No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - 1023: Friday at the U.S. Open

Episode Date: June 14, 2025

Sam Burns (-3) is your 36-hole leader at the 2025 United States Open Championship, followed by J.J. Spaun (-2) and Viktor Hovland (-1). We discuss the day's events at Oakmont, who impressed us most, notable MCs, a bunch of leaderboard talk, and set you up for the weekend. Mr. Joey Ferrari joins the show and shares some interesting Oakmont stories. Presented by High Noon. Support our sponsors: High Noon - Sun's Up! Club Glove - Code NLU Yeti - No Compromises. Travelers Championship Join us in our support of the Evans Scholars Foundation: https://nolayingup.com/esf Newsletter sign up for U.S. Open Mystery Box: subscribe.nolayingup.com/giveaway Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Be the right club. Be the right club today. Yes! That's better than most. How about the end? That is better than most. Better than most! better than most expect anything different

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the no laying up live show presented as always by our friends at High Noon Friday, United States Open Championship show. Solly here. He's back. Mr. Kevin Van Valkenburg. He has recovered from the 100-hole hike. Face is still a little bit red from it, but he's with us and he's ready to spit some takes. How are you, Kevin? Solly, I'm so great.

My bones did not break. My lungs held up. My feet are okay. Thank you for everyone who donated a bunch of money. That was awesome. We were saving public golf one freaking hole at a time. Even my listen, if you think about doing this, go do it. Even my big, big fat butt can walk 100 holes. You can do this. Exactly. What is that music? I was marching one foot after another.

TC is here. Hello, Mr. TC. Hello, KVB. I'm glad you I'm glad you carried your bag. You ended up you ended up sacking up and doing your thing and I think it I think it all turned out well. I listen. Thank you for the motivation.

You know, I wasn't thrilled about being bullied into it, but you know, midway through people kept asking me like, can I carry your bag for a few holes? No, no, you cannot. I am making it to the end. Was I hallucinating a little bit at the end the last 10 holes? Possibly, but I made it to the end. Did every single hole by myself with my bag. So and it comes. We're very proud of you and I don't know if you guys have heard, but high noon has a new

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and I want them, I want them badly. It's coming, it's coming, it's coming. And you can you can go to high noon spirits.com to find a pack near you. High noon suns up. Also, absolutely stoked to introduce a new partner here at the no laying up podcast Club Glove heading into the weekend at the US Open. The top 60 players in the field and ties remain with some big names still out there. But do you know how many or how the vast majority of those players traveled to Oakmont

with their clubs and equipment? That is the number one golf travel bag on tour. That is Club Glove, trusted by golfers like Victor Hovland, Tom Hoagy, JT Poston, Cameron Young, Brian Harmon, and many, many more. This year Club Glove, which has always been the best in protection and durability, just got even better. they've set an all new standard re-engineering the iconic traveler bag just had one show up in my garage it is fantastic

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I'm going to go with Victor Hovland, somebody I know a little bit about. So this was a very fun round to watch him put together a lot of birdies, not a lot of, you know, clean, perfect golf. I'll get to someone else who I thought I played a very professional round a little later. But I'm super excited to see if this continue because I feel like golf is so much better when Vic is in the mix. And you said something that kind of made a light bulb go

off for me on Twitter recently, I think it was this morning, that Vic is the new Spieth. And you know what? He is the new Spieth because not only do you not know what is going to happen, and he might think of a new swing thought every single hole, but he lets you into his process like no one else. That is so fun. I love it when Vic gets behind a microphone

because he might say some insane things, but he also might really tell you some cool stuff about golf. He's the only person I think out there right now who's like, alright, well, let me come on in and let me take you through all my crazy and I just had such a fun time like watching some of his round today. I mean the shot he hit into one was probably the best one that I saw all day. Adam

Scott had a good one too, but just right to the top of that thing trickles down makes a you know a good putt there, you know, and then he turns on makes a double but then he comes back and makes five more birdies the rest of the round. It's just like he kept grinding, he kept making good shots. It's so fun for him to be back. And I think if this, Oakmont's often about legacy, I'll leave it at this, if he wins here, I think that speaks so much to like Oakmont Crowns like true champions, right? You know, look could JJ spawn win sure but like I think we all think Vic is a generational player it will be so fitting for him to like come back from this time in the wilderness and win at freaking Oakmont. It's thanks to your

reporting and just listening to him I have such a hard time accepting this I just I feel like it's gonna end. I think it's good. I mean, in his own words, he wins the Valspar. He's like, Yeah, I don't know what the hell I'm doing my swing. Don't know how this happens. All of his like voicing his lack of confidence and all the swing thoughts all the different paths he's gone down has me still in my head. I'm still thinking that his brain is still a mess. And

maybe it has clicked. Maybe he has solved it. But the big takeaway I had from all of that was, he never solves it. He just keeps evolving, keeps evolving. I don't know if he's gone back to what was made him very successful in 2023 or not. But I'm still in a wait and see mode on whether this is going to last 72 hauls.

Such a lazy US Open take, but I still feel like we are so crazy early in this. But gosh, is that number one on my list for what I'm excited to find out tomorrow? Absolutely. So that's spot on. TC. I just had one thing. So the only thing I'd say, I think he's kind of back to eliminating the two way miss.

Like he's taken away the left side of the golf course. When he misses, he's hitting kind of, you know, slice fades. Spinning. Yeah, but it's mostly not hitting it left so he can kind of get away with not hitting it perfect. And that's what made him successful. He was number one in strokes game around the green today and 83rd in approach. But again, doesn't feel sustainable. In situations like this, though, that I don't have them all off top of my head that also might tell me he might have left himself in some really easy spots to get up and down from that I don't have them all off top of my head. That also might tell me he might have left himself in some really easy spots to get up and down from.

Like I don't from watching around, it feels kind of random around the greens, right? He did hole out for Eagle on 17. That must have, that would have given him a massive leap and that chip was moving a little bit. You're going to win the US Open. You need a little something, a little bit of luck. That was maybe a little bit of luck going his way, but when he made the double on two, I was a little worried, but he fought right back with birdies on four and five. He made two bogeys

coming in. He finished there on the front nine, but I do it. Everybody's fucking up. Everybody. I watch Tristan Lawrence. I think I'm watching him fuck up like three straight hours and he's still in the top 10. Like this is just a ridiculously hard US open. And it has been so excited for the weekend. I know it hasn been so excited for the weekend. I know it hasn't been the most amazing watch to this point. A lot of people have that feedback. We'll talk about that. But it's I don't know how you're not extremely intrigued to find out what's

going to happen this weekend, but TC, what's your story of the day? Other than only 11 guys being under like plus two or better, which is that's that's something honestly, like I've been shitting on him for the last couple days. My story is Rory. The fact that Rory has some pride, the fact that Rory buckled down and tried to make the cut. I think I was kind of expecting Rory to be just, you know, fire up, fire up the engines and let's get the fuck out of here. Rory was he doubled one and he doubled three. And then somehow played, played the rest and he played his last 15 holes in two under. And I have a lot of respect for that. And I think I've thrown a lot of shit Rory's way over

the last, I don't know, three, four months. I think he's gotten a lot of bad advice. I think he's been, I don't know, just somewhat soft or like all the media stuff. And I know people are tired of hearing about that, but I think Rory just needs to like, just like, I get it that you're trying to get everybody else to be mandated to meet with the media. That comes through loud and clear. At some point, like the stuff that made you special and the stuff that made you what everybody liked about you, you've kind of gotten away from. So it was good to see a little bit of grit and it was good to see a little bit of grind

to make the cut and to play the weekend. And to smash a T-marker, which let's not excuse the- No, no, sorry. I think if anything, because honestly, Shane Lowry act like a total bitch the whole week. And so honestly, it's actually refreshing to see Rory give a shit and to smash a T marker and say, you know what, like Rory, the fact that you just didn't mail it in and fire up the jet and want to get out of here, like I know it, I know it feels bitchy and all that, but I like to see a little bit of passion.

And the fact that he showed a little bit of passion. I can get down with that. It was kind of a passion though, man. He threw a club on 12 also, and then just blew up a team like intentionally blow. He didn't have to make the price and test either. Give it the Bryson test. What if Bryson would have done this with a Hogan cap? How would we have reacted to that? Like, I can't, but Rory just won the, he just won the masters. He, he acted like a bitch throughout the entire PGA and all that. Well, let's look at you. I agree. We're going to serve as oxygen, but thank you TC for your holding them to account. We are going to go my story today, guys. Thank you for leaving me

this one. Uh, Sam Burnshut 65 today I'm good. I'm good. First place of this golf tournament. He again reminding people what happened in round one. He was three under par with four holes to play. He played the last four holes in five over in round one. So he has played I mean, with the exception of that that stretch, he is eight under par in this golf tournament. It's been this very, very, very serious golf. He had made one bogey on this day that was on the first hole which was his 10th hole. He was third and approached fourth in

putting we know how great of a putter he is. You know, I've always viewed Burns as a very you know a PGA Tour golfer when he gets hot he's hot on certain style golf courses and you know I I don't know if I've ever picked him in any kind of play for a major championship. And again, watching how many big dudes just fell off at consistent times and how good the golf he played, especially on the backs of what he did last week, like final round 62, end of the playoff wasn't very good.

And that's what stuck in people's mind. Like it'd wait two hours for that playoff and he played, played the same hole, it's same dumb ass hole, somewhat poorly, three straight times. I'm willing to wave some hands here and look at this hot streak for Sam Burns and say, that was some very serious golf. He is the only person that didn't fuck it up coming in today, essentially. He's got to be a Ryder club block at this point, right? I would think so. Yeah, I mean he's he played boys club Rasmus near guard Peterson locked up it with one good round yesterday I think so with two good rounds with burns. He might captain the team for all we know so I

Talked to dodo earlier. He said he said we're we are good But sam burns ben griffin thinks of that nature You guys are monitoring right now. Yeah, I mean it's just a very interesting approach with how many European guys are outside the cut line, but that'd be a very silly thing to address here in June when the golf term is played in September, I believe, as we've we've addressed. But guys, I got some... Go ahead. I was going to transition to something. I was just going to say Burns at one point was beaten to the field by nine shots, which was close to Johnny Miller's like record. Do you I don't know if you could look up quickly to see how much he ended up beating the field

by nine point seven shots to that point seven. Historically great round in I mean, obviously, it doesn't come in the final round. So it doesn't matter a lot. But historically freaking great round. Let's give him his flowers for that. I mean, yeah, again, it's kind of one of those things that like, isn't going to look the most amazing. I'm seeing if I can sort I can't sort for best rounds and majors, we can get that at a later date. But yeah, it's I mean, straight up, essentially one of the 150 best rounds ever in professional golf, by quickly looking up

on data golf of most shots gained on the field in one day. So I don't know. I'm also speaking of which I'm also a little bit upset that I didn't hit Keegan is my story of the day today. Keegan shot shot 70 and is now in he's now he's now t12. So solid nervous. Before you came on came he was trying to convince me that I was nervous and I explained to him even if he wins, I don't think he gets in the top six in points despite you guys. If Keegan wins and doesn't let himself on the team, you've shown your ass.

Like, we're clearly not going to put forth the best team. Oh, you say fuck me for? Guys I got some great news. He cannot be with us on the show tonight He just keeps fucking winning in his tennis matches and had another one tonight, but big Randy Did want to weigh in on Oakmont asked him for a statement last night He couldn't get it to us in time and guys, we have a video from the big man himself with a statement on

Oakmont to this point. Hey everybody. Randy here due to an unforeseen tennis match. Your boy keeps winning. I am not going to be able to join the live show this evening. Definitely tune in. You know, it's all he asked. Do I have a comment on what's going on at Oakmont?

