43.520 --> 0:12:47.400 obviously I gusta. I mean, I mean he can hit 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:49.760 the golf ball as high as anybody. He can hit 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:52.160 the golf ball as far as Anybody's a great putter. 0:12:52.880 --> 0:12:55.400 But the rest of the majors, the venues, how do 0:12:55.400 --> 0:12:58.200 you think those are going to set up for him, 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:00.920 And what do you think I mean, they haven't had 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:04.360 a US Open at LACC Los Angeles Country Club. We 0:13:04.440 --> 0:13:07.240 go back to Oak Hill. Where are we going for 0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:10.000 the Open this year? We're going to right Liverpool, So 0:13:10.200 --> 0:13:13.040 those golf courses, I mean, we've got some data points 0:13:13.040 --> 0:13:15.840 for the opening the PGA that we don't have for 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:17.760 the US Open. But he's won a US Open, so 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:20.600 he knows what that test is going to be, that 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:22.600 kind of cauldron. But the other two, how do you 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:24.880 think his game sets up for those? Well? I also 0:13:24.880 --> 0:13:27.280 think it's interesting that he won at Riviera, so he 0:13:27.320 --> 0:13:28.880 knows what it's like to win in the City of 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:30.880 Angels and he's going to go down the street to LACC. 0:13:31.280 --> 0:13:35.400 Let's start with Augusta first, Savy Biastaris, Jose Mariela Thable, 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:38.400 Sergio Garcia, John Ram is going to win a Master's 0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:40.720 and you might as well give it a shot this 0:13:40.800 --> 0:13:43.600 April because right now he's playing so great. Now that's 0:13:43.640 --> 0:13:46.000 six seven weeks from now, so let's wait and see 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:49.520 if his game is prepared and is sharp like it 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:53.320 is right now. He hits that high fade off the 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:58.560 tea that is a magical magical recipe for Augusta National. 0:13:58.679 --> 0:14:01.800 I know that a lot shots are right to left there. 0:14:02.480 --> 0:14:04.520 I think Jack Nicholas was a high fader of the 0:14:04.520 --> 0:14:07.959 golf ball. Did believe he won six. I think Tiger 0:14:08.040 --> 0:14:09.960 knows how to, you know, kind of butter cut it 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:12.240 out there when he needs to. He won five of them. 0:14:12.320 --> 0:14:14.520 I think John will be okay in that regard. He's 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:17.760 played it a few times, He's comfortable there. If this 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:19.880 continues over the course of the next six seven weeks, 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:23.280 so I think Augustus suits up, sits very well for 0:14:23.400 --> 0:14:26.760 him and should suit nicely to his game. O kill 0:14:28.080 --> 0:14:31.200 big boy golf course, big boy golf course. The Harmon 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:34.400 family knows that golf course very very well. There is 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:37.440 absolutely no reason that you could win a US Open 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:42.040 at Torry Ponds and not win a PGA. It'll kill. 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:44.720 There's no reason. I'm not saying there's similar golf courses. 0:14:45.040 --> 0:14:47.440 No offense to Rochester, but we're not looking over the 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:50.120 cliffs to the Pacific Ocean. It's not as pretty, but 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:53.440 it's a big boy golf course that's gonna be really tough. 0:14:54.000 --> 0:14:56.720 And the PGA tends to just loosen the screws a 0:14:56.760 --> 0:15:00.960 little bit compared to the USGA. I think his game 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:05.560 should serve very well at Okill lacc's up for grabs. 0:15:05.560 --> 0:15:06.760 I think a lot of guys are gonna go there 0:15:06.800 --> 0:15:09.000 in practice over the course of the next four months. 