Fire Drill 052: Grand Finale(s)

them out Dormy Workshop. And then also part points great app for scoring, a new way to go a score uh on your phone out on the golf course. Awesome way to do it. Now let's go make par use that part points app. In this week of the Fire Drill, we talked about John rom talk about Rory McIlroy. We talked about Lydia co At that twenty five, she is already a Hall of Famer. It's crazy that she's feel like she's thirty one. She's been a part of our lives,

for our golf lives forever. She started so young. Um. We talked a little bit about Adams fencing and his journey and the connection that he has to the Big Money Classic. We talked about Ram's complaints about the o W g R and are they legitimate are they not, and what that means in the world of golf. We talk a little wishbone brawl. We talk persimmons in there um but as always spirited conversation, some disagreements, some not without further ado. Here's Michael Allen and I talking golf.

I got dot, He can't get Johan nothinging what I'm thinking about, can't get the thing what I'm thinking about. All right, boys, Well, it was a huge week in golf. There was sort of some season ending intrigue in both Europe and on the LPGA Tour. Uh Europe of course being a a a loose term because they actually were in Dubai. But there the European Tour, it's not even the European Tour anymore, it's the dp World Tour. But they have their season finale. John Rahm held off a

really stellar field. Roy McRoy one the race to Dubai. Although it should be noted that when a single event on the European Tour this year, you know, but they count the majors, and they count other events that allowed Roy's excellence to get him to the top of the the race to Dubai standings. But uh, let's let's just start there. I mean it's been the European Tour has been battled kind of all year. Um, it's in this this funky place because of the battle between Live and

and the PGA Tour and Asian tours rising. And I think Europe's going through little identity crisis that lost all these uh, all of its elder statesmen in the Poulters and Westwoods and Garcia's and Kaimer's and Stenson's. You know, an entire generation of stars just vanished and left a little bit of a void there. So Uh, to have such a good finished with so many top players, what did that mean for for this embattled tour? Well, they

need it. Uh, you know just like when uh, when Live was just starting up and Rory went to Canada and they had a great event. Uh, everything seems to count now, to use one of your words, Alan, everything is fraught. Everything has more meaning than otherwise would would. Uh. So it's significant to see top players playing and uh it's significant sort of I guess to see Rory McElroy

winning this thing. It means nothing to me, and I can't imagine it really does to most ordinary golf fans, But on the global stage of golf politics, it seems to mean a lot. Yeah think um, I mean, it just seems to me. Obviously, I'm locked in more on the Asian Tour because of just what it means to a lot of guys that I follow. But it seems like the Asian Tour has a lot of momentum um and the Overtree won last week, you know, last week. It just seems to be there's a lot of momentum

they need Rory and John. I mean, the European more than any other tour meets the momentum. It seems like they've kind of got lost in all of this. And and like you said, down, I think their identity is. They just seem to be in big, big trouble to me. And so, yeah, I don't even know what the race of Dubai means. I don't know how the hell you won without winning an event. Uh, it's then like Wills Alatorious or Patrick read win it one year or something

by not even playing a European Tour. Event. I don't know, but I think it's good for the European Tour. If Rory and John lam are mentioned anytime with it associated with it, uh, they needed no story. Will's Alturas finished seventh this year, and you only he only played one, you know, normal European Tour event and missed the cut. So it just tells you how heavily weighted it is to the majors. And again, it's just that you're right.

I don't think that, um, that Rory has deep feelings for this, but it's just another The fact that he wanted is another testament to what a fine season he

had and his excellence from from start to finish. Just the fact that we're sort of manufacturing and discussion about something we don't really care about is proof of the fact that people, whether it's Graham McDowell or David Slover, various you know, people on all sorts of different views of this thing, do think the PGA Tour season of the professional golf season is too long, too monotonous, and even if you go overseason, all the rest too many

seventy two whole events without enough meaning to teach individual event. So um, that might be the biggest lesson of this thing. I mean, even when you have John Roman, Roy mclroy uh playing in a tournament, it's mid November and people are not really thinking about golf. It's true. It's it's a little bit of like why are we here? Who am I? Uh? You know, the old Stockdale line. I mean it's um, but they did show up, they did play golf. I mean, for you know, John Rom, it

clearly meant something to him. He was, like people have said, had a bad year, this is my third win on three continents. Like he was kind of beating his chest and I sort of like that because a a indignant and motivated John Rom. Could you know, I think a year ago you just said he's the best player in the world. I think clearly he's probably been surpassed by Marc Roy and Cam Smith in the short term. But um, you know, to see that it meant something to Rom

was cool and I agree. And he does run not in his comments about the world golf rankings being a joke and how they what what do you think of that? Run? Yeah, I mean the Asian Tour guys and he but even

before Andy uh, Travis Smith, Uh, you know, Barry Henson. Um, A lot of the live guys that are playing over on the Asian Tour have been beating this trub for a long time, and I think it's very significant that a European tour, a lot of those guys are getting there like oh you're mad because I live and you know, getting poop food or like discounted because of that. I think John saying John rom saying something about the the l w g R is is significant. Um, you know, listen.

