1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: For me, it was a complete no brainer. I had 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: nowhere else to play that week of London. There was 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 1: no g Pro Tour event, there was no Corn for 4 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: You Tour event, there was no Monday qualifier. There was 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: nowhere else for me to play, and it provided a 6 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: great financial situation for me to be able to you know, 7 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: fund my my golf for the next couple of years. 8 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: I got thoughts in my head. Can't get John, nothing 9 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: thing what I'm thinking about about thoughts in my head. 10 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: I can't get them out. John, not to think what 11 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 1: I'm thinking about. Welcome back to their Fire Drill podcast. 12 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: This is Alan Schipnuk. I am joined by Ryan French 13 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: at home in Michigan and we have our special guest 14 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: to stay, Andy Ogletree, coming into hot from Alfreda, Georgia. 15 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: Before we get to then, and let me just thank 16 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: our sponsors who make this stuff possible. Of course, we 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: have part points our favorite golf scoring app our friends 18 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: at Dormy Workshop. They make beautiful Artisano leather goods. We 19 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: sell them at the fire Pit Collective dot com in 20 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: the in the fire Pitch Shop and the code is 21 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: fire Drill. You get a nice discount. We always appreciate 22 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: our our corporate sponsors to let us do cool things 23 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: like this. So we want to welcome into Andy Ogletree 24 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: of course US Open champ who's had a US Open 25 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: taking upgrade man, my apologies. Yes, US amateur champ who 26 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,919 Speaker 1: has had a non traditional start to his professional career. 27 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: We're gonna we're gonna talk about that and his um, 28 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: his dalliance would live golf and where it all goes 29 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: from here. So Andy, thank you for doing this. I 30 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: really appreciate you. Yeah, thanks for having me. Guys looking 31 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: forward to it. So, so let's talk about the the 32 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: US am A victory. You know, it's obviously a career highlight. 33 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: It was it was just played recently and we were 34 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: all tuned into a pretty epic match. It's a very 35 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: exclusive fraternity. I mean, as the years go by and 36 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: you look back on that victory, how much does it 37 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: mean to you in reflection? Yeah, like you said, the 38 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: years of have gone by, for sure. It's uh, it's 39 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 1: kind of old news at this point, and when I 40 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: think back, it seems like such a long time ago. 41 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: So many things have happened since then. But obviously it's 42 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 1: just special memories. Um, what a great week, and it's 43 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: opened the door to a lot of opportunities for me. 44 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: So I owe a lot of what I'm able to 45 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: do now thanks to that week. And you know that 46 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: week was That week was super cool. I can't wait 47 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 1: to can't wait to talk about it. Remember it a 48 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 1: little bit. I mean, it does touch off this this 49 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 1: unusual almost like internship. Right, you have to stay an 50 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: amateur to cash in these great exemptions, and it creates 51 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: a little bit of a limbo. Remember Bryson D. Shambo 52 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: called it an internship when when he was the USA Champion, 53 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: because for me, it locked me in for about another 54 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: year and a half. Um Traditionally, when you win the 55 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: us AM um, it looked like everything was gonna come 56 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,119 Speaker 1: into place, perfect, perfect for me. I won the us 57 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: AM after my junior year of college. I had always stay, 58 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: planned to stay four years and graduate from Georgia Tech UM. 59 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: So I win the U s M after my junior year. 60 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: Everything's great. I'm gonna play my senior year. I'm gonna 61 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: play the Walker Cup. All these dates are kind of 62 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: lining up perfectly. I'll play the Masters in November, and 63 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: then I'll play the um n C Double A championship 64 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: in turn pro, and hopefully play seven events on the 65 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: PGA tour UM that season. I kind of had all 66 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: of that lined up for that summer, and then COVID happened. 67 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: So I think it was March fourteen that the world 68 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: kind of shut down. UM our senior season got canceled. 69 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: They announced all spring sports and n C Double A 70 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: will be canceled starting March fourteen. There's gonna be no championships, 71 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: you know. All that stuff happened, so that happens. The 72 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: Masters gets postponed in November. We don't really know when 73 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: we're gonna play any tournaments. I have a couple of 74 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: sponsor exemptions that I can still play UM as an amateur, 75 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: obviously because their direct qualifications for winning the US am 76 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: So those were the invitationals UM Colonial. I could have 77 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,919 Speaker 1: played bay Hill, UM I didn't play because of a 78 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: college event, but I could have played bay Hill and 79 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: then Hilton Head and Memorial. So I played all of 80 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: those UM that summer. So that gave me something to 81 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: play in which was great. And then I waited until 82 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 1: November obviously to turn pro. And after the Masters, I 83 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: mean that it's always a challenge for the U s 84 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: am champ to kind of balance the business in life 85 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: and the opportunities you're turning down. I mean, what did 86 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: you give up by staying an amateur? I mean, did 87 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: you have offers on the table to get turn professional 88 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,559 Speaker 1: right away? Yeah? I mean, obviously I could have turned 89 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 1: profession on and played that summer. I probably just would 90 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: have moved up my timeline. Um, I would more than 91 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: likely going to get seven events on the PGA Tour, 92 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: and um so I could have gone ahead and taken 93 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: my seven events that summer, and you know, obviously three 94 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: of those were I would have just played the same 95 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: term as I played anyway, um being Colonial, Hilton Head, 96 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: and Memorial. So I would have had those, and then 97 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: I would have hopefully gotten four more sponsor invites throughout 98 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: the summer. But I mean, when it all turned out, 99 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 1: I basically didn't turn down much to wait until November. 100 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: I just had to wait until November. Um, some some 101 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: unfortunate events happened after November that you know, kind of 102 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: set me back a little bit and made my route 103 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: much more untraditional. Andy, Just to be clear, like if 104 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: if the Masters was played at its normal time that year, 105 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:55,720 Speaker 1: you would have played the Masters and then turned pro 106 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: and got seven exemptions as a pro right and then 107 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: obviously like Flee, Yeah, so I would have played the 108 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: Masters in April, I would have played the n C 109 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 1: Double A Championship at the end of May, and then 110 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: I would have turned pro early June and hopefully played 111 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: seven events including the US Open, and I would have 112 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: been able to play all those as a pro. Just 113 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: for those listening, and then what that would have done 114 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 1: to Andy's career is he plays those as a pro 115 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,920 Speaker 1: gett non member points. If he plays decent enough, at minimum, 116 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: he's in the corn Ferry finals with the chance to 117 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: get is PJ Tour card or at at worst be 118 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: a full member of the corn Ferry Tour. So the 119 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 1: timing of COVID and all of those things really obviously 120 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: worked against And in this case, that wasn't just me. Obviously, 121 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: that was a lot of players earning pro that year, 122 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: and there was no Q school that following fall, so 123 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: everybody was basically in a limbo state for a year 124 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: and a half to two years. It was great for 125 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: the guys that had their tour card already, and it 126 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: was great for the guys who maybe played bad on 127 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: tour and got an extra year, or maybe you know, 128 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: got some guys got stuck on the corn Ferry Tour 129 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: for two seasons that we're going to qualify for the 130 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: PGA Tour. So there was a lot of guys that 131 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: got you know, dealt a bad hand from that that timeline, 132 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: but my situation was definitely unfortunate. So so fast forward 133 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: now that takes us all the way through the end 134 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: of two thousand twenties. So you get into early and 135 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: you don't have a ton of options, right, what what 136 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: was your making in pro? The week after the Masters 137 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: obviously another special week for me and finished in low Am, 138 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: and that whole experience was so cool. Getting to play 139 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: with Tiger and getting to be in Butler cabin at 140 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: the end of the week and all the stuff that 141 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: came with that was awesome. It was a great segue 142 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: into me turning pro. Um. I kind of accomplished everything 143 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: I wanted to do as an amateur, and then you know, 144 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: everything was unfolding. I was so hopefully going to get 145 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 1: my seven events on the PGA Tour. I hoped, and 146 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:57,800 Speaker 1: I had a lot lined up and I played in 147 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: three before having hip surgery, so um, everything was kind 148 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: of still in place. I hadn't lost much at that point. 149 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: I was just basically delayed six months of my prolier 150 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: process um from kind of when I thought I would 151 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: be doing this this step in my career. It was 152 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: basically six months after but played three events and then 153 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: had to had to have hip surgery. So that was 154 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: obviously detrimental. You know. I played those events hurt. I 155 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: thought I could kind of tough it out. I was like, 156 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: you know, maybe I can, maybe I can at least 157 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: play well in a couple events to get me enough 158 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: points to get into corner pretty finals and then kind 159 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: of go that route. But I wasn't able to get there, 160 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: and I didn't play well in my events. I realized 161 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: I couldn't compete against you know, some of the best 162 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: players in the world when I wasn't feeling fully healthy. 