Part 3: Laird Shepherd, The 2021 Amateur Champion

If you're just joining us, we're about to tee off on the first tea at Narn Golf Club in Scotland. It's a Saturday afternoon in mid June. It's the finals of the playing of the British Amateur Championship, in which two underdogs who have both overcome adversity and physical issues

getting here, are about to finish things off. Monty Scousel, who made six birdies in the morning, is seven up on Laired Shepherd, who didn't make any birdies and didn't win his first hole of the day until the last hole of the morning round, which made for a somber sandwich. In Part one of this podcast, you get the backstory and why it's so remarkable. They're both playing golf at

a competitive level. I had about five six shots. It was very very cold, obviously January and St Andrew's but five six shots and just chopped my club about fifty yards and some rough and walked back to my car um And I was pretty upset. You know. I just said to my girlfriend, I'm not very good at anything else. So it's kind of scary thinking he spent five years, five six years your life pursuing something ultimately turns out

essentially not to be. In part two of this podcast, it's the first eighteen holes of this match, in which Money and Laird, who have been friends for years, are embarking on a journey that win or lose, it could alter the course of their lives forever. So I was so nurus. I actually I went to my went to my bag about one o'clock in the morning, flicked on the light, started chipping around around my bedroom just to make sure I could still chip. You know. It was

just it was bizarre and I couldn't believe it. Eighteen holes in it was Monty Scouse seven up as they took a break for lunch. Low on sleep and both barely able to eat, they try to reset for the war of attrition that is the Amateur Championship. They're about to play their ninth competitive round in five days. We start with Monty's dad, Jeremy Scousel, who has carried his son's bag all week. He seemed to have a good strategy for how Monty again seven up, could get the

victory and all that goes with that title. Well, mine set actually start again and actually say we want to win this. We want to win this match again. So we looked to forget about everything that happened in the morning. Um, start afresh. You know, we're level par uh and And I suppose the thinking was that if we did that and we played good Girl for again in the afternoon, and then the chances are that at some stage we would we get over the line. Meanwhile, Laird Shepherd is

finding some motivation in what he was hearing from the gallery. Yeah, first hole, I hit my drive a little bit right, and someone behind the tea decided to start screaming forward despite the fact it's not heading towards anyone. That annoyed me a little bit. And I tend to play a bit better if I'm a bit annoyage. So I've actually asked my caddy as well to get me a big black coffee. Um, but we usually would drink if I'm playing golf, because you get a bit jittery. And then

I was like, oh, do you want a coffee? And he's like, yeah, why not because he was so relaxed, like because it's over. And so he had a coffee and we're walking, we're playing. The first time, I'm carrying his coffee when he set his shots, and that I played solide the first few holes. I knew I needed to go off to a hot start, didn't get it, and thought, well, oh well, let's just keep grinding away, maybe within a few holes and reduced to death sit

or whatever. And he pointed the first few holes pretty good, just didn't get any I had a couple of chances, just didn't manage to get it. And we got to the fifth hole and that's when I changed in the morning. So actually quite strange that because that's when it went downhill in the morning, and then in the afternoon decided to driver there and he hit bomb drive just in the greenside bunker and that's just when I all changed.

He hit the bunker shot close, managed to wow his first part really over around or the day ended up having a bit of change of strategy. On the fifth hole, I ended up nearly knocking on the green making a birdie, um, and you know, it just ends up picking up holes here and there after that. I think on the eighth I made birdie to win a hole to get back to five down um, and then hold a nice twor

nine to get back to four. And I said to my Caddy after, I was like, I wish I hadn't had that coffee now because I starting to feel a bit the nerves again. I needed the bit of nerves, but it's a bit of jittery as well because I had all the caffeine and I hadn't been able to eat that much just because I was so nervous that it just you know, gone straight to me. So I was a bit shaky, and what have I done? This is when the coffee comes in. He's like, I've got

the jitters, like coffee jays. I was like, oh no, And then he hold apart and I was like, well maybe that's fair. Then that's like maybe it works. Meanwhile, maybe it was Monty who might have needed a coffee. I think I could sit here and say, you know, I wasn't thinking about how many holes are left. I was doing all the calculations on every hole, you know. I was like, Okay, I'm six up, twelve to play or whatever, thirteen to play, you know, keep halfing holes,

