No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 20: Kyle Porter on the Insane US Open

Episode Date: June 22, 2015

Kyle Porter from CBS joined me from the Seattle airport on not an ounce of sleep to immediately break down the insane final round of the 2015 US Open. Topics (obviously) include Spieth, the Spieth... The post NLU Podcast, Episode 20: Kyle Porter on the Insane US Open 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. Yes! That is better than most. I'm not in. That is better than most. Better than most! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the No Leg Up Podcast. We have for you still not even out of Washington yet. On I believe not an ounce of sleep sitting currently at the Seattle airport, Mr. Kyle Porter from CBS, Kyle, still in shock did that actually happen yesterday?

I don't even sleep on fuel I'm fueled by Jordan's speed major championship points. That's all I need. I don't even I don't even know where to start with it like just so many things happened. And by the way, have you slept? What's your situation? I went to bed around 5, 15, 5, 30. And slept about three hours, I think, but I was too fired up. I couldn't get to bed. My heart was still racing.

But like, when it happened, I, obviously you and I are both huge speed fans, like I wasn't like ecstatic. Like I was, that's not how you want somebody to win a tournament. And I like DJ too, it's the thing, I didn't want to play off though, I wanted speed to win, but man, I don't know, I'm still kind of in shock and I still just can't really believe that happened. Well, the whole thing, I was sitting on an 18 and watch both groups play through.

And, you know, I think as somebody who was rooting for Spieth, my kind of desire, I guess, was for him to hit the Eagle putt and then DJed up to Birdie and was by one. Yeah. And so when Spieth birdied and missed the Eagle, it was like, there was just so many things going on because I didn't want to play, I didn't want to stay there another day.

And I feel like the US Open Playoff, it sounds great, like 18 holes or whatever, but then you do it and it's like, it's not that fun. It's just that fun. It's usually not that dramatic. I mean, oh wait, oh wait was, but in the last one before that was 2001,

but I mean the chances of it coming down to the final hole Like, you know a sudden death does is are very minimal, but I mean I don't know the whole last hour was so bizarre. It was like great and bad at the same time like there were so many disasters How much money would you have put on it being over when Speedbird in 16? Oh, I mean, I think I said like six tweets about it being over. Like, I basically, I risked everything I had. It was got foregone conclusion.

But man, I mean, I've been all over Fox pretty much the whole weekend, but man, the sound of that ball dropping in the cup with the mic there, with the crowd going nuts, like gave like gave me chills that was awesome I don't know how you could you're probably in the media center you probably weren't even on the course you probably even you were on the course you didn't even see it did you yeah I wasn't in the media center I was on the course and I and you could hear I mean you knew what you knew what happened by the way you're

tweet about the speech coming out 18 being the concrete hero, like, that's not really an exaggeration, but that's how everyone there views him. And it was really interesting to see, because DJ, whenever he hit his, what was he hitting, like, nine iron a day? Oh, my God. 600 or 100. 600 iron a part, but I god. 600. 600 one yard part five.

But he had five iron in. But he hit it to 15 feet. And people were like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it was just the whole thing was bizarre. But yeah, in 16 I heard kind of the crowd from over there and you knew what it was immediately. I mean you knew that Speed hit the putt and just watching the replay that that yell that he gave not right after but like as he was going back to grow or it was pretty awesome. He was fired up. That's a thing though, it's like at the time, I mean, Grace had already hit the E-JEC button

at that point. And DJ, yeah, and DJ was too back. I didn't even think he needed to make that putt. Like I thought he had it at that point, you know? So when that went in, I was just like, I couldn't, that putt reminded me a lot of Kimer last year to win the players on 17 like I'd kind of disappointing chip shot approach and then about a 30 footer sliding left to right and nobody thought it was gonna make and Man when that fell that like it was it was worth all the pain for this at that entire US open I mean that was like that was the moment of the year right there.

And they had to get it right back on 17. That's where the, that's where like I feel the most bad for DJ is like, speak let him back in. Absolutely, there's no doubt about it. Like so if speak could have just gone and put it away if he parred 17 and I wouldn't feel terrible

for DJ today, but did it seem like to you like DJ didn't really care that much? Well, okay, so what happened right after everything went down the scene on 18, I can't get out of my head, it was so bizarre because DJ3 put it and then everybody, like it was like, you know, 6,000 people were like, I don't know what to do with my aunt.

That's okay. Like it was, that's what the attitude was around the group. It was the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced at a golf course because people wanted to be excited for speed, but obviously they just witnessed just like a human being massacred on live national television. And as DJ walked up towards the sports stand, I was kind of in the line that he walked by.

I was fearful. I thought he was gonna like, grab a cell phone and throw it or like punch somebody, but yeah, he was very, and it's just kind of how he is. He almost looked like he just finish a practice round or something. And then he gets up to the top, Wayne Gretzky's there, Paulina's there, the whole family. And he comes out of the scorch and Paulina's standing right there.