163 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: So I needed to get that figured out, and you know, 164 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: I had to had to go have surgery. When did 165 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: you sustain I don't. I don't really for a specific 166 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 1: day or like a specific event that happened. I was like, oh, 167 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 1: you know, that was that moment that tore my hip. 168 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 1: But um, I had a torn laboram and a cam 169 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: F A I impinchment, so basically extra bone girth around 170 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: the hip socket and all the rotation on my left 171 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 1: hip over time just tore my labram in half. And 172 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: I was bowling on bawn and it was just I 173 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 1: was having a hard time walking, much less turning hitting 174 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: the golf ball. So I played. I started the year 175 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: um out at Tory Pines. Played there, played okay, but 176 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 1: missed the cut. Played batt on the south course and 177 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: didn't take advantage of the north. And then the next 178 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: week was a Monday qualifier in Scottsdale, so I went 179 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 1: from Tory to Scottsdale. I was gonna play the Monday, 180 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: and then I was in the next week at Pebble Beach. 181 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: And that week in Scottsdale, I remember my hip just 182 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 1: killing me. And I didn't Monday, but Alie Snydergean's and 183 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 1: I stayed out in Scottsdale because it's a great place 184 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: to practice. It's cold in Atlanta. We didn't want to 185 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,319 Speaker 1: come home, so stayed out there in practice all week 186 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: and I was like, man, my hips just killing me. 187 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: And then I get to Pebble Beach the next week 188 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,679 Speaker 1: and I was just I was smoked, not mean, my 189 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: my hip was in such pain, and I kind of 190 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: suffered through that week and then drove down to l A. 191 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 1: I was gonna play Riviera the next week. I was 192 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: in there, and so I get to Riviera and I 193 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: had to withdraw on Monday. And I took like a 194 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: month off before Punta Kana and gave it one lass, 195 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: one last more right, and I just wasn't able to 196 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: do it. So I called my surgeon walking off the 197 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 1: eighteenth green, I said, schedule it, um, let's go ahead 198 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: and must do the hip surgery. So um, in that 199 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: month between Riviera and Punta Kana, I went and had 200 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: imaging done and he told me, you know, I was 201 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: gonna have to have the surgery within a few months. 202 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:51,679 Speaker 1: He just didn't know when it would be. He said, 203 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: you know, you'll know when the time's right. So I 204 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: called him after Punta con insist, I know the times right, 205 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 1: let's do it that And I knew if I if 206 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: I had the surgery, then then I could play Q 207 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: School that that year, and that was kind of my hope, 208 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 1: UM at least be able to play Q School and 209 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 1: give myself hopefully guaranteed status. UM that was kind of 210 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: the goal. A whole time. So that was the reason 211 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: I want to have the hit surgery Andy, I mean 212 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 1: take us back to just like trying to work through 213 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,319 Speaker 1: the you know, play through the pain, because I mean, 214 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,160 Speaker 1: I think a very few people kind of understand how 215 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 1: fleeting in the politics and all the stuff that goes 216 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: on with sponsors, exemptions, even if you're the U. S. M. Champ. 217 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 1: I mean, you're out six months and it's like quickly 218 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,000 Speaker 1: for people forget who you are. So you're just like, 219 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: I gotta take advantage of it. Yeah, that's very well said. Um, 220 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: people forget very quickly. Golf very much a game of 221 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:50,680 Speaker 1: what can you do for me right now? And you 222 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: know rightfully, so you want to take the take the 223 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,479 Speaker 1: players that are hot, and take the players that, um 224 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: kind of have have done something recently so they're sponsoring 225 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: vites are very hard to get, and fortunate for me, 226 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: I was able. You know, it was soon enough after 227 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 1: the low am with the Masters that people kind of 228 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: were still remembering me and I was able to get 229 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: all the sponsor invites starting out that year. But after 230 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: hip surgery, UM, it was a little different. I wasn't 231 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: able to get any sponsor invites and we'll get into 232 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: some of that after after Q school and kind of, 233 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:27,240 Speaker 1: um what happened after that? But UM, yeah, this, the 234 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 1: sponsor invites are very hard to get. I think they're 235 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: hard to get on the corn Ferry Tour than even 236 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:35,080 Speaker 1: the PGA Tour. And for reasons we don't. We don't 237 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: have to. One day we'll tell that story. That's a 238 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: different UH. There's there's a lot of polics that go 239 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 1: involved in UH and and those sponsor invites on both tours. 240 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: I think. So. Um, after hip surgery, I was feeling great. 241 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 1: I had a great six months recovery and um, everything 242 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: was looking good. Um, I was playing some good golf. 243 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,679 Speaker 1: I went and my first tournament back was a g 244 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:05,679 Speaker 1: Pro Tour event September, and uh, I was advanced to 245 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: second stage. So I wanted to play a little bit 246 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: of golf before I went to second stage of Q school. 247 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: I went and played a g Pro Tour event. I 248 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: won that. That was my first event back post hip surgery. 249 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: Everything's great. Um, I got a sponsor invited to Sanderson Farms. 250 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: It's near my hometown in Mississippi, and I've known the 251 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: tournament director for a while. He gave me a spot, 252 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,319 Speaker 1: and which I was, you know, obviously super thankful for. 253 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: I had two events to play before before Q School. 254 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: I got into contention actually Sanderson Farms and had a 255 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: bad Saturday. But I had a really good tournament and 256 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: uh gave me a lot of confidence. Going into Q school, 257 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: I was, I was ready to go. Um, all the 258 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,079 Speaker 1: all the hard work that I've done for six months 259 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 1: was paying off and everything kind of. I go, so 260 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: here we go to Q School. I get the second stage. 261 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: I lose by one, but play great. I think I 262 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: shot like eighteen nineteen under par. I don't remember it 263 00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: was in in Dothan, Alabama, but uh yeah, so accuse 264 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: school went great. I get the final stage. I pulled 265 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: a muscle in my elbow on Sunday. But right before 266 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 1: the tournament starts, I play no practice rounds. I go 267 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,559 Speaker 1: get a Cortison shot the night before the first round, 268 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 1: and I mean, I just I couldn't swing the golf club. 269 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 1: Um somehow I wasn't able to make a lot of 270 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: puts the first round and shoot a few under. But 271 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: after that it started raining, got super cold, and Wendy 272 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: um Savannah and I just I shot a million finished 273 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:31,600 Speaker 1: like a hundred at final stage, and I didn't really 274 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: know how detrimental that could be for the rest of 275 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: the year. So okay, so we're back in Q school. 276 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: How how did you How did you hurt your elbow? Yeah, 277 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: so I was it was super cold in Atlanta. Obviously 278 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:46,720 Speaker 1: in November, you never know what you're gonna get in Atlanta, 279 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: and it was really cold the week before. But I 280 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: wanted to get some practice in, so I went to 281 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: the indoor hitting bays at Golf Club of Georgia and 282 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: there's like a little trench in the in the mat. 283 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: But I hit it out there and it kind just 284 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: called it just right. I don't know, I don't know 285 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,800 Speaker 1: what happened, put it just right in the little trench 286 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: and it kind of just caught my wedge and it 287 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: snapped my elbow and it's it was so swollen, looked 288 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: so gross. Um called my physical therapist that had done 289 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: he had done my hip surgery rehab, and he was like, 290 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, you know, we've spent seven months getting 291 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: you ready for Q school and then this freak accident happens. 292 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: So he rushed me in. It was a Sunday. He 293 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 1: rushed me into his clinic. He opened it up. It 294 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: was like, you know, late in the afternoon. Um, he 295 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: was actually at like his kids volleyball practice or something, 296 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:41,400 Speaker 1: and he was like he knew that when I called him. 297 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:43,480 Speaker 1: The tone of my voice I was, you know, I 298 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: was in in some serious pain and hurting and whatnot. 299 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: So he uh rushed me in did some dry need 300 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: link to it? And then he's like, you don't need 301 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: to go to final stage and I'm like, no, I'm 302 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: going to final stage. You know, this is all I've 303 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: worked for for the past seven months. And even you know, 304 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: back before that it was you know, I had I 305 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 1: missed Q school the year before because of COVID. So 306 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: this was like a whole two year cycle leading up 307 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: to this event. And you know, my elbows size of 308 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: a balloon. So, um, I go down Monday morning just 309 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:23,320 Speaker 1: like I'm gonna go to Savannah. That was my original plans. 310 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: I called Mac Barnhardt, my agent, and I was like, 311 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: you know, Mac, this is what's going on. He called 312 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: one of his doctor friends, Dr Topper, down in Sea Island. Um. 313 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: Dr Talps got a practice in Brunswick, so he brought 314 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: me in for imaging on Tuesday and then I think 315 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 1: I got a Cortison shot on Wednesday to play the tournament, 316 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: and I was icing the whole week. I got to 317 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: walk the course obviously, but I couldn't hit any balls. 