Golf Channel reporter Todd Lewis joins Rex and Lav to discuss the highs and lows of a hectic year covering the PGA Tour. TLew offers up behind-the-mic insight and even some impersonations. #GolfChannel #GolfChannelPodcast
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Tales from a tumultuous Tour year with Todd Lewis | Golf Channel Podcast | Golf Channel
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Hello and welcome into this edition of the Golf Channel podcast with Rex and laugh today we have a special guest Rex and I are all talked out after a very busy year in the world of golf he’s been talked about on this podcast innumerable times but because we are selfish and
Because we are possessive we have never actually had him as part of a thre man weave he is Todd LS T thanks for joining us how are you uh I feel like I’ve just been placed into the VIP room uh of rexant laugh so thank you so much man
It’s an honor it’s a it’s a privilege I don’t have an Emy like you do have over your left shoulder um I have a pillow I’ll stick that in the background over here there you go and maybe you can get a get a look at that that’ll be my
Pretend in me if that’s all right see I warned them I warned him laugh I said no Todd voice I said no TV voice so you know what we’re gonna get when we hear TV voice just so you know oh that’s a good yeah that’s yeah we don’t we don’t want golf Central
Todd we want unbutton Todd we want lunchroom Todd we want three martinis deep Todd we’ll actually see how we go uh we we’re gonna try not to we’re gonna try not to interrupt each other too often we actually do that enough we just the two
Of us it it angers the the folks in the YouTube comment section uh to no end but we do hope this this is kind of an interesting look uh behind the scenes what we do why we do it some of our most memorable moments from the road uh so T
I’ll start I’ll start with this how would you describe your reporting year uh in one word oh oh man uh given what has happened this year it was chaotic I felt like I was in a linebacker breakdown position at all times because we never knew when we woke
Up each and every day what was going to be thrown at us uh I’ve called more people players agents caddies friends of of players that I have in my maybe my entire career um at the Golf Channel so um yeah it was it was intense uh it was intense and
It’s all basically you know around the piff PJ tour framework agreement and what we got to move forward so yeah it was it was intense I’m going to not push the button but he was really really close there lab I got to be honest with you you know
Didn’t ask me I’m going to go with just panicky for all the reasons that Todd just said just because it seems like every morning you woke up or every night when you saw something on your phone I just woke up in just in a cult sweat because I just knew that this isn’t
Gonna work out well like this isn’t gonna be best for me all right H Todd this is unfair we didn’t do a rundown as we said this isn’t real TV uh but I do have a list of questions so I know this is unfair to throw this at you so the
Way I’m going to do this is I’m going to ask the question and I’m going to answer it to give you and lab both time so as soon as I done giving the answer I’ll go straight to Todd and then lab can jump in basically just buying us time yes I’m
Just trying to be a good teammate here I’m just trying to do a little tap dancing give you guys some some time so I’m gon to start with since we all this is the craft that we all do what was the best interview you gave this year and it
Took me a while to come up with just one that to shows you what kind of year I’ve had and I went back to Eric Compton and I I interviewed him in January for a story that ran about Mel re which was the public golf course in Miami I say
Was because I just flew over Miami recently and saw that it’s been absolutely uh plowed under and Eric Compton grew up on this public golf course he was passionate about it and it tapped into to sort of that emotion of why we love the game and as a
Professional as someone who’s been on the PGA tour and one professional events it I always love when you can sort of crack that exterior and get past you know whatever it is that that makes them good which is usually some sort of blinders because they they have to
Protect themselves they have to make sure that they they don’t look too much into their feelings but in this particular case he really opened up there was a lot of emotion and I enjoyed writing that story Todd you know I mean that’s a good question I I really enjoyed interviewing
Brian Harmon when he won the open um because he out there yeah yeah yeah good dog uh he had been out there for you know for so long and you know he’s won on the PGA tour I’m not saying he’s an accomplished player or he’s not an
Accomplished player uh but you know he just hasn’t made that step to an upper tier player and for him in in what was a you know for for a dog was like you know playing at Brighton Denny Stadium uh he was over there and he was over there um