And he kind of smiles at her and they jump on the player bus. And she was... she lost it. I mean, she was crying and like all this stuff and he was just kind of like, uh, whatever, you know, take my eight, take my 800 K and go home. So I don't know. The whole thing was was very, very bizarre. It's like it's hard to call any like basically I don't think what deep, it's hard to call what DJ did choking, you know, because really the the biggest probably choke of the day was a speed's t-shot and execution on 17. You see that he had he had it in hand, a three shot lead and that that was as close a bigger collapse in my mind. I mean DJ he birdied the birdie 16. I came, oh, birdie 17, birdie 17 to tie.

And then stripes a drive, then hit just a pin point laser. What do you hit five? I don't even know what he hit in there. Yeah, I think he hit five, yeah. To a 15 feet for eagle. And then, I mean, yeah, the putt, the eagle putt, he said if he didn't have the read from Jason Day, he would have blown a 10 feet by.

And then he still blew a 5 feet by. And then, I mean, you hate to say it, like it came down to a 5 footer on those bumpy, bumpy greens. DJ would, and did not blame the greens at all. And I don't blame him for that. Or, I mean, I've credit him for that. I don't know if they were at fault or for that at all. But just in general, the 5 footers were rolling extremely inconsistently the whole week and it came down to that and I don't know it's just hard

to put that much blame on him for missing that. But I don't feel like people are calling him a choker like when the immediate aftermath even. Yeah, I hold not and speed come and mention this in his press conference. By the way, his press conference, the fifth major needs, forget the players, it needs to be press conferences. And we could just give speed another major. Because his press conferences are unbelievable. I just want to, it gets done.

I'm like, can we keep going? Like, we just ask a couple more questions. But he talked about it in his press conference about how DJ was actually kind of clutched down the stretch. He knew that he had a birdie 17 and 18 to tie it up and he birdied 17. That's not like a really easy old birdie at all. Not at all. No. He just murdered that drive on 18 and gave himself a shot and just, you just blew that I would did it feel like

I it's blurry to me now but did it feel like he didn't take very much time over his second putt oh that's I think that's definitely the case I mean I forget where I saw this on Twitter this morning Dave Kateeb at D Kateeb was tweeting this at Ben Cully said 46 seconds between the eagle putt and the birdie putt and the birdie putt. I mean, that's insane. That is insane to go to a US Open Playoff.

46 seconds. Yeah. Well, Shane Ryan are a really really good piece on DJ and talked about how his interactions with Austin, his caddy, were kind of not strange, but just like kind of non-existent. Any kind of contrast to that, to speak and growl are basically just like yelling at each other. I'm just strange. But I mean, I don't know.

Maybe that's a moment where Austin should have stepped in and said, let's take a second, like, this is a guy, you know, whatever. I don't know. I don't know. I mean, maybe that's just easy to look back on. But it did, it felt a little quick in the moment and looking back at, I think it feels even quicker. Yeah, no, I read Shane's piece.

It was really, really good, really well written, although I kind of disagree with the overall, I don't know, I just have trouble looking back at one moment like that. I mean, first of all, if that first putt breaks a little harder or he gets a little bit closer online and that goes in, he wins the US open. Like, and we don't, we're not talking about his caddy today, you know, or no, or that it's just like a storyline that only exists because this freak thing happened

on the 18th green where I mean, I don't think him three putting that from 15 feet necessarily means anything about Dustin Johnson. That's just like, it's just what happened. Like that's kind of uncontrollable. It's just what happened. Like if Speedwood have lost that event yesterday, like would we be saying the same thing about 17,

about what he did on 17, like, you know, should Greller have calmed him down on 17 to you, was he too jacked up, it's just like, that's kind of on 17, like, you know, should Greller have calmed him down on 17T, was he too jacked up? It's just like, that's kind of the thing, I don't know, that's just something that happened. And I don't think DJ relies on needs, much reliance on a caddy or does rely much on his caddy. Like, there was a moment Saturday

when he was taking a drop, I don't, you probably didn't get to see this, but he was taking a drop and we had the rules of official column that, and DJ is barking orders to his brother and it was like it was like the brother would have had no idea what to do with a routine drop on the PGA tour he was like Austin I need the ball Austin give me a T Austin I need a driver give me the driver Austin like I did actually see it He was like get out of the way yeah

