No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 40: Justin Thomas

Episode Date: May 20, 2016

Winner of the 2015 CIMB Classic Justin Thomas returns to the podcast to talk about his recent T3 finish at the Players, his season so far, cross-handed putting, #SB2K16, Rickie, Spieth, and a lot more.... The post NLU Podcast, Episode 40: Justin Thomas appeared first on No Laying Up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm going to be the right club today. Yes! That is better than most. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the No-Ling Up Podcast. Two podcasts this week, special treat as we are joined for the second time. Justin Thomas, PGA Tour winner. I think it's almost exactly a year since we did our first podcast together last year.

Justin, how much has... What has changed the most in your life since we did our first podcast together last year, Justin, how much has changed the most in your life since we last spoke? Man, it's hard to believe as a year ago. I mean, I would say a lot has changed. It went by a lot fast, but obviously it's nice being able to hear you say a PGA Tour winner before my name instead of just a rookie on the PGA Tour. That's probably one of the biggest things, but yeah, it's been a fun run. Did it feel kind of ridiculous that even to me it kind of felt like I finally won at the age of 22?

Did you feel, I feel like even for yourself, you're like, I need to get this first win. Did you start feeling pressure to get a win? Yeah, I Kind of I don't know if it was as much pressure, but it was just like I was just anxious. I was ready. I was I Mean the media doesn't help anything when every single time you're a contention They're asking, you know, is this gonna are you finally gonna win? It's like you know, it, my first year on tour, it's not like I've had that many chances.

I understand I was fortunate enough to put myself in there to have a lot of chances. But yeah, I think, and I thought the same thing. I mean, after I won, I was like, oh, finally, you know, it's been hoping this was going to come for so long now. And then it's funny if I sit back and look at it it's like you know there's there's not very many people that have won Torvents younger than I was so I think when I think of it that way kind of

not so much calms me down but makes me feel a little better about it. Did you feel like after winning that the flood gates would open up and that that releasing that burden would open up to even better play? and that releasing that burden would open up to even better play? Yeah, I thought so. I would have loved for, I mean, I'm never gonna complain about winning. I would have loved for it to be, you know, something like this time of year as opposed to I'm one and then I had two more events and then I had a month

and a half off, you know, it's like, I couldn't really ride that momentum into much. It was tough and obviously a pretty poor start to this year, but I just felt, every time I've been in contention this year, I felt so comfortable and I just felt like I belong there. And I think that's just because of last year Malaysia. Yeah, I mean, I think when you hit the ball in the water on was it 14 on Sunday in Malaysia? Did you your response to that seemed like a turning of the corner, right? I mean you've had your close calls, you've had your tough Sundays, but that was you I think it was the next

was the part three, right? You almost hasted it and then you birdie 16 as well I think. I mean did that what was your reaction to that any different based on the experience you had to that point? I think it was a little bit, but I think the biggest thing for me is I was playing so good, and it was just, honestly, it was conical, because it was like I had total control of tournament, and I just hold out a bunker shot, I think, to go up. I think it was to go up one and had a wedge in my hand, which I feel like my wedge game is good. And I'm like, I got a great chance to go up to here and I have four birdie holes coming in and our three birdie holes and just absolutely laid the saw over it.

And the fairway, who in more playing ball in hand, it just was, I couldn't really imagine anything worse happening. But it was kind of good. I mean, it just laughed it off and, you know, I was like, I had total control of this tournament before this hole and I felt like I was playing so good to where if I, you know, kept hitting it well, I had four holes left to make four birdies and, you know, to do it on 15, 16, 17 or right after that double was pretty nice to give myself a little one-shot cushion coming up 18. I was prodding too for going going for 18 and two even though you didn't need to

I mean I never I'll allow it I'll make it go for the green make it three when by three but Yeah, it was it was never a question so you're coming off a third place finish of the players last weekend I mean your characterized as a bomber and players last weekend. I mean, your characterizes a bomber and sawgrass is not the biggest bomber's paradise. I wouldn't say. You finished typhoon 25th there last year, but had a final round 75. You were, were you in the final group last year on Sunday? I was, I think I was either in second to last, fifth or

last year. I mean, I was two back or something going on the Sunday. So there's clearly something about sawgrass that fits your eye. What is it? Yeah, I love it. That's my favorite course we play all year. Really? It's in that tournament condition. I'd say, yeah, it's such a great course. It's, you just have to be playing while it's really

the only way you can describe it. You have to work it both ways. There's, I feel like a lot of holes you have to work in one way off the tee and then work it another way into the green. You just have to be patient. But I think the thing I like the most about it is that you can really just make up so much ground. It's a place to where if you're not hitting it well, it's tough to shoot under par.

But if you're hitting it well, you're hitting the far ones. You can make a lot of birdies out there. You can. And it's fun to me going on a courses like that, you know, or if you're like I was last year, I made the cut by, you know, one or something like that and shoot seven under on Saturday and next thing, you know, I'm two back on in the Sunday. And I think courses that are made like that are fun. We don't get to do it too often, but it's enjoyable. Well, that being said with the fun conditions, what did you, without trying to fall into the

stereotypical PGA tour player of complaining about setup, what did you think about what happened on Saturday? I really did not think it was that bad. I didn't tell anybody I thought it was bad. It was difficult, obviously, it was very hard, but you don't get a 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", 5'1", a five under and a seven under if the course is unfair. I'm sorry, you just don't. I think I definitely think that it got a little probably a little bit more extreme than they would have liked or than it could have been, but you, I mean, just like I said before, if you're hitting a good and you're putting in the fairway on the greens, it was, you could score. I think the thing

that people were not really noticing is how windy it was. I mean, it was blowing 15 or 20. And that's, I mean, it's tough to put on greens that are rolling 11 when it's 15 or 20 on our wind let alone 13. So the wind, I think, is something that they weren't expecting to where they could probably wouldn't have gotten the greens like that. But it was, I mean, it's still pretty, just a great tournament and made for a little bit of excitement. So I was, I was okay with it. So you're telling me the greens weren't running or 16 or 17 or whatever I saw some places?

