No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 288: Collin Morikawa

Episode Date: March 11, 2020

Collin Morikawa joins us to chat about his transition into pro golf, his confidence (which is impressive), Wolff, Hovland, what he's learned on tour, and his first win. We also chat about his duel with Wolff at the 3M, Vegas, what he's into off the course, and a lot 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. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most! Before we get rolling here, you guys have heard me talk about Quater by Travis Matthew, specifically the legend shoe that you've been seeing in a lot of videos. If you liked the legend or the moneymaker that we've also talked about, they've also added two new additions to their golf footwear line, the ringer and the wildcat.

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early morning riser here at the players championship on Tuesday, a already a PJ tour winner no longer rookie Colin Moore-Cowell. Thank you for joining us this morning. Thanks for having me. You're an early, is this a normal thing for you? Are you up early practicing? I am.

And it's tough because like a bunch of the young guys when I ask them like, oh, you want to go play in the morning. They're like, ah, they give me a, you know, a questionable look because it's like, why do you want to get up so early? And it's just kind of who have always been like, I'd rather get up early, get everything done, and go from there. I want to, there's a lot I want to cover with you, one in that, I have a feeling, you know,

you are a polished, you know, college player. You played for four years. I think you were, I would have met, well, let me ask you that way. Were you, do you feel like you were ready to come out and play professionally before you actually did? I mean, why was it important you to get a degree? I think I was. I mean, why was it important to you to get a degree? I think I was.

I mean, I thought about it sophomore year. I don't think I was as ready sophomore year, but that junior year I definitely thought about turning pro. And that was. What was your record like for people that don't know in college? I mean, let's say I was a three time first team

all American. For even my freshman year, I was a third team all American. Had the lowest scoring average in NCAA history. You know, for even my freshman year, I was a third team all-American, had the lowest scoring average in NCAA history, beat out Bill Haas, I believe, from Wake. Had the leading NCAA scoring average, I think my junior year. You've spouted this red star off the floor.

No, it's, no, and like, these are things like I've told my caddy and like, to be honest right now, it doesn't matter at all. Like I could have been the 1,000th ranked player as an amateur and it all disappears. That's what's crazy about every level you go from. It was such a big realization when I went to college because that junior career you had didn't matter. Now, you're playing for a team, everything matters there. So like for me, you know, when you are that rookie, when you're that freshman, it doesn't matter. You're on

a blank slate and you have to go prove to yourself first that you're able to do this. Which the next step, and when you turn pro is like you said, you start from the blank slate, none of that counts. You're getting some sponsors exemptions at least to start your career. But can you, I guess explain, every chance I get to emphasize how difficult it is to get a tour card in seven starts. Are you overwhelmed at all with the challenge that was obviously not you won shortly after that?

But before it started, are you thinking, well, I got my work cut out for me, I gotta go straight to the PGA tour and try to get 125th ranked FedEx Cup points right away. Yeah. I mean, you talk about being ready. And junior year, I was ready, but I asked John Rahman, my Ben Hogan award, my first year I was there. Why'd you stay four years? That guy was number one am for years, right? Like not just a small stretch of golf in college, like he was ready and he told me he used that senior year to prep and get ready for the PGA tour, get

ready for whatever was to come. And that's what I used it for, not only just to try clubs, figure out what companies I was going to be with, but like figure out how I'd spend my weeks here. Because I played two PGA tour tournaments as an amateur, one now corn fair event. And the ones the PGA tour events, I'd spend like hours on end on the practice range, putting green, whatever, like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. And I never do that. I never beat balls on the range. I never like in there for hours, morning night. Like that's not me. I

rarely practice after my rounds. Like it's kind of, you know, it's just not who I am. Like, had he has a running joke of just asking me, oh, we're gonna go practice after the round. Like he's just waiting for that day because it'll happen. But for right now, like I feel mentally prepared after I've been around. So on that end, you end, I felt like I was so prepared to go out there that senior year. So you're saying when you those first few events, like those events, the PGA Tour of Events and Cormorative Events felt very different

and that you're practicing a little differently. But when you came out officially as a pro, you're like, hey, I am who I am now and I'm not messing with that. Yeah, sorry to go off top. No, we can go anywhere you want. Yeah, so the, I mean who I am now and I'm not messing with that. Yeah, sorry to go off top. No, we can go anywhere you want. Yeah, so the, I mean, those seven events, you have to be ready. You know, there's that 125 number that you got to reach to get your card.

Did you know what that, I never was. I didn't know what that point's number because for me, if I got ahead of myself that summer, just for the next event, that next start, it was going to be like, you know, you're going to start thinking ahead, you're going to be like, oh, I need to finish 24th just to get enough points. And like, that's one thing's go bad. Yeah. That's when everything goes bad. And for me, you know, I just had to go out there and literally try and win. And I don't think I had that mindset until I heard Brooks. I was just, I heard it, I read it through something. Brooks at Travelers, which is when, you know, all of us rookies is a four of us. Me, Matt Wolf, Victor

Hoff, and Justin, they all kind of touted us, put us all in a pedestal together right there, said we're all starting here, even though I already had two starts already. And you know they said, all right I heard Brooks say, I went from thinking about just making cuts when I first turned pro to top 25s, top 10s, top 5s to winning. And I know he obviously has that mindset. We're gonna win every week. Rory has that mindset. Tiger has that mindset So why can't I just change my mindset like that quicker? I felt like I prepped already I felt like my game was there. Why not change it to you know miss or making cuts are great to let's try and win so that's summer