I don't know someone's gonna say it's because of the bottom half of the field, but it just seems to me at a field with John, Robin Roy, Michael Roy at the top having little less points than R s M this week just seems backwards to me. I don't know anything. I'm not trying to pretend that I know anything about w g R or the formula that I goes into. I just think that that seems backwards to me. Alan,

what's the fix to the world ranking problem? So you know, we touched on this a little bit in in the Ogletree podcast, and um, I've been I've been looking deeper into it and thinking about it more and talking to more people. I mean, the folks who Live Golf and Asian Tour feel like that all this stuff was was aimed at them. I mean, the reality is that the changes to the to the O w JR were set in motion in two thousand twenty one. Now, Live Golf was a rumor and it was we kind of knew

was coming, but it wasn't a thing just yet. And so the basic philosophy that that the World Ranking took was that it's significant how many players you have to beat in the field. I mean, you look at the PGA tour um and you look at this leaderboard. There's a lot at Sea Island. There's a lot of guys you don't think about week to weekend, and yet they were there. And so if you have a hundred fifty six players, you have to beat a hundred and fifty

five of them. And even though there's not it's not a top heavy field, there's still a lot of guys in the top one hundred and the top two hundred. Do buy that was only I think fifty five players fifty four players, So automatically there's a hundred less guys you have to beat. Now they had they had more stars, but the World Ranking is just taking the position that it's harder to beat a big field than a small field,

no matter who you are or where you are. And they do counterbalance it based on, uh, you know, the guys that if you have top players, you're gonna get more points. But there's there's a real bias towards full field events. That's just their position, and so that obviously hurts live. It hurt that, it hurt the event and Dubai, I mean hurt the Torch Championship for that matter, even though they had so many top players. So I think

it's a defensible position there. You know, this is Ryan's bills sool career on this fact that there are ten thousand or twenty thousand or thirty thousand guys who are potential PGA Tour winners roaming the planet. They just need the opportunity and so that that that is really what the change in the world rankings is all about. And I think it's a defensible position, but it does create these wonky weeks where have a cluster of top players

in Dubui. You don't have the star power. It's Sea Island. But I think we could all probably agree to the Sea Island field in a lot of ways is deeper. So it's it's a it's a it's interesting debate, and we know how the world ranking has chosen, um, where to assign points. You're free to disagree, but that's just what the formula is. What's you're feeling about fifty four whole events uh being included or should they not be included? Viewer?

Those are the whole thing? What would your vote be? Yeah, I mean the Senior Tour and the LPJ has long had fifty four whole events where they crown champions and no one was too upset about it. Um, you know, seventy two holes is the gold standard. I think we can all agree the more holes you play, the more likely or identified the best player. I mean, if if if every tournament and then the two thousands was ninety holes or hundred eight holes, tiger Woods would never been beaten.

But you know, the more holes you play, the harder is to win. And so yeah, I think I think there's merit to the fact that fifty four is slightly lesser competent titian and seventy two. But it's been established on various tours that you can you know, the mina tour, you dam it, Like there's been many tours that played fifty four holes. Like, It's just it's still a golf tournament. You know when you start, what what you're signing up for, and on that last round it's a shootout and you're

trying to win the tournament. So I would absolutely give fifty four whole events points. I think you could. You can, you can multiply by point seven five or something to penalize them for playing fewer holes. But Uh, to me, it's it's a tournament. Everyone knows the rules of engagement and if you win it, you win it. Can I pose the same questions to Ryan, Ryan, what's your billing about the what would you do it if if you were the czar? What would you do to fix the

world rankings? And what's your feeling about fifty or four versus seventy two? Yeah, I mean I just don't know enough about it. Michael, I mean, like the the whole calculation and all that. But I mean Alan brings up a great point. I mean, but the top of the leader board. Among the players that were on top of the leader board this week, Sea Island, Calm Tar and Adams Fencer, who won. You know, those are guys that are far down the list, but on a given week

