No Laying Up - Golf Podcast - NLU Podcast, Episode 79: Harold Varner III

Episode Date: April 25, 2017

Harold Varner III joins to talk about this week’s Zurich Classic, the new format, his win in Australia, and life on the road. We change it up a bit and talk some hoops, as well... The post NLU Podcast, Episode 79: Harold Varner III appeared first on No Laying Up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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To learn more about that, go to calawaygolf.com, Calaway the number one irons in golf. That's the right club. Be the right club today. Yes. That is better than most. How about it? It is better than most. Better than most. It is better than most. It is better than most. It is better than most. It is better than most.

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I'm Chris Solomon, joined today for the first time. Harold, Varner, the third. Harold, you are down in New Orleans. What's happening, man? Nothing much, just chilling and enjoying the weather's pretty nice. I haven't been at a tournament on Monday in a long time, so it just feels good to just relax and not do much.

Why are you there early this week then? Just a short flight over from San Antonio and I think New Orleans is a pretty fun town. Your paired up with Smiley this week for the Zurich. How did you guys work out pairings? Like was this like a school group project trying to figure out who was going to play with who, were there feelings hurt?

No, Smiley asked me to play and I was like, yeah, let's do it. It's just a good friend and I think we'll have a good time and we'll play while so that was an initial thought and I feel like we still have a good chance. Was there, did you ever hear of anyone, any beef that were happened, I thought we were going to play together, was there any drama? I'm hoping that there was some dramas that I'm going for here. You're going for that, but I mean golfers don't have drama. That's only women.

Oh, come on. Only women. Oh, we good. How did you guys work out or have you worked out who's hitting off what tees, what ball you're playing? Are there any issues there? I didn't really think about it till last week, but we play the same ball.

We hit it. It hits us rather than I did, but usually hit about the same club. So it's going to be pretty simple. I just think we need to just execute shots. I'm just, I'm really excited about the format. Have you played much alternate shot? No, not, no, not at all. I don't remember the last time I played alternate shot, honestly.

I'm going to play a prex shot in the morning, alternate shot. Do you, so, all right, so you mentioned you liked the format. It seems like, if you can tell by the field list in the amount of publicity this tournament's gotten, it seems like everybody out there is relatively excited about it. Is that the vibe you get from the players as well? Yeah, I think so. I mean, just something different.

We're always looking to do something different because you go week to week and sometimes it's the same and to change it up a little bit it's going to be fun. It's going to be fun. I do. I'll be fun if I play well. Do you foresee the tour doing more stuff like this in the future? What else would you like to see?

What are some kind of things that guys are dying to see? I wish they played Captain's Choice, honestly. I think that would be really cool, but it's not my call. I just do what they tell me to do. And what do they really want to do? I don't know. I haven't really heard of anything that different, honestly. So here was a lot of idea for the format.

You guys need to play one round with a scramble. But every time you guys make a par, you've got to take a club out of your bag. They would never do it, but that would be really fun. I mean, it'd be something different, but. European Tour is like two days away from making that happen. European Tour doesn't even go through a test process, they just throw stuff up against the wall

and just throw it right into a format. I like that the Tour is moving this direction, but I'm ready to see him really start mixing stuff up against the wall and just throw it right into a format. I like that the tour is moving this direction, but I'm ready to see him really start mixing stuff up. Yeah, that'd be cool, but I just don't think that's going to happen. You know, it's just, they're setting their ways and they're going to do it their way. And at the same time, that's sort of how you become good at something. You just stick to what you're doing and no matter what someone else says, you just keep doing your job.

Yeah, they do what works. They do know the formula, to keep the sponsors happy and stuff like that. But do you think there's any risk that this is basically going to be a glorified version of the Shark Templeton shootout? I've never watched a shot like that. So you can either have I,

and that's kind of what I come up, fallen back on. I don't know what it's going to be but the fact that we're talking about makes it pretty interesting you know like I know that years prior you wouldn't be talking about so much about New Orleans and now you're talking about so it's pretty it's pretty fine I'm super excited just to see what happens. See how it plays out. So what's your normal routine that you say you don't get in on a Monday? What do you do?