Well, in fact, I do. OK, here at Big Randy Enterprises, we are hard at work developing a proprietary index, what I like to call the proper test index. OK, it's a way to measure the difficulty of US Opens, how proper of a setup and a test it is. And well, Oakmont so far is passing with flying colors. What is the proper test index, you might ask. That's a great question. It is the ratio of scores in the 80s to scores in the 60s.

Okay, I encourage anybody, if you wanna take this further back, Big Randy Enterprises were a bit stretched with our manpower here. But in 2022, excuse me, in 2023 at LACC, we had 103 total rounds in the 60s compared to only two rounds in the 80s. That clocks a 0.02 proper test index. Remember folks, the higher the number, the more proper the test. Last year at Pinehurst, things got a little bit better. 59 total rounds in the 60s compared to 13 in the 80s. That is 0.22

on the proper test index. So far this week at the time of recording, Friday afternoon, we've seen just 14 scores in the 60s, 23 in the 80s. We are currently writing a 1.64 on the proper test index, folks. That is exceptional. I want to see more of it. How high can we take this number this weekend? I can't wait. I'll be on this weekend if you need me. Good luck tonight. Have fun on the show and I hope everybody's enjoying Oakmont Cheers Thank you big guy. I love Pete the PTI maybe even a PTI plus for for adjusted for weather something like that

I think that's that's fantastic stuff Sorry, I honestly something that I it was kind of my story of the day. I didn't want to be a dick though My guy George Duong money The fact that he broke 90 today. He shot he shot 89 on the number He was plus 35 for the championship 86 89 But got it in under 90 today. No 90s in the championship. That was kind of my deal today. And I think that's just shows some pride.

Similar to Matt McCarty yesterday birding his 18th hole. I think George Dwangmani from Fairfax, Virginia got into the field and showed some pride getting in under 90. Props to you you my guy. Thank you TC. There was no other part of the show that could have possibly fit in as well. Maybe notables, maybe at the end, maybe notables missed, any of that. We got some more stuff to get through. We're gonna talk next, we're gonna talk about who impressed us the most, who disappointed us the most. I was

supposed to say all this off the front. Some other notable performances to discuss. We're gonna go through some of the missed cut notables. There's a lot of names we got to talk about on that. We're going to grade Oakmont. We're also going to talk about, we're going to compare Oakmont to all other recent and future US Open sites and say which one we'd rather have. I'll just kind of level set what we think of it. We'll go through a couple of questions, some predictions for the weekend, dump our notebooks. And we had an interview at the very end that TC and DJ did as well. But some of this stuff might overlap a little bit, but KV to you first, what was the most, we talked about the story today. What was the most important

round of the day? I'm going to go with Adam Scott because Adam Scott is 44. Adam Scott is someone who, when you think about Adam Scott's career, he feels more like a two major guy, three major guy. I think TC, you get on that train with me. Uh, just a proper player, obviously not blessed with great putting skills. It's kind of hard. This might be Adam Scott's last. Should be a four major guy. I'm down with that too. Like we'll just keep throwing majors on there,

but you'll get a nod. Yes. From me. I love it when the old guys get into contention when it feels like, okay, is this it? Is this our last dance? Uh, and if you watched his round today, I went through, I watched, you know, all of it on the, uh, the featured groups. And then I went back and just sort of made sure like I didn't miss anything. It wasn't like Adam Scott was just like striping it. Adam Scott was taking his hand off the club a bunch like, you know, he was, he was not driving it perfect, but man, he just was like putting the ball in proper spots.

He was just, he made a couple of pots. He made an awesome putt on 17 after a terrible drive way right, hit a dumb shot into a short sided pin was stuck on the hill and hit a great little chip in there and enrolled in like a 15 footer. I was just like, man, I was so in on this back. I remember when you used to be the dude when everybody wanted to copy your swing when you felt like Adam Scott was going to be the next guy.

And that just kind of never really happened. And the Masters win made it feel like, okay, like he still got his one. That's awesome. But I just want Madam Scott to get one more major. At the very least, I want to see him in the mix in the end. I don't know that. I really don't know that I believe that putter can hold up

all the way down the stretch against what he's going to have to make six footers. But man, I want to fucking see it because I just I really like that dude. I think he's always been class. I would really just love to see one more shot at it. 7070. Yeah, only player in the field did not have shot around over par to this point. Surprisingly, his US Open record is easily the worst of any of the majors. He

has played 23 times, only three top 10s. That's his lowest and only one top five finish. That was in 2015 at Chambers Bay. So I'd be again. I did my homework on this for you. I know you like stats. So he's second in the field in strokes gained off the tee. This is hitting pretty good. He's seventh in strokes gain approach. And he's basically he's kind of an even party. He's gaining like 0.4 strokes, you know, in putting which for abscott like he's second in green in greens and regulation. So like some of that, you know, he's mainsies lag putting well, like he's not hitting them like super tight, but

he's, you know, making sure that he's not having to screw ups. He's, he's not scrambling great. He's 86 and sort of strokes hanging around the green. I think that's very random. Yeah, it's totally random depending on live what you get and stuff. So he's doing the right stuff and he's just saying super composed and he's kind of like, you know what, I want a shot at this. He gave a good interview afterwards and he made an awesome bunker shot on 18 to make sure he didn't make a bogey there. It was fun to watch a very professional round. TC, what's your most important round of the day? I think mine's Victor Hovland. What's your most important round of the day? I think mine's Victor Hovland.

71-68. He made a really, really bad double on two today and it probably should have been better. I think Victor Hovland's playing legitimately great golf and like in my opinion, he's one of three guys under par right now and in my opinion, he's probably playing the best golf of all those guys Just like weird like Hovland's always gonna make weirdly careless doubles every once in a while like once ever every 36 to 54 holes and he's certainly done that thus far But I don't know. It just seems like he's doing the right stuff.

And like you could say, Ben Griffin, you could say Russell Henley. But like, I don't know, Hovland, he's just I kind of had a feeling about him going into this week of just things are gonna be really, really difficult and driving is going to be very important. And I think he's really good at driving the ball. And I think Victor Hovland is going to win this tournament. So I think it's important. I think he's like the the true leads. Right. So are you is this an official statement? Are you coming off your Tommy

pick to win the US Open officially? I think I think Tommy Tommy missed the cut. Correct. He did. He did, yeah. Tommy shot, yeah, he was plus nine. Tommy shot 74, 75. He's getting ready for port rush. This was, folks, I have a sickness. All right, I have a sickness. I have a- We're trying to help you. Yeah, yeah.

I'm trying his hardest, TC. He's trying his hardest. The vaccine was the prayer. All right. That was so strong. Gars prediction to win. You see Victor in the front there of that, of that picture right there. Uh, when the other guys are on JM in the back there, I can't tell.

Is that wrong? Also? Yeah. All sorts of people. Uh, no, I think Tommy, I apologize. I will get there. I'll save that. We're going to get to miss cuts. That was

just a simple question I wanted to ask, but you, uh, no, I, I, sorry. Two, two hands up Victor. He's going to win. Okay. Uh, my most important round of the day. And I, I'm just, I'm not leaving. I'm not, I'm not fucking leaving. I'm not getting away from this guy. It was scrappy. It was scratchy, but it was 71 and it was with the putter. He was ninth today in putting, cannot stop missing left, just keeps visiting the church pews. Scotty Scheffler, he's not out of this golf tournament, not even fucking close. He is plus four. And as the day went along, that started looking better and better and better and better. And there's a whole lot of people in front of them that I don't trust. And I just have a feeling he's going to snap into

something. I just don't think you can hold this guy back with driver and off the tee game for any longer than that's already happened. Like he just does not play forced. I don't feel like it's Oakmont doing it to him, which is I think the most important part of this. I think it is his own errors like Pinehurst looked like it got in his head and was not a good course fit for whatever reason. I do I still think this is a dream course fit for him. And I

think he still just needs to play 36 holes of US Open smart safe golf and stop getting himself into trouble off the tee. Like that's the whole thing is just he needs to be at the edge of the fairways or in the intermediate cut or in the fairway where he should be living and he's gonna be totally fine. So I think it was an important round that looked like he was maybe threatening the cut there for a little while and now he's right back

in this golf tournament and it just comes out and makes one birdie tomorrow and he's gonna be right on the heels of the top 10 right there. And like, there's still so far to go. So far. I think, I think he's our greatest, like found it like person. Like he truly could work on a swing feel on the range tomorrow morning and like easily shoot 67. I mean, that would not surprise anybody. I think there's, I think there's a couple of things going on there. I think it would probably feel more like that if there was a par five earlier on or more volatility.

It's just, hey, you got to go out and make pars and you're going to rise up the board. There's two par fives on the course. But I totally agree. I think there's what? There's three guys under par. That's insane. There's 11 guys that are plus two or better.

And there are 35 guys, uh, that are plus four or better right now. So like there's, there's 35 guys that are within eight shots of the lead right now. And like that, like that, that, that in and of itself lead right now. And like that, I know like that, that, that in and of itself feels like, like, all right, if somebody makes a double or if Sam Burns makes a double, then all right, Scottie is one of, you know, however many guys that are there within six shots of the lead. Then like, I think it's truly the margins are really, really, really thin right now. And I think Scottie's put his worst golf thus far to your point, Solly. And I think he could be three off the lead with 12 holes to go on Saturday.

And all bets are off at that point. What do you guys think is the winning score as of now? And I know it's dumping rain right now and they didn't actually finish round two as we're recording this lightning hit and they got to go finish it in the morning. It looks like only a couple guys out there. But what's the winning score going to be a little softer golf course if it rains as much as it looks like but some levers they can pull as well with pins and set up and if that rough gets a little wet.

I weirdly like Sally weirdly I think it's I think it's even or one over. I think the was even or one over. I think the, I was going to say with the, like, I think even if you're in the fringe or, or in that first cut, I think it gets tougher when there's some moisture. Like the, the, in like, even those fairways, you get a little bit of moisture on the ball. It's so much harder to control your spin or control the top spin or whatever. I'm going to say, I don't know, I think they've got this place right where they want it and it's going to be minus one to plus one. It's going to be right in that range. And then that makes me so excited for, this is an anchor site. And so we get Oakmont again in what 2032 or something like that. Like, I do think when

we get Oakmont in the proper conditions with a dry spring, and some hot weather prior, it is going to be plus six, kind of plus six plus seven, and it's going to be like, cool, like we, we did the exact same stuff in 2025. Fuck off guys, like you do not complain about this. We did the exact same stuff and mother nature cooperated this time. And did different golf ball in 2023 or 2033. Excuse me, was when it's going to be returning. Yeah, it it's one of the few US open venues that is almost weather

agnostic, it'd be harder for them to have had worse weather leading up to this. And it still holds up so well, like a marine layer blew into la CC and ruin the golf tournament. I didn't even get rain. They just got like a little fog and they couldn't get it dried out enough. Like, Oakmont just lives in a it's it's like median is just that much stronger at its core. I think too, I think something with the wet with the, the wetness and the moisture is

sought a little bit with the PGA championship was these guys want to hit maximum ball speed every time. Like they want to, they want to hit their irons, regardless of whether it's a mudball or not or coming out of the rough. They want to hit everything full speed. And I think like these guys aren't good at hitting half shots or creating a shot. Everything is just like, hey, here's what I'm hitting on the track, man. And I think to your point, solid with like Scotty. Yeah, exactly. And like I think with Scotty, like I think Scotty knows how, exactly. And like I think with Scottie, like I think Scottie knows how to hit golf shots. I think Scottie knows how to shape the ball one way or another. And that's holding against slopes and stuff. Yeah. That's why I've loved watching

that second hole is I get into those back pins and that left pin has just been like, dude, it's not lob wedge. It is 56 or 54 or 52. Figure it out. Yeah. It's in your head. He's Scotty has done that twice. That's just been he's not helped know what is he's missed on though. He's just like, like the shot on six I'm thinking of. And some of these par three shots, the shot in the 13 just seems like he should he should eat on those like holding up a fade against the right to left slope of that sixth green. I just was where I'm like, dude, Scotty has that shot. And he's not done. He's not done that well enough. He's gonna have to improve on that over the next 36 to win 12 like that's where it's like cool

like move the fucking pins or move the tees up and let these guys have a bite at it and then See who can actually control their Like control their ball and who's just gonna end up 20 yards long It's well of like like it's not just about distance, right? It's about controlling your golf and really, really demanding spin. I think the over-under for golf tournaments that Scottie is gonna win in the next 10 days, I think it's one and a half, all right? Because the 2025 Travelers Championship is coming.