He was like annoyed with me. He's like Austin. I need the ball I don't know it's it's interesting because I feel like all tournaments are so hard to wrap your arms around just because so many things happen over the course of a week and it comes down to one strobe difference between the champion and the guy who's the choker who's this or whatever you know the narrative that gets placed on him and it's like how do you how do you define what that was that took place or how do you define a person by one thing that took place on a Sunday. Why not on a Thursday? And I get it. Like it's it's it's the moment. Coming down to it and and you're at the very end. But it's just I don't know. I just I never more than this week have I

realized how difficult it is. It maybe box played into this a little bit. But how difficult it is to just wrap your arms around an entire golf tournament and make sense of what you're seeing and what it means and to really just put it in perspective, I feel like it's just a very difficult thing to do. Yeah, I mean, we get caught up watching. You and I both watch way more golf on TV than we watch in person. When you get back out there on site and you just see, it sounds weird to say, but you see the humans battling the actual elements and seeing how big the real estate is

of these golf courses and how small that hole is. And it brings to perspective how hard it is for these golfers to finish these tournaments. Like so many nerves and it, I don't know, to me the hole just looks bigger on TV. Like it looks easier on TV than you go watch it in person're like holy shit this whole 600 yards. This is what 600 yards looks like in person Whereas on TV is just like oh, that's no big deal for those guys they can get on in two Yeah, it's it's totally true. Especially on this cool. I mean the the the part three night that was playing

Yeah, you know, it had the uphill T and then I had the downhill T and and whatever like when it was playing at the top of the hill I was like I don't even know how these dudes are laying it on the green much less hitting a slope and trying to funnel it down like it's just it it's it really is preposterous how good they are and that's accentuated when you're out of tournament but especially at a US Open I mean it's just so tough and the front nine was playing a 4,000 yards on Friday like that's a little Chris and so it was it was fun to watch and I don't know I'm it's going to take me like a week to sort out everything that happened on Sunday.

Yeah, and one last thing I'll get back to on that DJ, the Choker item. It's like, at the very, very NFL apart, but he had exhibited so much clutch just to get there. I mean, like I said, birding, 17 into that pressure and hitting those two shots into 18 to even give you that spot, it's like, oh man, I don't know. I know, okay, so I've been thinking about this because you and I are big proponents of the whole Ricky Fowler. Like, he puts rounds together. He plays this best golf and the toughest tournaments and everything. But isn't there something about somebody like Rory McRoy, about somebody like Speed that they just get it done at the end.

Like I know that, I know that's crazy. I know it doesn't make sense. I know that like the numbers say otherwise and whatever, I guess the whole jarggy or it's not a clutch hitter thing. But I just, I don't know, I can't get out of my head. That there's something at the end that they just, I don't know if they just have it in guys like Jason Day and D.J. and, you know, not that those guys never

win. Obviously, they're tremendous golfers, but it just feels like Rory and Speed just have that little something else at the very end. And I don't know. I don't know what you think about that, but I just, I can't shake that feeling sometimes. Yeah. No, I mean, it's kind of just the way it's fallen for him in the last, because I mean, we weren't saying this at this time last year about speed.

You know, we were still in the time of like, wow, can this guy get it done, you know, under the pressure? But I mean, I don't know about you. I mean, this is going to be the next thing I asked you, but did you kind of feel like this was speed b game this week? Yeah, I mean it really was which is really scary. Maybe b plus. Let's call it b plus. Well the thing was I mean his whole deal is putting right like he's he's just been so I mean at the masters he was just it was a joke like he had every putt. And on a week like this, they really turned the leaderboard into a ball striking fiesta. He will.

I mean, four of the top 10 were, four of the top 10 on the leaderboard at the end, where guys that are in the top 10 on tour in Strokes Gang, Tita Green. So because of the greens, I feel I kinda just leveled the playing field. It turned out that you get your Adam Scouts and your Rura and Akaro is in there. And speak is one of those guys that's great tea to green. But I don't really think he was this week.

And he couldn't realize his putting and he just, I don't know. He's just, you and I have talked about this, but his number one asset is clearly his mental game. I mean, I don't know how you rebound from the 17 pole and just smoke that drive on 18 and that 3-Woodie hit. That flew like 280 too. He's not even that long. He was jacked up. I mean I don't know. I felt like he striped it this week. I thought he hit it really well but I mean he had at least 9-3 puts this week. I mean, so I don't know. I felt like he striped it this week. I thought he hit it really well But I mean he had at least nine three putts this week. I mean, I I have unbelievable faith in speed on the greens And I lost it this week. I did not when I'm watching him stand over a putt this weekend

I did not feel good over it. I mean the the pot on one yesterday was a good example I mean, it was a three footer that didn't touch the hole I mean, I think a lot of that honestly had to do with the greens more than it did speed, of course, because that's what I'm gonna be like, be like the players and blame the greens and not myself or not speed in this case. But, but like, I mean, the whole, the whole putting thing, now we're getting a little bit about Chambers Bay,

like, I don't know. So like on the back night alone, DJ Paiousekey tweeted this, it said, DJ missed six puts inside 10 feet on the back nine alone. He missed a six footer on 10, a six footer on 11, seven footer on 12, five footer on 13, nine footer on 16, and a four footer on 18. That, to lose the US Open, that is heartbreaking. And like, I don't know. A lot of people have a lot of theories or beliefs

on the players being whining. To be honest, I usually do agree with that. I usually kind of poke fun with the players for as much as they complain about the US Open. But to have a championship where the Greens are that bad, and they really were that bad they were terrible Yeah, not every player complained about them because they knew there's no benefit to complaining about them But I eat and polter Billy Horseshal. I mean the two opposite ends of the spectrum of guys that I root for

