Subpar - Joel Dahmen on retaining his PGA Tour card in dramatic fashion, moonlighting as a broadcaster

Episode Date: December 10, 2024

On this week's episode of GOLF's Subpar Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by PGA Tour winner Joel Dahmen for an exclusive, in-studio, interview. The star of season one of Netflix's "Full Swing" shares how much relief he felt retaining his tour card at The RSM Classic, what the pressure was like on his final putt of the tournament and his thoughts on the recent reduction of field size. -- Thanks to Ralph Lauren, the Official Outfitter of GOLF's Subpar. The RLX Golf collection is available in select Ralph Lauren stores, exclusive private clubs, and resorts, and online at http://RalphLauren.com. -- Also a special shoutout to 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.  Find Zone at zonepouches.com and retailers near you.  Own your zone with Zone Nicotine pouches.   -- Subscribe Now to out YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt5ESUx6omMUsMoEKvMTzlA Shop The Birdie Juice Collection: https://fairwayjockey.com/collections/birdie-juice Follow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/golf_subpar/?hl=en Follow Twitter: https://twitter.com/golf_subpar?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

All right, welcome back to golf subpar with Colt Nost and Drew Stoltz. Slees, as always, you look fantastic. Your RLX gear over there. Nice little cashmere hoodie. I got the shirt on. We still got some nice weather here in Scottsdale. It's warmed up. I got the short sleeves on.

It's warmed up, but I'm in cashmere zone. You know what I mean? Look good, play good. I'm warm. I'm fast. I'm everything. You look comfortable. That's the most important.

That's the way I like to live. And nobody does it better than RLX. Get the cashmere hoodie, sweater vest, everything. The holiday season. is approaching in the RLX Ralph Lauren holiday collection made for the course designed for your lifestyle, perfect gifts for this holiday season for him and her. The RLX collection is available in select Ralph Lauren stores, exclusive private clubs and resorts and online at Ralph Lauren.com. Slees, I'm playing hard today, dog.

You look really good. If I can give you a compliment. Yeah. Listen, life's short. You're supposed to enjoy it. Just had a little trip down to Cabo, pros and Joe's. Shout to my man, Jay Beckman. we had ourselves a hell of a time down there, battled. And then, much of them decided it was a good idea to head on over to Las Vegas

for Chris Stapleton and the King George Strait concert. I think it is a good idea. It's always just popping. It's been a while since you've been there. Yeah. About 14 days or so since we were last there. But you look good, you sound even better. This feels like post-Fenix Open Week.

Yeah. Like when we come back and just can't talk and it's like, yeah, sorry, guys. It was a session, but it was a lot of fun. I couldn't say no to go in seeing the king. And then decided to stay an extra night for some reason and came home this morning. So here we are. Here we are. I'll tell you what you missed.

Or maybe you got to see it down there. Scotty Schaeffler still winning golf tournaments. By six, by the way. And it just decided to trot out a new putting grip. Let's just see if this works here. There's only 20 guys. Maybe test a few things. Oh, third strokes game putting.

Win by a million. I feel like we're running out of things to say about Scotty Schaeffer when he wins every week. We can run through all the stats. He's at the top or near the top and all of them. Now he's starting to bug good. He's making more about 10 feet-ish. And it's a huge problem for everybody else not named Scotty Shephler. There was a reason he was plus 190 start of the week, which I thought was ridiculous.

And he goes out and he shoots 25 under. Taylor Montgomery actually went down there and played the pro-am on Wednesday. He texted me yesterday. He goes, dude, Scotty is a joke. He goes, that place is not that easy. He goes to shoot 25 under down there. It's just ridiculous. Tied the scoring record.

you know, setting records all the time. Back-to-back wins there, back-to-back at the players. It's just like, if you're one of the other top guys, it was all top guys at that event. And you see, I'm not saying everybody's in mid-season form. There's guys that have taken some time off. It had been two months since Scott he played, but he obviously still pretty good.

But if you're looking at this and just the whole last year, you're like, how do I shrink the gap? Because the gap is massive right now. If he puts close to what he did this past week in Bermuda, or excuse me, at the Bahamas, next year like i mean he could do it again he just won his ninth nine times nine times i mean yeah we saw what plus 190 start in the week i was like is that a joke i'd rather better college football game money line there's only two teams and we know you're going to do that

well of course i am but the 190 sounds like they know what they're doing congratulations to scotty though just unbelievable what a year it has been for him and i don't think he's going to be slowing down Anytime soon. It's just the man does not miss the center of the club face. No, is it perfect? Not putting it good. Drives it straight. Yeah, we can say the same things over and over, but until something happens,

he's going to sit on the top of that throne for a long time. I mean, you could probably not play for most of the year and still be number one in the world. He's got that big of a gap. Speaking about hitting the center of the face, tell me about your little grass clippings. So I got several texts. You and your man, Drew Kittleson, four. partner. Yeah, yeah.

Went out there for the Minnesota muskies. And a lot of people were very excited to inform me that y'all made a double bogey in the scramble. The double herd around the world. I never got more texts from like just one shitty hole in my life. But it is pretty, it's pretty special what we did. Here's the whole 137 yards of flag back pin. Tough yardage.

143 back edge. Stock pitching wedge for me. Same for Drew Kittleson as well. By the way, keep in mind. and I have played hundreds and hundreds of holes together in best ball, not scramble, on real golf courses, sitting drivers, long irons, all the stuff. And we've made very few boge, even bogeys. We've never made a double bogey in the history of all of that.

We could make it through 18 holes of par three golf and a scramble with that one. So he hits at first, about 25 feet left. See the ball land, bounce. And then it gets kind of hard to see because the lights are on the green. So if it just goes over, you can't really tell where it is. One of the guys like, oh, yeah, yeah, just off the back edge. maybe back for inch. Okay. All right, I go. I hit one. Probably 10 feet left of it trying to get it back to the flag. Give ourselves a good look. I see it land, bounce. Kind of the same thing. Like, ah, that's probably

just over the back. Okay. Cool. We get up there walking up, looking for the balls, look over where I think kiddies is, don't see anything. I'm going to kind of keep walking. Look up over the hill. See if mine's right back there behind the flag. No balls. And I was like, um, buddy, all of a sudden, there's a dude about 52 yards away with his phone. light on, like, flashing it. He's like, there's two right here. We go down there. There they are.

If you hit it long on that green, apparently, it's all dormant Bermuda. It's straight downhill. Then there's a cart path, and then there's desert. So the ball does not stop rolling for quite some time. And from there, we smashed it onto the green at about 30 footer for par, missed it to about two and a half feet, and then both missed the two and a half footer for a crowd-pleasing five. And we just looked at each like, what just happened? Did the five make the TV?

coverage? It's, I don't know if they have enough time to cover it. It took a while. Five in a scramble. I'm going to have to go back and look at this. That's the real deal. Our wedges went, there's a 30-yard hole. Our wedges went about 190. Both of them. Just rolling and rolling and rolling. It could have been lost balls, by the guy could have just picked them up. How was the event in general? It was fun. It was way more of a production than I thought. Like, there's a bunch of people out there. They had music at night, concerts, some country music. They had like a golf simulator out there, activation stations, food. It was a whole like, hang like the golf would end and then people just hang for a long time and while you're out there

there's certain holes kind of like i mean it's not 16 of the fiend so but it's like certain holes like these are the holes where people are and they go crazy and dude it was a hell of a lot of fun our boy benny herman brought out a live alligator uh the second day along with a donkey that carried around drinks that was a nice feature as well but dude they did a hell of a job and the golf was good 19 under won that thing like we played nice we played pretty good the second day shot 10 under And 19 won the thing. So, I mean, you got to go both days. And it was awesome.

I think they're doing, I think they're planning on four next year at various places throughout the country. And it seems to be picking up steam. It was, it was a hell of a good time. Shout out grass clippings for putting that on. And also, we can't ignore this little moment here. SMU Mustangs, tough loss against Clemson, but they got in there. They're in the college football playoffs, going up against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

How do we feel about that matchup? Like, we're going to kill them. Kill them. We're going to kill them. Up there in the snow. Eight and a half point underdogs. Disrespect? I agree.

Disrespect? How do you feel about the deal, about the bracket overall? First year with 12. Yeah, it's, I mean, I think they're going to make some tweaks to it. Like, do I think Boise State's the third best team in the country? No. The run Arizona State's been on is amazing.

