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It's 9 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: the Son of a Witch podcast time your host Claude Harmon. 10 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: It is US Open week, the third major of the 11 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: year at Pinehurst. I've been on site all week and yeah, 12 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: this is going to be an interesting one. I think 13 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: every time the US Open comes to Pinehurst, it's just 14 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: a very very unique golf course and I think there 15 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: are a lot of different I think there's a lot 16 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: of different ways to play the golf course. I think 17 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: there's a lot of different strategies to employ. I think 18 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: a lot of it's going to be player dependent, and 19 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,279 Speaker 1: I think everybody is going to be trying to figure 20 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: out how is the best way to get around this 21 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: golf course. It's I mean, it's midweek and the greens 22 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: are lightning already and they've had a little bit of rain. 23 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: They're not massively massively firm, but they are very very fast, 24 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: and there just isn't a lot of usable area on 25 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 1: a lot of these putting surfaces. I'll give you a 26 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:40,559 Speaker 1: great example, so the that's I mean on the front nine, 27 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: I think two of the greens that stand out, or 28 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: the second green and the fifth green, And some of 29 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: these greens look look very very big on TV. They 30 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: they'll look very big in the telecast, but there's very 31 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: little usable area on the greens, first of all, where 32 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: they can pins. So if you look at the fifth green, 33 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: which is a par five, it's a very it's a 34 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: big green. There's a lot of space out there. It's 35 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: a big, big putting surface, but there's really only a 36 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: small part of the green that that it can put 37 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: the pin positions on. And if the balls start rolling 38 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 1: off the greens, which they are designed and tend to 39 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: do here at Pinehurst, you're going to struggle. We were 40 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,119 Speaker 1: out today Brooks and DJ played with Phil Mickelson. Phil 41 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: came so close here in ninety nine and I got 42 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: to kind of pick Phil's brain and talk to him about, 43 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: you know, kind of what he thinks about the golf course, 44 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: what he thinks about how to play the golf course. 45 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: One of the big differences is they really have changed 46 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: the areas off the fairways. They've planted a lot of 47 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: fescue grass, and they're kind of in a bunch of 48 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: really clumpy pieces of grass. So DJ today one of 49 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: the holes in the background was of fourteen hit the 50 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: golf ball maybe a yard and a half left of 51 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: the fairway and it nestled down right behind a giant 52 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: clump of fescue. He somehow managed to get it on 53 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: the putting service, but it could have gone anywhere, and 54 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: that's less than it wasn't even two paces from the fairway. 55 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: So I think that the strategy off the tee is 56 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: going to be very important, and I think which strategy 57 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: the players employ will kind of define I think this 58 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: US Open. I saw Victor Hovelin's press conference day VIC 59 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: saying he's going to try and be very aggressive off 60 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: the tee with driver so that he has shorter irons 61 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: in his hands and then can be way more conservative 62 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: with the shorter I think that's a really good strategy 63 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: unless you spray the driver. If you spray the driver, 64 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: you just don't know what you're going to get. So 65 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: if the driver goes offline, you're looking at any possibility. 66 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: You look at the possibility of making a par you're 67 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: looking at the possibility of bogie, or you're looking at 68 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: some very very big numbers. And that was the interesting 69 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 1: thing in talking to Phil about the way he kind 70 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: of thinks about this golf course. He said it takes 71 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: a lot of discipline, and what he meant by that was, 72 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: if you do hit it offline, how aggressive are you 73 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: on the next shot, because you could have only if 74 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 1: you bomb one off the tee and it misses the fairway, 75 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,799 Speaker 1: you could have a much shorter club in your hand. 76 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,479 Speaker 1: But Bill was saying that he thinks the strategy and 77 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: the mind games that this course plays is Okay, you 78 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: missed the fairway. You've got a short club in your hand, 79 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: and you think, okay, well, let's say I'm only one 80 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty yards one hundred fifty yards away. It's 81 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: probably going to be a wedge. Maybe for