It's the Northeast one and only PGA Tour signature event. I don't know if it'll surpass last year's excitement of the thrilling finale when Scottie Scheffler broke away from the loaded leaderboard with three straight birdies in the back nine during that final round. It led to a dramatic one-hole playoff with young Tom Kim getting his sixth PGA Tour

victory of the year. Do we think Scottie will repeat his champion? I do. Listen, I'm gonna go out on the limb. I think you will. Come watch as the world's best PJ tour players try to dethrone him. All of them competing all four days at TPC river highlands action begins June 19th runs through June 22nd for tickets and information.

Visit travelers championship.com to see the greats, including Scotty Schaeffler, Rory McElroy, Xander Schauffley, Ludwig Oberg, and the rest travelers championship. There is only one also want to give a big thank you to our friends at Yeti. Guys, Father's Day, coming treat the man treat yourself but you know, I always do the little like, hey, you know, if somebody is asking me or my wife asked me what I want for Father's Day, send her a link. Just send her an exact link. You know, there doesn't need to be a surprise. Sorry, our our ace hardware Turner ace hardware. I got so

much Yeti stuff. That's got me. Here's things. Oh, the chairs are insane. They're good. I saw those in your back. You got you got a lot of Yeti stuff. That's got me. Things Oh, the chairs are insane. They're good. I saw those in your backyard. You got you got a lot of Yeti stuff. So they got plenty of options to customize some of my from bottles to mugs, hard coolers, dog bowls, yet he can customize it all even their Rambler French presses. So complete offerings at yeti.com. Quick one because we've kind of covered a lot of the great

golf here, and we're gonna get to some of the disappointments here, but just quickly, who impressed you the most? Who was like, I don't wanna say who changed your opinion about them today, but who gave you the most like, huh, okay, I wasn't familiar with your game segment here. Who's your guy, Kevin? Well, I've been familiar with his game,

but I kind of thought that this would be the end of the Ben Griffin fairy tale. I was like, this is not a course for a guy who is just, and he just keeps doing it, man. Like that back nine was like a total clutch. Honestly, I'm ready to embrace Ben Griffin on the Ryder Cup team. If I'm a US fan, I'm like, you know what? Screw it. Like you get it done on a course like Oakmont.

I mean, not even get what is getting it done, like finishing top 10. I'll take you to Bethpage. Like you are on a heater and I'm ready to sort of just basically have you short game your way around stuff and make putts. Like this dude is hungry. You guys talking about the insurance stuff, whatever. And yeah, like that is funny to think about.

Like this person was completely like out of professional golf four years ago. Maybe that's just like, I love it when somebody gets on the true the true like founded heater. And then all of a sudden they are like a, maybe this is like a Jimmy Walker type situation where he just wasn't that great. And all of a sudden he was like, you know what, for the next five, six years, I'm going to be one of the players in the world. Is Jimmy Walker a sales pitch? You just know, but that was the work name. You just continue this conversation. Remember back when Jimmy Lopez said nobody and then he won a bunch of times in Hawaii

and then he was truly a good player. That can be a great point, but you cannot throw that name to TC. I know, I know. It's a moth to a flame. All right, that's just gonna, you know what's gonna happen there. I'll say this again, Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak conversation are two very, very, very different conversations in my mind. Ben Griffin is a different level of player, in my very, very, very different conversations in my mind. Ben Griffin is a different level of

player, in my opinion. Very impressed, extremely impressed. He would he was my honorable mention, I had a feeling he would get drafted ahead of me. I am extremely impressed with what he's doing. Still to say there's a shitload of time to go between now and Beth page, but I think he's very seriously in the conversation. And it's not a bad thing. That's not a Oh, no, we're gonna No, I don't think that's that's that's not where I stand on the

current Ben Griffin situation. Yes, sorry. I'm sorry. You missed that. However you'd like. My special statement, we can find some common ground size. See you coming over to that like, let's embrace the young kids. Let's get them out there and like, get some guys. The inexperienced. I like honestly, as a European fan, I think Ben Griffin is the guy that I don't want to see on either side is I think Ben Griffin is a well adjusted, like remarkably driven

human being who can get along with others. I don't think you guys have enough of those on the US side. And I think Ben Griffin is is exactly like I think you need three or four more Ben Griffins because he can match up with anybody. He's pretty malleable personality wise golf ball wise as well. Novak made the cut as well. Novak shot 71 today. And your guys asses after you gave up on him yesterday. Well he's got a rib injury. Like honestly, I think a great fit is Ryan Gerard. Okay. So the question is who you most impressed with is the question. Yeah, I'll

say, listen, I'll go back up to the top of the board. Nobody's talked about him yet. JJ Spahn. Yes. I think JJ Spahn has been like even the fairways that he missed, he got boned a couple of times where he missed a fairway by six inches and it went into the deep stuff. And probably like, you know, four times out of 10, that's going to bounce back into the fairway. And for JJ spawn to go out and shoot what he did. What's 60, 65 or, you know, 60, 60, 60, 60, 60 yesterday, 72 today. And he was just nails. Like it just, he, he putted well. Like, I don't know, it's

just like, that's a really, really big spot. And I know he was in the, you know, in the mix against Rory. I think if they play that playoff at the players that night, he probably plays a little bit better and he's probably more in our psyche a little bit. But I mean, JJ spawn, like, I think he's right there with Ben Griffin as far as like, Hey, like JJ spawn, like he's in the fairway all the time. He's he hits it very, very straight like he's in the fairway all the time. He's, he hits it very, very straight and he's a pretty good mid iron player. And I think you'd be lucky

to have on the U S rider cup team. So, which honestly solid, you may not have a choice at some, like at some point soon, JJ spawn, Ben Griffin, Novak, things of that nature. Assuming talking here, we got two months. So bottom line, JJ Spahn made four birdies today. I think that like that in and of itself is impressive. Like there's not all there's not a lot of birdies out there at Oakmont and no doubles. It's crazy that Vic made six. Yeah. Vic made five birdies in an eagle. Five birdies. Excuse me. I apologize. Yeah. Vick made five birdies and an eagle. Excuse me. I apologize. Yeah. And Spawn's one of

three guys under par right now. And really bogey 18 coming in too. So. And everybody else that was at the top of the board from yesterday pretty much went backwards. Yeah. Like it was a really impressive route. I'm workshopping this take. I'm not expecting it to make sense. But I view I think we're a third of the way through the tournament. I think part one is Thursday, Friday. Part two is Saturday and part three is Sunday. I don't know if that makes any sense at all. But like that's that's that's how I that's how I view this. It's one conglomerate conglomerate of a just get through the cut. And then it becomes two very separate days that are still still ensuing

like we're gonna who knows we might not we might not make it so just on tomorrow night if it's so act one act was simply making the cut. Correct. The cut up to this point is is act one instead of being the halfway point like we're a third of the way there. And not in a literal sense, but in a take I'm still workshop. I think the craziest thing about spawn is he, he's like field average as far as, uh, irons he's like 67th and strokes gained approach. So he is.

He is essentially last of the dudes that the strokes gained approach. Not necessarily. Oh yeah. Okay. So there's some guys that, that, that gained a lot more, but he's 37th in approach overall. He's not doing anything or sorry. That was, that was round two. Uh, but he's like, he's not doing anything really remarkably. He's just playing good golf. Yeah. That's good. That's US open golf, man. It's, it's good

stuff. Uh, my most impressive Victor, uh, just kind of thought he was going to go away after that double on two and We've covered him in completion, but that was he was the one I was most impressed with Are you saying Victor Perez or Victor Hovland? No that could go either way Victor Perez made a hole-in-one today I gotta put him on the team as well But he's playing very nice. Who were you most? Disappointed in Kevin. Oh Alright but he's playing very nice. Who were you most disappointed in, Kevin? Oh, ho, ho, ho. All right. This is a tough one.

There's a lot of ways I could go with this, but I decided to go cumulative, because I picked Bryson to win, and so I was pretty disappointed that he just was garbage, but I'm gonna go Cam Smith on this one. If I told you guys that Cam Smith was exactly the same level

of a putter as he was in 2022 when he was the best putter in the world, you'd probably think that like, boy, Cam Smith's probably playing pretty well, right? No, Cam Smith is significantly worse of an iron player, a driver, around the green, everything. Putting has stayed the same and everything else has gotten way, way worse.

This is his fourth straight missed cut at a major. And I feel like that's time to sort of call it. I feel like there's this this narrative of like, oh yeah, Cam got paid. You know, wouldn't you like to get paid? All he really wants to do is fish. And him and DJ like, you know what? Fishing or not the same is OK, great. But they are not the same. DJ is 40 years old. He has two majors. He has a master's. Like DJ can do whatever he wants. DJ probably should have five majors. But Cam is still in the prime of his frigging career. He's 31 and he's become completely irrelevant. He's a 0.49 strokes gained person now, back when he was plus two, back when he was in his prime. I mean,

he's just a below average iron player, which seems insane. This is why it's frustrating that some of the guys went to live and lost their edge. It worked out for some, but it has clearly been a different, bad for Kamsmith's golf. And I just, you know, the stats bear it out. Like you can sit here and tell me, whoa, he's finished top 10 in live.

As we've seen with Rahm like that doesn't mean a lot when there's only 30 guys in the field. That list of it's worked out for some keeps getting smaller. I think it's like just Bryson now. I don't know if I would say it's worked out for Brooks. I mean, I know he's won a major since he's gone over there, but I don't think he's gotten better at golf. He made the cut. P? Yeah, I don't know. It's part of what I think frustrated a lot of us with the whole live process is we didn't

want to see these guys become irrelevant or non-competitive. I don't necessarily put all the blame on Liv. There's PGA Tour players that have had massive fall-offs. I think some of it is like, he's got a newborn. Um, like granted, he mailed it in last year. And I think, you know, like, I think if cam misses the cut at port rush, like I will late, I will absolutely. I think cam is on his way back up. Personally speaking, like I look at Leachman, Leachman shot 7175 made the cut T 45 for Leachman did qualify his way in here and then make the cut.

