No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 566: Jamie Weir of Sky Sports + KVV from London

Episode Date: June 13, 2022

For the first time we welcome Jamie Weir of Sky Sports to help recap the madness of this crazy week in golf as we cover the LIV event in London, the fireworks in Canada as Rory wins over JT and Tony Finau, the upcoming tug of war between LIV and the PGA Tour, plus your questions and a look at the Scandinavian Mixed event and the Curtis Cup.  Then, we check in with Kevin Van Valkenburg (56:45) who was in London for the LIV event at the Centurion Club. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800- GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888- 532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NJ/ NY/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customers only. Min. $25 deposit required. Eligibility restrictions apply and product offerings vary by state. See http://draftkings.com/sportsbook for details. 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-Lang-A podcast. Sully here, got a little bit of a different episode for you. We were actually hosting an event this past weekend in Grand Rapids with our friends at the Friday.

It was a fantastic event. Thank you to the mines for having us out and for everyone that traveled from all over the country and all over the country and all over the world, even had some guys from Australia come in for the event. It was a blast. Turned out not to be a great week to be away from all the electronic devices that

are required to follow golf these days, but we made it work. All the other guys are traveling. I managed to catch up today on this Sunday with Kevin Van Volkenberg before he left London. He was over there covering the live event. We did that early on Sunday morning, so prior to any of the PGA tour golf that happens, you're going to hear that interview on the back half of this episode.

And then we scheduled to speak with Jamie Weir of Sky Sports. He's a journalist with them, covers golf, covers. He's covered the whole live thing for quite some time and as an interesting perspective. We brought him in to react to today's golf Lynn Grant on the Ladies European tour slash GP World Tour the winning the mix Scandinavian we talked a little bit of Curtis cup a little bit of Brooke Henderson a lot of Rory and a lot of live stuff with him So live kind of permeates through this whole episode

It's kind of pretty impossible to talk about anything else other than that in these in these times. And even what today meant in terms of, you know, how live affected it and the response to that was the crux of that conversation. So you hear that first and then KBV, you may hear some overlap and some of the conversations kind of unavoidable. They obviously didn't hear each other's interviews, but want to get some different perspectives on the on the episode as to all the current ongoing in the game of golf. I'm going to give shout to our friends at Callaway. I finally got my proper Rogue ST3 wood.

I got the LS version. I used it this past week up there in Michigan. Great ball flight with it. I'm really, really, really hesitant to say this on the podcast because I know it's coming next. But so far, it's not going left, which is a big fix for me. We've had a big issue with the with the with the lefts

We've also we announced this a few months ago. We have a limited edition collaboration with Calaway We've a no laying up branded Calaway Rogue ST3 wood head cover TC and Neil feeling nostalgic for the glory days of high school golf You know everyone remembers those big birth of fuzzy head covers. They were all the rage We made special no laying up ones are available for free with a purchase of a Rogue ST3 wood while supplies last. You can order one at calawaygolf.com, pick, you can customize your Rogue ST3 wood and on the order summary page, which is the first page after checkout. You can enter code NLU to add the head cover to your cart for free.

Again, these head covers come free. They're an awesome little perk to your Rogue ST3 wood and cannot say enough great things about this club. I'm very, very, very excited to be using that into the future. So thanks to our friends at Calaway again, CalawayGolf.com. Check out the Rogue ST3 wood use code NLU to add the free head cover to your cart. Without any further delay, let's get to Jamie Weir. So first time on the podcast and guess what that means one more time than one other person As a fantastic introduction. I love welcome to the United States. Welcome to a major championship week I'm very excited to be covering major championship golf this week

Absolutely Compared to the last week we've had which has been you know a seismic week in the world of golf, but Yeah, just it's so much talk about I don't really know where to start I you know we talked with KVV earlier. We're gonna talk some live stuff I it all kind of intertwines right so we'll we'll see wherever this takes us But I think we can all say you know the PGA tours saved Rory wins at the RBC and Dunks on Norman and everything like everything's everyone's gonna come flooding back to the PGA tour None of the issues that were currently you know issues going into this week are issues anymore. It's all over

Yeah, you know, I just tweeted it like a life-affirming day for golf not just the conclusion in Canada But Lynn Grant absolutely decimating the field in Sweden as well I know we'll get on to that but if there are golfing gods I don't know if they could have written it any better than today. You've got Rory McLeroy and Justin Thomas, who have been the two staunchest defenders, the two biggest cheerleaders for the PJ tour, just going toe to toe down the bat nine, big Tony in there as well. Big Tony was there. There we go.

So much second drained a massive part of the eighteenths, then it didn't matter. Well done, Tony for solo seconds. But you know, the final three ball playing in 20 under parts together, a mad crods just ringing around the 18th green raucous. I mean, it could not have got a jam on on must have just been watching with a massive grin in this face. Couldn't have gone any better for them. Very well timed. It is a reminder that at times P Torgulf can be very fun and interesting to watch, at times. Yeah, absolutely. It's a also a, this thing should happen more often

or this doesn't happen often enough, right? It's one of the best tournaments we've had of the year so far. And it's a convenient time for us to not come on and say, I mean, if Alex Smalley would have came and run away with this thing this weekend, we'd be like, here's the issue, here's the major problem we have. So at least we do have that. With Monahan coming on the air,

this incredible tournament, incredible finish, huge names at the top, all of that, I still am resigned to like none of that really mattering in this whole grand scheme of everything that's happening. And we can get into that, but it really, it boils down to very simply for me, it's either like you're willing to take the Saudi money or you're not. And like, interesting competition happening here doesn't change anyone's individual decision

in any of that, right? I don't think any minds were changed by today or any of that. I sort of like it's like an election campaign, you know, in American times. If you're going to vote Republican, you're going to vote Republican. If you're going to vote Democrat, you're gonna vote Republican, if you're gonna vote Democrat, you're gonna vote Democrat. And there are very few people that are sort of wavers that sit in the fence

that can be persuaded one way or the other. We know that some other guys are gonna jump to live. We know that the Golden Geese, the PJ Tour, for Nye, Rory, JT, Spieth, Ram, Tiger, not the Tigers, playing much PJ Tour golf, but they're gonna remain loyal. And it's just about how many of these big characters they hemorrhage to live, you know, Bryson, Marmite, Lovemer, Hayton, as you said yourself, he is box office to watch. He is entertainment. And that is a big loss for them. You know, the Wupen and Holler in taking that ridiculous line at Bay Hill a couple of years ago and throwing his hands

in the air and the fans going crazy. That's what the PJ Tour are missing by losing Bryson. Read, divisive, even though Jerry Fultz says that fans love him. But you know, it's another loss because you need the villains as well out there, don't you? So those are the going to go, are going to go, those that are going to stay are going to stay, but I think this was a massive two fingers from the PJ Tour today, the way that it ended up. R Rory who I'm biased because he's a fellow countryman but I think over here you guys love him as well. The guy that moved, without Tiger the guy that moves the needle wins the tournament in spectacular fashion. The fans are going crazy, there's noise, the atmosphere and then you just compare it to that absolute shit show that we had these last three days in Centurion.

As I tweeted, competition is better than exhibition. It really did feel like flipping on the live, it felt like for 20 minutes, I'm like, okay, it's like watching the match on, you know, whatever it's it's an end. Zero juice. When it entertainment probably, but just like the golf doesn't matter and that is not going to make me want to tune in. But look, they could have ended up with Mikkelson, DJ, Polter, Sergio, and they don't, you know, vying for the lead, one drops of shot, one buries,

but it so happened that they ended up with a tournament that just had abs was so flat as well. Schwarzeleeds by a shot from Henny Duplacé after round one. Schwarzeleeds by a shot from Henny Duplacé after round two. Schwarzelebates, Henny Duplacé by a shot. It just had no excitement at all. Schwarzenegger taps in the winning part. There's no emotion.

It means nothing, does it? And that's where, you know, framing exactly what competitive golf is now a task of golf media. What means, you know, what does professional golf mean is what I find myself asking. And today is a win for the PGA tour, but also I don't think all is rosy and fine. I mean, just watching it on TV was very much like some of the things that are huge issues with it,

reared their ugly head today of playing through or eye on the course, whatever they call it, on the 72nd hole of the tournament. By the way, that was a new experience for me. So I've listened to this, I listened to your guys' part for years and I've heard you, you know, when it gets to Hamster, I'm talking about playing through. I don't really know what they say, is because we're very lucky. OK, I know I work for them, but Sky Sports Golf are very good about showing you all the shots that matters.

There's very few ad breaks when it comes right down to the sort of nitty-gritty of the tournament. So today, when I was watching it, and they go to an ad break, just as Fino and JT are heading their drives up 18 I'm like, sorry, not an outbreak. It's there, but it's silent and there's a word on What's that all about? That's now you know what we the issues that we're having this thing I randomly will get like once a month the message from somebody from the UK or Ireland or Europe in general They're just like, hey, I'm in the States visiting totally see what you're talking about

We have things well, which I don't know if you have over here, but we've got what's now called the Rolex R as well. So there's an R. They didn't big tournaments, but major champions in particular where there's no outbreak breaks for an entire R. My God, it just makes such a difference for the for our American listeners, he's saying hour not when he says hour. He's saying hour for our English listeners as well. They struggle with that. Believe me. So we get that sometimes for majors, Rolex was sponsored on sponsored hour or uninterrupted

hour. But I think the J visit to the booth, which we'll talk about some. Yeah. I think it messed up their whole production for the day. They had to go backwards and do the a on risk reward challenge. When they were playing the 17th, they had to talk about the 11th hole, which was very clear because that's right when J visited the booth and threw everything for a loop. But I want to just make sure we mentioned that Justin Rose bogie the 18th holiday to shoot 60,

because it may not be in the top 20 of interesting things that happened this past week. Boogie 16 on 18. Three bogies to shoot 60. Like he legitimately could have shot. It was an easy set up par 70 today, and he made three Eagles. This was the best chance at 57. We'll see. Yeah, look, on a 62 for Rory with two, three fitters mixed

as well and a couple of other pots. I mean, he posted the lights on all four days, but those, I still get nervous watching Rory stand over those little titlers. He did not put good strokes on a few of them. He lost strokes putting today in shot 62. It's all right. But he must have gained strokes putting Thursday,

Friday, Saturday, Friday. He did all the first three. And he was seventh and putting over all three weeks. So, man, it just goes to show too, how much stuff has to go right for you to win a golf tournament. And then I've won about two, but basically coming down to it very much

on the 72nd hole that he chipped in today. He made bomb birdies. He hit so many good wedges today, which he had a little snide remark. At some point in his post round about how he's not a good, I guess I'm not a good wedge player or something like that. All right, let's not get too cocky here. Like this has been issue for many years. Yeah.

