EP. 149 - Scott Van Pelt

same way. I was supposed to be flying to Augusta on Monday and had some things to do, when was gonna go out to the tournament, and really just it's a part of my year that is extremely special. While I'm not broadcasting it and it's not the US Open, I feel like you get to see a lot of friends, and you see a lot of faces, and you chat with some people that you really only get a chance to chat with during that week. And of course, with

everything going on, that's not gonna happen. And while our thoughts are with everyone dealing with everything that we are facing currently, of course, as a golf podcast and as a golf fan, you know we're bummed out that there's no Masters, and that is what today's podcast is about. I had my friend Scott Van Pelt of ESPN, who is they're covering it every single year, jump on normally we do this podcast and we're talking about conditions and the way the Greens are playing and who's informed and

can Tiger win another one? And all of those questions roll out, and of course none of that did, but it was a good conversation. It was a fun conversation. Scott is one of my favorite people in all of sports media, and we went along. We we broke down our five favorite Masters ever at the end of the podcast,

so stick around for that. And just simply a couple of guys talking about something that they're going to miss that's a big part of their lives, and that is the Master's Tournament of Augustina, Nashville, and that is what today is. So just hoping everybod he's out there staying safe and smart and healthy and following guidelines and protocol. I am doing that. We're hunkered down at the house and man, my hands, I'm washing my hands so much

that they're cracking. I've got the knuckle crack going so I've been I've been overlotioning the hands now because I'm over washing the hands to stay safe. This is what happens in two thousand twenty, apparently, this is what we

deal with. But just a reminder that I've got another podcast with Maxima called Get a Grip with Max Homa and Shane Bacon, and that that will roll out on Monday as well, and of course we will chat about Max and what he thought would be his first trip to Augustin Nahal and his first Masters, and plenty of other shenanigans that we will figure out when we figure it out. Big thanks for following and for listening and subscribing.

You can follow at the Clubhouse Pod on Twitter and on Instagram, and we continually give out stuff over there, so make sure you do that. Let's get to our guests. Well, we welcome back into the Clubhouse, Scott van Pelt and Scott. Normally this calls on a Monday. You may or may not be breaking augusta national cell phone protocol and policy talking to me about the week. That is an excitement happening around the Gulf world and uh and yet we sit here at our respective homes across the country, and

it's a bomber man. I mean, there's so many things that are a bummer about what's happening right now. But you know, the Masters is this thing that we have circled every single year, and of course now it's Master's Week with no golf to be had, it's really really difficult to not be there this week. And I mean, I'll say this at the very beginning, and I'm not

gonna say it again. Obviously this is framed by what's going on and what is you know, clearly more serious and as the health of people across the country and people that are losing jobs, and we understand all those because two things could be true at once. We can be concerned about that and at the same time be really bummed out about what we would be doing in the absence of this pandemic, which is being at Augusta

and enjoying this week. And it is change. It's my favorite week of the year, and I've been I mean, this is my twenty year ESPN. I've been there every single year since I've been with the ESPN, and so to not be there is I mean odd doesn't begin to do it justice. It's just it's really really impossible to process. Rankly, Yeah, I was gonna ask how many you've been to in a row? I mean dating back to Golf Channel. Did you get to go back in

the Golf Channel days or did all that start ESPN? No, My first one was ninety seven, which was a good one to make your debut at UM. We showed up and like, oh, this is a this is this is how they do it here. Uh, that was the first one and I missed what isn't that omare is a ninety eight? But I want to say, I think I think it's been everyone but one since ninety seven. I

honestly don't remember. Um, I just know that ever since, you know, ever since yes, I started with ESPN, I know, I know for a fact, it's been all of those.

So I mean, and it's been you know, I've been really fortunate, I think in terms of the job descriptions there, I've kind of done every bit of it, whether it's being on the ground reporter who's doing the interviews post round, whether it's being an you know, Uh, it used to be over at to Gustic Country Club where we initially had our setup where we were doing sports and our stuff. And then and then obviously in Mike Tiko took the job with NBC and I split into the Butler cabin

and do some stuff there. So I mean, it's it's I've had kind of uh, I've had a great opportunity to have some of the variety of of of covering the event. But I mean, let's be honest, whatever your job is, if you're on the grounds, just to be there for the week is just such a treat and it's one that, as I say, it's what we look forward to all year, all year long. Yeah, I mean it's it's really across the board. I mean, you said it,

it is. If you're in the broadcasting space this week, it's an unbelievable experience and you cannot wait to get there. If you're a writer, it's a big week to to really kind of propel your stories on the front page, not just at the sports page, but potentially on the front page of news if Tiger or somebody got in

the hunt and had a chance to win. And I always feel like for the golfers, I mean, for the guys that are playing, all of the weeks matter sure, but you know this one matters a lot more for the players, especially the events they have played leading up to Augusta Nationals. So universally, it's just one of those where I went to my my iPhone app on Wednesday of last week and deleted Masters scheduling for the week.

It was it was one of those as I'm hitting delete event, I just wanted to take a moment, go for a walk, or just go sit outside in the backyard because I couldn't believe that this was actually happening. You've talked a lot about the Masters with me over the years and how important of a week it is for you personally. When you got the call the first time to go work the Master's tournament, you know this thing circled on every golf and every sports fans calendar.

