Fire Drill 028: Open and Shut

the same company as Jack Nicholas. So he has had He's a young man, he's had a great golfing life already and he'll either keep it going or he won't keep it going. He's going to be around for years. Put another log on the fire nobody hears give the time. Hello, Welcome back to another Fire Drill podcast. This is Alan the ship Nik. Sitting right next to me is Michael Bam. We hear at the country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. It's Sunday evening after the US Open. Jeff Ogilvy is joining

us from Melbourne, Australia on the Internet. What the US Open? I mean today was so much fun. I just loved the energy of it. Great golf, big time players, Jeff, what did you see that you liked on this this kind of memorable show. I mean, yeah, you're right, it was perfect on it. It was a few birdies to be had, lots of lots of big names, two or three guys who hadn't won a major. Chefla keeps showing

up even though we underestimated. No one ever picks him at the start of the week, but he's just there every time. And he was one part away from being in it in the playoff. Gussie. I mean, what a bunker shop from Fitzpatrick on the last time. Pretty impressive. Yeah, just a great tournament. It was. It's great to have a US Open than isn't marred by some sort of pitching and moaning about the setup. And there was some birdies, but there was plenty of carnage and lots of guys

had a chance. I think a lot of guys will look back after the weekend that they had. There was a lot of guy If you look back, a lot of guys had a chance with two rounds to play, you know what I mean. But Matt, I mean, if you look back to Southern Hills, he was probably one of the best players in the field. If not the best player in the field, and he sort of looked a little testy, and I even Billy looked a little

grumpy with him. Sort of towards the end of Sunday, I thought, at least watching on TV, that his man had sort of lost his way attitude wise. So I kind of felt that he was sort of ready for ready to go the next step. You would have learned tons out of Southern Hills. And he came here and got the job done, finished it off like a proper major champion, seventeen grains. That doesn't happen very often, and he was open. What do you think, mate? Agree with

all of that, and agree with your sentiment. And I've always rooted for the US open for the greatness of it, and it's it's hurt me actually on a personal level to see sort of the masters you surve it and I don't know what it is about this week. And I think you felt the same, Alan and Jeff, had you been here, I think you would have built the same And like for the second we got on campus,

We're like, this is what it's all about. It's so cool, it's so intense, it's so beautiful, it's charming, and it's tough, it's got history, it's the whole package. And I just feel like I feel like the Usapeen elevated itself this week. I fully agree. And you know, even even though it's US in the summer, except when you're maybe at Pebble or Tory, I mean, it's a hot weather tournament, but sort of that that the coolness and the gray skies,

it felt right. I felt like she'd been wearing tweed, you know, like everything about you instinct that they think back to nineteen thirteen and all all the great history here and the old history, and it just it just felt right, a little gloaming, and it really did. Yeah, it felt spooky, and this place is a little spooky and a little weird Ben Crenshaw, you know, kissing the Green and it's got weird and spooky and it was just neat and every way. By the way, I only

learned it trucently in thirteen. They played it in September, so they probably had some kind of cooler weather. But yeah, this is really what it's all about. It only sorry Jeff was in the field. I think he would have so appreciated the whole thing. I know indeed, Um, well, let's let's give our due to the champ. I mean you said it, Jeff, that that shot out of the bunker, and I mean Fitzpatrick was nailed all day. He was playing so beautifully and he was just letting the club go.

I mean he just looked like he was free swinging out there. And then really the worst shot he had all day was probably that quick cook off eighteen t and he's like, oh, oh, you know, we needed Johnny Miller on the call. That's pressure, you know. And I was like, oh, here we go him, and let's be fair. I mean, Fitzgerald Fitzpatrick is I think over six in

the Ryder Cup. He did struggle at Southern Hills, So you had this sense of like foreboding, like, oh, man, is he gonna let this get away after playing so beautifully? So what is it about a fairway bunker shot of Jeff that is particularly challenging or maybe there's something you know, the way you can pick the ball clean out of sand, like talk us through the mechanics of that shot under pressure and just how good it was. Wow, I mean it's it's the last place you want to finish. I

think on the last while. I mean, because so much can go wrong. I mean, look, John showed us yesterday that you stend a little bit, you stay in the bunker. It's you get one grain of sound between your club and the ball, and it's not going to get to the green. It's a very sort of low margin for error shot. He was let off a little bit that