One tournament at the RBC does it necessarily change that. But some freaking good golf, really good golf of he, he birdied seven, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, and lost, shot, lost ground to Justin Thomas in that stretch. He birdied seven nine ten eleven twelve and lost Lost ground to Justin Thomas in that stretch the two of them They played twelve holes together combined over that six they birdied eleven up them It's just ups. I mean as I said if Jamon and couldn't have ridden any better could he and there's just There's nobody that gets you on the edge of your seat when he's in full flight like Rory Just he's just so thrilling to watch and he bounces down those fairways without

a care in the world. That's the Rory that we saw when he was winning four majors in the space three years. And my goodness, let's hope he can sort of get back to that this week, perhaps, fingers crossed. And you were traveling today, but did you see the recoil on 10 when he tried to drive 10? I have seen. I have never seen that for Rory. You see it from Reed or you see it from Bryson or something when they're leading the JT, he'll do it, but trying to drive the 360 yard 10.

He's playing with, he's brimming with confidence, not, isn't he? 188 mile an hour ball speed. Like that is, that's a little next level from him. And JT cannot dial up to 188. He tried to dial one up there and hit 179. Rory's just got a whole nut. He's always in control with driver

But a couple of them today he was really really letting them loose It's fun to watch there was a couple of snap hooks there as well But yeah, look his games in a really good place and fingers crossed he can just Put four decent runs together this week at Brooklyn because it's been too long and not far for it I know you're not but I have've said. I live in constant hope. I'm too emotionally invested in the guy. It's gonna break my heart again.

I've been there for many years, and I just resigned. I'm gonna miss the comeback. I'm gonna miss what it happens. It'll be a surprise. It'll be a beautiful, wonderful surprise. I fell for it at Southern Hills and just did not come true. But yeah, Fina, I'm very happy to be doing this podcast

with you tonight and not not Tron and DJ and Randy because they would be there to be shredding them for missing the five for the other 15. Shadden Freud from those three out of my chin. Bogey free 64 after being tied for the lead going into the final round and that probably that's not that's only happens to Finau where that's not good enough. But it's fun to watch JT and Bones work. It is it they slowed the process down a little bit there on 16 and Like the nugget from you'd bigger Finch that bones left the arena the rink if you will to go see go feel the wind and come back And they're the only ones that kind of got that number right. I thought that was interesting

Yeah, you know a little bit like the transformation that Ted Scott has had for Scorchettish after this game No, I'm not saying that JT's games have been transformed by bones, but if he gives you, saves you an extra shot in the space of forward, is it can make the difference in a tournament? And it might have made the difference at Silent Hills, just having that experienced old head on your bike who's just been there seeing it done. It got the T-shirt. Yeah, they're a great team, aren't they?

How much of the J's visit to the booth have you caught? And what did you think of it? So I've only seen the little one-minute clip that PJ Tour tweeted out, which I thought he got a little bit over-emotional. Is that the right term that I'm looking for? You know, it was very sort of from the heart. There were all sort of tears welling in his eyes, as he said it, and bringing up 9-11, like sort of that real sort of emotional blackmail for the players.

I just... This guy's the head of a huge sporting body, right? It came across to me as a little bit just overly emotional bitter x-girlfriend kind of vibes. Yeah a little bit Now, yeah, that's the vibe I kind of get from the tour in general. They're taking this personally extremely personally Yeah, and it is a betrayal. They've used that word specifically they've said you know that some of the guys that are leaving are free riding if you will I appreciated CBS taking the time having men and nants asked really good direct questions and I will say on the Saudi thing nants asked nants brought that up and asked him directly I don't know if

they went over that you know beforehand or whatnot but that seemed like you know the 9-11 connection seemed a little shoehorned in there and not that well explained. In terms of the house on fire here, it was just kind of a weird campaign interview, right? And it just seems like, a lot of people have been saying, where's Jay? Where's Jay? Need to speak, need to speak. I've kind of been on the mind of like, if you don't have a card to play, there's not

much benefit to going out there and doing what he did today. I don't think, I mean, do you think there was any win to be gleamed from that? What would you say if you were his in his shoes? Oh, I mean, that's a tough question. He's, there's nothing that's got to do with that. I don't think there's anything to say.

I don't know. I think he's in a very difficult position. It's, you know, I know TC has said that he's been noticeable by his absence in recent weeks building up to this first live event. And I would have expected a bit more front and center as well. But as you said, it's a very difficult place. What do you say?

I mean, what do you say? And he's not a great politician. Right, so people are getting up there in painting a whole picture that might be very different from reality, but they'll make you believe it when you walk away from it. And I don't get that sense listening to him. And he doesn't have the charisma of Greg Norman.

And I'm not paying Greg Norman a compliment there, but you don't get to Greg Norman's position in life without having a certain level of charisma, people skills, charm. And Jay doesn't quite, he's a really nice man, but he doesn't have that quite gravitas, that warmth that Norman has. So I think he's in a difficult position and what the next step is going to be, is going to be fascinating. I mean, I'm sure we'll get on to that in greater detail.

But today, I think if you were a golf fan and you're watching that broadcast, you would have wanted to hear from Jay Monhan. So I think it was probably the right thing to do. Yeah, I guess I'm, again, going back to what we mentioned in the beginning of. It just comes down to, you know, he brought something else up. He said, I guess I would, he said, I guess I would answer the question by asking a question. Why do they need us so badly? Those players have chosen to sign multi-year lucrative contracts to play in a series of exhibition

matches against the same players over and over again. Yeah. And he's still calling it the Saudi Gulf League as well, by the way, which I love that's just it. I think so. You're just a fraction of that. Yeah, he's a little girl. He's like, I've heard it called live golf and I've heard it called the Saudi Gulf League.

He mentioned that today as well, but I would assume exhibition matches was a phrase that was chosen out of a myriad of options and a purposeful one. And on the note cards, of make sure you hit that one. And I think they're what they're trying to drive is, you know, why do they need us so badly asking that question and kind of letting viewers in or letting listeners kind of reach their own conclusion of they need us because they need official World Golf Ranking points. Right. And as of now, and as of what is standard for official World Golf Ranking, is it's going to take two years for that league

to get those points. And in two years' time, everyone is going to be out of the top 50 and out of auto qualifying for all of that. The answer to that question is they need us so badly because they need to come over and play some events to keep their world ranking. That's their last big bargaining chip isn't it because they just cannot compete financially. So not even close. That's one of their big bargaining chips. Augusta could be as well, but you know this isn't Augusta's fight. I know Augusta are pro PGA tour and Monahan and Ridley will have a great relationship. I've no doubt, but it's not their fight. Masters want to have the best

tournament possible and they want to have their pump and their ceremony and their green jackets there and the champions dinner and they want to have Micklesoon and Garcia and maybe not so much Patrick Reed, but they want to have their past champions all there, you know, in their green jackets on the Tuesday night. That's what the Masters is. Why would they get there, you know, why would they go and get involved in somebody else's fight? I don't see that as really until until live was selling Pimento Chusey and my God, I mean that's another just classic isn't it?

But the official world of rankings is their last real battleground isn't it? That's fine for the likes of Michael Soon or Dustin Johnson, Garcia still got a bit of exemption as well for his 2017 Masters win. But I look at players like, for example, Taylor Gooch, here's a player who's pushing the top 30 in the world, could legitimately be in the conversation for Ryder Cups going forward. Thirty years of age has won this season, I think two top 20 finishes in the major so far

this season as well. Well, he's not committed himself to live golf. He's going to fall out at top 50 very, very quickly indeed. And he's facing two years like being involved in a major championship. Just when he's playing the best golf of his life, it seems a huge risk to take a quick break here to check him with our friends at draft Kings. There are two majors down next up Brookline. We are here in Boston from T to Green. You can get in on the action with the draft King Sportsbook. New customers can deposit $25 or more and get $100 in free bets instantly.

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Everyone can play for over $10 million in prizes. Don't miss the action for golf's third major download the DraftKings sports book up now. Use code NLU at signup deposit $25 or more and get $100 in free bets. team. We're going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be

going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to

be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to and I'm willing to take this money are, seems like they are okay with not playing major championships anymore. That's what it comes down to for me.

There's no guarantee that they'll be able to without official World Golf ranking points. And there's a whole heap of them, and I'm talking the likes of Westwood, Polter, McDawle, Garcia, probably, Kimer, who, they're, realistically, we're not gonna compete in major championships anyway. So I get it, to be be honest from their point of view.