You know battling fans battling elements and you know and he just got pissed off and said I’m gonna win this and you know that was cool but I mean I think the most impactful one that I did was uh with Christian B now uh it was for um it
Was for a feature we did actually for the open um and if you don’t know his story he’s a PJ tour member is from South Africa but he has a severe has had one since childhood a severe stuttering issue and I thought it was courageous
For him just to get in front of a camera and do a long form interview with us uh and he talked about how he was bullied in high school uh how he just would come home and just go to his room and just stay at his room and um and if it wasn’t
For golf you know he probably you know no telling where he would be mentally and emotionally um but it was a refuge for him uh he was able to to grow and now he’s working with Arthur Blank and this University of Texas this stuttering program this research Development Center
Um that it’s doing a lot of positive things for kids and adults with some stuttering issues and you I I just thought it was very courageous and impactful as we as as he sat down and and talked about you know his past present and future T just to follow up
Real quick Brian Harmon uh in my opinion very underrated interview yeah he has his he has his reputation as kind of like the slow Southerner you know the the the British media had a field day with him at the open just basically thinking he was just some redneck like
He’s got thoughts he’s I find him very introspective I find him very thoughtful uh what have been your interactions over the course of your career with a reigning open Champion yeah he’s very smart I mean he’s involved in the governance and the PGA Tour he’s got a finance degree I think from the
University of Georgia uman so yeah I don’t I didn’t go to Georgia I wouldn’t know is that is that you know how would I know I mean pref preferably it would be the Grady School of Journalism then it’ be the Terry School of Business and then whatever else I
Mean it’s basically just a sheet of paper at that point well I went to the University of North Carolina Greensboro which is the Harvard of Guilford County so I just want you to understand that it’s Superior stuff very prestigious uh but I mean yeah I think yeah he he knows
What’s going he’s very invested very well read and very thoughtful and very smart yeah I mean he likes to hunt he likes to fish doesn’t make him stupid uh so I think he’s great uh to answer your initial question right for me this was an easy one it was my interview with Sam
Bennett uh that premiered uh on live from the Masters this is actually kind of a a funny story we wanted to do this in 20122 uh leading in to uh the NCAA Championship in 2022 we had uh blocked out time with Sam Bennett we booked flights to uh College Station where he
Was going to school at Texas A&M and then two weeks before we were supposed to leave for That interview shoot he texted me and said n man I think I’m good uh I don’t want I don’t want to share my story anymore I think it’s already out there enough we were kind of
Taken back a little bit pissed off to be honest with you and as fate would have it Sam Bennett in the summer of 2022 went on to win the US amateur and elevated his profile even more and so at the end of 2022 Circle back again and
Said we’d really like to do this story uh we believe your story and your narrative Arc has changed and uh we told him that his feature story would now run on live from the Masters and as you know T that’s the biggest showcase uh that we
Have on our Network and it was slated to run on Wednesday night and this is the kind of story that you’d think just runs once and probably never again right like the the reigning US amateur Champion he gets he gets to play the Masters it’s a cute little story uh
He’ll get he’ll get in the US Open as well and then he kind of goes on his way uh instead he played his way uh into the penultimate group on the weekend uh it was a very heartwarming story a story of Triumph uh a story of perseverance uh
His mom was great in it so that was uh the most personally uh rewarding uh and satisfying work uh that I did in 2023 in your initial comments TI you mentioned uh how chaotic the year was Rex you use the word panicky and it all revolves around
What happened on June 6th just curious from like a reporter perspective like what’ you what’ you do that day like what what was your day like take me take me from the start go Rex you tell your your story uh well no that actually falls in line
Well I think it it falls in line so I’m I’m going to not ignore lab’s question but I am going to I’m G to try to reposition this a little bit because I kind of referenced this as maybe a pinch me moment when when you’re doing your
Job and things just start to see become a little bit surreal and I was amazed how many of those I could come up with off the top of my head and certainly June 6th is one of them I think I’ve said this story on the podcast before I
Was standing in line in Atlanta airport trying to catch the flight from we were all coming from golf’s longest day uh uh I think Todd you were with me you were at the other event uh US Open qualifier in Columbus and so I was flying home and