they can play. So I agree that field is deeper probably, Um, I think on a much bigger scale. Uh, yeah, I'm fine with fifty four holes now, I'm not firing a fifty four holes in a no cut event. That's that's where I struggled with. If the Sea Island was fifty four holes this week, would anyone really care? I don't think so. Um, I don't know that. I just I think it's I just if you had ten events a year on the PGA Tour that we're fifty four holes and they were all like, uh, you know, opposite field

or lower, would anyone care? No one would care? Uh. I think the people me included have a problem with fifty four holes, no cut, guaranteed money up front. Uh. If it was fifty four holes and there was a forty eight player field and twenty four got paid, I might find it interesting from a obviously I'm on my snority, but it's just not interesting to watch the rich get richard for me. Uh. So it's not really about fifty four holds to be, it's just about the format of

no cuts whatever. If it was seventy two hols, it was. If they change the seventy two hols still come morning to me. But now I'm flat out stealing this from my close personal friend Davis sem loved the third, get rid of the whole thing altogether. Who needs a world ranking? Some people know that, some people don't. The world ranking was dreamed up by i MG as a way to promote its players. It's not like you, Bobby Jones and and Gene Sarah's and came up with this sitting around

at the table at Augustina National. It has no great history. I mean, it was a promotional tool that Mark McCormick, you know, scribbled down the back of a Napkins somewhere, and it has over time taken on greater significance because it's used to It's it's the gatekeeper. It's the yardstick for getting into the majors and and these other things. But um, you don't need world rankings to determine who gets into the major championships. You can go off the

previous year's leaderboard. You can you could give you can see the top ten on the Live Money list, you could say the top fifteen and Asia like there's a million ways you can. You can get the best players together. You don't need the world ranking, and that that's the precarious position of the world rankings in they could make themselves obsolete. And it's already training that direction. If you're not gonna have Cam Smith or Dustin Johnson in your

top twenty or top fifty, it becomes meaningless. So um, the world ranking is in the last ten years has become very important, but before that it was just kind of a talking point that no one paid that much attention to. Here's what I will say about Rom's comment, and it goes back to a much bigger thing is Live has given golfers folk card brunch to say whatever they want, whatever they now. Rama is like somewhat outspoken

at times, and Rory has been. But it reminded me of so I posted the Sea Island field played short, okay, unheard of on the state side PG to or event no uh no alternates on site someone two people that drew in the morning. Davis loved the third being one of them, but I assumed he had told the first alternate that he like was probably going to test his risk and if it didn't feel well, withdraw, so he already knew. And then someone else withdrew with a bad

back and there was no alternate on site. Unheard of, unheard of that a PGA Tour event played short and Leslie Bryant under my tweet and he was the fourth alternate and obviously if he was outside of when he got in he said, his tweet was and I paraphrase Wesley, so I apologize. It was like I gotta call. I lived twelve hours away and I gotta call thirty five minutes before the teatime. No communication from the time I

was fourth alternate until the time I was first alternate. Uh. I guess the PGA Tour just doesn't care about conditional guys like me. They would have never said that. In my opinion, pre lived people are just firing from the hip and it is awesome. It is great. M Yeah, I agree with all that. Ryan. I mean, it's this,

We've seen this throughout American life. You know, civility has gone by the wayside, and now now people are are are you know, they're just taking shots, which in our business, that's that's it's as I've said many times, it's a

gift from the content gods. But you know, even Rom's comments were a little shortsighted because part of the the overhaul of the world rankings this most recent iteration was in the past different tours were guaranteed a floor on no matter what, they'd getting a certain number of points per event, and even if nobody showed up, you would still get you know, I think on Europe it was twenty four points for for the tournament and they did away with that. And so Europe especially had had had

used that minimum threshold many times in recent years. That so they're they're players were getting artifici propped up in the rankings, whereas you know, the field might have only been worth eleven or thirteen or seventeen points, they were still getting twenty four. And so the European guys are are they've hit They've been hit hard by this as well. And that's part of Rom's blowback, is like that they're

feeling discriminated against. But really it was probably a necessary tweak to say, we can't, we can't just artificially give you points you haven't earned. And so you know, Rom's kind of sticking up for his home tour and his own continent and all that, but his his comments were not totally grounded in reality or the truth. So um, you know, people popping off as great fun, but sometimes when you when you dig a little deeper, it's like, well,

