So here we are back for another edition of the Friday Podcast and glad to have our guests for this week, PGA Tour winner Jim Herman. Jim won the Shelle Houston Open earlier this year and thrilling fashion beating the likes of Hendrix Dentson and Dustin Johnson down the stretch to win his first PGA Tour events.
So, Jim, thanks for coming on. Yeah, appreciate it. Thanks for having me on and look forward to talking to some golf and h you know what's coming up for myself in the next couple of months and what's happened. It would be fun, great, great.
So I think one of the things that I find the most interesting with all pro golfers is kind of a journey and how the highs and lows of golf in general. While there's you know, those instant success stories such a Jordan Speth for a lot of guys, takes a while and as we all as golfers have felt, there are highs and lows and you know, it really kind of can kick you while you're down.
And I think.
You you've got just a very unique story, one where you know you you gave it a go, right out of college, and you know, you came back for a second run at it, and I'd love to just kind of hear from from your perspective about you know, getting to the tour and you know some of the great moments, some of the low moments, and you know kind of what you were thinking on your journey.
Yeah. Well, you know, unlike the instant success stories like you know, like you said, Jordan's outstanding and just right out of right out of you know, a year of college, and uh, there's a lot of us that it's it's a struggle and I think it's more common to have the struggles againstant success stories and uh, you know a lot of the struggles then don't even lead to uh, you know, any time on the tour or uh, you know, maybe just a few years on the web and that
then you're you're in and out and you know, just perseverance. I you know, I got a Cincinnati in two thousand, moved to South Florida. I'm gonna chase the many tours and see if i could get through the PGA Tour qualifying school in the fall. And that was the summer of one. I moved to Florida, played Golden Bear Tour and you know, just had a very you know, common summer, just made a lot of cuts, playing many tours and got through first stage of Q school and was very
close at the second stage. I think I was well within the number going into the final round at second
stage of Q School. And if that's the stage that everyone dreads, it's uh you have to get through to get the finals, and uh yeah, and you would have status either on a nationwide at the time or it might've been buy dot com I don't remember the name then, but you or you'll have to J tour status and if you don't get through, you're, you know, back to playing many tours or whatever you were doing before with
no real certainty of your golf futures. So unfortunately for me, I didn't get through that first year, and uh nor did my second, third, fourth at sixth seventh, I'm either, So it was it was frustrating, you know, So what
do you do. I've played four years of mini tours of just strictly playing golf and nothing else, you know, just working at a club the PJA village, just for a place to play and uh, you know where I could call home and practice and you know, I just couldn't get through second stage of U school, so got in the golf business. I was an assistant professional at the PJ Village and then went to New Jersey and started I was an assistant there at that Trump National And this is in seven now, so six and o
seven in New Jersey. And finally that second year at UH, I was able to get through Q school. You know, I'm still going to Q school every year, but I was finally able to get through and get some status on the web dot com or the nationwide tours it was as it was called at the time, and started my touring, uh touring life, my touring golf life. That's in starting to eight. And I've been playing on tour, either on the web dot Com or the PGA Tour
ever since. So pretty much the last nine years. I had four years on the Nationwide Tour and then the past five years on the PGA Tour. So it's pretty uh pretty long journey thirty eight and uh, you know, I haven't completed my fifth year on tour. I don't know, you know what how that stacks up with others If you know, after five years, if you'd be a lot younger or I'm sure of being much younger than U,
you know, thirty eight. So yeah, it again takes her own Everyone takes her own road, and that's my road, and uh, you know, proud of it. You know, it wouldn't have it any other way.
That I think that's a good point. It's just you know, it's everybody's journey. Do you think that you know, in the time you were away and you're being when you're in an assistant pro business, do you think the time away helped when you made kind of that second comeback. I think one of the things I find unique is that you know, you you kind of hung them up and then came back out. Do you think the time away really helped you gain perspective?
