1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Son of a Butch podcast. As always, 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: I'm your host Claude Harmon. So just got back from 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: Adelaide to Australia. Was down there for the live event 4 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: and yeah, Anthony Kim, I mean, obviously week after he 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: wins his first tournament in sixteen years. I mean, what 6 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: do you think I'm going to talk about on the podcast? 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: But I think I've had a pretty interesting kind of 8 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: ringside seat to watching AKA come back to professional golf. 9 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,520 Speaker 1: And I was there on Sunday standing behind the green 10 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: with you know, all of his guys on his four 11 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,959 Speaker 1: aces team, and I gotta be honest with you, I've 12 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 1: posted a video on my social of him holding the 13 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: winning putt. It's one of the coolest things, really I've 14 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 1: ever one of the coolest things I've ever seen in golf, 15 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: and from a sports standpoint, I mean, I think it 16 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: really does kind of transcend a lot of what's going 17 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: on in professional golf, going on in sports in general. 18 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: So just to kind of put it into perspective, sixteen 19 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: years since his last win, last win on the PGA 20 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 1: Tour twenty ten Shell Houston Open, he was away from 21 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: the game for you know, almost twelve years and when 22 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: he left professional golf, he was just so good. I mean, 23 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: he had so much potential. And I did a podcast 24 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: back in I think March of twenty twenty four, right 25 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: after he came back, and I still remember I was 26 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: standing on the on the driving range in Saudi Arabia 27 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: with Pat Perez, who I was working with at the time, 28 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: and I mean nobody had nobody had seen Anthony Kim 29 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: for over a decade. I mean it was like he 30 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: was a legend, was a myth. You kind of heard 31 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: people say over those years that he wasn't on tour 32 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: and he wasn't playing. You'd hear people say that they 33 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: saw him, said he had tattoos all over the place, 34 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: said the golf swing still looked amazing. So when he 35 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:11,239 Speaker 1: came back in twenty twenty four on LIV I remember 36 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: Pat Perez as he was walking up, said, there is 37 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: it's Tom Hanks from Castaway. It's like he's come back. 38 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 1: And it really was like that, And I still remember 39 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: him walking onto the driving range. I didn't know Aka 40 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: that well when he played on the PJ tour. I 41 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: knew him to say hi to him and stuff, but 42 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 1: he came back. I remember that week. I mean, he 43 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: had golf clubs I think either bought off the internet 44 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: or someone bought off the internet. He'd never seen a 45 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,519 Speaker 1: track man. Right, there was a launch monitor on a 46 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,640 Speaker 1: driving range, and he was asking someone what it was, 47 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: and it was like he was coming back from being 48 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: lost on another planet. And the other golf swing kind 49 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: of still looked good back in twenty twenty four. But 50 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: someone posted on social a picture of him, you know, 51 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: holding the winning putt, and then showed him from that 52 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: first tournament in Jetta that he played. I think it 53 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: was somewhere on the front nine, maybe the see one 54 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: to maybe the fourth or fifth hole, ball a little 55 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: above his feet, full swing shank into the opposite fairway. 56 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: You know. When he came back, he didn't play great. 57 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: He didn't do any good on live for two years. 58 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: I didn't see him practicing a lot. You know. He 59 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: would ask me occasional questions here and there. I sat 60 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: with him, had breakfast with him a bunch, had lunch 61 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: with him a bunch. You know. He would ask questions 62 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: about the game, but he didn't really know anything about 63 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: the way professional golf was being played today, you know, 64 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: in the modern era. He really was someone who was 65 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: coming back to professional golf from the wilderness. And let's 66 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: be honest, a lot of people in the media said 67 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: it was a publicity stunt by Live. There were a 68 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: lot of people that didn't think he deserved to be 69 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: playing professional golf, specifically with the way he played the 70 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: first couple of years. But over that time versus what 71 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: I saw last week versus what I saw when he 72 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: came out, was you saw a guy who could still 73 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: swing