But I just think there's a couple of players. There's not too many now, but, well, Bryson, Taylor Gouge, Patrick Reed, maybe, there's not a few players that are jumping where I think, dude, you could win some majors in the next few years. OK, I don't know some of them have got exemptions, obviously, but yeah. And that's where it's, you know, how much, when you tee it up in a major, the best players have like a six or seven percent chance of winning it?

Yeah, given week and if you're not the best player, then your chances are what two, three percent if you're a brison when you go tee it up and Everything else means nothing because the money from the majors pales in comparison to what you get for a T5 finish at a live event So what do you really get out of it that point? And that's where I feel like we are the most fracture, that's where I feel very dystopian about the whole thing of like the whole competitive golf landscape is kind of gone. If that's the way people start thinking about this and it's not everyone,

I think it's important to point out and the key, key, key names are still there. Bryson's probably the biggest hurt to this point, but it just is like, well, what is competitive golf really even anymore, right? Yeah. And at what stage do, and I said it earlier on, you know, the Golden Geese,

as I referred them, Rory J. T. Speeth, Ram, maybe even throwing some of the younger boys, like Hovland, Sheffield, Mora Kawa, at what point do one of them play? Right, and that, because that really is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and that's suddenly let wow. Yeah. But I keep arriving back to it.

I've said to people, I think this week has ultimately been a really sad week for golf, because the sport that I love, that I grew up as a little kid watching with my dad, that I fell in love with, is being torn apart at the seams. And this increasingly bitter, hostile, power struggle, this mud-slinging from both sides. It's only getting nasty or nasty. The game is inevitably going to get dragged through the courts. So tell me, Phil Nicholson sitting on that stage a few days ago

and saying this is good for the golf. How can this possibly be good for golf? And the person that gets shafted most at the end is the golf fan. Yeah. Because how is this good? Possibly people were playing in Twitter. Oh, but means we're getting to see more golf. That's not necessarily good thing. There's plenty of golf on the team. The comparison I make is imagine if for the last 20 years you're a tennis fan and Nadal, Joe, Cavitian, Federer are playing in three different events every week and you never see them play against each other. How is that possibly good for the tennis fan? Okay, you're seeing three different tournaments, but you're not seeing the them play against each other. How is that possibly good for the tennis team? Okay, you're seeing three different tournaments,

but you're not seeing the best play against the best. And by taking something away from the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour and taking it over to live, you've lowered the capacity at which the PGA Tour could operate at, like the best possible heights that it could. Yeah, we gotta go in today, but we're gonna get an 80% product now going forward. At best.

And look, the PJ Tour is imperfect. I don't think I either of us are pretending that. We're not like Rar Ratchier, later just for the PJ Tour. Dick Riders. Yeah, there you go, exactly. And of course, though, they can think about more innovative formats.

Of course, it doesn't need to be 51 weeks of the year, but is this really the right solution? I don't think it is. No, no, it's not. And that's where I still just think I'll say it a million times for anyone that, you know, hasn't listened to every episode, but like it, it was maybe more inevitable than any of us realized that it would come to this. I knew this thread existed, but I didn't, you know, know it would take over this quick. I mean, I have to be, I know the TC is loving this a little bit because all those people that said,

oh no, it's not gonna happen. Yeah, you're the one who's the most. I was probably one of those people. I was like, yeah, it's not really gonna take off. Back in February time when they're all dropping like flies, left, right, and center, and Mikkelson comes out with his comments, I'm like, yeah, okay, it's, I mean, like Rory said, ah, stead in the water now, isn't it?

So I know that Tron is loving like lording over all of us. He said, that's not going to happen. We were screaming it from the rooftop. Yeah, yeah, you were right. I was wrong. They're going to pay checks to somebody. And it's going to start looking really, really tempting. You're smart.

I'm stupid. But I think the important thing to remember what all of this with, I think there's major flaws in the tour structure, how they've entertained, how they've concepted their their whole structure and when the threat was at their gates they've had time to do to make changes and haven't but it when it comes down to straight money they had no ability to compete on this front they've had none they've funneled a little bit of

extra money towards door players but like it I we've just lost track of how vast this difference is in money. And it just becomes a footnote in the conversation. But to be clear, these guys are still playing for a lot of money on the PJs or that's the thing. It's not like they're not being financially rewarded in the PJs. Correct. But it's also becomes a thing of, and I'm not speaking, you know, I think I have would have no problem. Of course, this is hypothetically speaking. And if you ask Twitter, these words mean nothing to say this,

but I would have no problem turning down a lot of money that would ask me to compromise what I think of, in terms of my own value and the things that I would say about who's paying me the money. And just, I don't want to sound like Grammack Dow out there. I wouldn't want to live my life like knowing that fans hated me because of it. I think we should almost like have a top 10 of the most nonsense.

I'm not a politician. I'm not a politician. Oh, okay. So that's where I'm from. No, yeah. No, so I mean, you know, let's do it. What do you got? Well, obviously, probably in it number one, and I know you highlighted this the other

day. The one for something you guys hate so much, you sure don't talk about it a lot. That's one. Yeah, that's one. What did I have this week? What about China? Yeah, oh the old water by the way I see you've tweeted this from your iPhone you you drive your car today You guys you guys you guys exactly exactly right in Uber today So I said you're gonna be as invested all that you know what the one reply that I really can't quite get my head run I get a lot of ah typical like typical, like, bitter, upset journalists. You go, you go show them, Michael, so you go show them DJ. Like, why are you riding so hard for a multi-multi-millionaire ad?

Who's a voice become a multi-multi-multi-multi-millionaire? Who you don't know? Who's never gonna talk to you? Like, why are you so desperate for him to get a lot richer and show me? What's all out of play? I kind of get my head run that one at all. I got a bunch of good Twitter questions for you and we wanted to bring you in to kind of get your perspective from the other side of the pond and just to make sure we're not going crazy with some of our takes.

But Sean Zock from golf.com asked, of the golfers you talked to this week, which one, and you were at the live event this past week. It was worth noting. The golfers you talked to this week, which one did you feel at the live event this past week. I was. It's worth noting. The golfers you talked to this week, which one did you feel was telling the truth? If any. If any.

I mean, the most honest interview I did all week was with Martin Kimer, who's always a good speaker. And eventually he said, yeah, okay, I'm doing it for the money. You know, money is a big motivator. It's not when you first get into the game, but you know, it becomes a business. So at least he was honest. We all sat in that press conference room in the Tuesday morning, and Louis Ustaz and DJ and Graham McDowell did this press conference together with TK, this 15 year old Tai Ked, who I felt sorry for because like God help him. It's not, anyway, Ari Fleischer sits up there and he goes, oh guys, why are you here? And Louis, he says, starts off,

but you know, it's just this innovative forehead and the team goal, and I was looking around the room. I was sitting next to Jamie Corrigan on my left, KVV was sitting just in front of me, and I started looking around, going, did I think we're idiots? Why are they insulting? You're in here, and I eventually, that was a question I asked,

I said, guys, you're not here for any innovation. You're here for the money. Just will you just admit it? And eventually, they kind of begrudgingly did admit it. But I mean, number one is. And that's what, yeah, Kymers, Kymers interviews. And it just feels like this. It's like big brother.

It's like this. Forget about sports washing. They're just sort of brainw washes with some of the answers they're giving. Don't treat us like idiots, we know exactly why you're here, so you can walk away with a wheelbarrow full of cash at the end of the week and nothing else. It's not for the competition, it's not for the fans, it's not for bloody growth at game.

Every time I hear those three words, I'm just like, dude, I'm fucking favor. And that's where I wonder if this round of, if think like this round of questioning is like the end of it Like we got through that event one and like from here on out it's moves sailing Do you know what all I will say on that front is I have an almost begrudging respect for the players who were there last week And they were taking the bullets and they were facing the difficult questions And then you've got the little rats waiting in the wings just to see how that first event goes before they eventually jump ship as well. That they're almost worse. They are worse.

Not that I didn't think Bryson's going to get an easy time this week at Brooklyn at Fees, putting in front of the media. I felt like the media was pretty, from what I heard, was good. Ask good questions, ask pointed questions. It was not easy on them in any way, but I also wonder, first event in America in Portland if there's going to be a more critical mass there of questions. On the home turf now of the PGA tour, is it, do they not think they turned up a notch?

And this isn't supposed to be like boasting what the standard journalists in the UK, but do you not think that American golf riders might actually give them a bit of an easier time could be? I mean, I can't imagine Neil McLevin from the Daily Mirror, he was the one that put the question to Paul Ternwes, sort of what, that was crazy. A lot of them are punty, and I just shouldn't,

would you play in that? I'm not sure I can imagine American Gulf writer saying something that was pointed as that, but maybe I'm wrong. I almost think, I'm not even necessarily saying American Gulf writer, I feel like more American media is converged on this thing. And, you know, the angle at which it's being covered now,

I mean, it was on the night show with Trevor Noah or whichever late show with Trevor Noah, he was covering it and it's circulating on all kinds of, I forget who the name is, the journalist in the UK that did the whole eight, nine minute thing that was going everywhere on, Rose Akins, yeah, I'll go everywhere on Twitter, like it's just being, it's kind of permeating past

the golf world at this point and when it comes to American shores and then when it goes to the golf courses that it's going to later in the year with the person that it's owned by it's going to permeate through American media as well maybe even a little deeper and God what bizarre times I can't this is above my pay grade man I don't I don't I don't want to be doing the what is I mean Maybe we're about to get on. But what is, I mean, maybe we'll but to get on to the supposed, but what is the end game here? I mean, what is Norman, obviously, has his axe to grind against the PGA tour. And he can bang on all he wants about being additive, not competitive,

but you can't be demanding that guys play 14 weeks of the year for you. Four majors on top of that. And then still say, oh, but you can go and play however many times it would be just and work. So the only solution surely at some point is that Monahan and Norman sit down around the table and thrash at some sort of compromise. And at the moment neither seems as if they're willing to see any growing to tall. I almost think the best case scenario for the PGA tour becomes like the live tour, quote unquote, fills up their roster.

