Speaker 1: The guys from Ping. They've kind of showed me how
Speaker 1: much the equipment matters. I just love that I can
Speaker 1: hit any.
Speaker 2: Shot I kind of want.
Speaker 3: We're gonna be able to tell some fun stories about
Speaker 3: what goes on here to help golfers play better golf.
Speaker 4: Hey, everybody, welcome back to the Ping prooven Grounds Podcast
Speaker 4: Shane Bacon with Marty Jerts and Marty We've got a guest.
Speaker 4: I think a lot of people are gonna be interested
Speaker 4: in listening to Scott Sullivan, the senior manager amateur player
Speaker 4: development here at Ping and Scott, your guy played college golf,
Speaker 4: played at ASU. Sorry about that by the way, as
Speaker 4: an Arizona waldcap. But you have a really interesting job.
Speaker 4: And I would say, as somebody that obviously is a
Speaker 4: very good player, to make your way up through Ping
Speaker 4: and get to develop young talent has got to be
Speaker 4: something that's been very interesting and very thrilling. How do
Speaker 4: you come into this position, Like how does this come
Speaker 4: about in your life?
Speaker 2: Well, you know, when I finished school, I played professionally
Speaker 2: for three years. I got as far as the corn
Speaker 2: Ferry Tour now who was the Nike Tour back then?
Speaker 2: But then I realized that I got myself in a
Speaker 2: situation where I was spending more money than I was making.
Speaker 2: That didn't really prove to be a good formula, by
Speaker 2: the way you understand, So I had to it was
Speaker 2: time to make some decisions, and so I took about
Speaker 2: six months to decide what I wanted to do. I
Speaker 2: almost took a job in the financial world, but an
Speaker 2: opportunity offered itself for me at Ping, and I took
Speaker 2: advantage of it, and I've been with Ping ever since.
Speaker 3: Uh after you got in the door of Ping, you
Speaker 3: were rep on was it the Nike Tour?
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know. When I started, I got in, did
Speaker 2: a little stint customer service, but I was fortunate enough
Speaker 2: to be on with the group that started our democrt
Speaker 2: fitting system, and actually, prior to that, we would take
Speaker 2: that out on the road to uh PGA section meetings
Speaker 2: and that kind of thing and do our presentations there.
Speaker 2: But then we switched over to bring our top accounts
Speaker 2: to Ping at their at their request, because they wanted
Speaker 2: to see they They always ask the question, is you know,
Speaker 2: we want to see Ping. We want to see what
Speaker 2: you guys do and how you do it. And so
Speaker 2: then we'd bring them in and run them through a
Speaker 2: three day program on our campus. That's quite a fun thing.
Speaker 3: You were at the very beginning of that. We just
Speaker 3: started doing that again, and the accounts love it because
Speaker 3: they love they love tour in the factory, everything at
Speaker 3: the proving grounds, visiting all the great experience.
Speaker 2: It's certainly great experience for me.
Speaker 3: But so you were, you were in early on of
Speaker 3: us kind of educating the accounts with in our fitting
Speaker 3: cart and all the options there and things of that.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Then after that, I went over to the tour department,
Speaker 2: worked the Nike Tour and PJ Tour for two years
Speaker 2: and took over the collegiate program.
Speaker 4: I mean, I think people like listening to the podcast
Speaker 4: probably don't even know this exists for the most part.
Speaker 4: I mean in terms of developing amateur players or funding
Speaker 4: junior golfers and the amateur players and collegiate players that
Speaker 4: couldut potentially be a ping professional if they turn pro
Speaker 4: and they become obviously a good player, I mean, how
Speaker 4: does that process work, Like, how do you introduce yourself
Speaker 4: to young players? I mean, how do you guys evaluate
Speaker 4: that level of talent?
Speaker 2: Well, it is it's a very important part of what
Speaker 2: we do for a number of reason. I'm sure we'll
Speaker 2: get into all that, but what we do is is,
Speaker 2: you know, it's just kind of we recruit kids just
Speaker 2: like a college coach would, just from a slightly different angle.
Speaker 2: You know, first you're looking you're looking at golf swings.
Speaker 2: Then you're looking at see how a kid handles themselves
Speaker 2: on the golf course. You want to see them play
Speaker 2: poorly to see how they respond to that. It's easy
Speaker 2: to watch them play well, but you want to see
Speaker 2: them struggle att bit and see how they respond. Then
Speaker 2: you look at the scoreboard. You see if what you
Speaker 2: see golf swing wise, which you're hoping is fundamentally sound,
Speaker 2: you hope the scores on the scoreboard reflect that. And
Speaker 2: then you put the pieces together. You you find out
Speaker 2: who mom and dad is, and you see what the
Speaker 2: relationship with kid and mom and dad to see if
Speaker 2: that's a healthy relationship if not. You know, all those
Speaker 2: things go together to see if it's a right fit
Speaker 2: for ping and what we do, and if we want
Speaker 2: them to be part of our program.
