OverDrive - Sands on McIlroy’s outlook for the rest of the RBC Canadian Open, the Canadians the in the field, and the relationship between golf media and the players

Episode Date: June 5, 2025

Golf Channel analyst Steve Sands joins OverDrive to discuss Rory McIlroy’s outlook for the rest of the RBC Canadian Open. Sands shares his thoughts on the Canadians in the field and Nick Taylor’s mentality. He gives his take on the relationship between the media and the players.

Squinting through bright days? That's a no. Struggling with glare? Also no. What about sunglasses over regular glasses? Big no. But prescription sunglasses from Pearl Vision? That's a huge yes. They're a must-have for enjoying the sun in style. Choose from designer frames like Ralph Lauren, Coach, Michael Kors, and more. Arrange an eye exam at pearlvision.ca and get 40% off lenses. Some restrictions and exclusions may apply. See participating stores for details. Are you age 16 to 30 and ready to make a real impact? The Youth Thrive program, funded by Canada Service Corps and delivered by the Career Foundation, is your chance to develop

leadership skills, connect with mentors, and gain real-world experience, all while giving back to your community. Best of all, it's a no-cost program available across Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and BC. Thoughts are limited, so register now at careerfoundation.com. That's careerfoundation.com. Join today and be part of something amazing. It's an annual tradition our boy Steve Sands from the Golf Channel and NBC joins us. Great to see you Sansy. Don't be nice now. Well I'm just saying. Tossing to break you're throwing the caps under the bus. Well 64 by the way. That is oh don't start. I don't want you to leave I had heard about it yesterday. No you did not. I just wanted to know what they had. I heard asterisk. I heard complete garbage. Thank you. It could have been a 62, it could have been an 82 and we landed on 64. Okay, then I'll stay because that's the kind of stuff I like to hear.

I would just like to know, that news kind of went crazy. You guys at the Golf Channel, how did you break it down the round I had? I can't say we did. I can't say we did. I just sat at the bar up at the street here and just kind of watch some pucks and Went along by the way, okay, by the way. Yes. Are you kidding me with this 97 to 29 unbelievable? Oh, yes, absolutely. I mean I remember Gretzky coffee I remember a lot of the great combinations pretty damn good. You can't tell me there's a better

Combination in all of sports right now than those two. You knew that was going to happen. Greske called it by the way on American TV after the third period before the overtime. Greske said it's going to be an assist from Conor and Dry Settle just buried it and my god, are they fun to watch or what? They're the two best players in the world on the same team. Before we get to golf, can you explain something to me as an American sports fan? From D.C. as you know. There is no sees you know there is no way on the plane that i could root

for the penguins for the rangers to win the stand-alone no once the caps get eliminated why is it that the last couple days i know you're getting to the air i know the canadian to the nice people in the world and i realize that americans are jerks especially right now appear uh... but how on earth are people in toronto

who are diehard leaps man's for edmund well it's it's an annual conversation around here i don't get it either i don't get it is a lot of the most part they believe in having a cheat team so your teams out it's like there's another team in the country that is an opportunity to and the slump in can we haven't won a cup since 93. Jump on board with the Oilers. There's some civic pride patriotism in the idea that a Canadian team's got to

get one but here's what I would say but here's another element of it. Leaf fans they hate the Florida Panthers. So you're not rooting for the Panthers. They hate Brad Martian. Yes they absolutely do. So there's a part of it that's like almost anyone the Panthers would play you they root for I look at it Like I want to see the two players you just mentioned. Yeah, that's what I want to see happen Edmonton it's not about Canada or anything. I grew up with both of them grew up here He's known about McDavid since he was 10 years old. I want to see him play He's playing for the Toronto Marlies like a triple 18. He was filling up buildings. Filling up buildings, playing a year up.