Yeah, for sure. You know, I guess I put the dream of being on tour aside for about you know, ten eleven months of the year, and then then once Q school the time to send into school money and you know, think about it, you know, then I got back into it. But yeah, I definitely was committed to uh, you know, golf professional and become the PGM program with the PGA of America, and uh, I was starting down that road and it's gonna be very content with that.
And uh, I love golf, and I was, you know, gonna be very content being a club professional, and uh, but I knew there was always you know, there was always two schools at the end of the year, and I knew, I could you know, find a way to raise money and uh, you know, pay the four thousand dollars every year for that, and uh, I still had a chance. And but yeah, like you said, definitely appreciated it a little a little bit more once I got out on the on the web dot com plan full
full time again. And then if I would have cut out right there after the first couple of years of uh of trying.
So I'd love to talk a little bit about your win at Houston this year. Obviously, for those that don't know about Jim's career, he's kind of like a cut machine, so he makes a ton of cuts. Hadn't been in you know, deep contention a lot on the on the tour, had had a couple of really good finishes, but nowhere where he was, you know, in in the league late
on Sunday. So I'd love to hear a little bit about, you know, kind of what was I always think about, you know, when I'm playing in tournament golf, what other guys are thinking about. So I'd love to hear, you know a little bit about you know, what was going on in your head as you were trying to close out that uh that tournament and coming down the stretch. You know, you played a great final round and really kind of closed the door on world class players like Stenson and Dustin Johnson.
Sure, that's a great question. Well, you know this, my years on tour were not exactly fantastic, like you're saying, making plenty of cuts, but just not having anything fantastic. You know. No, you know, I had one top five prior to to winning, and you know it's to say that it's not easy to contend on the tour. But that being said, you know I was having a pretty decent career. This was uh, you know, pretty good for you know, someone at thirty eight years old and you
know made it out a little bit later. I was going to be you know, fully vested on the tour, having played five years on the on the tour, so you know, things weren't that bad. I was an anonymous player.
There's a lot of us out there that are you know that still the Silva field, and you know, you have your superstars every week, and then you know there's one hundred and usually one hundred and fifty six golfers playing on the tour, so each week and you know, you can get lost out there and no one really knows who you are, and but we all know that we have the talent and the capability of contending, and you know, you just have to put yourself in position
as many times as you can. So having said that, you know, I finished fourth at New Orleans last year. I kind of came up on on a you know, at thirty six hole Sunday afternoon, and you know, I didn't have the pressure of the final groups or anything like that. You know, put two great rounds together and I was able to finish fourth and that really helped jump start my summer or I mean, just really keep my card last year. That pretty much solidified it. And
uh but I also had a seventh that's Honda. Earlier in the year, played thirty six holes with Phil Mickelson. You know, it's put into the pressure of playing with one of the superstars of the game, and I was able to, you know, play really well with him and hold my own. So I knew if I was in when I got myself in the contention, I was gonna be able to to uh handle the pressure. And Houston started out like any other week. I played well on on round one. Round two was with some weather delays
and we had to come back on Saturday morning. And this is probably the key, uh for Houston, was you know, I was like in twenty fifth position with four holes to go to finish my round on Friday or my second round on who we finished on Saturday morning, and I pready too in my final four and moved inside the top ten, and you know, I was able to regroup and get a little uh you know, a couple hours off between the two rounds, and you know it's in third or fourth last pairing, and it was just
a really good solid round for that Saturday round. But I was able to get up and down in the final hole on eighteen to cap off a really solid round and get myself in the final pairing. So that was really really want something I was hoping I could do. You never know what's going to happen in the final pairing, but I wanted to put myself in the position now it's uh, it's what we're what we're out there to do is to see how we're gonna compete at the
highest level. And yeah, it was. It was pretty awesome. Teen off, you know, final group on a Sunday on the tour and loan of a hold. You know, things went my way. You know, I was able to handle the pressure and you know, beholding the trophy at the end of the at the end of the tournament.