he kind of had to fade it. I mean, I don't know if he's the same and everyone else is the same, but I've always felt a fade out of a fairway bunker is kind of what you want to do. It's a lot easier than trying to hit a drawer. If he'd had the same sort of draw around that little mound, that would have been exponentially more difficult. I would have thought, so let off there, But he was right down on the steel and the grip on it. He wasn't going to hit the ball fat And yeah,

great shot, incredible, You're right. He looked very free, free all day. And his putting stroke just looks money. It looks like if you just watch his putter, it looks like it's a robot punting. It's just perfect. You know. When he kept that sort of that pace. He's quite quick for an analytical, methodical guy. He gets up to it and goes really fast, which I really like. It's fun to watch watch him play. And he didn't slow down at all. And he hit that put on the

last pretty fast, hit the bunk shop pretty fast. Um. Yeah. He looked at everything a winner all day really, and I was interesting about him and Will coming up the last because those two sort of I mean, I know, if it, Matt's won a lot of times in Europe but hasn't won over here and needed to sort of. He's trying to win his first major. Wills trying to win his first tournament. It's unbelievable. The majors have got

the one he's gonna hit. Looks like he's going to get his first win, and I major Will, Um, so I was interesting to see it just come down to those two on the last hole and they both played the whole last hole like Tiger and Ernie, right. It was it was impressive. Yeah, it was neat to hear Fitzpatrick talking about that, but you know he's a free day taught Will too much, you know, just so and so matched play and of course, uh Fitzpatrick where playing match play, when he went went, when he won the

USM What what do you like about the kid? He's smart, he's methodical, he's English, he's straight Uh. He seems like a straightforward personality. Doesn't look like he's playing games with anybody. Hum. And he just stood up there, you know, Will was the field was serving him a lot. And when you looked at that board at the turn, you know, it wasn't like, oh this is mine to loose. It's like anybody could win this thing. And then things changed a

little bit. But he seems like a methodical, intelligent player that should win a US Open, like Faldo should have won a US Open. Yeah, yeah, interesting? Can I as Jeff a quick technical question? Always, Jeff, when you're getting that you know those fairway bunkers. I heard this as a kid. I've been doing ever since. But I'm bad at a fairway bunker, So maybe I don't have the right idea. Do you choke up as much as you dig in? Um? I try not to dig in too much. I try not to get too deep with my feet.

I mean it depends on the sand and it's all every bunder South's different. That's the the fun part about bunkers, Um, I would always choke up a lot. It depends how it feels. And if the balls above your feet, you choke up a lot. If it's below, you don't. I think it's a feel thing. I think your issue is you might need to just practice them a little bit more. You don't do much. One doesn't generally. Generally it's not

a shot than anyone practices. And I think we're actually very fortunate when we play on tour because we played courses where fairway bunkers are so prominent, and we're in them all the time. We just get natural practice by playing on tour out of fairway bunkers. Yeah, you don't see many of us practice him on the range. There's very few places you can actually practice him, so you really have to just play lots of golf and just working out as you go along. I think with certain

swings suit it. Certain swings suit fairway bunkers. He's very shallow on the down swing, which is going to really help him and other swings. Other guys seemed to their fairway bunker shops all the time, and some guys seemed to finn him. Greg Norman was incredible out of a fairway bunker. Yes, a lot of guys. Tiger has been great, but it's just practiced a lot. Yeah. Yeah, Savvy was a great bunker player, fairway bunker. But he really picked Was he really down to the steel? I didn't pick

up on that? Was he that choked up? It was pretty low. There was a lot of inches of grip above his hands. Yeah that's cool. Yeah, it was really cool. So it's cool to sort of sort of feel it out on the last hole. Not rely. I mean for a guy who's quite formulaic, I guess um he sees does seem to play quite feel based golf. For a guy who jots down every shot and stat he's a stat ging analytic sort of guy. He does seem to play a very feely based game, which is sort of

fun to watch. This is another subtle thing, but I want your your take on this. Jeff is Fitzpatrick puts first. He's got maybe two feet, I mean, nothing to gimme when the US opens on the line. But um, you know, he hold out and then let will have his his put to tie, which sort of denied himself the glory