I went to see him play what they call the OHL Cup. And it was like, the place was packed. There must have been 2,000 people in there. He was 13 years old playing with 14-year-olds. Now in America, you have to win a title. It's like golf. There are plenty of players who have won majors who are not considered great. But to be considered great in all time, you have to win a major and I totally agree with that

does in America you've got you have to win to be a legend. Ovechkin had to win one cup yes nobody will ever bother him ever again because of it right does McDavid have to win one? Yes. Do Canadians feel that way? Absolutely you have to you got if you're gonna be considered an all-time great which he's already in that conversation, you have to win. I know it's more difficult now and there's a salary cap and 32 teams. And guess what? He knows that. More than anyone. He wants it more than anyone. That's what makes him a special player. That's what is incredible about these guys who are wired that way. Watching him play hockey is like watching Steph Curry curry play basketball it is a if you have no

stake in it and i have no stake in it all we are one of those teams it's just a joy the watch that guy play hockey is absolutely spectacular it's an art form that is that's not a freak but it is going to be a just like there there's mcdavid and then everybody else is a cut below and dry saddle isn't I mean it's McDavid dry saddle and then everybody else like that's so good and but they're they're

so different the way they play dry settles a big physical guy I don't know if you saw he was you know guys were going after him he goes after them like yes when McDavid's just another he's like a video game that's what he is ballet yeah yeah that's exactly is incredible by the way if somebody dawns a 63 out here this week just to poke the bear yeah the wrinkle will they get thrown out of here that will possibly or get attacked if he puts on a 63 sweater that Marchant cannot be popular he is not many times he's eliminated the Leafs I know that's what I'm saying I guess seven or nine so that's five five that's enough but that's in game seven five game

seven seven she's five and oh against but that's in game seven five game seven sevens just five and oh against the leasing game sevens still licking ears and stuff yeah that's a guy and guess what leaf fans are I will speak on we want to sign on the side of a live he's available this summer and I guarantee you there get a line up for this guy because he's a winner and he's a hell of a player I'm Tony since you can hate him i wanted to tell you that you mean you love a imagine if he gets you guys over the hogs of sixty seven right now you know that you have dismissed it and i think he gets you guys over the hogs

that he could have the key to the city always you know and they need to be today they hate him yes i think it's a great it can flip that was sports or since the worst is the most beautiful thing ever family in sports you can have the rest exactly all of it uh... steve sans with us uh... so mackerel is in that vein of the mcdavids in the the hurries he shall one over today he has spoken openly about or does it coffee i met your occur yes yes i guess what coffee was on the coffee to buy what i was scratching curry yes i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i Yesterday, I think he you know needs to get out there and compete needs to get out there and see what that driver is doing

And he talked to our Kira K Dixon on our telecast earlier before we came on with you guys and he was saying you know I was missing the other driver to the left now I'm missing this one to the right a little bit and I need to figure that out and you know Give me another day tomorrow a good day tomorrow I get two extra rounds in on Saturday and Sunday Because you know next week the US Open and you're gonna need your driver there so I think he's in a little bit of better headspace now after competing for one day and

having a Pro-Am yesterday than he was yesterday. Okay yeah because he's put in the QI 35 the new driver like he was playing the old one for a while and he's put that in and he bogeyed eight or bogeyed 17 18 now he started off on 10 yeah so he had not seen the front nine before because he played the back nine in the prime yesterday. But you mentioned Oakmont right around the corner, like everyone's kind of buzzing about that test. And Rory, for a number of years, has loved the idea of coming up here, play the Canadian Open, and it prepares him for that.

Do you get the impression other guys are doing that this week, kind of with that mentality, because it's a really good field this year? It is, and I don't want anybody up here to ever think as people ask us this every week before a major championship no one's up here these guys are professional athletes they are trying to win no one's trying to get four days of practice rounds in here no one's trying to get a couple extra rounds in just to warm up for Rogman they are here to compete and to win and to McElroy's credit he's won this thing twice right so I think that

the field is excellent because I just think it's a great event. You know, we come up here once a year, the fans are insane. It's so much fun. It's just a little different. You know, it doesn't feel as different as it would be if you're going over to Europe or going over to Asia. But I think the guys love it here. I think there's a word of mouth situation on the PGA Tour just like in sports

