OverDrive - DeLaet on the Masters Tournament storylines, McIlroy's incredible turnaround and Conners at the top

Episode Date: April 11, 2025

TSN Golf Analyst Graham DeLaet joined OverDrive to discuss the storylines around the Masters Tournament, Rory McIlroy's incredible performance on the course, Scottie Scheffler's poised shot-making, Corey Conners' solid tournament, the Canadians looking for a win and more.

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Made in Canada, played in Canada. On the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. It's gonna get loud. Our main man Graham Dullett, and he joins us now from Augusta National. We'll begin with McElroy. What do you make of Rory not speaking to the media yesterday and then today he couldn't wait to get up there?

He would have spent 45 minutes talking to the media yesterday and then today he could wait to get up there he was spent forty five minutes talking to me today after shooting six under yeah i think you did just goes to show you how disappointed in i mean upset and probably he thought he just kind of let another opportunity to flip away there yesterday and just kind of you know dodged and everybody got out of town but um...

yeah i think today you can they'll take all the questions and i'm sure i have to and got out of town. But yeah, I think today he'll take all the questions and I'm sure he'll have to field a couple of why he skipped town yesterday, but pretty impressive stuff from Rory. Yeah, just unbelievable, man. Like he was one under making the turn. He was very, very, I wouldn't say he was conservative on the front nine, but he was just kind of plotting along

and he didn't have a ton of opportunity to score and any i think he birdies ten birdies eleven gets up and down on twelve eagles thirteen and then birdies fifteen which is huge like how significant was that in your opinion gd the fact that he recovered from what happened yesterday and he he got through fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen and ends up with a number worries he's right back in the tournament.

Yeah, and it's like, I mean, you kind of almost knew that in order for him to get back in this tournament, he would have to go on some sort of run. And he would, like you said, I think you said it perfectly, he just, he plotted his way around nicely. Or he almost played like Scottie Scheffler golf. Like that's what Scottie does. He just kind of like goes about his business. It doesn't look like he's doing anything crazy and, you know, he's in fourth place or whatever it is right now.

And it's like, it seems like he hasn't even had his game yet. And that's what kind of Rory looked like through that front nine. And then the fireworks hit, I mean, he stacked one on 10 and then, I mean, hit another one close on 11, about three or four feet. Um, that he got away with one a little bit on 13, but I mean, he, he, uh, took a chance there and he went for it out of the pine straw to even if it's an accessible pin or not it took a little bit of guts to go for that and was able to knock that putt in for Eagle and then yeah I think going for

that 15th green and he wiped that second shot a little bit and when you get ahead of it and open that club face off and the ball's up in the air for a little bit longer and you lose it right, it never goes quite as far. And I think he felt like he probably got away with one there and then made a really good two putt there all the way across that green. GD, you mentioned Scottie, like is that a part of Scottie's greatness? I mean Tiger's greatness was you could put him behind a tree and he could rope hook a two iron to ten feet and then he would make the putt.

This guy just, like if it was that easy everybody would be doing it but he just does it. Like he loaves around there like it's just a casual walk in the mall and he's up near the leaderboard. It's incredible to watch the guy. Yeah it is and in all honesty it's kind kind of funny. If Scottie had the jam and the excitement that Tiger has, he plays a very similar game in all honesty. Tiger won most tournaments by just consistently the cream rising to the top. He wasn't a guy that a lot of times went out and shot 61 or 62 and bolted out in front.

He hit more greens than anyone. He didn't make any mistakes like everyone else did. And he made all the pots. And that's kind of what, um, Scotty does, but he just did it with a lot more flair. And I mean, if, if Scotty Scheffler had some jam and some excitement and like played to the crowd, I mean, he is Tiger Woods in all honesty. I mean, not quite the same maybe playability and, um, shot making that Tiger had like those crazy crazy shots

But he can hit all the simple shots that Tigers always been able to play he just kind of just lulled guys to sleep Yeah, it's unreal good good. Yeah, you talked about to Rory and his you know his bounce back What about the guy Nick Dunlop who blew a 90 yesterday? bounce back. What about the guy Nick Dunlop who blew a 90 yesterday? GD, what's he feeling after a 90 man? That's a lot for a tour pro. 90. Well, I was trying to think, Bobby Weeks asked me last night what the worst score I ever shot on tour and I think I shot in the 80s twice and I think, I know I shot 80 and I might have shot an 81. Like I can't even imagine how bad you have to play as a professional golfer and how many things have to go wrong and how early you'd have to check out and like just the

emotions you'd be going through, complete embarrassment. But yeah, so I mean, I, in all honesty, like I would have assumed that he would come out and shoot something under part of day just because, I mean, he's a hell of a player. It was either that or he shoots like another like 87, we never hear from him again, he loses his card and he's, he's a hell of a player was either that or he shoots like another like 87 we never hear from him again he loses his card and he's destroying the confidence absolutely that's MIA status if you do that back to back especially at this place with Graham Dullett day two of the Masters still wrapping up but Cory Connors six under for the tournament four under yesterday two under today he hit a three about a three-foot putt on 18 a huge two putt par I think to get into the

