The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Go Low - Xander wins The Open, Scottie or Xander for POTY, Americans take the majors

Episode Date: July 22, 2024

Would Scottie Scheffler trade his season for Xander Schauffele’s? John breaks down the stellar performance that Xander put on in the final round, shooting -6 on Sunday and -9 for the tournament, as he claims his second major of the season. Is Scottie stills the best American player or has Xander taken that title with his win at Royal Troon? 8:50 - Xander wins The Open 15:36 - Is Xander the POTY 20:22 - Saturday at The Open 36:08 - Mailbag Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest. Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Where Zander Shafley wins his second major in, I guess, a little over two months, and immediately becomes a legend. That's how fast it happens. He went from zero to two. Ties Scotty with two majors. He's even closer to the career Grand Slam than Scotty, obviously because he's won the Augusta twice, and validated his career.

I mean, it could end tomorrow, and pretty legendary stuff from Zanderu, shoot 65, so we will dive into that. Comparing the two seasons, Scotty was having this historic season. I think we need to pump the brakes on comparing him to Tiger in 2024, because that officially ended it. and I think the question now is Zander had a better year than him. I, on Saturday, got up pretty early and watched several hours of what I would say is some of the

best viewing experience I've had watching high-level pro golf in a long, long time. And I think it was because clearly of the carnage and the difficulty. And several high-end players reiterated that, calling it the toughest night hole. they'd ever seen. It was unlike any experience I've had in a long, long time. Because even the U.S. Open doesn't feel like it plays quite as hard as it once did because of the equipment. But watching the wind, the rain, the Condidis, the guys just grind their you know what off was just incredible two hours. So we'll dive into Saturday. We'll fly around some other notables. Justin Rose is right in the mix. Nothing like this tournament where you can

just get a guy that plays typically in Europe you've never heard of that has a big belly who's ripping darts who is just throwing balls at the pin and you're like who the hell is this guy and sometimes they win it a lot of times they come really close but they're right in the mix and that really happened with two guys dan brown on saturday who fell apart on sunday and tristan lawrence who was a 600 to 1. Those were his odds coming into the tournament. He had a pretty good chance. He headed into the back nine.

Rory and Bryson, you probably didn't notice them this weekend because they missed the cut. And we had a John Rom sighting. And I'll also do a couple at Golopod, at Golop pod is the Instagram. I will answer a couple questions from there as well.

Other than that, football, all these training camps are getting underway, So we will hit the ground running with that the rest of the week with some football podcasts. And yeah, it's a great time of year. It sucks. You know, the golf season kind of ended today in terms of what really matters. But football gets going and we're off to the fall. I'm still in Lake Tahoe.

I'm about to go swimming the lake here on Sunday afternoon. Try to burn some calories because I have not really in the last week. I've been eating and taking in a lot of booze. So I need to get my health back because they say. say health as well, played a little golf. My buddy Glenn catcher and his family had me out to one of the coolest courses I've ever been to, Marta's Camp and Truckee. It was an awesome experience.

Bertie the first hole and went on to have some bogeys and doubles. Probably shot like low 80s, but it was an awesome time. So hopefully everyone's playing a little golf, enjoying life, and let's rock and roll. But first, if you want to go to an event like the Open, I saw today Patrick Mahomes rolled to his left through a beautiful, like, 50-yard touchdown. You want to go to a football game. College football isn't that far away. Obviously baseball, you know, if one of your team is still in the mix, you want to go to

playoff games this fall. Can't recommend that enough. I've been to countless baseball playoff games. The NLCS I've been to and the World Series, it's an elite sporting event. concerts, comedy shows, my friends, my partners, and the official ticketing app of GameTime has you covered. So take the guest work out of buying tickets with GameTime, download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the code, John, for $20 off your first purchase, terms, apply. Again, create an account and redeem the code, J-O-H-N for $20 off. Download the GameTime app

today. Last-minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed. I never understand when someone gets really close a lot in golf and people go he's never going to win it. When you are consistently in the top five and the top 10 and you're a younger player, things are eventually bound to break your way. And I say it all the time with Rory, who had it off a week, obviously, like if he keeps putting himself in position, he's going to win another major. But unlike Zander, like he has a bunch. Like if him and Speeth and Kepka and some of these guys never win again, it ultimately doesn't really matter to their resume because they already. have four and five, right? So when you have a lot of majors, it's less pressure in the sense that

