WEBVTT - Fire Drill 063: Rough Lies 0:00:03.640 --> 0:00:06.960 Welcome back to the fire Drill. Before we get into 0:00:07.080 --> 0:00:11.560 this week's episode, I do want to tell you Tuesday, uh, 0:00:11.760 --> 0:00:15.560 the second episode of the grind Our Show on YouTube. 0:00:15.720 --> 0:00:18.880 Welcome out. Thanks to Golf Tech for their support. I'm 0:00:18.920 --> 0:00:22.960 super biased because this is the coolest week of my life. 0:00:22.960 --> 0:00:27.080 But uh, it is Mark Baldwin's second episode about his 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:30.120 week at the A T and T Pebble Beach program, 0:00:30.160 --> 0:00:35.800 Steve Young, Ben Rector, Peter Jacobsen, fluff Mark, the ups 0:00:35.840 --> 0:00:38.320 and downs of pro golf. It's awesome. Go to YouTube 0:00:38.880 --> 0:00:43.680 like subscribe comment first episode has gone great. This is 0:00:44.080 --> 0:00:48.440 another level great ones after that every Tuesday page Crawford 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:52.840 Joe Hooks. Um, I'm super excited, so YouTube fire pick 0:00:52.840 --> 0:00:56.680 collective YouTube go there like him subscribe. Uh. This week's episode, 0:00:56.720 --> 0:01:00.400 we talked about my dad and uh I cried and 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:04.880 please don't screenshot that and making a social media clip. Um. 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:06.880 But we talked about my dad and his his role 0:01:06.920 --> 0:01:10.520 in my life. He passed away a couple of days ago, 0:01:11.200 --> 0:01:15.759 and uh, we got into Patrick Read and another rules controversy, 0:01:15.840 --> 0:01:18.800 we got into live. Uh, we got into Anthony Kim, 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:21.679 is Anthony Kim coming back and the fact that he 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:24.360 would truly move the needle on the live thing. You 0:01:24.480 --> 0:01:27.720 gotta wonder Alan has some great insight because he's done 0:01:27.920 --> 0:01:31.160 a couple of very in depth stories on Anthony when 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:35.080 he was playing. Um we talked about Max Homa and 0:01:35.120 --> 0:01:38.560 what an important time for the PGA tour to have 0:01:39.080 --> 0:01:42.600 a guy who is engaging and funny and personable and 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:46.600 also just really damn good like Max. It's just a 0:01:46.640 --> 0:01:49.320 perfect time for the PGA Tour to have that. Uh. 0:01:49.440 --> 0:01:52.840 It's another episode we talked about libraries. That is the 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:55.560 fire drill. I talked about the smallest library I've ever 0:01:55.600 --> 0:01:58.280 been to. Uh do people even go to libraries? I 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:01.200 mean that is the fire drill and nutshell. We talked 0:02:01.240 --> 0:02:05.280 about all those things in libraries. So, uh, that's a 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:10.520 watch the Grind Tuesday. It will drop on my Twitter 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:15.160 account on our YouTube channel seven am Eastern. Go watch it, 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:18.840 go check it out. We've really really worked hard on this. 0:02:18.960 --> 0:02:20.960 People behind the scenes. Jake is one of them who's 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:24.040 producing this podcast. Also a million people behind the scenes 0:02:24.080 --> 0:02:26.919 that you don't see that I've made that. Marco is 0:02:26.960 --> 0:02:30.720 the main editor. Just Ah, everybody's worked their ass off 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:33.680 to make this thing, I think, so Uh. Thank you 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:36.320 to everybody without further ado, here's the three of us 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:45.079 talking golf. I got my head, can't get jan nothing 0:02:45.400 --> 0:02:52.760 what I'm thinking about, can't get them now, nothing thing 0:02:53.040 --> 0:03:02.640 what I'm thinking about. There is a lot to talk about. Um. 0:03:02.680 --> 0:03:06.440 Of course we have Max Homa, who's just turned into 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:09.840 a monster. Five wins in the last two years, just 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:14.600 one on a US Open course with a spectacular finish. Um, 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:18.280 we've got melodrama in Dubai, to say the very least. 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:22.200 We'll get to all that as well. But UM, if 0:03:22.200 --> 0:03:24.120 it's okay with you, Ryan, I thought we we'd start 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:27.080 with you. I mean, you've you've written so beautifully about 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:31.440 your dad and his influence on your life and career, 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:34.720 and you've taken readers through this long journey as he's 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:38.600 been battling dementia. And he wrote a super moving piece 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:42.040 about how Mrs monday Que you know, was so devoted 0:03:42.240 --> 0:03:45.360 um to your father and in his final days, and 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:47.200 you know we lost him a few days ago. And 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:49.960 I know the fact that even on this podcast speaks 0:03:50.000 --> 0:03:53.680 to your own grind. Like we tried to talk Ryan 0:03:53.680 --> 0:03:55.600 out of doing this, but he's like, no, I need, 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:58.760 I need to get back into some routine. So, Um, 0:03:58.920 --> 0:04:00.360 I just wanted to open up the floor to you, 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:02.120 and of course, Michael is you've gotten to know the 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:04.520 French family very well as well. I just feel like 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:07.800 we need some closure as as your as your family, 0:04:07.960 --> 0:04:11.240 as as your readers and your listeners, Like, how are 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:13.440 how are things in your world right now? Yeah? Good? 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:16.159 I mean as good as they can be, uh, I 0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:19.240 said today, like in the middle of this chaos, my 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:21.599 parents have lived with us for a month, people in 0:04:21.640 --> 0:04:23.919 and out. We're living my brother's house, so he comes, 0:04:24.000 --> 0:04:27.160 his family comes in and out, and you, like you 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:30.720 just every day you wish that the chaos would stop. 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:34.600 And then the house seems very quiet today in the 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:37.240 chaos to stop. My brother's gone home, my mom's back 0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:40.320 at her house, Dad's gone, and it's like we're all 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:43.000 kind of walking around like you've you've had this chaos 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:45.840 be part of your routine for so long you kind 0:04:45.839 --> 0:04:49.800 of don't know how to get back to normal stuff. 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:53.760 But my dad was super important to me. Um, you know, 0:04:53.920 --> 0:04:57.560 I think we'll get more into it uh in Michael's 0:04:57.560 --> 0:05:01.120 book Down the Road. But there were some pretty dark 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:02.760 times in my life that my dad was there for 0:05:02.880 --> 0:05:07.039 me and the Caddy trips. Uh, you know, saved my 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:09.960 life at a at a time that just wasn't a 0:05:10.000 --> 0:05:14.240 great time in my life. So um, I I miss him, 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:21.040 and uh I love him and I miss him. Michael, 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:23.280 what what? Um? What can you share about what you've 0:05:23.360 --> 0:05:29.000 learned about about the French father's son relationship? You know, well, 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:32.040 just as as the starting point, he was a Uh 0:05:32.440 --> 0:05:36.000 he was an All state basketball player. Um who you know, 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:38.240 maybe you could have played at at Michigan. Say, was 0:05:38.279 --> 0:05:40.960 certainly one of the best basketball players ever to come 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:45.560 out of Alpina. And it's a telling thing because athletic 0:05:45.640 --> 0:05:49.360 skill is genetic and uh and Ryan has athletic skill 0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:52.039 and it comes straight Uh, it comes straight from the dead. 0:05:52.080 --> 0:05:56.400 And it was and it it made for a for 0:05:56.440 --> 0:05:59.320 a connection between between Ryan and his dad. Alpina is 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:03.520 a hunting and fishing town. It has golf. Uh. But 0:06:03.880 --> 0:06:06.520 uh it's a spectacular thing to see a father and 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:11.320 a son, any child and and any parent uh bond 0:06:11.480 --> 0:06:15.240 over this game that lets you show emotion every which way. 0:06:15.440 --> 0:06:20.520 And uh, Howard's father, excuse me, Ryan's father, Howard French 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:24.920 Um was a remarkable person from a remarkable family in 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:28.080 a remarkable town. And and Alan, I would say the 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:31.320 same of your mom and her experience and my parents 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:33.760 who fled Nazi Germany. We've all lost parents here in 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:36.960 the past year or so, and they've all had a 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:39.800 lot to do with us finding the path that that 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:41.640 we have found. Alan and I've talked about this a 0:06:41.640 --> 0:06:44.640 lot over the years. But one year early and and 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.120 Allen's writing experience, he won a golf Writer's award and 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:50.320 his mom came down to Augusta, uh for a day, 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:53.280 and came to a golf writer's dinner, and you know 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:56.640 that the pride was beaming, and you know, she came out. 0:06:56.800 --> 0:07:01.320 She had been a politician and in northern California, and 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:04.279 you know it was accustomed to a public life. And 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:06.359 now her son was leading in his own way of 0:07:06.360 --> 0:07:11.000 public life. And Ryan's father led in athletic life, and 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:13.440 and and then Ryan was in his own athletic life. 