Fire Drill 047: Rory Roars

We talk about a word I've never heard before. Those parents are two really great people. I mean his mom, but you're right, the dad is so tacitured and like to tell you why whoa whoa wha. You can just throw words like tacit turt what did you say? And they bust my balls that I never heard of it. Uh. It's a wild trip. And this is what a fire

drill has become real quick. Before we get into the meat and potatoes of the fire drill, I just want to thank u. Dormy Workshop and power Points, both long term sponsors of the fire Pit, both huge supporters of what we're doing. Check out both of those companies. Awesome uh and very very huge part of what we're doing with that. Here's three of us talking this weekend golf. I got in my head. Can't get John nothing thing what I'm thinking about, can't get them down, not think

what I'm thinking about. Hello, and welcome back to their Fire Drill podcast. This is Alan Schipnik. It's a Sunday. That means Michael Bamt and Ryan French are online here to do this thing. So guys, thanks for being here. Michael was a silent start. He leaned in like he was gonna say something. Hello, Allen, Hello Michael. All right, so let's just get into the news the day here. Rory McElroy world number one, where he belongs, right, Like

we've we've talked a lot about Rory this year. I mean, he's been the keynote player, he's been the best player in the world weekend and week out. We've talked about him coming up short at the majors. Like I'd like to go to like a little different direction here, Michael, because I feel like you wrote the first really big feature in the American press about Rory, like going on you know, fifteen years ago, you know the remember the story I'm talking about was on the cover of the

Golf Plus a Master's Preview. And uh, and you've always I know, you and Jerry have always had good mojo. And um, I mean tell a listener is a little bit about Rory that they may not have gleaned from just watching him play golf and listening to his press conferences. Yeah, but you know, I'm people who follow really closely would know this, but but many would not. He's an only child, just as Tiger Woods is, and just as a Justin Thomas's just as uh, excuse me, Tigres really not. But

but with his mom and his dad. His mom had only one child, and Justin Thomas and Michelle Wee and uh, he was the subject of intense focus from from from his parents. But it was very different than Earle because they raised him. I know this is ancient history, but it really informs the whole man and why I think so many of us are really drawn to him. Uh. They raised him with like it's important to when it's important.

You know, of course, try your hardest and be the best golf per camp, but don't lose sight of your humanity and your soul and uh, and you see it. We've seen it his whole career. We watched his whole career unfold. He was I believe nineteen when when your first term probably might have been eighteen online when and we saw him for the first time at at CARNUSI when when Harrington one remember Gary Vinsickle telling me very excitedly, I'd never heard of him. He said, I saw this kid.

But he's like landing, but he can put. And uh there was his need and advanced Sickle for our listeners who don't know, is a super knowledgeable uh golf colleague of ours and a good friend and a great guy. Uh. And but I guess I'm going so far back because today in his victory, uh, you can just see how much the game means to him, the process means to him. And and this is not a comment on Live at all. That nothing he's guaranteed or given to you in this game.

And you know he he was a little shaky down the stretch, but he but he you know, had to use the tiger where he had the cushion and so he he's gonna root for and um, you know for him to be the number one player in the game. And him to represent the PGA Tour on the world stage right now and to handle all his press obligations and all his intra office or you know, with within the PHA Tour headquarters obligations so well is a tremendous

credit to the game. It's funny when you think about the last thirty years, I mean, the two biggest stars by far, and even if you if you go back forty years, you account Greg Norman, you know, because he was the guy through in the ladies and eighties into the nineties. I mean, Tiger and Phil have both had so much controversy and scandal and they've been so polarizing Norman as well. Um, but I think Rory macrel is the rare athlete that everybody likes and roots were. I'm

talking not just in golf, in sports. And of course there's some live loyalists who you know, maybe I take exception to um some of the statements Roy has made. But I mean, I mean, Ryan, can you think of any athlete in any sport that it has the universal respect and admiration that Rory does. And I think he's

done it. Guys. What I have loved about Rory is that I don't have to agree with him all the time, that he's relatively outspoken live social issues, whatever, and still seems to be well liked, and obviously a lot of his views I would say, I mean, obviously politically goes against what a lot of golf fans believe, but still

is pretty well respected. I I respect the hell out of the fact that he just says obviously it's it's toned down a bit, it's not Robert Darius style, but it is like he says what he wants and even if that's not the easy way out. And I think a lot of people respect it. And yeah, I mean I I don't know anyone who just like, man, I really hate Rory Methelroy Like, I don't know why you would? You? Alan, is a good interesting question. I think that the one,

the one maybe equivalent person would Uh. And you know, Rory style is a little bit more excitable than Farah is the ultimate, you know, smooth customer. Uh. But you know there's another person who's you know, long long career talked a lot. As Ryan was saying, was was open with his opinions. Uh. And uh, you know it's neat to see Rory following that that kind of example. It's been a while since golf golf is had and even the fact that Rory can't win the big one in

some ways makes him more appealing. I mean, it gives us something that critique and you know, okay, his chipping and pitching was wasn't good enough at the old course. That's why he lost that one. And you can you know some of his course managining decisions that Augusta and you can go on down the list that and usually we just like winners. We gravitate towards winners, and if you can't win the big one, it's it's this mortal sin. Of course, he has won four, but it feels like

ancient history. But I think it makes Rory more appealing because we've we've lived through the age of Tiger where he was the ultimate winning machine. But he gave you so little of himself, unlike Rory. Yeah, I think, I mean again, it goes back to how honest he is.

