Fire Drill 024: Final U.S. Open Preview

and the score of the score of the score. And I think that's a I think that's a neat quality in Justin Thomas. And uh, you know, I think if you've got a direct line to Tiger Woods, I don't see how that could be anything other than helpful. Put another log on the fire nobody hears get the time. Hello, This is Alan Schipnuk back for another Fire Drill podcast, joined by Michael Bamberger Ryan French. It is the eve of the United States Open gens. There's been a lot

of a lot of build up. Um, finally here, I guess let's start with what has been your takeaway from the practice rounds at the country club. The way the course is playing, but more than that, just the ambiance, the feeling in the air, the Boston crowds, Like, tell people what it feels like to be on the grounds here. Yeah, I mean it's my first major, my first open, so obviously I just walk around like enjoying all of it.

So there's that. Um, And obviously I know how hard the the u S Open is and set up what it's it's great to see it in person and practice rounds. You know, we see bad shots here and there as the U S Open goes on, but to watch guys in the practice round true struggle is is really cool. Um. The crowds have been kind of I mean, obviously it's Tuesday and Wednesday whatever, but the crowds have been somewhat disappointing. But I assume they'll drink more and enjoy more. And

heckle Moore, Phil got a very nice reception yesterday. The shambo got you know, some nice applause. I was like, jeez, come on, Boston, let's get at it. But the imminence have been great. The course it looks amazing and impossibly hard. Um. I mean, the the whole ropes thing and structure thing and rules following thing is kind of disappointing. I'm at events when there is no such things and no fans, so that's obviously a bummer. But it's amazing. It really

is a very very cool. Have you seen any player get the red ass over a bad shot in practice? I haven't, but I've definitely seen some people like laugh. You know, Um, I followed a couple of groups the other day and uh, I think Monday, and uh, Andrew Putnam hit a whiff and then a shank out of the rough at a chip, and you know, just chuckled and went and picked up his ball. So, I mean, these guys have been through it a lot, so there's no there's no point in being mad at him on

a Monday afternoon. Is that the older Putnam or the younger Putnam? That is the younger and the only current playing Putnam? Oh, the other guys playing? Michael is not he was. He was my roommate when you're well just a few years ago, Channica Hills. Wow, Michael Bamberger, I feel so badly. We have to have a story about

the cryptocurrency taxi ride one day. Anyway, go on, No, the more you hang out with Bamberger, he'll he'll just bust out surprising things at the all time classic is we're talking and I knew he had just been vacationing, like in Martha's video. I said, how was it? He said, Oh, it was delightful. You know, it's just it's such a nice place, such a great time. I said, do you guys, are you gonna you know, fancy parties. I I know it's a big thing. He's like, yeah, I went to

one good one. I said, yeah, you know, actually I saw a Bomba was there at the same time. Did you have any any hint of his presence? And Michael's like, yeah, yeah, yeah I did. And um and then as there was any cool people at your party? And He's like, well, not really, I mean I guess Obama was there. He said, oh yeah. And as I said, did you have any actions like yeah, yeah, I even talked about golf like

you would have never have mentioned it. Yeah, like hold it out of it, Like whereas most of us I would have taken out a full page ad in my hometown news paper. I went to a party with Barack Obama and talked to him like I would have been a hundred and seven tweets into my interaction with Barack Obama. But I did tweet out today, good morning America. You you you whiffed on ship knock? How dare you? I mean,