keep trying to win the alcohole. But that that was difficult to do because LEDs started playing a lot better, and my game I didn't hit them ma any fairways. In the afternoon, I got out of position a bit, and suddenly, rather than being on the front foot in the morning making birdies, I was sort of, you know, scrambling for parts a bit more. And that's that's a difficult when you're out there and things aren't quite going your way. As every golfer knows that feeling, it's sometimes

very difficult to turn it around. Coffee wasn't the only thing Shepard was inadvertently experimenting with. You know, when you look back, and it is crazy that you do some things when when you're completely you think you completely out of it, and you know you end up doing things you'd never usually do. In the biggest day of your life. I mean, my my girlfriends have a go at me because I've put on brand new gold shoes for the final and she was like, what are you doing. That's crazy.

You're gonna be hearing your beast squeaking about your brand new shoes. I was like, oh, sure, you imagine you get blusters as well. I was like, as I, we need to put a pair of shoes in the back. I didn't do it, but like a gase, they were given up blusters on the way right, all right, back to the action. Stuart Shepherd, Laird's dad reflects on the front nine we needed to win one or two of

the first few holes. Didn't didn't happen. Um, So at that point I'm thinking it's really just damaged limitation exercise. But as you said, he wins five and then he wins can remember eight and nine to get it to four. I think, okay, he's now got the momentum, the big game word and didn't you know fourward nine, that's that's

certainly kind of more realistic than doable. Yeah, at that point, four down after after nine in the afternoon, it is it is looking challenging, but you know, at least we've got some back, and like Lyard said, he just wanted it to be respectable, not you know, he was more thinking he just didn't want to be beaten by the

biggest margin and history. So m and the end up having a good part to then win another hole and ten and just missed out and then a bad teasht on eleven and plugged it in the front Banker and I just thought, well, this really isn't what I need to be doing right now. So I lost that hole and then you're back five down with with six seven to play. I think it was, which is not a really a great position to be in. There. He made

bogie there and Money won the whole back. She's no. Five down was showing and I mean, that's just again, that's almost back to being seven down on the first tyear like well, although I wasn't even thinking that it wasn't possible. And then when when he lost, I think he left the past through eleventh. I think it was to go back to five. Well, that that is the hope has gone. It's back to damage limitation. And in terms of a point where you start thinking it's not

looking possible anymore. For me, that was he could I thought he couldn't afford to lose that one. Um, you know, he worked so hard to get it back to four and then to just lose one straightway back to to go back to five down, and like you say, with the sun running out of the timer. That's remember saying to my sister and she's she's not a golfer, and she said something like, oh, you can still do it, and I just, I think I literally said, he's just

running out of holes. So it led one the ninth to take it to four four down with with nine to play, and I you know, obviously knew it was far from over at that point, but I I'm we half the tenth and I won the eleventh to go to five up with seven to play, and that really calmed me down. That was time when I felt because clearly things a little bit on the slide, but I thought if we could get when we got that one back,

I felt that was that was really quite important. You know, you managed to get that one back because at then Advance sort of took the momentum was with Laird at that time, and as you know, match play can be very easily a game of momentum. Laird Shepherd had lost the eleventh all, but he came right back and won the twelve. We're back to Monty for his commentary and the very tough twelve hold I think probably the toughest on the course. He won that one with a great

part put um to go back to four um. So even though four down six to play, he's probably still thinking, you know, it's not gonna be my day. But those those those that stretching um, that sort of closing stretch, and then it is brilliant for match play because you know, there's a drivable path four, there's a really long path three, there's a part five in there. There's a couple of

birdie chances if you get your drive away. So it's a brilliant stretch for for what you know, proved to be a good, good end to the final if you're if you're a needtral viewer, the twelve was probably the way it was playing, probably the hardest sol on the course. We hold a good part for par there so I might actually get the whole bat straight away, which was

massive to get that back, do you know what. I think probably one of the keys for me was the twelve in the afternoon, because by that stage he'd got down to I think it was at five down. Shepherd had a really good part at twelve, and I got it back to four down with six to play. Now that's still heavy odds against. He's not going to do it, is he. But suddenly you've got a little sniff of a chance. So I think at twelve we all kind of looked at each other and said, hey, four down,