It's just like he talks through that, you know, the stings and those hurt, and it's not like cliche after cliche of like, oh we have another one in four weeks and I got beat by It's like, hey, yeah, it sucks and I should be winning more and I don't. So I think if it was you know, I mean Tiger, as you guys know way better than I do, is the cliche king And just like there's a robot up there for the most of his career, like Rory is

anything but that. And I think despite his success, in his lack of success in majors of late, we still like him because he stands up there and says how it is. And and two quick notes on that. Rhyme wrote. Note number one is you're only gonna have probably one you know, if you're wearing McRoy, maybe you can squeeze and maybe one more and maybe maybe maybe two more chances. Uh. We're someone who's from Northern Ireland, you know, from from

uh is irish identifies himself as Irish. To win an Open championship on the Old Course and then to have it right there, Uh, and think that you're doing everything right by playing conservative golf and taking a page Nicolas and then not getting done because the guys, she's alredy on you. That's hard to come back from. And uh, you know, everything is so compressed now, but it used to be that you'd have a disappointment like that and you know, you could crawl into bed for a couple

of years before you get over it. So for uh so, I think that's very significant. And then just one quick straight up that I wanted to share before I forgot. It was years ago when he was only on the tour for I would say maybe about really about two

years so, still really feeling his way up. A friend of mine who was who was prominent in Gulf was we wanted it to test the water to see if if Rory might be interested in playing the Pebble Beach Tournament, you know, the a t and tape Pebble Beach pro am with him, and Rory said, right there in spot, you know, it's not it's not on my calendar. It's

probably not something I was gonna do. And if I were going to do it, I would want to play with my dad or someone that you know, I have a genuine closeness with, and that's not how most people think, especially you know, he was only in his early twenties then, so I admired him for that, right whereas Phil every year playing the clam Bake he would play with the CEO whatever endorsement partner, his contract was going to run out on Like it was purely networking and it was

a business decision. And yeah, while his dad was out there. His dad was out there with the periscope. Does that when see my son? Yeah, that's such a great pool because for those who never saw Philip Michelson and Phils not a junior because he has a different middle name from his dad, but feels old. Man sold this thing called the sports Scope because he was frustrated he couldn't see his son play. And it was it looked like

this homemade kind of cardboard. It was like you know, up telescope and you could you could just watch over people's shoulders and it was he was so cute. He was out there selling these for years on the PJ and then the events go ahead. Yeah, I mean this is why I'm so lucky. People always ask me, like what's this? Like I had no clue about that. Okay, zero, and like this is why it's such an honor to

sit here. But enough called Phil Mickelson Sr. We haven't talked about Michael's shirt yet, Okay, okay, well quick note about quick note about my shirt and it's the following. Phil Mickelson Senior is one of the gentlest, quietest, most humble people you could never possibly want to meet. You would never in a million years expect that that Phil would be. Phil's parents are too really great people. I mean,

his mom an extrovert. But you're right. The dad is so tacitured and like to tell you something about the blood fans. Wh whoa, whoa, words like tacit turret. What did you say, Brian, Come on, come, come on. You know you're not fooling us. I don't know what I mean. I assume it means quiet and yeah, but sneak at the Michelson's to give you some insight into what the

parents are like. When the when the open was a Eth page, I saw them on the train and they were commuting getting out of Manhattan like with with with all the with all the fans. You know, they were in a town car. They were they were just like on the train. And as you know, Alan, but Ryan might not frugal, like you wouldn't believe that ton car is a hundred dollars. There's no way I can just

imagine it. It's about what it was because I know that, because those are the glory days of the I expect account. I just typed in tacit turt what I thought would be tacit turt right. Isn't it turn the end? Oh turn tested, turn right? I have that English set score. Oh no, you're you're in Michigan. You don't take the s A t it would take? It didn't go great?

Uh test turn reserved or uncommunicative in speech, saying little you want to hear a shocker shiptop scott as wicked high math s a T score I've leave Is that true? Is that true? Yeah? Yeah, but his shrug it's obvious. He's just like, yeah, I'll tell it. Nobody cares. Again, many people are just gonna listen to this podcast. They're not actually gonna see Michael's shirt, which it appears to

have a giant Paisley's. But from a certain orientation they kind of, I mean, sorry, Michael, they kind of like, you know, sperm and the Petrie dish when they're trying to get free. Yeah, I mean I feel like underdressed. I know that. I was like, I'm in sweatpants, just like a shower, throwing my golf ticket throwing golf teche d Shirt. I come down and Michael is like pristine, and I mean the starts coming off of that thing.