I wish they would just give the top four teams the buy instead of the conference winners. We'll see what happens going forward. I'm just happy my ponies got a shot. They got a shot. I think the right 12 teams are in. I know Bama had a beef, but three losses tough to reward that, especially with Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. And then I think they got the right 12 teams, but I think the seatings are skewed as well. And I think Oregon got screwed the most.

The unanimous number one, been that way for the whole season, not even in question. I feel like they got the toughest draw off the by. Tennessee or Ohio State. Meanwhile, there's, Boise's got an easier path. So I think they'll tweak it, but I'll do 12. We're going to get home games at colleges for playoffs. It's going to be sick. It's going to be awesome.

I was really sneaky hoping the ponies drew your dad's Notre Dame fighting Irish. So was he. So was he. He was begging for that. Nothing. That man loves more than Notre Dame football. If they could somehow go up there and beat Penn State, they will be in the Fiesta Bowl, right down the road here. Are we going?

Hell yeah. There's good juju in that stadium. Yeah. Good juju. By the way, I met your old ball coach, Sonny Dykes, down at El Dorado this weekend. Did you tell you ain't good enough? How much y'all paying this guy? I know. Luckily, it wrapped up recruiting, all right? I have a big issue with it.

But yeah, dude, just like, enjoy your time down there, Sonny, maybe refresh. But eight and four, don't get comfortable with eight and four. Everyone loves him, by the way. Yeah, he's a good time. But yeah, I'm excited, man. Football's, it's, it's, the sad thing is, it's almost over. I know. God, that's depressing. We start to get to, like, the bowl season starts to get depressing. Yeah.

When he's, but at least we get more play. Normally it's just, you know, the four teams, two games that, like, really, really matter. Now we got some more. We got a couple weeks. Yeah. Get it figured out. All right. Well, let's get to this week's guess because this is a special one.

We've been wanting to have him in. Didn't have the best year on the golf course, but the man just clutched up big time at the RSM classic. Final round 64 to keep his card. Joel Damon joins us on golf subpar. This is a special one. We've been waiting on this one for a while. This calls for a little celebration.

I'm going to get me a little 9-milly peppermint here, zone nicotine pouched in honor of our guy, Joel Damon. here he is. Okay, folks, with us today. We have a man coming off. One of the most clutch final round performances in the history of golf, some could argue. Final round 64 at the RSM to lock up,

number 124 on the FedEx Cup and full exempt card for next year. Giving us all a heart attack along the way, by the way. Joel Damon is here, and it is a pleasure. I'm happy to be back, boys, and I've been dodging this bullet for a long time, but here I am, settled down. I felt like we have something to talk about.

talk about again and uh man the holidays are a lot a lot better having a job next year you didn't go to florida and play cue school so it's kind of neat that feels very yeah it sounds cool just and some cold wind down there grind it sounds like i didn't want to be a part of that so i'm happy that i'm hearing scott still in 75 and enjoying uh friends and family you guys sorry i was just to say you got like a thousand pound weight has been lifted off you because i like of course the last week got all the pub and you know you need to make the cut first and then play well on the weekend but it doesn't just start then for you and like your family and your caddy's family like at what point were you starting to feel stressed uh miss cut of bermuda so the week prior uh because the week before

me in mexico i finished top 15 i think would have been nice to get a little bit better there because that would have freed me up but um the miss cut in bermuda and i'm by myself my family's not traveling with me at the time and it's like huskies i remember the huskies played Friday night against ucla and i'm having some beers with with the guys and you wake up so now you're hungover By yourself in Bermuda, you want to get off this island, and then everything starts to hit. You're like, man, I got one week left, and I'm going to be, you know, wherever that dust settled.

There's going to be around 125, and I knew I needed a big week. And, yeah, it all kind of hit me that weekend. I was like, oh, crap, we got to buckle down. We got four rounds of golf to play, and if you play them solid, you're going to be fine. Take us through the week, though, at RSM, because I imagine, I mean, I've been in that position before. Like, you basically feel like you're going to puke all week long. It sucks because it all comes down to that.

You're like, I had all year to handle this. I had 27, 8, 30 events, whatever it is. I had all year to not be in this position. Here you are. And I tried to reframe it into like I have an opportunity to keep my job. Like an opportunity like all you ever want is to be on the PJ tour really. And that's like, and I've been fortunate enough to not be in that position the prior seven years outside of my rookie year. So everything was just kind of cruise control for a long time.

And this year wasn't that way. but I just tried to reframe that week into a lot of people wish they were in my spot right now. There's a hundred guys behind me that would beg for this position and all the guys on the corn fairy and all the guys on the mini tours, whatever it is. So I tried to reframe it in my head that way, but I slept less that week than I ever have. And I've had my wife and kid there, thankfully, which helped a ton. But it's just a little bit uneasy. everyone like doesn't talk to as much to you that kind of like give you space it's not as uh

it's just not as much fun it's uh compared it to a pitcher throwing a no hitter all of a sudden like there's just room around you at all times and you're like oh crap like on the range before i got think people because there's some people that are locked up they're there oh i'll play one more event the family's here have a good time they're happiest clams and there's certain dudes like don't look at me don't talk to me like this is for everything yeah and that's a tough spot to be it it was so my coach robert shell came out as well we stayed with uh Ryan and Chelsea Brim, which is kind of a standard week. So, and it's R.S.M.

One of our favorite weeks. We love C. Island. The food's amazing. It's just kind of a slow moving week. Everything involved in that. So that was really nice. But, yeah, it was just kind of like time was just crawling by. I wanted, like, you just want to get the ball rolling and you just want to play.

And when you show up on Monday to get a little extra work in, it's like, I got three more days to, like, be thinking about this. And I'm not really working on my swing as much. I'm not really doing anything. you're just trying to like mentally prepare as much as physically prepare. Yeah, it sucks. There's no doubt about it. But Saturday night, did you have a score in mind like, hey, I got to go out and shoot 65, probably to get this done? I, yeah, it was one of those deals.

Like, I actually didn't really look at too much of leaderboard all week. I knew that I needed probably a top 40 for sure. And obviously, you know, depending on how other people play, probably better than that. And I had a moment where I actually went. went to sleep okay, but I woke up in the middle of night and I couldn't sleep. And I was like head spinning. So first time in my career, I went on to tour links. I clicked on some FedEx up and I started scrolling around and figuring out how many points I needed and what I needed to pass. Because there was, I think Sam Valamacki was at like one. He was like, I knew if I got enough points to pass

Sam, I was fine. This was in the middle of the night. Yeah, this is like three in the morning. That's incredible. I probably went to bed about, I probably fell asleep around 10 and I woke up at two or three and like, I wouldn't say like night slits, but kind of like, just freak out. Freak outs. And I was like, and I wasn't going back to sleep at that point. There was no chance. So I was like. And you got on tour links and started scrolling like how many.

I got to, I don't know shit about sports psychology or anything, but I got to think like if you told that to that, like, this is the last thing on the planet that you two, like eight hours before you see off and start scrolling through. It's a weird way. Like, I knew what I had to do at that point. And then you're looking at the leaderboard And you're kind of scrolling like, okay, the wind's down It's not that hard of a golf course

I'm like, I probably need six, five would be close Seven is definitely a lock for me So I knew going out that morning I needed I needed birdies and I was the last thing I give a fist pump or fist pound to Robb I go let's go make birdies And he goes just go be you And I was like well Me this year is 1 24

What about just a little bit better than me? Not a few better Different Joel. Let's happen to the Joel who's had a nice career and is successful. So I was way more calm

on Sunday than I was on Friday. Really? Friday was a harder day for me. The wind was powling. It was brutal. I had to shoot a couple under on the back to make the cut in 30 mile an hour winds

and where Sunday was like, man, if I just play good golf, I know I can shoot six under out here and fortunately I did that. Was the whole body shaken on that six footer on the last? It was on Friday to make the five footer down the hill.

Yeah, you shouldn't hit that put that hard. I agree. It's funny because I've had that putt so many times. It was my seventh rates year playing there. Even practice round, you have this putt. It goes up the hill, into the gray, and it kind of goes down right. And it's one of those things like two putting is the hardest thing to do. So in my head, I'm like, screw it, just hit a good putt. Like, the more you try to two putt put, you leave them short. 100%. Yeah. And I was like, I'm not leaving this one short, but I didn't mean to hit it five and a half feet past the hole either and thankfully on that one either zach or west kind of putted down my same line and i knew so i had the read and it was downhill so all i had to do was

get it started and it was going to go in like just don't completely what was the wind was the wind like straight down and downhill it was down and downhill it was downwind and like maybe inside right and i was like if i just hit it anywhere along this line it's going in um and thankfully it got started i was my hands was My hands are kind of like sweating. I actually talking. I was like, dude, it's hard to make the cut in week 12 out there or whatever. But it's like, I for sure not having a job next year on the PJ or not a full card on the PJ without this. And then not only that, the job's only halfway done after that.

