The eyes of the world of professional golf on the PGA Tour are on East Lake in Atlanta, where Russell Henley is now your leader at eight under par.
A lot of players going low.
Always fun to catch up with our next guest from the Golf Channel, Rex Hobbard on a Thursday afternoon.
Rex, How are you, sir, Amy, Thursday after in Atlanta.
I'm great.
How are you?
I'm good. I really appreciate the time.
So tell me about the conditions in the track and what's allowing these players to go as low as they've been going so far.
Hey, it's funny. We were told to expect in The PGA Tour announced this a few weeks ago that they wanted to make this a more difficult test. They wanted to add a little bit more risk reward. It was something that the fans told them that they wanted to see at the Tour Championship. So the golf course had been sort of set up a little bit different this year. I think the expectation was to maybe create a little bit more of a challenge. That's certainly not the case.
As you pointed out, seven under his leading. I think at least half the field is under par and it has everything to do with I don't know if you've ever been in the South in the summertime, pretty much rains every single night, So it's just soft. I don't care what you do to a golf course. If players have irons in their hands from the fairway and the greens are soft, they're going to be aggressive. And that's what we're seeing today.
No doubt.
So Russell Henley is now at eight under. He's your leader. He's through seventeen. But we got Colin Morikawa, Patrick Canley and Justin Thomas in the clubhouse at six hundred par after accroarding sixty fours. What does the weekend ahead hold? Are we going to see conditions change or do you think we're going to continue to see low scores.
I think it's going to be low scores. I think actually they moved up two times for tomorrow because there's some anticipated storms in the afternoon. There's storms around the area right now. Again it's sort of just rent and repeat in the South, so I don't think the golf
course will have an opportunity to dry out. But I would look more towards just the conversation about what has changed about this event this year, where we know in previous years they've tried to do different formats, and in recent years it's been something called starting shrokes, which simply gave a lead to whoever the points leader was coming into this week, and then incrementally they work their way down on the points list until you got to number thirty.
But they got rid of that this year. I think the Tour finally realized it's kind of silly, kind of confusing. Even Scotty Scheffler said it, he didn't quite understand why they were doing it. So I think the difference this year will be that the winner and all thirty players started to even part. The winner went not only win the Tour Championship but the FedEx Cup, and we haven't really had that in at least a decade, so that's kind of compelling.
Do you like the change?
I mean, I always found it hokey, and I'm certainly no expert like you are, but this feels any reference Scotty's comments about the new format, which he prefers. Does it feel like it's a consensus that most people do appreciate and like this new format now Rex, I think.
There's simplicity of this the players appreciate, certainly the fans appreciate you're not trying to figure out the math on Thursday afternoon when Scotty's teeing off at ten under part that doesn't make sense to a lot of golf fans. I will say it feels like a transition year. I think the tour is going to continue to tinker with this format. The new CEO, Brian Rollup, spoke yesterday to the media, and I think the tour is going to
tinker with a lot of sorr. I would expect everything with the Tour right now to be in transition and to be under the microscope. Certainly the Tour Championship format would be one of them, and there's been tons of format suggestions. Match play and come up with some sort of round robin situation. Here at Eastlake, I don't think that's the landing spot, but I think this year it works, but I wouldn't expect it to be the future.
I do want to ask you about Brian's comments, and I've had Brian on the show. We actually have family friends and he's from the same footprints that I'm from, and so you know, twenty two years with the NFL, and I think it's a great hire.
I think he's going to be dynamite.
But before we get there, it's it's interesting asking who you like now that we actually have some scores. But when it comes to this tournament at the end of the day, Scotti Scheffler has the shortest odds to win it since Tiger in two thousand and nine.
Who do you think sold in the trophy Rex at the end?
Well, and Scotty has played well, he's won here before. But he pointed out the Colin more Kywa would have won here last year I had not been for starting strokes, and Colin Moore Kyla is right at the top of the leaderboard. I would actually lean towards one of those players. Certainly Justin Thomas has played well here in the past. They both do the one thing you have to do, and that's drive the ball well around this golf course because you can score if you're in the fairway, but
from the rough it can be difficult. But Scotty is kind of Scotti eventually. I mean we saw it last week, We've seen it pretty much all year long, Like there is just a gear that he finds. So I'm compelled by the idea that Scotty is going to do what he normally does, and yet you've got all these other stars around him.
