Subpar - An Introduction to Subpar

Episode Date: February 10, 2020

GOLF's Subpar, hosted by former PGA Tour pro Colt Knost and his long time friend and on course rival Drew Stoltz, pairs colorful segments with in-depth sit-down interviews with the game’s biggest personalities. It will be available across GOLF.com’s platforms every Tuesday. Future guests include World #3 Jon Rahm, U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland and the larger-than-life Thai star, Kiradech Aphibarnat.

Welcome to the debut episode of the subpar podcast. I am Colt Nost along with my good friend Drew Stoltz. I'm excited to get this thing going, Sleazy. This is going to be fun, dude. Long-awaited. We've been waiting to release this thing for a while. We're going to get amongst it, as we like to say. I'm very much looking forward to it.

Like I said, I'm Colt Nost. Former PGA tour player. Played out on the tour for quite a long time. Does I feel weird to say that? It's weird, bud. It's fresh. Former. Yeah.

But yeah, you know, it was a good run. love the game of golf. I'm so excited to share my thoughts with you and the rest of the world. I think we're going to surprise some people. Change their view, maybe with golf. We're going to open some eyes. We want to get behind the guy you see on the interviews on TV and the generic crap like that. We want to get to the fun, personal side, get you to see the other side of some of these golf.

That's kind of the goal of this thing, right? Just more or less have guys in from the world of golf. Guys you see playing on TV every week and have fun. Just like we're sitting around a table, not like an interview, but more than just like shooting it up. Totally great. Show a total different side of these guys. Because all these guys out on tour,

they actually have great personalities. They just don't get to show it that much. And so we're going to bring you some very deep inside info on these guys. Probably embarrass them a little bit, you know. If we do our job. Yes, hopefully. Yeah. But can't wait to just get it going with these with a bunch of different tour players,

a bunch of other athletes, celebrities, all kinds of things. We're going to have an unbelievable. Yeah, we'll venture outside of the world to golf a little bit. Yeah, unbelievable guest list. And like I said, we're going to, a little different side of these guys. But I'm very excited. Sleas, we've known each other for quite a long time.

Yes, many years. We almost played college golf together, but you couldn't get in academically over at SMU, so you had to go to TCU. Well, it was a little mix up with my application. You know, the whole past the SAT thing was a bit of an issue. Yep, but you played collegiately at TCU over and forth. I played at SMU.

Is that one where we first got to know each other? Was it in college playing against each other and random stuff around there? No, I was it when I was just dominating back in the day. I don't quite remember. Like, you want a few, I want a few. At the end of the day, there was a mutual respect. First off, I won way more than a few.

There's no record books that go back and check, but I won quite a bit of things. You won a couple times, you know, tip for tat type of a deal, two Titans. Well, at one time in those world amateur rankings, there was only, there was one name at the top. And it was already building for my pro career. I was a stellar pro career. I was past it. It was like Kobe, just straight to the league. And by league, I mean mini tours.

Do you miss playing competitively at all? Dude, when I first got out, so for just to give a little brief background, I played at TCU. that's where I met Colt. He was at SMU. Finished there, played pro golf right out the gate, and got stuck on the mini tours there for a little bit. Yes, as we call it, the jicky jack. So any event where you can write a check and gain entry into the field, that's what we call a jickey jack.

Great term for the mini tours. So came out, played jicks all over the place, played in Canada. I mean, I played everywhere you could play all over the map for about six, seven years. Got my web.com card. Didn't have great status. Had to Monday a ton of times. You know, those go missed over and over.

I said, you know what, I quit. So, yeah, I like to compare myself to a Rucker Park streetball legend and just never got a shot at the lead. I couldn't leave the streets alone. But by streets, I mean, the jicky jacks. I love it. But yeah, I do miss playing, dude. Like, when I first stopped playing, I miss it a lot.

