WEBVTT - Fire Drill 018: Go Time for Phil and the Saudis 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:07.080 Them taking top of a ms A I think is 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:10.160 easy pickings, because those guys have to go through the 0:00:10.200 --> 0:00:13.280 corn ferry and be the bigger threat than Dustin Johnson 0:00:13.640 --> 0:00:17.160 or Phil or leave Less or or Alien Poulter. If 0:00:17.160 --> 0:00:19.880 they can sustain for five years and pick off the 0:00:19.880 --> 0:00:23.560 next Colin Morricala, the next Scottie Shuffler, then the live 0:00:23.760 --> 0:00:32.040 is a serious, serious threat. Put another log on the fire. 0:00:35.280 --> 0:00:44.400 Nobody hears. Give the time? All right here we are 0:00:45.200 --> 0:00:48.279 lighting a candle or lighting a fire pit, you tell me, 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:50.400 But at this point it feels like much more than 0:00:50.440 --> 0:00:53.600 just a candle that's being lit in terms of the 0:00:53.720 --> 0:00:58.760 disruption that is professional golf, the idea that Phil Michols. 0:00:58.800 --> 0:01:02.600 I mean, it's probably no surprised everybody on this call 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:07.679 right now, which is Alan Schipnuk, Michael Bamberger, Ryan French, 0:01:08.200 --> 0:01:12.240 Mac Barnhardt and myself Machinella at the Fire and Pit Collective. 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:15.039 You know, yet another fire drill in which it's not 0:01:15.120 --> 0:01:18.320 a major championship, but it certainly is major news. And 0:01:18.360 --> 0:01:22.399 I think this this warranted a conversation and a huddle 0:01:22.440 --> 0:01:26.679 of some sort to say what exactly is about to transpire? Alan, 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:31.039 whyn't you start well, it's been a chaotic moment for 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.839 professional golf for a while now, and you know, Phil 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:38.120 has been the center of this thing all along. The 0:01:38.160 --> 0:01:41.160 fact that he's going to break this exile in London 0:01:41.640 --> 0:01:44.959 at the first Saudi event is a monumental return to 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:49.640 the stage. Um. It always felt like he was gonna 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:55.720 jump after after he set himself on fire, um and 0:01:55.720 --> 0:01:58.280 and everything that transpired his life. You know, I thought 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:00.280 that is the best road back for him to get 0:02:00.280 --> 0:02:02.120 in the good graces of the golf fan and the 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:05.840 golf community was was to to pledge his field to 0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:09.359 the PGA Tour and show a little contrition. But you know, 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:11.800 fills a double down personality. You see it on the 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:14.640 golf course, You've see in Vegas, and he's done it again, 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:15.960 and he's just putting all his chips in the middle 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:18.720 of the table here with the Saudias. And if this 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:23.720 thing succeeds and reshapes the sport, I think feels, you know, 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:25.840 vision of himself as this maverick and this agent of 0:02:25.919 --> 0:02:29.000 change will be fulfilled. But if this is a turkey 0:02:29.080 --> 0:02:31.840 and it goes and the whole thing falls apart in 0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:34.040 a couple of years, it's it's going to be quite 0:02:34.040 --> 0:02:38.520 a political defeat for him. So it's a wild moment um. 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:41.799 You know, he's taking Ricky Fowler, a prominent agent in 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:44.480 the sports world who's not mcbarnard just said, I still 0:02:44.480 --> 0:02:47.560 think Bryson is going to go that that's happening, um. 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:49.919 And so you know there's a lot of all of 0:02:49.960 --> 0:02:52.320 a sudden, you know, there's a lot more star power aligned. 0:02:52.360 --> 0:02:54.720 For this first event, it was just Dustin and and 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:56.480 a bunch of other guys no one really cared about. 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:59.480 But you get filled, You get Ricky, who we all 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:01.200 know he's he's been into slump. But I think the 0:03:01.200 --> 0:03:04.560 casual fans still gravitakes stars, Ricky Fowler, get Bryson wo 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:07.040 again moves the needle like few others. Like all of 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:08.840 a sudden looks like a little more of a of 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:12.519 a real thing. So huge newsday, and you know it, 0:03:12.760 --> 0:03:14.440 this is gonna be the story of the summer for sure. 