No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 219: U.S. Women's Open & Memorial Recap

Episode Date: June 3, 2019

Jeongeun Lee6 has won the 2019 U.S. Women's Open, and we discuss how awesome Country Club of Charleston showed out on TV, Fox's commercial free coverage, Hank Haney's comments on Korean players, the USGA, the Memorial Tournament, Kuchar, Tiger, Bryson, and a ton more.  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. I'm not in. That is better than most. Better than most. Appreciate that a lot of apologies going around this week. I Want a non apologies. I'm already to walk in that one back about 15 minutes. I told you this was the memorial Touring the recap podcast A lot to talk about from the past week in golf a lot of it happened in the middle of the week I actually looking at our notes. I didn't think we talked about NCA's we even put NCA's down which that seems like it was a month ago

We are gonna talk about Jung-Yan Lee six, who just won the US Women's Open by two over Lexi Thompson, Angel Yin, and So-Yun Yu. It wasn't the best day of golf today. It wasn't the most exciting. I would definitely say. You see US Open. It was, yeah. Yeah. You know, the fireworks, I think, is what you're looting to. It wasn't a crazy close tournament. It wasn't a lot of dramatics down the stretch, but very fun to watch. Country Club of Charleston. Without a doubt.

Yeah, I mean, that was fun to see that on display. And we're going to talk a bit about why that was important, why that was especially interesting golf course to watch, and kind of how that ties into men's events and a lot of stuff here. We're going to talk some Hany of course, so that obviously that's what we reference at the top of the show. I just, I don't want that to be the lead story. I know it shouldn't be.

And now it's everyone's instinct though as soon as, of course, a, a Lee happened to win the US one. Lee six. Yeah. He didn't break that part. Lee six. She's the only player in the field to break par all four days. How about that?

It's always impressive. She was so good. And, you know, we, we have a lot of some LPGA stuff that's going to come out. Actually, with the runner up this week, Angel Yen, she made a hell of a run at it. Self-proclaimed longest hitter on the LPGA tour. We went outside. Self-proclaimed a lot of things. Yes.

You're going to see in the video. Tron and I went up and played Hazel Teen with her, which is where the KPMG Women's PGA is going to be the week after the U.S. Open. We did a podcast with her too, so you're going to learn a lot more about her. She made a great, she was the only one that really made a run at it on Sunday. But yeah, we flipped a little bit back and forth between the US Women's Open and the Memorial and it was pretty easy to stick with the US Women's Open. We're going to get to some of that though. But yeah, Country Club at Charleston, how cool was it to watch that golf course?

I do. I resent your comment that she was the only one to make a run. Doreen a pillar, a couple of eight bogies. She made a run until she didn't. Yeah. She ran around. She had to 500 and that kind of stumbled home. So, sure. Anyway, sorry. I appreciate you, Paul. But, yeah, Country Club at Charleston, what did you guys think? I thought it was great. I mean, what did you think? Let's start at the beginning. You're the one who's been there. You played it. Why was it important? Why was this week important? Why was it circled on the calendar? Well, that's why I wanted to ask you guys first though is because I didn't know if it was extra cool Just because I'd been there a couple months before and watching them go back through it knowing the property and stuff

I that's why I was curious did it stand out to you guys on TV the most fun part for me at least today was Hearing you tell us where Neil hit it today was hearing you tell us where Neil hit it. All of those different holes on every part three. Who was it? Bupie feet over the grid. She went long on long on 10. I was like, well, Neil was Neil's here. No more.

She got it up and down. I got it up and down. Most gross up and down in her seat. And then Lexi hooked it in the bunker on the reverse for Danny 11th hole. And I was like, guys, I'll give you, I'll give you one guess as to where Neil also. That was also a really good bunker shot. That was. No, I loved it.

I thought it was fantastic. Course flat site, but so much scale and the conditions were, like, it was, I mean, the ball was rolling. The greens were not holding shots, which I think is especially interesting to watch. The ladies play just because they don't put as much spin on the ball. And there was, I thought Fox did a good job with some of the camera angles to, I think it's obviously tough to make a flat course and really, really bright sunlight appear

to catch all the little nuance and stuff. But some of the vantage points where they had the bridge and the background and all the low angles on the approach shots to pick up the false fronts. I thought all that was great. Yeah, it's hard to make a flat course look interesting like you're saying, but it's also hard to make the parts of that flat golf course like really shined. Like what it's what they did when we were we're kind of having beers and watching on Friday with that gnarly pin on 11 and just seeing like where the camera angle was and granted it was because a lot of people kept coming up short

and so they were kind of shooting from the exact perfect spot straight up that hill and it was spectacular. The people we were watching with don't watch a lot of women's golf and are really a lot of golf that would go to a golf course like that. Well, I think let's give it kind of just holy shit. Is that all the green?

What is that hole? That's insane. Friday was awesome. It was the best golf of the week. Let's get it kind of just like holy shit. Is that all the green? Like, what is that hole? That's insane. Friday was awesome. It was the best golf of the week. Let's put it in context. We were having like a meeting over here and the golf was on mute. And like six or seven times during the meeting,

we have to be like, go back to that. Go back to that. Go watch that. And I tell you, it has a lot to do with just the ball rolling. Like the ball rolling. The ball gets on the ground. They're not in control of it.

All bets are off. And I was the shot we watched today. I forget if it was I think it was Boudier on the sixth hole the par three. She's trying to go at the pin and it misses just to the right and it takes the slope and goes way down far to the right and I then flipped over to the memorial and watched somebody miss a green by yard and it stopped and the heavy rough right next to the green. I was like, which one of these is more interesting to watch the next shot and And I can tell you the answer was it's the what tell you I would say cat would disagree with you. Well, I hope he does. Like he should be uncomfortable based on his comments. He wants gouging outside ways and bald not rolling at all away from the greens. Well, that's that's fine. We want the pros to be uncomfortable. We're going

to get in the US. I thought I thought Celine Boutier's bunker shot on 18 today like last shot at tournament where it comes up short and it rolls back off the green. I didn't see that coming on. Unfortunately, I had a few more shots at the tournament after that bunker shot. Yeah. That was sweet though. That was nuts. There was a lot of like I forget who hit it, but yeah, there's a lot where you can see it land a foot off the green like we're saying and all of a sudden you're like, oh god, oh my God, I can see what's gonna happen here. This is gonna start picking up speed, and then it does, and yeah, it's great. Why don't we go to the first,

when we go to the first voicemail we have, and then let's get through some of these other topics we have to discuss sticking with this tournament. Hey guys, this is Brian in Washington, DC. I know DJ's retired from coverage takes, but would love the rest of your thoughts on this. I parachuted into the women's US Open cold on Sunday. Couldn't believe how much better that broadcast was.

For one, it was commercial free, which obviously is not something you could do every week. But they started the broadcast with a five minute video showing the most important holes on the course. Those hold the holes that they modeled those holes on after on historic courses. And a short summary of options and players have to play these holes.

Yeah, the announcers then refer back to that video as the final groups approach the holes and then the Fox Sports Twitter put it up as well around that same time. And so just like that, I knew which shots were good or bad, which misses were really actually trouble. And that was on a course I couldn't have told you the first thing about before the broadcast. So I don't want to blow up CBS like we do every week, but given the choice between Blimp Tracer and actual information about the course, I know which I prefer. Thanks. Excellent caller.

Excellent. Usually we don't let that long wind of a caller come on, but I figured it was important. He could put some thought into it. Yes, and it was important to hear somebody else say this other than just ourselves. I appreciate you respecting my retirement. Respecting my privacy. We are going to talk about that. Selfish.

It's such a decision. Bullshit is what it is because he Don't turn your guns on me. He sits here the whole time and watch cover. Oh, this is for a juxtapred. And just not true. Playing into the CBS. This is a assassination of character.

Every time you flipdovers go, they're in commercial. No, I would never do that or say that. It's disgusting. I guess I told them. This is ball face lies. Which to be fair, every time we get switched over, they'll let's face.

It's fair. Which is why we bring it up every week, but DJ puts it all on us to be fair, every time we did switch over the Olympics. It's fair. Which is why we bring it up every week, but DJ puts it all on us to be the heroes here. And then when, like the seventh or eighth time. That's what I think a lot of people think of you guys as. When you're going off. We are. Those heroes are on the radio again.

Exactly. We switched it over the seventh or eighth time, and it wasn't commercial, but it was on, it was this long slow-mo montage of the animals at the Columbus Zoo, the flamingos and the leopards and all that stuff. What time it was the A.O. risk reward challenge that we flip back to? What time it was Jack and the booth? Well, very rarely golf. But again, so I don't think, and we're going to talk a lot about just LPJ golf as a whole, I don't think we're

going to sit here and argue, per se, that LPJ golf is more exciting than watching PGA Tour Golf. But the presentation and how it's wrapped, like this week, it was the biggest no-brainer imaginable. I didn't, I flat out didn't want to watch the PGA Tour because of how good the LPJ broadcast is. So imagine, like, that was the Fox, you had this open broadcast. It wasn't. Correct.

Really, relation to, like, it was gender neutral. I would say, I don't want this point to sound like we love the LPJ and hate the PGA tour. That's not the point. I'm not going to sit here and say that LPJ tour golf is more exciting than PGA tour golf. But in this way, this is why we talk about how important broadcasts are.

