1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: When he was in high school, his golf coach said 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: to him, Brian, you know more about golf trivia than 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: I've ever met, but you will never make a living 4 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: on this. And and the fact I ran into his 5 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: golf coach in the grocery store and I said, I 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: don't know if you're married aware about Ryan's doing. He said, 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: I am. And I said you remember what you said 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: to Himn't? He said no? And I said, he he 9 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: did say that, But I mean, fifty thousand people follow him. 10 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: It's just an every single day, isn't. He said, He's aware, 11 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,520 Speaker 1: and he's so thankful. He's just overwhelming, and he will. 12 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: I don't think he will ever lose that, man, I don't. 13 00:00:45,159 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: I don't think he will. Another logo nobody he h 14 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to the fire Pit with Matt Janella. Thanks for 15 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: spending time with us again here at the Pit. It's 16 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: been a crazy stretch as Alan, Schipmunk, Alex Upeggy and 17 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: I continue to build out this modern media network of 18 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: content creators. Much more to come and soon, but let 19 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: me start by thanking links soul who I know will 20 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: approve of and appreciate the higher ware announcing with this 21 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: podcast what is links Soul. Here's Jeff Cunningham, who, along 22 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: with John Ashworth, our co creators of the lifestyle brand. 23 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: I've worn on and off the course for over eight years. 24 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: I think Links sold. You know, we've always called it 25 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: just an idea that we we just tend to. When 26 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: we finally got chewed up and spit out of enough 27 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: corporate gigs, we decided to do this thing ourselves, um, 28 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: the right way, because we just don't fit into that 29 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: culture anymore. And Links Soul, now that you know about it, 30 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: it just it's not meant to be in that It's 31 00:01:57,520 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: not a it's not a plant that grows in the 32 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: corporate settings, so you know, and a handshake in my 33 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 1: backyard on March third, oh nine nine, we shook hands 34 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: and decided to do it this way, our way. Go 35 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: to link soul dot com and use promo code fire 36 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:21,519 Speaker 1: Pity for discount on your next purchase. All right, now 37 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: to the news. From a TV fire to the fire pit, 38 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: we welcome Ryan French to the collective, a robin hood 39 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: of golf and media. The humble and thoughtful stay at 40 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: home dad found a platform and a purpose while tending 41 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: to the responsibilities of a daughter and a son who 42 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: at the age of eighteen months was diagnosed with Kari malformation, 43 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: a rare brain condition that required surgery. With a support 44 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: of family and friends who he made along the back 45 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: roads of scruffy mini tour venues, French launched a Twitter 46 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: handle at a case of a golf one more commonly 47 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: referred to as monday q Info, which recently surpassed fifty followers. 48 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: One of those is Cede Hawker Smith, who's a thirty 49 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: six year old mini tour player who French has caddy 50 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: for over the years. It's unbelievable, Like he's by far 51 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: the best person for you know, for the job in 52 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 1: terms of just running the account, because you know, like 53 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: you said, he's just he's like, you know, just alt 54 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: of the Earth, like one of the best guys. UM 55 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: uses his platform so well, especially to what it's kind 56 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: of turned into now with you know, um connecting like 57 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: teams in need with you know, equipment gear and all 58 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: this stuff. So it's it's really been cool, um to 59 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: just see everything kind of come about and whatever followers later. Um, 60 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: It's it's amazing. Meanwhile, the likes of Aaron Rodgers and 61 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: other successful fans have slid into his d m s 62 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: in order to help donate resource is to high schools 63 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: and Monday qualifiers in need of support. Monday Q info 64 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: is one of the best stories in golf right now, 65 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: and it's because of the stories he's compelling all of 66 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: us to care about. See Michael Vassaki, Corey Connors and 67 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: the guitar playing Lasso champion who competed in the Byron 68 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: Nelson pre Qualifier. What's French's relationship with the PGA Tour? They, 69 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: like everyone else, are taking notice, as we all should be. 70 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: It's been crazy. I wrote an article for you guys, 71 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: for us, for us, I gotta say us no, Um, 72 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: you know, I guess I have always been a golfer 73 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 1: in man. I mean, I will tell the story of 74 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,000 Speaker 1: my dad's sitting next to me. My dad's a huge 75 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,159 Speaker 1: part of my golf life, A huge part of my 76 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: life obviously, but but my golf life especially. So Um. 77 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: I say in the article that that I became a 78 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 1: golf nerd on the day our TV started on fire. 79 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: So um. We were watching a Stanley Cup Finals game. 80 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: I was seven. The only thing I remember about it 81 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: is my so our our TV was in the basement, 82 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: and uh, our living space was on the on the 83 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: middle floor, and then upstairs with all of our bedrooms, 84 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: and my dad yelled up to my mom, go get 85 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 1: the fire extinguisher, and my mom yelled back, I can't 86 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,599 Speaker 1: lift it. You remember those moments like yesterday and we 87 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: you know, our our TV was in our basement and 88 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: it just all of a sudden, it just went. I 89 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: was upstairs and it just went kind of boom, and 90 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: you know, Howard yelled at me and I couldn't find 91 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: the I mean, it was kind of it was just chaos. 