Subpar - Jon Rahm opens up on Brooks Koepka's departure from LIV Golf, if LIV will receive OWGR points and his stance on fines from the DP World Tour

Episode Date: January 7, 2026

On this 300th episode of GOLF's Subpar, Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by their first ever guest Jon Rahm. The 2-time Major Champion shares his thoughts on Brooks Koepka departing LIV Golf, if LIV will ever receive OWGR points and how fines from the DP World Tour may effect his Ryder Cup future. -- New year, real growth—see thicker, stronger hair with Nutrafol at Nutrafol.com using promo code SUBPAR.--Kick off the new year with custom Birdie Juice gear—15% off at shop.golf.com using SUBPAR15. New year, new fit, no excuses.

Happy New Year, everyone. Welcome back to another season of golf subpar. I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season. So leave a nice little break, a few weeks off. It's time to get back to work. Back to it. Another season in the books. Normally we'd have a century right now.

But there's a lot of disappointed wives out there. Wives and girlfriends, very disappointed that this week's not happening. Although I just saw pictures of the place. It looks perfect. It looks absolutely perfect. Which is good news. I'm sure they'll be back next year. I mean, I think they were a little worried a few months ago with how it was.

and they're like, we got to make a decision. We can't have guys showing up in this place being a dirt field. But hey, good news is it looks like they've turned in the corner. Obviously, water restrictions, drought, all that. Things are looking good down there. And hopefully they'll be back in 2027. But as of now, the start of the season's going to be the Sony open. And we're going to get to that before.

We've got to talk about, I would say, the big golf news that just think they slid right in there right before Christmas. Right on like Christmas Eve or something, wasn't it? Nice timing. Yeah. Brooks Kepka and Live, they are no longer in a relationship together. They said they have parted ways. Brooks will not be playing on Live in 2026. Very interesting scenario here.

Everything that, you know, I've been told through this whole process is basically it's a one-year suspension. And with that being said, Brooks last tournament was in August. So it looks like maybe, hey, I'm trying to get, he's trying to get a jump start on this. Sit out this year. He can still play the majors. He can play the DP World Tour. But I think the big thing for him is coming back in 2027,

Ryder Cup year, try to make that team. But sounds like he wants to get this suspension over with and get back to playing on the PJ tour. And he was always even like the last two years, I feel like the one guy over there that, I don't want to say it didn't feel like he bought it in, but like he's the only guy wearing his own logos. You know what I mean?

He wasn't wearing the team stuff. I never really heard him like kind of pumping the tires of live or this is great. I love this. It was kind of like he was there and he was doing it. He'd show up at the majors and those still had all his attention. The fact that he left early, I don't know what kind of penalty he had to pay. I would assume you got to give some of the money back if you're not going to fulfill your contract.

If not, that's a great contract. That would be a great deal if you're like, I'm going to take it all. I'll take it all and go. But the year-long suspension, I mean, that's what they just gave to Pat Perez, by the way. We can talk about too, who the last thing he did a year ago last August was be on the broadcast, wasn't even playing. And they're giving him a year for PJ Tour champions. So I would expect the same thing from Brooks.

I would expect like an official announcement soon on that, because I'm, Like if they just say, hey, welcome back, which, by the way, is what I would do if I was running the PJ tour. But I'm not yet. I just let them back. But I don't know if Brooks even wants to play a bunch of PJ tour events or things like that. I would suspect you don't see him play a PJ tour event until after the August is up for sure. I don't really see him playing many fall events either. I don't think that really gets the juices going.

Yeah, I mean. Knock the rust off. Listen, I totally agree with everything you said about. He's the guy that didn't really buy in over there. I don't think it's a secret. Like he got paid a lot of money. And I mean, that entices a lot of people.

He has not looked happy the last few years. I know he's won several times over there. But for a guy who says, look, my focus is the majors, the big events. They don't have a ton of big events over there. He's not playing in front of massive crowds like he is over here, like Phoenix down the road,

the players championship, stuff like that. So look, I think it's great for the PGA tour. And I'm with you. If they just wanted to smash, and just put it into it. Hey, Brooks, welcome back. You want to play Sony? Hey, Bryson, John Rom, you want to play?

Come on over. Same deal for you. That's what I would do. I mean, at this point, I feel like, Liv's kind of what it is. It's going to be that. They're going to pick off a few names. They just got Thomas Dietree to come over.

You know, Elvis Smiley. Are they the hugest names in golf? No, but it's like the stars. That's what we're all striving for, right? That's what the PGA tour is doing. They're shrinking, more star-based. If the stars that are over there, if you want them back and you're willing to take them,

and a couple of them, take the bit. It's like what's left over there. If I was running down, I'd be like, you're all welcome back day one. Would there be some pissed off guys on the PJ tour? Of course, guys that maybe had offers and didn't go. But at the same time, you didn't go. You didn't take any risk. I don't think you can like get rewarded for not taking risk. I wouldn't even have them pay a penalty or anything. I just say you're back. If you didn't go, tough break. The problem is, and listen, I know like we cater to the stars and you want the big names to make your product better, but with them going to 100 cards, I mean, even 20 on cornfrey tour.

the signature events being 70 man fields. It's like, okay, these guys that are at the back end who, by the way, if you're, if you finished 100th on the FedEx Cup, you're a damn good player. You're a very good player. You start allowing five to 10 to 15 guys back. Now you're taking spots away from these guys. It's like, hold on a second. That's the only problem I have with that whole situation.

Yeah, and if you're one of the guys at the end, and every decision they're making basically is catered toward the stars. So I think if they had the option, if there were five guys on live, the five names that, you know, matter who said, I want to. to do the same thing. I want to come back. I still think if that was the way they're going to go back. Okay. And yeah, sorry for Mr. Hunter down there. You had a great year. But honestly, like, you're not moving the needle. These are the guys who are. But that's a, if I was one of those guys, I would be extremely pissed because now it's become so hard to keep your PJ tour card ever.

And now you did it and you're going to get fewer starts. And, you know, that would be, that would be an issue. But I think they'll give the same thing. I think they'll do one year suspension for Brooks. I don't think I'll play any tour events. I'd be surprised. if he goes and plays DP World Events, but at least he has the option, maybe something before a major championship. Yeah, I think for sure. He'll play those just to knock the rust off a little bit.

And then at the end of the next year, we'd be like, welcome back to the PJ tour. That's my prediction. Yeah, I agree. And it's going to be interesting to see what happens with all of this. I mean, this is a big domino that fell for Live over there. Who knows? I thought, you know, Brooks's statement was obviously very simple.

Like, I want to spend more time at home. He didn't really bash Liv. Live didn't bash him. I thought the PJ tour statement was pretty sweet. Why did they even put that out? And exactly. We respected as a player. It's like, hey, Brooks.

Yeah. Like, great player. The PJ tour remains we're the best players play. Yeah. I was like, yeah, we got it. So, yeah, I'm excited to get this season going and see what happens with all of this. But until then, we have had another massive tournament, the Whisper Rock Pro Scratch. That's correct.

It just happened. And once again, one of the guys we've been just all about, and he's actually heading over to the Sony Open where he should have won last year coming off the best year of his career, the U.S. Open champ, JJ Spawn and his caddy Mark Carrens, the drama queen, Mark Caron's. What a beautiful creature.

Just dominated. 19 under par. Karen's actually helped him four shots. That's a lot. If you get four out of your, damn, as a pro that's shooting... 15? Yeah, 15 by himself?

Like, how many holes are you going to help on? They won by three. Yeah, that's the biggest margin that I can remember. I mean, it's 36 holes. Yeah. It ain't that much room to run. We did not come close. Me and Brandon Arkansas.

What did you guys finish at? We finished it nine under for two days. It was a little slow. We shot three and then six. Okay. Y'all made a nice little run. Yeah, the first day we shot five.

We started off hot and then made like 12, 11 or 12 pars in a row literally couldn't make anything. And the second day we played nice. We shot nine under with a couple short misses, one of each of us. And we ended up, what, fifth? We got in the money, last place in the money. Fifth, but lost by four.

We weren't going to shoot five better at any point. So, but this has always been like a good little, it used to be the twin fin where we kind of gauge people, like Chaz came out, guns blazing one year. David Pooge last year won this by himself. J.J. this year, JJ Damner did the same thing. It's a good kind of leading indicator, although I think the cat's out of the bag with this isn't surprised.