Like for viewing pleasure today, it was an absolute no-brainer, I thought. Yeah, and I think a lot of that was... And the golf wasn't that great today. No, it wasn't. But I think a lot of that was kind of work that had gone into it ahead of time. That, you know, I mean, you, and Neil went there,

you guys made a video. I know Andy Johnson did a lot of cool work about the golf course and just learning a lot of it ahead of time, like got me legitimately excited to go, you know, watch this tournament. And so that helped a lot. And I know, you know, our audience is what it is. So I don't know what impact that has kind of

on the telecast in general. But everything I saw, I know, you know, our audience is what it is. So I don't know what impact that has kind of on the telecast in general. But everything I saw, I mean, I know that you tweeted something about basically, and this is not a coverage shake, because I'm quoting you. But you've basically said, you know, this commercial free telecast, which at no point here, are we insisting

that all telecast be commercial free? Like I get that this is a one time thing, and it's whatever. Which I still don't know how it works, but I don't know how it works either. I don't know. It's like full of main partners that, what, you know, those partners that pay a bunch of money

for, you know, a lot of it's for the rights of the US, you know, the men's open, but they pay a lot of money and they get a lot of exposure out of it. And it's clean. I know who, I mean, it's cool to like, to know that Rolex was responsible for that today, you know, like, Randi to do rather than just being kind of beating over the head with with ads that you're tuning out. Anyways, you had a tweet

that words basically like this telecast on Fox is pointing out just how much of a commercial problem we have over on, you know, the worldwide leader of entertainment or whatever it's called. It's not ESP. What do they call it? America's something network. America's most watch network. America's most watch network.

Sorry. The, the Tiffany that we're, the point of making is that all the replies to that were basically like, yeah, dude, I stopped changing the channels. I'm watching women's golf. I'm doing this like this is exactly right. And like, I'm sure that this is a blip in the grand scheme of things as far as ratings are concerned. But I mean, it's a start, right?

I think bottom line for me today, I felt like this whole week, I felt like I was watching golf. Yeah, it wasn't matter, like, all right, I'm gonna turn from the men to the women. No, like I just think this is just more interesting golf towards. I don't like give a shit who's playing. I think we've talked about earlier.

I think I even preferred the FS1 stuff on Thursday, Friday, to the weekend stuff. I just had like players are spread out more evenly on the golf course. You see in different parts of the course and it was just add a little bit better flow to it. What's there was carnage on 11? Yeah, but the whole kind of tying in country club at Charleston with, you know, the broadcast and everything is like, you can't go to a course that's really interesting like this that isn't point A to point B golf course, which is what we heard on the Memorial broadcast this week. You can't go there and not tell the viewers about the golf holes. And this

is what happened with Turnip Forest, I think. They kind of treat it like every other golf course on tour. And they don't explain to you why it's better to be on one side of the fairway, why it's better to be on the other. I think for the men's game, a lot of that stuff does get lost a bit because of how far they hit it. But with this golf course, it was they did such a great job of saying like, no, you need to be on the left side of the fairway to reach this pin. And they showed you views of like what players are looking at and what they can't get to.

And like you were saying, trying to ball rolling out, hitting Green and rolling out, that mattered into the design of the hole and how the tournament played out. Watching Boudier, she played amazing, but watching her come down the stairs, we just didn't feel good about her chances because she was coming in from way too far away. Wasn't able to get carry some of the bunkers to get to some of the pins and whatnot. I think a lot of times when you start talking about this, you can get people can roll their eyes and think it's all like architecture talk. But a lot of it is strategy. It's strategy.

Well, it's strategy, but exactly. If you do a better job of telling the story, I think it just, it makes you realize how much better the shots are that you're seeing. And it makes you more of an educated fan. It makes you even more appreciative of the product in the first place. And like, man, I love watching this golf

because I can tell how good these players are. So when Boudier was hitting it into 16, right, with this crazy funky lion's mouth green that boomerangs around this bunker, Faxon was doing an awesome job on there. He said, this is, she put herself in the wrong spot in the fairway. This is gonna be such a hard shot

because of the angle that she has. She has to bounce it in the exact right spot. And he's saying all this as the balls in the air. She has to bounce it in the exact right spot and he's saying all this as the balls in the air and that she hits it in the exact same spot and she rolls it to three feet and misses the point. She rolls it to three feet and you're like, holy shit, god, now I realize how good of a shot that was. That was so cool.

It's better than just like he's got 185. And it's in the air and it landed and it rolled out. Is it it? It ran on the chest. It ran on the chest. Ah! And it's in the air and it landed and it rolled up. Is it it? Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh. But this is some of the things that are afforded when you are commercial free. Like you have more time to sit there and have a-

Oh, well, not only commercial free, but also all the different times they cut in and out of a little promo here, promo there. Or I think Billy Horshall, not to pick on him, but Billy Horshall, I don't know if this was a week ago or two weeks ago, he clapped back and somebody and was like, well, yeah, but like our purses are so much bigger and like, we need all these corners. So it was about the, it was about the NCAA. And yeah,

Salah, I think, again, not a coverage take. I'm quoting, sorry. Salah had said, this is what a telecast looks like when you don't have a million partners to face. I said million obligations, which is your A on risk or war challenge, your FedEx cup updates, your CEO visits, your all that shit. And this is the part where I want to clarify that a lot of stuff gets directed at CBS. I think there are separate issues with them, but this in particular is directed at the tour as of what they've turned the product into and like what goes into

like even on golf channel what goes into all the things you have to check off and do in this in this promo in this blah blah blah Which when you took all that out and just showed NCAA golf it was like being on what I imagine cracked to be like So at some point the the whole point is at some point save what saved that with what I imagine At some point, the whole point is at some point, save that with what I imagine. With Horsesho, it's like, yeah, man. We get that. We get it. The purses are freaking huge.

And you gotta pay for that somehow. But at some point, it's just gonna choke itself out. Exactly. And there's a long-term view here where the sponsors aren't getting a return on their investment. Exactly. The viewers are tuning out, so ratings you know, ratings are gonna go down. Like it's, and then, and then the tours is basically trying to supplement this with, with

getting millennials and getting all that, you know, live under par stuff involved and, and broadening the demographic, but it's like, you can't do that if the product itself just sucks. Well, that's the whole thing is, yeah, it turns into, you know, with all these great partners, like we're able to play for the person that we can play for. Like, yeah, like, respectfully, like, I don't give a fuck what you can play for.

Like, that's the whole point though, right? Like, and if enough people feel like that, like, yeah, it's gonna be really easy. Dude, Solid never saying on the couch today, I'm like, you know what seems like kind of an issue, and this is not like a shot at anybody, but it's like, what seems like an issue is like, I have no interest in the memorial today.

And I love them, I know, we too. I've been there a bunch, I love the golf course. And I'm just like, dude, I don't really care. You're in your defense, you said you'd have no interest in who actually wins it. Not no interest in the golf tournament. Yeah, that's true, that's true. Yeah, save it.

Did I? I think that's what you meant. Yeah, that's what I meant. But it was, I felt, I mean, I was more, and maybe I'm just a sicko, but like, you know, I don't know, the web tour was going on. There's all sorts of stuff going on. I watched the Belgian knockout this morning.

That was so important. That's right, if we really get back to the crux of the coverage take retirement, that was the point, was like, dude, you know what? I'm retiring because I'm not gonna just like, keep watching this. I'm not gonna keep like, saying the what? I'm retiring because I'm not gonna just like keep watching this. I'm not gonna keep like saying the same shit over and over. I'm just gonna not watch it.

Because why would I like keep putting myself through this? Well, like going back. Well, you keep doing it and you keep talking about it before we turn this like we have to. But going back to the larger point, Stan. The, you know, watching women versus men it is like, no, like I, or watching the NCAA's earlier this week, it's like, no, like I or watching the NCAA's earlier this week is like no, like I just want to watch golf. And at some point what the PGA tour telecast

is devolved into isn't golf. It's just it's watching sporadic shots presented in pretty, you know, orchestrated manner that feels like you're so far removed from the tournament that it's, you know, you're almost watching through the looking glass, which is a really jarring statement because the level of that it's, you know, you're almost watching through the looking glass, which is a really jarring statement because the level of golf that's being played out there is, I don't know how many X higher than everything else we're talking about. We lose so much appreciation.

I'm not sure you're so far exactly. Without a doubt. Yeah. We're gonna do something, we're gonna do it live, okay? We're gonna do this live, and this is almost like a precedent. What does that mean? It was another major victory on Sunday

for our friends at Callaway. Callaway staffer, Jungyeon Lee Six had in the bag, all 14 Callaway clubs to take home her first major and first LPGA win, epic flash driver, epic flash three wood, which I think I said this week, maybe my favorite club I've ever owned, ever, we're gonna unpack that a little bit at some point. Apex hybrids, which I think Tron is gonna hopefully be having in the bag soon,

as he moves towards this LPGA setup. For sure. Apex Pro 19 irons, Mac Daddy 4 wedges, and Odyssey Oworks, two ball putter. Strong week off the tee, she was top 10 in the field in both driving distance and accuracy with that epic flash. Callie was the number one driver brand at the US women's open led by that epic flash 38 epic flash models in play at the major and have has the most wins of any driver model in 2019.