Like I think Leachman probably not a great course fit for him. He's not a great driver. The golf ball, I think, I think Leachman, if he can get into port rush, he like lock him in for a top 20. But I think cam cam needs to cam needs to show up a port rush. That is the one that that is the litmus test for cam of cool. You're an elite iron player and you're an elite approach player and then Potter will come into port rush big dog. I mean, he's losing half a stroke on approach. Bad. That's that's bad.

When he was like a plus point nine in twenty twenty two, like he's gotten, you know, more almost stroke and a half worse at approach iron stuff when he should be one of the should truly be one of the best iron players on earth. What is your biggest disappointment? TC? Um, I think Rom today. I mean that's soft today. Like, I don't know. I just like Rom should be right there.

Rom should be, he's plus four for the, for the tournament. You know, according to what's Scotty plus three or plus four, like Scotty's, Scotty's seven shots back. Rom's right there with him, but I don't know. Just Rom just didn't seem like he had it in gear today. And... It's putting. Yeah, I was pretty excited to watch Rom.

He was like my guy today. And I don't know, I felt like Rom should be even or plus one and basically leading this tournament and he's not. And... Good opportunity. Yeah. Do you, Kev, can you, could you hit us with the ROM putting quote from today in the ROM accent? Is that, put you on the spot for that one?

Yeah. We have it in the private chat if you have it. So the question was, can you put the score into perspective given how tough the course is? Honestly, I'm too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any other perspective. Very frustrated. Very rounds of golf I played where I think I hit good parts and they didn't sniff the hole. So so frustrating. All right. Tough ask. That was a tough ask.

But you know, shout to Seve as well. We gotta mention Seve. Of course. That was inspiration. Big spot today for little Colin and it was it was little performance for over. Look, I hear are you calling him little baby Colin at this point? No, but today he was. I hear already what you're thinking. All right. We're disappointed. Rom more Kawa. And we're also I'm you know, all over Scotty. Yeah, I hear I hear that

I'm aware of it their paths to getting there are very different and I feel very differently about the situations And if I'm wrong on Sunday, I will gladly address that I see it from a mile away But more he shot even yesterday and it just felt like again, this should have been a great fit He went totally backwards with the iron play today and his party has just been horrific So it's and solid he shot he was even on the front nine. He was he's even through the first 10 holes today and he was four over on his last eight holes today. It's just it sucks like 39 on the front. Not out of it though not out of it but just disappointed. But let's let's get to a few of the other any other notables at the top of this board that we want to want to discuss. I'm not sure if that's a big thing. I'm just disappointed.

Um but uh let's let's get to a few of the other any other uh notables at the top of this board that we wanna wanna discuss. Victor Perez sitting there at T6. Tristan Lawrence has a hold to finish uh but he has fallen back to T6 after

60. He had a three shot lead I think at one point. Uh everybody is freaking out but a single shot of Russell Henley's today because like what another like professional like solid round from Russell Henley. Yeah. I didn't see any of it. 72 from him. Kepka 74. Well, Russell real quick too. Russell was, uh,

I think he was five over on his round today and he birdied three out of his last four. So he was, uh, that's a, a late charge. Yeah. World, world class recovery there. But I mean, Henley, he's a guy that we had pegged coming into this of, of Hey, like, he is Taylor made for this golf course. Yeah. And, sure enough, he birdies, where he's 1516 and 18 coming in and he's, he's what six shots back, but really, it feels like, alright, if Russell Henley plays the first nine holes and even

tomorrow, he's probably two back. And yeah, I don't know, I'm buying Russell Henley stock. And also, like, we haven't talked about him yet. He was the big story of yesterday is Brooks. I don't know, Brooks was, you know, he was, it was a tight turnaround. Like I said, last night, I think Brooks for him to, he made what eight, eight bogeys today. He made four birdies shot 74. But I think Brooks like that tight turnaround between finishing at seven or eight PM last night and teeing off at eight or nine a.m. this morning. Like I think from a physical standpoint, that is a big ask. He was almost before he was before seven thirty this morning. He was up. He was up early.

And it's for him to get out of it with like seventy four. Cool. Like he's got to feel like he's playing with house money. He's he's five shots back. Cool. Like T8 like game on like brooks brooks has got to feel like all right that's you give me t8 going into the weekend and i am i am running coming yeah maybe that was his bad round i don't think he has a lot of wiggle room though i just i um it yeah it looked like a different guy today it looked like the guy a lot closer to, you know, the one that we've become unfortunately familiar with compared to round one. So yeah,

but he still hit his irons well today. Yeah, I think that's a big thing. He made some putts on that day one that was look like they were going 10 feet by and they went in. So like I did put it like, yeah, so I, you know, we'll see see I don't know that we're totally back with Brooks but Like the t8 after two rounds and t8 with C. Wu as well. We haven't talked about C Wu or D. Chia. I just want to say it's C Wu getting dropped by yeet.com was such a disappointment I mean cancel culture has just gone too far. I don't know what C. Wu has done but to not have yeet.com on his left chest anymore is just Yeah, it's got me quite upset. He was plus four today. Um, and kind of came back down to earth, uh, relatively quickly. Um, sorry, a couple other guys, D tree, D tree 73 today. Um, didn't play great, but he's right there. I think Grillo, Grillo 72 and he was,

uh, he was strokes gain. He, he gained strokes on everything except for approach play today. He putted his ass off. I think Grillo is a pretty good iron player. So I think that's pretty atypical of him. I'm, I think he's got to like where he's at. And then Max Grazerman, uh, shot 67 today. How about the match from Jay Day? Sorry to interrupt you, but like Jason Day, nine shot swing from 67 today.

That was freaking, I didn't see a lot of that, but man. Which this is Jason Day's first tournament in what, like six to eight weeks, I think. He had a little wrist thing going on as he always does and so for him to Even tee it up this week with the rough Shout out the J day and all the patriotic American flag shorts and all of that good on you good on you mate Rasmus neergaard peterson shot 74 today to fall back to t12 another guy at t12 mr. Keegan Bradley finished the round i think we

just set set them off against one another in singles at beth page correct keegan was six over par for the tournament uh with the toughest stretch of holes to go uh as he was finishing on the front nine birdied five birdied six birdied seven part eight and nine to get it in the house even on the front nine and shoot even par on the day and rise up the board. So what would it take for you to root for Keegan Bradley in the mix? Like to be like I want Keegan to win. Who would have to be involved? He's got the sunglasses on.

You can't answer. Give us an impassioned speech. I don't think there would be a position where I would root for that. If it was Terrell Hatton and Keegan, you would root for Terrell Hatton. Terrell's T12 along with Christian Bezadenhoe. Yeah, I'm saying like two guys down the stretch, you gotta choose one to put your weight behind. Yeah, I'd take Keegan over Terrell Hatton for sure. Yeah. But like on the team, like are you rooting for Keegan?

Let's not do team stuff tonight. We're not doing that. We're not doing that. He's the captain of the team. Let's say Taylor Pendrick immigrated to America and he said, Hey, I want to play on the U.S. Ryder Cup team. I think you have slagged Taylor Pendrick off too much and have missed the fact that he's improved. He's not a good golfer. He's improved.

I think he looks slim. Am I misreading that? He looks like he's dropped some LBs. He's getting a little more athletic. He's improved in ways that you have failed to acknowledge. And I can't let the sling go. Now he can actually get the ball in the hole. Cool. Good stuff. Tell her, Kendrick. He's 30 graduated from the Mackenzie tour. All right. Adam Schenck, t12 Christian Buzayden who? t12 to your hat and t12 Chris Kirk Carlos Ortiz Keegan seems little Sammy Stevens 12 and Rasmus near guard Peterson well, so I do you want to say anything about Rasmus near your guard Peterson?

No, I I I don't have anything to say. He just didn't putt well today. Otherwise, he would be one of the few guys under par Yeah, nick taylor t23 Uh, and like we that's the thing t12. So t12 we are already at plus three Then nick taylor and then john rom dane mccarthy calm mccall scot Scottie Scheffler. We're already a plus four. It's burning it Crazy, you see that seems like a good time to play how far back is too far back I think I honestly I think it's I think it's all the way down to plus five I've lost our back or five. No, I think it's five is in this I think him is in it six is too far back is in this. I think six is too far back. Speeth is still in this. Speeth is still in this. Sungjae is still in this. Foxy

is still in this. Sungjae is still in this. Bob McIntyre is still in this. Back up. Sungjae is just 77 today. Sungjae is still in this. Is Rory in it? Rory could be in it. No, Rory's not in this. No, Rory's just, he's already packed it in. I think, I think, I think this is going to be a vintage Rory stolen valor, uh, highlighter Wikipedia thing. What if we get like the, the Tony Finau, Daniel Berger situationger situation at Shinnecock where some guys jump 50 spots before the course firms up in the afternoon. What's the weather look like tomorrow? Is it rain in the morning or is it dry in the morning and then rain in the afternoon? What do we pay in for your weather app for if not for this moment?

What do we pay in for your weather app for if not for this moment? We I that's a that's a This is an important part of the show every year it looks like rain early if anything There you go. So soft course in the morning sun comes out gets firm in the afternoon all the sudden And then and Michael Kimmer or two under to start with. I want to give Michael Kim some room to run here. I said to Michael, I said, I wasn't trying to be hostile with you when I said, because he called some of the Greens Mickey Mouse. And he said, I didn't mean to call the Greens Mickey Mouse. There's some pins that are Mickey Mouse, which I will agree with him on that.

There's some pins that are Mickey Mouse. And he's like, I didn't say like, I didn't take it as half style at all. And so Michael came thoughtful as always. He said, Hey, it's here's the pins that I thought were Mickey Mouse. And I kind of agree with them. So, all right, let's get to miss cuts. I know you're delaying this as long as possible to avoid the Tommy conversation TC, but number one disappointment, probably Bryson. I think the number one, one of the top second biggest favorite coming into this week. And he was just nowhere to be found. I think he finished at 10 over par, massive

disappointment there, just absolutely nothing working. Don't have, why isn't he a better iron player? He gets all the same length. Can't get anywhere Why isn't he a better iron player? He gets so low. They're all the same length. Can't get anywhere with equipment. He just he gets so depressed about not being able to advance the equipment. Also, he's like trying to make his own ball. I don't understand this conversation. Like we're getting there with the ball. Like he doesn't he like isn't he playing a titleist right now? Like I don't think he's

like in the lab with the people of title is like you can up a new ball. You don't even know what they're cooking up back there. I don't. You have no idea what they're cooking up back there. Also the we had, we had a massive, massive military operation, Israel and Iran last night. We have no idea how that affected Bryson from a, you know, scientific perspective, a ballistic standpoint, I think. Yeah. You think he's sad. Am I right?

Scientists got detonated over in Tehran. No, he was playing the Hebrew hammers for a while there. Guys, looking at the forecast tomorrow, it looks like this is, according to the icon, currently the best model. the You guys know what he's doing, right? Of course. Okay. 14 to 15 and it'll die down like crazy. And then, uh, and then actually that's a Sunday. That's enough. Get to it. Get to it. Next on the list. Yeah. Tommy didn't play well. He's going to win at Port Rush. Bottom line, I apologize. I have a sickness. This isn't Tommy's fault. This is my fault. This is all on me. Okay. All on me. Tommy didn't play well. Uh, he didn't drive it well. He normally drives well with that mini driver.

Didn't drive it well this week. And that's all we have. I I'm legitimately not going to let you pick them for Port Rush unless you put some stakes on it. I need to hear a this is a one and this means it needs this needs to be it. This is a one and done. You are not allowed to pick Tommy again. If he doesn't win Port Rush. I mean Tommy, I like your name on it.