318 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: Dr Talps like, you know, he was like, we've done 319 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: all we can do. Go try and see what you 320 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:55,520 Speaker 1: can do on Thursday. But he was like, don't hit 321 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: a ball until Thursday and make it any worse. So 322 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 1: I literally really from Sunday to Thursday didn't hit a 323 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: single golf shot. Um. I didn't know if I was 324 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: gonna be able to play, but I knew I had 325 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: to at least hit a shot off the first tea. 326 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: If you hit a shot off the first tea at 327 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,919 Speaker 1: final stage, you technically finished. You can withdraw and finish 328 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: last in the tournament, but at least you keep your 329 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: conditional status. If you withdraw before the tournament starts, you 330 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: don't even keep your conditional status. So, um, you know, 331 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:27,800 Speaker 1: I hit a shot off the first he end up 332 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:29,639 Speaker 1: shooting a shot. I think I shot like four or 333 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 1: five when out of the first round, and we were like, okay, 334 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:34,879 Speaker 1: here we go, let's let's see what we can do. 335 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 1: And then the second round, Um, I went to the 336 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: other course and hit like three balls out of bounds, 337 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 1: shot a million. So um, I mean yeah, just does 338 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: your mind ever go to a dark place and you 339 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 1: think about how your life had been different if it 340 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 1: wasn't for that little goddamn trench in the map. Yeah, 341 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: I mean it really could. I would have been off 342 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 1: and running. I was playing so well, um, coming back 343 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 1: from surgery, and you know, I was in a good, 344 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:07,400 Speaker 1: good space mentally, everything was good and yeah, so that 345 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 1: was super unfortunate. And as soon as the tournament ended, 346 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:13,679 Speaker 1: I knew I had to find a way to get 347 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:15,719 Speaker 1: into some tournaments. So I had to get sponsor invites 348 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: um or I had to Monday qualify. So as soon 349 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 1: as the tournament ended, I start emailing Bahamas. I started 350 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: emailing um the South American events, I started emailing Louisian. 351 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 1: I started emailing all these different places. The lead calm 352 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:37,440 Speaker 1: down in Florida. I can I've had hours and hours 353 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: of conversations with all of these tournament directors, um tons 354 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: of emails. I was told literally three days after the 355 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: final stage that all of my all the spots in 356 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 1: my category were already taken for the Bahamas. I don't 357 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: know how that's possible. Um PGA Tour sponsor invites are 358 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:58,919 Speaker 1: given out, you know, two weeks ish before the event. 359 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: But somehow my category was already already given for Lee Coom, 360 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 1: already given for Bahamas, um for Bo Gatar. I think 361 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 1: they were already given their's. They probably get them the 362 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:13,600 Speaker 1: local guys or I don't know what the deal was, 363 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: but um, yeah it was. It was very interesting how 364 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: that that whole system works. I was told, like I said, 365 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: three days after um Corn Free Finals that all the 366 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: spots were already given out, So maybe it's coincidence. Maybe Yeah, 367 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: in my opinion, the spots are being sold still, so 368 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:39,400 Speaker 1: that's just just my ti. Um, that's that's where I'm at. 369 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: Andy first. I mean we can definitely touch on the 370 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 1: on the exemptions too, but just kind of give people 371 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:49,440 Speaker 1: to give people a perspective of what finishing a Q 372 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 1: school was. People think that like you get the final 373 00:19:52,880 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 1: stage and you're like, oh, everything's goold and you basically 374 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 1: have to finish in the top forty. Maybe if you 375 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: missed by one shot, you're gonna get a lot of tournament, 376 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,280 Speaker 1: but we're Andy finished, basically you're gonna get into maybe 377 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: five tournaments in a year, and they're gonna be you know, 378 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,399 Speaker 1: not that there's any but they're gonna be later in 379 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 1: the season and all this kind of stuff. So yeah, 380 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:14,880 Speaker 1: I mean that was kind of my understanding. I thought 381 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 1: I might get into a couple of events later in 382 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 1: the year. I thought I might get into maybe bow 383 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 1: Guitar Panama, because a lot of people don't travel to 384 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: those places. UM. I thought I would get into the BMW, 385 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: which was, you know, a large field because it's three courses. 386 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: I thought I might get in a few of those events. 387 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,120 Speaker 1: So that was kind of my hope. But I never 388 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 1: got into a single event. Um based off the reshuffle 389 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,359 Speaker 1: this year and how everyone wanted to play every event, 390 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: I just never got into a tournament. So UM, I 391 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: was traveling the Southeast and kind of all over playing 392 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 1: all these Monday qualifiers. UM. I was playing a lot 393 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:55,400 Speaker 1: of many tour events in between. And the season got 394 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: to the point where there was two events back to 395 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 1: back in Louisiana and I had been talking to a 396 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,360 Speaker 1: tournament director in Louisiana. I'm not going to say his name. 397 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:06,479 Speaker 1: I had been talking to the tournament director for one 398 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: of the events, and he told me you know. He 399 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: was like, between you and me, you're gonna get into 400 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,640 Speaker 1: this tournament. We're gonna give you a sponsor invite. And 401 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, awesome. So there is an APT Tour 402 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:25,479 Speaker 1: event right before that event in Louisiana, and I was like, sweet, 403 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,800 Speaker 1: I'll go to this APT event. Um, this will be 404 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:33,520 Speaker 1: like a gear up for for this tournament and play 405 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: that play the APT and then I get a call 406 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: um during that event, I was at the movie theater 407 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 1: with my my dad actually, and I remember walking outside 408 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 1: and he was like, hey, the tournament committee pulled, pulled, 409 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: pulled this sponsor invite from me. They decided to give 410 00:21:54,760 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 1: it to Ryan Ruffles, And wow, that was just like 411 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: the complete just that was the low point of this 412 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: whole year because I had finally thought I was going 413 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: to get a spot to play in a Corner Farry event. 414 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 1: And if I was able to play in one event, 415 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: that's what I keep telling the tournament directors. I just 416 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 1: need one tournament. I don't need a bunch of tournaments. 417 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: I don't need three or four. I need one event 418 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,879 Speaker 1: because if I can get in one, it's all up 419 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: to me. After that point, I can play my way 420 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,359 Speaker 1: into the reshuffle. I can play my way into you know, 421 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: full status on this tour, but please just give me 422 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,199 Speaker 1: an opportunity to play one event. I'm not playing well 423 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: on the Monday qualifiers mentally, I'm not there. I'm I'm 424 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,439 Speaker 1: you know, I'm not I'm not doing great in them, 425 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: and every every week you gotta go shoot six seven, 426 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 1: eight under part just to get through. So um, it 427 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 1: wasn't wasn't doing that, wasn't playing well enough to get 428 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: in on my own, and wasn't given an opportunity to play. 429 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: So um, that was kind of the low point of 430 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 1: the whole thing. I remember being just super devastated. I 431 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:01,199 Speaker 1: was supposed to play another APT Tour event and I 432 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,639 Speaker 1: called Mac and I'm like, you know, I'm going home. 433 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:06,400 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm tired of being on the road. I'm 434 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:09,080 Speaker 1: tired of playing these mondays. I finally thought I was 435 00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: going to get an event and it got pulled from 436 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: me last second. So um, this is just kind of 437 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: the low point of this whole year. Um kind of 438 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 1: stretched for me and I was sitting in a comfort 439 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: suitets in Louisiana and my bed's broken and it's got 440 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: old red carpet and it smells like cigarettes, and I'm 441 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,639 Speaker 1: just like, you know, this is not what I expected, 442 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:39,160 Speaker 1: you know, my pro career to look like at this point. Um. 443 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: Not that there's anything wrong with the traditional route and 444 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,880 Speaker 1: grinding it out on Mondays and you know, doing that stuff, 445 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:49,119 Speaker 1: but it's just not where I saw myself being based 446 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:52,399 Speaker 1: off the opportunities that I've had, and UM, you know, 447 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:54,640 Speaker 1: obviously good golf could have taken care of a lot 448 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: of that, but I didn't. I didn't do what I 449 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: needed to do to get um full status. And whether 450 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:04,439 Speaker 1: that be because of injury or because of whatever, at 451 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,200 Speaker 1: the end of the day, I didn't. I didn't play 452 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: well enough to give myself those opportunities. So, UM, that's 453 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: something I'm gonna have to live with. But UM, you know, 454 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 1: I tried, tried as hard as I can, and I 455 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: remember calling Mac and I was saying, you know, I 456 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: just need somewhere to play, Mac, Um, I need some 457 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,440 Speaker 1: type of start. I need some type of tournament to 458 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:29,520 Speaker 1: get ready for that that matters, A tournament that I 459 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 1: can get out of bed for, a tournament that I'm 460 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 1: excited to go practice, I'm excited to go play. At 461 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,400 Speaker 1: this point, I'm just like super frustrated with golf. I'm 462 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: not getting into the Mondays, I'm not playing well, I'm 463 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: not getting into the corn Ferry events, and I'm traveling 464 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: all across the country playing these minutes were events trying 465 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,920 Speaker 1: to make ends meet. So um, it's just it's a tough, 466 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 1: tough road and you know everyone has to go through 467 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: tough times at some point. But that was pretty much 468 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: rock bottom for me, and uh so Mac and I 469 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 1: kind of went back to the drawing board. We were 470 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:04,679 Speaker 1: able to find the International Tour Series for the Asian 471 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:09,120 Speaker 1: Asian Tour and the they were happy to have me 472 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 1: in the first event in Newcastle, so that was that 473 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 1: was like the first glimpse of hope for me to 474 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,959 Speaker 1: be able to play in an event that mattered. And 475 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 1: then I was approached for the first for the first 476 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 1: Lift Golf Tour event in London. So yeah, that's kind 477 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:29,560 Speaker 1: of where I was at at that point. But let's 478 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: just back up just a little bit. So you know, 479 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,919 Speaker 1: when when you when you hit rock bottom, that's you know, 480 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: you're now kind of early spring of two thousand and 481 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: twenty two. You've been a pro for two and a 482 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: half years. How are you, how are you making ends meet? Like, 483 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:48,400 Speaker 1: what what is the financial situation at that point? Yeah, 484 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: I mean it's not great because I turned pro um. 485 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: Every equipment manufacturer says money is down because of COVID, 486 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 1: So I don't get kind of the traditional USAM type 487 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:11,080 Speaker 1: of situation there financially is it's kind of traditionally. I've 488 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: I've kind of heard what other guys have gotten, and 489 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: you know, numbers were a little down because of COVID, 490 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:20,880 Speaker 1: which is you know, fine whatever, and uh, and then 491 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: I have to take six months off due to hip surgery, 492 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 1: and that rehab was super expensive. You know, I was 493 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 1: seeing a really good physical therapist a couple of times 494 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:33,639 Speaker 1: a week. Um, I was spending two an hour on 495 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: physical therapy and I did that for you know, six months. 