It's a copycat league with things that you're doing I think word of mouth matters when you're actually picking and choosing which events you go to and I think people want to come here And support this event RBC has been a great sponsor for years They also do Hilton head and I think that kind of resonates with the guys I think there's a 59 watch going on right now. There is Cristobal del solar Yeah, del so and I saw him hit in on four like he he I was watching him for a couple of holes like this looks like a downplay I never heard of him before unlike this Phantom 64 he shot a 57 by

the way Wow I saw that I saw that early last year down in South America he shot a 57 now the US like a four-footer to right now the yardage was about the yardage that you had probably about five thousand yards when you shot your sixty four and the other one ever was it was the most legit round of golf you've you've watched golf for a living man my i was dialed in it was sixty four it was legit don't look at me sansy i can't understand i just can't believe you're okay with the side by or and walking off the green at 15 You're one of those respected golf. I thought you were gonna three holes to go

I thought you were gonna do me a solid you don't do like a like a like a Second period you gotta play C-open I thought you were gonna interview me and ask me about the rock You gotta play the third and sometimes you gotta go to overtime like last night walk off on the 15th He's expecting like Kira Kate Dixon. Yes waiting for him I want to walk out here interview on the golf channel about my round Tell Jim Nance and see if he says hello friends. Yeah, see the 64 early Yeah, I love that idea leads off with hello friends one of the hockey guys blew a 64 at this track earlier in the week

Alright, let's make it happen. By the way, the sub-60 around here, it's a par-70 and it's wet. It rained a ton last night. This would not have happened yesterday because it got soft. What does that mean for tomorrow? Does that mean they just, because tomorrow if it's kind of nice and it's a little bit soft that means they take it really deep in the morning especially in the morning when the greens are fresh and there's no wind and it's drying out I Think somebody tomorrow morning could go really and that's the guys that are still on the course right now And if you play well in the ask anybody on the PGA tour if you play well in the afternoon Yeah, you love you love if you're gonna play well morning or afternoon

You want it to be afternoon because you get right back out there in the morning. How about our Canadian golfers? What are you making of them? You know, I think Kali I wish Cory Connors Would would putt just a little bit better because he's just such a great ball striker such a great guy Taylor Pendreth played well, you know Nick Taylor under yesterday, four under. Nick Taylor played well again. And of course he ended the streak a couple of years ago with that crazy put over Tommy Fleetwood in the playoff. Pat Fletcher in 54 was the last Canadian to do it. Nick told me yesterday,

it was funny. We were in a pro-Amazon on the 18th and some lady and a kid or a mom, maybe they're yelling, Nick, Nick, Nick. And I'm standing there and I kind of back away. Can I get a picture of course access I can get a picture goes over takes a picture walks back up with me And we're walking up the fairway. He looks he goes. Well that doesn't happen in the States It's a very big deal. Yeah for the Canadians to do well in this event It is their fifth sixth major if you look at the four majors and the players as the five biggest events in golf This is right there with them for the Canadian players.

And I'm glad Taylor's playing well. I'm glad he played well today. Corey might get it going tomorrow morning because he's such a great ball striker. And Nick Taylor has a chance to do it again. Well that's the beauty of it. Like Nick played great last week at the Memorial. He did. Right?

He finished fourth. And when he's in the hunt, like he's a killer on that. Sure, man. Yeah, he's not afraid. Like we had him on earlier and he's's like i'm put the pedal down tomorrow let's go yeah it's it's it's just like team sports individual sports is the same thing

you know when you have the ability to get after it go for it you know don't play not to lose play to win you know GM say it all the time we're gonna make that late trade because we feel like we have a chance you know works both ways in sports and to me nick is the kind of kid Who's not afraid and that is a wonderful quality in sports, especially in this game Rory's so big to this event to the tour wherever he goes What did you make about the PGA tour and when this guy goes out and he wins the Masters? That's all everyone talks about his story in golf

When he plays a great round Brando will break down a swing and talk about the torque and the hips and everything and how good it is What did you make because I heard some of his comments early in the week with us He was like well Wednesday the driver thing happened and I was kind of tired So I just left and then Thursday was late and I left I didn't feel like talking then Friday I just said I'm out of here What did you make of that because it just seems like man up with more cow earlier in the year and it's like they're so willing to sit up there when they're unbelievable

but then when there's that adversity or some type of failure on the golf course they don't want to sit there i personally think it's garbage what do you make of it i would say this to a player's face and i certainly have i'm not their father i'm not their big brother but right you know we know each other uh... and it doesn't matter who the player is in this case it was more a cow the week before the players at Bay Hill and then you double down at the players yeah and then it was McElroy doubling down on what Colin said and

then he did it at the PGA Championship I don't like the fact that I'm starting to hear golfer say well you want to make it mandatory make it mandatory it's not mandatory now it's professional sports yeah there are winners and there are losers Jack Nichols was the greatest champion of all time he was also the most gracious loser of all time you cannot just sit up there to your point when you play well and have everybody like I'm not picking on Rory and Colin I'm picking on the whole thing and what I think they need to understand and I wish the tour would get this message to the players and I wish'm picking on the whole thing and what I think they need to understand and I wish the tour would