Jay J.J. Yeah, the rider cupper and six ranked player. He was also the highest ranked player in the West Brock Pro Scratch field. He was. He was. So, yeah, but his catty, I mean, sneaky can play, like I said drama queen falling all over the place throwing clubs up in the air the weirdest stuff post impact you've ever seen he would be the all-time like white man can't jump woody harrison like if you want to

hustle somebody to go to the range but pick my partner i'll beat you with anybody like see that weirdo over there falling down twisting as the one i want and he's like and he's a scratch yeah he plays but it was uh it was a lot of fun man and you mentioned pat prez earlier i got to play with him on saturday the second day and you know i've me and pat have been super close for a very long time and I haven't really spent that much time with him since he's gone to live the last four years. I mean, schedules are obviously very different. We used to play a ton of practice rounds together. Got to play with him on Saturday.

And it was so good to tee it up with him again. And let me tell you something. The man's 49 years old. He turns 50 on March 1st. You mentioned he got a one-year suspension for the broadcasting. That's a new rule to me, by the way. It's just absolute bullshit. But he is eligible for the senior majors, three of the five.

And I believe he'll be making his debut at the senior PGA championship down at concession. And this man, he's hitting it longer than he ever has in his life. He's probably in the best shape of his life. He's without question in the best shape of his life. The game looks so good, man. And we had a blast. We went out Saturday night and just, I mean, do what we do. But it was so good to see him.

And another guy getting not too far away from the PGA Tour champions, Jeff Ogilvy played with him the first day. Still got it. We got to get him back in here soon, hopefully. What's his ambitions on playing that tour? Does he want to go do it? He still loves competing. That's why that NBC job probably was his if he wanted it, you know, a couple years ago.

He was definitely in the running for it. But he still wants to play. He's got the President's Cup coming up. Good to see him back. But Perez, dude, look, I know he's got to sit on the champion's tour until, what, August? August is the first time I'll be back. He's going to be a factor in at least one of those majors, I bet you. I hope so, man.

That link, you just can't replicate that. You got to get by Stephen Walker. Yeah. coming off a pretty good year. Years. Plural. He's got it figured out. Well, Whisper Rock's Pro Scratch was awesome.

Thanks to everybody that helped out with that. It is football season still, believe it or not. And we got a hell of a week ahead of us. Football, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. No big deal. Meaningful football. Meaningful. And we're going to go through all eight games.

What could go wrong? Let's do it. We get our lines from Fanatics, our friends over at Fanatic Sportsbook. So here we go. When we start in college? You and I have not gone over these together. So we'll see if we're on the same page. I'll do the first game.

So we're going to go right here in town, Fiesta Bowl. Okay. Ole Miss is playing Miami. Correct. I'm taking the Ole Miss Rebels plus three and a half. I just think it's such a good story, man. Lane Kiffin leaving. The guys look good.

I think it would be such a cool story to see them make it to the national championship after their head coach left them to go to LSU. I didn't think they'd be Georgia. And then they beat Georgia. That's an impressive win. I know Georgia ain't quite what they have been, but also at the same time, Miami looked unbelievable against Ohio State.

But I feel like they've been kind of, they've been getting massaged, let's say, the last week or so since that game happened. I've got Ole Miss, too, getting three and a half, and I think they can win that game outright. So obviously, if Miami wins, SMU beat them. De facto national champions, yeah.

That's the way all of it works. We'll hang a banner. That's the way all of it works. All right. Next up. Indiana, Oregon rematch. Who you got? Indiana minus three and a half.

I'm running with them again. I'm the biggest. I've been this way the whole time. And I feel like everybody's on board now. But Kurt Signetti, what he's done, it's not getting enough credit. The shittiest program in the history of college football, legitimately, not hyperbole, took it over.

And in two years, 24 and two. He lost the Notre Dame in the playoffs. And he lost Ohio State. He just beat the brakes off of Alabama to the point where they didn't even look like they wanted to come out anymore. If it was a UFC backups in, How many times do you see backups get to go in and get a few snaps in here against,

and it's Alabama that they're playing. I am the hugest fan of him. Hard to beat good teams twice like Oregon. They look really nice too, but I'm staying with Indiana the whole way, by the way. And this is where I start to have to question some of these college recruiters. Mendoza was a one star. Yeah, he was a nothing burger. Coming out of high school, went to Cal and now Heisman Trophy winner.

It's going to be a Las Vegas Raider, most likely with the first overall pick next year. He'll fit in nice in Vegas. Yeah. But my God, does he throw it nice? And he's like poised. He's the best interview in the world. Like he's fun listening to him talk. But I mean, the whole situation's a little quirky over there.

And then they pillaged the portal too. They're going to be around for a while. Took your quarterback. I know those motherfuckers. Tampered. There's tampering going on. I guarantee you. This is scary.

We're both on Ole Miss and Indiana. Yep. The National Championship. There's a couple of Ls. Right how I would have had to start of the season. Mm-hmm. All right. Let's go to the NFL.

Biggest point spread of the week. The Rams. Yeah. Heading to Carolina, which Carolina beat them earlier in the year in L.A. Biggest spread, 10 and a half points, Rams. I do not trust Carolina one bid. It's very hard to beat a team twice, but that is a lot of points. It's a double digits in the playoffs.

At home. Home in the playoffs, it feels crazy. I don't care. I feel like everything just tightens up a little bit during place. I'm taking the Panthers with 10.5. You give me a home playoff team, getting double diggies, I'll take that. All right.

We're on opposite sides here. Bears, Packers, in Chicago. What a story this is. I feel like. The minus point five. Yeah. So basically we're going money line on one of them. Packers, Bears, one of the biggest rivalries that there is.

Chicago, Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson. Pretty cool to be the number two seed first year in. Crazy how good he's done. And how much he mattered to Detroit, too. Look what happened to them. I'm taking the Bears home field. I think it's a coin flip type of game at home and then lean on Ben Johnson. All right. Same for me.

Okay. The Buffalo Bills heading to Jacksonville. Jacksonville has been on a roll lately, but Buffalo is favored by a point in Jacksonville. This is a good one. This might be the premier opening round. I totally agree. Who you got?

Let me guess you got bills. You know, I love Josh Allen. Of course. Who doesn't love Josh Allen? I love the guy. He's so good. I would, like, if the Broncos can't win at all, I would love to see the bills win.

Kind of like I was for Detroit last year. But Jags playing so good at home. I just think home. field these playoff teams like if it's a toss up you just lean home field advantage so i'll take the jaggs getting a point okay at home i bet a money line um another big one here san francisco going to philly getting four and a half philly's also i just think it's you never know what you're going to get with them some weeks they look like obviously the defending super bowl champions then they look like shit um let's see what happens when they get to playoffs he'll be playing in front of that

nice home fan base city brotherly love they'll be given a lot of love which way are you going i got a feeling Oh, I hate Philly. Yeah, you're going Niners, right? I'm going Sanfrey plus four and a half. But I'm a little nervous because I honestly thought they would beat Seattle. Seattle was good. Seattle is very good. Offense looked terrible for San Francisco in the last game of the season.

But catching four and a half. I don't think the Eagles can score that much. I think it's going to be a very low scoring game with the Niners pulling it out. That's exactly why I'm taking the Niners. They looked so bad this past week, kind of got embarrassed a little bit. I've been like, dude, I feel like they all hate each other in the locker room. coach guys aren't liking the, it's just all,

it feels like a mess around there. And so I think it's a good game, but I'll take the five or four and a half. Four and a half, yeah. Yeah. All right. By the way, I've realized when good teams lose,

you like to bet them the next week. I love good teams off of bad, off of losses or bad weeks. That should be in your book. Yeah, that's a little trick of the trade. All right. One of my favorite coaches in the league,

just having a hell of a year up there in New England, just unbelievable to see what they've done. I can't remember who they're playing, though. I didn't write it down. Chargers. Oh, yeah, Chargers. They stink. I don't like them.