your legacy is already cemented as an all-time great champion. And then when you get into a spot like Xander and you have all these top tens and you don't have a major, people just start asking the questions. And then at Valhalla, he wins and everyone says, well, that was really more like a PGA tour tournament, right? People are going 18, 20 under. That's not your typical major championship, which, listen, I agree with that the course played easier, but he shot 65 on Sunday. And he held off Bryson G. Chambot, who went on to win at Pinehurst, and Victor Hovlin, who really for the only time this season, looked incredible. But this week, there is no debating.

He dominated. And the last two days, especially today, I mean, to shoot 65 was really a special performance by Xander. And now he has entrenched himself. there's a group since 2000, I think there's been five players to win multiple majors in a season. Eldrick, Tiger Woods, did it four times. Obviously, he's the goat. Kepka has done it. Rory has done it. Speeth has done it. And internet sensation, great Instagram follow, Potty Harrington did it as well. And Zander has joined that company.

But here's the thing. Scotty Sheffler is continually compared to Tiger. Woods and rightfully so. He won the Masters. He's had a remarkable season because of the purse sizes. He's already won close to $30 million. People talk about his caddy would be top 50 on the money list. When today ended, Zander Shafley, without a doubt, has had a better season. Like last year in the NFL, Lamar Jackson won the MVP. Would anyone say that when the year ended, you'd rather be Lamar Jackson than Patrick Mahomes? Of course not. And Scotty Sheffler would trade his season this year for Zander in a heartbeat, in a New York minute. He wouldn't even flinch to hand all those wins away for a second major. And now here's the thing, like Scotty is viewed as this transcendent

talent, rightfully so the way he's played these last couple years. He's got two majors, and they just happen to be at the same place. Zander now is closer to the career grand slam than Scotty Sheffler. Think about that. Within two months, the guy went from zero to two, and now is two majors away, he plays exceptionally well at the U.S. Open. It is very likely if he maintains this level of play for the next couple years. He could easily win that tournament. And he's also been really successful at Augusta.

So it's not out of the realm possibility that Zander ends his career, and he's still a younger guy, with the career grand slam. Scotty Sheffler has to win all three of them. So listen, Scottie did not have it today. He was terrible putting on Saturday. Today he was all over the map. I mean, he had a shot on 18 that looked like me or you. Classic immediately grabs his back.

And very disappointing because coming into today, I think Zander was favored at plus 350 on draft Kings. And Scotty was like plus 360, a couple shots back. and obviously Scotty kind of derailed today and Zander put the pedal of the medal and lapped the field and really the last four or five holes the tournament was over and now Zander has

I don't want to say one of the greatest ever because he's got a long way to go but solidified himself as right there with Scottie as the best American player and for the first time and I didn't write down the number in like 45, 50 years the Americans swept the making Now, part of it is Zander won two.

Bryson obviously won the U.S. Open and Scotty won Augusta, which really kind of leads us those guys, like Bryson should be at the Olympics with Scotty, Zander, and Moracawa. But regardless, like, it was hard to call Zander the best or the second best American over the last five years despite his resume, despite him dominating, despite the money he was making, despite how consistently awesome he was in the majors. Not really debatable. And like I said, Scotty Sheffler would trade his season for Xander Shoffleys.

It tells you all you need to know. So, like, the gap between those two guys, is there a big gap? Honestly, is there one? Because here's the thing with this live, the separation of some of the top guys on the other tour, and the dilution of the PGA tour, it's still impressive to win a golf tournament. I don't care if you're playing your member guest. I don't care if you're playing on the cornfairy tour. or a designated event with no cuts.

So I'm not trying to take anything away from Scotty Sheffler and winning tournaments. That's the goal of everything. When you're a professional golfer. But like, what's the difference in the two guys? Honestly, you can be like, strokes gade! Like, I don't know. I watched the two in the biggest moments.

I don't see much of a difference. And that speaks, that's not trying to criticize Scotty at all. He's an elite player. So Zander. I view them basically, especially after today, kind of the same guy. And now that Zander's won a second. major, I don't really know how you argue that.