I'm not sure how well informed they really are. There was a there was a beautiful simplicity two the money List, just the money List, and if you wanted to win the money List, you can either play more or play better when you did play. And I remember having this conversation on Davis when they made the move from the money List to FedEx points and I never really gravitated

to fed X points. And now you go. Now you go one step farther into this world golf ranking, and it's even it's even a vaguer or a bigger mess to try to determine who's really good. And it's kind of taken away from the barroom conversation of who's the best player, and right now when people have that barroom conversations, inevitably, uh, the guy who won most recently. And what John rom was saying, you know, I wanted three confidence this year

and I had a good year. Uh, it's cool because it really doesn't have anything to do with where we're ranking points just like, look at how I played this year. Everything's gotten more complex this season in golf, and it's it's fascinating. I mean, I think I like the conversation. I like the controversy. I like the divergence of opinions. But it's important that people dig a little deeper. And I think, you know, um, maybe maybe this conversation will

helps and listeners understand the ranking changes. It wasn't really target that live or Europe. It's just it just happened or Asia for that matter. But um, you know, the the it's the emphasis is on bigger, deeper fields, and it's kind of like Rory winning the Race to du Buy.

It wasn't he won that many tournaments and just that he had a lot of good finishes, like like consistency and um, that's that's kind of become baked into the model, like you gotta be there and you've got to show up every week, and but you're you know, Michael, I think we grab date more so the guys like I would say you, I'd rather have John Rom's season where you win three times um and fifth on the on the money list or fifth in the ranking versus someone

who has a million top tens but doesn't win and they're higher up. I mean the winds are what you remember. But um, a lot of these, a lot of the measuring sticks in golf now are more about we can week out consistency than they are occasional bursts of excellence. And it just is what it is. But we we've we touched on Sea Island little bit and um you know for this this kid, uh the winner who third year Canadian? Um, you know Adam Spencing, Like he's a

second Canadian to win this year on tour behind Matt Hughes. Um, he's never played in a major before. Now he's punched his ticket to the Masters and and a huge career upgrade. But Ryan, you know a little bit about about ab spencon So his journey to the PGA Tour included a detour through the Big Money Classic. So what is what is the backstory there? And this is great mini tour scandal.

The Big Money Classic for those that don't know, I've written an article about it didn't pay players, but the original Big Money Classic Adams Spence in one he uh it was a hundred thousand dollars to the winner. As far as I knew, I don't have a relationship with Adam. Uh, he didn't really fit into the grinder's mold. He was a corn ferry remember at the time when he played, and uh, he plays, he wins as far as I know, he gets he gets his hunt thousand dollars winter check.

The whole fire. The whole Big Money Classic falls apart the next year, and I learned that Adam has been paid over a year basis, so he didn't get paid originally. Uh, Dustin Manning, the Order of Big Money Classic, made a deal with him to pay him over a twelve month period with interest, and unfortunately they use the player's entry fee from the this year's version of The Big Money Classic to pay Adam. So Adam eventually got paid plus interest.

Unfortunately it was from the entry fees of the players this year who have never been paid or they've been paid ten of what they're are. So, um, I mean, just full mini tour drama right there. I mean, it's an absolute periods. He's like, it's like Bernie made Off. You've got to take money from someone to pay someone else. But eventually you're not gonna have someone new to take the money from. Like it's wild. It is wild. And there's a great picture. I'll try to get it for Jake.

There's a great picture of Adam spencing that Chantel McCabe took. Shantell and I were covering the original Big Money Classic and uh, and Adam is walking, has won this hundred thousand dollars, like no one knows that he's not gonna get paid at that point. It's like a huge win for him. Needs money. I mean that is that is career changing type money for a player. And uh, there's no one there and he takes his big gass you know, one of those big gas checks, and he's walking to

the car just by himself. He just one hundred thousand dollars and he's just like no one around him, carrying his own bag. Is his bag in one shoulder and his big gas check underneath of his arm on the other one. And it is I mean, many tour life to the max. How did you find yourself ruting for

Joel Damon at all this UM this weekend? Of course I was gonna mention, yeah, Joel Damon, recent guest on our new to fourth podcast UM Shot sixty four finish tied for fifth um, jump twenty people are so on Sunday. So I've I was definitely happy to see him. You know that the need of fourth bump is real and uh, you know there's a golf digest bump. Are you familiar with that? Hellen? Um? Yeah, I mean, um, sort of there.

