No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 138: Tommy Fleetwood

Episode Date: May 7, 2018

Tommy Fleetwood joins the podcast to talk about his meteoric rise in the world rankings, how much his life has changed in the last year. We talk about his dominance in Abu Dhabi, his run... The post NLU Podcast, Episode 138: Tommy Fleetwood appeared first on No Laying Up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm going to be the right club today. Yeah. That's better than most. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most. Expect anything different. All right guys, before we get to the end, we're going to have to get to the end. Better than most!

Expect anything different! Alright guys, before we get to the podcast, first I have to apologize for what you're about to hear. We went to Tommy's hotel to record this, set up the mics, tested them all good. I forgot to click the button that actually transferred the recording to the microphones and not from the computer. So what you're going to hear actually comes from the computer and not from the mics. It's entirely my fault. I've been pretty sick to my stomach about this all day, especially sorry to Tommy who took so much time out of his data. Record with us and unfortunately this is some of the early days of NOU podcast. This is what the audio

quality will remind you of. So again apologies for that. I hope it's not too detrimental to the listening experience. I know that the audio quality is important but without further delay. Here's our great interview. I hope you guys stick with it and without further delay, here's Tommy Fleetwood. All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the No-Lang-Up podcast. We are joined today by Mr. Tommy Fleetwood. Tommy, we party with you a little bit after you won an Agudabi and you said you would come on the podcast if you got an obnoxious amount of tweets from the listeners. How many did you get?

Enough, clearly. It wasn't too bad actually, but clearly enough. It didn't take money. Yeah, well glad we could finally make this happen. Players championship, we cut a surprise. You popped this on us today. You flew down from Charlotte today, daily. Yeah, I did, because apparently I don't miss Cubs. But you know, we do this on a Saturday 12th August. Only a second Miss Cuts in probably one year. There's something not, but like you say, like you were 400 me, I don't miss Cuts, but yeah, we walk in here in Trongas. Yeah, you never miss Cuts and it's like I'm kind of

sitting here because I missed a cut here. So yeah, we chatted with you a little bit last year around this time. How much how much is your life changed in the last year? Quite a lot. Well, yeah, I mean, my golf has changed a little bit, or it's just got slightly better, but off-course things have changed. I'm growing up quite fast. And it's cool,'ve got seven month old son I'm married and those kind of things that they change in life those things really. That's what I want to know how how much did your celebration change between the Abu Dhabi 2017 win and the Abu Dhabi 2018 win? They were different yeah I My celebrations kind of stopped after you guys had left and I

just started a meal and going to bed and the year before it wasn't quite the same. I didn't go to bed but just a lot later and with a lot less memory in 17 so things do they do change your celebrations for sure. To feel a little better than the Monday after though. Yeah, I did I was a lot clearer in the head A question we love to ask people when was the last time you paid for golf? I I

Don't know it's kind of a I refuse to pay for golf pretty much. There's one thing that I just refuse to do that it would just doesn't happen. So if I had to pay, I probably wouldn't have to pay out a principal. Not because I've got a pressure to golf, I was not going to pay for golf for every week. I don't know if fun, but I'm not gonna pay. We asked that to Jim Fierrick, and I think he said sometime in the 90s was the last time that he paid. I was probably, it could be the same. It could be the same actually,

I mean, since then in the 90s, but that was my younger days. Where do you, so you still reside in England, but you're playing like your longest stretch of, your first real major stretch of golf on the PGA tour. What have you thought of this kind of three-month stretch that you've been on here in the US? I've loved it from start to finish. I played a bit last year, last year I had to,

that special temporary membership thing where I think it was after. So I did well in Mexico and I guess you have so come out of being where I maybe got my special temporary but I only played a couple of events like Memorial or a couple of those Bay Hill Applied and this year. So I started every year and then played three to the Masters when I went over for a couple of weeks and now back out but I've absolutely loved it. From a couple of things, I think that the different style of golf, I found it more difficult. I've found that it's kind of stretched me again in terms of knowing things that I need to improve to compete out there and working more into that.

It's been great meeting new people again. I mean, I can't wait to see the European guys again, but meeting new people that you see playing off anyway, because we need watch golf all time but it's just it's been fresh here and it's been nice to do all those things and get to know get to know different people and what if you found more difficult you said you said you the PJ Tiff and I think it's there's there's more emphasis on the short game out in America it's I've found it tougher around the greens and on the greens. Partly, there's a lot more of a meuda out there, so there's been tournaments on different grass that we see on our paintings, we don't play a lot of stuff. There's been that, and the scoring is just that, I don't know, a lot of the course is

like Riviera or Honda or Wells Fargo this week, they're that tough that you can't score really well, but then the scoring's good enough where sort of the cuts, there's just a really small margin between leading and cutting, so everything just becomes more every shot, you know, can't be to give that much away and I have a given shot square a lot of time so it's in you know that in that in terms of that just short game just different grasses greens are a little bit firmer and a little bit slow here and it's just been working out on that. Has there been anything in particular that you've you've learned in this time period that you're like all right now I need to I need to change this about my game and this is something I really need to work on?

I think it's just made things a little bit clearer. Generally, especially over the last year and a half, my ballstrike has been great. So it's always been me strength and putting showgames where I can get in the most shots. So, and then you come out here and it just gets out and it's just a little bit. So it's just made out of the little bit. So it's just made those things a little bit clearer. It's definitely improved for me, for sure. Whatever my stats are.