somewhat like he used to. He's done a lot 74 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: of work on his golf swing on his own. He's 75 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: been working with Matt Killen on you know, to help 76 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: his golf swing look better. But in the last kind 77 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: of I'd say, in the lot, you know, from kind 78 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: of the middle of last year until now, I've just 79 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: seen a guy that's just grinding. I've seen a guy 80 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: that's putting in the work. I mean, obviously, Ak had 81 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 1: all this enormous talent. When he played on the PGA Tour, 82 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: everybody saw it. He had a beautiful golf swing, he 83 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: had a bunch of swag, he wore cool clothes. He 84 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: brought something different to the professional game that you know, 85 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: a lot of people hadn't seen before. He had the 86 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: ak belt with the diamonds all over it, he had 87 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: all of this stuff, and then in a really really 88 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: quick period of time, he was just gone. He went 89 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: through a lot of stuff off the golf course with alcohol, drugs. 90 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: I mean, those stories are are endless, But what I 91 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: saw when he came back was someone that was away 92 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: from the game from a really really long time, that 93 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 1: was trying to get his life back together. His wife, Emily, 94 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: his daughter. You know, they're a huge, huge part of 95 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: his life now. They're a massive, massive part of who 96 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: he is. You know, if you look at that at 97 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: his social he talks about one percent better every day. 98 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: That's something that really resonates with me because that's something 99 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: that I talked to junior golfers about, that I talked 100 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,919 Speaker 1: to players about that I've talked about on the podcast before. 101 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: To just try and get better, and I've watched Aka 102 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: kind of live that, to try and get better, to 103 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: try and work harder. And I think he's cleaned up 104 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: his life, you know, off the golf course. I think 105 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: he's cleaned up his life on the golf course. You know, 106 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: when you talk to guys that were caddying for him, 107 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: Grant Bennett, who's his current caddy. Even last year, I 108 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:28,679 Speaker 1: would ask Grant, you know, how's he doing. He was like, dude, 109 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: he's hitting it fine. He's just making some really, really 110 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 1: dumb decisions on the golf course. And that's kind of 111 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: a theme that I've been talking about recently on the pod, 112 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,600 Speaker 1: is about making better decisions on the golf course, that 113 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 1: there is more to playing golf than just your golf swing. 114 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: And I think when I look back at Aka when 115 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: I first saw him come back to professional golf in 116 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: the spring of twenty twenty four versus what I saw 117 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: over the weekend, is I've seen him kind of go 118 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: through this of coming back with raw natural talent. The 119 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: golf swings still looked pretty good. The golf swing's gotten 120 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: a lot better. I think he has just hit a 121 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: ton of golf balls. I've watched him hit a ton 122 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: of golf balls. I've watched his practice sessions before tournaments 123 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: get longer, get more focused, get more structured to them. 124 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: I've seen him play good and go straight to the 125 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: driving range and hit golf balls after rounds. I didn't 126 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: see that when he first came back. You know, and 127 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: I think that he needed to put more work in 128 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: which he has done. He had a chance to win 129 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: in Saudi Arabia on the International Series in November, shot 130 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: sixty two to the first round, had a legit chance 131 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: on Sunday, was in one of the last couple of 132 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: groups and it was the first time he had legit 133 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: had a chance to win a golf tournament in sixteen years, right, 134 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: I mean, it was crazy. The entire week before that, 135 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: I was at my academy in Dubai before I went 136 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: to the Saudi International, and that week he had messaged 137 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: me and said, listen, hey can grant my caddie and 138 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: I can we come practice at your place, my academy 139 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 1: in Dubai at the L's Club. I was like, yeah, sure, absolutely. 140 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: I mean I do anything in the world for ak 141 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:22,679 Speaker 1: just because I just think the kid needs good people 142 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: in his life and needs people in his life trying 143 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: to help him. You know, he's asked me some questions 144 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: on his golf swing. I don't work with him on anything. 