That's always been a thing. You know, if I think, I think there's an actual fact when when players get this attention there on a podcast, they're on a magazine cover. I think it helps your self esteem and is I don't think it's a coincidence. They tend to play better after these little bursts of attention. So have you have you seen the Golf Die just cover with with Damon on it? Um? I saw a behind the scenes video. I kind of get the vibe. I don't know if

I've seen the actual magazine. Is it fun very funny? He's uh funny slash ridiculous, slash sign of the times. Uh, he's shirtless, he's tatted up and every possible you know, he's inked up. Every every available piece of skin is pretty much inked up. Um, and it's kind of classic Joel Damon. Yeah, Now he's great. I would I would implore the listeners, you haven't checked it out, listen to um need a fourth It was such a fun conversation. That's our new podcast. Michael myself Jeff Ogilvie are the

co host. We take turns kind of surprising each other with mystery guests, and Joel was our first one because he was just so much fun. And we have we have a lot of great guests coming, so that that those drop on Wednesdays. But um, back to See Island. You know, there's a lot of energy around so Heath the gala, he's become sort of a a favorite of golf Twitter. He made a nice run despite a double bogie on the seventh hole. But I was most interested

by Cole Hammer. Um, you know, his kid just graduated from Texas uh In a few months ago really and finished fifth, which that gets him into the field in Hawaii, the season opener of the calendar anyway of the two thousand twenty three. And you know he's got he's got definite star quality. Um, you know, he's more of a golden boy than a grinder. Ryan, But have have you crossed paths with with Cole Hammer any events? I have?

I mean, Cole is obviously super talented UH, and there's Cole is at the center, not because of anything he's done, but at the center of the PGA Tour rankings. UH dust up because you get UH points for being on UH in a PGA Tour event, and prior to him turning pro he got like this is a rough estimate fourteen exemptions over X amount of period, and so UH A lot of controversy about, you know, the politics behind exemptions that we all know about, but you know, I mean,

it's just back to your point. Alan a hundred and fifty six player field, there's probably a hundred and fifty guys that can win give a week to Not that Coal is not ultra talented. He is, but the guy has made like three cuts and sixteen career PJ Tour events and you know, but he puts seventy two holes together.

And I wouldn't be surprised now that he's over to something that he takes advantage and like I mean, I wouldn't be surprised to see another top ten in at the Sony And he never touches a spike on the corn Ferry Tour. I mean, he's a big name, a simper talented, he's gonna get a lot more exemptions. He's

pretty close to non member points already. Uh, you know, I would be very surprised if kole Hammer spends any time or any more than a few events on the corn Ferry tour well and furnished to him those miscuts. I mean he was a teenager slash undergraduate for a lot of them, So we gotta you gotta cut him a little slack. I mean kids like twenty two years old,

so he's he's learning on the fly. And Ryan, because of my interests in your career, I followed Ah this week he was a a Monday qualifier and to have this correct who played his way into uh the RSMC Island event, And uh, it's only happened very seldom where Monday quality fires maybe a half a dozen times have won the event after Monday qualifying. But what are the challenges of Monday qualifying and then you probably only get to see the course once because of a program round.

What what what's it like for Monday qualified to get into a field and then actually he played one great round and then sort of stalled from they never made the cup. What are the struggles of of what's like to play Monday qualifying golf, get into a tournament, then try to play a seventy two whole event. I am a little disappointed that you don't know that it's four times. Some say five, but as the fourth spot, it is the four times last time Corey Connors Ploro Texas Open,

as you know, Michael and all. But for those who don't know, uh, Monday. Obviously, the Monday qualifiers played Wednesday. Courses closed to most pros outside of if you playing a pro am. So anyone who gets through Monday qualifier has one day to see the course. Um. And I mean you gotta play all a team if you don't know the course. Now he knows this course a little bit, so I don't know what he did, but it's funny. There was a debate on Twitter, and I have never

questioned Actually's talent. I've questioned him turning pro or anyone turning pro at eighteen. Um, it's just a tough road to home and a lot of people, as we know, the list is long of eighteen year olds who are super talented that never made it. Um. But but I I posted about his sixty three on on Friday, and someone said, oh, he's never gonna make it. He's twenty years old, like and he's he's has like multiple top tens and PGA Tour events. He's one on the corn

Ferry Tour. I mean, the guy is super talented. Uh will you ever make it? I don't know, but I think he's he's obviously ultra talented. Um. But yeah, I mean Monday's are hard because you only have one day. You've already grinded. You basically play ninety holes, you know, under tournament conditions if you're gonna make the cut, because Mondays is stressful, So one day to practice, you don't see the course on Wednesday, and then he got ready.

