This is the most dramatic podcast ever, and iHeartRadio podcast Chris Harrison and Lauren z e mc comedy from the home office in Austin, Texas. But it is Tahoe we're talking about on this episode of the most dramatic podcast.
Ever, Long Drive. It's gonna hit a tree. The greens are rolling.
I had the honor of taking part in the American Century Championship, the big celeb tournament that was on NBC this weekend, hosted by American Century and our good friend Jonathan Thomas, his wife Cindy. They are first just the most incredible people. Great shout out to them, and it was a week to remember because it's unlike any event I've ever been to. There's so much to talk.
About listen, as you all know, and I just affirmed with those golf terms I tried to throw out, I don't know anything about golf. I don't love golf, but I had a great time at this tournament. It was so First, the biggest thing was the people, like you just mentioned, Jonathan, the CEO of American Century and his wife Cindy and their whole family were just such good people and I think they set the tone because the
people they picked to invite to this. I mean, yes, it's a celebrity event, but it was just some good celebrities.
We didn't have any divas. There were no and that's hard to say because.
It's bags in the fray.
Because there's ninety so ninety celebrities athletes are brought in by American Centrated to Edgewood Resort and golf course there at Lake Tahoe. It is on the shores of Lake Tahoe. So the backdrop is just ridiculous. It is stunning. But the celebs and athletes, I mean they go from you know, John Elway, to Travis and Jason Kelsey who we will be talking about, to Dylan Dryer, meteorologists from NBC. So I mean it really runs the gamut of celebs that
were there. I was one of the newbies. There were sixteen newbies this year, rookies. Blake Griffin was another one. Austin Reeves, Los Angeles Laker was there. He was a newbie. I think Miles Teller had been there before. Miles was there.
This is his first time. Well, and actually I was so happy for you because I didn't realize they'd asked you to come before, but you were always working, you were always filming.
The Yeah, it's in July. It's always in the same time. And I was doing the first year I got invited, I was hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and I would I used to do Bachelorette, go right to Paradise. I would come home for a week for like fourth of July. Then I would move to Vegas for like ten weeks, come home a week later. I would leave and do Bachelor So that used to be my summer, which was Man, that sounds fun, doesn't it.
Jeez?
But this was so great you kind of wish you'd been able to go in the past.
I know it, and so yeah, so this has always been on my bucket list. If you are a golfer, an amateur golfer, if you have any kind of modicum of fame, like you know this tournament exists and you this is on your bucket list. This is the tournament.
I'm going to give it in layman's terms to our listeners who are not so well versed, aka just like me.
You helped me understand why this is such a big deal.
So in the past, you've paid played in like the at and T pro am that means professional and amateur. And you've played in a televised golf tournament, but like pros are still in it, and that's kind of why people are really.
Into watching it.
And you're leaning on the pros.
In this tournament.
It is only non golfer celebrities. No pro golfers here, just celebrities maybe golf. And so what's cool for you guys is you are treated though as if this is like a full on professional golf tournament. Everything from you know, the caddies to the tea times and the tents and the televised and you know, you you got physical therapy at the end of every day.
Like you get to kind of Jimmy Roberts, Roger Maltby, Peter Jacobsen is there. I mean it's the NBC Sports crew, Okay, you know they they this year was a great addition. They brought in Smiley Kaufman and our good friend Kiera k Dixon. You know, Smiley has really blown up with his kind of Fridays with Smiley where he sets up on a hold. It's kind of a party thing and Smiley does his you know, his charisma and charm and
all that. So they set up on the Fame seventeenth and so, I mean it was eight You're right, it is everything that the pro golfers get to do. That's why we get Yeah, we're playing in Yankee Stadium.
And it was so fun for me because the way they set it up is so intimate, so well run. I mean every single night, so I kind of walk with you during the day and.
Watch you play golf. But there were great drinks and snacks, and.
Then at every night they had like a fun dinner, a fun event. We did karaoke one night, Travis Kelce one. We'll get into it. And they made it such a fun weekend for family and friends as well, Like people brought their kids and their spouses and it was a very intimate. Like I think what we both know was how much there are just some major people at this thing, but everybody felt comfortable and let their guard down.
So one of the coolest things that you start with. And again being a rookie there you get there on Tuesday. You can get Monday or Tuesday. I got there on Tuesday. I played a little practice round and you immediately just start running into people. If you are a fan of any of these athletes. You can look up the ninety celebs and athletes. You have such great access to everybody. You're right up close, you get to talk to the autographs, pictures.
Everybody's so giving that week. It is this great collegial, fraternal feel to it. But Wednesday night we have a mandatory was it Wednesday or Tuesday night? Tuesday night, sorry, Tuesday night, we have a mandatory players meeting. So you go to the that.
You loved this so much I did.
This is like summer camp for you.
So it was like summer camp. So I walk into this thing that and I'll be honest. Okay, So here's here's the truth. I don't care who you are and what you've done. When you do something for the first time, you're nervous. Think of going to camp for the first time. You're nervous. So I have nerves. I'm the new kid. I don't know where to eat, I don't know whose table I can sit at, I don't know what's what, I don't even know where things are yet. So you have the nerves.
Just all right, the jocks over there where did the TV herite? Yeah?
And it's like, you know me, Colin jos Carson, Dally and you know, Jay billis Is you know, so it was just very interesting of getting the vibe. But this is where I love the group that American Century has brought in. Everybody was so welcoming. And I will say I knew a lot of these guys because I played in a bunch of these events, so you know, whether I was friends or acquaintances, you know, I knew them and they knew me, which was nice and it kind
of took a little bit of the pressure off. But i walk into the players meeting that's in this kind of nightclub area at the Harris Casino or Harvey's Casino there in Tahoe, and I'm just looking around the room. I've been in some crazy rooms, but I've never been in a room like this where there were thirty forty fifty Hall of Famers or future Hall of famers, from Joe thisman to you know, Vince Carter who just got inducted, and Andrew Whitworth, who's going to be And I'm just like,
there's Baker Mayfield, there's Trevor Lawrence. But it really is just a who's who in this business, and I'm like, this is crazy.