I don't look at stats massively. I do. And I know that they're improving. But I know that it's improved me that bit more or just by being out there and it being that bit of them. How, what is kind of the, what are the hardest weeks decision-wise making out your schedule? Like the tournaments that are up against each other between the European Tour and PGA Tour. I know you kind of blocked out this stress and just play on the PGA Tour,

but going through the rest of the summer, where were the difficult decisions or how did you come to the conclusions that you got to to make out your schedule? There's some tough ones in there. Yeah, well they're awesome once, and this year was, this year was almost easy, because it was my first year, and I knew, you know what, I've blocked these, these three months up, I'm gonna come to my account, I'm gonna really give it a good go,

see where we're at, some at the Open comes, got big events, got Rolex series in Europe, and we'll do that, and then after the Open becomes the FedEx is coming up isn't it then PGA Bridgestone FedEx coming up so it was quite an easy one but I think when you've so after this year I know there's events that I want to play next year I know there's events that I'm not going to go to this year that I want to play and I, the schedules are like, conflict a little bit, so it's like, I don't know,

it is tough and probably something that you look at and make a choice at the end of the year, but I think getting your card on the PGA tour for us, just at European, first thing you're gonna do is get the European tour card, but get a PJ talk card is great and you want to keep it and you want to make the most of it now that you can play over it. So it will be next year or definitely be just tougher than this year. This year it was kind of easy to set out but knowing that

I want to keep playing over it next year will probably get a bit more difficult. Do you have a home base here in the States? I'm quite set up in the last couple of years. I have, we have close friends that live, they live on the 70s that Bay Hill actually, so I stayed with them for, I think the original two month stretch, I had to week and maybe half a week where I wasn't doing anything, so I stayed with them in Orlando and I do, I like Orlando, it, one flight from Manchester which kind of doesn't matter how far away you're off a moment.

You won't fly away, you feel clung to it. So that was great. But no, no, no like, base shit, we've not thought about getting a place which is something that everybody loves to ask. But it has that like three months into my PGA tour journey, if you like. So there's a while to go before we decide to do any. I've got a lot more places to go. We've got a lot more places to go.

Yeah, we have. You're on the road so much it's like, do you need two places to live on those? I know. I've always to crash with things. I mean, it will be like ridiculous this year. I think this year and next year, will be my busiest couple of years,

just settling over here and trying to play more and doing both tours. So I kind of know you really feel like a couple of years and a lot of play. Do you think, does the way that PJ Tours schedule is gonna go out next year, kind of with the players moving up and things moving around from a European tour standpoint

in your unique position? Does it favor you or are most Europeans looking at it kind of like, this is, yeah, I've heard some rumblings from people, just put the PGA bumping up and that it kind of, you know, that stretch in May, yeah. I actually think it, I'm sure it will work in the European tour's favor. Sure. It kind of consolidates a little bit.

Yeah, I really want it and, yeah, it'll be great. This season finished. When does this season finish? It's in August, so you know. I think and it's not finalized yet. But you know, it's going to be like something like that. So, um, and then, you know, we're in, we're in our summer months. Come over and buy it. It's going to, I think it, I think it will work really well. And, um, the first time anything changed, it's always like there'll be things that people don't like

and there'll be things that people like, but I'm sure we'll figure it out after a year or so, but I think it'll be really good. So in September of 2016, you were the one, the 188th ranked player in the world. That was being generous. Now, I'm not sure where you are now I think in the top 15 at least now. What changed the most in that time period? I got better at golf.

I was struggling like leading up to that I think 2015 was where I struggled because before that so 2015 was where I struggled with his before that, so in mid-2015 I've got to the top 15 in the world for the first time of my life and then I started dropping down and struggling. So you know, a couple of thoughts about it a lot really just because it was kind of a faster climb than what I thought it would be coming back, but the Wethatsamau coach, Finna, one of my best mates, he was the best man I've wanted, he's been cadding now for nearly two years, it'll be June. A couple more people sort of came in that I've worked with before and I was kind of in the middle of moving into a new house with my wife now. And we were doing, you know, life was sort of changing and my goal was, yeah, I was struggling. Made a few changes and there was like a lot of hardware that went into a book base that they I hit a lot better now than I did when I was under an 88.

We heard some cool stories when we went in that Abu Dhabi talking with your instructor about how, and so can you guys walk us? I love to walk you in. He's a humble guy though. He is actually right. Yeah, I mean, he was contemplating it down like always this like, you know, red tag driving range. Oh, it's a good thing.

It's not, and we're like, no, we kind of did some research on the back. Oh, it's like, it's like, no way. It's like, wherever we go, as everybody loves him, and he's like, it's a really good-looking guy. So come on, tell me. You just start making us all look that. It just gives it right.

But so what was that timeline? So was he your instructor growing up as a kid? Well, when I first got into England sort of squad, so that was, I reckon, must have been like 12, so you got into this like regional stuff and he was the coach, but... Sorry, what was his name and the thing was... Alan's obviously... That's right, okay.

So I north west of England, he was the regional coach, so he was the coach then, my first lesson I often was then, and then we've had like three stints and then I think I went on my own for a bit, when I got to like 17, and I thought I knew better, then got him back, then, yeah. And I started working with him about three months before I turned pro, and I got to all the number one amateur with him, and then one on top with him, and then decided

I was gonna do my own thing again. The way he told the story though was that he kind of nudged you in that direction, even that he thought of. Yeah well I think at the time it was a relationship difficult on my tour, like they just start. I think I was kind of, we were pushing something that I wasn't quite getting enough out of and then we just nudged away from it a little bit, like expectations were getting high and what we were working on. It's funny how things just work out like that, it happens all the time. You just can't quite seem to get out of what you're trying to do. First thought like three years later and you know, we do everything that we were doing before

but more and I get better but it's just at the time and just time it happens sometimes and as long as I think that's what it's really important just to leave on good terms and keep good relationships people because you're always that's one massive thing I've learned is that you're probably going to end up working with these guys again so you have to do it in the right way when you do split from people and it, you know, for us it worked out. But yeah, we kind of, there's a lot of pride in this job. And I think if it's not going how we want it to,

we like to just, you know, we speak, it's, it doesn't let you know, we speak to this mind and you just want to what's best for you. And the last time you went back to him, I mean, it was pretty, it was pretty immediate, right? You saw the results. Yeah, I was doing it. And yeah, I mean, I was pretty immediate. You saw the results. Yeah, I was doing it. Yeah, I mean, so I said it,

I actually said my dad had said his first to asking what to do because I was in China. And like, there's not been much said about it, but I had a yip at the time with my driver, and I couldn't keep it on the golf course at all. And I was playing this practice round, I thought, this is like, what am I doing? This is ridiculous. I mean, middle of China with nobody here.