I don't miss necessarily like the golf and the grind and the practice. I enjoy competing. That's the one thing I miss about playing is just competition, right? Whatever it is. And golf is the thing that, you know, we've competed in for most of our lives. So when that's gone, all of a sudden, you're like, where do I get my fix? What can I compete in? So I've taken up gambling and a variety of other vices to fill that slot.

But what about you? Now that you're fresh out the gates. Yeah. Is it going to be weird? Like not getting ready for a tournament? Yeah, it is weird. You know, I played my last one at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. It was a sad day, I'll be honest.

Yeah, dude, that's a big day. Yeah, when it was over, it was a tough one. But, you know, I had an amazing run, played eight years out there, played a hundred and 99 PJ Tour events. Oh, one more for the big. I know. maybe get a sponsor later in the year. I know. I got to get to 200.

You got to have like a farewell tour, dude. Like all the NBA players now, you know, we just go wave and they, people let you score and all that stuff. Just let me score. You only on 25? You'll get 20 pro. Yeah, but it was, it was awesome. It was, I had tons of friends and family out watching me and, um, it was, it was great.

I was, I missed the cut by a shot and I do not miss that part, grinding on that cut line. A refresh, refresh on the phone. That one was tight too because it was literally like one guy. Yeah. You were T-65 in. Oh, a guy made a birdie. Oh, T-66. Oh, T-66.

Oh, it was just back and forth that last hour or so. But, yeah, like I said, it was a hell of a run and something I'll never forget. And I don't, wouldn't trade it for anything. It was the struggles were, I mean, made me a better person. The good times were amazing. But to play at that level for so long was, was awesome. And I will miss it a lot. Yeah.

The compete, like, I mean, my buddy Ray Whitney, a former hockey player caddyed for me in my last one. and I played pretty good Thursday. I shot one under par, but it played pretty tough in the morning and everything. And we're coming down 18. And I mean, the place is just jammed. I'm playing pretty good.

And I was like, God, I'm going to miss this. This is so. I mean, the juices are going. It's so fun. That's what it gets tough to you.

You've got to get that fix, that adrenaline, that competition, you've got to find it somewhere. But yeah, I guess it'll be this now. This is it. This is what I'm going to say,

the next chapter. Now this is it. This is where we shock the world in the podcast world. And like we said, We hope to get some good dudes on here. I think this first one we got, man, is going to be pretty cool. We got a guy John Rom that obviously everyone in the world of golf knows, but not a lot of people get to see behind the curtain with John Rom.

You see the club slamming and the going crazy and all that, and obviously he's one of the best players in the world. But there's a lot more of that dude. And I think we got a pretty good, I think we went a full hour with him, man. And it was pretty interesting. I think people are going to like that. I'm a John Rom fan. I became a bigger fan after our interview with him.

He was incredible. It opened up about some awesome stories about playing Tiger in the Rider Cup and just showed us a totally different side of who he is. I mean, huge in the rap game. Huge in the rap. Not a lot of people know about that. John Rom, big in the rap game. We actually got a little sample of that.

And hopefully we could show later in the show. But you're right, like this first one for John to take time to come in here. He's a guy, you and I get to be around a lot because we're in Scotts here, play golf them. So we kind of know who John Rom is, but I feel like the world doesn't really know John Rom other than what they sees. Emotional dude gets fired up, slams clubs, all that stuff. A lot more behind the scenes.

that with John Rom and I think this interview, a good one to come out the gates with with a little top three player in the world and get some behind the scene scoop. I totally agree with you. He was absolutely fantastic. One of the other things, Sleasy, we're going to do on this show is really get behind the scenes. Tell these people what some cool stories from tour, some tour players, you know, kind of what happens at these golf tournaments that a lot of people don't know about. And I know you got a great story with Phil Mickelson. I have an awesome one with our good buddy, Graham Dillette, PJ Tour player.

Canadian guy. I'll share mine to start out with. We were at Hilton Head a few years ago. Bryson DeShambos making his pro debut at the Heritage the week after Augusta. So, you know, Bryson, he wears those little hats or whatever. Yeah, what are you called? I don't even know what they're called. News hats.

