On this episode of The Road to French Lick, Brendan Sweeney is in Nashville for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals opener at the Simmons Bank Open. He talks to Blades Brown, Patrick Cover, Kyle Westmoreland and Shad Tuten as they get ready for the final stretch of the season.
Watch SEASON 2 of The Road to French Lick:
Episode 1: https://youtu.be/ve4JrpinpwM
Episode 2: https://youtu.be/nfjjIuESZQM
Episode 3: https://youtu.be/BhPgJF9WWZQ
Episode 4: https://youtu.be/-U08B2NfBAQ
Episode 5: https://youtu.be/j_PDV5hrNZM
Episode 6: https://youtu.be/KQes6MTJ1Is
Episode 7: https://youtu.be/sA7hMYNw7PE
Episode 8: https://youtu.be/a0sG7IPCn_E
Episode 9: https://youtu.be/GjTdSfypbQM
Episode 10: https://youtu.be/6NL4eYN6LeA
Episode 11: https://youtu.be/ObTUq3AxE6o
Episode 12: https://youtu.be/imbFUQs_nGw
Episode 13: https://youtu.be/4BH7g_gABR0
Episode 14: https://youtu.be/Ey_O9i29IBg
Episode 15: https://youtu.be/pEudGJiF7VA
Episode 16: https://youtu.be/yhEu91mX0pg
Episode 17: https://youtu.be/WgbKBkoibkA
Episode 18: https://youtu.be/p-rR97H8b4U
Episode 19: https://youtu.be/tb_c0ojVFYU
Watch SEASON 1 of The Road to French Lick:
Episode 1: https://youtu.be/i3HVE6sF_YQ
Episode 2: https://youtu.be/g-cpXXmWnR4
Episode 3: https://youtu.be/Ofli2Lwfvi4
Episode 4: https://youtu.be/vlxUJlgvo_A
Episode 5: https://youtu.be/_zk-4Xqv1wM
Episode 6: https://youtu.be/iKaplacB-dw
Episode 7: https://youtu.be/qLofLnLfAiA
Episode 8: https://youtu.be/G_MF7T8rZ54
Episode 9: https://youtu.be/LquQZfZLLTA
Episode 10: https://youtu.be/cLgBCanqOvs
Episode 11: https://youtu.be/oyH-suXFFp8
Episode 12: https://youtu.be/vPBBiYt7IBc
Episode 13: https://youtu.be/-39IJTl-o4w
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We’re in Nashville for the start of the Cornferry Tour finals and we’re on the road to French Lake. [Music] [Music] [Music] Hello and welcome once again to the Road to French Lake, a show chronicling the Corin Ferry Tour. I’m Ryan Bellingy. On this week’s show, Brendan Sweeney is down at the Simmons Bank Open in Nashville, Tennessee. He talked to several players. We’ll hear from them as we get ready for the first event of the Cornferry Tour finals and we’ll set the table for the entire series with Brendan Jonathan Vanderbilt Legends Club which is the site of the first of four Cornferry Tour Finals events, the Simmons Bank Open benefiting the Snaker Foundation out just outside of Nashville in a suburb called Franklin, Tennessee. This tournament was reserved for the top 156 players in the points list at the end of the regular season which was the Albertson’s Boise Open. The 22nd event of 26 this season. After this week in Franklin, Tennessee, we will reduce the field for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship out Columbus, Ohio to the top 144 players in the points list. However, with the way that the field shaped up for this week, the players who chose to not compete this week, the majority of them are already outside of that 144 range, leaving about a handful to a half dozen players who will be eliminated among those who are the 139 competing this week. We talked to a number of them. Brendan Sweeney did. He’ll join us later in the show to set the table not only for the finals, but also specifically for this week. Among the players that Brendan Sweeney talked to, let’s first hear from Shad Tuton, who had a close call just a few years ago in the Cornferry Tour Championship when an unfortunate rule situation bumped him out of getting a PGA Tour card. Now he’s looking to climb the ladder once again, get inside of that top 20. So, let’s hear from Chad Toot. Welcome. Welcome to Roger French, man. Yeah, it’s it’s been a fun year. Um had I mean had my ups and downs, had my greats, had my interesting weeks. Um, have my second child this year. So, congratulations, boy, girl. Another boy. We’ve got two boys. His name’s Bryce. Okay. Yeah. He’s a tank. He’s like three months and 18 pounds now. 17 pounds. Back of sugar, literally. Are you getting any sleep? Oh, yeah. Yeah, we’re getting plenty of sleep. He’s honestly, he’s been a dream compared to our first. He’s That’s another story for another time. But I have three. I know what you’re talking about. Yes, sir. But no, it’s been fun. Awesome. So, this year has been been pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. I’ve had I’ve had my runs for sure. Um I’ve definitely played well when I’ve needed to and