496 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: So definitely adds up very quickly. Um. I wasn't able 497 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 1: to play any tournaments, so I wasn't able to get 498 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: any equipment money. I wasn't able to get my bonuses 499 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: based off of getting corn for your status are getting 500 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: PGA tour status, I wasn't able to get any of that. 501 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:57,760 Speaker 1: So um, yeah, I was definitely to a place I've 502 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: been playing all these many tour events. Not playing well, 503 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:05,240 Speaker 1: I'm spending crazy amounts of money. Um. All of February 504 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:08,120 Speaker 1: I stayed in a hotel. Every night I played a tournament. 505 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 1: I think I played nine times before March, ten times 506 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:15,399 Speaker 1: before March. Um this year, so I was, I was 507 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 1: traveling the world. I went to Hawaii this year to 508 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 1: play a Monday qualifier. On Monday, did into Sony. Um, 509 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: I missed the cut by one, finished sixty six and 510 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 1: an amateur made the cut, which is a whole another thing. 511 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,679 Speaker 1: But um, so I finished in sixty six and an 512 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 1: amateur made the cut and I missed the cut. So 513 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:37,959 Speaker 1: uh in Hawaii that ship cost me ten thousand dollars probably. Um, 514 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 1: you know I can. I can sit here and name 515 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:42,160 Speaker 1: name stuff that costs a lot of money all day 516 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: in this profession. But yeah, basically I needed to need 517 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: to play some corn forrer events. I needed to get 518 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: into bigger events. I needed to get full status. Um, 519 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: I was going to run out of money just simply 520 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 1: put I I'm I'm all of my golf by myself. 521 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,040 Speaker 1: You know, my parents were fortunate enough to provide me 522 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: an opportunity to go to college and get an education 523 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,440 Speaker 1: and and you know, play junior golf and do all 524 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: these great things. And I'm super thankful for you know, 525 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 1: for everything they've given me, but they're not gonna provide 526 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: for you know, chasing these Monday qualifiers and fund my 527 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 1: golf career, and uh, rightfully so, I mean, you know, 528 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: it's a it's a crazy expensive profession and uh, you know, 529 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: some kids are are lucky enough to have endless amounts 530 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 1: of money, but you know, I grew up in a 531 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 1: small town in Mississippi, unincorporated community, and we just we 532 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 1: didn't have that kind of money to to kind of 533 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: fund that lifestyle of trying to play professional golf. Andy, 534 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 1: I have to assume that that part of that once 535 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 1: you're like kind of you finished poorly at final stage 536 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: efortan injury, and you're playing many tours, and I've talked 537 00:28:58,080 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: to like a lot of type guys that have gone 538 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:03,200 Speaker 1: through what you're going through, I assume that part of 539 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: the struggle is is mentally is like this is not 540 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: how this was supposed to go. Here, I am playing 541 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: many tours like it's it's obviously golf related, but mentally 542 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:15,240 Speaker 1: it has to be a struggle like I wasn't supposed 543 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: to be playing mondays, I'm not supposed to be playing 544 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: many tours and that I assume just takes time to 545 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 1: get over to be okay that you're playing g Pro 546 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:27,760 Speaker 1: events for sure. Yeah, and you know that's that was 547 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: the conversation I had with Mac when I was in 548 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,680 Speaker 1: in Louisiana. I just said, you know, Mac, I'm not 549 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: having fun playing golf. This is not what this is 550 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: not what I want to be doing. You know, if 551 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 1: if this is how golf is gonna be, I'm gonna 552 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: have to take a step back and reevaluate everything and 553 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: get to a place mentally that I can be happy 554 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 1: with being at a g Pro Tour event. I can 555 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: be happy with chasing a Monday. I can be happy 556 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 1: doing these opportunities and look at it more as an 557 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: opportunity and not you know, I'll pour me um and wherever, 558 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: you know, whatever state I'm in playing a Monday. So yeah, 559 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 1: I mean it's a hundred percent mental. And if you 560 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 1: can get to a place where you know you're you're 561 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 1: happy to be there, and you're thankful for the opportunity 562 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: and you're looking forward to it, and you know all 563 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: these things, you can you can play some good golf 564 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: and get on, you can turn your career around pretty quickly. Um. 565 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: It only takes one good week in golf. And uh, 566 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: I think you know, we've seen that over and over again. 567 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 1: Cameron Young was exactly where I was in a hotel 568 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 1: and you know wherever playing Monday qualifiers a year and 569 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 1: a half ago. So it can happen really quickly. Um, 570 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: is what we've we've learned from from guys like that. 571 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:45,479 Speaker 1: But I just I wasn't to that place yet. So 572 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: when when you went over to the International Series events 573 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: over in England, did did you, in the back of 574 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: mind think it might be an audition for Live Golf. 575 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: It's kind of an audition. I mean I knew that 576 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:03,640 Speaker 1: they were gonna have some spots in the first live event. 577 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 1: We're gonna come from that first International series, so um. 578 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: But when I when I left to go to the newcast, 579 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 1: already knew that I was going to play um the 580 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: next week in London. Okay cool? And so when that 581 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,720 Speaker 1: offer was presented to you for live I'm based on 582 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 1: everything we've heard up to this point, it's obviously a 583 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:27,560 Speaker 1: no brainer. You need somewhere to play golf. I needed off. 584 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 1: That's that's the bottom line, it wasn't about I mean, 585 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:33,560 Speaker 1: I know everyone said it's not about the money. The 586 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: money is definitely great money for you, and you need 587 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: to play. It's somewhere to play, and it provided great 588 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: financial situation for me to be able to you know, 589 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 1: fund my my golf for the next couple of years. So, um, 590 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: for me, it was a complete no brainer. I had 591 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: nowhere else to play the that week of London. There 592 00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: was no g Pro Tour event, there was no corn 593 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 1: for Tour event, there was no Monday qualifier. Um, there 594 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 1: was nowhere else for me to play. Literally, So you know, 595 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 1: I had an opportunity to play in a golf tournament 596 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: and I took it. If that would have been an 597 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 1: International Series in Singapore like I just did two weeks ago, 598 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 1: I would have gone. If it's the Colorado Open like 599 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 1: I just did, I would have gone. You know, the 600 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 1: week after the first live event, I went and played 601 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: a g Pro Tour event. You know, I need to 602 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: play golf. It's like, it's it's pretty simple. I didn't 603 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:33,360 Speaker 1: get in a single event on the corn Ferry Tour. 604 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 1: I've never played a corn f Tour event, and um, yeah, 605 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: I just I didn't have an opportunity to play, so 606 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:44,760 Speaker 1: I needed somewhere to play. Was there anyone in your 607 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:49,680 Speaker 1: in your orbit who cautioned against it because of discomfort 608 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,640 Speaker 1: where the money was coming from, or knowing that it 609 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 1: was going to complicate your path back to the PGA 610 00:32:55,600 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 1: Tour potentially? Um, definitely not an issue you about where 611 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 1: the money was coming from. I think that was more 612 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 1: so just the only defense um the tour had based 613 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:13,160 Speaker 1: off this other tour at the time. Um, you know, 614 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:18,960 Speaker 1: whatever it was for me, I just kind of did 615 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: my own research and talked to the smartest people I know, 616 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 1: and everyone said, Saudi Arabia is now out of the 617 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 1: United States, and they supported me fully with whatever I 618 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 1: wanted to do. So, um, you know, friends and family, 619 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 1: I talked to them, consulted them, what do you think 620 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,120 Speaker 1: are you gonna think of me any differently? And no one. 621 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 1: Everyone said, dude, go chase your dream, go play golf. 622 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:46,200 Speaker 1: And that's kind of what I went with. So UM, 623 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,560 Speaker 1: I don't think anyone around me had any uh, had 624 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,040 Speaker 1: any issues with the whole thing. And I don't think 625 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,680 Speaker 1: anyone thought that my route to the PGA Tour would 626 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 1: be um any different because of this. No one really 627 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 1: thought that I could be suspended, um, based off of 628 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 1: the status that I had. I had a conditional status. 