You show up on Tuesdays, usually play nine holes. How much time are you spending at the course before a tournament? Lately, I've been just coming in on Tuesday and except on the West Coast, just because I can't come home Just show up on Tuesday night. I just sleep and He's gonna play the program or just practice on Wednesday Big fan to just get as much time at home as possible

So you're not going to the golf course today today today's Monday. You're not you're not Exit Mike goes to the golf course to get my clubs regret, but I feel like that's not going to happen. I don't know what time it is yet. Hello. 115. I don't like my chances to do it. How often are you, so you're getting your clubs regret? How are you tinkering with your equipment?

Do you ever do you mess around in the equipment truck too often? No, I've been in equipment trailer.. Well over a month, not my thing. I think whatever got you there is going to, you know, you're going to play well with it unless something needs to change. Like I hit a rock last week and I have a gouge of my eight iron. So I have a new eight iron. Other than that, you know, just, you know, it's, it's not the Indian. You know, it's not that bow and arrow it's the Indian so you just got to figure it out and just I don't know I don't really think too much of it. Are you a track man guy then it doesn't sound like it. If I could afford one I'd buy one but I can't so it's

okay. Nobody you DJ doesn't let you borrow his. No I I just never ask. If I need one, I'm sure they someone will let me use it, but I mean, obviously it's worked really well for him. Getting the arches down, he's gotten so much better inside of 150, I guess that's what everyone talks about. So it's worked well for him. I think if you have a track man and you use it the right way, it's a great tool, but it's crazy now, everyone has one. I can't hit it.

Also without it. Yeah, it's people are a little bit a little bit dependent on it. I mean, I don't, I don't obviously swim in that circle, but I've heard a lot, you know, I talked with Matt every about how people have gotten addicted to that thing and it just, it seems to be kind of a dividing line, guys that are more, more feel based, which I would have put DJ in that category up until, up until recent I didn't know how prevalent it always depends so so you don't you don't follow the trackman numbers and stuff How how about advanced stats like are you looking at you're doing detailed stats breakdowns at the end of every week? A little bit my caddy does most of it and we just work on the stuff that he sees that's like

Not going well the week prior, but I before he sees that's like not going well the week prior, but I'd before they hill I've never really looked at stats at all because I think stats can be very skewed, you know, just because it doesn't read like, you know, if you putt from six feet, you know, six feet up the hill's way easier and six feet down the hill. Just, you know, it's just common sense, but the stats don't read that or the wins off the right and the pins on the right. You know, it's just a tough pin to get at and you just, you have to take, you have to take your chances from the left and, you know, it's just going to be harder to get closer. So it's just some things I just, you know, I don't understand, but there's a formula. There's a way that I can use those stats to make myself better and you have to do it. I think the best players in the world are doing that. So, is there anything that sticks out to you at the moment as far as what you see is the biggest

differentiator between a guy like yourself and the guys at the very top? What's the skill that you're working on the most or the skill that separates the top players from where you're currently at. I would say chipping. Chipping. It's not so much like hitting a great chip. It's the simple chips. Getting them up and down every time, because it just holds the round together. All right, I wouldn't expect it in that one.

What were you expecting? I don't know, something with the long game. I feel like guys are always looking at the way DJ hits the ball. And one of the questions I always ask the players is, like, if you could take one skill of your own and swap it out for a skill of another players, what would you choose? I think you would choose driving.

Yeah. Almost everyone's answer is Rory or DJ's driver. Well, I mean, it just sets up the whole course. I mean, if you hit it that far and that straight, it just makes every course easier. You can manage, you're not going to hit every shot well, but you can manage from out of the rock where they hit it. Yeah, and that's where those strokes gain stats will tell you that some of the biggest differences are made.

And it's not something like the guys that have the best advantage in like strokes gain putting or chipping or anything. It's not nearly the same gap as like the top guys are getting strokes off the tee or strokes gain approaching the green so. I don't know that just kind of that always fascinates me to see it usually it's you know some people say stensen's iron game me to see it. Usually it's, you know, some people will say Stenson's Iron Game. Some people will say, you know, Rory told me he'd rather have Steve Stricker's wedge game. I just always find that answer interesting. But is there, is there someone you've played with out there that has like a one particular skill that stands out as being like completely remarkable compared to anyone else you've played with? Remarkable.

