Tiger Woods – Is this actually the end? | The bunkered Podcast

Tiger Woods – Is this actually the end?

Oh. Dear. Tiger Woods has been forced to undergo yet MORE back surgery that looks set to prolong his latest spell on the sidelines.

The 15-time major champion hasn’t played a competitive round of golf on the PGA Tour since Friday of the 2024 Open Championship – and who knows when the next one might be.

So, we have to ask the question… is this finally the end of the road for the former world No.1? Has the time come to call it quits and put his health first?

Michael, James and Lewis debate that on this week’s episode of The bunkered Podcast.

Elsewhere, Lewis has won a trophy, there are new additions to the Hole In None Club, and Michael has probably ruined Keita Nakajima’s week…

Tune-in now!

0:00 Intro
13:18 The Big Question
41:41 Asked & Answered
47:49 Public Golf Counts
57:21 DP World India Championship
01:13:18 Podder of Merit
01:21:18 Hole in None Club

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[Music] Hello everyone. Welcome to the latest episode of the Bunker Podcast in association with Callaway. I’m Michael McHugh and we’re back after annual leave and trips and October weeks and all that sort of stuff. a little bit of a mini hiatus there for a couple of weeks, but we are back and excited and lots to talk about and yeah, look, it’s 20th of October right now. People would usually be saying to me at this point in the year, oh, I guess there’s nothing left to talk about in golf and all that nonsense. This is one of the busy times of the year. Lots and lots happening and yeah, plenty of plenty for us to discuss on this week’s episode. I couldn’t do it without these two gentlemen. To my left, first of all, bunkered gear editor James Tate and to his left, performance editor Louis Fraser. Gentlemen, hello. Welcome. How are we doing? Hello. Yeah, doing well. Thank you. Michael, yourself, you had some you had some time off as you as you mentioned. Ging excited. Sorry. Just threw that to me as I was taking a sip of coffee. It’s like when waiters come up to a table at a restaurant, your mouth full of food and so how is everything getting on? That coffee is terrible. We need to fix that. That is I’m a coffee snob. I’m the first to admit it. I’ve got a Sage coffee machine at home. So, I like coffee. I like good coffee. That That’s not acceptable. That is drinking dirt. But it is what it is, Louis. How was my week? My week was good. I was at home mostly. The the Wii one. It was It was the October week in Scotland certainly or in parts of Scotland. So, the Wii one was off. Spent a lot of time with her. Nice. building forts and whatnot. I cleaned out the garage as well. I did a very sort of middle-aged man thing of the garage is a mess and that’s my space, you know, grab a stick and let’s let’s get to work. So, early spring cleaning spring autumn cleaning. Yeah. So, the garage now looks nice and tidy. The garden’s a riot. Yeah. Yeah. It was it was a good week. It was a fast week. I read some books, which it’s one of my favorite things to do, but I don’t get much time to do it. Any standouts? Yeah. I read a book called Oh god. What’s it called? Life After Death by a guy called Damian Eckles. Life After Death. Who Sounds very cheery. You know what? It wasn’t in the slightest. So Damian Eckles, the the author, he had been on death row in Arkansas or as my I think it was my brother once referred to our Kansas. Sounds like sounds like something someone from Yorkshire would say about the canvas the Kansas that belongs. Ah, Kansas. It was, as you can imagine, 18 years on death row in Arkansas, pretty bleak. But then he got exonerated many years ago. So that was Yeah, it was a good book. Yeah. Kind of convinced of his guilt, though. To be honest, there’s this whole testimony about how I didn’t do it. I’m very innocent. And I read it and as I closed the book, I’m like, I’ve never been more certain of your guilt. Oh dear. That’s not good. So sorry, Damian. He’s a free man now. He doesn’t care what I think. But yeah, a good week. How about you, James? You have a good week. You were away in your travels. I’ve been away. Yeah. So, uh, last week, uh, we were in Turblange. We Royal Wei. Royal Wei, but the week before we What was in Tur, which for the benefit of those who don’t know is in France? Yeah. South of France, just outside of Nice, uh, about 45 minutes. Um, which was lovely for the new, uh, Callie product coming in 2026. can’t tell you anything at all. You’ll have to tune in to our YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, and other social platforms to see how it how it is. In January, though, you can’t say anything until January. Can’t say anything. However, and then but the week before we were in uh Scot Scotsdale National at PXG, PXG. Yeah. Dr. Bob. Dr. Bob Parson. No one does golf trip the way we do. Was the man the man himself? He was there. Uh he made a guest appearance. He did in the evening. He’s the man. Love Dr. Bob. quite a character along with his uh better half Renee. Love as well. Great couple. Love them. Yeah. Um and that that whole trip was uh in insane as I’m sure you probably saw across social media. I was documenting it. You’re I dread to think what your roaming costs were like uh that few days in Arizona. It’s uh it’s all included in my uh in my tariff with O2. I’ve got a slightly slightly more expensive one. Thought I was going to say it’s all included my expense. Yeah. Did you not see my expenses? Like $100 $100 worth. But no. Um and you’re away again this week, aren’t you? I am. Yes. Uh tomorrow. Oh, right. Okay. So, Arizona, France, and this week it’s uh we’re in Portugal. So, off to Faroh about an hours hour hours drive north um for Under Armour for the reveal of their latest I’ve seen their new shoe shoe. Again, can’t say anything else about it. can’t see much about it, but I’ve seen it and I will say this for anyone who knows about football and understands football and is maybe of the same kind of vintage as me. Think Adidas Predator, the impact that that had on football boots. This shoe has the potential to do this exact same thing. I’m excited. I’ve not seen this. Not only does it look incredible, the tech story off the charts. And I better stop talking before I Yeah, there’s unbelievable. Genuinely, there’s already been sightings uh seen uh on tour as Rasmus [ __ ] Peterson’s been wearing it. Oh, has he? So, if you want want to see what he’s wearing, the old RNP. Yeah, check him out. Check him out next uh tournament. But yeah, off off there for for a couple days. So, should be should be really cool. Very good. Lewis James has been gathering the Michaels, but you’ve been gathering the silverware. What’s this? Welcome to the club. Thank you. I feel very left out. It has been James that’s been bringing back the silverware of late this year. But what is this beauty? We trophy. That is a good trophy. Well, if you’re watching on YouTube, you will see the Scottish Golf Writers uh trophy of the year. So yeah, won it last week, last Tuesday at Dumbarney Links, the wonderful wonderful name Dumbarney Links to give it full name. Can I see it? Can you pass it over? I want to look at this. This is about as close as I’m ever going to get your fighters trophy. You need to be careful here. It’s all right. We’ll take just take off take off the stand. Oh yeah, I’ve got you. Let’s have a Jesus James. Let’s have a look at this. The James Gam Clark Awards scratch prize Scottish golf writers. There’s Look at the by the way. Yeah. Jock McVicker, the great Jock McVicker. Bobby Jones, the inaugural winner in 1977, Colin Calendar’s names on there many, many times. Kevin Ferry, formerly of the Herald, Doogy Low, Dave Edwards, Mike Akin. Tell you what, by the way, Lewis, yeah, some proper names on that trophy, my man. And uh your name’s the last Yeah, I’m proud of that. Did you drink a beer out? No, I didn’t. Brian Mclofflin was very keen for me to fill that trophy. That is halfway through my acceptance speech and Brian shouted out that I need to do that and then I thought he was joking. He was like, I don’t think he was joking. So, really? Yeah. Maybe next time. What did you shoot? I shot 76. Right. Okay. Nice. [Music] Yeah. 76 round dumb. I’ve got to say conditions suited me on the day because we played from the white TE’s which would be like the equivalent of the yellows at most courses that people know. It was a short course. Yeah, short course is what I’m getting at. There wasn’t really a breath of wind. Were they the same TE’s we played off when we No, we’re one up from those. So, it was very much uh Yeah. 5,400 yards pretty. But I wasn’t far off that, but here look, not my choice. So, you know, maybe some other members media wanted it to be and it made for an enjoyable day. So, yeah, fantastic. was a was a bit of a shock when Martin Dempster uh our press center colleague from Scotsman great man was reading out the sort of preamble to who’d won and then he said that it was the person’s first time here I was kind of looking around I’d spoken to everyone and everyone had been here before so I’m like oh no it’s going to be me looking around did you do did you do the classic uh like junior golf acceptance speech I just like the script I just like to Thank the organizers and the green keepers for such a great great way. Did you thank your bunker podcast colleagues? Yeah, definitely. Shocking. I did. It took me by surprise. All right. Look, it wasn’t the best acceptance speech in the world. But you went full Gwyneth Paltro. I can tell Bradley and naming the wrong people. Yeah. Thanks to my goldfish. Yeah. So, but yeah, good day out of the office. Enjoyed it a lot. In great condition. Played some decent golf. played with a couple guys from Scottish golf. Uh so Chris and Ian from there from the comm’s team. Nice. And Chris did remark a couple times. Chris a really good golfer. He did say that uh I was driving it very well. Which was right. Better than it usually is. Anyone who’s played golf with me this year. Did he do that thing where he said to you, you’re on to a really good score. By the way, there was a bit of that going on. I hate that. I hate see if you think that your playing partner’s on to a good score. Keep it to yourself. They don’t need to know. We know. Of course I know. I’m the one hit the shot. Of course I’m home. I bet you I bet you that seem to be hitting fewer shots that you probably said it on like the 16th poll and you’re like coming down to those those kind of nerdy T- shots as well like oh crap. I didn’t think I was winning like I knew I was playing good but then didn’t cross my mind that I might win at some point because it was a Stableford event and you know I was playing anything can happen in anything can happen. You’d expect someone on a day like that to to get like 40 points or something but yeah thankfully that was uh not who was up. uh was Ian who I was playing with. I beat him by a point and I’ve got to say he he left. So he very nearly hold his second shot in the 18th at Dumbarney which as you know I think he had a hybrid in there and as soon as he hit it it was like a be the right club today and he was walking after it. I looked I must have pitched about like a good like foot away from the hole and then he left his birdie putt short. So ended up I had three putts for the win and I took all of them. So nice. That’s a long drive home for even after that, you know. Yeah, he was sitting and he wasn’t uh wasn’t too impressed with that. But nah, he played well. Good. I’m glad that event’s still going because it’s been around in various forms over many, many years. And I think it’s credit to Martin that he persists in trying to make it happen and, you know, sending out the invite to us as well to get involved. Much appreciated. You know, he’s a good man as Martin. He puts a lot of he’s he’s not just enthusiastic about covering golf. He obviously runs this event for us now as well. He runs the dispatch trophy in Edinburgh which is one of the great inter club inter city. It’s not inter city but it’s you know I mean it’s like one of those great amateur events in in the capital and it’s all credit to him really for having the the wherewithal and the the drive and desire to go and make it happen. Yeah. You know he’s very recognizing that we’re all just walking on the the footsteps of those who’ve gone before us and Martin, you know, make sure that these events don’t disappear. So good on him. Right. And thanks for the silverware, Mark. Yeah. Yeah. I need to get it engraved now. I Well, yeah, exactly. I’m going to go full Gary Player and just get the engraver to do like size 24 capital letter font across the whole thing. So, whoever comes next, and I’m sure it won’t be me retaining it. So, listen, you might be surprised. Be the start of the Louis. So, Colin Calendarer won it three years in a row and then forgive me. Yeah. uh who had has won it one, two, three, four, five times. We won and there was a bit of a break in between those years. So try and go on a generational run like those guys before me. There you go. The Scottish effler of the Scottish golf press. Yeah. They’ll be think not Louis. Here he comes. They’ll just start referring to as the champ. Here comes the champ. Mr. 240 down the middle every time. Oh, well done Louis. Impressive. Good job. You guys have done a very, very good job of bringing in the silverware this year. I feel like I’m letting the side down a little bit. Next year’s your year, is it? Yeah. Yeah. Come on. One of them’s got to be. Yeah. Yeah. Look, no time like the present. Who cares? 