I can't. I mean, as you know, Alan, but the forty seven mile walk that we made yesterday was just I just told myself over and over again to shut up and just listen to Michael stories, anything from ja K to cryptocurrency to yeah house that I described friends as we met winning the US Open in nighteen, and I was only off by five years. I later learned cult probably picked up on that, But you got to

the essence of the story. Yeah, that's what matters. Um, Michael, You've been to a lot of opens, but you know it's been whatever, it's been decades since we were at this particular Um, does this one feel any different to you now that you've been on You know, I've talked to Curtis a lot about eighty eight, and then Curtis's brother said to me, Uh, were you there? Were you there in a eight? And I wasn't, And it's like that was a bad US Open to miss? That was Uh,

that would have been a great US Open. The only time I've been to the Country Club is when you and I were there together. I don't think you've been there since then. In uh In, I love reading the Boston Globe when I'm here. It's just like one of my hobbies. And uh and they made a reference to the rocky outcroppings. I hope I have this word correct. Maybe Colt can can google it while I'm saying it. Those rocky outcrop things that you see at the country

anybody know what they're called? That's correct putting Stone? Who knew? But they're so beautiful and the golf course is so beautiful and as an and I know it the other day, which you have Vogilly that yellow clubhouse. You know, it's like it's like the light at the end of Gatsby's dock. You know, it's just it triggers a lot for me. And uh I love being a colt. Or you're googling? Can you google Getsby? So I know what the hell

that references? Do? Nobody know? You've got a PhD. And I have a question for you guys, because you guys have done this a billion times. This is a serious question. Like I assume some of this becomes routine, right, But there's so much going on in golf right now that has never happened in your time covering golf. Does it feel different? Does it feel polarizing? Doesn't I mean any of like what it What does it feel like with

all the what's going on in golf? Well, definitely this the Live Saudi PGA Tour, Phil that that's captured the non golf audience and even the non sports like um for just Time magazine wants to talk to about all this stuff like they today, I want to do an interview with them. They they don't really wade into these waters very often. And I saw Dave's are in you know, he's who's kind of covers the intersection of sports and culture and race and those issues, like I haven't read it.

I just saw on Twitter just now that he has a big think piece about all this stuff. So it's definitely a big deal. And there's been you know, there's been the strain of of our of our our readers or the people interact with on on social media state, you know, enough questions about live like let's focus on the U s Open. I think that will happen starting tomorrow with the first round. But this is a huge story. I mean It's one of the biggest story in sports

right now. Like you can't deny of it. Um, there's there's a lot happening here. So it does. It's been floating around for a long time. But it's like everything collided here. Coming coming out of London. Uh feels re emergent Bryson and announcing you know, the guy just won the US Open a couple of years ago. Like all of a sudden, it just feels like this story is exploded.

So yeah, that you know, we've been through this before with you know, say the Augusta National Membership controversy and that that became a fixation of the New York Times and that definitely crossed over to the mainstream media. And before that with Shoal Creek. Um, and there's you know, golf has been at the center of some of these storms,

but not not really in the social media age. And um, Saudi Arabia, you know with Joe Biden is about to go over there, and uh, it's it's Saudi Arabia's influence has never been greater and people have never been so tuned into it. And so you have sports, you have geopolitics, you have oil, you have money, you have greed, you have vengeance, and you have big teams here. So this this feels like like a monumental story. And uh, I don't think it's going to overstattle the US Open, but

it's definitely defined the early part of the week. That is really well said down and uh, I agree with everywhere that that everywhere that you just said. And the only thing I would add to it. What's very different about this controversy and other things that have come over the years, whether it's been Right's comment about quote lesbians in the in the in the women's game, or you know, women just happens to be another one's thing, but no women had no, no, uh, members of color at different clubs.

This one we know is being discussed by the players at every turn. So what we're doing is really reflecting the player's own interest in it. Now. Yes, once the bell goes off in that ball sitting there and you're trying to get near the whole, that's all different. But the PGA tour as we know it is being redefined now and there's no way that can't be foremost on virtually every player's mind. Maybe Ryan, maybe not so much. Some of the guys that that that you deal with.