I mean, if you got them downhill the ball, it was, it was a little bit, a little bit kind of dom or extreme to where the ball just wouldn't stop rolling but I mean I had my best putting dance at a day. I probably gained three shots I think on the field putting I putt it really well but I just had my speed down so it was if you had that and you kept it on the right side of the hole where you were at least putting up hill because if you get above the hole and you miss the ball was going to go four or five six feet past. It was a little different but it was difficult. It was, you know, we don't have days like that very often and sometimes it's fun. Sometimes it isn't. Yeah, and part of that is, you know, the test that a golfer needs to go through as well.

So, I think it's a watch a lot of it, but I just was reading the reaction and it sounded really bad. It made me nervous for the US Open. And we'll talk about Okamon here in a little bit. But, It made me nervous for the US open and I will talk about Okman here in a little bit, but What is it you shot final round 65? I don't know how many people you leap frog on Sunday But is that the best way to finish third in a tournament like you weren't in you weren't not you're not saying you weren't in contention But you weren't thinking about winning I always not contention at all That's the funny thing about it is like

And not to ever bash on anybody else, but there's no, there's pretty much nobody worse when you finish and you're too back of the lead and have still feel like you have zero chance of winning. You know, it's like, you know, Jason Day, going to the back now in Sawgrass, is just not going to give up a two shot lead. And it's just just close enough to tease me and make me watch the rest of the day when in the back of my mind I knew that he wasn't gonna fall back and it just kept watching and making pots but um so that was one thing to where yeah I it ended up being what I thought and how I didn't have a chance to

win but it was I've been I've been I've been really close to playing well for about a month or so now and um and it was nice to kind of end those two weeks I just had right there on a really good round and a good finish and a great tournament. Yeah, I have a series of questions about a change you made and then it looks like a change you made back. And I want to be careful in how I ask it because I don't think fans or even media people really are in a position to critique player's decision making about changes they make in their game.

There's no way me sitting here, I can understand what feels good to you putting and can you criticize you for a change you make in your putting. But I was very, I guess, confused as the word I would say, that you switched to cross-handed putting after finishing T3 at the fries and winning the CIMB. I don't remember exactly when you made the change, but first question is what was the reasoning behind making that change? Well, the biggest thing for me is setup. I've always had to do a lot of manipulating in my setup when I'm conventional and I get

a little open and my stroke kind of gets when I'm not putting them all gets wiped and I went back and forth from cross-handed and not cross-handed through college so really wasn't a change that was uncomfortable for me. I mean I've practiced putting cross-handed to make to kind of get that square feeling so it's not like I was you know someone going from the belly putter to a standard putter you know it was a pretty easy change. And I put it really poorly the last two events on the fall and then taking time off, you know, you're not touching a club for a week, week and a half just because it's been playing so much golf.

And when I just got back playing again, I just made up, I was putting so bad and my stroke was just terrible and I couldn't, I couldn't get the ball online and I just had to do so much work to try to get the ball to start online or I couldn't repeat it. And I was just my dad and my putting coach Matt Killinger down here and we were working on stuff and it was just like, you know, it's so good. Cross handed like my stroke and everything. Why don't I just stick with that and work on that because it was a lot more comfortable.

So I went to that and I potted well and I just, I mean my good putting days were obviously good, but my bad putting days weren't very good in the past conventionally. So I felt like it was something if I practice cross-handed, I could get it down. And I just, it wasn't helping that it was, I wasn't hitting it as good either when I was doing it across

And it was just pretty much as bad all around so that wasn't making it look any better. Yeah, so I mean was the players your first event switching back to putting Conventional it was yeah because I couldn't put it into the ocean and Charlotte and I I was hitting it pretty good and I couldn't I mean I paid like two or three Burdies and 36 holes which for me is pretty absurd and Yeah, I just I went back to it because I felt like and Jimmy and I both kind of said it and my caddy and I Just started putting and it was rolling rolling better and I was hitting more solid pods And I think from being cross-hander for that long my setup was a lot better just from kind of being used to my elbows and my shoulders and those positions and And yeah, one of the better putting weeks I've had no one good all right

Well, I'm on board with the with you switching back I know that I it's a really good answer. I knew there was a lot more to it I mean I knew it was just curious because we basically I mean yet you played HSBC in China and put the Basically, I mean, you played the HSBC in China and put the Magladry, but we don't see you for like a month or a month and a half, and you just kind of assume that a player's game can roll right into the next year. So it was a curious change. I didn't know if there's something to dump things you read online, like Rory switching to the crosshand, you switching the crosshand, like, is it because of speed with some of the things that I was here? I know, it was pretty funny when people said that. I was like, if you got that too.