All right, When when are we allowed to talk about Scotti Schuffer in the same sentence as Tiger Because when I've done that before my golf guests usually they scold me greatly. And it's interesting RECs Like whenever a stat pops up, like, for instance, I think I read that Scotty just became the first player since Tiger to have back to back years where he won five times, and Tiger did that like seven times. So I'm well aware of how audacious those comparisons are.
But when are we allowed to talk about it in that space?
You mean we weren't allowed to talk about it until now that that's not even get that memo you talking about it? Yeah, I just think I hate comparisons to Tiger Woods because I've done it pretty much my entire career, and it's always unfair to the player you're comparing and unfair to Tiger Woods. Like the things he did were historic, and I still think Scotty clearly still has some time. I mean, Tiger did it for the better part of two decades. You just pointed out the interesting stats that
I sort of keyed in on. Twice in Tiger's career, he won at least five times for four consecutive years. Scotty hasn't done that one thing yet, and so you're kind of, you know, you're looking at it through a very narrow lens when it comes to it. But everything else he does, if you look at it statistically, just from a strokes gained standpoint, the only comparison is Tiger Woods. When you look at what he's been able to do at the major championships, Tiger is the only comparison, and
they do it in a vastly different way. I think last week was interesting on this case because outside of the chip in on seventeen and I'm talk about last week at the BMW Championship for Scotty Scheffler. He showed a little bit of emotion there, but normally he's kind of a flat liner. So he is Tiger Woods to a certain degree, at least statistically, just without the flare.
He's just not going to do the dramatics. But I think at this point what he's accomplished, those comparisons are perfectly fair.
I was watching your coverage last night, and Brandal Shamblely actually anecdotally shared a story. I can't remember who he was speaking to. I think it was over in Dublin and somebody told him he thinks Scotty is actually I can't remember the verb. I don't want to say a better player than Tiger, but maybe a cleaner player than Tiger or something like that. I mean, Brandal said that on the broadcast last night.
That might be a recent advice. I don't know about that. One can say again, Tiger sustained this over two decades, and I mean, that's amazing to think about the things he accomplished over the course of his career. And even Scotty will dismiss this a little bit. He has had a magical three and four year run, and the things he's been able to accomplish we didn't anticipate because parody has become the normal on the PGA tour. But yeah, I don't see that. This is just starting to feel
like Lebron Jordan debate. Like, I guess it depends on what error you grew up in, but I still say that Tiger Woods was better across the board.
Randall seems like an interesting fellow, what's he like.
I have nothing but respect for brand I've worked with him luckily over the last decade or so, and no one works harder. And that's the part that just blew me away. It's one thing. He has opinions on everything, and he's very good on TV and his knowledge of the game is amazing. However, it's the one thing when you get in the trailer with him six seven, eight hours before the broadcast and he is just grinding over notes and stats and historical references. He never goes into
a take without being educated. He never says anything just off the top of his head, just trying to be flamboyant or trying to create a headline. That's not what he does. He truly believes what he says. Now that being said, he says plenty of things that I don't agree with, but I know he gets to him in a very good way.
Well said, all right, let's move over to the comments, and we.
Talked about it on the show yesterday and again for golf fans that don't know Brian Rollout, this is a dynamite sports executive, a sharp person and a very good guy. So for the first time we were able to kind of hear from him in you know, kind of an official media setting about what he sees as it pertains the future of the sport. And they're putting together a
committee that will be led by Tiger Tiger Woods. I wonder what your thoughts were as you digest the comments and when it comes to this the quote the goal is not incremental change. Quote, the goal is significant change. What, Rex, do you think that means?
He's three weeks on the job. This was his third week on the job and he stood in front of everyone and talked about and we're not talking about incremental change. We're talking about significant change and what he has proposed, and I'm sure what is actually being thought about it. It is going to be dramatic. When you look at sort of the three pillars that they leaned into, it's parody and we already have that. And when it comes to the PGA Tour, it's simplicity. We do not have that.
We just had a long conversation about the confusion here at the tour Championship and it's scarcity. And I mean, you can use another word, but I think scarcity can only be in one way. That means less is more to a certain degree, the idea that he wants to get the best players together more often on the best courses and the best cities at the best time of year, and condense this into a window that works for everyone.
I think even players that I talk to who aren't here at east Lake to be fair so not top thirty players, even they were intrigued by what this seems where this seems to be headed. Even they were intrigued. Again. Three weeks on the job and I talked to over a dozen tour players and all of them had not only had conversations with Brian and not hello, my name is Brian, conversations. We're talking about hours long conversations about the tour and the way they think the directions should go.