of rushing in the last put. And you know, the moment and hugging the caddy like at an emotional level, he may have he may have denied himself a once in a lifetime opportunity, But what is the thinking there? Just to get your put you know, get your ball in the whole. First, it was so close, it was not you was never going to miss that. I was surprised he tapped it in, to be honest. Yeah, and from a tour player's perspective, and everyone else thinks this

is ridiculous. But I was thinking he's going to stand on his through line. You can't stand on his through line. But then I started thinking, well that days through line doesn't really matter because he's he's not going to win if he doesn't make it. But I thought he was going to stand on his line through the hole, And then I thought, you don't tap it in because you're not going to miss it anyway, and you're gonna have

a chance to tap at him. And the winner is supposed to put out last right generally if you can make it happen. But he was obviously a match play mindset in those last couple of holes. So just get the ball in the hole. And I don't I think it turned out perfectly. He was standing next to Billy.

Billy was clearly genuinely chuffed to use a word that they would use over there, just just genuine happiness that he'd sort of finally got his major and he'd got his man over the line that obviously had some frustrations at Southern Hills on Sunday and stuff. And I just think it was a nice moment that they were standing next to each other when he won. Talk about Billy faster than Caddy, who's been out here forever and one dozen, does the tournaments with different players but never won a major.

What do you know about Billy? Well, one of the funniest people on tour, one of the brightest, and probably could be a great writer, Cup Captain. No, Joe just actually could be a great writer, Cup Captain. I'm sure you've been in groups of them many times, Jeff. What's he like to be in or has he ever been on your bag? Or what's he like in a group If he hasn't been, I've never had him on the bag, but I've been out with him lots and lots of times. I mean, he's fantastic, He's a very funny man. He

could be a stand up comedian without any troubles. I think he gives great speeches at golf clubs and always got lots and lots of stories. Tells fantastic heavy stories, brilliant Westwood stories and Darren Clark stories. I mean, he's caddied for the Who. So he's basically caddied for every writer, cup hero that Europe's ever had, you know what I mean,

He's just a legend of the game. He's say, sort of ageless, really, I mean he was well experienced, sort of long time caddy when I got out Onto I went up went to Europe in ninety ninety nine and he'd been there a long time and he was very respected then and he's still going strong. Probably the pick of the Europeans that you would pick if you had if you had a European caddy to pick out of the basket, you would pick Billy if you had a chance to get him. Fantastic Keddy and and as you say,

arguably the funniest man out there. I mean, the caddy is a funny people, but he's probably the king of the bunch and has has more great story. He could fill up ten hours of a podcast with just stories and you'd just be begging for more. Fantastic. Yeah, that's neat. It's actually a good idea, noted, very well noted. Yes, Uh, in ninety one when I carried for Peter tarvan In in Europe, he was ninety one. That's a long time ago. He was already catting for Sevey and Sevey was playing

good golf then. So you wouldn't have gotten that job job in ninety one, you know, thirty plus years ago, unless you were damned good at your job. And here he is winning years Open, and here's two time US opened. Andy North come through the house and we got Jef Vogelby on the line here. Yeah, a lot of people the US Open here, but not me and you Michael Um. I mean that that was cute because I was I had a perfect glimpse of it where you could see

will missus putt and Fitzpatrick didn't even react. He just looked at Billy and you know, Billy's crying and uh, you know, it was a rare moment where almost the caddy was more refocused than the player, and it was it was kind of cute. I think it suits Fitzpatrick out. It's very generous of him. It was not like, Hey, I'm the guy, this is all about me. He was like he was, he was happy to kind of almost felt like to share the moment with his caddy, And yeah,

I thought that's something rut bit about him. Can we go back that one moment about tapping. I'm so glad you concluded with match play mentality, because that's really what it is, you know, for those two guys coming down eighteen, it's gonna be one either gonna playoff. Basically, not necessarily, it's either gonna playoff. Matt Fitzpatrick's gonna win this thing.

Once he's got the putt to guarantee a playoff. I think he's got to make it because then all the pressures on Will's allot towards It's like there's no other wiggle room except where must make the putt. It's like, well, if they don't make it, there's some freak a chance you might miss from twenty inches. Yeah. So I think I just think in the matchplay sense of it, with all due respected through line, he absolutely did the right thing.