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:13.240 Before going there. The guys aren't familiar with it as 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:15.200 they would be for the other golf courses that they're 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:19.080 playing on the major championship rotation this year. But LACC, 0:15:19.640 --> 0:15:21.560 for a guy like John, I don't think there's any 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:25.800 golf course that John can't win on. Certainly he's more 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:29.920 favorable on certain types of grasses and conditions, but LACC 0:15:30.160 --> 0:15:32.240 will not be an issue. If it's his week, it's 0:15:32.240 --> 0:15:34.000 his weekend. Like you said, he already knows what the 0:15:34.080 --> 0:15:37.440 cauldron is like to win a US Open Liverpool. I 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:41.240 say this. We talked about this every year, the Open Championship. 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:47.520 It's predicated on the weather, your tea time, the conditions 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:51.800 that week, and again, how's your game traveling in July, 0:15:52.840 --> 0:15:55.080 busy time of the year, the you know, the FedEx 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:57.600 Cup coming up in August. You've already played three major 0:15:57.680 --> 0:16:00.640 championships and the players he's already won three times in 0:16:00.720 --> 0:16:03.160 January and February. Who knows what's going to happen over 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:06.400 the course of the next four months. But Liverpool famously 0:16:07.240 --> 0:16:10.240 is where Tiger won without ever hitting a driver, and 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:14.360 McElroy won an Open when kind of like Mickelson, nobody 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:16.320 thought that mc roy would win him open before he 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:19.480 won the other three major championships. So to me, if 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:21.120 you're the best player in the world and you're John 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:24.000 Ram and you know your game travels all over the place, 0:16:24.480 --> 0:16:27.920 there's absolutely no reason that he doesn't contend at any 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:30.120 of the four major championships this year. The way he's putting, 0:16:30.160 --> 0:16:33.240 the way he's performing. Have you been surprised, I mean, 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:35.600 you mentioned that you enjoy talking to him, that he's 0:16:35.600 --> 0:16:38.000 a thinker, that you know, there's a lot more to 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:40.600 him than you know, just you know, a guy that 0:16:40.800 --> 0:16:45.280 that plays golf. Have you been surprised that he, more 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:49.520 than anybody on the PGA Tour side of this PGA 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:52.320 Tour lived debate, he's almost been a little bit of 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:55.360 a voice of reason to where he's I wouldn't say 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:58.560 he's riding the fence because he has said listen, you 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:02.480 know he's made critical comments of live. He's made I 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.040 wouldn't say he's made positive comments, but he hasn't made 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:08.360 a ton of negative and and and I think he's 0:17:08.400 --> 0:17:11.159 one of the few guys right now that is, you know, 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:15.520 somewhat a voice in my opinion of reason, where right 0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:17.800 now it is just I mean, these two things are 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:20.439 as far apart as you can get right now, I 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:23.280 think with John and I have not spoken to him 0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:25.760 this in depth with him off camera, but I have 0:17:25.840 --> 0:17:29.280 spoken him a little bit and gotten where his mind 0:17:29.400 --> 0:17:32.240 is on this. I think a lot of it goes 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:35.240 back to the Ryder Cup. Now, remember he's Spanish. Now, 0:17:35.560 --> 0:17:39.160 he lives in America. He's raising his family in America. 0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:41.760 He married an American, he went to college in America. 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:43.720 He's not going anywhere. He's going to live in Scottsdale 0:17:43.760 --> 0:17:45.520 the rest of his life. He's going to travel the 0:17:45.560 --> 0:17:47.720 world and go home to Spain and see his family. 