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:17.720 I've heard you say this a couple of times that 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:20.800 you thought, oh, if Phil just sort of fell on 0:03:20.840 --> 0:03:24.160 his sword and came back and apologize said the right 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:27.560 things the PJ tour, that he'd be welcomed back, and 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:30.360 that could be a possibility. But did you really think 0:03:30.400 --> 0:03:35.720 that he hadn't already signed enough paperwork to feel like 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:40.800 he couldn't uh leave the live. Well, if you make 0:03:40.840 --> 0:03:42.280 a list of the guys that you don't want to 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:45.160 owe money to on this planet, Saudi's are near the top, right, 0:03:45.400 --> 0:03:48.720 So how much Phil got as an advance and well, 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:50.720 that one he's already gone. I mean that's probably a 0:03:50.760 --> 0:03:53.200 factor in all of this. H And also, you know, 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:56.560 he's a very strident, kind of self righteous personality, and 0:03:57.880 --> 0:04:00.680 for him to kind of concede defeat and crawling back 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:03.360 to the tour that was gonna be tough on him personally, 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:07.280 and so um, it was always a coin flip, and 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:09.000 I felt all along he could go either way, those 0:04:09.040 --> 0:04:13.440 compelling reasons to stay or to jump. But uh, you 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:15.520 know that no one gets in better the Staudi except 0:04:15.560 --> 0:04:18.080 for the money. But you know, in Phil's cases, these 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:21.440 these secondary issues of wanting to be vindicated and validated, 0:04:21.960 --> 0:04:23.880 and he wanted to feel like maybe all the strife 0:04:23.920 --> 0:04:28.479 was was first was not for nothing. So I'm not shocked, 0:04:28.600 --> 0:04:31.159 I'm not even that surprised, but I do think it 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:32.800 complicates his legacy and if he wants to be righter 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:34.880 cup captain if he wants to be an a team 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:37.240 whole tower and next to his buddy Jim nance like, 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:40.599 this makes that road back a lot tougher, because you know, 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:42.479 he looks a little bit like like a mercenary, like 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:46.200 like a morally bankrupt guy who we know his true 0:04:46.200 --> 0:04:47.960 feelings about the Staudies. He told them to me. They're 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:50.680 in print, and yet he's still taking their money, and 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:54.799 even after acknowledging their atrocities at it's uh, it's gonna 0:04:54.880 --> 0:04:58.839 it's gonna be complicated. But m you know, I think 0:04:58.880 --> 0:05:00.560 I think Phil just had to go all in, so 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:05.040 it's gonna be He's a star, he's the headliner, he's 0:05:05.040 --> 0:05:07.000 a newsmaker. I mean, this thing becomes a lot more 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:10.320 in treating with him over there, Michael Bamber, what do 0:05:10.320 --> 0:05:12.800 you make of all this? Well, Al and I have 0:05:12.880 --> 0:05:17.440 talked about this a lot in recent months. Um I thought, 0:05:17.560 --> 0:05:21.320 for you know, since Alan printed those comments from Phil, 0:05:21.720 --> 0:05:25.040 he absolutely was gonna go with live golf and with 0:05:25.080 --> 0:05:28.080 all credit. You know, the line followed the money, It's 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:30.400 it's not in the book, it's in the movie. All 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:33.479 the presidents men follow the money has never looked more 0:05:33.520 --> 0:05:36.600 appropriate or more insightful as a comment than it does. 0:05:36.720 --> 0:05:40.880 Right here. After, after Phil lost all his endorsement deals 0:05:41.720 --> 0:05:46.359 either suspended or voluntarily from the PGA Tour, Big Expensive life, 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:48.560 he had to do something to make money. He was 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:51.280 out of options, and um, he had to do this. 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:53.520 I've I've been saying all along, he'll play all the 0:05:53.560 --> 0:05:57.640 live events, He'll he'll double down with this audies. Um, 0:05:57.960 --> 0:06:01.120 he'll try to keep his name in circulate among casual 0:06:01.800 --> 0:06:07.479 sportsman's by playing a major championships. Uh. But it's really 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:11.960 a sad state of affairs just on Phil Mickelson on 0:06:12.000 --> 0:06:17.000 a personal level, that his private struggles were revealed in 0:06:17.120 --> 0:06:21.919 such a public way that his life has been turned 0:06:22.000 --> 0:06:24.800 upside down. And that's not a statement at all on 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:27.719 what he told what he told Alan. That's a statement 0:06:27.880 --> 0:06:32.200 on what he acknowledged was his own recklessness and how 0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:34.240 he got himself in this position in the first place. 