But for a hundred other guys who are in the field this week, most definitely. Yeah, But even even even the dreamers are going to be touched by this. I mean on some level, if you have four d PGA Tour members who all of a sudden get excommunicated and there may be some more playing opportunities that will open up that you know, the Saudi money, they they're they're cleverly gonna start targeting the lower levels of golf like it's gonna touch you know, even the people in Ryan's

golfing life. I think that's why it's such a big story. A lot of different facets of the game are are being affected, even though right now that the focus is just on the top players and we you and I talked about this the other day with with with Jeff and and and matt Um. I think there is an element of I'm going to raise the flag for my tour. If you're a PGA Tour player, especially uh competing in this US Open. Now, I don't think I can make you try harder, but I think it can just raise

becausetead of trying as hard as you can. But I think it just sort of raises the stakes to some degree and in ways that maybe you can't even articulate. I think that does factor into into the week. Do you have Do you guys have a sense of that whether you agree with that or not, fairway on. Yeah, well, so that was the thing I want to do on this Podcastle's talk about some of some of the players.

And you know, the defending champ, John Ram, the guy who just won the last major championship, Justin Thomas, the hottest player in the game coming off that that very emotional win in Canada, Roy Mattha really like they have all very uh militantly thrown in with the PGA tour and they you know, they they have made their leaders is very clear. And um, I do think that they

there's a righteousness there. You can certainly saw it from Rory and you've heard it in Justin's comments and Rom you know, he's the guy who introduced fealty into the Gulf lexicon. Um So I do think that, um, there's something to that. All these guys are fueled by different things. I mean, if you know, when you when look at Tiger Woods, like the Great Tiger Woods, he needed some benign comment from Stephen Ames to get his engine revving, and a million other things, you know, all the ways

he found motivation and fuel. Some off handed comment from Rory Sabatini, some uh you know, Jack Nicholas, some newspaper columnists and eighties six kind of just missing him as a contender at Augusta like things that you that you and I would think they would just blow off like it does light the fire for even very accomplished players. And so yeah, I think you're right, Michael, like this is this is the has added in a level of intensity and and just turned up the volume on the

whole thing. And so it's it's the United States Open. They want to win this because they've always wanted to win this. But if if a live player wins this tournament, or one one of these guys who has become the flag bearer for the PGA Tour, that's certainly going to be uh commented upon, even probably by the player himself. So it's a subplot, there's no question. And and and just to follow up on that, if it's Rory or Dustin Johnson down the stretch on Sunday, even though Dustin

Johnson's in American, we're in Boston. I think they'd be rooting for Rory. Now he's Irish. That might have something to do with it. But you could substitute John Rahman. I know I would be Ryan. Yeah, it will be very interesting if there if there's a live, a live guy, and a and a tour guy. And it's so weird to say that that's where we're at in golf. Is like we're at the for racing fans, we're at the car I R l U pointing golf that we have to point out where these players are are affiliated with.

But if it comes down, I would assume, no matter what, they're going to go with tour guys. But I don't know. I mean Boston, Boston sports fans are are I a fickle bunch? So it might be DJ just to mess

with everybody. Well, and also, I mean one of the ironies and all this is that the monopolistic PGA tour, this this organization that is crusted, crushed so many reporters hopes and aspirations for telling stories in a different way, and that has lorded over the players in so many words, all of a sudden, they're like the likable underdogs in this story, which is kind of rich and um, you know, I had lunch yesterday with the DUDEO was U. He was a long time executive at the Golf Channel and

he dealt with the PGA Tour for years and years, and he says it is such an I roll that somehow the tours become sympathetic. He's like, they they are the biggest pain in the acid to deal with at every level. Like he's like, anyone engulf can't be rooting for the PGA Tour. I thought that was an interesting perspective and so, um, you know, there are people who like chaos and and there's never been you know, in golf,

you're rooting for the human. You're not rooting for the jersey, whereas in team sports, you're rooting for the jersey because some of your favorite players just leave through free agency. But you know, if you're a Red Sox or Celtics fan, the players come and go, you're rooting for the You're rooting for the laundry, right, You're rooting for the team. And so golf has never had that that element before.