145 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: He's asked me to take a look at some things 146 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: over the last couple of years, but I don't coach him. 147 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: I don't teach him, but he asked me if he 148 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: could practice at my place, and I was there pretty 149 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 1: much every day. He was there pretty much every day. 150 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: I watched him grind. I watched how much work he 151 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: was doing, how much work he was doing on his 152 00:08:51,559 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: full swing, how much work he was doing putting, how 153 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: much work he was doing short game. And he was 154 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: doing that every single day. You know, it wasn't just 155 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: like he was grinding for a couple of days. The 156 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: entire week that I was at my academy in Dubai 157 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: before the Saudi International November of last year, Aka was 158 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:13,839 Speaker 1: aeric grinding. So when he played really, really well in 159 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 1: Saudi Arabia, I one hundred percent wasn't surprised because I 160 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:23,559 Speaker 1: was watching him do the work. I was watching him 161 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: grind on his golf swing. I was watching him work 162 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: on his short game. I was watching him work on 163 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: his putting. When he first came back, I think it 164 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 1: was just all ball striking, right. He was trying to 165 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: find a golf swing. He was trying to find his rhythm, 166 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 1: he was trying to find his feels again. The golf 167 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: swing looked kind of like it used to look back 168 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 1: when he was playing great in two thousand and eight 169 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: two thousand and nine. You know he's on the Ryder Cup. 170 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: When he was winning golf tournaments, you could just tell 171 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: that he just hadn't had any playing golf experience at 172 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: all for a really real long time. We're talking well 173 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: over a decade. And I don't care how much talent 174 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,239 Speaker 1: you have. I don't care how much raw natural ability 175 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: that you have. There still is no substitution for reps. 176 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:17,719 Speaker 1: There still is no substitution for tournament reps. There's no 177 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:22,960 Speaker 1: substitution for playing golf. And I think Aka hadn't played 178 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: any golf. And in watching what he did last week 179 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: versus what he did the first you know a couple 180 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: of years on live is he was playing golf swing. 181 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: That's all he was doing. He was just relying on 182 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: his golf swing. And like I said, you talk to 183 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 1: his caddies and say his course management was terrible. He 184 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: wasn't playing the game of golf. He was just hitting shots. 185 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: He was hitting balls on the driving range. And I 186 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 1: sat with him on Sunday after after he did media, 187 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,760 Speaker 1: after he did the trophy celebration, he was getting some 188 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:08,520 Speaker 1: food with his family, sitting at the four aces table. 189 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: He's on the four aces now on Live on DJ's 190 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 1: Live team. He was sitting there and I was saying 191 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:18,079 Speaker 1: to him, you're playing golf again, aren't you, And he said, bro, 192 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: I'm playing golf. I didn't think about my golf swing today. 193 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: I thought about scoring. I thought about playing. And that 194 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 1: was something that he said. I saw he played. We 195 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: saw him at the new Discovery course that's opened up 196 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: down here in South Florida, Atlantic Field. He was practicing 197 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: and it was the day he was going to the 198 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:41,199 Speaker 1: Live promotions, effectively lives Q School. He played with DJ 199 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: and I was like, dude, you're hitting it really really good. 200 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 1: And he said, yeah, I just got to go play now. 201 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: I just got I just gotta go do it on 202 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: the golf course. And he said, I feel like I'm 203 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:55,080 Speaker 1: swinging it really really good. I really like where my 204 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: golf swing is, and I feel like if I just 205 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: play good, think good, I'm gonna get one of the 206 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,280 Speaker 1: live promotions. I think there were three. And so he 207 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: went back and he qualified. He had to do some 208 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: things to make the cut and then he got his card, 209 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: so he earned his way back on Live. Live gave 210 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: him a lifeline back into professional golf. In twenty twenty four, 211 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: and there were a lot of people that were against 212 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: that decision. There were a lot of people on Live 213 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: that were against that decision, players, agents, caddies, people. They 214 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: thought it was a stunt, they thought it was a gimmick. 