Speaker 4: I can imagine your job has changed a lot in
Speaker 4: terms of technology, and when I'm not talking about track
Speaker 4: me in technology I'm talking about Instagram, social media, being
Speaker 4: able to evaluate a golf swing on your phone versus
Speaker 4: having to go and see that in person. How different
Speaker 4: is your job in twenty twenty five than maybe what
Speaker 4: it looked like in two thousand.
Speaker 2: Well, I think the main thing now is is it
Speaker 2: used years ago? You used to get product requests. People
Speaker 2: just call you on the phone, okay, or they send
Speaker 2: you an email. Now you get dms on Instagram or
Speaker 2: those kind of things, Oh hey, you know my driverhead crack?
Speaker 2: Can I get another one? And then you got to respond, yes,
Speaker 2: send me this yerial number, I'll get you another one.
Speaker 2: You do it through those avenues and then to touch
Speaker 2: on what you said, And I think Marty can attest
Speaker 2: to this is in my experience over the last twenty
Speaker 2: five years, the technology that is going into the research
Speaker 2: and the design of golf products is more than the
Speaker 2: one hundred years up to that point. I think it's
Speaker 2: just it's unbelievable the advancement and the technology in the research.
Speaker 3: Scott, how what age range does you and your team
Speaker 3: like start evaluating players? That's kind of one question, and
Speaker 3: the other one is what forums or formats you know,
Speaker 3: what tours tournaments, is your team looking.
Speaker 2: At the the age The ages of the kids we
Speaker 2: work with are generally between the age of fourteen and
Speaker 2: twenty three, so you know, school wise, you say freshmen
Speaker 2: in high school up til they graduate college. That's one
Speaker 2: of the tough parts about this is we always work
Speaker 2: with kids between fourteen and twenty three, but I keep
Speaker 2: getting older and that really sucks. But anyway, and what
Speaker 2: we look for, you know, where the top tournaments during
Speaker 2: the summer, spring and summer months. A lot of it
Speaker 2: too is is that at the state level, state junior championships,
Speaker 2: those kind of things, just the top competitive tournaments that
Speaker 2: kids will play in. We want to see how they
Speaker 2: play against each other. And then every once in a
Speaker 2: while we'll go off the beaten paths and we're just
Speaker 2: a different location, different kind of tournament, just to see
Speaker 2: what's out there because you never know. And I know
Speaker 2: historically one tournament during the summer that we really like
Speaker 2: is the Western Junior because it's a big field, one
Speaker 2: hundred and fifty six kids and they come from all
Speaker 2: over and there's always one or two that nobody's ever
Speaker 2: heard of that are pretty good.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean you mentioned and it's like college recruiting.
Speaker 4: I mean that sounds exactly the same as a college
Speaker 4: recruiting where you might be going to look at a
Speaker 4: tight end and all of a sudden, this right guard
Speaker 4: kind of catches your eye and you're like, oh, man,
Speaker 4: this is the guy that I might want to bring
Speaker 4: on for the team. Who is somebody in your career
Speaker 4: doing this that you didn't know much about. You saw
Speaker 4: them in person for the first time, and you went,
Speaker 4: this is the kid that we've got to be paying
Speaker 4: attention to.
Speaker 2: You know. Recently, there's a kid by the name of
Speaker 2: Alex Holder who he just committed to Auburn. Okay, he's
Speaker 2: a twenty twenty six. I was at the Future Master's
Speaker 2: number of years ago, and I went to watch one
Speaker 2: kid in the group who's a Florida kid, And then
Speaker 2: I see, oh, you know, I'm thinking that Alex was
Speaker 2: the Florida kid. Well, Alex is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Okay,
Speaker 2: And so then trying to figure out, Okay, that's that's Alex,
Speaker 2: that's the Indiana kid. Well, who's Okay, who's his parents?
Speaker 2: So I, you know, try to a couple holes later,
Speaker 2: try to figure out who the parents are for each kid.