Um, I don't really pay attention to half the people I play with almost forgot who I uh I played with last week, but um Not really. I don't know. I just want to play Tiger To be honest I just want to see what he does that makes him so great. I mean right now It's obviously it's tough with his injuries and stuff like that, but I just want to see what he does He's the best player of my that, but I just want to see what he does. He's the best player of my generation. So I just want to.

I want to see it. Have you ever played with him in a practice round or anything? I have not. Um, I only think we've played and. I'm not really sure I've played in a vent that I just won the US Open that I qualified for in 2013. I think that might be the only event that we've both played in. Are you, I mean, if you were back in an event, do you know him well enough to go up and ask to play a practice round with him? Um, I don't know him well enough, but I would ask him. I mean, it's hard to, I think it's very hard to get close to him, so that would be the tough part. But I'm not really sure he plays that many practice rounds as a main thing. I think he just kind of does the, you know, plays a program and then plays a time because he's seen the courses so many times. What's your, so you're saying it sounds like he's had a big influence on you as far as, yeah, you brought him up out of, out of almost nowhere.

So is there a particular memory you have watching him while growing up that really sticks out to you? Not really just that he's the best player I've ever seen or like on TV. Didn't wasn't a fan when I went to the Wachovia when I was a kid and he didn't sign my hat. So I was pretty stunned. But you know, he's just the best player. And you want to see the best players play. And it just sucks right now, you know, what he's going through. I whenever go through that, I'm sure a lot of people don't. But it is what it is. And I just hope he comes back.

And it'll be good for the tour. I remember as a kid, I was around like 13 or 14 at the time of the 2000 PGA championship. So I think you were probably 10 or 11. And I remember we were watching that he had that seven foot putt to tie Bob May to send into a playoff. Oh, I'm real. So, oh my gosh, you can like envision that putt going in right now. Well, that's what I'm saying is I was too young to understand that he could fail so like a few years before that i think in ninety eight uh... i was i was in a bowling alley and michael jordan it's it's game six the

mb a finals in jordan hits the shot over brine russell and the place erupted in celebration and for me as i get it i didn't it didn't register for me because I didn't think Jordan could fail. Like I was like, of course, he's gonna make that. I thought the same way as Tiger was standing over that pud in 2000, everyone at the party,

we were at like a golf team party, erupted in celebration. I was like, you guys thought he was gonna miss that? Like my mind could not comprehend that he could fail. Exactly. And that's just what makes him great. That you just envision him always succeeding. And I think Dustin's getting on that track, man, that guy plays good every time he tees it up,

and you just feel like he's going to win. So it's pretty, you know, it's weird dynamic for it not to be tiger, but it's cool that now I'm playing there and I get to play against the best. And that's what just makes it so sad, all the stuff that's going on with tiger now, that it's gone on for so long that this is gonna be people's,

people's, people that are a little younger than you, they're gonna remember this era more than, you know, the tiger Twirls and the majors that he was running away with. Exactly, everyone's like, all tigers hurt. I'm just like, man, I know he's hurt, but he's done so much for the game, for me, he just made me watch golf.

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Go to OdysseyGolf.com to learn more. I don't have one of these yet, but I am gaming in Odyssey. That's a bit outdated, and I'm ready to put this in my bag. I need all the help I can get right now with my putting. As was evidence this weekend, we're going to be talking more about this weekend on the next podcast. For now, let's get back to Harold. So one of our guys, Randy, came up with this thing a couple years ago called the Tiger Tax, where he went and estimated how much money Tiger has made other tour players as a result of his being involved in the game. If you were to estimate

how much of your earnings were influenced by Tiger, how much would you say that is? Zero, because he didn't hit the golf ball for me. But I'm saying, if he never existed, how much would your career earnings have been different based on the purse money? I'd say you could cut it in half. Yeah, that's what Charles House said. Maybe less, but you know, thank you, Tiger

So going back I want to talk about Australia obviously that was your first professional win last year First I don't think I've ever heard this story. How did you end up playing down the Australian PGA championship? It was December, right? Yeah, yeah, I So when I was in college, I had a teammate that was from a camera, Australia, and he always said, if there was an opportunity for me to play in Australia, you need to go. I'm like, all right, all right, whatever. And two years ago, I had the opportunity to go, so I went. I didn't really think much of it.