215 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: They thought he wasn't putting in the work, and there's 216 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: a lot of truth to that. At that point, he 217 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: was given an opportunity by Live, but he took advantage 218 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:47,319 Speaker 1: of it. And he told me right before he went 219 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: to that promotions event, he said, Man, I feel like 220 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get my card. I feel like I'm getting 221 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 1: close to winning again. And for Anthony Kim to say that, 222 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:01,080 Speaker 1: I just don't think anybody would have believed that. I 223 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: actually thought he would win this year. When Patrick Reid 224 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: made the decision to leave Live and to leave DJ's 225 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 1: Lift team, the four Aces, the guys on his team, 226 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: they were scrambling to try the GM Chris Rosausen. They 227 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: were trying to figure out who they were going to 228 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: get for his team, and they asked me a lot 229 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,080 Speaker 1: of questions about Ak, and I was like, dude, I 230 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: think you guys give Ak a shot because he's putting 231 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: in the work. I think it would be a great story. 232 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: I think he will play good given how hard he 233 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 1: is working. And I said, I think on the right course, 234 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: on the right circumstances, he could win again. I didn't 235 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: think he'd do it this quickly. But if you look 236 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:46,959 Speaker 1: at the way he won last week in Australia. First 237 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: of all, Australian golf is very very different. Firm, fast, bouncy, 238 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: bunkering is very very different. The golf course was firm 239 00:13:55,960 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: and fast on Sunday it was baked out. But if 240 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 1: you look at what he did on Sunday one, he 241 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: got into the last group, which I don't think anybody 242 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: ever thought they'd see Anthony Kim ever be in a 243 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: final group in a professional golf tournament again. The last 244 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 1: time he had won was sixteen years ago at the 245 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: Shelle Houston Open. Right. He's paired with John Rahm and 246 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: Bryson D. Chambeau. Right, multiple major champions. I don't care 247 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: what tour they play on. They're two of the best 248 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 1: players on the planet. I don't care what the stats say, 249 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: I don't care what the world rankings say. If you 250 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: are a professional golfer and you talked about who are 251 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: some of the best players in the World, Bryson d. 252 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: Chambeau and John Rahm's names will come up. He's Anthony 253 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 1: Kim's forty years old. He has been in the wilderness, right, 254 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: I mean he's been to Hell and back. Bogie free 255 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 1: nine under sixty three. Birdie's five of his last seven twelve, 256 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 1: which is their big party hole in Adelaide last week, 257 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: seventeen feet par three makes it big fist pump. Next hole, 258 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: Part five, hits it's eleven feet thirteen Birdie their Birdie's 259 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: twelve and thirteen. So we're sitting inside watching it, and 260 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: I'm sitting with, you know, a bunch of the guys 261 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: from four aces, but I'm sitting with the four aces 262 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: Jim Chris Osausen. And it's part three. And before he 263 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: hit it, I said, he's going to flag this right, 264 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: He's going to hit it inside of fifteen feet. He's 265 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: going to make it hits. It's fourteen feet, makes it 266 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: big fist pump. Next hole fifteen seventeen feet, makes it third, 267 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: Birdie's twelve thirteen, fourteen fifteen seventeen, it's fifteen feet, makes 268 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: it their Birdie's five out of the last seven. This 269 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 1: wasn't accident. I talked to Adam Hayes, who caddies for 270 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: John ram but he caddied back in the day for 271 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: Russell Henley. He knew Ak when Ak played and I 272 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 1: said to him after the round, I said, dude, it 273 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: was vintage AK and he said, you know what, it 274 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: may have been better. I mean, he said, he really 275 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: didn't miss a shot. I talked to John Ramson. Every 276 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: single put Ak hit went right in the middle of 277 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: the hole and weren't going in the side door. He 278 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: wasn't kind of lipping him in. He didn't have many 279 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: three you know, one hundred and eighty three, you know 280 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: the whole thing where it goes around the hole and 281 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: falls in. He said, every single one of these was 282 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: right in the middle. So wins by three. He won 283 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: going away. I mean he basically ran the table down 284 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: the stretch. I mean he hit sixty out of seventy 285 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: two greens. He led the field in greens and regulation 286 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: made twenty four birdies. Guys, you can't fake that. That's 287 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 1: that's not an accident. And it was really interesting that 288 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: once he kind of got this birdie run going. I 289 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 1: remember a number of years ago Padrick Harrington winning after 290 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:14,199 Speaker 1: a long drought on the PGA Tour. I think it 291 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: was at in West brom Beach at the Old Honda Classic. 