Oh, yeah. People would say that. I mean, obviously someone joking somewhere serious and it's like, look, if we didn't think it was gonna help us, we obviously wouldn't be doing it. All right, so back to the players. You finished T3. I think you got about $500,000 paycheck. What is, what's a celebration like on a Sunday night after I got a finish like that where you make that much money? It's different, but it's not asking, was it a wild party? I'm just saying, is there a great sense of accomplishment at the end of that day? Yeah it is it's it was just more sense of accomplishment for me to be playing along the tournament again because I've struggled in 2016 so to be back in contention or to be back with my name at the top of the leaderboard in a big event like that was more satisfying to me and

I've never really been wanting to look at the money I mean obviously it's there and I see at the end of the week what I make. And that's great. But I feel like over the course of a long career, I would like to think and hope that money's not really going to be an issue at all. And I'm just more worried about trying to rack up wins and major championships.

But it's just, it is nice. Especially when you haven't been playing well. And you get to hang out and celebrate a little bit. Some of your boys on a good week week so it was definitely a little bit satisfying for sure. Did you go out with the big gravy after that? The big gravy had to go back to Dallas. He had to go there and get ready for the bar in this week so unfortunately he was not

there. Random side question. How do you pay your caddy? How do I pay him? Yeah, like how does the money get to him? Is it just taking out of your bank account? It's just always curious about that. Yeah, I mean, everyone does it differently.

I mean, no right-of-check sometimes. You usually just try to check and just send it to him or give it to him, whichever one. OK, I don't know. I just never knew if a manager handled that or if it was a direct problem. Everyone's different. I mean, it really. Okay, I don't know. I just, I never knew if like a manager handled that or if it was like a direct- Never was a different. I mean, it really is like, it's everybody's different.

It's not just a water cast that you take out of your bag. Yeah, just pull out rubber band under the new tent. Yeah. So, what is I guess the fallout from the players? What means the most to you from it? It doesn't sound like it's the money that was gonna be like my first option though, but is it the money, the FedEx cup points, the confidence, the the world golf ranking points, rider cup points? Like what is what is your the strongest, the biggest

take away you have from the week? I would say just probably no offense, but nothing that you said. Just kidding my name up there again. I think I was, you know, I had those four or five weeks where I was in the Premier Parings and it felt pretty cool. And like anything, in this sport when you're not playing well, you get forgotten pretty easily and you kind of get not pushed aside, but you're just kind of another player. And not that the people I was playing with were, you know, not premier players, but, you know what I'm saying, it wasn't in those those TV pairings and around, you know, the best player world ranking was in tournaments.

And it was just nice to kind of get my name back out there again and show people that I felt like I was playing well, but not playing so much with the people, but myself as well. It's just nice to kind of know that all the hard work and everything I've been put in the last couple months and felt like I was getting close was there and definitely moving up in the world ranking and rider couples as well. I guess I was going to note how it seemed like you had taken the leap up into that upper echelon and you were in PJ tour live almost every week. I was getting sick of watching you play golf, to be honest.

You're on the TV so much, but I did it, did it, did that kind of have an effect on you and the way you played? Did you think that contributed to what you would call struggling at the start of the year? I don't think so, I think it was just my, maybe my lack of preparation or my, it just, in honestly, I just was playing bad, I mean, I wasn't, I didn't feel like I was doing much differently than I was a year before. I think I didn't put as much work in this offseason as I should have, and I think that kind of got me off to a little bit slower start but I was doing all the normal stuff I was doing the weeks before during the weeks and I just wasn't performing I was just playing poorly and I think that was more so than anything I would say that was it I mean out a couple weeks where my back and my shoulder were hurting me a little bit and I felt like that kind of set me back.

But I'm glad to kind of be back and everything's been really good the last couple months body feeling wise and been playing better. Yeah, I want you to be honest when I ask, how upset do you get when you think about the fact that you're third at the fries and your Malaysia win don't count at all towards Ryder cut points. It sucks, it really does.

It's, I mean, I understand that it is what it is. And I feel like, especially with kids, having such a good fall too, those guys know what we did. And I know both kids and I would like to not even have to worry about being upset that our points didn't count. I mean obviously it's a bummer but there's nothing we can do and I would like to hope and think that I could play well enough throughout the summer to work, it's not going to matter but yeah it is a bummer you know they're seasonal events and they're big events and for them to

not count is unfortunate but there's not a whole lot we can do and it is what it is I guess. Yeah, it's kind of crazy me like the 2015 Masters counts in rider cut points, but an event like six months later in the fall way closer to the event doesn't count at all. But I mean, I think it just really, the system really does not benefit the young guys in that it's specifically designed for the older guys right I mean not a lot of rookies get captain's picks in the rider cup but I don't have a list in front of me but it doesn't seem like a very common thing at all so so and it's not a lot of

that's play those events in the fall so it's just kind of almost like a protector of the vets that a protector of the of the ranking spots, the other guys that get in on the on the rankings. And it just makes it so much harder for a young guy like yourself or a burger or any anybody like that to really break through. But yeah. It's different, but at the same time, like, you know, like I was saying, if we if we do, we feel like we should during this this time of year then, and it shouldn't be an issue. And also, this guys know what we're doing.