I just won travel. didn't have much going on because it's in December. You know, I want to play golf, I enjoy playing golf. So I went down there and lost to the playoff. And then this year it was nice to go down there and you know, get the job done. That was special, special week. Am I reading it right that you went Malaysia, Vegas,

Maya, Koba, Japan, Australia? In that order? Yeah, it is. Yeah, it is right. Do you still enjoy the travel part? Or is that something that you... I was pretty surprised when I talked to Peter Uline. How much he did enjoy going to random places,

going to new places he hadn't been and playing golf. Is that something you still enjoyed at this point in your career? Yeah, I'm only 26, so you know, I don't, you know, you just got to, that's just a part of it. Either you do it or you don't, there's no like, oh, I don't really feel like traveling. If you don't travel, you don't make money and if you don't make money, you don't live the way that you want to live. So either do it or don't.

I don't, we don't have time for making up and kissing babies. I enjoy it though. I truly enjoy it. It's, you get to see some cool things, you get to do things that a lot of people don't get to do. And I think that's what makes it awesome about our sport. So what's the vibe down there like in Australia? I mean, I've never been there.

I imagine it just being everything, just being way more laid back than a day-to-day in the US. I don't know. It's pretty hot. I've only been to somewhere twice and that was one of the times. It's hot. I mean, December. It's really chill.

You know, super like surf or bro type stuff. It's kind of weird, but you know, like hipster stuff. But it's good. I mean, you just need to go. It's a long way. It's don't get me wrong, but it's something that I wish everyone could experience. Do you do do do do do do a lot of like social stuff when you go to a new country or something like that for the first time?

Do you do do build some travel time around that or you just like when it's over just get me home? Can you say it again? I was saying do you build in anything any like other social activities or sightseeing or anything Do you build in extra time when you go somewhere new like that or is it like once a term? It's over you're like just just get me home Get me home. Yeah. Helmets. Helmets is just an awesome place. I love going home. My bed's pretty comfortable. I enjoy waking me up in it. That's why I get home after Sunday. This is the first week in a while. I've been out on

my Monday and it's just been, it's good but I feel like you can get a lot done on Mondays at home. Just stuff around the house, stuff you just, you know, it's almost like a catch-up day. Yeah. And when you're on the road, it's just, doesn't make it tough, but it just, I don't get as much done. So you talk about the, a little bit about the current state of your game. You've made your last five cuts. You've been playing well.

What's your current swing thought right now when you're standing over the ball? And I hope I'm not like, it's not gonna mess with you when you come de- it up Thursday. Like, damn, I don't know what my swing thought is, but what are you thinking about right now when you line one up? Where is the target?

And how can I make it go there to be honest? That's it. Yeah, I think it's, I think it's your job to be an athlete. I think that makes golf easy for me. So I just try to keep it as simple as possible. This week you just, you know, you just want to keep a good attitude, you know, because there's going to be a point somewhere this week where, you know, you're just going to need attitude, it's going to be everything.

And that's what I'm going to do. That's what I do well. I have a good attitude and I hope that brings us much success this week So what is your how much how big of a team do you have do you have a swing coach? Do you have a short game coach? Do you have a sports psychologist any of that or are you you pretty much riding solo? I have a swing coach. Same guy I've taken lessons from since I was 16 back at home. Just old school, just hit balls, see balls. And he knows my swing really, really well.

So when the shots start coming out that aren't solid or not where I want them to go, we can fix it relatively quickly. But it doesn't sound like your guy that tinkers a lot with this swing. You keep things pretty simple. Yeah, I mean, if it got you here, it's good enough to win out here. That's what I think. I mean, obviously you need to get better, but I think it's more about fine tuning stuff instead of, you know, we're not trying to. So you mentioned about it getting you there. When did you when did you know that you had the game to be a contender on the tour? Have you always known that? Not really. I never really thought about it. I just wanted to play on tour and then I got out here and I got in contention.