292 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 1: They had to finish on a Monday. I think he 293 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 1: was gonna playoff with Daniel Berger, Padrick Harrington, multiple major champion, 294 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,639 Speaker 1: Ryder Cupper. I mean just has always been a winner. 295 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 1: And I think it was Todd Lewis from Golf Channel Aska. 296 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: Were you surprised that you were able to win again 297 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: on the PGA Tour? And I remember Padrick saying, not 298 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: surprised at all. I know how to win. I just 299 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: have never been in this position again to win, meaning 300 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: you don't forget how to win, especially if you won 301 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: multiple major championships, You've won tournaments all over the world, 302 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: you don't forget how to win. I think if you've 303 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: won before, you've won a bunch, you know how to 304 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: do it. I think Anthony Kim was in the same boat. 305 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: No one ever thought he would ever have a chance 306 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: to win a professional golf tournament again, Certainly nobody ever 307 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 1: thought he'd have a chance to win a golf tournament. 308 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: In the final group starting five back of John Rahm 309 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 1: and Bryson to Chambeau in twenty twenty six. Nobody would 310 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 1: have thought he'd go shoot a bogie free sixty three 311 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:32,960 Speaker 1: and win by three and win going away, and win 312 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 1: in a way that was the way that we're used 313 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 1: to seeing Tiger Woods win golf tournaments, Scottie Scheffler win 314 00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: golf tournaments, John Rahm win golf tournaments, Roy McElroy win 315 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: golf tournaments. Down the stretch, goes on a birdie run 316 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 1: and I was standing behind the green. It was really cool. 317 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:55,719 Speaker 1: The other part of it is he played in Saudi 318 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: the week before. There was a charter that a bunch 319 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: of the Lift people got on to go on Saturday 320 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: night down to Australia, and there was a rumor going 321 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: around the plane that AKA didn't have a visa to 322 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: get to Australia. So everybody got on the live charter 323 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,959 Speaker 1: on Saturday night and we all got to Australia Sunday night. 324 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 1: Ak didn't get to Australia until Tuesday, barely even saw 325 00:19:24,960 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: the golf course, right, so really no prep. I saw 326 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: him Saturday night and he played really good on Saturday. 327 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,479 Speaker 1: Saw him after the round and he said, bro, I 328 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:38,120 Speaker 1: can't put any worse than I have. An He goes 329 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,199 Speaker 1: and that's been the only thing that's been saving me 330 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:46,160 Speaker 1: is my putting. And he was talking about maybe switching 331 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: putters for the final round on Sunday, And when I 332 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: saw him Sunday night after the round, he said, Bro, 333 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: I putt it so bad all week that I was 334 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: really thinking about just putting a new putter. But I 335 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:03,919 Speaker 1: stuck with it. And I think Sunday is his testament 336 00:20:04,160 --> 00:20:07,880 Speaker 1: to I think that when and that performance had very 337 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: little to do with his golf swing. I think his 338 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: golf swing's better now. I think the work that he's done, 339 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: you know, on his own, the work that he's done 340 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,399 Speaker 1: with Matt Killen, I think his golf swing is a 341 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,159 Speaker 1: lot better. But I look at the strategy on that 342 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: golf course down Natalee. The Grange hits iron off of 343 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: a couple of teas. So if you're going to beat 344 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 1: John Rahm and Brys and d Chambeau, how are you 345 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,000 Speaker 1: gonna beat him? You're sure as hell not going to 346 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: beat him by missing fairways. You're definitely not gonna hit 347 00:20:38,119 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: further than they hit it. Aka can't hit as far 348 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,440 Speaker 1: as those guys can, so he can't beat him with length, right, 349 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:45,879 Speaker 1: And so he had to think his way around the 350 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,280 Speaker 1: golf course. He had to think about strategy. He was 351 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: hitting irons on some fairways where those two guys are 352 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,199 Speaker 1: hitting much longer golf clubs, sometimes even driver, and he's 353 00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 1: hitt an iron. But he was obviously hitting his irons goo. 354 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: So yeah, I think the golf swing helped. Doing the 355 