2023. Okay. Scottish, you know, writer of the year, columnist of the year, you know. Yeah. I’m not in it for the awards, though. Working with you guys is reward enough. punishment. So, right, shall we talk about some actual golf? Not that that’s not actual golf, but you know, real stable is not actual golf, is it? Let’s Let’s talk about real golf. And we have got a cracker of a big question for you this week presented by Callaway. The Bunker Podcast brought to you by the new Elite Driver from Callaway. Okay, thank you very much indeed, Callaway. I’m genuinely excited to see the new product. Like, you’ve seen it, you’ve hit it, you’re raving about it. Like anything else, I just want to know what it’s called. I know you can’t say. Yeah. Is the name good? Yes. Yeah. Are going to like it? Yes. Excellent. Ah, you’re being very buttoned up, James. Well done. Pulling the company wine. Excellent. See if it’s the Callaway Musket given events the last 24 hours. Or the Callaway changing it. It’s It’s not the musket. Good. Not the Okay, good. That’s a relief. No, listen. Let’s let’s talk big question and it’s a beauty of a big question this week. Thank you, Lewis, for putting these notes together. No problem. Question is very simple. Is this the end for Tiger Woods, the former world number one, announced that he went that he underwent yet more surgery just over a week ago now. It was a bit of a Friday or Saturday news dump. Tiger loves to release Friday night, isn’t it? It’s his favorite thing to do. Just screw you to the media. So, thanks, Tiger. You have all day. Like, and I’ve seen the statements that you release, mate. It’s they’re short. Okay. They’re like 50 words. You don’t That doesn’t take all day. Do it Tuesday lunchtime. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Friday night. Save it for the next day. Save it for Monday morning. But no, a Friday news dump. That’s what Tiger’s all about. Unfortunately, this latest one wasn’t the kind of news that Tiger’s legion of fans. And I would say that we are all in. We’re all in that group. Yeah. Not the news that we were hoping for. Tiger, remember, has been out of action for all of this year. The last competitive round of golf that he played in the PGA Tour, if you recall, was the second round of last year’s Open at Royal Trun. He hasn’t played a competitive round on the PGA Tour since then. He had back surgery, I believe, shortly after the Open at Trun, was ramping up his return. We expected to see him back maybe February. We’re talking Genesis Invitation time back in February this year. Then he ruptured his Achilles. If you have ruptured your Achilles at any point or know anyone who has, you know that that is a a whole year gone. So we were getting to the point that we’re starting to consider, well, when might Tiger next Pega up? And those conversations were just starting to happen. And then he takes to social media to announce that he’s had lumbar replacement surgery in his L45 lumbar spine in New York. He wrote this. After experiencing pain and lack of mobility in my back, I consulted with doctors and surgeons to have tests taken. The scans determined I had a collapsed disc in L45 disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. Gent, I’m no medical expert, but a compromised spinal canal doesn’t sound great. How do you do that? How How does that happen? Wow. There’s got to be something more to that, surely. He went on, “I opted to have my disc replaced yesterday and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back. The procedure was carried out in New York at the Hospital for Special Surgery by Dr. Shiraz Keshi and was deemed successful. So, one thing missing from that statement from Tiger and that was any indication of any kind about when he may or may not return to golf. Lewis Michael, you asked the question, is this the end for Tiger Woods? Is this one procedure too many? What do you think? Answer your own question. Yes, sadly I think I think it is. And I say sadly genuinely because we we spoke about this back in well after his Achilles surgery didn’t we back in April March April time and at that time I said you know I still think that Tiger could get back to playing some form of golf that he has in the last few years where it’s a major schedule and the odd event between that whether it’s a Genesis or the Hero World Challenge that kind of thing. Uh PNC championship and then maybe looking into the seniors tour. Yeah. fifth fifth major. Exactly. But it seems like like when like you said, he seems to be ramping up to come back to play. He made a public appearance doing a clinic with juniors sort of maybe six weeks back and then this happens and it’s just an all too common theme for Tiger over the last few years that he will have one set back and seem to be coming back from the setback and then all of a sudden we get this and you read out the details of the surgery and like you I’m no medical expert but that sounds particularly bad. A compromised spinal canal cannot be a good thing. So unfortunately, I think Tigers days of competitive golf could be could be over. And I hate to say that. I hope I’m wrong. But all signs are pointing that way, unfortunately. James, what about you? Do you agree with Lewis or do you think that, you know, Tiger’s got it in him to return? I highly doubt it, unfortunately. I think I think if he does just pushing water uphill at this at this rate with all all these kind of He could do his back doing that, I’m sure as well. Yeah, it’s I mean a collapsed disc u and then a disc fragment is is crazy. Um and then to have it operated on um for him to come back and play I think you would be looking for a miracle if I’m really honest. I just don’t see it happening. I mean I think we we can all agree, you know, Tiger’s played a massive part in all of our lives, espec especially kind of growing up and see see what he did especially in his you know peak Tiger years. Um, and you know, he does have that aura about him no matter where he goes, even if he doesn’t make the cut. Mhm. It’s always great to have him him there and playing, but you c you can I mean, even before this, you could see he was struggling like he wasn’t it wasn’t in best of health. If it were me and if I were him, I would just be wanting to be able to get out of bed and walk to the kitchen kind of thing. That that is the other point, isn’t it? It’s not just about, you know, what does all of these procedures mean for Tiger’s competitive health. It’s what does it mean for him daytoday? Like, you know, at what point does he have to start prioritizing things as simple and as mundane as you describe like getting out of bed? Yeah. I mean, I’ve not I’ve not had a single procedure on me like that. And I’m 42 and I’m struggling to get out of bed at times. Yeah. Yeah. Tiger is, I’ve said this for a very long time, he’s a middle-aged man with an old man’s body playing a young man’s sport. See, that old man’s body, it’s breaking down and hasn’t been breaking down for a long period of time. And the problem is it doesn’t appear to be showing any signs of stopping breaking down anytime soon. And that has to be a a consequence of all the procedures. you know, a procedure on the leg means he’s going to have to make compensations with his swing. They’ll probably impact his back that’ll impact something else. And it just becomes this little, you know, domino effect where every little compensation that he makes because of the last procedure creates another problem. Yeah, that’s where he’s at right now. And I’m left wondering, as I have been, frankly, for some time, what’s the point? Yeah. I I think he’s got nothing left to prove. And to be honest, he’s not going to achieve the things that I think he still wants to, whether or not he believes he still can. And by that I mean like, you know, equaling Jack’s record or even getting one more win on the PGA tour to have the record number of wins outright. He shares that at the moment with Sam on 82. If he even wants one more win, I think that’s beyond him. Yeah. I just don’t see how Tiger could, let’s say, you know, maybe watch the Ryder Cup. I don’t see how he can watch that, see those 24 guys and think that at his age, with his history and his recent medical history, how he stands a hope of competing with them. So, what’s the drive then? He’s always said, “I’ll only show up if I think I can win.” I mean, if he watches those guys at the RDER Cup and thinks he can beat them, he’s deluded. He is absolutely deluded. Yeah. Because time and health has caught up with him, unfortunately. And I did that long ago. By the way, this this isn’t a recent thing. It’s just it’s the latest thing. The weird part about golf is that it’s one of those sports where you never actually retire necessarily. Yeah. You know, you can still just keep going and show up as and when. And Tiger’s earned the right to show up to whatever event he wants for more or less as long as he wants. Y, you know, if he wants to play in the US Open, even after his exemptions have run out, they will find a way to get Tiger in the field. Definitely. He can do that whenever he wants. So, he doesn’t actually have to say, “I am retired. I’m done.” But I think at some point he needs to draw a line and say, “Yeah, this this is it. I’ve had a great run. I will play sporadically and as and when I’m physically able to.” But yeah, that’s me. Yeah, I think you’re right. It’s it’s such a shame that we’re we’re not going to get this from Tiger realistically. Think back to to Phil Mickelson winning PGA Championship at the age of 51 and Tiger’s coming up to that age now. He’s not going to do that, is he? Let’s going to do that. Let’s be honest. You know that watching Phil do that was incredible and beating off guys like Tiger doesn’t have that in him now. Brooks Kepka was playing with Phil at the time. Brooks who was really at the peak of his powers at that point and I just don’t see any way for Tiger to do that and you’re spot on Michael when you say that is there ambition for him to go to the PGA tour and make a cut anything like that you know. Well, you know, I say that and it might sound facitious, but it’s not like coming back to to try and almost be in contention is just not why Tiger’s going to try and come back. Yeah, I feel like this is the straw that’s broke the camel’s back, which maybe isn’t the best analogy to use in this case, but it is it is exactly that. Yeah, it’s a