0:06:34.400 --> 0:06:37.520 Just to finish this one thought this is that this 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:42.480 is total entertainment. Seventy two whole stroke play golf where 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:44.719 you're guaranteed nothing and there's a thirty six old cut. 0:06:45.240 --> 0:06:46.919 That's the game we all grew up on. But the 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:50.880 reason that it works is because it's great. Fifty four 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:55.080 whole team event, guaranteed money, no cut is a glorified 0:06:55.160 --> 0:06:59.640 exhibition the greatness of the major championships in an I'm 0:06:59.640 --> 0:07:02.440 bar this idea from my friend Jimmy Dunn is that 0:07:02.520 --> 0:07:06.440 they are brands onto themselves and those brands and Tiger 0:07:06.600 --> 0:07:09.240 understand this, and Phil probably understands us but doesn't care 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:12.600 or what made them great and made them rich both 0:07:13.080 --> 0:07:15.920 and um, he's turning his back on all of that. 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:24.840 And I find it pathetic Mac your reaction to not 0:07:24.920 --> 0:07:27.160 only what Michael's and Nolan have just said, but just 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:32.120 the news in general. I mean, obviously we've talked about 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:37.120 you know that Andy Ogletree, who managed you know, got 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:40.440 an invite to play him this week's live event. UM, 0:07:40.600 --> 0:07:44.200 not the series, but just this event, which coupled he 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:48.320 played in the Asian Tour event last week in north 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:52.440 of London. UM. And you know he'll tell you, and 0:07:52.440 --> 0:07:54.880 I'll tell you it wasn't anything that if this is no, 0:07:55.480 --> 0:07:57.520 he's not getting a big check. He's going to play 0:07:57.520 --> 0:07:59.480 in a golf tournament. You know, his goal is to 0:07:59.480 --> 0:08:02.440 find some more to play. And they've got the Asian Tour. UM. 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:05.960 The Asian tours. You know, they get were ranking points 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:07.440 and there's a lot of money in it. I mean 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:10.440 relative to you know, he's a conditional corn Ferry member 0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:12.720 and he can't get in a can't get into you know, 0:08:12.880 --> 0:08:16.120 can't get into corn fairy Man. Just um he's got 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:19.280 not got invited, so he didn't get invited to that. Um. 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:21.480 I think it. I think this is you know, you're 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:24.320 exactly right in the sense of these guys. They are 0:08:24.320 --> 0:08:27.080 going for the money. Um. And look, I had another 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:30.640 client that got offered that turns you know that I 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:32.160 had to. I had to take the offer to it. 0:08:32.280 --> 0:08:35.920 I mean, I can't not. And he's like, no, no thanks, 0:08:35.960 --> 0:08:38.679 I'm I'm good. That was pretty much the end of 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:41.960 the text. Um. I think Phil had no I don't 0:08:41.960 --> 0:08:44.480 think Phil had anywhere to go if m if he 0:08:44.520 --> 0:08:49.440 does it, I think on the flip side, UM, you 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:53.959 know the players that are doing it, I think what 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:57.120 you're gonna see? I think what if I heard the 0:08:57.120 --> 0:09:01.640 same rumors about Ricky and uh Ashmbo. I think once 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:08.920 somebody jumped, they Dustin jumped and they didn't get tortured 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:11.520 or shot. I think a lot of guys started going 0:09:11.600 --> 0:09:14.800 I'm gonna get the money. You know. Um, I think 0:09:14.840 --> 0:09:19.920 it's just like you know Bam said, it's it's it's been, 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:22.679 it's been our lives the whole time. And even the 0:09:22.720 --> 0:09:25.800 tour must think something about it, because that's why they 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:28.680 did the p I P. I mean, they they're gonna 0:09:28.720 --> 0:09:31.040 pay more money to keep them, which I think I 0:09:31.040 --> 0:09:33.160 said on an earlier podcast, I didn't think the tour 0:09:33.200 --> 0:09:34.679 has to do anything. I think the tour puts on 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:38.520 a great product, great course is the great thing. Um. 