No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 400: Kamaiu Johnson

Episode Date: February 10, 2021

Kamaiu Johnson joins the pod to update us on his recovery from a COVID-19 diagnosis that caused him to miss his PGA Tour debut at Torrey Pines. Fortunately, Kamaiu has received a sponsor's exemption to this week's tournament at Pebble Beach and we discuss his first exposure to the game of golf, the golf community's efforts to improve its racial diversity and much more. Best of luck to Kamaiu this week at Pebble! 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. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the No Laying Up podcast. Sully here. Got a great interview coming with Kamayu Johnson. You may have heard his name in recent weeks.

He was slated to teet it up on a sponsor's exemption at the farmers' insurance. Unfortunately, contracted COVID. that week of the tournament, which was heartbreaking, and his mom ended up contracting COVID as well, ended up in the hospital. He gives us an update on how she's doing. We recorded this about eight days ago as this comes out. So he is teeing it up this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach.

He is also a sponsor's exemption into the Honda Classic in the coming weeks. I won't spoil too much of a story. He's going to tell you a lot of it and it's a guy that I know one is going to have any trouble, you know, rooting for this guy in the coming weeks. And something a story to follow as the next few weeks unfold. I want to give a shout out to our friends at Wine Access for sponsoring today's episode. They've set up wineaccess.com slash NLU, which gives users 15% off their first three purchases on the website. Wine Access makes it easy for people to discover and enjoy the world's best wine through curation,

content, perfect providence, and satisfaction guarantee. It's right there in the name. So Wine Access is your direct line to wines that are typically reserved for industry insiders, Michelin Star restaurants. The best wines in the world are made in limited quantities and finding them is the hard part and that's what wine access does for you. The barrier usually isn't price on these objects, it's access. So they've got a new wine of the month concept as well, a program that we're pumped to be doing within this year.

This month's wine is the radio silence. It's a 2018 Cabernet from the Napa Valley, which of course has ties to this week's event in Monterey. The wine access team also has deep ties to the Napa Valley. And if you're more interested on the Trap Drop Podcast, the boys are going to be doing a little deeper dive into the wine of the month. So again, wineaccess.com slash NLU for 15% off your first three purchases. Wineaccess.com slash NLU. Let's get to our interview with Kamayu Johnson.

All right. So I don't feel too bad. I can keep you pretty much as long as I want because I know you're kind of stuck in quarantine. How are you? How are you spending your time in quarantine? Oh, man. Just for Stan Busy, I've actually, Chris is keeping me busy. He's got some stuff, some interviews and Zoom calls lined up for me. So that's actually keeping me real busy, which is good. I'm not just sitting around the hotel and watching TV or something like that. I'm actually Stan Busy and talking to people, which is what I love to do. So I don't wish COVID happened, but I could definitely be in worse places quarantined

and for sure. Well, we got a lot to unpack, but I think first, I want you to hopefully give us an update on how your mom is doing. You tweeted out that she was head of the hospital, and I understand she's doing better, but could you give the listeners an update on that front? Yeah, man. Yeah, she actually just texted me about an hour ago saying she was getting her stuff ready to leave the hospital. So that's a, that's really good, really good to know. And just glad she's okay and not, you know, healthy, but good to know and just glad she's okay and and not you know healthy But you know just glad she's feeling a lot better. Well, what a amazing roller coaster of the last couple weeks

You know for you with so much anticipation. I'm sure you found out I think in October of last year that you're going to be Playing in the farmers insurance open ton of anticipation, you know not just from from the golf world and I'm sure for you as well, finding out you're testing positive for COVID the week of the tournament. What was that kind of roller coaster of emotions like? We're gonna get into how we all got there, but what's the last you know, week or so been like? It's been absolutely described as a roller coaster. It's actually been crazy, man. I mean, from the time I was forced to withdraw from a tournament Tuesday to calling Chris for an hour crying, calling Jamf for an hour crying, which is absolutely devastating. And then from Friday, from Thursday to Friday on, it's absolutely been incredible. You know, my mom's getting better, you know,

it's stuff like that. So everything's leading the right direction. You know, got the exemption, got the call from from Ken about the exemption at Honda and the car from Steve about the exemption at Pebble and then the Cornfair exemption. It's just, you know, it's just been incredible. I mean, club core have actually reached out to me. You know, they want me to be an ambassador for, you know, a program that they're starting with, you know, black kids and their communities with memberships at their clubs. And they want, it's been incredible, man. It's been incredible how many people have reached out to me in the support and the prayers

and just everything has transpired in the past week. It's been amazing, honestly. I was gonna say, I know it had to be heartbreaking, but with all the good that has come out of it, you mentioned those exemptions and everything. Is it, you know, I don't want to say is, are you, are you for the better because this happened? But I guess it's that a fair question. Do you feel that way?

I mean, I, you know, I am. I'm definitely, you know, everything happens for a reason. And, and it's just God. It's not, then it's like bigger plans. It's just, you know, you know, I, I still could have got a chance to play on PJ tour, but, you know, just the way my story has just resonated and touched so many people. It's just been incredible. It's been life-changing, I mean, you know, it's touching, you know, CEOs of companies.