Carnit me out. I've got no chance of making the cut. What's the point? And anyway, I sent Tomo a couple of videos because we dad said, just text Tomo. Because Tomo knows you're swinging better than anybody. He just texted us, I sent him a couple of videos. I asked him first if it'd be all right, looking at that. It's kind of, you know, I think he might say no yet. But he was made up to have a look and he had a look. So that would have been like April time, say. And then we sort of started working and then went with 2016, so that was May.

It was like me lowest point ever where I was playing the practice rounds. I played a pro-am and we played this thing, Paris, you're friends now, so if you can't make a bird, you just pick up. And I think that day I hit 12 T-shirts and just walked the rest of the course. With my playing part this I could, I mean, I just awful. And I walked up that pro-ev, and I thought, oh my god, I went, you know what? And Finna actually came to watch. I Finna wasn't counting at the time.

He comes to watch, because it's one of my mates. And seeing Thursday morning, he was like, how's it going? And I said, I was seeing off in the afternoon. I said, I don't think I'm going to play. I can't get it off the first tee. I don't like the first tee shot there anyway. I said, Finna, honestly, I don't think I can gonna play, I can't get it off the first tee. I don't like the first tee shot there anyway, so Finna, honestly, I don't think I can make it off the first tee. And he was like, what's wrong with you? I went to listen, I can't hit the ball.

I ran this anyway, I played first tee shot, I stepped up on that tee drive about a millimeter off the deck. I made it to 40, I was into the trees right and I was really happy because I didn't talk as long as I've got it off the tee and I found it I was going to be happy. Played a riff and actually shot like a level par with some of which was not level but Finna said it was the worst and then I see me play. So that was the lowest and we've been working together for like a month at the time. And sort of from that point, everything had to move forward because it couldn't go any worse, so it had to move forward. So yeah, and then once we sort of got a little bit

in a momentum, things started to get a little bit better, but it's always difficult. You gain can come back, but when your head's slide, you've lost so much confidence, it takes a little bit longer for that to come up. If you're not sure what to get in mom or grandma or the wife this year for Mother's Day, Travis Matthew Apparel is actually here to save the day.

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Go to TravisMathU.com today. Take advantage of it while you still can. I just put an order in for a bunch of new summer stuff. I wear my cruiser shoes pretty much on a daily basis to the point. I wore them ragged and I actually had to order some new ones. So go to TravisMathy.com, check out some of their stuff. I promise you'll enjoy it, especially with summer or summer opponents quickly. But for now, let's get back to Tommy Fleetwood. So, Finna was just a buddy of yours that was he into? do you have any caddy experience before he came on your bed? Yeah, caddy for me as an amateur in quite a few events, but he never done it as a pro.

But we kind of always, we kind of said if the chance comes up, like we'll try and give it a go. So it was a risk for him because when I asked him, I was playing terrible. What was he doing? He was working at the golf club. It was like a pro, like, part, playing part, you know, handyman around the place. Was it for him to be home or? Yeah, for him to be home.

Yeah, so, you know, he was probably confident, he's probably, you know, he's happy and out. I hope. It was a risk for him as well. I was playing terrible, I'm just such an ad-johnic, I don't want to come and do it, that's still a month, and see how it goes. Two years later, we're stuck with each other, so. How's his game? He thinks it's better than what it is. He played, when did we play last?

We played his day and he actually played all right. We played all right at home, but we played Iowa's. And what's through in America, and I'll tell you what it was, it was the week after the match play, and it decided he was gonna copy Bubba's full action because they've been a lot of talk of it on the golf challenge. And the... And it was, well, yeah, it was Bubba's fault that fault that day. Why play terrible because he couldn't use his four actions

So Boba got like a slighting because of his four action for that. I mean, I mean, he's been as like one of the larger Is he hit it far? It doesn't use his leverage as well as he could Was there a learning curve for him coming on the bag? Was there any kind of funny moments of fumble? Actually for Rome. I think it's great doing it as mates because you don't feel as nervous when you're together. I know for the first couple of weeks it was probably difficult for him and he didn't you know he knows the game, he knows the game golf but when you cad in it's like it's different, he doesn't know where to stand sometimes or break that

bunker or get the pin when he's supposed to get it so it takes a little bit to get into it but being the big lab that he is and being you you know, I would watch it till he makes friends quick. And we kind of got into it quite quickly really. So, not sure how many, I mean, there's a lot of plenty of, how many funny stories, every got between us, we've probably got a lot, but he did sort of get into it very quick and he didn't, you know, he never struggled with anything. And basically, he just asked for me really, it wasn't like he was kind of sort of, he didn't know. So, he just said, well, I was supposed to do it and so I just do what you want to do. Nobody will tell you until you're anywhere. I mean, at some point, I mean, did the two of you guys just come

and look at each other and say, you believe this has happened? Yeah, I think, I think US Open, like, I didn't think much about it second round, but like the last two days, we were driving into Fleetwood Mac and we were like wasn't driving in and that day was to that day that it was like a year since it had been caddy and it's our thought, for this is destined this, got us in the bag. But yeah I think at that point we were like this is year on from where we were, this is pretty cool. Yeah, pretty drastic. Oh massively yeah because when we started we you know we missed that we missed like four cooks in a row and we got knocked out of the first round of this pool or a ratchet play and we just got nothing going so a year on so why we were trying to win a major it was pretty pretty big. Did that feel how different did it feel to be in contention of a major championship versus I mean you would obviously won before, but did that feel totally different in that scenario? Yeah, um... Yeah, and...