But that, you made both of them dramatic, the Friday and the Sunday. Kind of similar to link. Sunday was nasty. I mean, left or right slider. It was downhill, left right on Sunday. Same thing. I had about the same putt, 40 footer. It kind of, I thought.

was more down and when it got close as it was going to make its turn it probably broke four feet on the lag put but as I thought it was going to be more down as it broke and I just didn't get it kind of that spot where it was going to feed more so leaving that one I was like you know you could have hit this pass a hole and had like a straight or uphill or one but I had almost I had a decent amount of time because I was first to go on the lag pot and then Garrick smashed his past and then I don't even remember who else I played with that day but he had a closer one That's how you just blacked out in that moment. But I remember I looked around my wife, Mark and Megan Hubbard were there, which is really cool.

And my wife was sitting down below the green. It's kind of a raised green. She's sitting below the green next to a grandstand. Like, I know she can't see anything. I looked over and I'm like, well, she's panicking. Does it really so? Look at Rob and he's kind of like trying to figure it out. And I just kind of felt a weird sense of call.

I'm like, I've done everything to this point today. I'm not missing this put. And I felt so much better about that one. It was an easy pot, but it was like one of those things like this is going in. I'm not screwing it up now. Glad you felt comfortable because I was on my couch freaking out, updating. She had to update because they weren't showing the, yeah, the biggest story out there. Because I'm finishing on the back nine, right?

So, and I'm an hour ahead of the leaders probably. So I'm finishing. There was one little, there was a PGA guy with like a handheld camera cruising around a little bit. But, and at that point I still didn't know. I knew it had to go in probably, but I didn't know if it went in if it's, still wasn't good, but I knew I had to make it at least. But I felt really comfortable. And I think you can kind of see my reaction Friday versus like a fist

pumps Friday, a little more of a hug for Gino and like relief there. And Sunday was like, all right, that was really hard. That sucked. I'm glad it's over with. But still like walking off like, is that good? And the camera guy was like, yes, but I can't guarantee it. And I was like, okay. That's a long way.

It looked like your hand. You put your hand up by your mouth and it was like, I was like, holy shit, his hands. Yeah, of course they are. Talking to Gene, I'm like, is that good? He's like, I think so, but I don't know. I know myself, like a lot of people, we're wanting to watch it. And whatever, you know, I don't want to head on the broadcast or anything. Why you're such a hater?

Broadcast hater. I did get in trouble a little talking to because I just said, I tweeted. I was like, more Joel Damon, please. Because, I mean, I wanted to watch. But for you, were you kind of glad, like there wasn't a camera running behind you every single shot coming down the stretch? I was. I was, I was, we didn't have much of a gallery on that side. It was like, you know, you got a few people around it.

It made it a little bit easier that I was just kind of could be in my own little world and and play. And it was just so much easier doing that than having all the extra stuff for sure. I loved when Mark Hubbard came up to you afterwards and he said, you're the most stressful person in my life. Yes. He was in the grandstands behind nine in like double fisting beers, like sitting with like sponsors. Like I don't know.

You know, it's RSM people in the tent. And no one cares. No one has any idea what's going on there. And it goes in and I hear him yell. Like stand up, ears and hand. I'm like, that's my guy. And at that point, I knew it was probably okay. Yeah, so, so Gino, you know, you had your hand up.

Like, is that good? He says, I think so. Hubs, cheering y'all and like you did it. But when did you actually? How long was it until you actually found out? Like, yes, mathematically it's done. You're in. Yeah, so, you know, they have the guy in the tent,

running all the numbers. So I scored after signing my card. I was actually not even signed my card. And the guy came in. I'm like, am I good? he's like sign your card and i was like all right sign am i good and he's like yes i'm like thank you he's like the worst you could fall to is 125 now i'm like 124 one 25 i don't care i'm good and that uh ran out and uh you know hug hug hug hug launa and had a beer with with hubbard

and uh rob robert was there which is cool first time rob ever uh has shown any real emotion there's always been proud and it's like high fives and like a good buddy thing but there's a little motion there and it was that's cool that's cool it was awesome did you have a feeling on sunda you you're sitting there at 4 a.m. scrolling through how many points figuring out where you need to finish did you have a feeling after the eagle the whole lot which i got to see on like a handheld phone or something like that 12 hours later but after that goes in did you start thinking like okay like i might i need something like this to do something special with the wind down i know you know you need to get off to good start and there's i had wedge in on 10 and 11 hit good shots just didn't make the

pot's to 10 12 feet and then the 12th count of hard part three and to 25 feet and burn the edge and I was like okay 15 holes left you're starting to eat almost half of these things and that gets kind of hard yeah next hole good number hit the wedge and you can couldn't see it over the bunker and um you know some people cheered for it and I'm like in my head I was like I hold out once or twice a year I mean I'm not ches rivey at the hole out game right so very when it went in I was like well this is this is it like this is supposed to happen now the ball like instead of going to a foot it goes in the hole and like an omen It was it and made a good part in the next hole

and then I birdied 15, 16, 17 I was like, okay. Now we go. Now we go. You mentioned the Chess thing. I remember playing Sony Open and every, it felt like every other hole on the leaderboard. It said, Chez Revy just hold out from 120 yards.

He held out three times in one round. And will this be the shot of the day? Check pjutor.j.com. Oh, by the way. I'm walking out, I'm like, God damn, how many times does this guy hold out today? By the way, that was, we all played it. That was right after the twin fan here in Scottsa,

where he made, double eagle on 18 that year. He did? Yeah, Ches did. He made a five-iron on 18. I know that he won by himself. I know Brady pitched in a few times, one by five. And then hold out three times in his next round of golf that they kept scoring. It was windy, chilly, those two days we played last year. I played in the first round. He shot eight under on his own ball and it looked simple. Yep. And I was like, I mean, he just, he's really good at golf, obviously, but he strikes. He hoops. What's the plan for the off season? Obviously, God, no, you don't want to have to go through

this again this year. Like, go back. to playing Joel Damon golf. What are you going to focus on? So I did a really nice decompression. Went to Healdsburg for Thanksgiving with Harkins and the family. Brandon Harkins, his mom's part of the wine business up there. So we've done that for a lot. So that was really fun just to like immediately get away from it, have fun.

And then went to Vegas for a few days with the boys, which is always a good way to decompress and kind of reminisce on the year and that stuff. But I went to TPI recently. I've never done that before. How are you? Built for speed. I'm not quite built for speed. I am very efficient with the golf swing.

I am redlining my engine. My car is an old junker, and I really need to get my body stronger. I'm about 25, 30% deficit from the tour average and strength, which I'm not shocked about. Let's be honest on that one. But I was very excited that my golf swing is good. I'm efficient with it.

If I can just get stronger, that'll help, you know, keep injuries away and, you know, maybe make me hit the ball a little bit further. But learned a few things on chipping and putting as well, which I, you always think TPI is just like this 3D image and they only do golf swing. All of a sudden I hit a few chips and Dr. Rose was like, yeah, this is how the best chip and this is how you chip.

I was like, oh, finally a way to quantify it. It's not like, you need to be outside. What did he say? Like, what was the difference? So the dirty secret of chipping is no great chipper lowers their body mass or center of their body mass or center gravity down through impact. Every great chipper goes up. It's like the reverse of the full swing.

It's completely wild. You know, the long players push off their side and they go up. But that's, and I never heard that. And I didn't understand it. And like immediately, he's like, I bet your strikes are not great. I'm like, well, yeah. And like three chips in, I was going up and I like, pured him. I'm like, he's like, there you go.

It's fascinating. I mean, watching Spieth on it. I mean, stricker, I feel like. Stricker's great. You know, Scotty's probably the most underrated, or even, you know, Zander Schofley, around the greens is really special. And I was watching some speech videos even just last night. And it is amazing how much up he actually comes through.

I mean, we're talking inches in this, like a couple inches. But every great chipper goes up with the body mass through the ball. And I had no idea on that. And now I feel like it's interesting. It'll be some work in progress there, but that was a really cool nugget I took out of that. Scottie doesn't have to chip very often. Yeah, there's that too. But when he does, he's really nice.