six to play. You can feel the momentum just changing a little bit and it becomes possible. Still unlikely, but possible. I think the crowd of I mean, just because I didn't want to see someone get beaten really badly, and I had a little Scottish fag on my my bag from an event I played in the States. Actually I think that maybe got me some there some some fans

as well. But I think I managed to recruit all the Narrow Lady members as large Shepherd supporters on my way around because they all they all asked, so who are you and I said, oh, they're Shepherd's girlfriend, and they're like, oh, come on loud. And I think the thing is everyone just loves a story, don't they. And everyone, although obviously you know I feel from onto immensely. But everyone I think loved the story of Lard coming back

because it was just so unbelievable. And you know, we had people who I met and Suspectattion, just locals, you know, saying well, it's practically Scottish with that name because he's like Lard Shepherd, you know. And I shaved that to LOI was like, everybody here wants you to win a home and every how you're playing just to try and

get a game of it. Like they didn't want to just go home and just be like, oh, well done to to money, which they've probably were being happy with, but everybody would want Layer too to fight back and put up a good fight what he was doing to even beat to get that score back to being if he'd lost four and three, you've been like, well, well done in the afternoon, like you played, you played well, you managed to make a game with it. You know,

It's it's literally never over until it's over. I never really thought after that that I was going to lose. I never really thought about losing. I just thought I've got to use the fact that I am so far down to my advantage and just try and pile the pressure on and you know, even at four down before to play, I never thought, well, hey it's over. It wasn't over, but it still wasn't looking good four forward to play at that point. Yeah, you know it when

four holes on the truck is unusual. I guess you could say, you know, how often do you see that in match playing? Ryder Cups and things like? I don't think you see that often people winning four holes on the truck. And he was standing on the fifteenth tea with his head against the team marker, like deflated, like thinking, oh my god, this is over an hour. I mean, there's a picture that tells a story. And I was like Layer, I was like, you're you're still on the

tea here. It's had a good drive. You smashed one right down the pen over the back of the green. Monty didn't have a great drive. I can't imagine the neres that we're going through Monty's body at that point really, to be honest, I had a good drive on fifteen, just over the back of the green. He y an average drop drive and chipped up to about fifteen ft and missed the part and I ended up getting up

and down. So when you're three down, the three to play hit quality tea shot on sixteen and put the pressure on and and Monty ends up pin in a little bit right into some some bushes and having to

take a drop and end up. You know, Monty still hold like for five there, so he made me work to make my mask or four and a half five for for for par and sixteen and sixteen it's kind of a tough tea shot because the wind really picked up and it was into off the left and for me hitting a fade that's not a wind I like, um and lead you know, stood up and in a brilliant drive and I put a really good swing on

it as well. But as soon as I hit the ball, the wind really gusted and just kept knocking it right. Took a heavy bounce off the edge of the fail into a gorse bush and um again, it didn't feel like I gave that hole to him and made a really good bogie from a pretty impossible position and he's still had work to do for par and in fairness to him, he made a good part. So that's that's really when it all started to all the nerves. That's when Lairds started to get really nervous. Again. It was

like yeah, because it's it's on again. I think you're only two don't now two to go? And it's like Jesus got a chance again. So seventeen is a pretty

short part. Four there there's a so a hazard the runs before the green, so you can't take it on the driver, but you just hit sort of three iron down the fairway trying to keep it short, some some fairway bunkers, and we both hit decent tea shots and at that point probably it started to pick up the windiest have been all day, and it was into the wind, had hundred fifty seven yards to pen um and the green all slopes right to left, so um, you know, I actually ended up chipping a six iron in from

that distance, which is a lot of club and that kind of shot can be quite difficult when you are quite nervous, because you automatically want to go and hit something hard just it's just easier to do under pressure. But hey, again, just a quality, quality go off shot at the right time. Can you put the pressure on it upon it? Yes, he can into about five ft and then you just stay he's thinking, oh my god,

what's going on? The shot he hit into seventeen was one of my favorite shots he hit that day because it was just so good, um, you know, to hit that shot at that time, and I mean Monty made a great up and down to put the pressure on Laird as well, so equally, there were so many points where mont who had a part to win or it could have been over for a load, but he just managed to keep it going somehow. I was still pretty