You gotta get ready Thursday through uh through Sunday. Yeah, I mean, just to be clear that the Monday qualifiers are not played at the tournament course. That they're played off site. So even if you shoot sixty three on money, it's not the same it sound like he did it on the course. You have to then learn. So it's um. And that's like basically playing playing the final round. You know, the pressure that if you're if you're in the hunt there that that's that's like serious wear and tear on

your nervous system. So um, I'm sure some of those money qualifies, but then they get to Thursday or Friday already kind of they're a little they're a little fried. I'll go back to um. When Mark Monday qualified at the Barrier Cout in two thousand, Mark Baldwin, Mark Baldwin, sorry, Uh shot a score early in the day, sent there for two and a half hours and went for scores.

Obviously that's that's stressful. Dogs going hammer at Allan's house. Uh. The then we got into a playoff, Obviously that's stressful. We Mark wins the playoff, that's a celebration. And now at seven o'clock at night, get a fine hotels, you get extend your car, get a cancel flights home. You gotta called everybody and celebrate. And then you gotta get up at seven am and get to the course because you've never seen the tournament course before and you gotta

play at eighteen holes on Tuesday. So it's just you know, it's a lot, and uh, you know that's why over a four year period that I affected of of guys. You know, make make test you get the worst tea times, no complaints about that. You should get the worst tea times your Monday qualifier people ahead of you have ever in it, but get the last tea time of each wife. So Friday afternoon trying to make a cut on greens that have been walked down for two days is a

tough deal. Uh, just the way it is. And again, to be clear, zero complaints about Monday qualifiers getting the last tea time. They should. They're not part of the Yeah, the tour. How how do you guys think Hudson Swapford feels this week? And I'll leave it to either of you to explain why his name would even be in the conversation. Yes, Hudson Swofford a resident of Sea Island and part of the Sea Island Mafia who went to

Live Golf. I actually asked him about this in UM at the live event in Chicago, and because I've been told he was basically run off the island UM, and he said, not exactly, but it's been a little frosty,

you know. He's definitely it's very clicky and the there's a lot of PG tour guys who makes the island their home and and he was made you feel a little unwelcome when it tells you how seriously, this this live PG to rupture has been that the poor hud It's just like he's getting stinct at the grocery store.

But that's that's what's happening. Try and Carter from going up quote tweeted my Alex Fitzpatrick's story and said, and it took a shot at Jay and that took a shot said something to Jay like, you know, this is the stuff that the tour should worry about, not blackballing camp Smith from all the Jacksonville golf courses. You know, I mean this fight is full blown, petty, full blown. And you know Davis has some power in Sea Island and all the Hut probably has has seen some curtains

go up when he pulls into town nowadays. I mean, this is just full on w W WE black ball. They're taking camp Smith's parking spot away and TPC. It's insane just on the base of it. You're playing a short field, which is Ryan said earlier, is in the heard of and you've got so many tour players living right there, one of whom is Hudson Swofford. And for him not to be in the field, of course we know why. And I mean that we're not arguing that

right now, but it just is weird. Yeah, And I mean I don't know Hudson that well, but he just seems like a very pleasant, down home kind of Southern boy. It's hard to imagine that anyone's really that mad at Hudson. Swofford is a human, but it's just what he stands for and the it's it's really it's an interesting turn of events. Let's talk Let's talk about a feel good story here, and that would be lydia Co, who winning

this season ender on the LPGA Tour. And I love lydia Co. She to me is just one of the nicest people in all the professional sports and it is just a joy to watch. The way she plays the game, um, and especially early in her career was so natural and instinctive and just she had like a Jordan's speed, like genius for just getting the ball in the hole very quickly. You know, she would long puts hold out from bunkers. Crazy things just seem to always happen, and at some

point it's not a coincidence. And she got a little technical, she kind of lost her way a little bit, and um, but she's back with a vengeance. I mean, this is her third win of the year, fourteen top ten, she's Player of the Year, she won the Very Trophy for scoring average. Um, just a monstro season for lydia Co. And all those things have significance because now with the LPG formula, UM, any of those accomplishments, player of the Year, Ver Trophy, they get you points that are that's put

you further along into the Hall of Fame. We can all agree she's already a Hall of Famer, but the weirdness of the LPGs you actually have to check the boxes, and so it's significant when you win these these big milestone awards. So, UM, I don't know. Let let's have a little lydia Co appreciation for a moment. She's swings, swings like a dream. She plays so within herself. And uh, she's only twenty five years old. I mean to be

talking about her in the Hall of Fame. The way she goes about her golf, she could be playing good golf for the next fifteen years. Uh. Al and I were having a conversation with Chrissie Kim the other day, Christine and Kim, and she's playing good golf for twenty years. So you know, uh, people do stick around for a

long time in this game. In the women's game, they start young, of course, to starting young in the men's game now, But to be only twenty five, she's already been the best player of the world, should probably be the best player in the world again and well, you know, hopefully see her for many years to come. It's astounding. Well shout out to Sean Foley, um, the swing coach,

because he's been a part of this renaissance. And I mean I'm a big fan of Shawn Foley's as well, not even getting in the weeds the technical stuff, but he he becomes more of like a life coach. You know, it's like a holistic thing I think when you're working with him, and I think that's a great perspective on everything.

