Subpar - Breaking down Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour plus The Big Break II winner Kip Henley talks the show's return and caddying for Vijay Singh

Episode Date: January 13, 2026

On this week's episode GOLF's Subpar, Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by longtime PGA Tour caddie Kip Henley. The winner of The Big Break II talks why he is excited to see the show return, how caddying for Vijay Singh was different than his other bags on Tour and if he accidentally put an end to the WM Phoenix Open caddie races. -- Thanks to our official sponsor Zone Nicotine. Warning: This product contains nicotine.  Nicotine is an additive chemical.  Underage sale prohibited.  Introducing Zone Nicotine Pouches - the perfect balance of unparalleled comfort - longer-lasting flavor - and nicotine that satisfies.  Whether you’re zoning in for an important putt or zoning out after a tough day at work, Zone gets you there faster and keeps you there longer.  Available in seven flavors and in six and nine milligram strengths.  Want zone pouches at a discount and mailed right to your door? Head to⁠ Nicokick.com⁠ and enter code “SubPar20” at checkout for an additional 20% off.--Kick off the new year with custom Birdie Juice gear—15% off at ⁠shop.golf.com ⁠using SUBPAR15. New year, new fit, no excuses.

All right, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Subpar. And Slees, I don't know if you know there's some rather big golf news just dropped. So let's get in. Let's get zoned in with our friends over at Zone Nicotine. By the way, speaking of getting zoned in, Scottsdale is gearing up for waste management. And we're bringing you a live subpar show less than a month out.

We'll be at Whiskey Row in Old Town with Zone, drink specials, giveaways, obviously some waste management tickets and plenty of chaos. More details coming soon, including special guests, come hang with us Tuesday, February 3rd at Whiskey Row at 6 p.m. It's going to be a lot of fun. And by the way, the news we're talking about Siles that we're going to get zoned in about is from a two-time WM Phoenix Open champion, that being Brooks Kepka, who recently said he is stepping away from live golf in 2026.

Him and the tour decided to go separate ways. And then as of last week, Brooks has applied for reinstatement to the PGA tour. Well, this morning, we learned he has been reinstated to the PGA tour. Obviously, a lot comes with that, but Brooks goes on his social media to go on and say he'll be teeing it up at the Farmer's Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in just a couple of weeks, as well as the WM Phoenix Open. Yeah, I mean, this is big. This happens so fast. He announced the reinstatement, like right before Christmas kind of went unnoticed just because of the time of the year. And then all of a sudden, the speculation starts what's going to happen.

You know, we had talked to Pat Perez. He said he'd gotten a year from the last time he broadcasted. We assumed they would hold Brooks to at least that same standard. and lo and behold, they come with the returning membership program, which has been customized for Brooks Kepka. Ultimately, and others. There's options for others, but this form because Brooks applied for reinstatement, and they're like, this is what we're going to run with.

Yeah, the other three guys of this could potentially affect if they wanted to. John Rom, Cam Smith, and Bryson DeShampo, they could come back. But the rules is you have to have won a major or players since 2022. Not 2021. By the way. Very strategic with a date. And you're right. So Brooks Kepka is back.

Those other three players are the only ones eligible. And they have a window, by the way, to decide. And that is February 2nd, which happens to be the week of WM Phoenix Open and as well as the opening live event over in Saudi. But as far as Brooks Kepka goes, okay, it doesn't come without penalty. And this is just to dumb it down for you. Okay. Brooks Kepka must make a $5 million charitable donation. they will discuss where that goes.

He is ineligible for the player equity program for five years, which they project is worth $50 to $85 million in lost earnings. He is ineligible for the 2026 FedEx Cup bonus payout. Okay, a little different. He is eligible, though, for the President's Cup and the TGL. As you said, this returning membership policy only applies to players who have won a major or players since 2020. Right. This isn't just floodgates, anyone that wants.

off live, you can come back. It's really for three guys. And they're like, if we can take these stars, if Brooks wanted back and he's doing this, maybe the others want back, here's a window, we'll see what happens. I don't know. What do you think? You think we'll get another, I mean, there's three guys. You think one of them pulls the trigger? I do in the next few weeks. I think at least one. Okay. That's just my, my honest opinion, I know nothing. I've talked to John Rom some about this. Obviously, he's not going to say anything to me about it. He is focused on Live at the moment, But I think this would definitely have to make him think a little bit. Well, now you know what's out there.

Like before it was, you know, Bryson just recently talking to his live negotiation. They couldn't get a deal done. He's like, I could just do YouTube and be happy, which, by the way, no, you couldn't. But, you know, you would not be happy doing that. You need to compete. And now doors open for him potentially to come back. It's a quick window, three weeks. Like, you got your teams, you know, that you're a part of and things.

Like, you've got to get a lot of your ducks in a row in a quick, a quick span of time, but PJ tour basically saying like, here's a window, but forcing their hand. If you go back, like, do it right now. And I mean, I'm very curious to see what happens. Also, a huge blow to live. They lose one of their marquee guys and he's allowed back right away. And now just the distraction element for these guys that are going to be asked, what do you think about Brooks? Have you considered coming back? Like, it's a, I think they made the right decision. This is what I was saying I would do the entire time. I didn't necessarily think the PJ tour would do that. I thought there might be some sort of time frame.

to sit out, but he's basically back on the PJ tour for a $5 million fine out of pocket. The rest is potential future earnings. Like that's not, I give you a stock and be like, this is going to be worth $80 million in five years. Like there's no guarantees of that, but $5 million out of his own pocket back in. Yeah, it's wild, man. You know, I got some rumblings of this. I would say in the last week that could possibly happen.

I wasn't totally sure. Actually, I'll tell you, I got a DM from a guy that I've talked with over the years. I don't think I've ever met him in person. he's up he's from philly big eagles fan and he randomly dm and he goes brooks is teeing it up at tory and i was like there's no way like you i was like where do you get this he's like trust me i'm telling you it's happening and i was like okay but like i need a little more here like no offense sir but i don't think you are a big like on the front line yeah exactly and he's like trust me i know some people and and they told me and it's happening he goes if it's true you have to take me to whisper off for a round

to golf when i'm in scottstale and i was like all right well what if it's not true I mean, it seems like a pretty good deal for you. And I lost $100 to him on a Cowboys Eagles game. And he's like, I'll Venmo you $100 back. I was like, all right, deal, whatever, no problem. Because I didn't think it was probably going to happen this soon. God, damn it. By God, if it didn't.

Anthony? Welcome to Whiskbrook. What's his name, Anthony? Yeah, we're tuning up at Whiskbrook whenever you come to town. Get that game tightened up, bud. But it's crazy, man. Like I said, I'd been hearing some things last week or so. And I'm like, okay, when you start hearing it this much.

And then I even saw some of the live guys to start tweeting like this morning. They're like, I cannot believe this news is breaking soon and all this. And I'm like, it's happening. They're going to let him tee it up. He's back. Listen, if they, if even one of those other three guys decides to do it, it is a major blow. It's already a major blow to that. But I think it just absolutely destroys them.

On the other hand, the one thing is this could piss live off. You know, the Piff, infinity money, right? They could say, you know what? You're going to do this to us? All right, fine. We're opening up our checkbook. Tell us the number to the top guys. Whatever you want, come over here and we can fire back and we can play this money game all you want and you're going to lose.

I don't know if they will go that route, but I'm just saying that could be an option. It could. I think their time, I think that ship has sailed. I think they had a window of time when they first were launched. They were starting to get these guys, the DJs, the Brooks is the fit. Like there was a moment where it was like, damn, how many of these guys are they going to take? And they were paying huge dollar amounts to this. Being that they like money really isn't an issue to them, I'm surprised they stopped because instead of being like,

oh, we got six, eight guys that really matter globally. I mean, why stop there? Why don't be like, we're going to make sure we take over all the best players in the world, get as many as we possibly can over here to become, you know, one of the preeminent tours. And they stopped at this group. And then, since then, PGA Tour is audible. They've made the, I mean, the beneficiaries or all the guys that stayed on the PGA Tour have benefited so much from Liv in terms of the money.

You got Aeon challenges, TGL, PIP. Remember the PIP program? Just, here's the most popular guys. by the way, we don't know, we keep score. Like, they've been just shoveling money to these guys. And now, like, Scotty Mike eclips $35 million in earnings this year. That's, like, one of the projections. And I know it's Scotty Shepler, but, like, the money is not crazy different from PJ Tour

to live like it was when they first launched this thing. And I don't think even if they opened it up, would some guys take it? Sure. But would the guys that sway, you know, the weight of, like, which tour is better than the other one? Or are they going to get that many guys? or those names? I don't think so anymore. Well, there's obviously

with this news, there's going to be guys that are pissed off. They're going to be guys that are fine with it. And you mentioned Scottie Schaeffer. Like, I was texting with him once this news broke.

And I said, what do you think? He goes, I think it was a smart move. So that's coming from the number one player in the world who nothing's going to, he doesn't get affected by any of this. It's just another great player coming back to the PGA tour. And Scotty wants to play against the best

every single week. I think the guys, you know, further down the road, obviously, this is going to frustrate them a little bit. But at the same time, I don't know if they should be that frustrated because they're not taking a spot away. So even if all four came back, what they're going to do is they're just adding to the field each week. They're not, it's not like, oh, hey, these four guys, or even Brooks Kepka.