629 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 1: I basically paid to get status. I paid to have 630 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:16,480 Speaker 1: the ability to be suspended. That's kind of where I 631 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,919 Speaker 1: was andy too to that point. You know, I've talked 632 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:22,279 Speaker 1: to a lot of players, obviously, I cover a lot 633 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:25,920 Speaker 1: of guys like yourself, and I think the majority of 634 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 1: I talked to him about, you know, Chase or yourself 635 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 1: or more envious They that you guys had the opportunity 636 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:36,080 Speaker 1: than than mad that you took it. Uh, what's kind 637 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:40,440 Speaker 1: of your What has been your feedback from players? Everywhere 638 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:44,759 Speaker 1: I go, players are like, my gosh, dude, They're like, yeah, 639 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: we would have loved to do the same thing. Um, 640 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 1: everyone says. Everyone keeps asking me why I'm not in 641 00:34:51,640 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 1: a lawsuit against the tour um. Everyone keeps asking me 642 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:57,920 Speaker 1: or keeps telling me, I have the best You've got 643 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:00,120 Speaker 1: the best case ever, like you, you didn't even have 644 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:02,719 Speaker 1: status and you guys suspended and blah blah blah. And 645 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,319 Speaker 1: you know, I'm just I'm not a guy that likes controversy. 646 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:08,600 Speaker 1: I never have, I never will. I'm only I mean 647 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:14,520 Speaker 1: not only I'm suspended until December UM from PGA Tour, 648 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: Corn for a Tour, PGA Tour Canada, PGA Tour Latin America. Um. 649 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:21,000 Speaker 1: Everyone thinks that I'm suspended for life because I was 650 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:23,879 Speaker 1: put on the the same list that came out as 651 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:28,360 Speaker 1: everyone else. UM, you know, I don't. I don't really 652 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,839 Speaker 1: agree with how my name was was put out there 653 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 1: with everyone else. UM, guys that chose I lived tour 654 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:39,799 Speaker 1: events over a PGA Tour event that were they were 655 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:43,319 Speaker 1: exempt into PGA Tour events, they were exempt into all 656 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:46,240 Speaker 1: these things. I had no exemptions. I had no tournament 657 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:49,240 Speaker 1: to play, UM I had. I was. I was chasing 658 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:52,320 Speaker 1: Monday qualifiers. So UM, I didn't like that I was 659 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:54,840 Speaker 1: grouped into this category of of guys that kind of 660 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 1: rebelled against the tour or chose a different path. I 661 00:35:57,440 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 1: didn't choose a path. I just chose to play in 662 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: the golf turn of it. So, UM, you know I didn't. 663 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,320 Speaker 1: I didn't love how that was handled. But hopefully, hopefully 664 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:08,280 Speaker 1: we'll be able to have a conversation at some point. 665 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:10,560 Speaker 1: I'm not going to be in a lawsuit against the 666 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:13,439 Speaker 1: tour as of now. I just I don't I don't 667 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:16,920 Speaker 1: want to go that route. Um, I've taken enough backlash 668 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: from all the things from from playing the first live event. Um, 669 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 1: I've had people send me hateful, hateful, hate, hateful things 670 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 1: basically every day for months. I've gotten crazy amount of 671 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,920 Speaker 1: backlash just for playing in a a golf tournament. Um. And 672 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:42,680 Speaker 1: this is kind of all um comes from the tour 673 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:49,759 Speaker 1: and uh, the tours stance against live golf, so kind 674 00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:55,200 Speaker 1: of where I'm at. Yeah, I mean that that's powerful. Um, 675 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:58,759 Speaker 1: But before you decided to play in live London, did 676 00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 1: you have communication with the Where did they did? I 677 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:07,480 Speaker 1: called called the corn for your Tour player relations and said, look, um, 678 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:11,839 Speaker 1: I'm I'm gonna probably go play in this Asian Tour 679 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,960 Speaker 1: International Series in Newcastle and I kind of started with 680 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,400 Speaker 1: that and they were like, yeah, we'd be happy to 681 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:20,840 Speaker 1: give you a media rights rights release. UM, go ahead. 682 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:23,319 Speaker 1: They're like we'll send you the link, you just fill 683 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: it out, you say what tournament you're gonna play, and 684 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: it's gonna get approved. I was like, okay, cool. I 685 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:30,080 Speaker 1: was like, I'm also thinking about playing the live event 686 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,560 Speaker 1: the next week. Um, can you tell me if I'm 687 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:34,799 Speaker 1: going to be suspended if I play that? Or can 688 00:37:34,840 --> 00:37:36,239 Speaker 1: you tell me if I'm going to get approved for 689 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 1: a media rights release, and they basically not. Basically they 690 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:44,600 Speaker 1: told me every media rights release is looked at in 691 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 1: its own microscope. They said, every player situation is different, 692 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 1: every tournament's different. You know, we're we're definitely threatened by 693 00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 1: this Lift Golf series, but we look at every single 694 00:37:55,520 --> 00:38:01,320 Speaker 1: media rights release in its own um, in its own classification. 695 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,120 Speaker 1: And I was like, Okay, you know that sounds kind 696 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:07,919 Speaker 1: of promising. Maybe maybe they'll tell me that I don't 697 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 1: get a discount on Monday qualifiers anymore. Maybe they'll tell 698 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:14,520 Speaker 1: me something. I don't know. I didn't really know what 699 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:17,880 Speaker 1: the the suspension for me would look like. I figured 700 00:38:17,880 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 1: there would be some type of consequence just because you can't. 701 00:38:21,719 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: I understand, you can't reap benefits of both tours, but 702 00:38:24,239 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 1: I wasn't really reaping a benefit. I was reaping a 703 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:33,080 Speaker 1: benefit on Monday qualifiers and TBC sugar offer membership, so um, 704 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:35,680 Speaker 1: that was that was all I was receiving from the 705 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: corn Ferry Tour. So I thought, maybe that might be 706 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,080 Speaker 1: taken away, but you know, surely they'll let me keep 707 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:45,799 Speaker 1: playing Monday qualifiers or whatnot. Um. But anyway, after I 708 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 1: teed off in Newcastle Are in London. I opened my 709 00:38:50,560 --> 00:38:54,880 Speaker 1: phone and I had denied me Right's release for for 710 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:57,640 Speaker 1: lip Golf London after I had already teed off. So 711 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:02,759 Speaker 1: it was this is a crazy time. I mean, you 712 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:07,320 Speaker 1: know that's what they And I'm not trying to speak 713 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:09,120 Speaker 1: out against the PGA Tour at all. I want to 714 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:12,759 Speaker 1: get that clear. Um. Growing up the PGA Tours where 715 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:14,920 Speaker 1: I wanted to play. It's all I ever wanted to 716 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:18,319 Speaker 1: do was to be on the PGA Tour. And um, 717 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 1: I would still love to play the PGA Tour. I 718 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 1: would love to play the Live Tour, I would love 719 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:23,759 Speaker 1: to play anywhere. I just want to play golf. I 720 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:28,719 Speaker 1: love playing golf. UM, I love competition, I love you know. 721 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:30,720 Speaker 1: I just want to be one of the best players 722 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:33,400 Speaker 1: in the world. And that's all that I've want to do. 723 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 1: So um everything I do from the time I wake 724 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:39,920 Speaker 1: up every single day is to try to get better 725 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:41,839 Speaker 1: at golf and see where, see where this game can 726 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:45,719 Speaker 1: take me. So um that's all that's all I'm trying 727 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:49,319 Speaker 1: to do. And UM, I hope the I hope, I 728 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:51,319 Speaker 1: hope we can have a conversation with the tour at 729 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:55,000 Speaker 1: some point and just you know, talk about my situation. 730 00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:59,360 Speaker 1: I didn't appeal. I don't see a reason to appeal. Um. 731 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:01,680 Speaker 1: I think we just need to sit down and have 732 00:40:01,719 --> 00:40:05,200 Speaker 1: a conversation and say, you know, I don't understand why 733 00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:08,000 Speaker 1: I am suspended from a tour I never played on, 734 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 1: and a tour that I paid to get status on. 735 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 1: Because let's say I'm missed at second stage. Let's say 736 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:16,680 Speaker 1: I don't get the final stage, I have no status, 737 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:18,960 Speaker 1: and then I go play a Lift Golf Tour event 738 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 1: and the corn Ferry Tour couldn't ban me, couldn't suspend me. Um. 739 00:40:27,120 --> 00:40:29,839 Speaker 1: So let's say I don't get to final stage, don't 740 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:32,279 Speaker 1: finish the hundred, Okay, I have no status. I go 741 00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:35,439 Speaker 1: play live the first event, and then I come back 742 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:38,080 Speaker 1: in Monday qualify, and when the first corn Ferry event, 743 00:40:38,160 --> 00:40:40,600 Speaker 1: I'd be playing the Live Tour and playing the PGA 744 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,120 Speaker 1: Tour at the same time. That's how it work would work. 745 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:48,360 Speaker 1: So I basically, because I went to corn Ferry Q 746 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:50,319 Speaker 1: school and made it to final stage, I had the 747 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:52,960 Speaker 1: ability to be suspended from the Cornferry Tour. So it 748 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:56,239 Speaker 1: just that doesn't make sense to me. I wish that 749 00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:58,319 Speaker 1: scenario that you just laid out had happened, that would 750 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:02,880 Speaker 1: have been so glorious that us literally could have happened 751 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:07,160 Speaker 1: if I didn't make it the final stage. So that 752 00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:11,280 Speaker 1: that's a that's amazing. So when when you were invited 753 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:15,040 Speaker 1: to play agreed to play live London, was it was 754 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:17,560 Speaker 1: it just a one off? Was there any promise made 755 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:21,760 Speaker 1: going towards future live events and or the national series? 756 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:25,640 Speaker 1: What was the arrangement for you? Yeah, so I can 757 00:41:25,719 --> 00:41:31,040 Speaker 1: play International series um or the rest of this year 758 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:35,680 Speaker 1: for sure and possibly next year as well. So um, 759 00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:38,959 Speaker 1: that gave me guaranteed place to play this year, gave 760 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:42,560 Speaker 1: me some events to play. Um, you know, I got 761 00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:44,440 Speaker 1: to play. I got to play the last two International 762 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:47,839 Speaker 1: series as well. I just got back from Asia, my 763 00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:50,680 Speaker 1: first trip to Asia, which was awesome. UM. I went 764 00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:52,520 Speaker 1: over and played in Singapore and then I went and 765 00:41:52,560 --> 00:41:55,799 Speaker 1: played in j Ju Island, South Korea, so getting to 766 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:58,400 Speaker 1: play two events over there. UM I was treated great. 