real shame. M yeah, I don’t think we’re going to see Tiger back to anywhere near even where he was like a few years ago where you thought he could get round a golf course and actually put a score together like say 2019 but then even after that you thought that there was potential there. James, you’ve been itching to get involved there now for a few months. Yeah. No, no. I I I just to your point like it is he can’t you can’t look at the the RDER Cup and literally look at those guys and think you can can beat beat them like it is a young man’s game and looking at all the injuries. I think that’s almost as impressive as the amount of wins he’s had to be honest as well. Like you’ve had ACL reconstruction on your left leg, you’ve obliterated your right leg in a car crash. You’ve had spinal fusion and then multiple back surgeries as well and ankle fusion. Yeah. Like golf is golf in the modern day young man’s game where they’re absolutely bombing it is played from the waist down with the amount of power they generate. The fact that he was able to walk the golf course is a miracle in itself, let let alone trying to keep up. And maybe that is one of the kind of the repercussions of of having those, you know, injuries from the waist down where he’s had to kind of change his swing and have it more rotational and not necessarily try and use the ground as aggressively as he once did. Mhm. Maybe it is just a a product of that and why he’s had to obviously go into surgery as well. So yeah, all of that, but I just think you can’t you can’t disregard the numbers here. Tiger since he won the Masters in 2019 and that was an incredible moment and I think we’ll look back on that as probably the the real beginning of the end. But since then he hasn’t had a single top 20 in a major championship. That was six years ago. Yeah. You know we’re coming up in the seventh anniversary of that. Not a single top 20 in a major. The events have defined him. He’s missed two whole years in majors. 2021 he didn’t play at all and this year. I’m looking at it now. So here here’s Tiger results in majors since the 2019 Masters win. Cut. Tied 21st cut. Tied 38th. Tied 37th. Cut. Missed the next four events. 47th withdrew. Didn’t play. Cut. Withdrew. Didn’t play. Didn’t play. Didn’t play. 60th. Cut. Cut. Cut. And didn’t play four times this year. I mean, it is over. Whether or not Tiger chooses to believe it is or not, whether he is going to make the announcement that it’s over, the fact remains it is over. That period, that that time in golf history is done. And if Tiger can’t play in majors, far less compete in majors, far less win majors, then what is the point? Like there’s nothing to there’s nothing to be gained from trying to peg it up in the hero world challenge. just there isn’t. And it’s it’s sad. It’s it’s hard watching him play. Now you’re watching it out of morbid curiosity rather than anything else. I used to watch Tiger Woods and expect him to win. Yeah. And he usually would. And he usually would seven in a row on the PGA tour, wasn’t it? At one point, you expect him to go on and win. Now, when I watch Tiger, the And even this is going back to when he was playing. You’d watch him and you go, I don’t know what I’m getting here. Yeah. Like, and that is the morbid curiosity part of it. That’s the fascination of it and that is that’s not how Tiger Woods should be remembered. That shouldn’t be the last act of his career. Yeah, I stand by it. He should have waved on the bridge at St. Andrews in 2022. That should have been it. Do you think he’ll do you think he’ll try and do that in 2027? Again, though, we’re we’re still what the best part of two years away from that. Yeah. M and I’m not saying he’ll be forgotten by that point, but the game has already left Tiger behind. Well, this is the thing. We’re we’re getting to that point where Majors a few years back, you thought, is Tiger going to play? Is he going to turn up? We’d be waiting for like you say the Friday announcement where he’d say, I’m going to be playing the Masters or the Open. But it’s kind of going the way now that we don’t expect any of that. And we haven’t for years. And we probably won’t be looking for that at the Masters, will we? which is it’s sad, but the game is kind of moving on at a professional level. This right honestly during the RDER Cup that whole week, how many times did you guys think about Tiger Woods? Like maybe once when he tweeted about Sunday about Sunday Red clothes. Yeah. And you’re saying that just that just doesn’t happen. How many times did you think about him? Granted, it’s a few months ago now, but the open at Port Rush. Yeah. Not once. Not once, sadly. Yeah. That is where we’re at. So you’re saying, does he have the wave at St. Andrews in 2027? Listen, maybe. Yeah, maybe. But that wasn’t It’ll still be a moment, right? Don’t get me wrong. It’ll still be a a symbolic moment and whatnot if it happens. But 2022 was the moment it was. Yeah. I just hope that we don’t see and you’ve sort of alluded to it there where he tries to come back and things just keep getting worse because for the last few years that’s where we’ve been where it is morbid curiosity and you don’t expect him to do well and for the most part since 2019 he’s done pretty badly and people growing up now coming into the game of golf will watch Tiger Woods and that’s what they’ll they’ll think they won’t remember back to 2008 or early 2000s they’ll think early 2010s where it’s been a disaster unfortunately and Tiger will know that as well. So yeah, does he come back and think that he can change that? That’s the thing with with Tiger Woods. He always says that he he’ll turn up and think that he can win. I just wonder if that still is the case. It’s like I said earlier, if if you think you can win with everything that’s gone on, the age you are, the history of injuries that you’ve got, the the huge list of procedures that you’ve had, and then look at guys like Rory, at Scottish Sheffller, at Xander Schaefully, at Victor Hovindland, at Ludvig Goldberg, and guys who’ve probably had two procedures between them. Yeah. and who are younger, who are fitter, who have been playing a lot of competitive golf, if you’re looking at them thinking, “Yeah, I can beat them.” Tell you what, it’s not your spinal canal that needs worked. Yeah. It’s something much higher up in the scalp between your ears. Indeed. I just, you know, there’s there’s a lot of talk at the moment about, you know, he’s he’s now got his lowest world ranking that he’s ever had. I think it’s like 2008. And listen, that’s not a surprise. the guy’s not really played golf in two years. If you don’t play, you don’t accumulate points. Your ranking tumbles. I mean, fairly obvious thing, but again, it’s indicative, I think, of the the amount of time that’s gone on rather than how he is playing and what he’s capable of. Like, as I said, the game is moving on without Tiger Woods at a very old clip. And I just don’t see it. I just don’t see him coming back and being competitive. Yeah. I you know, you know what? I genuinely don’t even see him being competitive in the senior circuit. He’s 50 in what? Almost exactly two months. December 30th, isn’t it? It’s his 50th birthday. Be eligible for the the Champions Tour. He can use a cart to get around if he wants. Couple of things on that one. I’m not sure that Tiger’s pride and his ego would have him cutting about in a cart when other guys like Scott McCarron and Steve Flesh and Ret Gusen and whatnot are walking the course. I don’t think his ego and his pride will allow him to make that walk through the pain when they Well, I think so. But equally, there’s this assumption he’s going to show up and just win everything. No, no, no. Sorry, you guys take that seriously. That is a pretty serious circuit. Let’s not forget See played one event in the senior in senior golf and finished dead last. See had back issues at that point and you know evidently discovered that it was far more competitive. It wasn’t for him. Thanks very much. I won’t bother. Yeah. Tigers list of injuries are far more extensive. And forgive me men of 20 years ago or 30 years ago, the competition is deeper. Oh yeah. in senior golf now. You know, how is he going to compete with Ernie and Ratif Gen even Bernard Langer? How is he going to possibly contend with those guys? You tiger, you owe us nothing. Just just go get healthy enough and spend the time watching your watching Charlie play golf, watching Sam play soccer or whatever. Just you’ve got nothing left to prove. nothing at all and golf’s fine. You know, we’re all right. We’re coping. Be the RDER Cup captain. That’s what everyone wants. Yeah. Well, yeah, that’s a good point. That’s how to stay relevant. He’s not going to be playing anytime soon. Does this have any impact on his chances of that? I mean, given everything we know about the captaincy, it probably should. Yeah. They say that, you know, you should be a captain who’s on tour and available and and playing and seeing these guys shoulderto-shoulder. That’s why Luke Donald was playing with all the guys that were on his team, like playing in tournaments with those guys so he could see them up close. It’s not going to stop Tiger being the Rider Cup captain. If he can’t plays Tiger Woods, he’s going to be the Rider Cup captain as many times as he wants. I’m quite sure. Yeah. But if he wants to be relevant, if he wants to keep his name in there, stuff trying to come back and saw the senior circuit, be the Rider Cup captain for the Dare Man. Yeah, that’s probably a good thing for him, isn’t it? because he doesn’t need to hit any golf shots to do that. He just he can turn up to events in a ceremonial capacity and just be there like similar to Luke Donald but just not playing. I think that’s that’s a good thing to focus his energy into. But whether he’ll see it that way or not, you just used a word though, didn’t you? Ceremonial. Yeah, that’s a word I never ever ever thought we would use about Tiger Woods. I know. Yeah. Yeah. It’s not right. It’s not right at all. Sad, doesn’t it? You’ve got kids who are growing up just now in their teens or whatever who will never know how good Tiger was at his best, but they’ll know the guy that missed the cut at Trin. They’ll know the guy that, you know, missed three cuts in 2024, maybe. Yeah, maybe. I don’t know. Maybe I sound like I’m being harsh on Tiger and writing them off and I’ve done it before and he’s proven me wrong. It’s a Mug’s game and blah blah blah. At some point you’re going to be right. And I believe right now I’m absolutely right right now. Yeah. Because I agree. Unfortunately, he’s not superhuman. He’s not immortal. And it genuinely makes me sad. The day that Tiger plays his final competitive round of golf will be a sad day. A genuinely sad day. And maybe it’s already happened. I was about to say maybe it’s already happened. Yeah. But I just want to remember him at his best. I want to remember the guy that won the Masters in 2019, you know, the way that he did. I want to remember the fist pumps. I want to remember the ridiculous recoveries. Yeah. I want to remember all those moments. And I’m not saying I won’t. I’m not saying that’s impossible. I’m saying it gets harder every time there is another bad thing that just interviewers love it. You were there in 2019, weren’t you, to to see that? That must be incredible memories. I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently. Genuinely, I was thinking about uh Royal Trune last year. I went down on the Sunday. Everyone else in Scotland that had an interest in golf was at the Renaissance to see Bob Mack winning. I went down to Trune on the Sunday before the open. Tiger had flown in overnight and he went out to play me and a couple other journals who were there got the got word that he was going to play nine holes. He ended up playing all 18. Mhm. I watched him from, you know, as close as we are sitting right now, walking alongside him on the fairways and and whatnot. I saw him almost have a hole in