What was it like for you personally and professionally, knowing now this was always going to be something you've done well, it's it's it represents something on as you say correctly on the calendar that you know is it's a legend maker, right. I mean, if you're Larry Mies and you're gonna have one moment in your career, and he had more than one, but if you're gonna have one, one moment, make it, make it on the eleventh hole against Greg Norman in your hometown, and make it and make it an all

time moment. And so going to a place like that where you know that history has made every year, as Phelt Nicholson says correctly, um, and to think that you're going to get a chance to be part of covering it. It was obviously going to be a big deal, and

then it turned into something far more than that. It became truly historic as a as a newsmaking event because Tiger wanted and then getting a chance to sit down and talk to him about it after the fact, and that that interview really helped propel You're right when you said, I mean you get it propelled my career Without him winning at ninety seven and having a chance to sit down with him after the fact and him giving me the time he gave me and being as great as

he was in that interview, I don't think my my career um rises in the way that it did. So I mean I was he was the tide that lifted all boats, and I was just one of those boats. So I didn't know when I got to go there, you know that it would be that. But that's that's every bit of what it was. I remember my first Masters covering that I was writing, I believe for CBS Sports at the time, and just arriving and while you're on eggshells because you don't want to do anything wrong

to possibly lose your credential or your badge. At the same time, you know, every single year I've gone since it is what are the is is gonna look at when I get there? What's the golf course gonna play like? What's the new merch? I mean, they're all of these little checklist that I think are a little forgot, and that's just for people to get a chance to go. What are you and your team planning this week in terms of quote unquote coverage of the Masters, look backs

on on past tournaments and events. What are you guys gonna do to kind of keep this theme going despite not having an actual live tournament. Well, we're gonna talk to Jack always. Any any Masters list begins with Jack because he's Jack Um. We're gonna have a conversation, I know, with Bubba because we're doing primetime broadcasts of events that that are of past Masters, and we're gonna talk to Bubba as well. Um, and it's funny you think about that shot when the Pines tryn ten and you know,

like again a legend maker. Um, we're gonna talk to Jim nance I believe Monday that's the goal anyway, but it's it's really dependent upon his his schedule. And I mean talked about a guy who has the greatest week every year. I mean, he called the national title game on a day night. You're calling the Master's champion the following something, and that would have been an easy drive from Atlanta. And my heart breaks for Jim this for for his week. Um, we've got some other feelers out.

I mean I threw it out the Tiger. It's always a matter that you know, if he's got the time or if he's even Um interested isn't even right word, because I mean it's just it's just a matter of do you want to sit down and and and and talk about this, because I'm sure he's pumped out, you know. I mean, I think it means different things to different people, but it's all some version of the same thing, which

is how much do you miss it? But it'll be you know, prime time coverage of the event, you know, and I think I found myself watching the Women's Amateur over the weekend. I just I just enjoyed and by the way, they played great, But I just you just want to see people hit shots on the holes that you know what I mean, You just want to see it. You wanna, you wanna more than any other golf course in the world, just seeing that it's the only course where the course is the only event, rather where the

course is the star. Truly, truly, the course is the star. And so I mean, I guess throughout the week we'll have the course on TV if you want to watch it. If it's too painful, I get that too. And you're you're out here deleting apps. I get it. Man, You're just going to see that phone number pop up on your phone and see that see that x's name. I guess you just wanted to be a number and like, I don't know who that is. I'm not answering that goal.

You you brought up Tiger, and this was something that I was discussing with a buddy just yesterday and you say bummer and again you already said it, and I'm gonna say it to start this podcast. This is very, very small potatoes in terms of what's going on. But for Tiger Woods, you know, he's forty four years old. He turns forty five at the end of this year. Of course, he wins this thing last year and it

was an unreal moment. I'm gonna ask you for your five favorite Masters a little bit later, and I'm assuming probably gonna sneak in there somewhere. But for Tiger Woods, all of the things he's accomplished, all the stuff he's done in his lifetime to miss a Master's potentially now we don't really know what the schedule is going to be like for the rest of this year year, and maybe October, maybe November, obviously the rumors have swirled around.

But for Tiger to miss a Master's, a regular masters is a huge letdown for the guy because he doesn't have a whole bunch of years left to go out there and possibly get another green jacket. Now, you're right, and I felt the same way for Federer and for Serena with Wimbledon, and that's more definitive because that's canceled. You know, that's not postponed, that's canceled. And it's a little different obviously in golf you can go, you can go longer. Um. And for Federal and Serena, it's at

that time is really getting short for them. But if if you didn't have the Masters, then been clearly for for Tiger, like, how many more are there where you really truly can serve that he's got a legitimate shot? Um, not many, I mean, not not ten, not maybe five. I mean you tell me that's a lot. That's a lot too for being honest. So, um, who knows given the fact that his back had been acting up and if it turned into a fall deal, maybe that actually

benefits him in some way. Um, you know, of course it could be cooler than Yeah. But but just in the grand scheme, just the idea for anybody that whose age starts with the four, um, whose bank is fused. Uh, you want as many clean cracks at it as you can get. And this one is uh for the moment, it's it's a question mark. We don't know. Yeah, what's

been the event. I'm assuming we're gonna both throw the Masters out because you've already said it's your favorite week of the year, and I'm a little bit of a golf nerd. I don't know if you knew this or not. And the Masters is one of my favorite couch couch weeks of the year, or if I'm somewhere in and around August, is just one of my favorite events to be around. What's been the one that has bummed you

out the most? And you're a guy that gets to cover everything when you talk about every single sport, high school, college, pro, everything, what's been the event that you've either already missed or is coming up that's going to be missed or possibly canceled that's really bummed you out as a sports fan. It's not close. I mean, like the Masters is different because it's so personal um and and so that's that's brutal.

