WEBVTT - Fire Drill 042: State of the Union (Jack) 0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:05.960 It's really more fundamental. I think that that maybe what 0:00:06.000 --> 0:00:11.000 you're suggestion, which is this tour made you who you are. 0:00:11.200 --> 0:00:14.560 The opportunities that this PGA Tour gave you made you 0:00:14.640 --> 0:00:18.760 who you are, and you're turning your back on it. 0:00:19.320 --> 0:00:25.000 I got in my head. Can't get Jan nothing think 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:32.720 what I'm thinking about. Can't get him not to think 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:42.440 what I'm thinking about. Hello, this is Alan Chip Knock 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:46.120 back for another Fire Drill podcast. I am joined by 0:00:46.280 --> 0:00:50.600 Ryan French and Michael Bamberger. We want to convene convene 0:00:50.640 --> 0:00:53.559 this discussion because it's the opening day of the new 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:56.800 PGA Tour season, which sounds impossible since they just put 0:00:56.840 --> 0:00:59.880 it out at the Tour Championship. It feels like anyway, 0:01:00.480 --> 0:01:04.520 lots of big stuff happened at Wentworth. UH Live Chicago 0:01:04.640 --> 0:01:06.480 is going to kick off later this week. Just seemed 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:08.120 like this was the moment to get up to up 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:12.440 to date on everything happening in the golf world. So Michael, Ryan, 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:16.199 thank you for being here. Um, Mike, let's talk about 0:01:16.240 --> 0:01:18.800 the finish at Wentworth. It was it was a bang 0:01:18.840 --> 0:01:21.880 bang finished. You had you had Rory McElroy, you had 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:26.120 John rom and then Shane Lowry prevailed. I mean it 0:01:26.160 --> 0:01:29.919 seems like like somehow the Wentworth Event has really become 0:01:29.959 --> 0:01:34.280 elevated to a different stratosphere in recent years. What is 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:36.680 your take on on that tournament and where it fits 0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:41.319 into the larger golf landscape. Was that a registered trademard 0:01:41.720 --> 0:01:47.919 trademark you said the word elevated, Yeah, Capital E. Craig. Okay, 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:51.360 it felt like an elevated event. I mean except for 0:01:51.480 --> 0:01:55.560 one big except fifty four holes. It's like everything plays 0:01:55.640 --> 0:01:58.440 towards live in the end. But it was great. I mean, 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:02.880 it's a it's a well known and excellent golf course, 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:06.920 a well known, excellent field, and it kind of proves 0:02:07.000 --> 0:02:09.320 the point that less would be more if we had 0:02:09.360 --> 0:02:12.600 fewer events with more named players on courses you know, 0:02:12.600 --> 0:02:17.440 don't care about, you would have better professional golf. That's 0:02:17.440 --> 0:02:19.600 not where we are. But for that one week, it 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:21.600 was great and it was neat to see the difference 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:24.120 to the Queen. Uh. Ryan and I have been talking 0:02:24.120 --> 0:02:26.920 about it. We don't really get it, but we get 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:29.200 we get that they get it and they're doing what 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:31.080 they're doing. So it was it was a great moment 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:35.760 for golf in an unexpected time. Yes, Bryan, what's the 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:38.760 view from Middle America about postponing a golf tournament in 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:44.400 UH in mourning of the passing of the Queen. My 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:47.280 I was lucky enough to spend twelve hours in a 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:51.280 car over the last two days prior to Friday and 0:02:51.320 --> 0:02:55.920 setting Wednesday and Thursday with Michael Bamberger, and we discussed 0:02:55.960 --> 0:03:01.000 a wide ranging things. But obviously the Queen came up, 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:06.799 and I mean, I just she was ninety six. I mean, 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:10.800 I mean, it's I don't get it. So and so 0:03:10.919 --> 0:03:16.560 we broke out into the song. Yeah, we're saying Elton John. Okay, 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:19.800 you can say the sex pistols that Elton John's more preferable. No, 0:03:19.919 --> 0:03:22.600 we we yeah, but we don't get it, but we yeah, 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:24.880 Michael said it perfectly. We don't get it, but we 0:03:24.919 --> 0:03:28.160 get that other people get it. Uh, delaying sports and 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:32.760 all that seems wild to me. Uh, but I mean 0:03:34.040 --> 0:03:39.080 I'm not English, So I mean I heard this, you 0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:42.040 know about Pete Roselle, the old the longtime NFL commissioner 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:44.040 