no-ish, I think... to be fair, it was the first time I've been in Conception America, so that was the biggest difference. And it just kind of... It kind of just came about and we didn't, at no point did I feel sort of struck with nerves or I couldn't believe that we were competing in a major or we were literally having a good time and doing our best and I didn't, suddenly I just didn't get off to the start. I wanted to really have played like a couple of rugby shots and missclub and it was just like at an eight or period where things didn't quite happen and there's still a chance it's to get back into it but it just didn't feel like out of this world crazy that we're competing in a magic because I've been on such a form anyway that it um you felt like

you belonged out there yeah yeah and um I was happy that you never know how it's going to go so You felt like you belonged out there. Yeah, yeah. And I was happy that you never know how it's going to go. So I didn't win, but I felt like made a good show in of myself. More, you're more proven to yourself than anything. You're not. I mean, you're playing in front of millions of people

for the first time as well. Right. You're playing in a major, but you need to show yourself that you have what it takes to. I might never win a major, but I know that they won't be down to the sort of meet not being able to do inside of me. It'll just be that I don't play well, and I'll film. What did you think of Aaron Hills as a test?

It was that kind of a golf course that you're doing. Yeah, I can imagine. But it's probably not the US Open that you grew up watching on TV. No, true. I've played two US Open so so far and they've been chambers banal. So I'm yet to experience the full US Open experience. We certainly will.

It's going to be a little different. So those have been my two. And so yeah, slightly different to what everybody talks about. At some point, after, I mean, you, like, was a crazy run kind of spreading or the summer last year at some point, did you think of, hey, I'm exhausted or just, you just kept on going. You went over to Europe the week after you finished six at the BNW International and then you won in front of it and it's following week after that. Yeah.

I mean, at some point did all the travel catch up with you? Or were you just kind of riding the six-marriage? Yeah, I kind of rode the wave a little bit. At the time, I think US Open, Germany France was playing like the best golf that I'd ever played at the time. So, things, I mean, the game, just sometimes it just feels so easy and then sometimes you feel so far away from being able to win a gold tournament and you can't just got to get used to that. Like this week, this week was one of them for me. It feels so far away from, I felt like I played okay, but I've shot six over and this guy's there shooting nine under today. I feel so far away from being able to do that. I don't understand why, but weeks like

the French Open felt like I couldn't lose. It offers the end of the spectrum, but I guess, and it all just comes as part of it, but I massively wrote that wave. So was the end of the year. So was the end of the year year I was probably getting tired. But I couldn't really have a week off because I was trying to win the race to do by and then you're in the near kid. Exactly. So I had a, so when I had to pay, I was just about to say, what did we have to baby?

That's about 28 September. And I literally went straight out to play in about six or seven weeks off. I played in Switzerland where I missed the court and I was surprised really. I was kind of hanging around away for a baby to pop out. I literally went straight out playing after we'd been born. And that's like a long time on the road again, but I was so then I was kind of buzzing that I just became doubtful. The adrenaline was going out. I was absolutely fine. I've had a nice rest. But that's what's the idea. I was getting kind of, I was getting kind of jaded, it's what was the idea. These guys are going to make fun of me for bringing up the rider cup

this early, but winning it, winning it, that French Open. It's time, yeah. That's why I'm asking. So winning at that course, does that get you even more fired up to potentially likely being on the Ryder Cup team this year? Does it fit your games in particular? Or is it just a hot week? It's funny, I mentioned that because before that, I'd not played the French Open for a couple of years

because I've missed a couple of years because I'd missed the cup four times in a row from there. And so there was no reason I'd missed the cup by like one, three out of four times and I kept doubling last, kept not counting the water on the last. This last year just happened to be different. I was a lot more confident in my games in a different place. Kind of don't need extra motivation. It's been a radicute team but I would love to go there and yeah I just think especially this year for some I think the standard of the American team and the European team I think it's just going to be such an amazing ride of court.

This one coming up. And yeah, to be part of it, just at this, at the sort of position, golf scene at the moment at the players that've been in the ride of court this time, it would be brilliant. Talking to some of the European tour guys that said that they don't make the team, they're going to attend as fans. I guess that is that exciting. But do you have you got, have you been involved, I guess, in they don't make the team, they're gonna attend as fans. I guess that exciting. But have you been involved, I guess, in any part of the process? Have you guys started talking about potential pairings

or have there been team meetings of any kind or anything? So Thomas is, they're called Thomas or Captain. I don't know yet. Called it far worse than he was. And he's been very like upfront and has been very around and talking to people. He's been really on it and it's been great since he's been appointed captain. He's been great. Players constantly know where he's standing.