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:41.439 Whether this works or not, I don't think. I think 0:09:41.480 --> 0:09:49.080 the PGA Tour creates most of these personalities and you know, 0:09:49.920 --> 0:09:54.640 along with obviously the majors, um, but you know, whether 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:56.480 they're working or not or with these guys. But yeah, 0:09:56.480 --> 0:09:58.080 the guys just took the money. I mean they're just 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:02.120 taking guarantee pay. Is it a glorify an exhibition? I mean, 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:09.480 I mean kind of everything else. But that's a that's 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:11.360 a deep thought. But one thing I want to say 0:10:11.400 --> 0:10:14.760 is I don't think anyone's upset at Andy Ogiltreet. He's 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:16.840 just looking for a place to play and he's been 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:19.200 He's had the door slammed on him a few times. 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:22.440 You know, Phil Nicholson is fully exampled in every big 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:24.720 tournament there is for the next five years. Like he 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:27.520 certainly had a home on the PG Tour. Now he 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:29.480 would have had to earn back some of the endorsements 0:10:29.480 --> 0:10:31.120 and some of the money, which he certainly could have 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:35.680 by spreading goodwill and with good play. So there's a 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:37.880 It's an interesting dynamic that the Saudi's have set up 0:10:37.920 --> 0:10:41.520 by inviting these young guys who who are looking for 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:43.760 opportunity and they don't want to they don't want to 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:45.559 starve to death playing that the corn ferry of the 0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:48.040 Tino America. Like, I don't think and Ryan can speak 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:49.520 to this. I don't think people are mad about that. 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:52.760 It's it's these stars who have all the exemptions and 0:10:52.760 --> 0:10:54.640 have all the money in the bank. And this is 0:10:54.679 --> 0:10:56.440 not out of assassy, this is out of choice. And 0:10:56.440 --> 0:10:58.760 even Phil saying nowhere else to go, I don't I 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:01.760 don't fully agree with that. Well, I think Phil, I 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:04.160 mean I don't think Phil. I always thought that Phil 0:11:04.200 --> 0:11:07.040 was going to replace you know, well I shouldn't say replaced, 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:09.079 but I thought he would do TV with CBS. I 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:12.120 think he would have got some type of romo type 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:15.800 package to come with CBS. I really did. I thought 0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:19.439 he would be running through Arnold Palmer and doing Penzel 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:22.120 commercials driving a tractor. That's what Phil I mean he 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:24.720 would have thought so I thought. I don't. I think 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.680 he could have made the money back, but I don't 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:29.880 know how fast, because it might take a couple of 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:34.600 years of redemption parades or something. I don't know, Ryan, 0:11:34.880 --> 0:11:38.439 I mean to to to Alan's point, you covered you 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:41.600 cover this game where guys are going backwards even when 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:44.280 they finished top ten on the Latin American Tour. You 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:49.400 know they they can't. They almost it's nearly impossible. Uh, 0:11:49.440 --> 0:11:51.920 the odds are so stacked against them to try to 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:54.560 make a living playing professional golf, even though they can 0:11:54.600 --> 0:11:56.800 shoot sixty four on any given day on any given 0:11:56.800 --> 0:12:00.400 golf course, any given situation. They have the talent, they 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:05.880 just don't always have the opportunities. For you, what's your 0:12:05.920 --> 0:12:08.440 perspective where you're at when you look at a guy 0:12:08.520 --> 0:12:11.760 like Andy ogul Tree versus who literally can't get a start, 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:14.719 barely gets letters back as he's saying, hey, I won 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:18.440 the animos low am at the pastors give me you 0:12:18.480 --> 0:12:20.000 can I give a shot, And he's not even getting 0:12:20.080 --> 0:12:23.960 answers back. And you certainly, like Alan said, you don't 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:28.040 you don't see don't see the issue or harm in 0:12:28.200 --> 0:12:30.160 him doing him. He's he's trying to make a living 0:12:30.240 --> 0:12:34.200 playing professional golf, but fills a different issue. Yeah, I 0:12:34.240 --> 0:12:38.559 mean I said to uh, you know a few players today. 