I like him at Trinicoc. Put your name on it. Honestly, I can make next year to put your name. Birkdale go back to them. Well, you have to go back to always want me to put my name on. You always want me to put my name on things. Put your name on it. TC I'll put I'll put my name on it. But I want to be able to pick him in the know you can't if you're that confident. You This would be easy. Yeah, he's I'll totally do this. I will

pick him for Fort Rush. Port Rush. I'll never pick him again. So, all right. Yes. Can we reserve a flight right now? Because I want you to come over to join me in Port Rush. If he's in the mix. KVD, you know how hard it is to get to Port Rush? I'm not I've not been there. I'm not aware. Well, it's like I have to fly to London. And then just figure out a way up to Port Rush. He's got to fly to Frankfurt first to get a shower.

Exactly. And I got a segment. You come up to Baltimore with me and then we can go together across. I mean, you'll be way up in first class, but I'll be back in Steerage. You can occasionally wave to me. No, because I'm coming over on Saturday. Right. That's true. Well, I'm saying come the whole week. If you're feeling it, you want to be there for the whole experience? God DJ because I'd like to be there next year at Birkdale and

Talk and all those places too So I'll save you see I didn't mean to put these back-to-back for you TC, but Ludwig missed the cut Yeah, he did. I honestly I'll I'll lay in the Ludwig a little bit Not good, I think Ludwig I don't know plus he was Honestly, I'll lay in the Ludwig a little bit. Not good. I think Ludwig, I don't know, plus he was 7'276, no birdies today. I don't know what's going on.

I think Ludwig, he's a generational talent. I saw it floating off that he might've had a migraine today, which I don't know if that was accurate or not, but that changes things a little bit for me. I mean, if you can't play golf, if you have a fucking migraine today, which I don't know if that was accurate or not, but that, that changed things a little bit for me. I mean, if you can't play golf, if you have a fucking migraine, but it's not been good. Otherwise, I think you guys are discounting the knee. The knee was a thing last year. He, he got some bad habits, got that cleaned up. I'll say I will own Ludwig this year. And I think Ludwig next year, I that cleaned up. I'll say I will own Ludwig this year and I think

Ludwig next year. I'm buying up all the stock because I think Ludwig might win two of four next year. Yeah, I'll hoover up some of those shares as well. I'm far from. Yeah, I mean, so I think, you know, he's right there with Blow Pig, Patrick Cantlay. Who else? I was kind of hoping Patrick had turned the corner with last year's us open performance, but Patrick's just think he stinks. Truly. Would you rather have webs career or Patrick's career? Like Patrick's a better player, but web thousand percent web. I mean, like let's open.

I mean, Patrick, Patrick at some point, like, all right, you're a, you're an accurate player. Like your whole thing is accuracy and thoughtfulness and distance control and all of that. Cool. This is, this is your major, dude. And you show up and you, and you shoot 76, 72 and you miss the cut. Like that's just, that's just not serious. Dude, just say it out loud. He is not Patrick. Can't has not played. Can't let golf since he got all involved with all the tour stuff.

He is like taking a very clear step back. I think he needs to go work for Apollo or. Go bed Griffin. A P. He just needs to go work for a PE firm. Any number of these guys that are SSG guys, can't wait. Just hang it up, man. We know you don't want to play golf anymore.

You just want to go be a quant. You just want to go be an analyst. Go do it, dude. Go do it. You know what? I saw you real quick. I think back all the time to the good interview that we did with PC where we talked about coming off of injury and like how long that takes him now. So when you're getting up in age and you're still dealing with that bad of a lower back, even though you can say, yeah, it's been surgically fixed for sure like I think that is showing its head more and more and more as on the off side of it

he's investing his time into a ton of shit that he shouldn't be so I think I don't want to make excuses for him but if he was investing that much time in his early mid-20s just to trying to get loosen up like it's just getting worse on top of like he's not a speed. And a lot of the pro golf is heading that way. And if you're not doing speed training at this point, you're losing strokes. So it's all the whole thing is like he wants to be treated like a top six guy on tour. It's like cool, like you might not be top 20 guy on tour, but you want to maximize your earning potential. And like, you just tie with Dodo Molinari, who hasn't played a full time schedule in like five years.

And Dodo, you know, and like Dodo didn't even pot well today. Dodo had, he was 85th in strokes gained potting today. He was, he was 63rd in strokes gained off the tee. He was positive strokes gained off the tee today. He was he was 63rd and strokes getting off the tee. He was positive strokes getting off the tee today. Uh other notable miscuts uh if we can get through this. The uh Oc Shea, those disappointment. Um kind of hoping for him to take a little bit uh of a leap. Dustin Johnson situation is is quite disappointing. Ten over par just done. Jackson Koyvon. I was I was I was bummed that Jackson Koyvan too.

Neiman continues to be something of a fraud. I'm sorry. He's unserious. Yeah, it's such a joke, dude. Plus, complete non factor. Sep plus 11. What about JT? So what's Can we can we hold JT to account a little bit for sure? This is a pretty piss poor performance. Like he's not good at this tournament. He's like, I don't, he's not good when the golf gets serious, man. It's, it's really a concern. I don't have a great explanation for it. Kind of felt like he was him. He did. His bounce back was very, very real, obviously one at heritage and has played really, really good golf, but, uh, has kind of retreated a little bit. And, and I don't know, kind of just

trusting my gut going to this one. I think I was like, I don't like JT this week, which I think is a is a pretty bad sign. He's got two career top 10s at the US Open in 11 starts. I think this would be his 12th. So Sally, I think we got a we have talked Shane Lowry. Lowry, Lowry picked up his ball this week today on the green I think he finished what he finished at plus 14 or I think I lost track. He was plus 17 79 78. Yeah. So that was very, very weird vibes in that group with roaring but pretty much it for the notable landing. Yeah. So that was a very weird vibe. So

that was a very weird vibe. So that was a very weird vibe. So the last eight. Yeah. Um so, no way. No chance. This isn't the end. He gets how many exemptions then? Well, they were giving him one in 2021, and then he won the PGA and didn't beat it. So I think like in spirit, I think they would give him one for Shinnecock. That was before he was like a 4chan figure though. Like, and that was before he called Mike Mike wanna dick twice.

Or I honestly think Mike one respects that. They might want to be like, yeah, I'm a dick sometimes. Yeah. I don't know, like what would would be Shinnecock be a good fit for them not to frame off as he'd win like to send him off? Good fit, I think no, but to send him off like or or do you get bring him back in Mary? You know what? I realized actually today and this is maybe it's relevant when Arnie played at Oakmont in 94, he had not played in the US Open played in the US Open in 10 years, which is, you know, like obviously Arnie only won one US Open, but this is like kind of the godfather of American golf in a lot of ways. And so there was a lot of reason to give Arnie exemption to sort of send him off

on, you know, his home turf in a lot of ways. But I'm not sure Phil quite has the goodwill that that, I just don't know. If this is the end, you're not. It's so funny if you just go through the future sites, there's a reason to keep giving him one, like Shinnecock running after the putt. Pebble Beach, I mean, he's won like five times

at Pebble Beach, not even so many times, but Wingfoot, Pinehurst, Marion, Riviera's next, then we're back at Pebble. It's pretty hilarious. There's no, there's no Tori there where I think that that may be the one to like them. All right, like Phil, if you could figure out how to get your gaming gear. I mean Phil's what, 52 now? 53? Oh, 54. 54? Yeah. I don't know. I think Phil, I just think Phil, like, KVV, you referenced the Arnie thing. Arnie was, like, that was a nice send off, right? That was, you know, Uncle Juice was going on the freeway. Obviously, yes. You know, and all of that. But I think with like, if you're flipping it back,

where do you think Phil would want to go off at? Like, where do you think Phil would want to have or is Phil sociopathic enough to where he doesn't want any sort of send off? And he just he just wants his grandfather caddied atied at pebble right so that would be an appropriate one like he I think he has a lot of respect for like the history of the game so Marion would be a nice kind of send off there he could maybe maybe he could fool himself into thinking compete at Marion I don't think he gets a send off I don't think that's he gets another shot like one final go around at the career Grand S Slam I don't think it's like this was to go guns blazing and be like, yeah I'm either gonna win this or fuck all of you Carries that favor anymore. I mean there were not many 27 to 27 At a wing foot there was no one hanging around to watch and play the 18th today. Like it's not, you're not getting like, you know, Tom Watson's final open championship and you're not, you're not getting that.

I don't think that's, that's part of the money. Do you think Phil's ever a rider? Cup cap? No. Yeah. You've been in those six years. No, there's no healing there. There's no like fill it, fill it 62 at like the 2040,

you know, 2043 Ryder Cup in the boys club. The boys club. He'll be like 70 in his 70s at that point. That'd be great. I will say, I think that he, TC, he's gonna get more and more volatile as he gets older. Yeah. And he just gonna keep older. He's probably

gonna run for office at some point in which he's gonna like throw all kinds of like fireballs at people like he could very easily be a pariah and a lot of like outside of golf quickly saying the GM of the high flyers and they've never finished but better than halfway through the league like why would he be a Ryder Cup captain? Solid you're you're one of the most activist, activist fans of the High Flyers. I think the only one why is it no people? Why are the High Flyers fans not pissed off

about the way this club is being managed? I think Phil should should circle 2029 at Pinehurst as his send off. He could he could get it in the house there. He could make the cut he could drive it everywhere and I think there's there's good enough vibes there and There's a big big grandstand around 18. That's where Phil can get try to qualify. He should keep trying to qualify I would I would help you. All right moving on Let's talk some Oakmont. We've put this off till now What grade are you giving Oakmont through 36 holes? And then we're gonna go compare Oakmont to a bunch of other road of courses.

Are we separating out the, like just all in? You can explain how you do your grades in any way you'd like. I'll give Oakmont a B plus so far. I got some spot on. Yeah, I would say, I'd say a minus. I like it that not every us open venue has to be the same. I think that I like it that they provide different tests and I liked it. The rough here is uniform. We had, you know, Pinehurst where it's like

a 50 50 ball. You go into the sort of wispy stuff, but this like, you know, the rough is going to be brutal if you hit it in the rough and so it It asks a different test I don't I don't mind that like Pebbles a different test and pinehurst is different tests and Marion's a different test than Oakmont and that's why they're sort of anchors I Give it a B plus. I think it is That probably if not definitely my favorite of the thick rough golf courses, right? I know I've talked a lot about how I don't love thick, rough. Better than wing foot.

And we'll go through them one by one, but it is my meat in the middle for the people that love just punishing ass rough. I think it can be dull, and I don't find it dull at Oakmont for a variety of reasons. And it's, I mean, Graydon on a curve, they were out sick for a couple weeks. They had a death in the family. They've missed a lot of class and they're still getting the B+.

That weather is a really tough car to be dealt and I just don't discount that. So, all right, let's play a game. Solly, do you consider Brookline a thick rough US Open course? I think so. Yeah. That's where I'm like, it's like, it's like, what else goes in that category? Yeah, it's a good point of wing foot, Brookline, Tory, Tory, Marian,

even. Yeah, how does it work? I think on that little I got to remember back. I mean, I know there was thick rough at Brookline, but it felt like the air is seems like it might be a thick rough. US Open could be it's not for the for the Genesis, but it felt like the area seems like it might be a thick roof. US Open could be it's not for the for the Genesis, but Oakland Hills definitely will be. Yeah, yeah. And yeah, let's let's go through them one by one. All right. So let's play the game. Oakmont, or Pebble Beach will go in the TC Kevin than me for all of these Oakmont or Pebble Beach as your simple,

simple answer. Where would you prefer, what would you prefer as a US Open venue? I will go Oakmont. I think Pebble Beach has been really disappointing the last two times around. I think it's been, I don't know, it just hasn't done it for me and we see it every year and I don't know. Yeah, Oakmont, like full send.