one on the postage stamp. He stuck it to like a foot. He’s just was hitting the ball so good that day as one of the guys in his security detail actually broke protocol and said to me cuz I think he noticed I was following him and he said, “Uh, who else would you be following?” and the the guy sort of broke protocol by saying he’s his ball striking is just so good right now. And that was all well and good on Sunday, but you know, he peaked, you know, seven days too early to get picked wrong Sunday. By Friday night, it was fuel legit and off we go. Yeah. But yeah, that’s probably the last I I honestly think this is the case. That might be the last complete 18 holes that I see Tiger Woods play. Yeah, which that’s a shame. It is. It’s sad. Really sad. But, you know, time moves on and it waits for none of us. So, at least you got to see his great ball striking that day. It was unreal. Yeah. Genuinely. And being and being that close is unreal as well. Mhm. That’s That’s pretty cool. But yeah, I I I honestly think that’s probably the last I just can’t I just can’t see with another, you know, back surgery. I just can’t see him coming back to compete. might play like once in a blue moon with Charlie, but that would be a a push, I reckon. He’s just not going to be able to walk. That’s my my thing. He was struggling to walk as it is. Yeah. It’s just Yeah. I just I don’t That’s the problem. He’s probably got the shots in him. He can probably still hit great shots, but that’s only part of it. If you can’t walk. Yeah. And Yeah. I reckon he’d want to have like one proper send off, though. It doesn’t it doesn’t it wouldn’t seem it would seem very untagerlike if he didn’t have one last kind of hurrah. Yeah. The trouble is that’s going to be in a Friday. Yeah. Yeah. It should be on a Sunday. Yeah. Ideally late in the Sunday better yet with the trophy that’s not in him anymore. And you know I’m going to use his words against him. As long as he thinks he’s competitive he’ll play. As soon as he doesn’t he won’t. Yeah. How can he possibly think he’s competitive? Or he or he might do a he might do a kind of like a Jack on the bridge at St. Andrews kind of wave off on the on the Friday or something like that. Yeah, Jack was like 65 70 at that point. I know. But still. Yeah. Yeah. Well, he’s got a bar in St. Andrews now, doesn’t he? Head Friday. Sadness, sucked out. Producer Dex is sitting in the corner heading. Tell you what, tell let’s let’s move on. Let’s go to asked and answered and then come back strong in part two, shall we? A good coffee time. Good coffee would be a great start list. Good coffee is not what that is. No, I blame all that stuff. All my tiger malaise on the coffee. The coffee. Good coffee. Off to a terrible start this, hasn’t it? With a coffee and then I ask you why you had coffee and just a death row with bad coffee. Yeah, it’s been the guy who got exonerated actually did it. guilty. It’s been quite a moral. What did they do? Sorry. Like, you know, him and two others got convicted of murdering. Oh, well, they were convicted of murdering kids. They were the West Memphis three they went as. So, I need to go back and I’ve only got his account to go on, but there’s been documentaries made. Johnny Depp campaigned on his behalf. Eddie Vder campaigned on his behalf. Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame made a a documentary supporting him on his behalf. I mean, there’s a lot of people out there who believe that he’s innocent, and he may well be, but two sides to every story. Except the book that I read was just his version. Yeah. And after reading his version, I’m now even more convinced. So, it’s bad. He’s not going to bring it. I’m just trusting. That’s all. I know Jay Simpson, this is how I would have done it kind of thing. Just one of the greatest moments of all time. Why would you wear a glove? Like, do not put on the glove, OJ. Anyway, anyway, rest in peace, OJ. Asked and answered. If the answer is worst event in the world, what is the question? Oh, that’s a good one. James T. Oh, okay. This is the first time you’ve thought about it. I can see by your eyes, Louis, what have you got for notes? But I know what the real answer is, but could it also be Yes. Remember the Willy Wonka experience that came to to Glasgow a couple years back last year maybe? Was it that? That was awful, wasn’t it? Terrible. Yeah. What a scam as well. I think people were paying like 30 40 quid for it. It was just in a hall and they were like making up characters and the women was like there truly truly dreadful. Yeah. But I don’t think it’s that in podcast. Probably not going to be that. James, have I given you enough time? No, not yet. We’re still going. Oh, just make a Rangers joke. It’s fine. I could do that. Oh, please don’t. It hurts. It hurts. I’ll tell you what. We will reveal the right answer to that. No, that’s wrong. We’ll reveal the right question to that answer. I invented this game, right? I was the one that said we put it in every single week. I have the same problem with it. We’ll tell you the right answer. No, no, we won’t. We’ll tell you the right question. break after the question. So, with no further ado, let’s go to the break, shall we? We’ll be back with the right question to that answer. Nailed it. And lots of other stuff that we need to discuss, including including some brand new members of the whole and none club. Do not go anywhere. With the Golf and More card, you only pay half the green fee on over 1,400 courses in Europe. For instance, you have almost 300 courses to choose from in South Europe and almost 250 courses in Great Britain. Join over 100,000 golfers across Europe. Get a Golfmore card and play more golf. If you go to golfore.com/bunkered, you can enter a raffle to win a golfore card. If you prefer to buy a Golfammore card right away, you’ll find a special Bunkered discount code on the same page. Visit golfammore.com/bunkered today. Golfmore, more golf for the money. Welcome back. Part two of this week’s Bunker podcast in association with Callaway, Michael, James, and Lewis, and producer Dex, all here with you. Thank you very much for tuning in. before the break and I think I’ve got this right now. If the answer is worst event in the world, what is the question? That is it. There we go. There we go. During the break, we started talking about, oh, what is the worst sporting event? And then randomly some chat about curling came up. Curling’s curling is good to watch, right? It is. Yeah, it is good to watch. It’s a really like easy concept to follow what’s going on. Here’s the link. What does curling have to do with Turnberry? Ah, I do. You know this? Yeah, I do. James. Oh, he’s just looking so blank. Probably something to do with the making of Carling Stones. Ah, there you go. Yes. The stones used for the making of curling stones comes from Lewis. Oh my god. It’s mined from Elsa Crane, which obviously is the big landmark at the backdrop of the Elsa and King Robert the Bruce courses at Turnbury. There you go. Bet you didn’t know that. That’s very good. Yeah, I like that. So, every every single curling stone comes from Not every single one. I mean, how do you think it was? Yeah, but then not that many curling stones are made in the world, are they? Even people only pay attention every four years to unfortunately. So, so many of the Olympic sports, it’s funny. I So I was at ice hockey during the RDER Cup. Bunch of us went to see New York Rangers play at Madison Square Garden. Yeah. And I was reminded of what my dream job is. I want to quit this sack off the rat race and I want to become a Zamboni driver. The guy that comes on. He’s got his little van that he drives over the ice. Exactly. That is he’s just pumping something behind him as he goes and skidding around. That that is the dream gig. Brilliant. So if you are or if you know of a Zamboni driver, I mean this I’m not I’m not just saying this to fill air. Get in touch. I want to know more. I want to know what got you into it. I want to know. You know what? I want to know how much it pays. I want to know what the holidays are like, what the pension scheme is like. But tell me more about it. Zamboni drivers, get in touch. I must say I did not know that’s what it was called. A Zamboni. A Zamboni. Yeah. There you go. Brilliant. Learn something new every day. Let’s go back to the correct answer then. Correct question. Jesus. So impossible. Worst event in the world. The correct You’ve written correct answer here, Lewis. This is really thrown me. The correct question is, what did Gary Player describe the RDER Cup as? Hang on. Right. I was only in holiday for a week. What? Yeah. What has he come away with now? Uhhuh. So, he’s basically What’s his logic? Let me let me pull up his quotes. Is it because South Africans can’t play? I think you’re fine. The President’s Cup is a much contest. Yeah. So, he was he was speaking to the Palm Beach Post and he said, “I’m not going to do the accent as much I’d like to, but he he was getting at the the whole crowd trouble thing.” So, what would Arnold Palmer, if he saw that today, what would he think of that? He said that he was disgusted. The RDER Cup is a shambles. Gary Player says um said, “I love the fact that they say USA, USA. I love how the British,” he said, “British, not Europeans, respond in their way. I think that’s exciting. But the RDER Cup to me is the worst event in the world to see a PGA of America hire a lady to stand on the tea and then in parenthesis if you want to call her a lady and say Gary Gary f you Rory F this European team are we crazy and then the head of the PJ of America says what was so serious about it. He’s not wrong in what he’s saying apart from the bit where he calls it the worst event in the world. Yeah, I mean there are worse. Many many worst things have happened in the history of the world. World War II. I I get what he’s saying about he’s settling on Ryder Cup. Yeah. As the Ryder Cup sort of pales in in significance the the crowd trouble. But as we’ve mentioned a man, you’re from South Africa. Yeah. Yeah. Well, there you go. Yeah, you’re man. Some man. Yeah. Just so it’s a shambles. Stop it. It’s rubbish. Detect it. You can’t write his name. He’s not a fool. Gary Gary Pler is not a fool. But I just wish he would stop saying such mental stuff. I do love him stories though, doesn’t he? He makes great content. He’s an incredible incredible golfer. Incredibly successful man. Still going strong well into his age. You know, spoke about Tiger Woods at the start of the show. Gary Player’s not had any issues like that with his body. No, he has not, as we well know. And if you’re in any doubt, ask him. He’ll tell you. Let’s move on. Thanks, Gary. That was that was quite the detour. Something a little bit more self- promotionally now. So, you may or may not have seen this. I certainly hope you’ve seen it, but recently we went live with our first major editorial campaign, Public Golf Counts. You can actually see I’ve got the badge on here. Get the badge in, as they would say. But public golf counts is a new campaign that we’re running at bunkered to do a bunch of things but mainly to draw attention to the importance of and the threat faced by public golf courses. Now first thing to say there are a number of public golf courses and local authorities that are doing a great job and are running their courses particularly well and are absolute exemplers of how to do it right. I’m thinking of the the people up in Sport Aberdine for example with Kings Links just sensational always busy up there but there are other local authorities other councils other figures that perhaps don’t have the same level of interest in their golf courses as frankly I believe that they ought to have and as the team here believes that they ought to have that and that then puts us in a position where those courses are facing existential threats and we’ve seen it over the last few years that a number of them have even closed in Glasgow right here just a Few miles away from where