Like little Joe.
Yeah, that's a little bit of a roast. They kind of, you know, put up some bullet points that kind of poke fun at you. They pulled up for me and this was really funny. So Blake Griffin, also a newbie basketball All Star. The guy was just unreal. They showed him dunking on everybody flying through the air. The greatest
highlight reel a human could ask for it. They didn't really well, they got to the end and they'd put up a silly picture of him and they had some funny bullet points about who he was, but no, not really a roast. Then they're like, okay, you know Chris Harrison, first time DA. They pull up video and they run the sound of season one of The Bachelor. I don't know where NBC Sports got this, but they pulled up
this video and it's just ever. It looks you know, if you've never seen it, it looks like I'm in my I borrowed my dad's khaki suit that's three sizes too big and it probably had eight buttons on it. This is two thousand and two fast.
I like the early two thousands when men were wearing like bright couple collared shirts.
I'm thinking Night of the Rock.
It looks like I hadn't shaved yet my life because I couldn't grow whiskers. But that's so that's what they show. And then they put up the silly bullet points and they pulled an old picture of me from high school and put it up there.
Where did they get a picture you?
I don't know, man, I don't know where NBC dug to get this, but maybe NBC News. They did some good digging to get all these pictures of us. So that's it really kind of just set the tone of we're having a good time. But afterwards, well, I think it's.
So important what you just said about, Like.
I just agree.
I think even I think about.
When I volunteered at Experience camps for the first time last summer. I'm a confident person. Yeah, I know who I am, Like, I know what I bring to the table, but still just being in a new situation, and for me in that situation, it wasn't televised and I wasn't competing. You're still like, okay, how do things work here? And okay, I want to make new friends and I want.
Where the flight I didn't where the first he was. I mean, it was just like, you know, like where do I go? Where can I warm up?
And was there anyone you were in when you looked around that room, anyone you were intimidated by or in awe of or nervous to meet. I mean, I know you had a lot of friends there, but anyone who you hadn't met yet.
You know, I'd never met Nate Pergatzi, And afterwards got to got to meet Nate Pergatzi because I think he is comedian who we love. I think he's the best comedian in the game right now. And there's some great comics doing some great work and I and that's heady company, but right now he is doing it and doing it on a level that nobody can compete with. And I've you and I are such fans. We just saw him here in austin the Movie Center, and I was delighted
to see that he was such a nice guy. I had never met Colin Jost and I had met Don Cheatle before, and we kind of knew each other from playing poker. There was a poker game in LA that we used to all play in and Don Cheedle was a big poker guy, and so I knew him, and it kind of helped that I knew Don Cheatleh because he and Colin Jost were talking and Jost welcome to
me into the conversation. Maybe golf is the nice icebreaker because we started talking about golf and then we got into family and you know, all the travel and he's been doing because he's been over in Asia, I guess because his wife, Scarlett Johnson has been shooting a movie.
So he just came home and came right into Tahoe and he just literally he said, he got off a plane, got his stuff in LA and then or New York, and then came right in and so it was just good to meet some of these people that I had never met that I was a little stand offish of okay, how are they going to be? But when you're looking around that room, I mean to my left was Roger Clemens,
one of the greatest pictures of all time. Hall of Famer, Jerome Bettis, the bus running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was right in front of me. Right behind me, Colin Jost, to my right Evince Carter, Hall of Famer. I'm just like, this is crazy. I mean, honestly, what you're thinking, is what am I doing in this room?
May why are you signing yourself?
Because you just and we all feel like this. It doesn't matter who you are, you all feel like you're in awe. There's so much respect and admiration and love in the room and it kind of it really disarmed everybody. There was no egos, there was no yeah, I'm better than you or whatever. Everyone just sat everybody. Yeah, everybody's done something amazing and what they're good at, and it's there was just a lot of admiration and love.
I will say it's not something I relate to because of the non sports awareness or enjoyment for me, but it's very cute to.
Me how much grown men love.
Athletes like it, and athletes love performers.
Oh yeah, well that's true because.
Like athletes want to be rock stars. Yes, rock stars want to be you know, we want to play golf. It's like and it's and the funny thing is we all shared the one thing is that none of us are that great at golf. Like, wow, some guys are really good.
Yeah, I mean that's the thing, you know, Okay, there are some guys. Obviously, no one hears a professional golfer, but there were a lot of professional athletes in other ways, and so there were a few good golfs well.
And I should say we're kind of.
By the way, babe, you did pretty good.
I did pretty good, but we are kind of overlooking the greatest golfer of all time, Anika Sorenstam easily the goat in women's golf. She's retired now, but she was there, so she is that good. I think she finished third or fourth behind Marty Fish, professional tennis player. He won it his second time to win it. He's a good friend and just such a great golfer, by the way, but a really good guy. He and his family were there. John Schmoltz was up there, Mark Mulder a great pitcher.
But Anica Sorenstein was right there with the boys, kicking ass. She is so sweet, so kind everybody because everyone is so in awe of her as a golfer, and everyone's just watching her swing the club. Everyone's talking to her, trying to pick her brain. But yeah, again, you could just keep going down the list. Again, there's ninety people, and nobody is a slacker in this group.
Let's talk about karaoke night.