Yeah, his talk is definitely been talking about it and has clearly got stuck in mind. I think New Rage Cup. You know, that was in testing out some stuff and it can't change, right? It can't, but I think there's nobody that, I know, there's no parents, I think, not anybody would be displeased with, they were in the team, so. It's gonna get interesting with the final captain's picks and stuff, the way that points list breaks out in the world points, and like they're just looking at the list,

and there are gonna be some names. It's a good problem. It's so difficult to get into. And I've thought that when people have asked about it, clearly the standard of golf is so high at the moment, just for me on a personal level, I have to have been the greatest year of my life by my own, when they're asked to do by some of guaranteed to be in that team. I still have to keep playing well. So when I look at it for myself, I just think,

how good is the standard at the moment, her golf, that you're having such an amazing time and you still know how they're being safe, you just gotta keep going. It's a good problem to have. I think the US team's up, I think it's improved, but the European team has improved dramatically since 2016. I want to see Levy on the team. As long as it's not in front of me.

Yeah, no, it'll be great. It'll be great. I think he might kind of somewhat thrive in that environment on his not a shy guy. All right, so we talked a bit about your rise from, you know, being around 200 rank player to where you are now. What are some of the best benefits that come with like your current stature in the game? Do the courtesy cars get nicer? What are the best you say to yourself?

Actually, it's a way like half an hour at the airport for a bar. I got a nice receipt. And then we bought the only part was I missed the call and wanted to pack up and leave. And then the car won't start. And they were devastated, actually. And they thought it was fine. We just get you back somewhere. It's just some of the day benefits.

Get the tea times, put the tag with the masters. As I said, getting into some of these feature groups does it change the way your Thursday Friday rounds go? I don't change them, but it's nice sort of being in those situations and yeah, it's been just playing the target of the Masters, it's just about as cool as a gesture of golf, isn't it? Was that the first time you played with your side of the float? Yeah, kind of sensed it was coming at some point, but it's retensed to the Masters was

quite a heavy one to go in headfirst I enjoyed it. How talkative was he during the third side of the game? We have a couple of good chats and that and did you know each other before that and all had you read up? Yeah well the first time we properly met. I said a lot of a couple of times at events but I've not been around in America until 15, 17, that kind of thing. And then he was tournament last year at the bar, and when we played that was the first time we'd properly met and talked a little bit and got to know each other. And then we've seen each other around this year, well, so both good playing. So...

Yeah, you weren't around for the early parts of his career, but he's a lot more talkative. It seems like these days that he was back in that day. Yeah, I mean, yeah, it probably wouldn't have taught to me as an 8-year-old kid when he was in Tom Post and my father. Yeah, he's great. And I absolutely, I loved playing with him. If I've never met him, and I didn't know who he was, I played golf with him out of war toughness, that you know, I'd love to him and I didn't know who he was, I played goal for him, I'd have walked off and said,

you know, I'd love to play with him again. He was so easy to play with. You know, talks now and again, I'll talk if you want to talk, get some of his own game, he played fast and he's good. So it was great really. Just done the first, the first experience of it, we walked to the first tee and the atmosphere was absolutely buzzing, it was his return, it was three years of gone and he comes back and it was this is properly shown, the first tee. I love the buzz was completely shunned. Not made sure it's that for you. And played down the first, and I've got this three foot of power and tie, I've put this long foot up and tapped it.

90% of the crowd have just done a 180-degree turn. And it's gone after the second. And I've got this three foot on a top. Come on. This could have been all day. But it wasn't like that at all. I just thought, we were in for one of them rides. And it was great playing with him and I think

16 the day 1 he hold a puck for a 2 and it was like the biggest it was like the biggest row I mean, at least you can find it, look at each other and I had a path gym and I had him, but that's not part of the story. But I watched the edge of the green and I said, did you all put go in? And he sounded like it did. That's how it's school. But then on that same green, I think it was the next day. And we stood there on the 16th green and Tiger's just stood way into the pool and he's still leaning on this putter and I'm mesmerised by this sky. I'm looking at it and I think I've got to so much history in this putter and not knowing what to ask and I took

you also. Anyway, when I've come out this day and I've turned around and Finna was stood there and he's just like doing, do it. He's not like the same thing. Just stare at this potter. We're both looking at this potter. That's one of all these tournaments and 40 images. And he caught me looking at everybody. He was like, oh my god, he's caught that. So yeah, that was what it was. So it still has a, he's still,

it definitely has like a presence about him playing with him. It affects you. Okay. I mean, that doesn't surprise me, but just kind of interesting to hear that perspective while you're in the middle. I still want to be.

Yeah, just hear that perspective while you're playing next to him. Did you, is there anything like you kind of picked up from the way he plays a gust or a little, did you learn much from him seeing how he navigates around that golf course? I know it didn't have his best week, but. No, it didn't have his best week. I think he did play great.

But I think just watching him just difficult sometimes when he comes to your own game and Augusta isn't the kind of place where he can just switch up a couple of hours and watch Tiger Woods. Sure, I have a knock. But he might not be playing like he was in C-1000s, but he still doesn't give anything away. I could still write on it, he grinds it out. I loved that still has that confidence in his ability and he still plays shots that he plays to win. And yeah, I really, really sort of enjoyed

so watching him do that. And obviously the first time I've ever him play, so that was like, just the stuff that's up to it. Who was your favourite player, Grona? Ernie was like my hero, and I went to a clinic when he was, not when he was, when I was eight, and it was at when both, and I went to a clinic of his. And remember, it was like an

Adidas thing and we got a t-shirt for it and he had a picture with me and he checked me for a little bit and so only it always been I wanted to copy a swing and he'd always been like my hero and then when I met him he was great when I turned pro and I played with him. I played with him in Dubai, I think, years ago, and he was brilliant to play with, but last year Claire was pregnant at the time and we're in Germany and we're at this dinner. It's like being W dinner and there was me and Claire. A couple of people from BMW and Ernie and his wife. And just before, like, when we got drinks, just before we ate, Ernie stood up and he did

a toast to say, good luck with the baby and everything. You know, he's the one more baby or everything's good. And it was the same thing at the time, but I got in the car and I was like, clearly beaming and clothes like, what's wrong with you? I mean, no idea what's just happened. And I said, Ernie, he's my hero and he's just like, made a toast to my old boy, baby. I got his greatest thing that's ever happened to me. And so Ernie's still a legend in my eyes. And then obviously Junior Gold Tiger was in his prime.