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:16.560 And you know my case, Uh, my parents were you know, 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:19.440 totally committed to not totally committed that. They were just 0:07:19.680 --> 0:07:23.280 very active readers period. And uh, you know, I grew 0:07:23.320 --> 0:07:25.760 up in a reading tradition and became a writer. So 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:29.160 we're all by products, of course of our parents, and 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:32.560 we all, in our own way devote our whole life 0:07:32.600 --> 0:07:36.280 experience to our parents while finding our own life experience. 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:38.560 So it was a privilege for me to get to 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:41.680 know Uh, to get to know Ryan and and and 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:47.720 by extension, Ryan's paternal grandfather the other side of the family, Uh, 0:07:47.760 --> 0:07:50.760 the Houst decide where there was a writer and you 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:55.000 know how these family traditions blend to make us who 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:59.720 we are today. You know, Ryan, I'm curious what you've 0:07:59.720 --> 0:08:04.520 heard from from your your community of of readers and followers, because, 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:06.600 as I said at the top, you know they've been 0:08:06.640 --> 0:08:08.720 on they've been on this journey and I'm sure allow them. 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:10.960 I feel the loss as well, and they probably feel 0:08:10.960 --> 0:08:13.840 like their pals with they were pals with with Howard 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:17.560 because he populated so many of your pieces, and you know, 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:21.040 there's great old photos of you guys, and and there 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:22.880 was a lot of love and the things that you 0:08:22.880 --> 0:08:24.680 you typed about. It was what what have you heard 0:08:24.680 --> 0:08:28.160 from your your community? Yeah, I mean super overwhelmed. I'm uh, 0:08:28.680 --> 0:08:31.440 I mean behind on text messages. I spent most of 0:08:31.480 --> 0:08:35.600 the morning catching up on d ms as best I could. Um. 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:39.560 As Michael has learned, we we share over share in 0:08:39.600 --> 0:08:43.080 the French family and so uh you know I've taken 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:47.920 people inside. Um you know this struggle that is dementia. 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:52.199 That was dementia. Um and I read it two reasons 0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:56.200 is for therapeutic reasons. It's my way to kind of 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:59.839 tell the story and get it off my chest. And 0:09:00.320 --> 0:09:02.440 also I know a million people are going through it. 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:05.360 I mean those are the d m s right. Uh, 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:08.000 my grandpa's going through it. My dad was just diagnosed. 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:11.600 I lost my brother or my dad or whatever to dementia. 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:16.000 And so um, you know, I'm happy that people. I 0:09:16.320 --> 0:09:20.520 appreciate so much all the support, and I'm glad can 0:09:20.559 --> 0:09:23.840 people can relate? I think Alan, you've you said it 0:09:23.880 --> 0:09:26.040 a million at times and I use the quote all 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:28.920 the time as our job as writers is to elicit 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:33.120 some sort of emotion, whether that sadness or anger or 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:38.240 happiness or whatever. Uh and and uh I think people 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:41.920 can relate. And so uh I talked openly about my 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:46.600 not my ability to uh be the greatest words smith, 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:50.080 but I'm pretty pretty happy with how I write. And 0:09:50.120 --> 0:09:53.600 people have related to my journey with my dad, our 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:59.120 journey with my dad. So um uh yeah, an amazing 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:01.400 amount of support. I'm still catching up on d M 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:06.360 s and text messages and tweets and uh yeah it's been. 0:10:06.440 --> 0:10:10.319 It's been great. It is, ah, it will be. It 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:12.640 is what we all wanted. And my dad lived a 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:16.480 very good life. And I've said many times as a 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:19.360 lot of people would give anything to do the things 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:22.440 that I did with my dad. He wasn't perfect, no 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:28.480 one is, um, but he was. I mean he again, 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:31.240 as he'll read in Michael's book, he he saved my life. 0:10:31.920 --> 0:10:38.080 And uh so I love him and I miss him. 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:42.880 Yeah that's really sweet. Um, I know, can we talk 0:10:42.920 --> 0:10:45.800 about just mundane golf matters Africa? Can we get to 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:49.280 the Patrick Green stuff? But now that's beautifully said Ryan, 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:51.720 And you know we're all sitting you hugs from far 0:10:51.760 --> 0:10:56.640 away and um yeah, I I know you feel a 0:10:56.640 --> 0:10:59.880 lot of relief, but it definitely you know, it's tough 0:10:59.920 --> 0:11:02.800 to time. So we got you. If you get to 0:11:02.840 --> 0:11:07.080 Alpina and you do the Ryan French Howard French Tour, 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:09.640 you're gonna be amazed at how good this Alpina City 0:11:09.679 --> 0:11:12.120 course is. Because it was like, oh yeah, just a 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:15.800 little sires, really nice, charming golf course with beautiful greens 0:11:15.960 --> 0:11:18.920 and and our friend John Garrity would especially appreciate this 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:25.520 Allen Grass driving range. Yes, there's no mats there, Ryan 0:11:25.600 --> 0:11:29.600 is there no mats, no mats, the most beautiful grass ever. 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:31.560 Now they got about a four month season, so that 0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:37.240 probably helps, right, But it's also so that's funny because 0:11:37.800 --> 0:11:40.360 there's a great three six whole facility here on the 0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:43.480 Monoe Peninsula um Band at black Horse, and they redid 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:48.520 the rains and they have acres a beautiful turf it 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:51.960 and it's a really expansive range and it's tree line, 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:54.240 it's it could be like one of the all time 0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:58.640 great driving ranges. But they often have mats out and 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:01.400 it's so bizarre hitting off of a mat and you're 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:05.480 surrounded by luscious turf, and I, you know, I guess 0:12:05.480 --> 0:12:07.640 it's just a cost saving measure. It takes time and 0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:10.760 energy and water, and but the turf looks beautiful and 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:15.520 it's so dispirting. So yeah, sure, that's one observation about 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:19.199 about driving ranges with mats and nearby graphs. I have 0:12:19.360 --> 0:12:22.640 snuck on the golf courses all my life. In my life, 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:26.200 I have almost never been kicked off a golf course. 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:28.800 But you go to a driving range that's got plastic 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:32.400 mats and grass from you take one swing and they're 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:36.559 all over sir. For the last time I've told you 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:38.800 you've got to get on the mat. You're like, this 0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:40.520 is not the last time. This is the first time. 0:12:40.520 --> 0:12:42.840 I'm gonna have a little the way here that it's 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:45.280 amazing how they're all over you. But sneak on. You 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:48.440 can sneak on Augusta National and plays before you. I 0:12:48.440 --> 0:12:51.440 will tell my Spencer Levine, I'm a huge Spencer Levine 0:12:51.480 --> 0:12:56.400 fans as people who follow and uh, the Monday for 0:12:56.440 --> 0:13:00.559 the Farmers used to be at Industry Hills, which has 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:05.320 a two story matt driving range, and I've snuck on 0:13:05.400 --> 0:13:12.640 that course many times. Uh, And two or three years 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:15.040 ago I got a picture from a follower of Spencer 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:17.960 hitting in front of the mats and then he got 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:21.200 yelled at and almost kicked off. And so it doesn't 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:23.360 it's just not you, Michael, it's an actual p g 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:26.320 A tour players. Just a quick just a quick note 0:13:26.360 --> 0:13:28.360 about that Industry Hills. They had two courses there, the 0:13:28.360 --> 0:13:31.120 Ike and the ice, the Ike and the Babe for 0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:33.480 for babees. Harris and my mother in law didn't know 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:36.360 anything about golf. Uh, but I would go over there 0:13:36.480 --> 0:13:39.160 and she would say, yeah, did you sneak on? Or 0:13:39.160 --> 0:13:42.000 did you pay? And the other thing I had there 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:44.520 out and you may have been there, But did you 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:46.880 ever know that Miller library there? For for years it 0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:49.600 was considered I think it's called the Ralph Miller Library. 