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:42.520 Actually is no one's met at Chase Kpka, No one's 0:12:42.559 --> 0:12:45.440 met at any Oval Tree, no one's mad at Henry 0:12:45.480 --> 0:12:49.600 Duplas from you know, from South Africa. And honestly, if 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:52.000 you think about like Richard Bland, no one's really mad 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:55.640 at Richard Bland, the guy played forever on the European Tour, 0:12:55.720 --> 0:12:58.160 bounced back and forth from the Challenge Tour, the whatever, 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:00.840 and now he's getting a payday like kind of no 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:04.480 one's mad, but especially the young guys. I mean Andy 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:07.280 doesn't have a place to play. Chase Kepka, Yes, I 0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:10.200 know he's Brooks brother, but I know Chase on a 0:13:10.320 --> 0:13:14.520 on a personal level. He saves money all the time, 0:13:14.600 --> 0:13:17.959 flies into different airports, drives the smallest rental car, does 0:13:18.000 --> 0:13:20.480 all the things that a lot of many tour players 0:13:20.480 --> 0:13:23.679 got get. If he's getting money from Brooksi sure is 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:26.400 hiding it. Well, so I know he gets opportunities, but 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:29.640 he's trying to survive, so he's going over there. Whether 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:33.240 Brooks is part of the deal or whatever is irrelevant. Brooks. 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:35.360 I mean, Chase is looking out for his own career, 0:13:35.720 --> 0:13:39.000 and he's looking out for his own career. If Andy 0:13:39.320 --> 0:13:42.240 or Chase play well and make a million and a 0:13:42.280 --> 0:13:46.840 half dollars, that extends his career for the X amount 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:51.160 of years. And that that's what a lot of these guys, 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:54.640 as I cover all the time, money ends their careers. 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:57.320 Mac Now is it better than I do? Money ends? 0:13:58.520 --> 0:14:01.880 And they quickly forget that Andy oglod Oval trees the 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:06.200 USAM Champion like that. Like golf is a fast moving 0:14:06.240 --> 0:14:09.679 train and you don't take advantage of those early exemptions, 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:12.959 they're gonna leave you behind. Talk to some friends of 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:16.280 James Piat that this year's U S M who's going 0:14:16.320 --> 0:14:19.720 over there, and through the friends are like, hey, man, 0:14:19.920 --> 0:14:23.080 you know he's getting money. It's play on the corn 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:25.880 Ferry Tour where you can win. If you win a 0:14:25.880 --> 0:14:28.400 corn Ferry event, you get a hundred and thirteen thousand dollars. 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:31.520 You finished dead last at the live event, you get 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:35.200 a hundred and twenty plus. James is getting some upfront money, 0:14:35.560 --> 0:14:41.640 a good amount, like who wouldn't take it? Yeah, but 0:14:42.200 --> 0:14:45.080 it falls under the n I L. The money is 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:48.800 up front. Yeah. So and and I think in Allen 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:53.080 and I and all of us talked about it before 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:57.720 coming on them. Taking top am s A I think 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:01.040 is easy pickings because those guys have to go through 0:15:01.040 --> 0:15:03.680 the corn ferry and be the bigger threat than Dustin 0:15:03.760 --> 0:15:08.120 Johnson or phil or Lee West or Alien Poulter. If 0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:10.840 they can sustain for five years and pick off the 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:16.760 next Colin Maricala, the next uh you know whatever, Yeah, 0:15:16.800 --> 0:15:20.040 the next Scottie Shuffler, then the live is a serious, 0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:23.960 serious threat. Yeah. I mean Scottie Shuffler is Scottie Scheffler 0:15:24.040 --> 0:15:26.880 because he's won multiple times on the PGA Tour and 0:15:26.960 --> 0:15:29.760 one a major championship. Like to say, you're gonna find 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:31.920 the next Scottie Shufler, are you we really think we're 0:15:31.920 --> 0:15:35.920 gonna in a fifty four whole shotgun event with no cut. 