calm at this point, you know. Obviously I hoped I would have closed is a match up by this point, but at the same time, I just kept saying to myself, just keep playing golf. Forget what's on the line, forget all that stuff. Just keep playing golf. Stick to your game plan which has worked all week and it's going

to work again. Um. And I made a super part down the hill and seventeen, well, Monty hold a great part actually going down the hill and had a double break in it, which we had a long time looking at it, but he hold it and it did feel like that was that that was a clutch punt he

had to make that. Really. He ended up making a great up and down the end for his part and left me with a slipperest of six ft to keep it going, and um, I think I said, there's someone else, But I think as humans, you work, you know you we work best when we know exactly what we need to do. Um, And on those last holes and knew those that that part for example, I had on seventeen keep the match going. You know, it's this needs to

go in the hole. It's not like a stroke player where like it's nice that this goes and the whole it needs to go in. And that sort of made it easy for me just sort of had to know, like you know, black out and just sort of go through the routine and just go, you know, I've got to hit a quarter part and this has got to go in the hole and and end up hole on it.

And you know, becauld you think if that was someone else and I was watching, I feel like, oh my god, you know, your hands must be shaken, And I think, then send back to me that where your hands shaken and you know where you struggling to sort of keep composure. But I was very very calm on the outside. Um, you know, on the inside offs is very excited. But you know, I just had this sort of knowledge of this needs to go in and that helped lot and

was lost. So the last song six holes that we played that day, so still had to hold his body part. And again it was a massive cheer, and you're walking to the eighteenth t going like wow, how you managed to get to st and still have a chance. It's

like crazy. I have to say that I probably think walking to I was I was going to win the match, just because you know that the sort of situation with having a big lead and then being paid back to going down the last hole and that T shirt is a very difficult T shirt, especially if you're fighting a bit of a right miss. And I managed to get up and play. It was just in the rights of semi. But it was fine. Once again we hear from Laird's dead even going up to eighteen, I wasn't thinking about

and winning it. Um maybe I wasn't allowing myself to think you could win it. I thought just that the chance of the prospect. We've already produced the semi miracle having got to the eighteen. So and then that was weird because the Laird actually drove first and he hit it and slightly right in the semi. It was fine. His girlfriend Chloe came up always just hit it a tree. I said, no, that's lead ball there, and she suddenly goes and we all go because we didn't see it.

It's so far back, so well it must be Montes hit the tree. So we suddenly thought, oh my god, well you know, maybe just maybe we will get down the gap down the thirty seventh. So yeah, she she had looked complete terror look on her face and she thought it lead hit the tree. And I panicked because I thought that was lead hitting and I thought he topped it off the tea like just one of those crazy things. I thought, oh no, that's it, and like

it was panic it was. It was definitely bandics drive up the right and it was nearly into the bushes. Couldn't really tell how to ask the rest stilling and playing rested. Yeah, and then Monty was taking a practice rain and I don't know how he mused to do, but he smashed his driver off the tea marker one more time today. Well that's not going to do him many favors. He's just just hit the sign. Hope that's

not done any damage. So he was kind of like laughing, but you knew there wasn't like relapsed laugh if you know what I mean. No, it's another poor drive. I think he's looking very anxiously after this one. What unexpected drama and the final of the Don's Amateur Championship again Jeremy Scout le Monties Dad and Caddy, and then we have a slight incident on the t t which I'm

sure you're probably here saw. He was actually looking to hit driver into the rough down the left hand side, because I mean, having played the course or a a week, it was the rough down that side was actually not bad and you also got the extra benefit of coming out quite hot out of the rough and consequently you

could get more distance very often. So he was actually looking to try and get up up to the green and two by deliberately going for the roff it took took me out of bounds, out of play um and he obviously didn't want to end up in the fairway bunkers. So it was a deliberate ploy actually to hit the ball down the left hand side into the rough h and he he then just had a bad swing. Monty Scousel had been up in this match since the fifth

hole in the morning. He was eight up with nineteen to play, five up with seven to play four up with four to play, and now with one hole left, his lead is one. Made a poor swing. It clipped the edge of the tree, fell down and went onto the path and the drive on we went like maybe