92 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: And Mr French, do you do you remember the burning TV? Yes, 93 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 1: call me Howard plays that it makes me more comfortable. Yes, 94 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 1: I certainly did. We had a finished basement and the 95 00:05:55,920 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 1: TV exploded and fires and the as Ryan described it, 96 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: that's exactly what it was. And it was you know, 97 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: I've never faced a fire at that time. Uh, but 98 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: it wasn't very fine. And then as as he was explained, 99 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: we had no intention of going in twenty years with 100 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: the whole TV and we were well known around the 101 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: community for crazy people that don't have a TV. I 102 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: don't know that Howard Night. I mean, it was just like, well, 103 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 1: let's wait a week. And then we said, well, let's 104 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: wait a month, and we waited twenty nine years, and 105 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 1: I mean it was it was very interesting because it 106 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: was I think embarrassing for our children, and he didn't 107 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 1: have a TV and we just never gave in, so 108 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: he just never had one, and they'd have to go 109 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: to grandma Grandpa's if they had an assignment, and that's 110 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: the way it was. Obviously, this is pre internet. So 111 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 1: I got all my sports information from the Detroit Free Press, 112 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 1: which was delivered to our house each morning. I read 113 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: it from cover to cover. And we lived on a 114 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: golf course, so golf became my favorite sport. And and 115 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,719 Speaker 1: I always say, like, I don't remember the age, probably 116 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: around ten. I remember Monday mornings just flipping to the 117 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: back page and if you'd have to be our age 118 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: to kind of get this, but in the back page 119 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: was the only day you could find the full field 120 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: scores of a PGA Tour event or whatever it was 121 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: called at that time, the Night Tour or whatever. And 122 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 1: I remember just reading those and saying, like, I wonder 123 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: how these guys make it. Ryan French of Alpino, Michigan 124 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: was seven when his TV caught fire. They lived on 125 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: the Alpina Golf Club, and thus golf has been his life. 126 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: My dad was the CEO of a company that put 127 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: mentally and physically handicapped people into the workplace. But he 128 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: tried his best every day to come home at five 129 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: o'clock and we would We lived on a small municipal 130 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: course and on the third hall. We were members. And 131 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: what we would do is Dad would come home and 132 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: change and we would go out and start in the 133 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: fourth hole and around dark on the third hole at 134 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: our house, come home and and uh and do and 135 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: and and we did that five or six times a week. 136 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: We kept our scores on the back of our basement 137 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: door and average them up and all those kind of things. 138 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: But but I think, Matt is that game was so 139 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: important to like I love golf. It was important. But 140 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: my dad and I were best friends. Ryan was a 141 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: very good golf for even as a little boy, and 142 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: he would go out to the golf course during the 143 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: day and no one would play with him, No adult 144 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: would play with him. Um and he wasn't allowed on 145 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: the golf course by himself when he was seven for eight, 146 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: and he would wait at the golf course on all 147 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: day to play, and then his father would come and 148 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: play with him at five o'clock. No, I mean, I 149 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: can see him to this stage. Just come, I just mom, 150 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 1: nobody will play with me, you know. And his dad 151 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: came home and did it. It was just a part 152 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: of their life. It was wonderful. There was fights on 153 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: the golf course, nothing to do about about golf. There 154 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 1: was conversations about real world things that happened. Uh, you know, 155 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: whether it was in his life or my life. And uh, 156 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: it just became a special place for us. It's where 157 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 1: we you know, Um, my dad's health is not great 158 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: now he's sitting next to me, um, but you know, 159 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: it was we were best friends and that relationship on 160 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: the golf course taught us a lot about life. Looking back, obviously, 161 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:33,719 Speaker 1: when I was young, I didn't know what the hell 162 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: I was doing out there. But we had a conversation 163 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: about grades and girls and friends and you know, anything 164 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: anything that that was going on in the world, and 165 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: and and it it is. It's a special part of 166 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 1: our relationship. As we get into my story, will just 167 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: can it has always been a part of who my 168 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: dad and I are. Uh, you know, today I haven't 169 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: seen him in a couple of months, and you know, 170 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 1: we talked about golf. It's just it's been a huge 171 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 1: part of our relationship for sure. Howard French suffered a 172 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 1: stroke and has been dealing with dementia. But welcome to 173 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 1: the opportunity now to talk about his son and golf. 174 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: We're very proud of Brian. Uh. He's done a wonderful job. 175 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 1: I take absolutely no credit for UM. I liked the 176 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 1: golf um and it was so convenient because it was 177 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: in the backyard, and we always liked it to storm 178 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 1: from uh oh anywhere from noon to about four o'clock 179 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: and everybody got off the course and then we Brian 180 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: and I are known for a very quick players, uh, 181 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 1: and we could fish around and we could finish around 182 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: in uh thirty five minutes with that a lot of 183 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: attention to anything else to get the ball in the 184 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: hole and go over the next hole. UM. So it 185 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: was a tremendous boost for us as a family. My 186 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: life was certainly patient with us, and that was good, 187 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:06,680 Speaker 1: uh and we love her for that. And it was 188 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: really a bone of contention in Howard's in my marriage 189 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: that Howard never let him win. He never let any 190 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: of his children win. And it was not what I wanted. 191 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: I wanted him to give in. I wanted him to 192 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: lose to him. I wanted a kid to come home 193 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: not upset, and he said, no, he's got to earn this. 194 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: And it was just below And I will never forget 195 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: the day that he beat his father. I will never 196 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: forget it. And it was like, I mean, before the 197 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 1: ice cream Sunday, he ran in the house, you know, 198 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: and said, Mom, I won. You know, I beat dad, 199 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,959 Speaker 1: and um, I think from they and they just continued 200 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: that relationship and it was the only thing. I mean, 201 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: he could do that with his grandfather and his father 202 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: and him, and it was a bond and it was 203 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:56,360 Speaker 1: just amazing. It was one thing to beat his dad 204 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: at Alpina and he was having some success in high 205 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: school and in like so many others, French received a 206 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: reality check. You know. I grew up in a small 207 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,439 Speaker 1: northern Michigan town and I was like I always say, 208 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: it's like a big fish in a small pond. You know. 209 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: I won the club championship, in the men's club championship 210 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:14,959 Speaker 1: at sixteen. I thought it was a big deal. Now 211 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 