767 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:02,399 Speaker 1: The golf courses are awesome. I was able to they 768 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:06,480 Speaker 1: had physical therapist on site, which is definitely a plus 769 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:09,640 Speaker 1: for me. Um. International travel is is pretty tough. So 770 00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:12,480 Speaker 1: UM I was able to have physical therapist on site, 771 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:15,200 Speaker 1: people working with me every day and I was able 772 00:42:15,239 --> 00:42:18,560 Speaker 1: to play really well, finished fifteenth over there. Uh the 773 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:20,680 Speaker 1: second week, had a chance to win on Sunday, but 774 00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:22,960 Speaker 1: I had a bad back nine. But just to be 775 00:42:23,000 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 1: in contention again playing in a golf tournament, Um, playing 776 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:28,720 Speaker 1: in an an event that matters, a four day event 777 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:32,400 Speaker 1: and with world ranking points and a nice, nice purse 778 00:42:32,520 --> 00:42:35,480 Speaker 1: was was awesome. So I'm looking forward to I have 779 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:38,040 Speaker 1: four more of those this year, so looking forward to those, 780 00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:42,080 Speaker 1: and uh, yeah, just try to keep keep getting in 781 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:44,880 Speaker 1: tournaments and seeing where I can play. Basically, have like 782 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:46,640 Speaker 1: a month and a half off right now because the 783 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:50,560 Speaker 1: next international series until the first week in November in Morocco. 784 00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:54,160 Speaker 1: So um, I'm just trying to find somewhere to play 785 00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:58,200 Speaker 1: right now. Andy, Is it is it hard to you know, 786 00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 1: kind of back to the mental side of of it. 787 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:03,920 Speaker 1: Is it hard to kind of black out the politics? 788 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 1: You know, there's like you're trying to get back and 789 00:43:06,239 --> 00:43:09,600 Speaker 1: have an opportunity at Q School, You're dealing with the suspension. 790 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:13,239 Speaker 1: Is it is it hard to kind of just go 791 00:43:13,360 --> 00:43:16,040 Speaker 1: to South Korea or go to Singapore and just try 792 00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:18,480 Speaker 1: to make it a normal tournament week or because of 793 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:20,520 Speaker 1: the stuff you've dealt with leading up to this stuff. 794 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:23,479 Speaker 1: Is he kind of learning to block this this ship out, 795 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:25,759 Speaker 1: you know, and just teat up to be able to 796 00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:29,759 Speaker 1: go over there. It's almost refreshing because I never had 797 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:33,640 Speaker 1: a single interview. Um my phone was barely working. I 798 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:35,719 Speaker 1: was on the other side of the world. Everyone here's 799 00:43:35,719 --> 00:43:39,120 Speaker 1: a sleep. I've deleted Twitter, I've deleted Instagram, I don't 800 00:43:39,160 --> 00:43:44,719 Speaker 1: have I don't have access to all this stuff anymore. So, UM, 801 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:47,200 Speaker 1: I've kind of I've kind of learned to block that 802 00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:52,000 Speaker 1: that politics and uh negativity out of the world. So, UM, 803 00:43:52,040 --> 00:43:53,759 Speaker 1: I think it's kind of a blessing in disguise for me, 804 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:56,120 Speaker 1: is learning how to block things out and learning how 805 00:43:56,120 --> 00:44:00,239 Speaker 1: to how to deal with adversity, and um, you know, 806 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:02,440 Speaker 1: my college coach of Georgia Tech always said, how do 807 00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:05,200 Speaker 1: you need how do you eat an uh an elephant? 808 00:44:05,239 --> 00:44:07,239 Speaker 1: And you know, I don't know how do you eat 809 00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:10,800 Speaker 1: an elephant? He's like one bite at a time. So uh, 810 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:12,839 Speaker 1: that's kind of that's kind of what we're doing right now. 811 00:44:12,840 --> 00:44:14,440 Speaker 1: We're just trying to eat an elephant one bite at 812 00:44:14,440 --> 00:44:16,880 Speaker 1: a time. We're trying to play some play some golf 813 00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:21,000 Speaker 1: and get a little bit better each day. Um. You know, 814 00:44:21,239 --> 00:44:24,680 Speaker 1: I think eventually all this talk about live golf we'll 815 00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:28,239 Speaker 1: kind of subside, and uh, it'll just be another tour 816 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:32,319 Speaker 1: that people play on. And you know, that's just how 817 00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:34,880 Speaker 1: it's gonna be. I think they're they're here to stay. 818 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:40,399 Speaker 1: They have unlimited, unlimited resources, unlimited funds, and uh, when 819 00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:43,759 Speaker 1: you have unlimited resources and unlimited funds, it's it's kind 820 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:48,200 Speaker 1: of easy to be successful. So, UM, we'll see, We'll 821 00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:52,359 Speaker 1: see what happens. I think. Uh, I just I would 822 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:56,120 Speaker 1: love to play and play golf anywhere. Um, I'm gonna 823 00:44:56,160 --> 00:44:59,480 Speaker 1: keep playing these international series for now and then do 824 00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:02,560 Speaker 1: my time. I'm so to speak until my suspensions over 825 00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:07,080 Speaker 1: from the corn Ferry Tour. You deleted social media because 826 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:10,759 Speaker 1: of the live backlash. Yeah, I mean every day that 827 00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:14,480 Speaker 1: I opened my phone on Twitter, it was just crazy 828 00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:21,400 Speaker 1: amounts of tags and comments. Um, just painful, painful things, 829 00:45:21,480 --> 00:45:25,480 Speaker 1: and I just got tired of seeing it. Yeah, I 830 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:28,680 Speaker 1: get that. Um, I don't think that casual golf and 831 00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:33,200 Speaker 1: understands how important the International series and Asian Tour is 832 00:45:33,280 --> 00:45:37,200 Speaker 1: to live golf. Um, it really be is going to 833 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:41,960 Speaker 1: become a feeder system. And they've been a little scarce 834 00:45:41,960 --> 00:45:44,239 Speaker 1: in the details, but there's gonna be a way next 835 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:46,960 Speaker 1: year for players to play their way on to Live 836 00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:50,120 Speaker 1: Golf through the International Series. Can you bring that to 837 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:53,160 Speaker 1: life a little bit for the listeners. Yeah, So basically 838 00:45:53,239 --> 00:45:56,640 Speaker 1: the International Series. For the first live event, they had 839 00:45:56,800 --> 00:46:00,239 Speaker 1: eight players from the Asian Tour that were basic leg 840 00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:03,560 Speaker 1: taken from the Asian Tour to the Lift Golf, so 841 00:46:04,200 --> 00:46:09,520 Speaker 1: they had a certain amount of International Series exemptions based 842 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:13,000 Speaker 1: off prior order of merit on the International Series, So 843 00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:15,759 Speaker 1: I think there was like three guys from that, and 844 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:18,600 Speaker 1: then I think they took five guys from the first 845 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:22,240 Speaker 1: Internationals or the International Series Newcastle, so if you finished 846 00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:25,400 Speaker 1: top five at Newcastle you were able to get in, 847 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:27,040 Speaker 1: and then the top three on the order of merit 848 00:46:27,120 --> 00:46:31,440 Speaker 1: before that. So the second event in Portland, I think 849 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:34,040 Speaker 1: they took six, so they dropped that down to six, 850 00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:38,040 Speaker 1: and then for Bedminster, I think they went down to 851 00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:39,719 Speaker 1: three and that's where they're going to keep it at. 852 00:46:39,760 --> 00:46:43,440 Speaker 1: So top three on the current order of merit um 853 00:46:43,480 --> 00:46:45,239 Speaker 1: the rest of this season we'll get in to Live 854 00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:48,200 Speaker 1: Golf event and then at the end of the year, 855 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:51,800 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure that those three players will be exempt 856 00:46:52,160 --> 00:46:54,680 Speaker 1: on the live for the next year. I mean that 857 00:46:54,840 --> 00:46:58,080 Speaker 1: becomes an important point because one of the criterias to 858 00:46:58,120 --> 00:47:00,520 Speaker 1: get world ranking points is you have to be an 859 00:47:00,520 --> 00:47:03,080 Speaker 1: open tour which you can play your way on and off. 860 00:47:03,120 --> 00:47:06,440 Speaker 1: It can't just be all invitation. So that's how that's 861 00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:09,000 Speaker 1: where this comes in from from the golf standpoint is, hey, 862 00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:10,560 Speaker 1: you have the ability to play your way on. Now, 863 00:47:10,560 --> 00:47:12,359 Speaker 1: it's not a huge number of spots, but it's also 864 00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:15,680 Speaker 1: they're just small fields, so that that is what it is. Yeah, 865 00:47:15,719 --> 00:47:18,840 Speaker 1: those International series are pretty cool. Uh. This year, I 866 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:20,799 Speaker 1: think they're anywhere from one and a half to two 867 00:47:20,840 --> 00:47:23,759 Speaker 1: million persons, and then next year they're anywhere from two 868 00:47:23,800 --> 00:47:26,240 Speaker 1: to three million persons. And next year they're talking about 869 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:29,919 Speaker 1: they said between twelve and fifteen events. That's what they're 870 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:32,319 Speaker 1: gonna have next year on the International series. So that's 871 00:47:32,600 --> 00:47:34,799 Speaker 1: you know, that's a lot of events. And uh, I 872 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:37,479 Speaker 1: think that's ah, that might be the biggest threat for 873 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:42,440 Speaker 1: the PGA Tour is the International Series and the Asian 874 00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:44,640 Speaker 1: Tour because I mean, you look at I have a 875 00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:46,680 Speaker 1: lot of friends playing up in Canada right now. I 876 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:49,920 Speaker 1: have a lot of friends that that play Latin America 877 00:47:50,120 --> 00:47:54,080 Speaker 1: or corn very even and there's guys losing money playing 878 00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:57,600 Speaker 1: good golf every week, and uh, that's definitely a problem 879 00:47:57,640 --> 00:48:00,759 Speaker 1: for the PGA Tour. And I think, you know, we're 880 00:48:00,760 --> 00:48:04,640 Speaker 1: seeing half a billion dollars being released to the PGA Tour, 881 00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:08,480 Speaker 1: but nothing's being released up to PJ Tour Canada or 882 00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:12,120 Speaker 1: PGA Tour Latin America are the corner ferry tour. So 883 00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:14,799 Speaker 1: I think you're gonna see some some guys say, you know, 884 00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:16,719 Speaker 1: I can go make a living play in the Asian Tour. 885 00:48:16,840 --> 00:48:19,680 Speaker 1: I can't make a living playing PJA Tour Canada. Yeah, 886 00:48:19,680 --> 00:48:22,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go do that. So, um, you know, the 887 00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:25,920 Speaker 1: stars are on the PGA Tour are being protected right 888 00:48:25,960 --> 00:48:30,120 Speaker 1: now and they're they're definitely being awarded great compensation. But 889 00:48:30,239 --> 00:48:33,359 Speaker 1: the future starts the PGA Tour definitely, uh, definitely not 890 00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:36,440 Speaker 1: reaping those benefits right now. What was what was the 891 00:48:36,480 --> 00:48:39,959 Speaker 1: atmosphere like at this International Series event, if just competitively 892 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:43,040 Speaker 1: course set up, What did it feel like? You've played 893 00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:45,239 Speaker 1: a lot of different events now in different circuits, but 894 00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:48,560 Speaker 1: what would you compare it to really big golf courses, 895 00:48:48,600 --> 00:48:52,080 Speaker 1: like championship golf courses. Um, which is great, That's what 896 00:48:52,120 --> 00:48:54,839 Speaker 1: I love to see, Um, any any tour that I've 897 00:48:54,840 --> 00:48:57,239 Speaker 1: played on, you want the course to set up hard, 898 00:48:57,320 --> 00:48:58,640 Speaker 1: you want the pen set up hard. Do you want 899 00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:02,359 Speaker 1: to set up like so to a tour event? Um? 900 00:49:02,400 --> 00:49:04,839 Speaker 1: And they were definitely set up that way. They had 901 00:49:05,160 --> 00:49:09,080 Speaker 1: some good spectators, came out, decent crowds, nothing crazy, but 902 00:49:09,400 --> 00:49:11,560 Speaker 1: over there, the Asian Tour is a big deal. Um, 903 00:49:11,640 --> 00:49:15,640 Speaker 1: it's it's shown on TV all the time. They had 904 00:49:16,360 --> 00:49:21,360 Speaker 1: pretty good media following. Um. Interview rooms and in the 905 00:49:21,400 --> 00:49:24,160 Speaker 1: locker rooms were taking care of really nice. They had 906 00:49:24,960 --> 00:49:30,520 Speaker 1: three physical therapists on site at at both events. Um, 907 00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:35,759 Speaker 1: you know, really good facilities, driving range, chipping green, putting green. Uh, 908 00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:39,560 Speaker 1: greens were good. Courses were long and hard, and the 909 00:49:39,600 --> 00:49:42,279 Speaker 1: competition was pretty good. Scores scores were actually a lot 910 00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:45,160 Speaker 1: lower than I thought they'd be both of both weeks. 911 00:49:45,480 --> 00:49:47,560 Speaker 1: So you know, I think it's I think it's a 912 00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:51,759 Speaker 1: great thing. And you know, unfortunately, the I don't know 913 00:49:51,800 --> 00:49:55,759 Speaker 1: if you guys have seen, but the PGA Tour just 914 00:49:55,880 --> 00:49:59,120 Speaker 1: changed the world ranking points for Asian Tour. So that 915 00:49:59,200 --> 00:50:05,640 Speaker 1: was that was kind of another another blow for for 916 00:50:05,760 --> 00:50:08,799 Speaker 1: lift golf is these players thought that they could go 917 00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:12,000 Speaker 1: play Asian Tour International Series and keep their world ranking up. 918 00:50:12,040 --> 00:50:15,080 Speaker 1: Patrick Read was very outspoken about you know, kind of 919 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:19,480 Speaker 1: his his he was going to support that, and he 920 00:50:19,480 --> 00:50:23,799 Speaker 1: went and played in Singapore for that reason. And as 921 00:50:23,800 --> 00:50:26,480 Speaker 1: soon as Patrick Read played in Singapore, the world rankings 922 00:50:26,640 --> 00:50:30,360 Speaker 1: became the same world ranking almost the same as PGA 923 00:50:30,400 --> 00:50:33,520 Speaker 1: Tour Canada. And there was like, I don't even know 924 00:50:33,560 --> 00:50:35,400 Speaker 1: how many top one fifty players in the world at 925 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:38,480 Speaker 1: this Asian Tour event, and there was, you know, the 926 00:50:38,719 --> 00:50:40,560 Speaker 1: strength of field was a little bit different. And you've 927 00:50:40,560 --> 00:50:42,520 Speaker 1: got the same amount of World ranking points for PGA 928 00:50:42,560 --> 00:50:45,719 Speaker 1: Tour Canada now as you do Asian Tour. So that's 929 00:50:45,719 --> 00:50:49,480 Speaker 1: just you know, I guess the PGA Tour on official 930 00:50:49,480 --> 00:50:52,719 Speaker 1: World Golf rankings, So that's just how it's going to be. Well, 931 00:50:52,760 --> 00:50:55,200 Speaker 1: they don't, but they have an influence on it for sure. 932 00:50:55,560 --> 00:50:59,040 Speaker 1: And the World ranking is its own independent body. But 933 00:50:59,360 --> 00:51:03,279 Speaker 1: Jamnahan sits on the board, and you know, so does 934 00:51:05,160 --> 00:51:07,880 Speaker 1: so does the guys who run the RNA PD of America. 