And I think the question is big picture, especially if Zander were to win a playoff event, despite not having as many wins this season, is Zander the player of the year? Because what's a major worth relative to a PGA tournament? Like if we were just trying to put a number value on it, five wins, eight wins, it's got to be worth at minimum 5x. so you could argue this second major victory. Now, Scotty could still win a couple tournaments and be the FedEx champion, but I think they're right there.

And if you wanted to make Zander Shafley your player of the year, I wouldn't argue. And I said it coming into this tournament, like, we can't compare Scotty to Tiger. Like those comparisons died today. Honestly, they were dead. Like, he was never Tiger Woods, but he was having a Tiger-like season. the tiger-like seasons, like I said, four times Tiger won multiple majors in a season. And Scotty was right there with like 27, 30, 15 holes to go. And he just didn't have his A game.

And listen, it's golf that happens sometime, but like those compare, we can't do that anymore. And I understand statistically you can throw some numbers up, but like you cannot have a conversation with a friend or BS. at a bar or on the golf course and bring those two names together. That can no longer happen. That's not a criticism of Tiger Woods. It's like comparing someone to Tom Brady or Joe Montana. You have to be in a very, very, very special category level of accomplishment to even

garner the words to come out of someone's mouth. And it ended today, at least with this season. And I think moving forward, as long as this guy's going to play this well, you have to capitalize on these major championships. This is why when we throw out these over-unders, like how many majors is Scotty going to win, six, seven? It's really hard. Now, he might end up winning Augusta like four or five times,

but we've seen him got very close in the other majors and he hasn't got it done. And today, Zander, I put it on overdrive and Scotty had no shot. And ultimately Zander, I don't want to say benefited, but the group of guys he was really fending off were Tristan Lawrence, which unless you follow the DP tour, no one's heard of. Justin Rose, who had to qualify to get in, who's one of the best players of the 2010s, but he's an older guy who has not played well lately. Shane Lowry was kind of, you know, coming, falling apart, then he kind of storm back,

and he'd fall apart, and Billy Horshaw, who actually played pretty well today, but who's never ever played well in a major really beside, I think, like his first major in 2013, the U.S. Open. He has been pretty terrible in them. This was his first kind of, I don't know, opportunity to win one of his career, really, and he was good, but he wasn't Zander Good. And he's not Zander Good. So I think, listen, the World Golf Rankings, we know they're worthless now. I think when you look at it, though, I'm going to give Bryson and Rory a little bit of a pass this week, but I don't see how you can look at Zander any different than Scottie Sheffler as of July 21st, 2004.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford

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it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10, days I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ

is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin. Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us

on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He run up the court, licking his fingers, I got the ball like, after you go through a training camp with that Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball.

So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I thought Saturday was one of my favorite days of watching golf of my adult life. It was one of those days on the couch where you go, I don't think you could pay me to be out on that course. It's freezing cold. The wind is pumping. Dustin Johnson said it was the hardest nine holes he's ever played. Scotty Sheffler reiterated that. Justin Rose said he hadn't consistently hit the clubs.

He hit on that back nine, meaning long irons, three woods into par fours since he was a junior golfer. And we just don't get that. Now, Scotland, the home of golf, which I was thinking about this, I have a ton of respect. Golf never would have been invented in America if someone tried to start it in like Seattle or some, you know, Minnesota

in some place that it's raining, it's cold, it's freezing. Now it doesn't snow like that, I think, in Scotland. But you know what I mean? Those people, since the beginning of the game, have played the sport or the activity, some say, in inclement weather. And they embrace it, they enjoy it, and it's just part of their world.

And you watch that and you go, and listen, I've never been over there. Every time I play golf with someone who's played there, they all say it's just a spectacular experience. It's one of those, especially older guys that get to take their children or guys that go on a golf trip. No one ever goes disappointed. But it's one thing to just go, play around at the old course, play at Trune, play a couple of those courses, and then come home.

It's another thing to live it and that be the conditions that you can consistently play in. I have a ton of respect for those guys. And that golf, and I know a lot of people, I saw Shane Bacon, and a bunch of people always say this, and rightfully so, because when it's on TV, it really pops. Our golf does not look like that. But the number one reason, they could never spend like a month and a half playing that style of golf basically just across the pond on the quote-unquote PGA tour.

is because of television. CBS, NBC, all these networks pay a premium, and part of when you go over there, the time difference, they teed off this morning, for me on West Coast time, the leaders, I think, at 615 or 620. Like part of it in the U.S. Open had enormous ratings is it's in that Sunday afternoon slot. Well, what's one of the highest rated television shows in America?