Speaker 2: Then finally a pinpoint, Okay, that's Alex's dad. I'm guessing
Speaker 2: that's his dad. So I went up and introduced myself
Speaker 2: Alex's dad. Yes, I am okay, and then we got
Speaker 2: that relationship started. And you know, and I'm always one
Speaker 2: we use the resources we have at PING to get
Speaker 2: the job done. So Alex and his family, they they
Speaker 2: spend a little bit time down in Florida and West Palm. Well,
Speaker 2: just last week Alex went down to West Palm. Hey,
Speaker 2: is there anybody here that I could get together with
Speaker 2: to get you know, try the new G four forty?
Speaker 2: So I call you on Lingmerth who's our salesman in
Speaker 2: that area? Hey, you'ren are you around? Can Alex come
Speaker 2: see you? They spent a day last week together, had
Speaker 2: a great time oron, got them all fixed up and uh,
Speaker 2: we're in good.
Speaker 3: Shape, beautiful And Jon's got some experience, he's got help players.
Speaker 2: Yep, yes he does as well. That's right.
Speaker 3: We talked a little bit Scott about how things have
Speaker 3: changed in terms of communication with social media and what
Speaker 3: have you What have you seen in terms of in
Speaker 3: the last say, ten and twenty years looking back on
Speaker 3: the skill talent level of.
Speaker 2: The junior golfers coming up.
Speaker 3: Are they closer together now than they were?
Speaker 2: Are they further apart.
Speaker 3: In terms of skill level? What trends are you seeing there?
Speaker 2: I think they're closer together now. Is the depth is greater.
Speaker 2: There's way way more good young players, and there's more
Speaker 2: good players that are fundamentally sound, and they're athletes now.
Speaker 2: And I think I go back even further. I think
Speaker 2: Tiger Woods made golf cool, right. He made it more athletic.
Speaker 2: He made it to where a kid that you know,
Speaker 2: maybe was a football player or a basketball player or
Speaker 2: baseball player or whatever. You know, I'm gonna go ahead
Speaker 2: and play golf because it's cool now. It's okay. You know,
Speaker 2: it's not a dorky sport, you know, plaid pants and
Speaker 2: hard collar shirts like back in the day. But it's
Speaker 2: a legitimate deal. I think Tiger Woods legitimized it as
Speaker 2: an athletic sport. So you see more kids that are athletes,
Speaker 2: you see more kids that are fundamentally sound, and as
Speaker 2: a result, the quality of play is better. These kids
Speaker 2: are trained better, they're conditioned better, they're mentally stronger, all
Speaker 2: of that. So I think that's the answer to that question.
Speaker 4: And Scott, I mean, you know something I've been interested
Speaker 4: in terms of collegiate coaches is this idea of like,
Speaker 4: send me your track by numbers, right, I mean it's
Speaker 4: a thirteen, fourteen, fifteen year old kid. You want to
Speaker 4: look at those numbers because speed is sexy. I mean
Speaker 4: we talk about speed all the time in golf. How
Speaker 4: much can speed, let's say, blind you to the player
Speaker 4: they are as a young player. And how much is
Speaker 4: speed at a young age important to somebody like you
Speaker 4: who's looking at a talent five, ten, fifteen years down
Speaker 4: the road.
Speaker 2: Speed's important. You got to be able to smash it nowadays,
Speaker 2: and you're at such a disadvantage if you don't. Comparatively,
Speaker 2: you know, we look at speed, you know, and you
Speaker 2: look at a kid's build too, you know, Okay, do
Speaker 2: they have the build where they can put on some
Speaker 2: weight and get stronger to hit it further? You know
Speaker 2: what a mom and dad look like? You know what what?
Speaker 2: Because you always you're trying to project, for sure, you know,
Speaker 2: as a you know, fourteen year old, you're trying to project. Okay,
Speaker 2: what do they look like at twenty? At twenty years old?
Speaker 2: What do they project like to look like at twenty five?
Speaker 2: That kind of thing as a college coach, and I
Speaker 2: know this for a fact. As college coaches, they look
Speaker 2: at speed. It's an important deal because they figure that
Speaker 2: they can if we get a kid that's got some speed,
Speaker 2: we can figure the rest out. So it's an important deal.
Speaker 4: I mean, it's it's like if you have a fifteen
Speaker 4: or sixteen year old that's six', eight, right and he's playing,
Speaker 4: basketball and it's, like maybe he didn't have maybe he's
Speaker 4: not a great, shooter maybe you can't make free, throws
Speaker 4: but that build is going to work well in.
Speaker 1: COLLEGE i can help him learn how.
Speaker 2: To show yes exactly, Exactly.
Speaker 3: Scott we support about seventy teams collegiate. Teams we're up
Speaker 3: eighty nine.