Uh huh, that's that's cool. It's so would you say that, you know, kind of nerves going under around was that that you know most you felt or you know, I hear from a lot of people the first p shot in their first US Open is always you know, really jittery. And how how did it compare to some other Pigma moments in your career.
Yeah, yeah, I'll agree that the you know, playing in US Opens are pretty fantastic. There are great feelings and very nervous first keys. You know, my first my first PGA Tour event was was awesome playing the in the US Open. That was my first PJ tourment, you know, that was in twenty ten and U very nervous, but it was more the night before you know, just getting the Saturday night in the final group, I was tied
for the lead. There were a bunch of people right behind us, behind Jamie and I, and you know, I wasn't going to just be able to go out and shoot even par I was gonna have to go win it. So it's not like I had a multiple shot lead and it was mine to lose. I just happened to be in the final pairing and I was gonna have to go shoot a good round. So I wasn't too
consumed with that kind of pressure. But just it's you can't help but answer the phone or read the text or the emails and the tweets and the Facebook, and you know everyone's telling you you're gonna do it. It's a great confidence boost, but you know you're kind of getting ahead of ahead of yourself, and you got to just put that aside. And you know I was able to do that. I was able to get some good rest. I slept pretty well Saturday night, and you know, I
had a good breakfast. Everything was great. And you know, my nerves has been pretty good the last few years. I'd say I was more nervous a few years ago. If I had been in that position. My short game was definitely not up to tour quality and just really
having some struggles with that. And if I wouldn't have been able to get some help with my short game the last few years, I definitely would have would not been able to close it out because there were some shots that just like the up and down on eighteen on Saturday, I wouldn't have been able to hit. And then obviously I shifted on sixteen to pretty much steal or to get the lead and put myself in great position. So those are the things that were holding me back.
Those that's where I've been most nervous, would have been missing a green or you know, my potter was fantastic that week, so you know, I wasn't even nervous with with the final you know, the final putts. I know I had a short one left one pretty short on seventeen, but I felt really good over the ball and they would knocking in and then two putts to win is not an easy thing. Yeah, I fought when I hit
that shot on eighteen. My approach, I was really hoping it would it would crest the hill and start trickling down and leave myself just a short two putts, but it is what it is, and I was able to get it done. And uh, I mean, just what a feeling. I was overrun with emotion. I'm sure it came out on the TV, but uh, what a feeling. You know. That's something that I've been trying to accomplish ever started, ever since I started playing golf. You know, you junior
golf and then the high school and college. You dream of the tour and someday being uh just a member of making the tour and then you know, to call myself a PGA Tour winner. It's just awesome and fantastic.
Yeah, I mean, that's it's really cool. I mean, it's the the I guess the next pinnacle is probably a major champion, but I mean, just getting to where you're
at right now, it's it's pretty darn good. So something I'm curious about just from my so I look at my self, examine and all the time my game and playing just an amateur tournaments around you know, the state of Illinois, and I look at some of our top flight amateur players and then I look at my game and it's and you know, something that you hit on that I think, you know, I always look at its like, I think the short game is always the difference between
me and some of the top players, where you know they're able to manufacture scores. Do you feel like that's kind of the you know at the PGA Tour, is that the big differentiator as well?
Yes, it is. Jordan Steve Is is putting so well, and he puts himself in contention seems like every week because he puts so well. Jason Day is like number one and putting right now, So I know he drives it so well. In the irons are so well, but when he's putting, he's unbeatable. You know. Dustin Johnson drives it so well, but I think he's number one in short irons, you know, in his wedge game, and if
that continues, we're all in trouble. So it's I mean Phil Mickelson, you know, he'll talk about how many, how few fairways he hits and you know, just gets it around the green, and you know, he's his short game is so good, you know it. You know I don't have that. I don't have that ability to miss, uh you know, five, six, seven, eight fairways and miss these greens. I just don't have the uh the short game to get up and down from all the spots that he's doing.