a lot 82 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 1: of these long hitters, and they're going to say, okay, 83 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: do I need to be aggressive here and try and 84 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: get this on. The problem is if you miss the green, left, right, 85 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: or over the green, it's very very difficult to get 86 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: those up and down. It's very difficult to make pars 87 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: from there. So what Phil was saying was he likes 88 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: the strategy of if you get in trouble off the tee, 89 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: then lay it up short. And he was thinking, and 90 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: I talked to a lot of the players. You know, 91 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,159 Speaker 1: so far this way you can score from the front 92 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: of these greens. You can. It's very difficult to score left, 93 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 1: right or long. So the play if you are going 94 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: to miss a fair way is lay it up short. 95 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 1: Then you can run it up a lot of these slopes. 96 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,479 Speaker 1: But like I said, if you miss these greens left 97 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: and right or long, I mean sometimes you can be dead. 98 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: I mean sometimes you're staring at you know, double triple 99 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: quad by just missing the green. Because depending on where 100 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: they put the pin positions, you could miss the green 101 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: to left, to the right, over the green and basically 102 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: have no shot. Try and hit a great chip. But 103 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 1: the slopes here, the speed of these greens or are 104 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 1: so fast that you could hit it over the green 105 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,280 Speaker 1: and then hit it all the way off the front edge. 106 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: If you're on the left side of the of the 107 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: green and miss it, you could chip it up to 108 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: certain pin positions and it could run all the way 109 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: over to the other side. So I think a lot 110 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: of the strategy this week will be how disciplined can 111 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: you be off the tee, and then how disciplined can 112 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: you be if you miss the fairway, Because I think 113 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: the winners here tend to be the guys that drive 114 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 1: the golf ball the best. They tend to be the 115 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: players that hit a lot of fairways. If you get 116 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: the ball and play, then you can somewhat be I 117 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: don't know if you can be aggressive, but you can 118 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: somewhat try and take advantage of a good drive. I 119 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: think good shots this week you were going to see 120 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: a lot of really good quality iron shots that if 121 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: you can get them pin high left, pin high right, 122 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: twenty feet, twenty five feet, sometimes thirty feet. Sometimes just 123 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: getting the iron shot that you've got to stay on 124 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: the green is going to be a good shot. So 125 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: I think this is very much a USGA US Open 126 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: style of golf course this golf course is going to 127 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: play very, very different than the last major we saw 128 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: at Valhalla, where it was soft, it was very easy, 129 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: everybody was shooting low, everybody was having good rounds. I 130 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: just don't think we're going to see that. So depending 131 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: on the way they set the golf course up. I 132 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: asked you a couple of the players, if they gave 133 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: you a score and said, okay, right now, you could 134 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: not tee it up, what score would you take, not 135 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: even teeing it up and take your chances? And I 136 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 1: heard anywhere between even par to one under to two under. 137 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: But you just don't know. I mean, somebody could go 138 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: out and just light it up and shoot you four 139 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 1: five six under. And I could also see even par 140 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: one over, maybe two over. I could see that winning. 141 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: And I think we could see some gaps between where 142 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: the leader is and then where the guy in second 143 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,199 Speaker 1: and the guy in third is. We saw that in 144 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:43,079 Speaker 1: fourteen when Martin Kimer won here. There was a big 145 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: gap between what Martin was doing and then what the 146 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:49,239 Speaker 1: rest of the field was doing. So I think strategy 147 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,439 Speaker 1: has been vital in the practice grounds. The players and 148 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: their caddies are all talking about okay, how far up 149 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: do we want to push our drive? Do I need 150 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,839 Speaker 1: to hit drive here? And then what are the consequences? 