So I grew up watching him, but it was kind of, and he was my original. Curious with Nike getting out of the equipment business, you hung on to that Nike driver for a really long time. Do you still carry Nike clubs in your bag? I got Nike I and at Nike Fairway. Why are you just a right fit for you and just don't let me get rid of them?

So they were, I mean, they're the Ims from years ago as well. They're not even the right Ims that they did. But so when Nike made the announcement was late 16, and I was just getting, my game was coming back so I said, you know what, I'm not going to, I don't even want to contemplate trying to change anything because I'm on my way back to playing well. So let's just stick with what we've got. And we'll just make our decision now. Playing the Naki clubs and that's it. Don't want to try anything, don't let anybody like try and tell it's trying.

I think I've used a different putter every week for about seven weeks, but I'm just saying the same thing with what's. And then at the end of the year I didn't touch a club for like a month, come back out so I haven't touched a club I've practiced and then won in Abu Dhabi and I was like, I can't change a couple of things now, just won for the first time, three years. So they're still with them, kept playing really well, and I was having me best of your in my life. And I just couldn't change, couldn't do it. And then I changed driver, just because I thought, you know, I'm gonna have to change something here. Change driver, and I took it out, I think it was the first event with it was the donnell.

So I say Andrews, I thought, it's the widest one in the world. I might as well try a new driver on say Andrews, that'll be all right. And that's literally the only pull-up change. Callaway wedges, I changed to them. We went to Hong Kong at the end of the year in 2016. And when we got there,

I've put the Callaway wedges in we got there I put the calorie which in the bag and I thought I'll try them this week I'll just practice with them, might use me Nike's but I'll try them anyway we got there and I forgot on to bring my Nike which is so I had to change to Calaway which is did well with them so just put them in and and that was all that one but the I and I've got a new set of them Nike Naki Ions now, they've just been made. Can they'll still make equipment? Well, the guys that used to work, so Mike T and a bunch of guys, they've got their own company now called Artisan Golf and they just happened by chance to

have a set of mild heads made them up for me, shipped them off, put them in the back, since they've gone in now. So my last set of ions kind of bent a little bit from where, at the huzzle, so then I was forced to change, but I got this new set, so they're just, they're just staying in. But I've been, I've been trying stuff and I'm, it's like, you're so close, but it's so, it's so difficult to change, especially when you're bad think, I've pushed for so long, I mean, I've got that, ions now, that's six years in count when that I've used the same Ion's the same heads the woods have had for two years just gets more and more difficult to change a more mental than anything yeah it's actually yeah yeah yeah I mean

fairway was a finicky but you can get something close but it's still so difficult I mean you're not gonna you're not gonna walk out to sawgraphs this week with brand new set of woods and gonna feel the same as the ones you've had for two years. It's just difficult to find the timing. That was funny, I was playing with the guy that played some web.com for today. He cracked his driver today and he was devastated.

I was like, yeah, I mean, you just pop a new head on there. He's like, no, no, no, that's not the same. That does not. I feel the same. And he's talking about, about, it feels different at impact or on my downswing, I can feel the crack. And I was like, all right, you guys are up. I know that you guys are operating

on a totally different level than we are, but that's pretty brutal. Growing up in Southport, how bad, and I think we kind of talked about last year going into it, how bad was the media blitz going into the open championship last year? Yeah, it was a big one. It was like for a couple of weeks before, whenever I was at home, because I went to have a couple of practice rounds there. My mom and dad still live in Southport,

I'm still like a friend's there, but there's not And it was just, it was just a... You knew it was coming, you knew it was coming. I knew it was coming, but it was, it was pretty crazy. And I think that I got really, really nervous on the Wednesday of the tournament because I walked onto the tee and Wednesday was the busy stay it had been. It's just for a practice round and it was like packed. And people clapping me onto the tea and stuff. Oh my gosh.

That's what we heard a lot of. Come on Tommy Latches. A lot of Tommy Latches. Yeah, play it into top play, but Henrik, that slowly calls me, how am I stensen? Just call me Tommy Latch. Maddie Kelly would sing. So he just like,

Oh yeah. Yeah, because we played it a little bit. And whenever you pop up on TV, still be still this day we see. Tommy Land! Come on Tommy Land! It was pretty menflin, obviously. Thursday was like the biggest come down ever when I just played a riff in Shot 6 over.

And there was like a really like shitty article in one of the papers, but I like a report to the proper slightly off the playing band and I've done an interview where I said I didn't feel like a plate that bad, I just made some terrible errors and anyways it was just really crappy article, I can't remember his name now, but I didn't, I didn't enjoy that. What did you heard of Glosset in then? I can't remember his name now, but I didn't enjoy that. What'd the article say then? Just that I'd blown it and it was too big for me and then I was trying to say that I'd play that bad

and it was like, you know, telling it to get grip and stuff and it was just, I'd actually never experienced like a bad article about me before. So, I hope that after experience it too much. Anyway, so it was like a really big week because all of a sudden I was like the poster boy for the opening, it was at home and then Friday, you know, till the day that I finished playing will be one of the best rounds I've played. It was such a big thing to make it come out and it was horrific weather, it was only like

four rounds under par all day. So that was massive. And then the Saturday I was playing with Justin Rose, and we were out there. So we were out at 9.30, but the gates opened at 9. The leaders are out at like 3. So everybody coming in, they all watching our group, and it was like 10 deep for about the first 9 hours.