we are right now, the likes of Rockel, Alexander Park, and Lynn Park, hugely popular, hugely busy courses in their day, have all closed in recent years. And then in Dundee at the start of this year, Kared Park, both courses there, the 18-hole and the 9-hole courses, they were both closed by the local authority as well. That left Dundee, Scotland’s fourth biggest city in the city, closest geographically to St. Andrews without any public golf provision. Forgive me, I don’t think that’s right. It absolutely cannot be that in the home of golf, the country that gave birth to the sport, that this is allowed to happen. So that’s why we’ve decided it’s time to step up and do something about it. So over the coming weeks and months, you’re going to see a lot of activity from Bunkered and we’ve outlined 10 objectives that we have, 10 things that we’re going to commit to. One of those is going to be to try and raise as much noise as we poss make as much noise and raise the profile of these courses as we possibly can. We’re going to see the guys going out filming content at these courses at these courses and about these courses. And we’re going to try and hold accountable the people who perhaps don’t see their value and who would close them given half a chance. We firmly believe that these courses are critical to the long-term health of the sport. They aren’t going to host the open. They’re not going to host the Rider Cup. They’re not going to make it onto many bucket lists. But as I’ve said before, that is not the reason why they exist. They are there to provide an opportunity for people who perhaps want to learn to play golf in a more relaxed, less intimidating environment than a private members club might put up on them. Or even those who can’t afford the the fees that private members clubs require. I should know their value because I am a product of public golf courses. The reason that I’m here doing the job that I’m doing now is because that’s how I got into golf. I didn’t walk straight into a private members club. I know that these guys didn’t either. And many of you listening and watching to this, you won’t have had your entry to golf in that same way. If you take all of these courses away, or even enough of those courses, that is going to be to the short, medium, and long-term ill of the sport. Something I’ve heard so much over the last year or two is the the sport and people within it frankly congratulating themselves and patting each other on the back for participation rates being at a record high levels. Yeah, that’s good. That’s that’s how it is right now. In 10, 15, 20 years time, if these courses, public golf courses are allowed to close the rate they’re closing, that participation rate won’t be up there. It just will not. Instead, you’ll have fewer people playing the game, and it will be only those who can afford to play the game. Again, at the risk of repeating myself, I I personally can’t have that. Doesn’t sit right with me. It doesn’t sit right with any of us. It’s not right. It’s not It’s not sustainable. So, let’s step up and do something about it. That’s where we are with public golf counts. We’re putting a lot of time, a lot of effort, and frankly, a lot of money into this. and you can see for yourself some of the the early bits of content that we’ve made. You can read our objectives. You can read our pledges. You can get more information on how and why we’re doing this. That’s at bunker.co.uk/pubgolfcount. But it’s not just on us, okay? We would want and we need you guys watching and listening to this to go and make better use of these facilities yourselves. Use it or lose it. Let’s make it as hard as possible for councils and councilors to put forward a compelling case to close them. We’re getting close to that time of year again when councils will set their budgets and where there’s money and savings to be made. You better believe they’re going to look at golf courses if they can. Always been low hanging fruit, soft targets, ripe for the picking. You can think of a lot of uses for that land. Let’s keep using them for golf. This is the home of golf. This is our national sport. Sod football, it’s our national obsession. Golf is our national sport. Let’s keep it that way and keep these places open. So, there’s a full list on the website of all the public golf courses and community- owned golf courses in Scotland. Please go and play them. I know it’s tempting to put the money aside and go and play the trophy courses. They’re great, too. I’m not saying don’t play them, but for 10, 20 quid, you and your mates could be the difference between a course staying open and a course closing for good. It really is that stark. So, please get involved and help us out. Have I covered it? Yes, I would say nailed it. Absolutely nailed it. Absolutely. Yeah, you’re spot on what you’re saying. Excellent. It’s uh Yeah. Like I used to I used to live in Dennis and I would walk around Alexandra Park and you walk down where you could see like where the golf course was. You think this land just isn’t getting used for anything else here. Why are we not putting like a little bit of effort into maintaining this? Like you say, it’s not a golf course that’s going to host the open of the RDER Cup. But someone who lives in a community where they might not be able to afford a membership fee that’s several hundred pounds can go and pay a5 or a 10 or whatever it is and go and get started in golf. And then from that point, that could be the point where they go and have like an obsession with it and like you say, Michael, make a living from it. Whether it’s where it all begins. Yeah. Where it all begins. is I’m like you say I didn’t didn’t begin playing somewhere that’s going to cost several hundred pounds to play but then you get into it playing courses that are accessible for people then that’s where these things can start and Dal Mir is like a great example on the road from us uh I spoke to former footballer Martin Hardy that’s right yeah I forgot about that few a few months back and it was to to talk about his clothing line that he’s launched but I you know said like take me back to the start and he go So when he was a teenager, like when he’d stopped training from football, he didn’t want to go to like a fancy golf course. He just wanted to go and have fun with his mates. So they went to Dalmir, stuck a ball in the, you know, the shoot where you decide when you teed off and if it wasn’t for that then he probably would never have taken up golf. So that’s something that he now plays like five or six times a week. He was telling me wouldn’t have got into his business and all started there and I’m sure there’s countless people listening to us who exactly the same. That’s a very good point because it’s we’re not trying to make the next tour pro out of doing this. There’s enough people doing that. We’re not trying to be another governing body for golf. Again, not our job. Frankly, I feel like we’re doing other people’s jobs for them with this campaign and hope that they get on board and hope they show some support and and and lean in because everybody stands to benefit. But we’re not out here trying to make tour pros or anything like that. But the benefits of public golf are so many. You know, participation I’ve covered. But I’m a I’m a product of public golf. You know, there’s a reason that, you know, this means so much to me. It’s because I’m a product of it. And lo and behold, I’ve made my career in the industry. The last 22 years I’ve been working in golf. There will be others who will start off at a public golf course who’ll become a green keeper or who will get into administrative side of the game or who might go to become a coach or a PGA pro or a nutritionist or something. These places are so so so important. If you take away opportunities, then you’re just depriving people of their futures in some I know that sounds potentially melodramatic, but you’ll never know what you could have been if you never had the chance to be it. And that’s why these places matter so much. So yeah, please lean in, support us, help us out, help us make noise, help us make content. If you’ve got a story about what a public golf course has done for you and what you’ve gone on to achieve, please get in touch. Let us know. I said this in the in the launch video. I honestly believe that if we all muck in here, then we can make a lasting difference. you know, not just the difference, you know, for the next set of budgets that are coming up in January, February, not just the ones after that. It can make a lasting difference and we can show the rest of the world that Scotland, keep saying that the birthplace of the game, understands the value of public golf. So, yeah, absolutely. Let’s all get into it. Let’s talk gentlemen about the India Open. Something interesting happened there at the weekend. I mean, one Tommy Fleetwood won. That was very nice to see. Best player in the game right now, James Tommy Fleetwood. Or am I overstating it? I mean, it’s Scottish Sheffler, but I would say I I would I would I would say he’s he’s definitely the way he’s playing and continue to play from even after the RDER Cup. Mhm. Uh he’s this word trending. Oh, you’ve done it. Um stick a pound in the jar. He’s I mean to be honest, ever since he won the tour championship, I feel like it’s just unlocked a a different kind of class at Tommy Fleetwood. He was great before. I think he’s definitely got that kind of little bit extra between his teeth. Um he looks like he wants to win everything he plays in uh at the minute. So he looks like he’s going to as well the other thing, isn’t it? Well, I mean he’s holding putts. I mean what seven under final round in India. I mean bloody hell. Uh what a way to do it. Um but yeah, he’s he’s looking he’s looking dangerous. I just hope he continues this for for a long period of time in this form. Definitely. Four starts and a RDER Cup MVP performance and amongst all that as well. It’s it’s good to see. He’s got now to world number five. So yeah, obviously to use your word trending in the right direction, but yes, it’s nice to see Tommy’s a good guy. He is genuinely one of the good guys. understands that, you know, he’s privileged to do what he’s doing and success hasn’t really changed him, which is really nice to see. And he still loves dogs. Lewis, I like a guy that likes a dog lover. Massive dog lover. Right. Won the Scottish boys stroke play, I think it was at MKer Lynx. Oh, yeah. Back in his amateur days. And I remember the pictures being sent to us of him and his dog. Who made it into the made it into the snaps. You know what his dog is? I’m putting you on the spot here. That dog at the time. Uhhuh. I think was a collie. Okay. Yeah. Good. Most intelligent dogs. Yes, they are. Just about both dog lovers. Massive. We could We could talk all day about dogs. Sorry. And you could talk all day. Did you a dog lover? Oh, there you go. There you go. A room full of dog lovers. My goodness. The Crofts podcast will be coming to you. Yeah. Well, I could do that. You could? Yeah, I actually way off off here, but I did my final project in university on Crofts. Did you? Yeah, I went down to the NEC in Birmingham. I’ve been down to Crofts for a few times, but Well, your family shows dogs, don’t you? Yeah, we’ve got beagles back home, so they a few of them are retired show dogs now. What’s a retired show dog? Sit around all day. That’s the point. They go out for a walk and then just sleep the rest of the day. Unlike Tiger, they knew when their time was up. Yeah, they knew the time was up. They’re very happy. So gets to 4:00 every day and it’s just barking for dinner time and then it’s back to sleep. So amazing. What a life. Eagles brilliant life. Yeah, they love it. So yeah, we don’t deserve dogs. No, I mean we do. Us four as a species. We don’t as a species. Absolutely not. No, I agree. But yeah, Tommy Fleetwood dog lover. That’s good enough for me. That’s same. Tommy winning was one of the the I guess the big head. It was