Fire Drill 035: Open and Shut

the Eighteenth Hole St Andrew's. Probably there's a first edition of to the links land in that bookies, did you get into your Mike? We Got Mike Terriko. What? I'm just traveling back home. It's just the fire pit. Yes, we're doing where's the fire and metaphorical has read all the books on this back show, every single one. I can do dramatic reading. So this, this town, feels like awake. They was all hoping for Rory. It feels like awake. It's strange. Cam Play, Tom Watson said when he didn't

win the term bury that year at funeral. That's exactly right. Disco Hey and Cam Smith ain't no fooling around on the Greens man are we going talking heads where you can put there you go when you can play ten through fourteen and fifteen strokes on the on the inward nine on Sunday here on seven. Oh my gosh, I asked him afterwards. On our ABC, interviewer said our NBC everyew. That's good, but I didn't do it on the air. Um,

read your hat, dummy. I said, uh, what was of all the all the pots, what was the most important? He said the one on seventeen. He said that was first player, second one, because that first one, first one. Where do you think the chances is of US putting into the bunker from where he was? You good, me, guaranteed the experts. Well, the fire drill podcast just got more lively. Um, many of the movies and shakers of the Gulf world are at this hotel and they appear

to be all checking out right now. So we'll see we can say hi some other surprise guests, like let's be on the lookout for that. Just have somebody carry the bags. He's one of us. Yes, that was fun. Well, so Tariko. Um, he kind of set the scene here. Made a good I'd say both shots in Seventeen for Cam Smith let's start with Kim Smith, champion gone for the year. I mean, what an incredible performance that. There's three players who had to make a put on seventeen

to win. And Open at St Andrew's in recent vintage George speed, chasing the Grand Slam, had an eight or ten footer missed it, lost the slam. Rory mcilroy, trying to get a victory that the whole world wanted him to have and foretold that he would he would take, missed a similar length putt on seventeen. Camp Smith jarred it. I mean the guy played absolutely flawless round of Golf. It was spectacular, it was air tight and something I said was completely wrong last night, and many things I

say are completely wrong. But for and I talked to US caddy about this after the round, for to go south when you got the thirty six sold lead, you're in the last group on Saturday, you played bad, that guy usually will not come back and that guy totally came back today and that was absolutely spectacular round of golf. Uh, he did exactly what he needed to do it and really it brings to mind what what Justin Thomas did. Um, what what it follows the whole theme of the year

guys stepping up when it when it really matters. Um to some little degree there's the pressure off because everyone's expecting Riy Macal round, but that was an air tight round of golf, just like Fitzpatrick Getting Eighteen Greens and winning Um at the country club, the US Open at the country club. Yeah, I mean it's really been this. You know, ry macawy called it. The major's season is over now and we we minted some stars. I mean

Scottie Scheffler has gone to a different planet. Cam Smith to win the players and the open at the old I mean that's a plus plus Um. Justin Thomas. You hadn't one of major in five years. He needed that. You. You use the words save a like to describe Cam Smith yesterday, which there's no higher praise. Some of those some of those plays over this these four days were just absolutely gorgeous and so instinctive. What what do you

like most about the way he plays the game? He's nothing like Sevy, for Christmas seven was the great charismatic figure my golfing life, but he is sevey like in terms of his ability to size up really complicated greenside shots use any number of different clubs, including putter, to play really difficult shots, read break like nobody's business and just put with tremendous comes to that Hook put, that Downhill Hook put that he made on was at the

Friday round or the Saturday round? UH, yeah, five feet a break the putty hit up the hill on eighteen. UH, the chip put that he made on seventeen. How long did I wasn't close enough to see. How long was the put that he made on seventeen. Shoot, I mean to make a ten footer on seventeen. Not many guys have done it. You just outlined all the guys who

didn't do it. UH, lots of guys have lots and lots and lots of athletic talent and of course short game takes athletic talent, but it takes artistry and sometimes you don't see it in a really big guy. You often see it in that body type. Uh. You know, VJ didn't have it, or he didn't have it. Davis didn't have it. Phil did have it, uh for a while,

and then he uh Nicholas had it in spades. But generally speaking, those long fingers and that narrow that chest and just sort of looks like he knows exactly what wants to do. It is a total pleasure to watch, no matter what you think him Smith's Mullett. I love it. And no matter what you think of his you know, sort of straightforward manner, he is a golfing God when it comes to short game. Yeah, that's that's well said.