It's like he went to the drug Winners just like full starch and they're like full and he's like, yeah, full thing could stand up by itself, just like I'm not sure Michael's in that thing. I'm out. Yeah, he's good. Fine, Well, this is theoretically a golf podcast. Let's try and get back to the golf here. Guy, okaycast, would you mind have to introduced the subject please? Well, you know, our company,

the fire Pit Collective, is based in San Diego. I live in Philadelphia and the represent the I am the Philadelphia Bureau, and we've had a very good series, is very well played. I went to the last night's game today. The Phillies are you know, uh clinch the national championship, the going to the World Series for the first time in two thousand nine. And there are a lot of parallels and a lot of differences between between between golf

and baseball. UM, but something sort of became like the emotion that I felt just watching the Phillies played the way into the World Series again. Um. First of shows you no matter how far away you get from baseball, it will, like they say in that movie, it will pull you back in. You know, once you got the

once you got, once you got the carriaging. But what I guess what I'm trying to say is, and this is so obvious, and I know you've thought about Live every which way, but I haven't really heard this conversation. Is golf even meant to be a global game? And the reason I say that is because the fan base for baseball is so porobial. And now Japan has its

own World Series. We don't know anything about it, but the people in Japan care a great deal about it, and I just wonder it's like a starting point if this Lived series actually even makes sense, because it is what Norman has always wanted to be, in effect, a global golf tour. And maybe sports aren't really set up for that because aside from the Olympics, you know, Formula one, maybe what really is Allen? Yeah, I mean I think

golf has always been more global. I mean, obviously, the Open Championship is the oldest tournament and it's it's forever drawn Australians and South Africans and South Americans and um, you know, it's just been it's been played everywhere. And unlike the sports you mentioned, the players, you know, how many how many Australian opens a Jack Nicholas when I think five or six? You know, Um, like these guys

have always traveled even when it wasn't so easy. So Norman would probably say that what he's doing instead of having a Japanese World Series, in an American World Series and a Dominican World Series, we're gonna bring all under under one roof. And now it might be you know, maybe it's not a great idea as you're suggesting, but I think I think there was a global appetite. But like one of the greatest sporting I's ever went to was the All Star game, UM in the Winter Leagues

Venezuelan Baseball. It was absolute madhouse. It was so much fun. I was there because Jonathan Vegas throughout the first pitch and I was doing a big feature about his return to Venezuela and all the complicated politics that surrounded that,

and that's an incredible story. But um, you know, I just remember sitting there because I grew up going to Giants games at Candlestick Park, when it was frigid and just thinking I wish, I wish the Giants games were this much fun and people are playing the drums and their dancing the aisles, and it was just the play by play guy was out of control on on the mic for the whole stadium. And so I think, you know, there's there's a chance to these sports can have their

own little bits of flair um regionally. But you know, baseball's baseball, Golf is golf. I mean it does cross borders. So I hear what you're saying. But I feel like golf has always been a global sport and we've had a World Golf Championships now since the nineties. Like I don't know, I think the two bag yeah with Ryan, no one cares examples that you're giving or sort I think prove it the other way. I mean, a few times a year, the whole golf wild comes together and

we really care. But if you start pulling, if you start really drilling in with Tom Lehman had whether one or Justin Leonard, uh, you know, Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton's you give them one championship, one may your championship one. The Open British Open or the U s Open. Of course they're all those guys are all going to pick the US Open. And you know, for f Rory and other people, if you can only give them one, they'd win that with British Open a heartbeat. So I wouldn't

really agree with that. I think it's I think we are just wired to be regional. Yeah, that's that's a good one. I think that's some thought. I mean, for sure, it makes no sense to go a place like Jetta, Saudi Arabia, where there's no history, there's no fan base, and that was reflected by the total apathy of the local fans. Um. But you know these if you take it to places that have great golf tradition, I think it um. You know, I think it's got potential, But

I don't know. It's it's an interesting argument. Michael and I hadn't really give it too much thought. Okay, I have a question before we get to my question that we prepared for and we never prepared for anything. I sent a picture to Michael and Alan. Uh. Instead we were going to talk about this, but this is not it. As golf fans, Okay, today we're all like oh Rory one Ron was in the mix. How great it was? Right? Look at Allen is like, think this is gonna be

a smart ass comment. I can tell by your smirt, and it's not. It's not going to be a smart it's actually gonna be an actually question. Like, so it's a no cut event, right, and we're all like, oh, this is great. Rory and Ram are in the thing right now. Let's take the political side of Live out. Why is live not working? Because they had kind of a good they had a great leaderboard last in the Saudi Arabia and obviously there's time and whatever, and we're all slamming it is like no cut of fan blah

blah blah and me included. I'm not saying just all of us. That's what we had today. It's a no cut of It's the World of Golf Classic basically in the field. Like everybody's like, oh, the live field, the bottom half. Go look at the bottom half of the CJ Cup today. Trust me, there is some bad golf being played. Okay. Two dudes shot twenty over okay, and another dude shot seventeen over. There's plenty of bad playing.