And I'm one, like you were saying, I'm one for like on the moment, but the moment is make sure tomorrow morning I got the trophy in the ribbon that goes with it in the tournament. Yeah, the metal I mean, I mean guys have mis sort putts, you know, whether it's Scott Son of the Hills, yeah, chief and Mark Brooks, like it does happen, You're right. So he tapped it in off. He tapped it in off one leg. It was a tapped in. Come on, I'm a yepper. I'm

always nervous. I'm literally nervous watching guys make short puts because that's how bad my yipping is. Yeah, we're never playing golf together, Jeff, it won't be well. I'm looking forward to it. Yeah. Well, let's how it was the commentating. Did you did you have the sound on today? Sound off? I had to sound on. We've got the world fade here in Australia, so we kind of bounced back and forward from the NBA secrew to some frustrating stuff. But

it was really good. Zingers fantastic. I think in the box he's sort of that perfect sort of blend. He's not quite Johnny, but he says it how he sees it, and he's a very intelligent golfer. Zinger, and you can tell he just gets excited because that's his moment, right. He loves that he's the closer he got to the last hole, the more he loved it. And he's just he's such a competitive guy. I think he's fantastic. I think john Woods are great. He's become great at the job,

you know. I mean, it's such a smart thing. They did get Bones and John down on the side of the fairways because it's really arguably they know more from the side of the fairway than the player does because they've spent their career watching golf from the side of the player, you know, and assessing lies and watching other players. And he's he puts together a really good thing, and yeah, it was It's very enjoyable. I mean I miss the

old Johnny days, to be honest. I mean, yeah, I thought Johnny I think sometimes got a bit bored of the job towards the into the normal weeks, but he was always just fantastic on US Open Sunday, like that was his day of the year. Um, So I missed that a little bit, but I think Zing is the perfect guy to replace him. Um I'm glad we're back on NBC. No offense to Fox. Um, but I feel

at the US Open, at least in my lifetime. I mean I remember ABC and the rossy sort of gid ranking days and stuff too, But um, at least in my sort of career in lifetime, that the US Opens feels like it belongs on NBC. And Johnny was a star, you know, he elevated by his presence, you know. And Johnny elevated that oh six US open that wing foot big time. He was so perplexed by what Phil was doing. Ben Hogan is rolling over in his grave. It's one of the all time great calls. He's like, this better

be the forward when Phil guests a lass. Yeah, it was not the foreward. Um, oh, it's such great stuff. Um well, I mean you mentioned this earlier. John. There's some players who are gonna really be kicking themselves because in the end, Uh, the course played a little softer today. There was there was birdies to be made. And by the way that when I woke up this morning, I opened my windows and I could see puddles out on the street. I mean it was a pretty good rain

here in Brooklyn. So you know, I think if in the absence of that, of course, would have been tougher, and I think the USGA would have probably pushed it a little bit more, but there's nothing you can do when it rain. Sunday morning. It was weirdly perfect scoring conditions. It was not what we thought it would be, and that is one of the great beauties of an outdoor sport, you know, to be windy and culled and it was

pleasant and still and overcast and you could see the shots. Yeah, no, I think I think a war of attrition is fun, but it was really felt like a shootout. I mean, guys were hitting some incredible shots, like um that I don't know what iron As Altorius hit on that long part three? What is sixteen? Like? That was? That was pure? That was I mean he had just made bogie two shots, swing, looks like he's out of it, and he flagged it from to twenty, got back in the fight. I mean

that was That was a big time golf shot. And you know, if the green was brick hard, that thing probably rolls over to the rough and it's different stories. So, um, it's not. It is nice when when great shots are received. Yeah, I think we can all agree with that. Yeah, some guys who went backwards today, John Rom, Rory McIlroy. I mean, let's just put a little bow on their weeks. As particularly surprised with Rom. I mean he started three under

um and he was never a factor today. And you know, Rory made a bunch of birdies, a bunch of bogies. He was there, he wasn't there. It was just quintessential Rory performance. But watching the watching those guys play played out, what what did you see? Yeah, yeah, I mean Rory's gonna look back again. I mean he didn't really lose it today. I think he probably lost it yesterday. Um. Um, he just he's just top five in majors every time.