And and it was again surreal I’ll go back to that you see I got the text from someone who had seen it uh I I immediately called um Golf Channel just asked them what they wanted me to do they told me to get out of line uh because I might
You know have to go on air from Atlanta airport I ended up going and flying home and getting to the studio I I I think that that’s probably number one on my list but I’ll say the the moment on Saturday night in Italy in Rome and Todd
You and I were together in the car park when Rory went after bones mcky that one’s probably number one on my list simply because you don’t get that in golf and you certainly don’t you’re certainly never fortunate enough to have a camera there to have reporters
Standing there to be live on TV at the time I mean that was something that that felt like real real TV to me Todd yeah that was that was you know that’s what television is about it’s the abstract and the norm and it invokes emotion there’s no doubt about it that was that
Was a highlight of the Year I’ll tell you my June 6 story you’re right how do you want me this is how I talk to you when I’m sitting beside you in the music no no that was Todd TV voice I want Todd lunchroom voice go ahead try it again oh
My God man look I’m already married I don’t need you um so I was you’re right it was the day after golf’s longest day I was in Columbus you were in Springfield right Rex correct cor right so I was asked to Tuesday Tuesday um night to drive to latro Pennsylvania this is the
Day after the longest day um June 6th that and be a part of a dinner that night and then on Wednesday host The Opening Ceremonies for the Palm cup uh which was you know prestigious honor I was really you proud to do it but before I jumped in my car to drive
To the trobe I got a chance to play golf and I was going to play golf at Double Eagle which is a really cool spot and your buddy of mine’s member there so you probably gonna send like this cheesy tweet out that said you know thanks for
The opportunity to play what a great layout the course was so well conditioned thanks to my friends we’ll see you next time right um correct on the fourth hole we’re my I’m we’re walking and my bag is just the the phone is not on silent and it is just
Ringing and vibrating and ringing and vibrating and like I’m trying to ignore it I’ll get to it later and it would not stop to the point where my standbag was about to fall down it was it was vibrating so much and then I pick up the phone and then I read the official
Statement I’m like oh my God this k can’t be true this somebody is punking me and that’s exactly what I thought and then text after text after text came and I had I walked off the golf course and so I jumped in my car and I’m on my
Phone I’m calling texting driving like stari and Hutch back to the Dublin Ohio dated reference oh my like our show just took a turn to aren’t you guys the same age this is just sad yeah to the Courtyard by the way I was taking Courtyard Rex uh and I just sat there
And did live shots a couple live shots in room 344 and then drove that night to lro Pennsylvania and the dinner was actually in Arnold Palmer’s house uh in lro where he grew up dud a humble brags no no no I’m I’m saying I’m I’m not saying it
That way I’m just thinking like hey man I’m here this guy created the PGA Tour and I’m in his house you know that’s where the event is and you know it’s still pretty much like it was when he lived there there and like wow this the entire golf world just turned upside
Down today so that that that that was just you know how many how many call how many calls did you make that day T oh gosh I haven’t I would say calls and texts close to a 100 how many how many were answered I would say a large majority of
Them mostly just everyone just being pissed yes yes yeah they were mad there’s no doubt about it they were pissed uh and a lot of them were most of them were players so yeah that was the that was the thing what was so I think we can all agree that was uh arguably
The most chaotic day uh in our Golf Channel 10 years maybe were you with Golf Channel during the hydrant the hydrant episode tiger oh yeah Thanksgiving 09 okay so I I would assume that would be on par with this what are like a handful of other like red alarm
Fire like we gota we we gota we got to do something we got to do something quick like through my career at the Golf Channel yeah like what would you what would you put what would you put that day on par with oh right I mean maybe
Probably the biggest I think it’s even greater than the hydrid episode because that affected I mean yes it did affect golf because it was Tiger Woods when he hit the hydrant at I worth and you know the PE of his powers he at the peak of his powers correct well yes it did
Affect golf but really it affected generally one individual yep um and that was Tiger and maybe a few others around him uh obviously it affected his personal life which you know was tragic but but man this this affects everybody this affects us this affects fans this this affects the entire Topography of