There was a lot to to you know to work through after 3M happened, I was still shy of so many points I needed. Just crazy. And I had three more starts left. And I knew I knew I was going to get it done. I just had that feeling it was going to happen, you know. That attitude probably helps lead to your first PGA tour win. But yeah, is there a, so at a certain level, obviously we're at the players, which is one of the biggest productions in golf as far as media and TV and fans and all that stuff. But the more I come out to tournaments, the more I kind of realize, oh yeah, this kind

of, in a very small way, looks like my high school golf tournaments, in that there's other noise going around, but inside the ropes, it's just like about a golf tournament. Did you feel like that transition from college to pro? Is it at all distraction, all the things that are going on around you, or did it feel pretty similar when you go to tee it up? Well, I think that's what I kind of used that senior year to prep for. Because there's all these club companies. I mean, I'm very fortunate to be with two of the best companies I'm with Taylor and

Reynade and Adidas. I love them, but senior, but senior in college, I had a bunch of different clubs in my bag, in my apartment, everything to test. And that's what I realized, like, you can come out here every single week and have a new set of clubs, different clubs. And like, you'd be like, yeah, they're working great.

Cause like, it's just new stuff. You think it's always gonna work, even if it's not the newest product, just new clubs are like, oh, this is different. This will help me. And I've had to realize, like, let's not change as much because that's the biggest thing when you come out here. There are so many distractions

and you have to stay focused on what you're here to do. You know, you're able to do that. I think it's just thinking about what the end goal is for the week. You know, where do we want to be on Sunday? We want to be in the final group. We want to be walking down 18 with the lead. We want to be in contention every single weekend. So and that, you know, those are lofty goals, but you have to set yourself to, you know,

you have to put a path, at least I do. I have to put a path on a goal that that's what I want to do. And that's what it can come off as arrogant or cocky if you have that kind of attitude of like being out here to win and like Tiger kind of got some blowback when he came out saying like, no, I'm here to win. And sometimes as fans, people can look at that

and kind of roll your eyes at it. But the more I've covered this, I think like, no, you have to have that attitude. Or it's like you said, if you hit like what Brooke said, and that quote that he had stuck with me too, it's like if you have your eyes around the cut line, you're probably gonna be around the cut line. 100%.

And there's a story somebody told me recently, it was a friend of a friend or something, used to be a Tor Pro and was kind of middling and played with Tom Laman one time, and he asked Tom Laman in one of the first two days, like, hey, what do you think the cut's gonna be? And Lehman just looked at him like, I have no idea.

Like, I don't think about the cut. And that light bulb kind of went off for him. So, I mean, realistically, playing again on a sponsor's exemption in Barracuda, are you, when you go to tee it up that week, did you see that golf course and think, I can win on this? Or was that at least a little bit of a surprise to you? It was, it was weird, because at the end of the week, did you see that golf course and think I can win on this? Or was that at least a little bit of a surprise to you? It was, it was weird because at the end of the week, I had no clue what I shot.

That's true. I only, I only knew points. And like, that's the first time I've really been in that mode. Like, you know, we've had low rounds where you're kind of like, oh, I don't, you know, wow, six, seven, eight, nine, but like, I still know where I'm at. I had zero clue what I had to help. And I think it did. And there's a point to just that format where it did help because I was just trying to make as many birdies as I could. But yeah, you know, that was the first week

when I had guaranteed my card for next year. And I had- That was your first start, you know. That was my first start. So John Deere, I earned enough points to meet that 125 minimum. And I wanted to extend my season. There was only one way to do that.

It was either there or wind him and I had to win. And it was all out or nothing. Or else I would have had a longer break. And that's what I was going for. I had to win, but go back to that mindset of let's win. You can't just jump to, I'm gonna win, and not do anything. But there's just that extra edge of like,

I wanna continue to play. The season is not over. Let's keep it going. And yeah, there's really a three stretch of the last holes there to make bread. I can understand the win. I can understand the success you had.

What I can't understand and I don't want to jinx it. Go into this week. You haven't missed a cut yet on the PGA tour. Yeah, let's. Let's. All right. I'm going to get roasted if you missed the cut this week. I'm just saying like that is that's got to be at least

a little bit astonishing to you You know consistency is one of my biggest things. Yeah You know, and there's a comfort level that you have to reach out here and you go back to How can me, Matt Victor come out here this early and and place so well have our wins whatever and For us, I think it's a comfort level You know, I've it's a comfort level. You know, I've always said it from day one, we believe in ourselves, we're always gonna keep doing that.

But I think there's a sense of comfort that for me, I didn't know as many guys, you know, Victor and Matt knew like Ricky, they knew a couple of guys, I knew guys I went to Cal, I knew a lot of West Coast guys, a lot of the younger guys, you know, but my first week in Canada, I was able to have dinner with Justin Thomas. That helps.

Like to meet all these guys, I've met Tiger now, I've met Gary Woodlin, just Rose I got to talk with before I turned pro. Like all these guys getting to know made it easier when I turned pro because when you step out there, if I compare it to college, I know every single person that's out there.

For the most part, every term you play. Not even just players, I know coaches, I know media, I know doctors, whatever it is, I know it. And that's what made college so much easier is when you're a junior or senior because you know what's going on around. I still don't know where bathrooms are out here. I don't know where to park, I don't know.