And a great week on the greens with our Odyssey to ball as well as Odyssey dominated the count at the major 64 putters in play. No other brand had more than 33 of those. And they have won all six major counts across the PGA LPGA and champions tour this year. That's a good driver count to win. It is. No doubt.

That's a lot more relatable to what our swings feeds are. There were a couple of times where I think, I think, Jamie Green, which I don't want to get her in trouble. I don't know if she's an official staffer or not. We'll say that. We'll say that. We'll say that. We'll say that. We'll say that.

We'll say that. We'll say that. We'll say that. We'll say that. We'll say that. We'll say that. We'll say that. We'll say that.

We'll say that. But yeah, looking like her caddy's, her caddy and her are walking up the fairway, and I'm looking at her clubs with like, fuck, I think that's like, I think we have the exact same setup. That's like exactly the clubs that I play, which is kind of, which is cool. And that's like, bears repeating, but I mean, people say it all the time. And I don't want to pretend like I watch a ton of LPJ golf, I watch pretty much the majors if I'm being... Like majors, Portland's always good.

The ones that they have out on the West Coast, San Francisco and LA, that they had it, we'll sure this year was really good. But that's, it's what you hear from everybody. It's like, God, it's so much more relatable. And that's why I've seeing them bouncing the ball up and seeing all that stuff is like, man, that's, it's so much more relatable. And that's why I've seeing them bouncing the ball up and seeing all that stuff is like, man, it's just cool to see. And we don't want to come off as preachy that we're LPGA.

No, no, no, no. I think we're pretty honest that we're not experts. But the parts that we keep kind of impacting and uncovering, like we have really enjoyed. And we got some more of this. Also, it's fun when you go out and they say, hey, like, what can we help you with? Or like, you're pleasantly surprised

every single time you make all of their top play. They like schedule the podcast interviews for us, like with their top most marketable players. It's kind of nuts. And the players are so gracious and they're, and they're all like, I think it's kind of an indictment on, you know, a lot of the, I don't know, but just the media or, you know, fans being interested, but like, they all't know if it's just the media or fans being interested, but they all have, if not more interesting stories in the PGA tour guys, at least just as interesting stories and they don't get told, you know?

Yeah, and back to the relatable point, I think one of the things we've always taken is when you play a pro-am in the LPJ, you play the same tease as them. It's like you're literally playing the same game. They're obviously way better than you. But you play the exact same game and just get an exhibition. That's why that was so fun to watch. I think the gap between Amateur, normal Amateur, male or female play and men's

professional golf at the highest level is keeps growing wider and wider and wider. On that note, let's get to the next question because I think it leads us there. Nate Carr and Alaskan come from Hawaii to talk about South Carolina. Why can't you get it right to the end, but they can get it right to the women? That's all I have all hang up and wait for hours. Shout out to Nate Karne, Karne for the course. You've probably seen him on Twitter or Instagram. Don't forget your kids. I think he asks a great question. Why do they get it right for the women? And I'll let you guys start with this one.

There's got to be a much lower variance, right? Between the women where they're just, you know, like they are putting less spin on the ball. It's just easier to set up a course for them. And it's harder for them to make a good of a course. They can go to better venues too, to be honest. Because of that. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think internally, internally, to be honest. Because of that. Yeah. Well, I think internally they have to look at this, how great this week went, and then they'll also look at me like, fuck, what have we done with the golf ball to prevent a men's

tournament from playing out like that? Because it goes so far and it's been so much that none of the shots that mattered out there would matter to Dustin Johnson or Brooks Keppka and they have to do these extreme things to the golf course to present this challenge and it's why they continue to go over the edge because the technology is insane. Quick cyborg on that,

and I know the inherent irony of us discussing this while also doing an ad read for an equipment company, but it's very, it's like going back to I read Jonathan Wall's article about Tiger and the golf ball back in, was that 2000, 2000. He was testing all those golf balls out. And the Alarm Bell is the should've been going off back in 2000 at USV headquarters when, you know, and you've read the one about Billy Android winning in Las Vegas that

way. And then all the other ball, you know, like all the ball manufacturers are just making those giant leaps back then. It's just, it's insane that like, it's gone unchecked since that day. Indefense of us reading ads and also discussing this. I think, I don't want to speak for everyone, I'm pro-bifurcation in this room.

And I think that the technology is ruined the game at the highest of high levels. I still think it is helping a lot of people like, yeah, my handi-kept higher than it was, like, what a 10 years ago. So, the angles and stuff of the course we just watch would still matter to all of us, a heck of a lot more than it would to the devil.

The pros could go out, like if the men could go out and play that course, although that brings up another point too, where watching it on Friday with that front or front-ish pin on 11 on the reverse red end, like I guarantee the men would have bitched about that. Oh for sure. All day.

So I think to a certain extent, and this is, we talked with Matthew Fitzpatrick a little bit about this at the Charlottesville challenge, it was like there's, like, there's so little willingness to just play the golf course as it's presented to you. All these guys want to have a say in it. They have a very distinct opinion on what's fair and what's not. When the whole freaking field is playing the same same course, and I get the, you know, I get sometimes that there's, there's different draws, there's different wins or whatnot, but for the most part, it's like, I think half the field would have bitched about the green on 11 this week and the pin plays been on Friday. And I don't think you said, I don't think you heard a single peep. Well, I think the greens would have brought the different Ben Hogan. Yeah, that was disgusting. Hogan said they should take five sticks of dynamite

to the 11th greed, which is absolutely sick. But I think the point, not to defend the male pros here, because I think we're gonna talk some about the, the golf digest article that came out this week about all the anonymous tour pros going in, which I'm not that hard to figure out, what a lot of this players were about. I just put your name to it. I know, but I think that green,

they would have baked out even harder for the men. And it becomes, I think they do have a fine line. I think they do have a point to a certain extent. Not to jump too far ahead in the conversation here, but certain times at the US open, it seems like a average shot and a good shot and a great shot all in could end up in the same spot. Because you've made it almost impossible

to hold a green in some way. And there's not necessarily a lot of strategy that goes into it. And that part of the competition kind of dilutes things a little bit. And that's the extent to which I'll defend the pros on. I love seeing still a dividing line in where a great shot is rewarded better than an average shot. And I think sometimes that's where it gets lost.

And that's where they say it's unfair. And that's where I think my Davis kind of copped to that at Chinatoc last year. Even just reading the golf digest piece that you mentioned, there was a lot of talk in there about what happened on Saturday at Chinnacock, which I think all of us as a viewing experience thought was absolutely delightful. But to play that golf course, I think they had a very different experience. And that was his whole point. It was like, you know, I think he said, like if we could have a Mulligan,

we would have slowed those greens down a little bit because they just got too unfair and you really saw some good shots, not only, you know, not only not being rewarded, but actually being punished. And yeah, when he gets like that, then I agree. I think they do have a point. No, I get it when they systematically fuck off, but off course like that's, that's to, I mean, you know, if you look at what the RNA could have done to car Newstie last year, but they practiced some restraint. They were just like, hey, you know,

eat under is gonna win or 12 under is gonna win or whatever. But I think with the US, yeah, it's just, part of it is the players are almost expecting to, like it's almost fatalistic, right? Like almost begging the USG to do that. They're mad before they even show up. And again, well, it's become okayistic, right? Like, almost begging the USG to wrap that up. They're mad before they even show up. And again, Well, it's become okay to, for like,

yes, if they're the USG is like a whipping boy now, or they can just, why don't we get to Hank Hayney first and we'll come back to USG, because we got another voicemail on that one. So let's go this one next. Hey guys, this is Colin from Old Fortune New York. I've been boiling over at the casual racism on golf

Twitter this week. Of course, Hank Amy is one thing and has been repudiated. But all the defenders of him and those who insist that he is in the right are frustrating me so much. I'm wondering if you have any takes on the casual race and system that pervades golf glitter. Happy to hear. All right, let's just go right into color two here. Hey guys, low energy Randy from Jack's Beach. So how the fuck does Hank Hayne get suspended

for being right? So easy. All right, so there you go. That's pretty much the two sides of the argument there. Why don't we, in case you happen to have missed this story this past week, let there you go. That's pretty much the two sides of the argument there. Why don't we, in case you have a to have missed this story this past week, let's just go through it somewhat as quickly as I can on his radio show this week when the topic of the US women's open came up,

Haney said, I'm gonna predict a Korean, that's gonna be my prediction. I couldn't name you like six players on the LPGA tour. No, maybe I could. Well, I'd go with Lee. If I didn't have to name a first name, I'd get a bunch of them right. I don't know. Lexi Thompson, Michelle Weasher, I don't know that many. Where are they playing, by the way? And this continues onto an apology that he later makes on

Twitter, where he says, this morning, I made some comments about women's professional golf and its players that were insensitive and that I regret. In an effort to make a point about the overwhelming success of Korean players on the tour, I offended people and I'm sorry. I have the highest respect for the women who work so hard to reach the pinnacle of their sport and I never meant to take away from their abilities and accomplishments. I've worked in the game with men and women players from many different cultures and I look forward to continuing to do so. So that happens, that shit storm happens

earlier in the week and turns out after Lee Six wins, he goes back to Twitter, and Haney would continue. He says, my prediction that a Korean woman would be a top leaderboard at the women's US open, it's not what's called, but. Haney took a social meeting. Was based on statistics and facts.