like the biggest regret of his career was that they 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:48.680 played football after JFK's assassination and that he felt like 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:51.880 they should have shut it down, and uh, you know, 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:55.120 I don't think the discourse that I landed onto it 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:58.720 wouldn't have really been disrespectful to play the golf tournament, 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:01.680 but it was a gowing of respect, not too and 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:06.040 so in that regard, you know, a president getting shot 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.200 in the ninety six year old woman dying are two wild? 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:13.000 Just I mean, you know, okay, we don't have to 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:17.280 go down this rabbit hole, but okay, it was. What 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:21.200 I loved about the event is that golf has like 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:25.360 true drama now and Taylor Gooch being in the mix, 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:27.960 and and and Patrick read being in the mix, like 0:04:28.520 --> 0:04:31.800 it's somewhat kind of wrestling, like I mean, it is, 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:36.600 you know, uh, it's it's really wild that in golf 0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:41.200 we have like true drama, true hatred, like true I mean, 0:04:41.240 --> 0:04:44.920 I was, I I'm kind of indifferent on live, but 0:04:45.000 --> 0:04:46.760 like I was rooting for a live guy just to 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:50.840 see the awkwardness of the the trophy exchange and the 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:55.200 awkwardness of the of the interview and awkwardness of Pelly 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:58.599 giving him the check. I was rooting for just Al 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:00.400 and that's what we like to hear is new to 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:03.880 the business, but he's rooting for the story. Well played, 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:07.520 young man. Well played indeed, Yes, yeah, Ryan is is 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:09.760 he gets it. We root for chaos. That's our only. 0:05:10.000 --> 0:05:11.960 We don't care what the humans evolved. We're just rooting 0:05:12.000 --> 0:05:14.960 for anarchy. Yeah, that was that was funny. I mean, 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:17.599 Taylor good, I don't think they showed a shot of 0:05:17.680 --> 0:05:21.000 his the whole final day with unbelievable He's raising on 0:05:21.080 --> 0:05:24.400 the board same as read the pettiness is unbelievable. I mean, 0:05:24.839 --> 0:05:28.320 what you know, Patrick Reid has actually been a great 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:30.680 supporter of the European Tour. He's been playing over there 0:05:30.680 --> 0:05:34.719 a lot in the last five years, and he's he's 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:37.800 got the box office from all the Ryder Cup dust ups. 0:05:37.800 --> 0:05:40.520 Like I would think that the global golf audience would 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:42.719 kind of like to see him hitting a few shots. 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:46.280 But alan with all do hold hold on, I gotta 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:48.560 make a quick point here, right if I may, With 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:52.440 all due respect, he is not a great supporter of 0:05:52.520 --> 0:05:56.120 the European Tour or anything except for getting paid. He 0:05:56.160 --> 0:05:58.800 plays there to get paid. It all goes, it all 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:02.200 goes the other way. Uh. I don't think he's buying 0:06:02.240 --> 0:06:04.400 the flag of the United States or anything other than 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:07.280 his his bank accounts. So I do take exception of 0:06:07.360 --> 0:06:09.400 that if I may, But you comment away as you 0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:11.320 may wish. But I do have a quick question for you. 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:15.159 Had this tournament come the full seventy two scheduled holes, 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:17.400 who do you? Who do you? How do you think 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:24.080 it might have played out? Probably wrong? Wins by five um, 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:29.559 But yeah, I mean it's interesting both Rom and Rory 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:32.279 have been playing at such a high level, but they're 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:34.480 just not getting the winds. I mean, there's I've seen 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:37.720 all these graphs about McIlroy's play since the Masters, and 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:40.680 it's terrific. It's nothing but but but he's been in 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:44.159 contention every single week, but he's won only twice, which 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:46.560 you know, including getting skunked at the Majors. It's like, 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:50.160 it's so, I know it's hard to win. We all 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:51.760 know it's hard to win, but when you're up there 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:54.480 that often sometimes you just gotta grab the MOFO trophy. 