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: work on his golf swing help. But at some point 356 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,160 Speaker 1: you have to stand up and execute right. You can 357 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: hit the best shots in the world. So if you 358 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 1: look at the birdie run that he goes on on 359 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: a par three, hits seventeen feet, makes the pot. Next hole, 360 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 1: Par five, gets there and three shots hits it to 361 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: eleven feet, makes it. The next hole difficult, par four, 362 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: pin tucked back left, I mean it's death. If you 363 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: miss it to the right, it's tough up and down 364 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:38,600 Speaker 1: out of the bunker. Hits it to fourteen feet. Mate, 365 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: the next hole fifteen. You can bomb driver down there, 366 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,040 Speaker 1: which is what John Rahm did right. You can get 367 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: it down there to where you can if you've got 368 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: a lot of length, you can have nothing left flip wedge. 369 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 1: He hits iron middle of the fairway, right, hits seventeen feet, 370 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: makes it sixteen hit it about twenty feet, didn't make 371 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:06,159 Speaker 1: the putt seventeen. Next time again, short part four. If 372 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: you want to push driver up there, you can have 373 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 1: nothing left. You can have inside of one hundred yards. 374 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:15,160 Speaker 1: Hit an iron off the tee, hit it to fifteen feet, 375 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,440 Speaker 1: made the putt eighteen iron off the tee. I mean 376 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: there were guys driving the green. Yeah, I mean obviously 377 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:23,119 Speaker 1: at that point had a lead. He didn't need to. 378 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: But my point is, I think there is so much 379 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: more to what happened with Ak on Sunday and getting 380 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: his first win in sixteen years and shooting sixty three 381 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: and having no bogies in birdying five out of the 382 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,439 Speaker 1: last seven. I think there's so much more to that 383 00:22:41,119 --> 00:22:44,640 Speaker 1: than his golf swing getting better. And he admitted it 384 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: afterwards to me, I'm playing golf again. I'm thinking about 385 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 1: my golf swing less. Now he's done the work. I 386 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 1: keep saying this on the podcast. Yeah, having a good 387 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: golf swing, putting in the work and making your golf 388 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:06,160 Speaker 1: wing better will do good things for your scores, will 389 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,680 Speaker 1: do great things for your handicap. But if you don't 390 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:13,520 Speaker 1: make the putts when it counts, none of it makes 391 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 1: any difference. If he doesn't Bertie twelve from seventeen feet, 392 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:22,440 Speaker 1: Birtie thirteen from eleven feet, Bertie fourteen from fourteen feet, 393 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: Birti fifteen from seventeen feet, thirty seventeen from fifteen If 394 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: he flags all of those iron shots and doesn't make 395 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 1: any of the putts, none of it makes any difference. 396 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: And there's a big difference in working on your putting stroke, 397 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: working on your mechanics. But then you've got to go 398 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: out and trust what you're doing, and you have to 399 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: match the line to the speed you have to execute. 400 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 1: And I think the most impressive thing to me about 401 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:58,439 Speaker 1: what Ak did in his first win in sixteen years 402 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:02,160 Speaker 1: was the way execute on Sunday. The way he went 403 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 1: toe to toe with two of golf's heavyweights, guys that 404 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: have won multiple major championships, guys that are on winning 405 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: Ryder Cup teams, guys that have been number one in 406 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: the world. It takes more than technique just to do that. 407 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 1: So where does Ak go from here? Right? I mean one, 408 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 1: I mean he moved from eight hundred and forty seven 409 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: in the world rankings to two hundred and three because 410 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: lives getting world ranking points now, So I think he's 411 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 1: got a legit chance. There's a category and live now 412 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 1: to where you can qualify for the Open Championship. I 413 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: think if he stays second on the live money list, 414 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: if there's somebody else that's exempt in front of him, 415 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: he could get into a major. We could see Ak 416 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:53,840 Speaker 1: playing a major championship. He's second right now on live standings. 