But as much as that week being put on pause for now, I'm still hopeful that it's a fall deal. The incident played tournament not being played is you can never reconcile that. I mean, I root for Maryland. I don't think that's any great closely held secret. And they were they were pretty good. I mean they want to share the Big ten. I don't know, they'd probably been a I don't know, three seed, maybe four seed, to be a two if they won the big team whatever,

it is they were. They were one of those teams that had a shot to me to Atlanta, and um, you know, their senior point guard is Oh is gone. Their junior I mean, their soft or big man a Jayleen Smith, I presume is going to go pro. So that means that you'll never get a chance to see that team. And and you know, Kansas fans are going, you know, hey, we were really good. Of course they were number one in Michigan State fans and Gonzaga fans

and you know, Duke fans. I can keep going. There's any college team out there that that that had a shot is thinking we could have made it to Atlanta. UM and by the way, any of these teams could have lost in the first round too. Gate My god, they had the best year they've ever had. So you know that that tournament not being played is just crushing to me because it's it's my favorite three week event of the year. And um, I mean it's just never going to be I just don't know how you ever

make that makes sense. Yeah, I went to Arizona Scott and I think this might be the first year since maybe the year after I graduated where I was actually okay with the tournament not happening because this team was I was going so nuts with this basketball team and program and coaching and last five minutes and of course the tournament being canceled was It was a massive bummer.

As as a sports fan and somebody that likes to a bracket and keep up with it for a couple of weeks, but as a personal Arizona fan, I didn't think we were going to have much of a run.

I didn't think our chances were that great to do stuff that maybe some of the other teams have been talked into from experts and others are like, you guys are actually fastening in case study because analytically they really liked you a lot, Like there are a number of different sort of models that really would really favorite Arizona.

And then there the fact that they've lost a bunch of games put them on you know, the pracketologists seed lines that were lower, which would have made for a very interesting situation because you guys might have been seated lower than the kind of predictive models would have suggested, which might have indicated chain and maybe you guys would have been ready for a run. You never know, But see that's the thing you just you don't know and

you'll never know. And that's the part that just is crushing to me, is like you'll you me and none of us will ever know, and that just sucks. Yeah. Well, something you did that I love and and something you really do with your show that I've always been impressed by, and something I tried to you know, if this is a compliment I try to man make a bit is you have always tried to spend stuff positively. I although I feel like with Bad Beats, Bad Beats is a

fun segment. It highlights a negative, but I feel like you turned into a positive because you have so much fun with it. I mean, you're laughing about it. It's a it's a bad gambling moment, but of course you can. And that's what I'm saying. And that's something you've done so well. One thing you did and you asked right away about we're stories of young players that weren't going to be able to fulfill high school, college, whatever, and

you wanted to highlight those players. How was that in terms of getting a chance to dive into stories that you wouldn't have followed otherwise. It's been amazing, man, it's been it's I've been really, really, really really lucky in my career. I think that's something I've shared with each in the years, just just being grateful for all of it, and UM, August just part of it. There's a lot of things are part of it, you know, as thing as I get to do, and I'm thankful for all

of it. The the Senior Nights segments that we've done has been some I'll always remember as um the one positive out of this giant negative, because what it happened is we asked for people to share with us the stories of the high school kids and teams and college kids and and teams that had their seasons just abruptly end. And I've learned about these places and these teams in

small towns and Wisconsin and Indiana and Arkansas. Just thinking out loud, there's a girl named McKenna and I can't think of her last name in Arkansas who was in the I See You as a sophomore, had this rare kidney issue and like she's touch and go, and then she got out of got out of the hospital, she got better, and by the time she's a senior, she's an All state player and they're going to play for

state title. And it's like, well, all right, I never would have known that that this Gal McKenna out in Arkansas is this great player is getting ready to go to Central Missouri. I want to say it is on a basketball scholarship. Well why I found out about a

story because I asked people share them with it. And so it's it's lacrosse players and soccer players and baseball players and swimmers and the equestrian team at tc U and all these different people I mean coast to coast man and and and I've we've tried our best to try to represent you know, men and women small and big like, just because the mosaic of their stories tells the story of our country and how much sports matter, and how proud people are of the teams in their communities.