Speaker 2: Nine, yeah what what does?
Speaker 3: That what does that look like day to day from
Speaker 3: a tactical standpoint with you and your, team that's, Yeah
Speaker 3: like you.
Speaker 2: Say there's there's eighty nine, teams there's there's fifty five
Speaker 2: on the men's, side and to get to eighty, nine
Speaker 2: what's that the thirty four? Four okay on the women's,
Speaker 2: side and we support them at varying. Degrees we have
Speaker 2: twelve teams that are elite level and we outfit them
Speaker 2: head to, toe, headwear bags and accessories, all you, know
Speaker 2: and then all the clubs that we can put in
Speaker 2: those golf. Bags then the second level we'll do golf,
Speaker 2: bags head, covers some travel, covers and a couple other
Speaker 2: accessories to outfit their. Team and again as many clubs
Speaker 2: as we can get into those. Bags you, know the
Speaker 2: way college athletics is, going it's very much you hear
Speaker 2: about the power for now with The Big ten and
Speaker 2: THE sec leading the, way really have tried to make
Speaker 2: inroads in those two. Conferences we're having pretty good. Success
Speaker 2: of the sixteen teams in THE, sec fourteen of them
Speaker 2: Carry ping golf. Bags so we've got an in. There
Speaker 2: in The Big, ten which isn't as strong golf, wise
Speaker 2: we're in with the biggest Brands Ohio, State, michigan And,
Speaker 2: illinois which historically is the best golf program in The Big.
Speaker 2: Ten so really proud of that and we're going to you,
Speaker 2: know try to keep, that keep that. Going and then the.
Speaker 2: Outliers our go to teams Are Arizona state And Oklahoma.
Speaker 2: State the Soul hi family And Ping company as a
Speaker 2: historic relationship with both, schools and so we use them
Speaker 2: specifically to test prototype, product different golf bag, designs any
Speaker 2: specialty stuff that we're going to. Do we go to
Speaker 2: them first and use them as our test subjects to you,
Speaker 2: know then we go out to the rest of the
Speaker 2: rest of the group and take care of them that.
Speaker 4: WAY i, mean it feels like a real personal, job you.
Speaker 4: KNOW i, mean you're you're meeting a young person and
Speaker 4: then you're kind of guiding them and helping them through the,
Speaker 4: way hoping eventually they get to a professional level of this.
Speaker 4: Game AND i, mean not everybody is going to get.
Speaker 4: There but somebody Like sahith, right who you meet at
Speaker 4: a young, age junior, golfer collegiate, player and he's now
Speaker 4: he feels like a part of The ping. Family he
Speaker 4: is a part of The ping. Family your relationship has
Speaker 4: got to be so much stronger than so many peoples
Speaker 4: with somebody Like sawhith that works Within ping and does
Speaker 4: it get very personal for?
Speaker 2: You it. Does and we're in the relationship, business and
Speaker 2: what you're trying to do is you're trying to develop a,
Speaker 2: relationship but you're also trying to develop. Trust you want
Speaker 2: them to trust, you AND i go back to my
Speaker 2: experience at that. Age i'm sure you can. Too i'm
Speaker 2: sure you can. Too when you're an aspiring young golfer
Speaker 2: and to have somebody take an interest in, you somebody
Speaker 2: that wants to help, you and somebody that wants you to.
Speaker 2: Succeed that's the attitude that we. Take and so you,
Speaker 2: KNOW i draw back on personal feelings that way and, like,
Speaker 2: yeah you know, WHAT i had people along the way help.
Speaker 2: ME i want to give back and try to help these.
Speaker 2: People and then the thing about it is, is as
Speaker 2: you guys, know it's only the top one percent that
Speaker 2: are going to make it. Right and this group that
Speaker 2: we're talking, about, yes that's the group that we draw
Speaker 2: from for players that we sign endorsement contracts. With, okay
Speaker 2: but there's the rest of. Them they're gonna be in
Speaker 2: the golf. Business they're gonna, be you, know a college,
Speaker 2: Coach they're gonna be a club, pro they're gonna be
Speaker 2: doing you, know, Media they're gonna be doing all kinds of.
Speaker 2: Things so we want any experience they have with, ping
Speaker 2: we want it to be a positive. Experience and, then most,
Speaker 2: importantly once they get out and in the real world
Speaker 2: and have the purchasing power we want them Buying Ping
Speaker 2: ping golf clubs because of that positive.