John Daly gave him a little shout out on twitter, like another another win for the mullets around the old course. I mean speaking for the entire golf world. I hope that's true. Um. So, yeah, Camp Smith. Now let's just acknowledge what's been a subplot in this Um our Matt Genella. On one of the practice rounds, a handful of guys were playing a practice round together, including Phil Nicholson. Uh, they were posing. The PILICON BRIDGE CAM was coming down

the first way. He ran over to take a group photo with him and there'd already had been speculation that he was going to jump to live. Um. That kind of put it. You know, a lot of people saw that happen and that that sent it an overdrive. So, Um, in the moment we are in golf there's these these these geopolitical undertones to everything. So what would it mean if if the reigning open champ were to jump? From what you know about Cam do you see it happen?

Give me your thoughts on that. That that that's a so you're just an expert defender, just pairying Um. I mean for sure there's an offer on the table to Camp Smith and it probably just got another zero, because it would be monumental if they could snatch him up. And it's also, you know, we know this. This this background noise about or they can get world ranking points. Are these guys are gonna be able to play in

the majors? Well, he just bunches taken to the next five majors, I mean all the majors in the next five years. That's a big deal. Yeah, and this forever. So for Camp Smith. Now he is reputed to be like a really down home dude, and Adam Scott told me a great word. I think Augusta called him um a boger, yeah, which is kind of like an affectionate Australian term for a redneck. He meant it. He was hailing him like he's just a simple guy who just

wants to fish. You know, Smith said a couple last year that he just wants to play for a few more years and get money in the bank and retire. So he may. Maybe the living is the answer to his prayers. He gets the huge payday and he can't just walk away from the game. He doesn't have that enduring passion or Um, maybe because he's kind of a down home dude and the money doesn't matter. He's in his routine here. I don't know. What do we think

about this? I just do not see this guy going to live and I do not read too much and a guy jumping over to Swolkenburg to if you get called over, you know, let's say there were half a dozen writers that were, uh, you know, on Swolkenburg Bridge and they called you over, would would you immediately come too? You know, Oh, you know, they worked for the competition or whatever it might be. You just joined him. He's just a good old boy, as you just said, in his own way. So I don't read too much of

that from I don't know him at all. I happen to cover his players win into here. I find his unpretentiousness, uh, in an area, in an era of extreme pretentiousness of golf on both sides of the held. To quote somebody, uh even use aisle, but anyway, on both sides there are five people on both sides. I don't even know what's going on in Golf, except that there is a personality type that's gonna go, and that personality type is not one who's really driven by the desire to win

major championships at this stage. Like, if that's the foremost thing in your life, I don't think you're making that move. And now that he no matter where the conversation was up until today, now that he's won his first major and the grandest of majors and the grandest of settings, I think that would be a factor. He is, you know, he seems like he's not a big spender. He just made a big check because and he actually just made a big check for the rest of his life. He

doesn't even realize that. Probably or or he might. I just don't see him going anywhere. Yeah, and I mean he's made a great run at Augusta. Like he's a clearly guy who could slash should win a green jacket. So you know if he's gonna if if he's like, you know, Larino H OA type, who or Dat Coo and they said, I've only played to at a certain age,

that I'm done. Like, if he's got that in his mind and he wants to make as much hay as possible, then the PG touris where you're gonna stay sharpest and probably give yourself the best chance to win those tournaments