Korean women are absolutely dominating the LPGA tour. If you ask me again, my answer would be the same, but worded more carefully. And then he's not to be denied. He goes back for one more. Congrats to Jung-Yung Lee's six, spouter name wrong, on your great win at the US Women's Open. Who's the great predictor now, Steve Johnson? I knew a Lee would win.

Okay, where do you wanna start? Lots of unpack here, where do you wanna start? You're driving the ship. I think the last caller that he was like, is he like, Lee wasn't right? Let's not give him that. Like you don't get to, he didn't, that's not being right.

Like predicting a Korean to do well at the US Women's Open is not even a prediction. Like that's not a take like. And when you start your take with, I don't know what course they're playing. I couldn't name you six players on the tour. Like I want to be straight up. I've always, always liked Tang Caney.

Always felt bad for him because of the popsicle of Tang Caney's tiger. Um, you know, I know Randy's a huge fan of his time with him. Like he's been an awesome guy, and I actually really, really, really love his radio show. Yeah, I listened to it all the time. And he's off the cuff, and so I get that that's kind of stick, and he turned Randy onto Voodoo Cream,

which you'll see a lot of, and Tora Sassi's in three. But man, the whole thing is just, you dug yourself the whole Apologize for it just Let it go leave it be stop like stop digging man. It's it's a Actually, I thought club pro guys Q&A with Jerry Foltz was really good. Do you think we're at a weird place in journalism would Club program is serious. Yeah, that was bizarre, man I would do want to give a shout out to Jerry Fultz,

who's the one that aired this out, which I don't think is what have kind of caught the steam that it did if it wasn't for that. I just think it's like, I'm so past it being cool to just be like, oh, women's go, who cares? Who cares? If you sat down and watch it and you truly don't enjoy it, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that you should enjoy it.

But if your job is to talk about golf on the air, it's not to act like golf. You're too cool for the LPGA. And then especially when you're referencing, oh, I teach women too. Yeah. All right, cool. You should be as well first in the women's game then too, you know? And not even know the name of the course that they're going to. I mean, again, I know it's kind of off the cuff.

And I'm not going to stand by everything we've ever said on the podcast. And I'm sure there's definitely things we'd like to have back. I think that's my thing is like dude you fucked up like everybody fucks up. And then it's apology and I don't want to scrutinize apologies and it seems like I'm very much part of the PC police on that but I always look for when I see an apology is like are you apologizing for what you did or you apologizing for getting caught and the people are mad and he was like basically saying mad about this. Yes that's where he was definitely ending up.

And I was like, okay, you're definitely not sorry if you also doubled down on it today and don't take a victory lap that a Lee one, first of all, this was Lee six. He did not predict that part. But you know that Lee six was the next thing they got into on the, legitimately on the radio.

They're like, there are so many Lee's, they started numbering him. Which, we should point out that it is kind of crazy that Jungum Lee six is, her name is Lee Six because she was, she goes by hot six. She was the sixth player with that name on the Korean LPGA tour. But like she's, like, it's part of a brand. It's like part of, she's into it.

Yeah, she seems to kind of, I don't know, promote herself in that way. I think it's just, it's like, man, like, you just own it, move on. Like, don't try to, I don't know, herself in that way. I think it's just, yeah, it's like man, like you just own it, move on, like don't try to, I don't know, it just makes everything else feel so disingenuous after the fact now too. And then all the people that, you know, even when you make a joke about it,

or even when you kind of steer into it a little bit, it's just, you know, it's like, oh, you guys are being PC, like, we're not all that PC on this podcast. That's pretty loose and fast. But on some level, I think it goes back to like, hey, like we respect people who play the game at golf. And we like, it's our national championship

for over half of the population. But the idea? That's a big deal, guys. The part that bothers me the most, and this is maybe where I'll get my like, snobby guy, do you guys know I used to live abroad but like? Cool sandwich not as good as that what I had a bar at the low to 13 years ago But it's like

Cultures are different and people are from a lot of different places in the US is not the center of the world And I know like I'm maybe like the most America first guy when it comes to the US Ryder Cup team, but like, just because somebody's from a different country doesn't mean that it's not a tremendous achievement for them to excel at this event or that it's totally justified to generalize a group of people from a country that play a game

or it gets, I don't know, we can get so tired of. We're in their story, we're in. We can see this in engagement though. It's like if Lexi Thompson would have been near the top of the leaderboard, more people would have watched today, like if she was leading. Which nothing against Lexi Thompson,

I can't stand Lexi Thompson as near the top of the leaderboard, because I hate her swing. It makes me physically uncomfortable. Everyone has their favorite players and whatnot, but the idea that just because people are from a different country, you shouldn't even bother to learn their name or know if something about them.

Like the more we've kind of learned about some of the Asian LPJ tour players, like the more they make us laugh and like they're more hilarious they are. And they're going to be there, been on the podcast and whatnot. Then it's, I don't know, there's a lot more to it than just like, oh, I don't even know what you'll not tour speaks English. I think something that really stuck out to me is people including. Shout out to Carolyn Bivitt. Minji, right?

Who was trying to make that happen? People including Minji, they're like, yeah, like she, she's Australian. Yeah, right. She's not even Korean. She has one of the best golf swings in the world. And you know, people, like, like, it's just, it's just sheer laziness, I guess.

It's like, if you don't want to watch the LPGA tour, that's fine. Nobody's making you, but like, that doesn't mean you need to shit on it either. And a lot of the best American players are of Asian descent as well. And a lot of the ones we've met have been hilarious and they have personalities. And I just think it can get generalized with this robotic, just because they don't speak as great English

and they are not super comfortable speaking outwardly in interviews in English, which is totally understandable. On that level, there's so many more of them that try their damnedest to speak. Like they're adamant about speaking English and they're really, really, really. So you're new. Yeah.

And they're really, you know, embarrassed about it, but they want to speak the best English they can. You have guys that, you have guys in the PGA tour that went to college in the United States and refused to speak in English in their post-round interviews. Which is the name and names, but, you know. I think on Hank, there's a couple other things, too.

I think you have to preface everything in this conversation because it gets so kind of like hot-blooded so quickly. You have to preface everything with like, yeah, obviously, I'm so against what he said. It was so fucking stupid and insensitive and not nice. But to say like, Hank Haney, like as a part, like he is a racist and a xenophobic sexist,

I'm like, man, I don't know, I've hung out with him like a little, that was not the vibe I really got, but like, I think it's really hard to fill two hours of day if golf talk and this is not a pass for like a 60 year old man, you know, for saying something that he definitely shouldn't have said. But a lot of it's like probably trying to fill too much air time and slipping up with a brain fart and saying something. But him doubling down. I'm getting there.

I'm getting there. So doing all of that is like, that's where I was kind of earlier in the week where I'm like, man, it just becomes like the monster. It's like commenting on the comment, on the comment and I'm just like, fuck, I, this thing just snowballs into it, like it just, it loses value as like a discussion

really quickly because it just jumps the shark so quickly. And then today happened and it just jumps the shark so quickly. And then today happened. And it just was very like, it was kind of like a big Lebowski when Walter's like, he's just keeps screaming like, am I wrong? Am I wrong? Am I wrong about this very bad take and the dude finally snaps. He's like, you're not wrong, you're just an asshole. And that's exactly how I felt about this.

Where he's like, yeah, dude, it wasn't the prediction that was the problem, man. Like, yeah, like someone named Lee, if I had to make a bet, there was how many six in the field, like statistically that probably would have been a safe bet. Nobody's calling that, like, no one's, like saying your math was off. It's the fact that you were a jackass about it.

Like, how do you not see that? And that's where it's like, man, it's really, really hard to sympathize or hard to be like, man, this guy's really getting a rough shake. Well, the bright, I guess, the brightest part about this, I don't know if that's the right way to say it, but I feel like this was a rallying cry around the women's golf. I agree. In a kind of act. The band burgers, Colin was really good. Yeah, it activated and the LPGA tweeted out an awesome picture of just like people

from all different backgrounds saying we support everyone, you know, kind of a supportive message and it went kind of nuts on Twitter. And it was just like, people probably were paying more attention to the LPGA this week because of these comments. Unfortunate as it is. And we're gonna get to kind of a topic of this, but like controversy is good for your sport,

unfortunately, but it's the reality. Well, I think that was kind of, that's why I think I was feeling so weird about it early in the week, was like hearing those comments, I'm like, man, I have like, I've definitely been around a lot of people who have said those exact, like that exact joke a lot, and I'm like, man, I did, like, what do I do?

Like, I don't really, I don't follow the game as closely as I should, and like, I'm not, I'm not gonna get upset, man, I did, like, what do I do? Like, I don't really, I don't follow the game as closely as I should and like, I'm not, I'm not gonna get upset, like, of course, again, I prefaced it with like, what he said was not good, it was insensitive, all of that, but I'm like, man, the spirit of like, not knowing the players and not doing your due diligence and all that stuff, I'm like, man, I can kinda, I can kinda see

a little bit of that in myself and like, that doesn't feel good and that makes me me want to work a lot harder in supporting. Not only I tweeted something that's kind of throw away, but it's like, it's like, dude, there's just a lot everybody can do to make people feel more included, I guess. And just shitting on the biggest turn of the year is not a way to do that.