So it's there. You know, you got to play to your strengths. And I know that I'm a better iron player from fairways, so I'll definitely stick to my strength. So it's hitting the fairway and then given myself, my best chance for Bertie is from the fairway and uh,
low stress rounds. So I definitely try to play to my strengths as well as I can, because I know when I look back at tournaments and I look at my fairways or my greens percentage hit and if it's if it's down under sixty percent, I know I'm not going to be anywhere near the game contention, just to the fact I don't get it up and down as many times as they do. So that's definitely something I work on. I work on it every week, work on the short game with the teacher, and uh yeah, it's
definitely something you have to have. It's uh, I mean, we all drive the ball reasonably, do well, and everyone hits it three hundred yards now, it seems like, and but you gotta be able to chip and putt.
Yeah, that's what I think. I mean, where you can gain the most most strokes on the field is consistently getting up and down. And you know, many authorities with wedges. You know, a great drive might gain you a tenth of a shot, but yeah, versus not getting up and down from an easy spot, we'll lose a whole shot on the field.
Yeah, yeah, And that was the thing. It was just just routine up and downs. You've got to get them, you know, ninety percent, you've got to get them up and down. I mean, the hard ones are going to be you know, fifty percent. You know, you'll struggle, but it's it's just the just the easy ones. You've got to be better than that, the easier shots. And uh, we're we're getting there, were making a lot of progress. So it's good, that's true.
So I guess, you know, obviously with the win, you get the two year exemption, which is just huge. You've got the PGA Tour winner status, which can you know, get you into tournaments for a long time. And then obviously you've now gotten yourself into some you know, the Masters, the you know, and uh, into some of the w GC events. So tell me about you know, kind of how just regular day life has changed, and you know what you're kind of what the best thing about being a PGA Tour winner.
Is then, well, life definitely changed. At first week in April, no longer not this you know at tour events and uh, you know, everyone knows who you are now, and it's it's pretty pretty much a great feeling to have a crowd, uh, you know cheering for you that you know, you know, they know who you are now and uh, you know they you can't really but they can't really state how much that helps you when you're playing. You know, it's
it's just a great feeling. So, you know, getting asked for autographs, you know, outside of the golf course, people know who you are at you know, restaurants and things like that. That's just that's been a big change for me, and uh, I've embraced it. And I can't imagine how the superstars in this game or any other sports, uh, how they handle it. Uh, I mean it's just unreal the demands that they have on their time and U it's I don't have that that problem, but it's it's
been pretty exciting just to have those things happen to me. Uh, you know, after golf course and off the golf course. But other than that, I'm still the same guy. Nothing for me has changed. I just you know, I was, like I said, I was having a pretty boring five year career on on the PGA Tour, and uh, I was, you know, my one of my best friends does telling me, you know that, you know, you're just doing You're doing, You're doing great. Five years on tour. You're gonna have
a pension from the PJ Tour. I mean whatever. I would have loved to have said, you know, you're gonna play the tour for five years and and that's it and never win. I would have taken that. So I thought I was having a pretty pretty solid career playing golf the last nine nine years professionally, five on the PGA Tour pretty pretty exciting stuff. But then to throw
a win, it's just just amazing. And you know, two more years on the tour guaranteed, and uh, you know, I'm I'm gonna have played all the all four majors in one year. You know, I'm in the Open next week and uh PGA to follow up a few weeks after that. That's just things that would have never even
thought were possible. And Uh, now here they are. Those are the only things that have really changed on my end is just the tournaments I've gotten in as a result of the win, and just not having to look very far down the patic couples to see my name. That's that's a pretty that's a pretty cool feeling.
Less growing is always better, That's right. So you know, with the with the Open coming up next week, why didn't you.
Talk it through?
You know, how you're preparing differently for you know, the weather conditions, the style of golf, and kind of your experience so far with links golf in your life and career.