It's just amazing to see. I mean, it's honestly, I couldn't imagine it, you know, ever, ever being like this, but it's, you know, it's been a blessing in the skies. I can't tell you how much it's changed. Well, I gotta say I love the video of, you know, I figure if it's a PGA tour that put that together or whatnot, but your reaction when you get the exemption into the farmers, and I kind of want to know, you finish it with like, all right, like time to get to work. So it's easy to see the emotion

and kind of understand the emotion that comes with something like that. But what's your reaction from a competitive golf standpoint? As soon as you know, you're gonna be on display for the world to see on the PGA tour. You know, what was your mindset like or what was your reaction from a competitive golf standpoint? Yeah, I mean, it's, you know,

first of all, it's feeling like you belong got here on the PJ tour, first of all. And, you know, I feel like I belong. And, and second of all, it's, you to feel like you belong, you have to put the work in and golf, you can't go out there and lie to yourself and fake it because you get in what you put out in this game. It just gave me some motivation to work even harder than I was working, you know, and, and, and just giving, giving the shot on the PJ

Tourists like once in a lifetime. So you want to be, you don't want to get out to the course and thinking about stuff you didn't do or you want to just tackle the whole game and just have no second thoughts of the golf game when you're, you know, team it up on Thursday on the PJ Tour. Yeah, you know what, not thinking about it. It might not be the worst thing in the world if your first tour event is not it, you know, 7,700 yards, thick ankle deep rough, like Tori Pines. So the Pebble.

Yeah, absolutely. Those courses, you know, that's what I'm getting at, is you're gonna be, like that is a tough, tough, tough scenario to like make a debut in, you know, an event with that many great players in the field and all the, that attention on it. I'm wondering if you feel, you know, just the fact that many great players in the field and all the that that that attention on and I'm wondering if you feel you know just the fact that you almost had this kind of false false start on your first start if that kind

of maybe will ease the pressure going into playing AT&T. Yeah yeah absolutely. So I mean I had an interview the home Friday and the guy asked me you know you know how's the weather out there and I was like I had told them you know I would rather be in here than out there. That's for sure. So, you know, tending up at Torrey, you know, 7,700, the weather was terrible, it was cold. You know, maybe, you know, that's not what was planned out to be, but I mean, I, it's, you know, I would definitely have loved to tee it up for sure. Any time you get a chance to feel up in a PGA tour event and to represent, you know, the company that you're an ambassador for.

It's incredible as well. So, you know, we kind of touched on a couple things already, you know, and I don't know where or how long this story takes for you to tell in your mind or where it starts, but the Golf World is starting to hear your story of how you got here and how you are going to be teeing it up in PGA tour events. And, you know, I've read a lot about it. I'm sure a lot lot of people have but For some of our listeners is the first time here in their story. So where does it start and how do you how did you end up in golf and how did you get here? Yeah, yeah, so when I was 13 years old my grandmother actually moved on to a golf course called Highland and golf course in Tallahassee, Florida and at the time I was a baseball player we had my team had Just one the dizzy Dean World Series in 2006. I was, you know, really good baseball player,

played, you know, played Cooper's Town, played, you know, played everything. Just travel balls on top travel ball teams. And, you know, I thought I was gonna be in the play on the MLB one day because that's what I was, you know, on track to do at that time. At 14, I went through a, like a tough time, tough, tough. I wasn't quite 14, I was like 13, going on 14.

My grandmother had moved on to a golf course. I had just dropped out of school. I was depressed. Had no reason to live. My mom and I wasn't getting along. Just a terrible time. My dad wasn't there. My brother was getting an intention.

And it was just, it wasn't a good time for me. My grandmother was lived on the Harlem and golf course and the fourth hole and I was outside swinging my stick one day because I always sat on my balcony and just watching the golfers go by but, you know, never had access to the golf course. And one day I literally just went down the stairs and picked up a stick and was swinging it. And Jan Arger, who was playing with, you know, her friends that day, she drove the car over and said, what are you doing? I heard, and I said, just hanging out, just minding my business. And she said, well, I got something better for you to do. So she sent me to the range with a bucket of nine iron

and a bucket of balls. And she said, you can sit here and hit some range while if you want. And I went upstairs and next my grandmother and my grandmother said, yeah, that was fine. So I walked about 700 yards to the clubhouse and just kept coming back, kept coming back. And Jan Argers said, you know, but I'll try to do a dollar a day to play golf. And that was how I had access to the golf course.

I had already dropped out of school. I literally practiced golf from the sun up to sundown. And I, you know, got better, got better, played, you know, these small junior tournaments around town. I noticed my game progressing and volunteered at the golf course where Brooks, Kevgen, Daniel Burger played and Chase Seaford played as well. And gradually got better. Just started hanging around people who were way better than me.

And that's what kind of motivated me to get better. And then, you know, I moved to New York, Cady the New York to fund my golf career in the Metro Policy and Section, up there, one of the best sections in the world to play in. And then, Cady every day, and then qualified for the US Publix. Last year they had, I think it was in 2013, 2014, somewhere around there.