Obviously both have the same thing to say and I believe I agree with both of them like it's complete Luck for better or worse. You can hit a perfectly pure put and it just catches a bad piece of Poa and goes offline. I felt like I felt that honestly really did take away from the experience of the weekend. I don't know how much you experienced that or saw that from a media perspective, but I mean are you buying what a lot of these guys are saying about you know the Greens? Did you think that had an impact on the way the tournament was played? Well, yeah, I mean, it certainly did. I mean, when you have the guys that are the leaders like McElroy and you know,

guys that are in the top 10 on the leader board saying, hey, it affected the way we played. But those guys also said, at some point you accepted and you know you can't do anything about it and you move on. And whereas I think that the guys like Horshule and Polter just kind of hung on to it and hung on to it and Chris Kirk really hung on really. Oh my God. And I don't know, it's tough for me to criticize, I mean, yeah they clearly were not that great, but it's tough for me to criticize them as mean, yeah, they clearly were not that great, but it's tough for me to criticize them as something that affected the overall tournament when we end up with speed beating Dustin Johnson on the final hole. I mean, it's still made for a tremendous

event. I mean, I would have been, so the ones that were good where I think seven and thirteen were the ones that The players that were rolling true, so what's that all 18 holes are like that? Is that really does that change the outcome or do we get I don't know? Maybe it does I don't I don't feel like we're sitting here at this horror today of watching with Dustin Johnson just did if He has a five footer or a four footer on a smooth 18th green. I don't think, that put didn't have a lot of break to it. I don't think he misses that putt if it's a normal green. I don't.

I mean, that evens out for the field throughout the course of a week, but I just hate that it came down to a four foot putt on a very non true rolling green that the side of the championship. That's just kind of why, I don't know, that's the bitter taste I had on my mouth on it. But I mean, yeah, all players need to play the same course. I understand all that. I don't know. We did have a great leader board, but it's just like, I don't know, to be able to be the

national championship, the US open, I mean, to be on the worst screens, probably they'll see all year. Like, I don't know, it just kind of taints it a little bit for me. It's like, what is the purpose of this championship, right? And you know, they're saying is we're not trying to humiliate the best golfers in the world. We're trying to identify them.

If you can, if there's a way you can convince me that having bumpy or impure greens helps identify the best golfer, I'm all ears, but I don't think that really, I don't sense that. And I heard multiple things about why they were bad. Part of it, Morgan Hoffman said he started to my Davis, and my Davis told him that the what's it? Poa Anna? As I you know. Yeah, I think so.

I don't even know. I only read that word. This is not a topic of conversation that I usually have. It's about grass types. That it kind of grubbed it in the last two months. And that's why you either describe and see between that and the fests you. Then it growing different links and at different speeds and whatever.

But then I also, Alan Shipnock, Sports Illustrated, played the course a couple months ago and said that the Greens were great, but then because they tried to make that, he said they're a lot slower then, because they tried to make them a lot faster. That's what caused the issue. So I don't know. If it was like a natural thing because the Poa Anna, this is going downhill. Because that crept in, there's not much you that G.A. can do about that. Yeah, they said that one of the segments they're like, well, you're going to get in the Pacific Northwest this time of year. It's like, well, that's what you're gonna get in the Pacific Northwest this time of year

It's like wait a second here This you designed this event to be in the Pacific Northwest this time of year You're the one that picked this venue. You can't be like oh, yeah, that's what you'll get up here this time here No, no, you took the gamble on this place. You banked on this being you took the risk go ahead Yeah, and my issue is like if you have two greens that are perfect, 7 and 13, like why did you not figure out what made them good and do that to everything? I don't know, like I think it was a little bit of a product of the fact that this course is what, 8, 7, 8 years old. Yeah, something like that.

It just, part of that is like it takes time to get the rhythm of a course down and I don't think you can do that in seven or eight years. And so, I don't know, it was the old thing, it felt a little bit rushed in terms of getting the tournament out there. And I don't know, it, it, it, it stinks because I, I think that the chambers Bay got a bad rap when the reality was that other than the Greens, it it was pretty great visually now people people are having trouble like getting to spots to see players that was my bigger issue with the whole thing like you can't have a turn of mail like that like you can't you there's a couple holes you can't even get around the greens on there you don't really there's not

that many cheers it was kind of I don't know that was kind of a bummer atmosphere is lacking yeah you're not alone in saying that I mean pretty much all the players and all the fans were kind of saying that but if you listen to the broadcast Greg Dorman said he talked to some fans there that could see everything so so what are we gonna talk about Jordan speed hoping a gun to my Davis is head on Saturday and I've making him change the plot. That was 18 on Sunday.