twenty ars. I'm standing there going all right, let's just got an extra hols because you couldn't really see how a lad of meet washing apart from where it was, and then you're thinking Monty is going to be struggled now four bar so well you can see his ball

there on the path. That's the front te box to the left of him, so that's in the penalty area, and only justin bones made the same decision to hit the ball to the rough again because he felt that was the best way to get to the green in two and so in fact that the people who watching the crowd had to be moved back because we said

that we're aiming to where they were all standing. And he had a very good two hour and actually into the into that roff m and as you said, he had a pup for pat for a five, which after the drive was probably didn't seem very likely. How has Monty got this part for five? Like, I don't think people could maybe realize how good like it was from wanting to fair enough he's done that, but also to compose himself and then hit those shots to give himself

a reasonable chance for five. You know, it was pretty impressive. I was standing by that partner. I would say from a foot out, I would have I'd laid pretty heavy older that was in the whole. It's only oh the whole the stays out. If that had gone in, It's amazing how differently my you know what would be but ends up just slipping out and then you're you're back down extra holes. And obviously I was the much happier

person to be doing that. So oh what I'll find all those and after thirty six holes worth, at one stage they had shoveled big eight down finishes all square or into extra holes. You went from having no chance and like no chance too, you're all square and you're probably at that point in the favorite to went again like because all the pressure is back on like you Yeah, it's just like wow, to honest man, I could have

had a better part. It was. It was ahead of exactly what I wanted to with the right speed, and it it just lipped out. So yeah, it was a pretty pretty stressful walk back to the first year after those fourth holes. Looking back into that, it's pretty cool. I think that Monty would probably agree to have the

chance to play a Sun Death playoff. For everything that you get for winning the Amateur Championship is you know, I think you've struggle to find a situation in Gulf apart from maybe trying to win a major championship that is more pressure than that because you are It's very cliche, but it's sort of you know, it definitely does, when you like it or not, change your life a little

bit for that year that you are champion. And to play a Sun Death playoff, to get to go and play in the Open and playing the Masters and and play in the US Open and off is is a high pressure environment, and you know, it was pretty cool to just be a part of that. For me, my dad were walking to the tea and there were loads of people at this point and trying to get the trolley through and onto the tea. It was a night there,

but I managed to calm myself down. And even though I'd obviously let my lead slip, like Lead said, I didn't feel like I handed it to him. It's not like I finished, you know, with four double bogies in a row. He played brilliantly and I can't emphasize that enough. You know, as I said earlier, earlier in our conversation, in a thirty six whole match, both of you are going to have your run at some point, and he

left his right till the end to have his. And he played beautifully under under the pressure that he must have been under, especially on seventeen when I when I hold that part and hit me, probably thought, you know,

his eight nine ft looked a lot longer then. And I remember the referee who was walking around with them announcing the scores after you know, monton us is the part on eighteen, well on the third six and he announces the score goes to actual holes And I just said, but you didn't think you'd been needing to say that, and he said no. In my my dad just you know, he just said, right, let's just win, let's win this next hole. Um, and my coaches in my ears saying

you've got this. My coaching flown up to watch, which is really nice, and he said, you know you've got this, come on, keep going, um. And the strange thing that I remember that walking to the first he was feelings of like, oh, wow, you've you've really let this go, but also feelings of I was here in the in the round of sixteen where I messed up on a team to win the match and Mr four ft partum and I said, you won that game, So I said, you're going to do the same again. I was so

nervous I could barely speak to my caddy. I was trying to walk as slowly as possible and just trying to deep take some deep breaths and get the sort of get the nervous energy out before each shot. But um, as soon as I got over the ball, I had this um. That sort of was my calm place for the week, which is useful, you know, at the end of the day, looking at it as a thirty six hole match. We were even after thirty six holes against each other. So I thought to myself, just win the playoffs,

you know, And that was my mindset. I cut forgot everything that had happened in the last four holes. I knew I've been playing some good golf. I just need to make some good swings. Um and uh and yeah. Hopefully we went down the first and you just cannot bring yourself to think that this is he's going to win this. It's just I mean, yeah, what the chances