Get this message to the players I wish the agents and the people around them would get it to the players, especially the best ones in the world You do not owe the media anything you owe the fans and your sponsors everything and the media Happens to be the conduit between the player and the fans and the sponsors Do your job be professional stand up there and take it greg norman in ninety six at the masters john vanderveld in ninety nine after triple bogey lost laps around time eat you need to go down the line mickleson in oh six at wing foot

when he had it in his hands a career grand slam perhaps with the u.s. open there are plenty of examples individual sports sports like golf and tennis and team sports especially where a guy has got to sit up there and take it. And I just don't understand the mentality of a professional athlete, it just so happens to be in this sport right now, of not speaking after something doesn't go your way. That's just not how sports works. And to me they're winners and losers. You gotta stand up there, man up,

and take the questions. And by the way you can shape the answers however you choose. But take the questions and then kinda, you know, go about your way. It's part of being a professional athlete. I think Rory and Colin both know that, but I think right now there's a little bit of rub as to what they should and should not do not just those two but everybody what should and should not take place again they don't owe the media anything they owe the fans

everything i didn't expect it from those two guys speak seems like a continuation of a younger person problem where nothing's ever their fault it's also setting a bad example well yeah it's like we younger people are like i didn't do i didn't screw up I couldn't do that it's kind of filtering in it's like I didn't expect those guys to figure it out. It's very tough I don't like to criticize professional athletes when they do things right or wrong especially when it's off the course off the ice those kinds of things but in this particular case I think that's part of being a professional athlete you guys know I mean you guys were you guys were there you guys did it you've got to speak you know that's just

the way it is you think that guy for Florida last night, when he, you know, takes the puck over the ice, you know, he's sitting there, man, that was a great shot. I was watching on TSN last night, great shot. You know, right over the top. And then when the goal scored, he just gets right out of the penalty box. You know darn well he had to take it. And I promise you, as a hockey player, he probably did. You know, that's sports. That's the way it goes. Steve Sands with us you mentioned Phil Nicholson a moment ago he was saying I believe earlier today thinks this is probably his last US Open yeah that Oakmont like what kind of reception would you expect for him like

he you know he wins a key law four or five years ago did you say the reasoning well he's just he's not the world rankings he's not eligible anymore this is his last year off of that on you know So I was five years ago. What's remarkable about that? Do you guys remember when he won 50 years of age? Yeah, 50 years of age and he won a major championship and he was on top of the golf world I don't care who was number one at the time. He was on top of the golf world What beat Brooks Koepka and now here he is The reception will be interesting, you know know he has done so much damage to his

brand you know so much damage to you know the way he used to go about his business being basically the modern day on a hammer i don't know what the reception is going to be like you know it's not like it's an announced final one but the world palmer in ninety four oakmont was announced

that it was going to be his last US Open and he got the greatest ovation you can possibly get and that's Arnold Palmer versus Phil Mickelson. Yeah. But you know Mickelson will be 55 in a couple weeks you know that week maybe next week. I don't know if the reception is gonna be anything special. He has no chance of winning. Yeah and he's never won a US Open. He's probably needs finish runner-up six times you know and he's probably going to shoot uh... big big no oakmont is going to be

just i don't know if i want to show next week yeah but he will have your own oakmont is going to be a piece a m monster say that you can or i don't know if you are what your thoughts on this so you will not to boot by the way no i'm not excited i don't think it'll be so michaelson what it would have been right here while you're out here at. That would have been extra special. Don't you think Phil would be dynamite in the booth? He would have been. Yeah.