1: looking back, there was probably five or six guys that had, 212 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: you know, any sort of real golf skill. Uh. But 213 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: I mean I thought it was you know, I thought 214 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: it was I was big ship and then uh and 215 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: then no, no schools recruited me, and I was like, what, 216 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: you know, I thought it was. I thought it was 217 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: pretty good. So I went to a community college, Lansing 218 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: Community College, and it was like, I don't know if 219 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: there's such a thing. It's kind of an oxymore, but 220 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: a good junior college program. And we went to National's 221 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 1: twice in the two years I was there, and you know, 222 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, I'm still okay. And then I 223 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 1: tried to walk out of Michigan State. And I always say, Matt, like, 224 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: I walked in there and I was like playing pretty 225 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:58,439 Speaker 1: good golf for me, And I mean I had no shot. 226 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: You know, I was gonna be of the twelfth man 227 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: on a five man team. And at that time, Michigan 228 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: State was a pretty bad golf school. So it was 229 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: my wake up call that I had I had no 230 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,319 Speaker 1: business in this game. And and looking back to now 231 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: what it was, it was, it was definitely my wake 232 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: up call of how many talented guys that were out there. Um, 233 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: you know, it was. It was eye opening because I 234 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: was shooting, you know, seventy four on seventy two on 235 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 1: a good day, seventy seven on a bad day, pretty consistently, 236 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: and I had no shot. He might not have had 237 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: the ability to play professionally, but French was still willing 238 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: to help others to try to get to the PGA Tour. 239 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: In all of my years of covering Buddy's trips and 240 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: father and son traditions within the game, I've never heard 241 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 1: of an annual father son caddy trip, which the French 242 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: boys did several times a year. From two thousand three 243 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 1: until two thousand ten, my parents still lived in northern Michigan. 244 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: I was running a group of restaurants restaurants in southern Michigan, 245 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: and you know, we wanted to find a trip that 246 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: we could make to like kind of connect So, um, 247 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: my dad and I did a caddy trip. And I 248 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: always say, is now this is the Internet days. I 249 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: found this was the McKenzie Tour now, but it was 250 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: called just the Canadian Tour. I found a tournament that 251 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,559 Speaker 1: was close in Toronto that we could drive to. I 252 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: called the caddy master and I said, hey, you I 253 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 1: see her looking for caddies, and he was so excited 254 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: when he found out that I had played college golf, 255 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: and my dad knew what was happening, and so we're like, oh, 256 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: we'll make it a trip. There was no intention of 257 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 1: making it a yearly trip or anything. We just went 258 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:37,440 Speaker 1: out to caddy on a mini tour. And so definitely 259 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: that trip and the following trips are what why this 260 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: account exists. If I didn't go on those trips, I 261 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: would never be sitting in this chair talking about these stories. 262 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: And it was eye opening. And what I say two 263 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: respects is one, how many good players are out there 264 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: that weren't on the e J Tour. This was a 265 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: mini tour in Canada. And to the lifestyle that they lead, 266 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 1: and that is essentially what the account is about, is 267 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: how good these guys are and the lifestyle they lead 268 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: isn't what you see on TV. When they went candying, 269 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 1: I mean I sent them off into places without cell phones, 270 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: I and I was, I mean, I just went the 271 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: stories and I thaid, oh my god, I'm gonna what's 272 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: gonna happen here? It was amazing. They came home they 273 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: loved it um and I mean they I mean trains 274 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: going through was awful, but it was you know, I mean, 275 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 1: those are those are memories that are just forever with him. Definitely. 276 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,000 Speaker 1: What I learned most on that trip, Matt, that first 277 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 1: trip is the off the course stuff. And I tell 278 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: him the story is a week Our tradition was a 279 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,120 Speaker 1: camp every year, and so Dad and I set up 280 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: our tent and the next morning I went in to 281 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 1: brush my teeth the community bathroom and and next to 282 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: me was a player, and and I just like it 283 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: was I just didn't know anything about off the course 284 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: life for these guys. And I really like stunned of 285 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: why a professional golfer was next to me at a 286 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: thirty five dollar a night U campsite when he had 287 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: a golf tournament the next day. It just like it 288 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: really boggled my mind. I really had no thought that played. 289 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: I just didn't think of the financial side of of 290 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,800 Speaker 1: golf or off the course stuff. And that moment sticks 291 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: with me because it really was the moment I was like, Wow, 292 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: these guys, you know, this is not the pro golf 293 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: that I know. At some point this part time Caddy 294 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: became a life partner. Yeah. So I was in Chicago 295 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,720 Speaker 1: and uh, Yeah, we met. I was running a group 296 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: of restaurants, and yeah, my my wife is is an 297 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:03,040 Speaker 1: amazing lady. And a friend introduced us here and and 298 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,160 Speaker 1: she had I always tell a story about my wife 299 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 1: and golf. Her only relationship with golf was that she 300 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,240 Speaker 1: tried out for the high school team in order to 301 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: meet a boy. She had never played golf before, but 302 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: the boy that she was interested in was on the 303 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: golf team, so she tried out for the girls team. 304 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: Obviously was terrible as she had never picked up a club, 305 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 1: didn't make the team, didn't get introduced to the boy, 306 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: and and has never played golf before in my life. 307 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: Here's Stephanie French, Ryan's wife, a nurse he met ten 308 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,679 Speaker 1: years ago. Was it love at first sight? What? What? 309 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: What struck you about him? And said, Oh, this is 310 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,919 Speaker 1: my guy. This is so funny, So I will always 311 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: remember this. We had a mutual friend that worked for 312 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 1: Ryan at our in the restaurant industry that introduced us, 313 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 1: and I had just moved to Chicago. Ryan had just 314 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:02,399 Speaker 1: moved to Chicago. And our friend that introduced us was 315 