The Pats, minus three and a half. At home against the charges. No, I just only wrote down who I picked. Oh, okay. I forgot they were playing Jim Harbaugh's weird ass. In New England, obviously, three and a half to the Pats. I'll save all the analysis and taking the Pats. Yeah, I am too.

Yeah. There you have it. I can't pick Joe Scoverance Chargers. She's not like it. Herbert's all banged up. I just don't, yeah. And then what a game to end the season. Pittsburgh, Baltimore.

just an all-timer. Fourth quarter was ridiculous. A couple of kickers who had a lot of stress. Kids don't be kickers. No, don't be kickers. Pitt getting three and a half at home against the Houston Texans who have the number one defense in the NFL. Yeah, Lose.

This would be a lowest. It could be nasty and blowing 30 up there, which I think favors Pittsburgh. I'm taking the home team plus home dogs in the playoffs. I think that's just a messy, nasty game. The grocer it is up there, the more it favors Pittsburgh. They've been playing in a dome most of the year down in Houston.

Not that they haven't ever played outside. But home dogs in the playoffs, sticking with it. All right. Well, I just want to let you know, I am too. And through those eight games, six and a lot of overlap. Yeah, we're on the same six. The Rams and the Panthers. Which is.

And you took Jacksonville at home. Correct. Correct. Correct. All right. Well, there we have. Go download the Fanatic Sports Book app. Follow along with us.

Those are our eight football picks. It's going to be a hell of a weekend. And we got a hell of an interview. Yeah, we do. This is how you start the year. This is episode number 300. ladies and gentlemen. We appreciate you all for following us along the entire time. Episode number one, John Rom, two-time major champion, and he is back for this very special episode. Here he is

on Subpar. All right, what a way to bring in the new year, our 300th episode with our first ever guest on Subpar. Back many times in between. Sorry, I'm cutting you off already. Okay, Spaniard. I was first ever. Yeah, dude, you were the debut. You did tell me this, actually. Yeah, you don't ever listen to me when we're out there. Anyway, for the audio list, it's John Rom. Yeah. The Spaniard. If you haven't picked up on it. Yeah, police and not be dodd, bud.

I just turn it over to you. Intro yourself. What do you want? What do you want to listen? I'm not intro myself. Two-time Major Champ. I'm not enjoying myself. Two-time live, individual champ. What do you want? I'm not entering myself. That's your job. You're both. Well, I was, yeah. All right, we've done it. You're officially introed. Welcome back, dude. Thanks for doing it.

I'm happy to be here. You look great. Long overdue, I would say. Yeah, you're coming off. It's my fault. So I was say. No sweat. You're just coming off playing the skins game out of Mountain Shadows, which I believe you ended 2025 with your first win of the year out there. Is that correct?

Did you get one? I heard you got one. No, I didn't get, I think, well, usually you're hoping to make a hole in one, right? I don't know, because I'm not on Instagram and they post this course on Instagram. So they usually, the guy that does it is a carrier server leave. So it lets me know if I've won or not. How many weeks carryover? No, it hasn't been carried.

Normally it gets carried over and that's when like everybody shows up. And a whole and one pays like real. like real money. Yeah, if they make them easy, like there's like, you can get multiple hole in ones. No, but birdies have won skins. Oh, really? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But you also have the, what is it, the first five and the last five.

Yeah, so basically scroll on the first one on the last five, you have Beastball, which is all birdies count with your partner. Beastball? Yeah. I've never heard of call that. I like that. 14, 15, 16 under on those holes. You have longest streak of birdies. scores or there's like five or six different things you're gambling on.

Didn't you just like start going down there and playing it recently? No, I did it last year a couple of times. Okay. We were survey leave closes on Tuesdays. Oh, that makes sense. And there's no game on, we don't have a game of Whisper Rock. It was it was Pooch who told me, hey, let's, let's go and do this because I forget. What do they do the first day?

Did you call and sign up and be like, hey, this is John Rom? I got my friend David Pooch. We'd like to come play the skins game. No, I haven't called, but it's, I mean, it's a lot of mini tour pros. Yeah, that's how I was always. Yeah. But when you showed up the first day, they'd be like, they would probably prefer if you would stay away.

This is for jickey. No, I mean, which game? It's true. Never been high in stats on which games. By the way, we would have a Tuesday game at the Whispirok if the doctor wasn't losing so much these days. He had to add an extra day of work in. No, he did.

He's working three days a week now. He's up to three a week. His room's hurt. Nope, he's working three days a week. He needs to be on the show and explain himself sometimes. He just played with your boy, Pooge at the pro-scratch. I play with him. So, yeah, it's probably.

Probably a good thing. He's clocking in a little bit more. Who organizes that thing, by the work? Chez Revy. Ches, yeah. I need to talk to Chess, too. You were gone. I was like, well, I came back two days later.

Then you would have? I landed yesterday. Yeah, but it was Friday, Saturday. Exactly. Just talk to me so I can figure my days out. All right. A week later. Chaz.

His plane leaves when he tells it to. Yeah, what time? The cancellation fees are crazy. It's more when the wife agrees to leave Hawaii. That's, that's. Fair enough. Fair enough. Well, we're just jacking around right now.

So let's get into 2025. Obviously, you won the live individual title. Had four runner-ups. Worst finished, T-11. Can you tell me what happened that week? Merido. It's a hard golf. Oh, that is a hard golf.

That's the one. Honestly, I don't know how I got myself to be out there because I was not playing good. I was. I play some. But it was so windy and difficult that you kind of just go for parts, right? Because I think six or seven under went to a playoff. So I was just trying to give myself a chance and I actually had a pot on the last hole from about 10 feet on the first hole. That left pin uphill pot, cup out and left it half a roll short.

And I think Bryson Burdied one and two to knock me out of the top 10. Only non-top 10 in your live career, right? Yeah, so far. That place is a beast, though, isn't it? It's hard. That place is dead. I mean, dude, that place is brutally hard. The second hole, not the second, second.

And the third hole, there's one or two T-boxes back, which, who needs a 260-yard par three? Sorry, Albert, my dog on the golf course a little bit right now, even though I think it's a great challenge. But eight, seven to part five, we were one or two T-boxes up. Nine, I think we were up. There's a couple holes where we never saw it back to you. The course record for all the way back. A year was six, was 68 and it was Spieth from all the way back. I played with them that day.

It's extremely challenging. Yeah, we played. I was like, we shot four-hundred. he's like, got in, was like, that's course record. And they were playing it like a step. We're playing it like a step off the back. It was so hard.

You shot 69? Yeah, did I miss. I lipped out too, dude, on the last, you know how it goes. I was right there. I was right there. I was the only thought I just left it short. Well, still a hell of a good year. You win the individual again.

I know you didn't win for the first time, which is something. But would you rather have won two times than played some shit golf in the other ones and not one individual title or play like you didn't, just been consistent across the board and win it? I've wrestled with that thought because I did lose in two playoffs back to back at the end, right? Little unlucky against Sebastian

on that playoff all hitting the pin. It's tough because I've played good. I would say winning the individual doesn't have the same way they did last year we've had having won, especially having Joaquin win five times. I can make an argument there that maybe he was more deserving, right? I'm not in charge of the point system, but...

Are they changing that? I hope so. Yeah. What? It's just, listen, I know I'm consistent and all that. But somebody wins more than a third of the tournament. It's not like we're playing 40, right? We're playing 13 events.

It wins more than a third of them. He should probably run away with it unless even if I finish second every week, which I didn't, right? So it's just, I know he had some bad weeks, but I don't, the only sport that you can equate it would be Formula 1, right? When somebody wins a third of the races, but finishes out of the points and still most of the time is going to be winning it all. So, yeah, it's a bit of a mixed feeling in that sense.

But I think they're changing it. I think they're changing. Obviously, I play really hard shot 11 under on the final round in Indianapolis to give myself a chance. And it would have felt a lot better had I gotten one win. But, you know, got to get over the fact that I didn't win. Yeah, you got Mountain Shadows to lean back on. And you're going to 72. Do you think that helps maybe?

Let me say that. Get the individual win, the team win. And I'm sorry, but get in the Rite Cup win in the U.S. I don't feel like I haven't won anything this year. Yeah. Still feel pretty good. We're going to do a lot of, we're going to do a lot of the Ryder Cup talk.