There's captains and assistant captains. They've seen what we've done. And I honestly haven't looked at the point standing once this entire year, just because I'm not. I'm trying to just block it out and play my own game. And it seems like everyone gets wrapped up in it. But at the end of the day, the right team will be chosen, and hopefully we'll be doing one runner cup. Yeah, and that's what I've kind of, the only way I've come to peace with it is that,

I don't think the points will be what keeps you from the team, you know. Like if you're close enough on points, where the win would have put you over, I think you're at the top of the list for captain's pick consideration anyway, so So that that's my that's my only comfort for my I'm tight with Davis love so yeah, he's that's the inside. I've gotten so To be honest with you one I like I knew it didn't count for points

But it seemed like an afterthought. I was just like oh oh, he's gonna be on the Rader Cup team. I'm still confident you're gonna be, because especially after what we saw last weekend at players. But right after the players, you and some of your boys shot off to Oakmont. What is, once you're, I guess, initial reaction. I gotta say I'm a little concerned. I think every Snapchat I saw from your of your approach shots You were at least one fairway left of the hole that you were playing

Yes Well for some reason Ricky or Smiley never really decided to snapchat when I was in the fairway And yeah, you know, I was playing nice on that front nine and then we stopped and I had two hot dogs and a cookie And it really seemed to get to me and I had a little case of the left on the back nine. I will say. You mean hot dogs at the turn? You're like one of us. Yeah, well it was nice. We were playing an outing and it was, and we were all hungry so we literally sat down for 20 minutes and had lunch and I got up and it just took a little bit out of me. I got a couple comments on that. I was just getting those mud balls off the tee, the run, the switch in and it was unfortunate.

If Gary Player heard you say that you ate two hot dogs at the turn, he would choke you. But I guess so, what I saw in the snapchats, I looked like you guys are aiming four feet right at the cup on eight foot puts. Is that your first time playing Open-Up first of all? I played about five years ago. Is it like in close to US Open Shape at this point? It's good. It's not near as firm and fast as I would like. They got in rain before we got, but it could be interesting.

I mean, are the greens as treacherous as what I think they are? Like, I'm scared and I'm gonna watch it from like 5,000 miles away. It's how they're so hard, I really are. It's, um, it depends on how it's set up, but it could be a total, just total complete survival week. Um, but I, I can't imagine a setup where under par wins I really don't. But it's just, man, it's just a hard course.

It's a great US Open course. And it was funny. I played with Adam Scott on Sunday at the players, and we're just kind of talking. And he was saying last time the open was there I think it was 07 and he was like you know I didn't play it well. I was in the final group at FedEx. He played St. Jude the week before and he was playing really well and he he was in the final group going he was leading by 2 on Sunday and he didn't play well Sunday

at the end of the second but he was I mean so obviously he's playing really well as leading the tournament Because then the US open the next week and hit six greens and regulation in 36 holes six greens Six and I fell back. I started laughing. I was like I'm sorry like I'm not laughing at you I was like but I never heard of someone and it's as good as you do hitting six greens. He was like I just hit and they're off. I couldn't get to the green. He's it's just Is it it's fun? Is it a fun course? It took as a higher plan there's a lot of us opens that aren't very fun I think

but um it's yeah I mean you're gonna see some serious numbers put up out there I think I really do think and I don't I hope that I'm not one of the them. I can't wait. He's, yeah, it's a bear. Well, what kind of player do you think will succeed there? I mean, I see a lot of people that are clamoring for speed. They think that there's just a tough set-up set. It's not really well for him, but I mean, obviously the US Open's supposed to test the most well-rounded player, but what do you see being

the biggest key? Yeah, it's always fun in me too, and guys are like, oh, this place is perfect for speed, this place is perfect for Jason Day. It's like, well, and I would like to think the same about myself. It's like, well, if you look at their games, they kind of do it all well, and there's a reason they're top ranked in the world, it's because they're pretty good at everything, so when they're playing well, it's not like you can say any courses bad for them, you know. But I think it's going to be someone I think drives it well. You can't drive it poorly there that week and make fair many birdies. But at the same time, it's just going to be whoever scrambles the best it is. And you got to be making a lot of hard

puck, a lot of par say, is chipping, putting well. And I mean, it's, you know, what's your typical US open, you're just going to have to survive. And whoever survives the best is going to get it done. Yeah, I remember when we talked last time, I asked you if you had specific goals for 2015 and you said you did, you don't really, you know, say them out and you said you did, you don't really say them out loud just because the media can kind of run with that. So, at risk of asking something along those lines, do you have in mind what you think your ceiling is?

I want to know, when you're walking down the range, do you look at Jason Day hitting balls and are like, that guy is way more talented than me. Or do you think like that's going to be me in five years? No, I don't, I think I've gone through the first couple of months this year thinking like that, which is not like me and it's not what I should be like. I think I, I was out there playing thinking that I wasn't as good as everybody else and I just kind of spoke to how poorly I was playing and where I was out there playing thinking that I wasn't as good as everybody else and I just kind of spoke to how poorly I was playing and and where I was mentally, but yeah, I mean my feelings are about as high as anybody could imagine and I'm sure any top player in the world would have theirs.

And I mean, I feel like I can do some pretty special things over the course of my career in this game, but it's just a matter of managing it well and putting in the preparation each week and each year. I think if I just get better each year, which is, I know it's tough to say, and there's not many people that have played that can honestly say that, I think that I could make it pretty long run at this. Yeah, if you, I mean, if you work to bar like, I look at your game, I don't see any glaring weaknesses at all, but if you're looking, if you could steal any talent, like one like Jason Day's driver, Rory's driver, or a speed putter, if you could steal anything from one other player, what would you steal? I mean, you can't argue against whoever's gonna put the best.