And maybe that that's gonna add something to the contrarians out there and the anarchists, Uh, they might root for the live guys because it just it adds spice to the whole thing. And then then the traditionalist might be rooting for the tour guys, and so it's a whole new layer to fandom. Um. You know, I think a lot of the folks out there in the gallery aren't

paying attention to any of this. They're just happy to be a golf tournament and just want to hit shots, and they only known the name of ten players in the field. But the lunatic fringe that consumes all of our stuff and that that we're catering to at the fire Pit Collective, they're tuned into this and they probably have some some rooting allegiances, and some of them might be against the tour for a variety of reasons. So it's it's a it's a wild turn of events for sure.

I would say that PGA Tour out to your comment earlier, the PGA Tour maybe the underdogs, but they've got a long ways to go to become likable. Yeah, I mean, that's that's a real thing. Like I will say this, when I was over at the live event in London and Phil hit one in the trees, I just pulled out my camera and I filmed like this thirty second recovery shot and the fans going crazy, and I posted on Twitter and it was like, wow, that was liberating, Like, um,

because I'm there for the fans. They want to see all these shots. A lot of them are not going to watch the live stream. They just they just didn't get into it. But they want they want some highlights, they want some sense of what it's like. And you know, same thing that is, you know, the first t shots to kind of kick this event off. I put those

up on Twitter, you know videos. Now, if we've done that at a PGA Tour event, as we all know, especially Ryan knows, like they would, they would unleash the hounds on us. And we're public enemy number one because we're trying to put some fun content out for fans and at the live event kind of anything goes and they almost encourage you to do that stuff because you're helping them from you know, just read the word and

to bring fans closer to the action. So that was a funny moment for me, like, Wow, this is cool. I can do whatever the hell I want. Yeah, I don't I don't know whether this is gonna. I didn't know this podcast was going to go here, and Jay can just cut this out if it is, but I will tell quickly, Michael mind. I know the story. Alan knows the story of my interaction with the PGA tour, and you know why, Like you said, you know, it's hilarious that that somehow they've become that good guys in

this thing. So I was videoing Monday Qualifies forever, got a phone call that they wanted me to basically stop after I had helped them walk, that they invited me out and they invited me on a call to offer me a job, and that they offered me a job for thirty tho dollars a year that I had to start a new Monday Qualifying account. Basically it was censorship.

I mean I remember a person on the Zoom call getting on and saying, Hey, Ryan, I'm I make a pros and cons video, or of pros and cons list of of where we go and when I look at a new job. And he said the fact that you can continue to video it would be in the in the pros and that's all he said in the entire Zoom call. And I didn't even know that I couldn't video anymore. That was their way of letting me know. So it's a state run media organization kind of. I mean,

that's how they keep it. They threatened people, not out ortally, but very like, hey, if you write that, we're not going to get you credentials or whatever. And so all these guys have to swallow a lot of stories. And it's pretty avert. It's pretty overt. I mean, the threats are not subtle. So it was very eye opening. I got off the phone and I remember calling my wife and it's like, it's basically like a video a call

with the mob. They were just like, hey, you're gonna write this and do this, or you're not going to be able to do this. And I'm like what, I just had no idea. It was so eye opening into you know what. It is, so long story short to say, I can't believe it that the somehow the PGA tour is the good guys in there in here, They're they're not they're the better guys, the best of the word.

I don't know, whatever the thing is. That's what my wife said of Rex Tillerson when when when he finally when she that's what she said when he finally left the Trump administration, we just lost the best of the worst. Uh. Ryan to the point, by the way, Bryce and Di Schambeau may have his price, but Ryan French is not gonna be bought forty dollars a year. There's I thought about it. I had worked three years for a free talk. Just kidding. Good question for you. You're a lot of

your players haven't seen greenside pitch shots. Uh like these shots, and Alan and I have been talking about this a little bit of Alan has been mentioned several times. You've got to be able to play two types of really of green side pitch shots. I'm not even using the word chip shots really because I'm really talking about an open faced wedge shot when the balls in the air longer than it's on the ground. The ferries are super tight and they're gonna get tighter, and the rough is nerally.