of that? But you had the momentum at the going down the thirty seventh, and despite trying to stop thinking about it, you're also thinking, well, it would be extraordinary now if you didn't win. Keep down on too breathe. I was like, just keep breathing. Like he was extremely nervous, like basically having hard competitions. Monty ended up not had a great drive and he had his second shot short of the green. So you mean he maybe had like forty yards chip or a pitch or whatever you want

to call it. I had a pretty decent drive. Mont sit little the left and uh and then has to chop out of the raft just shot the green, and then he's sort of thinking, Okay, here we go. Um My caddie actually told me after we finished that he gave me a number to the pin that was five yards shorter than what it actually was, but he didn't want me to go over the back with the adrenaline

and stuff, and there was a little short shot. Had actually had certainly six yards to the flag, and that at this point, well I leased the flag, so I knew the guardage, but you don't want to go along with that green. So I purposely told layer of the the yards that was short of the pin so that he wouldn't go long, and he left it like almost exactly on the yardage I told him, but it was like six yards short of the whole. That's perfect at the time undercooked. And then Monty had a world class pet

shot up to about a fruit. So now I'm thinking flirte three process. I'm going to be human because I've told him the whole yard. But he managed to managed to put it up close. So even in spite of five yards, Shepard made an easy part in the first playoff hole. Well, Scousel successfully scrambled to extend the match and left myself at a fifty yard pitch and he knocked on a knocked onto the green to about twenty So I thought, Jesus, this this is going to be it.

But again, one short at a time and probably you know, whatever happens in my career wherever I go on to do with golf, one of the best shots I've ever hit in my life, that's with the pitch into the first playoffole under the pressure I was under, and coming back to my point, really, Matt that I've always the

short game generally. He did a lot of that during the week, and of course, you know it became apparent, particularly on the in the final, but he was doing that that sort of shot quite a lot all week, and also his long putting was pretty good. Scout's lag

putting was in fact very good. At that point. He hadn't had a three point all day, and standing on the tea of the second playoff for Laird still had honors a poor T shirt of the second extra Month had a great t shot, but even still then I just thought, you know, I don't know if something told me that you haven't come all this way to lose. Checking back in with Laird's dad and girlfriend, basically, like probably most people my age, I tried difficulty actually picking

up the ball in the air. Time well, I watched the swing and the reactions and then then guys, beware to look, and I just remembered, my god, Laird was over trying to overhit that. It was so pumped. I mean, it hits it all pretty hard, but he just study over too much effort into it, and definitely that's not good. All I saw was the hand come off the club and signal left and I just thought, oh no, like but I again felt like that was it. You know, he had hit a poor T shot out of possession.

Monty then hit a good T shot and in um lowd punch out recovery. And again even the recovery shot couldn't have been one of the key shots for Lord because he had to get it far enough up the right side that he had an angle to that pin, because again it wasn't an easy pen. Meanwhile, Scousel thinks he hit one of his best T shirts of the day. I must have pumped it three eight down there went straight for the tea peg. I saw a bounce in

the middle of the fairway. It was quite a tight T shirt that second hole, and I thought, sweet, I have a little wedge in my hand, I can get that close. And obviously we lead him trouble. I don't know his life was like. I actually haven't seen it

on any of the footage, but apparently he was. It was okay because there was a lot of head that from where I was standing on the fairway with a lot of heather around him, and heather obviously is is not friendly for goold for golfers, so he he actually had a very good shot, got in about fifty yards short right. But from there I still thought, you know, that's a tough up and down and if I can just knock this on the green two parts, I'm not

going to lose the whole um. But when I got to my ball, it was in the left semi and to this to this day, I mean, I still don't know how it finished in the left semi. I haven't again haven't seen the footage, but that ball bounced in the middle of the fairway and it must have kicked hard left and to finish in the left semi. And it was just sitting down a fraction um and down wind with a with a short wedge, very difficult to agree, which was sloping away from me, very difficult to control,

and I was kind of in between shots. And the ball came out just so hot, so hot, landed probably third a foot beyond the pen, to ft beyond the pen, and just you know, no spin on it released onto the back edge of the green on the fringe. So they probably weren't that far in distance, but Monty was like on the green where's load was sure of the pen and lead a cracking pet sharp and maybe five foot something like that. Nice touch to sit there. Yeah,