You can't ever miss a cut. You can never really be out of contention if you're hitting it somewhat decent, if you're putting it the best. So it's a cut hard to argue. At least for someone like me, I think for someone, you take someone like Big Gravy, he's gonna take DJ's driving over anybody,

over anything because for him to be able to hit 9-9 into a hole is usually hitting five iron that's a pretty big advantage. So, but I mean if you're trading off like like overall game I asked Max home of the question and he said he would take Ricky's head and Ricky's ability to like bounce back from a bogey or just seem completely unfazed. This was this was right after I think right right before right after the Phoenix open, which he was and he was playing really well with time. But I thought that interesting answer to be really interesting. I mean, I'm sure there's a lot of mental aspect to it. But so you're saying like,

would it be Speed's putter or is there some like striker's putter? Yeah. Yeah. I'd say, I mean Ricky puts a grade, Jimmy Walker puts a grade, Speed's putter grade. I mean, Puts a great Jimmy Walker Puts a great speed Puts a great I mean that's I would I think I put a great but statistically they're all ahead of me so I'll say whoever's highest the last five years Okay, do you I don't remember faster this last year? Do you get into like the stats like Stroke's and all that stuff? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I look at it. It's pretty easy to know what you need to get better out about looking at it. Actually, I was looking at it this morning. Yeah. It's good. I think it's a very good information. I thought it interesting when I talked to Billy Horschl. He said he hates strokes game tea to green because it doesn't give him any information. I was quite confused by that because I think that gives you a ton of information about how

you're hitting it. Yeah. It's a blended stat and it kind of reflects a lot a lot of your game but I think it is very helpful but it's seen I have we I'm surprised it's not caught on more that I mean I think it almost seems like you're intentionally doing it to get away from the speed BFF thing But like are you are you and Ricky Fowler? Do you guys live together now? Like do you guys bump together or like what's that? What's going on? No, Rick's just I mean he's a really good buddy of mine and I think I just hang out with him more because he lives here. Yeah. We live so close to each other and you know, Golden Child's got a little different schedule. He's a big time. He's got to do all this stuff but now we all get along really well and it's uh, yeah,

become really really good buddies with Ricky the last year and he's been, um, he is, I love, I love how he goes about his game and how, how well he handles everything mentally, how well he handles the media, the fans, I mean, he's, how he's branded himself as arguably better than anybody that's ever played golf. I mean, I would say he's probably more recognized than Jordan and you know Jordan obviously has always accomplishments but it's just it's crazy how well he's done and handled everything but yeah we've we've had some pretty solid trips and some some good chillin time and You know we're gonna have some fun the rest of the year too. So I'd like to you like the woods, Jupiter, like four or five times a week or how often do you have? We haven't eaten there as much as we have really been home to often, but yeah, we're home during the off season or we're home at the start of the year. Yeah, we did there two, three, four times a week.

Back to Ricky, are we, I don't know how big his influence is on you, but we're not at risk of you going out there and joggers, are we? Uh, no, I don't think, uh, Pol will be making joggers anytime soon. I pretty can tackle how long my swag up will go. I mean, do you, what are your thoughts on the joggers? I've made it no secret. I'm not a fan of it. Like, do you like, do you rip him on it?

Like, how's that go? No, I don't mind him. I like, like, I mean, I, I like him off the course a lot more than on the course. I mean, I think they're, if you get a good pair of doggers, they're pretty comfortable, they're good, but it's just different. But it's Ricky. You know, he's, that's what he does. He's starting a new trend, and a lot of people love it. You know, a lot of people don't like it, but it's, it is what it is. It's definitely different. It's not something I ever saw coming. But I guess that's the point that we're at nowadays and golf is you have to make a statement in fashion.

What's the most, I mean your career is nothing that long to this point. What's the most regrettable thing you've worn? You look back, it could be in your junior days even too. Look back at that, what was I thinking with this? Hmm. Mm. Um. Like, are you a white belt guy? Do you ever rock the white belt? I don't know. No. Anti-white belt.

Yeah, I'm not a white belt guy. You'll get. I mean, I could wear it. I'm reminded of like white pants and a, and a, you know, a, a, whatever shirt, but I, I do not like white belts. I just feel like if you can wear a white belt just to own a brown belt and some brown shoes and it look a lot better. You take pride in the shoe game don't you? I do. I take a lot of pride

in it. It's noticed it's respected and it's a full salute from me on this side. Thank you. Thank you. I'm guessing that most people are going to be upset that we waited 30 minutes to start talking about SB2K 16. But I know that I've been just dying to hear about this trip, how it came about. But the first thing I want to ask was like, was it like a conscious decision before you guys left, or you're like, all right, we're going to snapchat this whole thing and everybody's gonna love it.

Were you guys aware of this? No, because I mean, Ricky and I both have had our snapchat public. He's had his longer and obviously there's a lot more people that follow it. But we kind of started and put a couple things out there and we're like, should we just put everything on there? And it was like, I don't know, we kind of like thought about it and we're like, I mean, I feel like people would enjoy this and I think it'd be, I don't know, it'd be fun for people that are outside.

I mean, it's the same reason they follow us on Snapchat already. They want to see what we're doing, you know, day to day and it's like this would be cool for people to get to see what we're doing on our spring break. So it just kind of happened and, yeah, it blew up to say the least we weren't. We didn't have that intention or didn't really think that it would do that. Well what was entertaining to me was the fact you guys went on vacation and it was completely not serious golf but you guys go on vacation and you still play golf. Like you love golf that much. Yeah, I mean Ricky and Smiley were playing the next week so they were

definitely playing still to I mean they're playing to get ready for that event as well but we Jordan and I were kind of we weren't probably as interested in the golf as they were. I think we it was actually pretty funny we played alternate shot every day because we're like we don't like Jordan and I were like we didn't really want to play that much like let's just play alternate shot that's like one one less shot. We have to hit every hole. At the end of it's fun. We obviously never play it. And it actually turned out to be pretty fun. Yeah, I mean, it was, I don't know.