Golf so yeah this is by far the biggest Story how do you think it affects you as a reporter this is i’ I’ve got to say till this is a tumult uous time to be a golf reporter credibility reputations are seemingly Under Fire at all times people have accused Golf Channel analysts commentators
Reporters of Being propagandists for the PJ tour they’ve accused us of being in the bag for the PJ tour they’ve accused us of hating live simply because it threatens our livelihood what would be your response to that as an impartial career journalist look man I I get paid no one
Cares about my opinion I mean they I I I didn’t walk inside the robes I no one really cares about my opinion they they do care about facts so I like to you know I like to to have citizenship in in information town oh man that’s I I so I
Just try to get as much information as I can um be as Fair as you can if there’s one one side saying one thing then try to get the opposing side to make sure you you have a complete story and that’s it yeah but it is hard
Because I remember going to the PGA Championship in Tulsa and going up and talking to try try to have a conversation with Lee Westwood or Ian polter Grant McDow you know I’ve had great relationships with them professionally and personally throughout the years but they just said man I can’t
Talk to you you work for Golf Channel can’t do it and it’s just like okay you can’t separate I mean come on you know so between idual and between one individual as a reporter and another individual who is an analyst who gives an opinion so yeah it’s tough but it’s
It’s you know if you just follow your instincts as a reporter everything should be fine what have the past couple months been like for you t as the story has progressed I mean it obviously continues to dominate the news cycle there’s more news that’s coming out here uh in the
Month of December the rumor mill never stops churning it seemed like we took like a six-month reprieve right from like the the rumor mill really heating up and now uh it’s an overdrive as it tends to be with all matters related to the tour and live golf so as
The stories progressed how has your reporting sort of changed as well you well you used to uh when all this was happening you know just every little juicy rumor you would Chase and some of them weren’t even that juicy you know if you just had some kind of little
Inkling of what might be happening you would Chase Now you kind of after doing this for what I guess a year maybe a year and a half now you you kind of filter through what is you know what is credible and what is not so I guess
That’s basically it um but you know ju it’s it’s it’s chasing the unknown because you know I talked to players latter part of this year through the negotiations of this framework agreement and they don’t know um you know very few people know what’s going on uh even if
You look back at the framework agreement happening only really three people knew what’s going on so it’s it’s very hush hush it’s very hard to get information um but you’re getting kind of used to that you try as hard as you can I remember Rex saying at the
2022 Open championship at St and I don’t believe anything until I get a press release in my inbox confirming it you hear so much nonsense you hear so many rumors there’s so much innuendo uh there’s so many leverage PLO on both sides that like yeah you basically just wait for official
Confirmation and then you go from there Rex you’re you’re back on you had some internet issues welcome back this is a terrible angle not goingon to lie terrible angle servicing our our our YouTube viewers what what do you have to add to this uh well we want to
Transition now to the funny and and Todd this is what we do we we’ rather be very self-deprecating in this so I came up with a list of questions which I’m sure you’re not gonna like and again I’ll give you a chance to think this through
What was the worst question you asked in 2023 uh I actually have a list of them on my computer list of my questions no a list of my questions that that were really really bad uh and I’ll start with uh I asked Jay and you were sitting in
On this Jay Monahan that the commission of the PGA Tour had a round table with reporters at uh the St Jude the playoff of event in Memphis and I remember asking him about where his mind was at on June 6th we we we talked a lot about
We talked about a lot about the idea of what we were doing and I remember the look I got from him and had he had a gun in his hand I’m pretty sure he would have shot me in the [Laughter] face um he didn’t like the question uh I
He didn’t give me a very good answer I immedately I I got scared I I started leaking confidence I I hid in the corner for the rest of the round table because I didn’t want to go through that again and I realized that this is going to be
A touchy subject because he he clearly was going through things and he didn’t want to talk about him uh there is an i there is a outside looking in question I asked Scotty Sheffer in the Bahamas at the Hero World Challenge who he thought should be player the year he didn’t like