Brooks Kepka is not knocking anyone out of farmers or the W.M. Phoenix Open. He's just adding to the field, which I think was a very smart move by them because that would not have been fair. But man, this is a large domino that just fell. Yeah, it sets the precedent. it forces the hand of those other three guys. And even if they don't jump in this window, I won't even use a name because I don't want like speculation to happen. But let's say they don't jump during that window.

But towards later part of the season, like, hey, I think I, you know, I think I'm ready to come back. If the name is big enough, and there's only a few of them over there, I think they will acquiesce to whatever they want to get them back. They've shown now, it's why I think it's great timing with Brian Rollap coming in. There's no other like, you know, I guess like the pettiness when the PJ Tour and Liv first happened. And it was like, there was basically two camps, PJ Tour or Live, right?

And it got heated. And like people that left the social media messages, they would get, things like that. Like, it was bad. Rollup wasn't around for any of that. He's been an NFL guy. He's like, oh, I can bring back one of the preeminent players in the world to our tour, who's currently not on our tour. That makes us better.

Yeah, do it. All the rest of the stuff, be damned. And I don't think that would happen if the same leadership were in place right now. If it wasn't Brian Rollup, I don't think this would be the case. So you're talking about a guy that came from the NFL to the PGA tour. He's not a golfer. I don't think he was a massive golf fan by any means. He didn't follow the history of the game.

And for him, just knowing the way he works, even though I've never really got to sit down and talk with the guy, but just seeing how he works, look, this guy, he doesn't care about the past. He says, what can I do to make this product the best? And you know what? Bringing Brooks Kepka back improves our product. And that's what he did.

And I'm, it's interesting, man. it's it's it's it's the right move for the pGA tour without question in my opinion uh you know that making him sit out a year like what good does that do for anybody like it's it hurts brooks kebka as far as a competition standpoint um let's get him back let's get him going um he's a huge name he's a five-time major champion and look i'm sorry not everyone is treated the same and that's why this little category they just created there's four people in it um you know it'd be interesting to know if Dustin Johnson won the PGA championship in 2021 and not Phil Mickelson, would it be extended back to that?

Back then, like anyone who's won in the last six years, like since Liv started. I mean, obviously, I don't think Phil's probably surprised by this move at all. I mean, he's taking a lot of shots at the PGA tour. He's been the center of all this. So I'm really not surprised. They went back to just 2022, but. I don't think Phil would want back if they opened the door to it.

I feel he's burned so many bridges. He said so many things about PGA tour. I don't think playing on that tour anymore. is something he'd be interested in. But who knows? Ultimately, I think it's the absolute right decision by the PGA tour. The only thing, if they were to suspend him for a year,

the only thing that does is like kind of appease the players who are going to come out and bitch about this, that there was no punishment. And most of those guys aren't guys that had an opportunity to go to live for a ton of money. You already said Scotty's okay with it. I've already talked to another player on the phone on the way over here.

It was like, this is a great decision. This is exactly what I would have done. I don't think there'll be that many people on the other side of it. that's all a suspension would do. And what is that? That doesn't help the PGA tour. That's not Brian Roll-up's job to try to make everyone happy.

And by the way, he's catering everything that he's doing towards like, it's all going towards take care of the stars. Take care of the stars, right? Shorter Fields, all these things. Well, you got one right here and he wants to play. He was not a part of the shorter fields part. It'll be interesting to see. The PGA Tour is doing in the last couple years,

signature events, the no cuts. I mean, that's just strictly to take care of the top guys. But I have a feeling coming in 2027, is when the big schedule change is going to happen. And we had the Seagull Charlie Hoffman on our serious XM show this morning. And like, look, Harris English hinted towards it last fall. I mean, golf is pretty much going to be starting

right around the Super Bowl and ending before football season. And it's going to be a condensed schedule. I think we're going to have bigger events. I expect the fields to get larger, honestly, and give people more playing opportunities because there's going to be fewer events. I think that's what we're going to see. We're going to see more important events

where all the PGA tour members get to play. But this is a huge step, man, bringing Brooks back. This is a five-time major winner. I mean, nobody's won more major championships in the last decade than Brooks Kepka. He's a monster, and it's good for the PGA tour to have him back. And now cue up the ROM, Bryce, and Cam Smith speculation for the next few weeks. He got until February 2nd, boys.

Yeah, I mean, I figure it all out. I don't know how it works. Like they're under contract. Brooks was under contract. Yeah, I'm sure. And he's not collecting any of that. He was going to get paid from Liv. But, man, I'm sure.

I can't imagine what that was like this morning for Scott O'Neill and the Live people to see. Holy shit, dude, they're letting him come back right away. And also when you're like reasoning for stepping away from Liv is like family, I want to be home. I want to do that. And then immediately like two weeks later, like, I'm playing, I'm playing Tori. I'm playing Phoenix. And I'm back on the PJ tour. Like, not that that matters at all, but it's kind of like a slap in the face.

Like, dude, you told us, you know, you made it sound like you were going to. and maybe step back for a little bit. Can we just agree to do one thing going forward? Not. These players press releases. These players press releases, okay, they're not writing them. We don't need to really say they don't mean all this shit. They are saying, those press releases say the right things.

Yeah, just saying, I'm coming back. I'm back. I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm back. But, but no, Brooks, I mean, just for Brooks to say that, like, he did say, like, it's obviously a lot easier to travel playing on the PJ tour. He lives in Florida.

But yeah, the whole spend more time with family. Yeah, it gets to and all this. But that's what they also said. On the way out, too. So, yeah, those are irrelevant. Patrick Green's played 55 events this year. Yeah, it's going to be, yeah, we got three names. We're going to be keeping our eye on for the next few weeks.

We're interesting to see what happens. But a huge gain for the BGA tour and a huge blow to live at the same time. Absolutely. There you go. Man, we were zoned in there. I like that. I was, I feel like we were super in the zone. Yeah, make sure you go check out our friends at zone nicotine.

All right, let's get to a little gambling here because the PGA Tour is back in action in 2026. Sony Open in Hawaii, possibly the last Sony Open. Yeah. By the way, which would be tragic. Great event down there in Hawaii. Russell Henley is your favorite. Really good field.

Jordan Speath teeing it up. My man Siwu. Teeing up. JJ Spahn. $2. Don't make you rich. Save $2.00. Don't make you rich.

Save $2. $2.8. Ain't make you rich. That's right. Tat that on my back. Got another good one I shared with you this weekend. I'm not going to get into it. Yes, good.

Every time he speaks, it's good. Maybe we need Siwu for the zone event. Oh, yeah. Who's more zoned in than him? Get him a little caffeine. All right. Load him up. Just wind him up.

Well, speaking of it, he is my bet of the week. Talking to my boys back in Dallas, they just played a little golf with him. A nice little group of Brendan Morrow. Jordan Speath, Scotty, Schephler, Siwu Kim. How'd you do, B'am? Not like the other. But Siwu was low in that group.

Shot a little nine under par against Spieth and Scotty right before he head over to Hawaii. Might not mean shit, but I liked it. That's the info I like. Give me Siwu Kim, top 10 plus 210. Top 10 plus 210. I like that. All right.

I'm going to stay in the great state of Texas. Dallas, to be an exact, member of that group as well. Wow. He's coming back. He hasn't had the best years. There's been a lot of things changing his life. He's had new babies. There's a lot of shit changing.

He has sounded like this is the year where things kind of return to normal for him. Jordan Spieth is coming out. And you can get him for a top 20 at plus 170. I thought the odds were wrong. I expect him to have a big year this year. I don't know if it'll start this week or not, but if I get a top 20 bet on Jordan Speed at Plus 170, I'm going to take it.

I mean, it's just a little shy of, you know, Siwu top 10 in. So I'll go ahead and roll the dice on speed. I feel like it's just like a blank slate for him starting this year, and I expect to start getting back to the Jordan Speed we know. $2 at Plus 170 make you rich. Make you super rich. Make you super rich.

All right, we got the college football national championship, which, by the way, playoff games. You want to know my pick? Ole Miss. and Miami, what a game that was. Miami just snuck it out there, scored with 19 seconds left. Just an unbelievable game.

But they will be playing at home against the badass sons of bitches from Indiana. My goodness gracious, Signetti just absolutely got these boys rolling right now. They are just dominating people. Like, if they could tap out, I think they would. They did it to Alabama. Then they just, boom, follow it up again this past weekend.

It was just an absolute ass-werect. whipping against Oregon. I mean, they are just dog walking. And it ain't Purdue. They beat Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, which they didn't do what they did to Oregon and Alabama. But these aren't like we're beating Michigan States and Purdue's right now. Like, they're doing it to the best teams in the country. I couldn't, I've been loading up on them the whole time. I'm shipping everything I got. There's seven and a half right now against Miami in Miami. Doesn't matter to me. I don't know what the line would have to be for me to not bet Indiana. I really wish. I love them. So after the, Thursday night game of Ole Miss and Miami, the lines came out, obviously, potential lines.

If Miami played Oregon, Oregon was going to be minus one and a half. If they played Indiana, Indiana was going to be minus five and a half. That was before the game on Friday. And then all of a sudden, now the whole world. This truck happened and that moved to minus seven and a half. I'd love to have it at minus five. Minus five and a half would be incredible. It don't matter, though.

Yeah. It's just, what a story, man. Turn it from the worst team in college football history. Yeah. To losing his team, losing his program. To now just, they're unbelievable. 26 and 2 under Signetti, never had a 10-win season in their history,

going back to 1890 until last year. And now they've done it back-to-back years, undefeated 15-0. All the shit he talked and all the things that he said when he took the job and people were like, but. It was this clown. Indiana. And you're coming from JMU

and you're bringing your players with you. By the way, they don't even have talent yet that even compares, at least if you go by the rankings to any of the team. They got like seven four stars and that's it. I mean, Oregon has like 74, four or five stars. And they just killed the portal. They're not going anywhere.