Speaker 4: Experience, YEAH i, mean it's a it's a great message
Speaker 4: coming beyond this, too. RIGHT i, mean in, general it's
Speaker 4: treating people with a level of respect that even if
Speaker 4: it doesn't work out per se in terms of what
Speaker 4: you hope to be or the goal in your, life
Speaker 4: maybe you work for paying or maybe you are a
Speaker 4: head pro that feels comfortable with this. Brand so, YEAH i,
Speaker 4: mean LIKE i, said it just feels it feels like
Speaker 4: a very personal, Job like it feels like it's probably
Speaker 4: an emotional job as. Well And i'm assuming you've had
Speaker 4: to like weave throughout over the last you, know two
Speaker 4: and a half decades how to best to approach you
Speaker 4: Because i'm sure there's certain players that are family to,
Speaker 4: you and there's certain players that you would have hoped
Speaker 4: to make it. RIGHT i hope they become pros because you,
Speaker 4: Know i'm such a big fan of.
Speaker 2: Their, Sure and what the cool thing is, is like you,
Speaker 2: know before we got together for, THIS i was out
Speaker 2: on the range and the putting green out, there and you,
Speaker 2: know guys that have had contact with through the years
Speaker 2: during THE pga. Tour, now whether they're a whether they're
Speaker 2: a ping guy or. Not, yeah you, know you get
Speaker 2: to catch up and chat with them a little. Bit
Speaker 2: and that's that's the cool, part and that's the relationship,
Speaker 2: part and that's that's the benefit of the, job is
Speaker 2: seeing them have success and knowing that you had a
Speaker 2: hand in helping them get there and have that.
Speaker 3: Success, SCOTT i want to transition a little bit to equipment.
Speaker 3: SIDE i think in the last five years five years or,
Speaker 3: so we've had maybe a little bit. More we introduced
Speaker 3: THE pld line and ability to get customized, putters and
Speaker 3: a big part of that was for the collegiate younger
Speaker 3: players as well as The Blueprint. Irons talk a little
Speaker 3: bit about the importance of BOTH pld in Our Blueprint
Speaker 3: irons in terms of this.
Speaker 2: Group, yes, first with THE, pod it certainly filled a
Speaker 2: hole that we had with the customization of. Things and
Speaker 2: it's not only you, know paint field colors and and
Speaker 2: and stamp and engrave initials and names that kind of,
Speaker 2: thing but the design of putters and the weights and
Speaker 2: and the looks and where to put the site lines and.
Speaker 2: Everything it gave us the opportunity to compete with obviously our,
Speaker 2: competitors but it also enabled us to give the players
Speaker 2: something that they. Desired so that's been very. Good are you?
Speaker 2: Know in our iron categories we've always been, strong but
Speaker 2: the blueprint t and the blueprint s has raised it
Speaker 2: to another level and it's it's given us a leg
Speaker 2: up in that. Area so we've got a lot more
Speaker 2: iron sets in, play and you, know with blueprints And
Speaker 2: blueprint t you know there's a lot of split sets,
Speaker 2: too so we've got something that can fit a work
Speaker 2: to perform for a wider range of. Players.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Nice.
Speaker 4: Scott there's a parent listen to this that has a
Speaker 4: young player that's got a lot of talent or is
Speaker 4: won a lot of golf. Tournaments what are tips you
Speaker 4: give to parents that reach out to you that has
Speaker 4: the twelve thirteen year old that has a dream of
Speaker 4: playing collegiate, golf that has a dream of being a.
Speaker 4: Pro what do you tell those people when they reach
Speaker 4: out to you to give them advice to best kind
Speaker 4: of navigate that very very very tough.
Speaker 2: Situation the first THING i tell them is let them
Speaker 2: be a. Kid, okay, okay if they're, thirteen let them be.
Speaker 2: Thirteen they don't need to be eighteen yet they'll.
Speaker 4: Get and when you say that is that don't spend
Speaker 4: eight hours a day on the golf, course, like don't
Speaker 4: don't be hitting balls to your hands. Bleed it's this
Speaker 4: can be a part of who you, are but not.
Speaker 2: Everything go ahead and play another. Sport please play other,
Speaker 2: sport preferably a team, sport because you need the experience
Speaker 2: of working with others versus you, know golf's in a
Speaker 2: very individual, sport so you need. Both so let them
Speaker 2: be a, kid and if they have a passion for,
Speaker 2: it make sure they're fundamentals are sound sound at an
Speaker 2: early age because it's going to do nothing but help.