And I've been I've just been moved by it. And I've been moved by how much it meant to them. We've heard from so many of their coaches, uh and communities that they're appreciative that they just um like, somebody forward to me an article from the the Goshen something in Indian of the paper there and just the kids were saying like how cool it was to hear their names sent on sports and you're like, you mean, you

know what the says that what we do. I mean, we don't take it particularly seriously, but like these mics are on and people listen and and and it matters in those communities to feel like they're getting they're getting some love and they're being seen, right, and so being able to be the guy sitting there saying, hey, man, I see you out there in Indiana doing your thing, and in Kentucky and Georgia and South Calina. I could just every state in the Union. We've done something from

as many as we could. We're gonna do it this week. And then I think we're gonna stop because at some point, you know, I'm not going to get to everybody. And then it becomes like when Phil stops and signs autographs and it's like, you signed for for as many as you can, and then the five people you don't sign for it think you suck because you didn't You didn't sign for it, right, right, Yeah, you're you're the bad

All of a sudden, you're a bad guy. We can never get to all of them, and and I think that we will have done by that I don't even know how many. But my hope is that what we can do is when we're done, we can kind of almost put together a list of the teams and the schools that have been mentioned and and just I don't know, put it all in one place or or something. I

don't know. I just uh, just to remember it by because when when the bigger schools start playing again and the pro start playing again, these stories that we that are so worthy, well will drift back to, you know, a place that I won't see. And um, I've just I've been I've been moved by the fact that that what we've done has mattered. And I've been I've been grateful to be the one who got to share the

stories that people shared with us. I remember when I was in when I was younger in high school, you know, I got sports illustrated. I would read faces in the crowd. It's it's like you brawlways faces to TV, and I think that's been something cool. I gotta, I gotta, I've

got a segment idea. I was gonna bring this up to you, not on the podcast, but I figure at least if I bring it up to you on the podcast, you have to like a somewhat interested you know what I mean, You've got at least not and acknowledge my I'll just blow it up, just just skip right past. So here's my idea, going back to what we were

talking about. Being positive is something something loosely titled nice gestures in sports or we can be nice sometimes, And it's basically you every night dive in for three to five minutes on a story about an athlete doing something unbelievably nice within their sport. This isn't, you know, philanthropy. This isn't going out and starting the foundation. This is on the court. Let me give you an example, Scott. I'm gonna give you an example of what I'm thinking here. Okay,

are you ready for this? Because I think you're gonna all right. Andy Roddick, remember Andy Roddick, he was great back at the two thousand five Rome Masters Round A sixteen. He was just taking it to Verdasco. He was just beating the swoosh is off the guy. He's up a set, he's up a break. Andy Roddick's gonna win. Linesman calls a serve and to win the match, and Roddick says, no, it was out. It was a rotic serve. He calls it out on himself, goes on to lose the match.

He wouldn't go shake hands. He said, no, no, no, no no, no, that's not that was that was that was not good. It was out. I'm gonna be the good human being that I am. And he ends up losing that match, but that was him being a good a good fellow, a good person within his sport. In between the lines, I'll give you another one. I got one more. It's golf related. You ready for it? Alright? So you're so I can tell you're you're you're mildly interested. Mildly is

you're you're probably what's the second Taco bell sauce? Is it mild? Is it medium? Mild or mild medium? Um? I'm gonna I don't go sauce there. I didn't eat stuff row, I don't know. You don't get you don't go to Taco bell sauce. I don't goss the fire an odd eater man. This is this is gonna take us to a strange place here. I don't need a Chick fil A, No sauce for the nuggets? Just wow,

what do you do with fries. I just actually I'll catch up, like, but I need like like if it's if it's like a drive through order, I don't catch up. What the hell do you put it? Well, the Chick fil A has those professional dipping catchup packets. Now that those things are the next level, but they do. But I just but Chick fil a nugget is a perfectly

engineered food already. There needs to be nothing to put on it because all it does is interfere with the slaver of the Chick fil A nugget and anti condiments. I I didn't picture he was a guy no dipping at all. Get out of my face with that's probably actually probably a smart thing to do right now during our current state. Is not dipping sauces I got that is germ and Festt all right. The other this is a golf relater one cup of course craziness, you know,

pan ammonium. On the seventeenth hole, people forget Payne Stewart was playing call in Montgomery. Last hole. Payin Stewart walks over, picks up Monty's mark, and pain actually lost that match one down. That was for the half basically, and he picked the mark up and said it was good and shook his hand and said Monty had been getting you know, crap all week long from the from the American fans,

but that was again in between the ropes. Does something nice for somebody and it cost him, you know, a point for his Ryder Cup, a cost erotic a match. But that is my pitch to you. Nice gestures for athletes actually within their sport, not the stuff they do outside of it. It's like it's along the lines of that ad that sportsmanship bad where the kids says the ball went out of pounds off the other guy and he's a snow coach, he went off me, and then they get the ball to the other team. So it's

like that, I get it. Listen, I'm all, I'm all anything that's positive. I definitely that. Like, here's my question, who is curating this? Who the who's who's helping me finding because going through this this text, the tweet chain of these people sending in the Senior United things has become like an all encompassing job. So I'm gonna have to go through the three of sports to find these molds. We'll take you that long. It's just a couple of dolls.

You can just get like a twelve piece and you'll be good to go, just rammering through it and here you go, no sauces, not get not not to get your fingers sticky on the laptop. We move on from seeing your night. We'll move on to these duties. We can be nurised sometimes and then a Brent disease by

Shane Bake. You can know, you can say, I have this idiot friend that I know, and he suggested this terrible idea, and now I've had to scour the world of all sport and the history of sports being around how often are you checking your phone a day still and then realize that there's no scores to look at. No, that that's that's for a while, it happened, but now you realize, you know, it's just every day is the same.