Yeah, so the big night is Wednesday night. I have been told about this that Wednesday night's the best night. It is celebrity karaoke, but it's different kind of karaoke. It's on the lawn there at Edgewood, right behind the resorts here between the resort and the lake. The sun's going down, so you have one of the most amazing backdrops ever. And it's not just your typical karaoke because they don't just play the music. There's a band and it's not just any band. It's Jada Marcus from Rascal
Flats and Jason Chef from Chicago. That's who's running the band that's playing music for you.
Like, first of all, I've never seen karaoke with a band. I've only ever seen it with you know, like they push the button and the prompter comes up with the lyrics, like with the bright blue background. This is you're singing with a live band and it is some of the most incredible musicians in.
Front of about seven hundred of US. I would think, I think here's that many, maybe five hundred, I don't know. It's a private dinner for all the American Century clients, but also the celebs, our families, our spouses. Everybody's invited.
So video from karaoke kind of went everywhere because as Travis Kelsey saying, and I believe he dedicated uh to Taylor Taylor Swift. Yes, Wow, Travis got up there, and I was impressed. He's saying, here I go again bye? Is it white Snake?
Yes?
And a deeper voice like again again on my like gravelly, like more growley than I thought, and very yeah. Just a strong stage presence like I kind of I don't know why, maybe because I've only really seen footage of him at Taylor Swift concerts. I thought he'd get up and do something like kind of goofy, but he like sort of went home.
Clearly he's been paying attention, you know, watching, watching, He hasn't just been on the road. He's been studying because as you said, he didn't just come on stage and go, you know, I'm just gonna sing White Snake and timid. He left it all on the stage. He's like, I'm gonna go and I'm gonna go big. Good for him because he could have done the opposite. And by the way, Baller move. He also flew in Wednesday, and because he wasn't at the Player's meeting on Tuesday. He came in hot,
got off a plane. The car literally pulls up into valet. He walked over to the stage. It was his turn, and he walked right on stage and delivered this baller performance of Whitesnake. And so kudos to Travis Kelsey, who ended up winning Celebrity Karaoke. But there were some other really good ones who stood out to you.
Dude, Jake Owen doing Van Halen. I was like, I mean, obviously he's Jake Owen. He's an incredible singer, but I you know, to hear him do he.
Did something like that jump by Van Halen, I would have.
I was like, you know, you had so many incredible performers there. I was kind of like I would have watched the whole night of just like the singers here doing covers of stuff.
You know, that was super cool.
Well, you know, because Jake. I'm like, because I was standing next to Jake. I've known him for quite some time and he's a good friend, and I was like, what are you going to do? And he's like, you know, I can't do country.
I got it. I said, it's karaoke.
He's like, I'm gonna really blow the roof off this place.
And so personal request next year, like different genre. I want to see him do a Broadway song.
Oh my god, that would be amazing.
Okay, the only thing I actually thought I was wrong. I thought the Kelsey brothers would get up together.
Yes, I did meet Travis Kelsey as well. I actually hung out a lot with Jason. I had never met him before. But you know, Andrew Whitworth, who we're good friends with, is really good friends with Jason Kelsey and Travis as well, but really with Jason. And so before Travis arrived on Wednesday, we had already been there a couple of days, and so I hung out a lot with Andrew Whitworth and Jason Kelcey. And he's such a
good dude, such a nice guy. Spent a lot of time with him, got a chance to kind of dive deep with him, and just a really interesting guy and very you know what, I found stunning. And I don't know why this would have surprised me. I know Travis's life has changed exponentially because he's dating the most famous woman in the world, but to see how Jason's life has changed because his brother is dating the most famous woman in the world. Is incredible. And I know he's
also a big figure. He's going to be, you know, an instant Hall of Famer, one of the best, you know, offensive linemen of all time and all that, and super Bowl champion. So in his own right, he is a star, don't get me wrong. But to walk in his wake around Tahoe. We went to the casino and we went to this one party before Travis got there, it's incredible. There's a buzz around him that you would think Bono is there. And so it really is interesting to not
just see how Travis his life has changed. Jason's right there with him on that level. And then when Travis got into town, it was almost unimaginable. These two walking around. What rock stars they are. And they came across our tea box at one point where we were about to play, and they stopped and we talked for quite some time and gave us hugs. And the funny thing is, no matter who you are, we're all so gung ho about golf.
You know. Travis came up and gave me a bro hug and I said, how you doing, man, He's like I got back to zero. It is my goal here to not finish in negative points because it's a weird scoring system. They try to help the celebs. It's not a typical golf tournament. You're actually not trying to be under par. You're trying to score points in this Stableford scoring system. And he's like, I'm just trying to get to zero or above. I just don't want to be negative.
But we talked for a little bit and he was having the time of his life. I really admire how he's handling everything. He's embracing it. He's having a blast. Don't get me wrong, he's having a blast. But he really does a good job to put himself out there and not hide from it, not try to act like he's bigger than this. In fact, he's like, no, I'm going to do I'm going to shotgun a beer with you, take a picture, I'll sign your chest. Whatever he is,
he is. You know when you and I did the Taylor Swift Travis Kelcey why he would be perfect for her? I think I stand behind why. He is not as big a star as her, but he's as big a personality and he embraces everything that comes with Taylor Swift's magnificent spotlight. He can handle it.
Part of me thought Taylor Swift might show up. I know, because Kylie, Jason's wife was there. She was lovely, and I just feel like Taylor and Travis have been so supportive of each other.
And oh somebody.
Actually I was with someone who's a real swiftye and I was telling her about this, and she looked up Taylor's tour dates and.
She was like, oh, she doesn't have any tour dates during that time.
So I kind of thought, oh, maybe she might show up. But I will say, excuse me, seeing the layout of it and everything. Now, if she'd showed up, that would have been a whole other level of security needed and like planning and yeah, but you know, it was it was cute that Travis dedicated his karaoke win to Taylor. And then definitely I saw when he was up on seventeen that hole where they like play all the music and have all the fun.