A lot of your guys playing of courses don't have these kinds of conditions. Have you observed them trying to adjust and learn on the fly how to play some of these shots? Yeah, I mean, I uh, I'm watching Luke close the closest, but a lot of these guys are are spending way more time at then they would around the greens. Um. For those that don't know, in a in a apro practice practice round, drives and approach shots outside of seeing how the ball reacts on the

greens aren't really a part of their practice rounds. If they hit it in the rough, they know they're screwed. So oftentimes they will hit a few out of the rough just to kind of see how it reacts. But outside of that, if they hit in the rough, they'll move it back in the fairway because they want to get a good assessment of the thing of the of the how they would play the whole, assuming they hit

it well. Um. But and they do a few chips and putts, But a lot of the guys that I follow are doing way, way, way more chipping and putting around the green than they would at a normal thing because, like you said, there, they don't see rough like this, And it's obviously one of the many disadvantages of playing

many tours. Many tours play on you know, municipal courses, and they don't see They might see it at home, or they might have access to a practice range that has something or a practice area that has something but they don't see this on an eighteen whole level, you know, ever in competition. So it's one of the disadvantages of

the qualifier qualifiers faces. Yeah, they might be as talented, you know as a guy who and you know, hundredth in the on the PGA Tour, But the guy who hundred the PGA Tour uh A has a place to play next week, and b has played in conditions somewhat like this. So yes, way more uh time around the greens than they would normally would, right that. That's why Alan made the point the other day with Jeff Ogilvy that in a weird sense, it's the easiest major to win.

It's no major's easy to win. But I think, if I may speak for you Allan, Allan's point was that they're only thirty golfers maybe forty in the field who actually have the golfing sophistication to play some of these greenside shots that were talking about to get themselves in position to shoot anything like two eighty in the first place.

Most of this field can't shoot two eighty. Yeah. And and also to Ryan's point as well, I mean, really firm greens is a differentiator at every level, and you're not gonna find brick, hard baked out, closely cropped greens like this in many places. I mean, it's not sustainable at any level. Like you can, you can, you can put push them to the edge for one week like the U. S J always does and they've done here. But no country club, no municipal course, is ever gonna

let their greens go go this far. So how the ball reacts, what kind of shots you have to hit, what kind of grind you have on your wedges like these, you know, on in these turf conditions, it's it's all new, and it's a fascinating subplot. And that's why why we love the US Open. It's just asked different questions that any other tournament on the planet, and a lot of the guys don't have the answers, and that that's what's

so thrilling about it. I was just gonna say along those lines, when you when you take a really cerebral player like Justin Thomas, who is playing really well, and then you realize that he's come here a week ahead of everybody else, and in a minute of speaking, you can spend a week getting it in your head. What am I going to do to play these shots, and then you really come with a purpose. Could that mean you know, a half a shot around. There's no way to really do the math. But it can't hurt, it

can only help. And with with that in mind, I don't really know who in the field had that kind of preparation. I know Justin did, uh, but I would be I would be looking to players like that who had that luxury of knowing they were going to be in the event, may be coming here early and really getting themselves in the mindset of this is what I'm going to need to do to win a US Open or contend in the US Open. I think it is

more likely how they think of it. I mean that was that was part of Tiger's secret, is he felt that the tournament owed him because he had put in the work. He had come and he'd played the practice rounds, he'd done the prep. He's like, I've worked harder than anybody else. I deserve to win this, And that's an important mindset. Is the same thing with Nicholas right, like he's talking, I could go to the Majors. He played four rounds and keep score and he Jack had already

shot two eighty on this golf course. He just did it the week before, so um, and again, these are not luxuries that a lot of guys have where they can invest the time and the money and build their whole season around majors and and preps. That it's another reason why the best players are the best players, because they've put put in very intentional work and a lot of guys don't don't have that appetite or they don't have that freedom. Um. I'm glad you mentioned Justin because