0:06:54.520 --> 0:06:57.119 And so I mean all credit to Rory for flying 0:06:57.120 --> 0:07:00.560 across the ocean and bringing his a game again. You know, 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:02.440 he's playing in Italy this week. It's not a terman 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:04.080 he has to play, but he is a supporter of 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:06.880 the European Tour. But it's um it's kind of frustrating 0:07:06.920 --> 0:07:09.040 to see him in contention all the time but not winning. 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:12.920 Our expectations too high. I don't know, Michael, tell you, 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:16.120 I don't know who ruder mc roy is. Well, you 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:19.280 know I this has been said before and probably by 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:23.640 all three of us. Um. The one that got away, 0:07:23.680 --> 0:07:25.960 of course is that British Open and it didn't really 0:07:25.960 --> 0:07:28.800 get away. The guy shot thirty on him in on 0:07:28.880 --> 0:07:31.280 the back nine, and you know, no lead to safe 0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:35.600 when when the guy who's uh staring down his his 0:07:35.640 --> 0:07:39.680 shooting thirty on the back nine. Um, but he can't 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:44.040 not say he doesn't have a Sunday problem. A fifty 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:45.960 four whole events a little different and it would have 0:07:45.960 --> 0:07:49.000 been very interesting to see how to play it out. UM. 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:50.680 I have the feeling he might well have risen to 0:07:50.680 --> 0:07:53.120 the occasion, but Guch might have as well, so who knows, 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:55.920 But it can't not be in his head at this point. 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:59.440 And of course, when you're a mega talent uh like 0:07:59.480 --> 0:08:02.160 wory Roy is and you're not getting it done with 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:05.240 the regularity that you should when you're in contention holes 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:09.600 or sixty three holes like Tiger was. Literally let's say 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:12.320 a hundred and ten times in his career and got 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:17.040 it done three quarters of those times. Let's say, um, 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:19.280 I can't not be in his head and it's gonna 0:08:19.280 --> 0:08:21.760 show up at the most in opportunity moments like it 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:27.960 did at the Old Course. Yeah, real quickly one Michael 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:32.920 Bamberger just called the Open Championship the British Open too. Uh. 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:35.200 Do you think that there's this is a real question 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:38.640 that that. Do you think there's more pressure on Rory 0:08:38.760 --> 0:08:41.960 now because of this divide in progolf that he is 0:08:42.160 --> 0:08:44.840 truly the face of the PGA Tour for the most part. 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:48.320 I think people look to him as obviously with Tiger 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:52.120 not playing that Rory's the true face of the tour 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:54.720 now that these have they've divided. Do you think there's 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:58.520 more pressure any any than there was even before. I 0:08:58.520 --> 0:09:00.880 don't know if that's possible, but just feels like with 0:09:00.920 --> 0:09:03.400 this divide that he's become kind of the face and 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:06.920 him not cleaning up on Sundays seems to maybe, you know, 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:09.840 hurt a little bit. I asked him basically that same 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:13.320 question at the Tour Championship few weeks ago, and he said, 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:17.079 you know, all this advocacy and putting myself out there 0:09:17.120 --> 0:09:20.280 it's energizing when when you get things done and things 0:09:20.280 --> 0:09:23.920 are going your way, and it's really draining when when 0:09:23.920 --> 0:09:27.120 it goes the other direction. And so I think there's 0:09:27.160 --> 0:09:30.079 something there. What you're what you're What you're hinting at, 0:09:30.160 --> 0:09:33.560 Ryan is I think it's easy for you know, Roy's 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:36.839 been doing this for a long time, and I think 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:38.959 this is this has gotten his his engine rebbed a 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:40.960 little bit and he's fired up and he's probably more 0:09:41.000 --> 0:09:43.480 ready to play than he has been. But yeah, all 0:09:43.520 --> 0:09:46.120 of a sudden, you keep throwing yourself out there and 0:09:46.520 --> 0:09:48.959 it's not happening in that internal battle that Michael was 0:09:49.000 --> 0:09:52.240 talking about. Um, I think I think it's helping him 0:09:52.240 --> 0:09:55.160 and it's hurting him simultaneously, if that makes sense. I'd 0:09:55.200 --> 0:09:58.120 just like to say I'd love Shane Lowry. He's all 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:01.280 in on like the discourse in between the two tours. 