Sunday afternoon television, or football, on CBS and Fox. That is the ideal window. Nothing gets better. And this tournament today ended at about 10.30 Pacific Standard Time. Think about football. The first set of games usually kick off, or not usually, that's when they do, at 10 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. And then two or three times throughout the year,

the England or Germany or whatever game kicks off at 6.30 a.m. So from the time window for the television networks, it would never work. But there is no argument. And you can't, in this modern-day society, you have to play everything live. You couldn't push it back and have it, quote-unquote, tape delayed or whatever. So they're just kind of screwed with the window. It's really why they play. I mean, this tournament's been going on forever.

But now the Scottish Open has become, I would say, a much more popular event. Clearly, they've put some more money into there, and a lot of guys go. And it was cool. I watched it last week. But same thing. it ends too early for the TV partners to ever agree to this for a month plus. It's just to me a non-starter. If you just know the way business works, even though from a viewing perspective,

and I got up this morning, sent my alarm for about 545, ended up getting out of bed at about 6.15. Look, John Rom's like four under after seven. I'm like, God, this thing's going to get interesting. He fell apart a little bit, but it's incredible viewing. Because those pot bunkers, we just have. have nothing like that. And the bunkers, you know, over there, like I said, I've never been there. I've been to ban on dunes, which I can't compare, but somewhat similar in the sense of the way

you can play the sport keeping the ball on the ground is there's nothing like having bunkers in the middle of a fairway or just barely off the fairway that are very in play where you hit your tee shot. And because of their ground, it's just much harder. We have to manipulate it so much. I see it TPC, right? Like during the summer, even during the winter, the fairway's just normal. And then as they get it ready for the waste management, that fairway becomes like concrete. And that's what happens a lot on the PGA tour. It's why whenever you see these distances and they say, God, how do these guys hit 340, 3.50? Because on a lot of their tournaments, if you hit the fairway, it's rock hard, and you get an astronomical amount of roll. So over there, it's just natural. They're

not doing anything. It's the cool part about the courses is their greens aren't that fast. They're actually pretty slow because they have to do that to make it fair because at any moment, 20, 30 mile an hour winds, sideways rain and freezing cold temperatures. I saw someone is like, I don't think we can comprehend how psychotic Billy Horshiel is playing Saturdays round just in his colored shirt. He didn't even have a jacket. Zander didn't even have a rain jacket. Zander didn't even have a rain jacket on. He just had like a sweater. I can't even imagine how cold their feet, how cold their bodies are, but from a television viewing experience, it was the shit. It was awesome. And this is, you know, the pushback of Xander's first major in Valhalla is like, no one was ever going to blow up.

No one was going to double. And at any moment, not as much today, clearly the conditions were much more benign. But on Saturday, you could blink and a guy could get a double. one bad shot would just destroy you. Because anyone that plays golf, if you've ever played into the wind, you put that little cut spin on it, all of a sudden it becomes a slice and it's in a bush. And if you said that was five, six times a year, we could get that level of not even just the competition,

but the weather, the course. I can't say enough about Royal Trune. I know this. If I ever have the opportunity to go over there, I guess I would have the opportunity if I just chose to go. go, I would love to play that course. Now, the T's they were playing from, it felt like on Saturday, multiple par fours were playing 550 plus.

Shane Lowry had a hole on Saturday where he went driver, driver, and was still 30-yard short of the green. And that's what DJ kept saying. It's impossible for this course and any course to play any longer. because the back nine, the way the course is set up, that's where the wind pumps into the wind. It felt like all those holes yesterday were into the wind. Where today it was a little more side wind,

clearly you could tell the flags on top of the grandstands were blowing, but John Wood or Bones or whoever was down with the players, you say it doesn't feel like it's blowing that much. And those guys were a little less faced. It's why you saw a lot of 69s and 68's. And Zander, the best player in the field this week, shot 65. and was pumping drives 340, hitting eight irons and nine irons into greens, where yesterday he's hitting three irons, three woods.