And just gradually got better. And I had so many village, so many people helping me to just get to the next level or give me money here, money there, when ancient fishing funds happen, people were just handing me 200 hours here, passing a half around a cigar lounge and stuff like that, just really helping me to just stay afloat. And then I caught the eye of the CEO of farmers

and I became a ambassador for them last year. And then the CEO of Cambridge came along and helped me as well. And I actually moved to Orlando before all of this, moved to Orlando and slept on couches and never had my own place in Orlando, but just literally just stayed afloat. And I'm here today just a crazy, crazy story.

But I mean, I wouldn't change it. It's been amazing, honestly. You know, this all comes back to me for opportunity, the word you use there, you know, the Jan Ogger kind of given you the opportunity and access to a golf course, you know, to fund, or not even fund, to really just get you on a path to playing enough golf and competitive golf

that ultimately leads you to, you know, being a professional golfer. And it's something that is a topic of discussion and I'm wondering kind of how you view the opportunities that are available for someone who's in your shoes at the ages of 13 and 14, you know, let's pretend Jan Ogger doesn't walk, you know, into your life.

Do you feel like you have opportunity in the game of golf? And I think it's something that, you know, a lot of people that are in golf, it's not a secret, you know, they come from, you know, great backgrounds and you know, backgrounds that provided them opportunities. I'm one of those people as well. And I think it takes a lot of hearing a story like this to really fully grasp what people mean by opportunities

not being available for people that are in similar shoes to you. Is that, do you see what I'm kind of getting at here? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean, I don't know where I would be if Jan Argonen woke up to me and give me the opportunity that she gave because I didn't have access. I mean, and even at Highland,

the Highland's a municipal golf course, and I mean, around there every day is 30 bucks, 35 bucks. I mean, that's the daily rate there, and that's, we're talking about a municipal golf course. So there's the access that kids that come from in my community, we just don't have. We, you know, I was very fortunate and blessed to me to lay like Jan Ogre.

And if it wasn't for her, and if it wasn't for her and if it wasn't for golf and it wasn't for the golfing community in Tallahassee and the access that I had to the golf course and to meeting these amazing people that came into my life and mentor me, then I honestly don't know where I would be honestly. I've always wanted to be great and wanted to be someone and stuff like that, but you's just, you know, just, you got to have the opportunities to do that.

How would you describe the way that golf is viewed in the African-American community and a separate question from that after years and years of experience in the golf community, how would you describe what it's like? And is that different than how it would typically be described in the African-American community? I mean, being, I think I've been playing golf for almost 14 years now.

And when I was playing, when I was just starting to play golf, or just starting to get serious around 16, 17, you know, people I used to ask me and then black community, like, you know, come on, what do you do? Like, I play golf. Like, you play golf. Like, what do you mean you play golf? Like, like nobody don't play golf. And like, and then you, people find you play golf. Man, this man playing golf. Man, what are you serious? Like stuff, just stuff like that. Like, you know, it's just because we don't know.

I mean, you know, my, my own family, you know, they just thought I was really going out to play. Like they didn't know I was taking golf at series. Even up to time I was, you know, 23, 24, 25, well, you know, a just thought I was literally going out to play like they didn't know I was taking golf at series even up to time I was you know 23 24 25. Well, I was you know, a pretty really good player getting notoriety in the metropolitan section qualifying for the the am and everything and you know, my own family, which is like you just going out there to play golf like this. It ain't serious, you know what I'm saying? So it's just they don't they don't know. It's because they just never had access. It's always been like, you know, if they did have access It was just because they were working there or something, you know, and it's up until I would literally say I mean up until this year I mean the golf the golf industry was just that. I mean it was just a white man sport and it's just it was a rich sport We didn't we didn't know that we can play golf. We didn't no one told us we can play golf and I was just

So lucky and blessed that my grandmother just even moved on to a golf course. And I was able to play golf. It's just that just doesn't happen in my community. And it's just, and up until this year and all the initiatives that the golf in the world has taken the PGA tours, taken such a great initiative, $100 million

towards charities. And the PGA of America with the PGA works and everything they're doing in the first-T program. But literally, it's because like we start these programs in the first-T and programs like that, but it's bigger than starting the program. It's literally like taking the kids and literally shawnt, because most of these kids need tough love and literally just making these kids show on them tough love and because that's what Jan did for me. She showed me tough love and that's when our relationship went to the next level and that's when my life went till the next level. And it's not only creating these programs, but actually putting hands on these programs

and investing in these programs and investing in these kids' lives and not just showing up to the program just to look good, but literally taking these kids and investing in these kids' lives, not just showing up to the program, just to look good, but literally taking these kids and showing them stuff they don't get to see at home. Like I was seeing nothing at home, the last used to see at the golf course and stuff like that. It just opened my eyes for so much. I mean, I'm from one of the poorest towns in Florida, Madison County. I mean, you know, it literally took me from Madison County and the inter-city in Tallahassee just, and it just opened my eyes to the world,

and I just saw the world so much different when I started playing golf. And that's what the game allows you to do. A quick break here to check in with our friends at Original Penguin, you know them as the sponsor of season five of Taurus Sauce at the Carolinas. I get a lot of questions on, you know, whatever I post on Instagram,

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Originalpangwin.com, use promo code NOU20 at checkout for 20% off your order. Let's get back to come by you. People can conflate opportunity in the game of golf. It doesn't have to end with a career in professional golf. You know, there's, yeah, go ahead, take it from there then. What do you see it? What can people gain and gather from the game of golf, you know, just all they need is this opportunity, right? Yeah, absolutely. I'm not gonna say all they need. There's a lot of things that are needed here,

but one of them being an opportunity, and what can you, what can the game of golf give you, even if it's not a career in it? Yeah, I mean, listen, you can become a lawyer. I mean, just anything, literally, I mean, everyone plays golf, that's anybody. First of all. It's connections.

