WEBVTT - Fire Drill 024: Final U.S. Open Preview 0:00:04.640 --> 0:00:06.720 Without Tiger in the field. And it's weird that we've 0:00:06.760 --> 0:00:09.520 been talking golf all week in Tiger's name barely has 0:00:09.560 --> 0:00:13.440 come up. Uh without Tiger in the field. Justin Thomas's 0:00:13.480 --> 0:00:17.680 Tigers target. Uh, he's got that, you know, get out 0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:20.840 of my way quality. I'm all about the golf. There 0:00:20.880 --> 0:00:24.120 really is no distracting interest in any love sports other 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:27.360 than golf, like like Tiger does. But he really is 0:00:27.400 --> 0:00:31.640 about the work on the range, the work on the course. Uh, 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:33.440 and the score of the score of the score. And 0:00:33.440 --> 0:00:36.040 I think that's a I think that's a neat quality 0:00:36.040 --> 0:00:38.559 in Justin Thomas. And uh, you know, I think if 0:00:38.600 --> 0:00:40.880 you've got a direct line to Tiger Woods, I don't 0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:48.040 see how that could be anything other than helpful. Put 0:00:48.120 --> 0:01:03.040 another log on the fire nobody hears get the time. Hello, 0:01:03.080 --> 0:01:06.720 This is Alan Schipnuk back for another Fire Drill podcast, 0:01:07.080 --> 0:01:11.040 joined by Michael Bamberger Ryan French. It is the eve 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:14.800 of the United States Open gens. There's been a lot 0:01:14.840 --> 0:01:19.280 of a lot of build up. Um, finally here, I 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:22.360 guess let's start with what has been your takeaway from 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:25.640 the practice rounds at the country club. The way the 0:01:25.640 --> 0:01:28.400 course is playing, but more than that, just the ambiance, 0:01:28.760 --> 0:01:33.560 the feeling in the air, the Boston crowds, Like, tell 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:36.200 people what it feels like to be on the grounds here. Yeah, 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:39.320 I mean it's my first major, my first open, so 0:01:39.480 --> 0:01:42.120 obviously I just walk around like enjoying all of it. 0:01:42.520 --> 0:01:46.880 So there's that. Um, And obviously I know how hard 0:01:46.959 --> 0:01:49.640 the the u S Open is and set up what 0:01:49.680 --> 0:01:52.240 it's it's great to see it in person and practice rounds. 0:01:52.800 --> 0:01:55.360 You know, we see bad shots here and there as 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:58.120 the U S Open goes on, but to watch guys 0:01:58.840 --> 0:02:04.480 in the practice round true struggle is is really cool. Um. 0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:06.600 The crowds have been kind of I mean, obviously it's 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:10.680 Tuesday and Wednesday whatever, but the crowds have been somewhat disappointing. 0:02:10.720 --> 0:02:12.600 But I assume they'll drink more and enjoy more. And 0:02:12.680 --> 0:02:16.200 heckle Moore, Phil got a very nice reception yesterday. The 0:02:16.280 --> 0:02:19.760 shambo got you know, some nice applause. I was like, jeez, 0:02:19.919 --> 0:02:22.760 come on, Boston, let's get at it. But the imminence 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:29.600 have been great. The course it looks amazing and impossibly hard. Um. 0:02:29.639 --> 0:02:33.440 I mean, the the whole ropes thing and structure thing 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:37.520 and rules following thing is kind of disappointing. I'm at 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:40.040 events when there is no such things and no fans, 0:02:40.320 --> 0:02:44.240 so that's obviously a bummer. But it's amazing. It really 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:47.680 is a very very cool. Have you seen any player 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:50.079 get the red ass over a bad shot in practice? 0:02:51.320 --> 0:02:54.240 I haven't, but I've definitely seen some people like laugh. 0:02:54.600 --> 0:02:57.720 You know, Um, I followed a couple of groups the 0:02:57.760 --> 0:03:02.200 other day and uh, I think Monday, and uh, Andrew 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:05.600 Putnam hit a whiff and then a shank out of 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:08.400 the rough at a chip, and you know, just chuckled 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:11.280 and went and picked up his ball. So, I mean, 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:14.960 these guys have been through it a lot, so there's 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:16.960 no there's no point in being mad at him on 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:19.360 a Monday afternoon. Is that the older Putnam or the 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:22.840 younger Putnam? That is the younger and the only current 0:03:22.880 --> 0:03:25.640 playing Putnam? Oh, the other guys playing? Michael is not 0:03:27.080 --> 0:03:29.480 he was. He was my roommate when you're well just 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:35.000 a few years ago, Channica Hills. Wow, Michael Bamberger, I 0:03:35.040 --> 0:03:37.200 feel so badly. We have to have a story about 0:03:37.200 --> 0:03:41.440 the cryptocurrency taxi ride one