I wanted to talk about him. He's a guy who's kind of been overlooked and Rory has become the face of the sport. Um. But I think going back to the two thousand seventeen PGA that that justin one, no one had doubled up on a major until until JT just did it. And you know he has he has bones as his caddie now, who's obviously brings a certain presence and know how and what do we think about Justin Thomas's place in the game. What Live has done is kind of made people outspoken, at least at this

aspect of it. So he's definitely become more outspoken. Um, and a defender's kind of put everybody in the camp. So I kind of like to see that about Justin is you know, just I like to see it about athletes. I say it all the time to you guys. Is the players that I cover have no one to answer to. So I I get honesty and and rawness and UH at all times for the most part. Um. But from the top athletes, they have so many ramifications from saying,

you know, what is on their mind. But this has kind of made people forced to answer though, So it's been good to see a more animated, opinionated Justin. Uh. I would follow up by saying, without Tiger in the field. And it's weird that we've been talking golf all week and Tiger's name barely has come up. Uh, without Tiger in the field, Justin Thomas's Tigers target. Uh, he's got that, you know, get out of my way quality. I'm all

about the golf. There really is no distracting interest in any love sports other than golf, like like Tiger does, but he really is about the work on the range, the work on the course. Uh. And the score, the score of the score. And I think that's a I think that's in neat quality in Justin Thomas and uh, you know, I think if you've got a direct line to Tiger Woods, I don't see how that could be

anything other than helpful. Yeah. I feel like, you know, like the guys lose their way, right and with the money and the fame, and I think it's easy to coast. And you've seen a lot of young players who they

kind of peak earlier, they flat line. But I think Tiger is like it is like JT's conscience and uh, and if you're feeling if you feel like you want to take a week off and you don't want to work on your game, whether Tiger actually says it in a text message or you just know he might like I think that gets I think that gets JT out of bed. And then he does have a special gift. And I think Tiger's instilled in him like he has an obligation, like like there's there's there's something to chase

and that that's invaluable. You know, you can imagine that Justin Thomas to do list it looks something like this to do list today, get better at golf. No second, no second, Yeah, or maybe number two is scan the Alabama football message boards for the latest recruit information. But that's about it. I mean, m so it's impressive. Well, let's talk about Tiger because you know, his he looms large in his absence and we we all got to watch the grind at Southern Hills, and uh, I think

it's a little melancholy that he's not there. I think, you know, the Masters was giddy. It's like, oh my god, Tiger's back. He's got so much heart, Like it's such a thrill to watch him. And maybe he can he can keep improving and the lego gets stronger. Southern Hills was like a reality check like, Okay, this is gonna

be harder than we thought. Um, and I think this week is like it's kind of it's a bummer, like, well, um, this is this this, this is the reality that even an iron will cannot necessarily overcome just a broken body. You know. It's it's I think if if you told Tiger he had to walk a hundred miles, he would do it if he had to, if there was a competitive aspect to it. But that's not the same as being able to execute golf shots and get your body

to move in a certain way. And um, it's just like the reality is like he's damaged his body in so many ways and his absence here is heavy to me. It's like, okay, this is even even Tiger acknowledging like maybe maybe I can't do this. And what is your guys take away from from him kind of punting on this tournament and saying he's gearing up for for the

old course, But what is the state of Tiger? I I take it kind of opposite Alan from the standpoint that, and it comes off of your tweet that on at the Master's he should have withdrawn at the last round, right, Like Tiger, as you said, has never had anything that has kept him back, even injuries. He's driven through those

to the detriment of his body. Obviously, maybe this is the side of Tiger that he's matured enough to know that he can't walk this course, he can't hit out of the rough in these courses, So he's going to save himself for the Masters and the Open Championship. That kind of fit a what he can do for clear

and be his game at this point. So I take it as a good sign that he knows that his body is broken down, that he can't do the U s open anymore, and he's going to play and pick events that we're going to be able to see him. So maybe this run, let's say it was five years. I don't know what it is that he could come back and play. Maybe it's now seven, or it was gonna end. You know, he could come here and twist the wrong way and there's a lot of little hills

and the ground isn't even and those kind of things. Uh. I think it's maybe a sign of maturity that hey, yeah, my body is is seriously broken. Let me play whatever. That number of events is a year, three two seven events a year, and maybe I can do this for four or five more years instead of playing all the events I want to play for two years. I agree with that. Ryan part of the genius of of Tigers.