I think they played a few Taylor Swifts on they did.
When he walked up, they played Taylor Swift. It was very on point, and he embraced it instead. You know, it's like he that's a great thing. He gets it and so he.
Just started to do It's right because some people, and I've seen this with people I've interviewed and everything, like they'll get annoyed about that thing. I actually would always advise people. I mean, you know, not that I know what it's like to be super famous, but if people were up and coming and I was interviewing them for the first like one of the first times, I would say, like, don't start getting mad at the thing that.
Made you embrace what you're known for. Well.
I mean like there were.
Some people, honestly, like from the Twilight cast who and I think they've changed now because it's been years, but they would be like, don't ask me anything about Twilight. And I was like, but, like, that's why.
People love you when you realize that's your home run and that's what most people are going to love you for and know you. Yeah, even if you do other great things, it's not that you can't, it's.
Just don't be angry about it. Like, you know, I get it to a certain extent. I'm sure when you've been asked about this thing for the millionth time, but you know, I think that usually happens in the very beginning when people get famous, They're super happy to be asked about the thing, and then years later they realize the importance of the thing. It's those middle years sometimes where they like get a little lost and they're like, oh, I'm over it or.
I'm too big for that now.
Jason and Travis, from my just seeing them perspective, what they're doing right is is staying true to who they are. Yeah, And that's actually a harder thing to do than you
would think in this business. Like even when I was at ET, people like I really got to be myself on Roses and Rose, but I would literally get the feedback at ET of like you need to ask that question in the ET way when I was interviewing people, and I looking back and this isn't like any you know, I was just trying to be good at my job. But looking back, I wish i'd i'd stayed a little more true to myself.
It's hard because you're trying to do the job right.
And people above you are telling you.
Yeah, and also you know for them, like obviously, when you hit a certain level of fame, I'm sure parts of you wants to like be more garden you need to be, but they're really staying true to who they are, and it was really beautiful. This is another thing I like about sports, is like that these people can be hero heroes to kids. Like to see all the kids who were there and how much they look up to Jason and Travis, and that they took the time to say hi to the kids and everything, and the.
Crowd that just means a lot. Well, the crowd that Jason and Travis bring out now to an event like this is different. I noticed a different crowd out there. And again this is my first year, but I noticed a bunch of young girls different from what well I just I mean, there was a bunch of young girls. Teenage girls are out there term you know. And look, I love John Elway, you know, and I love all these other big, you know, stars, but are teenage girls going to come out and see them.
That's what's not about this championship.
Yeah, so everybody was there really was this amazing mix. And also, look, I wasn't with them twenty four to seven because you know, I know Andrew Whitworth played with them two days, but I also talked to him about it. Kudos to the fans that came out. They were very respectful, They just wanted to have fun. They just wanted to see him, touch him, get an autograph, take a picture, and he really leaned into it and had a great time.
But a great addition to the tournament. I thought, are they going to be you know, how will they handle it? Will it be too much? Will they beat divas? Man? Those guys are anything but divas. They were awesome. They
were so cool. And by the way, yes they had security while they were walking on the golf course, but they were hanging out at the hotel just doing their thing and people would come up to them, even at times, you know, inopportune times, but they really took it all in and they understand this was these people, their opportunity to see them.
Yeah, well, maybe I'm going to give you credit on that too. Well, honestly, you're talking about them. But from my perspective, what was interesting about this is like, because it's televised, they did tell all the players that like wives and family, can't walk with you on the greens the whole time. So I could sometimes go into the ropes and say hi to you, but I had to
a lot of the time just like walk. You know, I walked with everybody and that actually was super fun because I got to see all the love that people had for you. And when you talk about bringing out teenage girls, I mean, baby, your fandom as women.
I definitely, you know, it was funny because you could see.
I mean, everybody who was taking pictures of you was.
Not a golf Fanly there were a few dudes. I was happy to see some guys that came up to me, but yes, for the most part, it was definitely the wives, the moms, the daughters that came up.
That was great.
Yeah, I know that love was amazing.
You brought out a great crowd and I loved seeing it. And it was kind of funny because you know, I had like a hat and glasses on and a lot of the time just standing with everybody, and like nobody knew that we were you know, people might not know who where I was or that we were married. And it really like warmed my heart to just hear people talking about you, because all people would say would be like, oh my god, that's Chris Harrison, like from The Bachelor. Oh my gosh, I love him. Oh I want to
hear him talk. I grew up listening to his voice. He's the best voice like all us and it was just so nice and fun to hear, and everyone was so kind and loving, and of course there was a lot of like Chris, we want you back on TV, we miss you and we are working on it. And by the way, I got to give a big shout out to American Century because first of all, they spend a ton of money to put this thing on, but they give back a ton of money. They give huge donations to cancer research.
I didn't I didn't realize until this weekend that forty percent of all profits made by American Century go straight to charity. Yeah, and primarily cancer research. With that is that is forgetting your bottom line. So kudos to Jonathan Thomas and the American Century folks for I mean, they gave so much this weekend. To say they put on
a class event is gross understatement. But yeah. So the golf is one thing, but then after every shot you realize you're there to see everybody because really, nobody other than a few of the guys that are really good at golfer on a kasare and stam, nobody's there to see you hit a golf ball to party. They're there to have a good time. And so as soon as you get done with a serious golf shot, you immediately go, hey,
how you doing high fives pictures? And that part is fun for me because it's also a big pressure release because you realize it's okay that you just screwed up.
Name you didn't well a few times coming on a few times. I want to give a shout out to a couple awesome fans who we met.
Ingrid was so sweet.
There was a wonderful father and daughter who I met who were like, it's their thing that they go to the championship together every year and they like go to golf tournaments together, and they were both so sweet. She was a Roses and Rose fan and they were big fans of yours.