day. Anyway, go on, No, 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:43.840 the more you hang out with Bamberger, he'll he'll just 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:47.360 bust out surprising things at the all time classic is 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:51.040 we're talking and I knew he had just been vacationing, 0:03:51.120 --> 0:03:53.000 like in Martha's video. I said, how was it? He said, Oh, 0:03:53.040 --> 0:03:55.360 it was delightful. You know, it's just it's such a 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:58.040 nice place, such a great time. I said, do you guys, 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:00.920 are you gonna you know, fancy parties. I I know 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:02.240 it's a big thing. He's like, yeah, I went to 0:04:02.360 --> 0:04:05.040 one good one. I said, yeah, you know, actually I 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:07.360 saw a Bomba was there at the same time. Did 0:04:07.440 --> 0:04:10.760 you have any any hint of his presence? And Michael's like, yeah, yeah, 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.920 yeah I did. And um and then as there was 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:16.000 any cool people at your party? And He's like, well, 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:19.279 not really, I mean I guess Obama was there. He said, 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:21.920 oh yeah. And as I said, did you have any 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:24.080 actions like yeah, yeah, I even talked about golf like 0:04:24.240 --> 0:04:26.320 you would have never have mentioned it. Yeah, like hold 0:04:26.360 --> 0:04:29.320 it out of it, Like whereas most of us I 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:31.279 would have taken out a full page ad in my 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:33.280 hometown news paper. I went to a party with Barack 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:35.040 Obama and talked to him like I would have been 0:04:35.040 --> 0:04:39.040 a hundred and seven tweets into my interaction with Barack Obama. 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:42.360 But I did tweet out today, good morning America. You 0:04:42.360 --> 0:04:46.360 you you whiffed on ship knock? How dare you? I mean, 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:50.360 I can't. I mean, as you know, Alan, but the 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:53.520 forty seven mile walk that we made yesterday was just 0:04:54.400 --> 0:04:56.320 I just told myself over and over again to shut 0:04:56.440 --> 0:04:59.760 up and just listen to Michael stories, anything from ja 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:04.679 K to cryptocurrency to yeah house that I described friends 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:07.880 as we met winning the US Open in nighteen, and 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:09.919 I was only off by five years. I later learned 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:14.480 cult probably picked up on that, But you got to 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:17.320 the essence of the story. Yeah, that's what matters. Um, Michael, 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:20.560 You've been to a lot of opens, but you know 0:05:20.600 --> 0:05:23.520 it's been whatever, it's been decades since we were at 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:27.039 this particular Um, does this one feel any different to 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:29.160 you now that you've been on You know, I've talked 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:31.640 to Curtis a lot about eighty eight, and then Curtis's 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:34.080 brother said to me, Uh, were you there? Were you 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:35.960 there in a eight? And I wasn't, And it's like 0:05:36.040 --> 0:05:39.480 that was a bad US Open to miss? That was Uh, 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:41.520 that would have been a great US Open. The only 0:05:41.560 --> 0:05:42.919 time I've been to the Country Club is when you 0:05:42.920 --> 0:05:44.560 and I were there together. I don't think you've been 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:47.800 there since then. In uh In, I love reading the 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:49.680 Boston Globe when I'm here. It's just like one of 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:52.760 my hobbies. And uh and they made a reference to 0:05:52.800 --> 0:05:55.320 the rocky outcroppings. I hope I have this word correct. 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:58.320 Maybe Colt can can google it while I'm saying it. 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:01.000 Those rocky outcrop things that you see at the country 0:06:01.160 --> 0:06:07.080 anybody know what they're called? That's correct putting Stone? Who knew? 0:06:07.400 --> 0:06:09.520 But they're so beautiful and the golf course is so 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:11.600 beautiful and as an and I know it the other day, 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:15.040 which you have Vogilly that yellow clubhouse. You know, it's 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:18.400 like it's like the light at the end of Gatsby's dock. 