I was like, oh, this is pretty cool. And then on Sunday, I cast a nice check and I was like, this is pretty awesome. So it's been a roller coaster and I just enjoy every second of it. Even like when I played bad on the West Coast this year and yeah, it wasn't fun playing bad, but there's just something about it that I like a challenge. Like it's okay, it's gonna be all right, it's not in the world, no one's dying, we're gonna be okay, let's go play some good golf and that's what's okay. It's gonna be all right. It's not in the world. No one's dying. We're gonna be okay. Let's go play some good golf And that's what's happening. You know, I haven't had a great finish, but I'm playing solid and I'm looking forward to the next week, you know

Was there ever like a moment that like it clicked for you like I've made it and I belong out here This no longer feels different or foreign to me at all like this. This is where I belong feels different or foreign to me at all like this is where I belong? Um, not really. I feel like you're always, for me, I feel like I'm always not trying to prove people wrong or prove anything anyone, but there's, but I want to prove something to myself. I want to see how good I can get. Like that's just what it's about to me. Like, I want to see if I can be the best player in the world. Do you make specific goals or like do you have specific goals for this season? Not really.

I just, each week, I want to give myself the best chance to win. Whatever that takes. Because if you do the little stuff, it'll take care of all the big stuff. Playing good golf takes care of everything. I'm sure I can tell you what it's told me. When you focus on the stuff that you really, you control with your play, but like you don't really control like where you fall or if some guy played better, you don't control that.

So you just focus on, just focus on Harold. Do what is best for Harold and at the end of the day that will give you the best chance to play well. I want to talk a bit about your first open championship experience last year. I've developed a affinity as many people have for links golf over the years. Do you had much experience with links golf before you played over there? What was that first experience like? It was hard. It was very hard and I don't know. I've never really we don't play links and with kid on it. Had you been over to the UK at all to play? Oh yeah one time I went when I I guess I've been 2008 I went to St Andrews.

But like I don't remember it you know like it's not like I went over there and was like grinding away, figuring out how to hit shots. I was just playing golf you know I played Kingsborne. The cast of course played some other courses. I can't remember, but I didn't get to play the home course, but it was to play Link's style for that many days and it was cool, but it wasn't. It was a little different going this past year. And so what was your first, what was your experience at True and Like?

Did you find, what did you find so difficult about it, I guess? It was so windy it was left to right wins like I mean left right wins are good but when they're blowing like 30 and out of bounds is on the right and the shit is on the left it just makes it really tough left to right wins are brutal do you like number I mean I can remember number 11 is the hardest weekend hole not in golf but that week it was probably the hardest haul ever played I mean I hit it out I mean it was just not awesome did you being there could you even comprehend the numbers that fill and stenson put up?

yeah I mean I wasn't out there when they, but I'm definitely want to say that they were in the better way over the two. Oh, so breaking news here that Stenson only won the open championship because he had the better draw. Oh, no, that's not missing. I'm missing. It definitely helped. I mean, I think Rory, I don't know what he shot that week, but he was the best player out of his wave. He lost 16 or something crazy like that. I mean, I don't keep up with that, but I mean, that's just facts.

Yeah. I mean, does that kind of tournament feel, how different does it feel from a regular PGA tour stop? Different just because it's links, but at the end of the day, you still want to just, it's still golf. The whole size doesn't change. Maybe the grass links, but at the end of the day you still want to just it's still golf the whole size doesn't change Maybe the grass changes, but you still got to you got to do your job and that's that's what that's the challenge I like that's what makes it so exciting like every day is different. How can you handle it and just don't be you know

Don't be a butt just get it done do your job So you say you don't watch a lot of golf when you're not playing? Did you tune it, like what about the masters? Are you tuned in to watch the masters? No, I watched the last three holes because I was eating dinner and it was on. But, no, I've never really, never really been,

I just don't think if you want to be playing with those guys, you can't do it watching them. Like, you know, you got to go practice. You got to go do your job. And most of the time, want to be playing with those guys you can't do it watching them like you know You got to go practice you got to do your job and most of the time I'd be playing golf on my dad or something You know working And you it's just makes it hard to watch golf if you're working or practicing So do you consider yourself a golf nut? Not a golf I mean what do you consider what's your definition of a golf note?