Oh gosh, I think her name was Kristen was there with her husband every day. She was so great.
There was another wonderful couple who I met, and she had just lost her father, whose name was On and so we talked a little bit about lost together, and she said she appreciated when we cover some of this stuff on the podcast.
It was fun to see kind of walking around ye speaking of just how much LZ love there was in Tahoe. That was, and you know, there was one guy in particular. I wish I'd gotten his name. But it was really funny because again, typically we kind of have our fans and you kind of know what they look like because
typically they're female. But there was a young man. He couldn't have been in his twenties, and he's like Roses and Rose and I'm like, so, I mean, I'm thinking he's in his probably maybe twenty so, maybe late teens or whatever. He was watching Roses and Rose. He was such a big fan of yours. That was really funny. Right there by the clubhouse. So yeah, and how many people listen to the most dramatic.
Podcast and she was great. It was just so wonderful because it was such a great environment to meet everybody and like for it to be I don't know, like I think the fact that it was so organized, you know, made it like you kind of knew, Okay, we're going here every day, you're going to play some golf and you're going to get to meet people.
And it was a really fun way to do it in that setup.
That it was amazing in that way.
How nervous were you though, Oh god, plane, I was surprised by this, okay, so more nervous than I thought you would be playing golf.
You get so the first tee shot is I will host a million shows in front of millions of people. And yes, I still get a little nerves, but it's more excited and I know I can handle it, and I know I can go on stage and do my thing, because that is my thing. It's what I have practiced and done so many times. But it's hard to explain the nerves of getting on the first tee with hundreds of people. Music's going and they introduce you, and this is the start of the tournament, and you just want
to get off the tee. You just want the ball in the air. You really don't even care where it goes. You just wanted to start. But what I found interesting is I expended so much energy in that first nine holes that my first day, my goal was to score ten points a day, and the first day I played nine holes and I hit a wall. Emotionally, I think I just I released so much energy. By the back nine of that first day, I was just done and I totally bonked and hit a wall and I ended
it with three points. And as you know, you can see the look on my face. I had a great day, but I was a little disappointed in myself by only getting three points because I was up to seven at one point I was rolling. I'm like, Okay, this is good. And then I just kind of slid back. But that first day just there was so much emotion, so much energy. I didn't sleep well the night before. I was so nervous. It was just exciting to be a part of this thing,
which is funny, but that's what I love. That's one of the reasons I do this. I love putting myself in situations where I'm really uncomfortable. I know I'm going to be nervous, I know I might fail.
Do get like a rush from there?
Yeah? Yeah? I like to see what I can do under the pressure.
Do you get more of a rush from that?
And you're a little more competitive than I am in terms of like like I like to play a game, but I don't really care I win or lose. You do care.
But I thought the nerves were all out of me, because the next day I played really well. I scored seventeen points, had three birdies. I was rolling shot at seventy six. One of the best rounds of my life, and to do it in competition was insane. But then there then came Sunday and I thought, Okay, by Sunday, I've been doing this for three days. I'm almost done. And in fact it was the second to last hole, the seventeenth hole. I had heard about how this is
on the weekend, but I wasn't prepared for. When you walk on that tea box, there are thousands of people from the tea box all around the green and the lake is tier right, it is packed with people on the sand. Hundreds of boats have pulled up.
Well, that was cool. I'd never seen that in a tournament.
The boats can pull up on one side and people are in their bikinis watching you.
People are doing shots, people are screaming at you. It is a mind f It's hard for your brain to take it all in. And then they're like, okay, calm down. You have to hit one hundred and fifty five yard golf shot par three with water on the right, fans to the left. Somehow, miraculously I hit one of the best shots of my life and hit it to about five feet. Then I nervously missed the putt, which people saw on TV. My true friends are like, nice shot on seventeen, great Pott.
But that shot was great, and that was the shot that was on NBC. So that was a good shot on the air.
Yeah, they put it on the air. Smiley Kaufman outed me, by the way on the broadcast because I had just mentioned to him I had a side bet. John Elway wanted to bet. So I played with John Elway, the Great John Elway, the quarterback of the Denver Broncos Hall of Famer. Yes, and then we also played with Chase Sutley, the great Philadelphia Philly and both nice guys. But halfway, you know, we got in like a whole or two and el was like, ca, we a little side action going.
I played better if I if I'm betting. So we had a bet and Elway and I were on seventeen.
I So in your mind, you're like, I'm tied with John no joke.
So he's the greatest competitor of all time, that one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Like I'm going to beat John Elway. This is my goal today and I will tell this story on my podcast. I kicked, Yeah, Will I kicked John Elway's ass. So I hit the shot on seventeen. I'm like, okay, I'm gonna birdie this and I'm going to go one up with one to play. We both par it, so we're tied going into eighteen.
And in true fashion, John Elway hits the drive. And if you guys know John Elway, he's famous for the drive when he won the Super Bowl, John Elway Birdie's eighteen. I par eighteen. I lose down one in the match to John Elway. I owe him one hundred dollars.
So here's what I love about golf is that men talk about it like they've been to war. They're like, it was me against the great John Elway. We were there on the seventeen tea box.
But that would have been a story I would have told. And so now I just I owe John. And by the way, John I have not, for he got out of there quickly.
It's still a good story.
But I owe John lay one hundred dollars. Like literally are all.
Talking like, oh dude, this that's sixthmall man. Wow.
If anybody has John Alway's venmo, let me know. But my playing partners for the week give a shout out to Dylan Dreyer, uh meteorologist a part of the Today Show. She is amazing, lovely. Her husband also was fantastic caddie for we that day, John Carlson, great Stanley Cup champion hockey player from Washington.
Next day you had Carson Daily and you and Carson.