then he played under the pressure. Yeah. Then to do that when he needed to, I think just shows great, great character. And again, like say, after being out of position, he needed to put it somewhere close to get himself a chance. So Marty hadn't looked like three part an all day, no chance, And because his pace and the Greenes were brilliant, and he was holding out well and he potted up to maybe they were fairly equal distance, Monty was just slightly Yeah, Monty much me slightly closer

than Laird. And I was like, just try and just put a good stroke on it and trust, just trust what you've been doing. It probably was a case of whoever hold that, who ever got to go first, and if they hold that, that was going to be the winning part. I'll done. Laird Shepherd when he holds the pressure was obviously straight on me and all of them. Sudden the shorter one becomes that much longer. It was. It was also a little tricky, it was. It was

a tricky little left or writer. And consequently it was always going to be a tough pat, but I think it would been much easier fled and these things. Yeah, and then it's down to Monty, isn't it. Monty Scalcel has a put to keep it alive. He's been solid over those puts all day. Oh not this time though, I'm just trying to learn when oh my god, you know, and it up finishing on that green and yeah, I couldn't really believe what had happened, but it was very well.

He'd had to be over. I just just misread the part of it. I sort of hit it left edge and it didn't move and it lipped out, and yeah, it really sad. It was a sad ending, and I think for everyone watching it was probably one of those endings you wanted someone to hold a part to win it because it had been such a great final. Um so sort of a shame that had to be had to be ended by a miss putt. But you know, that's golf. That is one of the greatest comebacks you

could ever asked to see. It's what makes the game of golf and in match play so great, though, I think is you get those little situations and you know, sometimes they're working your favor and sometimes they don't, but

there was nothing to be scraced about. And I think it was just, you know, the golf and girls weren't weren't there for him on that, you know, that particular moment, but they were for lead and great for him, absolutely great fam lad shattered it down after seventeen olds, four down with four to play, and in the end that's the man from Sussex who comes through to become an amateur champion at the thirty eight pold and these two good friends and how they believe what they have gone

through today. It's the kind of final wall. You don't jump around, you don't punch there, you're just so relieved and unbelieving. It was like shock when it lipped out. Just mentally, I wasn't expecting that and it was like, I, oh my goodness, moment he's only gone and want it um Yeah, I just wasn't expecting to see that happen. All the injuries, all the years of toil, all the emotions spill over as you would understand at such a moment.

It's actually funny have reduced a few grown mental tears at that moment, and it was, you know, I can't say it was just one of those situations where, um, you know, I know lad Well and knowing what he'd been through. If there was one other player in that field that I would have wanted to win that final other than myself, you know, it would have been Lead, And it was. I was obviously distraught, you know, there's

no there's no buttering it up. I was absolutely gutted, as competitive as they come, and I wanted to win that final so badly. Um. But at the end of the day, I think, you know, my parents always taught me that, Um, you know, you try as hard as you can, but once it's over, whether you've won or you've lost, you you lose and win with with with grace,

and you respect your opposition. And and there was the great thing about the whole day was that we there was such a great respect between the both of us, and I think everyone picked up on that. There wasn't you know, too many fist pumps and getting in each other's face, and and the game was played in great spirit. And and that's that's the beauty of golf, you know, And that's that's how I believe it should be played. I think Lead thinks the same after be be finished

and was just gonna shake his hand. You know, I I honestly didn't have any words for him, and you know, I just said, you know, you played great, and um, you know, I wish I could have maybe been a bit more, been able to say a bit more that made any sense to that point, but I just I was speaking. I was, I just didn't know what to say. But obviously, you know, I think that's as well reason why I wasn't maybe outwardly, you know, fist pumping and really happy that I had won, because it just didn't

seem appropriate. You know, it was a real battle all day, and um, you know, it was one of those situations where I think just like mutual respect for each other took over, and then the whole day it was played in such good spirits and there's a lot of good goods in the morning and stuff, you know, because you know, you know, going out of that second eighteen as well, you know, um, someone said to me, I kinder if it was, but saying no, you're going to make him

put everything now, And because I needed to, and I think on the third hole, we did good good and you know, he was we were basically same distance, like three or fourf you think it was. And I said, I'll just pick up and go to the next hole. And my Caddy was sort of looking at me, like, you know, maybe you should have done that, and I said to him, you know, I don't want to win.