That question either so I got a bunch of them you get the idea where I’m going here what would be yours I mean Scott Scotty schy got kind of tired of talking about Ting putting putting putting I’ve heard I’ve heard I’ve heard his putting
Is a little of a concern right but but I mean generally he’s nice about it but you can tell he doesn’t really want to talk about it he’s done with it uh yes so oh we have Graphics wow the budget is amazing here at this show um God you know I let’s
See 21 minutes you asked you asked so many great questions that you literally can’t think of a bad one no player ripped your head off uh there was no awkward silence on television I find that incredibly hard to believe yeah me too I gota be honest just a Flawless Year from T
Everybody give him give him a round of applause give can you give me that bubble one more time can you give me that bubble one more time no no we’re not gonna do it you’ve been pretty good you’ve gotten away for TV Todd so I will
Give you credit on that front uh lab what was your worst question let’s let off the hook on this one give me time so I actually don’t even think it was a bad question um it was to Brooks Kea so there was the restart of the third round
On Sunday morning of the Masters right and Brooks Kea had I believe a four-shot lead when play was suspended on Saturday and when he came out on Sunday he was a little bit flat made a couple mistakes uh John ROM uh was starting his charge and obviously we know how that that
Ended uh in the final round but over the course of the resumption of play on Sunday morning Brooks kepa’s lead was cut from four shots to two shots and so if you look at the transcript I actually had to go back to make sure I asked it
As succinct as I remember that I did and the question was your advantage got haved how do you feel coming off that I mean is that not a fair question tou his his lead when he teed off on Sunday morning was four shots when he finished his round the
Completion of the third round it was two shots and he he bit my head off did understand the question I mean I think it’s pretty obvious I think half of half of four is two and so he goes haved what do you mean haved I started yesterday at
Two I’m just spitting facts to you I don’t know what else to say I’m in the same spot nope I said nope nope from the restart you started at four and now you’re up by two and he goes yeah I’m fine with two ended up shooting what 75 in the final round
Thatly that an awkward start to the day did you go nope nope did you do that probably NOP because that that would probably make you want to bite your head off yeah do you think that would probably instigate it no yeah I think you know you body language means
Something I mean I mean according according to the transcript I didn’t there wasn’t a nope nope nope you got that wrong it said simply from the restart uh and he was very short did you tell him did you that sound do it doesn’t say it does not
Say uh sausage finger in the air anywhere there but as you as you read the rest of the transcript like it’s just six or seven word answer so that was like a horrible tone Setter I still maintain that that was a very fair and actually a good question uh Brooks
Clearly disagreed and that set the tone for what was a disappointing hey Rex if you’ll give me some time I did have a bad question I did have a bad question it came it came at the PG Championship it was Wednesday prior to competition and Phil Mickelson was
Playing a practice round and so I grabbed my crew our crew our friends and said let’s go try yeah that’s right let’s go let’s go try to talk to Phil Mickelson and given his uh what’s the word I would use disdain and maybe that’s not strong enough for you know our support
You’re looking for so I and I I’ve never had a real problem with Phil it’s not like we’re tied or anything but we’ve had a good professional relationship and so I walked up to Phil and said here’s my bad question Phil can I get an interview that was my bad question
Because he looked at me and he said are you still working for the Golf Channel and I said I am he said well then that’s not gonna happen so my question to ask a question was my bad question uh and that’s the way I think most of these are
I mean honestly I don’t think it was a bad question I asked J Monahan it was just something he didn’t want to answer and I don’t want to get serious but this does sort of leak into something that the three of us I think should address
Where in lab you were at the soim cup you were there it was actually Alex melli who asked Lexi Thompson about I don’t know what I mean you you say what you would call the chip you were there I mean it was it was a terrible chip it
Was a shame there it is I didn’t want to use the SW word but you did and the Fallout from that is fascinating to me because the media has become the enemy in many circles in just life not not just golf life not just golf or sports
But just in general and somehow Alex melli who I don’t like him as my Ally here but he did ask a legitimate question because that should have been the first thing was asked in that particular situation and it wasn’t necessarily how Lexi answered it was how everyone else reacted that how dare he