151 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: What is the risk reward of smashing driver? But if 152 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: you miss it at all, you just don't know what 153 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: you're going to get. You could get a decent lie, 154 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: you could get a very very sandy lie, and then 155 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 1: you could get a lie where you're struggling to advance it. 156 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: You might have to chip it back sideways, you might 157 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:26,559 Speaker 1: have to go backwards. So I do think the buzzword 158 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: for this week for every player is disciplined. And I 159 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: think that the USGA and the US Opens like to 160 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: test the player's minds as much as they like to 161 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: test the players golf swings and technique. And I think 162 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: that is the fascinating thing about the venues that they 163 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: choose for US Opens. I think that's the fascinating thing 164 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: about the way the USGA sets up these golf courses. 165 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: It is as much a mental test as it is 166 00:09:56,559 --> 00:10:03,000 Speaker 1: a physical test, as it is a techn test. Give 167 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: Dad the gift of more golf this Father's Day with 168 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 1: the Rapsodo MLM two pro. 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Now through June sixteenth, visit rapsodo dot 177 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: com backslash cch three and you will receive a three 178 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 1: dozen golf balls and a fifty dollars gift card to 179 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: rapsodo dot com with the purpose of an MLM two Pro. 180 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: Whether you are looking to improve his game or just 181 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: play more golf with dad, the MLM two Pro is 182 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: the perfect gift play your way with Repsodo Golf play 183 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:11,160 Speaker 1: without limits. In looking at the interaction between the players 184 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 1: and the caddies, there's a lot of conversations on the 185 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: tea box. Okay, what are we doing here? How far 186 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: up do we want to push this? Can we just 187 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,200 Speaker 1: hit the fairway here? Hit an iron off the tee. 188 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:26,080 Speaker 1: In Brooks's case, Brooks and in his caddy Ricky Elliott 189 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: Brooks has got that driving Nike. It's a driving iron, 190 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:33,599 Speaker 1: it's a three iron. He can probably hit that to 191 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: forty to two fifty in the air. So Brooks is, 192 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 1: I think, is going to hit a lot of I 193 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 1: mean his driving iron off the tee. He's going to 194 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:45,680 Speaker 1: hit some three woods off the tee. He is going 195 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: to hit driver And I think the longer hitters do 196 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 1: have an advantage here, but they only have an advantage 197 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: here if they hit the fairway. If they don't hit 198 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: the fairway, it's it's it's crapshoot. You just don't know 199 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:02,439 Speaker 1: what you're going to get. Who are the favorites this week? 200 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: I mean, wow, you would think that this is a 201 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: ball striker's golf course. You have to be able to 202 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 1: control the flight of your golf ball, the curve of 203 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: your golf ball, control the trajectory, control the spin. Ricky Eleduo, 204 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: caddy's for Brooks, Keka said he bought that you have 205 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: to play this course through the middle of the greens 206 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 1: because if you're trying to come in on angles, and 207 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: that was something that I heard a number of players say, 208 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: you have to hit a lot of straight shots here 209 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: because the way the slopes are the way the runoff 210 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: areas are. If you overdraw that. If your drawer of 211 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 1: the golf ball, you're right handed and you overdraw it, 212 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: it's going to go left and then go further left 213 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: down these slopes. Does it go down into the runoff 214 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 1: area or does it keep going and go all the 215 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 1: way down into where these fescue bushes have been planted? 216 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:04,439 Speaker 1: Are you on hard pan? DJ had a drive on. 217 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: They started on the tenth hole today, par five. It 218 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: was a little into the breeze and he just said, listen, 219 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 1: there's no real reward for me trying to go there, 220 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:17,560 Speaker 1: trying to get there in two. So he tried to 221 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 1: lay it up, blocked it just a little bit. It 222 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 1: was there's a bunker to the right of the first 223 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: or right of the tenth green, and he wasn't in 224 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: the bunker. He was kind of on the top of 225 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: the right side of it. And it was basically as 226 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: hard as a cart path. It was like concrete. So 227 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: that's the other thing is some of the areas around 228 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: these greens they're baked out. It's warm here. I don't 229 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: think we're going to get a ton of rain. So 230 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: this golf course is going to play very very firm. 231 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: This golf course is going to play very very bouncy, 232 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: and I think we are in for a four day 233 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: USGA US Open kind of war of attrition. You know, 234 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 1: do you have the game to manage this golf course, 235 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 1: but do you have the mental side to manage the misses? 