But you got 72 holes now, which you've been a big proponent of. I mean, he and I've talked about it. I'm like, if he has, I never finishing out the top 10 now, add another round.

I feel like it just shrinks the pool of people who can win out there. Would you agree with that? Like, if I played you in eight holes, I might have a chance to actually, you know, but if we played 42. It would benefit,

obviously, the better players and the better teams. Yeah. I think we should play four holes like we did the other day. Yeah, when I was slapping you around. Ooh, I had him. Where you, I was sending to my sizes for the Legion 13th. I'm not going to lie.

I thought he was going to be tweeting the score. No. Because he burned one, two, three, and four. Oh, yeah, I heard about it. Yeah, I buried three, four and five, right? It ended after four, though. Now, everyone knows it's four-hole. Yeah, it's four-a-match.

I was two up. Killed you. If it's only time I've ever seen anybody buried the first four-holes. If it's a four-hole event, Colt can win. Yeah. I'm a sprinter. I think going in like this. You look like it too.

Yeah, sprinter. I mean, I think there's a handful of y'all that are going to just split them all up next year. I just, yeah, I think obviously is going to be better for the better players. But there's still some great guys out there that pop out. Dean Burmester's one one each year at some of the tougher condition courses, right? So you can't say that having another 18 holes is going to be hurtful. He smashes it. He looks nice, by the way.

With it going to 72 holes, obviously, I think the big play is official world golf. ranking points, which they still haven't made a decision about, still reviewing the paperwork. What does that mean? Nobody knows what this means. Trevor doesn't tell me anything, so I don't know. I'm not, I mean, listen, he's probably not allowed to say anything, right? I just know they're still reviewing what. Y'all's application? What is the official statement says?

Okay, what does that mean? I just want to know. I don't know. For any event that's applying for what ranking points? What does that mean? Yeah. Because it's not like they don't know. But this is a serious question.

Like, do they tell y'all anything? Yeah, they keep, I don't know if they do it with every player, but there's some, there are some updates that go to some of us. So are you confident, you think, pretty soon it could happen, or? I don't know. That I don't know. No timeline. I mean, I would like, if it were to happen, because I can't guarantee anything. At this point, I think it's going to happen, but it would be nice to have them sooner than later, obviously.

So it's before major start, so he gives a chance to some people to start earning one. I think, I feel like they're doing them. themselves a disservice, but not like it's been around long enough. Now it's going to 72. It's like if you're going to call yourself official world golf ranking, it's kind of incumbent upon you to figure out how to rank the world's golfers. Yeah, I just don't think it's as easy as that. I'm sure you need to follow a process.

Again, whatever the application they're actually applying with and the computations, how many points we get, do those things, I think. It's like when you're a kid. It says you must be this tall to ride this ride. You can't just be close. You got to be, you got to meet it. Yeah, I think. I know how long does it take?

Yeah, 40 years. I think we're making it. I think we're simplifying it. It's probably a complicated process, but. I'm sure. Yeah, I mean, look, you went to 72 holes. There's now more spots available. There's, I think, more people are going to get relegated.

It's my understanding all of that was a part of it, right? Pathways into the league. So you have the people that go in through the international series, the people that go in through the promotion series, which is qualifying quite like you school. and then more people getting relegated. So I think we're going up to 57 players. I think 10-11 are getting relegated, so 20%, basically.

Oh, just under, right? Did you major in math at Arizona State? No. It's been really good. Sharp. So good. Yeah. Sharp.

Catt. Let me ask you this. So I think that's a lot of the requirements for what we want to make a sense. Because everyone I think knows, like the official world. What are you ranked right now? I don't know. Do you have any idea? I mean, it's both like it's not accurate.

Last time. I take that was 83rd. Not that it matters at all because everyone knows you, you're major champion. By the way, this is, what are we at, um, January 6th. So. January 8th. Yeah. Right?

Today's the 8th. They were recording this. Yeah, well, it's coming out in a couple hours. Let's see if he pulls it up and then I want to ask you something. Yeah. It comes out tonight. Your first episode of the year. Yeah, you're the day.

We can't start off the year by getting fired. Yeah. That'd be bad. Then you'd have to employ Slaz. I look at the people over there in the back. You need to edit quick. John wrong. We got an army of editors.

Currently ranked 85th in the world. All right. The top 100, solid. The question being, like, everyone knows the Fish World Golf Ranking. They're not accurate right now. You're sitting at 85th. But you guys have won majors in the group in Liv that, like, gets in the major championships. You get those, you get those points,

even though it's only a few times, only four times a year. Give me three guys on Live that aren't in that, that isn't in that group that gets auto and, you know, exempt into the majors that you think are vastly underrated because by the media golf people in general. What do you mean, that? Like, don't get the credit they do. deserve because they're not getting the points and they're not ranked like where you think

they would be if they were getting points every week like underappreciated I guess okay I mentioned one of them I think Dean Bermester gets a little bit underappreciated but just seeing him he's such a good player especially when things get tricky you can hit it low is really good in the wind uh I still think because I've seen him play so much and he hasn't played his best in majors I still think somehow Joaquin is underrated. Yeah, the major champion's been a little bugaboo for him. Yeah, he hasn't played his best, but, I mean, what I've seen the last two years out of him, he's played a lot of racing golf.

He's incredible. He wins that many times. It's good. He wins seven times in 28 starts and lives. Sorry, in 26. It's decent. Yeah. And then I'm going to put somebody we don't know.

I'm going to put David Pooch in there. I think he is one of those that if all rankings counted, he's been able to put himself closer inside the top 100. playing around the planet in events that maybe don't count as much as the ones in live could, I think he is somebody that is a lot better than obviously rankings were reflecting people don't know yet. Just needs to get in the gym, hit it a little further. He'll be, he, we've played at the pro scratch.

He's out there. He's out there. He's out there. He's up there. He's sick. And there's zero roll. He is. And he's in at 320.

Shoes, shorts, shirt on. Yeah. 161 or 62. Yeah. Maxed out. Yeah. 162 pounds. I mean,

it's close. They're just hanging off. And he flies at 3.40. And he's got one 90 balls speed. God. Yeah, he's one, I think,

like, when he gets his chances. He told me he's going to play. I was asking him, like, he's going to, guys he got DP status. He's like, I'll probably play around 10 of those.

Well, I mean, he won the Australian PGA, which was a big help gets him in the open championship. Mm-hmm. He got him in the open? I believe so.

I know, no, yeah. I know the Australian Masters got you in the PGA and the, Sorry, in the open in the Masters. I don't think he's got him in anything. I thought it did. But that could be wrong. I thought when he won, it got him in something too, but that could be...

I think I remember him saying, I probably should fact check this. I don't know, but it was a DP World sanctioned event. So, I mean, as far as like top 10 points next year and all that, I mean, it could be big. He's going to play quite a few of those. He's going to play a lot of golf this year, that's for sure. Before we get back to John Rom, a quick message from Neutrophile. resolutions come and go, but growth, real lasting growth, takes time. That's why I love that Nutraful isn't promising a miracle in 30 days.

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Find out why Nutiful is the best-selling hair growth supplement brand at Nutraful. Dot com spelled in U-T-R-A-F-O-L dot com promo code subpar. That's neuterfold.com promo code subpar. Now, back to John Rom. Well, I think the most shocking thing that's happened recently with Liv might not be as shocking to you, but Brooks Kevka deciding to sit out in 2026. Did you see this coming at all? Or what were your thoughts when you heard it?

I had an idea, but more through him than the league itself. I know, I don't know what happened, but I know he, he was dealing with some stuff off the golf course. I still don't know what's happened. So I think I saw them made an announcement about a miscarriage. So that, luckily, Malcolm Wood, I can't say what that feels like, but I don't wish it on anybody. And I know that stuff on some people. So, um, I wish him the best. I've had some great times with Brooks on the golf course. It's, I've had some, you know, obviously a 23 masters. We went on that playoff and 24 at Greenbrier. going out at the Rider Cup a few times. It's always fun to play with fast on the sky.

I wish him nothing but the best. I mean, I wish he'd stay and keep playing with him. But hopefully we can compete for either other events, majors in the future. Do you think, like, just because, I mean, we obviously have to talk about this a lot on all of our shows. But it seems like for us, like the year-long suspension from the PGA tour, which I know you don't talk to them about any of this stuff. But like, do you think this is like, hey, let me opt out now? so I can get back to the PJ tour sooner or later, or do you think this is just mostly just to focus on the off-the-course stuff?