Like, and it's like, you get your whatever of the top 30. Let's say it's 20. Don't want to go. And they get 10 of those top 30 and then they kind of keep going down the list and they get their 48 and then it's kind of over. Then that's like, here's the thing. If you separate where the money's coming from, and I know you can't, because it's inextricably linked and they're not doing this to improve the game of golf. They're doing this purely to launder their image so that they can do business in the rest of the world

So we can't separate it We can't separate the fact that they chemically concentrate homosexuals and stone rim and the death and executed 81 men in the same day and Dismember dissident journalists all that is inextricably linked But let's forget about that for one second because, the idea of having the world's best 48 players playing in a team tournament for eight weeks of the year, I'd watch that. Hell yeah. That sounds great for us a lot there.

If the money wasn't coming from there, if the money was coming from Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk, that'd be great. The difference is they'd be driven by market forces. They'd be doing it to turn a profit They'd be doing it because it was a sustainable business model which this is not So look I spoke to Alan shipnuck about this the other day as well And he was saying he sees it eventually that they do get into bed together and for that fall series

Which isn't great in the PJ tour. Maybe that's filled up by live golf events I still don't think those ones who've pinned their colors to the mast surveillantly, like Rory or JT will jump, but it seems inevitable more and more are going to, right? That's why I said this Thursday too, that in case you didn't tune to that emergency episode, I said, I said, or further listeners say,

if what makes this work, which is piles and piles and piles and piles of money, is also what's going to make it not work in terms of gaining all of the golfers to do it, right? There's golfers that do not want to take this money, don't want to ban the PJ tour, we've listed off the names many times. So yeah, if the league was funded by, there's a reason why it's not funded by Bezos or Musk, they know this is not, does not make business sense.

This is, it only makes sense if somebody's throwing a shitload of money at it and is doing it for a very specific other reason, which is exactly what this is. And so no matter what, at best, we get a fracture golf roll. That's just where I'm resided of, like, exactly what's pulling these people away is exactly why they won't.

I have no problem swearing off the PGA tour, despite being a PGA tour dick rider, just saying the PGA tour is over and the 48 best players fall into blah, blah, blah, league funded by Mark Cuban. That was the case and they adopted some of the things that Liv is doing, maybe not all of them necessarily. I'd be like, that's probably more entertaining than what we currently have. So I'm in on that, but that's we're never going to get that with the current setup. Look, and there's another couple of fascinating issues as well. On our side of the pond, obviously, the silence has been deafening from the DP World Tour so far. Yeah, help me

out there. Yeah, so as I understand it, they're not going to make any comment until perhaps next week. Keith Pellios is obviously in a difficult position in terms of he can't take any sort of moral high groin because he coosied up to the side. He's in the first place. Exactly. So he can't do that thing. They high ground because he cozyed up to the side he's in the first place. Exactly. So he can't do that thing. They've got this strategic alliance now. As I see it, they've basically got two options. Strengthen the strategic reliance and go all in and say, yeah, just like the PJ tour,

we're going to suspend you from our tour as well. Or they go the other way and they say, two fingers to you, Jay Monahan, we're breaking off the strategic reliance. And hey, Dustin, Phil, Bryson, Pat, come and play in the DP World Tour on the weeks that you're not playing live golf and actually end up making the DP World Tour stronger. That's their other option.

That is the extreme scenario. And I'd be very surprised if they go down that route. I think it's much more likely they strengthen the strategic reliance. But the risk with that is you're essentially becoming a full-on feeder term for the PGA tour. You're losing the identity of what was the European tour, and I know for a fact that a lot of the European tour stalwarts really resent that idea. So they're in a really difficult position as well.

And the other question that hasn't been answered is, you know, and I get asked this, all these guys, if the more and more, if all these sexier, more marketable, frankly, better golfers come along, what happens to all the guys at the bottom end of this 48? Because it's not going to grow beyond 48. Norman's USP has been 12 teams of four. Suddenly you have 27 teams of four, it just doesn't work. So there's really never going to be 48. That's what Norman's promised.

He's broken promises before, but that's what he's promised. So what happens to Agent 48. That's what Norma's promised. He's broken promises before but that's what he's promised So what happens to Agent or that's that's the first place in a new way that you go, isn't it? Yeah, that's that's kind of the purpose I think behind finding about the Asian tour events and for sure So I think the top end guys will have their long term contracts and their reassurance the bottom end guys who are involved this week The guys that even unionized golf nerds have never heard of before they they'll happily head off back to the Asian Tour with their one-week earnings at Centurion. But what happens to those middle tier guys that like the, you know, Laurie Cantor's Richard Blanz, Hudson Swoffords, I mean, what's their recourse? They can't go back to the PGA Tour. There's a chance that the likes of Cantor and Blanz can't go back to the DP World Tour. They're just cast a drift. Yeah, and that's where it's, you know, does this

get settled? Do they file an injunction of some kind to be able to make starts on the PGA tour and they can play until it gets settled in the courts or do they go play the Asian tour now and go just pick the ones that the Saudis are funding there because those persons are pretty huge on the, they commit $300 million or something to the Asian tour. Like, it's paper money. Like, it's just it's monopoly money that they're just throwing around. It's almost like forgotten that they funded that series on the Asian tour and they're dumping

a bunch of money into that. And, but I do know, I think it's, you know, the Asian tour is set to lose some official World Golf Ranking points later this year. I think it's this year when the new World Golf Ranking system comes out. And the DP World Tour will lose a lot of ranking points as well. So, yeah. She's delighted to play I've just sounds like justice. Yeah, sticking it from the rooftops for years

You can you can play it about it. No one's ever told me I'm wrong about that though So a few more questions just in general and I think you kind of I don't you're being asked here to speak on all on behalf of all European golf fans T Stavily 13 said how has live golf being viewed by European golf fans? What kind of sense do you get? Is it different than American or do you have enough to kind of even weigh in on that? Well, I think today might have changed matters in terms of, as you said, once you bring 9-11 into things, then American audiences in particular will get very understandably emotional.

And I think these guys next week will get a pretty hard time from a Boston crowd, wouldn't they? I think on the other side of the pond there's maybe not that same sort of emotional baggage that comes with it and a lot of people maybe don't understand sports washing even though we've got it with Newcastle United and Lewis Hamilton being a Formula One driver and Etc. Anthony Joshua taking fights to Saudi Arabia. So we get that for point of view, but I don't think people are as emotionally invested.

And look, the crowds were decent there. That is one thing I will say that there were fans that turned out to watch it. Well, let me bridge that question as well too with the next one, which I think can help that, which is with at JP Tins, given how given the much greater experience the British public has with sports washing with Newcastle man city f1 what's the public reaction been towards the high profile English players who have jumped can you spot sports washing a lot easier if you've seen more cycles of it or do you see fatigue and kind of acceptance of it on that I think it's kind of that that's what I mean that's that's it and that's exactly how sports washing works, right?

Exactly. There's that initial outrage and then it dissipates. And it was exactly the same when Newcastle were brought over back in October. Oh my gosh, how can we be relying? The side is to take over one of our historic football clubs and then fast forward six months in it. Oh, it hasn't had any hide enough

and tacit job at Newcastle. Which players are they going to sign this summer? And, you know, with the Formula One, it's another thing I get asked all the time, why don't any hide enough and Tasty Job at Newcastle. Which players are they going to sign this summer? And, you know, with the Formula One, it's another thing I get asked all the time. Oh, why, why don't you ask the Formula One drivers these tough questions? Well, they do get asked these tough questions, but let's face it, they don't have any say

where they're driving at all. It's the chief executor of Formula One that you need to be asking the questions to. And even boxers, you know, fights going to Saudi Arabia, was the boxing promoters that hold all the power there. And they're the ones taking fights to Saudi Arabia So I think there is an element of fatigue when it comes to sports washing and you get the water bytery like oh you look into any country in the world Neville got their issues as well

um in terms of To the attitude towards the English players. I think the likes of westwood polter Garcia McDyle Kymre. I know they're not English, but you know, these European stalwarts who formed the backbone of so many Ryder Cup teams down the years, I think there's a lot of sadness there and a feeling that, you know, we understand why the likes of Richard Bland is doing, he's going to be 50 next year, he's only really started earning decent money the last 14 months of his career. He can set up his kids for life. I get that, but it's the European guys.

And maybe I'm being a little bit, maybe I'm over sentimentalizing the Ryder Cup. I know that I'm in the same age as you here because the Ryder Cup means so much to me. So maybe I'm attaching too much importance to it, but I would have thought that meant something to them. I will say it was looking more and more like the European team was going to get hurt a lot more in the Ryder Cup process than the US was.

As of a month ago, as this was getting ready to go down and now it's, it slipped. It might have gone full circle. I mean, as I said, if the DP World tour decide, look, you're fine. You can stick around then, but you haven't lost really any talent you were counting on for 2023 to this point. No, I mean, I could maybe throw a Some horse field in there somebody like that, but you know no no Polter and Westwood, but you were not having them back Victor Houghland is sort of in the conversation I have heard whispers that he could be one that goes that would really upset me if he did

I heard he was shitting on it this past week, so yeah, I don't know. Well, that's hope so that's hopes I mean God who knows because the U-turns are coming at a rate of not super as this U-turn was very impressive. This new tour is going to be iconic. According to Mrs. Perez, so who knows? Yeah, look, it's going to be entered. The Ryder Cup thing is another fascinating thing to see how that plays out. But can can you really imagine if this is the first nail in the coffin of the DP World Tour, can you really imagine Ryder Cup Europe turning around to Westwood, Poulter, Garcia, MacDawl and still saying, oh yeah, but I know you buried her, but still, of course, you can still be captain of our team at 2025, the Beth Page.