236 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: Because you are going to hit the players here this week. 237 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:18,240 Speaker 1: They will hit bad shots, they will hit bad drives, 238 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 1: they will hit bad approach shots. It's what you do 239 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: when you hit a bad one. I think that is 240 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: going to be what how the whoever holds the trophy 241 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: on Sunday, in my opinion, is going to be the 242 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: player that manages their game the best. So who are 243 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,120 Speaker 1: the who are the favorites? I mean, you gotta think 244 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: Xanderschoffle is a favorite. Is just coming off winning his 245 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: first major championship. Scotti Scheffler. I saw Scotty and his 246 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: Kattie Teddy Scott on Tuesday. They were just walking around 247 00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: the front nine with just a bunch of club and 248 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: a putter, so they weren't even hitting any t shots 249 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: or iron shots. They were just going out and going 250 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: directly to all of the green complexes and then having 251 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: balls kind of run off and then go play them. 252 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 1: So I think Scotty's strategy. Listen, it's not even close. 253 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: He's the best player in the game right now. He 254 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 1: has the most confident of any player. He's coming in 255 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: here off another win at Memorial, which is a very 256 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: very difficult golf course, but it's a completely different setup. 257 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: But the other thing that I think is always going 258 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: to be a question at US Opens and the US 259 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: Open venues is the setup. How fast does the usj 260 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: want to get these greens? Wyndham Clark was saying on 261 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 1: Tuesday night or Tuesday in his press conference that already 262 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 1: the greens were borderline. Are they going to put water 263 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: on them? Are they going to let them bake out? 264 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: And I think the USGA likes they like even par. 265 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: They don't have a problem if even par wins major championships. 266 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: There are a lot of people that like that style 267 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: of golf. They don't want to see a birdie fest. 268 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: They don't want to see ten, twelve, thirteen under win majors. 269 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:18,960 Speaker 1: They want the test to be tough. Listen, this test 270 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: is tough. I think a lot of these greens and 271 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:26,600 Speaker 1: they have been redesigned, but the green complexes. The original 272 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: green complexes were never designed to be at the speeds 273 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: that the modern day golfers and the modern day setups 274 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: set up. They just weren't. These greens were originally designed 275 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: when they would roll six, seven, maybe eight on the stemp. 276 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: If these things get over ten eleven, we are going 277 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: to see some carnage. The other thing is with how 278 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: much back and forth. I think there will be around 279 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: these greens where you'll see players mis agree. They'll be 280 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:05,679 Speaker 1: down in a runoff area if they've short sighted themselves. 281 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 1: They know that if they if they hit the golf 282 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: ball too far, it could run off the other side, 283 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 1: or run down the front, or run down the back. 284 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: So do they try and get quick or try and 285 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,640 Speaker 1: get cute and not judge how far they hit it? 286 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:22,880 Speaker 1: And I do think we are going to see players 287 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,919 Speaker 1: chipping around these greens and get it on the putting 288 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: surface and then it's going to roll up. A good 289 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,120 Speaker 1: example is the fifth Green, the par five. The pin 290 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: on Tuesday in the practice round was kind of front 291 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: ish to the right. I saw some players lay it 292 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: up over on the right hand side, chip it up, 293 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 1: not chip it far enough, and then it basically went sideways, 294 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: did a big loop, went sideways, went all the way 295 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: down the left side, down into the bunker. I saw 296 00:17:57,240 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: some players chip, some that didn't get up to the flag, 297 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:04,679 Speaker 1: same thing, rolled all the way up, then started to 298 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: come back down on the left hand side, missed the bunker, 299 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: rolled all the way down to the runoff areas, got 300 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: behind a bush and they're staring on a par five 301 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 1: where you're trying to make up ground here. I mean, 302 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 1: there isn't a lot of There aren't a lot of 303 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 1: birdie chances here, right. That's that's something that all of 304 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: these players are going to have to deal with. I 305 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: think the hard holes out here, the ones to watch 306 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: are going to be two six eight, eleven, sixteen. If 307 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:46,200 Speaker 1: you