Like today I got lost driving to the parking lot and there's one entrance. Like I had to ask. It is big here. Yeah, but like, I mean, it literally says player lot and like I still get lost. And for me, like it's how comfortable can I get quickly? And that's, you know, a big thing, thankfully,

I've had a, I got a veteran caddy, JJ, Jack Vack on the bag, and that made it so much easier. But for me, it's consistency. You look at what Rory's done the past year, you know, John Rom. They're contending every week, they're finishing top fives every single week, and that's where I want to get to. And that's where I thought myives every single week and that's where I want to get to and that's That's where I thought my college game was But that's where I want to be out here if you're listening to this episode That means that episode seven of season five of Taurus sauce on our YouTube channel is out This season is of course presented by our partner original penguin

You will see us rocking their gear throughout the entire season episode seven takes takes you to Pinehurst, the number four course, the new Gill Hance Restored, redesigned, I'm not sure exactly what how you want to classify it. Yours truly and young Neil Schuster are in a death match. He is either moving on, he's gone all in, or he's going home. He is $41 and he's pushed it in the pot and we have a great match that goes a long way.

So go ahead and check that out and while you're at it, swingbyoriginalpenguin.com for anyone that wants to shop there, use the promo code, I'm sorry, do originalpenguin.com slash NLU30 and you'll get a one time use code for 30% off your first order at originalpenguin.com. Always remember to be an original, swing by our YouTube channel, check that out and go to originalpenguin.com slash NAU30. Let's get back to Colin Moore-Cawa. Did you grew up on the West Coast?

How much experience did you have playing like in Florida? That's what's kind of amazing me about all of the locations you're playing in stuff is there's a lot of different grass types and a lot of young guys struggle when they, you know, sometimes when they come see Bermuda, they can't stand, just because they're not used to it. So has there been any, there hasn't clearly been too much, but what's the learning process been like on playing in different parts of the country? I'm sure you traveled some as a junior, but playing consistently on a typo grass is different thing. It's huge. I mean, I remember, so I mean, I played the junior players here

in like 2013, 2014. So the biggest realization I had in playing Bermuda was when I played the, I think it was like a match play. It was an AJGA tournament Rolex tournament, whatever, at the end of the year, at PG National. And I realized I can't chip in Bermuda. I can't play in the wind and my game sucks. Like, I fully, I did not play well. It was like a, you play two days of stroke play then you have match play, didn't make match play.

And I just stood on the range the day after and like tried to figure out how to hit a ball on the wind. And I still, it was still learning process. I'm still figuring out, you know, what works best. But that's when I realized, I mean, this was probably when I was 15 learning process. I'm still figuring out what works best, but that's when I realized, I mean, this was probably when I was 15, 16 when I was like, I need it better. And from then on, it's been a huge work in progress

to figure out how to chip in this grass, how to put out here with grain. And thankfully, I've been able to travel across the entire country and play a lot more golf now. We had a couple of college events out here on the East Coast. So right now, I've seen everything. I pretty much could have seen.

Let's say, had you seen anything like they will last week? Thank you. Uh, you know, I thought it was hard. My caddy and I looked at each other and we were like, golf's not hard. The ground is very hard. And we just had to laugh at it because we knew it was tough to play. But for us, I felt like my game was there. I felt like I can go out there, play really good golf.

And I thought I did. I just made some stupid errors that, you know, at the end of the round, you're gonna look at, and realize, you know, it costed me a couple shots, and it's gonna happen. Right, I mean, that's what everyone, we've talked to, it was just like putting on those greens. It was almost, like, there's no grass,

there was no grass to grab the ball. It's just like gliding. It's literally floating. And when you have wind, down grain, downhill, it's good luck. Yeah, it was, it was border road. Not fun to watch, but for the most part, it was fun to watch. What is, has there been anything about turning pro, playing on the tour? Anything that's really kind of surprised you, something that's been different than what

you thought it would be. Some of the things you talked about there, just about like you didn't know where to go and all that stuff is, I think people can underrate how much stuff you guys got to like do on your own and figure out and like the stress that comes with not knowing where you're staying and getting to the course what time to leave what the traffic is going to be like those are things you learn five years in probably but what's kind of surprised you about anything in the in the process. Yeah it's a tough one because there's not a lot because I really think my senior I pre I prepped as much as I could, forgetting out here. But like, you set it right on, like,

I don't know where to stay. Sometimes these weeks, you're better off staying as close as you can to the course. Other weeks, 10, 15 minutes are perfectly fine. And it's just getting a grasp of like, what to do, you know, who you're gonna play practice rounds with. But, you know But for everyone listening, our weeks aren't just Thursday through Sunday.

We're here either Sunday night, Monday morning, you're flying in, and especially for guys like me, the rookies out here, the young guys, we need to play as many rounds as we can. I'm fortunate enough to be in the Wednesday programs, but this summer I wasn't. So I had to get all my work done in a Monday program. And then Tuesday, I had to get all my work done. Wednesday, I'm just practicing. So, you know, we have full weeks that we're just getting prep for, just for Thursday through Sunday. And then you got to do it all over again on, of course,

you've never seen place you've never been. And for us, you know, it's just how quickly can you learn? And that, you know, I love doing that because I love learning just off of like other people watching them play, you know, whether it's I'm watching you play or like anyone, like I get kind of just pick up something if, you know, you're decent at it. You're not picking up anything from this side of the table. No, all right. Now, do you have a relationship with Max Homa at all? Blowback. Yeah.

We play with him yesterday and we play with a decent amount of pros in the area. But, you know, I can hold my own. I can stay within six, eight shots. He vaporized. He shot 63 yesterday with an OB ball on a par three. No, no, no shanks. So what people don't realize is that he had two shanks that week. Okay. Not just one. He had the one that was obviously on video, but I played with him the first two rounds

and I think it was the first day on whole 12 no whole 5 After the par 5 dog they left par 4. Yeah, I'm sure yeah number 5 right cross bumpers right in between the par 5 Yeah, he was in the bunker short-sighted and kind of bladed But I'm gonna call it a shank because like it came out straight to the right and Like I laughed cuz like came out straight to the right and like I laughed because like it happened. Yeah, but yeah, I mean, people don't realize, but I mean, Max is awesome.