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:02.800 I mean, he's all in. He's like, I don't talk 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:05.920 to those other guys. Uh. He has taken this, it 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:09.360 seems pretty personally as I think a lot of players have, 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:13.760 but maybe not publicly, and and Shane is fully in 0:10:13.840 --> 0:10:16.120 publicly that this is. Yeah, He's like, Hey, I don't 0:10:16.160 --> 0:10:17.960 talk to those people. Anymore that some of them means 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:19.920 to be my friends and now I don't talk to 0:10:20.000 --> 0:10:22.800 him at all. So I love that that he's kind 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:25.840 of taking a personal edge and taking it publicly too. It's, 0:10:26.200 --> 0:10:29.880 as you say, it's fun to dive into Bryant. Bryan, 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:32.200 do you have an insight into why he feels so 0:10:32.240 --> 0:10:35.720 strongly because he didn't grow up on that, He didn't 0:10:35.720 --> 0:10:38.480 grow up on our pH A Tour d pH A Tour. 0:10:38.800 --> 0:10:41.000 Do you have any insight as to why he feels 0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:43.800 that way? No, I don't, but I mean I think 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:46.679 through all of this, the dp World Tour or the 0:10:46.720 --> 0:10:50.240 European Tour has I mean, they've kind of admitted that 0:10:50.280 --> 0:10:53.600 they're a feeder tour, and I think if you grew 0:10:53.679 --> 0:10:57.680 up on like, wouldn't Shane and Uh, those guys grew 0:10:57.760 --> 0:10:59.719 up they didn't think of it at all like that, 0:11:00.400 --> 0:11:02.880 And the PGA tour has kind of made him feel 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:05.240 like that in my opinion, they've kind of accepted it, 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:08.360 in my opinion, and so the defections have hurt most. 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:10.679 I would say of the three tours we're talking about, 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:15.560 live PGA Tour and the European the European Tour that 0:11:15.640 --> 0:11:18.360 it's hurt the European Tour by far the most, and 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:21.440 so maybe he takes it more personally because it's really 0:11:21.520 --> 0:11:24.680 affected the tour, the European Tour the most in minds. 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:28.000 That's good insight, but it's also weird because like Michael 0:11:28.040 --> 0:11:30.960 and I both worked at Golf Magazine golf dot Com 0:11:31.000 --> 0:11:32.880 in the last few years. We both we both left 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:36.440 it um for a better situation, clearly, but we see 0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:39.560 our old colleagues in the press room and we we 0:11:39.640 --> 0:11:41.880 wrap out with them like we you know, we bumped 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:43.840 him on a golf course during the Open week, and 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:46.200 we're happy to see each other. Like there's no animosity 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:49.640 even though we're repudiating their place of business and we 0:11:49.679 --> 0:11:51.560 may in fact put them out of business at some point. 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:55.240 But um, it's like I'm on some level that all 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:58.280 these players are taking it so personally. I find it 0:11:58.280 --> 0:12:00.400 a little weird, Like who cares? Like you're making money, 0:12:00.400 --> 0:12:02.560 they're making money. Everyone's playing golf for living, Like what's 0:12:02.559 --> 0:12:05.160 the big deal? Like it's great, it's a gift from 0:12:05.200 --> 0:12:09.120 the content gods. Yet again, but when when you you know, 0:12:09.720 --> 0:12:12.800 people change jobs all the time, and I don't I 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:15.640 agree with that. I mean, you can agree disagree with 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:18.720 it on a political sense obviously, like the Saudi Arabia 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:23.040 standpoint that's been you know, like hashed out. But like, 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:24.920 at the end of the day, is anyone really mad 0:12:24.960 --> 0:12:27.400 that Harold Varner got thirty million and took it or 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:30.640 