that people are gonna remember you forever. And he's going home to play in Australia later in the year and he's going to realize the magnitude of what he just did and it's going to be intoxicating, like wow, this is bigger than I thought, like he you know, I think part of Cam's genius is he keeps it simple. He just hits shots, tries to shoot the lowest score he can't and Adam up at the end and see

what happens. But you win here, it's it's a it's he's gonna feel what that means to the larger golfing work, even if it means more to them than to him. And you know that's a really, really interesting point. Now part of Greg Norman as a global ambassador for golf. What is that? You Opens? Well, he was Greg Norman and throughout the United States just a great white shark. He played with a lot of Christmas. He played very aggressively.

He was an exciting figure. Two American golfers, but as an Australian as soon as Drilian, who played in Asia a lot, those two open championships. So that he won is, you're, a huge thing. So to your point, when he goes home he's going to find out what this thing is all about. I think he will because, uh, those Australians venerates this open more than any of the other and then the other majors and he's gonna find out that Asia it beats it up to all right, let's talk

about the non champion Golfer over the year. Shout Out Cameron Young. I mean he played amazing at Southern Hills, which is a big time golf course. I mean that walk off Eagle today, like the guy shot sixty five in the second to last group. He played his ass off. I mean it was did yeah, I mean he's so close, it's a joke. Oh yeah, no, he he swings. There's no holding onto that club, he just lets it go. I mean it's fun to watch. How does your backfield

after watching this guy makes some swings? Um Tight. Yeah, I mean he looks like you heard himself. I don't see guys swinging that hard for that long and not getting hurt. But it was very, very impressive to watch today. Yeah, so it's gonna be fun to see where he goes from here. Um. I was, of course, referring to the tragic hero of the day, Roy mcelroy. Um. Everybody wanted him to get this. It just almost it was in

the stars. You know, he seems like he's a foot taller than he was a few months ago, the way he's taken on this ambassadorship of the game and this long drought. There's him Das if we can only get rope him in anyway. Um, Himi, we're podcasting. You want to get over here? Come here. No, get over here. Yeah, drop your back sports stand right here. Yep, this, this, this, I mean these are two greatest living golf writers and Canute, my wife says, no one looks better in a suit

and him. Look at the man. He looks like he's in his early fifties. I get more compliments from bambergers. How about the note taking that we observed this week? After thirty years of watching home at work, I didn't realize the depth of the note taking. And also there's no book. In other words, they're all loose sheets. How do you keep it straight? It's only the last thirty seconds. That's as long as my memory list. I'm writing all the time, like the Guy Memento he wrote on yeah, right,

keep it all together. You keep all those like they're all files. It's wonderful, alright, I burn them, Um, all right, I mean, we're gonna let you go. Just give us one thought on the day with the tragic hero rory. You know, I think rory is going to be very resilient. I really feel like he's still, don't, undergoing the education of a Golfer. I mean he's thirty three, I know, and it seems like he's already had a great prime, but I still think the best is yet to come.

This is what happens when you're really good. Sometimes you just get you're heartbroken by being in contention. Things happen. I mean happened to Nicholas, happened to Palmer, happened you know, Watson. It's happened. We've seen it ourselves. I mean Stewart's saying, Tom Watson, you know Billy Casper Donold Palmer, Tom Watson and Jack Nicholas. It just part of the game and yeah, it doesn't seem fair and it looked like it was his, the storybook was his, but Cam Smith played the golf

what are you gonna do? I mean he did everything flawlessly today and the way he turned it around from yesterday is really impressive because he had every right to be very discouraged after yesterday and he came out brave as hell today. And then it just felt like he was playing offensive. Growers Playing Defense. I think when you're leading, I think he felt he was in control. He didn't want to make a mistake and that's when he's done

a lot. So he's gotten a little more conservative, which I think has been better overall, but in that situation it seemed like he was just missing that that extra kind of willpower to put it away. But when the PUTTS aren't going in and put you on the defensive, I think he had a lot of good putts that didn't go in and then the one on three. I thought that started a bad trend for the day because he could have taken a lead there and he played the whole perfectly and he walked away and who knows?