Right, amen. No, yeah, let's move on. I don't think we. Right, amen. No, yeah, let's move on. I don't think we need to, I mean, all right, let's go on. I don't wanna dump on Hank anymore because I think you, obviously fucked up, but it's like, hey, let's just move on. Like, he can make it right, how he wants to make it right, you know?

Let's move on, let's get circle back on our USDA discussion here with us called. Real quick, before we do that, can we talk about future U. future US women's opens venues? Because I think that's instructive as we talk about all this stuff. So they're playing a country club of, or sorry, champions golf club in Houston next year,

Olympic club 2021, Pine Needles 2022, Pebble Beach 2023, Lancaster Country Club 2024, Aaron Hills Golf Course 2025. Kind of feel like that's a missed opportunity, right? It's necessarily to go back to. Yeah, to go back to some of these courses that have been left behind by the men's pro game and to go through those one more time, sorry.

Champions in Houston, Olympic, Pine Needles, Pebble Beach. Pine Needles will be sweet. Yeah, Pebble Beach will be great. Lancaster Country Club clubs really cool. And then Aaron Hills. Yeah, it's hard, because I think it's kind of a cool balance.

I think one of my favorite things about the LPGA is obviously the telecast is like a gigantic part of what they do and no bigger telecast than the US women's open, I would assume. But I think what I like about it even more is the fact that it almost feels like pre-telecast golf when not every you go to a PJ tour event, everything there is driven by the telecast.

The signage, the way the t times are set up, the way the groups are set up, all of that is done with the telecast in mind. And whereas the LPGA feels so much more like it's like a fan experience? It's like very throwback in a way that I've really like never got to experience. I was going to say, I miss it, but like I never got to experience that on the BJ tour, but it goes to like Lancaster Pennsylvania, it will be a community that like turns out. Aaron Hills, getting another tournament, like will be people that will turn out, I think that will be, it just seems like kind of a cool balance of historical courses, plus just like cool communities. Maybe.

I don't know. Let's move on to this. We kind of touched on the golf digest in USGA, the shredding. Why don't you take us there, Dege? Yeah. So for those who might have missed this article, basically, golf digest, I think it was Brian Wacker and John Hogan, if I remember correctly, got a 57 people, they say they interviewed 57 people, 35 current players.

All of it, I believe anonymous, which we can talk about that in a minute, but I think the headline here, there was a lot of headlines, headline one is players, bucking, nuked the USGA. So if you're interested in reading that and some sort of like shot and for right at I would I would check that out That's it's quite an enjoyable read just from a like sociology perspective just to see how how players act when they

Don't have to put their name next to something. I think the other headline is that players were allegedly Some big name players were considering a boycott of the US. It's okay. We get through that. We're considering boycotting the US open because the USGA was too mean to them, uh, and taking away their national championship. So I'll turn it over to you guys.

How likely is the fact that there was a legitimate boycott, uh, in play? Well, how good would it have been if guys like, you know, Brian K and like, you know, Ricky is the fact that there was a legitimate boycott in play. Well, how good would it have been if guys like, you know, Brian Gay and like, you know, Ricky Barnes are showing up and they're scabs. But boycotting this, no, dude, we're showing up. I'll place something as hers.

I heard a story from, I'm guessing it was the pack meeting that was like based on this boycott thing that a lot of that stuff came out of and I won't name the player because I forget who told it to me but they basically were like they were kind of kicking around this idea like you know if the person's this and if they keep screwing this up blah blah blah blah blah like we're going to boycott who's with me and I forget who it was but they were sitting next to another we'll call them a major champion to keep in who it was, but they were sitting next to another, we'll call them a major champion to keep in spirit with the article.

And he was like, nudging him, he's like, I'm definitely gonna go. I'm like, if all these people stay on, like I'm for sure, for sure going to go. And that always, I always thought that was pretty funny. It's like, you basically like, you need 30 guys to be like, yeah, no, we're still going. Like, I have what a with you.

It's open. It reminds me of a South Park episode when, like, we want some of that internet money. It's going west to find internet. But it's like, what's the, like, what are your demands? You know, like, what? Oh, they listed them out explicitly in the article. A lot of it was so, but even the explicit demands,

I read the article and even the explicit demands are, they're a little bit kind of onerous or vague, or like that's where I don't understand why the USJ is not, all right cool, we're gonna put Mike Davis's head on a stake and serve it to you guys on a platter and that's our offering. Cool, we can come to the table and we've showed you that we're willing to work with you guys now. Well, that's where it turns into such a,

yeah, there's nothing like super specific about it. And it turns into this thing where it's just, the US, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I kind of almost feel bad for the USGA where it's like, no matter what they do, like if they mess up the tiniest thing, it's just going to get blown out of proportion into into this like it's a pitchfork mentality. Yeah, totally. There's such everyone just kind of sitting on their toes ready to like jump on them as soon as something goes wrong. Which like if something, what's the worst thing that's happened at the US Open, what happened last one?

Saturday at the US Open got a little out of hand last year. Yeah. Imagine thing that's happened at the US open? What happened last one? Saturday at the US, I'm gonna get a little out of hand last year. Yeah. Imagine if that had happened to the gust of this year, like for whatever reason they lost the greens. Yeah, exactly. They're just so much more built in Goodwill, which is the USGA doesn't have. It would be like, even when what was the Wacovia

and now Wells Fargo, the year that they had the greens all messed up. The year Derek Ernst was. Yeah, Phil even was like, I think they get a pass on it. Like they got, you know, they've been the gold standard of how to run a tournament. all messed up. The year Derek Ernst was. Yeah. Phil, I think they get a pass on it. They've been the gold standard of how to run a tournament. It's not just players that want to jump all over a particular incident. It's just a black book if that's right.

Where it is turned to me. Yeah, it's just overall vitriol that's not even directed anything specific. I think for me, it comes back to one thing. When you watch the British open presented by her majesty, the queen, can you name who sets up the course? Look at that. I know it's like obviously it's the RNA, but yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Martin slumbers, he's fucking his head. He's slumbers is the head of the RNA or something.

But I think that to me goes to show you cool. It's about the golf course and the golf tournament. It's not about, hey, I'm Mike Davis and this is my golf tournament. Yeah, yeah. Well, you want to read some of the quotes that came out of this? I respect a couple of my faves. And so again, like none of these people were identified. They

were given total anonymity, which I don't know how you guys feel about, but let's talk about that in a second. This was from multiple PGA tour winner who said, we had about 10 or 15 guys who were willing to sit out after 2016. So that was after the Dustin rules controversy, which was both controversy. Of course. Some of them were big names. Dustin was one, Rory was another, and then another major champion, this is Newline, another, you know, descriptor who's, who's talking another major champion and former world number one. I was prepared to do it. Take part in boycott. Absolutely. So let's, let's just start that like legitimately like, do you think people would ever would do that? Like do you think Rory and Dustin and Phil

and all these guys like Phil, let's leave Phil out of it because Phil knows what he would do. But do you think they would legitimately boycott the US Open? I think on the flip side, you're looking at guys that are so reticent to make any sort of statement that looks political

or cost them any cent of money to where I'm like, you're gonna sit out the US open? No, no way man. What, here's where I come back on this. Well, what changed between 2016 and now that if you're gonna do a boycott, why didn't you just do it? Like they didn't make some grand major.

I know Mike Davis isn't like in charge of course set up or whatever this year, but like, what change to make you not boy? No, you were not gonna sit out the US open. I know you talked about it. Yeah, I think some of the monetization, some of the fiscal concerns or reservations or whatever, we bring in this much money and all that. And some of that's like, all right, cool.

Golf in the United States is bigger than you are. You guys, how big is the FedEx cup? Cool, you guys are a big leech on the game of golf like To a certain extent where you know, it's like I like I realized and granted the top players in the world are vastly underpaid in relation to Say the hundredth guy in the world is vastly overpaid like Rory and Dustin, and Phil, those guys are underpaid as far as purses go, like for what they generate for the game. But going farther into that, it's like, hey, there's, golf is also bigger than you. It shouldn't be that they devote 100% of the revenues

raised by the US Open to your purse. Right, I do though think it was pretty jarring in that article, and I don't have the totals in front of me. I think it was what $37 million a year that NBC was paying for the record was. That's exactly think it was pretty jarring in that article, and I don't have the totals in front of me. If I think it was what $37 million a year that NBC was paying for, the right code was. $37 million with NBC and ESPN, and that bumped up to $93 million a year with Fox. And like the purse didn't go up.

And the first day, the player said originally, we were getting about 25% of the TV money, NBC was giving to the USGA, then we were getting about 10% after that. And then Rory went to Davis about that, and like directly, and had a meal with him in bitching about it, and the purse went up two weeks later. And so a lot of people went to J about that too.

Yeah, Monahan, and like, I also think if the USGA, if people followed the USGA, it was a good steward of that extra 83 million dollars. Or whatever, or the extra, I guess, was like, it would be probably 50 to $60 million extra. Then, every year. And yeah, I think cool, that wouldn't be that big of a deal.