Well, spend the summer with my wife, My wife and my kids. We spend it in Philadelphia with her mom and dad. It's just easy to travel out of Philly and we can get to a lot of locations here from here, and that we do in South Florida. Uh, And it's not as hot on a regular basis as it is in Florida. So we're up here and I'm gonna play a few great golf courses here the next few days. And I've been very fortunate those members at the great clubs here at Philly, and uh, you know,
Mary and being being one of them. That's one of my all time favorite golf courses. So I'm gonna play out there on Friday. And another hidden gym here in Philly, uh Rolling Green Country Club, but I think I'm playing there tomorrow and William Flynn just a great golf course. Will be my first time around there, so I'm not playing anything anything different with golf courses. But you know, while I'm playing, I'm probably gonna just be aware of how high I'm teen, and I know we'll definitely try
to keep this keep the t shots lower. I'm probably gonna just take my hybrid out and not even have it with me because I'm pretty sure i'm gonna be using a three iron or two iron instead of a hybrid, and uh, just with when I'm around greens, I'm probably just gonna be aware of just going low. I know we'll be putting the ball in the on the ground
as much as possible. But one other thing is just having been over there, the bunkers get really deep and severe, So you know, just gonna put in some practice here at home just getting my bunker shots up as quickly as possible. I know that, you know, the sad faced bunkers over there are just just brutals. So those are just a few things, and but other than that, it's it's just gonna be It's gonna be great. Uh my first, my first Open championship, and Oil Troon looks like it
is quite the test. It's your classic out and in of course, I think the first uh seven are straight out coaching stamp on the eighth and then it turns around and then it starts coming back and heard the when you come back, you better have been under par on your way out because you're going to give it
back the way yet. So it's, uh, it's here. We're gonna have some weather, so it's it's gonna be in the fifties, sixties and kind of rainy, and uh you know, it's probably par for the course over there during most of the opens. Uh. I've been over to Scotland once, took a trip with a couple of friends of mine and we were over on the other side of scott Owner and Andrews and Carnoski and Mierfield and Aberdeen and
played some really great golf courses over there. But so I have an idea of what scott if golf's all about. We also took a trip to England and played the road of courses in Northern England or We'll live in Saint Anne's and hoy Lake and Royal Birkdale and those were just some fabulous golf courses. But looking forward to it. My wife's gonna go with me and just the two of us and the caddie all the year over there
with us as well. But looking forward to the test of the British Open and seeing how I can do and we'll see what happens.
Yeah, you just got a channel. That drive you hit on eighteen at Houston is that low bullet? That thing was awesome.
Yeah, definitely need more of those. Yeah.
So going back to golf courses, we're I'm really into golf course architecture. I think it's a kind of avenue of further enjoyment of the game that more and more people need to get into. And I'd love to hear kind of your favorite tour stops from a golf course perspective, you know, whether you play well at the course or not, you know, and then also kind of your favorite courses that you've gotten the chance to play across the country and the world, as in in the golf Yuh as a golf bro.
Well, I've been very fortunate. I'm gonna start off there too. Before I was on tour, you know, I worked in some in South Florida, and then I obviously worked in New Jersey. And it's very fortunate to be able to play a lot of break golf courses in New Jersey and spent my time there, and uh just became a fan of the architecture side of golf at that time as well. And uh played a lot of C. B. McDonald and SETH Rayner's in the northeast, and uh, and then get here there's a lot of Donald Rosses up
there as well. So a couple of courses right there in Jersey that I loved were Somerset Hills and uh Mountain Ridge, and just those are two of my all time favorites there in New Jersey, and then here, spent a lot of time in Philly, and very like I said before, very fortunate to uh you know, some members and they've been very gracious and happy out and uh, you know, just Hugh Wilson's Marian is just just a gentleman. I'd love it there. I love playing Mary and it's
just a treat. And then uh, you know, we have so many other great ones Aronomic and Philly Cricket and just across the way in New Jersey with Pine Valley and uh, such such a hot bed for golf up here in golf, great golf courses, in great golf architecture, and very blessed to uh be able to uh get around there, get around on those courses here in the summer. Yeah, but on I'm sorry, on tour, there's obviously, uh my my couple of my favorites are Pebble Beach. How can
you not like Pebble Beach. It's just uh, I played my first Open at Double and uh, you know, just love playing the at and t there every year. And then uh, Ross down in Greensboro at Sedgefield is just one of my other favorites, don't I don't know if I'm gonna play there this year or not, but it's always one of my favorite spots. And then gotta gotta throw in the golf cub of Houston now is one of my favorite tour stops for the favorite tour courses.