the big headline. But prior to that, an interesting thing happened with Rory Mroy. Lewis, talk to me about Rory playing without a driver. What the as he described it, he left the the dog in the locker because he does have a a dog head cover. Yeah. Bizarre. You don’t see that very often. I sort of felt a bit sorry for the fans who might never get to an event outside of India and all of a sudden Rory Mroy comes to play and then he just decides he’s not going to hit driver all week. So, what was the longest club he had? Uh, he had a fivewood in the bag, but I don’t think he hit it off any TE’s. I think he only had it for hitting approach shots in R5. So, he’s only the longest club he was hitting off the tea was a two iron. So, what’s the reason for that then? Was it just a tight golf course? The golf course. Yeah. He said before the week like the the course is so tight that there’s not really any there is an advantage to hitting it further, but if you miss the fairway then you’re probably going to lose a ball. and he just thought, you know what, the whole week I’m just going to leave the the driver in the locker. Don’t take it out and on the course. Don’t have the temptation to use it and just irons off the tea. You said you’d rather hit a seven iron from the fairway rather than, you know, have the chance to hit a wedge or be potentially reloading back in the bag. So, so this is the first time in Rose that he’s done this, isn’t it? The first time he’s certainly in a competitive sense played without driver, but he wasn’t the only one. And then, yeah, that’s the other thing. A large proportion of the field Yeah. did the same. I think it was close to about half the field. Half. Really? Really? Yeah. Yeah. Um a lot of guys using like mini drivers or 3woods or something. And then you did get people like Brian Harmon. Good example of it. Someone who just hits it like 250 yards down the middle time. Yeah. Too dry like a draw and a fade one. But yeah, but it was uh really really strange seeing guys just going about no no big head cover in So I didn’t watch much of it. Was it good? You said it was strange. Was it good? Was it still as interesting? I think if you were on the grounds it probably wouldn’t have been as exciting because what’s the best part of watching professional golf in person is seeing someone take the head cover off the driver and try and hit it through. I mean that’s that’s up for debate. I know there’s a lot of people who like it. You know what I mean though? Yeah. PJ has done a very good job of convincing people that people golfers hitting the ball miles is it’s cool to see though, isn’t it? Yeah, it really is. Oh, you would say that. Yeah, James. Well, there you go. As as somebody who is a long drive professional, how do you feel when you hear that Roy’s playing in an event, a professional event, a tour event without a driver? Um, it just shows you how tough and narrow the course is. Like, I mean, he hits it a long way, he gets it slightly wrong, and you’re losing the ball. Um the one thing for these guys are just trying to keep the ball in play as much as possible and they’re they’re good enough with you know from even four iron four iron five iron six iron in they’re good enough to get that ball to about kind of 20 20 ft and give themselves chances for birdies. Mhm. Um yeah I mean it it’s cool to see drivers be absolutely waxed but then at the end of the day when these guys are you know competing and wanting to win they’re wanting to give themselves the best opportunities to do that. And obviously in Rory’s head, he’s like hitting kind of two iron through the week and giving himself seven irons in. Okay. But what’s the best thing about modern golf clubs though? Because led to believe that modern drivers are easier to hit and infinitely more forgiving than drivers of days gone by. Yeah, it it probably editor, watch out. It probably suggests that Sorry, James. I pass, but I’m sure that’s genuinely I think that’s what a lot of people will be thinking. Yeah. So my my my thing will be is they’ll probably be hitting it so far that potentially on that course the way it’s laid out it might just be the the risk is not worth the reward. Yeah. And that’s probably because obviously drive drivers are are going further. uh you know, yes, it is just, you know, a couple yards further, a couple mile per hour quicker every single year, but they are progressing each and every year because of how they’re being designed. Um, but sometimes in this case, longer isn’t always better around this course. So, that’s probably why they’ve dialed it back. I wouldn’t have it every week. I’ll say that. I watched I watched quite a lot of it on Saturday and Sunday morning and there was a lot of car horns in Delhi. This is one thing that really added to the uh entertainment. Not the most patient drivers. Not the most patient drivers in Delhi. It doesn’t sound like no makes the M8 look like a a country road by the sounds of things. But as a spectacle, it was good for once a week, but I wouldn’t want to tune in every single time and watching guys trying to hit five irons off the tea and then if they were to miss the fairway, potentially going in their bag or taking a drop. When was the last time you played without a driver in your bag? Ever? Never ever, James? Obviously, never. Never. I mean, is there a lesson in there though for for some people though? Because how many times do you hear Yeah. Well, exactly that. How many times do you hear an amateur golfer complain about, “I’m really struggling with my driver.” Mhm. Well, take it out. Just get comfortable with hitting good shots on repeat and work on your driver on the range with a but ideally with a PGA pro who can help you get the most out of all that amazing tech. Just take it out. Yeah. No, if it’s good enough for Rory in half the field in Delhi. Yeah. Well, this is this is this is it. I think, you know, I was quite wild with a driver when I was younger. I could like I really struggled to control it. Half the time I would have a two iron because it was like my secondary option off the tea and it’s saved my ass a lot of the time at time as well. But I think yeah, look, if you’re not getting on with a driver, first of all, get some lessons figure out how how to obviously how to get on with it. Get on with it and get more shots down the fairway because the closer closer you are to the hole, you know, strokes gained prove that the closer you are, the lower the scores are going to be. But if you’re also not getting on with it, let’s say you hit a couple T-shots, then have a secondary option, whether it’s a a 3-wood or a one of the a hybrid, a mini driver, a driving iron, something else, which you know that you’re going to, you know, hit the fairway like eight times out of 10 or something like that. It might not go as far, but if you keep the ball in play, guarantee you’re going to score better than carving one off into the into the trees or into the bushes and lose a ball or OB. It’s an interesting one. I’m I’m putting my Shot Scope hat on. So, we work for the the guys at Shot Scope and I have access to this database that is filled with numbers that fries my brain a lot of the time. But one thing one thing that I take out of it, you you mentioned like using the 3-wood and dialing things back, right? For across the the range of handicaps, the fairway percentage from using your driver to using your 3-wood basically doesn’t change. Like, it’s a couple percent each way. And for a lot of the guys, driver will actually find the fairway more often. Now, I get that there’ll be people listening to this who say, “Ah, but I I’m terrible with my driver. Like, I hit the 3-wood down the middle every time.” You probably don’t. And if you do, you are the exception. You think you do. You think you do because it’s like confirmation bias. If you remember the time where you took the 3-wood out and your playing partners, ah, well done. You’re playing safe. Good man. I Whereas, you might still carve that into the trees. Or with the 3-wood, you’re more likely to top it. let’s be honest. And it’s got a shallower face. So for me, the lesson is for amateur golfers, like the driver is the most important club in the bag. The most club in the bag, the most forgiving one. And if you can’t use it, you’re putting yourself at such a disadvantage. Saying that, if you go and play the Indian Open at a golf course where there’s about 30 yards, you know, room for error, then yeah, it would be useful to be able to hit a three or four iron or a hybrid that you’re more likely to to hit down the middle. That was one thing again from the stats that going to a 3-wood doesn’t help you hit more fairways, but going to like a four iron or a hybrid will give you like a bit of a spike in terms of number of fairways, but then your next shot’s longer. This is the thing. Then you might be hitting a four iron in again where you could have a 9 iron or an eight iron if you’re hitting your driver. Yeah. Yeah. Either get a lesson or buy a new Callaway elite driver. Do both. Yeah. Do both. Yeah. Get get the best. Double double down. Just do both of them and then you’ll be on tour. Yeah, I I enjoyed a tweet I saw from Dylan the chair. Dylan, a good friend of the podcast works forgolf.com and he said he has a 20 handicapped buddy who stopped keeping driver in his golf bag cuz he knows if it’s in there he’ll eventually get tempted to use it and it will ruin his day. And what’s fun is that this week Rory’s doing the exact same thing. It’s so true though, isn’t it? Times you go like I’m just going to take it easy today and play safe and then you b the first right second head cover is coming off. Exactly. I had this at the old course actually. So um played it in media day a couple years back and I thought right everyone goes the first te at the old course they all hit like six irons off the tea just not a long hole and you don’t want to take like the burn into play or anything I thought hybrid it’s a good like reliable club for me yeah James is wining already thought I went to the range I went to golf it fit the night before and for the full hour that I booked at golf it fit I like warmed up for like 10 minutes and I was just hybrids then just visualize the first Fairway said, “Andrews, no problem.” Got up on the first te and I was like, “Nah, sack drivers coming.” 46. It’s the biggest face. I don’t care if I hit it into the burn. I’m getting the biggest face in this. James, you played St. Andrews more than I think probably anyone listening to this. What’s the What’s the club that you go with off the tea there? Obviously, considering your your predigious I was going to say your predigious length. Thank you. That’s what she said. So, yeah. What’s What’s the club you go with most often? No, normally a five or six iron, right? Just punch one down there because it leaves me with about 145 to 150 yards in. So, it’s not too close where you’re not going to get like enough spin on it, but you’re far enough back to get the ball in the air and get it to drop off. Mhm. I’ve played the old course, I think, five times, including once backwards. And I’m pretty sure I’ve only hit driver twice. I know I’ve hit three wood, I’ve hit hybrid, and I hit five iron the day we played it because at that point I’m like, I’m not entirely sure what the right angle is here when you’re playing backwards. So, remember knock a five iron down there and just, you know, give me the fear hitting a long iron off that that tea. Really? Yes. I don’t know. Pretty comfortable. And then see when like um just the margin for error is so reduced. Maybe you’re just more talented than I am. But well, I think you’re the one sitting with my trophy in front of you. I’m not sure about that. That was from that driver all day. All the par threes. I was useless. I think when you got the widest fairway in golf though and then you’re you’re not taking the longest cuz this is the thing as well. Sometimes you can take uh let’s say you take a driver out which I’ll never do. But a lot of people you see them on the first te do that and then all of a sudden they absolutely nut it. If you’re too far right, that burn creeps up on you very quickly. And even if you pull it and you get a kick off one of those mounds, that ball can end up pretty much right beside this wilen bridge and then you could be in the water as well. So, you do want to be able to feel comfortable enough where let’s say you put a confident swing on a a longer iron, you know, you’re not going to reach it. That’s my kind of thought behind it. I have the exact same thought. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. You know, great mindset. No, you are right though. You stand up first and you pull out driver. You should be thinking, “Oh, that’s a relief.” But instead, you’re thinking, “That’s the widest fairway in golf.” I’m about to demonstrate that you can miss it. Yeah. 118 yards wide. 118. Is it? And suddenly your head starts racing with thoughts of possible thoughts. Yeah. I missed I missed a OB both ways. Have you really? Ian Baker Finch. Yep. Yep. Ouch. Oh, that’s tough. I uh I think it was like the second time I played. I was quite young. I was always quite nervy. Now I just don’t care. um so used to but I shanked it out outright onto the beach and then the beach that takes Oh my god sideways. I don’t think I could reach the beach side first. Hit Granny Clark’s wind and just kept bouncing. So there you go. Um and then the other one was just a straight over the top snap hook into the new club. Tremendous. Yeah, hit someone’s car. Sorry about that. Art fair at your own uh discretion risk. Brilliant. Right. Let’s move on. Time is fast running away from us, gents. Let’s go to Pod of Merit if we can. The last time we did this, it was the Alfred Dunhill Lynx Championship. I haven’t seen I have now. I’ve just seen the scores. I’d forgotten all about this. Alfred Dunhill Links won by Robert McIntyre. Well done, Bob. Bit of a shame that that event ended up being reduced to 54 holes. That weather was awful, wasn’t it? I was there on a Friday. God. And you’re still thawing out and drying out. So Lewis, you picked Jakob Scov Olison. Yes. Who in the face of it didn’t seem like a It wasn’t the most obvious pick you could have gone for. No, I wouldn’t say so. No. And he didn’t even finish low lefty, but No, that’s a good point. He did finish in a tie for fifth. He was brilliant. Yeah, did very well. James, you went for Louis Hazen. He’s fell away. Who finished in a tie for 11th still? And I went for Brooks Kepka who finished in a tie for 15. [Music] I I love the brackets here on the notes. Very close this week. Well, I will point out like there was your inquiry by the way. Should be counting 54 whole events. Oh, right. It was reduced points or something. When did we last do a live event? Oh, yeah. Long time ago. Anyway, get Steve the I want his here. We need a ruling 50. Yes or no? Assuming Steve lets this go. Lewis, another two points for you. Yep. And a point for you, James. And I think we all know what happened to me. So Lewis, that two points takes you on to 12. James, that one gets you on to five. And I’m still on zero. That’s tough. I feel like I feel like one of those songs at Euro Vision that’s just I can now see how this finish up. Exactly. It’s tough. Like Kepka had a good week tied to 15th as I put in the notes. Like it was a shot between then was a shot behind him then ke doesn’t matter though does it? No. Like at the end of the day it doesn’t matter at all. It’s a results business. It is a results business and so you could Lew Pod of Merit for the second time in a row. Yeah. This week I could I You only need three points. If you pick the winner for the Genesis Championship then congratulations. You’ve done it. So, pick order. And this is becoming a bit familiar as well. Pick order is Lewis, James, and then yours truly. I’m sorry in advance to whoever I pick. Right. That’s just the way it is. Lewis on you go. Who’s Who’s winning the Genesis Championship? Uh, well, I I don’t know if he will be. I’ve gone a bit rogue with this. You went rogue with Scott Olison. Yeah, exactly. And it works. I’m going to keep going rogue. Um, I spoke to So, Ben Parson’s, our senior writer, is uh is in the office today. for you. No, no, yeah, it would be quite Yeah, that’d be a good piece, wouldn’t it? And I said to him, I said, who should I pick? Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. This is not a team game. No, but just let me get to it. I was I was like, look, I was going to pick Matsyama cuz he’s the obvious choice here. He’s, you know, Mast’s champion going to this. And then John, our content creator, piped up and said, well, oh, you’re getting more inside info. This is ridiculous. There’s a guy called Jordan Gumbberg who is about to play his 34th event of the season. If you go on Jordan’s OWGR page, you need to scroll. I’ve never heard of Jordan Gumbber. Neither have I until this podcast today. 693rd in the world rankings. Yes, but he is a grinder and one of these days he’s going to win. There’s a lot of MC’s on his record this week. The hell is this? You’re just taking the piss. got turn at some point and that’s so he’s trying desperately to keep his card. Well, he’s 127th in the race to Dubai. Yes. Really good pick. So, he needs a good week and I think you you have to be kidding me on. So, he finished 65th in the India Championship last week. Before that, it goes mess cut meas 46. I actually think he missed miscut. Misc. So this guy’s best finish since the Italian Open earlier this year is 46 in between times. And that’s one of only two cuts that he’s made in between. He’s had one two three four five 6 7 8 9 10 11 miss cuts in his last 13 events. It’s like looking at your pics. You’re going with Yeah, I’m going with him. Yeah. Yeah. Cuz I I think if he wins to keep his card after all this, played however many events this year, over 30 events. Listen, have Jordan Gumbberg as many times as you like, mate. Go for it. Take him. Yeah. Fielding the B team this week. Go on, Jordan. Jesus. I don’t know what to say. See, he’s a member of Addios Golf Club. That was a really nice strand to this story as well. Could be saying that to his tour card. Well, yeah, Addios Golf Club. I’m now interested in Addios Golf Club. Coconut Creek, Florida. Why is everybody in America just got better names? Yeah, it’s quite Addios Golf Club in Coconut Creek. What? I want to go there. Oh, sorry. I’m down a rabbit hole. James, who you picking? Uh Tristan Lawrence. I think he played played really well in India. I think he’s on to bit for him. I reckon he’ll I’m not sure if he’ll win it, but I reckon he’ll do pretty well this week. It’s probably better than Jordan Gumbberg. Well, yeah. So, I’m liking my chances so far. It’s a good laugh, isn’t it? Is it? Yeah. Yeah, it is. Right. Come on, Michael. Go with the guy here. It is. Go with the guy that was runner up in India and that is Keta Nakajima. Not a bad show. Very, very much like him. You might get a point. I might get a point. He is 12th in the race to Dubai. So, I think he’s still in there with the chance of winning all of the marbles within the next month or so. He was fourth at the British Masters. When was that? In in August. He was second in the Hero Indian Open this year. He was second at the Singapore Classic earlier this year. It’s due a win. And he ising in the right direction. So, he’s going to miss the cut, isn’t he? He’s got to be thinking about a PJ tour card. that’s going to get and he’s going to miss the cut now. Well, if he’s currently 12th in the race to Dubai, then he’s in he’s getting one of the 10 cards. No doubt, I suppose. Yeah, I’m thinking. Yeah, I’m thinking currently that top 10 looks like this. Marco Penge, Christopher Wright, Adrien Sadier, John Perry, Alex Norin, Howong Lee, Daniel Brown, Jordan Smith. Gay Nakajima has a card by the looks of this, does he? Yeah. He’s not got the PG tour logo next to his name. Uh Martin Kura and Lori Caner. See, so geez, everything you look at, you just go, that’s an awful lot of players and an awful lot of good players to be sacrificing. Yeah, it is. Yeah. It’s going to continue. 10’s just too many. It really is. Yeah. Yeah. But anyway, that’s not what we’re here to No. to pick apart. So again, Jordan Gumbberg. Yep. Backing him if he wins. Yeah, that would be great. If he wins, we’re going to have some words. I’m going to have to put It’s going to involve HR. Probably going to involve some other people. This could be my last podcast. John and Ben will be getting pulled into the boardroom. Look, I’m going to inside info. Going to have to put a quid on him. Yeah, he’s you’ll be odd. He probably responsible gamble at all. Yeah, he’s that unknown. He probably doesn’t have odds. Yeah, he might not. So, Jordan Gumbberg, Tristan Lawrence, and Ka Nakajima. That is pod of merit for this week. We’re going to finish up with the latest batch of entrance. Inductions. Yeah, inductions to the whole and none club. Remember this club. It’s very important. Serious club. Very serious. Very serious. Must be taken very seriously. Not frivolous in the slightest. This club was started by yours truly. I’m the founding member. And these two can’t join because they’ve had holes in one. If you’ve never had a hole in one and you’ve been playing for let’s say a minimum of 10 years, get involved and you can come and join the hole in one club. I would love nothing more than for you to join and then leave immediately because you’ve been so fortunate and come join us. Yeah. So, I have three new entrance. First of them is Sean Besset. Sean says, “Hi, Michael. I’d like to apply for membership of this dishonorable club. I played golf for 20 years, 15 as a PGA professional and yet to achieve the number one on a scorecard to rub salt into the wounds of mediocrity. While was playing in a tournament in Grand Canaria on a short par three measuring 120 yards and after dumping my first ball in the water, I proceeded to haul my three off the tea ball for a par. I couldn’t even celebrate or smile. I’m still waiting for that jubilant feeling. That must be the worst Freddy couples. The worst shot in goal. Yeah, that’s awful. I’ve never thought of that before. Yeah, you’re right, James. Freddy couples Freddy Srass. Most disappointing par ever of all time. Yeah, you’d be raging. You’d be watching that thinking, “Please don’t go in.” You’d be like, “Yeah, no. You wouldn’t even get to that. You honestly wouldn’t get to that.” No. I throw my clubs in the water. Yeah. And it’s so like rare because it’s not often that you hit a second ball in a par three, is it? No, that’s I’ve seen a few people have shared pictures on social media of where their balls come to rest in what was clearly the previous days cup, you know, where they’ve replaced the hole and their ball has landed plum in the middle of that. I think that must be a close second. But I can’t imagine there is a worse. Genuinely, I think losing your tour card by €1 would be less [ __ ] than holding your third off like holding your three off the tea ball as Sean’s put it. That Yeah, Sean, I I hate to say this. I And I really don’t want to be that guy, but I don’t think you’re ever going to hole in one. Like, if that’s happened to you, I think that’s that’s the universe telling you, Sean, that was your chance. This isn’t going to happen for you. The golf gods have spoken there. Unfortunately, I’m tempted to make him an honorary member of the club. It’s like a a special membership category, isn’t it? Yeah. Yeah. Like president and emeritus. Do you think you have the Bobby Jones of the club? Um like sort of different tiers to membership here. Exemption category. Yeah, exactly. That’s what I was looking for. when you go like in the the PGA Tour website and you see like how players have got in like hauling your being a PGA pro for what 15 years and then he’s also had a holeing out the provisional. That’s got to be like that’s almost like the grand slam of pulling nuns. Yeah, isn’t