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:51.520 Maybe he was considered one of the great golf libraries 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:54.480 of the world. And they shut it down and know why? 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:57.000 There was a sheard in there and the library was 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.839 part of it. Oh. Yes, So when I was living 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:01.720 in Belmont Shore on Long Beach, I would drive over 0:14:01.720 --> 0:14:05.280 there and use that library somewhat regularly. Um And I 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:06.960 don't think I ever played the course. It was. I 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:09.040 was like just research because this is this was like 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:14.480 what year was at ninety eight? So that was the 0:14:14.520 --> 0:14:16.960 year I got my first email address, I remember distinctly. 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:18.520 But I didn't even have a cell phone yet. The 0:14:18.559 --> 0:14:20.800 Internet was not really a thing. I mean I guess 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:25.760 it was. But do people still use libraries um or 0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:30.240 for a computer access? I would guess right, yes and no. 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:33.560 I mean there's there's two good libraries in Carmel and 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:36.240 they're always busy. They're ones is just dedicated kids library 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:38.400 and that place is wonderful and I spent many hours 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:40.960 there with my kids, and all the schools go there. 0:14:41.000 --> 0:14:44.040 And then there is there's a nice right on Ocean Avenue. 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:48.840 Its beautiful stone building and yeah, and it's very busy. 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:52.760 I mean, I I've been encouraging. My daughter is a 0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:56.760 voracious reader, and she finds these series that have like 0:14:56.880 --> 0:14:59.600 eight books in them. And I know how it's going 0:14:59.640 --> 0:15:01.840 because I Ding ding ding. It's like all the Amazon 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:06.960 NOTEFID go to the library of It's Michael. Michael will 0:15:07.000 --> 0:15:09.240 appreciate this. And then we are I mean, this is 0:15:09.320 --> 0:15:12.240 classic fired or we are in a library speed but Michael, 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:14.680 just down the road for I'm living, there is a 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:17.640 the tiniest library I've ever seen in my life. Like 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:20.200 we live in the middle of nowhere. And this is 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:23.440 not even to Alpino, Michael, Michael. Alpina has its own library. 0:15:23.440 --> 0:15:26.680 But there's a Hubbard Lake Library and it might be 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:31.600 two d square feet, but they're raising money to expand 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:36.200 it to four hundred square feet. All right to the 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:39.440 Patrick read things in the tree? Did he cheat? Did 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:43.600 he not cheat? Al right? Right? So um, well, and 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:46.560 we haven't even talked about, you know, tegate on this 0:15:46.640 --> 0:15:49.320 podcast because I have sin since we taped our last one. 0:15:49.360 --> 0:15:55.040 I mean, it just the amount of bullshittery, the the 0:15:55.080 --> 0:16:00.160 engulfs Patrick Reed at all times, it's just wild and know, 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:02.360 flicking the t I think was actually kind of funny, 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:04.480 like I don't mind that, but it wasn't like he 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:06.440 was trying to blind him. It was it was kind 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:10.400 of a jaunty, saucy move. But it's the tone definess 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:13.560 of like walking up to Rory, hey man, great to 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:18.320 see you. When you know, there's been some clarification that 0:16:18.320 --> 0:16:21.800 this when when Rory was served, you know, the for 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:24.680 that lawsuit that wasn't strictly a Patrick Read lawsuit, but 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:27.720 it's the same lawyer, and this lawyer's right, it's adjacent 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:31.880 to Patrick Reed. But even setting that bit aside, I mean, 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:35.280 Rory has been obviously the biggest PJ Tour booster and 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:37.560 he's made it very clear he us wants nothing to 0:16:37.560 --> 0:16:40.520 do with the live golf guys. So just on that alone, 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:42.680 for Read to walk up to him like, you know, 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:46.040 slobbering on him like a Labrador retriever, like, it's just 0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:50.240 it's it's bizarre it's like so it's like sociopathic, like 0:16:50.280 --> 0:16:55.040 I make it makes sense? Michael, Well, can I can 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:58.640 I fine tune some of you? Just by way of question, Um, 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:03.760 isn't Rory more in like the Jeff Ogilby school to 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:06.200 to speak up someone with whom we talked to regularly. 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:08.840 Isn't he more of a little bit of an olive branch, 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:10.480 you know, if they would get rid of Norman and 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:12.919 blah blah blah. But that that there, that there should 0:17:12.960 --> 0:17:18.360 be some well, he's he hasn't made some noises the effect. 0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:22.200 He's looking at the big picture, which it's not good 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:24.280 for golf to split up the stars. There's not enough 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:28.040 fan interest or money to support these warring tours. So 0:17:28.280 --> 0:17:32.720 he's pragmatic that it would make sense. Um, And if 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:37.840 you believe Andy Gardner, who founded the PGL which was 0:17:37.880 --> 0:17:41.720 the precursor to the to Live Golf after the South, 0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:45.320 he's just ripped off the entire idea. But um, you know, 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:48.080 Andy Gardner says that Rory was supportive of his idea 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:51.240 early on, and that Rory saw the possibilities of how 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:54.760 you could bring this infusion of money and interest and 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:56.960 there was a way they could partner and make it work. 0:17:57.040 --> 0:18:01.000 So I think you're right that Rory sees a bigger picture, 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:05.000 But at the same time, he's that's a macro view. 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:07.159 I think when you zoom in, he has a lot 0:18:07.200 --> 0:18:09.800 of bitterness towards the current live guys and he's fed 0:18:09.880 --> 0:18:12.639 up with them and their high jinks and there and 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:16.520 and their their mouthiness. So I think he would like 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:18.240 to forge a compmise for the good of the game. 0:18:18.280 --> 0:18:20.159 But in the meantime, he's gonna he's gonna take as 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:22.560 many shots as he can, and when the guys on 0:18:22.680 --> 0:18:25.440 your door on Christmas Eve, if it's gonna get intensely personal. 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:28.199 And we picked up on that from Davis the same Davis. 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:32.119 The same Davis is a Davis Love is a very reasonable, 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:36.280 mild mannered, intelligent person. But his view of Greg Norman is, 0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:40.399 you know, he's trying He's suing me. They're suing me there, 0:18:40.400 --> 0:18:43.280 They're bringing down everything that I represent, so he can't 0:18:43.320 --> 0:18:46.800 not become intensely personal. I heard interesting nugget. I was 0:18:46.840 --> 0:18:51.160 down at Torrey Pines. The PGA tour has decided they're 0:18:51.160 --> 0:18:53.800 not going to help any players with their legal fees, 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:57.040 um including and I heard Davis has already wracked up 0:18:57.080 --> 0:18:59.719 six figures and lawyer fees because he came on our 0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:03.159 pod cast, he went other places, and he's obviously a 0:19:03.240 --> 0:19:05.720 huge part of the Writer Cup efforts for the for 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:09.800 the Americans, and that there's some hard feelings because even 0:19:09.880 --> 0:19:12.520 the staunchest defenders of the tour, the tours kind of 0:19:12.520 --> 0:19:14.600 cut Baiton said, well if you get if you get 0:19:14.760 --> 0:19:18.520 rolled up into these lawsuits, good luck, and so, um, 0:19:18.600 --> 0:19:21.159 that's going to be an interesting nugget because it's discovery 0:19:21.160 --> 0:19:24.480 process as ownerous and I've heard the Live Golf guys 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:27.960 are coming in and taking phones and no one wants 0:19:28.000 --> 0:19:31.520 their phone snatched from them. Um, there's what would be 0:19:31.560 --> 0:19:33.840 the motivation. And the PGA two are not supporting the 0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:38.920 players for legal face because then they become they're essentially 0:19:39.000 --> 0:19:42.440 sanctioning what the players said even though it wasn't authorized 0:19:42.560 --> 0:19:45.720 and some of these players were a little out of pocket, 0:19:45.920 --> 0:19:52.280 and uh, it also becomes an issue of if not 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:55.320 setting aside Davis, but anyone if a player is negotiating 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:59.360 would Live Golf and there a tour member and there 0:19:59.400 --> 0:20:01.760 were secret deals made and there were things going on. 