Ask this question and my argument my comeback to that is that’s the only question that we should ask like look there’s plenty have questions that we probably are on the line about do we have a right to know when it comes to Golfers when it comes to certainly
Throughout the history of Tiger Woods’s career I can think of plenty of questions were that were borderline like do I have a right to know this something about his personal life that one in this particular context it’s the only question in my mind Todd yeah I mean look if if these
Players want us to you know want to show their brand and give their thoughts and emotions when they go out and shoot 63 and win then I think just as compelling for the viewer is if a player has a five shot lead lead heading into Sunday and
Shoots 74 and loses um they equally owe that they have look we have a beautiful responsibility to service our our readers our listeners our viewers and this is not I mean I completely you know I I embrace that and and frankly a player should embrace that as well I
Have to say in in regards to that Tiger Woods has done a lot of things in his career that are phenomenal but when he shows up at a tournament he understands where he is in the game pre-tournament always a press conference and I would say 95% of the time if he again he
Shoots 62 or 82 he he is he is standing in front of microphone and talking about how he played and I think that that is he has done so much to understand where his place is in the game and his responsibility to the fans I think it’s more just like there’s
A it’s a personal accountability issue correct I I just invoked Brooks kka and I think like Brooks kka is the perfect modern example of that he never Ducks it he may not be a great interview after he shoots 74 or 75 I mean he did he went
Into the uh the media building at the Masters after losing and I thought was was pretty good but he he never Ducks you he never Dodges you he never hides behind his agent uh regardless of what he shoots he goes and finds it it’s certainly a culture I think of the
Modern player for these guys to be insulated by their teams to hide behind them and to basically just portray an image when things are going well and I tend to have more respect uh for players who who understand that that’s not an accurate representation of who you are
As a professional athlete like can I go I I was just just just a like there’s this there’s this False Image that fans will only like you if you’re viewed as a winner right Ty 82 time PJ tour winner 15 time major Champion the arguably the most dominant athlete we’ve ever seen
And that’s what they think is popular and yet I would maintain that a lot of Rory Mary’s popularity a lot of Jordan spe’s popularity stems from the fact that these guys have shown their frailties have shown their Humanity uh and have shown that through obstacles through adversity they can still be standup
Professionals as well and not necessarily uh duck from any sort of scrutiny yeah I mean why do you think Ricky Fowler is so popular I mean another another another great example never never never Ducks never Dodges JT never Ducks never Dodges Ricky Ricky is popular because he’s dreamy let’s be honest here like
You really want me to answer that come on I will say this I mean JT is a perfect example if if you remember a few years ago he said what he shouldn’t have said at caloa um that was just an improper thing to say um and if you
Watch that inter he came on uh golf Central post game live with me and made no excuses I got to do better than that that is not a representation of me I am so sorry of why I said that and I you know I owe everyone an apology just
Completely with genuity no cliches you know it wasn’t like it was just real and and you can relate to that because none of us none of us are perfect we’re going to make mistakes uh J but JT went to the tiger School of personal responsibility and accountability I think he’s noticed
Over the years that that tiger as you mentioned you can probably count on I mean well the hydrant thing wasn’t great with tiger well I’m I’m talking I’m talking post I’m talking post round right accountability you could it’s probably between 10 and 20 times and Tiger’s career that he has not talked
And T and it’s typically because typically because because he either wded or was in so much excruciating pain that he needed to go seek treatment immediately like I talked to JT after he shot like what 81 or 82 this year at the US Open like that could have been a
Situation where a player bites your head off and you say hey man you got a couple minutes this chat nope what you what do you guys got from me and it was it was three minutes and we sent him on his way and I think it was Illuminating for
Readers listeners viewers to see what a guy’s going through when things are not going well right as opposed to he just shoots 63 at Firestone and blows away guys now and I I’ll do this since T just brought up accountability I think there is something to be said for the modern