it? It is. Isn’t it? Like you can’t you can’t do any better than that. No, not really. No, just as long as you don’t do that again. Yeah, exactly. Oh god. Now you just going to happen. You just planted that seed of doubt in his thought in his mind that that’s going to happen. If that happens now, just Sean, I’m making I’ve made an executive decision. You get a special exemption category. You’re you’re in for good. Yeah, that’s a Hall of Fame right there. I think he is in for good, unfortunately. Yeah. Yeah. So, another one here from David Long. Hi guys, love the podcast and the banter. Every week we have banter. Wrong podcast. I believe you’re looking for the shotgun start. Yeah, never mind. He says, “So, I started playing golf at the age of 12 in 1976, and I’ve been as low as five, currently playing off 8.8.” Oh, he’s a player. Yeah. Good player. Single. You know, when you’re down to single figures and you’re putting in the point. Yeah. Yeah. You’re a bandit. So, he says, “49 years, never the hole in one. Annoyingly, my mother-in-law, I’m loving this already. Come on. Can’t go wrong with a mother-in-law comment. Annoyingly, my mother-in-law took up the game at the age of 72 and had a hole in one at Elantio in Alakante after about 3 months. She always likes to remind me how easy it is. Like most, I’ve come close quite a few times, usually the ball stopping just one or two rolls agonizingly short of the cup. He says, “As a side story, my first Saturday job was working at Downshire Golf Club in Brackno, picking up balls from the range, pushing a hand cart with a ball picker upper thing. That is the actual name of that bit of equipment. A ball picker upper thing on the front. I was blessed to have two amazing, generous assistant pros in the shop who helped me improve my game. They were Barry Lane and Tim Barter. There you go. I wonder what ever happened to those two. I mean, that’s not even just a name drop. That’s a that’s a double double. Well done. David, still haven’t had a hole in one though, have you? No. So, yeah. Not bad. 49 years he’s been playing. Sounds like he’s been a single digit handicap for pretty much all those years. Most of those years coming up in a half century need to get That’s another category, isn’t it? Yeah, it’s a golden anniversary gift. We’ll tell you what, David. Get in touch in 12 months time. If it still hasn’t happened for you, we’ll send you a golden ball. How about that? A golden chrome tour. There we have it. It’s in the gold packaging already. So, there you go. One more for this issue. This issue. Oh, never know. We’re going to print soon, would you? for this episode. Dear Mr. Mchuan, now hang on. Wow, that’s very formal. Michael’s fine. Dear Mr. Mchuan, it’s that’s usually either the bank manager or PayPal saying you have missed a direct debit there. You’re in trouble. Dear Mr. Mchuan, what a good idea the whole and none club is. I think so, too. I think so, too. Golfers of all abilities should be celebrated and not just those lucky enough to have had an ace. I once experienced the ignomin of hitting a gorgeous cut sixiron arcing against the wind to two inches and a par three only to watch my playing partners’ top shot which never got more than a foot off the ground bound left and right up to the green before scuttling straight into the hole. Talk about the sublime to the ridiculous. Now this is from Pete Wells and he goes on this is this is I need your help here gentle. All right. Pete says, “I’ve been playing golf for 25 plus years, and one of my strengths is the consistent distances I hit my irons. So, I’ve had plenty of near misses and par threes. These include some lip outs. And once when a shot hitting dead center bounced back off the pin, and once we got to the green, we saw the flag stick was leaning so far forward, there was no room for the ball to have dropped. That sucks.” So, the ball has obviously come up to rest against the pin, but the pin has been leaning forward, it’s not obviously been inserted in the hole properly, and that’s Yeah. He says, “I’ve even had a drive finish one cime shy of the cup on a short downhill wind assisted par4.” Nonetheless, I’ve had an ace on a hole thinking. I know what you’re all thinking. This is the hole in none club. I’ve had an ace on a hole that is 125 yards uphill to a raised two-tier green that is bunkers front and front left and right, i.e. a hole that could grace any golf course. However, it was on a par three course. So numerous people believe this cannot be considered a hole-in-one as it was not a proper course. Could you weigh in on this and give your verdict please? I’m very concerned that on a technicality I will be excluded from both the hole-in-one club and the hole in one club. Hole in none and thus be left wandering the baron backwaters of golf. A lonely solitary outcast. Well written gents. What we thinking par three course hole in ones or do they not? He’s in the hole club. He’s in the hole club. Yeah. Hole in one club. Yeah. I mean, you wrote down a one on a card. Exactly. That’s my thing. Yeah. And and it’s a it’s a decent distance of a par three. It’s not like a 50 60 yard 125 yards uphill to your green bunkers front left and right. That’s a challenge. I think there’s like different par three courses, isn’t there? There’s like pitch and put courses and then you’ve got like actual par three like the bad little nine like at Scottsdale National. I can’t say I’m familiar. No, I can’t imagine many people are, but nice nice try. But yeah, I’m sure I’m sure that’s a good example. So, I’m interested in the first one that he talks about where the ball is resting beside the pin because if the ball is wedged between the flag and the cup of the hole, you can move the flag and if the ball drops into the bottom of the cup, you’ve made a one. So, let’s see that about as misses. These include some whip outs. And once when a shot heading dead center bounced off the bounced back off the pin and we got to the green, we saw the flag stick was leaning so far forward there was no room for it to have dropped. Right. So it’s not resting against but it never stood a chance because of how the place I mean that’s unlucky. No, that doesn’t count. That’s just bad luck. I I’m happy to say that hole in one or none. I’ll welcome him into the hole in one club. Yeah, I would say so. Well, it’s your club, Michael. What do you think? Like, courses, it’s tricky, isn’t it? That is tricky. And there’s mitigation, isn’t there? But the way that he’s described it, the circumstances of that, you know, the the type of hole that it appears to have been, I have to listen, I have to take Pete at his word. Yeah. And decided you’re in the hole in one club, Pete. Yeah. Well done, Pete. Yeah. And if anyone says that’s not a legitimate hole-in-one, he because he says that, you know, numerous people believe this cannot be considered a hole in one as it was not a quote proper course. If you’re on a patch of ground that’s grass that has a tea that has a green scoreard, you’ve got a scorecard. Yeah. You’re using golf clubs to hit a golf ball. Yeah. You’re playing golf. Yeah. So, I’m giving you that. Yeah. I agree. Sorry. You cannot be part of my club, but these two losers are looking for a pal. Yeah. What he he throws in a PS by the way. Pete Pete’s got questions. All right. He says, “I’ve also had question the first time I broke 80 as it was a 79 on a par 70 course and not the quotes standard par of 72 shooting level par in my home course because the front nine was closed for maintenance and we played the back n twice and I that’s that’s a that’s oh there’s two things. No, three. And I once recorded a one over 72 only for the course be reappraised two weeks later and with no changes to the design or length be upgraded to a par 72. Oh, so it’s gone from a 71 to 72. I’m lost here. Right. Let’s pick these one at a time. The first time I broke 80 as it was a 79 on a par 70 course and not the standard part of 72. That’s nonsense. Like you you broke. Yeah, you broke it. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter. Yeah. When somebody says, “Well, it’s not a real 59 because it was on a par 70 course. It’s harder to do in a 59.” Exactly. The score is the score. The par’s absolutely irrelevant. You went round that golf course in less than 80 blows. It’s good enough. The US Open’s played in par 70 courses. You’re not going to tell me that if you broke 80 US Open, you’re not counting it. Yeah. Whoever’s questioning that, flick their ear like see that business to me. Next up, shooting level par in my home course because the front nine was closed for maintenance and we played the back nine twice. M put an asterisk on that one. That doesn’t count. No, that doesn’t count. Sorry. You’ve you’ve played nine holes twice. It’s the same. If it was a nine-hole course designed to be played twice, then yeah, absolutely. But it’s not. That one I put an asterisk beside. I wouldn’t Yeah. I don’t think it’s cut and dried really. Still played 18 holes. It’s a short level par. But you can’t say that’s your home course because it’s not. No, it’s nine holes of your home course twice. Where do you draw the line with this? What if I just went and played a really easy hole 18 times and pared it every time? You’re starting to sound like those people who are like, “Well, why don’t they all just say that they’re injured during the Rider Cup and then it would be a No, come on. It’s not far. Not far away. You know the point I’m making. Yeah, I’ve kind of I think it’s a gray area. Okay. And I once recorded a one over par 72. So he shot 72 on a 71. Yeah. only for the course to be reappraised two weeks later with no changes to the design or length be upgraded to a part of 72. So what’s the question? Is it you ask part or one over? I would say yeah. I mean to be fair they’ve probably changed one of the R4s to a par five or something like that to make a 72 surely. Yeah. But then when he played it was a par 71. So I think he’s he’s shot one over unfortunately. shot. You shot one over in the current state of the course. What was the power that day? Yeah. It’s like what was the standard scratch that day? It’s like it’s the same same for everyone. Exactly. What were the conditions on the day that you played it? I’m very sorry, Pete. We’re giving you some good stuff. We’ve given you a hole in one. Yeah, you got a hole in one out of it. So, calm down. Honestly, I mean, just simmer down. What’s your problem, Pete? I don’t want you. Yeah, great round. Great. Great round. Was killed to shoot 72. It’s great. And why why is he worried about the 79 if he shot 72 before? Yeah. Yeah. That’s comfortably broken. I know. That’s a That’s a good point. Thanks. I’m going to go back to the start. He called me Mr. Mcun and said the whole and none club’s a good idea. So Pete, you’re all right by me. You’re a good guy, Pete. You’re a good guy. I think you’re bragging. I think this is all just one big humble brag. Yeah, but I’m okay with it. You signed off yours expectantly hoping you can adjudicate this on your letters page or in your podcast. Pete Wells. I think we’ve adjudicated pretty well. I think fair. Good hole in one. Yeah. Well done, Pete. Right, gentlemen, that is it for this week. We’ve so actually we’ve only got two new additions to the hole and none club. Welcome David Long and Sean Besset. And yeah, welcome to the other clubs. Keep them coming. Let us know. Tell us your stories. Give us your rationale for being a member of the whole man club. This is growing arms and legs and before you know it, it’ll be the biggest club in golf. It probably already is to be fair, but I want to make it official. So, keep getting in touch and I will be sending out certificates of achievement or non-achchievement very, very soon. Gentlemen, thank you for your time. Much appreciated. So, off to Portugal. Safe travels. Thank you. Congratulations once again, Mr. Fraser. Excellent work. And we will be back again this time next week. Until then, ladies and gentlemen, it’s bye-bye for now.