That's connections, and you don't have to be on the PGA tour to play golf. Like the APGA tour, it's bigger than getting guys to the PGA tour. It's getting guys into the golf industry period. Like Doug Smith, with executive at TrueSpec, Clay Myers just became the PGA certified. And they used to play on the advocates tour and can Bentley provide those opportunities for them to become that. You know, it's and they used to play on the advocates to it and and and can Bentley provided those those Opportunities for them to be to become that and when me when can Bentley refers you? I mean, it's it's coming highly recommended

So it's literally, you know, it's getting us in the golf industry. Yes We want to get guys on the PJ tour But we also want to get guys in the industry as well because when kids from our community see guys And and they see guys that look like them, it just goes as show as like, man, I can really do that as well. That's, I can do that. Why can I do that? If he can do it, why can I do it? And I think that the golf and industry is definitely moving in that direction. And it's, I mean, it's amazing to see in my lifetime what this game's going to look like in an over the next 10, 20 years. It's going to absolutely

be incredible, hopefully. Now, that answers my next question, which is whether or not you see progress in the opportunities that are presented for minorities in the game. And I wanna contrasting this with what has gone on in our country in the last eight months or so, at least following the death of, should I say, the murder of George Floyd, it has opened up this conversation again about race

in America. And it has honestly taught me a lot. And I did not think I needed to learn. Okay, I hope that makes sense. I felt like very, very comfortable with where I stood on racial issues and everything. And, you know, the conversation that was started and, you know, emphasize at that point made me reflect on a lot of other things and see things very differently in all aspects of life, not just in golf.

And I'm wondering if you even see from that moment on or those conversations that came up as a result, you know, that I remember being the most strong in June of last year, do you see that haven't even more of an impact on the game of golf specifically? I think so. I really do. I mean, with the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, I mean, we America was at home. I mean, they they they were on their couch as they saw that firsthand, not that it hasn't always been going on.

But to see somebody get murdered on your national television by someone that's supposed to be protecting us. I mean, if that doesn't open your eyes and you you just your eyes will never be open. And I think that the golf industry is taking a hold of that as well. It's like, you know, we need to give these kids opportunities. They deserve opportunities just like anybody else. I mean, you know, it's just, but it's amazing to see. I mean, I think it's, I think it's definitely changing in the golf world. I think it definitely had a very, very huge impact on the golf and industry with the way Cam Champ handled it. I mean, I think he handled it amazing.

I think that's what you do. You educate people. You don't push it on people. You educate them and just to see. And that's why it's just so important for myself to just carry myself well and speak well. Because it gives kids to chance to see. It's just like, man, I can to just carry myself well and speak well because it gives kids, you know, to chance to see, it's just like, man, I can do the same thing he's doing.

Like, I can get in the golf industry. I don't have to make it to the PGA tour, but I can make a change. And I think that the golf industry is definitely headed in the right direction. It's just, it's good to see. Yeah. And my oldest thing with golf is always, you know, for anyone, it's like, this is a game for life. Football is is a game for life. Football is not a game for life.

Absolutely. Do not have many 45, 50-year-old people of any race playing football recreationally anymore, but golf, you can do that. And so it's just just getting clubs in people's hands and providing opportunities is something that, you know, I think the golf world is on the right path. It just seems to be taking quite quite a considerable period of time. But let's back up a little bit and let's talk about the APGA, uh, how you got involved with it. What it what it's mission is, how you end up playing on that tour.

And I want to hear, uh, basically everything you got to say about it. Well, first of all, the initiative is to get more brain more diversity to the game of golf. And and obviously we know you and I for sure know that, you know, that's what the golf industry needs. It needs more brown faces on the PJ tour in the golf industry period. So the APJ tour literally just give us a platform to showcase our talents. And you know, if it wasn't for the PJ tour, you know, I wouldn't, you know, I wouldn't, I wouldn't have became a, you know, farmer's brand ambassador, anything like that. I wouldn't have met Jeff Daly's CEO. I wouldn't have a chance to play farmer's brand ambassador, anything like that. I wouldn't have met Jeff Daly to see you.

I wouldn't have a chance to play TORP has or anything like that. Last year when we came here and and and when the tour championship on the APJ tour and get a, you know, exemption into the farmers insurance open. So what it, what that tour does is it, it, it, it, it's for us to showcase our talents. I mean, and I got started Planet tour three years ago You know, I had just met Willie Mack and Clay Myers and all those guys they were in Orlando and you know They told me about the APJ tour and I showed up at Rogers Park I'm a municipal golf course in Tampa where it has a lot of history as well with you know the black guys gambling and

Making their own games and stuff like that. So to go from you know municipal golf courses to to plan championships style golf courses that we get we're planned we went from playing three APJ was Was founded in ten years ago. They had three events and it goes from playing three events to thirteen events in 11 years and You know we're playing Valhalla. We're playing 5 pj tour tracks I mean, it's just amazing to see what Kim Bentley has done for the APJ tour and I mean the whole APJ staff You know, you know Adrian steals Michael Cooper Cole Smith, you know, whatever we need

So like if it's like for instance, you know a couple years ago when I was struggling really really bad And I couldn't even afford to get to an APJ Tour event, those guys provided me to get there, and they pay for my entry fee. You don't see tournament directors doing that anywhere. That just doesn't happen. So they really want us to see that succeed, and they're doing whatever it takes for that.