Speaker 2: Them so get, them get them good, instruction and then you,
Speaker 2: know if you if you have the, means, great they
Speaker 2: have to. Compete and then, again if you have the
Speaker 2: means and they have to, compete, well travel your game
Speaker 2: has to. Travel you, know very rarely do you have
Speaker 2: a home game in. Golf you alwa's got to go somewhere.
Speaker 2: Else so you, know An arizona kid go up To
Speaker 2: ohio play on. That you know that Bent grass At Kentucky,
Speaker 2: bluegrass play in somewhere the wind really moves the, ball
Speaker 2: not a, yeah here where the wind? Does you? Know
Speaker 2: the wind's, blown but it doesn't affect. Anything go somewhere
Speaker 2: where it's, cold and you got to learn how to
Speaker 2: deal with. That so deal with the elements travel and
Speaker 2: those kinds of. Things it's gonna better prepare you down the.
Speaker 4: Road what ARE i always remember WHEN i was coming
Speaker 4: up AND i was trying to get get potentially play
Speaker 4: golf in. COLLEGE i remember a college coach telling my
Speaker 4: dad one, time if there if their legs on their
Speaker 4: bags are, Bent i'm, Out, like what are some red
Speaker 4: flags for you when you were looking at young players
Speaker 4: and your life come? Out you, know because there are,
Speaker 4: obviously i mean club. Throwers i'm assuming you're probably out, On,
Speaker 4: like what are some things that you as you're evaluating,
Speaker 4: Talent because, AGAIN i Mean i'm assuming you're working closely
Speaker 4: with college coaches as, Well, like what are some red
Speaker 4: flags that young people need to avoid or parents could
Speaker 4: help their kids hopefully.
Speaker 2: Avoid, Yeah, well it's. Funny you know you see a
Speaker 2: kid and they, struggle they hit a bad, shot, whatever
Speaker 2: and they have a negative. Reaction, well depending on how
Speaker 2: negative it, is maybe it's just because they. Care, okay you,
Speaker 2: know so you got to factor that in bent. LEGS
Speaker 2: i agree that's not. Good that's not. Good but the
Speaker 2: thing is, is no no ass, dragon no always, me
Speaker 2: no MOPy, dopey none of. That you know you're gonna
Speaker 2: hit a bad. One, Golf Like Ben hogan, Said golf's
Speaker 2: a game of. Imperfections you. Know you know how often
Speaker 2: do you play and you hit every shot.
Speaker 1: Perfect i'll tell you this.
Speaker 4: GUY i remember a good friend of mine who lives
Speaker 4: in The phoenix area who's been playing competitive golf for.
Speaker 4: NOW i mean he's seventy years old, now BUT i
Speaker 4: mean competitive golf, forever you, Know State open winner and.
Speaker 4: STUFF i remember he telling me one time WHEN i
Speaker 4: was probably my. Twenties he, SAID i hit four good
Speaker 4: shots around and this was the best GOLFER i. Knew
Speaker 4: AND i remember him telling me, that AND i just
Speaker 4: thinking of. Myself my expectations are way, off you, know
Speaker 4: like WHAT i Think i'm. Doing if this guy's saying
Speaker 4: it's four good shots And i'll play golf of them
Speaker 4: all the, time it feels like it has fifty good shots,
Speaker 4: around you.
Speaker 1: KNOW i mean we talk so much about the.
Speaker 4: Misses the one thing THAT i do find interesting about young,
Speaker 4: people AND i like your opinion on, this is it
Speaker 4: feels like young people are more mature. Now it feels
Speaker 4: like they're able to handle. Situations not to say everybody,
Speaker 4: is but you look at these young players coming out
Speaker 4: of college and how competitive the amateur circuit, is both
Speaker 4: the amateur wise and. Professional you See Nick dunlap last
Speaker 4: year obviously whining as amateur first time since your teammate
Speaker 4: did it in the early, Nineties like they seem like
Speaker 4: they can handle these situations so much.
Speaker 2: Better you, know just on. That you know That Nick
Speaker 2: dunlop he won THE Us amateur and TWO Pga tour
Speaker 2: events in a calendar. Year it's, incredible, unbelievable.
Speaker 4: Some would say the hardest golf tournament to win in
Speaker 4: THE Us, amateur and then he backs it up with
Speaker 4: a couple of tour.
Speaker 2: Wins so back to what you're saying is is that they,
Speaker 2: are and the really good ones really, are and that's
Speaker 2: what separates them from everybody. Else the top level. Ones
Speaker 2: they're advanced maturity, wise and they're advanced their mental, strength
Speaker 2: and they're they're comfortable with, THEMSELVES i, think AND i
Speaker 2: think that all goes, together but it's, noticeable and those
Speaker 2: are the ones that that do separate themselves from everybody.