Well, also according to Kevin Naught, they might change the rules for them too. That's it. I think you covered that. They're definitely going to change the rules for Kevin Naught. What do you think is going to happen this week to the live guys at Brookline? What kind of treatment do you think of? Cheers, booze, heckles. You can tell me, I mean, a Boston crowd is notoriously easy going and laid back, isn't it?

It's not quite New York level, I don't think. We don't see it very often, at least, with major championships, I haven't seen it in quite some time. I think they'll get a pretty hard time. I would say so. I would say so. The majority of responses, I get the waterbiter, your sponsors on Twitter, but the majority of responses I get, there's a lot of anger towards them, DJ in particular.

Yeah. Some reason. That's where I wonder if the USGA puts them all together. Yeah. And if not, then you're again, talking about what Jay Monahan is talking about, who he's defending and who he's writing for, the people that stayed loyal blah blah blah blah. Yeah.

The people, if you put Rory and JT with Phil Mickelson, like that's, or with DJ, like you've just put a whole circus around them that they didn't ask for or deserve. I did see the suggestion of putting like the Shamba read and DJ out in the very first tea time in Thursday. I'm the very, very last one of Friday, just to really piss them off. But again, it's not the USGAs fight, is it? No, but it's just, yeah, that's a consideration, I would think. Yeah, I don't know. TMCC315, do you think live will be around in five years? I really hope not, but they're not going on it anyway,

anywhere quietly, are they? I see no reason why they would not be. They're signing guys to five-year deals. The money's not going to run out. It's not the money. It's so it would have to be sheer boredom or... It'll look very different from what it looks like if it is still running in five years. It's going to look different next year than they're planning for 15 events next year. Yeah, yeah. And they're playing nice now. Yeah. In terms of we want to be guys to be able to do both. Like when they've got 15 events and when it's a league

officially in 2024, which they claim it will be, they're not playing nice anymore. But that amount of money, they're not playing nice. That there's going to be a catch to this on the back half. Jack French is at worst case scenario next week if one of the live guys wins Yeah, well yeah, he's still winning would be the absolute best. I would I'd be Way in on that that would be one of the career ground slam that be one of the wildest stories in sports history here really would be I would not be really against that I think he's gonna either win by 10 or miss the cut by 10 I mean I They're all playing so badly that's's the thing. Which of them has actually got a feasible chance of winning?

JPG, SBC, do you think there will be any issues regarding manufacturers canceling contracts with players that are moving from the PGA tour and DP World Tour to live? Well, we've seen them hemorrhaging sponsors, left front and center. I mean, manufacturers that don't know. Again, they'll be some. You see the Bryson thing.

They tweeted out the announcement for Bryson. And he had the Draft Kings logo on his cap, and they had to delete it and wipe, wipe it out. And I guess they dropped it. I, despite us sharing a sponsor, with Draft Kings, I do not know if they dropped them or what, but that was an interesting footnote. And Reed's picture was him wearing all his Nike stuff,

which he does. He's not with me. I didn't spell that. Yeah. Farrell Gullfer asked a really didn't. I did spell that. Yeah. Farrell golfer asked a really interesting question. I'm going to help you with this too, because you're back at school and on the debate team. You have to argue for the proposal. Live golf is good for the game.

What are your three key arguments? I wasn't a debate team at school. I was like, good, actually. My goodness. I can't not think of one. Well, I mean, the one argument for it is that professional golf did need to shake up. And 72 whole stroke play every single week of the year, wad stale and he's stale.

So that's what, you know, I'm all for innovation. I like team golf. I mean, you need to be emotionally invested in the team somewhere and I'm not invested in the nibblicks or the stings. By the way, the team names unbelievable. I mean, we could have a whole lot of podcasts of talking about that, so let's not go down that road. So, you know, as I said earlier in the podcast,

you know, the idea itself is really intriguing, but, you know, just not the way that it's being done at the moment with the source of the money and the absolute just mountains of cash. I think it'll bring people to golf. I have not answered a federal call for this question. No, that was good. I think the format and the, you know, and I think it'll bring people to golf tournaments.

It probably wouldn't normally go. I think like music afterward kind of turning it into a festival of some kind is a good idea. I don't know if that's, you know, is good for the game of golf, but I think that's an interesting way of, you know, presenting it presenting. Obviously golf with no commercials is much more interesting to do, but- Helps with no sponsors. We know why that's the case, but I really do struggle to understand how to really answer that question seriously, but if we were on the debate team, it would say, like, look,

also maybe one of these is pro golf is so broken at the moment to begin with. It needs a complete tearing apart to like rebuild and rise from the ashes with a new format and a new setup and whatever that might be. That might be the best thing that this thing gives us is like the tear down of the current tour structure. Yeah, you know, I said earlier on that I contend that this has been a sad week for golf, but maybe five, 10, 15 years on the line will look back and this is being the week that golf changed for the better in terms of, it was finally the catalyst that was needed to promote change because, you know,

the status quo can't stay as it is. Yeah, there's some good, like let's move on and there was some good that happened, not only the Canadian open, but like, on the Scandinavian mix this week. Wow. I need you to tell me about Lynn Grant because this is kind of sneaking up on me if I'm being honest. There's been a lot going on.

I knew the Scandinavian mix was going on for people that aren't familiar with that format and what just happened today, if you can put that into context. Well, I don't know much about Lindgren, but I do know from having watched little snippets of this weekend that, I mean, what a swing. She's been a professional for less than a year. This was her eighth professional win. She's won three times on the Lady Sunshine Tour. She won twice in February and once in March. She has three ladies European tour wins. And she won the Scandinavian mix, which is a mix between men and women.

The women play different teams than the men. She won it by nine. And it's before you start thinking, wow, they must have just let him play from the red T's like it must have been way too easy She was the only woman to finish in the top 14 of the tournament. Yeah out of control I mean just unbelievable completely decimated the field was she shouldn't the final day 64 in the final day I think it was with a few bogies to be Henry Stenson right a cup captain by nine shots as well I mean an absolute exhibition and as you, to be the only woman up there in the leader board as well, that brings its own pressure.

You know, that's the only shame is that there weren't a few more women in contention as well. But, you know, again, not like, I don't wanna keep going back to bloody level, but the guy sitting next to us last week and tell us, oh, you know, we just wanted to do something different. Well, there was something different happening this week in Sweden, so if you wanted something different,

you could have gone and played it and out of you wanted to. Oh no, the prize pool isn't quite what it was this week. So that's why he didn't. But you know, fair play to Lingran. And yeah, she said, you eight wins. That's sensational superstar. Well, and it's hard, you know, it's hard to even give it the proper attention. And not even that we haven't even got the Curtis Cup at Mary in this past week, too. Like it was just absolute, what this, and I don't feel bad for the amount of time we've dedicated to live because of how it how you know how big of a long Down the line effect. It's all gonna have but man

It's like covering up some like decent decent storylines going into Brookline this week Then even for like a major championship week this week because this past week has been one of the most significant Developmental weeks in my career definitely is another tweet that I've had this week. It's a shame that Jamie can't be ours to go and cover the Scandinavian mix to the Curtis Cup this week. I'm a news reporter. My job is to go with the biggest news story is, and unfortunately, the biggest news story this week has been absenturian.

That doesn't mean that obviously I think the golf that has more meaning to it and the golf that I'm celebrating more is what was happening in Sweden and at Marion. So, yeah, I mean, Lindgren, absolute masterclass. Did you get to watch much of the Curtis Cup this week? Hardly, I know, but I see that we got our arses handed to. We being, of course, you mean GBI. Yeah. Yeah. The Americans triumphed. I can't like, I can't shit talk to Curtis Cup, I really can't. Yeah, yeah, exactly really can yeah Top of this we had an event this past weekend. So all this crazy stuff's happened Yeah, we're supposed to be hosting an event. It was yeah suit. It was impossible to keep track of but I will say I saw a little bit on the Tele here. I'm all Marion. Yeah, what course? The USGA's done so good at the courses they've gone to with the Curtis cup Walker cup things like that and the next

Curtis cups of Sunningdale. Is it really? You played Sunningdale? Yeah, I have. Yes. Well, it's like my favorite course, probably in England, I think. I would say my favorite non-links course. Are they doing on the old, I assume?

I would think they'll probably have a hybrid of a few holes from the new and a few from the old. But it's, I mean, both tracks are sensational there. I mean, yeah, and they do a decent job telecasting it here in the States and it's worth while watching if you don't have We go for this. She means something. Yeah, I she means something you see the emotion and you see Then riding for their own teammates and that's and they're not playing for a single cent and that's what like Dude, I watched live this weekend and I watched a little Curtis cup I watched a little Scandinavian mix and I watched a decent amount of the PGA tour today. And it was like, I can see where these rank.

I can see where on the competitive nature scale. And I know they try to pretend like that. The live stuff, it doesn't work when there's nothing dangled at the end other than money. There's no world ranking points. There's no, we're not huge FedEx cup fans, but there's no point standings. There's no qualifying for any teams. There's no career development there at all because you're not playing its best players. It means nothing.