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 1: a very um, very kind, wonderful man, but he was 316 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 1: very sort of promiscuous with his love interests and he 317 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 1: had just broken up with a man. And so I 318 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:17,359 Speaker 1: came into his apartment and Ryan was sitting on the 319 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: couch and I was like, oh, Jacob's taste in men 320 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: is really improved, Like how I could get on board 321 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 1: with this, Maybe this one will actually last. And so 322 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: I sat and I talked to Ryan and I was like, oh, no, 323 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: this guy is for me, not Jacob. And um, and 324 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 1: so we just started hanging out as a group of friends. UM. 325 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:42,200 Speaker 1: But I think pretty quickly, yeah, we started dating. And 326 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: I mean within I want to say, six or eight months, 327 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: we were engaged. This is about the time when Ryan 328 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:53,439 Speaker 1: also meets cde Hawkersmith. The first year we met, I 329 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: think we were just engaged. I said, hey, there's a 330 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: mini tour event in town. It was actually a tour 331 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 1: of the U S Pro Tour. Fino was the leading 332 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: money winner and the owner stole everyone's money, which is 333 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,199 Speaker 1: another insight into the mini tour life. But they had 334 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: an advantage Chicago. I think the last event they ever 335 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 1: held before the owner disappeared with everybody's money. But they 336 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:21,119 Speaker 1: held a mini tour event in um in Chicago. We 337 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 1: were living downtown at the time. In a small apartment 338 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: and Uh I called the tour and said, hey, we'd 339 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:29,919 Speaker 1: like to house a player, and my wife's like, what 340 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 1: the hell is this? You know we're gonna have a 341 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,399 Speaker 1: stranger in our house. Two thousand twelve, I was playing 342 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:40,439 Speaker 1: on the National Progolf Tour. UM and Ryan we had 343 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,920 Speaker 1: an advantage Chicago, and Ryan offered us UM offered a billet, 344 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 1: UM which just host housing, offered us a room. So 345 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: buddy and I took him up on it and stayed. Um. 346 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: It was like it was basically a closet UM with 347 00:19:56,119 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: two air mattresses. UM. And so that's how I first 348 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,159 Speaker 1: met Ryan. I think it was junior two thousand and twelve, 349 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: and he can't He didn't caddy for me that event. 350 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: He caddied for the other guy. But we just we 351 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: hit it off. He took us up to it was 352 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: a John Hancock building and UM up to the bar 353 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: up top, and it was just it was a fun 354 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,879 Speaker 1: week and UM, we just we stayed in touch ever since. 355 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,960 Speaker 1: How what's he like as a caddy? Ryan's really good. Um, 356 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:27,399 Speaker 1: he's a good player himself, so that helps UM. But 357 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: he's he's really good at like knowing what to say 358 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: and when to say it or when not to say 359 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:37,160 Speaker 1: anything at all. Um, And I know him like our relationship, 360 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:39,360 Speaker 1: you know, like we we joke a lot, and so 361 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 1: it's to have him on the bag. It's like it's 362 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: it's really good because it keeps me, you know, calm 363 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: and just loose. So but he's he's very good, very 364 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,119 Speaker 1: good Caddy. I've been so fortunately, so lucky just to 365 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:54,680 Speaker 1: know Ryan and just kind of have like a front 366 00:20:54,760 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 1: row seat just see everything unfold. Um. And one thing 367 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: that you know, obviously doesn't really get talked about on Twitter, 368 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:07,360 Speaker 1: but like his wife's staph is like she's awesome. Um. 369 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: Every time I'm up there, uh for a qualifier or 370 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 1: whatever and out with Ryan, it's just she's kind of 371 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 1: doing whatever she can to let Ryan like have a 372 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,159 Speaker 1: good time because you know, like he he is at 373 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: home all day, um, and he's he's busy doing work, um, 374 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: putting out content. But she's just like she's super supportive, 375 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: and I think it's awesome. You know. I would think 376 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: Ryan would agree that most wives would be like, hey, Bud, 377 00:21:33,600 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: like take the sweatpants off, put on a suit and 378 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,640 Speaker 1: go get a real job. But she's just been She's 379 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: been great, so she deserves a lot of credit to 380 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:45,440 Speaker 1: my wife. Is uh. I mean, I haven't had a 381 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,680 Speaker 1: job for three years tweeting about golf, So to say 382 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: that she is supportive is um is is an understatement. 383 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 1: She's an amazing woman who's uh a nurse dealt with COVID, 384 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:01,040 Speaker 1: lost her dead in the last year, and um, she 385 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: is a huge part of of what this is. For sure. 386 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:10,359 Speaker 1: Any French was born in her little brother, Jackson French, 387 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: was born in and for the first year and a 388 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: half of his life they couldn't figure out why he 389 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 1: wouldn't stop vomiting. Our son, Jackson has what's called chiari malformation. 390 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: And I'll try to give a quick version of what 391 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,359 Speaker 1: it is. Um. You know, part of his brain is 392 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:30,159 Speaker 1: down the whole hole in his skull. And for for 393 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: different kids, that means different things. Uh. For jack it 394 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: meant that he he vomited every day of his life 395 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: when he was from the time he was a baby 396 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,919 Speaker 1: until time he had brain surgery. UM. And we didn't 397 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: know anything that doctors didn't know anything. We went to 398 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,159 Speaker 1: numerous doctors to try to get some answers, and the 399 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,879 Speaker 1: only reason we found charity was like we thought he 400 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:51,919 Speaker 1: had a brain tumor. So yeah, we had done at 401 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:56,880 Speaker 1: gastro doctors and uh and everything. I went to a 402 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 1: allergists and went back to our primary care doctor. They 403 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: thought we were overfeeding him and uh, it was a 404 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:05,160 Speaker 1: it was a rough year and a half for sure. 405 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:11,119 Speaker 1: Um And and I say in the article, is you 406 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 1: know I I'll never forget that. So we had an 407 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:16,760 Speaker 1: m r I brain m r I, and for some 408 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 1: reason I wish it didn't happen, but it did. That 409 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: the person who read our our m r I gave 410 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: us the report. And so for those that have never 411 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: been through this, and hopefully most of you never will, 412 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,240 Speaker 1: is a doctor doesn't read your m r E. There's 413 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 1: a person who specifically read your m r I, and 414 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 1: then you go to a doctor down the road. Whether 415 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 1: it's emergent you need to go right then or a 416 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: week or a month whatever. But you're not really supposed 417 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: to see a report because it's not a medical doctor 418 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: who reads it. And so for some reason they gave 419 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,960 Speaker 1: us out of the report and it said KR malformation. 