That was a page straight out of Phil's book. That was awesome. I mean, you're wanting the tournament. Yeah. Yeah, it's it's safe to say. I mean, he.

But so on Saturday he mentioned 12 10 to 12 guys that if it was playing as a part four could carry the bunker that they needed to carry to put themselves in a position to to get on the green and two. Why those guys is Dustin Johnson? And so if it was playing as a part four, and my Davis is like all in the north wind, it was four miles an hour. Like, it's not like you were like, you know bust you know they're windbreakers because of this mighty north wind off the Puget sound like it was not I don't know like that was

My Davis solid Jordan speed said and he did not want The US open to be decided because the number two golfer in the world is hitting the ball at the wrong Fairway to win the tournament. That's all that was. That's what why Spieth played it brilliantly. I mean, he basically, you know, he sounded a little bit whiny when he said that on Friday and in general, but for the most part,

he was just adamant in the why he thought this was a bad hole. I mean, or bad, it was not just, the hole was not designed to be played like that. And all the players hated it for the most part, except for like you said, there was 10 to 12 guys that can carry that distance. And like, so he basically just put the onus on Davis and said like, and Davis kind of came to the pressure, I think.

I mean, I, I, again, I thought it was a terrible design. I kind of agree with the players that that, the that to play as a part four is just not how the holes meant to be played. But I mean, he just put his feet to the fire and he came. That was pretty impressive. It was pretty awesome. I don't know what, I mean, okay. I want to talk about this. We need to talk about it. Is the grand slam really in play right now? need to talk about it. Is the Grand Slam really employee right now? Oh God. I want to say yes. I can't picture it actually happening. Bull tank. I know that probably at best 25 to

one that he would he could win both of them. But I can't I picked Bubba to win at St. Andrews and before the season. But now I can't get the image of Rory out of my head winning there. I can't. Yeah, that's your national nightmare. By the way, Bubba is stealing the Grand Slam from speed by winning St. Andrews. Oh my God. That would completely negate the entire season, this awesome season. That would ruin every day. By the way, I just leaked out, so this has happened. I want to say six times where golfers walled in the first two. Last time was Tiger in 2002.

He finished T-28 at the British Open. Before that though, Jagged Negril is stated in in 1972 he finished second at the British Open. Arnold Palmer did it in 1960. He finished second at the British Open. If Jordan's we finish his second bubble. Oh my gosh. Please no, please no. Have you are you going to the British Open? Have you worked this out yet? No, I'm not. But if he wins that, you find to drive.

If I have to take an Uber, so let's just drink. I'm going to do that. But what you were saying though about the winning the first two majors of the year, random look back into 06, I tend to forget this. That when Phil blew that at Wingfoot, that was for three majors in a row. Yeah.

He would have been on his way to the, I mean, he wouldn't have won the British Open. I mean, obviously didn't win the British Open in O6, but I mean, you cut, like the, the, the, the Michelson, that's why I think that's the biggest Michelson meltdown of all. But I mean, were you surprised to see him get ejected over the weekend? Well, he always talks about, before I answer it, he was, he was about marrying as being the

biggest one. And I'm like, I guess. He gives us plenty of material to argue about with these, unfortunately. Yeah, by the way, you're tweet about DJs. Now we don't want to argue about which make you think the these unfortunately. Yeah, by the way, you're tweet about about DJs. Now we don't want to argue about which made you the worst wall. Oh, God. Man, I felt bad in sending that. What's bad is I had that, I don't know if you saw the one that I had that Taylor made add with a this really questionable string of commercials they made. Said don't trust Dustin. It's like, I had that, like ready to go

before you even hit the putt. I was, I was prepared for him to miss that putt. Oh, but yeah, I don't feel, um, are we like, it's done at the US Open, right? I mean, what? There's no, there's no benefit of me saying, yes, I can only look back and look stupid on it.

So I'm going to say no. I'll continue to get my hopes up. When he jumped out to the lead Thursday, I was ready for him to win the whole thing. I was convinced. So I'm easily sold on fill. I buy it to it pretty much annually. But I mean, it should have been written on the wall. That walk on that big arena of a course,

those hills with his arthritis at age 45, there was no way he was gonna last the whole week. There's just no chance. So I don't. Yeah, and he's gonna be 46 next year at Oakmont. He's not played well at Shane Bacon, sorry about what he hasn't played well. At US Opens, they're in the past.

And then you get another one in 2017 and Aaron Hills that's gonna play 8,000 yards. I mean, it's just like the older he gets, the longer these courses are, I just, I don't know. I don't, I think that shift, I'm gonna regret saying this, but I think that shift is sales. Like I think it's a little bit like the tiger thing that we were kind of in denial about it.