He's really good at it. For you out there, I mean, you're playing against the guy. Can you just, like, put into perspective, like, what this guy's doing right now? Like, even the hero, just this week, he's going by six. Oh, by the way, I'm just going to, like, maybe claw some of these putts in from inside 15 feet. Just give it a run. I'll just try it here. Who cares?

I have 16 tries. Oh, weird. I shoot 63 on Sunday. It's super easy. It was amazing. So I didn't get to play with him or see much this last year with a new designated advance, but the years, a couple years prior, it was, I got to play with him a couple times. One, he's an incredibly nice guy.

And I still love to give him crap all the time on the greens, or, you know, chipping, putting when we're seeing each other. And he's just such a fun guy, and he's always chatty. And it's, it's hard to imagine how much. Sandra had an unbelievable year, obviously winning two majors, but like every single week, Scotty's on the leaderboard. And it's, it is one of, it's the best season. Since Tiger era and it's still probably in the middle of Tiger's great years. So it's hard to imagine especially in today

The competition's so deep now and the courses that he's doing it. He's playing the best and the hardest courses every week and he's doing that and I've mentioned we played with Ludwig Oberg in San Antonio and he hit this four iron on a par three and it just pierced the land into like 15 feet And I looked at Gina and go thank goodness. I want to play against this guy very often So I feel that same way about Scotty as well. I'm like, I would love to get in those designated events and play in the majors and do all that stuff where I was a few years ago. And I would like to test where my games at again. But man, it's kind of nice to teat up against other guys too. I mean, look, we've all done this for a living for quite some type.

Like, to just never play bad. Like, I don't, bad makes are ace. I can't really comprehend it. I don't comprehend that. I go, like, you don't have like a bad week. hit like it's not that hard to hit it in the rough a few times and make some bodies or hit it in the water and all of a 37 or 8 like things didn't go right yeah it just doesn't happen there and i i think it's obviously it's a testament how good he is but it's testament to his mind and i think his interview was cool after

he just won the hero was it was like hey i think rapport maybe if someone asked it was like hey are you gearing up for the majors like it's like well yeah sometimes i think about those but i gear up every week and I treat them all the same and it's like well that's why you're so good it's I think and Scotty's stuff too feels like authentic like I think that's truly the way I've heard some other guys say things like I don't practice I don't do that I'm like shut out yeah they're they're trying to like say what they think's you know sounds good Scotty's is real I think like he's like he treats every week the same you like he's like I treat the hero week is which some guys it's a fun week of the mohama's you get a paycheck it's cool way to end the year you take a bunch of family and

friends down there it's great he's like I don't know I treat the same week as other week I'm like, how? How do you do that? It's crazy. By the way, the million dollars he won at the hero brought down his weekly average. His smallest check of the year, dude. I assumed it was a massive person. He never made it anything without two commas in it the whole year.

It was absurd. He was, I think he averaged just over $3 million a start there at the end with his FedEx Cup bonus. Oh, yeah. That was that what I came down to? Yeah, yeah. How about that? I must show, make at least $3 million this week.

He made $64 or $5 million this year, and then he added one more million in the Bahamas just to make sure you pay for a Christmas present for his new kid. I'll get that PIP's coming too by the way, whatever that was. That's something. My buddy, Brendan Morrow, played with him before he went to the hero. And Preston Trail is a very good golf course. Not the easiest golf course world. He goes, yeah, Scotty went to the back nine, made eight threes and a four on me. Nice four, idiot. Yeah. It must have been on a part five. Yeah. I mean, it's just, he's so good. It's different. And I think, I think it's cool that he's also a great, human being. And it's different than maybe some of the other grates is where they're more

sheltered and they're kind of, you know, they don't say as much. Like, he's pretty authentic and I think he's getting really comfortable. Like the joke, he's starting to joke a little bit more of the media. He has to do it every week. Like, what are you going to do? Like, give him answers all the time. Like, he's just a fun, good dude. And he's probably a better dad than me. He's probably a better husband. Like, what else can't this guy do? He's pretty good at everything. Yeah. You mentioned joking around with the press a little bit. I loved it the tour championship when he shanked the bunker shot the guy's like why'd you shank it

how'd you shank it he's like well hazel got there first and if you hit it here it was the bailor rebounding answer from the incident against Yale or whatever it's like when you go up and you get the ball with two hands that's considered a rebound they got more of those than we did it's beautiful what do you want us to say

that was a lot of madness guy from there that was a sweet sweet answer yeah what are you supposed to say yeah I talked to genome for a bit yesterday and he said one of the things Like, this wasn't our best year on the golf course in terms of playing. Like, Joel had fantastic years. He's played really good. This one was more stressful.

But he said, without question, unequivocally, you treated yourself better on the golf court. Like, your self-talk was miles better. Was that, like, a conscious effort that you made to change that? Because you're not afraid to, like, you love the downplay. Yeah. I mean, and I also get, I mean, I'm competitive, right? Like, I get very frustrated probably to a fault. and I get down sometimes quicker than others.

And if it adds week to week, like a lot of games to reset, it's like, oh, that was a week, I reset. I'm like pretty easy to like stuff on the first hole the next week and miss it. And you're like, oh, here we go again. Like, we're golfers, right? Like, we all do the same stupid stuff. So that to me, so I started working with guy named Chris Bertram, who's a performance coach out of Canada.

He's worked with some of, but he's a national snowboard coach up there. So not necessarily super, like, He knows golf. He knows all that stuff. But that was, we worked on a lot of things, mostly just like more being better week to week and more routine oriented of like take a daily vitamin. God forbid. Like I did something healthy for myself.

Just being more like week to week is all the same. And being, and that built up over the time. And I was doing all these little things and putting blocks in place that made me, made it easier to play golf. Like I was like, I put in some work this year. I've did some things that I should be a better golfer or it made me feel like I was. So I didn't have to beat myself up because sometimes I beat myself up because I was like, well, why don't you go practice more?

Like you have a shot and you're like, well, I haven't practiced this one in three weeks. No wonder I can't hit it type thing. So I say Chris Bertram has been a huge part of it. I actually started working pre fall last year. So we've been in a little over a year. And that's been a huge part of it as well. But I would say being more positive, not necessarily positive, but just not getting down. And it's more enjoyable out there.

Like, looking, everything's an opportunity. You know, some weeks are better than others. But overall, I was very nice to myself. And I did enjoy this year more as a whole than I have in years past. You should be nicer to yourself. You're hell of a talent, Joel. Thank you. Hell of a talent.

I appreciate that. Here's it. We want a philosophical, like a deep question for you. Having come close to falling outside the top 125 and then playing some great golf, getting inside of it. But you've never really been that close before. Like you said, I've cruised between whatever it was, 50 and 90. Yeah, I think I finished around 90 last year, and that was my closest call.

No stress where you're, like, sweating. I sure you, you like be better. I just like, yeah, I could have done this or that, but very, very comfy. Does your perspective change on, like, playing, being, having a full card on the PJ tour and how privilege is not the right word because you earned it, right? But how, and Lucky's not the right word. But how special it is, I guess. It is, because I feel like you get complacent when you,

you can cruise for that way for a long time. I mean, live a pretty good life. I got an amazing wife and kid now. He's almost two and built a cool house and like do all these things. And, you know, I'm not flying private all the time and doing all the cool stuff, but don't really worry about a, you know, a bar tavern. I don't worry about going to dinner and what the state cost of dinner. Like, it's a perfect life of like, we don't overspend. We basically do whatever we want. And it's great. And this, this was a nice little gut check. And I'm, I'm really proud of my. myself of how I battled through that and how I did it. And I already feel myself way more motivated than I've ever been.

Because we're going to 100 cards next year as well, right? And there's like, oh, there's a lot of work. I'm like, well, there's this. I would, there's a one off year where I have not been close to even really a hundred per se. So I'm feel comfortable with that. But also I showed I was top 20 in strokes gain driving and top gain strokes gain approach. If I can get my putting decent, uh, which I believe I can.

I made strides the last three weeks doing that. and I made some big time pots. Like I'm, yeah, I have a lot more in the tank. I know I'm getting older. I'm 37, but I feel pretty motivated right now.