Why do we are we giving them a pass? And I include myself in that, like we it was a live event with a few more players and a few more holes being played. Well and Ryan, just very good question, but just starting to work. One second, I'm not for a minute writing off Live or its future because uh, I think I don't mean writing it. I think they've

shown very good application of intelligence and money today. I actually think it's amazing the year that they've they've had for that for that first year, my Michael, I don't mean ust in general. I'm talking like, you know, golf people in general, like, oh, it was you know, it was Brooks and and DJ, Like whoa dude, it was Brooks and DJ, right like, Like, I agree, they've made way more. I think we all admit and anyone who has a reasonable like take a minute, it's like they've

made in roads. Well to your point, Ryan, I mean, there's so much shouting in the conversation about living the tour and a lot of the nuance gets lost and you know the fact is a lot of tour events are really weak. They just are. And um, people that want to acknowledge that. I mean, there's the players who are in those in those events like in the Fall whatever, there it's life changing for them and they're playing their

hearts out. But you know, there's that they don't have the pedigree and so that that exists without a doubt. But um yeah, I mean, I don't think anyone's pretending to c J Cup is a big time event. But when you get, you get wrong and you get Roy, we get it's exciting. And the question is when you when you get camp Smith against Brooks, why is that not so exciting on live? I mean to me, part of it is the lack of TV presentation. You know,

it just feels small time on YouTube. And you know that that definitely, I think affects how we think about it, and um yeah, it's completely um yeah, there's some inconsistency. Hey, I just gotta Jake, you can whatever, do whatever you want with this. But I just got a text they are playing a fucking pro am at the final stage of Q School. What what? What has it ever happened before? Never? I literally just got a text from an agent final

stage of Q School official pro am. How much does across the plane the thing I'd like to get in it? I mean, but we could fly home, Michael and plane it leave this in this leave this in Jake. That's insane, right, that's insane and I can't even process that. But like the LPGA was having, they were having pro ams during their majors for a long time. I mean, okay, major's is bad, Q school, Q school way worse some majors. Who's going to Who's going to sign up for that?

In other words, this is the tensest week of the player's life, just gonna wat to play with the golfer And no, that's a problem. The people who are going to sign up will have no clue what that week means, and they're just like, well, that guy was pretty much a jerk. Book. Yeah, he seemed to be stressed out.

I thought this was a program where the guy is supposed to shake my fucking hand, like this isn't the centers and fucking farms that that the classic thing to do would be for a group of guys to sign up and then not play. Yeah then the guy, Yeah, then you're just donating money to the PGA tour. I don't know that. Marshall approximately ten teams starting at approximately thirty one on a Wednesday, November six, Two teams comprised of one professional and three amateurs at fucking Q School,

not not just three hameters three hackers. Like, anyone who knows that they shouldn't sign up is not going to sign up. The people are going to sign up is the thirty five handicapper who's like, of course, I'd love to play with the pro golfer for five thousand dollars. That seems like great. And you have lawyers in your family. Do you think that's a tax deduction? If you played the pro am where the tour was the the nonprofit PJ Tour is the beneficiary? Could you write it off? Yes?

I mean is the US when you play, if you play in you know, the first to open, you're you're making the checkout of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and they're the charitable arm. Now, I don't know, has is there a designated charitable beneficiary for Q School? I mean that's an insting question. Ryan doesn't say in the form checks payable to j Monahan. I mean, it's just like it's a letter from you know, just bullet points where to park, blah blah blah, and then just thrown in the middle

it just says pro wam pro Am. I am I'm stunned. I don't even know what to say. Well, I mean, we jest, but the tour is draining their reserves. They've they've gone, they put all their chips into the middle of the table. They just built whatever hundred million dollar headquarters, whatever that final cost was. Like you know, you've been talking about the raising the prices at Q school. They're

doing this, doing that. I mean, it's possible that someone is sounding the alarm in part of Beak saying guys like we are at a serious revenue deficit and we need to we need to make every five dollars we can and any which way. So it's it seems totally bizarre. But if you look in the context of the tours, never shelled out this much money. Yeah, for a devalued product.

I mean, who knows, Wow, I would. I am going to do an article and interview the fifty amateurs as they come off of the of the course, Like, Wow, that guy was a real jerk. He's pretty stressed out, And I was like, I thought this was fun. Worse tiger what anyway? That is one well, so one thing I want to talk about just because you know, kind of rounding up the week a little bit and we are guilty of not giving enough airtime to our great friends on the LPGA. But Lydia Co won over in

um in Korea. She's she's leading the points race and the scoring title and she's having another banner year. Really, you have to go back to like two thousand sixteen when she was playing at this level, and Lydia Co

is on my favorite people in golf. And when I think about her as a teenager, that was the purest, most natural golf I've ever witnessed my own eyes, Like she just made it look so easy, totally unencombered by swing thoughts, just had incredible feel for the game and a Jordan's speed, likability to get the ball in the hole from unusual places, and um so I'm delighted that she's back, you know, to being a superstar once again. And i just want to give her a shout out.

And I'm not trying how old without looking how old is Lydiac Michael's frozen in time? No, I'm I don't want to make a bad guess. I'm not all right, Alan, Alan gave me what I thought Alan might know. But since he's in, but go, I mean, go fire away. Oh God, it's gonna be embarrassing. That's a great guess. She's I mean, does not feel like she's been part of our lives for like ever. I mean I would be like, I mean, it just shows how young the women's game is is Like, I mean, she has been forever.