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:21.279 You know, it's just it triggers a lot for me. 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:26.320 And uh I love being a colt. Or you're googling? 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:28.680 Can you google Getsby? So I know what the hell 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:33.680 that references? Do? Nobody know? You've got a PhD. And 0:06:34.640 --> 0:06:37.080 I have a question for you guys, because you guys 0:06:37.120 --> 0:06:40.080 have done this a billion times. This is a serious question. 0:06:40.600 --> 0:06:44.880 Like I assume some of this becomes routine, right, But 0:06:44.960 --> 0:06:47.359 there's so much going on in golf right now that 0:06:47.400 --> 0:06:50.080 has never happened in your time covering golf. Does it 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:54.440 feel different? Does it feel polarizing? Doesn't I mean any 0:06:54.480 --> 0:06:57.520 of like what it What does it feel like with 0:06:57.800 --> 0:07:02.360 all the what's going on in golf? Well, definitely this 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:09.080 the Live Saudi PGA Tour, Phil that that's captured the 0:07:09.200 --> 0:07:13.760 non golf audience and even the non sports like um 0:07:13.840 --> 0:07:15.800 for just Time magazine wants to talk to about all 0:07:15.800 --> 0:07:18.040 this stuff like they today, I want to do an 0:07:18.040 --> 0:07:21.000 interview with them. They they don't really wade into these 0:07:21.000 --> 0:07:25.280 waters very often. And I saw Dave's are in you know, 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:29.880 he's who's kind of covers the intersection of sports and 0:07:29.920 --> 0:07:33.000 culture and race and those issues, like I haven't read it. 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:35.040 I just saw on Twitter just now that he has 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:38.920 a big think piece about all this stuff. So it's 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:42.720 definitely a big deal. And there's been you know, there's 0:07:42.760 --> 0:07:46.000 been the strain of of our of our our readers 0:07:46.080 --> 0:07:48.560 or the people interact with on on social media state, 0:07:48.720 --> 0:07:50.800 you know, enough questions about live like let's focus on 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:53.160 the U s Open. I think that will happen starting 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:55.960 tomorrow with the first round. But this is a huge story. 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:58.120 I mean It's one of the biggest story in sports 0:07:58.240 --> 0:08:02.280 right now. Like you can't deny of it. Um, there's 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:06.600 there's a lot happening here. So it does. It's been 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:08.760 floating around for a long time. But it's like everything 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:12.840 collided here. Coming coming out of London. Uh feels re 0:08:12.920 --> 0:08:17.680 emergent Bryson and announcing you know, the guy just won 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:19.760 the US Open a couple of years ago. Like all 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:23.480 of a sudden, it just feels like this story is exploded. 0:08:23.560 --> 0:08:26.680 So yeah, that you know, we've been through this before 0:08:26.800 --> 0:08:30.840 with you know, say the Augusta National Membership controversy and 0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:34.040 that that became a fixation of the New York Times 0:08:34.080 --> 0:08:37.439 and that definitely crossed over to the mainstream media. And 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:41.640 before that with Shoal Creek. Um, and there's you know, 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:44.320 golf has been at the center of some of these storms, 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:49.160 but not not really in the social media age. And um, 0:08:49.200 --> 0:08:51.839 Saudi Arabia, you know with Joe Biden is about to 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:55.280 go over there, and uh, it's it's Saudi Arabia's influence 0:08:55.840 --> 0:08:58.480 has never been greater and people have never been so 0:08:58.559 --> 0:09:02.080 tuned into it. And so you have sports, you have geopolitics, 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:04.640 you have oil, you have money, you have greed, you 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:08.880 have vengeance, and you have big teams here. So this 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:12.480 this feels like like a monumental story. And uh, I 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:14.360 don't think it's going to overstattle the US Open, but 0:09:14.400 --> 0:09:17.520 it's definitely defined the early part of the week. That 0:09:17.960 --> 0:09:21.200 is really well said down and uh, I agree with 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:23.600 everywhere that that everywhere that you just said. And the 0:09:23.600 --> 0:09:25.840 only thing I would add to it. What's very different 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:28.440 about this controversy and other things that have come over 0:09:28.440 --> 0:09:32.439 the years, whether it's been Right's comment about quote lesbians 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:35.840 in the in the in the women's game, or you know, 0:09:35.920 --> 0:09:38.280 women just happens to be another one's thing, but no 0:09:38.400 --> 0:09:44.760 women had no, no, uh, members of color at different clubs. 