And I can't commend those guys. They have regular jobs as well, and they still take time to to grow the game and they weren't really want to see, you know, us in the golf industry and that's, it's just amazing to see. So I'm not as familiar with the APJs, I probably should be and, you know, in learning about it the last couple of weeks or, you know, trying to expand my understanding of it. So I guess that I'm not the only person that was what, you know, learned about it and you there's an interview with the winner of the event in San Diego this past week was landed lions. I couldn't help noticing it was white. It's our it's stuck out to be with that happen

But you know I was talking with Chris Rimer who's our kind of liaison that we worked to arrange this interview And you had great perspective on that so kind of it's not a tour that's limited only to minorities I'm one of you got to speak to what the what the you know the competitive landscape you know the diversity looks like on the APGA. Yeah yeah I mean the APGA is not trying to do what golf did to minorities and and people of color back in the day. That's not what that tour is. It's not to keep lending our great friends. Lannan's been playing the tour since, you know, day one, not, you know, six, seven years. He's been there from day one. I mean, at the end of the

day, it's, it's literally playing better. I mean, you can't look at someone and say, you know, you play, you, you're, you're, you're not supposed to be here because you're white. But I mean, the AP Day tour is for minority golfers and black golfers to showcase their talents. And I enjoyed seeing Landon win. Landon's been a good friend of mine. And I think that the APJ tour really loved to see Landon win. It was, I didn't hear anything about criticism or anything.

But it's just, I mean, it's golf at the end of the day. And it's all about playing well. And if you want to win, you play well. You play better. Yeah, I don't think I even saw criticism in relation to it. I was just, it was more of a, it helped me understand a lot more about what the landscape was like out there.

And I was curious if minorities were seeing, like, hey, this is a cynical view of it, but hey, you guys have all these other opportunities in so many other places and we don't, why are you competing out here with us, but that was definitely not the case. Yeah, yeah, just hoping to get your respect. I mean, of course, you know, you want to see, it's a tour to create more diversity. So you want to see, you know, more of minorities and people of color out there, but you don't,

you know, you can't exclude people out. I mean, it's a tour for to create diversity, but at the same time, I mean, like I said, the APJ tour has 60 memberships, and most of those are filled by African-Americans, which, and that's good to see. I mean, you haven't always seen that. So that's just a good thing to look at. They have 60 memberships, and I think 52 or three of those are filled with African-American

golfers. And so, you know, that's, you know, that's really good for the tour. And I think it's really good for the golf and industry and the game of golf. Well, let's hear some details about, you know, some of the, uh, the success you've had out there. And I'm going to, this is always the hardest part. So I was trying to ask people to brag on themselves. And they're not very good. You know, they get pretty bashful. But there's some trophies that have been lifted and, you know, kind of who are the, who are your, I don't want to say rivals out there, but some of the people you're competing with, you know, are some of the top players on the APJ tour

and kind of talk about some of the success you've had out there. Yeah, I mean, I think I had, the thing I had had seven top five finishes last year, I think I didn't finish outside of top five and want to win or something like that. So how to pretty good year on the APJ tour or top six or something like that. But I mean if you're beating Willie Mack and you're beating Tim O'Neill and you're beating Landon Lions and Brad out of Monis and Kevin Hall, you're doing a really good job. I mean those guys can flat out play. So it's what's fun about it is you know how we how we have you know the the APJ Tour Championship every year.

So everybody's trying to pick for the AP. Everybody's trying to have a consistent year leading up to that. Because if you're in the top five of that going to the year, you have a definitely chance to win the Money List and getting Lexus just partner with. I mean, they haven't. They've been a long time partner, but Tim O'Neill gets a one-year lease on a Lexus if he wanted to, he wanted a Tour Championship last year.ill gets a one year lease on a Lexus if he wants to he won a tour championship last year, so he got a one year lease on a Lexus. So it's just fun that competitive and you know, we can we can play for something out there and see the same

guys we can and we get out we got trying to do the same thing. It's just fun. It's fun. It's real fun to see. Yeah. One of the hurdles, you know, huge hurdles in, you know, getting people into the game of golf is, you know, we kind of touched on a little bit this earlier, but equipment. And that's not just access to golf courses, but equipment and it's expensive. It's expensive to replace golf balls. How do you go about getting your equipment? And from what I understand, it has been a, that has recently changed, but for the most part, it's been part, equipment has not been readily available to you until somewhat very recently. I wonder if you could talk about that process. Yeah, I mean, I used to literally guess, you know, just play something until it feels good.