But like, the fact that, yeah, they're probably pissing it down on top. Well, I got the rules changed. Yeah, that helps. Yeah, that was worth $40, $50 million. And that rollout was so smooth with all those consultants and PR firms. Or there's a great

adict out in in the piece about basically how the usge was like, okay, cool, we heard your concerns. We're going to we're going to show you where all this money's going. They brought out like, I think what somebody calls like a fifth grade pie chart. They're explaining like the breakdown and there was all this like like 27 million dollars in other that they just like couldn't explain. They're like, yeah, it's just like, it's just like other, like that's just like other. Yeah. So it's just a really funny, that's what I think the story is maybe best for because a lot of that stuff is like, yeah, they were thought they were thinking about boycotting. No, they weren't. Come on.

Come on. No, they weren't thinking about boycotting or they wouldn't they weren't. Come on. Come on. Come on. No, they weren't thinking about boycotting or they wouldn't boycott it. But a lot of this is like, there's just some really funny visuals that you can picture while you're reading it. That's I think probably the most useful thing. I think it also comes back to going back to course setup. Like what, like cool,

none of this shit would be an issue if you guys just did something about the golf fall 10 years ago or yesterday or today or whenever. Like just figure it out guys. Otherwise we're going to keep going down this path and it's going to get more and more and more pronounced. Well, maybe there's going to be that much finer of a line. Maybe they're saving those that $50 million a year and just war testing it for the legal

fees against the manufacturers when they roll back the ball. Can I ask a question in the long game? Can I ask a question? That's playing the long game. Can I ask a question related to the source overall of this report? I'm definitely not the authors of this piece. That's not who this is directed at. But was it a huge friend of the pod? Yeah. Was it a little weird to you guys that going back and kind of what we talked about on

a previous episode of the pod of golf digest being purchased by golf TV Which is from what I understand at least essentially like an arm of the PGA tour that it was like this article Like a complete shot at the USGA Like a really really PGA tour is best interest really pointed shot at the USGA Which if this was a pointed shot at the PGA tour would no longer be published like it would not would definitely Not be published in this regard. Did that bother anybody else at all?

I don't want to get a conflict in a ventrace like that. That's vet off or whatnot. It might be too clever by half. There's a lot of, I think a lot of this was, I see what you're saying. I think having it would have been spiked if it was all about the PGA tour, like that's kind of like the looming question

about the whole golf TV. Listen, I'm healed for that combo. I'm very here for it. I think a lot of, I think one of my favorite quotes was like, it was basically like everybody thinks the PJ tours run like house of cards. What is actually run like Veeb. And so I think I think there's a lot of if people are big in the premium cable shows, I'm sure that'll ring true, but I don't know.

I was going to say, I thought it was weird, like the day they got purchased, like off to that, I just started tweeting about FedEx Cup rankings. Yeah. Well, I think this was probably in the work, like, for how far ahead there is. Yeah, for sure. I think the second half of your question is the more important one. Well, if it was about the tour, we would have got this bike.

Well, and I think for us, our biggest conflict is probably like, Calaway, right? Like, we don't do anything disparaging for other equipment companies. We kind of joke about the PXG troops a little bit, but we don't make like targeted strikes like this. And that's where it's kind of like, all of the complications that have kind of come

in the Gulf media world in the last few years, it's kind of like all of the the complications that have kind of come in the golf media world in the last few years It's kind of I don't know. I'm not I don't want to treat this like a big political News bias. Yeah, but we're also not like we don't pull many punches when it comes all right like Sergio I mean an ass of himself inside. I know I just I mean the Callaway staffer or actually Like targeted strike in an organization like this that I don't know, the source of it was just kind of, I just found it interesting. That's all. I wanted to open that up for discussion. Yeah, that is, I think this, like I said, I think the second half is more interesting.

I don't think the PJ Tour would never, ever, ever do my knowledge. Would ever go set out like, no, that's not what I meant. But I think the second half is more interesting where it's like, if this was about us, if this was 50 anonymous tour pros talking about the FedEx cup money not being distributed evenly enough, which would be a very stupid thread for them to start pulling. That, like, would that get spiked?

Like, that's super interesting and that's something to keep it on. Oh, I mean, that would even get past level one, I don't know. And if it got off the, I don't know, I think it will, Oh, no. I am, that's gone. I don't know. I don't think they, I'm optimistic

that they couldn't have that much editorial control over. But also, I think with the PGA tour, like looking back at the cooture thing this week, where they basically tried to scrub that from the internet the whole thing with his, for whatever reason he got to mark the ball on the fairway and the whole embedded ball scenario on, was that Thursday?

Yeah. And I mean, the PJ Tore can't even, can't even have a line of communication to their own social team. I don't think that they're recently bought, digest that. No, no, no, no. Yeah, that's like, I do not think the PJ Tore was in any way behind this report.

Like that's not what I was getting at. I think it was just like, I was just asking for a few years. Yeah, it's like, I do not think the PJ tour was in any way behind this report. Like, that's not what I was getting at. I think it was just like, yeah, it's like, okay, well, the media, it's kind of, yeah, it's kind of off limits to have anything by this publication run at them now that they are basically essentially. Yeah, it's just, I mean, it's kind of a coin flip, right? It's like, if somebody doesn't buy it,

I mean, the thing's been for sale for a long time, it basically got, I mean, we broke this down on another podcast, I think, right? It got a couple of for basically like pennies on the dollar of what it sold for in the early 2000s, and there's a million reasons for that, but it's like, it's kind of like either, you know, someone like that buys it, or maybe it goes away, or maybe it gets turns into,

you know, a shell of itself, and the tradeoff for it not going away is like, okay, now you're gonna have to deal with some bias questions on pretty much everything that goes out, because that's the deal. Along these lines, maybe most people don't care about that. I know. It's something to think about.

It's not, you know, Tron even tweeting about golf.com, not properly mentioning conflicts of interest, like change their policy almost immediately, because they were not mentioning conflicts of interest with them. I think the craziest part for me is we're not, like, we're three guys sitting around on table. I know we have a big microphone now and a big audience, but we shouldn't be the ones

that have to point that out to you. Shout out to Justin Hew, or one of our young hitters. Who tweeted something about the app was not showing projected, web-stated ranking, web-stated, web-stated, which is the 25th. The only tour that that matters before, by the end of the day, it was up.

So yeah, golf so small, people listen when you complain. Well, so putting my conspiracy theory back on, I think specifically related to this issue with golf TV, and like that now owns golf digest, you know, which has a partnership slash content agreement in some way, shape or form with Tiger Woods, who is represented by Mark Steinberg,

who also represents Matt Koocher. Matt Koocher as a pretty embarrassing rules incident pop up is all over the television, gets posted on social media, and then all of a sudden disappears from social media. Why do we think that got pulled down from social media? Can we connect the dots here? One call, that's all. Yeah, Mark Steinberg.

Like is this a good thing, like for golf, like with them to be in like a media deal with each other that, you know, I mean deal with each other that Tiger runs a Steinberg runs a show because he runs access to Tiger Woods. I mean, guys, this is Laysage House. This is crazy. I've been talking about the whole time. Coacher is wearing Steinberg's ass. He's super cute.

This is what the third major fiasco also, he's in a contract here. He's a facial actor. He's like, we're going to go shading next year. He's in a contract here. He's a patient. We're going to go to next year. He's trying to get a better deal. Also, the most telling thing about that whole thing was, uh, and Joe Adder, Patinscady, tweeted about it was Couture using plastic. That was so on brand for him. Um, but, but, like, with Couture, it's like, and, and this is where you get the PGA tour kind of

infighting a little bit. You get the guys talking about, oh, yeah, you know, of course, we get the player relations guys calling us and we got to yank this down. Like, no, of course, we don't want to yank this down. Like, we're journalists, man, but it's like, yeah, but when you signed up for the PGA tour, like you kind of gave away some of that leeway, some of that independent. It's hard. I have gotten the call many times when I worked there on like, yo, so it's so compliant.

Like we gotta take this down. And it was planned on some of your best. Yeah, and I was always kind of like, I'm not gonna argue. Like, which to this point, to this exact point is like what we talked about earlier with the Haney stuff. Like, as get it. Like, I'm not gonna argue. Like, I get it. No, which to this point, to this exact point is like what we talked about earlier with the Haney stuff. Like, as ugly as that was,

like controversy helps your sport. Like, having an article up on ESPN.com, and I'm not saying this article was ESPN.com whether you're what not, but your sport being talked about in a controversial way, people knowing Matt Kucher's name as even if he's a villain, if he's the bad guy, people are, it's gonna be on people's radar rather than this super protected

corporate world that is the PGA tour. Like getting out there and getting people talking about it, even if it's positive, and they haven't people take sides like, oh, I thought he was right, oh, I thought he was wrong. This is a great thing for your sport. The short-term vision of like the fact that anyone would think that this could affect Kucher's market ability or corporate image or whatnot is somehow takes precedent over like the sport being interesting and talked about and a bigger also like their adults. This was this happened seriously this happened during the course of

competition. Like yes, do you know in one of the premier events? What was the purse 10 million bucks or something 9.1 million. Like if you want to play for 9.1 million dollars, like, yeah, we're gonna have cameras on you. And you know you're on TV and you know the mics are on, like, all right, like even if, you know, like I don't even know if it's possible to figure out

if he's right or wrong when he's, he sounded like a jackass arguing it, but that's a separate, that's a separate issue. That's on him. But here's one of the parts that bothers me the most, maybe because it's the part that's tied to us the most is that that we have to jump through hoops to do anything with a PGA tour player, especially on site. Even off site, we have to jump through hoops because the PGA tour owns the media rights

to the players. So if they own the media rights, why is that clip getting scrubbed from the internet? Which is a pretend that didn't have because they, the call's coming from inside. Because they, the people who own the meteorites are the players like the whole organization is run by the players and this is like so the whole thing like a lot of things with the PJ tours like dude I get it like I understand why all these things work the way they do but it also sucks like both things can be true and the what offends me like the most is when you just try to have it both ways