But I'm saying like you would think that I would you know if I didn't know, because I know, but like and they get ten years ago as an anima, Oh yeah, absolutely, she's she's when you see her in person, Uh, you can't believe how slender she is. And to hit it as far as she does, I mean, it really shows you what mechanics will do. Yeah, the efficiency this is, this is what I can't pinpoint the year. It's probably

six or seven years ago. Um I I spent a David Lydia in San Francisco because her this sort of a joint venture between her people at i MG and LPGA. They wanted to film this fun videos. The idea was she would play a made up golf course through San Francisco, all these you know, iconic spots. She hit a put down Lombard Street and we hit a hit a t

shot off of Alcatraz. It was a great idea, but it turned out to be an incredibly long day because it's not easy to get around San Francisco and the park and get the film crew, and I mean it was like we basically went from dawn to dusk for what turned out to be a very short little social media video. But she was. She was so delightful and

we're driving around. You know, there's there's there's a great mural and it's Scott Uh, you know, Jimi Hendrix and Jazz Joplin and the Great and Jerry Garcia and um, you know, I'm trying to think Els is on. There a bunch of you know, perhaps yeah, I'm not sure

if Tony Benn was on. It was but like all these musicians who have passed through San Francisco and played an important part, and so we we we quizzed her and she didn't know a single one of them, which is not you know, she was whatever sixteen but it was so funny and um just the this. She might have been eighteen, but I mean she was still I

think she was late. Yeah, she was a teenager. Was that the swinging was that the swinging skirts event that used to have Yeah, I think I think it was pegged to that that was a great event at um that lake More said, which funny enough, I just I may have wangled and invite they just Gil Hants just redid it and it reopen and yesterday and um, I saw some people playing on social media, so I hit him up. And it's closed to guests and throughout the

end of this year. But I'm like, you gotta make exception for reporters were trying to, like, you know, build some buzz for you. You know, like, uh yeah, maybe they're afraid that you won't like it, and they know that you're a truth when it comes through. I like, I like the old lake and I said, in fact, it's it's the scene until and we you know, we can touch on this or not. But since our last podcast, I didn't make my first hole in one and but there is twitter debate. I know we'll get into that.

But the most devastating near miss of my entire life was I played in the pro am at the Swinging Skirts with Christina Kim and I think it's a third hole. It's steeply downhill. Part three pin was way on the right and Christina is like, the only hit this close you have to land it on the fringe right of the of the whole and it'll it'll go dead sideways

towards the flag. And one of the rare times in my life, I did exactly I was trying to do and it was tracked in the whole way, and the people were in the green were getting excited and we were dead silent, and it lipped out like didn't after you can see a horse shoe. I still have a glass I want for closest to the pin. But and I fell to my knees in anguish because it looked so good and it was like a slow trickle. It was agonizing. We had so much time to watch it

play out. So I'm gonna ask the question, where, Ryan, does did you make the butt? I made? But yeah, I made, I mean expired like four inches. It was. It was so painful because to have I mean, there's probably fifty people out there and Christina, you know I'm great friends with and like that would have been an epic first one. But yeah, so let's get into the debate. So I was playing the hunted hole hike. We were at the Peter Hay golf Course in Pebble Beat and

so yes, it's the holes are short. The one I the one that happened to knocking it was I think sixty one yards. So um. I fully understand those who think it should have an ASTERIXK. But after a lifetime of near misss is and bad luck, I'm like, screw it, man, I'm counting it. I'm I've already ordered the plaque. You can't take it away from you. Here here is my think. This is my take coming from a person who had a hole in one on a part three course. Now it was two times as long as your hole in one.

But here is I always always say this is if the person who made the hole in one thinks it's a hole in one, it's a fucking hole in one. Like it doesn't matter, like I think I made a hole in one, Like I don't. I could care less what J. J. Kleen thinks. That JJ is a great dude and a fun guy and hilarious, but he doesn't have to think that I made a hole in one. I was there, I made one. I didn't. I think

that's a great definition. I totally agree with that. And I was, as you were saying, I think, just to binder a little bit but your definition is perfect. If you've got a story to tell about the one that you made, it is a hole in one. Otherwise you wouldn't have a story to tell. JJ had one of the most biting Twitter comments of all. He said, of my eight nice chip in that's not true. It was a sawed off lob wedge or sand wedge. Higher, a little higher, and that toe is turning over. That's not

a fair comment. Yeah, no, I know what it's but but also I mean he should be told, Alan, and you know this to be true. And I got this straight from Tom Weiscope, who knows it's a chip if it spends more time on the ground than in the air. And that certainly did not. So I rejected, rejected, compank you, Michael. And we all know that there's some some there's plenty of weird hole in ones where it gets a funky bounce. This if you this is the hardest green by far

at Peter, Hey, it's extremely shallow. I appreciate this cell. Appreciate this cell job so much. You really do it? What did tigers C do about it? Yeah? I know. I almost considered texting Mark Steinberg and being like, hey, I made an ace on Tigers of course, can can I have like, can I get him on the phone to talk about the making of when why Why did Why did you not just sex tired directly? Yeah, like

Philly changes his number a lot. But yeah, but no, so let's get back to the let's stay focused here, let's labor focus. This might be the rest of the podcast of three parts if we're just gonna So it's like extremely shallow green and it has this big swell on the left side and they have the pin front right. If you went at the flag with impossible to hold the green, big false front, guys kept Most people weren't

even hitting the green on this one. So you had after playing a few times, like okay, you gotta aim three or four yards left, hit into that hill and spin it back. And I actually you should have left off the fact that you played it three or four times. There's four or five times I played it. But yeah, so no, this this came up also in fact, it was the eighth time or night time I played it,

because it's my eightieth hole of the day of the hunter. Like, but if you're a member at at a club or if it's just your local community, you play a lot like you know the greens Like so, Ryan, you get to a part three at the Alpina Country Club or golf club or golf course and and the pins back left,

you know how you have to play it. So I mean it's the same thing like like, yes, I have some institutional knowledge, but everyone has that and of course they know well, Allen, I'm here to give you ship. It doesn't matter at the end of the day, if you counted as all on one as all on one. Michael and I have talked about the third hole behind my house way too much over the last two weeks.