Like getting to know him, he was a big reason why I went to Cal, him, Brandon Hage, Max Homa, Joel Stalter, this dream team that they had of Cal golf 2012, 2013, like that's what I wanted to be in. What's it always cal for you? It wasn't, you know, for me, I looked at the Pac-12. I looked everywhere. And to me, I wanted to go to the best school, but the Pac-12 to me has always been the strongest. My mom went to USC growing up in LA, literally right near the Rose Bowl. Like, you can almost see it from my house.

Pack 12 was the biggest thing. And yeah, you know, I took a while to decide to be honest, I didn't like the campus when I first went there. I thought it was a little weird. But I grew to like it. I loved my four years. I was up there in the Bay Area. And you know, it'll always be kind of a second home for me. Are you second homes?

That was my question. Are you moved? Are you still living California? No, I live in Vegas now. Okay, I was getting rid of it. It listed on the, whatever your tea time for this week that it was listed California. Yeah.

And I was like, all right, he hasn't seen that those taxes yet on his page. Is that the reason for moving? I moved out there very, as quickly as I could. Really? I moved, I mean, I had a house pretty much before I turned pro. Um, and we were ready. Yeah, I didn't want to stay in California.

I think LA will always be home. I'm able to go back. My brother's a junior in high school. So like I still come and visit. But yeah, I had to get out of there. Mm-hmm. Any reason in particular, just kind of. Well, you want to be. I think everything. Everything you put taxes, but you, I had to get out of there. It's any reason in particular, just kind of. Well, you want to be.

I think everything. Yeah. Everything you put taxes, but you also put golf courses you can play, guys you can go practice with. You know, you want to have a group of guys you can always go out, play with, have a match because that's what keeps you sharp. So who do you play with and where do you play in Vegas? So I'm at a discovery course called the Summit.

Pretty new, awesome place to be at. But I'm playing with a lot with like younger guys, Shantara Bond, John Oda, David Lipski, Alex Kang. David Lipski and I actually grew up in the same city, locking me out of California, went to the same high school, never met each other, and then like, I think sophomore year of college, I saw him practicing in LA at the same course I was at, and you know, he's been an awesome guy to get to know. And then, you know, I've got to meet a bunch of older guys like Scott Purse, Kevin Na, Ryan Moore, that all live in Vegas, and like, it's just this smaller group.

Now that it's even growing even more. You know, Justin Sutt, I think is gonna move out there and Norman Jong lives out there, Doug Gim, Maverick McNeely, like all these guys I grew up with playing are all out there. So it's fun to play with because like, you know, when I have one week off, I'm practicing for three days, four days. So I just wanna go out and play with these guys.

I was gonna say, do you need, what are you trying to simulate, right? I mean, do you have to play for a lot of money at home to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, play for a lot of money, but almost everyone else, it's not, and God, I have never seen any of the games we play, the people that hate losing the most, like paying out a very, not large amount of money are professionals. Yeah. I mean, I don't mind playing for more, but like, if I go back to the college guys that I graduated with and like, we want to go bet five bucks now

Yeah, that'll still get me because I still want to win Like it doesn't have to be a thousand dollars on for me to like oh, yeah now I'm motivated I want to win five dollars. There's a tour pro that we we see a lot around here He's probably eight to ten million in career earnings and there was a day he lost 300 bucks, and every time I run into him, he still mentions that day that he lost 300 bucks. Yeah, no, I'd hold that up because, like, for me as a competitor and as an athlete and a golfer, like, I wanna win, no matter what we're doing,

like we can go be outside, like throwing a piece of paper at a trash can, I wanna try and beat you at it, because I wanna be better. Is there any, I'm sure there's, you would say there's a lot of things you need to improve on, but is there anything you've seen in your timeout here, any particular shots,

any particular wins, or anything that you've seen that you're like, whoa, okay, now that I've experienced that internament competition on the PJ tour, I need to learn that, I need that shot. Yeah, I mean, if we're talking ball striking, because I think that's one of my strengths, but I still need to keep working on it,

because it's not like it just is going to stay there forever. I got to keep it nice and tight. I cut the ball a lot. I like to work it left to right. So when I have it a narrow gap or trees down the left or wind off the left, I need to have a shot that's going to put me in the fairway that I can hit really straight.

I played two days, or I played a day with Joaquin, or two days with Joaquin, I guess. And he has this nice stinger. I mean, he's at low. Yeah, if you saw that shot at Coppalu, it was low. Like, that's what I want. I need to have that shot, not for every time, but like, just to have a shot like that

that I can put in play, that's gonna roll, you know, it'd be great at the British open So for me, it's just to figure out the left to right wins Especially if I cut the ball off the tee irons. I think I can work the ball no problem But it's just what the driver I got to figure out other than that. Yeah, everything short game putting chipping bunkers I've had some highs with my bunker, you know Bunker games kind of been a little iffy, but it's just like you said, week by week, sand is different. Bunkers are different. Conditions are different. Whether the ground's firm soft, you just got to figure it all out that Monday through Wednesday. I hope you're ready.