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:06.640 There was collusion, there was antitrust behavior. If the tour 0:20:06.760 --> 0:20:09.760 comes in and defends that player, then they're essentially approving 0:20:09.760 --> 0:20:12.240 of what they did. I think they're trying to they're 0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:14.760 trying to keep their hands clean, and they don't want 0:20:14.760 --> 0:20:18.240 to get swept up into the actions of any outside agencies, 0:20:18.240 --> 0:20:20.280 because then you have it's not just the players, you 0:20:20.320 --> 0:20:22.360 have you have the actual agents who are we all 0:20:22.359 --> 0:20:27.720 know were double dealing and um and um. So I 0:20:27.800 --> 0:20:30.119 understand the tourist perspective, like they don't want to get 0:20:30.200 --> 0:20:32.479 involved if they don't have to. But all of a sudden, 0:20:32.480 --> 0:20:34.080 they're all these players are not gonna have to pay 0:20:34.080 --> 0:20:36.960 their own lawyers, and that that's that's gonna be. That's 0:20:36.960 --> 0:20:39.359 gonna create more hard feelings and not good for us 0:20:39.400 --> 0:20:43.960 as reporters because now that the well, it's obvious, but 0:20:44.080 --> 0:20:46.320 just for those two from it may not be obvious. 0:20:48.119 --> 0:20:50.880 Sources are more likely to talk to reporters when they 0:20:50.880 --> 0:20:52.840 know there's a lawyer that's going to back them up 0:20:52.920 --> 0:20:55.760 if things go haywire, and then when there's not and 0:20:55.840 --> 0:20:58.600 they're like, is this really worth it? Knows often the 0:20:58.640 --> 0:21:02.360 answer yeah. That's been one of my challenges in reporting 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:04.560 this book is that a lot of people have said 0:21:04.560 --> 0:21:05.720 I'll talk to you and they come back to me 0:21:05.720 --> 0:21:08.359 and they're like, well, um, I was advised not to 0:21:08.560 --> 0:21:14.200 because they could subpoena your notes, and like, well that 0:21:14.240 --> 0:21:17.879 seems a little far fetched, but um okay, and that 0:21:17.880 --> 0:21:20.400 that's just lawyer's jobs are to air on the side 0:21:20.400 --> 0:21:22.640 of caution. So like a lot of folks who told 0:21:22.640 --> 0:21:25.240 me they sit down and talk have renigged. I'm hoping 0:21:25.280 --> 0:21:27.680 that some have spoken to me, you know, on background 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:31.400 where I can use information but not their names, and um, 0:21:31.440 --> 0:21:34.080 some are mulling it over. But yeah, it's it's there's 0:21:34.119 --> 0:21:35.920 definitely a chilling effect. And I mean we talked about 0:21:35.920 --> 0:21:38.399 this in a previous podcast. That's really the point of 0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:43.600 these Patrick Read lawsuits against journalists. No matter what he's 0:21:43.640 --> 0:21:46.760 being told, Um, he probably knows he can't win them. 0:21:46.800 --> 0:21:48.640 And I think even the lawyer knows they can't win. 0:21:49.320 --> 0:21:52.040 But it's just it's a hassle when you get sued, right, 0:21:52.119 --> 0:21:55.920 and it's stressful and it's time consuming, and so they're 0:21:56.000 --> 0:21:58.240 just trying to put the chill on people and it's 0:21:58.240 --> 0:22:03.200 probably having an effect. I mean, um, like I would 0:22:03.240 --> 0:22:05.600 it would be interesting to get an AI program and 0:22:05.640 --> 0:22:08.760 monitor all the tweets and all the discourse around this 0:22:08.840 --> 0:22:13.320 latest Patrick Reed um rules controversy and dubai versus the 0:22:13.320 --> 0:22:15.359 previous ones. I mean, people maybe a little more careful 0:22:15.400 --> 0:22:17.320 because they just don't want to get in the crosshairs 0:22:17.320 --> 0:22:19.119 of this stuff. And that's the whole point. I mean, 0:22:19.119 --> 0:22:22.399 that's the chilling effect. But so Ryan for those who 0:22:22.640 --> 0:22:26.880 have we're asleep when all this happened. Summarized the most 0:22:26.960 --> 0:22:33.600 recent Patrick Reed controversy. Sure h he a a person 0:22:33.640 --> 0:22:35.520 on Twist so he hit a ball into a tree 0:22:36.200 --> 0:22:40.640 and it got stuck and then a twitter Michael Ferrier Twist. 0:22:40.720 --> 0:22:44.040 I believe he might be he's a player. Um took 0:22:44.119 --> 0:22:46.640 a screen, not not a screenshot, but a video of 0:22:47.359 --> 0:22:49.920 uh where the ball landed. And it is very hard 0:22:49.960 --> 0:22:52.560 to see. To be fair, it looks like it, but 0:22:52.960 --> 0:22:55.320 how much of that is like we know it's Patrick Reed, 0:22:55.400 --> 0:22:58.880 Like if I saw that ball and it was uh 0:22:59.000 --> 0:23:01.320 Max Homa be like, I have no idea where that 0:23:01.320 --> 0:23:05.239 ball went, you know. Uh, So it looks like it 0:23:05.280 --> 0:23:07.720 goes in this one particular tree on the right. It 0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:10.720 it does, but it is very difficult video to see. 0:23:11.080 --> 0:23:14.359 And then Patrick comes up and identifies his ball in 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:19.119 a different tree, and to be fair to Patrick, uh, 0:23:19.200 --> 0:23:23.160 the rules official used so they used binoculars. Patrick said 0:23:23.160 --> 0:23:27.760 he could see his markings and the rules official looked 0:23:27.800 --> 0:23:30.360 up at their and said that he could see his thing. 0:23:30.960 --> 0:23:34.760 Everybody thinks it's the wrong tree. I don't terribly disagree, 0:23:34.760 --> 0:23:37.960 but there's definitely some like it could have bounced into 0:23:38.000 --> 0:23:41.040 the other tree or maybe the video the video is 0:23:41.080 --> 0:23:45.119 not by any means like like, yes, it went in 0:23:45.160 --> 0:23:48.320 that tree, I would guess a good it looks like 0:23:48.359 --> 0:23:52.480 it goes in the first tree. Uh. But this is 0:23:52.520 --> 0:23:54.760 what it has made me think of t Gay. This 0:23:55.640 --> 0:23:58.679 is the p g A. I mean, it's a The 0:23:58.760 --> 0:24:02.280 much deeper view is it's so sad that golf has split, 0:24:03.119 --> 0:24:08.520 but the live tour has taken all of the villains. 0:24:08.560 --> 0:24:11.000 Like this would be such good golf if this was 0:24:11.040 --> 0:24:13.880 a week to week thing, If Rory and and Patrick 0:24:14.000 --> 0:24:16.520 really hated each other and the tea thing happened and 0:24:16.520 --> 0:24:18.520 all of that stuff, it would be so interesting on 0:24:18.600 --> 0:24:20.760 a week to week basis. We never get they're never 0:24:20.840 --> 0:24:23.600 going to play together. Obviously the masters were not like 0:24:23.680 --> 0:24:25.719 pare them, although I asked them two in a tweet, 0:24:26.359 --> 0:24:33.000 like golf golf. Golf needs a villain, and and the 0:24:33.080 --> 0:24:35.800 live took all of them. That's lived problems. They have 0:24:35.880 --> 0:24:39.040 all villains and no good guys. Maybe Cam Smiths a 0:24:39.040 --> 0:24:41.760 good dude, but like they have all the villains, like 0:24:41.840 --> 0:24:44.760 this would be so fun. And this is the cart 0:24:44.840 --> 0:24:46.600 I r L thing that I always bring up. It's 0:24:46.640 --> 0:24:49.440 like it's divided and we're gonna forget about. Like it's 0:24:49.480 --> 0:24:52.600 just it's just a sad look that this is what 0:24:52.640 --> 0:24:54.879 golf is well. And the last thing I'll say is 0:24:56.320 --> 0:24:59.320 the tea gate is the most golf fight ever, right, 0:24:59.440 --> 0:25:04.800 Like how key players literally literally throw fifths every day, 0:25:04.920 --> 0:25:07.840 right like they get on an actually have a physical fight, 0:25:07.960 --> 0:25:11.000 pound each other in the head. And then like that's it. 0:25:11.200 --> 0:25:14.479 And we're talking about a man flipping a t at 0:25:14.520 --> 0:25:17.320 the ass of another player like it's the you know, 0:25:18.200 --> 0:25:20.240 like the greatest fight in the history of the world, 0:25:20.320 --> 0:25:25.040 like it's Ali Fraser or something. Yeah, well, I mean 0:25:26.680 --> 0:25:28.840 they may wind up playing together more often than you think, 0:25:28.920 --> 0:25:32.159 because the whole reason Patrick Green and other live guys 0:25:32.480 --> 0:25:34.920 are playing on the European Tour right now is that 0:25:35.320 --> 0:25:38.960 there was this injunction that was filed and um Ino 0:25:39.040 --> 0:25:41.879 in only a couple of weeks away where this is 0:25:41.960 --> 0:25:44.119 going to go before the courts in the U K. 0:25:44.320 --> 0:25:48.159 And they're going to have to decide um can the 0:25:48.280 --> 0:25:54.520 very narrow issue of can the European tour demand releases 0:25:55.160 --> 0:25:59.800 for players and and that whole system of sort of 0:26:00.040 --> 0:26:02.960 stricting who can play when and where is is being 0:26:02.960 --> 0:26:07.280 thrown into question. And this has been ruled on by 0:26:07.480 --> 0:26:10.800 the High Court in Singapore years ago. The Asian Tour 0:26:11.400 --> 0:26:14.879 um find some players who played in a conflicting event 0:26:15.160 --> 0:26:18.760 and without getting a release, and they're repudiated by essentially 0:26:18.800 --> 0:26:23.040 the Supreme Court of of of Singapore and they read 0:26:23.119 --> 0:26:26.440 they Asiano had to pay back the fines and basically 0:26:26.480 --> 0:26:29.320 said you can't do that. And there's a ruling in 0:26:29.359 --> 0:26:34.000 Australia years ago involving cricket players. They had an analogous 0:26:34.000 --> 0:26:38.159 situation and the High Court of Australia ruled, or the 0:26:38.160 --> 0:26:41.320 Federal Court of Australia ruled in favor of the cricketeers, 0:26:41.359 --> 0:26:43.119 saying that they should be able to play wherever they want, 0:26:43.119 --> 0:26:46.280 whenever they want. And so there, you know, these are 0:26:46.320 --> 0:26:48.680 different parts of the world, but there is an emerging 0:26:48.840 --> 0:26:53.560 body of legal thinking that the system that's in place 0:26:53.640 --> 0:26:56.920 now is not going to hold. And so and there's 0:26:56.920 --> 0:26:58.880 even folks who feel like the European Tour may want 0:26:58.880 --> 0:27:01.440 to lose this case because then they can say, Jay Monahan, 0:27:01.520 --> 0:27:04.040 hey we tried our best, we went to we went 0:27:04.080 --> 0:27:06.520 to war for you. But this is what the court said. 0:27:06.560 --> 0:27:08.919 So now they get all their players back, and that 0:27:08.960 --> 0:27:11.439 would allow um, you know, Martin Kaymer to play the 0:27:11.440 --> 0:27:14.760 German Open, and Lee Westwood to play the the British Masters, 0:27:14.840 --> 0:27:17.600 and you know all Sergio to play the Spanish Open, 0:27:17.680 --> 0:27:20.359 like these are important draws for these tournaments, and just 0:27:20.400 --> 0:27:23.840 they say nothing of Ryder Cup involvement. And then there's 0:27:23.840 --> 0:27:28.680 a major Writer Cup implications. So um, and obviously if 0:27:28.920 --> 0:27:31.320 if Europe lets all their players play, that's gonna put 0:27:31.320 --> 0:27:32.879 the pressure on the U S side to open it 0:27:32.960 --> 0:27:34.920 up to the Dustin Johnson's of the world. And so 0:27:35.800 --> 0:27:39.480 this is this is a very important legal case. How 0:27:39.560 --> 0:27:41.280 long it's going to be argued, how long it's gonna 0:27:41.280 --> 0:27:43.639 take to get the ruling back is a fundamental question 0:27:43.680 --> 0:27:46.439 that nobody can answer. But there will be a decision 0:27:46.440 --> 0:27:48.960 at some point and that will that will shape this 0:27:49.040 --> 0:27:52.040 debate in a profound way. So if if the tour 0:27:52.119 --> 0:27:53.920 loses and the players win, then you're gonna see the 0:27:53.960 --> 0:27:56.200 live guys all over the European Tour because they want 0:27:56.200 --> 0:27:58.879 the world ranking points and they have, you know, a 0:27:58.880 --> 0:28:02.080 lot of history at these events. And then of course 0:28:02.119 --> 0:28:04.240 it does we know they're gonna see each other at 0:28:04.240 --> 0:28:06.000 the Majors and that's gonna add a lot of juice. 