whatever that number was, Like, is anyone mad? Like you 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:32.920 can be mad that he left the PGA Tour, but 0:12:33.320 --> 0:12:37.640 like Harold was amazingly honest about it. He's like, hey, 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:39.520 I will never be able to make this money on 0:12:39.559 --> 0:12:42.800 the PGA tour. It's going to change my kids and 0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:46.320 my kids kids life. It's generational money, and I took it. 0:12:46.480 --> 0:12:48.920 Like I don't know who on the PGA Tour would 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.000 be like, wow, what an asshole? You know, they'd be 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:53.160 like yeah, I kind of get it. Yeah, it's an 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:57.079 interesting phenomenon. And like I'm so I'm going to live Chicago, 0:12:57.320 --> 0:13:00.600 and my intention is to write about Taylor Gooch, who 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:03.439 was basically a nonentity on the PGA Tour. He was 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.079 a nice young player that nobody knew about or cared about, 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:09.080 it seemed like, and now he's at the center of 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:13.000 every storm, and you know, his contract got leaked to 0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:15.480 The Wall Street Journal He figured very prominently in the 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:18.839 temporary restraining order hearing when when he was trying to 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:21.840 barge his way into the FedEx Cup, goes over to Wentworth, 0:13:22.480 --> 0:13:24.400 where it's been made clear to him that a lot 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:27.120 of players don't want him there. He plays his ass off. 0:13:28.280 --> 0:13:30.680 Has risen now back to the mid thirties in the 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:34.480 world ranking, probably has enough points that he'll secure a 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:37.640 Master's bid by by still being in the top fifty 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:40.920 eight years end. And it's like Taylor Goocha somehow become 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:43.480 the most important people in professional golf all of a sudden. 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:47.200 It's wild and I'm here for it. Well, you see, 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:50.640 I would. That's a good point, and it's interesting. And yeah, 0:13:50.640 --> 0:13:53.800 I didn't even know how to pronounce scooches surname or 0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:56.840 we given name prior to this whole thing. Uh so, 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.720 I you're right, it's just a kind of a nice player. 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:03.200 It was interesting that Davis, I think, even Alan when 0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:05.280 you and I had him on Davis, you know, I 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:07.600 can't recall the timing, but I know what Davis this 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:09.960 at one point like I really hope this kid doesn't go. 0:14:10.160 --> 0:14:12.520 And that was interesting to me that Davis cared so much. 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:15.120 But ran just go back to your point for a second. 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:19.960 I see Harold Varner or anybody else differently. This partly 0:14:20.040 --> 0:14:23.000 reflects my own my own feeling about the thing, and 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:26.400 partly reflects those who are super traditionalists. I support the 0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:29.040 PGA tour types like a Fred Couples or Davis Love 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:33.480 or any number of any number of other people. It's 0:14:33.520 --> 0:14:36.560 really more fundamental. I think that that maybe what you're suggesting, 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:41.200 which is this tour made you who you are. The 0:14:41.280 --> 0:14:44.720 opportunities that this PGA tour gave you made you who 0:14:44.760 --> 0:14:49.760 you are, and you're turning your back on it um 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:52.240 And I think some people, just in the most basic level, 0:14:52.360 --> 0:14:58.520 some people resent that. Michael, I agree with you. I'm 0:14:58.520 --> 0:15:02.800 not I'm not again. I mean, I obviously don't support 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:05.440 like I first of all at the Saudi government side, 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:08.160 but let's just go with no cut, fifty four holes 0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:11.280 guaranteed money you everyone knows listening. That's not my cup 0:15:11.280 --> 0:15:13.560 of tea. So I have no support of the live tour. 