I mean I’m playing my best golf my life right now. So I’m looking forward to it. How do you shift the gears during the playoffs? I mean now now it’s it’s it’s go time, right? It’s I’m in an interesting position because I’m 47th. So I’m basically going to be in to the last like into the French slick. So gives me a little more freedom to be a little more aggressive in spots maybe I normally wouldn’t be. Um, so I haven’t been in this this position in a few years, so it’s kind of fun. I’m looking forward to it. Oh, we look forward to seeing you uh exceed and excel and we’ll see at at the lick coming up soon, man. Just let us know. Let’s do it. Good luck. Love it. Thank you. Appreciate it. Next up is Kyle West Morland who’s already a winner this year on the Corinth Tour. He won in South America in that swing to early portion of the year. He has since kind of struggled at times, but he still is in a great position to give himself a chance to get back to the PGA Tour on a full-time basis in 2026. So, let’s hear from Kyle West Morland. How’s your year been going so far? I mean, you had a a nice little victory. Yeah. Yeah, it was a good start. Um, we’re trending in the right direction. Had a little low in the middle, but um just super excited to be finishing off the year. The fall’s, you know, best time of the year, playoffs, awesome events, awesome tournaments, and we’re just thankful to be here and try to go win. How uh how did the gear shift um from the regular season now to the playoffs where dude you kind of seen some trends and you you had a little time to work on there’s a nice three-we break off and so I think everyone’s kind of re revamped rejuvenated you got four courses that are great a couple of them that are pretty hard so get to uh you know really test the skills but we’re excited to finish the season I think everyone’s kind of the sprint to the finish and things happen in these last four week these last four events that are you know finite right so you either get your card you don’t you keep your card you don’t everyone’s playing for So, it’s just an awesome time of the year. Wish you best of luck this week. Thank you. Appreciate you. We also checked in briefly with Blades Brown, the teenager who made his professional debut last year, but has been playing the bulk of his tournaments this year on the Corny Tour. He didn’t quite earn special temporary status through the course of the season, but he now finds himself right in the thick of things with a chance to earn a PGA Tour card, sitting on that bubble point to get into the Cornferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing Finance at the French Lake Resort, which would give him full status on the Cornferry Tour for next year. But he’s shooting for more. Shooting to get in that top 20 and be a full-time PGA Tour member in 2026. So, let’s hear from the teenager, Blades Brown. Blades, you’re you’re here in the finals. What what what do you think so far? I am so pumped. I’m I’m playing a golf course I’m very familiar with. I got a lot of family coming out and it’s going to be it’s going to be a blast. I’m really looking forward to it. How was how was the learning curve this year on the road? Oh my gosh. I if you took Blades Brown from a year ago from this exact today, you would not recognize it. I mean, I’ve learned so much just about travel, learned so much about about my swing, my game. Um and that stuff to me is priceless because you wouldn’t get that any other way if you hadn’t been out here. So, um I’m really looking forward to playing Open. It’s going to be it’s going to be a lot of fun. Awesome. So, the the the finals, the playoffs, how do you how you going to change up your your gears at all? I mean, obviously, you know, it’d be it’d be nice to, you know, rattle off a few high finishes. Yeah. Um, but I think one way that I’m I’m going to cope with that because obviously like a PJ tour’s on the line and, you know, that’s not that’s always in the back of my head. But, I’m just going to focus on on one shot at a time. Hit as many fairways, as many greens, try to make as many plays as I can, and then see where we are from there. I wish you the best of luck. We look forward to seeing you in front. Finally, let’s check in with Patrick Cover. We played with him in the ProAm for the season opener out at Atlantis in the Bahamas. We had a great time playing golf with him and we spoke with him in