I was getting clubs off the rack and wasn't really, couldn't afford it. I mean, literally couldn't afford golf clubs. I mean, all leading up into this year, I recently got Tiles, which is amazing. I've always wanted to be a, you know, a Tiles player. I love everything about the company, the way it looks, the classic look. I mean, it's just everything I've ever wanted. So it's just amazing to see stuff like that happening. But yeah, before then, I was buying clubs off the rack and never been fitted until this year. So I mean, it's just that expensive. You just can't really afford it. I mean, it's one thing

playing golf tournaments, but having to buy equipment and everything as well as just a whole complete game changer. From a sponsorship standpoint, how much is that a game changer in terms of, an unknown, I guess, an unemphasized part of professional golf journey is just, being able to make a schedule, right, and not living week to week in terms of what you're gonna be playing in, what you can afford to travel to,

what you can be doing, how has that changed for you, kind of with some of the sponsorships that you've had in the last year? So what does that do in terms of? How does that help you compete on the golf course, I should say? Well, just being able to know what you're going to play in. And yeah, just being able to have everything

scheduled, you know, flights, hotel, you know, nor you're like, I've been to tournaments and played the practice round, not having an entry fee. You know, so just being able to know you're going to play a full-scarage or know you can play whenever you want, honestly. Notice that you can, like, you know, just even if the tournament is not only your schedule is like, I mean, I feel like playing a day like tournaments in Orlando where I'm at. It's like, I feel like playing a day.

So going out and playing and going out and play one day of events, you know, just stuff that could play, say, competitive and travel and stuff like that's important because I think, you know, that's how I get into rhythm and tournaments and start to play great is when I'm playing a lot weekend and week out. And I think that's just, you know, having sponsors like farmers and

Cambridge and club core, but it's just going to allow me to be able to just make a full schedule, play as much as I want whenever I want wherever I want. And that just goes a long way in the game of golf. I mean, you have to be competitive weekend just make a full schedule, play as much as I want, whenever I want, wherever I want, and that just goes a long way in the game of golf. I mean, you have to be competitive if we can and we can. Guys, I keep going back to this opportunity word that seems to, you know, kind of permeate

through every corner of this conversation as we continue to have it. I have a quote from you. I forget where I got this from, but it says, you know, they're really good players on the APJ tour that if they got more opportunities, they could play on the PGA tour. People don't understand how much it takes to get through Q-School and everything. It's a lot of money. So what did, when you say people don't understand, I, I, I'm getting a sense of what that's like, but I'm probably, I'm sure I still don't even fully understand what those costs look

like. So I'm wondering if you could kind of, you know, when you say people don't understand that, what do you, what do you mean? I mean, well, I mean, just starting at something, let's say Canadian Q-school. Okay, Canadians' Q-school is $2,500, not including travel. You know, and then if you qualify, you know, that's $40,000, you got, you're going to need to travel around Canada for that summer. And then, you know, let's say we're talking about, for a very Q-school, I mean, that's $6,000 if you make it past pre-qualifying.

It's another $7,000, a travel from first stage all the way to the finals. I mean, it's just, it's really expensive. You know, I remember coming up living in Orlando and my friends used to be like, my, you got the game, go to QSchool. Like, dude, I can't afford to go to QSchool. I'm just trying to play many to events to stay afloat.

It's expensive, man. It's literally opportunities. And I think that if the PGA tour and other companies just really give us the opportunity to showcase our talents, I guarantee you to see more of us out here. But at the end of the day, when they do give us these opportunities, we need to be prepared and ready for to play on these golf courses and to play at the highest level. We need to be prepared and we need to show them that we can do it. And that's just to go to show you back to the APJ tour. It's just being able to play courses like Valhalla, the PJ tour courses, TPC Summall, and stuff like that. That goes to show you what the APJ tour is trying to prepare us for, because they know if we get these opportunities that

we need to be ready and to go when the opportunities present themselves. Let's play a hypothetical game. Let's go fast forward a year from now. Where would you have to be in your career that you would say? Like, I'm very pleased with the path I'm on. I'm not saying you have to be your final destination a year from now, but you finished the sentence. If I am blank at this point next year, I'm gonna be pretty satisfied. What's your answer to that?

I mean, if I'm on the PGA tour this year, I'll be really satisfied. I mean, I don't like to look at the destination. I wanna look at the journey and everything. I just wanna become literally the best me I can be on and off the golf course. And if I can do that, I know I can get to the PGA tour. And whether that happens a year from now,

a two years from now, or this year, or whenever, I want to see myself on a PGA tour. That's the end goal. Because I think if I can get on the PGA tour and kids can see me on the PGA tour, that could just change the game of golf so much. And I think that just, you know, it could just put an exclamation mark to my story and just really, really, you know, change lives and change the game of golf. So I think, you know, I want to see myself on the PJ

tour and I know that I have so many supporters that want to see the same thing as well. Were there any, was there anyone that, you know, you mentioned there just kids seeing you out on the PJ tour? Was there anyone you saw on TV, you know, I saw out there in golf that, you know, you mentioned there just kids seeing you out on the PGA tour. Was there anyone you saw on TV, you know, I saw out there in golf that, you know, that gave you kind of the encouragement. I mean, the easy answer there would, I think, be tiger, but how much did that have an effect on you? I mean, I coming up, I mean, you know, I didn't start playing golf until, you know, old, like, old six, old, like, old seven.