And that was the biggest crowd I've ever played in front of. And yeah, it was just a crazy week all around, like schools sort of send me messages or posters in schools and it was an amazing experience for that. And especially a year ago I want to play the open tune and that again, that was at the time where I was really struggling. We just had that kind of period where sort of maybe torn me up, oh, a year on and we got this, a year on look where we are now. And yeah, something that will be special forever. I'd love to have played better and just sort of have a chance or something coming down by the bat nine or Sunday, but it wasn't big, but it was still amazing.

A lot of tipsters didn't stretch too far to say. You wanted France and then, oh, he's from Southport, he's going to be a favorite for the open. I was like, I would look at it as kind of, if anything, it might be a distraction, I think. But, let me, it's not like you grew up playing Royal Burkdale. I mean, you played there some, but it wasn't your home force. I think you're allowed like one round a year, and that's if you're playing with somebody that's a member there.

So it's really difficult to get on there. That's dingy. Yeah. For me, all the way I remember, I was like the only partlin' course in the town. So everybody thinks I'm like this amazing leeks guy and I play the only Portland course in where I go up for. I played it enough. I played it more than most people in the field but it wasn't like I had all this local knowledge. Where are you some of your favorite places to play in

in that area? Hillside's amazing. I would like to give me membership there as well. So I love that. And we've got that West Lenses where Fin is a member, so we go there and play. One of my best mates is a member of Hoi Lake, so we go there and play. Lillian is just down the road from there, but... Lillian, my voice fan, too odd. It's not enjoyable to play. Of course that. Just for fun. 252 bunkers on the deck. We went in March of last year and played all those. It just not enjoyable. It's like close to, just for fun. 252 bunkers. Oh, I just, yeah. We went in March of last year and played all those.

It just killed you. Oh, you Westlands was my favorite. What do you like? I'll let Finano fail of that. I'll see. Oh, we've been hitting them. We hit them up. So next time we're there, we're going to go out to Westlands.

It'll be that. It'll be that. That place. Before we got that week off from County, just I think we also had the nicest weather you could probably like. All right, sit down. And like, you probably like. We were raving about oil lake and everybody we talked to was like, yeah, it's like this maybe three days ago. Yeah, those days got a bear after it's just insane.

Yeah, but yeah, that whole area of golf courses is it doesn't come to the top of people's mind like from the states I know that American travelers go there, but they think Scotland and they think Ireland wouldn't do an international trip But as a town, and just that stretch of coast is unbelievable You're not really gonna get anywhere better than that in Yeah, you can throw a blanket almost over all those courses and do you feel like you play well in adverse conditions and bad weather because you're from there. I mean, I, uh, yeah, it doesn't bother me if it's terrible weather. Still certain shots that I'd like to put her up. And you can't, you can't lose practice at it when you come out and play on the tour

because you don't actually get horrendous conditions that much. So you can't lose your fail for it, but, um, yeah yeah I generally like it. Some of the conditions I like it just because it can rule a few guys out and it just makes it a bit more difficult and if you're for the challenge it's better. Help us remember the whole we were with you in Abu Dhabi. I think it was a 16th hole of the final round. Back into that win the shot you hit on Sunday. Do you remember that? Oh, the five-eye.

Yeah. I didn't know I'd gone five years last summer, that was fine. We watched you stand over the shot. All right, this is tough. And you just wailed on a five-eye. You and Finnow were... And I looked to have watched it,

as far as I could see it. That was a little bit of a better shot, too. I was happy with the pot. I was just happy the pot went away through your hard off point. Back 930 to win with. Was that win? I mean, I mean, I'm going to see you going out and expecting to win, but honestly, was that surprising at all to go out after not having touched the club for a little bit?

Yeah. I mean, when it was, yeah, so so I Yeah, I've never done that before kind of But I don't know the last two years I've turned up to have a W I felt like I've been it in it. Okay, and I've had sort of a few days practice and felt like I'm really close and it just so happens I've turned up played played really well, and then it again, it's a course where I think the first

Same a first four times or five times, I played at Made the Cut once, I missed the cut a bunch of times and I win in 17 and I turn up this year and I just feel like the course really suits me all the sudden when I'm not going to see a score out of it for ages. This year was weird because I've never defended a title before. I've never turned up as defending champion and kind of feels like it's your trophy. You don't want to give it back. Plus, you're in, not only there, you had all the media stuff from the team.

From winning the race to the bar. Oh, yeah. It was amazing. It was amazing, yeah. Got that players player in the year, which that was really cool. I loved that. And yeah, so it was like a busy week and I just sort of got through, I was just playing really well, first two days.

Again, I played a Dustin and Rory. When I ever going to get a better three ball in my life than that. And I just life than that. I really enjoyed that. It was my birthday on the Friday. Rory brought you a cake. I've still not seen that cake since together. He took it back, and then I've not seen it since. It was just one of them weeks and then yeah got really hard. The one

thing about it that's kind of a little bit of a downer is that generally on any time it's shown like a European tour right now, well like something about the tournament, it's got my swing on the AT-Tit in a three-word and it was like a fat duck up into the grandstand. And that's the one swing that they show for that tournament. We have a slow motion version of it. Trust me, you don't want to see that. No, it's not good. It's horrendous little three-word toy fat hook that was like, devastating.