I felt it was very popular. It was very, there weren't a lot of, there wasn't a lot of hate on it, which was kind of surprising considering the things that we hate on a golf. But did you experience any blowback from it? No, not at all. Not at all. considering the things that we hate on a golf but did you experience any blowback from it? Oh no, not at all. Not at all. I was very shocked by the amount of, I mean, I was first off shocked

that I didn't even blow up in the first place but I was very shocked but from the amount of positive feedback and I didn't really hear any negative stuff about it. To me, it opened up a whole new world of Snapchat. I'm not a big Snapchatter, I don't pay that much attention to it and it was like, all right, this thing has huge capabilities. Are you like all in on

snapchat at this point? Yeah, I am. It's a good, it's just another way and another kind of platform for people to see what I'm doing, to see what we're doing. And they like to see us just kind of skirter and dinner like to see us you know messing around on a plane like to see us just you know joking with each other I don't know it's there's something about it that other fans kids people like and so yeah it's not like we're doing anything differently we're just happening to get some of it on phone. I got I do meant to comment, I need to comment that, I don't know how much I'm buying that smiley and Ricky

were preparing to play the next week in barefoot and shirtless out there on the course for the record. But I see what you're going for. Well, actually, I know jokes spent probably an hour and a half on the range on what day was that. We left Saturday on Thursday. Probably spent like an hour to hour and a half on the range on what day was that we left Saturday on Thursday. Probably spent like an hour to hour and a half on the range. That does make for good snapchatting though. Yeah. I didn't have many balls. I just sat there.

Alright, so how long, how long has it been, I've missed that, okay. How long is it, I'm guessing it's always been this way and why haven't I caught wind of it or anyone really caught wind that how hilarious Smiley Coffin is. Yeah, I've known Smiley for a long time. We were talking about that. We've probably known each other since we were 13 or 14. Oh, I know before that maybe. I don't know, it's been a long time since before we could probably remember, but he's been,

I would say he's maybe a little bit quiet, you know growing up But he's I mean he's yeah, he's a steric. Oh, we've we've kind of created this like a little friendship of the four of us and we're obviously real close and Yeah, I mean he's a steric and I'm glad that everybody could see the true smile and cough and That we get to deal with and see weekend a week out. Well, Roar I saw Roar. He got the invite to who else missed out. Well, Roy, I saw Roy got the invite too. Who else missed out on this?

Who else got, did anybody else get the invite? Yeah, we invited Duff and he couldn't come and we invited Big Gravy and he couldn't come. And then GMAC just shows up? Yeah, he was gonna go anyway. Okay. And he had him and his wife were there and they showed up, I think, on Friday.

And yeah, I don't know how long we'd left Saturday. I think they were maybe there for another couple days. All right. Did you guys give Smiley a hard time about the Butler Cabin interview with Jim Nance? No, not at all. I think that, that, and itself, was good enough. I mean, I haven't even watched the thing.

It's entirety, honestly, but obviously, you're at about it. No, I haven't even watched the thing. It's entirety honestly, but obviously you're at about it. Now, we didn't need all too much. All right, so what, I think I've read, I think you may have been asked this since SB2K, but it sounds like that the masters was not even like a topic of conversation with speed. Was it just like, but naturally you didn't talk about it? Was it like a conscious thing? Like we're just not gonna bring it up. Was it just like, naturally you didn't talk about it? Was it like a conscious thing?

Like we're just not gonna bring it up. Was it kind of the point of the trip too? Was it just kind of take a break from all the stuff that was going on? No, I mean, we'd had the trip planned for probably two months in advance. Okay. And smiley, he decided to go probably,

I think it was actually like the week of the Masters, like the beginning of the week or maybe just the week before he kind of Decided that he was gonna go and I don't think he thought we were serious and then we're like no dude's here so that we're going so But no we yeah, it was just it was never really thought of to get brought up and obviously none of us would really bring it up but It was just none of us had ever had anything like that before to get together with our friends and to have a spring break to where we could just we could do whatever we wanted we could wake up we wanted we didn't have to go to the

course of practice we didn't want we could go fish if we want we could lay in bed all day if we want it didn't matter because it's because we just said never had a week or four or five days or we could do whatever we wanted. We felt like, so it was really nice and I think we would jokingly say stuff here there. Jordan would more so say stuff like if Smiley was hitting a shot at the master's he hit that was really good or something like that but it was never never a topic of conversation. Yeah, so like if you're, let's say you're playing a random practice round it could be with anyone. What are you like most likely to make a joke about? The answer could be none of these I think it probably will be but like Jordan on 12th Augusta fill about the Dean food stock price or what Tiger did a Congressional this week. What are you most likely to joke about?

A buddy of mine actually came up with that specifically. I did not think you would answer that one, but I figured it would be worth it. I almost did, too. You always got me to answer that. I can't honestly, like, seriously answer that question. But it seems like with speed, and not to do too much speed stuff, but it seems like with him that his attitude after that happening seems relatively like kind of like, yeah, I mean, it happened. It's not the end of the world. Whereas the Gulf media seems to want to just sulk about it and make a huge story about it when he's kind of just like, I mean, yeah, it happened and I'm going to move on to the next tournament. Yeah, for sure. And I think something that's so forgotten is the fact that he buried 13 and 15.