And he listened, he didn't talk, which I think is a sign of a very good leader. That to me, is the part they should get you aside him, One player told me, and I agree with this, He's going to break some eggs and along the way he's probably going to make some players and some constituents angry. But I think that's how you get the tour in the best possible position.
What is fair to say about Jay Monaghan as he makes his exit from his position with the Tour.
He certainly is happy. A couple of us talked about it today when we see him there this week, and of course he would be. I mean, the weight off his shoulders must be enormous. And I have not want to be the apologist for j Monahan. However, I will point out that during his tenure as commissioner, he dealt with a couple of things that were unprecedented. The pandemic, which buying large. Everyone says the Tour handled the pandemic
better than almost any other sports league. He dealt with Livedolf, which is, in his words, not mine that irrational threat, a pile of money that didn't expect I mean, you have a backer that has a pile of money that doesn't expect a return that's that's hard to compete with sometimes. And then on top of all that, you lost the one player that made everything work, Tiger Woods. I think Tiger Woods only played if I did the math correctly.
At one point during Jay Monahan's tenure, and he's still commissioner to be fair, but since he took over as commissioner, Tiger Woods hasn't even played thirty regular PGA tour events, and so you add all those things together. He got dealt a tough hand. I think, buying large, he did
the best he could. Some people are going to disagree with the way he handled Live I certainly have criticisms, but you certainly look at the job and I don't know that any commissioner in any sport has ever faced what he faced.
So, Rex, I have a confession and I'm going to ask for your forgiveness. Prior to my brother and sister in law reside in Carmel, Indiana, and I went to visit them a week ago and as I landed and we were driving home from the airport, he said, I have a surprise. And Scott O'Neill, who is the commissioner of Live Golf, worked with my father at Madison Square Garden, so we have a connection there. And he said, I got us passes to go to the Live Golf event in Indianapolis. Now I am a tour guy, so I
need your forgiveness. However, I could not be struck by sitting there on eighteen on what they call ten fifty four and watching Bryson and watching John Rahm and watching Brooks. I mean they do have a lot of really, really good players, obviously, and I thought Brian's response to the question, but he said, look, if you're gonna ask me a live question, he just asked me a live question. But Brian did reference that he is not engaged with the
Public Investment Fund or anybody from Live Golf. And look, I know you're probably tired of talking about it, You're probably tired of the question. But if the goal is to reunite the best players in the world, at some point you're going to have to engage with Live. What's your understanding of where we stand right now with the relationship or lack thereof, between the PGA Tour and Live Golf.
I think Brian sent a clear message during his press conference that he didn't want to address live because he knew that was going to overshadow what he was trying to get across, and that's this new committee with everything he's trying to do. I also think he wanted to show some peace, and he certainly did that. Whether people agree with and Ron, I think you have to show strength in a situation like that. To be fair. I have gone to numerous live golf events, so there's absolutely
no reason at all. I mean working jearnalists, but there's no reason at all to apologize. As a matter of fact, the one last year at the rally went to was amazing. The crowds were incredible, the scene was cool. As you pointed out, they have incredible players. If you were a top ten player in the world when you join live golf, you're still a top ten player, whether or not if
the world renting agrees with that or not. But I see what you're going and I think eventually I don't know how to get there, But you're right, reuniting the game has to be on the back burner somewhere for not only Brian Rolapp, but Scott O'Neil. And to your point, one of the things I was drawn to in the first interview I did with Brian was at the Travelers Championship back in June. There was no line of communication
between jm and handing Praig Norman. It was pretty clear those two were not friends, so there was never going to be dialogue between the two sides in this particular case. Scott O'Neill Brian Rollout they went to the same college. I know for a fact they each have each other's phone numbers and their phones. That to me is at least a sign that we can get to there some way.
Yeah, and hopefully that happens at some point. Now, one more live question. So when the whole thing first burst on the scene, there was so much anger, there was so much passion, there was so much divisiveness. In retrospect, did Live accomplish something that we didn't see coming, Because it's pretty undeniable RECs that the PGA Tour did make some adjustments after realizing like, yes, this is a real threat,
we are losing some of our best players. And did Phil Nicholson and Greg Norman actually force the PGA Tour to adjust like they said they were going to, even though nobody believed them at the time.