When you try to be like oh dude, we're gonna be edgy. We're gonna be pushing Ality driven or put yeah, we're pushing the content We're bringing a new audience into golf. We're doing all these things, but also we're not changing at all You're still gonna be vanilla exactly and that's where I kind of respect the companies like, you know, I won't name any because no free ads, but like there's some companies that are exceedingly vanilla who are, who get made fun of for being exceedingly vanilla. But like, they're also kind of like, yeah,

but also that's our brand and that's what works for us and we're not gonna change it. We're not gonna like chase anything. We're not gonna, we're not gonna like, grovel to your audience. Yeah, maybe that's a good one. But it's like, I almost respect those companies more. It's like, you're not just,

you're just not speaking on a bullseye's your mouth. We are who we are and we've accepted that. But also, I think with the tour, it's incumbent upon the players to a certain extent to also realize, yeah, we're not gonna protect the two or three guys that act like a dip shit each week, right? And you like, yeah, we're not gonna protect the two or three guys that act like a dipshit each week, right? And you say, hey, we're gonna let,

but we're not gonna micromanage everything to where there's 156 guys in the field. You know, if two guys wanna act like an asshole or like, cool, like let them learn the hard way and treat them like adults. Don't try to brush everything under the rug and just act like everybody's this heaven sent angel. Well, and this wasn't even something

that needed to be brushed under the rug. It was just a, yeah, I looked, Kutcher looked bad in it, but like he was within the rules to request that. Maybe pissed if I was one of the rules officials. Yeah, and that got taken down. And that got taken down. One of the three rules officials.

One of the three rules officials. Which I think, if we're not getting the actual incident, I think his ball went in his own pitch mark, And that got taken down. Yeah, one of the three rules. Three rules. Which I think, if we're not getting the actual incident, I think his ball went in his own pitch mark, but I think he's kind of screwed himself the way he argued that. Yeah, I don't know. Mark, Mark and William and screwed. You were going kind of long here. Do you guys want to kind of brush through some,

we didn't watch a ton of them from Memorial this past week. It sucked. I really, this is the first time I haven't been there in like 20 years or something like that. We're going back next year. We got to go. Yeah, it was, it was just too much kind of going on for us. And you'll see why in the coming weeks, hopefully. So, but Patrick Cantley, I mean, absolutely cold-blooded. Yeah, I think he, you know, they are who we thought they were. Yeah, everybody I think is, I think that came as a surprise to absolutely know what. Can I give CBS some room to win? Can I

give CBS some props? Sure. I think they've learned when to cut to want to can't leave shots. They're getting better at not showing his full routine before he's very slow. But can we like any one play? I think was a theme this week. It was a theme, but can we, can we, any tweet that has

can't lay in it, can like the first 20 people that mentioned the slow play thing right away, just all go away? Just stop. Like we know it. Like directing the tweet into the abyss on Twitter does nothing like it just let's let's move past that part of slow play Twitter. So thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. So go back to the USG a little bit because it's also ties in with the memorial. Okay.

The USG a penalized one player in amateur. the USGA penalized one player, amateur, for slow play. But to be fair, I reading the write up of the summer, they gave seven or eight players bad times. She was the only one that got a second bad time. All that, taking it back to, hey, why do these amateurs keep getting penalized? All right, they don't know how to modify their behavior. But part of it is, these pros don't need

to modify their behavior because they're never called on. They're called on. Like, you know, Bryce and gets a bad time this week and acts like a total dipshit. Like the stuff that he said about, oh yeah, but I walk faster than everybody else in the field. Missing the point, dude.

Like you're so missing the point. If you walk faster, what is the fastest you could beat somebody to a green by 10 seconds, like realistically? And I really should do a time gained walking. Stabbed. Strokes gained walking. Bryson leads the tour.

So. You know, we're talking about like a minute and a half to two minute long pre-shot routines and stuff. Like the incident No, not one single person is out there being like the pros walk slowly from their ball to the next shot I know I'm saying that Bryson like you're just in my mind Bryson and died it himself more on slow play by saying that like it basically Admitted to being slow the rest of the games up but makes up for by walking fast. No, well that's right out of here I think a lot of this stuff comes back to being slow the rest of the game is up, but makes up for by walking fast. Get, no. Well, that's right. Get out of here.

I think a lot of this stuff comes back to the tour being owned by the players and kind of the players being, being the bosses a little bit, right? Like the players and the, I guess the board is technically Jay's boss, but I think a lot of this stuff is like, if there was somebody in the room,

the USJ stuff is kind of the same, but somebody in the room that's just like, okay, cool, I hear you, but like, tough shit. I don't care. It's my decision, it's not your decision. Rather than just like, oh my God, I'm so sorry, you feel that way. Let me, we're gonna get this, we're gonna get this taken care of.

We're gonna, we're gonna, we're totally listening to you. We're gonna have a player, we're gonna have a player advisory, whatever the fuck Jason Gore's title is. He's supposed to be like out on the range, which Jason Gore is actually a great guy for that job, I think, because he's super friendly and everybody loves him. But like, just someone who, like, it's like parenting almost.

Like I'm not a parent for a bunch of guys. You just put your foot down and like, start standing up to some of these guys. For a bunch of guys who are probably 95% very conservative, like politically, and I'm not brain politics into this, but I'm saying why don't you guys, that workplace worldview is starkly different

from that 95% conservatism. That's a good point. And the TV contract distribution is a lot different as well. Not too often over an hour into the pod, this tiger get relegated too, but T9 finished this week, he was all around dead solid. He was solid. It wasn't one of those just couldn't make any pots. He was just, he was 11th and stroke skein T to green and also 24th in putting. I just wanted to look up what his finishes were in the memorial in years that he won the US Open. He won the

memorial in 2000, which he won everything in 2000. So it doesn't mean much. T-22 and O-2, and he didn't play it in O-8. I had forgotten that he went from masters to the US Open without play. Obviously, the broken layer. So he's basically, this year, he's going from masters to PGA to memorial to US Open. Yeah, three out of four events played. And we're supposed to care about the PGA tour of regular season. I think it's a victim of the, he would have only played one more event

if he wasn't, I think, I don't know, for teague to whatever reason he didn't play well. But at some point, it's like, all right, like you're still, they're still hanging their hat on this whole, yeah, Tigers back, cool, like everything's good. Like, yeah, but Tigers and show up like two thirds of the week. So, but maybe get a head start and like, figuring out who the next guys are gonna be

or develop other personalities. Nope, Tigers maybe get a head start and like figuring out who the next guys are going to be or develop other personalities. Nope. Tiger's tiger tiger. Um, spieth, he another strong finish. I don't really know how he's doing that. Uh, he struck it pretty poorly this weekend. Uh, he was second in stroke scheme around the greens and tenth and putting. I don't know how many more consecutive weeks he can do that. But I watched Thursday, Friday He's struck it well the first two days. Yeah. Yeah, do we did anything happen this week and we're gonna do more us open sub leading up to it But anything happened this week make you guys change anyway. You think about the us open. I think I put so I put money on Speed last night. Yeah, I think

He's like 16 to 1 or 18 to 1 which was like cool. There's 20 bucks on him just to lock that in because I think I think his odds will probably decrease as we go into the week. I'd feel a lot better if he was doing it the opposite way. If he was striking the hell out of it and not making a bunch of puts like leading up to it, just don't know how well, you know, I don't know if his putting can carry him all the way through okay ball strike. I think he's got to hit the shit out of it. But I think that the swing is more likely to come back.

No, no, he's hitting it totally fine. The putter was like the big concern all of like a lot of last year or a lot of, you know, towards the end of the year. And it's like, yo, like if even if he's striking the ball well, he's putted it totally fine all year this year. And it was the ball striking the beginning of the year that was really poor. And it's coming. It is definitely trending in the right direction. It just hasn't really got to that. I like the trend one. Yeah, it's not there yet. Yeah, it's correct.

Yeah, it's, do we, you know, I wouldn't expect him to finish top three at the PGA. So who knows, maybe he can fake it around, I don't wanna say fake it around Pebble, I mean, I think it's strike it around Pebble. I think a place where, if he's not hitting his iron's great, I think going to a place where everybody's gonna miss

greens is probably good, you know, but if he's putting his balls off, I think it's a good spot to be. I think he's in a, he's in a to be. I think he's in a great spot. I think Tiger's in a great spot. I broke his in a great spot. I don't, to answer your question, I don't think anybody kept his gun wins.

I don't think anything, nothing changed. Can you guys tell me where, who's your pick? Who's your early pick? Oh, gosh. Fleetwood. Oh, I like that. I like that a lot.