Athlete and that there there is a they do want to put that shell around them and it’s protective it’s it’s to guard them against any doubts and you can’t have a doubt especially if you’re a golfer on the golf course I keep going back to the idea that when Jordan Speed
Hit into the creek on number 12 at Augusta had that question not been asked to him after the round I think Jordan himself would have been like what’s going on here like are you guys not going to ask me about the most important part of this round so I think it has a
Lot to do with personality I just kind of was taken by the fact that that was such a storm and it seemed like the obvious question again speaking of accountability this is the this is the one I really wanted to get to with both Todd and La What story do you wish you
Didn’t write a report and I’m not trying to to cut too deep here but I I have a really easy answer when I came up with this question and it’s every legal story I wrote not just this year but in the history of golf channel.com because Golf
Channel legal expert Rex hogard who has literally zero legal background zero legal background and I I had this conversation recently with another reporter Mark slal our friend from ESPN and how much he and I connected on this because again neither one of us have a legal background and you get into these
You get you get kind of placed in these situations where you don’t feel comfortable and by and large I felt like I at least had enough of an understanding to talk about it but there were times when I’m trying to to figure out exactly what a Latin phrase is and
That as a reporter is terrifying so for me it’s every legal report I wrote this year Todd man I I don’t know how I can’t thank you enough Rex for standing beside me during live from or golf Central and having to explain all that legal Le because I’m like you I don’t know
Anything about it and I I am I have really mastered the pivot right to you let’s go down to Todd with our friend Rex hogard Rex what you got great father great Marine Rex man the court cases are heating up what do you have you know I
Mean that is that is great I put that on TV boys yes what do you have that’s I love that I’ll give you I’ll give you that TV voice that’s good that’s uh yeah I mean that is look it’s and when I don’t have my friend and
Expert Rex hoger beside me on television and I’m asked to do that oh that’s that’s that’s kind of tough that’s sh is up I you know I there wasn’t at Rex lab you know the story but it was kind of recent when Justin I was asked uh to do a report on Justin
Thomas who was not playing well and so I made some calls to him in his camp and he Justin said hey are you I asked him are you still working with your dad and he said yes I am um but I have kind of stepped away from him a little bit to
Kind of own my own swing some some more um because because I’ve been doing is I hit a bad shot on the Range and I just looked to my dad and said why am I doing that and I’ve kind of like learned I think he picked this up from Tiger is
That I need to figure this out myself and not lean so much on my teachers so I reported that and of course social media took what I said and kind of exas dam aggregating accounts exasperated say like Todd Lewis is saying that he’s that Justin Thomas
Is no longer working with his dad and then and then a media Outlet a very prominent one reached out to Mike Thomas’s dad his dad who name names no no name names who it was you know to to kind of clarify here it wasl Golf Digest
Dave shoski and so and so then now Mike Thomas is mad at me because I I reported the facts and then it gets twisted around and it’s just like so you know like no i’ never said that Mike you were not working with your still working with
Your son D so that I don’t I don’t mind I I I happy how are things how are things now T have tensions simmered yeah we I mean I text him and I sent him the clip of my report and everything he said thanks and so I think things are fine uh
But uh it’s just you know again that you have you it’s things can be spun in so many different ways through the cowardness of social media to be honest with you and irresponsibility uh that’s the danger of Twitter uh I looked yesterday I’ve not tweeted since October 1st
Uh and without a blue check mark since they took it away from me I’m no longer motivated to do so are you like Patrick Klay are you not tweeting out a protest I I just have I just have a team I have I have a team that’s pumping out any
Social content for me Rex and I did start a Tik Tok I know you’re familiar with that GC Rex and La we’re up to 10 followers although we do have plenty of likes and the views are you guys doing dances and stuff like that that I
Say good we save we save that for others uh this is going to be rapid fire section of this podcast t uh favorite stop on the PJ tour schedule you can take that whatever you mean if you could play this could mean your free golf this
Could mean the best food this could be the best people watching your favorite golf course whatever the case may be is your best stop on the tour schedule I love the majors but they are so intense for us and and we work so many hours it’s hard to say that it’s your favorite