It just puts out in your mind and that's enough when you're not putting well, doesn't he walk away from the Shertman feeling very good about how he played, even this F throwned? I think so. I drove it great and the irons weren't perfect, but they were always yeah, but he played. I mean, look at he hit eighteen greens. I know that the biggest Greens in the world, but still there was no mistake. I mean he's Roy has been renowned for making bad mistakes at the wrong time.

You know, the soft bogey, the one that he made some soft pars today, but they weren't, you know, anything that he should be ashamed of. Uh, I felt like he has grown as a player. It just wasn't quite enough. This is really more out of the dristion of of Jack being getting. I mean Jack's Got Nineteen winner ups. Of course wasn't where. He wasn't technically the run up today, but it's still sort of the same things that Jack's

gonna play. Jack's game. If Lee Tramino or Hubert Green or somebody goes crazy, well, what can I do about it? I'm playing my game. And I think rory can really leave this town with his head high. I think. I think it was an outstanding four days of golf and he's represented golf extremely well. Would you agree? I would

agree with that. You know, he isn't Jack. Jack had a history of winning that gave him a definite, you know, sense of almost in permeability when he did have bad breaks, you know, because he said, well, the law of averages in my favor. Rory hasn't gotten to that point where the love of average are quite in his favor, but I think he is growing as a Golfer and I love that he seems more energized than he's been in a long time. I think this, you know. I think

even his relationship with tiger is encouraging, you know. I mean that's helped Dustin Thomas. I just think he sees even just being around him a little bit like plane at bally bunny and I think it just gives him a different perspective. When I first met Rory, he knew more about tiger as far as his record than almost anyone. Yeah, I mean I had the exact same experience. It's still

it's still good to be emulating him, even in Tiger's twilight. Now, I mean in your experience, when guys get so involved on the political side of Golf, you know, going back to Bob Goldby and Jack in the sixties, and now, it seems to say, with word, serving on, serving on committees and becoming a spokesman for the game. What is that helpful hurtful to your game? What I was thinking about this with rory because he's so other directed. I think he's almost more motivated to do it for others

than it is from self. And right now I think he kind of represents a cause because of live golf being so, so much a threat, and I think that helped him at the Canadian Open. And you know there's rumors about Camp Smith going to live so he may have felt the burden of that. But at the same time I also thought as extra motivation that doesn't put as much pressure on him as wanting to do it for himself. For some reason he seems like he can

lose himself in a bigger cause. Might be making too much out of it, but that he definitely seemed to be that way when he went to Canada. You know, well, let's get back in here one second, but just a pout. I'm just enjoying listening to me one of the you know, I think all three of us a poultroy very closely really his entire career is noting about what thirteen or so years now. Uh, the crying episode at the Ryder

Cup really surprised me. I didn't really know what could be the emotional thing in his life that would trigger that. Really having but so having that fresh in my mind, seeing him really performed at the highest level for four days, carrying really the weight of the PGA tour and Jay Monahan's expectations and tigers expected sations and being totally emotionally in control, I take that as a very big positive

for where where he is and his emotional life. And you know, as we all know, and I think we would all agree, your emotional life and your golfing life they're very much connected. I think his emotional life is strong. Now he's still got to improve technically, you know, just be a little better putter and make that an obsession. Get better. It's not a lot and the chipping today

was just good. I give it a B minus. He needed to hit some chips clip stiff, you know, like like Camp Smith did get the easy body and that would have broken the ice. So it's small margins, but you know, he's still growing as a player. He used to think if I drive it great, I'll beat anybody, and that no longer is the case. The game has evolved. These guys are more complete players now and you just

can't overpower everybody. You have to have the rest of the game and he's learned that kind of late because to some extent he was spoiled by winning two of them by eight shots. You know, I think that motivation to get better was lessened because of that. You know, when you're playing, of course you know really well. Like it goes to national and it's like, okay, well, I know when to get the third teen. I'm gonna hit that into what have you. Know, chance or your goals

should make it too. But, Bertie Um, you're you're sort of playing chess like Nicholas talked about this all the time. But do you think right? Do you think today with you know especially, seventeen is always seventeen is always the possible to making a five. There you're probably gonna make it four. Do you think he's sort of always calculting in his mind, even if I'm only tied going to the seventies. Second Tea, I can make a three in eight cheen and you can but take in a campus Smith.