So I've never seen Tiger be Tiger. I've just had people in my life that was always better than me. And they weren't necessarily black golfers, but I've never been motivated by the skin color. I've been motivated by somebody that I saw and wanted to be great just like them. I mean, I've had guys in my hometown like legends

that nobody has ever heard of, like, you know, guys that shoot 59, that, you know, black guys that used to gamble and stuff like that, back in Tallahassee. But, you know, I just wanted to be the best. I'm not honest, I just wanted to continue to be great and continue to surround myself with people that work great, and that's what motivated me

to get to this point in my life. So what's your, if people that haven't seen you play, myself included, what's your game like? Are you a bomber, you're fader, you drawer, a great putter? And what do you need to, you know, what's the next frontier? What do you need to improve upon really to take your game to the next level? Yeah, I mean, I'm a pretty straight driver.

I mean, I, I mean, if I really pipe one, you know, it's 310, 315, I can get it out there 330, something like that. But that's just not my, if I really pipe one, you know, it's 310, 315, I can get it out there 330, something like that. But that's just not my, I, it's not my consistent, you know, move at it. You know, I hit it, you know, 310 down the middle, a little left to right fade on the average. I know I'm averaging 300, 305, something like that. And, you know, if, in order to get my game to the next level, I just need to keep improving on my iron game and my inside of 100 yards and just improve on the short game. You can always improve on the short game and the wedges and the putter.

But just continue to get better around that because I drive it straight. You won't ever see me, not ever. But not often that my ball's offline or hit it out of bounds or something like that. It's usually a little left to right fade right down the middle. My coach always say is, you know, he always say 80% of the tour draws it, 20% of the tour wins. So that is a failure's eat for

ladies, man. Exactly. So that goes a long way in my golf game. And that's what, you know, that's my motto. And, you know, if I can continue to just get better with my high game and my wages, I'll be definitely a player on the PJ tour, for sure. I've been amazed at, I've gotten, I've been fortunate to play with a lot of people in recent years that are a lot, a lot, a lot better than me. And I'm amazed at how many different ways there are to do it in terms of different ways to learn what they're better at than you are.

What kind of experience have you had in that? Who have you played with? It is just, you know, you immediately are like, well, that person's better than me and I need to do it exactly like that. I think you need to see it up close and personal and really fully grasp that looks like I'm wondering what experiences you've had like that.

I mean, I saw it early, like 18, 19 years old I saw it. I saw Brooks Kevgut, I saw Chase Seifert, I saw Daniel Bergen, I was like, damn, I need to get better. I was like, if I continue to play like I'm playing and these guys continue to play like they were being the PGA tour and I was not. So it was just stuff like that. It was seeing those guys, you know, go out like I remember, one of the last times I played

with Brooks Kevke, when he was a winner on a challenge tour. We used to work with Harold Van De Laugh. He was a psychologist for the Florida State Women's and Men's golf team. And we went out and played five holes at Dom Villa Seminoe golf course. And I think Brooks made five in a row. And I would me just like, OK, I need to get better. So I just really picked, kept his brain.

I mean, I was like, you know, I went up, I was talking to him and we were talking around I was like, dude, what do you need to improve on the going to PJ tour to be a good player on the PJ tour? And he said, man, if I can improve my short game and if I can improve my iron game I will be one of the top players on the PJ tour and let's just say I think he did improve his whole golf game Which was amazing to see his progress when he was a college player to now, and even Daniel Burger and Chase Seafress, where all those guys were on the PJ tour and it was just fun to see their journey

and how they got there. Yeah, it's always interesting to me how, it's so much, I hate to generalize it with consistency, but it's how infrequent those the mistakes are that these guys make. Absolutely. It's not about how good your good shots are. It's how good your average shots are.

Does that make sense? Absolutely. No, it's about your misses. This is a game of misses for sure. If you can miss it good, you're going to play good. I struggle so much with understanding how at the top top level you almost approach this limit right of how how good people can be at golf and how you consistently outperform so many other people that are also great at it.

You know what I mean? I can see because there's so many such a volume of people, you know, in professional golf that have talent to, you know, be as good as other players, but getting to the point where you're consistently beating all the other ones is like the part that I just still can't wrap my head around. I don't know if I have a question related that or if you have any perspective on that. I mean, yeah, just to be good consistently for, I mean, and that's the thing about people I don't I don't think people should be comparing anybody to Tiger. Oh, never. I mean, you know, in the golfing world, you get, sometimes we get so caught up in it, you know, a kid playing good for, you know, a year or this Tiger played good for so long. To win weekend and week out on the PJ tour nowadays, that's just, you're just not going

to do it. I mean, the talent is so good. I hear anybody can win weekend and week out. And it's just, it's so competitive, but that's the good just not going to do it. I mean, the talent is so good. I hear anybody can win weekend and week out. And it's just, it's so competitive, but that's the good thing about it. That is it. It's such a competitive and you're

doing so many things to be great to win weekend and week out. I mean, even what Dustin Johnson is doing, I mean, it's amazing. He's won what every year. He's been on tour. I think he's won twice every year,

something like that. It's just crazy. It's, I mean, it's hard to win and to do it consistently. It's, I mean, it's unheard of these days. Have you talked with Willie Mack about his experience at the farmers, who he was giving the exemption in your spot? What's that conversation been like?