935 00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:09,760 Speaker 1: You know, it's kind of the five Families of golf. 936 00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:12,120 Speaker 1: So there's they have a lot of history and a 937 00:51:12,120 --> 00:51:16,439 Speaker 1: lot of ancestuous relationships. So the tour theoretically is only 938 00:51:16,480 --> 00:51:22,239 Speaker 1: one voice, but um, you know the obviously the old 939 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:25,600 Speaker 1: Guard has kind of rallied around each other. So it's, um, 940 00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:29,080 Speaker 1: it's interesting scenario. Those world ranking points are gonna be 941 00:51:29,960 --> 00:51:31,680 Speaker 1: super slim. You're not gonna be able to play your 942 00:51:31,719 --> 00:51:34,319 Speaker 1: way into the top fifty in the world and play 943 00:51:34,320 --> 00:51:37,279 Speaker 1: your way into majors and things like that. So that's 944 00:51:37,280 --> 00:51:40,280 Speaker 1: gonna be unfortunate for the Asian Tour. But the purses 945 00:51:40,320 --> 00:51:43,000 Speaker 1: are going up, and I think you'll see the competition 946 00:51:43,040 --> 00:51:45,400 Speaker 1: start going up to a lot of the lift players. 947 00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:48,360 Speaker 1: In their contracts, they're gonna have to play a certain 948 00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:54,200 Speaker 1: amount of various events. So um, you'll see those international 949 00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:57,640 Speaker 1: series start becoming more and more prevalent. So Ryan, how 950 00:51:57,960 --> 00:51:59,480 Speaker 1: I know you have to go and pick up your kids, 951 00:51:59,520 --> 00:52:01,960 Speaker 1: but I keep Andy a little bit longer. But before 952 00:52:01,960 --> 00:52:04,480 Speaker 1: you go, like just what does this mean to the 953 00:52:05,080 --> 00:52:07,759 Speaker 1: new world order of golf? When you have in the 954 00:52:07,880 --> 00:52:11,040 Speaker 1: National Series has a three million dollar pers Asian Tour 955 00:52:11,120 --> 00:52:14,160 Speaker 1: has a five million dollar purs where where does this 956 00:52:14,400 --> 00:52:18,279 Speaker 1: fit into the overall structure of competitive golf as people 957 00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:20,480 Speaker 1: are trying to get to essentially the big leagues, which 958 00:52:20,520 --> 00:52:23,480 Speaker 1: we can all agree is now the PG Tour and live. Yeah, 959 00:52:23,560 --> 00:52:26,160 Speaker 1: I mean, uh, Andy touched on it and Andy, and 960 00:52:26,160 --> 00:52:28,560 Speaker 1: Andy knows it, uh, you know better than I do, 961 00:52:28,640 --> 00:52:31,080 Speaker 1: as he's a player. But just talking to all sorts 962 00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:32,960 Speaker 1: of players, you can't make a living in the Latin 963 00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:35,479 Speaker 1: American tour, you can't make it living in the Canadian tour, 964 00:52:36,040 --> 00:52:39,759 Speaker 1: and those tours have basically killed many tours back in 965 00:52:39,800 --> 00:52:42,480 Speaker 1: the United States. So the g Pro Tour is a 966 00:52:42,560 --> 00:52:44,520 Speaker 1: very good tour, but you win ten thousand dollars for 967 00:52:44,560 --> 00:52:47,759 Speaker 1: winning it. There's no Hooters Tour, there's no there's no 968 00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:50,000 Speaker 1: real many tour in the United States that you can 969 00:52:50,040 --> 00:52:52,759 Speaker 1: make a living outside of winning ten times in a 970 00:52:52,840 --> 00:52:56,439 Speaker 1: year or five times in a year. So I mean, 971 00:52:56,800 --> 00:52:59,759 Speaker 1: just like Andy, there's a thousand players that just want 972 00:52:59,760 --> 00:53:03,719 Speaker 1: to make a living. And the International Series, I think 973 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:06,520 Speaker 1: you'll see a lot of people at European Q School. 974 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:08,680 Speaker 1: I think you'll see a lot of people at Asian 975 00:53:08,760 --> 00:53:11,920 Speaker 1: Q School. They just want a place to play. That's it, 976 00:53:12,320 --> 00:53:17,239 Speaker 1: you know, Uh, And you know, I know Andy, it's 977 00:53:17,320 --> 00:53:20,600 Speaker 1: it's impossible. In the social media world, I get a 978 00:53:20,640 --> 00:53:23,279 Speaker 1: hundred comments and one bad one and I'm like, oh, 979 00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:25,200 Speaker 1: that's the one I fixate on. For the most part, 980 00:53:25,280 --> 00:53:27,799 Speaker 1: all the people I talked to, no one's mad. I know. 981 00:53:27,920 --> 00:53:31,360 Speaker 1: I'm sure you've got plenty of messages saying differently. I 982 00:53:31,440 --> 00:53:36,840 Speaker 1: just think overall, the support for players like Chase Keepka 983 00:53:37,120 --> 00:53:42,080 Speaker 1: or Andy playing on live is far overwhelmingly supportive in 984 00:53:42,120 --> 00:53:45,120 Speaker 1: the majority of what lived golf is. So I think 985 00:53:45,520 --> 00:53:47,799 Speaker 1: the Asian Tour is going to change the game. You 986 00:53:47,840 --> 00:53:51,560 Speaker 1: only see the comments that are bad, but I have 987 00:53:51,680 --> 00:53:53,640 Speaker 1: had I have had a lot of support from players 988 00:53:54,200 --> 00:53:58,319 Speaker 1: and people that really understand golf. Anyone, anyone who's been 989 00:53:58,320 --> 00:54:03,960 Speaker 1: in my position before completely understands playing opportunities and somewhere 990 00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:06,400 Speaker 1: to play golf. So um, I have to have to 991 00:54:06,480 --> 00:54:09,440 Speaker 1: keep reminding myself that, for sure, Andy, I gotta get 992 00:54:09,440 --> 00:54:12,520 Speaker 1: out of here and get my kids from the school bus. Uh. 993 00:54:12,640 --> 00:54:16,480 Speaker 1: All the best, dude, and um and I look forward 994 00:54:16,480 --> 00:54:18,880 Speaker 1: to seeing what your career does from here. So well, 995 00:54:18,920 --> 00:54:21,080 Speaker 1: the best. Thanks for being on man. We don't need 996 00:54:21,160 --> 00:54:22,919 Speaker 1: Ryan anyway, He's dead weight. Get out of here. Ryan, 997 00:54:23,400 --> 00:54:26,160 Speaker 1: It's Graham. You know I love you. Go don't don't, 998 00:54:26,200 --> 00:54:28,839 Speaker 1: Mr school bus. You gotta run along now, run along. Um. 999 00:54:29,719 --> 00:54:32,040 Speaker 1: But I mean, just to bring this to life a 1000 00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:37,800 Speaker 1: little bit. I'm looking at the results from like from Singapore. Um, 1001 00:54:38,040 --> 00:54:39,600 Speaker 1: the event you played in a few weeks ago. I 1002 00:54:39,600 --> 00:54:42,440 Speaker 1: mean the winner took home two D seventy thousand dollars 1003 00:54:43,120 --> 00:54:45,520 Speaker 1: and that that person was one point five, so that 1004 00:54:45,520 --> 00:54:47,960 Speaker 1: that you know, if it was it's gonna go up 1005 00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:52,320 Speaker 1: a lot from there. That's real money. I mean I finished, 1006 00:54:52,360 --> 00:54:55,279 Speaker 1: I think I finished fifties six tip for fifty six 1007 00:54:55,400 --> 00:55:02,520 Speaker 1: in Singapore and made like we're is better than second 1008 00:55:02,520 --> 00:55:05,399 Speaker 1: place in a g PRO. I know, we keep talking 1009 00:55:05,400 --> 00:55:07,720 Speaker 1: about the g Pro Tour event. G PRO is awesome. 1010 00:55:07,960 --> 00:55:09,839 Speaker 1: I love I love that tour. It's it's a cool 1011 00:55:09,880 --> 00:55:12,160 Speaker 1: place to play. But I mean that's more money than 1012 00:55:12,200 --> 00:55:16,400 Speaker 1: a second place in the g PRO. I finished T 1013 00:55:16,760 --> 00:55:19,680 Speaker 1: fifteen with ten people the second week and made over 1014 00:55:19,880 --> 00:55:23,560 Speaker 1: eighteen thousand, which is you know, that's that's real money. 1015 00:55:23,600 --> 00:55:26,279 Speaker 1: I mean that's enough money to pay for travel and 1016 00:55:26,320 --> 00:55:28,680 Speaker 1: make a little bit of money. And if you can 1017 00:55:28,719 --> 00:55:33,520 Speaker 1: break break even, um playing on anywhere besides PGA Tour 1018 00:55:33,760 --> 00:55:38,279 Speaker 1: or or live golf, now, um, you're doing pretty good. There. 1019 00:55:38,320 --> 00:55:41,240 Speaker 1: There's been a little sense like, oh, you know, all 1020 00:55:41,280 --> 00:55:44,799 Speaker 1: all these like American pros, nice Southern boys like yourself 1021 00:55:44,840 --> 00:55:46,759 Speaker 1: aren't going to go play golf. In Asia. It's too 1022 00:55:46,800 --> 00:55:49,960 Speaker 1: far away, it's too different. Uh what what was your 1023 00:55:50,280 --> 00:55:53,800 Speaker 1: your inter personal experience and just being a being a 1024 00:55:54,280 --> 00:55:56,359 Speaker 1: you know, a stranger in our foreign land, Like, how 1025 00:55:56,400 --> 00:55:58,880 Speaker 1: did it feel to play golf over there? It was 1026 00:55:58,920 --> 00:56:01,279 Speaker 1: so cool? I mean, they really took care of us. 1027 00:56:01,680 --> 00:56:05,759 Speaker 1: They put us in Everyone stays in the same hotel. Um. 1028 00:56:05,840 --> 00:56:07,880 Speaker 1: There's shuttles every thirty minutes to the course, so you 1029 00:56:07,880 --> 00:56:09,120 Speaker 1: don't have to rent a car. You don't have to 1030 00:56:09,120 --> 00:56:12,280 Speaker 1: really worry about travel. Um. I land at the airport, 1031 00:56:12,360 --> 00:56:13,759 Speaker 1: had a driver picked me up and take me to 1032 00:56:13,800 --> 00:56:17,120 Speaker 1: the hotel. And other than that, I mean I had 1033 00:56:17,280 --> 00:56:20,799 Speaker 1: everything else was was pretty much catered for me. You 1034 00:56:20,840 --> 00:56:23,640 Speaker 1: have breakfast and lunch at My biggest thing is food. 1035 00:56:23,680 --> 00:56:26,560 Speaker 1: I don't I don't. I don't like some of those 1036 00:56:27,239 --> 00:56:30,799 Speaker 1: Asian cuisine. But I was able to. I was able 1037 00:56:30,840 --> 00:56:33,480 Speaker 1: to find food pretty easily. There was a breakfast buffet 1038 00:56:33,520 --> 00:56:38,400 Speaker 1: at the hotel that was pretty American, um, pretty traditional. 1039 00:56:38,440 --> 00:56:41,080 Speaker 1: They had an almost station. I could I could kind 1040 00:56:41,080 --> 00:56:43,440 Speaker 1: of go from there if I had an almost station, 1041 00:56:43,520 --> 00:56:48,680 Speaker 1: I'm good. But the food was fine. Well, lunch was 1042 00:56:48,800 --> 00:56:51,319 Speaker 1: at the course every day, huge buffet. You could kind 1043 00:56:51,320 --> 00:56:53,719 Speaker 1: of find some stuff that you could eat and then 1044 00:56:54,719 --> 00:56:56,840 Speaker 1: at dinner all the guys kind of hang out together 1045 00:56:57,400 --> 00:56:59,560 Speaker 1: because everyone stayed at the same hotel. There was guys 1046 00:56:59,600 --> 00:57:03,120 Speaker 1: like James Piett, Chase Chase, Kepka, Turk Pettitt, all these 1047 00:57:04,040 --> 00:57:07,040 Speaker 1: other Americans that I could travel with and go to 1048 00:57:07,120 --> 00:57:09,799 Speaker 1: dinner with. And uh so I don't think I eat 1049 00:57:09,840 --> 00:57:14,080 Speaker 1: by myself once for for two weeks, which is super fun. 1050 00:57:14,120 --> 00:57:16,000 Speaker 1: And getting to see different parts of the world, I 1051 00:57:16,000 --> 00:57:19,280 Speaker 1: think it's awesome. Um, I've been super fortunate to be 1052 00:57:19,320 --> 00:57:22,720 Speaker 1: able to, you know, chase a white ball around and 1053 00:57:22,720 --> 00:57:25,439 Speaker 1: and get to travel the world doing it. So Um, 1054 00:57:25,480 --> 00:57:28,240 Speaker 1: there's a lot of people where I live that where 1055 00:57:28,240 --> 00:57:31,280 Speaker 1: I grew up that never really venture out of Mississippi 1056 00:57:31,400 --> 00:57:34,320 Speaker 1: much less get to travel, get to travel the world 1057 00:57:34,360 --> 00:57:36,400 Speaker 1: and do all the cool things that I've been able 1058 00:57:36,440 --> 00:57:39,280 Speaker 1: to do. So I have to pinch myself a lot, um, 1059 00:57:39,320 --> 00:57:41,840 Speaker 1: just being able to do what I do, playing a 1060 00:57:41,880 --> 00:57:44,800 Speaker 1: game that I love, and uh, you know, it's it's awesome. 1061 00:57:45,640 --> 00:57:49,040 Speaker 1: So if if the center of gravity of the Gulf 1062 00:57:49,160 --> 00:57:52,840 Speaker 1: Universe goes east and the Asian Tour in their national 1063 00:57:52,880 --> 00:57:57,560 Speaker 1: series supplants the corn Ferry and Canada and Latin America, 1064 00:57:58,320 --> 00:58:00,280 Speaker 1: You don't think there'll be any hesitancy for a lot 1065 00:58:00,280 --> 00:58:03,640 Speaker 1: of Americans to start making those trips. I don't think so. 1066 00:58:03,840 --> 00:58:05,800 Speaker 1: I mean, I think there's gonna be so many events 1067 00:58:06,080 --> 00:58:09,520 Speaker 1: every year that you're gonna be able to go play 1068 00:58:09,560 --> 00:58:11,720 Speaker 1: three weeks in a row and then come home for 1069 00:58:11,760 --> 00:58:13,600 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks, and then three weeks in a row, 1070 00:58:13,640 --> 00:58:15,920 Speaker 1: come home for a couple of weeks, and the travel 1071 00:58:15,960 --> 00:58:17,800 Speaker 1: is not that bad if you can do it that way. Obviously, 1072 00:58:17,840 --> 00:58:20,000 Speaker 1: if you're having to go play one event and then 1073 00:58:20,040 --> 00:58:22,800 Speaker 1: fly back across the country and play another one fly back, 1074 00:58:22,880 --> 00:58:25,080 Speaker 1: fly back, fly back, I mean that would be a nightmare. 1075 00:58:25,120 --> 00:58:28,320 Speaker 1: But um, when you can go play three in a row, 1076 00:58:28,960 --> 00:58:32,120 Speaker 1: I mean I was, I was pretty I'd say my 1077 00:58:32,200 --> 00:58:36,240 Speaker 1: jet lag went away after about two days, so you know, 1078 00:58:36,480 --> 00:58:38,919 Speaker 1: you can even for two in a row. It wasn't 1079 00:58:38,920 --> 00:58:44,120 Speaker 1: that bad. Obviously, I got travelers flu coming back, so uh, 1080 00:58:44,560 --> 00:58:46,919 Speaker 1: fortunately I've been I've been down bad for about four days. 1081 00:58:46,920 --> 00:58:50,760 Speaker 1: I lost about fifteen pounds. But it's a blessing and 1082 00:58:50,800 --> 00:58:55,640 Speaker 1: disguise that that now, that's that's a positive attitude right there, 1083 00:58:55,680 --> 00:59:01,600 Speaker 1: and hey, I'm working working on so you know, looking ahead, 1084 00:59:01,640 --> 00:59:05,320 Speaker 1: there's now that you have this looming. Um, maybe not 1085 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:07,400 Speaker 1: a battle, but there's some intrigue with what's gonna happen 1086 00:59:07,440 --> 00:59:09,920 Speaker 1: with you in the PGA Tour in December. Do you 1087 00:59:09,920 --> 00:59:12,920 Speaker 1: have has there been any back channel communication? Like do 1088 00:59:12,960 --> 00:59:14,880 Speaker 1: you have any sense if if they're going to lift 1089 00:59:14,920 --> 00:59:17,400 Speaker 1: your suspension or they're going to extend it? Like, I 1090 00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:20,560 Speaker 1: don't know. I'm I'm really curious. In my in my 1091 00:59:20,720 --> 00:59:24,120 Speaker 1: letter telling me that I was suspending until December, there 1092 00:59:24,200 --> 00:59:29,840 Speaker 1: was a statement that said basically, any further events or 1093 00:59:30,280 --> 00:59:35,120 Speaker 1: outspoken comments against the PGA Tour could result in further suspension. 1094 00:59:35,280 --> 00:59:39,320 Speaker 1: So um, that's that. I don't really I don't really 1095 00:59:39,320 --> 00:59:43,000 Speaker 1: know what that means. Um, that's what I'm saying. I'm 1096 00:59:43,000 --> 00:59:47,360 Speaker 1: not outspoken against the tour at all. So um, I've 1097 00:59:47,360 --> 00:59:49,840 Speaker 1: always supported the PGA two. I loved watching the FedEx 1098 00:59:49,880 --> 00:59:54,080 Speaker 1: Cup yesterday. Uh I guess what two days ago now, 1099 00:59:54,120 --> 00:59:57,600 Speaker 1: and it was just you know, I love I love 1100 00:59:57,640 --> 01:00:00,720 Speaker 1: watching golf. I'm a fan of golf. I love playing often. Uh, 1101 01:00:01,000 --> 01:00:03,320 Speaker 1: golf is kind of always been my life and what 1102 01:00:03,360 --> 01:00:06,320 Speaker 1: I'll do. So let me speak on your behalf. Andy. 1103 01:00:06,440 --> 01:00:09,200 Speaker 1: That's fucked up. I mean like that to threaten you 1104 01:00:09,200 --> 01:00:12,040 Speaker 1: that way is ridiculous, Like, this is your life. I've 1105 01:00:12,080 --> 01:00:15,360 Speaker 1: definitely been threatened, So yeah, I mean, this is your life, 1106 01:00:15,400 --> 01:00:16,919 Speaker 1: this is your journey. Should be able to speak about 1107 01:00:16,920 --> 01:00:19,479 Speaker 1: it freely, and we appreciate your trust and coming on here. 1108 01:00:19,520 --> 01:00:23,240 Speaker 1: But I mean, that's that's chilling. It's like they're they're 1109 01:00:23,280 --> 01:00:26,240 Speaker 1: just you're the easiest target here. You don't have status. 