0:28:06.080 --> 0:28:10.200 So um. You know, remember in the old days, Michael 0:28:10.200 --> 0:28:13.880 and the U s g A. They would do funny pairings, 0:28:13.880 --> 0:28:15.600 like one year they put all the fat guys together 0:28:15.960 --> 0:28:19.560 and um, they they had they had a little bit 0:28:19.600 --> 0:28:21.320 of an edge, and the pairings like you're not gonna 0:28:21.359 --> 0:28:24.720 get Patrick and and and and Rory at the Masters. 0:28:24.720 --> 0:28:28.640 You you might get at the US Open because like 0:28:29.480 --> 0:28:31.359 just because they're a little more muckreakers and they liked 0:28:31.359 --> 0:28:33.080 the attention. I don't know that would be epic. I 0:28:33.119 --> 0:28:37.399 agree though. Yeah, just one quick note. I've probably have 0:28:37.560 --> 0:28:41.479 said this before, but I would have never guessed that 0:28:41.480 --> 0:28:44.760 Patrick Reid would join this live tour, uh for any 0:28:44.840 --> 0:28:48.320 number of reasons. You know, what was this thing what 0:28:48.360 --> 0:28:50.120 do they call him on the Ryder Cup teams? Captain 0:28:50.120 --> 0:28:53.160 what Captain America? Captain America? That was the start of 0:28:53.200 --> 0:28:54.720 then of course that you know the red and the 0:28:54.800 --> 0:28:58.440 black and the following Tigers thing. But this, above all else, 0:28:58.680 --> 0:29:01.200 here's Tiger who really, when it's all said and done, 0:29:01.280 --> 0:29:08.480 even north of Rory, is really the spokesman for uh, 0:29:08.680 --> 0:29:13.080 the PGA tour um, you know, as the ruling king 0:29:13.200 --> 0:29:18.880 of professional golf. Patrick Read owes his golfing life, I 0:29:18.920 --> 0:29:22.680 think to the act of Tiger Woods choosing him for 0:29:22.720 --> 0:29:27.400 that President's Cup team and then embracing him after that 0:29:27.520 --> 0:29:31.320 cheating scandal at at the Albany event. Um, things could 0:29:31.320 --> 0:29:33.880 have things went south for Patrick Reed, but they were 0:29:34.000 --> 0:29:37.920 been way way worse. And then Patrick Reed played very 0:29:37.960 --> 0:29:41.120 poorly the first couple of days, maybe the first three days, 0:29:41.480 --> 0:29:42.920 and there was the thing with the caddy and all 0:29:42.960 --> 0:29:47.320 the rest. Patrick's read Patrick Reid's career could have spiraled 0:29:47.360 --> 0:29:51.280 out of control without Tiger's support and uh and it didn't. 0:29:51.520 --> 0:29:56.080 I mean he was holding on but it but it didn't. Well, 0:29:56.120 --> 0:29:58.000 It's true when when you go down the list of 0:29:58.000 --> 0:30:01.800 of the big name players who to live, they were 0:30:01.840 --> 0:30:06.959 old or they were injured. Basically, whether you're talking about Bryson, 0:30:07.040 --> 0:30:11.160 you're talking about Phil, you're talking about Brooks, Dustin not 0:30:11.360 --> 0:30:14.040 that old, but possibly you know, he's told people he 0:30:14.040 --> 0:30:16.520 doesn't want to play forever like he he's he's an 0:30:16.520 --> 0:30:19.880 old whatever thirty eight. So read is the one guy 0:30:19.960 --> 0:30:23.720 that doesn't fit the profile because he's young and he's healthy, 0:30:23.880 --> 0:30:25.640 and he was playing very well on the PGA tour. 0:30:25.920 --> 0:30:29.000 But here here's what I think it's all about. He 0:30:29.160 --> 0:30:34.200 liked the outlaw spirit of the live guys, and I 0:30:34.200 --> 0:30:36.080 think he knew he was going to be unencumbered when 0:30:36.080 --> 0:30:38.560 he got there, just to be himself. And I think 0:30:38.600 --> 0:30:42.040 that's why these lawsuits have touched off, because the tour 0:30:42.120 --> 0:30:45.000 would not have supported him. If he was going after reporters, 0:30:45.040 --> 0:30:46.920 it would have been a lot of blowback. It would 0:30:46.960 --> 0:30:49.600 have I'm not sure would have even been possible if 0:30:49.640 --> 0:30:52.480 he was a tour member. But we know that that 0:30:52.640 --> 0:30:55.040 anything goes on the live tour more or less, and 0:30:55.120 --> 0:30:57.520 you're free to be the asshole that you are. They 0:30:57.720 --> 0:31:02.480 encourage it, and so I think obviously the money was 0:31:02.520 --> 0:31:04.480 a factor, but Patrick Reid was making a hell of 0:31:04.520 --> 0:31:07.080 a lot money on the PGA tour. I think honestly 0:31:07.120 --> 0:31:08.960 for him it was like sticking it to the man, 0:31:09.920 --> 0:31:12.760 just knowing that all his colleagues in the poor hated 0:31:12.840 --> 0:31:16.880 him all the battles he'd had. Um it was sort 0:31:16.920 --> 0:31:19.280 of a fresh start. But more than that, it was 0:31:19.320 --> 0:31:23.560 he was unencumbered. He could be more himself. And it's 0:31:23.560 --> 0:31:26.000 also why Live has a chance to sign Anthony Kim, 0:31:26.080 --> 0:31:28.360 because part of what drove Anthony Kim off the PGA 0:31:28.400 --> 0:31:30.080 tour was, and he told me this a few times, 0:31:30.400 --> 0:31:35.520 he hated all the PGA tour um guys lording over him, 0:31:35.560 --> 0:31:37.320 the suspensions and the find like he was always in 0:31:37.320 --> 0:31:42.600 the principal's office and and he never vibed with his 0:31:42.640 --> 0:31:44.960 colleagues on the PGA tour, who, as we know, skew 0:31:45.080 --> 0:31:51.160 towards conservative, religious Southern and again like it's a different 0:31:51.280 --> 0:31:54.280 scene on on live golfs And obviously the upfront money 0:31:54.400 --> 0:31:57.080 is intoxicating, we know that. But I think for a 0:31:57.080 --> 0:31:59.239 guy like Patrick Green Priy, for like Anthony Kim, they 0:31:59.240 --> 0:32:01.680 feel more at home there because as you said, Ryan, 0:32:01.760 --> 0:32:03.800 it's a bunch of it's a bunch of dicks, and 0:32:03.920 --> 0:32:07.480 they're they're at home. But I and I also think 0:32:07.520 --> 0:32:11.440 that Patrick read Michael and is so out of touch 0:32:11.520 --> 0:32:14.680 with reality or lives in his own reality. Like again, 0:32:14.720 --> 0:32:18.080 like Alan said it, who would like, if you're Patrick Read, 0:32:18.200 --> 0:32:21.520 you like any person would go like, hey, I'm not 0:32:21.560 --> 0:32:24.240 gonna go up to Rory and say hello, he obviously 0:32:24.280 --> 0:32:26.800 hates me, right, And the same thing with with the 0:32:26.840 --> 0:32:30.720 ball in the tree. Any normal human would be who's 0:32:31.160 --> 0:32:34.240 gone through the things that Patrick read Is has in 0:32:34.280 --> 0:32:36.440 the in the rules department, you would look up there, 0:32:36.520 --> 0:32:39.320 right and you'd go, you know what, I think that's 0:32:39.360 --> 0:32:42.440 my ball. But just to be safe, I'm gonna go 0:32:42.480 --> 0:32:45.400 back to the tea because I can't undercent identify it, 0:32:45.920 --> 0:32:47.760 and I'm gonna win over some hearts and I'm gonna 0:32:47.800 --> 0:32:50.719 lose a couple of strokes. Like it's not about money, 0:32:50.840 --> 0:32:54.640 it's just he lives in an adverse like a reality, 0:32:54.720 --> 0:32:58.120 an adverse reality, like any person that has had as 0:32:58.120 --> 0:33:01.200 many rules controversies as him goes up to that tree 0:33:01.320 --> 0:33:03.400 and goes, yeah, I don't know, I don't think that's 0:33:03.440 --> 0:33:05.520 I'm pretty sure that's my ball, but I'm not positive. 0:33:05.880 --> 0:33:07.880 If we can't shake it down, I'm going back to 0:33:07.920 --> 0:33:11.239 the tea, like anyone that that is the rule you 0:33:11.280 --> 0:33:14.520 have to positively identify. So, I mean, heats up on 0:33:14.520 --> 0:33:16.560 the tree and it's just like he just lives. He 0:33:16.600 --> 0:33:18.840 doesn't think about Tiger helping him out. He doesn't think 0:33:18.840 --> 0:33:22.120 about anything. He just lives in this adverse like this, 0:33:22.120 --> 0:33:26.280 this world where just his own world. And it's why 0:33:26.400 --> 0:33:29.120 his arrogance is astounding, and and and and it was 0:33:29.160 --> 0:33:33.560 on display for everybody who's interested to see at Tory 0:33:33.560 --> 0:33:35.400 Pines a couple of years ago. You know when when 0:33:35.400 --> 0:33:37.880 he said to the rules official, but I'm gonna let you, 0:33:38.520 --> 0:33:41.360 I'm gonna let you. I'm gonna let you. That's the 0:33:41.440 --> 0:33:43.800 rules officials doing his job. Patrick Greed is not doing 0:33:43.840 --> 0:33:47.000 his job. And and the tone should be Ryan, just 0:33:47.040 --> 0:33:50.160 what you what you said, I'm gonna bend over backwards 0:33:50.160 --> 0:33:52.680 here to make sure you get it right. That's what 0:33:52.760 --> 0:33:54.800 golf is supposed to be. So you know you're right. 0:33:54.920 --> 0:33:56.200 But I would have thought at the end of the 0:33:56.280 --> 0:33:58.640 day he still would have showed difference to Tiger. That 0:33:58.640 --> 0:34:00.560 that's where I sort of that was the line I 0:34:00.600 --> 0:34:04.000 thought he would never cross, but obviously he did. Allen, 0:34:04.040 --> 0:34:05.880 you would know you would know the most is is 0:34:05.920 --> 0:34:08.719 there any chance there's been a lot of Twitter that 0:34:08.880 --> 0:34:13.520 a K is coming back your personal thoughts or anything 0:34:13.560 --> 0:34:17.239 you're hearing. Do you think there's any chance he comes back. Yeah, 0:34:17.600 --> 0:34:20.000 I spent a lot of time with Anthony Kim when 0:34:20.000 --> 0:34:22.400 I was doing a big feature on him for UM 0:34:22.880 --> 0:34:25.839 for Sports Illustrated, and that was peak a k It was. 0:34:25.960 --> 0:34:28.279 It was like a week after the Masters when he 0:34:28.280 --> 0:34:30.279 almost won that thing. He made like whatever ten or 0:34:30.320 --> 0:34:34.200 eleven birdies on Sunday and uh, he was flying so 0:34:34.280 --> 0:34:40.000 high and um, and then of course things went sideways. 0:34:40.560 --> 0:34:43.160 And then I wrote the big story that the kind 0:34:43.160 --> 0:34:46.480 of cracked the code about this insurance pout he'd gotten 0:34:46.480 --> 0:34:47.960 and that was part of why he's on the sidelines 0:34:48.040 --> 0:34:50.920 and the injuries. But I probably underplayed it in that 0:34:50.960 --> 0:34:53.320 story and I learned more about it after it was published, 0:34:53.320 --> 0:34:58.200 Like he really had the driver yips and some of 0:34:58.200 --> 0:35:02.200 that was swinging um changes that were necessitated by the 0:35:02.239 --> 0:35:05.400 injuries and compensations. And you know that happens. That happening 0:35:05.560 --> 0:35:08.600 David Duval, Like when you get hurt and you start 0:35:08.600 --> 0:35:11.720 swinging the club differently, it goes from physical to mental. 