They did steal our quarterback, those sons of bitches. But, yeah, now I saw he's already Hoover's fourth on the Heisman betting for next year already. So he'll probably go win an hour there. Keep me out of Fort Worth. Yeah, bastard child. Take me to Indiana. I was going to wait for it to maybe come back. I was like, maybe some Miami people come in.

Hey, it don't matter, dude. I'm taking it. It could be 14 and I probably take it. And that's, they're, they're doing something special. It's just, it's special to watch. I mean, Mendoza did one star coming out of high school. No, it's usually like all those guys. So we got one overall pick unless somebody makes a trade.

And I mean, dude, they just, it's, it's fun to watch. There's like no, there's zero weaknesses. No, they play perfect. They're always in position. Like I said, they don't even have the talent, you know, necessarily yet. According to Rankies, I was, I had down the All-American Game, High School, All-American game down in San Antonio this past week. I only had it on for like 15, 20 minutes.

It's kind of background. I must have seen, I bet I saw six kids make commitments on the thing. Three of them were Indiana. And I was like, they haven't had one kid out of this game ever. Ever. And now they got three in the 20 minutes that I was watching it. And they're a problem. Well, Mark Cuban starting to throw some of that money towards Indiana.

That helps a little bit too. That's good. Yeah, yeah. All right. Well, let's get to our guests this week, man. I love this guy. I've actually been lucky enough to have him caddy for me before, but he's one of the biggest characters there is out there on the PGA tour.

He's the champion. of Big Break 2. And with the Big Break coming back this year, we thought who better to have on than Kip Henley? Here he is on subpar. With us today, we have longtime PGA Tour Caddy. He's been on the bag for Vijay Singh, Boo Weekly, Brian Gay, Stuart Singh, Grayson Murray, just to name a few.

He's also the winner of Season 2 of Big Break, Big Break and Tennessee Senior State Am Open Champ. Excuse me, Senior State Open Champ. Kip Henley is in the house. I left off one. I knew this one. No, I knew this would start a conversation. I was just naming some of the big names, Kipper.

You know what I mean? He didn't want to name me, Kipper. Just the big ones. And coat notes at Pebble Beach. Hey, there you go. You know our cut percentage? 100. Is that right?

How many? One for one. One for one, baby. There you go. Hell of a run. And he didn't even fire me. No, we had a great time. And Kipper got to experience the great Finnewing for four days.

How did that go? Y'all had to get along like pigs and shit. Oh, my God. He was on all. I mean, I told Coke the other day when I spoke to him about doing this. I said, dude is still one of my funest weeks I've ever had looping out there. It's a great week. We had so much fun.

I mean, Finn is just a beauty. Oh, he's a beauty. And Coach's a great boss, believe it or not, not just because he's got me on the show. He's a wonderful boss for a day. We had a good time. We had her going out there Friday morning at Pebble Beach, a little six under through six. Oh, God, I think something's ringing a bell. It all runs together for me.

What the hell happened? Well, the front nine's easy. Started reading putts. But Kemp or man, we appreciate you having you on, obviously. Want to talk, one, because as of late, I know your phone's been blown up, but a lot of these big break replays have been on the golf channel. They're bringing the big break back, and you were season two champ out in Las Vegas. And Slees and I both were texting the other night that it was on, and there was no other sports on.

So I feel like the view. Yeah, so I feel like a lot of. of people watched it. One, can we bring back the bleached blonde hair, my man? God, the Rick Flair look. I'm almost as big as he is now sideways, not muscle-wise,

but my daughters, I embarrassed him with that. They asked me to stop doing that, so I quit doing it. I thought you look good. God's made it white now, though. But look at that. Look how much you got of it, though. Isn't that crazy for an old 65? That's nice.

Yeah. That's perfect. They did re-air the final with you and Don Donatello, I believe, on golf pass or something like that recently. Did you get a chance? I'm sure you watched that. They started it on the golf pass, and then you had to rent the golf pass or own the golf pass in order to see it. So it didn't really blow up that much. And then they started airing it on the golf channel because they're bringing it back.

And they air mine a lot because, and I promise it has nothing to do with me being on it. it was the greatest golf reality show in the history of golf. Big Break, two. Not one, two, not three, two. We still the highest rated show in the history of the golf channel. It's the highest rated viewership they've ever put anything on. How about that? I mean, maybe outside of like a actual golf tournament, you know, a tour.

That's unbelievable. Yeah. I mean, obviously, yeah, you had some great characters on that show. Obviously, you, Don Don Donatelo, but I want to go back, like before. Like when you first heard about the Big Break, like how did you go about like auditioning? What was the audition like just to get on? And what did you think when you showed up in Las Vegas to do all this? It was crazy.

Big Break One blew up on the Golf Channel. I started watching about halfway through. And Justin, what was his name? Great guy. Good player. But anyway, he wanted to start on the Canadian tour for winning Big Break One. But halfway through the Golf Big Break One, man, it exploded all the golf nuts. And it just started tuning in like crazy.

and I started watching it. And all he won was a Canadian start, which you can get on the Canadian tour if you just got two grand. You can go play in those events. So they said the winner, we're having Big Break 2. And I thought,

ooh, that'd be cool. But the winner gets four starts on the nationwide. And I go, that exits me out. Because being an old fat club pro, I had qualified for a bunch of nationwide stuff and even, you know, a handful of tour events, making it through the club pro qualifying. So that won't do it.

wife says fill it out. I go, no, I'm not going to fill out the questionnaire. It's a waste of time. She made me fill it out on the day of the deadline to fill out for big break two. And I just did it just in total kip fashion. I just made it all. I can remember one question. What's the perfect day?

I said, wake up, do it, play 18, do it. Play 18 more. Do it. That was the one question. Do it. I guess it got enough of idiot attention. And they took me to, I went to Myrtle Beach. And I thought, oh, that's great.

Maybe this is going somewhere. I drive to Myrtle Beach, and I get out of the car, and the range is full of 6'2, good-looking, perfect gosswing dudes, you know, and I'm a 44-year-old fat guy, you know. But I got my wife and my beautiful kids with me, and I do have my Rick-Claire hair. But so they interviewed 200 people there, 200 in Texas, 200 in Canada, 200 in California, 200 in Michigan. And I thought, this is what a while. I hit 10 shots. for a couple of the producers or whoever was there.

I interviewed for two minutes on a camera and just tried to be as engaged as I could be. And we got in the car and went home, you know, that's like, what a waste of time that was. And then about a month later, they said, hey, you're one of the finalists. And we're sending a camera crew to Crossville, Tennessee to interview. And when they said that inside, I went, uh-oh, that's real good because you can't get to Crossville. They're not going to send a crew to Crossville and may not be on that damn show. And sure enough, I got on it. So that's a long story to a short question.

Man. Yes, you did. Give us some behind the scenes of like the big break. Because I've got some good buddies that were on and stuff too. And I don't think the people watching at home realize it's like, oh, here's the seven iron challenge. And you got to hit a green from 175. And a dude gets up there and hits a horrible shot. And they're like, dude, I was sitting down.

I didn't hit a golf ball for 90 minutes and I hadn't had lunch. Like there's a lot of stuff that goes in like actually before you get to the golfing. The nerves or something, you know, no one on there is two or plus. players at the time. It ended up being like five tour players come through it, though, which gives it so much more free to its finow and two gloves. I mean, there's a bunch of guys. Yeah, Matt Avery.

He won twice on tour. But, yeah, the pressure of it is insane because you're there all day. You show up before daylight and then you wait around for them to get a shot ready and you got the first challenge. And then you go back to the clubhouse and you sit there until lunch, you're eating lunch for three hours. You're sitting there eating and drinking and having fun and worrying about. So then you got the second challenge. So you ride out and you might hit three shots. You might hit two shots. You know, you might get to play one hole. And then you're right back

to the clubhouse, three or four hours, wait for the final, you know, the knockout round and go out and you might hit one or two shots and you'd be gone. So the pressure of that, you know, I was pretty tournament tough, even though I went to tour tough. I was pretty tournament tough when I got there. So I think that gave me a leg up on the boys. You know, when I beat Donatello, I said, bud, it's not a big deal. It's just a golf term.