420 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: And although my wife was a nurse, we'd never heard 421 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 1: of it and never google a medical condition. Uh that's 422 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: my advice to everybody. We came home kind of assumed 423 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 1: it meant brain surgery, and the next four days until 424 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:08,199 Speaker 1: we got into a pediatric neurologist was you know, a 425 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 1: pretty pretty rough, rough part of our life because you 426 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: don't know, you don't know what's coming. And so UM, 427 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:20,160 Speaker 1: finally met with John Rougie, who is is a hero 428 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: in our life. UM, and he told us our sundated 429 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 1: brain surgery. It was really hard. Um, it's still scary 430 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: for sure, but we are so lucky. Um. You know, 431 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: we spent that time in ic you and I think 432 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:42,159 Speaker 1: right has tweeted about it recently, Like we met a 433 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: lot of families who they never get to take their 434 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: kids home. And I see it at work a lot, 435 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 1: and then to go through it personally really just drives 436 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 1: at home. So I think, above all, we're just so thankful. Um. 437 00:24:56,240 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: Jack is healthy and smart and crazy five year old 438 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,480 Speaker 1: that drives us up the wall, but in the best 439 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 1: kind of way. Although I hate that Jack had to 440 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,120 Speaker 1: go through what he did, and he's fine out and 441 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 1: hopefully you know, there might be some complications down the road, 442 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 1: but if you met him, he'd be a pretty normal kid. 443 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,600 Speaker 1: But um, yeah, I'm I don't know if happy is 444 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: the right word, but I definitely learned a lot about 445 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,680 Speaker 1: life in those two weeks. We were fortunate that as 446 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 1: Rise platform has grown, he's worked with UM, the Bobby 447 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:36,240 Speaker 1: Jones Kiary Foundation. UM. We had no idea that this 448 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:40,719 Speaker 1: legendary golfer like also had Ciari malformation, and so that 449 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: was kind of a cool thing to connect like Rise 450 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:48,159 Speaker 1: love of UM, you know, golf and everything that that 451 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 1: means to his family to what we're going through now. 452 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:55,960 Speaker 1: So that was neat. Even though the great Bobby Jones 453 00:25:56,040 --> 00:26:00,199 Speaker 1: had Kiari malformation and there's a foundation raising aware us 454 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:03,920 Speaker 1: about the condition, it took doctors eighteen months to get 455 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 1: Jackson a diagnosis, and now French finds himself in a 456 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:12,119 Speaker 1: position to make a difference. I call it a perfect storm. 457 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,640 Speaker 1: Is uh jack head brain surgery. We had a long 458 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:19,679 Speaker 1: term nanny, Paulina, an amazing nanny that was with us 459 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: for years. Uh graduated from college and was going to 460 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:24,879 Speaker 1: go get a real job in the restaurant group that 461 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 1: I was working for. One bankrupt and so the start 462 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 1: of the account was I was gonna stay home for 463 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: a couple of months, and literally that was it, Like 464 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 1: I was gonna I was gonna stay home for a 465 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:39,399 Speaker 1: couple of months and look for a job that fits 466 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:42,120 Speaker 1: right and get a new nanny and get Jack back 467 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 1: to health and we and we would move on. He 468 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 1: never went back um, and he like very casually one 469 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,119 Speaker 1: day like mentioned to me, like, oh, I started a 470 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: quitter account to talk about golf. I was like in 471 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: the kitchen making dinner, and I was just like, okay, whatever, Well, 472 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: like I hope you like get like this will be 473 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: good for you because I I don't have the like 474 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: his ability to remember detail for sports is it's like 475 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: mind boggling. And I have teased him many times like 476 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 1: if he could use that brain power to like cure 477 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:27,720 Speaker 1: cancer or like you know and you know, climate issues, 478 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: the world would be a better place. I really started 479 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: this account to have an adult outlet. We have a 480 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: seven year old at the time of four year old, 481 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:38,120 Speaker 1: so a four year old and a two year old, 482 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,119 Speaker 1: and I didn't want to watch cartoons all day, and 483 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: so I have had these experiences through golf. But the 484 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,160 Speaker 1: original part of the account was I was just gonna 485 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,400 Speaker 1: post Monday qualifying scores I had met or played with 486 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: or you know, been in the group with so many 487 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,880 Speaker 1: guys at this point that I was checking many tour 488 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 1: scores and my nerd, my golf nerd had never left. 489 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:01,159 Speaker 1: I'd always done that through my life. It had created 490 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 1: more and more relationships. So I was looking at you know, 491 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: Outlaw Tour, in the Golden State Tour and West Florida 492 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: Tour to see friends or people who had stayed at 493 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: our house or people ID caddied for Ben in a 494 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:15,680 Speaker 1: group with so that never left. And then about two 495 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,440 Speaker 1: weeks before Jack surgery, I caddied uh for CD Haggersmith, 496 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:21,439 Speaker 1: who I just talked about in that stayed at our 497 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:24,400 Speaker 1: house and I said, hey, I'm thinking about starting this account. 498 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:26,359 Speaker 1: Here's all the things going on in my life. And 499 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:30,160 Speaker 1: he said, hey, man, you know, uh, why don't you start. 500 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:32,320 Speaker 1: It's a good idea. You know more about golf than 501 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:36,680 Speaker 1: anyone should. Um and uh. I always used my brother's line, 502 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: he said, if imagine what you would be an astronaut 503 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: if you knew this stuff much stuff about space. So yeah, 504 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 1: you just very casually mentioned I'm going to start this 505 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: Twitter account. U c D was a was like a 506 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: pro golfer that he caddied for has become friends with 507 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: and he said, you know, c D and I just 508 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:58,720 Speaker 1: kind of kicked it around and it's just gonna be 509 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: someplace I can be like a golf nerd with a 510 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: few guys. And I was like, that sounds great, because 511 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 1: then maybe you won't try to get me involved in 512 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: these conversations that I cannot remember. And so he started it, 513 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: and like it was just one of those things where 514 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: like a week or two I go by and he'd 515 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: be like, oh my gosh, I have a hundred followers, 516 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: and then I have if a hundred followers would have 517 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 1: been a lot um. I remember calling I never called 518 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: my wife at work. She's a nurse who dealing with 519 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,959 Speaker 1: like life and death. I remember calling my wife when 520 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: I got to a thousand at work and saying I 521 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 1: just went over a thousand followers, and I was like, 522 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: are you sure they're not like confused, like they know 523 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: this is not like what's happening. And it just has 524 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 1: like slow and steady, kept growing um and so you know, 525 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: here we are. Every moment in this account has been 526 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,719 Speaker 1: so surreal. And I say it all the time, is 527 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:03,719 Speaker 1: if I made a list of the craziest things that 528 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: would happen at the beginning of this account, none of 529 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 1: the things that have actually happened would have been on 530 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:14,920 Speaker 1: that list because the stuff that's happened is is literally 531 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 1: too crazy to even comprehend. For example, like give me, 532 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: give me a couple sure. Yeah, last night I was 533 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: messaging with Aaron Rodgers h and he is sending money 534 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: to a high school team that I am helping. I mean, like, 535 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: that is just I don't even he's a follower of mine. 536 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: We've messaged back and forth some talk about needing an outlet. 537 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: In the middle of all that's going on with Green 538 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: Bay and the Packers front office, Aaron Rodgers is helping 539 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 1: Monday qualifiers. So the story of Aaron Rodgers like, I 540 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: was streaming that Scottsdale Open during COVID. It was like 541 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 1: the only golf tournament going on in the entire world, 542 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: and I was streaming it and I saw him Like 543 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: people that get on your stream, you know, they show up, 544 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 1: And I was like, Aaron Rodgers, like what, I didn't 545 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:10,560 Speaker 1: know he followed me whatever, And then I noticed he 546 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 1: followed me. I was like, this is crazy. And then 547 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: about two or three months later he sent me a 548 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: message was like, hey, I saw that player needs help, 549 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 1: I'd like to do it. I just like stare at 550 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: my phone like is this really happening? And uh yeah, 551 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: We're like texting. We're like, what are buddies? Meanwhile, Ryan 552 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: French is an avid Detroit Lions fan. So the last 553 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 1: last Aaron Rodders story, so he sent me this thing 554 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: before I responded like I had to collect myself that 555 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:41,959 Speaker 1: he sent it, and he's like, how can I help? Uh? 556 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:43,960 Speaker 1: And I said it to my buddies and I and 557 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:48,480 Speaker 1: my buddy replied, what you say? And I said, uh, oh, 558 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 1: I sent him a message and I said I've been 559 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:56,880 Speaker 1: a lifelong Lions fan, so please fuck off. And he's like, 560 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 1: did you really say that? I was like, I didn't 561 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 1: really do it. He's d M with Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, 562 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: I know, it's crazy. It's just crazy, he said, Detroit 563 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 1: Lions fan. He wanted to tell Aaron I don't need 564 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: your help. I don't want your help. You know, stick it. 565 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,440 Speaker 1: I hope he did not say that. He did not 566 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 1: say that, but he wanted to. He was joking. Yesterday 567 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 1: I was on Golf Channel, talked to Aaron Rodgers. I 568 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: funded to my followers, funded two high school teams in need. 569 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 1: H Mackenzie Hughes, who was at the Masters this year 570 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: UH sent seven boxes of clothes and equipment and things 571 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 1: to a school in need in UH North Carolina. H 572 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,440 Speaker 1: a guy today. It was a golf coach of a 573 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: team in Florida got five thousand dollars from somebody to 574 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:02,680 Speaker 1: fund his entire year. That's that's happened in the last 575 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 1: two days. I don't I don't even know. I don't 576 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: even know what to say. I asked Ryan's parents and 577 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 1: his wife where they thought he got his motivation for 578 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 1: a career dedicated to stories about the little guy and 579 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: kids in need of resources. I also asked Ryan a 580 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:21,760 Speaker 1: couple of parts to that, man is is my mom is? 581 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: You know, was a drug and alcoholic counselor for many years, 582 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: and you know, UM helped people in so many ways 583 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:34,320 Speaker 1: and just have always been you know, she talked and 584 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:37,720 Speaker 1: put into me. My dad put mentally and physically handicapped 585 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 1: people into the workplace and could have left for a 586 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:43,200 Speaker 1: job that paid more, you know, as the CEO of 587 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:45,920 Speaker 1: this small company for thirty five years and could have 588 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: left for a better paying job. It's just part of 589 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:51,520 Speaker 1: who my family was. UM. But I think two parts 590 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: of that is I think I ran a group of 591 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 1: restaurants I was. I was young and making good money, 592 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,240 Speaker 1: and I think I was pretty selfish. Uh at that 593 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: point in my life. UM, I met my wife, one 594 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: of the most unselfish people I've ever met, and really 595 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: changed who I was. And she has been amazingly supportive 596 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:15,720 Speaker 1: of what this is UM on a much bigger scale 597 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 1: once it started to grow. That was the conversation my 598 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:22,719 Speaker 1: wife and I had is we have to use this 599 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:26,480 Speaker 1: for good. I love that you know, players have followers 600 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:31,319 Speaker 1: have given players. There's a guy who has given players 601 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: dollars he was a follower of mine to continue to 602 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:36,560 Speaker 1: chase his dreams, no strings attached, and that is amazing 603 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:41,120 Speaker 1: and wonderful. I'm very proud and happy. But to give 604 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: to talk to the golf coach I did today and 605 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 1: know that this guy was blueing golf bags together to 606 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:51,120 Speaker 1: make his team and now he has five thousand dollars 607 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:54,520 Speaker 1: to go buy what he wants. Uh. I think if 608 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:59,239 Speaker 1: you have a platform, then it's in a small part 609 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: you have to use it for good. So you must 610 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,320 Speaker 1: love the idea that the tour has just decided to 611 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 1: arbitrarily start giving out forty million extra dollars to the 612 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 1: guys who are already very, very wealthy and have accomplished 613 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: a ton of like. You must love that concept. You 614 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: must think there's no better way to spend this forty 615 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 1: million than just simply throw it at the already rich, right, Yeah, 616 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 1: I mean to be fair to the tour. They've come 617 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:25,759 Speaker 1: a long way, you know. I think they never cared 618 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:28,840 Speaker 1: about Mondays. They have never cared about the back fillers 619 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: of that story, and I think the tour has never 620 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 1: given a fair shot to tell those stories and and 621 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:37,240 Speaker 1: make it interesting. They always say, oh, Tiger, And obviously 622 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 1: I understand Tiger and the top five get it. But uh, 623 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:46,320 Speaker 1: when you when you see guys, I'll use a player. 