And um, I'm not sure how much he changed her swing or didn't change her swing, but whatever, whatever he did worked and I just got lydia Co back to being lydia Co. And I was I was texting with Foley earlier, um today, just after after after lydia one, and um, he said, you know, she's earned every part of this return to greatness, and that no one in the game works harder than her, which is a big statement, but I think it's true for even you take that

that that incredible gift and natural talent that she appears to have, and then and then you work that hard. I mean, good things are gonna happen. So I don't think we can talk about the LPGA. First of all, Lydia co awesome and the crazy just insane that she's probably twenty five years old. But I don't know if you guys read Bethan Nichols article about the CME CEO having this dinner and literally zero LPGA players showing up,

and it is quite a thing. I mean, the LPGA has been had so much momentum, rightfully, so it seems over like since Juan took over, help they grow, and now it just seems like they get very little negative pressed. Rightfully, so they have been on a like a great trajectory. Uh. But their biggest sponsor, CEO saying having this dinner and zero players showing up and saying his quote was I'm pulling it up. Sorry, everybody you know on my phone just locked on me. I'm concerned about the future of

the tour, said the CEO. I mean that is that's a pretty damning called probably the biggest sponsor. Yeah, I did see that. It was interesting. I mean it dovetails a little bit with with with Bubba Watson's you know, Thunderbolt. Although we all we already kind of knew it that a lot of the tour players get paid to do some of the sponsor related activities. I mean when when players are in their grind mode, and this this is

a huge event. I mean co won two million dollars, is the biggest winner's check in the history of the l p g A. There was a lot at stake at this event. They don't want to go to dinners, and they don't want to go to these functions. They will if there if there's a direct, you know, correlation to their paycheck. This probably seemed a little optional, but clearly it ruffles of feathers and I think next year, like the entire fields coming to that dinner because, as

you say, Ryan, you gotta keep the sponsors happy. But the fact that the Cimme guy CMME guys talking about of publicly is really weird because I don't know, I don't know if that's the live effect too, but that never happens there's never any public criticism of anything from corporate America. If I threw a party no one showed up, I won't tell anybody. I would tweet we just had

the greatest party ever. Man. That was a ranger, like it is kind of the best line in the story is he asked everyone, all the all the women players to stand up, and the and the line from Bethan was and only the waitresses and the servers were standing. I was like, Oh, that was rough. That was good. That was that was well done by beth Han. Uh. Yeah, I mean there's it's funny. I mean, to tour players, they just live in a bubble. They really do. And

I'm gonna tell it. So happening in Pebble Pizza this week is the p b I the Pell Beach Invitational, and it's a really fun little offseason event and they bring players from different tours and it's kind of working vacation winners. The winner gets maybe sixty dollars, which is not nothing. But um so I heard a story this week that was so great. Harrison Fraser, who I love Harrison. I wrote about him a few times when he's battling injuries and when he finally broke through. We got his

first wins. He's now on the Senior Tour. But Harrison wins the Pell Beach Invitational a couple of years ago. And I should say that the players part of what makes it a fun week for them as they get to stay at the lodge or at Spanish Bay. The accommodations are free and they can charge all their food as as you know, kind of a nice perk for being there. And so Harrison wins, and he goes in the tap room and he's buying magnums from everyone, and he's buying food and drinks and put it all on

his on his room tab. And he goes to check out the next day, and you know, some of the tournament folks are waiting for him and they're like, Harrison, Um, congratulations. You know, we're so proud of you. But um, we're gonna hang onto the winner's check because that's sixty dollars and you're building the tap room last night was eight thousand dollars, So um, we'll just call it even. Thanks

for coming. Great job on the winds next year, I know, And there wasn't like such a nice like down home Texas boy, it's like totally out of character and hilarious. But you gotta love it. I mean, I respect out of it. That's awesome, find not. I mean you know, I mean for even even a kind of a silly season event in November, anytime you went Pale Beach is a big deal. I mean it would It would be one of the biggest wins of his career and he