But I think we're gonna look back and be like,, I'm Marian was it like that was that was the end That was the last one It just I mean fortunate. I don't know. I mean, but he won the British open two years ago Like who could have predicted that no one would have ever thought he would have won a British open That was his last win. He hasn't won since it. Oh my god Yeah He's not I don't know I I'll since it. Oh my God. Yeah. He's not, I don't know. I'll say it, he's not done.

I'm not giving up hope for the US Open Frame. I mean, you think about it. He's runner up in the last two majors leading up into this. Like, yeah, he hasn't won since then, but he's been there. He's been close, especially Valhalla. He was really close.

So I could still see it. I could still see it. Oakmont, maybe not. But at the same time, I don't really, I don't know. Like the US Open was last at Oakbot, what, what, oh seven? Like, can we really look at the results from 10 years, nine years prior and be like,

oh, this isn't a good fit for him. Like, you know what I mean? A lot can happen in nine years between events in a certain course. I mean, I will. I will between events in a certain course. I was able to take that up with Bacon. He was the one that was... I will. I will take that up with Shane Bacon. I will say that to his face. Did you get a chance to watch much of the online coverage? Kind of. We had a little computer say it was actually kind of cool.

There was a computer set up in the media tent. You could watch featured groups. You could watch feature your you excuse me you could watch feature groups you could watch featured holes you could watch Fox sports one you could watch Fox you could watch golf channel like you could just switch back and forth between all these different channels. So I saw a little bit of it but I never really had the sound on so I did hear him very much. I mean I was honestly shocked I mean I know bacon head talent but like he was like a complete you know hardest to talk golf for like nine straight hours when you're just looking at one hole. It's, it's sound like he'd done it for 10 years. So, you know, I like tune in. I was like, that's, that's not bacon. Is that bacon?

They're gonna, they're gonna come to us live for him. I was not next year and it's gonna be like 10 Brando hosting with Shane Bacon and Mark Baruch's next two. Like they're just gonna kick Buck and Norman off to like the feature group. Oh man. And bring those guys in. Well that's what I've always liked watching the feature group coverage like on PGA Tour, like with John Swantack and Mark Emelman and Craig Perk for those guys.

He's Swantack's awesome. Yeah, those guys, but like they don't try hard to be entertaining or like to drive the narratives. Like you see on a television broadcast. And like, it's just such a different way of approaching golf. And such a more pure view of golf that like I love watching the online stuff. So like, I felt bad.

I was all over Fox for the whole week. But like I did enjoy, there were several things I enjoy. They killed it with the pro tracer. Like I said, the mics in the hole, the online coverage was great. They did a great job of being quiet when the players and caddies were talking. But man, the chase cam on one, man,

what a game changer that was. I mean, first of all, we're gonna put a camera on the ground and follow the players for maybe 10, 15 yards as they walked down the fairway. What a game changer. We got to get a Jason Bayes. Every, by the way, did it feel like that narrative got driven into the ground a little bit?

I would say driven into the ground and pounded into a sinkhole 300 people around. I mean, it was hard to like, you couldn't make a joke about it because I honestly have no idea how severe this Jason Day thing is, but like, it was like they were rooting for him to pass out. I mean, Shane Ryan would say the tweeting something about this too. Like, they They wanted him to fall, didn't they? Yeah, I don't know. That whole thing sold a little.

I know, I know you don't want to say it. I know, I don't want to say anything. I know it's a genius, it's the right word. But it was just like, I don't really understand it. And so I can't get a feel for like What's actually going on there, you know like if somebody if you know big cat his legs broken like okay like I understand that I don't understand vertigo, so I don't I don't necessarily understand the narrative that goes along with that But yeah, I mean we don't like show show golf don't show Jason day walking Yeah, that's where I was just always afraid to even make a

walking. Yeah, that's where I was just always afraid to even make any kind of comment on it because it can easily be misconstrued and you're right. I totally agree through it. I don't know what vertigo is. I don't really understand it. But Shane Ryan, I think, pointed that out in the piece you were talking about too, was his actions were pretty inconsistent throughout the day. Not picking up the tee on 11 and then picking it up right away on 12 or something like that. It was, I mean, I, obviously he was affected, especially on Friday, you know, to pat, you don't fake a fall over like that on the nightfall. I'm not, definitely not saying he's faking,

but it was, they just pounded it in so much that you, you, in fact, I think in general, people kind of turned on it. They're like, all right, that's enough. That's, you fact, again, general people kind of turned on it. They're like, all right, that's enough. You're following them walking across a bridge, hoping he falls. Like, we're done with this story.