It's just, you know, it's Charles Wartsland, his deathbed, gonna have his grandkids assembled on him and say, oh, you know, I remember the time that I finished birdie, birdie, birdie , birdie to win the Masters. But let me tell you what was really special, winning the golf invitation in Hartfordshire just doesn't sound like our little white a little bit but this thing that I've had a few people say, oh you know the classic Twitter response, oh you'd jump in a heartbeat if you were being offered that much money and I don't know I would like to think that I would have still have some principles but yeah it is an awful lot of money that we're talking about but for those guys that have already made it, already millionaires,

what's more important to you, more money or legacy? And I would like to think that, you know, Rory's spoken about it, legacy is more important to him. And then you get their response to that. Well, the only things that really matter the major is anyway, and they're allowed to play in the majors. Well, they're not the only thing that matters. You know, you had Max on the podcast after he won an LA or any of the season, winning his home time open, every, and he said, every single year, I go back to Rive, I'm going to know that I was an L.A. open winner, or if one of the Canadian boys had won the Canadian open today, what would that have meant to me? Rory winning the Irish open a

few years ago. I mean, he spoke of that alongside his majors as one of the most emotionally ever been. I think Ben Coley tweeted a picture earlier of Louis, he's taken with tears streaming down his face when he won the South Africa Open. So it's not just the majors that mean something. It's these tournaments and I'm not going to get overly sort of corny and emotional here, but those terms that Jack and Arnie won and Tiger won, you're following in illustrious footsteps on the European tour Irish, Scottish, Italian, French opens, tournaments that Seve and F Fowldo and Monty won, they mean something.

Winning these tournaments, they've got no history, no prestige, no jeopardy. Who cares? Yeah. Amen to that. Well, only thing we did, their bike managers carried. Yeah. Only thing we didn't give a shout out to also was Brooke Henderson getting off the off the night and winning on the LPGH.

So she's officially alive? Which she is alive right after ready to clear 10. Was that last week? I can't even remember these. A lot's happened in a way. A lot has happened in the last week but they really declared Brookhead is a dead. Two people that are ready is declared dead both winning on a Sunday. They're good. Hill, I know what he'll say. He's not here.

It's not a major tough look for a large round till the sweetest. Yeah. Well, he picked Lynn Grant to win the Skate. Oh, did he? Felt like. He did. And T.C. helped up with that pick. So he won a lot. T.C. is on an absolute hit. It turns out to be a nice fit. It's not fair. He had fiend out to win.

Almost got it. But he has been hitting it at a pace that is making the rest of us a little bit uncomfortable. Well, thank you very much for finally joining the podcast. Glad we could make this happen and look forward to covering some major chip golf with you. Just have to say one final. I've literally had a message from the aforementioned Tron Carter whilst I've been talking and it reads, Rory winning without Harry on the bag really makes you think. There you go.

He couldn't wait to get that one in kitty. Yeah, we were throwing that around. Very much. It was kind of monkey meme for Harry watching this tournament today. Like, uh-oh. I could really get on board with this if it was like a pro caddy that he had on the bag this week. And with a totally different style, but it was still another one of his buddies. Yeah, not a corner.

Yeah, rugby player. Oh, is it? Yeah, it retired rugby player. So he's well known in North Ireland. Gotcha. Is Harry going to be here for Brooklyn or is he? I didn't know. I texted him the other night and it must have been just before the baby arrived, because I think the baby arrived on Friday. But I just texted him saying good luck with it all. And I said, I'm guessing I won't see him Boston and he didn't respond.

Gotcha. So I don't know. Okay. Depends how patient is wife fit. It is child number two. But she will help you. After child number one, you pay a bit of attention. But child number two, I've passed. Not really, I'm big of two. All right, well, you got to be jet lagged. I'm going to get out of here and let you get to bed. But thank you, Jamie, for joining. And we'll see you this week at Brookline. Thank you for having me.

It's been a pleasure. And I finally made it. I'm on the No-Langout podcast. I finally made it. One more of the Norman. Life long ambition. One more of the Norman. Thanks again to Jamie Weir for spending some time

with us on a Sunday evening. This next interview is with Kevin Van Volkerberg, as I mentioned in the opening, so recorded Sunday morning before he jumped on a plane back to the States before. This was very early in the morning, very early in the morning for me. I hope you can't tell. But speaking of the event that I mentioned at the top of the show, we want to give a shout to our friends at Precision Pro Golf, who helped sponsor the thirst bucket at the mines,

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and a 30% trading program, and a two-year warranty. So from now until June 19th, you can head to precisionprogolf.com, save $20 on the new NX10, and see how you can customize your rangefinder to support no laying up. Play with style precision pro golf. Here's KBV. I think we can definitively say,

wait, wait, wait, future. Mr. Kista, Kista, Kista, how are you bad? What an interesting week, Sally. I am in my hotel, I'm in London flying out later today and just trying to process everything that I saw when I think it sort of, it things clicked throughout the week at various points, but just seeing guys spray each other with, you know, $300 bottles of champagne

right after I had scott done talking to a Saudi dissident who talks to me about her sister being tortured and imprisoned just for advocating for women to be able to drive inside Arabia, kind of made the whole spectacle click for me as being a little bit gross. Is sports washing working? Yes, I can report that sports washing is working and working well, sadly. Nobody in attendance is even giving a second thought to anything that's going on in Saudi Arabia and certainly will come away, I think, from live golf experiences feeling good

about the product if you attended it. Whether you watch it on TV or cared at all, like it was more like just a kind of a music festival here. And I'll give him credit. They put on a great product overall. I mean, it really hit me like on the second night when I went to the concert and it was kind of raining. I just wanted to kind of check out

like how many people are actually into this is this kind of something that's gonna be sort of cringed. And it was lightly raining and it was three out of half hours after the golfs over and there were still probably three, four hundred people. And a guy named James Bay was there and he was playing some pretty, pretty great music. And I just sort of stood there and thought a lot about, man, like this is exactly what, you know, people who are sort of critical of Saturday's human rights, or I could talk about is that they just use concerts

and sporting events and stuff to put a sheen or a curtain up over what it's actually like back home in the kingdom. And I gotta say, I don't know how you compete with an organization that has literally a bottomless amount of money and showed us that they actually can put on a pretty good event an organization that has literally like a bottomless amount of money and Showed us that they actually can put on a pretty good event that to be honest had a pretty different energy then PGA to an event like a younger

You know more Relaxed, I think kind of fun youthful energy and I say saying the word fun in that context makes me kind of want to throw up But that's how it was. So I'm just probably an honest and describing what it was like to be in the sort of fan zone. Sounds like KVV, the sports washing is working on KVV. Are you seeing crushers? Are you keeping stickers? Are the magic, the magic sticks or what's your, what's your squad now? Yeah, I'm trying to ask me to pick up some of the gear for them.

Uh, I didn't quite ask me to pick up some of the gear for him. I didn't quite get around to doing that. So I think we're going to have walk away here empty handed. But I will say it was funny that, you know, I'm going to listen to him and talk for four months or whatever. And the first thing that he that came out of his mouth was a joke about the long history of the high flyers. How he took that into account when he put out his draft together. I was like, yeah, that's kind of the most history of the high flyers. He took that into account when he put

out his draft together. I was like, yeah, that's kind of the most building of all times. You know, I will say, and I said this earlier in the week, too, I kind of underestimated. Obviously, we knew how much money was involved with this, but underestimated how much throwing money at problems can solve the problems in terms of production, organization, and just putting on this event. We were kind of making some firefest jokes leading up to it, but that, you know, again, we're going to get into what was maybe not working so well, but I was pretty, I hesitate to use the word impressed, but pretty amazed at the overall production.

And it didn't really feel, from the little bit that I was able to watch, that it didn't really, I get the sense it was a first-time thing or that they were just kind of winging it. They felt pretty darn prepared. Did it feel that way on the ground? Yeah, I mean, it started out feeling like a startup. They were having various wrinkles in it, whether it was things misspelled or saying, oh, yeah, this is awesome draft party, but oh, by the way, like, you can't come to it. And, you know, I was joking, like the first day I walked in and they made you sign this like long sheet of things that you can and can't do and social media rules or whatever. And I sort of objected to one of it.

I was like, you know, it said you had to add a live hashtag to any tweet or any content or whatever here. And it's all very official legalese. And I said, look, I'm just not going to do this. I'm not going to, and the woman said, oh, you can just cross out whatever you don't like with a pen. And I was like, okay. And it's like crossed out various things and signed it and handed back to them.

And they were like, okay, go ahead. It was, you know, there were things of it that were like a little bit comical. I mean, the very first day, when there's press conferences, you know, they get into a shouting match with the associated press reporter because he's tried to ask a question at the end of the thing, with the end of the press conference,

when they had sort of said it was gonna run 30 minutes and they kind of cut it off at 24 when the artificial sort of decided that it was no longer in the best interest to have players answer these questions about morality. And the AP report gets taken outside and disappears and we're hearing he's not allowed to come back in and it just felt like, oh my God,

this is like everything that we thought that they would sort of mess up. It's a clown show and the stuff with Alan Shipnuck the next day where these two goons just kind of pop up out of nowhere and hold fill back and they're holding Alan back from asking a question in the fill press conference. But like as the sort of week went on,

they kind of got into sort of a flow of things and things were running much smoother and they were like willing to Pretty much answer any question that you had like it was I felt to be honest like Like wow, there's some ways they're more open than other sort of people at least They're you know Greg Garman did an interview with Bob Herrick like that you know there was stuff that it was was frustrating. The media access was very limiting. So you couldn't go and get players after their rounds unless they wanted to stop by and talk to the media center. But no one prevented us from asking any kind of questions other than

when Alan sort of kept out of the press grum. And it, you know, they started to figure it out. I think it, um, other than the fact that you literally had to like scan your badge every single place that you went so that they could sort of track where you were going. Uh, it was, uh, you know, it was a well run event by the end of it. Are you as worried about the future of Pro Golf as I am after having seen this because my impression 20 minutes into it and tweeted something along the same likes of like this is gonna work like for a lot of different reasons there are too many reasons that to get into in 280 characters but it does feel like the future does not feel like a flash in the pan and is only going to get worse. Do you, how do you feel about that? I feel 100% agreement. I don't know how you, all these people who think like, oh, competition is good for, you know, leagues.