Like somebody my boss just saying, hey, we're probably gonna do some Sundays now with this with this uh you know, bulls documentary of Coming Out the Last Dance, and like who cares? Like the weekends on weekends and no days, days don't matter. Every day is the same version that before. We're just trying to get from trying to get from lunch to nap, and nap to dinner, dinner to bath and bath to bed. Just repeat. That's it. It is. It is wild how so my my. I have one son.

He's ten months old, and I just look at him at times and I think, God, he must think I am so boring because I don't do any of the stuff we used to do. You know, I don't take him out to the golf course. You know, we don't go. I I got this hiking backpack for him. We went hiking a couple of times. Didn't last very long. He lost his mind after a few hundred yards. But it was the thought that counts. Now, it's what times the

first walk, What times a second walk? And maybe we'll be on a bike ride and there are moments where his beautiful baby eyes will look at me and I think, God, he must think that this is just that we are the lamest parents in the world. And I wish I could explain to him what's actually going on. It'll be a hell of a story to tell when he's older.

And hopefully this is, you know, something that's in our rear view, although I really do wonder, you know what, what from our past is going to stay in our passed in terms of things that no longer happened, things we don't do anymore. I really it's din't it odd? Like if you see some game where there's just people packed inside by sidea like, what's that going to happen? Right? Where are people going like elbow to elbow and you know some back stadium Like, I don't know what that's happening?

And when are you gonna feel I I keep saying, when are you gonna feel comfortable to be in that situation? That's the thing that I find, you know, as someone that now you know, your mindset, at least mine week to week is changing. So the stuff I did two weeks ago now I look back on and I go, well, that was stupid. I can't believe I did that. And of course at the time, that was protocol. That was what we were supposed to do, or that was what

we were allowed to do. I will say about golf that you know, in Arizona you can still play golf and you social distance and you keep yourself away. And I'm not playing much, but I've played a couple of rounds. I like the leave the flag in and you don't have to help anyone else out because golf's pretty you know, you're pretty selfish when you play golf to begin with.

And now it's when you put out you can go to your bag, to your push cart, to the cart that you're in alone and do your business, clean your club, do whatever you want. There's no being the nice guy on the on the putting green to help the guy out with his towel or to put the flag stick back in. It's it's it's a little bit more. I feel like, yeah, I mean, I I think, I mean, you know, I seriousness, like I think you as a woman,

I feel comfortable. I'm gonna feel comfortable when I think our medical community, who's grinding their butts off and get it to them always, But ank were more acutely aware of it right now when when they are able to figure out whether it's through testing um or I mean a vaccine obviously is the end all wish, but I mean if if if they, if they are able to come up with some sort of a test where we everyone could get tested, and then we realize, actually there's

a massive percentage of people that have had had it or do have it, And then we realize that the test is much much less than we we thought it was. While this is still this hideous, horrible thing, then maybe we then realize, Okay, it isn't. It isn't as as drastically impacting us as it seemed. And if that's the case, then people kind of shrug and go, Okay, well maybe there is sort of this herd immunity whatever. Art just looking out loud here, And I'm not saying that's the case.

I'm saying when somebody is able to tell me that that is the case or isn't, and we have some vaccine or some medicine that's treating this, you know, then I think, ideally, hopefully we go back to something that that approximates what the world was in you know, whatever whatever month was when when things felt like they weren't this. But um, I don't know, man, if it feels a long way off, which is not uh, you know, I do look for the positive, It's just difficult to sell

it at the moment. We're gonna take a quick break and be right back. Hyeah. All right. Last thing I'm gonna do with you I mentioned earlier. I'm gonna ask you for your five favorite masters ever. Do you want to do you want to go back and forth with this or do you want to just roll your five out? Well? Yeah, are we are? We ping ponging? A you're gonna give me yours? Yeah? I got my five written down? Okay,

Um all right, well I'll start. I mean, how do we uh, it's you're the you're you're the show host. We want to do? We can ping par five and you ripped your let's let's ping pong. I'll let you start. I'll let you throw one out there if you have, If I have it on my list, I'll mention it as well. For me, is is my favorite because it's it's the first one and it and it changed the course of the golf and my life because I hitched my wagon and the guy so to speak. Um, so,

I mean you know what it represented. It wasn't just golf. It was you know, societal, it was historical, it was the oldest thing. It was hugger your flood and you know that. To me, is, I can't top it. And I mean I could come up for reasons why there's others, but to me, there's no need to be cute is my favorite one and this is your this is your list. I feel like right now there's a lot of lists being made because there's nothing else to talk about, and

people come at you. You know, Max Holm and I started a separate podcast in this one that we do once a week, and people are so mad at our lists and they always yell at us about how do you not have the thirty two n C Double A tournament in there, and like, well, I'm thirty six years old, man. I mean, unfortunately wasn't around watching those highlights. You know this is they didn't have one, which would have made it hard. It would have been it would have been

even harder, that's right. So my my number, my number one. You know, we haven't said a six yet, and I'm not going to say it for my number one because I'm being truthful to the process. My favorite Masters ever was oh four. I was a left handed golfer for East Texas. Phil was my guy. I looked up to him. I wanted to be like Phil Nicholson. I even I even sent a resume to the a s U golf coach when I was a junior in high school. Phil was my dude. Oh four number one for me, Okay,