I said, and I tell my friends, I beat nine, I shouldn't say eight because double D's my butt. I said, I beat eight guys that can't win her club championship, you know, half the time. I've had bigger accomplishments, but nothing that touches it as far as a big pitcher. Give me your first impressions when you meet Don Don Donatelo, double D because y'all have this history obviously you beat him there you beat him in the rematch

and i mean he's an emotional character but what was your first thought when you meet this guy named Don Donatelo well the truth is he was he's caddying on tour and i caddied like four three or four times for jason bone before i got chosen so i'd work three or four tour events for jason bone and we had crossed past and then i find out uh we're supposed to be total hush hush when i find out i'm be on the show and double d never does hush hush and i found out through the the chatter out there on tour that he was going to be on the show so we kind of commiserated a little bit before the show but then i knew he was on there before you know that was the only one i know but god could go through five thousand five million golfers across the earth and he could tell you exactly who needs to be

on the big break and i'm telling you he would get down to double D. He would be the last guy stand. He's the most perfect cat for that show. He's still one of my dear friends in life, and I love him like a third cousin. But, man, you talk about... Like a third cousin. You talk about lip wedge, man. He's the number one seed by 10. I just, this morning, I clicked on, because I actually didn't know who won the rematch between y'all, so I clicked on it and kind of went towards the end. And the first thing I see is his ball plugged in the bunker and y'all argue it. I was like, these guys. I never stop. That was the perfect storm again. But I'm really kind of shocked that the rematch didn't get the heat that I thought it was going to bring. And really the Golf Channel guys, when we filmed that that day, that nine-hole match down in Texas, down in Austin,

I walked, I went home to play in that. I go, this is gold what they captured here. But it really, I don't know if they just haven't pumped it the right way yet or what. But that was a, that was, you know, I snap hook. on one, you know, I try to hit a cut down the left side of one's out of bounds down both sides and I can't feel my feet. And I try to squeeze a little cut down the left side. And I hit the biggest double crosser. A blood ham couldn't have found it with a strip of bacon wrapped around. It was 180 yards left of OB steaks. And so it started out with me making double. He'll make it,

he wins the hole with a six. And it's like, oh, my God, these chops. We turned around after that started hitting a few shots. Then I did my, you know, I've had the chili wand. for like 10 years. They come and go, but they mostly come. And I actually walked it on seven. Is it seven? I bone it across the green, this cold top of pitch shot, and then three putt from there.

So it makes us look like idiots. But I was one down standing on 17T, our eighth hole. Just going up against double D. I had nothing to draw on. I had no swing. I had no putt. I was jabbering my puts. I had nothing.

And I knew. standing on that tee. I said, I'm going to get him. I don't know how I'm going to get him, but I'm going to get him. I just knew I would because he just something about him. He just lets me in like that. And then he buries it in that bunker. Holy kerfunk. And then I kind of accused him with pushing the rules a little bit. If you ever watch it, watch that, watch that bunker workout of my little buddy there. It was beautiful. All great TV. And then he stuffed it on the last and missed it. The fourth playoff. Yeah. I'd have bat my heart. I'd have bet my card to a donut.

That thing was going in, but he missed it, said he misread it. He didn't miss read it. He didn't yank the snot out of them. You know what's most impressive about you went in Big Break, too, just knowing you like I do? Like, you like to have a good time. And you're in Vegas for what, two weeks? With open bar, open tab, open wheat, and Gunnus, the barefoot ding back. He ate filet, breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the six days that he was there.

before he had to do the walk of chain. Where did y'all stay? We stayed at the top floor of the pirate place. What's the treasure island? Treasure Island. The pirate place. I love that. And we had the suites, the very top floor, the penthouse.

It was incredible. All right, Kipper, you're in Vegas for two weeks. You're playing for, you know, corned ferry tour stores. You're not playing for $5 million, but still everybody wants to win. That matters at the time, especially if you're chasing it. What's the vibe like at night? Like are you and Don or whoever, are you guys going out and having a couple and like enjoying Vegas or are you lasered in? Well, the golf channel, man, they had they had stuff for us to do pretty much every day.

I think we only got to go down and play poker one night or play up cards one night. So we were up, we're at the golf course, Drew, daylight till dark. And so you're not, you're getting there. But they did take us to a handful of shows, the guys that didn't get knocked out. You know, we got to go see Elvis at this really bad place one time. Really shit Elvis. But then we got to do, there was a great big show, and I got yanked up on stage, and I guess it was on purpose, and had to do this push baby cart and have a bottle

in a, oh, it was a mess. But we were allowed to drink, and some of us got after a little harder than the others, but, you know, not out of control because I wanted to win. I was having a few pops here and there, but. You ordered this baby cart or the shopping cart with the baby bottle. What the hell is that? That's not like a normal thing. I thought you got to sing.

What is all the tumblers and all that show? Cirque de Soleil. Yeah, Cirque de lae. I got yanked up on the stage. Everybody's laughing at me like that. Damn, that's a big show. Yeah. Yeah.

That's hilarious. Well, dude, no matter what, forever, you're the big break champ, which is, which is awesome. And they're bringing it back. What were your first thoughts when you heard they were bringing it back? So they tell us all this. all this on the first T that day in the rematch in Austin, you know, the one that just aired was, you know,

just happened two months, two and a three months ago. And they told us on the first T that they're bringing the big break back. So that made me kind of emotional and excited that me and Double D were going to because I know how dang important that show will be to

somebody like Drew said, you know, you guys are chasing it. It was only four starts on the nationwide, but that was the world to me, Drew. It meant the world to me. Because I was still trying to play. I was an idiot thinking I could, but I was 44-year-old, you know. And, God, it brought me another chance to get back on the PGA tour that I didn't do. But where was I going with that?

Oh, so they tell us on the first tee, right before we tee off. And then I swear 30 seconds before we tee off and go, oh, by the way, whoever wins today wins five grand. And second place gets a bozo way. And I thought, holy shit, I can't afford to. I got to beat double D. all cost. You know, I haven't caddy worth of crap for about a year or so. So I've been broker and damn it.

So that five grand meant the world to me. So I was double-nurt. So when I hit that quacker off one, it should be. And we hadn't hit a ball for like an hour and a half. Because we had to set all the cameras up and everything. It gives you a little bit of a out. Yeah, it's going to be awesome. I can't wait to see who the contestants are.

Like you said, when you're chasing it, and I would have to, there's obviously a, you get a spot in the good, good event down in Austin this year. So I mean, it's a spot on the PGA tour. You never know. You go out there, play good than that. I mean, it's career changing. Yeah, it's a career changer regardless. If you win a big break, it's a career change.

You may not make it on the PJ tour, but you can. You know, a handful of guys have done it and turned it into success. Man, I had the greatest opportunity of anybody, and I let it slip through my fingers. And it's been gone for so long now that I feel like the appetite is back for. I mean, it was just like last year. I was like, why don't they bring that back? Like a revamped version of it. And now it's coming.

How long, Kipper, did you chase it before you said, all right, I'm done because you were 44 at that time. It was then. It was then. It was a year and a half, two years after a big break. You know, I was a club pro. I tried a Q school. I want our state open in 82, and Q school was coming to where I want to state open.

There was only two stages in those days. And so I started in 82 and flunked and had no money and went to club pro on and, you know, went a couple state events and save up three or four grand, quit my job, go to Florida. fell again, run up my credit cards, you know, go back club row a little bit, go back down, let them beat my brains in. I mean, I tried, Drew, I promise, and Cole, you know I love to play and try. And there's no one tried harder with both hands longer than me with less success. God bless you. You love it.

You ain't the only one, though. It's hard to walk away. That story's common. No matter what level you're at. I mean, it's so hard to walk away. But it led you to cadd in. And I read a great quote you said because I believe the caddy network did an interview with you. And they said, what led you to caddy?

And you said, I failed at everything else. How did he get to be a caddy on the PGA turkey if I go fail at everything? But what was your, like, I'm guessing you probably reached out to some of your buddies that you knew that were playing. And they were like, hey, I'm willing to come out in caddy. Who was your first bag? And how did it go? Well, I helped Jason Bone, because I'm still trying to play. I quit my great club pro job.

I was still teaching a little bit at the time and planning section events, but I reached out to Jason Bone to see if he would let me come along. He was a rookie year, and there was a couple great stories about Jason Ball. And so I was just trying to save up enough monies where I could go back out and try it again. And then shortly thereafter, I got the big break start. But working for Boni, that wasn't, you know, it was a job, but it was just a temporary job. I was going to be what he was doing. Even though I was older than dirt, I was still good enough to play on the tour, I thought.

So I remember the first week I worked for Boney. You'll love this. You know Boney. Cote better than anybody. So our first week is like Tuesday or Wednesday night. He takes me to that. What's that Japanese place that's so popular that's craft. At Sony.

No, no, no. We're at, I don't even know what city we're in. I think it's Westchester. But he takes me to this popular restaurant. It's out there. I can't remember the name of it. Anyway, he takes me to dinners Tuesday night, Wednesday night. We're sitting at the bar.

And so usual, Kip, I knelled back three or four miller lights, you know, and finally we order, and we're about, and men, Bonner,

just getting along swimmingly. You know, we haven't started to turn me yet, so he ain't had a chance to get mad at me yet. So we're eating dinner, and he says, I tell you what,

Camp, he goes, when you're out here with me, he goes, I'll buy you one meal a week, but you got to buy your own beers. You know, Bon, he's tight,

he squeaks when he walks. He's the tightest dude out there. So, So after I failed to finish the question, my long answer to short questions, after I failed after the big break, then I was standing there on my pants down, Drew. I'd quit my great club pro job that I had for 12 years, you know, from 88 to 2000. I walked away in 2000 to try to play. This was four years before the big break, and I walked away from the greatest club pro job of all time.

I worked 40-hour work schedule. Yeah, that was my question. like you wanted, you just wanted to be in the caddy world? My question wasn't going to be like, why don't you just go back to being club pro? Finding a great club pro job is so hard. That's the reason I did. And I would have if it's something great, I would have went straight to that. But then, oh, but prior to that, you know, my little brother at that point, he had been caddying since 01.