It doesn't really matter how. He plays the same sort of manager gazeway in the top five, but he doesn't seem to figure on the leader board as much as he probably should. But again, these things are hard. These tournaments are hard. He carries a fair weight of expectation, um, self expectation and everyone else's expectation. Um, it's been a long time since he's won one, so it's hard. I

mean sort of, he's trying his hardest. Yeah, I mean, it wouldn't be surprised if he wins four or five more, but the way it goes it looks like but he could not win anymore, right, So, I mean he really knows he's so good, and you look at last week, and you watch last week, it's like, Wow, this guy should win two of the easy year. But yeah, I mean he's going to ruin a little bit. John's going to be a little bit annoyed. I think. I mean the last nineteen holes, he looked, he looked for all

accounts at the winner. Didn't he have with a hold of play yesterday? John on Sunday doesn't normally go that way, but just wasn't his week. I mean, these things are tough. I mean, you can play well and ship two or three over like you just get off to a rough start and it's they're really tough. I mean her deck, he played unbelievable. What around He had a little frustrated

at him when he didn't hit the seventeenth grain. It would have been fun to see him get in the house at four, which might have put a little bit more pressure on the guys coming in. Colin sort of a backdoor top five. He sort of had a good start of the week and was gone yesterday and had a great day to day. I mean, he was never really in it, but he's ended up. He's gonna History's gonna show a top five, which is pretty cool. Um Adam had one. Keeps showing up in big tournaments too. Yeah,

you know, he's he's a man for this occasion. He's just got that really tidy. It's Fitzpatrick like right, he's sort of methodical and goes about his business, hits the ball really tired. He doesn't do anything that's gonna blow. You're gonna walk straight past him on the range. But like then at the end of the week, he's right up there again. You know. Um just keeps coming up with a good sad one. So yeah, I mean Guido had a top fifteen Guidos the US Open. Incredible, Yeah, fantastic.

I'm glad you mentioned Guedo because when I was I was walking in today, he was going down the seventeenth fairway. He was hitting the vaighte pen and I tweeted about this and I said, I don't care, it doesn't bother me. But is in the context of a very stressful tournament round, is nicotina performance enhancing drug? And is it something that you know, should be regulated in some way, and it led to all kinds of people calling me your prude stuff.

I'm not an offended by, but you know it's someone's like, well, what about aspirin or what about gate read? But you know, in the United States there's a minimum aids. It's a regularly an industry. It's acknowledged by the government to be, you know, essentially a harmful and or addictive substance. And what I mean obviously guys chew some Arnie and Palmer Arnie and Hogan and plenty of others smoked. But you know, it is a funny thing. I mean, we all recognize

it affects your your body in some way. Like do you think it has a place in big time competitive golf? Joke? I think people should be able to do whatever they want, to be honest with inside the rules, it probably is performance enhancing. But then what are you going to do to stop drug guys drinking coffee in the morning? I mean, like, where do you where do you draw the line? I mean Bobby Jones, I mean he used to say, why would you play golf without cigarettes? You know, yeah, like

how could you? I mean Hogan didn't hit a shot without having a smoke in his hand before he hit it. I mean, it's obviously a different world now. I don't know. I mean there's a lot of chew out there, as you say, and um CBD two in garm and like all sorts of difference that. I mean, guys are going to do their thing right. So I mean, I don't think that's really that performance enhancing. If it keeps him

happy and peaceful, I don't think anybody really minds. I mean, I think everyone's glad that we don't smell cigarettes and stuff out there like we used to, like back in the good old days everywhere. But I don't know. If you banned nicotaine, what are you gonna do bank cat caffeine? And then you're gonna what are you gonna ban practice practice this performance enhancing too? That I'm definitely stealing that lane.

What about we like, say you're in California where it's legal, Like, are you okay with the guys like, you know, actually having real marijuana DHC during their competitive rounds? Well, T actually is a banned substance for us. So I mean, I think I don't know enough about the levels and the rules and stuff, but I think you probably you would. If you would, you would we in the cup and you would fail the test. I think, so we're not allowed to do that. I don't think why. Alcohol is

an interesting one. Yeah, sure, alcohol would absolutely be a performance answer for most people. I would have thought, if you could get yourself to the right level, And nobody really does it except some of the older guys every now and then, and John's done it, and there's a few other guys that I won't mention that used to sneak run in towards the end of their career, and that's clearly a performance. We all played better after a couple of years, I think, especially if you're a little

bit stressed. If you were really looking for performance enhancing legal things to do, you wouldn't you just have a little hip flask and your hip flask in your golf bag and have a little sip every six holes or something like that. I mean, I don't know, is that against PGA tour bilaws? Is it spelled out you can't do that. It's not against the drug enforcement policy or whatever, but I think it's against the bilows. Yeah, it's conduct unbecoming.