Matt, every said something interesting on the pod a couple days ago, just about TPC sawgrass in particular, and that he thinks it favors guys that move it right to left because a lot of the holes that require that, require it moving right to left, you can't start it left. Like number two, and number 16, those holes, there's no option to hit a fade. And even pros, tree height doesn't usually stop guys,

if you wanna hit a fade, even on a right toleft dog, like guys can hit fades and hold fairways and stuff like that. But this place, have you experienced that at all out here? So I mean, I played the front nine yesterday, and two, I will not be taking driver unless the wind is hard off the right. I mean, I told my caddy I won't do it. I mean, I looked at it yesterday and was like, and we tried it. And like, yeah, I can pull off a draw driver,

but like, I can still reach the green with three wood, three wood, three wood, two iron or whatever, and like, be perfectly fine. So I might not be taking as advantage as like, Rory when he's 70 yards ahead of me. But like, what are you gonna do? Like, I've got to stick to my game and play well

because I think I can still play well with what I do. It's not like I have to now have a 330 yard draw driver in my bag. That's one shot I'm gonna have. So yeah, there's a couple holes out here that I might need a little draw off the tee, but like for the most part, if I'm in the fairway, I'm gonna be perfectly fine with a five iron

and I feel like I still put it to 10 feet. What do you think of the players? You know, coming, you're not a season vet on the tour yet, but what is your impression of the players championship? I know it. You know, kind of people will do the fifth major debate every year when it comes around. Actually, it's been kind of quiet on that front this year. But what is like your, how do you view this week?

Is it any different than a normal tournament week or is it a bigger deal to you? You know, I don't want to downplay it. And a couple people have asked me like, what does the players mean to you? And I think it's, to me, it's one of the strongest fields for sure. Like, it's got everyone playing in it that everyone, you know, whoever can play in it, they're playing. But growing up, like watching the players, I thought it was always a cool event to watch because obviously you have 16, 17, 18, you know, always makes for an interesting finish. But I'm watching the four majors, you know, for me, it's like, you've got the US Open Masters British Open PGA, and like the players were just another event during the week that we were gonna go watch. And I think it's awesome what this event means

to everyone because this is our tournament. This is what everyone wants to win as well. But I'm out here as it's another week. Why not just go prep like it is. And let's just go play another four rounds a golf. Are you guys making the recommendation for the pairing? Are you guys getting it? I wish.

Is it, are you have fatigued it all yet of the grouping? No. I'm saying the grouping, you got Matt Wolf and Victor Hovlin. It seems like you guys are all attached at the hip. Whenever one of you gets mentioned, we have a running joke about it. You have to mention the other two guys. Is that wearing on you yet at all a little bit? No, and it's weird because normally when you group

like the spieth and Justin Thomas or whatever, there's that grouping of that class. I don't know what, I think it's like the high school class of 2011. Right. They're all the same age. Me, Matt, Victor, are all different age. Right. Like we're not the same age. We did not grow up in the same age. Me, Matt, Victor, all different age. Right. We're not the same age.

We did not grow up in the same class. Like if you just talked about my class, it's me. I don't even know who else is on me, Sam Burns. Mm-hmm. I think that's it. You know? So, but I know we're gonna be grouped forever. Like it's not tiring to hear it

because I love these two, I love the two other guys. And it's the first time we're going to be grouped forever. It's not tiring to hear it because I love the two other guys. It's the first time we're finally playing together. I've already played with Victor. I've played with each of them separately. I haven't played with all three. So it'll be really fun because I love both of them. I think we work really well. Yeah, you're not trying to help each other, but I think we

do help each other just being around each other when we play. Because there's that comfort level. Compare and contrast your guys' games. I mean, I know we've seen both swing and we know, we at least know a little bit about Hoveland and he's becoming more prevalent on the PGA tour, but how would you kind of compare and contrast your games? So I mean, I'd pick Wolf's driving because he hits the ball a mile. I mean, it's unbelievable how far he hits it.

And he hits it pretty straight. Like he hits it high and straight I mean it's unbelievable how far he hits it and he hits it pretty straight like he hits it high and straight and it's awesome to watch. I mean it's something that I think we all wish we had but we can't. Victor's interesting off the drive because he has that you know that double pump or whatever you want to call it. How often does he do that? When I played with him over the summer he did it quite often. But I don't know if he's been doing it. I haven't seen him play. So I don't know if he did it when he won in Puerto Rico. But it definitely goes farther. Has a little draw to it.

So Wolf's game hit it high, hit it far. That's kind of his thing. But I think he puts great. I think he's a great putter, solid around the greens. I think Victor is similar to my game. Like we hit it an average distance, whatever. We get it out there enough. Average you.

You hit like five iron from 230 and two. We hit it average. At three in. We gotta talk about that shot. Yeah, we will. But Victor, I think, I love I love Victor's putting that like the little longer putter. I might actually have to try that sometime soon because he's been in that forever and I think he rolls the ball really well. I don't know how many

putts he makes, but I think he rolls it really, really well. And then you know, my game is just a ball striking frickin. Yeah. Or like that's that's what I that's what I've always done and that's why you know four years in college was so big if I came out here with my ball striking even in college but my my chipping as a junior you guys would laugh at me because it would be a trotious like it it would be scary to watch but you know Yeah, and that's one thing I went into college, my freshman year, I knew I had to improve it. There was a couple guys on my team that had great short games, and I'd just do chipping competitions with them

every single day, and that's how to practice, watching them practice, watching them chip, and just trying to like not replicate them, but learn something off of that. Because I think everyone learns the best when you tell yourself how to do it. But for me, I love watching Matt play, I love watching Victor, I love watching

all these guys play whenever I'm out here. Because I can just kind of pick up something, not like how they're doing it, but just a feel, or just ask him how they feel it. And then see if I can translate that in my head. Because if I tell you how to hit the ball, you're not gonna hit to hit the ball, you're gonna, you're not gonna hit it exactly the same, but you gotta figure out that feel for you.

So you know, for our games, I think, yeah, I think we're all really good ball strikers. Matt, Victor, me, we're all really good ball strikers. Can we figure out this short game is gonna be the biggest thing? Because I think if we figure out our chipping, we figure out how to make a couple more puts. It's not like we got to make 15 more puts. How do we make three more puts, a tournament, that's three shots right there. Our games will just take off.