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:38.280 You really think we're gonna be uh you know any 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:40.480 even the guy who wins, we're gonna say, oh, he's 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:44.800 the next Scottie Scheffler. Well, but if you're superstar on 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:47.320 the p g A tour, right, like Scottie Shuffler playing 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:50.080 at the live event means he's not on the PGA Tour. Well, 0:15:50.120 --> 0:15:52.960 we know we miss him, no, but you know there's 0:15:52.960 --> 0:15:55.360 gonna be thirty winners and thirty six events on the 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:58.440 PGA Tour instead of you know, Scottie Scheffler winning four 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:01.120 or five times. Well that's where these Saudi events could 0:16:01.160 --> 0:16:03.760 be exciting, is if you come down the stretch and 0:16:03.760 --> 0:16:06.160 you have these young guys have a chance to win 0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:09.440 because four million dollars will change their life. It's not 0:16:09.480 --> 0:16:11.360 gonna change Justin's life. I mean, he'll enjoy it and 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:14.440 I'm sure I'll have fun blowing it. But the for 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:17.600 these guys, it is an astronomical amount of money and 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:20.360 that will actually add some tension and there's you know, 0:16:20.800 --> 0:16:22.720 I think that that puts him to the test, but 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:25.120 kind of I will say, in the whole if you 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:26.840 go through the whole list of the people who are playing, 0:16:27.160 --> 0:16:29.720 the name that's most intriguing to me is Taylor Good 0:16:30.360 --> 0:16:34.680 because he is a guy who's very young and on 0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:38.080 the upswing and he could have a very long, profitable 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:41.080 career on the PGA Tour. And for him to turn 0:16:41.120 --> 0:16:43.960 his back on the tour and take this leap of faith. 0:16:44.960 --> 0:16:46.840 When you talk about if there's going to be litigation, 0:16:46.880 --> 0:16:49.800 if you have to announce membership, all these things. He's 0:16:49.800 --> 0:16:51.720 the guy that matters for because he's got ten or 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:53.880 fifteen or twenty years in front of him. You know, 0:16:54.160 --> 0:16:58.320 Phil and Kevin Nah and those guys. They can walk 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:00.720 away and it's not really a risk. They've already made 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:02.560 their money, they've kind of maxed out what they could 0:17:02.560 --> 0:17:05.359 do on the PGA tour. But a guy like Goots, 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:08.159 like there's gonna be litigation, I would make him the 0:17:08.240 --> 0:17:13.119 defendant because he's someone who would benefit from this idea 0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:15.880 where if the whole world order changes and you can 0:17:15.960 --> 0:17:17.760 keep your tour membership and you can still play some 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:19.719 the Saudi events. That's what a lot of the players 0:17:19.720 --> 0:17:22.080 would love, right they it's the best of both worlds. 0:17:22.160 --> 0:17:25.760 And um so, I think he's a key guy in this. 0:17:25.800 --> 0:17:27.840 It's kind of an overlooked by the casual fan, but 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:30.159 when you factor in the age in the world ranking, 0:17:30.160 --> 0:17:32.600 he's the most intriguing name on the whole list. I think. 0:17:33.440 --> 0:17:35.959 I mean, behind the scenes, guys, there's a lot of 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:39.920 players that want to do this. I mean there's people 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:44.560 silently behind the scenes they're saying they want to do it. 0:17:44.640 --> 0:17:47.600 They're they're they're a scared there. They don't want to 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:50.119 get beat up. I mean there's but they want to 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:53.640 do it. They may want to do they may want 0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:56.880 to do it, but they don't know why they want 0:17:56.920 --> 0:17:59.399 to do it. They think having all that money is 0:17:59.440 --> 0:18:02.360 going to make a happy But the the the thing 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:04.320 that made him so good at golf in the first 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:07.200 place was the sire and Alan and I were talking 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:09.960 to Jeff Ogilby when we're at the at the PGA Championship, 0:18:10.080 --> 0:18:13.359 was wonderful. The opportunity to show off your skills to 0:18:13.400 --> 0:18:16.159 your friends and in other words, the driving force of 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:20.680 what really makes golf golf is not guaranteed money. It's 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:23.400 the opposite of guaranteed money. And fift or four whole 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:27.920 not cut team events is not gonna cut it um. 0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:32.520 Now if they can figure out through through through uh, 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:34.760 