0:09:45.920 --> 0:09:49.400 This one we know is being discussed by the players 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:53.000 at every turn. So what we're doing is really reflecting 0:09:53.040 --> 0:09:55.640 the player's own interest in it. Now. Yes, once the 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:57.319 bell goes off in that ball sitting there and you're 0:09:57.320 --> 0:09:59.600 trying to get near the whole, that's all different. But 0:10:01.240 --> 0:10:04.080 the PGA tour as we know it is being redefined 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:07.800 now and there's no way that can't be foremost on 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:10.559 virtually every player's mind. Maybe Ryan, maybe not so much. 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:12.199 Some of the guys that that that you deal with. 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:14.880 But for a hundred other guys who are in the 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:20.360 field this week, most definitely. Yeah, But even even even 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:22.720 the dreamers are going to be touched by this. I 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:25.560 mean on some level, if you have four d PGA 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:28.439 Tour members who all of a sudden get excommunicated and 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:30.480 there may be some more playing opportunities that will open 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:33.920 up that you know, the Saudi money, they they're they're 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:37.360 cleverly gonna start targeting the lower levels of golf like 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.920 it's gonna touch you know, even the people in Ryan's 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:44.240 golfing life. I think that's why it's such a big story. 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:46.880 A lot of different facets of the game are are 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:49.040 being affected, even though right now that the focus is 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:52.280 just on the top players and we you and I 0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:54.600 talked about this the other day with with with Jeff 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:59.240 and and and matt Um. I think there is an 0:10:59.280 --> 0:11:01.920 element of I'm going to raise the flag for my tour. 0:11:02.240 --> 0:11:05.880 If you're a PGA Tour player, especially uh competing in 0:11:06.200 --> 0:11:08.800 this US Open. Now, I don't think I can make 0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:11.280 you try harder, but I think it can just raise 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:13.840 becausetead of trying as hard as you can. But I 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:15.920 think it just sort of raises the stakes to some 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:20.600 degree and in ways that maybe you can't even articulate. 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:23.480 I think that does factor into into the week. Do 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:24.800 you have Do you guys have a sense of that 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:30.360 whether you agree with that or not, fairway on. Yeah, well, 0:11:30.559 --> 0:11:31.720 so that was the thing I want to do on 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:34.080 this Podcastle's talk about some of some of the players. 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:39.960 And you know, the defending champ, John Ram, the guy 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:44.000 who just won the last major championship, Justin Thomas, the 0:11:44.000 --> 0:11:46.080 hottest player in the game coming off that that very 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:49.959 emotional win in Canada, Roy Mattha really like they have 0:11:50.080 --> 0:11:54.800 all very uh militantly thrown in with the PGA tour 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:58.720 and they you know, they they have made their leaders 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:03.239 is very clear. And um, I do think that they 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:05.959 there's a righteousness there. You can certainly saw it from 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:09.440 Rory and you've heard it in Justin's comments and Rom 0:12:09.640 --> 0:12:12.040 you know, he's the guy who introduced fealty into the 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:17.240 Gulf lexicon. Um So I do think that, um, there's 0:12:17.280 --> 0:12:21.920 something to that. All these guys are fueled by different things. 