We've thought it's really wanted to make some plans. They need to implement a Johnny cam. And they really needed it earlier today with Rory coming down the bag now. And that got interesting for a while. Well, I mean, can you imagine if Johnny was calling yesterday with a Rory chasing his record to, you know, to shoot 62 to win the US Open and then the nerves,

the nerves on Brennan Grace ejecting on 16, speed, doubling 17, and Dustin Johnson's four flutter. They would have imploded. he would have imploded. I really, I went out to follow Rory after he birdied 13, the 70 Flutter, and it was immediate ejection. He missed the birdie on 14, it made Bogey on 15,

and then it was just kind of over from there. But I mean mean that he miss uh... like he's a sorry about that's a miss so many but it's really missed an unreal amount of pucks this week and all of them inside of ten feet like if you would have people to put it at all he would have been right in it i'm with you i think he wins uh... saying and i picked that at the beginning of the year.

I mean, he's gonna win, right? Yeah. Well, I think this is the best chance. We're gonna, I mean, hot take here. Number one, a number two in the world. I think we're gonna have a really good chance of seeing these two, but actually like going head to head, like a final round.

I mean, when you think about, I think it sets up really, really well for Rory. And I think Speed is gonna be in the top 10 of pretty much all the majors for the next five years like not Not every single one, but it's gonna be he's gonna be around a lot and he's gonna win a lot of them I mean I'm gonna take he's never made a cut in a Pj championship The granddad daddy of them all. He's just not prepared to handle the pressure of a PGA championship. But it's an elite field.

But I mean, I tweeted this morning, I mean, I'm surprised I didn't see this. I didn't bother looking this up myself and it's hard to look up because the, what we've considered to be a major over the years changes a lot but has anyone ever held two majors at the age of 21? Jean Sarasin I believe in 1922 held two majors but I don't I think he was also 21. Justin Ray of Golf channel had that said uh... oh yeah cuz you tweeted that they know about it else and that and i re-tweeted that i would like to go raise some stuff no no i i i i wasn't that that tweet was not meant to be all inclusive of

everyone in golf history i just included tiger jack and macaroid and those tiger jack and macaroid were all twenty three when they got their second major and I think Speed is gonna play in Nine or ten more majors before turning 24 like Could that I mean could we could he have four majors but before he turns 24 years old? Why couldn't I'm doing I think I'm doing a piece on on Monday or Tuesday or after I sleep for a day

Or And I did this on Rory last year because people just were not understanding like his I think I'm doing a piece on Monday or Tuesday or after I sleep for a day or something about. And I did this on Rory last year because people just were not understanding his trajectory. In terms of historically winning majors and he was right in between Jack and Tiger at his age. And now, Speed is above all of them in terms of... And it's hard to put a trajectory on being 21 years old or whatever, but I do feel like Tigers kind of proven that you have to be a little bit top heavy in terms

of winning these, winning more of them when you're younger than when you're older. Yeah. And so I don't know, you almost have to be ahead of the curve to end up where Tiger and Jack are. I guess that's what I'm saying. Yeah, I mean, Tiger won four in a row, five out of six.

I mean, he routinely ran off two wins in a year like it was nothing. I mean, I'm not saying, I'm not ready to say he's gonna win 14 or 19 majors, but here's an interesting thought I had. I don't know what you think. Between Rory and Spieth, can they break Jack's record? You like combined?

Yeah. Okay, so here's what I was thinking about. I think that this is a little bit of Federer and Adolte. Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Like Rory is Federer, he's kind of viscerally amazing to watch. He's an artist, et cetera, and the speech is kind of like, beats you down and just bounds you

until you submit to him. But yeah, I think they can. I mean, they've got six combined. And speech is to, I mean mean yeah, I think they I think they will I mean is that a hot take? That's that's I mean like a little bit above lukewarm, I would say that's pretty that's that's a warm take I mean and it's and it's still so many majors and if one of them has health problems or one of them has a downward spiral It's gonna be obviously I mean I don't know it's just I think Rory alone gets to 10 I really do yeah I don't know I feel like

speed is gonna end up with more majors than Rory I don't know I I mean I don't he's just he's more consistent isn't he? He's over over reaction Monday but he doesn't and don't, he's just, he's more consistent, isn't he? He's just an over-over-reaction Monday. But he doesn't, he doesn't matter. Am I over-reacting? He's one of the last two, he went two majors in a row. Okay. If it was the Masters, I would agree. If it was just one major, I'd say, like, it's easy to call this an over-reaction, but

like, he's going two in a row at the age of 21. This doesn't happen, this does not happen. But Rory was talking about this. The consistency doesn't matter. It's like your high highs and your oil loads. If you have more high highs, then everybody, like if Rory has six more highs at majors, then he's gonna win all of them

because nobody's gonna beat him at those. Right, but I think this beef win can be chalked up more to his consistency I mean like we were talking about is just kind of his b plus game like I feel like he's gonna have these events where he has this kind of game where he can still win a major and yeah I think the Roy's gonna struggle at US opens and he has he needs to not you know the US open that he won was an anomaly I'll tell you what the just watching speed this week,

he carried himself like a badass. Yeah. Like he walked around the cool, like just watching him interact and be on the range and stuff. Like, he was like, I own this place. He knows. I'm going to win this.