Little hats. Like that. Right, right. So they made, since it was his first week, they made tart and print because the winner gets a tartan jacket, tart and print hats. So his locker, obviously, Deschambo, Delette, are they're next to each other. So all week, Graham's like, I hate this kid. He's been out here for five minutes and he's already annoying me.

Like he's got stuff in front of his locker. I can't even get to mine. He's complaining about it. Yeah. Old man. Get off my lot. Yeah. He's like, who's this guy?

Yeah. I don't think he is. So all week, just complaining, complain and complaining every day. Then since he's a Puma guy, just like Bryson, he had to put a welcome tweet. He's like, welcome to the team. Hashtag Caput like Bryson. Right. So then he's pumping Bryson's debut.

I was like, oh, you hate this kid, but now you're tweeting about it. He's like, oh, I had to. I had to. So I finished up my round on Friday. I had my caddy go buy one of the hats. 30 bucks. Well worth it. Go buy one of the hats. I autograph it. Two gram. Best of luck in your career. Bryson DeShambo. Beautiful. Beautiful. So just put it in there. Don't say anything. I'm out hitting balls. Getting little practice. I see Graham Deleck come into the range and you can just see the steam coming out of his head. Like he is just about ready to lose it. He comes over and he's like,

you're never going to believe what this kid did. And I'm like, what? He goes, the kid autographed a hat. wish me best luck in my career and put it in my locker like who the hell does he think he is he's like he's been there for a minute and he's signed and giving me an autograph hat are you kidding me and i was like dude that's kind of bold play i was like you're going to say anything to him he's like he goes he goes i think i'm to say something i'm like he should say something so he's just stormed i mean he's pacing back and forth of the range he's so mad like 20 minutes later he comes back and he goes you know what i think someone's messing with me and i finally couldn't keep it any longer and i just started to die and he goes damn it you got me good

So did he ever say anything to Bryson or no? Because that would be incredible. Like, listening to you're punk. So I thought Bryson knew the story. He actually didn't. I told him last year in Las Vegas the story, and he goes, that is amazing. Yeah. So Bryson actually appreciated.

Are they boys now? Are they cool? They squash the beef? I think they're okay. Okay. That's a good. But Bryson just, you know, he's, I mean, if you see him out there, he's got six guys watching him hit balls at all times.

He's got more entourage than anybody. He's very high maintenance. So he's got, I mean, every week in front of his locker and there's just stacks and stacks of stuff. It's ridiculous. Yeah. First event, and here's Graham is, veteran,

President's Cup guy, kids stuff everywhere. Perfect. Well played on that. It was one of my favorite pranks I've done out there. We'll share a lot more of those stories. Yeah, we got a lot more of those to go.

We could do a full show on just that story. I got first time ever playing with Phil Mickelson, right? Young kid, six, seven, eight years ago, something like that. Get invited to play with Phil at Whisper Rock. Like, hey,

you want to come out, Phil's in town you want to play. I was like, yeah, I think the schedule is clear for Phil. To go out there. I mean, is the dude I idolized as a kid growing up right everybody our age did get out there shake his hand

we're hitting balls we go to the first tee and i'm like a little bit nervous right never played with phil nothing get on the tea we set up a game and he's like all right me versus you what do you want you want you ask me for shots i was like no shots no shots uh straight up your bet first me is fourner bucks that was the bet fourner versus foreigner okay he looks to me like i'm an idiot and i probably was but i was like yeah let's go fast forward the whole round i end up close and fill out on 17 green right par three i hit it close make the birdie it's over we get to the 18 t He gives me what he calls Aloha bet, right? That's what he calls a double or nothing.

So it's one hole double or nothing. I take, of course I take it. Yeah, you're on. Play 18, part five, both McBurdy. And I'm like, dude, I'm like, I have to win. If I, even if I won the match or lose the Aloha, like I get no money from Phil. It doesn't count as like a winner. I need to have this money from Phil Mickelson in my hand.