0:12:21.960 --> 0:12:24.440 I mean, if you know, when you when look at 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:27.560 Tiger Woods, like the Great Tiger Woods, he needed some 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:31.679 benign comment from Stephen Ames to get his engine revving, 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:35.400 and a million other things, you know, all the ways 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:39.040 he found motivation and fuel. Some off handed comment from 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:43.720 Rory Sabatini, some uh you know, Jack Nicholas, some newspaper 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:46.160 columnists and eighties six kind of just missing him as 0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:48.760 a contender at Augusta like things that you that you 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:51.720 and I would think they would just blow off like 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:55.680 it does light the fire for even very accomplished players. 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:58.880 And so yeah, I think you're right, Michael, like this 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:01.360 is this is the has added in a level of 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:03.880 intensity and and just turned up the volume on the 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:09.120 whole thing. And so it's it's the United States Open. 0:13:09.200 --> 0:13:10.800 They want to win this because they've always wanted to 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:14.840 win this. But if if a live player wins this tournament, 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:17.520 or one one of these guys who has become the 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:20.800 flag bearer for the PGA Tour, that's certainly going to 0:13:20.880 --> 0:13:24.240 be uh commented upon, even probably by the player himself. 0:13:24.360 --> 0:13:27.719 So it's a subplot, there's no question. And and and 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:29.880 just to follow up on that, if it's Rory or 0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:32.920 Dustin Johnson down the stretch on Sunday, even though Dustin 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:35.720 Johnson's in American, we're in Boston. I think they'd be 0:13:35.760 --> 0:13:39.320 rooting for Rory. Now he's Irish. That might have something 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:41.400 to do with it. But you could substitute John Rahman. 0:13:42.080 --> 0:13:46.400 I know I would be Ryan. Yeah, it will be 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:50.120 very interesting if there if there's a live, a live guy, 0:13:50.480 --> 0:13:53.320 and a and a tour guy. And it's so weird 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:56.360 to say that that's where we're at in golf. Is 0:13:56.600 --> 0:14:00.400 like we're at the for racing fans, we're at the 0:14:00.440 --> 0:14:04.040 car I R l U pointing golf that we have 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:07.520 to point out where these players are are affiliated with. 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:10.520 But if it comes down, I would assume, no matter what, 0:14:10.600 --> 0:14:13.640 they're going to go with tour guys. But I don't know. 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:18.640 I mean Boston, Boston sports fans are are I a 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:21.800 fickle bunch? So it might be DJ just to mess 0:14:21.840 --> 0:14:26.080 with everybody. Well, and also, I mean one of the 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:29.880 ironies and all this is that the monopolistic PGA tour, 0:14:30.640 --> 0:14:34.920 this this organization that is crusted, crushed so many reporters 0:14:34.960 --> 0:14:37.480 hopes and aspirations for telling stories in a different way, 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:41.520 and that has lorded over the players in so many words, 0:14:41.640 --> 0:14:43.920 all of a sudden, they're like the likable underdogs in 0:14:43.960 --> 0:14:48.200 this story, which is kind of rich and um, you know, 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:51.080 I had lunch yesterday with the DUDEO was U. He 0:14:51.160 --> 0:14:53.440 was a long time executive at the Golf Channel and 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:55.840 he dealt with the PGA Tour for years and years, 0:14:55.840 --> 0:14:57.600 and he says it is such an I roll that 0:14:57.720 --> 0:15:00.360 somehow the tours become sympathetic. He's like, they they are 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:01.840 the biggest pain in the acid to deal with at 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:04.520 every level. Like he's like, anyone engulf can't be rooting 0:15:04.520 --> 0:15:06.880 for the PGA Tour. I thought that was an interesting 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:10.320 perspective and so, um, you know, there are people who 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:15.680 like chaos and and there's never been you know, in golf, 0:15:15.720 --> 0:15:18.480 you're rooting for the human. You're not rooting for the jersey, 0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:21.280 whereas in team sports, you're rooting for the jersey because 0:15:21.280 --> 0:15:23.920 some of your favorite players just leave through free agency. 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:27.280 But you know, if you're a Red Sox or Celtics fan, 0:15:27.640 --> 0:15:29.560 the players come and go, you're rooting for the You're 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:32.160 rooting for the laundry, right, You're rooting for the team. 0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:35.280 And so golf has never had that that element before. 