I will go Pebble, although I think technology is making it harder to make Pebble a true US Open thing. They have to really, really push it to the edge in order to make it work there, but I'll still go Pebble. I am going Oakmont. I think the general excitement around Pebble from the vast majority of golf fans is a big win for me. I think a bit of a mark against Oakmont is like, I don't think it's resonating greatly with more casual fans. I think some of Neil's feedback from last night was very fair. The holes kind of look the same. It's not distinct. I'm not saying Neil's a casual. I think he just made a great point of like, you know same it's not the same. I'm not seeing those as casual. I

think you just made a great point of like, you know, it's not like, you know, I can appreciate because I got to see the details up close and I've gotten I've done a shitload of homework on the golf course nights. That's coming through but like that's not going to happen for everyone. Whereas like pebble people flip on the TV like there's something to that like the general excitement around of an event contributes greatly to it. But I think Oakmont is a better fit of like, just growing the rough up at Pebble like they do and the circular greens, small greens gets into that thick rough trap that I think is bad. That's the part where I think is bad of just like, and just hit it near the green. It's going to stop in the same place is not good golf. Whereas Oakmont, I think has a

lot more elements to it. Complicated. I love that Pebble has shots that you know it has a little bit of that Augusta feeling of like all right you know that these shots are going to get hit down the road and so that makes me excited knowing what's coming and that's it I think there's a lot of value in that. I think it it's more of the the familiar of the look than it is the actual shots like a lot of the shots aren't that interesting I think atbble, but it is familiar that the routing and the holes that they're going to be playing. But anyway, it's complicated discussion. This is an interesting one. Oakmont or Shinnecock? We lost TC.

We did lose TC, so I will go. I like Shinnecock. I would say prefer that. I love that Shinny, especially when the wind blows, all the holes are going in different directions every time, and that asks a lot of cool tests of like. Can you flight shots? You know, can you handle stuff where it runs away? I just think it's always hard there. They always, you know,

it feels like it's always firm, except for that one moment when it rained too much. And then Daniel Berger and Tony Fane out jumped up everybody. I would say it's Shinnecock watered too much not rain too much water that's true that's true I would so I would go Shinny I think I'm Shinny however Shinny's a little more condition dependent like I think like a I don't think Shinny would handle what's happened to Oakmont as well. Like I think 18 they had a really rough spring in 18. We played it a few weeks before the

tournament and it was like oh shit I don't know if this course is going to be ready and like I think that led them into the them messing up the course on Saturday needing to water it. But if you get a little late we played it the greens were like freaking like four. It's a speed remember how. Remember how long the friggin it was awful. Yeah. So I, I think with like, middle of the road, weather wise, I still think Shinnecock but if the wet like, the the floor is higher, lower, high floors higher with Oakmont, I don't think you can no matter what happens to Oakmont, like

you're gonna have a good US open. But like if if the weather breaks weather breaks right I think I'd rather see it at Shinnecock. DC? Shinnecock, no-brainer. I think we haven't seen a non-Mike Davis Shinnecock yet and I think Shinnecock is your point about shore grass around the greens. Yeah, it's, it's, it's a much, much, much more demanding iron test. And I think, I don't know, it's there's just more consequences that shouldn't talk, I think. Oakmon or pinehurst? TC, you go first here. I'll go pinehurst. I think I really, you know, I think it's maybe a little bit too forgiving off the tea. But like we saw from the previous time it was at Pinehurst until now,

I think Pinehurst evolves as well. I think the native there, they could be fed up as well. I think, you know, the native there, like they could, they could be fed up as well. I think there's, I don't know, I think the greens are great at Pinehurst. I think it's a great setting. I think there's a great cadence to the round. I will say, maybe this is recency bias, but I really, really like Pinehurst. I think it's, it's a, like the ball is on the ground, which I think at Oakmont, the ball is in the air. Kevin, I would definitely go Pinehurst. I love the fact that it's a true public course that you want to pay $300 you can go play there. There's no way that most people Well, maybe it's

more Yeah, 500 hours. There's no way that you can like just get a tee time at Oakmont or chinacocke pe is like $1,000. I don't think that's even close to being and it's another one. Pebbles is like $3,000. $2,500 or whatever. Yeah, I didn't get to stay there. You booked the hotel. Yeah. I just think Pinehurst is a true American test of golf and it has a lot of great history. I've always loved the tournament there. Easy Pinehurst for me. I do prefer the possibility of recovery shots, the precision that's required into those greens, the you know, if you're gonna have thick rough, I like

Oakmont, but I would prefer a tournament not have thick rough is kind of where I land. Brookline or Oakmont. Brookline or sorry, Oakmont for me, I think I think no brainer. Brookline is a great golf course. But like if we're going to play that style, I think Oakmont's the best of that style. I would agree. I'd go Oakmont. Just more history. And I think a tougher test. And if you want it to be tough, that's a better spot. I'd like I like Brookline more than I realized. But

Brookline was awesome. Brookline's good. Not special. Nothing wrong with like Brooklyn versus Wingfoot Brooklyn all day. I think that's probably right. Come on Brooklyn Wingfoot just get a different look than how they did it last time. Anyways, but I'll take Oakmont as well. Very quickly on this one. Oakmont or Tory. I think we're good. Yeah, that's a non non answer.

Yeah, you do. Oh, Monaco. That one. Oakmont or Wingfoot. Oakmont. Yeah, I'd go Oakmont too. I went to so didn't Wingfoot really feel like disappointing? I'm not even the Bryson like, but I think Wingfoot was the one place where like man they like did we need some trees it I think they've learned a lesson they needed

more width like you can't make it that one dimensional where hitting the fairway isn't even like possible so and all the all the entrances of the greens were super wide yeah it didn't make any difference if you were in the r or in the fairway, right? Yeah. So I think they could set up wing foot better than they did in 2020. And I'd like a chance to do that and see how we feel because it also the wind didn't blow and it was soft for that one. So I still think it's Oakmont. But that's the thing right now of like, the wind's not blowing and it's like, this is

the worst, the worst possible Oakmont that we're seeing. And we're still and we still like Oakmont, right? Oakmont or Aaron Hills. I think that's a total NA. We just we can't even seen Aaron Hills. We simply don't know what it has. They're not and they're not going to go back there because that's Mike Davis and all of that.

I would say Oakmont. I mean, I think it's just a better golf course. Safe. Aaron Hills would be really good, but the wind's got to blow. Want Aaron Hills to get another shot. And the next one on the list, I want them to get another shot too. It's just, it feels like one off wind didn't blow that week. It feels like a bummer because we all like that course.

Aaron Hills would need to be like the, um, the Eddie out and out in Hawaii when they only, they only do this whole thing. Yeah. It's like, all right, cool. Like we, like we may not have it for six years, but like when we have it, we're going to have, you know, um, next right, cool. Like we like we may not have it for six years. But like when we have it, we're gonna have you know, next up Chambers Bay or Oakmont, you know what I'm gonna just jump ahead here and I'm gonna say chambers. I listen you get

the greens right and chambers is will be an awesome test. We had a super fun finish there. Maybe the greens are fixed man. I agree. I know that's what I'm saying. Like that now that the We had a super fun finish there. It's amazing. The greens are fixed, man. The green. I know that's what I'm saying. Like that now that the greens are different, like hell yeah. Give me chambers again. Yeah.

I think I'm with you. I mean, just that picture. I was going to say Oakmont and Cody flashed his picture up. I'm like, God, Chambers was sick. It was the first year with Fox. We had such a bad look at it. It was like hard to love that US Open, except for the chaos at the end. But man, it would all invented the Gary player impression. Like there's so much great things in chambers.

I'll toss some, I'll toss some cold water on this because I love chambers. I'm going to say Oakmont still. I think, I don't know, I think chambers is better than it was. I think, I don't know, I think Chambers is better than it was. I think, I think we're seeing the worst version of Oakmont and I still like Oakmont and this is where I get bummed out that the PGA moved to May and they just can't have like the PGA at Chambers in like early August and that's a fucking no brainer. And yeah, so I don't know. I think I like it's not a slide on chambers. I just think Oakmont's a better test of championship golf. All right, quickly through these last four.

We got a couple of things to get to before we get to our interview. Oakmont or Marion. Would the rollback bring me on Marion? Like I think when they were putting like. Would the rollback bring me on Marion? Like I think when they were putting like tees in people's backyards almost, I think that was a little bit

silly and like the rough was growing up around bunkers but Marion's just Marion's cool. Uh and so I'll I'll go Marion. I'll say Oakmont. I think Oakmont's still still better. I think I don't know. Marion looks awesome. I never played there but uh I think I don't know. Marion looks awesome under a play there but uh I think Oakmont just seems like a

better better style the same golf course. Yeah, I think it's Oakmont. Uh Oakmont or RIV uh which is we have not seen in the US Open but we will in 2031. Give me RIV. I'm RIV. Yeah, I'm team RIV here. I still can you get rid of the Zoysa though so you can actually run shots up there like that was who you mean. Like Kakuya excuse me. Sorry.

Because I think I think one of the things of Riv is we've had for the last 20 years we've seen the shittiest version of Riv as well and so if we could see Riv like when they had the USM there with what what was that? Doc Redmond. That was awesome. A GIMP August. Yeah. That was, yeah. Like give me Riv. Now there's not going to be any vibe. It's going to, it's not going to be good. LA vibe. Yeah.

Probably true. There hasn't been that much vibe at Oakmont so far either. A couple of roars, but- There's a lot. It's sold out. There's a lot of of people there but it's just a big ass site man I'll be better this morning. We, Oakmont or LACC. Oakmont. Yeah. I think Oakmont. Yeah, LACC could be better. It could have played better. It could have been awesome. It should have been really good. It really should have, but it just something,

something's not a great fit and the vibe offset. The vibe was terrible. It was that bad that we got to move. Oh, slow pig, Things of that nature. All right. I'm going to ask you guys to make one prediction for the weekend. This was a famous baseball call where a Mariners announcer was like, yeah, I think Matt, to be honest, Sopo, he's going to make his debut today. His second at bat on a three, one count. He's going to hit a home run in the left field bleachers.

Three one count, it's gonna happen. And it did, he literally called it to that point. So I want a really specific prediction that we can watch to play out this weekend and see if somebody knows something wildly specific. Kevin, what do you got? All right, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go Jordan Spieth is gonna shoot. 81 tomorrow.

Jesus man. I'm sorry. We I just had a guy. I know bad guy. Totally bad guy. But do you understand the assignment? And what we're supposed to pick something good like I thought we could pick things like something notable for like the historical record. Yeah, I mean, my original thought on this was somebody who's gonna

come pull the fee now and come raising up the board. But you know, 75. Like, listen, I'm sorry, maybe it'll motivate Jordan like the way I motivated JT once and we'll get back on track. That's how JT broke his majorless streak. So I'm calling out JT. I'm calling out Jordan and you know, eight, eight, oh, tomorrow, 81. I will apologize for me calling him sustainable last night. That was tough. And I but but Colleen was a ride for Bud Colley so much. We were putting

at some point. Big but this is why you don't make calls to the Ryder Cup in June, guys. This is why. All right, you guys baited me into it TC give a wildly. I know you've got a wildly specific prediction. Yeah, we could I must say Victor Hovland wins and I'm gonna say he out tools Ben Griffin and Russell Henley win and I think Victor I think Victor shows

who we Kind of thought he was over the last three to four years. I think specific enough. I'll show you how this is done. Okay. So I think tomorrow, cool, cool, Victor, Victor wins by one over Ben Griffin and two over Russell Henley, who makes it double. How it's going to play out.