I have no idea. Yeah. I have no idea. I mean, I know he played Deepi World Tour events in the fall, which he has the last few years. So he's played those events. He almost won in France, right?

So I guess right now is probably keep playing those events and come August, right? He will be eligible again to be able to play. So I don't know. He won't a major in 23, so in theory he should be exempt. I don't know how that works out. not. Yeah, he's got the Faders. I don't know.

I don't know how it works. Does he get reinstated right away? I don't know. Nobody. It sounds like it's a year. They just, it sounds like it's official. Pat Perez is getting a year from the last time he broadcasted on Liv. So I would assume it's, which is the dumbest shit. That's a little ridiculous. I'm sorry. I would assume

Brooks is at least hold to the standard of what a guy that was broadcasting and not even blank. Those two guys get the same punishment. That's broadcasting. It's, it's so petty. I feel like at this point. Like, I won't. say much more on that, but that's a little ridiculous.

What do you think they should do with Brooks in terms of, I don't know that he even wants to come back and play PJ tour events if they said you can play tomorrow. But I have no idea. I couldn't tell you. Let him, I think they just let him back right away. I think he would. I'm just saying if he has the field, off the course stuff, he might not want to, you know, he might take some time.

I think, I think if he had the time, he might need to take some time, but I think he would. Yeah, I think you would too. A hundred percent. Not playing like 30 events or anything like that, but I mean, he's going to show up and play WM Phoenix Open if he could. We've never played 30 events. No. You'll probably play at least the minimum, I would say.

Why not the events he likes? The big ones, if he can make himself into elevated events or get invites to elevated events, he would play those as well. Yeah. Gets the majors still. Yeah, exactly. Going back to your 20-25 season, looking at your major championships, T-14, T-8, T-7, T-34.

Happy? Not happy? I know, I mean, pretty much for you guys, it's all that way. I think, so the Masters and the U. US Open and the PGA, similar finishes, very different stories. PGA being up there and kind of making mistakes from 14, 15, and then not massive mistakes, but not birdying those holes with how I hit it, should have made at least one birdie on those two holes, probably both.

And then, yeah, on 16, 17, 18, I just, not the worst things that can happen, but, not the right execution in shots that cost me a lot more than it should have, right? Yeah, I mean, I've played really good. Yeah, I've walked with your group on Sunday. There, you're asking for updates about the Nuggets game, I think. Well, I wanted to know. What do you mean? I was wearing shots. The second he stopped updating me, things went to, you know, the other way.

Come on. I know, you got like one back and I was like, oh, shit, do I stay out of the way now? I don't know what's in. Just tell him. Whatever inside he's on, just say they're killing. They're going to cover. Just make it feel good. They're down 15.

Like, dude, they're up 22. The Masters and the U.S. Open in which it was more of a comeback Sunday. So I went a little bit earlier, shot, I think, 400 on Sunday and made up a bunch of spots. And then at the U.S. Open, same thing, right? I went early, made those three birdies to finish with and went from whatever I was to just slowly keep it going up the leaderboard. Because I didn't have to deal with some of the rain they had to deal with and the difficulty on the course. I was looking at the live schedule for this coming year. I think there's only one week where you're playing the week before a major championship.

championship. Do you like that or not? Do you like that week off or on? I do. I like, I rather not play the week before unless you have a case of like a Genesis Open before the Open, right? I think playing links golf for a week before going to the Open is massively helpful. I believe for a lot of years, if you see the correlation of the top 10 at the open to people that played the Genesis Open, usually that's correlated. It used to be the old Scottish Open, which was you would move around Scotland a little bit more and you play different links courses now to play at Renaissance, which doesn't always play like a links course, but at least the grass is the same, the greens react the same, the wind is there, so you get a little bit of that appreciation,

right? The Masters is impossible to replicate, so is the U.S. Open, for the most part, so is the PGA. So those weeks, I would almost rather have the week off and then maybe play the week after. The Masters, do you go in early, like weekend before, or do you still show up Monday, Tuesday? So the only time I haven't done it is when I won, so probably shouldn't do it. You should do that. Yeah. If it was that simple, right? Yeah.

If it was that simple. If I have the time, just with, if you saw the schedule, with us going towards Asia earlier on the year, it's a little harder to then justify going all the way it's ghosting from. Yeah. When you look at the major venues state side this year, Shinnok, Aeronomic, what do you like? How do you like those? Well, have they changed theeronomics since we played in 2018? It's longer.

Shocking. It's all I've been told is the T's just kept going first. their back. But that's just what they do for every major championship. So that's new. No redoes, no... I've never even been there, but I just remember we were at Philly Cricket last year for the truest, and they were just telling me, like, they've just added some T-boxes for the most part. I just know it's a very long, narrow golf course. Yeah, I heard no new greens or anything like that, just...

I don't remember it being particularly long when we played it. I think the playoff between Chastin and Keegan Bradley was, like, low, like 19 under something like that. But it didn't rain a lot, so it was soft. And then Shini. How do you like that? It's a beautiful golf course. Yeah. It just depends.

Well, Mother Nature lets him do. I think before the Ryder Cup, we were in, in Long Island. We played Shinnak, and I heard that they're not narrow in the furways this time. I actually heard that as well. They're just going to keep them at the width that the members usually play them at. And then the first cut, first cut is five inches. Yeah. And then it goes to hay.

There you go. That's the one I mean that they've lost. They've pressed it too much. This is where the USA gets a bad rap most of the time. Like the last couple times I've been to shinny, they've messed it up. So if you tip it out fully, right? It's ridiculously long because it's always windy. So it is just.

I think it's just under 7,700 from all way back. It feels like it's 97. Yeah. It's ridiculously long. Yeah. Like what's the second hole of the part three? It could play like 275 or something like that. 250, probably middle.

Yeah. Okay, yeah. Still monstrous. With shinnaker greens. But I mean, do you like that, like that's going to beat people up? Yeah. I mean, it's what the U.S. Open is, right? You're going to go out there and play really good golf and be patient.

My strong suit. You're right with that? Just be really patient and calm. Just be calm and level. Hey, you do it. I think you're doing on the, you know, all the spice. The what? On just all the, like, the spice on the golf course.

How do you think you're doing overall? From when you first came out to right now, you think you're calmer, more fired up, they're the same. It's definitely better than when I turn pro. Definitely better. I'm not going to like to anybody. There's a lot of times when I wish it was better. But it's a struggle.

So do the coolers at Whisper Rock. One cooler. One cooler. One cooler. You act in, it's fine. It's fine. It's fine. It's fine.

I had a cart the other day and it had like a dead at the top of the cooler. And I stood it to our group said John Rom was here. I did. There's no need to say this. I don't know. Why you got his track the guy? You get within the. group we play with. We know one person that got

in fight with a tree. Greg Greg's listening to this team. There's gloves that fly. There's things that like it's not within us. Everyone loses their shit. It's what makes it great. I'm one more. Don't even. Yeah. But I do need to know because I wasn't there for it. And I just still can't fathom this.

There's a guy that wears a hat. You rip the bill off a hat. That's strength. That is so ridiculous. That's like phone books. It's those workouts. Again, there's things I wish I didn't do. sometimes. That's impressive.

That's country strong. Yeah. By the way, I heard one of our members has it in case you want that. He showed it to me. He wants to bring it to me and me put it on to take a picture. I'm not. eBay that bitch. I'm not doing.

No, yeah, I did. I don't know. I did it. Hey. It took some effort to. You are who you are. You're a competitor. Yeah.

It took some effort. It's definitely been better on the golf course. The trick is not letting it affect the rest of the round. There's been times where I've compounded mistakes. I've gotten better. I'm not going to. say I'm an expert at having maybe a little short burst and letting it go and moving on, which I've always, I've been pretty good at that, but trying to get better at it.

Like we joke about it, but, I mean, you're a competitor. That's what makes you great. Like, you're just in Hawaii with our buddy Ben Lamb. And he was literally texting me this. He goes, it amazes me whether it's for $100 or the masters, like how he, watching him lock in, like it looks the exact same. Like he cares. I go, I'm pretty sure he does care over every shot just as much.