could somehow for the week play those five holes 308 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:50,199 Speaker 1: and even or one under for the week, you are 309 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: going to pick up maybe a stroke and a half, 310 00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: maybe two strokes against the field. So everyone out here 311 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: knows what the hard hole are, they know what the 312 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 1: test is, and they know where they're going to need 313 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: to try and just hang on. I think every us 314 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: OPENED and the USGA likes this, right. They love a 315 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:21,679 Speaker 1: very very difficult test, and they love hard holes, and 316 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: they know that everyone knows kind of what the hard 317 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:28,760 Speaker 1: holes are. So, like I said, I think on the 318 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: when we look at the hardest hole, I think one 319 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,160 Speaker 1: of the hardest holes is going to be the sixth hole. 320 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:39,359 Speaker 1: I think sixteen is going to be a very very 321 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: difficult hole. The second hole, based off of that green 322 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: complex is difficult. Eight is no bargain. Eleven the second 323 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: hole on the back nine Again, you get out of 324 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 1: position there and you're really really going to struggle. The 325 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 1: only two fives on this golf course are five and ten. 326 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:09,159 Speaker 1: That's it. Those are the only two real legit birdie 327 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: chances I think you're going to have. And then the 328 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: rest of it is just you hang on. You just 329 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: try and get it to the house. Uh. Seventeen today, 330 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: which is the par three, five irons, four irons for 331 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: some of these guys. And yeah, that's well in excess 332 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,920 Speaker 1: of two fifteen to two twenty. And DJ hit a 333 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: shot today in the practice round, hammered a four iron 334 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,920 Speaker 1: thirty feet left of the flag, just barely stayed on 335 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: the green, didn't go down into the left green side bunker. 336 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: We got up there and we're thinking, this is a 337 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:55,239 Speaker 1: very very good golf shot under these conditions. Now, the 338 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: best players in the world don't think thirty feet is 339 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: a good shot. They just don't. But us opens sometimes 340 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: pin high, or sometimes anywhere on these greens, twenty to 341 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: thirty feet are going to be good quality shots. 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The Travelers Championship there is only one, so 350 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 1: I think this week is a lot about managing the expectations. 351 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,440 Speaker 1: I think the rounds are going to take forever. I 352 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 1: don't think we're going to finish. I think there. I 353 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:05,480 Speaker 1: don't think people will finish on On I certainly don't 354 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,360 Speaker 1: think people are going to finish Thursday. The field's too 355 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:12,439 Speaker 1: big and the golf course is just too difficult. You 356 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 1: are going to see guys playing hockey, ping pong around 357 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 1: these greens. You know, miss a green, try and go 358 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,680 Speaker 1: for it, run it over the other side of the green, 359 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:23,399 Speaker 1: and we're going to see some big numbers and the 360 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 1: pace of playof I think we're looking at in excess 361 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 1: of five hours. I think we could get into six 362 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,920 Speaker 1: hour rounds this week because the test is just so difficult. 363 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: That's what the USGA wants. They want this to be 364 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: the toughest test possible. What does Rory McRoy do this week? 365 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: He's saying that he's never felt better. He's saying that 366 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: he's never had a better opportunity, he's never been more 367 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: ready to win his fifth major. And we've talked about 368 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,640 Speaker 1: it on the pod before. I think it's just it's 369 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:04,919 Speaker 1: shocking to me given how great a player Rory McElroy is. 370 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 1: He's hitting on the range today, he was hitting balls 371 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: next to DJ and I mean it's hard not to 372 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: watch him, right, I mean, he's hitting balls. He's just 373 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: got everything. He's just so impressive as player. And yeah, 374 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 1: I could see him win this week. I could see 375 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:31,160 Speaker 1: him get his fifth major. But if he doesn't get 376 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,640 Speaker 1: off to a good start he's I think That's been 377 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: one of the issues that Rory's had in trying to 378 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: win that elusive fifth major championship is sometimes in these 379 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 1: majors he doesn't get off to a fast start. This 380 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 1: is not a golf course. This, I'll say it again, 381 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:50,399 Speaker 1: This is not a golf course you can play offense on. 382 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 1: This is a golf course where you're trying to play defense, 383 00:23:54,040 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: and rarely are you going to get opportunities to play offense. 