I'll pick speed. I'm gonna ride for speed, anyway, so I might that a lot. I'll pick speed. I'm going to ride for speed anyway, so I might as well pick. Going matte fits Patrick. God, the disrespect for Keppga again. I was just going to say, can you guys tell me where Brooks finished at the memorial? Did he play? He didn't, did he?

No, I didn't. That's good. All right. Let's get to our shout outs here. Let's do this home. Well, I just want to give a shout out to friend of the pot, Luke Guthrie. Three straight top 10s on the web tour, finished six this week. I think we talked, we told Max Homas story in a great detail on this pot a lot.

Obviously, I had the big payoff with his win at Wells Fargo, but I think Luke's kind of been on a similar trajectory. There's similar age, similar pedigree coming out of college, similar struggles. And Luke definitely seems like he's he's back on his way up, which is awesome. Excited to see him in Greenville next week. And I think Luke, the top 10s were probably the worst he could have finished based on the way he's sitting the ball. Yeah, exactly. I want to give a shout out to Guido, Migglyozzi, who won the Belgian knockout this weekend.

Second win of the year on the year, Oh, Tor also knocked off the magical Kenya open earlier this year. He is a total man, I'm told. And should be an NUFave. I'm told. He rolls his own cigarettes all day. Hi DJ DG AF 5. So I'm going to look out for Guido next time. Where's he from? Your tour event. I'm pretty sure he's from Italy. I was going to, well, I didn't want to pay, you know, I didn't want to assume. Never go full. Hey, exactly. Thank you guys. I'm, you guys, you know, that one. I want to give a shout out to the Stanford Cardinal. Oh, huge.

Conrad Ray for Stanford winning the national championship this past week. That was so fun to watch. Just tremendous broad. I think it's kind of something we talked about earlier in the week, but something that golf channel invested in several years ago, and it's continued to improve on every single year. And I hope I have no idea what drives ratings. I don't know if it's a money maker for them or not, but I just want to give a shout out to something that I think is truly a great value add to the game of golf that they do in that coverage. Well, some people were but heard about Oklahoma State losing in match play after just beating the shit out of everyone in stroke play.

I totally disagree. I think they knew the format all year long and it added so much to the excitement. It's like a playoff, you know, and Tampa Bay Lightning had what the best regular season ever this past year and they got swept by the blue jackets. That's the playoffs. Listen, I'm going to land a brace fan. Yeah. Listen, so I'm.

It's a breads of it unreal. The regular season lost in the playoffs. I resigned myself to that a bravest fan. Yeah. Listen. Sometimes the bravest have been unreal in the regular season and lost in the playoffs. I resigned myself to that a long time ago. I can't only counter to that, even though I'm with you. Yeah. The only counter to that is like that would be like if the bravest played all the regular season and then they played basketball for the playoffs. Like, it is a completely different format for it is for one day, 18 hole.

Still got to hit the goal play. You do, of course. And I still agree. I think match plays totally better, but I think Still got to hit the goal play. You do, of course. And I still agree, I think match play is totally better, but I think the best argument on the other side is like, you play Stroke, literally like Stroke play all day every day. Is Oklahoma State the best round of match play?

Everyone in terms of it. When you beat a school, like 40 shots. No, of course. Everyone agrees that they are the best team in college. Correct. Maybe like one of the best teams in the history of college. Yes. It's kind of like the Super the best teams in the history of college. Yeah.

It's kind of like the Super Bowl. Best team doesn't always win. Correct. Sure. I thought I would have thought people would have been, it would have been a bigger deal when they did get beat. But yeah, shout out to them. That's really all I've got for chance.

Can I, can we talk about the blessings real quick? So that place was outrageous. What made it so outrageous for you? I don't know, man. It was like, it was like Rich Harvest Farvest forms on the most potent HGH in the world. Why the stuff that that Tyson Foods guy that owns the place is pumping his chickens for? I mean seriously, there was some, like you're watching it and you're like, what? I didn't realize a lot of it until, and I think TV just has a way of doing this.

I didn't realize a lot of the absurdity until I went on Google Earth and started actually measuring things. And I was like, oh my God, I want you to 160 here. Like, it looks normal when Matt Wolfe is free. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. That's what I mean.

That's where, and even when Matt Wolfe is carrying some of those like forced carries by 30 yards or something, I'm like, God, what is everybody else? Exactly. But also, I'm a little bit bummed for the coming years. They're moving it out to Phoenix or Scottsdale for the next three years. Yeah. There's nothing that's a little bit of a flavor.

It moves around every year. We wouldn't have gotten the guy out at Eugene Kuncheclubs, the chef standing on the roof. Yeah, I'm going to reserve judgment until we see it, I guess. But it could be one of those things where like who knows what happens You know to TV and the tournament and all that stuff if it doesn't go to a to one location Maybe that stuff changes, but you know, I agree. I think in the desert. It's going to be a little sterilized But we'll see one more quick one to me Bethann Nichols

I think a lot of the stuff we learned about the US women's open this week was from her reporting on the ground She did a great story about our champion. So just check out her her work always if you're looking to learn more about the women's game at golf week at golf week. Yes. Uh, I got a I got a triple header here. KH Lee shot 79 today. Just in keeping with the lead theme. He actually played a partner with our friends. He's on the beach every in New Orleans. Every city carried him for a couple of days. And he's a big reason why every was able to get in the field at Trinity and finished second and basically lock up his card for this year,

which is sweet. But he's a stutter really, really, really enjoyed watching month. There's in Friday. Canadian Open this week, big fan and national opens. Hamilton is going to be a really, really cool spot. So I think everybody should tune in for that. And then we got US Open, sectional qualifying tomorrow, one of the best days of the year.

I agree. Wild. You know, as always, we've got the big, big site up in Columbus, Brookside, and then, Sao-da, Sao-da. And there's one at Streamtongue Black, which should be on TV.

It's so good. Oh, that's be on TV. It's so good. That's gonna be cool. It's gonna be so freaking hot. We're gonna have to greenville this week otherwise I'll probably go down there and watch for a day. And then Zach's playing up at Springfield this year, which I guess they get five spots up at Springfield, Old Dolan Ross, where my mom grew up. Springfield.

Yeah. And also to note, as part of the year long race for the Fred X Cup, the top two in the standings going into this week are myself and DJ Pie. And we have earned births into the BMW charity Pro Am. Sponsored invite. Sponsored invite to the charity Pro Am. DJ is playing with Zach Blair. I'm playing with one of our young hitters Brian Richie and self-reclaimed best putter a lot. Yes. And we're going to have plenty of content coming from this week up in Greenville really looking forward to that. You have Randy on the bag? I got Randy on the bag. So yeah, the strap boys are going to be tough.

How do you feel about that? You know, I just want them to stay hydrated and just have a good time. That's really the main goal. It's going to be hot. Keep pumping them full of water. I got it. It could harken back to the days of the franchise on the back. Exactly.

I've got I got I got I got Icarito on the bag. We do have two full-size staff bags that the strap boys are going to be lugging around the greater Greenville area. So if anyone is out in Greenville this week, I don't know, obviously when we're playing or where we're playing yet, but we'll we'll keep you abreast of those details. It are lasers allowed in the program. That's a question from my caddy. I'm just saying, I think you should probably make sure that they are because I don't want to know what Icarito is clubbing you. That's a good point. In the heat, balls give you jumping. Yeah.

I don't know. This is a little bit too much much like last year I came in really hot to Greenville last year and I played like a little bit hot. It's just a lack of experience. Okay. All right, we have one final voicemail and we're gonna quickly wrap it after that Hey boys, this is Sean from Minnesota We keep hearing about all these tricks you've been on and not the Ireland kills the region And we don't seem to have anything to show for it. I don't know if this is some point, if you will just keep going wherever the alley on to, but I mean, you talk about how KDS

is covered is unsustainable. I think something's up on your end, because this doesn't seem sustainable either. Appreciate it. We're working on it. Yeah, we're working on it, guys. No, I'm very, very, very excited to announce, I guess. Yeah, let's on it. Yeah, we're working on it, guys. No, I'm very, very, very excited to announce, I guess. Yeah, let's do it.

Tourist sauce, season three, California, LA to San Francisco, in the Big Ass RV. Episode one comes out June 18th, which is a Tuesday, I believe. We'll all watch it together. It'll be fun. If you've never caught one of our, we don't do a real good job of like actually explaining that some of the video stuff We do on on this podcast, but two or so is our travel series It'll be nine or ten episodes, I believe this time around they're all probably 18 to 25 minutes long

and yeah, we'll show off some different golf courses. We've got some different games we're playing. We've got some celebrity appearances. First trip. First trip that all five of us have been on. First one, all five of us have been on. So yeah, check that out on our YouTube channel. We're going to have a trailer going up on Tuesday, I believe. And a podcast that comes out. And a podcast that comes out with it breaking down all the courses we played in California. So look out for that. And if you haven't seen all the other stuff we do on YouTube, there's a shitload of it now. It's kind of starting to grow quickly.

So, yeah, go check out the first two seasons of that, get caught up on Tura Saus, and then look for the new one, June 18th. There you have it. Let's wrap it up that time. Thanks everybody for tuning in. Cheers. Cracklepaw! Thanks everybody for tuning in cheers cheers

You're the right club be the right club today That's better than most That is better than most.