If I and I went out there and played that hole, only that hole a lot of times, and if I would have knocked one in, I want to call it a fucking hole in one. There's a hundred and seventy yard hall. I mean, you want to call your sixty yard lob ledge that you played nine times and you knew exact break and all that stuff all on one. Call it a wall and one when you put it like that. Jeez, here, here here's the proof of how much I agree with Ryan. I was playing with a

great friend of mine, Fred Anton, years ago. Like Fred Anton, we started a number ten of the Build Up Your CECT Club Short Part three. I made a bogeye he made an X. Uh. He said, I'm not counting it. I said, well, I'm in bog I'm counting it. So we came through again and uh so now he's playing a nineteen pall and he made a one that counts in his Yeah, well, extenuating circumstances in this is that I told you I'll do in the hundred hole hike.

I said, if I don't make an ace, I'll donate a thousand dollars to youth on course, So there was a lot at stake by time you get the thirty fifty, sixties, seventy holes and every single time you step on the tear trying to make one. And we and we sent some poor bastard cameraman John out there. I was like, okay, dude, he's like holding the camera the camera guy. That how they got that? Did they have every shot? Films every shot? Yeah, at some point they'll be like that boring faster. But John,

actually John figurerolla shout out to him. He was great because the like the preceding eight or nine or ten holes before I actually dunked one was by far the best. I hit it all day, like I was peppering it at the flag, and I was like, well, I can't do I can't call it, Michael as our words Smith of the of the Threesome. Can we use the word dunked on a sixty one yard shot? We can't use fired when Frank lick letter shott two. Can we use

dunked on a sixty one yard shot? Well? No, The only time you dunk one is if the thing I mean very rarely happens to me. It goes in on the flyer, on the flag. That's dunking it. Short of that, you hold it out. So John figure out the camera like, yeah, I didn't even I spun it in. I read it perfectly. John's like it's gonna happen. I can feel it. It's coming, and I want to say, fuck you, John, it's not coming, Like,

stop taunting me. He was dead serious, like he's a very positive person then, but his energy kind of sustained me. So I give him a lot of credit for sure. God, Michael, how many do you have? I have only one, just one, you know. Now I've got others. You know that don't count it's so good. Why do they count Michael just breaking my you weren't playing a proper round or you just holes of a proper round. Ryan, I'm I'm going for the rest of my life. I'm going your definition. Yeah,

I love it. I mean again, like, there's plenty of people who think mine is not a hole in one. I'm all good. I was hitting off a matt from a hundred fifteen doublet like but not quite. I mean, I counted, I count it. I mean, it doesn't matter Allen counts it. That's it's the hole in one to me because it's counted. But I do look forward to justifying it. Yes, on a on a real golf regular holes. You know who's who's doing the work at lake More,

said Gail Hunts. You know Alston mackenzie worked on that course in bits and pieces because you know he was he was doing Uh who was credited geez that. I'm not positive. I don't want to say the wrong thing. But they have some great old photos of the original bunkering. Then they brought it back and it looks really pure. You know what Tom Doak says of these renovation projects, most clubs prefer the way it was before we got there. Now I have to, in total fairness to Tom, I've gotta,

I've gotta, I've gotta edit that. Not. We like Tom like any architect. You know, he's broadly speaking, and he's done some very good renovation work. But you know, it's hard. It's hard to do renovation work. I'm googling um. Lakemer said. It was originally developed well, yeah, reworked by Alston mackenzie later that decade. But then in the sixties Interstate to eighty came along and they lost some holes. Robert Muir Graves came in and did it. Um. So there's it's

It's been in the mishmash of different people. So I think I think this is a more unified version of it. Right, I did not know Willy luck but but Jake did, or Jake looked it up. I was gonna say, like, I've never I've never heard I've never heard of Willie luck If. For those who don't know, the DOOTR, San Francisco Olympic Club, Lakemore said, San Francisco Golf Club and Cow Club are all basically adjoining it. There's a very few places on the plant that have such great golf

in such close proxy. There's some corners along island obviously the Monterey Peninsula. Um, let's not for guess well, let's not forget the Kentish coast of England. Yeah, there's there's a handful World Sports Center and have you played that. I don't even know if it's still open. The Part three course at Olympic and the dunes there. Oh yeah, it's great. Yeah, they've they've gone back into it is open.