0:35:11.760 --> 0:35:14.759 But but Anthony Kim had a severe case of it. 0:35:15.000 --> 0:35:20.560 And so the two questions are can his body hold up? 0:35:21.520 --> 0:35:24.200 It's it's not just tournament play, it's how much practice 0:35:24.239 --> 0:35:26.680 you have to play to be tournament sharp. You know, 0:35:26.680 --> 0:35:29.160 he's had obviously a lot of time to recover, but 0:35:29.200 --> 0:35:32.520 he's also now he's getting close to forty, and so 0:35:32.880 --> 0:35:35.040 the big questions are what is the state of his body, 0:35:35.480 --> 0:35:37.600 but also what is the state of his mind? Like 0:35:38.719 --> 0:35:42.080 the driver, hips has ended plenty of of of careers, 0:35:42.520 --> 0:35:45.000 and running away from the game doesn't really cure it 0:35:45.040 --> 0:35:47.000 and almost makes it worse. If you quit when you 0:35:47.040 --> 0:35:49.799 have them, you're not fixed. You're gonna have to come 0:35:49.840 --> 0:35:52.080 back and you're gonna have to look down a fairway 0:35:52.160 --> 0:35:55.160 with all kinds of hazards and lined by people. And 0:35:55.160 --> 0:35:58.719 in his case, there would be an intense media scrutiny 0:35:58.800 --> 0:36:01.799 for every swing. It would be an event. He's there's 0:36:01.840 --> 0:36:04.080 no easing into it, you know, if if that's the 0:36:04.200 --> 0:36:07.279 route he goes and so, and he was tired of 0:36:07.320 --> 0:36:09.600 that scrutiny because he was playing really poorly for almost 0:36:09.600 --> 0:36:12.160 two years and he was always getting in trouble by 0:36:12.160 --> 0:36:14.080 the tour and he was just burnt out on the 0:36:14.120 --> 0:36:17.120 whole thing. So maybe he's had enough time to miss 0:36:17.160 --> 0:36:19.040 it and to refresh and recharge. But I still think 0:36:19.080 --> 0:36:22.960 it's the longest of long shots. But but would wouldn't 0:36:23.000 --> 0:36:25.080 wouldn't live golf give him an easy out for all 0:36:25.080 --> 0:36:27.200 the problems you just outlined. In other words, there's no 0:36:27.320 --> 0:36:31.040 there's no ferries lines with fans, but it will be 0:36:31.840 --> 0:36:37.600 you're paid up front, yeah, for sure. But the lights 0:36:37.600 --> 0:36:40.399 are still on on the c W. I mean, there's 0:36:40.400 --> 0:36:43.399 a the c W audience is waiting to watch Anthony Kim. 0:36:43.400 --> 0:36:46.239 He's there demographic actually you know, teenage, but all the 0:36:46.280 --> 0:36:48.960 people they have, he would one bringing the fans in 0:36:49.040 --> 0:36:52.640 at least temporarily, I mean, like for the first five 0:36:52.760 --> 0:36:55.359 six tournaments. And if he plays well, like the guy 0:36:55.640 --> 0:37:00.239 was uh a lightning bolt, I mean, so he would 0:37:00.280 --> 0:37:03.560 bring fans in for at least the first few offense. Now, 0:37:03.560 --> 0:37:05.279 if he has the gifts and he's shooting a d 0:37:05.400 --> 0:37:09.560 every time, that will obviously end relatively quickly. But at 0:37:09.600 --> 0:37:13.800 the beginning, golf Twitter will be locked in on Anthony 0:37:13.920 --> 0:37:18.279 Kim absolutely, And there were all you know, as he's 0:37:18.480 --> 0:37:21.040 as his game was deteriorating and his body was breaking down, 0:37:21.360 --> 0:37:23.160 he became and I read them all. I mean, there 0:37:23.160 --> 0:37:25.040 was a lot of what's wrong with Anthony Kim's stories 0:37:25.040 --> 0:37:29.719 and that it really nettled him and he so I 0:37:29.760 --> 0:37:34.239 would I would say, it's it's one chance and we 0:37:34.320 --> 0:37:36.400 all have a price. We all have a price and that. 0:37:36.800 --> 0:37:39.120 So he got this big insurance power and supposedly he 0:37:39.239 --> 0:37:41.240 was a very savvy investor. He had smart people around 0:37:41.280 --> 0:37:44.440 him and apparently made just sent a picture on Instagram 0:37:44.440 --> 0:37:47.279 of him in a private plane. It's like how like yeah, 0:37:47.840 --> 0:37:51.760 like he obviously still Like how does Anthony Kim still 0:37:51.960 --> 0:37:54.680 afford I mean, as far as I know, he doesn't 0:37:54.680 --> 0:37:57.279 do any speeches or anything like that, Like you's just 0:37:57.360 --> 0:38:01.120 living off of this insurance thing, or or maybe he's 0:38:01.160 --> 0:38:03.520 on a private plane because he's getting a large check 0:38:03.600 --> 0:38:08.880 from Greg Norman. It's Greg's plane. Um. I mean supposedly 0:38:09.000 --> 0:38:10.920 he he invested a lot of his money in these 0:38:10.960 --> 0:38:14.520 medical device companies that went crazy, and like I was 0:38:14.560 --> 0:38:17.200 told by people close to him who who knew that, 0:38:17.360 --> 0:38:20.160 like he set for life and so I don't know. 0:38:20.400 --> 0:38:25.920 It's it's an interesting it's a tantalizing question. His Instagram picture, 0:38:26.560 --> 0:38:29.319 he needs to eat a cheeseburger. The dude is rail thin, 0:38:29.600 --> 0:38:34.480 I mean like rail thin. That's interesting. Yeah, because he 0:38:34.480 --> 0:38:35.719 was a little he had a little baby fat on 0:38:35.760 --> 0:38:39.040 him back in his heyday. Um, a lot there's a 0:38:39.040 --> 0:38:42.160 lot of a lot of calories and Louis the fourteen 0:38:42.440 --> 0:38:45.600 Konjak or whatever he was buying for thousand dollars a bottle. 0:38:45.800 --> 0:38:50.319 So um yeah. I mean again, like we haven't we 0:38:50.320 --> 0:38:53.759 haven't really touched on the live golf schedule which has 0:38:53.760 --> 0:38:55.800 been released, or the TV deal. It's all it's the 0:38:55.880 --> 0:39:00.359 drama is like, it's we'll see how much if they 0:39:00.360 --> 0:39:03.640 can sustain that, because for that was one of the 0:39:03.719 --> 0:39:06.600 keys to their existence, was just the energy and the 0:39:07.080 --> 0:39:10.239 it was part of the conversation constantly, and it you know, 0:39:10.320 --> 0:39:13.120 Sports Business Journal named it the biggest story in sports, 0:39:13.160 --> 0:39:16.560 like that was not about the competition and the open 0:39:16.600 --> 0:39:19.520 there lingering questions and we're gonna pay attention to the competition, 0:39:19.520 --> 0:39:20.959 but look at the we're already off to this start. 0:39:20.960 --> 0:39:22.839 We got a k we got t Gate, we got 0:39:22.880 --> 0:39:25.040 all this stuff. It's like, oh my god. I mean, 0:39:25.120 --> 0:39:27.880 we have talked about how impressed we all are that 0:39:27.960 --> 0:39:31.319 they are this far. Uh, but they definitely need a 0:39:31.360 --> 0:39:35.000 splash in the signing department. It seems this offseason, you know, 0:39:35.080 --> 0:39:38.280 there was a lot of rumors of top guys, can't 0:39:38.320 --> 0:39:41.200 Lexander all those guys, and they've all kind of sworn 0:39:41.280 --> 0:39:44.680 it off, and it seems like they've been telling the 0:39:44.680 --> 0:39:47.800 truth like they haven't. You know, there's a lot of 0:39:47.880 --> 0:39:50.840 rumors that Meteo Pereira has gone, he's joined the agency, 0:39:51.000 --> 0:39:54.840 that uh, all the lift guys are under now. Daniel 0:39:54.880 --> 0:39:59.839 Report said that, and um, you know, so they need 0:39:59.840 --> 0:40:04.840 a splash and a K would be a splash Meto 0:40:04.920 --> 0:40:10.000 prayer not a splash. Yeah. The only thing about cant 0:40:10.080 --> 0:40:12.440 Le is he always says I'm committed the PGA Tour. 0:40:12.480 --> 0:40:15.120 I love the PGA Tour for now. All those two 0:40:15.160 --> 0:40:19.279 words are always tacked on at the end, so um yeah, 0:40:19.320 --> 0:40:23.440 I mean it was interesting talking to people down at Tori, like, um, 0:40:23.520 --> 0:40:25.600 that's the one name that keeps popping up. Xander, I 0:40:25.600 --> 0:40:30.719 think is is definitely Team Tour forever. But Cantle's name 0:40:30.760 --> 0:40:33.319 still gets tossed around. Who knows. But I mean he's 0:40:33.320 --> 0:40:35.799 now on the board of Directors of the PGA Tour, 0:40:35.920 --> 0:40:37.640 like it would that would be. He was in the 0:40:37.640 --> 0:40:41.560 Delaware meeting like it would be a big deal. There's 0:40:41.560 --> 0:40:48.040 still some bitterness that um um Joaki Neiman went because 0:40:48.480 --> 0:40:51.920 he was part of some some very rarefied conversations and 0:40:51.960 --> 0:40:56.000 he was you know, he's a great top young player 0:40:56.040 --> 0:40:58.040 who everyone had a high hopes for a one Tiger's 0:40:58.480 --> 0:41:02.600 event at Rivieria, like and and I'm still detected bitterness 0:41:02.600 --> 0:41:04.799 that he was kind of a double agent because he 0:41:04.800 --> 0:41:06.520 was part of some high level conversations on the tour 0:41:06.560 --> 0:41:09.080 and then he went to Live. So Catley would be 0:41:09.120 --> 0:41:12.160 a much bigger betrayal, I mean in that context because 0:41:12.200 --> 0:41:15.840 he he is one of the keeper of the keys 0:41:15.880 --> 0:41:18.759 for the PGA Tour now. So I don't know that 0:41:18.760 --> 0:41:20.680 that's the problem for Live Golf is they've set this 0:41:20.719 --> 0:41:22.920 benchmark so high, like you've got to have the buzz, 0:41:22.960 --> 0:41:25.600 You've got to always make a splash, you you always 0:41:25.640 --> 0:41:28.680 have to be bringing in some impactful signing. But it 0:41:28.719 --> 0:41:30.759 seems like the bottle lines have been drawn and there's 0:41:30.760 --> 0:41:33.839 just the only players available or kind of fringe. Did 0:41:33.960 --> 0:41:35.799 either of you have a moment where you saw the 0:41:35.840 --> 0:41:40.960 headline calling Mari calling Marikawa and and Adam Scott joined 0:41:41.000 --> 0:41:44.480 new Golf League and he thought, oh, they've joined Live 0:41:44.719 --> 0:41:48.359 and that you know, Tuesday night thing or whatever it is. 0:41:49.120 --> 0:41:51.799 Do you guys have that experience at all? Yeah, I 0:41:51.800 --> 0:41:55.680 mean a hundred percent. I forget about this Tiger Electronic game. 0:41:55.760 --> 0:41:57.719 I mean, like, what, it's not a new golf league. 0:41:57.719 --> 0:42:00.560 It's what. I don't know what it is, but yes, 0:42:00.600 --> 0:42:03.439 for a moment, I'm like, oh my god, oh well, 0:42:03.440 --> 0:42:05.680 it's it's a money laundering scheme. It's like, how can 0:42:05.719 --> 0:42:07.400 we pay these guys more money to stay loyal to 0:42:07.440 --> 0:42:11.080 the tour? Uh? I mean, I'm gonna I'm I'm gonna 0:42:11.160 --> 0:42:13.120 watch it the first one. I might actually trying to 0:42:13.120 --> 0:42:16.120 attend the first one just for giggles, but maybe it's 0:42:16.160 --> 0:42:18.200 gonna be amazing. I'm trying to keep it open mind, 0:42:18.280 --> 0:42:20.000 but it just does seem like a way to get 0:42:20.040 --> 0:42:24.759 these guys more, you know, unsanctioned money. But I think 0:42:24.760 --> 0:42:26.879 it is good to keep an open mind about it because, 0:42:26.920 --> 0:42:29.840 like I remember, I've probably have told you this story, Allan, 0:42:29.920 --> 0:42:32.120 but I'm probably not. But I happen to be standing 0:42:32.200 --> 0:42:35.800 under the trade Augusta National and Chip Brewer, the CEO 0:42:35.840 --> 0:42:37.719 of Cali, who was talking about some new investment they 0:42:37.719 --> 0:42:40.160 were making in this thing called top golf, and he 0:42:40.239 --> 0:42:42.520 described it very accurately. Was what it turned out to be? 0:42:42.840 --> 0:42:45.920 Like what a waste of money? You know? How wrong 0:42:45.960 --> 0:42:47.560 was that? All? Right? Before we go, we got to 0:42:47.560 --> 0:42:51.920 talk about Maxima winning at Tori because we need to 0:42:51.920 --> 0:42:55.399 feel good story. And you know, Home I started out 0:42:55.480 --> 0:42:59.120 is kind of this fun, cuddly character with lots of jokes, 0:42:59.280 --> 0:43:02.840 and he's into an absolute killer. I mean he's winning 0:43:02.960 --> 0:43:10.080 on big time courses with really stout, precise, thoughtful