0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:38.480 And maybe that that's gonna add something to the contrarians 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:42.280 out there and the anarchists, Uh, they might root for 0:15:42.280 --> 0:15:44.880 the live guys because it just it adds spice to 0:15:44.880 --> 0:15:46.760 the whole thing. And then then the traditionalist might be 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:48.720 rooting for the tour guys, and so it's a whole 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:53.800 new layer to fandom. Um. You know, I think a 0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:56.640 lot of the folks out there in the gallery aren't 0:15:56.640 --> 0:15:58.360 paying attention to any of this. They're just happy to 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:01.240 be a golf tournament and just want to hit shots, 0:16:01.280 --> 0:16:02.800 and they only known the name of ten players in 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:05.720 the field. But the lunatic fringe that consumes all of 0:16:05.720 --> 0:16:08.600 our stuff and that that we're catering to at the 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:11.200 fire Pit Collective, they're tuned into this and they probably 0:16:11.240 --> 0:16:13.440 have some some rooting allegiances, and some of them might 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:16.240 be against the tour for a variety of reasons. So 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:19.320 it's it's a it's a wild turn of events for sure. 0:16:20.560 --> 0:16:23.360 I would say that PGA Tour out to your comment earlier, 0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:27.640 the PGA Tour maybe the underdogs, but they've got a 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:32.360 long ways to go to become likable. Yeah, I mean, 0:16:32.360 --> 0:16:34.320 that's that's a real thing. Like I will say this, 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:37.520 when I was over at the live event in London 0:16:37.960 --> 0:16:40.280 and Phil hit one in the trees, I just pulled 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:42.600 out my camera and I filmed like this thirty second 0:16:42.640 --> 0:16:45.320 recovery shot and the fans going crazy, and I posted 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:49.600 on Twitter and it was like, wow, that was liberating, Like, um, 0:16:49.640 --> 0:16:52.800 because I'm there for the fans. They want to see 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:54.280 all these shots. A lot of them are not going 0:16:54.320 --> 0:16:56.600 to watch the live stream. They just they just didn't 0:16:56.640 --> 0:16:58.680 get into it. But they want they want some highlights, 0:16:58.720 --> 0:17:01.880 they want some sense of what it's like. And you know, 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:04.320 same thing that is, you know, the first t shots 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:06.240 to kind of kick this event off. I put those 0:17:06.280 --> 0:17:09.960 up on Twitter, you know videos. Now, if we've done 0:17:09.960 --> 0:17:11.879 that at a PGA Tour event, as we all know, 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:15.600 especially Ryan knows, like they would, they would unleash the 0:17:15.600 --> 0:17:17.880 hounds on us. And we're public enemy number one because 0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:19.879 we're trying to put some fun content out for fans 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:22.399 and at the live event kind of anything goes and 0:17:22.440 --> 0:17:24.960 they almost encourage you to do that stuff because you're 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:27.320 helping them from you know, just read the word and 0:17:27.880 --> 0:17:31.159 to bring fans closer to the action. So that was 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:33.320 a funny moment for me, like, Wow, this is cool. 0:17:33.359 --> 0:17:35.480 I can do whatever the hell I want. Yeah, I 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:37.320 don't I don't know whether this is gonna. I didn't 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:38.959 know this podcast was going to go here, and Jay 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:41.159 can just cut this out if it is, but I 0:17:41.200 --> 0:17:43.880 will tell quickly, Michael mind. I know the story. Alan 0:17:43.920 --> 0:17:47.320 knows the story of my interaction with the PGA tour, 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:51.560 and you know why, Like you said, you know, it's 0:17:51.680 --> 0:17:56.040 hilarious that that somehow they've become that good guys in 0:17:56.080 --> 0:18:00.440 this thing. So I was videoing Monday Qualifies forever, got 0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:03.000 a phone call that they wanted me to basically stop 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:06.760 after I had helped them walk, that they invited me 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:11.120 out and they invited me on a call to offer 0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:15.960 me a job, and that they offered me a job 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:19.159 for thirty tho dollars a year that I had to 0:18:19.200 --> 0:18:23.440 start a new Monday Qualifying account. Basically it was censorship. 