You know, we've never had an instance, I think, in sport before where the supposed new competitive league just basically like had to run a league without any limits on what they could spend. They never had to balance any books. They could just literally lose two billion dollars and that would be like a rounding error to them. And so what you think of as competition is, you know, unfair labor practices essentially, it's saying that the PGA tour and live golf are really not in competition because there are just no similar standards in terms of how they can make money, generate, you know, I mean, let's not going to make any money. No one's like having 60,000 people

watch on YouTube or giving away thousands of tickets for free isn't gonna turn a profit at all. I would be fascinated to sort of think, if they even, I mean, obviously it must do the books, but like what the whole thing costs them and whether they're, you know, the only kind of return that they got would be from like food and beverage,

and they were charging super reasonable prices. It was almost like sort of the agustum all over, yeah. There's about a beer for five pounds and here's you know they mean like you coming back from the last term I covered was a PG championship where you know it was $20 for a sandwich and $19 for a beer coming there and looking at that and be like yep they figured that out too like they could have stepped in a lot of dumb things and they didn't. And I think, and like pro golf is just, but what's going to happen?

So I like to the TV contracts for golf if 48 of the best players every week are not playing in those tournaments. Like the rings are going to go down. They just are. And so at what point are, if you're farmers, you're rocking mortgage or whatever, you're saying, you know, you promised us like a 1.7 rating. And now we're getting a 0.8 rating. Like, I don't think we want to spend our money on this anymore. And, you know,

that's scary world for the BJ tour. 100% especially when you consider that, you know, what held up the announcement and the signing of the new TV deal was these outside threat leagues and the clauses that were added to them that were based on the strength of field. And I believe to be the number of top 50 players in the world that leave the tour puts the broadcasters in a position to either reduce their spend or tear the contract up and start over. And I don't know if it's that severe, but I'm really trying to nail down

details of that, but I might have a sick or real journal journalist on that to go find that those details, but I know that's not good for the PGA tour. And where do you stand on what the tour should have done, should have done this past week, should currently do what cards do they have to play, should JB out in front of players and media, fielding questions and giving off at least a the appearance of strength within that organization. What do you think PGA tour should do

for lack of a better way to phrase it? I've been cracking my brain about this for the last three days, and I don't know like the answer. I'm in here's what I think. This is, I admit upfront, this is a stupid idea. I would cause a lot of like, uproar and controversy. But if I were Jay, I would make sure,

I can't remember if they own the Hall of Fame or not, but I would buy the Hall of Fame, and then I would declare the players a major the next morning. I would say, you decide you wanna play on the PTA tour, or play on the live tour, that's fine. This is not, you know, you know, you not all that would allow to compete for this major anymore, and we're declaring this major.

And you could grant everyone who before who would play to one major or you could just give Tiger his majors from that. But I would say, you know what, we don't control the majors. Now we do. And you know what, there'd be a huge uproar of saying, the PGA Tour can't declare it's a major. Like, I would say, if I were Jay, why not? Like Arnold Palmer got to declare what were the majors or Dan Jenkins got to declare what were the majors. Like Jenkins got to clear what were the majors Like we're doing it. And if you don't like it fight us on it You know, and you know what it would cause a lot of at least like would be a scene as like a bold kind of ridiculous move

But it would be something right it would at least give them some card to play if you if you're if Roy McWare gets to rack up majors by winning the players against a week in field, you know At least there's some more compelling reason for him and Justin Thomas to be like, yeah, like I want to compete this I want to compete for all five majors. I don't know like what else would you do? There is really so so Few good answers like do rip up the entire PGA tour Sort of business model and say okay. We we're no longer for non-profit entity. Well, that causes all kinds of problems, too, because you can't run the same term

in the way that you did. This is the kind of thing, honestly, that happens a lot in business where board or start, the board director starts looking around and be like, is this the right guy to lead us to the end of the future? And I think Jay's got a seriously think about like, I don't even know exactly how it works

if he has the unilateral power to make dramatic changes, but I would do anything and everything. I'd beg, I'd say Tiger, we're gonna reinvent the whole business model and we're gonna give you equity in this. We'll do literally anything to get you out on the front lines to this. You're now a future of like 30% owner in the state of the BG tour because we're screwed

either way if we don't do something dramatic. Yeah, it's, you know, what I don't know the exact phrase, it's five o'clock in the morning on my end here. But something along the lines of, you know, a peacetime and wartime presidents, you know, need to fill different criteria. And this is wartime presidents need to fill different criteria. And this is wartime. And I really think Jay is a tremendous peacetime president, and of course, commissioner literally, but it doesn't seem like this has gone great,

but it would have taken, the enemy has been at the gates for years now, and now the enemy has breached the gates and is running around inside the castle and heading up towards the top where the leaders are stationed. And I don't know if they have a card to play or if there is anything he can go out and public and say other than like leaning on the cat. I really do think if Tiger holds a press conference and just publicly admonishes anybody that does this and that's like the only thing that I think could like semi save it for at least a little bit but it man it just

feels like they're gonna power through. If they got through this weekend with Grammack Dal being the you know Ian Polter and Westwood having their clips kind of circulate of their dumbass answers to the question of morality and like can you ask them the same question next week without feeling like an idiot? Probably not and then it's normal and then like they've little accomplished their goal faster and they could have ever imagined

and it's thanks, you know, in thanks to these stuages that have gone and take their money, waved it around and said, I just play the golf, they're doing great things. It's literally the playbooks playing out. I mean, everybody who is here in some ways probably deserves a little bit of a bonus from Liv because they just took the cannon fodder up front. And now they're like, hey, man, like I was one of the people who like did the dirty work

for you essentially. Now I'm going to go on to the US Open and it'll be blunted even more by the end of it because no one one really wants to make an entire major championship about the morality of the event that's not even taking place at that moment. And by the time they get to Portland, you might get a last dash of the liberal media there sort of want to sort of say, like, what about this? How can you, you know, but honestly, it's already fading. It's always like, I just don't know. Maybe you swallow ego for the tour and you're getting Andy Gardner on the phone and be like, what can we work out?

Get any sort of like, you know, rain capital or any sort of massive wealth people who actually care about, you know, American golf and say, how many billions of dollars can you float us? You know, I always kind of think about the succession plotline. And we're like, Logan Roy is like, I'm going to buy this company. And you're like, you don't have the money. It's like, I'll screw it.

I'll leverage $20 billion. And all this is a need. It's time for bold plays. It's time for bold plays with a BG tour. But they need some cash and they need it fast. And this is, you know, I put it semi on PGA tour players as well to kind of take the reins in terms of being, you know, if it's the PGL or if it's whatever it can be

in terms of getting money in the door or different format or different, you know, being informed on this is the next thing here because your leadership is holding you back from being informed on the other options that are out there. So you know, how do you, you know, learn up on this? I've had players texted me like, so what is the deal with this whole thing right here? blah, blah, blah.

I'm like, how do you not know this? How do you not know this? This is your livelihood. And it, you know, the app, all of the sourcing we've tried to do for rumors and news over the past six months to a year has always been met with, oh, you know more than I do. I'm, you know, you know, you know more than I do. Yeah, I don't really know what's going on with any of that. It's like, how do you not know?

Guys, look at what's happening. You're sport right in front of you. But I want to know from being actually being on site, what was, did you see any memorable golf today or this past week or is the golf as much of a side show as it certainly seems like and while we know that they have an infinite runway to do this, does it feel like this is sustainable from an entertainment product? Because most of the marks received on the broadcast were overall solid, but man, I just like truly can't compel myself to care about the actual golf.

And I got that feeling from even the journals that were on site. Yeah, I mean, I watched some of the golf for sure. I watched a lot of it on the stream as well, just because it's an impossible course to the really feel like there's no, it doesn't come back at the turn. So you can't really like go for out for two hours and then, but I didn't remember particularly anything compelling at all. I mean, it wasn't exactly like a ton of birdies, you know, how many like eight or nine guys finished under par or whatever, and there were some, you know, shorts, obviously, like played a pretty

good game, T-Degrean, but I can't remember the single shot where I was like, wow, that was awesome. You know, it was just a lot of basic, or it was a boring course. It didn't ask them to do much other than not hit it in the Fescue. And those players who didn't hit it in the Fescue and made some puts were fine. Could it be better at, I've played not the Pumpkin Ridge course, I've got to play, but the one that's next door, the public course, and it's a cool kind of different course, specific North-Hist course.

So like maybe you could say, I remember a little bit of one tiger won the amateur there. Maybe you could say that would be a fun thing to look at some different kind of shots, but like it, it just doesn't feel like there's any stakes involved. Like no one's really grind really grinding over it thing. I mean, what shorts will try to say, like, yeah, because of the money involved,

I put so much into this this week, I could see preparing for these events like I prepared for majors, like really grind it. And I was like, okay. But the same money was like, well, but nothing is ever gonna come out. That's the reason why we play for this majors. You know, that's the prestige of that.

Nothing could ever, and Louis was sort of quick to be like, yeah, you know, that nothing's ever going to even come close to the open championship. Even though I think he won, you know, what, like a million, 1.2 million would I be interested to see what he, what his first was when he won the championship in 2010 or whatever. Like, it probably was close to what he won today. Yeah, you know, so I don't know, it just seems really, I don't want to say shitty, but it just feels like it doesn't matter.