golf. 0:43:10.200 --> 0:43:13.080 I mean his game is so built for the majors 0:43:13.080 --> 0:43:15.600 as obviously only the next step you went five times 0:43:15.600 --> 0:43:18.880 and twenty five months, like you've proven you you can close, 0:43:19.040 --> 0:43:21.520 and he's closed. Now he's just gotta take it to 0:43:21.520 --> 0:43:23.520 that next level. But um, I don't know if you 0:43:23.520 --> 0:43:26.680 guys caught the tell the essentially the third round telecast 0:43:26.680 --> 0:43:29.000 when he was miked up in the round and he 0:43:29.040 --> 0:43:30.480 was talking to the announcers and he had the thing 0:43:30.480 --> 0:43:33.719 in his ear, and that was a major breakthrough coverage wise. 0:43:33.760 --> 0:43:36.120 I mean he's talking strategy, he's talking the mental game 0:43:36.320 --> 0:43:39.680 in competition, and he's got like four different voices in 0:43:39.719 --> 0:43:41.920 his year because all the announcers are are hitting him up, 0:43:41.920 --> 0:43:44.279 and I mean, shows what a good sport he is. 0:43:44.640 --> 0:43:47.000 Um to take that on, But it was also it 0:43:47.080 --> 0:43:50.560 was great TV and this guy has become such a 0:43:50.600 --> 0:43:53.680 star because he's kind of proven you don't have to 0:43:53.719 --> 0:43:56.560 be an asshole to be a great player. You can 0:43:56.600 --> 0:44:00.480 be genuine and funny and sincere and sweet and also 0:44:00.520 --> 0:44:03.080 a killer. I mean, what a what a combination. This, 0:44:03.520 --> 0:44:06.879 It's it's great stuff. He knows. He's got a really 0:44:06.960 --> 0:44:10.520 nice manner with reporters and with fans, with with his 0:44:10.600 --> 0:44:13.840 fellow players. You know, he's really the full package. He 0:44:13.880 --> 0:44:17.080 looks great, he's got a beautiful swing and um, and 0:44:17.120 --> 0:44:18.799 he doesn't quote just say the right thing. I mean, 0:44:18.840 --> 0:44:21.040 he actually tells you what he's feeling and thinking. I 0:44:21.040 --> 0:44:23.920 think he's been tourific for for the tour and you know, 0:44:24.200 --> 0:44:26.200 going into l A. I mean he's shown that. I 0:44:26.200 --> 0:44:27.640 mean he's grew up in l A. And I'm sure 0:44:27.640 --> 0:44:29.560 he knows the course well, but way beyond that, just 0:44:30.200 --> 0:44:32.400 seems to love the grass in the air on the 0:44:32.400 --> 0:44:35.160 West coast. And uh, he looks like he'll be good 0:44:35.200 --> 0:44:37.600 for for for a long time to come. He's been terrific. 0:44:38.000 --> 0:44:40.640 Did a Monday Qualifier ever figure in his rise? Ryan, 0:44:40.680 --> 0:44:44.080 I'd like, yes, not only that, but I tweeted many 0:44:44.120 --> 0:44:51.520 times and tweeted about it yesterday. Yeah. Two things. One, Uh, 0:44:51.560 --> 0:44:53.440 he was headed back to Q school. He was on 0:44:53.480 --> 0:44:55.960 the corn Ferry Tour, the top seventy five make it 0:44:56.000 --> 0:44:59.640 into the corn Ferry Finals. Max bertie four of the 0:44:59.719 --> 0:45:02.600 last five holes in the last regular season event to 0:45:02.640 --> 0:45:05.200 make the cut and keep his corner or get into 0:45:05.200 --> 0:45:07.680 the corn Ferry Finals by like ninety dollars or something. 0:45:07.800 --> 0:45:10.120 Then went on to get his PGA Tour card. But 0:45:10.760 --> 0:45:13.600 as I always try to give everything back to Monday's, 0:45:13.640 --> 0:45:16.000 he started the next tour season and played like shit. 0:45:16.320 --> 0:45:18.480 I mean I think he had one made cut in 0:45:18.760 --> 0:45:21.520 eight events, and it was like a T sixty was 0:45:21.560 --> 0:45:26.280 at the waste management Monday. Uh, Monday qualified obviously a 0:45:26.280 --> 0:45:28.800 good event even before was an elevated event, and finished 0:45:28.800 --> 0:45:34.560 twenty six. Next week went to Pebble. An underreported story is, uh, 0:45:35.239 --> 0:45:37.920 somebody on the last hole in the final group missed 0:45:37.920 --> 0:45:41.360 a put to knock him from T eleven into two 0:45:41.480 --> 0:45:43.600 T ten to get into next week at Tory played 0:45:43.600 --> 0:45:47.520 well there six weeks later one. So basically what I'm 0:45:47.520 --> 0:45:51.160 saying is every basically almost everyone's career always comes back 0:45:51.160 --> 0:45:55.520 to a Monday qualifier one way or another. Well, and 0:45:56.560 --> 0:45:58.720 it's gonna be painful for you to see what's happened 0:45:58.719 --> 0:46:02.160 to Patrick Reid because his whole career was built on Mondays, 0:46:02.280 --> 0:46:07.319 Like he could have been your Corey Connors. But no, no, 0:46:07.680 --> 0:46:09.760 he's not. I mean, I know it's still sad because 0:46:09.800 --> 0:46:13.680 like he is by far the most you know, famous, 0:46:13.719 --> 0:46:17.880 infamous uh Monday qualifier. I mean he not only Monday 0:46:17.920 --> 0:46:20.239 qualified six times, but did well with him and then 0:46:20.320 --> 0:46:22.560 got in a car that Sunday night or on a 0:46:22.600 --> 0:46:24.759 plane and drove with Justine to the next one and 0:46:24.800 --> 0:46:27.040 she caddied for him, and he'd get through again and 0:46:27.080 --> 0:46:29.320 play well again. They did that four weeks in a 0:46:29.400 --> 0:46:33.799 row once. That's insane. Uh, it's beyond insane. That is, 0:46:34.320 --> 0:46:41.440 it's almost mathematically impossible. Oh well, I'd like to say, 0:46:41.760 --> 0:46:45.920 Michael said, cue Michael's clip about cues Michael clip when 0:46:45.920 --> 0:46:48.439 he said, I'd like to clearly state that Patrick Reed 0:46:48.520 --> 0:46:50.400 is a wonderful man. I would like to say this 0:46:50.440 --> 0:46:55.320 about Patrick Reed if I may. Patrick Reed is the kindest, bravest, warmest, 0:46:55.880 --> 0:46:59.120 most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life. 0:47:00.040 --> 0:47:06.080 That was often the Manchurian candidate. Right is that where yeah, 0:47:06.120 --> 0:47:08.080 I didn't I didn't get it then when you said it, 0:47:08.200 --> 0:47:14.000 But back and listen to the podcasts like god, Um, yeah, 0:47:14.480 --> 0:47:17.880 the PGA Tour needed Maxima. Like he was always a 0:47:17.880 --> 0:47:20.640 big figure because of his social media following, but now 0:47:20.680 --> 0:47:23.239 that he's backing up with amazing play and obviously going 0:47:23.280 --> 0:47:25.520 to be one of the favorites at the US Open, 0:47:25.600 --> 0:47:29.520 he plays well in California. Uh, Like, I mean, this 0:47:29.760 --> 0:47:33.360 came at a perfect time. There could not be you know, 0:47:33.440 --> 0:47:36.160 Cam Smith is is super quiet and and seems to 0:47:36.160 --> 0:47:39.040 be a good dude. Um, but like take the other 0:47:39.120 --> 0:47:41.319 top players that live and max it could not be 0:47:41.360 --> 0:47:46.080 more opposite, engaging, funny, uh and a stone cold killer. 0:47:46.080 --> 0:47:49.920 All of a sudden, the PGA Tour needed Maxima badly 0:47:50.160 --> 0:47:53.000 and they got it. The dude is killing it and 0:47:53.160 --> 0:47:56.280 at a perfect time for the PGA Tour. Oh yeah. 0:47:56.480 --> 0:47:59.080 I tweeted this once and like ten people replied, Oh, 0:47:59.120 --> 0:48:01.000 you just made that up. I was like, I didn't 0:48:01.000 --> 0:48:03.719 make it up. I actually I'll never forget. I saw 0:48:03.760 --> 0:48:06.279 on Twitter. It was as at a tournament and I 0:48:06.320 --> 0:48:09.360 was just checking out and and it was a couple 0:48:09.480 --> 0:48:11.359 a couple of friends on Twitter. We're talking about who 0:48:11.400 --> 0:48:15.800 they were going to watch that day, and um, and 0:48:16.239 --> 0:48:19.960 one of them tweeted his buddies suggested Brooks and he's like, 0:48:20.600 --> 0:48:22.480 I don't like Brooks. He's like, let's go, let's go 0:48:22.520 --> 0:48:25.560 watch Max Holmer or Joel Damon because I like those 0:48:25.560 --> 0:48:27.279 guys that relate to them and I feel like I 0:48:27.320 --> 0:48:30.799 know them. Um, that really did happen. I really did 0:48:30.840 --> 0:48:33.120 read that. I showed screenshot it. But that was like, 0:48:33.480 --> 0:48:35.200 this was years ago. This is the way I think. 0:48:35.280 --> 0:48:38.400 Maybe they had one combined Victory Home and Damon and 0:48:39.480 --> 0:48:42.359 that was a lightbulb thing, like how how much it's changed. 0:48:42.400 --> 0:48:46.640 It was almost like the players were the gods before 0:48:46.760 --> 0:48:50.799 and you watched them with Awe and Tigers. The quintessence 0:48:50.840 --> 0:48:53.879 of that, like he was just he wasn't even really 0:48:54.120 --> 0:48:56.200 he didn't even interact with the fans. He just gave 0:48:56.239 --> 0:48:59.399 you this regal performance and you were privileged to get 0:48:59.440 --> 0:49:01.319 to watch it. You would never know him, he would 0:49:01.480 --> 0:49:03.920 he would never talk to him, he'd never sign autograph, 0:49:04.120 --> 0:49:07.480 he would never say anything of note. Um, but that 0:49:07.560 --> 0:49:09.839 was that was what it was. And now there's been 0:49:09.880 --> 0:49:12.960 such a sea change where um, because you know, these 0:49:12.960 --> 0:49:15.160 guys do podcasts and they do fun this than that, 0:49:15.239 --> 0:49:17.920 and they have their social media presence. The most popular 0:49:17.960 --> 0:49:20.200 players are the relatable ones. And kind of the nice 0:49:20.239 --> 0:49:23.280 guys and the ones who who make their their Twitter 0:49:23.320 --> 0:49:26.920 followers feel special, and um, it's really been like this 0:49:27.000 --> 0:49:31.760 democratizing influence. And of course Home is obviously clearly um 0:49:32.160 --> 0:49:34.560 the king of that and and just surfs on this 0:49:34.600 --> 0:49:36.080 good will. I mean, I was out there at Torrey 0:49:36.120 --> 0:49:39.759 Pines and people absolutely love the guy and they're they're 0:49:39.880 --> 0:49:42.040 they're they're talking to him as he's going down the 0:49:42.040 --> 0:49:43.800 fairway and they're shouting at him, and you know, he 0:49:44.640 --> 0:49:47.600 gives the nad the tip of the cap like there 0:49:47.600 --> 0:49:51.480 really is a connection that. Um. If you know, I 0:49:51.520 --> 0:49:55.720 came up watching Faldo and Sevy and tournaments and Tiger 0:49:56.000 --> 0:49:59.239 and you know, Monty and these guys were they were 0:49:59.360 --> 0:50:02.880 so glad, worrying and so remote and they gave you 0:50:02.960 --> 0:50:08.360 an incredible golf to to enjoy and and to stand 0:50:08.360 --> 0:50:12.000 it off. But you they were these unknowable, untouchable figures. 0:50:12.040 --> 0:50:16.239 And it's so interesting how that's flipped to me. Anyway, Alan, 0:50:16.280 --> 0:50:18.600 you may have picked up on this, but when Max 0:50:18.640 --> 0:50:21.560 Homa was paired with with Tiger the first tear rounds 0:50:21.560 --> 0:50:24.880 of the Open uh this year at at at St. Andrew's, 0:50:25.160 --> 0:50:28.799 to me, he looked just totally distracted, Uh, knowing that 0:50:28.880 --> 0:50:31.960 he might be playing with Tiger Woods at Tiger's Final 0:50:32.040 --> 0:50:34.920 Open on the Old course. Uh, he just you know, 0:50:35.280 --> 0:50:37.400 talk about not being a stone cold killer. I mean 0:50:37.440 --> 0:50:39.200 at that moment, I don't think you for those thirty 0:50:39.200 --> 0:50:42.200 six sols, I don't think he was. He's a fan 0:50:42.560 --> 0:50:45.000 and there's something charming about that. You know, he's almost 0:50:45.040 --> 0:50:48.040 like he didn't try and hide it, you know. And 0:50:48.400 --> 0:50:52.399 back to Max's interview on the course. Uh, for those 0:50:52.440 --> 0:50:55.120 that say we're PGA Tour like he's that's a percent 0:50:55.200 --> 0:50:57.719 because of lift, not that Max is not a good 0:50:57.800 --> 0:50:59.800 dude and wouldn't agree to it, but just in a 0:51:00.000 --> 0:51:03.799 ations in the in the watching product, the PGA Tour 0:51:03.880 --> 0:51:06.879 didn't have any reason to be innovative, like zero, they 0:51:07.200 --> 0:51:10.239 like people watch their stuff. They didn't have any competition. 