I know I'm sure you've told the story a lot of times. I don't think I've ever heard it. I know a lot of our listeners have, but I but have not but I want to hear how did you go How did you meet your wife? I want to hear like the genesis of your guys relationship and and how that came about She tells it better than me. Okay Well, basically she was she was an agent She worked for a management company out. She was like But yeah, she worked for an agency and so she was out and tore a lot. And we kind of got to know each other through that, just, you know, you get to know

people, don't you? In any way, I flirted with it a lot to be fair. I put in a lot of lines. flirty with it a lot to be fair, I put in a lot of life. One life. I don't know. Which is just that I was joking, but anyway, eventually it just so happens that I signed with the company. Not because of her. She recruited me, but her looks weren't part of the deal. That wasn't why I signed, because it was signed. It seemed like the best part of the deal. That wasn't why I signed the sign because it was signed.

See, my best idea at the time. I think just then, as Tangeron and we actually spent more time together, I mean, I'd already made it clear that she was very hot, but she never really returned to that feeling to me. It just happened. The more time we spent together, we ended up falling for each other. You know, long story short, she finally caved in. I managed to woo her. And, you know, she now just works for, she's my agent now. And we're separate from everything. Got married, had a baby. And yeah, kind of finished things off. But that was it. Got married, had a baby, and yeah, kind of finished things off, but that was it.

It was just from, from tall life, for any when you meet people you're talking, and I mean eventually one of those must have said a one line of that works. I would say it's got to help to have somebody that understands every cycle kind of of what you do, right? And kind of as familiar with the process and everything. I mean, it's, yeah, and there's nobody

that I would trust more on the planet. And she, you know, she looks, she looks after everything. And she's got a lot of experience in sport. She worked for a month to sport for eight years before golf. So she's very good at the job as well. But yeah, keeping things very close, close knit. It's just, it's great. And it's, I mean, it's something that's very rarely done.

And it's just nice, it's just nice to have that really, everything's just under one roof. Cool. Got a few grab bags here before we wrap up, but we want to hear about, your first win was the 2011 Kazakhstan Open. Oh, you took the word right out. Let's go talk to that. Tell us about Kazakhstan. What's that like? It's great. Yeah. Because if you win there, I'm sure. I know what I know to do. Is it high? No, I don't even know. I know it's the largest Lang Locked country in the world. So if you want to fact on Kazakhstan, then I've got it for you.

then I've got it for you. It was actually where we were. It was an amazing hotel. Course was brilliant and that's about all that we really sort of casted down. We didn't go out exploring, not really knowing the time what was throwing on, but it was cool. How long have you played the chick on the challenge tour? Just a year. So when I turned throw in 2010, I got like five inbacks on the challenge tour. Like, oh, I've got a challenge tour card from that. Went to Q-school, missed the cup at a second stage, and then had a year on challenge tour, and just, you know, I can't, obviously winning. If you win Kazakhstan, it's like winning three tournaments on the challenge tour. It's

like the major there, so I just happened to pick a coach on to win and then got my card for you there. What was the craziest place you went with the challenge tour? at Columbia, it's got to be Columbia. Like the first, so the first three events of that year, you went in here, which is amazing. Then there's like a month off and you got to Columbia. It wasn't as amazing. And then you have a month off when you go to Columbia. It wasn't as amazing. And then you have a month off and then Kenya is the next one. So those are our first three events that year on that challenge stuff.

What is your favourite start to make worldwide? Well, it is, say Andrews. Just love the place. Love the course and love the town. I know it's like, it's very close to home home and it could be like a lot more place where you could pay it. But say Andrews for me is just as good as it gets. What PJ Tour event or events are you?

It may not be a schedule this year but for future years. Which ones are you really looking forward to playing? You've got the colonial. Yeah, for sure. I played the course in winter one year, but I remember in Fort Worth, the oven used to be there when it was Nike, so I'd been there and I've visited Colonials, definitely one that I want to play.

And there's a lot, I think Pebble Beach, I really want to go to next year and play on that coast. So they're a couple right at the front of my mind. You played in the 2009 Walker Cup at Mirion. Had you played much in the States at all leading up to that? That was my first trip to America. What did you think about that? I got a second trip because I played the Jones Cup at Ocean Forest.

We weren't used to that kind of golf. Struggled. Struggled a big time on that. and we weren't used to that kind of golf. Like, struggled. Struggled a big time on that, just, so we play, so I'm actually still, for us to play so much Link's Golf and being short-sighted just isn't really a thing for us in Link's Golf, but it had never been a big deal to us

and all of a sudden, you've been sitting in the wrong spot and you're absolutely dead. And it was just some time for us to get used to that. And we were playing against a strong American team and we got our asses kicked. What I'm curious as to, this is the longest stretch you've spent in the United States, right? These last three months. What have, is there anything from just an overall cultural perspective of the state that surprised you or what do you find kind of

unique about American culture? I love the enthusiasm. It's been that people, you know, just as a, not just a gold tournament aspect. I love to positive it's the enthusiasm that just you know is around. There's a lot of Starbucks. You got one right now? I needed a shop just before I came in there so I can give you my best. And I think those are the main things for me and I really like that side of it. I do actually really like that side of it. I know there's like a thing about dream kit golf tournaments at the moment, but I love it. I'm late on a Friday afternoon getting with the crowd going,

I enjoy it. Well, in Abu Dhabi that brunch Friday. Brunch Friday. That day. On a Friday is something that everybody should do. We next, if we ever go back, we aren't doing media thing that day we're doing brunch Friday. That's right. We've been over there thinking it was gonna be

you know we're going to the Middle East it's gonna be maybe dry. I was mind blown. Yeah. Yeah. Alright Tommy Thank you so much for the hour glad people Horat. Yeah, people harassed you enough that it's a came on so Yeah, we can we can't keep going. There we got more now We won't take up any more your time really appreciate it though We can make it happen and best of luck this week Peter right club, be the right club today. Yeah! That is better than most.

How about in? That is better than most. Better than most! Expect anything different! Expect anything different.