My little brother caddyed on two or five years before me and had won a pot full of money. So I thought, well, dude, he's got, I got a window in that. there and I know a bunch of the guys because half of them on tour, you know, I played many tours against, you know, they made it, I didn't. This guy made it, I didn't. He made it, I didn't. So I knew a bunch of them, you know, and so that's how it worked out. That's how I started and it. And it led you to Brian Gaye, correctly? Correct. Now, the first official job was Eric Axley, and I went to where he's a Tennessee boy. Yeah. And that was when I said, F it, I give up. No more putting us into broke

and I was started, I said, I'm going to be a caddy. So I started with Axe. And man, we were trending up. This is kind of, a lot of people probably heard the story, but me and Axe were trending up. And then Brian Gay, who we played a couple of practice rounds with. In fact, I knew Brian Gaye, because in college, he had won the SEC championship at one of the courses where I was the GoPro.

So I didn't know him, but I knew of Brian Gay. And we played a couple practice rounds with him out there, and his caddy gotten sick, and his bag came open. Axe's card wasn't locked. up. Brian was locked up. So I went to Brian's, BG, if you're looking, dude, you know, I need this job. I,

Axe, I love working for Axe, but he ain't set. You know, he got no status. If your bag comes open and you would you consider me and he offered me the job. So I don't forget this. I go to Utah to man, man, man, disease. What's the big hard place to

carry out in the elevation so high, Colt? Castle Pines? International. No, no, no. The other one, the little Reno. So I go to Reno. This ends up being my last week with Axe. And I go out there on a Monday program. I find him, you know, and I said, hey, Axe, you might think this is bad news. You might think it's good news. But Brian Gay's bag came open. And I need the money, man. I'm broke. I'm going to go to work for Beji. I'm sorry.

And he is madder and hell of me. But he let me work that week. And boy, he didn't talk to me for a while. But here's the side note to that story. I quit Axe on that. Sunday. I go home. Axe goes to San Antonio. Guess who's on the couch watching Axe draw back almost 800,000? Yep. Picked up the W. What do you think the difference was for him that week? He got rid of my, he got rid of that 220-pound rock-tide. Hey, but you did go on to win. You're one of the parts of one of the few wins on the PJ tour of double digits, by the way. Didn't y'all want Harbottown by 10? What a place for Brian. gay at the time too.

It turned out to be a hell of a decision, you know, because me and BG had a great run. BG won the first term in Mexico by three. He won his second event and Hilton Head by 10. And two months later, we won twice in 2009. He won, I was his caddian. He won that one by five. He won his first three by 18 shots. I guarantee you that ain't been touched.

No, those three weeks were just absolutely ridiculous. By the way, I was, we actually were talking about this on our radio show the other day. Brian Gay, when you caddied for him, was one of the shorter guys out on the PGA tour. Like, Brian Gay and I enjoyed playing golf together. We got to talk the whole time because our balls weren't too far apart. And he could roll the rock with the best of them. The best.

This past year on the PGA Tour champions, he was third in driving distance. Yes. How many times do you think he would have won if he was third in driving distance on the PGA tour? If he could transpose his whole game into that, he didn't want them all. They would have never lost. Yeah. But, but he, playing with you, Colt, you were the only guy I ever got paired with

besides Corey Pavin where I didn't have to do fast math. I might get to see one shot go to the green while I'm over there trying to do my math. You might have to hit before us. Yeah. He flew at 259 in the air when I had him. He thought he flew at 65 or 70, but he's crazy. He flew at 259, and you can stand out there like this and catch nine of them in your hat at 259. but he's I mean from 80 yards it's like he's hitting 40 foot puts I mean they're spinning through the hole and hitting the hole and it's insane and like you said it was midnight with that blade in his hand I mean the putting was just an absolute joke I'll never forget one time we were paired together I can't remember where it was but it was one of those par fives where if he busted it he could get home and two and I remember he hit one and right when he hit it he goes and you go god damn it why did you have to do that now we're going to get down there and have to argue about whether we're going to go for it Yeah, that was the cool thing about working for BG. I never had to guard what I said. He was Teflon.

Everything rolled off BG's back, man. Nothing stuck to that cat. So I could just free will it when I was talking to him. And I told him one time in the New Orleans, he's thinking about going for that one that used to set out in the middle of the water before it went to the other course. English turn. Yeah.

And he's sitting there 245 or whatever. He wasn't sure he could get there. I said, you get free balls. Hit the damn thing. Let's go. That's good. For him to only be flying at 259, not just win, but wind going away as many times as he did.

That's pretty remarkable. I want to move on to another guy you caddy for just because he's so unique. I feel like Vijay Singh, I mean, one of the, if not the biggest grinders in all of golf, in the history of golf, if you had to guess, going from like a Brian Gay or Bone and some of these guys, and then you go work for Vijay, how many more hours per week of work was it for you working for him versus the other guys? if it's the off week it's infinite 10 times or 100 times because you don't have to work me off weeks for vj you're going to jacksonville he's he's getting down there he's in the gym at 630 and you show up at 730 on the range bleary eye and he's already sweated 10 times and ready to go

he's the most amazing guy i've ever worked i thought he taught me something about discipline you know i thought i was disciplined i hit balls and practice and did all the hand bleeding and all that Crap, dude, I didn't touch his work ethic. It was insane. I mean, he was so hard to work for because he's brutal. I'm a thin-skinned guy. It's the worst trait you can have is a PJ Turkadi. That's why I always got along great with Colt,

and I lasted 10 years with Brian Gay because they weren't mean, but he's mean. He'd cut you to the bone every day, you know. But it was more amazing working for him than anybody ever worked for. Guys, I was down there one week, you know, on the off week. He's in that fairway bunker. He's got a bucket of balls down there with him. He's got his foreiron in his hand.

It's got, you know, it's got a five-foot lip, and he's 10 yards back of it. He's sitting there. He's raking up. He's got that fore-iron out, boys. He's raking it on. He's pah! On the button. He don't even watch it hit the ground.

Pow! I mean, it was 30 straight balls. not one thin, not one fat. He's an amazing guy. Guys underestimate how good that cat was. Do you think, huh? No, go ahead. If he was what?

If he was an okay putter, he'd want him on. Yeah, yeah, that's a good point. I mean, obviously his work ethic is legendary. But do you think he's the only player that demands his caddy be there on off weeks? I've never heard of such a thing. I've heard of guys go, hey, listen, I'm going to meet with my coach. Yeah, I'm going to meet with my instructor. Can you come for a day?

I've heard that. But you, VJ, he puts you up in one of his three houses down here in Jacksonville. I mean, you're on East Street. The great thing about VJ, I'll just tell you, when I went to work for him, this was how many years ago, he says, what I need to pay? I go, well, I was making 2,000 straight 10 of my last job. He goes, you got it. And I went, holy smokes on the phone. I said, I started too low, didn't I?

He goes, you could have got more. You never reaching you wallet when you're on VJ's team. And that cat, he buying everything? You know, he's, most of the work of a Vege is a wonderful job. There's two or three facets of it. It's the worst job. Yeah, that's a different, that's a different gig than most. The off-week work is odd.

I mean, that's the only guy I can think of. But I got one for you, Kipper. I remember going back to the, I was at the memorial. Yeah. Probably during my college years or somewhere thereabouts, and I was on the range. I just wanted to watch guys hit balls. Then I could get inside the ropes. It was awesome.

staring at everybody. VJ. Strolls up, grabs a bag, walks all the way to the side. Like, I'm talking a hundred yards away from everybody else until he gets to the rough. He sets the bag down, or his guy sets the bag down. He dumps out his balls into a slight upslope on the rough of the side of the hill, like a ball above his feet on the range at Muirfield, and proceeds to take drivers out of the rough, probably four inch rough. And they went 50 yards in the air. Maybe. They were just tumbling. And I was like, what is this? And he did it for 30 minutes, probably. And someone in the media asked him about it later, he's like, oh, yeah, I like to hit driver out of the rough because it, like, adds speed at the bottom for me. And I was like, I've never seen anyone in the world do that. But do you have any more, like, weird drills or things? Like, you had the water bottle, one of the first guys to do that, but that you recall working with him? Well, when I was down there on the off weeks, he used to hit this thing was like a little bowling ball and it was made out of rubber. And it weighed, I bet it weighed seven pounds. And he had an old shitty driver. And he would, and you would stand down there 30 yards.

from him on the range and back at TPC. He's standing there with that thing, that driver, and just whey that sucker, you know, try and lean the chef, and you'd have to be pretty good shortstop after stop that big old heavy ball and then roll it back to him. He did that, but you talk

about the end of the range, Drew, and when I was counting for him three or four times, you know, he likes to have that last spot. He wants that last spot. Not for the rough. I never saw him do that I believe you a thousand percent, but he always won that last spot. We'd come up on the range and it'd be like

Chad Campbell down there hitting balls last spot. This guy's one or two time rider a cupper and he would say hey Kip go down there and tell that guy to move out of that spot. I said feed, I can't go tell. I can't go tell

Chad Campbell he can't hit in that spot. He's been there. Dude, you can't have that. We got to go. And he, I swear to God, I'd want to go ahead, hey, Chad, my guy, I'm sorry. I don't know why he won't that last spot, but he wants that last spot.

Man, it's a tough ass. I was, you know, I loved playing with him. I enjoyed playing practice rounds with him. He loved to gamble. And people don't know, like,

I know how he can be towards job, but as far as, like, towards players and everything, like, he's sneaky, very nice to, like, the young, up-and-coming guys.

Like, I mean, he kind of took me under his wing when I first got going and played a ton of practice rounds. Always would be willing to help me with anything I had questions for. And Andy's sneaky, funny,

like when he wants to be. Oh, yeah. He'll cut you to the bone. Oh, yeah. Like you say, he loves to gamble, and he loves anybody. And, Colt, that's why he loved you, because you didn't take it, you'd stick it right back. No, we used to go out. Anybody that he ran over, that was it. They were out of his circle.