0:17:47.760 --> 0:17:51.600 But he is, you know, an American for all you know, 0:17:51.640 --> 0:17:54.400 attents and purposes as far as that goes. But he's 0:17:54.400 --> 0:17:56.560 from Spain. And the Ryder Cup is a very big deal. 0:17:56.640 --> 0:17:58.760 If you go back in time, Claude, this isn't a 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:00.880 history lesson for your audience, but if you go back 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:02.800 in time, there are three people who saved the Ryder 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:06.000 Cup Jack Nicholas when he made the suggestion to bring 0:18:06.000 --> 0:18:08.920 in other than just Great Britain and Ireland and bringing 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:12.439 continental Europe. Hence Schofield, who was in charge of the 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:16.760 European Tour which is now the DP World Tour, listening 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:20.280 to Jack and then implementing that. And Savy Biasteros. Savy 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:24.840 Biasteros is the Ryder Cup god of all gods in Europe. 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:28.840 So he played, he captained with a lot of passion, 0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:32.760 and then Jose Mario o'thabel played and captain with a 0:18:32.840 --> 0:18:36.600 lot of passion. Sergio Garcia played with a ton of passion. 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:39.119 He should be a Ryder Cup captain. We'll have to 0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:41.280 wait and see how that all plays out with the 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:43.880 PGA Tour, with the DP World Tour and with live 0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:47.119 But Sergio Garcia is an all time great player and 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:50.600 an all time great Ryder Cup participant, and everybody knows 0:18:50.600 --> 0:18:52.320 that he should be a captain. It just depends on 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:57.000 what the politics will allow. So in John Ram's realm, 0:18:57.280 --> 0:19:00.119 think about it, it's not even thirty years of age, Claude, 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:05.359 so yeah, you know, eight nine ten Ryder Cups to 0:19:05.440 --> 0:19:09.480 go in his career and if the DP World Tour 0:19:10.200 --> 0:19:15.240 doesn't allow non PGA Tour, non DP World Tour players 0:19:15.280 --> 0:19:18.240 to play in it. You're talking about McElroy and Ram 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:22.360 carrying the you know, the European flag, and that's it. 0:19:22.760 --> 0:19:25.680 You know, there's not a lot after that. So I 0:19:25.720 --> 0:19:30.040 think that this is basically Ryder Cup based. And also 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:34.159 John enjoys. This is why I love him. He enjoys 0:19:34.160 --> 0:19:37.080 playing against the best. He wants to play against the best. 0:19:37.240 --> 0:19:40.160 He wants to test himself against the best. He wants 0:19:40.200 --> 0:19:43.840 to succeed against the best. And right now, with the 0:19:43.920 --> 0:19:48.719 game being splintered, you know, it's not as good field 0:19:48.800 --> 0:19:52.440 wise as it was two years ago or one year ago, 0:19:52.640 --> 0:19:54.440 and I think that bothers John. So I think it's 0:19:54.440 --> 0:19:58.320 a combination of let's get them all together however we 0:19:58.440 --> 0:20:01.720 do it. And also it's a Ryder Cup issue as well. 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:04.119 With John being from Spain. It's not an issue for 0:20:04.119 --> 0:20:07.280 the Americans nearly as much as it is for the 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:11.080 international team in the President's Cup and the European team 0:20:11.280 --> 0:20:13.640 in the Ryder Cup. Let's take a moment to thank 0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:16.760 for Wellness for supporting the show. You guys hear me 0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:18.840 talk about them every week and The reason I do 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:21.359 that is because I drink their coffee every week. I 0:20:21.440 --> 0:20:23.560 know lots of people are focusing on health and wellness 0:20:23.560 --> 0:20:25.600 as we start the new year. But what I love 0:20:25.640 --> 0:20:29.080 most about their coffee is that there isn't anything artificial 0:20:29.119 --> 0:20:33.240 and no artificial ingredients sweeteners, creamers and all the junk 0:20:33.320 --> 0:20:36.040 that isn't good for you. It's only the good stuff 0:20:36.200 --> 0:20:39.600 giving you more energy without typical crashes. You get a 0:20:39.680 --> 0:20:41.959 lot of your coffee, and if you have a lot 0:20:42.000 --> 0:20:44.439 of sugar in your coffee, give it a try and 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:48.440 use the special CODEH three. That code will get you 0:20:48.520 --> 0:20:52.000 twenty percent off your order, plus free shipping and a 0:20:52.040 --> 0:20:55.520 free starter kit worth thirty dollars when you visit for 0:20:55.760 --> 0:21:00.440 Wellness dot Com slash Podcast. Again, that's the code H 0:21:00.560 --> 0:21:06.679 three at Forewellness dot Com slash Podcast. One of the 0:21:06.720 --> 0:21:12.480