Well, it was Victor after Bermuda, which I'm sorry, after Puerto Rico that he won. I see close and says, I suck at chipping, I got exposed out there. That's right, Victor, it's crazy because I haven't known Victor as much as I did Matt. I mean, I knew Matt as a junior, we played a lot of high school golf together,

not a lot. He was a sophomore when I was a senior, but I got to see him a lot as a junior college. I didn't see him until my junior year. And Victor's a frickin' funny, dude. Like, he's really funny. He's got that sarcasm, like, I think I'd compare him closer to Max, because like, if you get to know Max,

he's hilarious. If you just see him walking around, like, I was like, oh, this guy's just a regular dude. Like, just walking around in some vans. I think, yeah, Victor's funny. He was a bad, after you had tournament was, he was like the favorite in one of the events last year. And I think he,

Max was? No, Victor was. Victor was. And somebody asked him about him in the press conference and he's like, yeah, I don't know about that. Stay off the weed. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, Victor, he's great.

He's great. And Matt just brings such a lively, young feeling. I mean, I'm the old one and I feel like the older one of the group, but Matt is just, he's such a kid still and he has to stay. I think he's got to stay that way because that's just who he is. That's what, yeah. I played with him a couple months ago, and in Jupiter, and he had just rap blaring with the biggest speaker from a cart I've ever seen.

And it was just, like, he's not even 21 yet, which we found out after the round. And I was like, oh my God, you're not even, you should be in college right now, it's wild. So, on the chipping thing, I want to ask, when you said you had to start to learn and how you addressed that, is it a technique thing? I mean, did your technique for chipping change or was it just literally just being around a chipping green hitting a bunch of shots?

It's just hitting a bunch of shots. It's, yeah, I had to work on a few technique things and figure out where my hands should be here and there, what path or whatever. But for the most part, I think our techniques are fine and they work. I know they work because we've been able to use them in tournaments and we've been perfectly fine. But it's having the mindset and that creativity of going to different shots and being able to hit different shot, different chip shots, different heights, different spins and just being comfortable wherever you are. That's

the thing about golf, you're never going to have that same shot, you know, the normal stuff. But in chipping, you know, you really, you're never going to be in that perfect flat lie where you practice chipping, where you have like five yards to carry, five yards to run out. That's never going to happen. You know, you're always going to be short-sighted. You're going to have a tough chip shot. And it's being creative, having those different shots when you go and practice like doing those things. So that's the biggest thing for me is just staying creative, throwing balls everywhere

around the practice screen and chipping green and just seeing how I can hit that shot. Well, let's go to the 3M there. I meant to go back and watch it, but take me to that 18th hole. What was the scenario for you? You were ahead in the group ahead of Wolf, is that right? No, we played the other group.

You were the same group, that's right. We were the final group. I mean, whatever start this was, this was like start three for him, five for me, final group. And I was actually two over through three holes and like, you got to make birdies out there. Yeah, I had to make birdies. I think we already lost lead before we even teed off. You just had to make birdies.

But going to 18, we're walking down 18, fairway. Matt and I both striped our tee shots, and we look at each other, and we're just smiling because like, we knew this is exactly what we wanted in our life. This is not going to be the last time it's going to happen. And let's go make something happen. So man, I little down Holi, I don't know how far I had. Like, two, 20, two, 10 or whatever. Drennel and Pumpkin, you know, I'm ready to hit the shot

and like, this is what I'm prepped for. So let's hit this great cut five iron. I mean, it couldn't have set up better. And I flushed it. Like I flushed the iron. And there's a little backstop. And I was kind of wishing it came down a little bit. But like, I had 25, 30 feet.

All I could ask for. And hit a great shot. And that's what you want to do. That's why you practice. Because you want to be in those positions to hit that shot and, you know, come away with it. And then, you know, we're on the green. Matt's out first hits his putt. I'm like, wow, this is good. You know, and I had to anticipate that he was going to make it.

I had to make my putt, no matter what. It's not like I was trying to lag my ego putt before he made it, but like after he made it, you know, I, there was only one shot just go in or we're walking home. And, you know, I hit a grade putt. I would hit that putt 10 out of 10 times the same way I had my caddy read it. Great green reader. And, you know, just kind of missed a little low. And that's going to happen. Right.

But to be in that, to be in that scenario, to be in that position, um, that's all I can ask for. Yeah, that sounds fun. I mean, how much, I guess had you experienced that kind of adrenaline factor with yardages before? I mean, at that level. Yeah, not, not much. You knew to dial back to five.

I mean, you had to and like, I think my caddy wanted me to hit six because we had a little downslope and like, I still could have cared but like for me what is that go-to shot? When you're under pressure, you gotta have that go-to shot. For me is that cut. You know, I could choke up on the five iron hit cut and that's what I did and that's my go-to shot. I'm not comfortable hitting just a full on six iron straight at the pin. I'd rather cut something in and like, that's why I practice it to have it in those scenarios. But like, you know, you go back even to 17 or 16, 16,

you know, 15, Matt and I both had birdie puts within three feet, tapens, 15, I made a bird, or 16, I made a birdie, and then you go to 17 and people like, tell me, oh man, your birdie pudge should have went in on 17, like like pretty much 360 down or whatever. I thought my putt was going like 10 feet past the hole. So I was happy. I was pretty happy for it to live out

and have a tap in because like, people thought it should have gone in. I thought it was missing for sure. It was just too firm. I thought it was too high, like, got the hole luckily. But that was just an awesome event to be part of. Well, I think in talking and hearing your mental approach to the game and the way you describe that scenario,

it makes my next question kind of feel kind of dumb with what it was the nerves like, because it doesn't, it seems like you're mentally prepared for that situation and it's not a fact, I'm sure nerves are a factor, but it's not like you were especially nervous in that scenario, is that accurate to say? Yeah, I mean, nerves are there,

but you have to channel your nerves and change it to, I wouldn't, not excitement, but just like, you know, you're ready to go out there and play and compete. You know, if you take those nerves and you use it as like nervous energy, you wanna call it, that's when you kind of just, yeah, things don't go well.