I mean they've they've they've always wanted to make that even more spectacular given the setting, but the California Coastal Commission hasn't. They've kind of put the coboss on some some different ideas, but it is it is really neat. It's someone who's lived a lot of time in San Francisco. You could only join one of those San Francisco clubs, Which which one would you want to join? Well, Cow Club because it's by far the most fun and it's

it's an amazing golf course. San Francisco is I probably like that golf course a little bit better, but you know, it's very old school and not kind of my vibe. Cow Club's fun, but I'd be happy with any of them. Did you guys know that Yannick Paul had a twin? Did you know Yannick Paul when he wanted Yannick Paul one today on the European Tour. Yeah? No, he made it awesome, you know. Second, Yeah, yeah, huge, But um no, I didn't know that until until today. I saw on

social media. He's really I mean, he's a very nice guy. Him and his brother are German and played in Colorado. Really nice guys played on the Outlaw Tour in two thousand twenty. I mean I posted a picture in Michael's back, back to Michael's point about golf, meaning something like this guy I posted today in two thousand twenty, lessons like just over two years ago, the guy was making checks for like three thirty eight dollars on the Outlaw Tour,

you know. And that's not including the fact that he paid a nine injury fee to get into that tournament. So he's really negative six d plus travel costs. And so obviously that put is awesome. That's why I love golf. But here's the not so serious side of it. So he has an identical twin. And when I say identical, they are identical. Their golf coach who've talked too many times. Uh at Colorado. Uh, last name Edwards is like, I can't tell him a part. They were both on the

corn Ferry Tour in a pro am. They switched the brothers on the t and no one in the group. Now, okay, so here's the here's the question. You're leading, Yannick I was leading after the third round, he goes to the bathroom and pulls his grind, or is walking to the thing and pulls his grind. His whole careers in the balance. His brother Jeremy is a very good player in his own right. Do you send your twin brother to play the final round? No one would know, No one would know.

I mean, obviously if we're gonna go by it's the code of golf and all. Yes, of course, of course not, but I would say go for. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to be telling this story for the rest of their lives. I mean, Uh, Curtis Strange. How to have a brother, Alan Strange, who was absolutely identical back then, especially and at the v A U s Open.

Uh Alan came up to watch the watch the last round and he got there early news there with his buddies and they're walking around drinking beers and people are like, I don't think curse has got much of a chance today. Has happened the bag already? Well, I mean, did you guys ever see the fake Clay Thompson. M Oh yeah, yeah, he got all the way into the Yeah, yeah, yeah. It is Golden State Warriors fan who looked very much like Clay Thompson facially, but you know, he's about fifty

pounds heavier. But he would get mistaken for Clay and he'd sign autographs and then he went down onto the court and shot around and no one said anything. So but he finally got pinched in band. But yeah, it's I mean, that's a wild idea. You're the biggest moment of your life hanging in the balance, and you like break your ankle right, and you're like, I can't go. I'm gonna you know, I mean, he just changed his life today. It had it would have at least have

to cross your mind. Your brother is a very good golfer, and you're just like, hey man, you're gonna have to like here's what Kurt and I talked about yesterday, you know, like and like this is it, Go get him Tiger, And uh, would Ryan, what would you do with the caddy in that situation? Would you let him in on it? And then obviously he's gonna get right and uh instead of ten and uh, we're all just gonna I was gonna move on. It would be funnier. The caddy didn't know. Amazing.

I mean, if the golf coach can't tell their swings apart, then I doubt the caddy here nothing. The corn Ferry Tour did a thing and literally the guys played a hole with a different brother, like there was a blind t shirt and he's like, I'm going back to the tea, and the other brother got up on the team and play the entire hole with him, and no one knew. I know. I mean, I grew up playing basketball with these twins, admirals. I could never tell them apart to

this day, I still can't. It's so trippy. Anyway, Yannick Paul great, I mean, Jeremy, it's not very nice too, but Yannicks a great guy, was super happy for the gay. Now does anybody don't look it up? Know who won the Senior Tour in Richmond today? Oh? I know that alt he was tied. Uh, this is a guest because I don't know Elker Steve out here. Yeah I didn't. I don't even check my bad Steve. He did win, and I spoke to him for about an hour on

on Tuesday, and it was mostly a pep talk. It was like, yeah, I know you've been struggling, but come on, Bob Ritella would take like four percent of the victory check just for that one hour, So I think, No, this guy has won more. He's won over three million dollars this year. That's awesome. It's actually now Ryan, were you were you aware of him and as a as a Monday Que guy? Yeah? I mean, Michael, he's in

this position because of a Monday Que. So he into a senior event and when like sixth, third, second, five, whatever, it's impossible to gain status on the on the Champions too. You really gotta like play well, and he like we never look back. One Monday que changed his life. I mean it's been a wild right. Second of all, always talk about surreal moments. Michael Bamberger asking me for a phone number of a player was pretty awesome. All right, this guy has a ROLLADEX is loaded, loaded, with people

and he's like, hey, Ryan DF, Steve Alkers. I was like, I might give it to you, Michael, I'm not sure. Yeah, I suppose, like uh, Alan asked me for dalfinster Wald uh last year. While back He's like, and he's like, I don't think this is likely, but do you have to doubt constroll by any chance? Like that's easy. I mean give me something with b J that would be challenging. I just think you know, you being Elker sports psychologist.