But if you come back and go, what are you talking? You can't have a spot F off, big guy. I'm hitting balls here. If you did that, then he somehow twisted in his brain that he respected you. But you had to give it back to him. Absolutely. I got a couple specific questions here. One, was it, was it you that caddied with the lollipop in your mouth all week because somebody else did it? Or was it vice versa?

I, I, I cataded it with a lollipop. I just happened to have, I was, you know, I'm fat, so I like to have sugar. I had those pussy pops. Yeah. And I just happened to have one in my mouth one weekend when BG won't that head for them. So, man, for a year and a half, I had to have me five or six pussy a pop. than my... It was at Hilton Head, right?

No one ever mentions that. It was at Hilton Head, I believe, when you won by 10. I think so. And in the next week, I'll never forget. I think, I don't know if it was country or somebody else, but we're playing and they got a lollipop. I'm like, what's the deal? He's like, I don't know.

Kip had one in his mouth all week. They won by 100. I figured that was the reason. Speaking of Eaton, when I was with Vijay, our second term was Hilton had. We made the turn, so I'm still kind of learning. My first term was Augusta, by the way. Oh, God.

Yes. It was amazing. And that's part of the reason I went to work for me. So we started two weeks of the guts. I go sign me up. So anyway. So I'm still kind of learning the guy. It's the first round.

We start on the back. We make the turn to number one. I'm sitting there at caddy, you know. Somebody's teeing it up. We don't have the tee. So I reach in my bag and I got a power bar. I mean, in my pouch, you know, and I pull out of power. I open it up.

Some guy's getting ready to hit. I'm not bothering anybody. And I'm like this. VJ. Put that away until I hit. Sorry, sir. So I couldn't take a bite of a power bar until he had teed off. I don't know why that bothered him.

Hmm. He's a different cat. Are you still trying to find a bag right now? Are you available? I have been looking and I have, you know, I came last year on a geyser tour for a Slocum. And I had a wonderful time, one of my dear friends in life and a great, great cat. But we just didn't do much. You know, his status wasn't perfect, you know, so he couldn't set his sense.

schedule perfect. And we just missed locking up his card, you know. So this past year, that was, I guess that was a year ago. At the start of this past year, I went to Heath, not to start, but a few in. You know, he had, we had like a month and a half off. And I was just broke, and I went to him. And I thought, if I quit, maybe someone will pick me up, you know, and maybe he'll take off and do better than he's done with me.

So I quit him. Then I stared at the phone for three months. Nobody wanted me. Time's ticking on me, boys. You never know when that phone's going to ring, though, Kipper. But here's the side of the side. Two weeks ago, Scotty Perel called me, you know. Oh, nice.

Yeah, and he's like the sweetest guy that ever shit behind two shoes. I'm so excited to go to work for this cat. So we start in, let's see, Naples in the second week, your third week or third week in February. So I'm calm. All right. You're back. I love that.

Back in the game. BG told me I had to ask you about the time you pulled someone out of the gallery in Malaysia to caddy for him. You know, you never played Malaysia. You'd be dead, Co. I played twice.

Oh, my God. You're strong. You're tougher than people think. That boy, John Davenport did not like Malaysia because he didn't like water, drinking water. You can't go with that. If you don't drink water,

you can't catty Malaysia. I mean, I'd caddy, we were doing pretty good. And if you remember the golf course, I can't remember which side. I think we're finishing on the back. Maybe it was the front. But I had made 15 holes. And the last four are downhill. You go all the way down, 15, 18, down to the clubhouse where you can breathe.

And, man, I couldn't take one more step. And it was 14 bats, drunk guys up under a toilet. I don't know what the hell they were doing out there. Thank God they were there. but I went to the top of that 15 green and whatever it was. I think I only had three olds to go. I mean, I said, BG, dude, I can't walk another step. You know, I was just gassed.

And it was four dudes to step under the crapper over there. And I said, hey, which one of you guys is the best player? They all went at the point of this guy. And I said, come here. And BG had a great time with that guy. I went and got me two IV bags and could have ran a marathon 10 minutes later. is disbrewed. He said you were as wide as a ghost.

You know, I've crapped out. I'm 20, I've caddy 21 years now. I've crapped out four times. Malaysia got me. Memphis got me. That tiger tournament was cursed where like two people died. Oh, that's in D.C. Yo, my God, that's the hottest I've ever been.

I tell you, it's like 103 was zero wind blowing. That was hot. And that one got me. So I've, I've crapped out. four times caddy. It's tough. Everybody think, you know, I've seen some good, healthy cats, dude.

So anybody can do your job. I go, yeah, well, caddy for VJ one time when it's 103 and 100 degrees, 100% humidity and tell me how you're doing. The strongest is the strong go down. So it's a tough gig, man. Would you say VJ also had the heaviest golf bag? By 10 pounds?

I can tell when, I can tell when Vigi had extra sleeve of balls in there, you know. I go, oh, I'll pay a real funny story one time. Y'all going to have to edit this thing down to an hour and a half. Oh, it's perfect. We're in Maui, and I'm caddy and all week, I said, damn, Beach, this bag is heavy. What are you got in here?

Nothing's in there. Just caddy, quit bitching. I'm telling you, it's heavy, heavy, heavy. And we're off that one hole where you tee off down here and they give you a ride to the cart up the top of par four. It's like four or five or whatever. Standing on that tea waiting and waiting and waiting. You know, we rode up there.

waiting and I start filling around. There's something in here. I've reached down and in the belly nothing, but then my back of my hand hit something. I reach and then down in the umbrella holder is a full bottle of corks bottle of wine. I'd carry, B.C. goes, oh, my God. He goes, that thing's been in there for like two tournaments before this, you know,

and before we quit. I mean, he said, I got that in whatever. See, I go, I carry just effing thing for three tournaments. Bottle of wine. I can't believe it didn't break. I can't either But he never got mad He never hit nothing

He never He's the least He's the most calm guy He's the most calm guy to live But VJ VJ he had like this iron pole With this pedal With this metal

Plate on it It was this big That was in there I never thought I'd pull it out But it was in there Then he had some kind of a bamboo shoot That was in there Never pulled it out

But it was in there And then he had 50 freaking things If you open that bag it looked like Dick's sporting goods, you know, over there when shit would fall everywhere out of his base. And you didn't bet you just did it. You didn't complain. Colt and I have each taken a spin as a caddy on the PJs.

We just got our feet wet a little bit. And I tell you what, and by the way, mine, I'll just speak for mine because it was that colonial, the easiest walk on the PJ tour with the buddy who didn't like practice after the round to really do shit other than just play. And then we went home. And by the end of that week, dude, I was like, God, damn. If I had to turn around and go do it on a real golf course where it's like a real walk. I mean, and do that 25.

That beats you up. I was gas by the end of the week. And we barely play practice rounds. It will kill you. I mean, it's like that, I've seen some pretty strong athletes go down doing it. It's a lot more taxing than people think. Your feet hurt like crazy. You got to have, if you, you know, if your socks twisted a tiny bit, you're going to get a blister.

It's not for the feigned of heart, that's for sure. But I can go ahead. I caddy for Taylor Montgomery just once. when we didn't have the tournament for here at Phoenix Open when NBC had it. I was like, I'll caddy for you. We're on the range on Wednesday. I was like, God damn, this bag is heavier than hell. Like I, and I'm a guy who, I mean, I kept nothing in my bag.

There was like seven balls, beauties. Like, I didn't need much. And I sit down on the ground, start opening the bag, and he's hitting balls next to Gary Woodland. He goes, I hear him go, oh, no, he's not going to like this. I pull out this gallon bag. It's got to have 50 to 60 gloves in it. Right. Old gloves.

There's 75 hydration packets. There's 18 golf balls. I'm like, what are we doing here? He's like, well, I don't want to get rid of old gloves. Like, you get them for free. Yeah, you get five a week or six a week. You have 70 gloves in there that a kid that the muni wouldn't wear. You know, those old things were black.

I'm like, good God, kid. Let's get rid of some of the shit in this bag. I'm telling you, you can fill a pack of teas. If you've got it all week, you can tell if he comes out there. On those rain days, when you got to have an umbrella and those rain suits in there. It's like it weighs double what it weighs when it's not. Hey, Kip and Karma bit me right in the ass because that Friday, I had to caddy 33 holes. Oh, done there.

Been there, done that. That was, that's probably the most tired I've ever been in my life when I got done. Aaron Fleener was staying at my house and we both did 30-something holes that day. And I said, I'll tell you why I'll make you deal. I'll order the food and pay for it, but you got to walk to the door and get it. Because I can't move right now. I remember watching you walk by. I was on like 17 at Bay Club or maybe six.

I can't remember watching you walk by. And I was like, it was on your second go. And I was like, somebody better have some medical waiting on 18. My boy might not make it. It didn't help that I went to Dirks Bentley the night before and got a little tuned up and slept for like three and a half hours. That's helpful. Big cat's got to be a great roommate.

I never had, I was never blessed a room with him. But I would have loved to. I love that cat. If he didn't snore, he'd be the greatest there is. Yeah, he's a big snore. Oh, my goodness. If you're caddian and there's rain in the forecast, you know, if it's Tuesday, you say it's going to be raining Friday afternoon. Boy, you're watching that tee-sheet when those t-ties come out.