So it was just an extremely enjoyable experience. And I think overall the majors this year have been awesome. Now part of it has been the champions. Scotty, Bryson, and Zander twice. Cream of the crop. The cream of the crop. The one thing cool about this tournament, more than the other three, definitely more than the PGA and Augusta is you can get random.

And I would say in those tournaments, if there's a random, it feels a little weird. In this tournament, it feels really cool. A guy with a huge belly that you've never heard of. Dan Brown yesterday on 18, when he was squarely in the mix, is just ripping heaters. He took a selfie before a second shot. He ends up doubling the hole. It's like you don't get those moments. And there's just like a purity, an intensity, a love that's like SEC football.

Listen, I love golf. I play golf with a lot of people who love it. I'm sure many of you, if you're listening to this, love golf. But it doesn't feel like anyone loves it quite as much as over there. Like, this country loves football. They really do. But it feels like the passion in the South is hard to match. It really does.

I remember when I lived in Philly, when I worked for the Eagles, I'm like, ah, I'm from the Bay and the 49ers. are a massive, massive juggernaut for the league in terms of television ratings, in terms of success, in terms of just the eyeballs they get when they play, and they have a huge fan base. And I know people that love the 49ers. There was intensity in Philly that, I don't know, it just felt like different. And that's how it feels in the open with the fans, with the players.

I saw a lot of people trying to rank the majors. Clearly the PGA championship is last in terms of. of just coolness and importance. We could have a long argument that, you know, this tournament is every bit the equal of Augusta. Again, I'm an American. I would choose Augusta, but if you wanted to go Masters 1A, this 1B. And I think there's a lot of people that might put this 1A

and the Masters 1B. And that, to me, that for Zander to win this thing, you saw his dad, who's obviously his longtime coach, not coaching him anymore, but feels like his best. best friend with the sunglasses on just just crying and I think he knows I think the tears at the PGA where he finally got over the hump finally got that monkey office back finally can call himself a major champion this one like validated his greatness because that that was impressive some other notables the one thing cool about the open and the U.S. Open is how you can open qualify in you know they

say one of the longest, they call it the longest day in golf of the Monday going into U.S. Open week where you play 36 holes. And most of these courses you have to shoot, I would say anywhere from five to nine under. And the amount of like high level PGA players that are in them, it's always a cool day. And respect all the live guys who did it. Adam Scott did it this year to keep his major streak alive. The open has that. And you can tell this tournament means a lot to Justin and for a guy who, you know, if you think about the 2010s, you know, Rory, Spieth, Kepka, DJ, he's right there. He really is. I mean, he was easily one of the best players of that era.

He's older than those guys and feels like, I don't want to say, closer to retirement or irrelevance on the PGA tour, but he definitely hasn't been the dominant player these last couple years that he was in his prime. and to see that guy, I mean, I thought he played his ass off. He was awesome. And to see the passion he had to open qualify to get into this tournament was really cool. And you could tell they were rooting for him and Shane Lowry just a little stronger. Obviously, Shane more than Rose, but they're showing those dudes swimming with signs. It was fun to watch.

I call him Tracy Lawrence after the country singer. but there was a moment at about the 7th, 8th, 9th hole where you're like, is this guy really going to win the Open Championship? I've never heard of him. Now, I'm not, I follow golf pretty closely, but I don't follow the DP tour very closely. They were saying on the broadcast he's won four times, so clearly this guy's not like some complete random, but he was 600 to 1, 600 to 1. And there was a moment, I think it might have been the 8th hole.

he was plus 250. And for the most part, he was pretty freaking good. So he had a big belly, just hitting those power cuts. He was very, very enjoyable to watch. And that, like I said, the one tournament where I'm cool with like, I've never heard of this guy, and I don't even care, is this one. And it happens every single year. I heard a stat, speaking of Justin Rose, that of all the majors,

over the last like 25 years, this by far has the oldest average of winter and definitely has the oldest average of guys that are consistently in contention. And I think that speaks to Justin Rose being in the mix. Because of the conditions, because of the difficulty, it just brings more guys into play. And because of the different ways you can play the course, it's not just hit at 340, pull out your pitching wedge, knock it within 10 feet, and try to make a bird. but that's not really what this tournament is at all. And then depending on where some of your shitty shots go,

can you make magic happen? A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and a TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves,

I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything

he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nass would get that thing. That man, hell get the flunk. He running up the court, licking his fingers, why he got the ball. Like, you go through a training camp with that, I said, you figure it out real quick.

Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When I woke up on Thursday morning, Bryson D. Shambo and Roy McElroy had both shot like combined 150, which I didn't have any money. because I was in California, it doesn't allow me to bet. And then you go to Nevada, I can't bet on draft kings. I'm not quite sure on the rules, but did not expect that. So I couldn't even get my bets in when I wanted to. I wouldn't have bet on Rory, but I was one of those people that expected him to contend.

I thought he would play well. And he didn't just not play well. He was, as he said, he was thinking about vacation with 20 plus holes to go. Like, kind of an embarrassing showing. when this whole tournament was kind of about guts, was about grittiness, was about battling your ass off, he's like, yeah, see ya, see ya. I'm out to wherever the hell.

Super rich people go vacation. And Bryson, unlike, you know, Rory has played well in the open many of times. Bryson does not. And we said this coming in to this tournament is like, you take out two years ago at the open when he finished in, I think he was T8. he had not cracked the top 30 in any of his, you know, his times across the pond.

And this week he didn't even make the cut. You have to wonder for a guy who's very scientific, for a guy who, like, measures his balls and salt, who I guess on Monday and Tuesday, because it wasn't raining, but it was supposed to rain. He had dudes with a spray gun. I remember Chip Kelly did something similar when they were playing, they played like the dolphins or the bucks and then stayed my... in Miami for the week to go play the Bears and it was supposed to be awful weather and they were like spraying the footballs with water and then they went to Chicago and it was snowing got their ass kicked. It's kind of how it feels because you can't manipulate this type stuff. You kind of got

to be an artist and Bryson has slowly turned a little bit more into that because a short game's so good but he kind of does what he does. He plays these big rope draws. He plays one ball flight and this tournament kind of punks them. Now, ultimately, who cares? Maybe when Bryson's career's all said and done, he's always shitty over there. It's kind of irrelevant. Because his style of golf, especially now that he's cracked the masters a little bit, translates literally every other tournament. So he'll struggle over here, and as long as he plays well, he has a chance to win. I mean, he only plays in three tournaments with everyone else, but whenever this thing merges back, it's going to work. So, like, maybe he's just going to eventually punt on this,

and maybe he gets a year where benign conditions, no rain, no wind, and he can compete. But to me, if the weather's coming, the way you have to play over there, it's just really not going to work for him. It was nice to have a John Rom sighting. It really was. And he's a guy who's dominating the majors, and because of his athlete's foot, the going to live, it's just been a disastrous season. I mean a fucking disastrous season for John Rock.

Not his bank account, but for on the golf course. And like I said, when I got up, he was four under after seven holes. And he went, could he post like a 64, 65 and post a number and be right in the mix? Now he bogeed some holes in the back and made a nice par save actually on 18. But it was just cool to see him in the top 10. And hopefully this next year, we got a lot of horses playing really well. And who knows if this merger or if anything ever is figured out between Live and the PGA Tour. But the hype behind the Masters, which is obviously a long, long way ago, and that's what sucks.

It's like the golf moving forward is completely irrelevant. It just doesn't matter. These playoff events, no one cares. No one cares who's the FedEx champion and gets to make, you know, $20 million or whatever it is. And no one watches Live. So basically, President's Cup is during football season. And that's just nowhere near as cool as the Ryder Cup. Today kind of marks the end for professional golf relevancy.

I watch, but I'm what you call in the business of P1 and pay attention. Most people don't. And I'm already starting to see highlights of Lamar Jackson gets at home because he's sick. Patrick Mahomes making throws. The more and more training camp gets going, the more goals. the more golf falls into the background. And this was kind of their last big moment. And I think what needs to happen moving forward,

and I know Tiger is a big part of this is they've got to get this thing figured out. And they got to put their egos aside. This is less about pride and who got paid. And the only way for your sport to sustain beside these four tournaments, beside these four tournaments, is to figure out a way to play together in some form or fashion. And I don't have much faith that they're going to get it right. I don't have much faith that it's going to be enjoyable for us.