384 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 1: But the problem is, and I'll keep saying this, this 385 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: golf course, the setup, and what the USGA likes is 386 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 1: they like to have players play defense when they should 387 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:12,040 Speaker 1: be playing offense. And they love them. They love them 388 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,120 Speaker 1: to play offense when they know they should be playing defense. 389 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:22,440 Speaker 1: And so great ball strikers, yeah, great ball strikers will 390 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: really really like this place. And if you are coming 391 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: into this tournament this week with a lot of really 392 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 1: really good form, I think you would think you would 393 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 1: have a chance. I do think that on golf courses 394 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 1: like this that are this difficult, where the test is 395 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 1: so penal if you miss shots, you could also see 396 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:53,159 Speaker 1: not a household name leading on the leaderboard, go leading 397 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 1: on Thursday, not a superstar, not someone that anybody would 398 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 1: have picked in their fantasy. They could be leading because 399 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,159 Speaker 1: in a lot of ways, they just don't know anybody. 400 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,199 Speaker 1: They don't know how hard the golf course is, so 401 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: they're just firing at every flag and you could get lucky, 402 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: you could have a great ball striking week, play super 403 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: super aggressive and if you're on, yeah, maybe you can 404 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 1: take advantage of it. But I think respecting this golf 405 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:26,520 Speaker 1: course is something that's going to be very very important 406 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: and strategy getting around here and thinking your way around here. 407 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: The other thing is with as long as the players 408 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: are going to be out on the golf course, As 409 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:41,640 Speaker 1: I said, these are going to be very long rounds. 410 00:25:42,119 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: It's hot, it's dusty, it's lenxy, it's the ground is hard, 411 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:53,920 Speaker 1: it's tough walk. You have to stay focused. You drop 412 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 1: your focus for one swing out here at Pinehurst this 413 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: week and you could be making double or triple. So 414 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 1: I think the winner this week is going to be 415 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 1: a combination of really good ball striking. You're going to 416 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,159 Speaker 1: get You're gonna need to get lucky. You're gonna need 417 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: to get some good breaks. You're going to need to 418 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:18,200 Speaker 1: have some good fortune, you're going to need to get 419 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: out of jail free card and so we have seen 420 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: that in the past here. I think there's a very, 421 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: very rich history here at Pinehurst. There have been some 422 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:33,520 Speaker 1: great battles here, Phil Michelson and Payne Stewart in ninety nine. 423 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,960 Speaker 1: The golf course that Martin Kimer played here in twenty fourteen, 424 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 1: A lot of people at the end of that week 425 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 1: thought what golf course was he's playing, because it certainly 426 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:44,640 Speaker 1: wasn't the golf course that everybody else was playing based 427 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 1: off of the score that he shot. A big time 428 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: US Open USGA type golf course, a big time US 429 00:26:54,760 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: Open USGA set up. And I have no idea who's win. 430 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:02,200 Speaker 1: I have no idea who's gonna be on the leaderboard. 431 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: But I think we are in for an exciting four days. 432 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:10,679 Speaker 1: If you like really tough golf courses, if you like 433 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: to see the best players in the world challenged basically 434 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: from the first t shot until the last put on eighteen, 435 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 1: you're gonna love this week because I think that's what 436 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: we're going to get. I do think Pinehurst at the 437 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: end of this week, Yes, the winner will be the star, 438 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 1: but I think Pinehurst will also be one of the 439 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: stars of the show here because it's a great golf course. 440 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 1: It's a great design, and it's a very cool golf course. 441 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: It looks cool. I think it'll look great on TV, 442 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: and I think gets your popcorn out because there will 443 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: be some carnage. There will be some unbelievable shots. There 444 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 1: will be a lot of shots that a lot of 445 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:52,440 Speaker 1: people watching will think that's not great, it's kind of mediocre. 446 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,359 Speaker 1: But if you haven't been out here and haven't walked 447 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 1: around and been inside the ropes and seen how difficult 448 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: this test is, this is a tough one. And I 449 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: can't wait to see who hoists the giant trophy on Sunday. 450 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:12,880 Speaker 1: So buckle up, kids, because we're in for a good one. 451 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: I want to thank everyone for listening, rate, review, subscribe 452 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts US open this week Son 453 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 1: of a Butch. We'll be back next week.