I don't think it's a good way to go. How about the changes in the in the game and how this golf course has stood up? I was amazed. I was, you know, a skeptic, healthy skeptic, about St Andrew's probably being outmoded this year sort of being exposed. And it wasn't even windy and it held up beautifully. Now I know they used a lot of uh or sorry, whole positions that were that they never used. They were extreme, but I just think the nature of the golf course

keeps it from being easy to control. You know, there's just so much variation and so much capriciousness where, you know, the Greens have so much undulation. It's just if you don't hit it close, which is hard to do, it's hard to make putts. So the birdies have to come on these drivable holes and on the and the par fives, and even that is problematic because when the ball rolls up there you're still gonna have some kind of crazy put or some kind of crazy chip and so I

just thought it was charming. Yeah, senators, gets a past a little bit because a lot of the approaches are like less than sixty yards, but as a stage and as a place where interesting golf is played, maybe not power golf, but interesting golf, it's almost unsurpassed. I thought it held up. I mean, I want to come back, I don't. I didn't feel like this is the in St Andrews. In a way it's a new beginning. I think now we should let you go, hime, because you look like your man in in a hurry. But thank

you for stopping by. A privilege and it's great to be with you guys always. It was funcy and you guys at dinner the other night and good luck and congratulations and everything you guys have already done. So that's awesome. Okay, alright, SA, trouble. All Right, see if you guy. We've talked about the three people that matter today, rory, mcelroy, Cam Smith, Cam young and also him media and Mike Rico. That was

fun as well. Um, and this is the serendipity of being in St Andrew's, like we're just literally sitting in a hotel lobby and all the people keep wondering by. We we almost sang hide poulaising here, but he begged off. Justin Leonard Errolman, John Wood, the former caddy now TV guy, we talked about all week. It's been it's been a great week for both of us. We're lucky to be doing this. It's funny be doing it together. What are

your final thoughts? Just put a bow on this whole thing, Michael, this this wouldn't be because I know you have a very good counter argument to him me, because you made it to me earlier in the week about well, what about second shots into seventeen? In other words, there is something missing here because of the ball. Uh, because, whatever you want to say, but I was a little surposed to hear behind me say what he said in a

manner of speaking. Camp Smith almost had to be the winner because he's the one who's got the most queenside game of anybody in the field. Best Short putter, best lag putter, best tripper. But we didn't have really nasty bunker shots like you expected. You know, Rory did hold out, hold on a bunker shut. It's hard for me to say, but it didn't really play. Even if you go back to even if you go back to just two thousand and fifteen, two thousand and ten, certainly one daily wanted

no different weather changes. Thing, the roof wasn't up. But I think, I think you'd have to say the old course was assaulted this week, not just the winning score, twenty under, but the clubs that people were hitting into into part four's. Yeah, I agree that, and also the amount of rough that they've grown up out there. I mean, this place is supposed to be a race track. It's the BALLSTON run forever and they've they've got all this

knee high rough in places that never used to be. Um, I agree what you're saying, Michael it it was a fun show, but there was never really an element of day danger. You know, they were just like because these guys that they're driving it so close to the green, either they're gonna hit a great shot or a good shot and be six FT, they're gonna be twenty five Ft. but and you know the Greens aren't that fast, so there's very few three puts and even putting down the