624 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:48,479 Speaker 1: I don't know if he wants to mention, so, uh. 625 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:52,839 Speaker 1: He finished very high in the Latin American Tour, had 626 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:57,080 Speaker 1: a great year one whatever whatever. He sent me his 627 00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 1: balance sheet. He made twelve dollars net, you know, take home. 628 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:03,920 Speaker 1: I think he finished fourth on the money list on 629 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:07,240 Speaker 1: the Latin American Tour. And he has he has four kids, 630 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:11,600 Speaker 1: and twelve thousand dollars probably goes maybe a month, you know, 631 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:15,600 Speaker 1: two and a half months, three months and so yeah, 632 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:20,759 Speaker 1: I think to be very fair. Uh, obviously, I think 633 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,200 Speaker 1: that the forty million could have spent ben spent elsewhere. 634 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:27,000 Speaker 1: That the corn Ferry Tour persons are the same that 635 00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:30,400 Speaker 1: they've been for seven years. The guy who has finished seventy, 636 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 1: who is probably a top four hundred or five player 637 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:37,480 Speaker 1: in the world, Ah, can't make a living. Steve Wheatcroft 638 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:40,160 Speaker 1: is a perfect example. Like Steve, I was like, what 639 00:36:40,239 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 1: I'm I'm not going back to the corn Ferry Tour. 640 00:36:42,120 --> 00:36:46,879 Speaker 1: I have a family. On Monday June, Michael Kasaki made 641 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:49,560 Speaker 1: it twenty part to qualify first spot in the Valspar 642 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:53,800 Speaker 1: Championship at Innisbrook and Florida. The video of the Saki's 643 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:55,799 Speaker 1: called to his father to tell him he made it 644 00:36:56,080 --> 00:37:00,760 Speaker 1: has one point five million views. This is the sound 645 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 1: from the Saki's press conference. Do you have any sense 646 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:06,760 Speaker 1: of why your story seems to be resonating so widely? 647 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:16,239 Speaker 1: Why so many people are tweeting about and cheering on Instagram? 648 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 1: Because a lot of people give up on their dreams, 649 00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: probably because they can't avoid it. Um. I've been lucky 650 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:28,279 Speaker 1: enough to be with my parents and being able to 651 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:34,799 Speaker 1: help me out. Sometimes two keep leaving it, and I 652 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 1: said it today in a tweet, Matt is there just 653 00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:41,320 Speaker 1: happened to be a camera there this week? That happens 654 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: at almost every Monday. I talked to Neil Johnson, who's 655 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 1: who's who's helped me along the way, and it's now 656 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,560 Speaker 1: starting to grow his own thing. He's like, Ryan, I 657 00:37:50,560 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 1: I want to qualified for the Puerto Rico Open, you know, 658 00:37:55,719 --> 00:37:58,040 Speaker 1: four years ago, And I sat in my car and bad. 659 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:00,760 Speaker 1: He's like, no one ever saw that there just happened 660 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 1: to be a camera there. Uh, there's not very Monday, 661 00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:10,279 Speaker 1: very many Mondays that a career defining. Maybe it's the 662 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:14,760 Speaker 1: like maybe Michael Velsaki will never get to the PGA Tour. Uh, 663 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:17,439 Speaker 1: maybe he'll never make it to the corn Ferry Tour, 664 00:38:17,560 --> 00:38:20,200 Speaker 1: but he'll always have that moment. I use a guy 665 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 1: all the time. His name was Tad Belcon. No one 666 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:25,759 Speaker 1: has ever heard of Todd Belkin. Uh, no one will 667 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:28,040 Speaker 1: ever hear of Todd Belcon again. He was a pizza 668 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:33,520 Speaker 1: store manager and made it through the Byron Nelson two 669 00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:36,640 Speaker 1: years ago pre qualifier and then made it through the 670 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:41,279 Speaker 1: Monday qualifier. And he probably has no chance. I mean, 671 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:45,200 Speaker 1: he didn't even attempt to play pro golf as a career. Uh, 672 00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:49,279 Speaker 1: he's I think he's an insurance salesman now and he 673 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,960 Speaker 1: will always be able to tell his kids that he 674 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:56,359 Speaker 1: played on the PGA Tour. And I think it's such 675 00:38:56,360 --> 00:39:01,800 Speaker 1: a cool thing in sports. It's like, I always people 676 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:05,240 Speaker 1: laugh at this analogy, but there's no free throw contest 677 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: to play for the Lakers, There's no there's no breakaway 678 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:13,000 Speaker 1: contest to play for the Red Wings. And that's what 679 00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:16,560 Speaker 1: a Monday qualifier is. It really is. I mean, at 680 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:17,799 Speaker 1: the end of the day, if you have a two 681 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:21,719 Speaker 1: point oh handicap or below, you can play on the 682 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:25,560 Speaker 1: PGA Tour. End of story, like you get through a prey. Yeah, 683 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:27,680 Speaker 1: there's no strings, there's no one to tell you you're 684 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:29,719 Speaker 1: you're not fast enough, for strong enough, you don't hit 685 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,960 Speaker 1: the ball far enough. Eighteen holes is like it's a 686 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:37,480 Speaker 1: free throw contest. It really is. You can beat a 687 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:41,239 Speaker 1: very good developmental Tour player, can beat a PGA Tour 688 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: member and eighteen holes and no doubt about it. It doesn't. 689 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:48,920 Speaker 1: It happens all the time. It is such Michael vel 690 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:53,520 Speaker 1: Saki moments happened at almost every Monday. Back to cde 691 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:56,759 Speaker 1: Hawker Smith on where the Monday q info handle is 692 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,560 Speaker 1: now and where it might go from here. I think 693 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:03,920 Speaker 1: this week was really huge with the I think Michael 694 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:06,600 Speaker 1: Vasaki is his name the Monday Qualifier at VAL's bar. 695 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:10,400 Speaker 1: Um like guys who are in the golf industry and 696 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 1: obviously like his followers know. But but like what has 697 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 1: happened this week with just the amount of attention that 698 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:21,280 Speaker 1: that has gotten. Um, Like it's, uh, it's really cool 699 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:25,600 Speaker 1: to see. But I think like it's it's a springboard 700 00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 1: for you know, what is to come and like what 701 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 1: is possible the potential of you know, kind of what 702 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:35,359 Speaker 1: he has created. In the end, Ryan French was being 703 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:38,680 Speaker 1: compensated by the PGA Tour for writing for their website, 704 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:44,719 Speaker 1: but it wasn't much at all. In fact, if he 705 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:49,240 Speaker 1: elected to attend a Monday Qualifier in person, he'd lose 706 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:52,239 Speaker 1: money doing it. What is your relationship like with the 707 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:58,240 Speaker 1: PGA Tour. Yeah, I mean, uh, it's a it's a 708 00:40:58,239 --> 00:41:03,279 Speaker 1: tough dynamic because I was on a call with them 709 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:05,000 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago and they said, you know, 710 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 1: we love ninety percent of what you do, we don't 711 