Speaker 3: Else, scott how do you feel when you go visit
Speaker 3: a SU's new practice? Facility are you.
Speaker 2: Get a little jealous that you didn't have that when
Speaker 2: you're when you guys have been, there, right and it's you,
Speaker 2: know And i've seen them. All it is the best.
Speaker 2: One and and obviously the settings nice and, everything but
Speaker 2: just the. Functionality AND I i have talked to you,
Speaker 2: Know i've done stuff like this, before talking about the,
Speaker 2: bird AND i, say you, know every shot is out.
Speaker 2: There you just have to go out and imagine, it
Speaker 2: because if you can imagine, it you'll find it out.
Speaker 2: There but it's tremendous and AND i, Remember i'll never.
Speaker 2: Forget this is back in the issue days where it
Speaker 2: is now where the soccer stadium. Is you guys familiar
Speaker 2: with the campus down? There kid's where the picture where
Speaker 2: the soccer stadium is. Now that used to be an open.
Speaker 2: Field we used to get broomsticks and duct tape golf.
Speaker 2: Towels those are our pin flags and we'd go step
Speaker 2: them off and pound them into the. Ground and that's
Speaker 2: where we would do our wedge. Practice, yeah there's been
Speaker 2: a there's been a lot of advancement in uh in.
Speaker 2: Facilities and to tell you guys the, truth all the
Speaker 2: top collegiate programs have something like, that and they're investing
Speaker 2: millions of dollars and it is it's a direct result
Speaker 2: of the success that some of these kids have because
Speaker 2: they have that level of training facility and that level
Speaker 2: of attention to.
Speaker 4: Detail, SCOTT i got to ask somebody you missed, on
Speaker 4: somebody that you were thinking, about you were, evaluating and you,
Speaker 4: Went i'm not sure about this guy and then they
Speaker 4: went on or this girl then went on to to be.
Speaker 4: Incredible mm, gosh if nobody comes to, mind that's. Okay
Speaker 4: But i'm just, uh you, KNOW i, Mean i'm assuming
Speaker 4: every college coach has probably had a couple of people
Speaker 4: where they.
Speaker 2: Went, yeah we've all had one that got. Away you.
Speaker 4: Know it's, like, man that person was so much better
Speaker 4: AND i thought they were gonna Be.
Speaker 2: NO i can't really think of anybody like. THAT i
Speaker 2: can't think of that some that that certainly tried to
Speaker 2: but Didn't, okay didn't didn't get. Them Luke, clanton who's
Speaker 2: in the field here this, week who you guys are
Speaker 2: familiar with that. Name he's been tearing it. Up he's
Speaker 2: one of. Them but that comes with the that comes
Speaker 2: with the.
Speaker 1: Territory it's competitive, company it's competitive.
Speaker 2: Business, Yeah AND i tell you, what at the at
Speaker 2: the the amateur, level it's much much more competitive than
Speaker 2: it is at this tour. Level, interesting and think about
Speaker 2: it because at the amateur, level everybody's a free. Agent,
Speaker 2: here everybody has their stable of, players right that are you,
Speaker 2: know endorsed to do, So whereas at the ammeter, level
Speaker 2: everybody's a free. Agent so you're you're fighting and clawing
Speaker 2: every single, week every single day to hang on to
Speaker 2: what you've. Got in a lot of times we find
Speaker 2: ourselves playing.
Speaker 3: Defense, interesting how has just THE nil deals changed your
Speaker 3: landscape in your?
Speaker 1: World?
Speaker 2: Uh some some we're involved in it and WHAT nil
Speaker 2: is It it's a necessary thing and it's not going.
Speaker 2: Away so eventually we realized we had to get involved in,
Speaker 2: it and we. Are but what it is is it's
Speaker 2: it's to let the player know that, hey we leaving.
Speaker 2: You we want to continue a relationship with you once
Speaker 2: you get to the next. Level so this is just
Speaker 2: showing you a little sign of love. That, hey you
Speaker 2: know when it when it's all said and done and
Speaker 2: you're ready to turn, pro we want we want to
Speaker 2: talk and we want to do.
Speaker 1: A Deal, scott before we lets you. Go you played
Speaker 1: With phil at a Su was that?
Speaker 2: RIGHT i? Did?
Speaker 4: Yeah can you share a story of when you realized
Speaker 4: how Good Phil mickelson was at? Golf was there a
Speaker 4: moment you saw it or a shot you saw, it
Speaker 4: or around of golf that you saw where you, Went
Speaker 4: this dude's got a different, gear.