So you know it's they they have it manicure just just so we can get ready for Augusta, and they do a great job. Every every blade of grass is perfectly maintained and it's it's just a great, great venue, a lot of risk reward holes. And and then non tour golf courses. I think I have a fondness for Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey, having worked there a
few years. And they're going to be hosting the Women's Open next summer and then when the Men's PGA and twenty twenty two, so it'll fit into it being a tour course at some point. But obviously his best work, Trump's best work is at Trump National Bedminster. And then a great course back home in Cincinnati, Coldstream Country Club. Comargo gets a lot of the love for the finest golf course in Cincinnati, but I think Coldstream might be
my favorite. It's definitely my favorite. I have a little biased there, one of the city Amateur tournament there, but Dick Wilson is just a great, great golf course there. And then one of my favorite ones in Florida is Jupiter Hills, George Fazio design and just has lots of character and plenty of elevation for being right, you know, a quarter mile from the ocean and yeah, that point the beach.
I drive by it all the time, and I mean it's amazing how many hills they have there versus the rest of the terrain.
And uh, in that area it's so flat, and.
You know that course has so many hills. I'm I'm excited. I haven't gotten to play a ton of golf in the Northeast and and I'm heading out to Philly in a couple of weeks for a wedding and I'm flying out a few days early and going to get some some courses them out there. So that's that'll be exciting. But uh, in terms of kind of favorite architects, you've hit on a few, you know, kind of who stands out as your favorite architects.
Well, I mean having played a bunch of the C B McDonald Steth rainers, Uh, they you know there you see their work most as you travel all over the country, and I know they did so many golf courses across the country, and their their work is you know, you just can't get a better design than you know, like that radiant, the radan hole that they have. There's so many great radans. Chicago Golf Club has maybe the hardest hardest dance Part three in the country. Uh, Tomargo has a great dance.
But yeah, we just did a big piece on dance. We're doing We're I'm writing like detailed kind of detailed articles with overviews evolved the template holes and then extensive pictures of different clubs and their version of the radan. I mean, I think it's so cool how they have these template holes and you know, you look at them from course to course and they're different, but they're you know, kind of the same, and it's just observing how they
use the land so much differently. Is uh, is the coolest part about it?
I think, Oh, it sure is. And then just for people that don't know, uh, and I didn't know, like when you see the Barritz full you know, I was playing Camargo and Cincinnati and the US Amateur Qualifier. I'm just always wondering about this. You know, what is this? You know eight foot dipth in the green or in front of the green? Like, what is that about? And then you just learn about it and read up and it's it's such a great feature and it's all over
the golf courses. Uh, you know, and like you said, in the template holes across the country and there's so many great Barrits holes as well, and it's so unique. And like you said, they they had their temple, but they you know, they used the land that they were given and blended it in and uh that's uh. I just enjoyed playing those those golf courses and especially uh uh like I said, I think Camargo is A is a great one there in Sinci and Chicago golf is one of my one of my all time favorites.
Yeah, that's the uh as a Chicago and the one course that I haven't checked off here and.
Just driving me, you won't be disappointed. I know.
Every year I just crossed my fingers that this is bigger that I'll somehow get invite it out there. But it's uh, you just gotta sit and wait. It's a waiting game for a lot of the great golf courses.
Sure is.
But yeah, So in terms of kind of I always am curious with different tour pros, what what do you do in your downtime when you're at say a tournament and reno or you know, and uh, and lots of like not me, not lots of things, but you know, these these tournaments you know, when you're not playing, what are you doing?