1110 01:00:26,920 --> 01:00:29,800 Speaker 1: You're not a past champion, you're not a major championship winner, 1111 01:00:29,840 --> 01:00:31,600 Speaker 1: you're not a Hall of Famer, Like they're just trying 1112 01:00:31,640 --> 01:00:34,960 Speaker 1: to squash you and all this. It doesn't seem fair. Definitely, 1113 01:00:35,000 --> 01:00:41,360 Speaker 1: I've definitely been squashed and thrown into this category of Um, 1114 01:00:41,440 --> 01:00:44,680 Speaker 1: these outspoken guys are guys that have rebelled against the tour. 1115 01:00:44,840 --> 01:00:48,160 Speaker 1: But I'm not like that at all. So hopefully hopefully 1116 01:00:48,160 --> 01:00:49,600 Speaker 1: we can sit down at some point and have a 1117 01:00:49,600 --> 01:00:55,280 Speaker 1: conversation about it, like like man, yeah, um, so you're 1118 01:00:55,320 --> 01:00:58,680 Speaker 1: gonna you're gonna play the remaining in our National series events. Um, 1119 01:00:58,720 --> 01:01:01,680 Speaker 1: the goal there would be to get uh full status 1120 01:01:01,800 --> 01:01:03,800 Speaker 1: on the Asian Tour and or play your way onto 1121 01:01:03,800 --> 01:01:07,080 Speaker 1: the Yeah, that would be the goal to play get 1122 01:01:07,080 --> 01:01:10,280 Speaker 1: full status on the Asian Tour for next year. Um, 1123 01:01:10,320 --> 01:01:13,040 Speaker 1: I'm an affiliate member right now, I think I probably 1124 01:01:13,040 --> 01:01:17,280 Speaker 1: need to make somewhere around a hundred thousand UM to 1125 01:01:17,320 --> 01:01:20,040 Speaker 1: guarantee myself full status for this year. And I'm at 1126 01:01:20,040 --> 01:01:24,200 Speaker 1: about twenty three thousand right now with four events to go, So, um, 1127 01:01:24,240 --> 01:01:25,640 Speaker 1: just a couple of good weeks and I should be 1128 01:01:25,720 --> 01:01:29,120 Speaker 1: able to lock that up and then. Um. But the 1129 01:01:29,120 --> 01:01:31,800 Speaker 1: Asian Tour International Series has a lot of sponsor invice. 1130 01:01:31,800 --> 01:01:34,000 Speaker 1: I think they get like thirty eight sponsor invites into 1131 01:01:34,040 --> 01:01:37,080 Speaker 1: every single event. So I've been fortunate enough to play 1132 01:01:37,120 --> 01:01:42,000 Speaker 1: on those, so um, you know, worst case, maybe get 1133 01:01:42,040 --> 01:01:45,240 Speaker 1: some of those and just keep playing on that. So 1134 01:01:45,280 --> 01:01:47,560 Speaker 1: let's do a little thought exercise here. You play really 1135 01:01:47,560 --> 01:01:50,920 Speaker 1: well in these international series events, Um, you have, you 1136 01:01:50,960 --> 01:01:54,440 Speaker 1: have great status in Asia heading into two thousand and 1137 01:01:54,480 --> 01:01:57,560 Speaker 1: twenty three. You flat upon a beach, you get wine 1138 01:01:57,600 --> 01:01:59,760 Speaker 1: and dine by Jay Monahan. They welcome you back into 1139 01:01:59,760 --> 01:02:03,200 Speaker 1: the old They say, okay, you can, you can, you 1140 01:02:03,240 --> 01:02:06,720 Speaker 1: can play well because of the situation here, will grant 1141 01:02:06,760 --> 01:02:08,920 Speaker 1: you full status on the corn Ferry Tours. It's kind 1142 01:02:08,920 --> 01:02:12,640 Speaker 1: of a makeup for what you've been through. But you 1143 01:02:12,680 --> 01:02:17,080 Speaker 1: have to renounce Asia International and live like there's a 1144 01:02:17,080 --> 01:02:20,280 Speaker 1: fork in the road here, it's us for them. Uh, 1145 01:02:20,920 --> 01:02:25,800 Speaker 1: which do you choose? I don't know. It's gonna be hard. Um. 1146 01:02:25,840 --> 01:02:28,800 Speaker 1: You know, I feel like I've been treated very very wrongly. 1147 01:02:29,360 --> 01:02:33,920 Speaker 1: And uh, I haven't had any direct communication with any 1148 01:02:33,960 --> 01:02:37,480 Speaker 1: anyone high up um on the PGA Tour. So if 1149 01:02:37,520 --> 01:02:39,920 Speaker 1: if I was able to to kind of have some 1150 01:02:39,960 --> 01:02:46,360 Speaker 1: conversations and and understand kind of where they were coming 1151 01:02:46,360 --> 01:02:52,360 Speaker 1: from and understand, um a little better the situation and 1152 01:02:52,520 --> 01:02:54,720 Speaker 1: kind of right some wrongs, then yeah, I might be 1153 01:02:54,760 --> 01:02:57,520 Speaker 1: able to might be able to go that route because 1154 01:02:57,600 --> 01:02:59,480 Speaker 1: I have always wanted to play the PGA Tour. That 1155 01:02:59,600 --> 01:03:04,360 Speaker 1: is you that that is what I've always wanted to do. So, um, 1156 01:03:04,440 --> 01:03:06,240 Speaker 1: I still would love to play the PGA Tour at 1157 01:03:06,240 --> 01:03:08,640 Speaker 1: some point in my career. Um, I want to play 1158 01:03:08,680 --> 01:03:10,320 Speaker 1: against the best players in the world. I want to 1159 01:03:10,400 --> 01:03:11,720 Speaker 1: I want to be one of the top players in 1160 01:03:11,720 --> 01:03:13,360 Speaker 1: the world. I don't think you can do that without 1161 01:03:13,680 --> 01:03:17,960 Speaker 1: without playing the PGA Tour or live so um, yeah, 1162 01:03:17,960 --> 01:03:20,440 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to figure that out. But I mean, 1163 01:03:20,480 --> 01:03:22,240 Speaker 1: and I know I'm putting you on the spot here, 1164 01:03:22,280 --> 01:03:25,960 Speaker 1: but I mean, in that hypothetical, I'm not gonna tick 1165 01:03:26,000 --> 01:03:28,040 Speaker 1: one right, No, No, I know I don't expect you to, 1166 01:03:28,200 --> 01:03:30,920 Speaker 1: but just to flesh it out. I mean, if they 1167 01:03:31,000 --> 01:03:34,160 Speaker 1: granted you full status in the corn Ferry, those purses 1168 01:03:34,160 --> 01:03:36,440 Speaker 1: are what six hun fifty thousand and seven hundred thousand 1169 01:03:36,440 --> 01:03:41,160 Speaker 1: dollars Asia's Asia's five million. I mean, at some point 1170 01:03:41,520 --> 01:03:43,680 Speaker 1: the dream of the tour is is you grew up 1171 01:03:43,680 --> 01:03:45,880 Speaker 1: with it and it's a wonderful place, but you're also 1172 01:03:45,960 --> 01:03:47,800 Speaker 1: I mean you're trying to it's a livelihood. You gotta 1173 01:03:47,840 --> 01:03:50,840 Speaker 1: pay the bills, and I mean, I mean that's gotta 1174 01:03:50,840 --> 01:03:53,520 Speaker 1: be a factor, right would be. It would be tough 1175 01:03:53,640 --> 01:03:57,840 Speaker 1: to to turn down the Asian Tour and the opportunities 1176 01:03:58,280 --> 01:04:01,840 Speaker 1: financially right now. Um, I think eventually there's gonna be 1177 01:04:01,880 --> 01:04:04,600 Speaker 1: something done about the corn Ferry Tour. It's just there's 1178 01:04:04,600 --> 01:04:08,000 Speaker 1: two big of a difference right now and international series 1179 01:04:08,040 --> 01:04:11,479 Speaker 1: Asian Tour events and corn Ferry. And I think that's 1180 01:04:11,480 --> 01:04:13,680 Speaker 1: probably the next step for the PGA Tour, but I 1181 01:04:13,680 --> 01:04:16,880 Speaker 1: can't speak for them. Um. I just see all this 1182 01:04:16,920 --> 01:04:19,360 Speaker 1: money being dished out to to the top players in 1183 01:04:19,400 --> 01:04:23,360 Speaker 1: the top the top twenty guys. I guess what pips 1184 01:04:23,400 --> 01:04:29,920 Speaker 1: now at million? I mean, gosh, you take, you can 1185 01:04:29,960 --> 01:04:33,000 Speaker 1: take fifteen million to give ten million to give to 1186 01:04:33,000 --> 01:04:36,760 Speaker 1: the corn Ferry Tour and double all the purses and uh, 1187 01:04:36,960 --> 01:04:38,880 Speaker 1: I think that would go a long way, just just 1188 01:04:38,960 --> 01:04:42,360 Speaker 1: for starters. But hey, nobody asked me, no, we we 1189 01:04:42,440 --> 01:04:45,280 Speaker 1: did who that's why we have you here. But I 1190 01:04:45,280 --> 01:04:48,600 Speaker 1: mean it is an interesting thing. I mean I was 1191 01:04:48,640 --> 01:04:50,640 Speaker 1: at the Tour Championship and talked a lot of people. 1192 01:04:50,840 --> 01:04:53,320 Speaker 1: I think the most vulnerable tour on the plan right 1193 01:04:53,360 --> 01:04:57,800 Speaker 1: now is the Champions Tour because, um, that money will 1194 01:04:57,840 --> 01:05:01,720 Speaker 1: be much better off to be redistributed, um corn Ferry, 1195 01:05:02,080 --> 01:05:05,439 Speaker 1: Latin America, Canada and and try and build this next 1196 01:05:05,480 --> 01:05:08,400 Speaker 1: generation of stars. If all the guys in there, you know, 1197 01:05:08,600 --> 01:05:13,080 Speaker 1: in an entire generation of potential Champions Tour players just 1198 01:05:13,120 --> 01:05:15,280 Speaker 1: went to live. Right, You're not gonna get all those 1199 01:05:15,280 --> 01:05:17,760 Speaker 1: guys in their forties now, You're not gonna get Phil 1200 01:05:18,360 --> 01:05:22,840 Speaker 1: Tigers done. Like, Um, the Champions Tour is looking more 1201 01:05:22,880 --> 01:05:25,760 Speaker 1: and more like it doesn't have a purpose. And as 1202 01:05:25,840 --> 01:05:29,360 Speaker 1: you said, the tours committed so much to its top players, 1203 01:05:29,400 --> 01:05:31,560 Speaker 1: which had had to do. But something's got to give, 1204 01:05:31,840 --> 01:05:37,360 Speaker 1: and it definitely just seems like kind of a response 1205 01:05:37,440 --> 01:05:40,080 Speaker 1: to live not they're not kind of out in front 1206 01:05:40,080 --> 01:05:43,840 Speaker 1: of it at all in my opinion. So I don't know. 1207 01:05:44,120 --> 01:05:47,880 Speaker 1: I just like I said, I'm trying not to say anything. Yeah, 1208 01:05:48,120 --> 01:05:53,840 Speaker 1: you know against the tour um based off of my 1209 01:05:54,360 --> 01:05:57,920 Speaker 1: not wanting to get suspended further. But you do an 1210 01:05:57,920 --> 01:06:01,520 Speaker 1: excellent job of it. I commend your tree. You han't 1211 01:06:01,520 --> 01:06:04,440 Speaker 1: anything's going to get you in trouble. My tongue is time. 1212 01:06:05,320 --> 01:06:08,640 Speaker 1: More money needs to go to the developmental tours if 1213 01:06:08,640 --> 01:06:10,919 Speaker 1: they want to keep the future starts the PGA Tour 1214 01:06:11,080 --> 01:06:13,520 Speaker 1: coming to the PGA Tour. Yeah, that's great. A right 1215 01:06:13,520 --> 01:06:15,320 Speaker 1: before you let you go, let's just talk about the 1216 01:06:15,320 --> 01:06:17,880 Speaker 1: state of er golf game, because that's what's ultimately gonna 1217 01:06:18,040 --> 01:06:21,040 Speaker 1: determine your future here even more than um the whims 1218 01:06:21,040 --> 01:06:24,800 Speaker 1: of j Monahan, like how are you feeling and why 1219 01:06:24,840 --> 01:06:28,920 Speaker 1: are you optimistic going forward? I'm just getting better. My 1220 01:06:28,960 --> 01:06:30,680 Speaker 1: body is getting better. I've had a lot of back 1221 01:06:30,760 --> 01:06:34,560 Speaker 1: issues since hip surgery as kind of a compensation, UM, 1222 01:06:34,720 --> 01:06:37,760 Speaker 1: pretty common injuries. Just I've had a lot of q 1223 01:06:38,040 --> 01:06:41,440 Speaker 1: l um right q L tightness because my left hip 1224 01:06:41,480 --> 01:06:45,680 Speaker 1: after hip surgery, my left hip is like functioning super 1225 01:06:45,680 --> 01:06:48,360 Speaker 1: well and my right hip is still not great. So 1226 01:06:48,760 --> 01:06:50,880 Speaker 1: I get these imbalances and my left hip gets super 1227 01:06:51,000 --> 01:06:54,160 Speaker 1: high and then my right my whole right side of 1228 01:06:54,160 --> 01:06:57,480 Speaker 1: my back, UM just kind of get some strain. So 1229 01:06:57,600 --> 01:07:00,160 Speaker 1: I'm just having a lot of imbalance issues. So I'm 1230 01:07:00,160 --> 01:07:03,200 Speaker 1: trying to trying to sort through those things, and UM, 1231 01:07:03,240 --> 01:07:05,400 Speaker 1: it's definitely stuff that can be fixed. So I've been 1232 01:07:05,400 --> 01:07:07,160 Speaker 1: working on it for the past few months. It's gotten 1233 01:07:07,160 --> 01:07:10,400 Speaker 1: a lot better. So I'm seeing I'm seeing the progress 1234 01:07:10,400 --> 01:07:12,760 Speaker 1: in my body, which gives me a lot of optimism 1235 01:07:12,760 --> 01:07:15,880 Speaker 1: because i know if if my body is feeling well, um, 1236 01:07:15,920 --> 01:07:18,640 Speaker 1: i know how to fix my golf games. So UM, 1237 01:07:18,680 --> 01:07:20,919 Speaker 1: as long as as long as my body keeps feeling well, 1238 01:07:22,280 --> 01:07:25,680 Speaker 1: I'm super optimistic with everything. Where everything's going. Um, I 1239 01:07:25,760 --> 01:07:28,920 Speaker 1: finally have opportunities to play golf somewhere that you know, 1240 01:07:29,280 --> 01:07:32,160 Speaker 1: I'm able to get excited for and able to able 1241 01:07:32,200 --> 01:07:34,120 Speaker 1: to kind of get out of bed and work towards 1242 01:07:34,160 --> 01:07:38,600 Speaker 1: a goal. Um, guaranteed place to play is the bottom 1243 01:07:38,680 --> 01:07:42,080 Speaker 1: bottom line for me right now. And uh, you know 1244 01:07:42,800 --> 01:07:44,880 Speaker 1: that's why I'm optimistic. I'm I'm able to play these 1245 01:07:44,920 --> 01:07:48,120 Speaker 1: international tour series. I'm able to travel the world. You 1246 01:07:48,120 --> 01:07:51,720 Speaker 1: can see some cool places, and I'm able to able 1247 01:07:51,760 --> 01:07:54,919 Speaker 1: to make some money in the process. So, um, those 1248 01:07:54,960 --> 01:07:59,480 Speaker 1: are all all optimistic outlooks. And despite everything you've been through, 1249 01:07:59,520 --> 01:08:02,360 Speaker 1: because it's been it's been a very challenging road since 1250 01:08:02,360 --> 01:08:05,200 Speaker 1: the US Amateur victory, you still you still love the game, 1251 01:08:05,240 --> 01:08:08,480 Speaker 1: you still have the passion I do. Yeah, I do. 1252 01:08:08,760 --> 01:08:12,960 Speaker 1: I love it. Uh there's been times where I haven't 1253 01:08:13,000 --> 01:08:15,440 Speaker 1: loved it, and there's been times where you know, I 1254 01:08:15,480 --> 01:08:19,080 Speaker 1: didn't didn't really care to go practice. I was pretty 1255 01:08:19,120 --> 01:08:22,599 Speaker 1: down on myself and uh, frustrated with my golf game, 1256 01:08:22,600 --> 01:08:26,160 Speaker 1: frustrated with with how everything was going. But I've gotten 1257 01:08:26,200 --> 01:08:29,400 Speaker 1: past that, and I'm back to a place where all 1258 01:08:29,439 --> 01:08:31,160 Speaker 1: I want to do is is practice and see how 1259 01:08:31,160 --> 01:08:32,760 Speaker 1: get I can get at this game that I love. 1260 01:08:32,840 --> 01:08:36,360 Speaker 1: So here we go. I love it well that that's 1261 01:08:36,360 --> 01:08:40,120 Speaker 1: a great place to end right there. It's fascinating. You're 1262 01:08:40,240 --> 01:08:43,400 Speaker 1: just at the You're you're at this crossroads here of 1263 01:08:43,479 --> 01:08:47,880 Speaker 1: history and uh, somewhat unwittingly, but you're you're in the 1264 01:08:47,920 --> 01:08:50,800 Speaker 1: middle of it all. So it Edvan's watching and I 1265 01:08:50,840 --> 01:08:52,160 Speaker 1: know a lot of people cheering for you, and I 1266 01:08:52,160 --> 01:08:55,240 Speaker 1: would I won't worry about the small number of naysayers 1267 01:08:55,240 --> 01:08:57,439 Speaker 1: out there because I think when people hear your story, 1268 01:08:57,479 --> 01:09:00,080 Speaker 1: they're gonna understand like it's really all you want is 1269 01:09:00,080 --> 01:09:03,559 Speaker 1: a place to play golf. So literally, well Andy, thank 1270 01:09:03,560 --> 01:09:07,680 Speaker 1: you for your time and your insight. Um, this is 1271 01:09:07,720 --> 01:09:10,280 Speaker 1: Alan Schipnuk. We're gonna bring this Fire Drill podcast to 1272 01:09:10,320 --> 01:09:13,680 Speaker 1: a close. Thanks for listening as always, and we will 1273 01:09:13,840 --> 01:09:16,280 Speaker 1: keep trying to make sense of this ever changing landscape 1274 01:09:16,479 --> 01:09:20,320 Speaker 1: of professional golf. It's never boring. UM, So that's it 1275 01:09:20,360 --> 01:09:25,799 Speaker 1: for now, Thank you. I've been big and I played 1276 01:09:25,920 --> 01:09:30,040 Speaker 1: the wind, made a fortune, win my ship game, and 1277 01:09:31,400 --> 01:09:34,040 Speaker 1: I ran the table and never thought I could fall. 1278 01:09:34,400 --> 01:09:37,479 Speaker 1: Then the winter time hit me like a cannon the 1279 01:09:37,520 --> 01:09:43,559 Speaker 1: ball and now I can't shake this losing the street. 1280 01:09:44,360 --> 01:09:49,560 Speaker 1: Every road I take is a dead end stream. I 1281 01:09:49,760 --> 01:09:54,519 Speaker 1: got thoughts in my head, can't you John? And not 1282 01:09:54,760 --> 01:09:58,400 Speaker 1: the thing what I'm thinking about about gown thoughts in 1283 01:09:58,560 --> 01:10:02,960 Speaker 1: my can get him out? And trying not to think 1284 01:10:03,080 --> 01:10:08,840 Speaker 1: what I'm thinking about h