My favorite quote ever about sports psychologists when I did a big feature in Kevin Na for Sports Illustrated back when he was really in the wild and so haunted um, and I said, why haven't you worked with sports psychologists? He's like, they're all captain obvious. They tell you something you already know when they charge you five hundred buck. Because he's like, I don't need them. That's well said

who Kevin? Nah? Yeah? Yeah, Well I think Kevin up must be pretty strong, you know, because he doesn't have much and he sat up there a long time. He must and he really even Yeah how old was he when he was Probably that's a long long long time to stay out there. We didn't really hit him very far at all. Uh, it's impressive, you know. Um uh what just one quick note about about alcer soap. You know, I'm asking all search of different ways how did you

do it? And he's given me really thoughtful answers on them. Write him down as fast as I him. And then and then an old friend of mine said, well, how do you do it? So I said all the things that Alker told me, you know, when he was when he was forty eight and a half, he came up with this program to get really good and focus on is and equipment and fitness and blah blah blah blah blah. And I recited all to my to my friend who's eighty eight years old, and he said, they all say

that he did it. It's like, wow, that is a tremendous insight. So I didn't use any of that in the history because I realized, yeah, they and this guy did it, and here's the answer. There is no answer. There was an answer. Other guys would black good. Yeah, exactly. He's an awesome I mean the fact that he wants I mean, he really has changed his life, that dude.

I mean the I don't know if he told you Michael but was over twenty two or over twenty three that in a row, had missed twenty three cuts in a row when he went on the court for a and uh, I mean, you know, and uh back to your point of you know, uh, short hitters and you know he's a tiny little guy, doesn't end very far. Obviously that doesn't matter as much on the senior tour, but just the fact that he get sustain his career to get to the point of getting to the Senior Tour.

So uh, I mean, good on him that it is really he is exactly who the Champions Tour does not want winning this. Charles schwap Cup, I will tell you that I don't know. Well, I mean, I'm sure that's right, but it's it's also neat to see that again, you know, I mean, golf is definitely the dream machine in this. You know, this is a great just like Tom Lehman was, you know when he was thirty gonna crack and just like Hogan was. And it's happened many many times through

golf history. There got guys figure it out when you're at least expecting him. I will tell it quick. Tom Lehman story third hand he was playing by himself and a guy was playing by himself behind him and caught up to him and I was like, hey, do you mind if I play with you? And he said no, not at all, and striping it making Bertie's left and right, and he said, oh, what's your name? And he said, Tom Lehman, I'm thinking about quitting. You know, I'm a

pro golfer, but I'm thinking about quitting. But my wife is pushing me to continue to play, and I'm gonna give it one more shot. And the next year I went onto the whatever it was Ben Hogan Tour dominated and oh that's it. You know that. The best Tom Layman story is that when he was really, really really struggling, had no money and was leaving a tournament on a Sunday, it was all grungy and started pouring rain. He's like,

you know what, screw it. I don't think I can be able to afford a hotel, jumps out into the rain with a bar of soap and like takes a shower in the cold, freezing rain, rinses off and keeps going. Like when when you're showering in the rain like that, that's the Monday lifestyle. Didn't he sell his clubs to get home on time or something like that. Isn't there a legend? I don't know that, but I hope it's true. That's awesome, But Michael, I'm not sure I have a

story all want my note. Isn't there a thing where he was? Was he the Minnesota golf coach at one point? And uh he said, yeah, you gotta run the shop and all right, he said, yeah, you gotta rent out the cross country ski some winters. Yeah, yeah, that's part of the legend. I've never fact checked it, but that's that's always been attached to him for sure. Well he's like, all right, I'm not doing the cross country skis. It's been another pleasantly discursive podcast. I think we should release

the listeners. But let me give a quick shout out to our our corporate sponsors who help us um keep your lights on here at the fire Pick Collective. Of course, Part Points you know by now is our favorite golf scoring app, and it really doesn't make the game fun and interesting, and I would encourage anyone to download the app check it out, and especially of course you play a lot with your buddies, like if you're looking for a way to spice things up, it's um, it's undefeated.

And then Dormy Workshop makers a beautiful handmade leather goods. If you go to fire Pick Collective dot com and you click on the pitch shop tab, you can see some of our collaborations, but they do um many many things beyond that. So if you if you're looking for a head cover or it's something for your glove or your for your whatever you might want, um, Dormy is

the is the place to check it out. So Alan, you you didn't use the word you customarily use our kiss, Yeah, because because your pronunciation of it is so suet generous. I love it when you use it. All right, well I'll scroll that away because hazard what what dessert? Well? What was more? We used earlier? Taciturn Yeah. So these fire Drill podcasts are happening every Sunday and going forward, hopefully Ryan will be more taciturn um. But um, until then,

close this one out. I'm Alan Schepnik. That was Ryan French and Michael Bamberger. Thank you for listening. As always, we appreciate you guys out there, and uh we'll do it again soon. Thanks a bed big played to win, made a fortune within my ship game. I ran the table and thought I could fall. Then the win hit me like a cannon, the ball and now I can't shake this losing the streak. Every road I take is a dead end stream. I got thoughts in my head, can't get him out, trying not to think what I'm

thinking about. I got of thoughts in my head, can't get him out, and trying not to think what I'm thinking about.