well that's on my list. But it's lower on my list, and um up two for me, uh is nineteen and two. And the reason nineteen is two for me is because one for me ninety seven. And if you told me that the twenty one year old guy who laid waste to humanity would be at forty three with a bald spot refused back and on the other side of a scandal of his own creation, would have been this remarkable underdog story that would create the loudest cheers I've ever

heard at a golf course. If you'd told me that that would have been possible, I would have told you you're out of your mind, and whatever it was that you were smoking, I would like a gross of it from my own personal recreation. So you know the sALS I heard that day, Shane, like tie your tiger, Tiger. I watched that Nance call, which, by the way, he

didn't do anything other than stop talking. But he was smart enough because he's Jim Nance to not talk for like four minutes, like that's goosebumps, man, that's absolute goose bumps. And him and him with Sam and him with Charlie the best. That's why he did it. That's what he wanted to do. He wanted his kids to see him be the guy that they had heard about, and they got to And so nineteen and nineteen is very close to seven, but it's number two for me. So number

two for me is eighty six. Now, I was three years old of the time, so obviously I wasn't watching it live. But I think it's probably the most rewatched old sporting event I've ever had in my life of any sport. I mean I've I've watched it on TV. I have a DVR at the bottom of my DVR. My wife always yells me to delete it. Now it's on YouTube, you guys. The final round it is eighty six Jack Wild. Every shot was awesome. It was yeah. I mean, how do you how? How can how can

he get better than that? Especially if you grew up a Jack person at all, I mean if you were a fan of of the Bear. I mean, that was as good as it can get. And I feel like the finish is as good as it can get in golf with the way he did it. This is a little sidebar. I watched the two thousand seventeen Open a couple of days ago. I feel like the Jordan's speed

finish doesn't get enough credit. I don't think that people talk about the way he played after everything that happened on thirteen went Birdie Eagle, Birdie, Birdie part to finish and he was losing. He was he was sis right, it was I think he was. I think he was. Was he five? He was five or five or six, whatever the hell he was? He was a jew is a joke when he did and everybody gets mad about like how long it took to find the ball, blah blah blah, Like you like what he did. It was funny.

We talked about that the other day at work because somebody mentioned speech and hid in the water on twelve, and I'm like, yeah, I get it. And I'm like, you know, when people want to talk about like, oh, he won't be the same after that, I'm like, look what open was great? Couch didn't do Coucher didn't do one thing wrong, and he didn't win. Like it was nuts um. But all right, So eight six is two for you, eighty six is three for me for all the reasons you said. For me, it was watching all

my pop. My dad was a jack guy. You know, back in the day, you were either a jack guy and ony guy. My dad was a Jack guy. Uh, and I watched the final round of the Masters my dad and uh, you know, I've talked a lot about my daddy. I hadn't been here in a long time, and he passed away when I was young. So, uh, I've gotten a chance through the years to to to know Jack a bit and talk to Jack and and explain to him what that meant. And that's an incredible thing.

Very few people will get that that that gift that I got to tell them how cool that was. Um sidebar um. The day Nicholas made the hole in one of the Part three, he he came to interview Um on Sports Center with me and I joked with him on the way out. I'm like, hey, you got a magic left the bad old boy, And he's like, hey, how about a hole in one? And he went out

and he did it. And then I found out after the fact he had never had a hole in order to gusta in anything, not in the competition on a practice round, not the Part three, but that day I'm kind of needling Jack about you anything left in the bag? Anyone out and made a hole and one in the Part three that day. Yeah, I I feel like, you know, Tiger is I think you and I are both in the same camp. The Tiger is the greatest golf for ever. I just feel like what he did for the run

he had will never be matched again. And this sport, it's just golf is not supposed to be dominated this way. It's too hard to be dominated this way, and everybody is too good to beat all the time. But Jack's ability to do things like that, you know, you forget about. He had a chance to win the Man Birdie. I had had a birdie put up sixteen to tie for

the lead. He didn't make it, but he had to put put He was fifty eight or fifty nine years old, and he isn't the trivia that's Jack and Tiger finished in the top tenancy. It's in the same event. It's just it's wild. But I just feel like those things Jack saying, oh, why don't I go make a hole in water? Why don't not show you how to hit the pot? When he did that exhibition and he makes the eight foot or I feel like he's just always

been able to do that. And I'm not sure I believe in magic, but when those things happen I'm more convinced that magic is a real thing, and there's just certain people that have that gift, you know, that that that that there's an ability that they know they possess. And I mean we none of us will tell what that feels like because we obviously don't, and that's what makes it, that's what makes it rare. So that's three from me, three for you. I'm gonna goleven. I just uh,

I just remember it a lot. It's uh, it's you know, short so wins that Bertie's last four holes. Talk about a finish, but there was all these guys that had a chance to win. Jason Day was there, Adam Scott was there. Of course, Adam Scott gets his Masters a couple of years later, but I feel like in terms of excitement and nobody knowing what the hell was gonna happen or who the hell was gonna win it, that one was so much fun to watch from start finished.