Yeah. It's part of who you are. Yeah. You can't turn it off. No, I really can't. It's, yeah, it doesn't necessarily have a monetary amount, which is not in the game. It's about winning, period. Do you think you play, if someone came to you and said, John, just no reaction this entire week,

just got to be flatlined. Do you think that would make you play better? No, I don't think. I think it makes you play worse. I've tried it. I've played terrible. I feel constrained is not, it's not who I am. Even in outside of golf, I don't get nearly as angry, but I'm just an expressive person.

You can look at me and tell, okay, you know what's going on. I just can't hide it. So I don't have time to lie about it either. So it's just like, okay, when I have to just try to keep a stoic face and do nothing all day, I've tried it many times. And my round reflects. Yeah, 16 bars, one birdie, one bogey, and that's about it. I played with Brian Harmon, who also can get a little hot under the collar Sunday at Quill Hollow one year. And we were both like, $50th place.

Didn't matter. And I go, all right, $100 first person that says anything negative. And he's like, nope, we're not doing it. And I was like, come on, we're doing it. It'll be fun. and his caddies like we're doing it dude we both played so shitty every time we hit a bad shot we just look at each other

you couldn't say anything it's not fun gotta express yourself no I did it with Adam had when at Sunday Sunday of LACC the US Open I think it was Sunday because he was telling me we both had our moments that week

but he was telling me how on I think on the part 3-4 he I think his ball went long and ended up in a hazard he had something and his wedge

ended up in the same bush his first ball ended up in he was telling me how he basically shortly after needed it and either him on his car he had to go get it back he can lose it for

so I was like right Adam we're in Sunday we're in the back of the pack none of us matter hundred dollars anytime anybody gets mad and boy in the US Open that is no funny

every shot yeah every shot yeah I don't we both love But I don't know who lost first. I think it was me. I think it was me. He had one of the moments of the year this year on the PGA tour.

Oh, the sprinkler? The sprinkler out of Tampa. Did you see that? He was walking back through the rough to find, like look for his ball. I could go on this little short par four and just decided to tomahawk the ground. And he had a sprinkler head and it just went everywhere. Yeah, that's so tricky. Yeah.

And he was like trying to stop step on it. And he's like getting so. Yeah. No, no, no. I mean, we've seen it happen. His wife tweeted something good after it, too. I forgot. She's always bagging on him and shit.

Yeah, she makes fun of them all the time. It's awesome. If you can't make fun of yourself. Exactly. Yeah, it was a good moment. You get a lot of pub for it. Let's talk about what was, I'm guessing, one of the highlights of the year, the Rider Cup. Y'all came over here and just beat the Americans' ass again.

Actually, first time since 2012, road team had won. But coming over here to Beth Page, rather raucous environment, tell us a little about that week. Did you enjoy yourself, John? I did. Did you ever get mad at anybody in the gallery? Yeah, oh, yeah, many times. Many times. I

But I know You almost have to make a choice At that point You either give it back to them Or you don't And you know what kind of person you are Like clearly Rory and Shane Fet off of that and did great

I know if I start Having the banter with the crowd It's going to take away from golf Right So The best I could do Was just stay quiet And act like it wasn't there

That was the best way I could handle it It was rough It was a tough week. One to ten scale. And by the way, let's be honest, you put me and Tyrol together. Yeah. It's electric. The pressure cooker was.

Electric. Was there. On a one to ten. Like, is it the, I'm assuming it's the toughest golf environment. Oh, yeah. But like on a one, how bad did it get at its worst? Well, so I wasn't out there following Rory. So, I mean, we both played five rounds.

I wasn't close enough to hear anything that Rory might have heard. So I heard he guys. pretty bad. With my group, so with me and Terrell and Sep, right, all three of us, rather overweight, two of them with a very far back hair line and two of us being in live, all I heard was traitor, terrorist, fat, Ozempic, a lot. We should go Zep bow. A lot of Ozzympic.

And then Turkey and hairline appointment things. I heard we heard that a lot and it was it was it was it's not so much what was being said of course you get the the usual ones I would say something over your wife and your kids which that's that's way over the line yeah I know I just don't like that expected expected but yeah it's over the line it was more the fact that from the second we got to the range it started until we left the golf course it was 10 to 12 hours it's just nonstop and and and I know other athletes hear it as well like if the lakers are going to Boston they're going to hear it, right? And anybody that goes to Philly hears it as well, right? But if you're on the 50-yard line, you don't hear anything. In our case, every single second, you hear it. And the other thing that I wasn't ready for, if you see the opening T-shot, that I

hit 400 yards, right? I wasn't ready for it to keep going as we were taking the club back. We hit a lot of shots with them still talking, and that was the part that was something we had to adjust to. Like that first hole, I told her on the green, I was like, well, I guess that's what we have. We're not going to hit a shot all day or all tournament without it being rowdy. It seemed like it really bothered, y'all, you'll beat J.T. and Bryson, I mean, the two biggest energy guys on the U.S. team, four and three, right out of the gate.

No, we play really good. A little lucky, but we play really good. Do you think in any weird way, like the hate, the taunting, whatever it was, like helped y'all? Does it, like, bond you together? It's like us against the world. I think it made us feel together. Get good together. Yeah.

Even more. I told Sep and Terrell every time we went to the tea. And I think I was saying it more for me than their sake. But I was like, hey, so it's you and me. Let's go out there. And I told Terrell especially again, probably telling myself, I was like, Tara, if you're going about to just lose your mind, yell at me. Not at them.

Yell at me. And I'll do the same. But we actually, all of us had a really fun way to look at it. Because whenever they call those fat, especially me and Seth would laugh and be like, Like, do you think I don't own a mirror? Like, I know. We know we're the ones eating. I get it.

Like, let's move on. You're not even fat. Like, you're like a big dude. That's not even a good taunt for you. Like, we just heard it at the time. I mean, we just, yeah, I had in the turkey appointments and the airline things. It's just, it was less original than I expected.

Some were funny. Some were funny. But can you remember any of the funny ones? I don't know if I can say it on the show. Pretty sure you can. on the show. We got a whole flock of editors back there, too. I'm trying to remember.

I'm trying to remember. There was a few, it's all related to live, right? And mainly to that, that were funny. Because I remember I missed left on five one day. And if you have to wait and you're in the grant, like on the gallery, it is brutal. I mean, they're as close as we are and I hear it all. And I had this guy in my ear calling me a traitor, terrorist, this and that.

And the first thing I want to say is I'm like, dude, a traitor to who I'm not from this country, clearly. Like, there's the first snapback I want to give, but I can't. Trying to figure out my number. And, you know, the other guys are still hidden. But then you hear people from the crowd where after they said it enough times, there was like a five second pause and there was a woman next to the guy that was greatly me that just goes, well, for that amount of money, I would do it too.

right which it is just on the in the grand scheme of things of how things are going and then they started arguing just having a conversation just talking with themselves and I'm like okay and that I was actually found it quite funny now that they anything that they said is probably the first time they gave it was Terrell a hard time because he decided to go to the first in a practice room without a hat so it was somebody from like way on the top hey Terrell when's the turkey appointment so the first time I heard that we all started dying laughing I was it was images of that. And the same,

the first time they told me about the same pick, it was pretty funny as well. Rory had one as a practice round. Like he was like messing with this shirt, like the collar or something. Yeah. You don't need to worry about your collar to choke or something like that.

Like they turned around and laugh like all. I didn't have any of that. I'm trying to think. I do try to erase a lot of it from your mind. Yeah. You're so full. You guys handled it. Yeah.

Yeah. I got to know about Sunday though. I mean, you'll have the mass, this massive lead going out there. And you know, all you got to do. do is take care of business in a few matches and this thing's over and y'all get off to like a dream

start i think you're up in the first five matches or something like that yeah it's great i was the six and they're all in front of me were up and then things start changing yeah fits is five up on eight and you see a couple two up it's like oh my god i that's it so in my case yeah i'm in the middle of the pack and i see all this blue early on like i won't even matter that person out of it and i mean i didn't have my best we're even we're even through eight and then zander just to took off started playing it. I played terrible coming. I think my birdie on nine was the last one. That was my last birdie. And that was my last birdie. And Zander killed me after that. But yeah, every time I just, you hear something, you keep looking up and looking up. And it was more,

when we were on 13, 14, we just start, those guys are now finishing. And you see, Kim makes his pot. You see JT makes his spot. All of this, which, right in our case, we're 11 and a half. You see those two pots are going 12 and a half. Yeah. It gives the rest a lot. of energy, right? It looked... Did you ever think... Let's say grim for a while.