All right. That's how it it's gonna play out. All right. That's how it's gonna play out tomorrow. So the lead at the end of tomorrow is gonna be at minus one. It's gonna be Sam Burns. I think, you know, there's some guys are gonna go backwards, but you know, he's gonna hold that lead. Scotty Shepard's gonna shoot one under par tomorrow. He's gonna shoot 69.

And he's not gonna sneak up on anybody, but he's just gonna be kind of looming there. He's gonna bogey the opening hole on Sunday, and it's gonna be like, all right, now he's not gonna sneak up on anybody, but he's just gonna be kind of looming there. He's gonna bogey the opening hole on Sunday, and it's gonna be like, ah, all right, now he's five back, like that's kind of the- Is he missing it left or right? When coming out, so he's gonna miss it left, and then he's gonna, you know, the wind's gonna come out of sales,

but he's gonna birdie two, he's gonna finally par three, then he's gonna get four, he's also gonna birdie five, and he's gonna birdie six, and then it's gonna be like, Oh my God, I discounted them. I forgot about them. I thought he wasn't going to do it.

And Scotty is going to win the golf tournament at even par by two shots on Sunday. So that is a shot seven in that final round. Who's second? Burns is going to finish second. He's going to have a 73 in that, in that final round. What is JJ spawn finish JJ spawn is going to finish second. He's going to have a 73 in that in that final round. What is JJ Spahn finish? JJ Spahn is going to finish sixth. And I think Hovland is going to finish eighth. Russell Henley is actually going to finish third, I think. How many guys under par? Two? None. Scotty's going to win it even. Oh, even? Yeah. zero guys under par. So that's my still does Phil congratulate Scotty when he when he wins. I

think Phil already like did for PGA. I think he's like hoping everybody forgets about how bad is not one that way. Not two. Not three. Yeah, I know we want to get to this to our to our interview here. Just dumping my notebook. I love appreciate the Sam Burns burner accounts. We're getting in Neil's ass today. Just jumping all over him. That was a depraved individual. Do you have to be to run a Sam Burns burner? Very personal. If you live in Shreveport, there's not a lot

else going on. Oh, God. No, I'm with them. I stand with them. Not all people in Shreveport. Not all Shreveportians. Hey, Cody, what's the place that Bunky likes in Shreveport? Oh, yeah, the Barbie kid. It's his family. Superior Grill. So good. They're the ones that are chiming in on the on the cup holders. Yeah, on the trap. Um, I want to shout out to young Tom Kim's finished birdie,

birdie birdie to get to plus five and make the cut you go where I just you got to give him credit. You got to do it. Also to James Nicklaus. He went out in 45 today but came home in 33 to make the cut on the number. Nicholas Norgaard shot a 70 as well today to make the cut of shooting 76. Made the cut or 75 I believe on day one made the cut by two. Laurie, Laurie Cantor as well. My hamster damn take on this is I guess I was a little

surprised maybe I shouldn't have been on like the general public My hamster damn take on this is I guess I was a little surprised. Maybe I shouldn't have been on like the general public reaction to Oakmont and feeling people feeling a little underwhelmed. And I was trying to draw back on it more. And I'm like, all right, again, a huge takeaway I had from being there was the slopes of everything, like everything's just about your control, your ball around the greens and looking back on it, the, the complete lack of effort to display that through the broadcast.

If you're going to like, NBC is going to say that they're like pulling all the resources from the smaller events and doubling down on the bigger events. I've not seen like one grid or one heat map or anything to show the severity of any of these slopes. I've not seen any increase of like low cams, like handheld cams to the ground, like showing the severity of the breaks of these putts around the hole. It's all towers, like almost bringing nothing

about what makes Oakmont special to life for people has left people wanting more. And that's really frustrating. Like, I don't know, even little light on like the drone tracer cam, which I think has been a really good addition, but like the accuracy off the cam, which I think has been a really good addition. But like that, the accuracy off the tee being so important here, I just don't

feel like people are getting a great visual of what the holes look like. I know there's not, you know, landmarks to look out for and distinctive features from those, the cameras that they're using. I was just I don't know, just disappointing to kind of just get a massive amount of announcers and none of that effort into things. So just the ESPN broke news broke this week that the ESPN is sniffing around and wants

the USGA contract. Now when it ends, but I think like my old friends at ESPN, they take pride in what they do and they don't cut costs just to sort of fund something else or meet some shareholder hedge fund demand. Like they put a lot of good stuff into their term of coverage. Shots fired at Versant and Brian Roberts, things of that nature. Very well done. Anyone who started the Wolley and Brian Roberts.

Hold on. KVV's riding for flagship there. No, I think. The mothership. That was very, that was very, that was very, I think with the, so they're, the NBC deal is over in 2026, right? And so this is the secondhaled all of the proper cameras. And over the last two days, DJ said on the podcast last night, watched a lot of feature group last night.

And then again today, and I think feature group is how you need to watch this golf tournament. I think feature group is it is you see, like it is truly a cadence and it's a rhythm. And I think there's there's very much a like you can't parachute into number five without understanding what the fuck these guys just went through on number two or number three. And I'd be losing power here shortly. Yeah. Yeah. I was gonna say, I think I just, I think I just lost power too. But like, I don't think that you can understand Oakmont without knowing what these guys just went through on their previous two or three holes. And I think there's something there with that um, that, that gets

special. We can know it flows so much better with one T start. But does it feature guys? They're all handheld guys out there just throwing things up on sticks. But Cody, that's my whole thing is we're seeing this stuff on handhelds from ground level and seeing guys between holes or between shots of you see Scottie or, or Colin or somebody like that. And they are like, they're legitimately dejected or they're, they're, they're just walking around like this. And it's like, man, like that's, that says something instead of just, Hey, we're

going to show you these three guys that made birdie on seven, eight, and nine, and then go back to what the leaders are doing. And that's so incongruous with everything else that's going on that day of if you watch somebody's whole round, you understand how good a 68 or a 69 or even a 71 is out at Oakland. Again, shout out to Sully. We say this all the time, shout out to YouTube TV, how you can get the quad bucks going and you can watch them all and you just realize how far behind the actual broadcast is. You said it very well earlier, you're like, you realize the broadcast turns into a highlight show of just fake excitement calls because it happened three minutes ago.

And you're like, okay, that's probably not. And that's where it's like, it doesn't like, like even the guys on the commentary, because I don't think the commentary on on NBC is that good to begin with. And so when you just get three or four guys, even when it's Tom Abbott and Damon and, and Graham DeL delay talking and Todd Lewis talking all day. They're talking about somebody's whole round and they're just watching that guy's whole round and there's something to be said for that. And so I would encourage people tomorrow even just go watch like, I'm sure they'll, you know, guys that are four or five back, go watch those guys around and you will understand

the golf course so much more understand where the pins are. And then, you know, last two hours flip it over to the main broadcast. And but I think this is truly the, the event where especially like, it's more important to understand the cadence of the golf course than just understand someone's individual route. I'll say to add to ZZ, the people watching the rounds, they know like all the context too. It's like when they cut into Faxon, Winota, whatever, they don't have any idea

like what's going on. It's just so frustrating. Like, so it's, I love watching Adam Scott's round today in that sense, like. So a lot of like the Oak font segments that aren't Oakmont, like a lot of Latro, The Raj segment today. Then Raj. It's a lot of like the Oakmont segments that aren't Oakmont, like a lot of Latrola. The Raj segment today. Then Raj.

It's a lot. And I understand it's impossible to tell the story of 156 people when it's very clear that NBC had two goals for today. Number one, keep it in the broadcast window, move from main, like main coverage to Peacock when they were told to because they fucking cut at the Masters champion to make the cut and I understand that we're like we're big Rory supporters here we want to make the cut and it was he could to put them cut and they they also fucked up the cut line too and show shots from 100 all 156 which I get you qualify yet you want to be

seen on TV and everything, but like, they also took time out of the telecast to like pat themselves on the back for that, which is very, very weird. I did like Johnny though. I did enjoy seeing Johnny. I don't think we realized how good we had it until we left until we lost Johnny. Johnny was the man Coke today, like, you know, Coke or Rolf, like when when Rolf Dog shows up on feature groups, I was like, man, like, God, Rolf, I wish you were on every single week, man, because I think otherwise, it's just everything just feels a little bit cheap. Otherwise, and, you know, it just feels like they're, they're trying to create a TV show instead of covering a major championship round of golf.

Sending Raj to go drive. I don't know if you guys saw this, but I said Raj to go drive and it's like, oh, shit, lightning just hit on my home right outside my window. Oh my, that's what doesn't take your new simulator out, dog. That's the second time that's happened to me today. Woo, that got me good. This is quite a storm saw. I felt the spark in the soundboard. All right.

Yeah, sending Rodgers to go drive down the turnpike with a live camera and also a live camera at La Trobe. That had to be live? Why did that have to be live? I think it knocked my hand. Uncle Sam gets together. Did it knock my sign crooked? The lightning? Anyway, all right. We are going to finally TC what take us to our,

our interview that's going to play us out. All right. So we were talking about it on our preview or was this the, the Monday or the Wednesday? This was Monday. Monday. So we had Monday afternoon, we did our preview live. Thanks to everybody who listened. And we had Joey Ferrari was one of the a kind of outrageous character that he's got a long backstory, which we kind of get into. I think he's going to come on the podcast later this year. But Joey Ferrari was, I don't even know how to explain it. I mean, he's just like, he was supposed to tee it off with Nicholas and Palmer on Wednesday

prior to the tournament. And then he ends up, he tells a story, he ends up picking up his ball and just walking up in the fairway and says, I'm not going to, I'm not going to infringe upon this. I'm just going to go up and play with Tom Watson. Tell us who we're going to listen to. Yeah. Joey Ferrari, this guy, legend. I, I can't even introduce him. Joey Ferrari. Very, very excited guys. We're going to take you to this interview and then it's going to be a end of show of this, but everybody link, uh, there's a, uh, in the description right here, both podcasts

and video, uh, it's Neil's office mystery box. So this interview is going to be presented by Neil and his office mystery box. He cleaned out that office, handpicked a bunch of goodies for two newsletter subscribers. Doesn't matter if you're new, you're old, you're, you're all going to be picked one. So all you, all you have to do is subscribe to the KnowLangUp newsletter where you'll receive exclusive content, merch, events, updates, and more. We had a great Father's Day message go out today. Thanks for everybody who included a

write-up in there. Sign up now through Sunday, June 15th, and the winner will be announced next week, Travelers Week KPMG. We're going to be live next week as well. So subscribe at subscribe.nullyingup.com forward slash giveaway. And here is the interview. Before US Open, you qualified in, I think you were kind of a late entrant, got through via Woodmont, correct? Yeah, Congressional and Woodmont. I got a, how it came is the year prior,

I was a runner-up in the US Mid-Am. Okay. Yeah, so I lost on the 18th hole. Oh, so that allowed me to bypass the local qualifying. And so, you know, every I've made it to the local half a dozen times and you know, you're going down 100 and something players for like two spots. So I always would look in the paper the following day and see the PGA tour always had like 15 spots, you know, six, 17 spots. So I said, you know, it's just a numbers game.