Like that was, I honestly still believe that if he makes that plan on 16, he wins a tournament. I really do think so. Um, it's just, it's so, it's so hard and he just, I mean it wasn't a good shot on 12. Obviously, he obviously shouldn't be hinting there. If he had it over, it's so many things couldy's what and it's like he was right there and it's to an extent kind of like what happened to me Malaysia it's like he I control the tournament he was playing so good he just put a behind him made some birdies he stole a chance and it's a shame that it has to be blown up as much as it was but it's the Masters and it's the media and it's it is what it is but I know he's gonna be just fine and he's probably gonna keep playing in tournaments. Yeah, and then, I mean, you say,

Bertie 13-15 and the shot he hit on 16 into that green was, I mean, that was a moment. That really was. I mean, this was looking like one of the most amazing bounce backs in, like, honestly, probably in sports history. And I would have bet anything that he was gonna make that putt. I mean he just he can't that you just can't make every single putt. He did make so many putts throughout the week but this was this was your first mast. I'm right and saying that right. He didn't play as an answer right. Okay first masters what you were very going into it and saying how great the course set up for you. Did you, you made the cut,

did you consider the week and overall success for you? No. No, definitely not. Okay. I didn't, I, I felt it was a little bit in the, I felt like it was maybe a little bit in the harder way. I mean, there's always a way that's easier than the other and it wasn't anything substantial, but it was not if I felt like to wear it.

It just kind of, you know, I just, it was just some little things like that. I felt like I definitely was playing well enough or I knew the place well enough to be in contention or at least be top 10. It was just one of those weeks where everything went wrong. I just got to bad breaks. I mean I had probably the most comical slash crazy thing I've ever seen happen on a golf course to me on a putt on 7 on Saturday. And it's just like little stuff like that to where it just it just wasn't my week. What happened on 7? I don't think I saw this. Yeah,

it I looked for I played with kids on Saturday. We were both looking for it and we couldn't find a video of it. That was the day the win was just hailing. It was really hard day and the new is going to be a hard day. A new even power is going to be a great score and it was going to move me up and have a chance for a good finish. And let's see, I was... I want to say... maybe one over, two over, three, six and I'll play an okay just kind of getting it around and hit a good drive on step, a pin or just right in the front on seven. Hit a good drive at a good stand wedge, just a little too deep and had about 30 feet down the hill but your puttin straight into the wind.

So it's one of the fastest putts in the course that's turned into not so fast because you're putting in a 25-month-old win. So hit the putt, kind of get a little bit of a win, gust, and it comes up about six feet short. So, and it comes up right. So I have this putt that usually would break about two cups, probably a cup and a half to two cups to the right. And it's just you got to diet down there.

Again, putt in the end of the win. As soon as I hit this putt, the wind completely switches to down and off my right shoulder. I miss the hole by a foot and a half or two feet in it rolls to the front right edge of the green 40 feet away. Oh my God. I looked at kids and kids is laughing and like my caddy, I'm laughing, my caddy's just shaking his head. Kids was like, that is the most screwed up thing I've ever seen on a golf course in my entire life.

I've never seen anything like it. I'm sure you used the word screwed up too. Yeah, for sure. For anybody that knows kids. Yeah. Did you, I think we're far enough away that we can joke about this. Did you, were you starting to think

that you were going to be having a Sunday match with Jeff Knox at one point on Saturday? I did. I was jokingly saying that it's so much funnier with Joe Cal. Whenever we play, we're like, you know, looking forward to seeing you during the masters, but hope I don't play with you. I was like, I was actually pretty close to playing with my friends. I mean, I know you've played there a bunch. Did you, but did you feel like you learned anything new, especially about the masters or about the course from actually playing in tournament conditions? Yeah, you want something every week and there's just holes where you can't really, really cannot hit it above the hole just because you simply can't make a bug. You can't make a par, you're going to make a bug. You're worse. I mean, I think every year I play, I'm going to get more and more comfortable

when I'm already really excited to go back there. I mean, that's a place like the players where you hate to say something like this, but I really feel like at some point in my career, I'll have a really good chance to win that tournament a couple times. So I'm excited to get back there next year. I mean, do you think there's something to the fact that basically first-timers don't really ever win at the masters? Is it really something that you think... I mean, everyone talks about, and the saying is that you don't read the greens at a gust that you remember them.

Like, is there a lot of truth to that? Or is that just something contrived by the media? Yeah, there's some truth, for sure. But I thought I had a veteran, caddy and Jimmy, he's probably caddy there more than anywhere else, and I don't have him a lot for that, but then to the day it was just like I said, I wasn't really getting the things to go for me and I wasn't executing and wasn't making the punch, just wasn't really making enough birdies or playing well enough to be in contention, didn't really have a whole lot to do with being a

first-timer, it was just not playing long off. Yeah. So have you added any new tour sauce moves to your repertoire? Or what's your go to, like what's your, do you have one that you're repinently, and you have a good deal? I've been club twirling nicely, yeah, I will say. Yeah, the video you sent me that, you can pull that one're rep in lately and you have a good club twirl and nicely? Yeah, the video you sent me that you can pull that one off in tournament just a club flip that was I'll catch a vine of that one that's for that's for sure. Yeah Probably won't do that one in tournament Let's get a little bit of a bashing for that

That's it often a move for me in a good money game So is that is that fully added to the repertoire now? Are you a hardcore club tourler? Because I mean, when Rory gets it going, man, that guy can't be. Rory's up. He's top three all-time club twirlers. Okay. I want to hear this top. I want to hear you're like, that's a your top five club twirlers. I mean, Tiger in his prime is tough to be. He's got the pimps step and the club twirl on some of his. But I mean, Rory, you want to know what it is. Actually, the number one, this, so my age of G event that I hadn't talked to you this year, I went home for it.