You know, every Master's when you rewatch it a couple of years later, five years later, ten years later, there are great moments that you forgot about it. Well. Adam Scott had to lead on the sixteenth pole. I want to say I believe he birdied the sixteen call and pardon did nothing wrong and still lost. That that's if you have to lead on sixteen and you Bertie, you're gonna win, and he didn't because of what Schwartzel did.

So that's that's a great one. It didn't make my list, but that's a great great point of things you forget um for for me is already on your list, And that's still the great call from Jim nance is it his time? Yes, the moment with bones, the Patriots all fists in the air and people and speaking of what you forget like he hadn't want a major and you know certainly that that that had gotten plenty of play at that point, but there was like this suggestion he

was incapable of it, which was ridiculous. And of course since then he's got a pla I love them, um, but you know that as a singular moment to to to grab it, that put for me that two thousand four is four on my list. That's a good one. I've got to I've got a just a hat hip to people that yell at us about stuff, just because it would have been a lot of fun to be there. Fifty four Hogan and Sneat in a playoff would have been pretty awesome. I would have been you know, when

you're talking about history, that's uh, oh my god. I mean I would have I would have I would have parked my chair on sixteen early. I wouldn't have run. I wouldn't have run, but I would have done something risk walking. Uh uh. It's like I always I always called the world's largest pool deck. There is no running,

so I'm gonna go. I'm just gonna go fifty four because again, when you look at the names, and I always say the names, you know they're all caps because there you know, everybody's legacy grows as they get older and and move on to another life. That is one that just in terms of entertainment and the top two guys and all that fifty four had been a lot. It would have been very, very cool to have been a part of that master's Well. I limited it to

the ones that I had. I'm lucky. You have to have some kind of recollection of and I wanted to close with the one that I felt like probably wouldn't make a lot of people's lists, but it remains as good a finish as we have seen and that is you alluded to it earlier actually two thirteen. Go back and look at the people that were involved. Tiger finished top five. Jason Day was in the mix on how Cabrera.

Uh well, first of all, Adam Scott Bertie's eighteen, come on, come on you Ausie looking for his first major he Bertie's eighteen. Cabrera just misses a birdie on seventeen. All right, I'm talking, just misses. Go back and look at the video. It goes over the lip. Now he needs Bertie on eighteen. It's raining. He pipes the drive and absolutely stops his approach. He starts walking after the second, after the ball leaves the club face. He's walking and talking the whole way.

It's picked. It in so awesome. His son was on the back too, right, that's exactly right, exactly right, and and hey, and he's just like walking after it because he just stated that makes Bertie. We're running out of light. Doesn't matter because Adam Scott's getting ready to bust one down ten and he makes a gorgeous birdie on ten in the playoffs win and it's like that iconic shot in the darkness with the rain where he's kind of golf Jesus, and he's stay here, he's chopping. Uh. If

you remember the shot from behind a good light. And here's the reason, here's the way you think about about all I help to prayer. He's a fascinating case study because he didn't play tons and tons of great golf, right, I mean, I mean he's you know, he's a really

good player, obviously, but he's got a combination. All right, you're gonna if you're gonna win two majors and you're gonna win the US Open, you're gonna win the Masters, and you're gonna win it at Oakmont, and you're gonna win Augusta obviously, then that means you are in the company of two men, Jack Nicholas and Dead Holding, who won the US Opens at Oakmon and the Masters. And he wanted he wanted at Oakmont. Go back and look what he did. Tiger is chasing him furik which chased him.

He had to lead. On seventeen, he had a cigarette. He chucks it down on the ground old school style. It's an absolute palm off the tea, hits his approach on the green, makes his prot makes his par gets at a Dodge and like everybody was crumbling because Oakmont makes you crumble, and he didn't blink man, and that dude, like, I don't know what I'm allowed to say that you can say. There's a line in the movie Snatch about

there's two types of balls in this world, big brave balls. Okay, Cabrera's got big brave balls, and he showed him to you at Oakmont and the Masters. So he's on the list of Hogan, Hogan, Um, Nicholas and Cabrera. And that's who Scott beat that day with a putt on the a tent pole in a playoff. That's why two is my fifth on the list. And and it might be the most photogenic final hour ever. I mean you talked to out the picture with the green jacket and his

arms are raised out. Well, we'll tweet that out when the podcast comes out for people to see if you you've forgot about it. But the fist pump Adam Scott's bicep looked like he just does curls like two and a half hours a day every day. Arms were huge. He's obviously this really strapping, good looking Australian And you said it a guy not a great putter over his career, made two unreal putts and the Cabrera iron in there that was like, I got it, No big deal, I'm fine.

Cabrera Also on eighteen remember the one he one where he was a hundred and fifty yards in the trees and he punched out hit a tree, kicked in the fairway. That is one of the worst rewatchful Masters. If you have any fondness for Kenny Perry, because my goodness, that's pretty gross. Man, that's pretty gross. And that's that's you know, that's what his tree will forget. If you don't have the kind of his six Encyclopedia Greek call, you're like,

you just remember Cabrera one, will you don't? Kenny Perry was supposed to win that and he didn't supposed to win in my last one cringe Shop second Masters wins it nnech the week after all that hadn't one in a year. The reaction on eighteen hands in his head. I I'm I'm a romantic at heart. It was one of those moments that aren't supposed to happen in sports.