I'm gonna go play with the PGA tour. So since I got to bypass that, I put Congressional Woodmont as my qualifying site. And then it was funny, I got paired with Steve Pate and, and Justin Leonard had just got, was there. He had just got out of, you know, NCAAs and you know, it was the full field. It was the PGA tours, qualifiers, but the next day after their tournament. Okay. So they were at Kemper at the Kemper event. Okay. Yeah. And so I think I shot like 67, 68 and finished like seventh or something and punched my ticket. I never forget Roger Maltby came up to me, you know, because he's from California and was all excited with, boy, are you going to have an experience? And that was the least he could have said. It was truly an unbelievable experience.

It really was. So we had, you know, we're doing this deep dive and we're trying to find all these news and notes and your name came up because you were the guy who played with rental clubs. Is that right? I didn't. I don't know where that- Really? All right. Well, we got to shit on our research guy then, because that's what

he told me. After the tournament, I was flying back to Pebble Beach to play in the California State Am and they lost my clubs. Oh, okay. Okay. Okay. Well, an apology and a rare error by us. Yeah. Can imagine. Oh, a good friend of mine, Casey Boynes had taken me to a friend of his own, a local golf shop, and they set me up with clubs for that week. Well, how'd that go then? I really don't know.

It was 30 years ago, 20, 30 ago, I guess now. Uh, no, 20, no, was it 10? Yeah Yeah 30 years ago. I really don't recall how I play I mean I lost in the finals of the California State Am I don't know if it was that year the year before I think it might have been the year before so Was the camcorder thing true the camcorders true, but there's more to that story what had happened is my father had bought a camcorder for my wife at the time to record the whole week. And I've been asking her, obviously she had never used one before,

so she had the on and off buttons backwards. So it would show her looking up, start the film, and then it would click off. And I know that feeling super well. I have done that a hundred times. Yeah. The ground, you know, after that the whole, the whole week, she didn't get it was sort of sad, you know, because I don't know if you guys had known this, but I got paired with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer in the practice round. The day before the tournament,

the USDA had, had done that. They had paired me with them. When I got there on Monday, the USG is totally random. Well, they paired me with them on purpose because I was at the time, not going to word Lord humble me, but I was playing some really, really good golf, obviously as an amateur, I think there was only five or four amateurs that made it that year. And I really had a pretty good year the year before. And so when I got to the USJ told Joe, you make the cut and you're on the Walker Cup team. You know, so Monday, when you go into

you sign all these, you know, every year signing everything, and then they have this t sheet for the practice round. So he goes, we have a surprise for you. So I go in, I think on Monday, I signed up to play with Nick Faldo. And on Tuesday, I wanted to play with Fuzzy Zeller and John Daly because John Daly was pretty big at the time. And then I go to Wednesday and it says, Nicholas Palmer Ferrari. Yeah. And you know, that was a big, how would you say, reunion for those guys because 30 years prior, they had that big shootout. It was Palmer's last open. Mad Fientist- That's right. It was the site of his first open. Jack's big duel. A big

loaded place for them. And Palmer lived 30 minutes down the road. So 25,000 people, that's all. And 20,000 had to be on the first tee, first hole. So all week I'm like excited and talk to, you know, Jack on the range, you know, a little bit Palmer and very nice people. But that day of the practice round, when I went up to the tee, and there's like, you know, I played in some big tournaments, but when you're standing on a tee with 20,000 people, just it looks like tunnel vision. And I remember Rocco Mediate and Lee Jansen were trying to get

in to go play with them because they didn't know that the USGA had scheduled me to play with them. So they came up to the Tea and Rocks and said, well, I thought, you know, I'd asked Arnold about playing with you guys, but I didn't, you know, they didn't know. Tom Watson had went off as a single right in front of us. So I'm standing on the tee when Nicholas and Palmer walked up on the tea. It was like God and Jesus Christ. It was unbelievable. I got a shot of adrenaline. I was so nervous. I couldn't feel my legs. I mean, it was just overwhelming. It truly was. And I'll never forget. So they're deciding what to do and Nicholas says, go ahead and hit Joey. And I didn't have one positive thought that goes through my head. I thought, shit, I'm gonna kill somebody. You know, with it, I might hook it. I mean, I didn't have a positive thought. And so I turned around, I said, no, Jack,

that's okay. I'm gonna pick up my ball and I'm gonna go play. And I picked up my ball, I walked down the fairway and I joined Watson. And I don't know if you know who, the USJ Ron Reed was the official who had paired me with him. And he just wrote a book about four years ago, four or five years now now and had a chap, you know about starting the 25 years and starting the US Open and

He has a chapter in that in his book about me and that's it and that story So it's pretty um, how did Jack how did Jack? They laughed at me. They left they knew Okay, I went up to Watson. I told him I said shit How did Jack? They laughed at me. They laughed. They knew. They knew. I went up to Watson and I told him, I said, shit. I said, it was he. And he laughed. And then you calm down.

And then the adrenaline subsides. And then we're on the tee practicing. And so you have conversation throughout. But oh yeah, it was something I'll take to my grave. It was, yeah. What do you remember about Oakmont? I mean, I know, like you said, you played in a lot of high level amateur tournaments and big, big golf courses, I'm sure. How did that compare what sticks out in your mind? The rough and the speed of the greens. It was unbelievable. I see these guys now where they're dropping the rough in, you know, the balls in the rough. It was unbelievable. I see these guys now where they're dropping the rough in,

the balls in the rough. It was just like that. The greens at that time were, I think, they got stint at 13, maybe a little bit faster. It was like putting on concrete almost. It was crazy. And if you missed the fairway, you were literally taking a wedge and going out sideways because it, you know, it was brutal.

It was brutal. I missed the cut, obviously, but it was the first round I got. I didn't even finish my round. It was six hours and only got five and a half hours. I got 13 holes in. I had to go out the next morning and play again. And it was just because obviously the play was so slow because of the course. I mean, I don't envy these guys this week. It's a great golf course. It's challenging. It's going to be fun to watch, that's for sure. You were last off, 2.40 PM. Yes. Were you just on pins and needles the entire day leading up to that?

Oh yeah. Yeah, because you're sitting there all morning watching TV, watching the open on, and you're seeing these guys struggle. It was funny because I played with Watson, I told you in that practice round. I can honestly say I played neck and neck with them. I hit shot for shot with them the whole time we played. But after 36 holes, he was leading that tournament and I was going home. It's a different mindset. You have to experience. You just don't go there your first time, especially as an amateur. It's

overwhelming because, you know, all the manufacturers are there all, you know, everything's they're giving you clubs, they're giving you balls back, you know, it's just all set up for you. And I think I got caught up in the moment. A lot of that, you know, or if you experience it, you know, four or five times, then, you know, you know, to go there and take care of business. I was sitting there taking advantage of everything, you know, it's, you know, cause everyone's just buying them hitting balls one day and this man comes up behind me and he goes, Hey, Joey, he goes, uh, and I'm thinking, Oh God, not again.

I'm under range trying to practice. I go, not again. Here's the bass. I turned around. He goes, Roger Cleveland. I go, oh, God, not again. I'm under range trying to practice. I go, not again. Here's the bass. I turn around. He goes, Roger Cleveland. I go, oh, Mr. Cleveland. You know, he goes, I got some prototype wedges here. I want you to try.

Cause I was playing Cleveland Irons at the time. And I said, yeah, I'd be more than happy to, you know? And so it's things like that, you know? Everything was magnified, no matter, you know. So I just remember the whole week was too big to be true almost. It really was. I saw a quote in the Stockton Record. It said, I felt like I drank 30 cappuccinos to the 38-year-old adventure. said, I felt like I drank 30 cappuccinos. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. When Nicholas and Palmer walked up on the tee, you know what I mean?

And on the first shot of the day, I think I blocked it way right. My swing was probably about four feet long and quick as can be. It was pretty intense. What hole sticks out most to you? The third hole I remember was really a good hole. You know, that was a really good hole. The par three, the one that's, you know, that was back then it wasn't, it was like 250, I believe back then 254, not 300 yards and just the whole course.

I mean, there's really not, you know, 17s like gettable for these guys because they can drive and back then they would get close, you know, some of them could get right up there. But you know, 30 years ago, the technology isn't wasn't what it is today. So I just think what gets me about the course is just like I say, the speed of the golf course and the rough. It's just the USGA just takes no prisoners. They're just out there, humble you.

What was the attitude of the players kind of vis-a-vis the USGA back then? Was there any animosity? Was there any kind of like, this is Mickey Mouse, this is too hard? Or did all the players kind of get what it was about? I think they got what it was about. I don't remember, you know, like seeing, you know, you don't really hear anyone saying anything too negative except for how hard it is this week. You know, you don't see, oh, this is ridiculous. This is too much. I think it was the same back then. It's the golf course. You have to admire the golf course. And

obviously, what the USG does is they make that golf course challenging. And it already is, but then they just put it on steroids. And I think people, I didn't hear any really, not like that. That I recall. That I recall. That was kind of a big day, just generally speaking. We had the OJ chase. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. In fact, I remember being home that night and watching it on TV at the house that we had rented for the week. Yeah, that was quite a week. What did you do after you missed the cut? Did you hang around or did you get back home? Oh yeah. I hung around and stayed for the whole four rounds and watched it.

I always love, one of my favorite US Open things is always the guys who qualify in and miss the cut by a mile and then they stay and they just grind on the range all day. Or they got all the practice facilities still open to them so they'll just beat it up. That's always been a goal of mine. I think that would be great. Yeah, it was. I pretty much just stayed and would go inside the place where we could eat and watched a lot of it on TV and just hung out. I had some friends. I met a lot of people there that were really good to me. I remember Mackle Grady and I sat down and shared a lot of time and talked and just thought this guy's out there.

I mean, he's knowledge of the golf swing was up and beyond anything. I, you know, he really was technical and intense. And, you know, so you try and pick people's brain while you can when you get the opportunity. So I think that's what I did a lot of. I sat there and pretty much enjoyed the moment. Yeah. Heck yeah. That's awesome. How's your game now? It's good.

You play a lot? Yeah. Well, I just had a double bypass open heart surgery two and a half months ago. So they split me open like right down the middle. It's been two and a half months. So I started playing about a week ago. My tournament is coming up. I was going crazy.

It's been good. I mean, I've had some good years. I won the Northern California Super Senior Player of the year a couple of years back and I still have my moments, you know, I shoot my age and starting at 62. So I'm 69 now so I can still but you know, it's a humbling game. Come on. With all the accolades comes all the humbleness. You get, you know, it's. That's right. Yeah, it's very humbling game. So.

We gotta do a full podcast with you at some point. Cause it seems like you've lived about five lives. I, you guys don't, I mean, I don't know if you've listened to a couple of the other podcasts, but the whole story, you know, it's pretty crazy. I've gotten contacted by some people, you know, to try and write a book, things like that, because, yeah, I went south there for a little bit, as you know, and did some crazy

things. But I'm fortunate to be alive and still playing golf and blessed. It sounds like he turned out all right. Yeah. things and but I'm fortunate to be alive and still playing golf and blessed. He turned out all right. Yeah. All of it too. Thank the Lord. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, Joey, thanks, man. Appreciate the, uh, appreciate the time. Hope you have a great week and, and, uh, I'm sure it'll bring back a bunch more memories watching on TV. Well, it will, it will. And thanks for contacting me and we'll talk again.