Speaker 2: A couple different. Things is you, know we would we
Speaker 2: go out and, play whether it's we're just playing the
Speaker 2: player or qualifying rounds or practice rounds for tournaments or,
Speaker 2: whatever and you, know everybody hits and everybody's t. Shot
Speaker 2: you're all out there within you, know five yards of each, other,
Speaker 2: Right but then you get up to a part Five,
Speaker 2: okay you know back in the day five seventy, five
Speaker 2: five eighty, Five well that's all that's all long part five, right.
Speaker 1: Likely unreachable in the early. Nineties, yeah to get there.
Speaker 2: And all of a, sudden he's twenty yards in front of.
Speaker 2: Everybody so where did that come? From and then we
Speaker 2: were playing at a tournament In Las, vegas and he
Speaker 2: WAS i was playing in the group right in front of.
Speaker 2: Him and the last hole was a par five and
Speaker 2: there's a huge bunker on the left hand, side and
Speaker 2: it's one of those that's got a really steep face
Speaker 2: and it's a part. Five so it goes down across
Speaker 2: a little, pond and then there's the green and he
Speaker 2: hits you, KNOW i finish and we're you, know when you're,
Speaker 2: done you sit behind the green and you wait for
Speaker 2: everybody to come. In so we're sitting behind the green
Speaker 2: and he's back up there and you can see him
Speaker 2: walking and then he disappears because he goes into the.
Speaker 1: Bunker, yeah.
Speaker 2: And then you see his head pop up to, look
Speaker 2: and then he goes back. Down then you see his head
Speaker 2: pop up to look. Again AND i mean you're sitting
Speaker 2: there thinking he's laying, out and then all of a,
Speaker 2: sudden you hear the, contact and then you hear you
Speaker 2: see a little, sand and then where is? It where is?
Speaker 2: It where is? It and then all of a, sudden
Speaker 2: like a like a meteor hit the. Earth it just
Speaker 2: s ball lands on the green about twenty feet from the.
Speaker 2: Hole he hit a driver out of that bunker and
Speaker 2: it Was we actually went back up there later to look,
Speaker 2: like how the hell did he do? That?
Speaker 1: First how did he think about? It second did he
Speaker 1: pull it?
Speaker 2: Off, yeah but back then he was so much better
Speaker 2: than everybody else at that at that, stage and it's you,
Speaker 2: know it's no surprise he's going to be in The
Speaker 2: Golf hall Of.
Speaker 4: Fame, WELL i, mean, like you, know you just think
Speaker 4: about like we're talking about twenty twenty five and every
Speaker 4: available player that exists in. Golf you can go on
Speaker 4: social media and see their swings and see what they're
Speaker 4: able to. Do and to think back to the early,
Speaker 4: nineties you, know there wasn't video of these. PLAYERS i
Speaker 4: mean you saw it. Firsthand you got to see it
Speaker 4: day in and day out of a player that became
Speaker 4: arguably the second best player of a generation AND i
Speaker 4: think probably a top ten top fifteen player of all.
Speaker 4: TIME i mean it must have been why iiled day
Speaker 4: in and day out to just see the amazing short
Speaker 4: game and the ability with the hands and shots like,
Speaker 4: That like you're talking about where everybody else in the
Speaker 4: world's hitting eight iron out and they just try to
Speaker 4: hit a wedge on the.
Speaker 2: Green he's so much better everybody. Else and then the
Speaker 2: kids asked, me the college kids, now they asked, me,
Speaker 2: like who you, know who's the best you've? Seen filled
Speaker 2: by Always. Phil, yeah AND i told him just for. Numbers, Wise,
Speaker 2: okay this guy won eighteen college, tournaments including THREE ncaa. Championships,
Speaker 2: yeah that's pretty, good, RIGHT.
Speaker 4: I, mean you, know AND i mean obviously wins THE
Speaker 4: Us amateur and wins THE Pj tour. Event is an
Speaker 4: AMATEUR i mean, yes AND i mean.
Speaker 1: It's it's studley. Stuff it's, Crazy, scott the story is.
Speaker 4: Incredible we appreciate you kind of sharing some insight into
Speaker 4: this world THAT i don't think a lot of even
Speaker 4: like diehard golf fans totally. Understand so we really appreciate the.
Speaker 4: TIME i appreciate all the hard work you do a.
Speaker 2: Thing oh you bet.
Speaker 4: You Scott's, soullivan. Everybody this is The ping Proven grounds
Speaker 4: podcast