Yes, I think that's perfectly fair, especially when it comes to Phil Nicholson that his argument all along was we should be playing for bigger purses and in big tournaments,
and we should be focusing on the star players. Now, it sounds a little selfish coming from one of those guys that falls into that category, but what we've experienced over the last three years, and certainly the long conversation we just had about Brian Rolout's plan goes to the idea that on a certain level some degree, Phil was absolutely right. Now the disruptive nature of how Livoff entered the landscape. I think that's certainly our conversation we can have.
But I don't think there's anything that you can look at the product like it or not, and it's innovative. And that's the one line that we've heard roll Ups say over and over again, that's what the sport needs.
So we are broadcasting about five miles away from where Tony Fenale cut his teeth, and you know, once upon on a time it felt like Tony was evolving and growing into potentially one of the best players in the world. And I'm not saying he's not that now, but this was not a great year for our local player who we all pull for on the tour. What do you think plagued Tony the most this year? And do you think he can bounce back next season.
I actually was kind of going down the list, and I was taken that he wasn't here because he's become such a staple and the tour championship is one of those benchmarks that you look at great players and how many times did you qualified for the Tour Championship. I think this year was a combination of things. It seems to me he lost something on the ball striking front, which, at least off the tee is what's going to carry him.
I mean, he has power that other players, most other players can't find, but if you look at it statistically, it's really on the greens where he seemed to at least lose that edge whatever it is that separated him from playing in the first playoff event and in the last playoff event being here at East Lake. So it seems to me across the board he regressed for some reason, and we don't know. There could be a very good reason for that. There could have been injury, there could
have been distractions. There's all kinds of reasons players games fall off one season. However, I don't think he's the kind of guy that doesn't find a way to rebound.
All right, Rex, before I say you loose, We also have a really cool new thing in our stayed down south in Saint George, Black Desert Resort. I've had a chance to play it a couple of times. It is awesome, and for the second straight year, the PGA Tour during their Fall Fall Tour portion of the calendar will stop at Black Desert for the Bank of Utah Championship. I don't want to diminish the field a year ago, but of course the best golfers in the world don't need
the points, but Tony might, maybe Jordan Speth. I don't know any thoughts on the potential field we could see out here for the Black Desert Championship.
You look at the guys who are scrambling outside the top seventy, those who didn't qualify for the playoffs, or those who are right there on the edge. I think the entire fall could be benefited by this, for right or wrong, but yeah, I think you could end up. I mean it makes sense for Tony to play there, certainly where he is on the points list. Jordan Speed is a little bit different animal because there are exemptions that he can fall back on from previous victories and
previous accomplishments. But I think the entire fall, including your event, I will say I was speaking with my colleague Todd Lewis just now about his fall schedule, and he actually added that event, and he's looking forward to it for good reason.
I lied to you.
I've got to ask you one more question, is the expert before I set you loose? Obviously the Ryder Cup is right around the corner. Cannot wait for that. We know who the six qualifiers are at Scotty, JJ Spahn, Xander Russell, Henley Harris, English Rice and Deshambeau.
Who fills out that team? Rex, give me your best guest before I set you loose.
We were just going around and round about this. I think you can point to some I think Colin Moore, Kawa and jt are clearly say if they're right there on the list, that makes sense to add them to the team. I think Ben Griffin has done enough this season two wins to top ten finishes in a major. I think he should be on that team. And then you start talking about some combination of Patrick Cantlay. He brings so much to the team, Cameron Young breaking three
and getting that victory. I think he would be a good addition, and of course I mean Sam Burns. I think is another interesting edition. But the one that all of us is going to be watching is Key no captain. No one has ever been in the position he's in as a captain and as someone that I think the other players will tell you he should be on that team by any measurement. He is a top ten, I mean top twelve American player, but it is going to be so difficult for him to try to do both Wednesday.
Can't get here fast enough. That's going to be fascinating.
Rex, thank you for the time. We'll set you loose. Enjoy the rest of the tournament and love to.
Do it again.
Okay, Any kinn thanks all right, Rex, Hodgrid from the Golf Channel. Really nice of him to actually join us. He's been on TV all night and all day in Atlanta at east Lake at the Tour Championship, where Russell Henley just birdied eighteen to cart A sixty one nine under.
Russell Henley is your leader in the clubhouse.
He's three shots clear of Colin Morikawa, Patrick Cantley and Justin Thomas in addition to Robert McIntyre.
They're all six hundred par.
Tommy Fleetwood is still on the course as a Scottie Scheffler.
They're both at five under par.
Then at Talk Shape, Tia Ludwig Obert, Rory McElroy four under, and then a group of players at three under this is a massive event with the best golfers in the world, so appreciate rex of time.
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