You're not supposed to have things written that way. And the fact that it was pinned for Ben Crenshaw and he wins the Masters, you know, after you know, one of his best friends passes away the week before. I just again, I I I was moved even though I was a young kid, and I love going back and kind of following that one again. Plus, anytime you get a chance to watch Ben Crenshaw putt for four and a half hours, you should probably do it because it's

it's pretty silky. It is that and that's the great I mean, it's a great one. But the beauty, the beauty of any Master's list is that is that each each person's list would reflect his or her own, you know,

personal recollections. So that's that's what makes you know, I think that's what makes remembering this event more than any other so uh so worthwhile because it's, you know, it's it takes you back to that place and and I think if you the game, if you love the game, and you know it's a place you love going back in your mind, that's for sure. Well I appreciate it. I held you a little longer, and I told you

I would, So thanks for breaking all that down. The last thing I just wanted to ask, how long was the brainstorming session before you came up with s V pod as your new podcast name, like a lot of things with us, somebody said what should we call I'm like, well, my initials are s VP, right, Like, yeah, I might just put O D after that, Like, it can't be s V P O D. That doesn't have a very good connotation, so let me just call it sp pod. And then after the fact somebody suggested it should have

been called s VP has a pod. Um whatever. I liked. I like the simplicity of the way you went with it. Well, I mean it's uh and it's as as we're you know,

I hope illustrating here. It's it's a very it's a fun format for people that are you know, get on the like like we had justin Thomas last week, just get on the phone and chip or whatever and just catch up, you know, filling the blanks on things, particularly now because God knows where we're all in search of something to to fill the moments until we can get back to it. I'm just I'm bummed that I'll get

to see in person. Um. I always enjoy pros and paths, and I'm hopeful that I get to see you guys do your thing. Um, I don't know if it's gonna be I don't think it's gonna be uh certainly June and Uh at wingfoot, I don't see it as possible. But I hope that they can sort it out somewhere. I've heard rumors of West Coast stuff that, I mean, whatever, everybody will figure it out. I hope. I just hope we get some some major championship off somewhere down the road. Yeah,

sports or sports when they return. I feel like we're gonna be big fans of maybe even bigger than we were before. I get a sense that we're gonna be uh, We're gonna be pouncing. That is the thing I keep telling my buddies. I just miss knowing that at eight pm, when I'm on the couch, I can watch a rafts game, or I can watch, you know, a tennis match happening

somewhere else in the world. Or I can wake up early on Friday and know the European Tour is going to be played for the for the forty five minutes that I'm up feeding my son. You know, those are the things, right, Give me some, Give me some smurfect European open man, give me anything. Right, they are they are the greatest connector. I mean, look, you're in it. I'm in it. So I mean we're support whatever I started to say, apologist, there's nothing to apologize, but but

this is how we make our living. But I don't think there's any doubt and if there, if there had been any doubt, that this time is proving it that what people turn to when things are sideways, A sports always have They're the greatest unifier. We have an absent

sports right now. I feel like that's what makes people so I feel so kind of lost, you know, like you're right, like at eight o'clock, there's not no, there's not a whatever a Knicks game, there's not a Lakers game late night or if you're out in the West Coast on your time, whatever prime time. I mean, everybody knows what I'm talking about here. Just absolute those things, those those those mile markers. Right, I'm supposed to be Augustus, so are you and we're not. Um. It just kind

of leaves us all trying to figure it out. And I mean in the meantime, I guess we're just those we just all need to try to do do what we're supposed to do stay away from each other. It's try to, you know, try to knock this thing down so that we've got something. It feels like what we used to know on the other side of it, you know what I mean. I just that's what I keep

coming back there. Yeah, I'm with you, and you know what, I haven't felt I haven't felt scared or nervous throughout this more than I did when you begged for a Knicks game. That's not when it's when we get to that point. You know, things are dire. Hey, I just want to watch the Knicks play basketball. You're like, man, things are this is not a good situation, Scott. I appreciate the time. Thanks as always. I know it's a bummer that we don't get match this week, but thanks

for just chatting about it a little bit. I think people enjoy it. I look forward to these conversations with you, and uh, let's hope next time it's face to face somewhere somewhere on our or close to the grounds of August and National Stay well until we see each other. I thought we're gonna take a quick break and be right back. A big thanks to Scott Van Pell for joining. Big thanks to you for listening. Just a final reminder, wash your hands, stay safe, follow all of the rules

that you're being told to follow. I know following rules isn't something we love to do as Americans, but just do it. Do it for somebody else. Do it for a parent or an uncle or an aunt, or yourself or your kids. Whatever. Just be smart, be selfless, and send a text to somebody you haven't talked to. And while well, that's my new thing. I've been doing that now is every day I'll text a friend of mine that I haven't talked to in a few months. Hey,

how you doing? Thinking of you? How you guys holding up? What's new? And I'm just trying to reach out to people because I talked to the same people all the time. It's my wife and my kid and my dog. One of those isn't even a person, it's just a dog. But I will say, Harlow, great conversation. Was love chatting with Harlow about stuff. Send a text, call your parents, call your loved ones. Stay safe. We'll be back later

this week with another Clubhouse podcast. M The Clubhouse was Shane Bacon as a production of I Heart Radio for more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.