Uh, so I get a little bit more like a person that enjoys just being only just playing off with his boys and just having a good time. I would say it's it's something like that you crave almost that and that if you know if you haven't picked up a club in a couple days and grand you

go through times where you know you don't want to look at a club for a while and even somebody I don't play for obviously professionally but when I go you know if I'm playing for two straight weeks I'm fine setting them down for a little while but it's something like you really do just have that feeling that itch to go even if it's just hit balls on the range you just feel feel the compression of a ball that that to me feels like a golf nut and somebody that's gonna tune in and

watch events as well when they're not playing in it or you know are just kind of craving having golf somewhere in their life. Um, I guess I'm a golf nut when it comes to playing golf. I love playing with my boys, you know, having a good time, drinking some beers and just, you know, I enjoy playing golf, but I enjoy watching it. Yeah, it's just. That's two different things. That's fair.

You know what I mean? Like I, I'd Love playing off like I was saying I love just figuring out if I can be better or just hanging out with You know when you play with a good group. It's just There's nothing like it. I can't really describe it, but it's just Enjoyed being around good people and I find myself on the golf course doing that a lot. That's what makes our sport Austin, you know find myself on the golf course doing that a lot. That's what makes our sport awesome. You know, so who are you playing with then for a casual round? Who are you calling up to tee it up with?

At home or anywhere? Yeah, at home or during a practice room? I play at my boys. I try to play with my best friend that I grew up with. You know, he's not very good, but you know, I just enjoy playing with him. I play with my dad and two of my roommates from college they come down to Charlotte and we'll play and I really just enjoy just doing

that. You know they're trying to get better, I'm trying to get better but you know we're also having fun. It's okay you know they talk a lot of shit so I enjoy that aspect as well. So not let's say not from like an administrative PGA tour perspective, but just things in general, maybe on the lighter side that you would like to change about the tour. So like when I asked that to Matt every, he's like, all right, the glasses on the back of your hat, they got to go. White belts got to go. What's some trends or anything on tour that you're like, all right, this has got to stop.

We got to change this Nothing, I think our sports awesome. I think I think it's good. I don't know I don't really have any problem with I don't really care what anyone's wearing honestly I didn't mean necessarily just what they're wearing just anything that's like any kind of Friends, but you're never going to change that that's just not gonna You know when you're playing for that kind of money, you're not going to just that. That's just not going to, you know, when you're playing for that kind of money, you're not going to just get up there and just whack it. Yeah, I don't know. Like aim point or anything, anything like that

was what I was going for. Aim point. I don't really care. I don't focus on that either. I don't really care. What anyone else is doing, longs are not standing in front of the pole while I'm hitting. Or am I going to, I don't really care.

You know, it's just, that's not my problem. I know, I know, I know, folks don't them. And the only way that I'm going to be, you know, they're going to bother me is if it affects, it affects my ball going towards the hole. So if you're standing in front of the hole and that's going to piss me off, you're standing in front of the golf ball, that's going to piss me off, but no one does that. So I think our sports and good hands, you know, we don't, you know, we got a lot of really, really good players and it makes it fun to watch now, but we don't have like a super dominant player like when Tiger was playing yet.

I think Dessent had that way. If he stays healthy, you know, that kind of sucked what happened. I mean, that was just a bummer in Augusta. That's, it was brutal. I mean, that was, it, it, it, it seems like the only thing, only kind of thing that would happen to DJ, you know? I mean, that was it. It seems like the only thing only kind of thing that happened to DJ, you know. I mean, that was just, I would have been hot. It was, I still I still maintain that, you know, people, he was the favorite going into it. I still maintain that it that a, have you played it a gust? No, no. I still don't think that he would have won just because I think, I don't know.

I have a hard time seeing just like a real bomber having a huge advantage there unless you can shape it like Bubba does. But it is just a bad look for the sport. Like I'd made the joke. Like when your best athlete is falling down the stairs the night before the biggest event of the year. That doesn't happen in other sports. Like no guys are hurting their back right before a major, you know, like an NBA finals or anything like that. But yeah, it's actually, you know, and obviously it's,

you know, it's a bummer, but I don't know what, you know, how bad he felt, but I think he did what was best for DJ and he couldn't fault him for that. Like, I don't know. I mean, maybe it hurt the bad. Maybe it didn't, but that's not my job to judge him on that. I hope he, who I just hope he gave it a better, that just of all what makes it get hurt. I mean, like, he gave it a go. He gave it a go. I mean, like, he definitely could play. I didn't like, but I remember getting on Twitter and like people just going nuts. 20 wins through. Yeah, I mean I mean