You just think that ship has sailed? I do. Unfortunately. He ruffled some fast. He kind of jumped into that for a little bit you know with our company and with the other company cbs who does pgtor golf in the u.s. and i think now i think it's just a little bit on the toxic side however having said all that i'd hire in a second

he'd be fabulous also i i would do i would do i would say i don't care what happened ten years ago go ahead and give it a red you know and he had a personal decision he said some things he probably shouldn't have said but so of all this Yeah, I don't hold that against him at all Sandy it's always great seeing you man. That's it. That's good. I want to know Sandy Let's just do a mock throwback to golf central after talking to me about my 64 wrapping up the Canadian Open Go for it. I can't curse on TV after talking to me about my sixty four wrapping up the cable

go for it uh... can't curse on t and i think i i i would i would say something about what i want to believe is part of your goal for us exactly did you get the answer you could do a fair i don't think that there's two things a man can't live golf did you really should 64 absolutely there you go then it's over it's not there because there in both my check both accounts

guys will get exposed immediately yeah if they lie that's either I have a lot of always doing it when he was 17 in high school yeah never ever kiss the reason I'm so confident in saying this is because there was a camera crew that watched every shot I took there I i'm gonna get a report yeah all this is what it should all count them up and it there's no other way i've been told that might be lower i've been told you are as a chance and see there's

a sixty it's a sixty two now she was even better looking than what he thought you know the older we get the prettier the dogs well that's what i want you know what i'm most happy about not just your sixty four i'm just that you have food on that computer, not a Pepsi. Because if you remember, was it last year? Two years ago or last two years? That was two years ago. Two years ago.

Yeah, you knocked a Pepsi over. I didn't knock a Pepsi over. If I knocked a Pepsi over, he shot 64. Get out of here. This guy's been hiding a doggy bowl behind his back. What do you have on the work? There's a state st. Bernard's anyway if anybody was Anybody wonders out there what everyone's done this before and you got to help me

I've been told I've been told all day and coming on the show and told all day This is by far and away the most popular show in all of Canada It is they only do the people at the only only knew, during the break, there's no fork and knife, we're just grabbing it and throwing it all up. What are we doing over here? What are we doing over here? There's a bowl underneath here. What are we doing over here? Sanzi, it's great seeing you buddy. We'll catch you next week at Oakmont. Will you come on? Of course. All right, there you go. We love them. Steve Sands. And by the way, Ovechkin, nothing on the record? Nothing? Nothing. Hey, it's his last year, next year. come on yeah i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i this is going to take two or three years. This guy got it done this year. He's a machine, man. It was unbelievable. There's no other way to put it. Unbelievable. Yeah, he's a machine. And he got one on me. He got one on me. He did? Yeah. Well, that's cool. Scored one on him. I think that's a badge of honor. I don't know. There's like 187 goalies or something he got. He got one on me. I think he moves up in the ranks as far as greatest players of all time because of that record i think you know the top ten now i think you see yeah i think he's yeah i never thought of that and i don't think of him as a dh he's only a goal scorer no he's been an all-around player for years but i am

doing what he did i agree in the record who he brought a nickname that guy the pretty good one that's right in the great one that's right and that's a hell of a rain you mentioned he won he won a cop there and he broke the Gretzky record I mean there's there's he's got nothing left left to prove yeah nothing left to prove that's not true just play out another season and we get one more we'll see I'm not buying it I'm not they were coached this year good really good goaltending they got a lot of good things there all right Sam they'll be fine they need some speed I saw last night I went with some speed.

Yeah, keep up with those guys. Sure you don't want to throw up back to Golf Central, finishing up, wrapping up our interview? No. I can't do it. He's had enough. He's had enough, brother. I mean, you can't even share that dog bowl. Watch, I'll get in there and bite me.

Good. That's amazing. You guys are the best. He's the best, too. We love you. Hey, this is Ruby Carr Steve Sass. You guys are the best. I love you guys. He's the best too. We love ya.

Hey, this is Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast, Encore. This week, a song so good, you feel like you could kick a door down. The story behind Shania Twain, Man, I Feel Like a Woman. Did you know that Shania was performing in nightclubs when she was like eight? Truly shocking. Find out more with Encore,

the stories behind the songs you love, and the unbelievable story of Shania Twain's Man, I Feel Like a Woman. Listen to Encore on the iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts for that and more stories behind the songs you love.