But you have to change that nervous energy to how to hit a good shot, how to, you know, what are we going to do? This is the shot I want to hit, how are we going to do it? And, you know, no, your adrenaline's going to be there, you're going to hit it a little farther, it's going to, yeah, balls going to fly if you hit it good. And you just have to think about all the things

you normally think about, not let other things come in. Don't skip your process of like, yeah, let's take one more extra practice swing or let's not take one more extra practice swing. Do what you do normally, even though thoughts and things might be running quicker in your head, think about that target, go out there, hit that shot and execute.

That's all you can do. I got a couple more things I want to get to. You did it when we were at the Barakuta, you did a Q&A with Jason Bone one night. What's it like, Sharnas Day's of deck? I didn't know what I was getting into. I can tell you. I got to watch myself with like, who I, who I go in. No, I love, I love getting to know these pros.

That was so much fun because like he He like lit up the room awesome dude no no filter and like it was just saying a bunch of things that I could just laugh at And like as a 22 year old back then like I was just like yeah I don't know what to say like I can't say anything no comment, but let this guy speak and Go free, but that's what I realized like know, people do love to figure out who you are. Because they only see us on the golf course. And that's what I've realized when I'm able to have lunch with these guys, have dinner, like we're all just normal dudes, you know, all of us are different.

We're just normal guys, just, you know, playing golf or live in, right? And Jason Bono is like an awesome guy to get to know well really funny guy and that's what I've realized a lot of these guys are pretty funny out here they all have a sense of humor and you want to find the best ones because like when you hear them and you hear the material like it's hilarious well part of golf part of being a professional golfer is entertaining I mean like a pro and that's you know people are gonna walk away from every pro you play in and people are gonna ask all what's, what's he like? What's he like? Golf is like the sport right feel. People care the most about people's personalities. I don't think people are like,

oh, what's it like to like what's LeBron like? Yeah. You know, I mean, it golfers are just so much more relatable in that terms. But so one of the things I was going to ask is, you know, when guys come on TV, usually like the broadcasters go to like two or three things, almost every time the guy comes on, what's something that people maybe don't know about you that, you know, wouldn't learn from watching on TV. I love food. I'm not on any diet. I eat everything you put in front of me. So like every week, I should actually start doing this. Like where I ask people what they recommend to eat because like my girlfriend and I, she travels with me. We like love going to the best restaurant. So it doesn't have to be the fanciest, but like give us the best food out there. And like, we're there. Like we love to eat. Talk to Joel Damon. Yeah. That's what I think that they love to eat. Yeah, and like that's I'm looking forward to Zerick this year I don't know when this will be posted tonight. So this will be posted tonight. Okay, so you know my partner for Zerick will be very fun

I don't know if you guys know I do like yeah, exactly. I'm not gonna say it, but it'll be released at some point maybe today But like the food over there is gonna be amazing. My dad has been over there before and like, he's literally spent like two days in a business conference and just eight. And like, that's what I love to do. I love to eat. I love playing basketball with my friends at home.

I still wish I skied because I love the mountains but I also love the ocean. I love like just being in the ocean. Can't surf, which I wish I could. But I have a bunch of family in Hawaii and one summer, I kind of go off track here. Two summers ago, my uncle took us to the west side of Wahuahu, which is where the locals go.

You don't go there as a tourist. And we just wanted to go swim at Dolphins. And you can go pay for that stuff, but we were just like, let's go drive early in the morning. So we woke up like before sunrise, drove out there, we just tried looking for some dolphins out there, saw some, and we just swam. We just swam way out in the ocean.

And like, that's what I loved in. I love adrenaline I think my agents hate like when I say I want to go skydiving You know you go to Torrey pines and you see those guys going oh yeah off the the hang gliders I want to do all the stuff. I love a Drenel and yeah, so that's a different adrenaline right have you done have you skydived? I haven't and I don't know who will let me but It's a train out there. It's safe. Well, right? Have you done, have you skydived before? I haven't, and I don't know who will let me, but. It's interesting.

It's safe. It's safe. Well, I did it once. Fine to me. I did it once, and I was, I thought, here's what I was picturing, you go up in the plane. Yeah. And they open a door, and then you jump out of it.

Our plane didn't have a door. I mean, we went up. It's wide open. We went up. It's 10,000 feet, and I wasn't strapped to the guy yet. So I was more nervous about that part than I was, and like I think it tell I was nervous in the instructor like nudge the pilot

and the pilot jerk the wheel a little bit. And I went to go grab for the reason. Where'd you do it? It was in Namibia. So that's probably part of the reason. Yeah, like you see those people like skydiving like Dubai or whatever, right? Yes, that looks awesome.

That looks, it was more enjoyable than I could have even imagined. That free, I don't even remember falling out of the plane, but that free fall. And then so like on the way down, the guy asks, do you want an adrenaline landing? Or do you want to just land smoothly? I was like adrenaline.

So we go through the clouds and he starts doing these 360s with the parachute and everything. And then like does like a vertical dip and then kind of saved it at the end. And I was, like my heart was in my throat. It was very real. The feeling was as soon as you landed, it was, let's go back up immediately.