You can't swing a club with a back injury. You just can't that's one of those places you you can't play with so it's not like I was questioning his toughness at all. It's just like how how does that happen? But I want to I want to talk to you about this because I know you're a big LeBron guy I'm also a big LeBron guy and I've been I want to talk to you about this because I know you're a big LeBron guy. I'm also a big LeBron guy And I've been I don't talk a lot of hoops on here really at all, but I so I live abroad. I don't get to watch a much NBA anymore I mean I checked I'd read the scores, but I don't get to see the games anymore I mean, I checked it. I'd read the scores,

but I don't get to see the games anymore. What happened to the Pacers? I don't. You knew that was coming though. I mean, he has lost a firm in 10 years. But I struggled, and again, like I said, I haven't seen the games, but who I'm assuming LeBron is your MVP.

It blows my mind that every year we have this conversation that he's somehow not the MVP of the league. No, he's the best player in the league, but the MVP is also Westbrook and I think they're one of the James Harden and it's all pissed me off. Yeah, all right. So why is Westbrook more valuable than the Bron? There's only been two people ever to average a triple double and And he, I mean, the last person to do it didn't win the MVP either. So I guess that, that's pretty crazy.

But I mean, dude, he's the best player, period. I've seen him play against the Hornets. I love that a star play plays. You know, he never takes a day off, never takes a play off. And I find that in the NBA, there's a lot of players that do that and he doesn't and I just appreciate that so that's my thing. Yeah. Plays defense, he does, he does everything for that team and he's not ashamed to like fail and I think that's, that's hard to do when you're in the, you know, you're in the public's eye all the

time, you know, because like people are ashamed to fail sometimes are like scared to fail. And he doesn't care. He's like, all right, I'm just a shot. Whatever. Let's go to the next game. But so and people have different definitions for how they want to pick out an MVP. But like for me, my I always go to it's like, if you were starting a team to build around for the season, whose season are you taking? Like what guy are you taking?

And for me, all the things that LeBron can do on the court, mean more to me than averaging a triple. Anyone else, anyone else, like that guy, that guy's gonna win you games, by himself. It's amazing. Like just because he's on the court, and I think it's awesome, but if we had to start with point guards, I would take Russell West

right? Well, yeah, that's a different category though. Point guard. It's a tough one. It's a tough one. Do you judge off of, you know, how their team's record is or do you? It's a factor. It's a factor.

I mean, the cabs kind of mail it in and the regular season, right? I mean, at this point, it's's that's clearly not a priority to them and i mean i don't know that to me it's just like i feel like lebron's career is forever tainted by how long it took him to win a ring because these ridiculous expectations were lofted on them and he played with a crap team in cleveland for like almost a decade where can you name the second best player he played with in his first part of it like of his career with Cleveland?

No, it's Antoine Jamison, all right, so it that it post post prime Antoine Jamison and Our whole and I know that there's ways there's the way that he went to to Miami was you know Routed a lot of people the wrong way, but he had to do that and look how bad that team was without him. That's another thing I factor in. Like they were like bottom of the barrel, winning the lottery as soon as he left. Like that's how bad that team was around him. And now what he does with them is it still blows my mind. I mean, you take him off that team.

I think they make the playoffs, but they're eight, seven or eight seed. And that to me is, is they only make the playoffs though because they're in the east. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And the West they get wiped. Yeah, zero. Kawai of Wow, wow, speaking of MVP. Kawai is so nice. I mean, that game last night or two nights ago,

unbelievable. I mean, I was you didn't get to see it. I know. I miss everything. So you watching you tune in the NBA every night in playoffs? Not every night, but you know when it's on and there's nothing else on it. Yeah. So who's taking it down this year, the Caz repeating? I don't even want to talk about it.

It makes me nervous. I mean, I'm getting goosebumps talking about it, but I think they can do. Do you, do you, I, do you think there's any doubt in your mind and people think I'm crazy for this already on the career scale? Where do you compare Kobe and LeBron? Next question.