I was there. I was on the range just kind of talking to some of the guys. Like, there's a couple kids from high school there. I don't remember this kid's name but I watch this kid hit balls and he was just flushing these I don't know what he was hit and he was club twirling everything on the range and I was like man look at that tour it's everywhere the sauce is everywhere I'm telling you this I'm telling you what is like what would you say is your

the Sosius torque moment you've ever had? Oof. That's on the spot. I don't know. I mean, it's tough, it's just so situational. You know, it's, I don't know. know i mean i feel like i've had some pretty pretty arrogant walking the puts in that but if i am in a five-flag greener my body's in come down where i think it should i'm gonna make it pretty verbal or do some sort of action to where i want everybody to know that

that i'm gonna have a good show the yardage book check, have you ever pulled that one out? Oh, yeah, I did that a lot at the beginning of this year because my ball was coming down around. What is going on here? And if there may all throw the wind up, I'll look it up at the trees as a very useful one for me.

Oh, I love it, I love it. Yeah, a bunch of that. What is, would you say is the Olympics on your radar for the current year? I would say it's online, but I don't think I'm really on it. Yeah, no, it does. But I mean, I, I'm just trying to get the general idea of there seems to be a lot of apathy towards the Olympics, whether it's the virus, whether it's the, you know, the cram schedule in the current year. Well, okay, this is like a Tom Rinaldi question, but like, what would it mean to you to play

in the Olympics? So is that, does that resonate with you? I mean, people have not grown up with the Olympics, so I just don't know how much guys like you desire to play in it. I think, I don't think I have a firm enough grasp on it yet. I think it's partially because I've never seen one played for golf. I've never really been eligible for one. Like now that these last couple of years that I have been eligible for a presence cup and rider cup,

it's like such a big deal when like, yeah, it was a big deal in the past when I was in college in high school, but it's not near as big of a deal as it is now. And I have a very realistic chance of playing for this team. And I think maybe in following years when I'm not saying I can't make the team this year, but I would need, you know, it's a pretty special things to happen, which I believe can, but it's, you know, percentages, I would say, are not on my side, which it is what it is. But I think, I don't know if that has something to do with it, but it would just be, it would be a huge deal.

But I think the fact that I'm not as close as to qualifying has something to do with it. Yeah, honestly, I feel like a couple more dominoes could fall as far as people dropping out before it's like a mass exit. Let's say you run into it, you win the memorial or something like that and you're eighth in the standings and the four guys drop out. It absolutely can happen. I'm just, I feel like, I don't know, I feel like when the event starts, there's a lot of reasons why people would want to skip, I think. The virus, especially if you're married, if you want to start a family, like the virus is a very real thing. Like the Harvard, I don't know, the Harvard Health Organization, whatever I wrote, a very scathing article saying

that the event should be canceled, et cetera. I do understand that, but I feel like for the guys that are just skipping because of their lack of interest in it, when that's opening ceremony start and when they're giving out medals, just the fact, this is like the, this is, I'm not a big fan of like needing to grow the game

or golf becoming a world phenomenon, but you're literally performing in front of the entire world. People tune into the Olympics just to watch archery or anything. This is the biggest stage golf we'll ever be on. I think that's a big deal. I'm not that excited to watch it, but I'm just surprised by the apparent apathy on tour towards it. Yeah, it's different and I think I totally agree that I mean it would just be, it'd be probably uncomfortable to be able to have a gold medal and to be at that opening ceremony.

It's one of those things like you said once you're there, once you're experiencing it, it'll, I think you would get the attention of guys that said no more than they think they would. I would be honored to you know to have that opportunity to go. I just you know obviously I got a lot to take care of before that. All right if I if I have $20 I have to place a bet on you one tournament the rest of the year to win, which tournament am I betting on you? Just pick one of the ones I'm playing in the rest of the year. Anyone, you have the same amount of chance

to win any of them. Mm-hmm. All right, I'm gonna pick the memorial and when you win that, we will go celebrate. You're still buying, even though I'm just gonna make a bunch of money off of it. You're still buying. Sounds like, yeah, I was gonna say,

you're the one that just put 20 bucks on it. Well, after, I think it was before you even won Malaysia, I do have a FedEx cup bet on you at 60 to one. I'm just saying, really, yeah. Oh my gosh, I'm nervous now. If you don't win, you're gonna have to refund that 10 bucks to me, is that deal? Yeah.

I'm just kidding. I gotta make ends meet over here, man. I'm ballin' on a budget, all right? That's a pretty solid bet for you. It's like, oh by the way, if I don't win, I'm gonna need that back. It's only fair, right? That's only fair.

It would be your fault if you don't win the FedEx Cup, right? So it's only fair. Okay. Thank you so much. All right man, I've taken up enough of your time. Appreciate you coming back. By the time we do this next year, you'll hopefully be a

I said okay, this is how I signed off last year. I said you'll be a PGA Tour winner by the time next time we talk. So I'll say you'll be a major champion by the time we talk next year. Can you throw a multi before that? Multi major champion by the time by the time we talk. If we're gonna go ahead and do it, let's just go and do a big thing. Let's go for it. No way not. not. Alright man, best of luck. I will see you in a couple weeks with Memorial. That was good brother, appreciate it. Take it easy man.

Be the right club, be the right club today. Yes! That is better than most. How about it? That is better than most. Better than most That is better than most Better than most