0:51:11.520 --> 0:51:17.040 The innovations in the broadcast are to live. It's there 0:51:17.160 --> 0:51:20.440 is no if you dispute that you're wrong, like and 0:51:20.800 --> 0:51:24.840 like and and and the players agreeing to it. Not 0:51:24.960 --> 0:51:26.440 that Max is not a good guy and he wouldn't 0:51:26.440 --> 0:51:28.799 agree to it, but he knows. They know that there's competition, 0:51:28.840 --> 0:51:31.760 so they're more open to do stuff like that. Knowing 0:51:31.760 --> 0:51:35.080 that they want to get people to watch their product. Alan, 0:51:35.160 --> 0:51:36.759 did you ever have a moment of what it would 0:51:36.800 --> 0:51:38.880 be like to watch Phil Mickelson in the booth as 0:51:38.880 --> 0:51:43.160 opposed to Trevor Mmelman. Uh? Yeah, I think. I think 0:51:43.200 --> 0:51:46.239 Trevor is good. I like him, but you know, he 0:51:46.280 --> 0:51:49.600 doesn't have Phil's needle, and he's not a star in 0:51:49.680 --> 0:51:54.239 the way that that Phil is. And Um, I mean, 0:51:54.320 --> 0:51:59.920 clearly it's a miss. I'll be curious if how much 0:52:00.000 --> 0:52:02.160 will get filled into the booth like they they'd be crazy, 0:52:02.200 --> 0:52:06.120 not too. I mean the problem is, you know, Um, 0:52:06.160 --> 0:52:07.840 at a regular tournament, you can play in the morning 0:52:07.840 --> 0:52:09.160 and you can go in the booth in the afternoon, 0:52:09.200 --> 0:52:11.000 like players have done that through the years, and now 0:52:11.000 --> 0:52:14.160 with a shotgun, he fills playing whenever everyone else is playing. 0:52:14.200 --> 0:52:17.120 Like I think, hopefully he'll come down with a mysterious 0:52:17.120 --> 0:52:19.279 wrist injury or something and he can just sit there 0:52:19.320 --> 0:52:22.160 up with Charity and shoot the scenery and it would 0:52:22.200 --> 0:52:25.239 be epic and it would help them a lot. It 0:52:25.239 --> 0:52:29.560 would happen during the San Diego event. Bones appears and 0:52:29.600 --> 0:52:33.840 ads and filled is not. I know, it's San Diego 0:52:33.920 --> 0:52:38.399 all places, I mean, it's wild. It's these are These 0:52:38.400 --> 0:52:42.960 are strange and and interesting times. Um, but at least 0:52:42.960 --> 0:52:46.879 we got you know, the fall into the winter early 0:52:46.920 --> 0:52:49.480 parts of the winter. Now not things are going gangbusters. 0:52:49.520 --> 0:52:52.719 I mean Tori Dubai is a great double header as 0:52:52.760 --> 0:52:56.160 far as two big time tournaments and and of course 0:52:56.239 --> 0:52:59.200 next week Pebble beats Home game. For me, I know 0:52:59.520 --> 0:53:01.840 people have feelings about the format and then there's not 0:53:01.840 --> 0:53:04.120 a lot of stars, but just to watch those golf 0:53:04.120 --> 0:53:07.560 courses on TV is so special and um and by 0:53:07.600 --> 0:53:10.440 the way, Episode two of The Grind is going to 0:53:10.560 --> 0:53:13.799 drop next week on Tuesday, and it's all set at 0:53:13.800 --> 0:53:17.400 the at the Crosby clam Bake where one Ryan French 0:53:18.200 --> 0:53:20.800 is catting for Mark Baldwin. And I watched episode a 0:53:20.840 --> 0:53:23.800 bunch of times. Now it is a plus plus. It 0:53:23.920 --> 0:53:26.239 is so well done and if you want to know 0:53:26.280 --> 0:53:29.040 what it feels like to be inside the ropes at 0:53:29.040 --> 0:53:32.680 a tour event, and for a guy whose entire life 0:53:32.680 --> 0:53:35.799 can change with a few swings like this episode brings 0:53:35.800 --> 0:53:39.880 it home with such immediacy and it is it's a 0:53:39.920 --> 0:53:42.560 great it's a great watch. So I know a lot 0:53:42.600 --> 0:53:45.080 of these listeners probably watched episode one and we're into 0:53:45.080 --> 0:53:46.680 it and I can just tell you Episode two is 0:53:47.160 --> 0:53:49.080 it takes a whole different level, and then the third 0:53:49.080 --> 0:53:53.080 episode is is a completely different feeling. It's about Page Crawford, 0:53:53.440 --> 0:53:56.239 who travels the the Mini tours in a van with 0:53:56.280 --> 0:53:59.360 her girlfriend and they're like, do you remind me of 0:53:59.600 --> 0:54:01.640 les sort some of these women I know in Big Sir, 0:54:01.760 --> 0:54:04.680 Like they've got their their free spirits and they're they're 0:54:04.880 --> 0:54:08.360 rock climbing and they're hiking in the hills, and there's 0:54:08.400 --> 0:54:12.719 just a sort of ethol quality about about Page is 0:54:12.800 --> 0:54:15.799 so winning. And if you watch that and you don't 0:54:15.840 --> 0:54:19.279 wind up rooting for her, then um, you might be 0:54:19.360 --> 0:54:23.600 patrick reed. But it's it's um the grind. We're really 0:54:23.680 --> 0:54:25.399 proud of it, and it's just gonna keep coming. So 0:54:26.000 --> 0:54:29.440 you can subscribe to the fire Pit YouTube channel and 0:54:29.480 --> 0:54:31.160 they'll just be delivered to you. You can find it 0:54:31.200 --> 0:54:33.920 on fire pit collected dot com. That'll be on on Tuesday, 0:54:34.680 --> 0:54:36.880 um the thirty one to January, so look forward to that. 0:54:37.040 --> 0:54:40.239 And Ryan has I mean Ryan is honously the star 0:54:40.280 --> 0:54:43.799 of that episode. It's so fun and um, first of all, 0:54:43.800 --> 0:54:47.360 the episode is amazing. Obviously I'm biased, but it is 0:54:47.400 --> 0:54:51.560 great insight into the pressure and the joy and the 0:54:51.560 --> 0:54:54.360 the ups and downs of being a golfer on the 0:54:54.400 --> 0:54:58.160 fringe of of this life, being good enough to play, uh, 0:54:58.200 --> 0:55:00.600 to be out there and not be out there, and 0:55:00.680 --> 0:55:05.600 the the amazing highs Saturday afternoon and amazing lows Sunday 0:55:05.600 --> 0:55:10.480 afternoon for us, and uh, it's just great insight. But also, uh, 0:55:10.560 --> 0:55:14.840 I do gain forty pounds within the episode. The first 0:55:14.880 --> 0:55:18.440 interviews are when I was at my best. Wait, and 0:55:18.520 --> 0:55:20.880 the second part of the interviews we needed to go 0:55:20.920 --> 0:55:23.480 back and reshoot a couple of interviews or at the Baracuta. 0:55:23.480 --> 0:55:26.200 And I've gained thirty pounds, so please just like, let's 0:55:26.239 --> 0:55:28.720 not talk about it, okay, I'll just I'm just getting 0:55:28.719 --> 0:55:30.799 it out in the open. I was skinny and in 0:55:30.880 --> 0:55:34.440 shape at the Baracuta. In fact, there's a line, uh 0:55:34.560 --> 0:55:37.080 the second hole, Michael and and Allen will have to 0:55:37.120 --> 0:55:39.600 help me. Second roll it. Monterrey is like, what's the 0:55:39.680 --> 0:55:42.920 part three? Down the hill? That's amazing the second my 0:55:43.000 --> 0:55:45.759 Prince of country Club four. Well, the third hole is 0:55:45.760 --> 0:55:48.759 a downhill. Part three? Yes, so three, So you have 0:55:48.800 --> 0:55:51.279 to walk up to this big hole, to this big 0:55:51.320 --> 0:55:53.719 t that's way up the hole, way up the hill 0:55:54.080 --> 0:55:56.480 and I say to Mark, and it's in the cliffs, Like, 0:55:56.520 --> 0:55:58.439 thank god, I'm in shape. I would have fucking died 0:55:58.480 --> 0:56:02.279 on this hill and now I'm fat again. So hey, 0:56:02.680 --> 0:56:05.239 I just want to is it out there? Okay, let's 0:56:05.239 --> 0:56:08.319 just not bring it up. I brought it up. Let's 0:56:08.320 --> 0:56:11.600 please watch the video. You keeping enough? Does the does? 0:56:11.640 --> 0:56:14.560 The episode? One is great? I haven't watched two yet. 0:56:14.920 --> 0:56:17.800 Is there a nod in two to Steve Young's t 0:56:17.960 --> 0:56:20.600 shot on twelve that Mark Baldwin described for me today? 0:56:20.640 --> 0:56:24.560 Oh my god, so is it in there? No, it's 0:56:24.560 --> 0:56:26.680 not particular shot, but you get a great feel for 0:56:26.680 --> 0:56:34.480 Steve Young. Mark, Steve Young double hit a full shot. 0:56:34.719 --> 0:56:37.560 I have never in my life. It's impossible. It is 0:56:37.640 --> 0:56:41.359 literally impossible. He hit it here and here and it 0:56:41.400 --> 0:56:44.480 went back and over his shoulder over there. It's you, 0:56:44.719 --> 0:56:46.200 like you try it as much as you want to 0:56:46.200 --> 0:56:48.880 pop it up, like he got kind of chunked it. 0:56:48.960 --> 0:56:51.040 But it's a full shot and he has like he's 0:56:51.080 --> 0:56:53.960 obviously in great shape and very athletic. He's not a 0:56:53.960 --> 0:56:56.319 good golfer, but like he's very athletic, and he has 0:56:56.320 --> 0:56:58.239 a fast swing. I don't know how you do it. 0:56:58.719 --> 0:57:00.600 Like it's not like if it was a very slow 0:57:00.680 --> 0:57:03.200 old swing like okay, I could see it. He took 0:57:03.200 --> 0:57:05.960 a full swing and hit the double hit. Was not 0:57:06.000 --> 0:57:08.279 like you know, all double hits are here here right, 0:57:09.040 --> 0:57:12.240 This was like here and here he hit it back 0:57:12.320 --> 0:57:15.920 over his shoulder. It was a great insight into like 0:57:16.040 --> 0:57:18.720 it just lightened us up. We started laughing so hard 0:57:18.920 --> 0:57:23.560 and and and on that whole Uh. Mark said, you know, 0:57:23.600 --> 0:57:25.400 I've seen a lot of things in my pro career. 0:57:25.440 --> 0:57:30.440 I've never seen a full shot double hit. That's so great. 0:57:30.920 --> 0:57:32.760 I love it. That's in the director's cut that will 0:57:32.760 --> 0:57:36.480 be released to a later date. Anyway, all right, well, fellas, 0:57:36.480 --> 0:57:40.560 it's always fun. Um. We'll dedicate this episode to the 0:57:40.600 --> 0:57:45.880 memory of of Howard friend. Um. It was. It was 0:57:46.400 --> 0:57:50.800 meaningful to hear hear all that um really rich and 0:57:50.920 --> 0:57:54.840 um and thoughtful commentary from both you guys. That I 0:57:54.880 --> 0:57:57.640 had a little tear in my eye. So that uh. 0:57:57.840 --> 0:57:59.680 But as always there's a little bit of lovity here 0:57:59.760 --> 0:58:03.440 on the Fire Drill, and there's various diversions and so 0:58:04.160 --> 0:58:07.120 this was a fun one for um for Michael Bamberger 0:58:07.360 --> 0:58:10.240 and Ryan French. I'm Alan Schipnik. This is Fire Drill Podcast. 0:58:10.240 --> 0:58:12.680 We'll do it again next week. Thanks for as always 0:58:12.720 --> 0:58:15.360 for listening, and go watch the grind. I promise you're 0:58:15.360 --> 0:58:20.040 gonna enjoy it. That's the end. A bed big and 0:58:20.240 --> 0:58:24.800 I played to win, made a fortune, win my ship game, 0:58:25.000 --> 0:58:29.000 and I ran the table. Never thought I could fall. 0:58:29.400 --> 0:58:32.800 Then the winter time hit me like a cannon ball, 0:58:34.960 --> 0:58:39.840 and now I can't shake this, losing the stream. Every 0:58:39.960 --> 0:58:45.000 road I take is a dead hand stream. I got 0:58:45.240 --> 0:58:49.800 thoughts in my head, can't get joy, and not to 0:58:49.960 --> 0:58:55.000 think what I'm thinking about in my head. I can't 0:58:55.000 --> 0:58:59.440 get him out, and not to think what I'm thinking about. 0:59:04.280 --> 0:59:05.640 Told