Like, it was incredible. I was starting to bring a Porath of SB Nation. We kind of hung out a little bit and we were talking about how he was like, I feel like in his press conferences, he's just like really outspoken and really like confident, even since the masters. And I probably haven't seen enough of him to agree with that,

but that's probably true. Yeah, no, I mean, it's, once you busted through I from experience I can tell you this once you busted through with with that first major Real quick though because we're about 45 minutes in I know you got a flight to catch soon We can't go 45 minutes without mentioning you notice that Louis who stays in almost one the US open yesterday What the hell happened there? Okay, I was standing on 14T up top and When he hold out from the fairway. I thought it was for eagle

Yeah, I didn't know that he had gone into the rough and then had to chip out. Because people were tweeting that too. Twitter everyone's like he just hold out for eagle. Yeah. Yeah. He almost showed a 28 to go to a playoff on the bat 9th. He has opened. And it was like the 8th biggest storyline from yesterday maybe. I mean. Yeah. I know. I mean Adam Scott should be saying well he's got a 38 on the front. Like if he shoots I mean the front was playing a par 35 if he shoots anything close to par he wins or Or they're playing on Monday. So I mean that was I mean he's probably one of the favorites for for San Who's also I guess you have to think so I mean and we've

gone this part without mentioning anything for Brennan Gray so then he got ejected I mean I I didn't give him much of a chance and he helped help hung around a lot longer than he thought I thought he would I don't know if that means anything to the future I don't really know much about him to this I was going to be starting to look him up and then he went out of bounds but I don't follow the European tour that closely but I was I was really impressed with him to hold him for 69 holes. I was trying to find an EJG button for him because

I had pre-written about 500 words on speed 1 in. I was getting a little nervous about it and in the DJ storyline was a good, I mean all of it was just how it's talking to Shipnok before the... or we were joking on the range. I was like, you ready for that braiding grace? Shane Lowry? Playoff tomorrow? Would people even stick around for that? Or the media stick around? He goes, you're gonna find my body like I'm a shores of the Puget Sound on Monday. I'm so disappointed. I don't think they would.

Who did receive beat? Was it Mark Brooks in 2001? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it would be like that. I don't think Mark Brooks family stuck around for that either. I'm the most upset with myself that I didn't have a train joke ready for Brennan Grace. I wasn't prepared for him to hit him on the train tracks.

I was not ready for that. That was my favorite pro-tracer of the week. I included this in my recap, my 20 thoughts. The Bubba going right. I legitimately thought that it was one of those that you had drawn. Like, you had drawn? Like, when I first saw it I was like oh you know Solid solid drew another one. I guess pretty but it was it was a real pro tracer. Yeah, it was no the funny thing

It's like he went way right and bacon bacon to the broadcast going I think we'll be seeing that screen grab here on on social media here pretty soon Sure enough like a couple minutes later, I had it up. He's like, what did I tell you? He's like, there they are, no laying up guys. Got it right there on Twitter. Oh, man. All right.

That's a wrap. You got to flight to board. You got some sleep to get home and then keep firing out those hot takes, man. And then yeah, find an excuse for some reason and convince CBS why you need to make it to the British Open, because turns out I'm gonna be there. Yes, I mean, I need to make that happen.

I don't know if I'm gonna be able to, but one last thing I wanna give you a chance to show some thanks to this era of golf. You started no laying up in pretty much other than like the Tiger Time, the perfect time to start it. Think of, I was thinking about this, what if you would started this like at the beginning of like 2003? You mean the Mike, the Mike Weir gym pure here, Ben Curtis of Winning Major?

And how bad that would have been for your brand. You need to give it up to speed and worry and all those guys. Well, I mean, I think if I can get a little fig jam on you for a second here is that's kind of the reason why we started this was like we kind of saw this coming. Like we this this era of like this young like young these young guys that were basically going to be a product of the tiger era, you know, they were inspired to play golf by Tiger that was going to take over the tour. And it started poorly last year. My God, the beginning of last year was a disaster. But man, since around this time last year, it's been, I mean, it's been perfection. It's been amazing. No bubble wins and I don't count the HSBC. And yeah.

He probably doesn't either. So yeah, I mean. The last thing I'm going to, the last thing I'm going to get out of here, Big Jam of the Week was counter-preg shooting. I think it was 67, and he said he left five, he said it was 47 strokes. Horsesho did it yesterday too. We were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, we were so busy, can fix the greens, I don't know. How about a PGA? What about a PGA there?

Are the greens better in August? Maybe. Let's think about that. Yeah, so I don't know. Maybe a Walker Cup or something. Okay, I'm gonna miss my slides. All right, dude. I'm gonna touch these so I... All right, take it easy Kyle.

Thanks a lot for coming on. We'll talk to you soon. 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.