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:16.080 But this is true in any other sport, I mean, 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:19.920 every other sport, Like there is no loyalty that that's gone, 0:15:20.000 --> 0:15:21.920 you know, I mean, I know Albert Pools is back 0:15:21.920 --> 0:15:25.120 with the Cardinals. But he left the Cardinals, and uh, 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:28.680 you know, I mean, every major sports star in every 0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:32.160 major sport besides golf leaves. I mean, for the most part, 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:34.920 very few people play one place in one career. It's 0:15:34.920 --> 0:15:37.720 new to golf. So I get that people are torn. Obviously, 0:15:37.760 --> 0:15:40.480 the the political side of it makes it even more. 0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:46.320 But like at the end of the day, is is, uh, 0:15:46.360 --> 0:15:49.000 if Stephen Curry leaves the Warriors, is anybody on the 0:15:49.040 --> 0:15:51.680 Warriors are really gonna be mad? No, Because when they're 0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:53.480 in a free agent and they get a big check 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:57.000 to go to another team, they're gonna go. So I 0:15:57.320 --> 0:15:59.720 I appreciate what you're saying, Michael, I agree with what 0:15:59.800 --> 0:16:03.280 you're saying. I just don't think that. I just don't 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:08.000 think it's that Like, I just don't see why the 0:16:08.040 --> 0:16:11.920 players are so mad about it. The franchise in the 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:14.960 NBA is the NBA, not so much the individual team. 0:16:15.120 --> 0:16:17.800 Individual fans of individual cities are going to be annoyed 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:23.080 and and upset. Um, but the NBA is not gonna 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:26.280 not gonna hurt as a result. Here is more in 0:16:26.320 --> 0:16:30.280 the front to the actual league itself. Leaving the league 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:32.160 to go to another league. You know pool hosts had 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:35.000 gone to Japan and then wanted to come back, come 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:37.200 back from Major League Baseball, that would be roughly more 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:40.600 of the equivalent not not staying within the major league 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:45.880 team fair. Yeah, that's that's that is a distinction. But 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:48.200 I don't know. I mean, if if you grew up 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:50.280 rooting for a team and they draft a young player 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:52.200 and they nurture him, they develop him, and they pour 0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:54.600 all these resources into make him a great player, and 0:16:54.600 --> 0:16:57.760 then he leaves for another team like that, that's sort 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:00.040 of analogous as well. So I think the metaphor of 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:04.240 works either way. But it's um, it's just yeah, it's 0:17:04.280 --> 0:17:09.199 amazing how this just keeps going and uh, the you know, 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:13.400 all the guys playing over the pettiness is amazing, Like 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:16.560 taking camp Smith's picture down, Like what are we doing? 0:17:16.640 --> 0:17:20.360 Like we're we're children. Were like it's amazing and I'm 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:22.919 here for it. I mean, like, is that really what 0:17:22.960 --> 0:17:25.000 we're doing? Like we have to go out now. The 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:27.520 PGA tour has a million things to worry about. And 0:17:27.520 --> 0:17:30.240 that someone called somebody at at Sagrass and was like, 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:35.119 you gotta take camps parking passed down? I mean, is 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:39.640 the next level pettiness. Um, well, Ryan, how how would 0:17:39.680 --> 0:17:41.840 you have voted on Player of the Year Shuffler versus 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:44.720 Cam or anybody else you might suggest? I would have 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:49.480 voted for Carl you want from the corn Ferry Tour. 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:54.600 Don't I'm not voting for uh. I mean it's probably Scottie, 0:17:54.640 --> 0:17:57.440 but I don't. Honestly, Michael, this is the honest truth. 