Like, nothing, even I was out kind of on the 18th Green when the, it got compelling for a half second because all we do plus a, you know, made a little run at a birdie pot that could have if Schwarzel missed his, you know, his par pot in the last that it could have tied or whatever. That was like the only moment in the whole tournament where it was like it felt like needing mattered. And I think that's kind of, you know, you had to isolate

everything down to literally, like, the last three shots of the tournament for anything to sort of matter. And I'm sure, like, some live golfers, some of those to this, they'd be like, that's super unfair. Like, you you got to give us a chance, you got to let it have time to sort of matter whatever. Okay, like, you know, maybe you're right, but I'm just telling you what I saw the first go around, which was like Maybe you're right, but I'm just telling you what I saw the first go around, which was like, it was just kind of boring golf lies. The event was better overall than the golf.

And I think honestly, if you were running this as a sort of confidence game to convince the world that Teddy River was a great place, you don't really care about the golf that much. You just like, anytime anybody, everybody every comes to one of these things, they're like, man, care about the golf that much. You just like, any time anybody, every comes to one of these things, they're like, man, what a fun time that was. And we had to pay so little money for tickets.

And everything was like awesome, cool concert afterwards. And I like hanging out with golf course. That's kind of fun. That's a great win for you. 1.3 million Blue Use Tazin for the 2010 open championship championship win. I think it won. 2.7. Very cool.

Very cool. Yeah. It, I will say I'm going to point people towards your article on ESPN.com, which I know you've put out on social media as well, but only kind of hesitantly because it does just bum me out like to read a lot of the answers you get here, you know, with also some of the people you spoke about and why this matters and why these close political, geopolitical issues matter directly with what we're watching on the screen and they cannot be separated as badly as some people want to separate

politics and sport. But one of you tell us a little bit about who you spoke to in this process and how you went about kind of summarizing that in terms of a sporting event you were also covering. Yeah, I mean, you know, I, the 9-11 United, families United, uh, Sonata letter yesterday directed to all the American golfers, essentially saying like, are you aware that like we're involved in an active lawsuit against the government of Saudi Arabia

for their alleged complicity in 9-11? And I had read certainly some about this in the past, they have basically the laws, the granting governments immunity in lawsuits have prevented families who had family members die because of the terrorist attacks from seeking any sort of judgment against Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And they've fought and scraped and scraped and scraped

for these cases to move forward. And they have still, like they haven't been thrown out of court. Remember the federal judge just last year, I think agreed to sort of let one kind of continue to move forward. And so Terry Strada, who's the sort of head of the group, I called her and said, would you talk a little bit more about the why this letter

and stuff? And she said, you know, it feels like a stomach punch essentially like they sold us out like an absolute betrayal to see these guys over there. And just basically saying we're proud to help Saudi Arabia, sports wash its image while we're unable to get any sort of essentially like compensation, not even just like financial, but like acknowledgement of the fact that, you know, Saudi Arabia had an active program

that trained geodists and, you know, a lot of it was connected to people in the government. And, you know, a lot of that sort of, I would say, I was like, well, isn't that some of that sort of dispute? And Terry was like, no, absolutely not. Like, you look at the sort of declassified intelligence reports and this stuff is fact now. And so I kind of spent the rest of the afternoon reading up on it. I was like, damn, like, as an American teacher,

so I feel like, you know, I knew some of this. And a lot of it you should have seen just popping into Twitter streams here and there like oh, yeah You know size did 911 Well, you know if what you do the reading on it you do the some of the reading and then so they'd like the 9-11 report Like it starts to feel like oh my god. This isn't a conspiracy like this is stuff that actually Really we ought to be talking about and you know It's hard to sort of sit there and watch guys laugh and spray each other

champagne and hit golf balls when you have someone who says, you know, yeah, my husband was a big Phil Mickelson fan and he loves watching Phil and I can't imagine like what he would think now because he died when the North Power fell and you know, basically we just feel like these people sold out our country for money. When we've been struggling for years to try to sort of seek some restitution from this. And I also had a couple of people, sort of literally people who were like,

ex-pats from Saudi Arabia reach out to me throughout the week and say, hey, you should really not take this spin seriously about how well the overall progress is a better point. I tweeted this article from the Atlantic that I had sent you previously and it sort of weighed, well, obviously there's a lot of bad stuff in here, but there's some progressive things too. And so I was like, please read this to my Twitter followers.

And I had a couple of people who were literally, like, Saudi doesn't say like, you know what? Like, you need to talk to actual, like, people who were involved in some of this stuff and not just take like that article for, you know, face value. And so I got on the phone with, you know, a woman who is a human rights activist who's sister was imprisoned for literally advocating for women to be able to drive

in Saudi Arabia. She was kidnapped in the United Arab Emirates by Saudi officials and brought back to sort of stand charges for terrorism, just for advocating for women to be able to drive and for to drop the male guardianship rules, which basically say that no Saudi women can work, can leave the country to travel,

can get married without permission of their father, their husband for their entire lives, not just for like until they reach 18, but they're, she said essentially treated like minors until they, you know, die. And so her name is Lena Fowl-Effeloo. And her sister was, someone who's been nominated for, you know, the Nobel Peace Prize twice. Like she's basically on a permanent travel ban in Saudi Arabia. And she was, she basically kind of, you know, really, I don't want to say lectured me because it was very kind, but she was like, don't buy this spin that like, there's this like this progressive, you know, movement. Like that's all narrative that MBS like wants to believe.

And that's part of the reason that he holds soft power. He came to, he was a, he's a criminal. He came to power because of a coup. And so, listening to people who for whom this is real, this is not like, I saw some women in restaurants. So, she was made the point of like, do you think that Greg Norman talked to any of those women in restaurants?

Because if Greg Norman had talked to any of those women in restaurants, they might have been in trouble with the state. They might have, you know, been arrested or been charged with something. Like, those are all real things. This isn't like fantasy that I'm sort of or conspiracy and I'm sort of making up. And so when you talk to those kind of people, and I think when you do that kind of reporting, you feel like, oh my God, like what am I, you know, what am I seeing unfold here? And why, Grammig, Grammig down at the point,

or in the week of like, you know, I know you guys hate it when we say, we're not politicians, but it's true, whatever. Aren't you human beings? What sort of responsibility do you have as a human being to inform yourself about the world? And if you tell me that you have no responsibility, that's fine. But I feel like I have a little bit different standard for my own self.

I feel like it's important to actually educate yourself about what's going on in the world. And I don't think I could sort of stomach just blow it off. Like, eh, whatever. And you know what, if anyone out there is like, if you're lying, whatever, the part of the reason that I became a journalist is because I wanted to do some greater good in the world, because I didn't want to just, you know, vacuum up money. There's plenty of people that I know

who like went into, you know, investment or law or whatever, and for whom business, for whom money was what really mattered. Guess what, I didn't choose that path. And so for anyone to say, like, you'd take the money, nope. Actually, my entire career is pretty much evidence that I wouldn't have done that. So, you know, that stuff kind of gets under my skin a little bit, that not everyone has zero morals when it comes to this kind of stuff. And for anyone who says, like, you know, you would,

of course, you would take the money. No, you're basically telling on yourself and saying that you would. So that's, that's where it gets me a little bit hot. So, damn, I don't know how to follow any of that. Other than I was going to say, like, just that the spraying champagne thing, like on its own, like, very good idea of like to wrap up an event in the context of like what this all means and, and to see the dudes up there grinning that just made astronomical amounts of money spraying this all means and and to see the dudes up there grinning that just made astronomical amounts of money, spray and champagne all over each other was just, you know, in the context of everything you just said is like, this is what's going on.

This is what this is and this is what future pro golf looks like and uh, listen, I've been able to I'm a I'm a stated. I don't like it. I know that's going to be controversial out there, but I don't like it. But we do. I know. Go ahead. Yeah. This idea is probably that like we're somehow like advocating for the PJ tour. Like you and I have both had like contentious interactions with PJ tour people where, you know, they were pissed about something we tweeted or something we said, whatever we're, we're sure it's like dick riders for theGA tour anyway, as you guys have used it, braids throughout the week. And that, you know, I cover, a lot of people said to me, like, why don't you write about the NBA in China? Why don't you ask President Biden about this? You know, why? Because I cover golf. That's my job. This is my corner of the world to

sort of write about what's going on in the world of golf. And so I'm happy to sort of explain what I think are important issues. And here's the truth, you're right about the champagne stuff. Is that probably is the future, but I don't want anybody to go into this and pretend like they can be naive about it. Like you can have, I don't, I'm not demanding anybody have my opinions on this kind of stuff. Like if you're good with this, that's fine. I don't care. I'm not going to say you have to support

the vision of sports that I do or, you know, that you do, but at least know, you know, my job is to sort of inform and to talk to people who just present the sides that I think are important. And I think, hopefully, we've done that. I think a lot of people in media didn't see this coming and it sort of feels like a huge shock wave to the world of golf. And you know, at least, you know, anybody who follows you or I or listeners to us can't sort of say like, well, I don't know, I don't know where this came from. Like we've been talking about this for a year, if not two years. Yeah, it's, it's mayhem, but I do got to run to the airport and catch a flight by KVV. I know you got traveled as well. Thank you very much for your insights from on the ground in London and will you be going to Portland? I will not be

important. I'll be at the US Open next week. Hopefully maybe we can get returned sometime to do wacky dumb impressions and I can step off my soapbox. But thank you for having me on and crack on. Thanks for the time, bud. Cheers. Give it a big club. Be the right club today. That is better than most. How about in?

That is better than most. Better than most. How about in? That is better than most. Better than most.