417 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: I would not be surprised if Ak has chances to 418 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: win again. I mean I think he's won. He's proven 419 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:06,320 Speaker 1: to himself he can win. That's huge. I mean for 420 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: someone like him, with everything that he's been through, with 421 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: the way that he kind of is tackling life in 422 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: the way that I know he wants his daughter Bella 423 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: to see him be great at golf. I think he's 424 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: going to have more chances to win. I wouldn't be 425 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:29,639 Speaker 1: surprised if he won again this year. I think his 426 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: game is going in the right direction. I think this 427 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 1: win will give him a tremendous amount of confidence. I mean, 428 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:41,679 Speaker 1: his iron game right now is legit. He's it eighty 429 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: percent of his greed last week. I don't care where 430 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 1: you're playing, you can't fake that, right, and the way 431 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 1: that he won down the stretch will one hundred percent 432 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: prove to him that he can win again. It will 433 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 1: give him a tremendous amount of confident. I think it 434 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:07,720 Speaker 1: will allow him moving forward to realize that he can win. 435 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 1: And yeah, he had his great he had great stuff 436 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: on Sunday, right, sixty three, No Bogie's birdies five out 437 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: of the last seven. You're not going to do that 438 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 1: every week. But he's starting to put together four good 439 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: rounds of golf. Right, So if you go back to 440 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: the tournaments that are data points that he's played, finished 441 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: fifth at Saudi International at the end of last year, 442 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: sixty two, seventy sixty eight, seventy fourteen under right, that 443 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: shows your games kind of going in the right direction. 444 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:44,200 Speaker 1: He went through the Live qualifier to get his status 445 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:47,119 Speaker 1: back on Live, and I think the grind and the 446 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: way that he had to struggle through that and the 447 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: stress that that put his game under, I think that's 448 00:26:54,600 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 1: a positive. He played decent in Saudi and riadd the tournament, 449 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: you know, it wasn't bottom of the field kind of 450 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 1: in the mid twenties, and then to get a win 451 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 1: second real start of the year, I just think it's 452 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:14,920 Speaker 1: gonna give him a lot of confidence. I think being 453 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:17,880 Speaker 1: on a team. Now, he's on the four Aces now, 454 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:22,399 Speaker 1: which is DJ's team. So it's DJ, Thomas Peters, Thomas 455 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 1: Dietree and now Anthony Kim. I think that's a really 456 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 1: really strong team to be on. I think AK can 457 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 1: learn a lot of things from the other players. I 458 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 1: think he can learn a lot from DJ. He's he's 459 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,679 Speaker 1: been away from the game for so long that he 460 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 1: doesn't know what he doesn't know. I can remember maybe 461 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,360 Speaker 1: a year ago, two years ago, we were like Live 462 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:50,159 Speaker 1: was playing in Durral and I was talking about Brooks 463 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: winning back to back US Opens and he was like, 464 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 1: Brooks won back to back US Opens. I was like, yeah, 465 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: He's like really, when did you do that? Like he 466 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:03,360 Speaker 1: had no idea, he had no idea how many majors 467 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:05,919 Speaker 1: Brooks had won. He had no idea how many majors 468 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,400 Speaker 1: DJ had won. So I think being on the four 469 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:11,359 Speaker 1: Aces and being around you know, Thomas Deetree won on 470 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 1: the PGA Tour last year, Thomas Peters won five six 471 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: times on DP played on a Ryder Cup team. DJ's 472 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:23,399 Speaker 1: won two majors played. I think having a team, having 473 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: a family around him, having a good support group around him, 474 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: will really really help him. So I'm incredibly surprised. On 475 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 1: one hand, I'm surprised that Aka, as a forty year old, 476 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 1: won his first golf tournament sixteen years after being away 477 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 1: from professional golf for twelve years, after going through problems 478 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: off the golf course with substance issues and stuff. Yeah, 479 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:53,320 Speaker 1: I'm unbelievably surprised by it. But when I look at 480 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 1: it up close and look at what I've seen on 481 00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:59,480 Speaker 1: the inside, and watch the work that he's put in, 482 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: Why the evolution of his golf swing get better, Watch 483 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 1: the work ethic get better, watch him get back to 484 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: being able to play the game of golf, not just 485 00:29:10,080 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 1: play golf swing, I'm not surprised. And I was standing 486 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: behind the eighteenth green with DJ, Thomas Peters, Thomas Dtree, 487 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 1: all the support staff for DJ's lifteam, the four Aces, 488 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 1: all the Ripper guys were there, Cam Elvis Leash, Lucas Herbert, 489 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 1: they were all back there with all their caddies. Sergia 490 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: Garcia came out and I'm standing with Sergio. He was 491 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 1: watching and we were all just saying, it's an unbelievable story, 492 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 1: and it's a story that I don't think anybody