hill there. They just it was a little sad for me to see it. You're watching all I walked all the teen holes with Rory and you know, he he really didn't. He didn't make a single put all day. He didn't do anything special. He didn't hit any like amazing shot and he shot to wonder and it was

like the absolutely the worst he could have shot. Like he just kind of he just kind of plotted his way around and if you, if you, if you played this round of golf on a, you know, a tougher test, you probably would have gotten blown out a lot sooner. Like I think he might have been exposed. But there for these players, they can just navigate their way around

so easily. I mean there's there's four or five drive all part four's, there's the part five, the roadholer hitting wedges into I mean there's just not the sense of danger and so it just felt like I hear what Himi is saying, uh, sorry about those beeps. I try to turn off. I couldn't figure it out. I hear what IIMIE is saying, and it is charmed city and some of the shots around the Greens are so incredibly fun to watch, but it's kind of like that's all

it is, driver and shots around the green. There wasn't much else in between, I mean following it, following this less round as we did, being on the course the entire day. It didn't have that intense level of anxiety that we associate with with with open championships. Are Really any major any major title? Michael, your point is very

well taken. I mean the RNI did everything they could's just although they haven't because they have a fiduciary duty to regulate the sport as the governing body for the entire world minus the US, and they've been asleep at the wheel for twenty or thirty years, going back to the big Bertha and everything else. and Um, we've just we've just reached a point where we've got eight years to figure out if they come back to the old course. Someone has to get figured out, because is it's sort

of untenable. Like the game, the players are gonna be bigger and faster and stronger. They're gonna be more and more optimized. You know, they're already doing things that that Jack and and Arnie and Tom Watson never imagine in the gym with technology, with their diets, with, you know, their sleep APPs and their meditation, all this stuff. Like the athletes are just getting better and they're playing the

game at a higher level as in every sports. No, it's not, not, it's not golf's fault, I mean, and things just evolve and unfortunately these ancient playing fields can only evolve so much and I think we saw it this week that we're gonna have someone's gonna have to change. I've got nothing to add to that. Very smart man. Um. Well, it was one hell of a week here Um, in St Andrews. We deeply appreciate all of you coming along for this journey. We have to give a shout out

to the RUSTICK's hotel. We are in there lobby right now and I'm thinking about stealing that that old Tom Morris painting. I don't know if I'll fit in my golf bag, but it's been a it was a great home for us this week. Um, we'll mentor other sponsors who help us keep the lights on at the fire pit collective. We've got par points, our favorite APP we've got dormy workshop, beautiful stuff, seed golf real, the Cool Little Golf Ball company out of Ireland. Um, I think

that's it. Oh, well, links. So of course. Yeah, links. So are are you know that give us clothes to where. Um, they literally it's like the shirt off my back. But yeah, it's we set it all week long. It's a privilege to be here. It was. It was way too much fun. and Oh there's brandles, so we try and Ropen brandle. Let's not know. We're done. Honestly, we have Michael Bamberer, have high medias. We don't need brandle. Sorry, Brandon, you're out. Um,

thanks for being with us. It was a pleasure to serve. And no more fire drills for a little while. I mean, I'm sure we'll have breaking news and we have things we're gonna chew on. Probably live golf, BUT FEDEX ONE MEMPHIS. Um, the term swamp ass was invented in Memphis. I think we're probably not gonna be covering that tournament, but Um, we'll. We'll come back on as as we need to. What can you tell us about Ryan French this week? Well, he's having a heck of a week and I'd be

shout out to the fire pit collective. We've got guys the Reno talk how open and the old course and we blasted out obscene amount of content. If there's anyone on the earth who's listened to every podcast from here and there and read every story. Show yourself and we'll send you a hat, because it has been a flood of content. It's it's really it's awesome to be part of all this so um for the third or fourth

time I can try and end this podcast. Michael, let my people go and again thanks for listening and we'll be back at you soon. This is Allen Schip nut for Michael Bamberger from St Andrew's were out put another log on the fire. Nobody hears get the time