But if you can just get all the same guys on the same golf course, get John Rom, Dishambeau, back with Scotty, back with Xander, back with Rory, the sport has a chance. Because right now, they just don't. Beside these four tournaments, which are four Super Bowls. That's what I tell my fiancé. I said, four Super Bowls. She's like, well, what are all the other tournaments?

I'm just tournaments we watch. but these are the ones that matter. And congrats to Zander for winning that bad boy. And yeah, one thing I want to do really quick, I got a couple go-low questions at-lopod, at Golo Pod. Is the Instagram fire in those DMs, and we will answer them here.

Question for the pod. Was Zander winning two of four majors and some big money prizes coming up in the playoffs? Is there a chance that we talk about Zander is having had the best season instead of Scotty. I think if Zander wins one of these playoff events, I don't even think it's debatable.

Because like I said, if you just did the math that a major is worth, Scotty would trade all of his PGA tournament victories this year beside Augusta, which is not a PGA tour tournament for to win the open. He would trade him. And he wouldn't even, he would do it in the blink of an eye.

In a new, he wouldn't even flinch. so if Xander wins one more time I don't even see how we argue that all we've been talking about since Liv happened was the importance of the majors the importance of the majors the competitions the fields and now Zander wins the open and Scotty was for his standards relatively bad

so I think Zander is probably one playoff victory away from being the player of the year shows you you know the margin for error out here Now, Scotty still might win the FedEx, but unless they've changed it, right? I hate the way they do it, but I understand it. Is Scotty's going to start the FedEx Championship at Eastlake at 10 under? Well, Zander's going to start at 8.

It's not like Zander's 10 back. He's two shots back. So if Scotty bogies the second hole on Thursday and Zander Bertie, he's all of a sudden just like one shot back, it's not a very big difference. I think Zander actually has a pretty good shot. to win the FedEx. And if he wins the FedEx, then it wouldn't even be arguable.

But even if Scottie wins it, and Zander loses to him by a shot, I'd have no problem giving it to Zander. Curious to know why the Ryder Cup and the President's Cup aren't played at the end of August before football starts. I feel like August is always up for the taking, and golf and baseball just can't seem to figure this out. as a casual golf fan who always watches the majors,

I struggle to watch way less of the Cups when they coincide with football. I've been saying this with baseball forever. Like, shorten your season, capitalize on an opening, especially now that the preseason games suck, but that's never going to happen. They're never shortening the season.

Neither is the NBA. They're never doing it because the gate in those sports is so important. The problem for golf, which I totally agree with, is in a couple weeks they start their playoffs, which ultimately who cares. It's basically just a way to distribute money to their top players. The events just don't matter. And this is someone who loves watching professional golf. The events do not matter. They simply do not.

If you could argue just have one playoff event, just cut it to like top 50 guys, play the first or second week in August, and then have the President's Cup and the Ryder Cup in the last week in August. But like I said, about my faith and however it plays out with the merger and getting everyone together, that's never going to happen. So I don't ever expect that to change, at least for the foreseeable future. Maybe now with the President's Cup, which is owned by the PGA Tour, you have some of these big money people, some of them are NFL owners. Maybe they try to push for that.

I guess it's hard to feel any of these things are set in concrete with the ability to just change moving forward. But every time something changes, it feels like it's either the status quo or it's for the worst. I mean, they're always changing stuff to try to basically get their players more money and we all lose. Now, those events aren't really for the money. Zander and Cantlay don't love that, but that's another discussion for another day. I don't know. I wish that happened because like you, I mean, football rules. rules the day. Football is how I

pay my bills. So it's really, really difficult, but don't count on it. Don't count on it. So congrats to Zander, second major, and has vaulted himself as I don't know. I mean, one B in American golf right now. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends, me and

hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, fam, it's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm CJ Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, The Playoff. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was hungry. You just understood. That's how personal it got.

Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to you, he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Saigon, the story of my family and of the country that shaped us. Podcasts, Saigon.

You don't think I'm serious about a free Vietnam? One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart. This is for Vietnam. They're pouring patril all over here. Freedom for Vietnam! There's a fire coming to this country, and it's going to burn out everything. Listen to Saigon on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.

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