And I, I feel like there's, there's a lot of good in here. I feel like, I mean, making that six footer on the last is just got to give you so much confidence going into next year. Like,

that's the biggest part of my life and I buried it. Yeah, absolutely. You know, Friday and Friday and Sunday. So I did those two things. And it's like, I've,

casually shown up to Sony and almost like work your way into it a little bit and I'm like I want to make I want to be I want to be ready to go at Sony I want to you know if you play well in those first three starts you get in Pebble and Rive two of my favorite events and it's like okay let's hit the ground running this year and let's get

into the top 50 and let's do cool stuff that way because the better you play the quicker you don't have to do this anymore then I just go on the member guest tour with you guys that's a great tour hard to win Hard win. No one cares.

It's a pickled dish. Yeah, it's not for everyone. I would mostly just love to participate in all of those things. And the quicker and better I play over the next five-ish years, because then I can also be a tee ball coach, soccer coach, whatever those things are for my little guy, that's what I really want to do. Whether I coach or not, I mean, there's a lot of great coaches around you, as you know.

DA is I'm hoping my kid is good enough to be on DA's team, is all I want. But yeah, I would love to be a part of that, and I want to be around for him as much I can. And I think with five more great years, I can kind of chill. And I want to see how good I can be for those. And I feel different after this last year.

That's really cool here. You should talk to DA about coaching, though, before you get into it. Former starting NFL quarterback played a million. He'll have, like, dads come up to him at the end, have never played a down on a football bike. Look, dude, my kid. How'd you throw that fast?

What you need to do on this? Yeah, exactly. He's like, really? Like you ever taking a snap in your life? Ray Whitney, 23-year NHL veteran, he coached his kid's team. The hockey team.

He got all the parents around. Started the season. He goes, have any of y'all ever play in the NHL? They go, no. He goes, don't call me and tell me how to coach this team. Because none of y'all know anything. He just put it right out there.

That's it. If you don't like it, you can get off the team probably. And if you want your kid to be coached by a guy in the NFL who's a legend, then you can. So we've had some fun with you about Gino shares this with Slees and I a lot. He enjoys... Yeah, these are fun.

Gino's a little bit too of an open book at times for the wrong people. Like, it's nice. We have a lot of inside jokes. Obviously, we're best friends. Been to get a long time. And he recently shared that he maybe fires off a text to you to about things that are happening. We've had the punchout yips. We've had the 7 iron yips.

The parking yips. So also with 7 iron yips, Sahitha, the Gall also has that as well, right? Oh, did he change is 7? It doesn't even say 7. It says 8 on. That's crazy. But it's seven loft. It's just a mental like I hate the seven iron.

That's crazy. That's how messed up golfers are. Yeah, like, do you think that number on the bottom is going to bother you? But he recently shared, um, that you got the autograph.

Yips. Oh, so, yeah, that's tough. My, I was trying to find the signature on the wall over here, but,

uh, it's not great. I'm never pretending to have a great signature, uh, made my handwriting is putrid. Like you'd think if I hit a golf ball. You'd probably sign your name. Struggle with that whole deal.

But, um, yeah, there was, I got, somehow the E, so I do a cursive J that looks okay and I, oh, and it gets to the E and I freeze on the E right now. And I can't get, like the pen just stops for a full second and then it'll go and it gets a little sloppy there. But that came up.

Should try crosshand. Or the claw. Claw. I was like clawed on your signatures. Yeah. Hold it like a crab. You have to change something because right now as you're, you know, let's say you sign for 15 or 20 kids after the round

in some spots like, I'm taking twice as long as other guys to get through this line and it is not pretty either. So that's one that's real. He does enjoy the yips. What else has there been? The seven hundred yips? Park, you had the parking yips for a minute? Luckily, if I went Gino on the road, he typically

drives where I make him drive, which is great. But if my wife and I are going somewhere and we're going to a, let's say we go to Target Runner, Costco or something. I make her drive because it's a large parking lot. I let the car choose where it wants to park. And sometimes you just have to let the car go. And sometimes it takes a little bit longer to find the spot where it fits in and it goes.

So I've had parking gifts for a while. I just can't. I'm a solid driver. My wife calls me a grandpa driver. So I'm not ripping 80 around the 101 and I'm not going 55 on. Scottsdale Road, but I get into these parking lots and I just can't pull the trigger on a spot. What does that mean let the car go where it wants to go? When you're driving it. You just got, I mean, I drive a 17-4 explorer. It's baller. Yeah. I've seen it. It's sick.

My wife drives a slightly nicer car, but I, uh, it's sometimes you just can't pull the trigger on the spot and you just circle a lot once or twice to until you really get safe. Right. It's not. You got to take inventory. It's way better when no one's in the car with me. Although when I pulled in, I pulled in right behind Cole, and it was so much easier. He just pulled in. I just followed the lead. I pulled in next to him, and it was seamless. There's a lot of space that.

You're not squeezing in between two trucks. And it's not like I can't fit the car in there. I'm a confident driver. It's just that, you know, sometimes there's a car seat. You have two kids. You've got to, like, have some room for those. And, you know, you're trying to get the kids in the back seat and the car seat and doing that just.

So then you've got to find the passenger seat with wider room than the other one. And it just takes a little longer. The more I think about it, the more I think Gino's job is not as easy as advertised. There's a lot to manage there. You know what I mean? It's a perfect seven-iron. Nope, I have the yips with that club. Right.

It's a little six. Nope. I hate that one either. Yeah. He deals with a lot. He does. He's a great team being. He's a great caddy.

I think he's an... People underestimate him as how good of a caddy he is. Like, you're like, oh, Ted Scott's a great caddy. Well, I could caddy for Scotty Shaffler. He's pretty good. Gino is actually an amazing caddy in the fact of like the information that he gives and at the time So I he's not just my best friend He's not just he's actually you know he's been doing this for 10 years now

The guy gets it and he knows he knows what he's doing out there but as all caddies do he puts up with a lot But I also think because our relationship is so much more friendship than a business transaction like see you at the course an hour for my tea time He gets to He gets everything you know if I whatever it is I can complain about my kid or what's going on here or there. And, you know, we share a lot of details to each other. And at the same time, like, he's more than just a caddy, but he's also a very good caddy.

Yeah, y'all's relationship is awesome. I love going out there. Were you impressed with my caddian skills at Phoenix Open this past year? Oh, Taylor Montgomery. Wow, that was almost a year ago. I know. I was, actually. I...

What were you impressed with? That shit's exhausting, by the way. And Taylor hitting it all over the fucking map. Well, Taylor, Taylor improved his ball striking a lot this fall. It's not the, it's not the end of Taylor Montgomery. He's a good player,

obviously, one of the best putters in the world. But I was impressed with how engaged you were through the whole thing. I thought it was, maybe you would show up a little more hungover from a night out. I thought you would maybe. Maybe I just hit it well. Yeah.

Like, I was just very impressed with your, like, like, like every, like, were full caddy was like hey wind's here this is where we're trying to go this is what we're doing helped read some putts which i thought was interesting but uh it was great i i was very impressed i you also kept up i know he gave you a smaller bag that week but that is miserable like cadding i can't 33 holes on friday are you kidding me like really the one week i catty i know we have 33 horrible weather freezing start the ass crack of dawn don't end till dark yeah it was that was one of the toughest weeks and uh i was actually

I mentioned that to Gino. I was like, he's actually like helping and caddying and not just screwing real. It was fun. I would like to do it in a nice weather situation. Which typically you would think you would get it here, which makes sense. It's easier walk as well. It's flat for the most part. There's not too many long walks.

So it would have been a nice week. And to be fair, he didn't get me the small bag. I called Taylor Made and said, can you please sit a small bag? I'm not carrying this big bastard around. Which is smart. And he carries so much shit in his bag. He had a Ziploc bag of 55 gloves. I mean, I got about 45 in mine.

Come on, guys. I got practice gloves. I got sweaty hands. I got, you know, it was 48 degrees that day or 35. He had like 40 hydration packets. I'm like, can we not just bring out like two or three each day? No, Costco bag right in there. Off you go.

Gino does the same thing. So Gino refuses to take anything out of the bag. So Gino prides him. He treats catting as a workout. And so I got to have at all times the top five have a bag on tour. but he wants it like that he refuses to like put stuff in the locker room you know it's really cold in sea island

and from you know all the rain gear on top to protect the wind to the sweaters to the beanie to the gloves all of that's in the bag and like we had an opportunity to drop it off and he's like no what is it I was like okay you do you he does that extra rep that extra set he trains for hunting season to be able to pack out the deer

of the elk in the fall so that's more of that I think for him you've dabbled done a couple of TV broadcasts Um, what'd you think of that? Your job is safe, Colt. Your job is safe. The creator classic. Yeah.