For the most part, you mentioned two favorite. You know, any any course that has a casino, lots of lots of opportunity for entertainment. So unfortunately, uh, you know, I'm probably like ninety percent of the pghor golfers. We all like the gambles. So if there's a casine on your we're always in there just playing some black jack, just passing the time. But you know, on the road, it all depends if my family's with me or not. If I'm alone, it just seems like I'm pretty low key.
I watch a lot of movies or you know, a lot of Netflix in the room, and get a lot of take out and you know, burrito joints, Chipotle or mos And I'm very very easy, so I don't do a whole lot. It's pretty sad actually when you think about it. But it's the families with me. We try to get out and you know, get something. Uh you know, we're just planning, planning the day around the kids and
in my golf schedule. So you know, we do as much as we can together and if I can't join them, I love when my wife takes we have a six year old and two year old. UH to the zoos and in each city or in DC a couple of weeks ago they went to the Rains Base Museum and just great things for them to uh to experience and uh, but we we definitely like the zoos in each town.
The kids love the animals and uh uh downtime at home when I'm not playing, you know, I just try to do whatever I can to be with the family. Depends if it's a summer or in school. My daughter will be in first grade, so you know, it'll be hard for them to travel as much once that starts back up in late August. And to be honest, I play a lot of golf when I'm the home, and you know, it's uh, I can turn the switch off and on between tournament golf and casual golf. I love playing.
I just love playing golf with friends and uh, you know, It's just always been a part of my life and it'll it'll continue to be a part of my life after touring is over or when I'm when I'm at home, do a lot of fantasy sports and really enjoy the following that stuff. And I'm just a sports fan in general, so I might as well do the fantasy on top of it.
So, yeah, the Bengals. You gotta be a Bengals.
Fan, right, I'm definitely a Bengals fan. So it's uh, it's been hard at times, but we're gonna we're gonna break through this year. We're gonna get get deep into the playoffs this year. So we're we've been close the last five years. We're gonna do it. So Reds are struggling right now, so it's all in the Bengals.
So yeah, yeah, my Coveyes are beating us the central teams.
So films are doing well. They're killing the Reds today, I think.
All right, So I got a couple questions if you if you got a little bit more time from our some of our readers, thanks again for taking the time. But so from Stuart Smith, Uh, you want to know, is the driver close to being obsolete on the PGA Tour when classic courses are the hosts.
Well you definitely see that. You know, let's just take Plainfield last year for the Barclays. You know, a classic Donald Ross and I was using hybrid quite a bit. So when they pinched the pinched the fairways and the bunkers are positions like they are. Yeah, there's not going to be a whole lot of drivers except for you know, the guys that hit driver no matter what. I think Dustin is a one guy that is going to hit the driver no matter what. So you know he showed
you at Oakmont. I don't know how. You know. Oakmont was just impossible if you did not drive it in the fairway and he drove it long and he drove straight. So when that's your best, if that's your straightest club, you will always continue to hit driver. I think, uh, you know, we don't go to there's only a handful of tournaments that go to classic courses. So I don't think that's going to be much of an issue on
the tour anymore. I mean, we've played a lot of tPCS and you know, just golf clubs like Houston that were made for drivers, and you know they're stretching them out seventy five hundred yards, you know, like a Congressional. We just played Congressional seventy five seventy six hundred yards. It's, uh,
that's the norm. I think we get some golf courses like Hilton Head, you know where you really have to position your ball well and uh, you know, even the course like well, we just played in an acron that the firestone, you know, with the there's a lot of overgrown trees and you've got to be positioned pretty well all and we definitely hit some hybrids and three woods off tas. I think hit three wood on eighteen three of the four days and uh, and you just got
to be positioned pretty well. So yeah, it is unfortunate with the U with the length of the drives these days, that some courses are becoming uh obsolete for TJA Tour or major golfs. And uh, we'll see what happens. I don't know what the answer is going to be. But the ball is going a long way pulls.