The next day was TV host analyst day. You know me and Carson Daily from the Today Show and the voice obviously Jay Billis, who was a former Duke basketball player, played in the NBA and now he's an analyst for ESPN and AGREAP.
Can they do the groups and kind of themes.
Like, yeah, there's the quarterbacks, there's the lineman, there's the baseball.
Player, TV guys, you had the TV.
Guys and so and I have known Carson for a while. He is a very good, good, great golfer by the way, just went through surgery, but he usually plays better than he did this week, but a super nice guy. His family was out there. And then the final day they kind of pair it more towards how you have done in golf. And this turned out to be a dream because I was with John Elway and Chase Utley and again to me, I'm like, which one of these is not like the others.
Well, did you basically feel like you were a professional?
I'm like, did I win a World Series? Did I win the Super Bowl? No?
Okay, So I just pulled up because I was kind of looking at the scores because I didn't even know where you ended up.
I think I was tee tied for twenty seventh place.
You broke the top thirty.
Yeah, that was my goal. Good, In all seriousness, my goal was to make top thirty for my first year because I just didn't know how it would go, how nervous I got it.
Listen, I'm not trying to call anybody out.
I'm just bringing the scoresy So you had thirty four, Tony Romoh had twenty one, and then, oh God love him, Jason Kelcey with a negative fifty one.
Yeah, Jason Kelcey. Where was Travis Kelcey because he wanted to make it in the positive. Jason had a disaster.
But Alex Rodriguez negative fifty nine, he was second to last. Yeah.
A Rod had maybe one of the most humbling experiences. But I'm going to give a Rod a shout out because he was so nice and never lost his cool. Honestly, if I had been playing like that, I would have said my back hurt. I would I would have been home.
Travis Kelsey negative ten.
Okay, Oh so he didn't get there negative ten.
So miss negative fifty, We love them, miss. By the way, l he's such a great guy.
Such a nice guy, and such a good friend.
Bills tell her negative fifty.
Yeah, yeah, Miles, where did Jost? Where did Colin? Joe's finish?
Colin's negative twenty five?
Negative?
You're a good golfer, play right now.
You're a good golfer.
It's hard to finish in the points? Do you understand? Okay? So if I asked you you were there all week? Do you understand the scoring system?
Yeah? I now after By the way, can I get a little credit?
Baby, you can get a lot of credit.
I walked and watched you played golf for three.
Days straight, fifty four holes of.
Golf for like five hours each day.
Seven miles.
I mean, I've been thinking of of how.
We can equate this, and how can I pay this?
How can I pay you back?
Because this is like you know, in our everyday lives. Go play as much golf as you want. You never need to pay me back. But there's nothing that I can do right that You're going to go watch me do and walk around and cheer me on for five hours days a year.
Did somebody say you need to go?
This was my idea.
Okay, this is your idea.
I shared it with some of the fans. Okay, you're going to come on a day with me. We're going to go to multiple home goods, TJ Max and Marshalls. You're going to walk around behind me as I shot.
We're doing this for five hours, for hours.
When I find a candle I love, You're going to cheer me on.
Great candle, babe, good fie.
Let me smell that, Let me smell that. Oh my god, is that amber wood? That is so good?
When I find an excellent side table on a discount, honey, good steal.
Oh my god, I can see that. I can see that in our house already. I know where that's going.
She crushed it ten points.
I mean, you know what, I owe you this and and I will put this up on social media. I'm going to spend the day with you, and I'm just gonna and it. I'll be like your caddy. I'm just going to walk behind you slowly with a cart.
Oh my god, that's exactly what it is.
The cart is my golf mack. Yes, and you're gonna put my items in it. Yep. I'm going to make you one of those little like bibs with Oh my god.
Like the caddies were, okay, I like this, this is gonna happen.
Okay, but no, I didn't understand the system basically, like if you like made it in under.
Par let's says. Let's say it's a par four.
And if you made it an under a par four, you got some points.
And so then the birdie was three points.
I mean you're losing here on what a birdie is.
That's one less than par. So if I got a three on a par four, he still has three points. Okay. If there's a par you get.
One, you did well, you got points. I understand a.
Boge zero points, double bogey. The problem is you can see by some of these scores, a double bogie is minus two and that's where you get in the A Rod Jason Kelsey.
You're good at golf.
I'm impressed, thank you, and I mean you beat yeah. Like, by the way, I know who tj Oshi is he's a hockey player. He only had eight points. Chandler Parsons pro basketball player, great friend of ours, awesome guy, but.
He had twelve. You beat Chandler, You beat Tony Romo, you beat uh.
Larry Fitzgerald fits wove fit by the way, all wonderful people.
One of the He's the first person that gave you a hug when you got there. This is great. Lauren walks in and there's Larry Fitzgerald. He leaves because I had been talking to him in the lobby. I was waiting on LZ to get there, and he's like, sees Lauren, boom gone, he's the nice thing. So he gives the Is this weird to say? He gives the best hugs?
No, bab and I love that.
You can see he gets okay. So Larry Fitzgerald is a He still looks like he should be playing. Just a hulk of a man. Google him if you don't know. He's a great wide receiver, Hall of Famer and now works as an analyst on the Great Amazon Coverage Amazon Thursday night football coverage with Wit and Ryan Fitzpatrick and Chris Thompson. By the way, but he comes up and gives you a big hug, and I was almost jealous of that hug because he's like, he just he's big arms man. He's just such a Sure's.
Another thing I loved about this weekend was just the bro love.
Yeah.
Like at one point because at the resort, the edgewood, which is gorgeous. Can't recommend it enough. It's stunning. You never when you stay there, you never need to leave the property. It's right on the beach of Lake Tahoe. And at one point after the day of golf, I looked out into the water and my husband was just frolicking in the water with a group of men and it was beautiful. I mean that in a beautiful way. It was like all the guys like Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jason Kelsey was out there.