I think I mean, now we're getting into some subtle things. But that's why is THHC a band substance about caffeine or and tobacco is nut? I mean about the gum. What's loud in the gum? Only the CBD gum. Yeah, I'm just saying to me that there's this is a slight bit of hypocrisy and or the live of big tobacco. Like there's other things that play earlier. Um, some things are okay and some things are not. I just think it's funny debate. I'm not that fired up about it,

but it came up today. One of the most intense things. It's hard to ask somebody to It's hard to ask somebody to quit nicotine, you know. I imagine to play golf though. I mean, it's a pretty hard thing to stop, right. Some guys just probably want to stop and can't. Gito probably doesn't want to do it, you know, but it's just his thing, you know, like play golf. Stop this

so you can't play golf, I don't know. Yeah. One of the most intense things I've ever seen in golf is Ben Crenshaw at ninety five at the Master's trying to win and you know, not wanting the little children to see him, you know, cup I saw the cop out of Niki, you know. And he won't play golf courses where you can't smoke. And that's the number of cigarettes. That's a number of golf courses these days, Um, Joe.

Part of me if I've ever mentioned the sea before, and I know Alan's herby Safer before, but it was something I heard years ago and it made such an impression on me, and it was it came from Lucas Glover and he said, you know, the most the moment he really realized that he was the US Open winner was not when he hoisted the trophy, not when he went in David Letterman, but when he went when he went to Hartford and he stood up and he walked on the practice team and guys were looking at him different.

So two part question, Jeff, because unlike Phil Mickelson, I believe you are taking two part questions. That's one of his new things, Jeff. He's not taking two part questions, two part questions. What was that Lucas clever moment for you? And here with Fitzpatrick taking a Fortnite off, what do you think it might be for him to the best you can guess what it might be like for him. There was a couple of moments I guess for me.

I mean, let himans are pretty that day the day after the Monday, because I was in New York and we went we didn't have to fly into New York. I mean, we went really deep on Sunday night and Monday. It was a little bit of a blur. But then you get on Letterman and Adam Sandlers in the green room and he's chatting to me about how much he watched it and how we had to finish it was and all that sort of stuff. I mean, I guess that was the moment. But the real moment, yeah, it's

probably the next tournament. And my next tournament was Hoylake. Actually, oh wow, I had three or four weeks off. I'd always I'd always planned it to be honest, and it just happened. So I was back in Australia and that was kind of pretty cool, and there was a bit of fan fair back here. But when I turned up at Hoylake, all of a sudden, you're actually everybody asks and everybody's looking, and you're signing everywhere, and like the next time in the arena up to Definitely that really

hits home. It's like, Wow, I actually won something that people care about. Did you feel it from deal? Did you feel it from your fellow players as well? I imagine, yeah, absolutely, yeah you do. Um, people walk all the way to across two fairways to congratulate you. You walk on the range and everyone sort of looking and yeah, it's it's different from winning a normal tournament via long stretch. Yeah, it was pretty cool. So the next time I played was definitely hit Home. And then the next time I

played in the US was Flint, Michigan. Remember the old Buick Flint Michigan. It's a fantastic, fantastic tournament and I'm out there in the pro am and I'm signing ten magazines off the back of every single because it was the Golf Week and Golf World era when we had the weekly magazines and stuff signing. I must have signed five hundred of those magazines um that week. That was my first weekend back in the US, and all the

collectors and the ebayers and stuff. We're walking around with the magazines and all the kids with the hats and stuff. So it was the next couple of times I played really, So it's just it's a gradual little thing. And for Matt it'll be as soon as he walks on the he gets to the golf tournament for sure, Um wherever he's playing in two weeks, where is he playing in two weeks, three weeks, I don't know. Yeah, I know

we're going to Scottish. Yeah, it'll be there, I imagine, because especially when a European, there's such a brotherhood on the European Tour. I don't know if it's still the same but as it was, but I'm sure it's still there. And he's a pretty regular He's been over here a lot, well, in the US a lot, but he's he's a pretty regular member or the European Tour and they all know him and he's sort of grown up on that tour though.