Tie the 18th, both McBurdy, walk off, shakes my hand on the 18th green, hands me the $400 in my hand as we walk out because we're about to go in the grill and have drinks and stuff. And there's no way he's going to have anyone seeing him handing money to anybody. else, right? So I get it, and I'm walking back to the grill with a good buddy of his, a guy he played college golf with. And I was like, dude, you know, like, got his money. This is the best. And he's like, you know what you need to do, dude. Go in and sign one of the Whispers catalogs for him. So at the club we play at, if you win the club championship, you're on the

cover of the magazine. That year, I happen to be on the cover of it, right? So I was like, yo, you think I should do that? Like, well, he's like, no, trust me. It'll be great. So we go and we sit down. I sneak off. I grab one of the catalog. Same thing, dude. I write on it, Phil, you have a very nice game. Dot, dot, dot, dot. Never give up. Drew Stoltz. And I sign it, right?

So I put it, I tuck it in my back pants. I'm like, I'm going to hide this for like the big reveal, right? So I go in and sit down, wait for the conversation to die down, finally dies down. Phil's right next to me. I pull it out, put my arm around. Phil's like, hey, man, just want to let you know, dude. Like, loved having you out here today. You're more than welcome anytime you want to come out here.

By the way, he designed the golf course. Like Phil Mickelson is this place. He is God. There's no one higher than Phil at this place. So I handed it out, hey, you know, anytime you want to come out, man, love to, love the TAAW. And he goes along with Hey, he was cool. He's like, oh, dude, super appreciate it. Like, it's the nicest thing you could ever done, blah, blah, blah, all this stuff.

So he leaves, he takes off about five minutes or, sorry, fast forward like two days. He was going to play a practice around at Marion for the U.S. Open. I get a text from his catty, Bowens at the time, right? And he's like, hey, Phil wanted me to thank you. He's been checking in under the name Drew Stoltz at every hotel that he goes to so that he can remain completely anonymous. And I was like, well, plod. Chay. Hey, too, Jason. Anytime I see him, he's like, dude, I can't thank you enough.

Best 400 bucks I ever spent my life. I've been asked by one person ever. No one's heard of Drew Stoll. He can, even when you win and you lose. Yeah, it was a good, like, rebuttal. He'll always want up you with the how many tournaments, how many majors, all that stuff. There's nowhere you can go with it, but at least I asked them to sign a $100 bill, too, at the table. It's like, hey, I signed this for you.

If you could just do me a favor and sign this. And I'm paraphrasing here, basically I said, you can forget it and slid it right back to me. And I was like dead serious about that. I legitimately wanted that $100. I would have never spent it in my life. That's cool. But we're going to share many, many stories like that of our times with some of the greats in the game of golf.

And we're really looking forward to getting this thing going. One of the recurring segments we're going to do here on subpar podcast, Colty, is a little game called Colt v. Drew. Now, we have no idea what's coming at us, but our producer, Mark, who's behind the scenes here is going to throw us out a question. You and I debate it. And I believe at the end of the time here, Mark's going to declare a winner. So this is straight off the top.

We got no prep, no nothing. I don't even know if these are golf related questions or not, but the gist is Colt versus Drew, producer Mark declares a winner at the end of the show. So we're going to get into this right now. Marky, got that first one? First question. More underrated player right now, Webb Simpson or Paul Casey?

You want me to lead? I'll let you have the honor. Let me get the, yeah, my tea, my tea. Most underrated player, I'm going to go Webb Simpson. If I was actually just looking at his stats recently, if you rewind to the Masters of last year, 2019 Masters, he has not had a finish worse than 30th in 17 straight events. And the 30th was at the Open Championship last year,

which is kind of a little one-off there. Has not finished worse than 30. I believe he has four runner-ups, and now he just won the Phoenix Open. He gets, he's on the, he's on the team events, Rider Cup, Presence Cup, all that stuff. Everyone knows he knows he's a good player, but I don't think people realize exactly how good he is

and how consistent he is. I would take Webb Simpson and in that argument. Yeah, I hate to agree with you, but I'm going to. I like Webb Simpson in that one. I mean, he's a players champion, U.S. Open champion, six wins on tour. Paul Casey's a fantastic player as well. But Webb, I mean, he's just, he's won more big events.