The Netflix Cup. Yeah. The, those are two a little bit different deals because I was actually on the ground for the creator classic. And I think it's being a player, it's easier to call what you see right in front of you, right? It's like, oh, he's got a bunker shot. It's simple. I was the last group off. So I called like the first hole and maybe the second hole.

And then they kind of went to like as the guys were kind of coming in. made probably a mistake. I would call it a rookie mistake, but I was enjoying a beverage with some fans about 50 yards away because they hadn't talked to me in three holes. And you know, you hear everything going on,

but you're kind of BS in. And all of a sudden, I get the jolt, Joel 15 green, you in the air? I'm like, yeah, I'm here. It's like, what's this putt do? And I'm like,

trying to look around. I'm like, oh, crap, I should go look at this thing. And I was like, ah, it looks like it's uphill, breaks a little left. And this thing, like, downhill breaks right?

And I was like, no, not it. So I was, it's fast out there because my first time I talked, I talked a lot. I rambled. And he's like, in the ear, he's like, you got to be quicker than that. And I was like, so then you're trying to say something productive and informative in a shorter amount of time. And it is a learning skill. But I'm more impressed with like guys like Cole and Smiley have done it picked up very quickly, rose to the top very quickly with it.

That's very impressive to me. because I need a lot of reps at that. But trust me, also laying in bed at last, whatever, at Sea Island there, I was like, am I going to get a commentating job? Am I going to have to get on Sirius X soon with Grave in the Sleece? I have to start a podcast. Like, where am I going with this whole deal? So luckily, I'm going to go back to playing golf.

But it's something that is fun and it's a great way to be around the game and be around your friends still and be in that environment as well, which is really cool. But I don't think it's for me anytime soon. Yeah, stick to golf. That pays way better. Nobody chooses to go into, you know what I mean? It does pay way better. I was, uh, I thought you guys made more money.

And maybe it was just, maybe it was just, you guys made more money. Maybe it was a, actually have no idea. I was on a, I was on a four-hour rookie contract, uh, which is fair. I was there for, for different stuff. And it was just, it was fun to be around. But, um, I thought it would be easier to be honest. I was like, man, I just talk golf. And it's not quite that easy.

You have to be good. And I'm not, you ought to be super. witty and quick to get in the jabs like you do and i'm not i'm not nearly as quick as you and uh it's it's tough i've always been known for my speed yeah yeah definitely he's fast with everything very very quick he's in and out type of the dude you know what i mean that's what we do yeah you seem to just be like a really good spot right now i mean i know you're like relieved you kept a card and everything but i just feel like i don't know you just seem like everything's going really really well right now I would say after that put went on 18, like a 10,000 pound weight.

Like the stress builds on yourself, but you're in control, right? I have the golf club. I have the, I can make this happen. I always controlled my own destiny through this whole thing, which is a great part of it. I didn't need anyone else to sell. I could always just play better and get it done. Putting the pressure on my wife, who has been an unbelievable supporter for me, and she's been there since many of her days, right?

Like so when she worked two jobs to pay for our rent back when I started, she's been through it all and watching that stress and like her. I know what she's thinking about because I'm thinking about the same things. Gino, like I much rather him be on my bag than someone else's bag. I'd love to give him the money. So there was a lot of layers to it that I was thinking about as well. But I am, I feel like I'm in a lot better spot for sure. I've proven to myself I can get it done in tough situations. And I think looking back a good like

Like how well I actually played and how good my stats were Shows that I can be a very you know I think I'm a top 50 player in the world I've said it for way too many years but I've proven it you know I've A couple top tens of majors I was leading one through you know 36 holes I've put myself in some plots that I can do that and I there's no way I can't do it more often right now You're I feel like your popularity exploded after full swing obviously and like you go to term is not You're signing more autographs. Everyone knows you.

Like, it's like Phoenix Open. People going nuts for you. And then to have a year where you're like a bubble, like you're kind of getting the attention of a top guy, but you're right here on the bubble. Did that add, like, I guess the new popularity, did that add pressure to the year and make it tougher? Yeah, a little bit.

I would say the first year of Netflix. So the prior year was the hardest year of managing time because you have so many opportunities come your way. And it's easy to say yes to everything. Because new opportunities coming in means more money, means more awesome stuff. meeting new people, all these opportunities are coming to you. And I didn't manage that very well. Because also, had my kid like three weeks before Netflix came out, the season one.

So that was all new. Everything's new coming at you. And I don't think I handle that as well as I could have. I could have put some, you know, could have got Chris Bertram probably a year earlier, which would help manage those things. Or just asking for help a little bit more would have been nice. And I think I thought I was settled in to this year and kind of getting all, but I didn't quite catch it in time. I started to catch it too late in the year. I'm like, okay, saying no is a powerful thing. I'm in a position now where I can say no. And that is a really cool thing. And you just say yes to the things you really want to do and that you're passionate about. And with my great partners, I can say yes to more of those things instead of divided time around so many other things. So I am excited for what's to come. I'm also enjoying

through Christmas. After Christmas, I'll really ramp up and do stuff. But I'll be in the gym a little bit more between now and then and going that way. But with our man Carson. Carson Camp. Yeah. The, the, the, the, the, the, the B. So, yeah, I know that you've been in there a ton. You're, you're committed to that, which is awesome. It's just a really fun crew in there as well. Like, it's a bunch of good dudes. There's no egos in the gym. It's not like, who can lift the most. Who can do this? It's just like, hey, we're all kind of doing some things. Let's get in there. And at least you're miserable with friends for 45 minutes. Yeah. And that's a lot of, like, why am I paying to do this? Right, exactly. This is stupid. This is

stupid sucks. It's better your life, I suppose. Now do you have some time, can we start to our response to our wives' book club and start to all men book club, where we go to exotic locations to discuss the book that we didn't read? When does that start? The comic book club, I think we can start, you know? My wife was one of the last editions, I believe, into this. I believe there's 15-ish gals in here, mostly all scouts still based. Zero of them read the book. My wife is a pretty good reader. Does she? There's a few that I actually read. But it's amazing.

So I believe my wife joined about a year ago, a little over a year ago. And they rotate hosting houses like once a month. And my wife chose Vegas to blow all of the end of our MGM credit. And all of a sudden she's got eight girls in Vegas. And I'm like, is this book club? Because I can start a book club too with my friends. So that sounds way better. We should go to Vegas like once a month.

We'd spend the MGM credit way cooler too. Yes, absolutely. It wouldn't be manis and patties. Right. So it's just, it's a great group of gals and they're all kids are kind of younger. But the guys are top notch on the other side of it. I would say that for sure. Have you, have either of you had the host at your house yet?

Yeah. Oh, yeah. You did? Yeah, she did one two. I walked in and just a gaggle of them sitting there and they're living, just laughing. And I was like, oh, what part of the book are you all on right now? We had a private chef. Yeah, you got it.

This is really? I mean, I don't have a. I think my wife probably did like a shirk ruddy board. That's what she loves to do. And then she had, I mean, it's hard to cook for that many people. But she had this new garden set up that we did in the backyard. And they're all under there. And my father-in-law begged a cake for him. He's a, do you guys hear this one? No. My father-in-law is hot dad cake. Hot dad cake. And they're all like, who's that? And it's like, that's my father-in-law. And he's like, he's really good looking. He's like, he is. He's tall, nice-looking 55-year-old man.

But they all call them hot. You should ask you guys and you get home about Hot Dad Cake. I have not heard about this. I have to keep my eye on this club a little more closely. Yeah, I've kind of let them go a little bit. But, you know, we meet up outside as well, right? So some charities were all involved with and we're a part of, which is always fun to get together and do those things.

But I don't know who exactly started or how, but it seems like a bit of a racket to me. It's something. By the way, you kept trying to raise my paddle the other night at the charity thing. Well. Slap you. You got to give back, dude. It's for the kids. Maybe you can just give to the Damon Family Foundation next time.

Whatever you want. Yeah, that's right for you. Yes, exactly. Do you want to promote that real quick? Yeah, so wife and I were two years in, almost two years into the Damon Family Foundation. We are supporting junior golf and families affected by cancer. So where I grew up in a small town in eastern Washington, Gino's still there in Lewis and Ido, same kind of area. But I feel like the junior golf program is really, we didn't really have one, but it's really went south, I would say.

we don't have a leader in that, and I would like to put some money back into that. And my high school golf coach, Brian Frazier, had just retired. And he's got nothing to do. And he needs something to do because his man cave is amazing. And he just hits balls in the sim and sips on his whiskey and has a blast. So, like, hey, what if, like, a few days a week we get you going somewhere else? So I think he's going to head up that back home in the valley. And things pop up, you know, here and there that we help out.