They will they will be very very excited for him, and he'll be really really he'll have a sort of a lot of handshacks and a lot of hugs and a lot of happiness in the first couple of days when he turns up in Scotland. Yeah. Well, and we saw that with Rory sticking around to congratulate him. That was cool. He came down the last and and as you and Alan was asking him in his press conference

about being from Sheffield, Egland, he's a pretty regular guy too. Yeah, and I think that will serve him well as the open chaman. I mean, Sheffield is a working class town. He's a working golfer. He's a very sereber one, but he's working man's golfer for sure, and that will serve him. Well. That's great. Well, Michael, I have a lot of typing to do, so let let's wrap this up with where do we think? And this is an impossible question answer, but that's the funny podcast, as we can just spout

things off. Where do we think Fitzpatrick goes from here? I mean, what is what is his future? Like? Oh wow? I mean he probably goes on and wins a few more tournaments, I would think. I mean, he's obviously a great player. It doesn't look like he's going to get overalled and carried away with the whole thing. I mean,

expectation is a tough thing after you win. I mean I think almost every sort of winner like me or Fitzpatrick or Lucas or the normal ones, you know, not not the Tigers and the Ernies and the guys who expect to be up there the whole time, but the expectation for the next six to twelve months is tough. He's obviously in a rich rain of form, playing really well. He's going to be excited at s Andrew's. I'm sure

he's going to stick around. He's the sort of guy pretty level headed, as you say, pretty cerebral and pretty smart, pretty normal. Doesn't seem like he's going to get carried away on social media or sort of become too big for his boots. He'll just keep jotting down his notes in his book and just keep playing golf. He's got a great caddy on his back. He'll keep his He'll keep him level and remind him that he's just got

a job to doing it. When he turns up for the Scottish Open, I think he's he looks built, like he said, he's like Faldo, like he looks built to win these big tournaments, especially when they're like this one. I mean, he might struggle around Bethpage Black or something, Tory Saalff or something, because it's probably just a little big for him. But again, he's hitting the ball a lot further and U, as I said, putting Struke just

looks like full proof under pressure. UM, yeah, brilliant. I think he's I think he's I wouldn't say the sky's the limit, but I think he's got a lot of wins in front of him. Yeah. Well, it's very well said because in this very frought moment for golf, I mean, the European Tour is in a precarious position with um, I mean they could very quickly become the number four tour in golf if liv has the money and in affiliation with the Asian Tour, like the European Tour is

fighting for its survival. So as you said, he's always been a supporter of that tour. He's English to the bone. He could be a backbone of Ryder Cup teams which they really need an infusion of talent. So I think, I think, very very quickly, Matthew Fitzpatrick becomes an important part of the professional golf tournament. That's what happens when you win this tournament. So it's fun to think about what what role he could take. Because I agree with what you said, Jeff, I mean, he looks like he's

built for the long haul. I don't want to be Debbie Downer here, but when Patrick kent Lay putted at that Baltimore tournament, in the FedEx event, I never saw a better putting stroke in all my life, including everybody. But it comes and goes for all of them now, he said. Matt Fitzpatrick said the smartest thing you can say on a Sunday night, and I think he really meant it. I'm not changing anything. I know what works.

I'm going to keep that going what works. But even with that mindset, it is hard to keep it going no matter what. He now is in the same conversation as Tony Japlin for the rest of his life. He's an Englishman who won the US Open, and not only that, he won it the same place he won a US Amateur that couts from the same company as Jack Nicholas. So he has had He's a young man, he's had a great golfing life already, and he'll either keep it going or he won't keep it going. He's going to

be around for years. But whether he'll every one another major or not, I would say the odds are against. But I'm rooting for him because he's likable and it's great for golf when you have a guy win more than one major, just like guy would root for Jeff Ogilvie in a minute. But it is hard, and I don't think in this age it's harder than it's ever been. And it's heasenter Sunday night and our euphoria just say nothing.