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:27.120 I mean I remember a person on the Zoom call 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:30.000 getting on and saying, Hey, Ryan, I'm I make a 0:18:30.080 --> 0:18:33.160 pros and cons video, or of pros and cons list 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:36.639 of of where we go and when I look at 0:18:36.680 --> 0:18:38.320 a new job. And he said the fact that you 0:18:38.359 --> 0:18:40.399 can continue to video it would be in the in 0:18:40.440 --> 0:18:43.639 the pros and that's all he said in the entire 0:18:43.960 --> 0:18:47.920 Zoom call. And I didn't even know that I couldn't 0:18:48.200 --> 0:18:50.280 video anymore. That was their way of letting me know. 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:56.040 So it's a state run media organization kind of. I mean, 0:18:56.080 --> 0:19:00.320 that's how they keep it. They threatened people, not out ortally, 0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:05.119 but very like, hey, if you write that, we're not 0:19:05.119 --> 0:19:07.439 going to get you credentials or whatever. And so all 0:19:07.480 --> 0:19:10.000 these guys have to swallow a lot of stories. And 0:19:12.040 --> 0:19:14.520 it's pretty avert. It's pretty overt. I mean, the threats 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:18.399 are not subtle. So it was very eye opening. I 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:20.560 got off the phone and I remember calling my wife 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:23.560 and it's like, it's basically like a video a call 0:19:23.680 --> 0:19:26.400 with the mob. They were just like, hey, you're gonna 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:28.440 write this and do this, or you're not going to 0:19:28.520 --> 0:19:30.720 be able to do this. And I'm like what, I 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:33.520 just had no idea. It was so eye opening into 0:19:34.359 --> 0:19:37.880 you know what. It is, so long story short to say, 0:19:38.280 --> 0:19:42.600 I can't believe it that the somehow the PGA tour 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:45.240 is the good guys in there in here, They're they're 0:19:45.280 --> 0:19:48.320 not they're the better guys, the best of the word. 0:19:48.359 --> 0:19:51.159 I don't know, whatever the thing is. That's what my 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:53.879 wife said of Rex Tillerson when when when he finally 0:19:54.000 --> 0:19:56.720 when she that's what she said when he finally left 0:19:56.760 --> 0:20:01.240 the Trump administration, we just lost the best of the worst. Uh. 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:04.320 Ryan to the point, by the way, Bryce and Di 0:20:04.400 --> 0:20:07.359 Schambeau may have his price, but Ryan French is not 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:09.880 gonna be bought forty dollars a year. There's I thought 0:20:09.880 --> 0:20:13.960 about it. I had worked three years for a free talk. 0:20:14.119 --> 0:20:17.760 Just kidding. Good question for you. You're a lot of 0:20:17.760 --> 0:20:22.800 your players haven't seen greenside pitch shots. Uh like these shots, 0:20:22.840 --> 0:20:24.359 and Alan and I have been talking about this a 0:20:24.359 --> 0:20:27.440 little bit of Alan has been mentioned several times. You've 0:20:27.480 --> 0:20:29.240 got to be able to play two types of really 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:32.320 of green side pitch shots. I'm not even using the 0:20:32.359 --> 0:20:34.280 word chip shots really because I'm really talking about an 0:20:34.280 --> 0:20:36.520 open faced wedge shot when the balls in the air 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:40.560 longer than it's on the ground. The ferries are super 0:20:40.560 --> 0:20:43.760 tight and they're gonna get tighter, and the rough is nerally. 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:47.600 A lot of your guys playing of courses don't have 0:20:47.720 --> 0:20:50.600 these kinds of conditions. Have you observed them trying to 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:52.480 adjust and learn on the fly how to play some 0:20:52.520 --> 0:20:55.920 of these shots? Yeah, I mean, I uh, I'm watching 0:20:56.400 --> 0:20:59.960 Luke close the closest, but a lot of these guys 0:21:00.000 --> 0:21:03.640 are are spending way more time at then they would 0:21:03.760 --> 0:21:07.280 around the greens. Um. For those that don't know, in 0:21:07.600 --> 0:21:12.320 a in a apro practice practice round, drives and approach 0:21:12.359 --> 0:21:15.199 shots outside of seeing how the ball reacts on the 0:21:15.200 --> 0:21:17.919 greens aren't really a part of their practice rounds. If 0:21:17.960 --> 0:21:19.919 they hit it in the rough, they know they're screwed. 0:21:20.280 --> 0:21:22.480 So oftentimes they will hit a few out of the 0:21:22.520 --> 0:21:24.439 rough just to kind of see how it reacts. But 0:21:24.480 --> 0:21:26.280 outside of that, if they hit in the rough, they'll 0:21:26.280 --> 0:21:28.200 move it back in the fairway because they want to 0:21:28.240 --> 0:21:30.720 get a good assessment of the thing of the of 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:33.520 the how they would play the whole, assuming they hit 0:21:33.560 --> 0:21:37.399