He never plays bad. He's one of those dudes that never has, oh, where's Webb? Oh, he shot six over and missed cut. Never. Andy sneaky hits a shank about every tournament, which you got to respect. Any dude that can hossel one, like every other event? That's a dude in my book. He deserves respect.

He shanks one and still plays good. He shanks like two a tournament or once every tournament and he can finish his fifth. It's hard to do. All right. It's real talent. All right. More due for a win. Jordan Speeith or Tony Feeneau? Your T. Tony Feeneau. Because he's up there. It seems like every week. Yeah.

Jordan Spee's not playing good golf right now. He'll be the first to tell you that. Tony Feeneau is so so due. Yeah. This is a, it's going to be a tough segment if we keep agreeing. I got to go Fee now. He's knocking on the door all the time, bunch of runner up since his last win. And when you just piece in the fact that like what he can do physically, compared to Spieth, like Speed's unbelievable. What he's done in golf is crazy.

Finaw can do things that Jordan Speed can't do, like off the T and just the way he hits the ball right now. Like Tony has linked that like very few people on the planet have. I just think that's more repeatable over time. And the fact that he's only got one is one of the great mysteries in golf. I think that'll go away soon. But yeah, most do got to go with Fina. All right.

Hopefully you guys disagree on this one. Better performance at the Super Bowl halftime show. Shakira or J-Lo? I'm giving it to Shakira just because of that tongue thing. you did. Yeah, that's good. That's a blowup internet meme immediately, but that tongue thing want it for. All right. I'm going to go the other side. I go JLo A because I've loved her since I was about 13 years old, knew what was going on in the world. I got to go Jalo and I will give it to her. You referenced the tongue thing for Shakira, the poll that Jalo got up at age 50 or

whatever and then dance up there. That's that's the real deal. She's 50 years old. Shakira's 43. It's unbelievable. They still got it. Jalo, Jennifer Anston, go to the same pharmacist. I don't know what they're getting from that pharmacist, but they're going, they're aging in reverse. And, yeah, J-Lo for me. I wasn't mad about either of it. No, I could take an easy tie there. All right. Better California tournament.

Hubble Beach or the Genesis Invitational. Well, how would he know he's never played in any of them? I've actually participated in these. That's a good point. Riviera, Genesis Open is incredible. Riviera is one of the coolest golf courses on tour. The first tee shot at Riviera, I think, is one of the best T-shots in golf, too. It's awesome.

That place is special. Yeah, LA, incredible hang. Just to mix it up and go the other side, I'll take Pebble Beach. Best venue in golf. Maybe the tournament doesn't draw the same players because you've got the pro-am element, right? A lot of guys don't want to get out there for that. But anytime you tee the ball up at Pebble Beach, that's a special deal. So there's no better place for my money in the world than Pebble Beach.

So I'll take Pebble Beach on that. All right. Last question. Better nickname, Gravy or the Sleas. Oh, come on. Everything's better with gravy. Slees just sounds dirty. Yeah, that's why it's better.

That's it, right? I don't got to even say anything. Sleez, we'll get into the origin of that name at some point. But dude, Sleez, that thing caught on like wildfire, bro. Never to leave. They both are pretty good. They got a nice little ring to them both, you know. Put them together, boom, magic.

Amazing. Everything pretty close there, but everything's better with gravy line. Raine true. Got to give this one to Colt. Oh, God. Okay. Can't win them off. You don't win the first, please.

That's right. Enjoy that. Save for that one. want to know. Savor that one. Thanks, Mark. Much appreciated. This is biased.

I slipped him 100 before we started this today. I need an audit on this. Yeah. This is going to be fun. Great start with ROM here. And looking forward to many more. There's above average. There's average.

And then there's subpar. And Colton Drew, we are definitely subpar.