the initial show of the season. Now he finds himself in a somewhat precarious position as he tries to advance through at least the first two stages of the playoff and find a way through the finals to get into that corner tour championship, get himself some guaranteed status for 2026 and see if he can’t win an event that might give him an opportunity to get a PGA Tour car for 2026. Here’s Patrick Cobber, the Alpha and Omega. We started off in the Bahamas with you. Yes, sir. Good little proam. Yep. How’s your Tell us about your year. What’s going on? It’s uh been a little bit of a slow year, but uh lucky we got a couple more tournaments to go and uh just going to try to finish off strong, try to make the French look. How do you uh how do you shift gears? I mean, because right now it’s points are are are the king. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, this little 3-we break was really nice. Kind of like refresh, actually have some time to like work on things because I feel like I was figuring some stuff out, but uh you know, when you’re playing every single week, you just get in score mode. It was nice to have three weeks really try to, you know, figure out some stuff and feeling good coming into here. Yeah. You rest and recovery. How’s your body feeling? Yeah, good. It’s some rest, but I mean, got to I practiced a lot, so but I like I like practicing, so feeling good. Awesome. Well, we wish you the best of luck. We’ll see you down the road. Yeah, appreciate it. Thanks, man. French Lick, Indiana. Our little corner of the world has big things waiting. It’s where legends were made on the court and on the course. Walter Hagen, Colin Montgomery, Betsy RWS, and Mickey Wright. It’s where life is lived to the fullest. And where unexpected adventures are around every corner, big things are waiting. Are you in? Visit Frenchlick.com and start your escape here in Indiana. Breny Sweeney joins me from the Simmons Bank Open at the Vanderbilt Legends Club. He’s in Franklin, Tennessee. He’s sitting on property. He’s just talked to a ton of players yesterday and and getting ready for a second day today. Brendan, what’s kind of your sense of how players are preparing, how they’re feeling about the start of the finals? I tell you what, it’s absolutely gorgeous out here at the Vanderbilt Leg Legends Club in uh Franklin, Tennessee. The Simmons Bank benefiting uh Brent Senkar’s foundation. Uh actually talked to him yesterday. He’s getting ready to uh go meet the RDER Cup team today out in Napa, California. And then he’s got a busy couple weeks coming up. and uh and he becomes the president or the the captain of the president’s cup which will be held next year at Madina Country Club, my old stomping ground. So uh the vibe out here is pretty cool. Um obviously you have four guys that have their card right now uh guaranteed, you know, #ourbound. So you have I know we we were saying before after these playoffs you probably got about 13 guys give or take that will have their cards. So maybe like seven guys like fighting for them. And I spoke to a couple guys yesterday like Sean Sean Alexander who’s currently like in the in the low 40s. Um they’re just full open governor. They have nothing to lose out here that it’s just total hammer down. You know, they’re guaranteed their their cornfairy card for next year. And the only thing they’re fighting for is a chance to get on the PGA tour. So yeah, you look at um some of the players that are looking to get into that top 120 which will get them through Columbus next week. They have to make the cut cut this week and next week is 65 and ties. Um, you know, someone like Sam Bennett who needs to get moving, Doc Redmond, uh, they’re in a different mindset. They’re they’re they’re really in the competitive mode of survival at this point for next year’s status on cornfairy and it’s just going to get tougher. Yeah, I would think there’s different levels of pressure this week. Like you mentioned, if you’re kind of in that top 50, top 60 kind of range already, you’re feeling pretty good about yourself. It’s going to be kind of hard to lose enough spots to not be in the tour championship and have a spot here to on the corner tour next year. You’re kind of free. But if you’re way down there and could be eliminated this week or next, then you’ve got a lot more to worry about right now. Like just just getting the cuts, just getting to the weekend, just