You guys have gotten in the water together and you were just swimming around and talking about the day.
I love it very I love what you called it a cuddle puddle. It was a cuddle you called it a cuddle puddle. She said, did you enjoy your cuddle puddle? And I was like, uh yeah, so yeah. Frolicking with Jason Kelce and Ryan Fitzpatrick in the Tahoe Waters.
Well, like, it's really cute. It's cute that you guys have this thing that you share. Like you said, golf is this instant bonding thing for you all. And it made everybody like, the thing is, you have all these super successful people, but nobody's like worried about their thing that they are successful at this weekend. Yeah, golf became this great equalizer that some people who are great athletes weren't that great at and some people who aren't we're
good at. And it brought everybody together under this separate umbrella from what they do in life, and it creates a really beautiful camaraderie.
A couple not It's one of my favorite times of the day is afterwards I would go into the physio room. They have like a physical therapist in there, and you can do the little uh, the what do you call the sleeves, the compression sleeves on your legs, and then they'll work on your back if you want, you can stretch and all that. So I'm sitting in there and Michael Pania, the great actor, the way, great.
Dude, such a nice so nice to meet, you know.
It's always kind of a tell pretty good golfer.
Two.
A tell is if someone and this is just anybody in life, but if they not only like say hi to you, but also say hello to your spouse and say hi. And Michael Panya and Don Cheedele were both so lovely, So thank you to them for being such.
This is what I love. This is why I love Lauren Zema. So I'm in. We're in the room there afterwards yesterday and we have it. We have the telecast on. We're watching Marty Fish and Taylor Twelman, a bunch of the guys that are doing really well finish up.
It's like the final, yeah, the final.
And I'm sitting in the physio room with Michael Pania. We're talking. I've known Pania for a while, and Don Cheedle, David Wells, the Great Pitcher, walked in. Some other guys were kind of filtering in and you were so good. You're like, you knew how much I was enjoying that room, and you, babe, stay here and watch the end of the golf. I'm gonna go upstairs and just chill for
a little bit. And so you kind of left me knowing that was cool for me to like hang out with these guys to talk to him, to catch up, and it was really fun. And so I appreciate you. I appreciate you recognize those moments.
Well exactly, I was sitting in there with you, and I'm like, okay, I want to be with you, but I just knew if I'm winghing and talking here like you guys just wanted to talk about the golf, you know, and I'm like, if I'm here, it changes the conversation. So let me just like go chill in the room for a minute and then I'll catch up with you later and enjoy this moment.
Okay, two other things I need to mention because these were connected and very surreal. Number one, back to karaoke Brett bar Oh, say what you will about Brett Baar. I don't care about politics, none of that. Brett Bear got up on karaoke night and he brought the house down. I think Travis, because of you know, Travis Kelsey, he ended up winning. Brett bar was second. I believe you could have easily made a case for Brett Bhaar to have won this thing. At one point he was rapping.
Brett Bear was rapping and killed it.
Okay, Well, first, he did a rewrite of I believe it was Country Road, and he rewrote it to like be.
About American century, golf, no.
But also like I think it was about like the election a little bit and stuff, but in a funny way.
Yeah.
It was so nice and he was so smart.
And then he went into he goes hold level up, I want to like change a little bit. And I think he wrapped every word of Rapper's Delight at the Sugarhill Gang like you the entire song.
Yes, Brett, and I know what you're thinking, great showman, this is the Brett Bear. We're all thinking of Fox News. Yes. And by the way, I talked to Brett for quite some time because I had known, uh, you know, we'd met at the Pebble Beach pro am, but we never really had a chance to talk. And the great thing about the American Century that's different from Pebble Beach. You kind of run into people at Pebble Beach, but you
really don't have a lot of time. You know, it's not as fraternal and collegial as far as getting together at all these events, whereas American Century is all about that. So you end up having really meaningful conversations with people and really getting to know not just them, but there are spouses and kids that are running around, so it's really just a deeper, deeper connection. And so I talked to Brett several times and got to know him really well and just a real gem of a human being.
And then that leads to Saturday. And obviously we all know the historical event, the assassination attempt that took place on Saturday with former President Trump. And this happened around lunchtime. So we finished and we were eating lunch, so Elsie and I my caddy, my buddy Chip Humphreyes who was my caddie, shout out to Chip and we kind of see.
So over at this other table next to us is Larry the cable guy and Brett Baer And what was crazy is so, Lauren, I'll never hear you looked at your phone and you go someone like Trump's been shot.
Well, I was honestly confused for a second because my mom texted me like about you golfing and like about your shot. But then like a second later she was like Trump was shot, And I truly thought she was talking about like Trump also golfing somewhere yeah, oh yeah, and then I realized, oh my god, no, she means Trump was shot. And it was sort of very instantaneous because I think she must have been watching you on TV.
And then the news broke and so then we all pull out our phones and obviously the mood changed.
Yeah, but we knew it was interesting because and the reason I pointed that out with Brett Bear is you kind of felt this commotion, this energy to our left, and that's where Brett was, and I realized he had already been on the phone for a while, like he was. He had walked off and kind of had his back turn to everybody and was obviously getting the news firsthand
of what was going on. And then you know, moments later, we all kind of dispersed, went back to our rooms, turned on the news like everybody did for the next five hours, and was mesmerized by it and quickly saw that Brett was on the air, and he flew directly to Milwaukee and started, yeah, yeah, he got on a plane and meeting. He dropped out of the tournament and went straight to Milwaukee and you know, went into breaking
news mode. But it was just it was the juxtaposition of we're sitting there, just said hi to Brett Bear and then thirty minutes later, in the middle of lunch, all this happened and you see him in go mode. It was. It was pretty fascinating, and so it was kind of that historical moment, one of those. It's kind of one of those times you'll probably never forget where you were when you heard it happen. That was one
of them. And to be sitting in that moment and to have Brett there and and Larry the Cable Guy was a little surreal.