You know, and like you said, for you you've got to be in the fairway to hit the greens and that's your keys to good tournaments. So you know, for ye the driver might you know, not make as much sense at a tighter golf course because you want to hit the fairway. Sure so in terms of uh so, we have another question from Michael Michael Carocelli here he wants to know in terms of pre round routine on
the range and putting green. You know, kind of what your your pre round routine is and how many drivers do you hit on the range before a round?
Okay, great question. I arrived at the putting green an hour before my teats my starting time, and I take about ten minutes of of just long speed drills. Just no specific amount, but it just seems like it always has to be about ten minutes and just working on pace, just trying to get some feel, and you know, working on just some longer putts twenty footers, thirty footers, just back and forth and just kind of just letting out some you know, the nerves and just an easy way
to start into your routine. And then just depending if the if they have a pitching green or chipping green nearby, I'll move on to that next and hit a few bunker shots as well, another ten or so minutes and then move on to the range and good, you know, good twenty minutes of full shots, just go right up
the bag from the love wedge. Usually go every other club and you know, just five or six balls with each club, and again once you get to the woods, it's there's no set amount, but usually it'll end up about six to seven drivers and it usually takes up about twenty to thirty minutes and head back to the putting greens for a quick little run through of you know inside ten feet, inside five feet, to seeing the ball, you know, get onto some straight puts, to seeing the
ball going in the hole, and just getting your confidence up and getting ready to go. So no specific number of shots, but it just seems to work out the same way age time.
Yeah, that's kind of similar to you know a lot you hear, it's a little bit of everything and just really building confidence. Huh m hm, Well that's awesome. Well, we really appreciate the time that you were able to give us, especially you know, a week before a big major. We'll be pulling for you over there. And then uh, what's uh when you get done with the British, what's the schedule look like they're on out.
Yeah, it's a pretty packed summer. We had the the Open, and then we had the US Open, and then we had the Bridge Stone and now it's Greenbrier was canceled, which was this week due to the flooding, and my goodness, that was just terrible. Hopefully, uh, everything gets cleaned up down there and UH, but off the off to the Open and then just trying to put together the final UH thoughts on the schedule. I've got Canada right after
the Open. Whether I'm playing it or not, I got to make that decision this week and then UH and then right into the PGA Campion. So if I play all, if I play Canada, I'll play these three weeks and it will be three great tournaments, three great venues and U and then then it's gonna be a little bit of off time to get get back to Florida, get settled, get my daughter ready for UH for first grade, and
then the playoffs will be starting up. So there'll be three three events Travelers John Deere in the Greensboro Greater Greensboro, and I'll probably play one of them, Greensboro being more likely the UH the one that I might play right before the playoffs. And then it's four weeks of playoffs. Hopefully I'm you know, looking good to be in the first three events, the Barclays, the Deutsche Bank and the
BMW and in Indiana. I think it's in the Indiana this year at crook a Stick, not in Chicago this year, but looking forward to that. It's close to home. Uh, I'm sure I'll have a lot of family and friends out from Cincinnati and look forward to that and trying to get into the Tour Championship. That's been my h. I've got two goals left on the year. I've accomplished a lot this year, but finishing the top thirty uh and making the Tour Championship and then obviously uh making
the Ryder Cup to be the final goals. So we'll see if we can we can get those two and yeah, we'll be just be an awesome year.
Yeah, it's already been a good one and hopefully I could be a great one with you know, you get another winner, another couple of top fives in there, and that's definitely a possibility, right.
That's right, it's all it's all good stuff. So it's very blessed to be on the tour and you know, just winning was just fabulous and really proud of the hard work that went into it. But thanks for having me on, and this is great talk and love talking to golf and golf architecture and everything that is that this great game of golf offers.
So yeah, let us know if you're in town and we'll uh we'll go uh, we'll get you out to some of the some of the courses up here and then uh yeah, so look forward to look forward to watching you this next week at the British and uh, thanks so much for your time. We really appreciate it.
Thank you so much.