Did you ever think, like, we're about to lose this thing? Yeah. Not, oh, we're about to lose, but I was like, it just... Was there a moment, like a specific roar or something that went up on the board where all of a sudden, like, holy shit. Like, they could do this. I mean, when I lost, things look bad. Yeah.

Fitsy, when Bryson tight the match, it was like, I'll go for you. Yeah, that was a big half. That was a big half, yeah. I mean, you're right, though. It just, it's snowballed so fast. Cam makes the putt. JT. makes the putt. Bryce and ties it.

It's like, oh, okay. Yeah, I mean, it's a bit of a reverse in Medina, right? Where everything, I mean, I saw a lot of highlights. We made so many putt's the first two days. I mean, you're putt in. It's the best I've ever seen my life by and my. I think just like two guys. Justin Rose, I think on those Friday four balls was getting five strokes putting.

It was out of everything. I don't know one of them. He was making. everything. I was putting great. I was chipping in. Same with Terrell, putting it amazing. The way Rory and Shane were playing as well was incredible. It's just you don't want it to stop, but I think it was just rolls reverse. On Sunday, everything that was going right for the U.S., and nothing was going right for us. Thankfully, we had the lead. But yeah, it was about an hour there where it was bad.

Yeah. Yeah, it was bad. I go back to that. Y'all's putting the first two days. Like, I mean, people are just dogging on Scotty for not winning. And I was like, look at the scores of the people he's playing. They are just riding up. For people that say that, I think it was Bryson and Scotty were 8 under through 12, and they were two down. Yeah, Bryson and...

What are you going to do? That was a good job, right? No, no, Bryson and Scotty was Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood. I think those two guys were 12 under 15. Bryson and JJ. Sorry, it was JJ and Scotty in the afternoon in the first day. No, no, no, that was against us. I mean, Saturday was Bryson against Scotty because they were in front of us.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. They were... Bryson and Scotty were eight, down there through 12 and they were down to. I mean, sometimes you just get beat. It was like, yeah, there's nothing you can do when it's good golf. It's just, it's just what it is.

I don't care if it's stateside, Europe where, like, that was like, this is just the best 36 holes of golf I've ever seen played by a team, like in my life. Before we get back to John Rom, 2026 is here. So it's time to upgrade the wardrobe. Custom birdie juice gear is live and 15% off at shop.golf.com with code subpar 15. new hats, new teas, new excuse to play better golf. Now back to John Rom. What was the messaging when you guys going in a Sunday from Luke Donald?

Yeah, 72. You know, I mean, two days. You didn't go to Arizona. St.C.U. Green Jacket. I'll help you. Going into Sunday, what's Luke say to the team when you got a seven-point lead? Our goal was to hopefully get to.

We lost pretty badly in Whistling. Getting that record of 19-19-to-9. so the goal was to hopefully tie that or get to 19 and a half, which doing it away would have been incredible. Now, we would have told taking any kind of win. Of course. But that was the goal. And early on, it looked like it might happen.

Yeah. I mean, I came out. I was like, 24. I don't even know if you watch this. Yeah, people got to turn this off. Turn it off. Absolutely over. No, yeah.

I mean, it made for great TV. You can never count anybody out, right? Those team, those great individual players as well, and they came out on Sunday and almost got it done. It's the best. A lot of credit to them. They played great on Sunday, but y'all own the week, no doubt about it. How shocked were y'all when y'all showed up to see the conditions at Bethpage?

Well, we went the Monday and Tuesday of the week before, so we already seen it. And we knew there had been some rain. And we knew there was not going to be any rough. So I don't think any of us were shocked. So, but just saying, like before you got there that Monday or Tuesday, did you think going in, like they're going to grow the rough up and Beth Page is going to play tough like it normally does? No. For people that don't know, pretty much every Ryder Cup in the U.S., it's just like that. Usually.

And from what I've heard and what I've been a part of is, especially since the home team has taken over the control of the golf course or the setup, right, is the U.S. is going to be wider, less rough or no rough, ideally fast greens, more pins in the middle. You want as many birdies as possible. Historically, the U.S. team is the longer team. More birdies. That's just the U.S. type of golf, right?

You're going to sell out more birdies. And then you go to Europe and it's narrow furways. very long rough if possible. They actually usually can move the spake daters a little further away from the furway, so there's more thick rough to miss, and then slower greens. That's more or less what I gather. I actually saw a video. I think golf digest did it.

I think about the strategy in Rome, and they talk about that. Yeah, for sure. I just, I don't agree with the U.S. setting it up, because first off, U.S. teams really maybe their one yard, or it was like 1.4 yards longer. Well, no, actually, we were longer for the first time. Yeah, so, I mean, it's very close, though. Either way.

For the first time, ever, we were longer. Yeah, we had something, like, with Rasmus and Rory, reaching 190s, and then a few of us in the mid-80s, I think we were longer. Yeah, I mean, there's some other put. And the fast green thing, I'm like, it's even. They play fast greens, too. Like, I don't think it really matters. The slow greens is a bigger deal, in my opinion, than fast greens.

Yeah, I, I also haven't been a better. you don't know how much fast. The greens were fast. I just don't know how much faster you can play Bethpage with the slopes that they have. If you were to do that, then you would not be able to use a lot of the pins. I think it's just like an excuse. It's like set it up for the Americans or set it up for the Europeans. They play the same exact schedules, basically.

Like they're all playing. It's not like they don't know how to play firm greens or fast greens. It's like, doesn't favor. I don't necessarily know that there's like. If anything is going to benefit us more because most of the U.S. team has played in the U.S. most of their life. But now, but nobody in the U.S. team is played in Europe.

Yeah. So when you, a lot of us still play in Europe and you play a slower grains, it's going to benefit us, at least in my opinion. Well, Luke Donald came in before Rome as a captain, kind of late in the game, just done a phenomenal job. The last two. He said the bar so high. Yeah.

But should he run it back in Ireland? Try to be the first captain to win three in a row. I think it would be. Or do you just right off in the sunset being I did it, undefeated. Undefeated like the highest winning percentage, doesn't he have a European? 74% win rate as a player and then. Yeah, he's an unbelievable writing cup. Mount Rushmore.

Yeah. And it's been a part of three of the winning teams. Two as a player, one is a captain, three out of five. I mean, that's impressive. I don't know. It's up to him. It's up to him and his wife because the commitment that he takes for two years, it's ridiculous.

So I don't know. That's... Yeah, it's a lot. But I mean, it's just like, hey, if it's not broke, don't fix it. I agree with that. As a player, yeah, it would be great. All right. Let's speculate then.

Let's just say Luke says, nope, I'm done. I did it. I did everything I want to do. Who's next up? Who would you like to see? So now you run into some issues with where the ecosystem of golf is going to be, right? I don't think it's going to be in a place where live guys would be able to be captains that quickly. Just because the only one I would say being Ireland, Graham McDowell would make sense.

Yeah, me in perfect sense. Yeah, but when you've been a little removed from the deeper world to run, the court of the players and the young players. Because there's an effort the captain needs to do to go and see all the prospects and continue to play throughout the years and all that and have a relationship and communication. So it's going to be hard. I think if there's a chance is maybe for 2031 for Sergio,

because you have enough time if things get better. But I don't know. So if Luke doesn't do it, I think Justin Rostle wants to play. He would be a great captain. but I think he wants to play. He's playing so good. I would love for him to go ahead and be a captain as opposed to making everything.

So I'd say Francesco Molinaria looks good. I think he's been a part of that vice captaincy with Luke, right? So he's probably learned around him. His brother is in charge of stats. So I think that would be. God, they just credit him. Like, he's the stat genius.

Yeah, they love his action. He does some good work. What's he do for y'all? What's the secret? I don't know. What's a secret? I stay away. I don't want to know any numbers.