Well, but it's a really cool opportunity. That's awesome. How can someone donate if they want? Go to Joel Damon.com. Really, really official there. But yeah, you can do that. We're working on bucket hats again so you can buy something. But we're going to have, calling it Joel Jam.

I know Tiger had his jam in Vegas. This is going to be a lighter version of that. We're going to have at Mesa Country Club in the spring sometime, probably March or April. Come by a team, come hang out. And you guys know how much fun Mesa can be. So we're going to have a time. We will be there. We will be there for that Joel Jam.

Where are we at with everything going on in this crazy world of golf right now? PGA, live, PGA tour changing all their shit with a hundred cards now, you know, signature events. Where's Joel Damon's stance on all this? What's going on? My stance is, I'm going to play where they give me a tea time at any spot available right now, but I don't love it. I think the game's deeper than it's ever been.

And I guess Lucas Glover's mentioned, don't challenge my intelligence by saying it's a pace of play problem. They had pace of play problem in the Bahamas with 20 people on the ground. So it's not that. Now, yes, we have a pace of pay problem

on the PJ tour. That's fine. I'm not going to fix that. I'm not smart enough to do it. But don't, we're the only professional organization in sports that is shrinking. Everyone else is growing. So I don't know.

If you're going to shrink this, I already didn't like how they were forcing to go to the corn fairy tour basically the Q school aspect of it now you're forcing guys to go over there that are good enough to be on tour now and you didn't elevate the purses like you got to make them whole like you can keep you can finish 60th on that on the corn ferry and barely make money after traveling so you have a family out there so let's bump those purses I'm not saying crazy but you got to make it at least where you can make a living and then

I just don't like how you're you're just shrinking it and shrinking it and the players are getting better and better and there's more young talent out there. I mean, we've got Luke Clanton right now. He could obviously, if you turn pro, he can do what he wants, but he's waiting on the PG two or you. I think that's a good idea as a whole of giving those guys a leg in. But every college kid that shows up is ridiculous right now. It feels like they hit it 7,000 yards.

They're all good. And the game's as good as it's ever been. And you're just making it harder to get to that spot. So I don't love that. And like, whatever, you want to go to 100 cards? Okay, that's fine. But the fact that we're still keeping these signature events around and making them 70 man fields, that's the one that bothers me because you're saying you're giving the cornfrey guys better opportunity, more playing chances,

but they don't get to play in those coming out of there. And I mean, we talk about it all the time. You look at the guys that finished top 50 last year, none of them finished outside the top 100. You're basically, those cards are gone. Yeah, and only a few finished out in the top 70 at that point as well. Yeah, you got to work at it to drop out. Yeah, you have to struggle a bit in those. And it happens.

I mean, there's going to be a few guys to do it every year. But it's a huge advantage to get in there. And it's, I think I'm not smart enough to figure out. But Mav McNeely came up the new point system. I have not read it. I don't know about it. I'm assuming it's going to be slightly better and less skewed towards that. But, yeah, I don't feel like a 120-man invite is pretty good.

I think Colonial's been 120 for a long time. A lot of those were Memorial back. It seems like, I mean, if that's pretty good, if you're getting the 120 best PJ two players, that's a pretty darn good feel. And you're going to get them. If you're going to shrink it, just cool. I get it.

But let everyone have the same opportunity. Like right now there's 50. There's like Coach just said, like 99% of them aren't going anywhere. Yeah. They're not at risk. It's easy to be on the other side of this too. And like, man, it's cool.

You would be great. And it's like play better is always a deal. Like, well, everyone is actually kind of playing better. And you're just kind of getting squeezed and squeeze and squeeze. So I do think that'll try. change a bit in the next couple years. They'll finagle some numbers in that. But I just, I'm fortunate

enough that I've been out here a long time and I've kind of held my position. It's just getting harder and you're just making it. There's no room for the new guys to come in. I don't think it helps the product either. Like, being out there. Well, it's proven that it didn't help the product this year. Every achieving rating was down this year.

And I, I don't know why that was, but it's proven that this model didn't work the first year. Shitty announcers, it's an excuse. The broadcast is tough. I don't know how many cash. Jim Nance, he's losing. He's lost his fastball. He's doing okay.

But, like, I just, in being out there, like, I feel like there's when it's the 70-man field, no cut, like the Thursday-Friday juice isn't there? Anything like that. I agree that, well, the cool, and one of the cool things in cut is, or in golf is, is having a cut, right? Like, how about Max home at the British Open this year? Like, struggled spring, summer, and, like, watching him battle and he made the 20-footer, that meant something to people like you're watching top players care about making cuts all of a sudden

you don't have it and you're like oh whatever i'll just collect my you know 60th place money and cruise around and this like no one really wants to do that i know um some guys have said well you know we need those guys playing all four days to keep the product up i'm like well no one ever watches a guy in 50th place unless it's tiger wits that is the only human honor ever that we will watch so tiger is the needle um maybe another guy or two maybe move the needle maybe even move it a hair but it's just is what it is and uh tiger is not ever going to be the tiger of old obviously you hope he's around as much as you can be just for the sake of the game of golf but um we got to we got to get past that somehow and I don't

I'm not smart to figure it out I was on the pack a few years ago that was a wasted time so uh I'll just you really enjoyed that yeah that's super fun uh I'll just let I'll let I'll let the the powers that be figured out and I'm going to tee it up when they give me a tea time at wherever they tell me I'm allowed to play and hopefully I play great. You just focus on getting in that gym. It's a good time to play really good golf.

This is a great time. This is a gauntlet year, as everyone's calling it. You got a new puppy at home. You've got a support, dude. Mouth to feed. Have you looked at the dog food prices? I hope not, but I'm sure they're outrageous. Does your little man eat a lot?

Or girl? he's a little boy. His name's Rusty. He's 13 weeks. We've had him for one week as of now. He's a golden dude like every other suburban family in the world. He's a good dude. He's really chill right now. And my little man loves him. So he's great. But yeah, we're we're having a lot of fun. There's been some changes in the house with a kiddo, but, uh, and the dog, but it's been really fun. Dog food prices. Dog food price is gone to shit. Talking about that. If you go elite, if you go to like the most elite level, it's like, it'd be like 200, a month, maybe almost 300 bucks a month if you get like the real food, whatever that, you know,

someone will tell you. And then you realize dogs have been around forever and they can live off of anything. My kid throws as much floor on the... Mine get double meals. Yeah, it's it. It's like as much it goes in, my kid's mouth goes on the floor, that's enough for my dog. Yep. I don't know if you know this though, but this coming here, the Phoenix Open, you're sitting with the player liaison over here. Yeah. So no request is too great. And no bribe is too small. What do you want, though?

I mean, it can all be arranged. You want to play with Sky? I've been... There's been a few years where there's some different musicians that people, like, I get more requests for than others. And I think Ben Hayes was a part of it the last few years, right? Yeah, he's had all the jobs, I think. Yeah, so there's multiple years that.

Just don't ask me play in the Monday program, please. No, well, we'll talk offline. Okay. Well, that's my next question. Wednesday is a bit filled up. We need some Monday. Yeah, so maybe a sponsor invite to Wednesday. It would be great.

I'm going to make sure all the players just request some very interesting things. Yeah, because we live here, we're lucky enough that we have everything we really need. And now that my wife's part of the Bad Girls Book Club, they have a lot of events. I know that they maybe spent an evening backstage or on the side stage with you guys last year. So as long as the bad girls keep doing their thing, I don't have to ask much out of sleaze, man. Yeah. What do you think? that's the right move what do you think about nickelback on friday night yeah or creed what if they just

went together like back to back and we just wear our affliction teas and i don't see any starchs jeans makes it's gonna be sick pukishel is that actually happening yeah yeah yeah nickel back dude Friday night bird's nest is there going to be that picture have you the photograph deal is that's going to be the whole deal is that probably yeah okay yeah they're going to do it all interesting yeah a little nostalgia for you uh Do you want to release any other names? Yeah, we got, they're out already. Jelly Roll, Jelly Roll, Luke, Luke, Brian, and Nate Smith on Thursday, Nickelback.