0:17:57.480 --> 0:17:59.479 I don't watch outside of the majors. Don't watch very 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:05.560 much PG tour golf unless a a the grinder of 0:18:05.640 --> 0:18:08.920 some sort is in in place like Wentworth is. I 0:18:09.280 --> 0:18:12.240 watched three holes. I just don't have much The rich 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.160 getting richer is just not that much interest that of 0:18:15.320 --> 0:18:18.520 interest to me. I understand. I always say this is 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:20.600 people get on this and go oh, I can't believe it, 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:22.840 Like I understand why people want to watch it. I 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:26.600 get it. I'm talking personally. Watching the million dollars he 0:18:26.640 --> 0:18:30.080 wanted Wentworth changes his life zero. The only reason it 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:32.400 has a little more meaning is because of the drama 0:18:33.000 --> 0:18:36.440 in UH in golf right now, and and the fact 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:39.880 that he people really really even the top players really 0:18:39.920 --> 0:18:42.919 really want to win now. To stick it to the 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:45.919 other tour it lived, guys want to live, you know, 0:18:46.119 --> 0:18:48.800 stick it to the PGA guys and the European guys 0:18:48.800 --> 0:18:51.239 and vice versus. So I do like that part of it. 0:18:51.280 --> 0:18:56.639 There is a sense of uh drama that um that 0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:59.960 wasn't there before. I mean when Billy Horshell won last year, 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:03.680 no one really cared, you know. I mean it's all 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:07.000 these tournaments have some meaning because of the discourse. And 0:19:07.280 --> 0:19:08.919 I'm glad you brought that point up, Michael, because you 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:12.359 wrote an excellent column for Firepit Collective dot com about 0:19:12.359 --> 0:19:15.600 the Player of the Year voting and um, I personally 0:19:15.600 --> 0:19:17.760 would have given the award to camp Smith. I mean, 0:19:17.800 --> 0:19:19.640 he had one of the signature blowouts of the year, 0:19:20.040 --> 0:19:22.480 um to start in at Cappela, which is I think 0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:25.639 one of the best courses on tour. And then you know, 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:28.000 the PGA Tours hurting themselves in this debate because they've 0:19:28.040 --> 0:19:30.240 insisted for so long now that the Players should be 0:19:30.280 --> 0:19:32.520 a major championship. Well, in that case, camp Smith won 0:19:32.560 --> 0:19:35.679 two majors. You know, he won the Players and and 0:19:35.720 --> 0:19:37.080 he won the biggest term of the year, which is 0:19:37.119 --> 0:19:39.000 the Open at St. Andrews. That's bigger than the Masters, 0:19:39.040 --> 0:19:41.200 It's bigger than the US Open. When the Open is 0:19:41.200 --> 0:19:43.240 at St. Andrews is a crown jewel of the support 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:45.520 and every player talked about it, and and Cam won 0:19:45.560 --> 0:19:49.520 that and a legendary performance. And you know, Scheffler was terrific, 0:19:49.680 --> 0:19:52.560 but um, he could have ended the debate at the 0:19:52.560 --> 0:19:54.840 Door Championship and he kind of shrank from the moment. 0:19:55.080 --> 0:19:58.280 And um, you know, for me, camp camp Smith is 0:19:58.280 --> 0:20:00.879 a Player of the Year. And when the writers Associate 0:20:00.920 --> 0:20:02.920 of America we get our ballots, that's what I'm gonna 0:20:03.000 --> 0:20:07.359 vote for, um, And so we once again the writers 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:10.560 may have to rectify or wrong, but there was there 0:20:10.640 --> 0:20:13.160 was a, of course, a political undercurrent to the player 0:20:13.160 --> 0:20:15.160 of that you're voting is Ryan is suggesting like tease 0:20:15.200 --> 0:20:17.000 that out a little bit, Michael, like, how did how 0:20:17.040 --> 0:20:19.760 did this current moment get reflected in the Player of 0:20:19.760 --> 0:20:22.840 the Year. You know it really it's a really interesting debate, 0:20:22.880 --> 0:20:26.600 and I'm totally with you. And open anywhere is obviously 0:20:26.640 --> 0:20:29.320 a great, great achievement, but an open up the old course, 0:20:29.440 --> 0:20:32.959 rises to to another level. And I would say, just 0:20:33.040 --> 0:20:36.720 in term of a crowning achievement of one's career, it 0:20:36.840 --> 0:20:39.639 is more significant to win an open. It's kind of 0:20:39.720 --> 0:20:42.240 ridiculous to say, but it's harder to win an open 0:20:42.320 --> 0:20:43.920 up the old course. It's a bigger field, it's a 0:20:43.960 --> 0:20:48.399 tougher field, it's a quirkier golf course. Um. You know, 0:20:48.440 --> 0:20:50.280 as you know, because you're you're in the piece. And 0:20:50.320 --> 0:20:53.320 we had this discussion. Uh, we've been down this store 0:20:53.400 --> 0:20:56.080 before where where these votes have gotten politicized and all 0:20:56.119 --> 0:20:58.479 on to your point, not to rehash the whole thing, 0:20:58.480 --> 0:21:00.840 but two thousand and thirteen, tire at a funky year 0:21:01.080 --> 0:21:03.680 won five times on the PGA Tour and by a 0:21:03.760 --> 0:21:06.560 vote of his PGA Tour brethren, was named player Player 0:21:06.600 --> 0:21:09.679 of the Year. But the writers who look at or 0:21:09.800 --> 0:21:14.360 in our case, uh, the golf writers descciation of America. Um, 0:21:14.480 --> 0:21:16.679 we're supposed to look at the whole year, playing the 0:21:16.720 --> 0:21:18.800 whole world, and we voted for Adam Scott is Player 0:21:18.800 --> 0:21:20.560 of the Year. I have a big memory that he 0:21:20.680 --> 0:21:24.600 won in Australia once or maybe more than once that year. Um. 0:21:25.720 --> 0:21:29.280 But as as we've been discussing allan, it shows how 0:21:29.800 --> 0:21:33.080 this live PHA tour thing has been has politicized and 0:21:33.119 --> 0:21:35.919