You go, oh, my God, I'm going to get stuck. I'm not to go 36 on Saturday, you know, and it'd be 100 degrees. You're always judging that stuff. Those days suck. There's a lot of little things going on out there that people have no idea. idea, you know. For sure. All right, let's get to the E9 here.

We're going to have a little fun with you real quick. And we'll start off with, we'll start it off with this. You get to be anybody else for a day. Anyone in the history of time, who would you be? Man, what a fabulous question. Just for a day, Kipper. Oh, you can't say Jesus. Jesus.

Depends on the day. We actually had somebody say that. Some days are better than others. Yeah. You wouldn't want to be there on that. That's the last day. Yeah. Geez, I guess it would be some kind of a sports.

I kind of like to walk around tiger's shoes for a day or two. That'd be kind of cool. Absolutely. Not long. A day would be fun. A day would be fun. Yeah. Arnie Palmer's even, you know, I'm not the biggest Palmer fan, but what an amazing cat.

Arnold Palmer would be probably what a total badass that guy was. Mm-hmm. I like that. You see, recently it came across social media. I know you love your social media, but there was that old. picture of him and Hogan on the tea just standing there with that fierce looking they both had a cigarette in their mouth and uh he said somebody put on Twitter he's like yeah can you imagine these two talking about aim point right now yeah I got a mighty just staring right through

everybody yeah the different time all right Kipper I'll stay on like kind of a social media type theme because there was a debate a while back so I think sometime last year about putting and if a putt is right right edge or inside right like what does that mean and relative to like where the ball goes so clear the air for everyone right now right edge but how much of that ball is outside the hole if you look on my social media i put the gospel out there i don't care what any other idiot says you say right edge that's split yes that's half half the ball your aim point is half the ball in the hole half the ball out of the hole the middle of the ball sits on the lip that's split right or right edge they're the

same thing. If you have a Sharpie line on your ball, that line is going right through that right edge of the ball, right

through the hole. Yes. And man, I caught so much heat on that. And I'm shocked how many okay players.

I mean, I shouldn't say a lot, but there's a handful. You know, I work for a Jeff Opherson. I catch for him

like three, four terms before we figured out that he was, what I was saying, he's one of them. You know, a ball out for him

was like a ball and a half out. You know, some guys say a ball and a half out is a ball out, you know? Yeah. Yeah, everyone's gauge is different. The left side of your ball, here's the cup, here's your golf ball. A ball out, the whole ball sits out of the hole. That's a ball out. There's a bunch of dean bats, including Jeff Overton, and he's not a dingbat.

But he says it's down the ball out. I don't get that. It makes no sense to me. Yeah, a lot of people are arguing, like, if you say inside right, it's what you're saying right edges is like half the balls in. I'm like, no, inside right is the entire ball inside the hole. If you hit the putt straight where your ball's inside the hole.

It's simple. It's just not that hard. It's basically where the middle of the ball is aimed. Essentially. Exactly. Where the middle of the ball that's, yeah. If I say right edge, the middle of my ball is pointing at the right edge. If I say inside right, the middle of my ball is pointing inside, which would mean basically the whole ball's inside. It does get gray when I say a cup out. That's the middle of the ball

on the right edge of a cup sitting outside Right. Yeah, yeah. That's one cup. Mm-hmm. All right. Thanks for clearing that up. Yeah, we got that one.

All right. Next one. Like mud. But go ahead. Do you think, do you think you and your brother, Brent, are solely responsible for ruining the caddy races on the PGA tour? Not maybe 100%. A hundred percent. Who won that?

I'm sure they were looking for a way to get it, but me and Brent gave them a way out. Okay. WM. Phoenix Open. You want me to tell the story real fast? Hell yeah. Y'all got some serious editing to do. Friday night, me and Brent,

Geregis and Gay, on touching and the scoring down, you know, got the afternoon to go. We're touching. So we know that we got a, what, two and three or three, I don't know what the odds are,

four and six or four and five and six chance of being paired up. We're touching. We're watching the scores all day. We bounce out, you know, we're together, we're playing threesome on Saturday. We're in,

out. We're together. We're out. We're in. We're out. The last guy comes in. Boom. We're in. So we know, you know, an hour before dark, that's probably a caddy embellishment. You always finish it dark on Thursday, Friday out there. But we know, we got a long time. Say, hey, we're paired up. Let's come up with a cool caddy race. The catty races are at full power. I'm not a big fan of them, but I've done a couple of them. I mostly walked and played tricks on the fans, you know. Drop your towel right before you get on the town and let somebody pass you. So me and print come up, this stupid, we had no great plan. Our final plan is whoever hits first, casually pick the bag. This is 16. Yeah, 16. 16. I mean, I ain't been out there in three years. 16 at Phoenix.

Whoever hits first, casually pick the bag up in the balls in there and walk out the entrance, go out the tunnel, run around the bleachers, and come back in the exit. And when these two idiots take off running, you just walk out the exit and get on the green first. and see you because you come out to exit. That's the best we could come up with. So that's what we're going to. Huh?

That'd be hard to do. Oh, yeah, you'd be gasped. But anyway, that's what we were going to do. So Saturday rolls around. It's the most beautiful day at Phoenix they've ever had. It was the most. There's people. It's tit to tit.

There's nowhere to stand anywhere. So we go around the front nine and it's a complete funeral. We got the lights on. Garrigan's playing like shit. BG's playing like shit. And so at 9, we got a couple minutes. We said we got to watch the foot race. Everybody's sad.

So we can't be having fun, you know. So foot race is over. No tricks. We're just going to tee off and walk up to the green like always. They start playing a little better on the back nine. Garragis Burdys 15. BG birdies 15. So now they're starting to cut a little bit.

They're smiling, going to 16. We get on 16. Garragis got to tee. Gary got stuff in there close he's all smiling putting the clubs in the bag Brent's two in front of me

we're with JJ and Ryan Moore BG hit second he's stuff in there BG's coming back to the bag chest out smiling ear to ear so JJ is between me and Brent Ryan Moore's hitting right there

I'm watching Ryan Moore balls in there I'm falling it and I catch Brent out of the corner of my eye he looks back at me picks his bag up and there he goes and I go you son of a bit and so man we take off and we're hauling ass old fat guys we're both pretty good athletes

believe it or not and he's starting to leave me in the dirt he gets towards the end of the desert and his water bottle falls out and he's starting to dust me now it's looking bad for me to you know I'm embarrassed so I stop and pick up his water balls to everybody this is the waste management can't litter to waste management this is why I'm quitting the race not because I'm

getting my ass into me and I look up just in time to see him go ass in over Applecart, total yard sale. He falls. Clubs go everywhere. I go running again. Now I can win, so I go run and he kind of, he tries to tackle him. I give him a little hip check and walk up on the edge of green. I never really touched the green that day. I was going to wait on him to go and touch it with me. The most special day ever. We get done. My phone has never blown up like this. I mean, I get emails from people in Cambodia that, I mean, it was so, I mean, Kip, my wife hates golf. She's all that.

She loves golf. We're playing golf tomorrow. Thank you. I remember, right, right. A million things. Phil Mickelson has the lead. That's that Saturday night. Me and Brent, leave the golf course.

We can't even talk. Our phones are going insane. We go to the backout. We're sitting at the bar. We're eating at dinner. ESPN comes on. They start the coverage of phonics. with Brent falling, not Phil Mickelson.

They don't mention Phil McKelson for about a minute and a half in the covers. I looked at Brent and I go, we're dead. I said the PJ Tour is going to hate this shit with all their heart. Because they don't like the caddies to get sunshine. You know, they like it to be the player. So the next day we go to Phoenix, that Sunday morning is a big piece of paper that's big right on that door when you walk into the caddy hut to eat.

Said there will be no more caddy races. And you can't tell me it wasn't because of that. Oh, God. It was 100% because of that. But damn, it was so fun. Especially that hole in 13 at Colonial. Yes. I used to trick the fans at Colonial.

You probably got some great caddy store, but I would always put my towel over my shoulder and let it fall off right before I get on the green and let somebody beat me or whatever we did. But there was some great race with some good athletes. You saw some athletes holding that bag and hauling ass. And then guys started dropping the bag and diving. It got out of control.

I was glad they ended it to tell you the truth. And Phoenix, you run through the desert, which is like, that was one of the big issues. Like, dude, if one of them falls and runs into a cactus, there's like the liability on it all. Yeah, that's what they said. Which could have happened. So Matt Irwin's caddying for me, catty for a couple years. We're playing there, and we're actually playing pretty good. We get to 16 on Saturday.

And I was like, you're going to do it? And he's like, yeah, we're going to go. And he takes off. And I mean, Matt's pretty fast. And he wins, and he gets on the green and does the Dion touchdown dance. And I go, what in the hell was that? And Matt was living out here at the time. I was like, what in the hell was that?

he goes, this bartender, this girl at the bar I always go to, she told me if I did the Dion dance, I get free drinks for a month. He's closed. Genius. Genius. That's the new tweeter in zone dance. Matt Avery. Matt Avery, the greatest caddy story ever is when he wins that the Arnie Palmer, when he

hit it to the flares it to the Rattle 16. You remember that? And D-Rock was caddy for him. Do you remember that? I don't remember what he did, but I remember D-Rock, obviously. D-Rot was a mess. And so you've got to have to get it. your bleak machine turned on.