And then I know Slees is really pumped for the Swedish House Mafia. Yeah, I'm not familiar with their game. I've heard of one. I mean, they have like one or two famous songs that an outsider would know, but I think they're pretty big. That's why Saturday's always kind of gone to that house techno music stuff. Yeah, and we had a big one committed and then bailed for something else. You don't have enough money at something? We got a lot, but these prices are just outrageous.

They're astronomical. Outrageous now what they want to come play for a night. I'll say this. I had so much more fun before I was on the PJ tour playing in the Phoenix Open. I didn't, my rookie year I didn't get in. And the next year I didn't get in. So I had two years of being a tour member and not having to play. Ed is the greatest week of all time.

Because you get to do everything. You get all the rides. You get to ride all the rides. There's a lot of rides, dude. It's great. That is a ton of fun. I've been going. I've had a good friend who had a box on 16 for a while.

And even since like 2010 or 11, I was sitting behind the 16. When the prices were manageable, I would say. And so I've been going for 13 years now and having an all-time blast. I would say the last six I've played have been the least amount of fun. I always get sick. Every Sunday, I get sick. Yeah, you were. You were this year.

I was down pretty bad. I didn't even make it through the story. Super Bowl this year. So I had Dre, Dre Gonzalez, and who's a tour live commentator, who will. He was a snowboarder, played on tour for a while. McKinsey. No, Will McKinsey. Oh, Willie Mack. He's the snowboarder. So I got Dre and Willie Mack over and got Gino and they're having a blast and I'm like, I can't make it through this game. I feel like crap. And I was down for almost a week

at that time. So every year I get sick at the end of Phoenix I'm week. We host. To host a Taco Tuesday every year. Sort of week. And it's a, it's a blast. You don't host Taco Tuesday. You get sick. No, we get, we get sick every week. That's like everyone's down.

Like two years ago, we had like 80 people at our place hosted. My boy, salsa from Nandoz comes up and hosts it all. And this last year, it rained on us, obviously. But we had enough tents and everything. It's a good, it's a good party to start off on Tuesday. So maybe don't put me in the Wednesday prime, actually. That'd be way better. See?

Now we're talking. Wednesday off. Now we're talking. So maybe I will play Monday. Host Tuesday. You just tell me what you want. We'll make all this work. Deal.

I like, you know what? The cool thing about being so open and Thunderbirds, every year is the best T prize. The T prizes really went away in the last few years because we're playing for so much money

and they're not trying to entice you anymore, but got a Trager from there one year. We got these cool seats last year, I believe. Yeah. They got some good. Seats. Like chairs. Like chairs.

Like lawn chairs that are really nice. Yeah. Try to keep it, you know, trying to give something that's not trash. You guys get so much shit. Trying to not do headphones, a lot of headphones or Or Bluetooth speakers or Bluetooth speakers. Got a few of those.

Yeah. But those are just get people, you get them and then you just gift them to someone else. That is, it's a nice. Which is not bad. It is. Which is not terrible. Well, Joel, I'm glad you finally agreed to come back in. It took a while.

I know. You've been waiting for something cool to happen. Well, that, yeah. I feel like a lot of the stories were had, had run and, you know. But this is, this is a nice time to figure it out. And I'm glad I'm glad I got. made you guys wait. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, we're pumped for you, man. Way to clutch up there at Seattle. It was fun to watch. Thank you. Hopefully I never have to do that again. I'd like to clutch up right on Sundays around the lead instead of clutching up in 30.

Yeah, to win one. That'll be a different type of numbers. That would be nice. When you win, you come back in. Yep. Deal.

And then we go straight to Vegas. MGM credits. Let them fly. Shadow Creek. And deal. Book club. Well, this book club.

Oh, we'll just have a book club. A week long book club. I just got back from Vegas this morning. just hearing that place just terrifies me. You look good. I need a little nap. You look good.

Well, you got in nicely. Mm-hmm. Safely. Yeah, we're here. Did it. All is good. What was your highlight of the last five days? Those are one little thing that sticks out.

I mean, golf and Cabo was fun. Stapleton and George Strait. Yeah. Saturday in Vegas. That's pretty good. I've always wanted to see George. I've never seen George. I'm going to Garden next week.

That's good. Guard thanks week in Vegas. That's my favorite. That'll be. I saw him once here in Phoenix about five. years ago and I feel like obviously he's got to be nearing it at some point of where he's like the most entertaining man and so we're we have a good crew we got gino and his wife are coming brandon hargan's his wife and then another buddy tony and his wife are dialed in we got

carbone friday night yellow tail saturday spicy rigatoni do you know that carbone has a new backroom bar yes yeah i found that one out last week as well that's nice place that's a great spot blare my Blair the summit at carbone really hooked us up that night that was really good i'll tell you what the low light of the trip was is i hung out with john mallinger entirely too much like i saw he almost won that pebble beach thing and by almost won he played pretty good yeah he finished he almost win it he finished six i think he was in the final group on son oh wow he made a quad on 13 on sunday he's grinding he's around that's his favorite event of the year yeah he grinds like grines he's still got something in the tank fake drinker

Cole always says, I don't even know what that means really, but that's the take. He acts like he drinks at these fun events like that, but he actually takes it serious. I was so mad about this. It's harder to fake drink than it is to actually just go. Yeah, couldn't agree more. Well, Joel, we love your brother. Thank you so much. Congratulations on everything.

And we'll have you back soon when you win. Deal. After Sony, we're in. You got it. Cool. See, brother. All right, well, that was a fun one with Joel. Always good hanging out with him.

So pumped for him. I mean, to go, I think making that put, the one of the one of the one of, on Friday and the one on Sunday, obviously, but the one on Sunday to keep his card, go out there and shoot 64 he needed the most. I think this is going to give him so much confidence going forward. I expect a big 20-25 for him. He's a guy that loves to, you know,

degrade himself on his skills and his stuff, especially as putting. And making those two on Friday and Sunday with literally your job on the line, I don't think you can have more pressure than that. Watching that event was probably the most nervous I've been. I always love watching that event because it comes down to the bubble,

but Joel being a close friend for years and years, that was when I was sweating out. And how about like the Sunday or Sunday night, whatever, four in the morning? He's up, can't sleep. It's like, let me check out exactly what I need to do. And then goes out and does it. After I saw the eagle pop up, you know, on the app, I was like, dude, here we go. We got a chance because you got to start, you know he needed at least six, probably

going into that thing. And he needed every single one of them. But damn, that's a, that is a, that's something you can draw on for forever for Joel. Awesome to see. I mean, the game of golf needs Joel Damon. And we need Joel Damon playing well. He's a great character. Just really pumped for him.

Just a little worried about his autograph yips and his parking yips. Yeah, something else will come along the line soon. I can't wait to hear about it. But the autograph, there's worse things that have yips with than the autograph yips. At least you're signing them. Yeah. You know what I mean? Miss one of those pots on Friday or Sunday.

You might not be signing that many next year. Yeah. But super proud of Joel. Good to see him. And always fun sitting down with him. Let's give a little football pick, what we're really good at. Let's do it real quick. Because I mentioned I zoned in real quick.

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Own your zone with zone nicotine pouches. And I'm owning my zone. I like it. Good job. All right, let's get a little NFL pick going here. I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm going to go with it.

My Dallas Cowboys catching a point and a half against the Carolina Panthers. Come on, Cooper Rush. Leave me to victory. This is the one. This is the batchup the football world's been waiting for. Adam Thielen, take it easy on my boys.

By the way, Bryce Young started to play pretty good football. Yeah. I think his brain must have just been broken for a little bit. Now he's getting a little confidence. He's playing good. Should be noted. I gave a winner last week. Oh, my God.

Congratulations. The Arizona State Sun Devils put the wood to Iowa State. Smashed. Cadaboo is fucking sick. So I think that ended like a seven or eight week Schneide. So I'm back. And I'm going with a team that I'm very fond of. My boys battling for a playoff spot out of nowhere.

Broncos minus four and a half against the Indianaapolis Colts. We're playing good ball. Yeah. I'm a believer. Bo lever. Always have been. You are, I mean,

I saw it from a mile away. Dude, I evaluate QB talent. Sneaky, by the way, he could win the rookie of the year. Him and Jaden Daniels. Yeah, he's the last like six weeks.

He's been a beast. All right. Well, we're both taking our teams. Yeah. Totally unbiased and just completely objective stuff based on gambling. All right. Well, that was a lot of fun.

I'm going to bed. Go get them. Your eyes are almost shut right now, but go get some shut-eye. I'm ready to go. That's a lot of fun. We'll talk to you on next week's subpar.