You thought this was a golf podcast. It's not anymore. Next question. You can't do it right now. Okay. That's fair Yeah, let's wait till all the cards are down. Let's see how they finish and then I'll have I'll have you an answer in about 10 years That's fair. I'll give you that I like that. I can't run away from age. I like that. All right. Are you are you the best Three on tour like your Harold Varner the third are you best of all of the thirds on tour? At what? At golf? Yeah. Hey, Dave Sloth is pretty good. I just wanted you to throw a dig at Chuckie. Billy Hurley, he defends the country so

he's pretty. Yeah, really, I don't really, I mean, I can't win this argument. You're not messing with him. Uh, the best, the best that having fun, and I don't know, maybe, I don't know, I just, that's just a bad, that's a bad question. No. Because I can't win. When guys have been in the country and when guys in the whole thing. And uh, so who's like a, do you have like an underrated personality guy on tour somebody that people maybe don't know very well But it's just and maybe it's not big on social media or whatever, but it's just like a let's see

I mean I think Max home is a funny. Oh Max is the man, but he's really good on Twitter, so that doesn't let me see He is for especially for a golfer, he's really good on Twitter. Oh my gosh, just good timing, not very long. He gets it, he's brief, he gets it. He doesn't flood your timeline, he's got to be probably the best athlete Twitter, oh, best golf Twitter follow, I would say. I mean, because he tweets about everything and I think that's... He's got range. Being a golfer that's hard because all you think

people golfers twerk about is golf. Yeah. Once it's kind of you know, it's just what it is, but I just mean there's more to life. Oh yeah. Kizzers pretty good. It's Maddie Lou feeding you answers right now. Yeah. Yeah? Yeah, I don't worry about teamwork going on over here. She's a big, she's a big kisser fan, I see her. He's hilarious. Just became a three-man weave podcast. I'm trying to think, who is really good but sneaky? What no, this is a tough one right here.

I think the caddies are the funniest people in the world. They're just genuine people who just have zero fucks about anything and they just pull for their players. I think that's, they live a tough life, I think. Yeah. I mean, their salary is based on, I mean, I feel bad for Ray right now, my caddy. I'm scrounging away and he's just getting paid little pennies right now. I Was one so how does your arrangement work? Do you pay your caddy a flat fee weekly?

I know that's typically the arrangement, but how does that work? That percentage and I always give them a Christmas And How did you how did you meet your caddy or how did you how did I get arranged? That's a pretty it was not arranged. I Was in Australia and the guy that two years ago the guy that was supposed to cave for me his guy ended up getting in the tournament Steve Allen and Ray was over there for vacation and I was I guess I got a guy that call him and he said,

I'll caddy longs, I don't have to caddy on Monday. So I use the, I guess they call him Buggies. I use the buggy on Monday. And then he caddy don't Tuesday. Like had to buy like college shirts and stuff like to caddy and we lost it a playoff and he's been caddy in ever since. So what's a, we'll get you out of here on this man taking a lot of your time but what what's a golf course that the p g a tour doesn't go to that

you'd love to see host an event does not go to that there's not currently a tourist op at a particular golf course and he's and of course you're like that would be that place would be a bomb as place to have an event all they should go to the muni guest on municipal where i grew up that's it you have any realistic options or i don't tell me about this course i don't know

about it i don't care where they go if you play a golf you can play anywhere and i mean i don't think it's about i don't think also about like how good the golf course is I think it's about who you play with and having a good time but it's just me and you don't you know you just do like if they tell you to play here you go play there you don't bitch in mode about it you go play there yeah do you have do you have a course that if I if you were to predict a course that you will have your first win at on the tour,

what would it be? Call your shot. This is your baby with moment right here. They're not like congressional this year. I like that place a lot for some reason. I'm gonna say this week. Call on your shot this week, you and Smiley. Yeah, I like our chances a lot.

I mean, we just need to do our job focus you know I'm gonna enjoy myself today and tonight and I'm gonna get the business tomorrow and inspect or can I just think Smiley's trending I'm trending and we have a good opportunity to do some damage and I think the course sets up really well for us. I heard it here first. I love it, man. Alright, good luck this week, man. Enjoy the new format. I'm excited to see it. And I'll be following along and have a good time in New Orleans and play well, man. Thanks a lot for coming on. No, no, thanks for having me and you have a good one in Amsterdam and don't catch a contact, huh?

I'll be good, man. I'll be good. Cheers, man, thanks. I'll be good man, I'll be good. Cheers man, thanks. Get the right club, be the right club today. That's better than most. How about him? That is better than most. Better than most. Expect anything different? Better than most.