clubhouse and as it's currently set up he will go out tomorrow with McElroy in the second last group what have you seen out of his game and what what would your message be to him going into the weekend well I mean look he's a more accomplished player than I've ever been, so I would probably be reaching on him for any experience. But I mean, he's just got to enjoy the moment, I think more than anything. I mean, like he's in the final couple groups playing with probably the best player in the world, even Scottie is the number one player in the world. But I really think that when Rory's playing his best, he's the guy. And but yeah, I think throughout the last couple of days,

like he even said yesterday, he didn't really feel like he had played that great, but he finished so well. You know, it's like he wasn't playing his best golf, but he was 100 through 14, just kind of cruising, just almost like we were talking about with Rory here today. And then he birdies three of his last four and all of a sudden, boom, he's in at 400 par 68 He doesn't even feel like he played that great, but he had a great finish and then today's super consistent on a on a much tougher day like the wind was kind of just it wasn't like pumping out there but gusting a little bit and

a little blustery and definitely a lot more thinking involved today and I mean if he can keep just doing what he's doing he's gonna be in the mix and like he's got such a good track record here he's got to be confident knowing that he's played this course well so many times and you just got to enjoy the moment see what happens yeah I'm with you I mean I hope though that he I'm sure he realizes the opportunity here but I want to see his mentality going into the weekend thinking I don't wanna just be top five,

I wanna win this thing. And in order to win this thing, he's gotta probably shoot like 68, 68. You know, like look at the guys he's playing with, it's DeChambeau, it's Rory, it's Scheffler. We haven't even mentioned Justin Rose, the guy's in the lead, you know, and he's won big, big tournaments,

major tournaments before. Like 70, 71 isn't gonna win it. You know, and it'll finish top five, definitely top 10. But I hope Connor shows up tomorrow and goes, screw it, man, I don't care who I'm playing with, I'm going for it, man. I'd rather shoot, try to shoot 67, and if I miss, I shoot 74 74 then try to shoot 70 and shoot 70

if that makes sense. Yeah no for sure and like sometimes the best thing to do is put a number in your head and just go chase it know where your opportunities are I mean all these guys they look at their pinch sheet before they know this the scoring holes and as long as they hit a good tee shot where you can attack and you'd have to go in full attack mode on those holes specifically because what you said is uh... you're you're playing at the best players in the world here and like you it's it's the cream of the crop but the top leaderboard it's gonna be an awesome weekend

and just make sure that the whole that you know they're going to be playing tough figure out a way to make a par move on to the next one and really attack those birdie holes. 3D and your playing days, was there ever such a golfer or golfers that like weekend of a major they would take it deep on Saturday night or Friday night or was that completely that's insane? Not when you're in the mix, no not when you're in the mix. You take it deep on a Friday night when you're in the next no no you're in the next you take a deep on a friday night when you empty the

this is a cotton florida in a cell no one and give there's no golfer out there that you're aware of in contention that would be like big night on friday night we i don't see often till four p m now i don't think that i think that i think that there's a lot of the point daily in his day maybe for sure all. I would think so, yeah. He's a different character altogether but it is interesting like and I'm guilty of this we've been on the air for almost two and a half hours I've mentioned Justin Rose like twice yet the guys in the leadke you can't help but look at the board and say the shambo mackerel a

shaffler from our standpoint connors laurys at five under he's sneaky man he's planned so well right now uh... it just it's a murderous roman like bryson mackerel in shaffler are all within two shots of the lead going in the news everybody probably has the same idea when i think of justin rose how long before he crumbles that's what they're thinking of what really that's the truth by his age five

and get out of the way how long is he gonna hang around for how does he manage that jd because i thought he was a little safe today it was like three what off at eight i was like i don't know dude i don't know about that one uh... the one thing i'll say i don't know dude. I don't know about that one The one thing I'll say I don't know if you guys saw in Sports Center, but I met up with his caddy

Sunday evening after the players met him in a cigar bar and had a couple cocktails and was kind of chatting him when I'm Like how I'm like food. How long you gonna do this? He's like, I want to get another major Graham I'm like, I'm like you think Rosie's the guy like I kind of said it like that. He goes. Yeah, man He's got one more in him. He goes, yeah, man, he's got one more in him. Like, no way. So he believes, he believes. I mean, like he could go pretty much work for anyone. Not that he would leave Justin Rose, but like he could go pretty much caddy for anyone and he's sticking around because he thinks he can get one with him. Pete Slauson Dude, you love a cigar bar. Like, what's your story? Are there ones, are there any in Augusta? Like, do you have a spot dialed in down there or what?

No, but I, bro, I got a little travel humer. I've been smoking one out back pretty much every night. Well, every night. Watching hockey and smoke a cigar. We got a hot tub. It's been nice. Oh, that's a great setup, man. That is a great, great setup. Well, listen, man, it's going to be a blast this weekend. You stay away from that Bob Week Well, listen, man, it's going to be a blast this weekend. Stay away from that Bob Weeks, too, man. What's his egg salad Sandy cally at right now? I think he's about eight or nine.

I'm not exactly sure you have to ask him, but he's putting them back. Yeah, it's scary, man. Stay away from him. Please. This guy's underpants are going to run back to Toronto. Scary scene down there. We love weaksy, but that diet, man, tell him to mix something else in. I don't want to hear that again.

Ate her nine sandwiches. All right. Graham, great catching up with you, pal. Chat soon. There he is, Graham DeLette. That just happened with me, Vashi Kapelos. Canada decides 2025. Stay informed with my exclusive iHeartRadio podcast,

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