I'm like, they ask me, they usually ask you who you want to play with. You don't want to play with them. I'm like, put me on with whoever you want. The only thing they told us is, all right, John, the longer player should tee off in this hole. And I was like, all right. Sounds good to me. You think you and Tirol over lose? I hope not, but we have a decent record.

You're running. You're often running right now. Five matches, four and a half points. It's pretty good. Let me go back to one thing you just said because of like the ecosystem and because otherwise, they would have been pretty clear who are the next European Rider Cup captains, right? Yeah. pre-lib. I just find it strange. I don't know how they justify. Like, it's okay if we're going to

look the other way or be okay with live guys playing on the rider cup, but not being a captain. It's like, I feel like you're either in or you're out type of deal. Well, it's because of the DP World Tour. Deeper World Tour chooses, so it's. Yeah, pretty simple. It's a little different. What do you mean? How is, are they, because they forfeited their memberships? The DP World Tour owns their side of the Rider Cup. Yeah. Yeah, but okay. Yeah. And. But they can choose who it is. Exactly. They can choose. They still can.

How come why is it okay to play, but not be a captain? Well, that's my next question leading to your situation because... To me? Well, I mean, no, because I think that's part of the deal. Cut this out. No, we need to hear. So, I mean, obviously, there's the fine situation with you. And, I mean, there's been some of these stories that are saying, like, look,

he could have played his last Rider Cup if this doesn't get resolved. Where are we at with the whole DP world to... I don't believe this is my last Rider Cup. Well, I don't either. But I'm just telling you. stories, what people are reporting because of eligibility things. I, I. And if you don't want to answer, you don't have to, obviously.

No, I honestly, I don't know it all. I have no idea. So do I think fines are going to magically disappear? I don't know. I don't think so. But I think it's going to slowly go away. I would like to think. Do you even know, like, what the total is right now?

For me, yes. I believe so. I still don't agree with the fines. And I don't want to say, I don't know the exact number, but I know it's between one and 1.5 million euros, I think. Euros, I'm not sure. For each year. For each year?

Let's say $1.5 million for each year. So three for me. Okay. The one thing that for me about the fines is the tournaments I'm getting fine for playing or not playing. I've never played, and I will never play. right i never played them when i was on the pj tour and i would probably never play them in the future either because uh it was just not part of the schedule when i would play right so i've always played

besides last year in january i never played towards until the end of the year when you have those irish opens and when we're spanish open etc so to be fine for events i've never been to seems a little silly to me but so if they said john we'll just wipe this down you give us a million bucks we're done, you're all good, you're eligible for Rider Cup, everything. Would you do it? Yeah. What if they said, the only way you know? But I don't think they're going to do that.

What if they say, okay, you're paying the full amount or you're not doing it? I was the one thing they're going to do that. So I don't know. Because the problem is you can't just put one. If they do it for me, they have to do it for everybody. Yeah, yeah. That's a problem. So it's not just me.

There's about 15 or 20 of us in there. So there's going to be rules for all of us. Some sort of joint resolution. People gave up their membership, right? But Pooch is one of them, for example. He just joined, he's going to get fine for trying to get into majors, which is so ridiculous, but whatever. Somebody that was never a member in the past, right? So he's one of them, Tom McKevin, Tiro, myself, Joaquin, Patrick Reed is a member, right?

Some of the South Africans were all members with Louis and Dean and many others, Adrian Moronk. We're all in the same boat, so you can't do me a favor and not do it to them. Right? So I don't know how it's going to be. I have no idea. That works. I don't know how the fines are going to work out. I can guarantee one thing.

It ain't your last rider cup. I hope not. No. No. That means too much for them. It's just park one of our best guys because he hasn't paid. But I totally agree. And I love that you say like, look, you can't treat me different than some other guys.

You shouldn't. No doubt. But, I mean, those things do happen. Could they? They probably could. I think from what I've learned, they can buy laws or, and rules come up out of the woodwork to change the narrative a little bit. So I don't know if they will or not, but I think we're all there in the same boat, right?

So if there's some kind of resolution, we should all have a similar one. Yeah. That's my thought. Yeah. I think you're a big bargaining chip for us. But it's not individual. It's a talk between live and the European World Tour. It's not individual talks.

Like, I don't talk to them directly. Yeah. Well, dude, you're the best, man. Episode 1, episode 300. Is that how we ended? You want to wrap any Kendrick? You want to talk about your fan stories? You came in with some Kendrick first episode.

Remember that? You think you still got that in the tank? Hey, he's turning into a country boy now. No, no, no, no, no. Yes, you are. We listened to it all day the other day, even though we're not supposed to do at the rock. You were playing it. You said, give me some Luke Combs.

Luke Combs, I'm good. I love Luke Combs. Just listen to my passenger. Some Morgan Wallin as well. Full-on country? I'm not there yet. When you get in your car to go home, what's on? Right now?

Yeah. No idea. A lot of Disney songs. because of the kids. Yeah. There's some good ones. How are the kids running your ragged or not? Yeah, they're great.

Yeah. They're good. You got a full house, bud. Yeah. Well done. Hopefully fuller in the future. Oh, wow. Oh, boy.

Another one. You're going to have to get a bigger house. Well, no, yeah, no, but we want more. Yeah, why not. It's great. She's a great mom. Absolutely. I like to think I'm a good mom.

I'm a good dad, so. Do you want to get slapped around a little more at Whist Brock before you head on start your season? I'm around if you want to play. I love that. I'm around, yeah. I'm never going to shy away from a fight. He needs to play as well at some point.

I agree. I think we need five total. Two a side is way too stressful. You on me? Yeah. Is that what it is? Five total? Yeah, two a side's tough.

You're too good. Did you use your 67 last time? No, I shot 70. You ended up showing 70? Yeah, I got. What did I shoot? It was 400 through four, though. My levels were about.

Slays and I work on our levels, maintaining, and they were up and down to us. You obviously got to the course early, and we're right where you were right where you. you needed to be on takeoff. It was just on the landing, you got to stick the land. I told him out of lane. Oh, I get it now. Sorry, a little delay there. We got to the 16, and I was like, we need the bar quickly.

I need to get some forward. I told you to get two and keep on there. That was my fault. It was cold. It wasn't going to melt. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, we'll get a big game. Remember when I became world number zero for a minute, the one time we played?

No, you were one A. I was one B. Yeah, that's true. For one day, I have thrown. Now, you can be 84. He can be 85. Sorry, let's say to that way. We got to worry about that, but I take it.

John's the best, dude. We like you, man. Thanks for doing it. All right, that was the 85th ranked player in the world, two-time major champion, John Rowe. Hondo, isn't he? He's really got a chance to crack into that top 80. I think of he plays well this year. But what a, like, we're spoiled.

We get to be around these guys and things like that. John's been so good to us. Literally our first episode ever before this thing even started. He comes in. Got a soft spot for him, man. And I love to see him pick off another major championship. This year. He's going to.

If it ain't this year, it's coming. I mean, the guy's just so good. He's one of those few guys, like you said. We're spoiled. We get to play with a lot of these guys. I get to walk with all these guys out there every single week. Like, he's just different. He's so good.

Well, it's like we talk about what we're playing up here. He's playing in Hawaii with our buddies. It's like if he's playing in the Masters on Sunday or he's playing against us for 200 bucks. Like he wants to rip your face off. Like there's no just, oh, this doesn't matter type stuff, which is part of the reason why he's good. he is. And I don't know what's going to happen with all this fines and the D.P. World Tour stuff. I will guarantee you that John Rom is playing in the next

Ryder Cup unless he's hurt. There ain't no way they're keeping him off that thing. I'm just, I'm interested to see how this all plays out because this is a deal and it's, it's getting to the point. They've got to figure this out. I think, but I think it's going to be fine, too. Everyone pay X percent of your fines and let's keep it moving. It's all softening, too, by the way. If they were ever going to not let a guy play a writer cup, I think it would have already

happened. Yeah. I mean, so. Like you said, he's so generous. with his time, man. Love having him in and hopefully having him for episode 600. Without question. All right, that's going to do it for us. Welcome back. Thank you all for listening. We'll talk to you on next week's subpar.