went out, he went big. Right now would be a perfect time to have since Geen Ram seems to be interested in playing golf the simmer year, if he's properly motivated, and we know lydia co it's interested in playing golf at this time of year, right now would be the perfect time to have a mixed team event, which you know did exist for years. It was never a huge thing, but it was a popular thing. Uh. But that is something that could really galvanize UH golf fans all over

the world. To have players from all over the world uh gather and play in a mixed team event. Yeah, I agree with that, and um it's crazy because everyone's talked about it for years. It would be such a no brainer to get the best LPG players, you get the best PGA Tour players. It would be so much fun. The fact that they can't get it done as an indictment of the leadership on on all those tours. But

it has to happen one of these days. Um. Well, a couple of things before we go, we should tip our cap to the Wishbone Brawl in Oceanside, which is at Goat Hill, a few miles from the fire Pit headquarters. I was there last year and it was it was incredible events. Um didn't make the trip this year, and

Michael and Ryan are far away. I think I think we'll blow it out next year and and we'll treat it like the Masters, because it really has become such a neat um gathering of of those who love golf and and uh, you know have the gold medalist and Zander Shoffe, you have Fred Couples, who's Fred Couples. You have us Open Champ, just Jeff Ogilvie and then kind of local legend Dean Wilson. They used pursumming woods and

they're playing out of course. It's you know, not even five thousand yards and people just walk down the Ferrway without ropes. There's dogs, there's kids, and um, it's really one of the great events in golf. If we did a lot of coverage on the firepit handles on especially on on Instagram, but Twitter as well, and I would encourage folks to check that out. It's it's just the

visuals are amazing, you know everyone. You have a thousand people ringed around every green and what marching down the fairway and it's kind of a throwback to how golf used to be. So congrats to all the folks. Interestingly, they play with Bersimmon driver, but they use that they use a modern golf ball. Of course, the presumming driver really works. Meant to work with a lot of ball. Uh and and does best Alan. Have you played the Goat Hill course yourself? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, handful of times.

It's I mean, it's quirky and funky, but I love the scene there. And um, I actually really like the golf course. There's a lot of fun little half par holes and you can you can you can be super aggressive and cray easy and um you can make a double, you make an eagle like I enjoyed Going Hill a lot. The term half hole, I can, I can kind of guess it for a three and a half a drivable

part four. Um, right, but what are the other context of it, because there's no there's no part two and a half, there's no part three talking to someone who made a sixty three yard hole on one, there's no part three and half. Oh yeah, well, I mean yeah, there's drivable fours. The part fives are store they're like Part four and a halfs and then but there are you know there are the Part three's are really short there.

I mean you've got a wedge in your hand most of the time, so you feel like you can hit it close every time, even though they're dangerous. So um, not except for the second hole, which is the harsh hole in California. But Brian and I played in the six shots combined that because I would call that that is a half part. That's about part three and a half. Michael, So, is there a big bank beyond the green? You can you can hit it over the green. I'll hit the

bank and maybe roll back down. I'm thinking the right old No you think I think you're thinking of nine. That's a shorty. It's it's uphill, it's two yards over a chasm, crowned green. It's a it's a horror show. Um, Ryan and I need another go around that course to really appreciate you do. It'll happen, It'll happen. Well, I think I think that's the weekend golf. I mean we should We could also know that the Patrick Read lawsuit has been dismissed yet again. I mean, just a monumental

clown show with the whole thing. It's free content for us, but Patrick Read is actually paying for this, Like yeah, I'm as soon as you getting builed by the hour and so who knows, maybe maybe they will refile, which that will just give us something else to talk about on the next Fire Drill podcast. Um, any partning thoughts? Where we go? Boys? This is the week that was good week in golf and uh, always a pleasure to be with you guys. Indeed, Ryan, thank you guys as always.

All right, good stuff. Well, another fire drills in the books. We do these pretty much every Sunday. Thank you for listening. Um, please also tune into the next Need of Fourth which will drop on Wednesday. I'm not gonna reveal the guests just yet. We want a little mystery, but um it's a great one so uh for Michael Bamberger in Philadelphia, Ryan French in Middle America. This island Shop Nook in California, signing off, thank you for listening. I been big, play

to win, made a fortune within my ship game. I ran the table and never thought I could fall. Then the winter hit me like a cannon ball, and now I can't shake this losing the street. Every road I take is a dead hand street. I got my head. Can't you out trying not to think what I'm thinking about? I gotta dance in my head. Can't get him out, trying not to think what I'm thinking about.