I don't care what the price is, but like give me another ride. That's what I live for. I like for food and adrenaline. Apologies to your agents. That's what I live for right there. Before we lay you go, I want to ask about the Christmas card shoot because what was it like being in the room with it? Take us there.

All the people, how was it? I don't even know how you got all those people in the same room at the same time. It was like a 630 wake up call. We're all there eating breakfast. And they're like, OK, everyone go get changed. So we're all in our own rooms. And I see this onesie.

And it's like sitting there and like, you didn't know it was gonna be a onesie. No, no one knew. No one knew it was gonna happen. And I look at it and I'm like, this is an extra large, you guys have like a small. And they're like, no, sorry, we only have one size. And even like DJ and ROM were like swimming in it.

So like, think about me, I'm five and nine, small dude. And you know, me and Rory are just like, oh well, what are you gonna do? But it was awesome to see, because that was the first time I really got to interact with like DJ, with Tiger, I really got to spend some time with I already knew Rory a little bit,

I knew Rom, I knew Wolf obviously, and or Jason Day as well, and like what a cool experience to start the day with that. I mean, they were not breathable. We were sweating, and it was like 85 degrees in humid that day, so like guys were going through shirts, but like to be in that room, all of us in one z's taking pictures, it was awesome. Yeah. I mean, what more could you ask for in a situation like that?

Because like, those are guys I've watched growing up now. You know, and just, that's what I look at you and Wolf in that photo. And I'm like, that's got to be a wild experience. What are these little kids? Just like, they belong there. But like, those other guys have a lot of experience. Yeah. The only thing I had with that was like, we had some really weird postures,

like Jason Day and I, I think we're on our knees, like one knee up, like, no one does in my Christmas photo, like let us just be us and like, have ROM caring, me, Rory, and like, DJ picking up Wolf or something, like, that's what I think we should have done. But I think it came out great.

It was good. It was funny. What's your, is that you've been in all experience with Tiger? Have you had any other, have you played with him at all there? I've been fortunate enough to be under the same agency. I've met him a couple of times now. But I did play with him. I actually played with him the first two rounds.

Him and John Romney at Tory Pines. And what a special week that was because him being back in Tory. Crowds, they're awesome. And the first thing he gave, you know, he told me he gave me some, you know, crap about having a cow yardish book cover my back pocket right after I teed off. I mean, I hit my first drive, striped it. I think I was, I want to say I was like a yard past him. So I think he went first. But I'm not positive on that. We're gonna have to check, Sean Link. But like three steps down, he's giving me crap about

having a Go Bears Cali-Garge book cover because he wants Stanford. And like that made it so much easier because, yeah, I already met him, but I had played golf with him and that made it so much easier for the rest of the day and the next day as well because once again, we're all normal guys. Yeah, he lives in a different limelight spotlight

than all of us, but I just wanna have him as a friend and a person I can reach out to if I need anything. Cause yeah, gone through it all. That's a different tiger than a lot of guys that tell you that they know from him. Exactly, and that's why he was awesome. I think it helped him because he was a Thursday, Friday too. Yeah.

It was on a Sunday. I'm sure on a Sunday, him leading, he's not going to say a single word to me. Yeah. Have you heard the phenol story from the Masters? No. They hadn't chatted much. They're in the final group of Augusta this past year. Haven't chatted much.

I think it's like seventh hole. And phenol's like, hey, how are the kids? And he just looked at him and goes, they're good. Didn't say another word the rest of the round. Yeah. and he just looked at him and goes, they're good. Didn't say another word the rest of the round. We had definitely a lot more conversation than that, which is awesome to have. Well, on that note, I don't want to say you're in the masters

but you're 44th in the world right now. I know. Looking good. I'm going for like a couple of jinks for you. You're not going to allow me to do that. Oh my god. How much has that been on your radar? I know when we were talking about your temporary membership, you said I got to go out and play golf

and let it all sort out. Same approach to the masters I assume. Same thing. Obviously, at the beginning of this new season, so you go back to fall of 2019, and I mapped everything out. We looked at where we were in the world rankings. If I just play some decent golf, we're gonna get there. And yeah, we've slowly worked our way there.

I got into my first WGC in Mexico after RIV. Had a great stumble, five putt. Yes, I do five putt. Hopefully that is the last time in my professional career. That that'll happen. but that's Pella. Sure, we can blame it on that. But yeah, it's been on my mind. It's determined I want to be there.

I want to be there. And I've got this week, I'm going to play match play. So I've got a couple more weeks to play some good golf. Get myself solidified up there. But we are in a good position position and I want to be there. I know there's a lot of young guys. I saw something like this could be one of the bigger fields, um, just because so many guys have qualified for the masters this year, but it's a place I've never

been. It's obviously pretty special to be there. But I've got to worry about this week at the players. Um, if I start getting ahead of myself, right, you know, I still have to tell myself to, to worry about this week at the players. If I start getting ahead of myself, I still have to tell myself to worry about this week. And that's what I think I did a really good job of last summer. It's not getting ahead of myself. I got to keep doing that. And just look at these, they're all opportunities.

You got to take advantage of these opportunities. This is an opportunity to be here at the players. It's a pretty special week. And let's see if we can make something out of it because that's what you want to do. Right. Well, let's get you out of here before I jinx anything or make you look ahead any more than you already have. So Colin, thanks so much for joining Best of Luck this week at the players. And I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more from you in the future. Nice for him. He's really fun.

I'm going to be the right club today. Yeah. That's better than most. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most. Expect anything different. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner.

I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner.

I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner.

I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner.

I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner. I'm gonna be the winner.