I don't want to win like that and if I want to earn it, and you know, Monty to serve so much credit for how well he played and he made he made it into a real, real battle, and so I think that was just what came out at the end. It was just you know, giving him a hug and just go And maybe that was that was something,

wasn't it. And you know, it is difficult. You don't know what to say to someone when they've they've had that disappointment and you've obviously had this success and it's just it was it was difficult for both of us, who were both very emotional. If that was me in that situation, I would have been probably broken down, like m tears and stuff. And Monty was like it was just I couldn't believe that he managed to hold himself together.

Like true, he's an absolute gent like the game was played and unbelievable spirits there was no Both of them wanted a charge to do well. And quite often you get games and you're playing some day in and you had a good shot and they're like, they don't say anything, But all day everyone was like you had a good shot. Like there was no regardlessly one. It was just a great day, like you would have You would have been

happy if Monty one. Obviously me and LAYERD wanted Layer to win, and Monty and his dad wanted Monty to win. But if if he if he'd got to beat or whoever got beat, like you're still going to be happy for the other person winning because the way the game was played, just just the way they are off the course, like they're both nice people, Like Monty starts brand new and is just yeah, it's a good guy. But he held himself together. Unbelievable. What did What did he say

to you when you hugged him. I don't know, but I just said to him, you're a British amateur champion, and I think you just there was too many tears from us both to really get any words out. But and I remember saying to him, you can smile now, because I think there was just so much shock and an emotion. I think once I gave him a Huggy just collapsed. Um. But yeah, it makes me emotional thinking about it, just because, like you know, it was. It

was kind of a powerful moment, I guess. And yeah, something that you dream of being there, you know when when he does something like that, so hopefully be there from anymore to come. But but yeah, I don't. I don't think he had many words anyway. At that point I began to cry. To be honest, what emotional pair we are? Chloe got in there first, Well I think Andy got in there first, then Chloe. Yeah. Then I marched on the green and gave him, gave him my

hug basically, you know, just I've just seen something just incredible. Really, I just I said to him out just I will never see anything like that in my life again that, you know, not the winning of it, but the way you want it not. Honestly, I feel sorry for Monty because he doesn't read My sympathy is great players right, But to anyone watching, you'll know that he didn't just give it away. He holds some quality parts. In sixteen and seventeen, when the pressure was truly on, even his

up and down. The first extra hole was just top drawer, So I think he should be very very proud of that, despite obviously what happened. Monty played so great all day and such a great bow. I mean, ah, I mean, I just can't believe here. And one of my good friends after we finished this was phone in me and he kept phoning me, so I thought, I answer this and picked up and yeah, like what like down the phone is just sanking what And I said, I don't know,

and it's just like, what just happened? Yeah, because he only checked the scores at halftime. And I saw some comments on the on the when they put the picture up of champion Large Shepherd on there. There are no social media, and some comments were like wait what like how and then they're like someone's like I'm going to have to go back and watch live stream because I want to know what happened and and yeah, and it's

just it's just sport, isn't it. I Mean, sport creates so many moments like those, and I think that's why we love it so much. That's a match story. He told of the dark days of January, standing and the range, thinking that was it. His game had gone the future plans had gone, he wouldn't be playing golf. To come back from there, and to come back from eight down after seventeen to before down before to play, and to win the amateur championship. With all that that entails, you

just can't ask for a better story. Well done, commiserations montese Ca so but Laird Shepherd as the amateur champion, what a fantastic victory from all of us here, Pat Now, thanks for your company by for that. Both Court Neddler and I agree as we've been doing these interviews and editing this podcast, there are so many lessons within this story. Overcoming adversity, obviously, determination, family, friendships, relationships, and sportsmanship still matter.

These two young men, in both winning and losing, not only made us better play years, but by getting to know them, we feel like we're better people. So we thank them for that. And before we get to Part four, where you'll get further reflections from the entire cast of characters, plus we have more about Laird Shepherd's future as an amateur and a pro bad yardages and who might be on the bag of Augusta. We'd like to thank Part

Points for their support. The innovative app has given you an option as to how to score the game of golf. Download it now and go make part