thought 493 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 1: would happen again. And you know, I think Ak's mantra 494 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: of getting one percent better, of not quitting, of not 495 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: giving up on the way that he can touch people 496 00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: with his story is to play good golf, and I've 497 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 1: watched it up close for two and a bit years now. 498 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,520 Speaker 1: It wasn't pretty when he came back. But what I 499 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: saw on Sunday was what I see from the best 500 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: players in the world on PGA Tour, what I see 501 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: from the best players in the world on the LPGA 502 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: DP Asia Champs Tour. I saw a guy go out 503 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 1: and win a golf tournament. It wasn't a backdoor win. 504 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: He didn't get handed anything. He went out and shut 505 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:34,480 Speaker 1: sixty three on Sunday, no bogeys, thirty five out of 506 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: the last seven, went toe to toe and didn't blink 507 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: playing in the final group with John Rahm and Bryson Deshambeau. 508 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: And I think another really really cool positive thing to 509 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: come out of this is it's a feel good story, right, 510 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 1: you know, there's there haven't been a lot of these 511 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 1: in the last five years, with this whole kind of 512 00:30:56,200 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 1: upheaval in golf Live, PGA Tour, all that bullshit. In 513 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 1: my opinion. Right, all the noise, I just think it's 514 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: a great story. It happened at kind of Live's premiere 515 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 1: signature event. There are one hundred and fifteen thousand people 516 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 1: at this tournament four days. I mean it was packed. 517 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 1: So to do it also on a huge stage, I 518 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: think is so good. But he'd done it before. That's 519 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: not the biggest stage he's been on. Right, that is 520 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:30,920 Speaker 1: not the biggest stage he's been on. And so he 521 00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: didn't blink. And it's been really really cool to watch 522 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:39,360 Speaker 1: AKA up close. Don't be surprised if the kid keeps 523 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 1: He's not kid, he's forty, but I mean, don't be 524 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: surprised if he doesn't keep playing good. And everybody is 525 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,680 Speaker 1: in love with this story, everybody, all the golf media, 526 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 1: regardless of whether they like Live, whether they don't like Live, whatever. 527 00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 1: The positive stuff that people have been saying about this 528 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 1: has been really really cool, the positive things other players 529 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: have been saying about this. Because if you play professional golf, 530 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 1: if you're a professional golfer, if you're on tour, you 531 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: know how hard it is to win. I don't care 532 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: where you're playing, winning is never easy. And Ak's win 533 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: on Sunday you know, I consider myself incredibly lucky to 534 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:25,040 Speaker 1: have been able to sit there and watch it, and 535 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 1: I consider myself lucky to kind of I have had 536 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: a ringside seat to watch his journey the last couple 537 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 1: of years to get back to where he was. When 538 00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:35,480 Speaker 1: he walked onto the driving range in Jedda in twenty 539 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: twenty four and he started to hit golf balls, I 540 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:41,800 Speaker 1: remember saying to myself, holy shit, and he Kim's hitting 541 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 1: golf balls. I'm driving range and I'm sitting here watching it. 542 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: It's like seeing a ghost, see kind of glimpses, and 543 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:52,000 Speaker 1: then from then to what I saw on Sunday is 544 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 1: easily one of the coolest things I've ever seen in 545 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: professional golf, one of the coolest things I've ever seen 546 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 1: in sports. And I'm a fan, and I'm really really 547 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 1: excited and looking forward seeing what Ak can do in 548 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 1: twenty twenty six in golf, because I think the sky's 549 00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: the limit and wouldn't it be amazing for him to 550 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: get another win, wouldn't it be amazing for him to 551 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:21,560 Speaker 1: play in a major championship? All things that if someone 552 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 1: told you five years ago Ak would be winning golf tournaments, 553 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: someone five years ago told you Anthony Kim was going 554 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: to take John Rahm and Rice and d Chambeau in 555 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:35,120 Speaker 1: the final group of tournament, regardless of where it was. 556 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:38,480 Speaker 1: I don't think anybody would have believed you so easily. 557 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 1: I think one of the biggest stories of twenty twenty six, 558 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 1: regardless of what happens in twenty twenty six, and I 559 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:48,080 Speaker 1: consider myself lucky to have been able to witness it 560 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 1: in person. It's the Son of a Butch podcast. We 561 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:52,720 Speaker 1: will see you next week.