It his euphoria to get carried away. But Patrick Kenley will tell you that it's hard to keep it going. It's true. I mean, there's so much life in front of Fitzpatrick. I was talking to Jordan speech actually about Fitzpatrick, and as soon as we were done, he got down on the grass and he's rolling around with his new baby, and he looked like he didn't even care whatever He finished with the USA, which wasn't great, Like, you know,

your priorities very quickly changed. Fitzpatrick's a bachelor. You know that can be a distraction. So we'll see how it goes. But it was a big time performance on a big time golf course, and we'll see that. That's the great thing about support, and nothing's guaranteed. We have no idea what's in store for him, but we got will you see his just attention here? Probably not I mean, Jeff mentioned like it's incredible. The guys never want to be

take to our event. Ben He's you know, he's just he's a top five machine in the majors and uh. And I talked to a few players as actually asking Colin Moore, a cow who you know he's had his putting struggles as well. I said, you know when you're when you're playing with Willie and you watch him put you know, what does that feel like? He was like, I pray for him, but he was serious, like he's

like he said, he's it's squirrely. I mean it's he said, but you know the ball doesn't go in the whole a good amount and um, uh so yeah, it's pretty funny like um. And Gary Woodland's the same. I caught him in the parking lot. He's like, it looks weird, but the ball goes in. So um. He's a fun character to have. I mean, he addled himself beautifully out there. I love watching him hit the ball. He showed a ton of heart. I mean, it's clear he's gonna keep

contending and it's it's part of the fun. I mean, the exception maybe Tiger Woods, you know, very few players get everything. No player gets everything, and so from you know, Tita Green is all towards absolutely incredible, and the tension is can he get the ball in the fast enough? And I think asking an ongoing conversation. Yeah, I mean to be three strokes away from three playoffs in three majors and three very different golf courses at this young

age for a rich kid. And I don't mean that in a demeaning way, but rich kids usually aren't gonna work hard enough at golf to get that good. I think it's actually astounding. Yeah, is that too Harshtiff, No, it's generally historically accurate. I mean there's outlies and now, and he's one of the outlies, you know. I mean, rich kids unfortunately have the all the opportunity though you know, they get all the AGGA and they get all the junior stuff and they stuff. But yeah, there's I think

there's a case for both. There's a case for our opportunity when you grow up, but there's also a case for the Cabrera sort of fighting for your dinner sort of upbringing. You know. I mean too, that you just desperately got to You've got to get out of where you've grow up and you've got to succeed. You've got no choice. I think there's a case for both. Yep, I love it. And Matthew Fitzpatrick. I mean he called

Sheffield a steel town. I love that. You know, I don't know what Sheffield does, but I know what Pittsburgh is. They're both steel talents. Like it gives you very quickly. Yeah, well they make the razors in Sheffield's Yeah. Okay, there you go. See. I mean, we're this is such an edifying podcast for our listeners. They learned so many different things. Um, well, this has been a heck of a week. Jeff. We thank you for getting up early, shooting the kids off

to school. I mean, there's been a lot of podcasting. You've been indispensable voice. I'm getting a lot of love on Twitter for I don't know, I think you're smart enough to stay above the fray. But people have definitely been appreciating your your commentary. And it's a little weird to hear Jeff praise Aisinger so much, whom I like a lot. But Jeff could do Asinger's job better than a singer, significantly better. But don't tell anyone because we don't lose exactly, so edit this out, Jake, but we

will include our testimony to the fellows from Wiscott. Where are they from the Dormy Workshop. They're from Nova Scotia, actual, Nova Scotia. Yeah great, yeah, yeah yeah, Dormy Workshop. One of our sponsors will give me a shout out. They make beautiful handmade leather goods that you like, you know if you're into super cool head covers and O R M I dormy like you're dormy in a match. So I e from the French. Yes, to sleep, to sleep? Yes, Like I'm so in control of this match. I could

go to sleep here and you cannot beat me. That's it and isn't it? Isn't Caddy has driven by French. Yeah exactly. I wanted high school French. Believe I'm unqualified to be having this conversation. You did well, Michael, You did well, so all right. For Michael Bamberger, who is good cheer and enthusiasm has been a big part of these podcasts. I'm Alan Schipnuk, Jeff Ogilvie across the Ocean. We will be back at it Um the week of the Open Championship for more Fire Drill Podcast. Thanks all

the listeners. We appreciate you and we know you're out there, and uh, thanks for going on this journey with us for now. That's it from the Country Club. One hundred and twenty second US opens in the books and Fire Drill Podcast has done so. Thanks. Put another log on the fire nobody hears. Get the time,