He's both hyper realist and an idealist or fantas just really about about what what what he can do and um, but the realism he's so realistic about the ball in the lie and what he can do with the shot,

and he's and he's so realistic about his expectations. So if he's gonna I think he knew he had very little chance to come in here, and even making a cut and being able to walk it for thirty six holst alone seventy two, and he's looking at the old course and he's thinking, it's flat, I can walk it, I know how to play it, and uh, the greens are you know whatever, whatever, the greens are there slow And I mean he's a great fast, green green putter, So that's kind of a he knows how to play

links goff is what I'm really trying to say. I got a chance, uh and uh and I need and I need to rest myself up. So I think he knew for that Friday around in Southern Hills there's a really poor chance of me not even shooting eight and what kind of toll will that take on me? And he was wise to withdraw. It's unfortunate, Uh, but it's understandable. And uh so yeah, I think he's just sized up

this scheduled. Having said all that, I find it really hard and everything you say about Tigers wrong and so I'm not being modest. It is almost literally effect. I really don't see a path for Tiger to play competitive golf at the highest level again until maybe he's fifty and he's playing in in in senior Majors, Jake, please edit that out, um for the listeners. That's jakemble Downey, who's these podcast producers, And uh, we love Jake and he's great, but we're not gonna hut that out I think.

I mean, I hope you guys are right, you know. I guess I'm feeling just pessimistic. And yeah, this is definitely not an easy walk and the old course is certainly flatted. It's a bummer to think that Tiger is going to have to choose his schedule by the length of the grass and the topography. But maybe that's just realistic. But of course Augustin National is the hardest walking golf,

so I don't know. I think this would have been a great, great course for Tiger because he could have played so many crafty shots off the tea um, and the fairways are are slick. I mean, he could have he could have just hit two irons and stingers and as we've talked about, you know, shaping the ball into

these tiny greens and then the recovery shots. Like I actually think this is one of the best you guys open venues for him because a lot of them are now like you saw wingfoot it's just about how far you can hit it, and whether you're in the rough or not, it doesn't even matter. Um Ah, I think this is a different kettle of fish, and I think it would have been amazing to watch him navigate this golf course. But well, to your point, Mary shapes up well for him. There you go. Yeah, I mean, um,

I don't know. I appreciate your optimism. I need I need some of that because I'm I'm missing Tiger this week. It's just his presence to me. It's kind of glum. Okay, I just addressed Tiger directly here. If he's he's listening this far into the podcast, presumably he is. I think there's a great second chapter. I know I've said this before, but I want to keep saying it until we get some kind of reaction from Tiger, like, yeah, that's a

really good idea. I would love to see him get really involved in the PGA Tour and be something like Chairman of Competitions and be part of a small group that's going to reinvent the PGA Tour as we do, because they think it's going to have to happen. And I think there's no one with more gravitas and more experience um to do it then he Uh. I just think would be a really neat thing for golf and

it would be great for him. My goal, Michael Bamberger, is to use the word gravitas, he learn what how the hell to use it and be use it in a podcast before the end of the week. You just did Alan. Uh, Well, Tiger isn't is an X factor in all this wrangling between the tours, because what does Jamna have, Monahan have that the Saudis don't Tiger fucking Woods like the greatest golfer of all time, still the

biggest draw. And as you're saying, Michael, if if he's not gonna be able to play that much tournament golf, how can you leverage Tiger? And if I'm Monahan, I'm gonna fly down to Jupiter. I can say, Tiger, what is your vision for the PGA Tour and how can