So I can remember Matt, they got the camera over there behind them staring through them and they're looking up into the Emerald Force, you know, and Matt's saying something like, I'm going to take a damn seven iron or six iron and fire up through there and cut it up through that hole. And then D-Raw goes, no, you're going to fucking take a seven iron, you're going to fucking chip

that fucking ball right over there. We'll chip this motherfucker out. We're chipping out. We're fucking chipping out. All fox came on the, in the living room. That was a great one. We need more. Those two together. Woo, boy.

We need more. Have you ever written a letter to the entire field of a PGA tour event? Yes. So 100 years ago, oh, that was just, was that after the big break? I think it was. Oh, yeah, it was after. I was in the field.

It was like 2009, I think. You were like the section champ, and so you got in Memphis. Yeah. And after Brian Gay had won it by five shots, either the year before or the year other before. before. I mean two years before.

I just know I was out there. I won our section. I still club. I still had a little bit of status. You know, they were letting me keep my class at it because I was caddian. And I got, I don't know how I did it,

but man, I found a miracle tip before I teed off. And I won our section event. And so I had a sponsored invite to play Memphis. You know, who wins the section Tennessee got in Memphis. I played in it seven times, I think.

But anyway, that was after I'd already given up play. and I was caddy and not trying to play no more, but I still wanting them in the section stuff when I got home sometime. And so I got lucky and won that, so I got to start in that. And I went to play. I let Storm him, my beautiful young daughter caddy from that week, such a special week. But I shot 8179 and putted like Ben Grinchaw on tobacco for two days. I hooped every single put.

I mean, I hit it. I hit it. Oh, my God. I had to spray berries. Their balls are coming down everywhere. I play with song cane. And then some other cat, what was his name? He was the greatest ball hawker I've ever played with.

He found my ball no matter where I hit it. So we got done. I shot 160. You know, it's pretty embarrassing. And I wrote a note and I filled it out and tried to be like I was a lawyer and I wrote, let's see dear PGA tour players I put a line down and put my name Kip Henley vow to never set foot in your arena as a participant again and that was in and I it was beautiful regrettably Kip Henley has put it on the locker room and uh Zach Johnson

came in and hit the knees he must have played good today he was laughing his butt off it was good I remember seeing I believe I was the group in front of you and you definitely had the prettiest caddy in the field there's no about that. Stormy's so pretty. It's exactly, Reg Green's pretty good, so. Obviously. Yeah.

Yeah, she's got the DNA. I'll give you an easy one here, Kipper. Give me a player that you never worked for. You can't have worked for this person, but a guy that you would single out as the nicest player to the caddies while you've been out there. Who treats them the best? I was always the envious of your local boys,

you know, Ryan and, oh, golly, I'm so ashamed. Ryan Palmer and James? Yeah, Ryan and James. I was always so envious to that. And then you had DJ and he's Sloak him at full power. They got along so great. But there's a, there's, you know, there's 20% of your fellow players that I'd want to go have a beer with. The other 80, not so much. And Caddy 4, you know, there's 10 or 20 that I would just love to work for.

This is the beautiful guys. I saw, the guy that played good down the Bahamas yesterday. nice guy over crap behind two shoes what's his name ben martin yeah yeah give me that guy with full status in a good year give me that guy where you just sleep like a baby at night because you know he's not going to pop you in the next day that's the thing about caddian man it's you know yeah no you got no you got no tomorrow caddian nothing's nothing's written down absolutely all right Last one for me here. Closest you ever came to missing a tea time.

I just told them. The only time I've ever been late in all my years of caddion, I told my car right outside the gate. I'll tell you that story. I paired with Brian Gay's paired with Woody Austin on Sunday. We're one group back. Adam Scott and somebody else, they're in the last group. We played with Adam Scott on Saturday,

and he just beat our brains in. So riding the golf course, talking to that night before me and Brent said, hey, whoever wins, if you win, Woody wins, give me 10 grand. If Brian Gay wins, they'll give you 10 grand. Brian Gay had never won at the time. And he goes, okay, deal. And so, riding, talking on the way to the golf horse, I'm kind of running a little bit late, but I'm not going to be late.

I'm not late. I total my car right outside the gate. So I get there at the range. We warm up for the last 15 minutes of them hitting balls. And Brian Gay's right here. Woody's right here. And Woodrow, Austin is. Poo!

And we had already cut it back to five grand for the win because it's going to be a lot of money out of my pocket if we want. And I said, hey, we were walking to the T. I said, hey, Brent, let's take that back up to 7,000, not 5,000. I said, Woodrow stripping. And Brent goes, you got it. You got us buy a shot. That's a fair bet. Y'all've never won.

And I reached down and picked up Brent on 18 green that day. Woody. We were on 16T, and Woody had disburied 15. He got hot on the bag. He chipped in on 12. and I told Brent on 16T there's no scoreboards at that tee at the time

and I said dude it's got quiet back there behind us I ain't heard a peep out of them boys and it's David Tom's and I said I ain't heard a peep out of them

in five holes I said you guys might be winning this thing and Woody pured it coming in and stuffed in it on 18 I got to lift my little

brother up on 18 green of Memphis on Sundays one of my most special days caddian and you got a little extra seven grand out of it and Brent boys

throw me that check in the parking a lot 7,000. I finished like fourth. I had a good week too. It was awesome. That's awesome. I love that. You got any more? Looping is the... I don't ask for a hundred of them, but I think my phone's going to shut off here

a minute. No, you're perfect, Kipper. You got the best story. No, the one I actually had left already got addressed during this. So, Kipper, you're a stub, man. You got stories for days. No wonder you're one of the all-time Big Break Legends. They need to have you back as like a guest host on that thing when it returns. You know what I mean?

Yeah. Let me and gravy do the Dagnum Big Break 29, whatever it is. Let us do that one. We kill it out there. Me and Drew or me and you two guys, let us do the commentary on that thing.

We can do us. We'd have some fun with it. We love to. We all compete, and if you lose any of us, you're out automatically. Yeah. You're shit.

We compete with all you. As soon as you lose the one of us, you're done. Kipper, man, we can't thank you enough, dude. It's been a blast. Always good to catch up with you, and I hope to see you soon.

I'm blessed to be y'all's buddies and I'm blessed to be on here with you and thinking about me, boys. I love you and I appreciate you, miss you, and see you soon. Thank you, God. Thanks for the stories, Kipper. Peace and love. All right, that was Kip Henley, joining us on Subpar. What a beauty, dude.

I feel like he could tell stories for just hours. Couldn't find my, a bloodhound, couldn't find my ball. They wrapped a piece of bacon around it or some shit like that. That's a great one. Tit to tit. It was so packed. It was tit to tit. He got a million.

Niceest guy to shit behind two shoes. Yeah, that's right. That's why he's on big break, by the way. And he felt out his perfect day ever. He's like, wake up, do it. Play 18, do it. Play 18. I like that he called it, do it.

Yeah. He's a beauty, man. I was lucky enough to have him caddy for me at Pebble when my caddy had to had a little issue and had to go home. But we had so much fun. He got to witness Finn Ewing up close and personal and VJ. That's worth the price of admission. Yeah.

How about the VJ stories too? I knew there had to be some like weird practice stuff and the off week deal. Yeah, that might be the toughest. job in golf. It was like VJ Prime VJ. As he said, though, he pays very well. Yeah. And he puts you up down there at one of his houses.

And I've always been told, like, tournament to tournament, you're jumping on air VJ. Yeah, that's, it makes things easier, just a lot more hours. But it was cool, like behind the scenes with him because he's just so different, like, hitting that weighted seven pound. I never even heard that. I was like, that feels like it would hurt your wrist. And the big break, man, it was cool. I mean, as he said, the highest rated show on Golf Channel that wasn't like a real

most watch big break ever. And he just owns Don Donatinella. Yeah, poor guy. God. Hey, 20 years later, want to run it back and dirt napped again. Yeah. One down two to play. He did out of bounds on the first hole for you.

They shot like four and five over. Yeah. It wasn't the cleanest golf ever, but what do you expect? Really enjoyed sitting down with Kip, man. I love that guy. Thank you for, thank you for joining us. By the way, will new gear fix your swing? No.

Will it make you feel better about it? Absolutely. Custom birdie juices live at shop.golf.com. Take 15% off with code. Subpar 15. I got this little piece right here. A little transfusion hoodie right there. Transfusion. That's good for any occasion.

Yep. Any occasion. So shop.golf.com, 15% off with code subpar 15. There you have it. Good way to start the PJ tour season. We are underway this week. No more speculated looking at it. We get actual action and the huge news.

Brooks Kepka back. He's back. And will anyone follow him? Three guys. The clock is ticking right now. Also an enormous thank you to our great sponsor, Zone Nicotine. Warning, this product contains nicotine.

and nicotine is an addictive chemical underage sale is prohibited. When I need to dial things in on a course, Colt, I go with zone nicotine pouches. Why? One, stronger nicotine intensity, two better flavors, and three, they last longer, and they're more comfortable than any pouch out there.

You will not catch me on the course without at least one can of zone in my bag. If you want zone pouches at a discount and mailed right to your door, head to nicocic.com. That's n-I-C-K-com. Enter the code subpart 20 at checkout for an additional 20% off and reminder Tuesday, February 3rd, live show, Scottsdale, Arizona, WM Phoenix Open Week at Whiskey Row.

Ever been there? Whiskey Row? Ever heard of it? Old Town Scottsdale 6 p.m. We will be there. Amongst. I love it. Can't wait. God, it's coming fast.

You better start sleeping. I do. You better rest up. My palms right now. All right, that's going to do it for us. We'll talk to you on next week's subpar.