playing through those top 65 in ties. This week though, there’s 156 players who were eligible, the top 156 in the standings. We got 139 in the end. So, we got a bunch of guys with PGA Tour status who chose not to play for whatever reason, whether they thought they would get starts on the PGA Tour in the fall or access in some other fashion, whatever that was. So, really, we’re only going to lose five or six guys this week based on the actual play inside the ropes. Does that make it feel a little bit better for some of the guys who maybe are in that precarious position? They kind of get a freebie. They get a free final start where they know they’re not going to be knocked down. Well, you’re coming off a three-we, you know, break in the action, too. So, a lot of these guys use that that three weeks to practice and recover after being on the road for the past 22 weeks, you know, grinding it out. So yeah, the uh I would say, you know, for those five or six guys that aren’t going to make it, yeah, they have all the pressure in the world on them, but you got to figure out if you we’ll know that by uh by Friday night because once they do that cut down to 65, it’ll be pretty obvious who’s not going to be here. Yeah. Barring some kind of miracle. Uh unless one of those folks who’s down toward the bottom gets through and gets into contention, they’re they’re going to be heading home for the season. They all have they all have that extra gear, you know, they they they’re all competitors out here. This is the toughest tough I think it’s the toughest golf league out there. I mean, these guys are fighting for survival every day. You know, once you get on the PGA tour, you got a little wiggle room, but but out here, it’s if you don’t make it, you’re done. So, yeah. I was talking to a number of a couple of friends who kind of golf folks uh the last couple of days and just kind of giving them the lay of the land on the corner tour. You know, the big money winner this year is going to get like threequarters of a million dollars. the like, you know, kind of break even point. It’s it’s hard to do. I mean, it’s not like the PGA Tour where you get into a signature event, last place is, you know, 50 G’s. Uh 50 grand is a is a great finish on the cornfairy tour. Uh and some people struggle to get to even that number over the course of the season. So, this isn’t just, you know, easy street on on the way to the PJ tour. Like you said, this is kind of fighting for your professional life every single week out there. Does that mean that these players then with that break because it’s been a grinder through the summer have some renewed energy this week knowing that the end is near but also knowing they’ve got this shot in front of them to go do something special. Well maybe on the flip side of that maybe you have three weeks to think about oh my god if I don’t do this you start building pressure upon yourself on it. So yeah, I think I think there’s a you know spending time with your family. Obviously a lot of these guys have young kids and uh I spoke to a couple guys that you know that just had another baby and whatnot. So Shad Tutin. Um so yeah, it’s interesting uh to see the players out here and I got out here early this morning and there were guys grinding underneath the lights at the range at at at 6:30. So yeah, the pressure’s on and uh next week we move on to Ohio State to Scarlet Course at uh at the Buckeye Land. So we’ll be there for that, too. But in the meantime, thanks for the uh time, Ryan, and we’ll catch you down the road. All right, sounds good. Thanks, Brandon. That’ll do it for us on this episode of the Road to French Lake. We appreciate you watching. Next Court Fairy Tour event is the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship played on the Scarlet course at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. will have a show next week for that tournament with Brendan Sweeney heading out there catching up with players after the first playoff event of the finals. For everyone at the French Lick Resort, I’m Ryan Belling for Brendan Sweeney and everyone at Golf Newset. We’ll see you next time on the road to French Lick. You’ve arrived at French Lick Resort here in Indiana. Two hotels you have to see to believe. Legendary Golf by Pete Dye and Donald Ross. Our little corner of the world is like nowhere else. Your French lick getaway starts now at frenchlick.com.