Yes, it was Larry the Cable Guy. Such he must have his golf gear custom meet because was it like that the T shirts still the golf shirts.
Still looks like a still sleeveless. Yeah, no, he never never breaks out of character.
And then I think he had like golf balls were.
What was on his golf balls?
Yeah, he had the stars and stripes, he had the American.
Golf balls and custom golf Yeah.
I know know, I will say Calloway Golf, shout out to Calloway Golf. And while I'm doing it, G four as well, who I wore G four outfits all weekend long, felt good, played good and thanks to Calloway golf played all my Calloway clubs and Callowey balls. Season twenty five of The Bachelor, they did make me rose golf balls and I played those. Yeah, I did. I think I still have some. I should have brought him and thrown him around. Next year, next.
Year, next year, next year, maybe maybe you bring a few roses for the people.
And next year, I think I'm gonna do karaoke. I didn't do karaoke. It was it was my freshman year. I didn't partake in the karaoke. Ray Romano was up there, did a great job.
We need some suggestions then for your karaoke song. I would love please guys, dm us if you have the perfect karaoke song for Chris and.
Rob Wriggle and Brian Baumgardner from the Office hosted Karaoke Night. They did a good job. That was fun. Brian's great, Brian just kind of he's such a popular because I think he's so recognizable. Kevin from the Office and yeah, he's just he he can't go anywhere without getting pulled over.
They might. It was fun to see everybody you know, Like you said, we were newbies and you were newbie, but people who have been coming for a while. They really kind of use people's different talents, like like Jay and Jason being musicians, like they played in the tournament, but it's like, okay, they're going to play the music for the band, or like Colin Joe's does stand up. So like Saturday night, the event was we all went to watch him do some stand up, which was super cool.
Yeah, he brought in a couple comedic friends and they So we may need you to.
Host something at future a sir, But what a weekend it was. What do you think.
Will be the biggest takeaway for you? What was the most meaningful part about it?
Easily the people, The high that I still have today from the people that just non stop from the moment you walk out of into the lobby at the hotel and start heading to the golf course to the time you get back to your room, you're just hugging, taking pictures, signing autographs, hearing stories, meeting people. It's such a wonderful just it fills your cup up in a way that
I never even imagined. And I had heard great things about this tournament, and I heard it was good in that way because it's not aggressive and it's not annoying, it's not it was just love. There was so much love and con camaraderie in the entire place that that's what I'll take away. That's what I'll go back for.
What moment will you remember the most?
The shot on seventeen for sure? The shot on seventeen. I had a couple ones that because those couples will probably go back to golf. For me, the players meeting for sure, just looking at that around that room and just seeing the who's who of people that I have admired and loved and respected for so many years during my childhood, et cetera, and still do that are still playing. I'm like, oh, you know, by the way, I had a great conversation with Aaron Rodgers, another person that I
always enjoy seeing. But people like that that, I'm like, they're about to go play, They're they're getting back to it. Steph Curry, the defending champ, wasn't there because he's getting ready for the Olympics. He'll be back next year. Patrick Mahomes, he'll probably be back next year. So these are the type of people you're seeing and that's the fun part. But yeah, golf wise, the tea shot on seventeen yesterday and then the people. So a great week at the
American Century Championship. Again a shout out to my man, Chip Humphreys. He's the guy in the colorful pants that you saw. He caddied for me, my best friend friend. Oh yeah, my best friend. He came to Tahoe spent the week with me, and that, by the way, if you asked me, one of the best things just I hung out for a week with my best friend. I played golf. That's as good as it gets, and we played with legends. And a huge thanks to Jonathan Thomas
his wife Cindy. American Century, thank you for the invite. It was an honor. If I am lucky enough to be invited back next year, I will be there one hundred percent. Congrats to Marty Fish who took it down. And thank you Tahoe. You guys showed us into all those that traveled to Tahoe because I know a lot of people traveled in just for this week because it's it's a tradition, and a lot of people come every
week just for the American Century. Thank you you are the ones that made it so special and hopefully we get a chance to do it again, and most importantly, without a doubt, LZ, thank you for showing up being there this week, because honestly, it was a thousand times more special watching seeing you there, having you there, spending time with you because it is a very family oriented event. I wanted my family therebe Can.
You be honest, Yeah, I was there because you wanted to ask the advice on every shot, because the greens, the greens, no. Like, it was awesome, you know what. Probably my favorite part was like watching you be happy. I mean, I love, I feel privilege to be able and blessed that we can have these moments where like
you can have such joy. It makes me happy for you to be happy and to watch you like I can't think of a situation where you obviously if you're with your family and the kids, but like for you to be there with your friend doing something you love, surrounded by people you love. I was just so joyful watching the smile on your face.
One great moment with LZ that I didn't tell that she's so good because she knows when I'm very competitive and at one point I was kind of struggling on the back nine. The last few holes of the first day and she'd come up give me a hog and a kiss, and she's like, next hole, forget about it, next holl let's go moving on. And at one point she I walked off. I think it was like the sixteenth and I hadn't done a very good job, and she's like, would it help if I flashed you, and
just being silly, I said yes anyway. But thanks to everybody who was a part of it. It was great to see everybody this week. And if I got to meet you, thank you for coming up and saying hello, if you gave me a shout out said I love you, I love you back. It was such such an honor and we will do it again next time because we have a lot more golf to play. I mean, we have a lot more to talk about. Thanks for listening.
Follow us on Instagram at the most dramatic pod ever and make sure to write us a review and leave us five stars. I'll talk to you next time.