we bring it to life? And let Tiger shape the schedule, let him create his own invitationals, his own formats, like have a tour within the tour, as you're saying, that is completely Tiger centric, and he has a he's the he's out front and center and whatever crazy idea has the answers yes and whatever if you want, if you whatever course he wants to go to, whatever format, if

he wants to give Charlie a sponsors exemption. Sure like like Tiger Woods, is could be the savior of the PGA Tour in a way that we never would have imagined given his limit. And I don't think of leverage as a political word in this context, even though he does represent a great a great deal leverage. I just mean his actual intelligence and love of tournament golf and the creative side that we we actually do see on the golf course. We don't see it too much off

the course. Um, he could just end the fact that he needs something in his life. It would just be an absolute win win. Yeah. I love that. Uh all right, well, as we as we set the stage for for tomorrow's first round, in any any parting thoughts about about this Open, I mean, do we have has anything caught your eye either in the press conferences in the practice rounds, I would just offer this really quickly, and Ryn you may

you may know the answer. It's amazing to me to think that we haven't been here for US Open since and I don't know of him. Maybe you guys do. When is it coming back here? Because this place is iconic and beautiful and Boston is a great city for for for for national open um. Did you know when it's coming back? I have no idea. Do you happen to al? I'm googling it right now, but I don't think every googling, I don't think it. I don't think

it's it's been announced. But to get to that point, Michael, like, we all have our for a mental bucket lists of the courses that we want to play that we haven't and the Country Club has like skyrocket in my own rankings because it just just so visually spectacular and it's there's nothing like it in American golf with the blind shots, and I mean, it really feels like you're at Cruton

Bay or something. I mean it's it's wild and wooly and funky and you know, to use Jeff Ogli's word from the other the other night, I mean, it's nuanced and it's quirky. And I love this place. I mean it it is just fit to me. This is like the most beautiful golf course I've seen in a long time. And this golf course place in US use hands because

it doesn't emphasize length exactly. I mean, one of the one of the first you know, it's been said many times, one of the founding members of the U s g. A is one of the oldest clubs in the world. And if they can't make a US Open work here, they should just fold up and quit the whole thing. So the fact that it's gonna be a spectacular tests and the score, the winning scores are gonna be even par or whatever, and it's not eight thousand yards like.

Of course, they have lengthened it and they have tweaked it, but that's that's the way it goes. But yeah, it looks timeless and I think it's gonna be. It's going to be such a star this week. So it makes me even more excited about about this open. Ryan. Any last thoughts, Uh, here's to a Here's to a qualifier winning. That's all I have to say. This is the the chance of a lifetime in any sport. Nothing like it. A guy could come out of the mini tours to

win the biggest championship in the world. So um, Jake is showing me a sign that I have to mention our sponsors are awesome sponsors power Points. You should download the app. It's a new way to score and golf. It's pretty awesome. I love it, and they've been a huge supporter of us, and I really appreciate it. I don't even know if I'm supposed to do the sponsor ed, but I'm going I'm running with it right now. So

download power Points. Uh. They've been super awesome to us, and we appreciate this so we can do this crazy stuff and yell at alan and talk over each other, and uh, we appreciate their their Hell yes to um to the listeners who have endured the cross talk, we we love you and we thank you. UM. And it will be reduced as the week goes on. We're gonna come up with some elaborate hands signals an look like a third base coach or the base is loaded, and we'll work out the kinks. But this is another fire

drill podcast. We will be doing them probably every day going forward, or we'll bring on US Open champion Jeff Ogilvie for a few of them at least. And uh, thanks as always for listening. Michael Bamberger, Ryan Frent Uh onward. Were enough talk. Let's let's let's let's play some golf in earnest let's start counting up the strokes, I mean, early weeks. Stuff is interesting, but now when it gets really good. So the US Open US year, we're loving it.

Thanks for listening. Put another log on the fire. Nobody here is get the time.