through the courts, basically that there's a way to play 0:18:34.840 --> 0:18:37.480 both tours, you have course, Mac they're gonna line up 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:40.239 like crazy for the free money. But the thing that 0:18:40.359 --> 0:18:42.800 is the driving force in their life for all these 0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:45.720 guys is not money. One golf too. It's the other 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:50.119 way around, it's golf one money too. Yeah. But you 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:53.720 know what's intriguing is that if you're dustiny your phil 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:57.720 you can still play the majors, and so you still 0:18:57.760 --> 0:19:00.960 get you still those of them most important tournaments. We 0:19:00.960 --> 0:19:04.080 all know that there's still the grandest stages are still 0:19:04.119 --> 0:19:08.520 the most electricity. So in a small way, like now, 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:11.000 the U s g is because of the timing of this, 0:19:11.080 --> 0:19:13.879 they're obviously they've just punted. They're gonna whoever's exempted the 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:15.720 US Opens canna play the US Open, whether they sign 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:17.320 up to live or not. I'm sure it'll be the 0:19:17.320 --> 0:19:20.280 same thing for the Open Championship. The real litmus test 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:23.480 will be next year's Masters, when there's another seven or 0:19:23.520 --> 0:19:26.120 eight months for all this stuff to get sorted out 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:28.879 and or adjudicated by the courts. Like but if the 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:31.680 Major's just decide, you know, the governing bodies that run 0:19:31.680 --> 0:19:34.200 the majors, if they decide this is not our fight. 0:19:34.640 --> 0:19:38.240 We go off the world ranking and you know, hey, 0:19:38.359 --> 0:19:41.440 you're the Saudi event on the European Tour. We've we've 0:19:41.440 --> 0:19:44.199 acknowledged those world breaking points and that money and and 0:19:44.240 --> 0:19:46.480 we don't want to get involved in geopolitics, and golf 0:19:46.560 --> 0:19:49.840 is golf, and if you can play the Saudi Tour 0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:52.200 and you can play the major's, like why wouldn't Brooks 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:55.040 kept to sign up for that? Because his disdain for 0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:57.520 the everyday tour events has been is well known, Like 0:19:57.560 --> 0:19:59.280 that would be a dream if you're a Brooks Kepta 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:03.440 or if you're a big game hunter. So I think 0:20:03.560 --> 0:20:07.880 whether the majors stay on the table will also decide 0:20:07.880 --> 0:20:12.080 how many guys keep lining up for this And I think, 0:20:12.119 --> 0:20:14.960 I mean, you guys can better answer this book. Wouldn't 0:20:15.000 --> 0:20:16.800 you think that if the U s g A and 0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:20.040 the RNA and the Masters accept these guys into the 0:20:20.080 --> 0:20:22.280 live that it says a little bit about the power 0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:25.800 that the PGA Tour is losing, because as far as 0:20:25.800 --> 0:20:28.720 I know, they've gone along with suspensions and like kind 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:30.880 of held the same thing that the PGA Tour does. 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:32.679 And if they just say, yeah, these guys from the 0:20:32.720 --> 0:20:36.359 liver and I think it speaks a lot to you know, 0:20:36.480 --> 0:20:39.440 the PGA Tour is held as you guys know better 0:20:39.440 --> 0:20:43.639 than I have the immense power. And if the U 0:20:43.760 --> 0:20:45.439 s g A just says no, we're still letting these 0:20:45.440 --> 0:20:47.240 guys in. I think it speaks to that as much 0:20:47.280 --> 0:20:50.119 as anything else the PGA Tour does are at the 0:20:50.160 --> 0:20:53.440 major championships. If the majors allow live players to come 0:20:53.480 --> 0:20:56.760 over and kind of turn their back on the PGA Tour, right, 0:20:56.760 --> 0:20:59.920 I think the Masters, they'll be holding their nose all 0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:02.119 the while. There is no First of all, you have 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:05.320 people like Dustin Johnson, Phil Nicholson, They've got invitations for 0:21:05.440 --> 0:21:07.600 life until the age out. But then you have people 0:21:07.640 --> 0:21:09.800 like Louise tis And who could of course top four 0:21:09.840 --> 0:21:12.520 in any open and get himself, you know, in next 0:21:12.560 --> 0:21:15.080 year's Masters. There is no way on God's screen Earth 0:21:15.119 --> 0:21:17.560 Augustin Nashal is going to say you can't play because 0:21:17.560 --> 0:21:20.720 they have a list of published, list of criteria required, 0:21:21.600 --> 0:21:23.240 and they're not gonna They're not gonna buy up their 0:21:23.240 --> 0:21:25.440 own list. They're gonna lean back to what would Bobby 0:21:25.520 --> 0:21:28.480 Jones say? But to Alan's point, your brooks kept and 0:21:28.480 --> 0:21:30.399