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:12,040 Speaker 1: like two So probably they like of what I do 712 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,520 Speaker 1: and they don't like. That's probably my That's probably a 713 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:20,040 Speaker 1: guess is I try my best to keep it very 714 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:22,760 Speaker 1: honest about what these guys go through, what golf courses 715 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:26,360 Speaker 1: look like, that there's no purses that I think the 716 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:29,920 Speaker 1: corn forty. You know, I tried to be as much 717 00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,520 Speaker 1: as I can that voice for the players, and the 718 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:35,279 Speaker 1: tour is not fond of that at times for sure. 719 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:39,839 Speaker 1: Um you know, the waste management has played at McCormick Ranch, 720 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:44,960 Speaker 1: which is like a factory. They the Monday qualifiers stay 721 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:49,000 Speaker 1: off Matt's and the greens aren't very good and those 722 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:51,920 Speaker 1: kind of things. And I'm going to tweet that, uh, 723 00:41:53,120 --> 00:41:56,200 Speaker 1: I know that make the two are very happy. So 724 00:41:56,560 --> 00:42:01,719 Speaker 1: um yeah, I I I have tried my best to 725 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:08,320 Speaker 1: What has worked in this account up to this point 726 00:42:08,520 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 1: is tweeting what I think is interesting or important to 727 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:15,360 Speaker 1: be said. And I don't. Of course, it's in the 728 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:17,759 Speaker 1: back of my mind now that I wrote for the 729 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:21,279 Speaker 1: tour and those kind of things. But I just say 730 00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:24,400 Speaker 1: what I want to say, and I don't want the 731 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:27,279 Speaker 1: tour to ever sense for me. That doesn't mean the 732 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:31,040 Speaker 1: tour doesn't doesn't people from the tour don't texture call 733 00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:34,439 Speaker 1: me to ask why I tweeted something that they do 734 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:38,359 Speaker 1: for sure. UM, And my response often to that is, 735 00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:41,799 Speaker 1: I hope you guys see that of my stuff is 736 00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:44,120 Speaker 1: pretty positive, and I hope you go back and look 737 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:46,440 Speaker 1: at that. I mean, you go from a TV on 738 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:50,800 Speaker 1: fire to uh to joining the fire Pit Collective. Ryan French, 739 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:54,239 Speaker 1: welcome to the fire Pit Collective. Matt, thank you so much. 740 00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:59,960 Speaker 1: I really I Ah, I will tell how I felt 741 00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:04,719 Speaker 1: about this moment. Um. Matt and I and Alan Rann 742 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 1: to zoom call with Alex I don't know, a couple 743 00:43:07,280 --> 00:43:10,799 Speaker 1: of weeks ago, and we agreed that we're gonna make 744 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:15,320 Speaker 1: this work. And I clicked leave the meeting and my wife, 745 00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:19,080 Speaker 1: Stephanie was it was in a chair next to me, 746 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:23,759 Speaker 1: and it was just dead silence. After I got off 747 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:28,719 Speaker 1: the call, and she was crying, and I just was 748 00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:33,560 Speaker 1: really like stunned that this is all come to this. Really, 749 00:43:33,880 --> 00:43:38,000 Speaker 1: it's ah, it is very very surreal. My wife is 750 00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:43,440 Speaker 1: uh amazingly happy. I'm like, I can't believe it. Uh. 751 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:46,040 Speaker 1: The line I wrote in the story is my dreams 752 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:50,000 Speaker 1: never got this far. That's just all there is doing. Uh. 753 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:52,359 Speaker 1: If you said, hey, what's your dream? If you could 754 00:43:52,360 --> 00:43:55,319 Speaker 1: be in golf journalism. I wouldn't have ever thought that 755 00:43:55,360 --> 00:43:58,800 Speaker 1: it would end here for sure. Well, we're just getting started. 756 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:06,880 Speaker 1: Let's go up. Before we get to Bryan French's favorite 757 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:09,840 Speaker 1: fire pit, I want to let you know about Part Points, 758 00:44:10,440 --> 00:44:14,160 Speaker 1: a new scoring system for golf. This is Brandon Eibert, 759 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:17,839 Speaker 1: one of the developers of the concept and the app. Well, 760 00:44:17,840 --> 00:44:19,600 Speaker 1: a couple of years ago now, Kevin came to the 761 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:21,600 Speaker 1: office and was watching Morning Drive and he said, well, 762 00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:23,319 Speaker 1: they were talking about how you teach your kids how 763 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:25,200 Speaker 1: to play golf. And my boys are seven and ten 764 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:27,520 Speaker 1: at the time, and he said, well, teach him how 765 00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:29,279 Speaker 1: to play. Got tuble to shoot par And it's you know, 766 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:31,480 Speaker 1: start from twenty five yards and and you make sure 767 00:44:31,480 --> 00:44:33,960 Speaker 1: you're consistently shooting part from that distance. When you do that, 768 00:44:34,239 --> 00:44:35,839 Speaker 1: move back to fifty when you do that, moved back 769 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:38,200 Speaker 1: to seventy five. And it kind of hit me two ways. 770 00:44:38,239 --> 00:44:40,400 Speaker 1: One is, I'm not a scratch golfer. I probably should 771 00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:42,440 Speaker 1: play golf the same way. You'll find a distance on 772 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:44,759 Speaker 1: every hole where I can make par from and and 773 00:44:44,920 --> 00:44:46,839 Speaker 1: and so we started practicing like that. When I take 774 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:48,920 Speaker 1: the boys to play golf, we would play forward and 775 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:50,520 Speaker 1: you know i'd play maybe from a tea box for 776 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:52,640 Speaker 1: a tea box. They play up and there was a 777 00:44:52,680 --> 00:44:55,840 Speaker 1: time where my oldest son Corbin gets par from fifty 778 00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:58,279 Speaker 1: yards and my youngest son Keaton gets parts from twenty 779 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:01,040 Speaker 1: five yards and Corban goes I deserve more points than 780 00:45:01,040 --> 00:45:03,080 Speaker 1: my brother because I made part from from further back 781 00:45:03,600 --> 00:45:05,200 Speaker 1: and that's what my ball went on. I was like, yeah, 782 00:45:05,280 --> 00:45:07,839 Speaker 1: we have something, And then I realized I was having 783 00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:10,160 Speaker 1: so much more fun playing golf when I was scoring 784 00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:14,000 Speaker 1: than I was trying to navigate bogies and bars from 785 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:19,000 Speaker 1: you know, the blue tea boxes. If you will download 786 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:22,400 Speaker 1: the part points app now and go make part beyond 787 00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:25,960 Speaker 1: your Twitter account? What is your fire pit? Yeah, I 788 00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:29,640 Speaker 1: mean I'll go back Matt to to my dad and 789 00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:32,479 Speaker 1: eyes brown of golf and uh, it's not a fire 790 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:35,360 Speaker 1: pit at all. But every Friday. Uh, we used to 791 00:45:35,440 --> 00:45:41,320 Speaker 1: play for a toughly Sunday from McDonald's and so um 792 00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:45,320 Speaker 1: I lost often. Uh. I was a little bit mentally 793 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:47,280 Speaker 1: weak when I was a kid, and my dad was 794 00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:50,000 Speaker 1: was competitive and would remind me that I was getting 795 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:52,080 Speaker 1: close to beating him, and I would often fold like 796 00:45:52,120 --> 00:45:55,600 Speaker 1: a like a cheap tent and Uh, I spent many 797 00:45:55,600 --> 00:45:59,319 Speaker 1: allowances paying for my dad's Sundays. But um, we would 798 00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:01,560 Speaker 1: sit in the car and and eat our Sundays that 799 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:04,760 Speaker 1: I often paid for, and uh you know, talk about 800 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:07,160 Speaker 1: Like I said, it really had very little to do 801 00:46:07,239 --> 00:46:10,800 Speaker 1: with golf a lot. It was about life. And um, 802 00:46:10,800 --> 00:46:12,680 Speaker 1: you know, my dad and I sit around and talk 803 00:46:12,800 --> 00:46:16,400 Speaker 1: golf often. Ah, we'll do it today. Is health is 804 00:46:16,440 --> 00:46:21,400 Speaker 1: not uh not not great, but we've had many years 805 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:26,640 Speaker 1: of amazing golf. And so yeah, he had a red 806 00:46:26,719 --> 00:46:29,320 Speaker 1: Ford for us, if I remember right as his uh 807 00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:33,240 Speaker 1: as his company car, and there was many conversations about 808 00:46:33,239 --> 00:46:36,319 Speaker 1: golf and life, uh, sitting in that car and then 809 00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:37,520 Speaker 1: McDonald's parking lot