Yeah, yeah. Willie and I talk often, actually. He actually just went over to play Ram yesterday to get ready for the Genesis. Yeah, he just said, if he could have drove it better, I mean, his iron game was, he said it was pretty good. He said he just drove it trash. And William's a good driver of the golf ball, actually.

And to see him here and say that was, you know, a bit surprising, but, you know, William's gonna do great things, man. He's, let me tell you, I played with him in the golf tournament before we came over here. And just to see the way he ballstrike the ball that last day, I mean, shot seven under the last round. And just to see the way he ballstrike the ball that last day, I mean, shot seven under the last round. And just to see the way he ballstrike the golf course

was good to see and it was fun to watch. And so he's gonna do great things, man. It's just, like I said, it's just opportunities, man. It's just us getting opportunities to showcase our talents like exemptions and stuff like that. I think we're deserving of them, I mean, you're not just putting us out here just for the PJ tour

and sponsors to look good. You know, we got to play well at the end of the day. And I think we're very, very capable of that. We just need the opportunities to present themselves. And I think for sure, you'll see more guys on the PJ tour. Yeah, that's, you know, we make this point a lot, but there's many tour guys out there all over the country, all over the world that can step up

and top 10 in a PGA Tour event in a good way. They're good, is that good? Yeah. It's just, you know, obviously there's a million different things to deal with when it comes to competing on the PGA Tour, but you know, that, that, like getting, the journey to getting there is so freaking difficult that, you know,

it is just about having the opportunities and seizing the opportunities. I mean, you that was extremely well said there. Everyone has this confidence, right? I mean, you know, you could you could tee it up with four PGA tour players tomorrow and you could be the low man in the group like easily. It's not it's not even that's not even far fetched, you know. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. And I think, you know, a lot of people like to say, you know, it's harder to get out here and stay out here, and I truly believe that.

There's been guys out here for 10 years that you never even heard of, you know? So it's just, it's about the opportunity of getting out here. And I think that we can get out here, we can definitely stay out here. And I think that'll change the golf world and it changed the way you know my community sees golf for sure. It'll just be an amazing to see in my lifetime.

I'm excited, I'm glad I'm one of the good players that can have a chance to make them a PJ tour because I love that and I love that for my community. I love that for the golf world and I think that it's going to happen here soon. If I may say you know when I was in high school, listen, I got made fun of for being on the golf team too. So that's right. Right. Exactly. Golf was not cool all around.

No, let's just say that. Yeah. So all right, what, you know, you have the 2PJ tour events coming up. Let's say you get, I don't know what, what, what you have in the works or whatever, but you get the, you know, hypothetical, you just seek some people out for some practice rounds. Who, who would you want to seek out? Who do you have relationships the works or whatever, but you get the hypothetical, you just seek some people out for some practice rounds.

Who would you wanna seek out? Who do you have relationships with out there? Or who are people you're dying to pick their brain for a few holes at these places? Oh man. I know there's gonna be a million of them, but I mean, if you have leads or anything. I mean, I would love to pick JT's wedge game.

I would love to play with Cameron Chan, I would love to play with Tony Fina. I would love to play with Cameron Chan, I would love to play with Tony Fina. I would love to play with, I like, like I said, if I can get my wedge game better and JT's struggle with his wedge game when he first came out on the PJ tour. Now he's one of the best, most,

I mean, it's so, I got video saved on my phone with JT, you know, wedge game and my buddy Keith Green and I talk about it all the time, is like, man, that kid, wedge game is amazing. And I would love to pick his brain about like what he went about, you know, getting his wedge game better. Well, I'll tell you, just to answer that one specifically, there's a great podcast he did, the Earn Your Edge podcast.

And he talks about how he does track man stuff with his wedges. And it honestly kind of messed my wedge game up a little bit because he started talking about stuff I'd never even thought of in terms of, you know, cut spin on a lob wedge versus draw spin on the 56 and how he gets in the 72 yards instead of 75 yards and all that stuff. And it will probably make a lot more sense

at your level than it did to me, but it was just kind of fascinating on getting on there to get spin rates and stuff like that and how he thinks about it. It's a great insight into what it takes to compete at that level. Yeah, I mean, and I think if I can just, you know, hang around him or just practice around him, I think that'll go a long way in my golf game for sure. Awesome, man. Well, hey, we're going to let you go.

Or if you want, I mean, if you need to keep going just to help pass the time We're happy to do that too, but I think we really really appreciate your insight. We're you know, we're stoked to see You know your PGA tour career here start here in next couple months and we'll be following it closely I know the listeners will greatly appreciate you sharing your story and We'll definitely be we'll all be rooting for you here in the coming months and coming years Hey, man. Thanks for having me. Thanks for support. And I just want to say thanks for the support I'm getting from everybody and the prize for my mom and family. You know, my family really appreciated it. And thanks for having me guys. Absolutely enjoy it.

Thank you. It's getting right close. Be the right club today. That's better than most. How about in? That is better than most. Better than most. you