But it’s definitely the most fulfilling I would say professionally um there are a lot that are kind of Little Gems out there um I think the memorial in Dublin is great it’s really cool because why well you get in ela field uh you get great parking you can park right there
On site which I know you guys get all the time that’s the good stuff yeah it’s good that is the good stuff anytime you got to get in a shuttle to the golf course is go sucks we sound like such a elst don’t you’re being honest I’ll give you credit
You’re being honest I appreciate this uh and the town just Embraces it and you know it’s it’s you know great Dublin’s a great little little small City actually a suburb of Columbus so I like that God man it is I you know me it is it is
Really hard I am really fortunate it’s just been the first two weeks of January in Hawaii it is it is just hands down difficult to beat some of us some of our departments have budget cuts some of us on this podcast have actually never been to the century Tournament of
Champions you should go it’s a lot of fun man it’s great mean parking is great some of us on this podcast T actually had to pay their own way to go to Maui on vacation they don’t get to do a little bookend trip around New Year’s
They don’t stay for a couple extra days in honol I know I know Rex isn’t welcome there anymore after his Robert Allenby investigation when oh yeah went sour I’m not sure if we can talk about that one that was certainly one of the worst interviews the Rex has ever done uh but
But our our heart aches for you as as we start mapping out our schedule for the John deers of the world and the Sanderson Farms of the world I thought the question was what is your favorite I didn’t realize I was get ridiculed for honestly answering no no I appreciate
Your honesty now I’m gonna I’m gonna ask for more honesty because I’m going to flip this and ask you what’s the worst event oh no come on you can’t do that that’s not fair you just talked about the coward you just talked about the Cowardly behavior of those on social
Media and now you’re GNA back out I will give mine I’ll give mine right off the top and arn Palmer it’s the Arnold Palmer Invitational and this only has a little bit to do with the actual tournament it’s a home game for me I live on the wrong side of Orlando so
It’s the longest commute of the year it’s the worst parking of the Year again being very shallow being very simple it’s it rains right up there with the worst food in the media center every year and probably the worst part is everybody wants a ticket you can
Sympathize with this T because I I I see you jumping through hoops trying to get tickets for all your friends and your relatives and everyone wants to come out that week it’s just too much going on outside of the golf for me to actually enjoy the event the event’s great like
The legacy of oal Palmer this has nothing to do with any of that it’s just logistically the worst event for me of the Year Todd your turn you know I ditto ditto Rex yeah coward I’m gonna jump on that bandwagon because I will say the Arnold Palmer invitation
Hang on I got the Arnold Palmer Invitational is is a great tournament but but like you said I mean it is amazing to me I mean people think that I have a printer that just prints off tickets at my house it is crazy and and they don’t they don’t want just walk
Around tickets no no get me up to the place where they have free food and open bar please we need about eight eight of those that’s called The Steve stand Suite yeah okay true but but I have an addendum to that there’s also the wind of Championship which is in my hometown
Of Greensboro North Carolina and not only are tickets generally being requested for me but I’m also and it’s a lovely thing too you got friends you got family members that you haven’t seen in a while when you come home and you’re trying to obviously cover the event as
Well and it’s you know it’s incredibly taxing but they’re both great events they’re great events they’re just a little they’re harder to work uh laugh he said people want good tickets and sweet tickets and by that I think I he meant a very specific person no they’re people there’re groups it’s a person
It’s a person for no there are groups that want them but yes yes yes there’s there’s yes yes true this happens to be very close to you uh I’ve got a couple and this is just gonna sound like I’m dogging on pach T trims I’m I’m with you
Like I’ll never cover Bay Hill again uh for different reasons many of which you have also mentioned Zurich Classic uh I don’t I haven’t covered that one in a while used to I used to love that tournament we used to have uh we all
Three of us are on PDM now we used to have what was called a reasonable dinner expense which I found to be $85 before the company would eventually send it back to me and so covering the Zur classic from Monday to Monday with a reasonable dinner expense uh I’ve been
To every great Restaurant in New Orleans I know like ex if I’m going to do a three-day two night trip in New Orleans I know exactly where to go to maximize all my food options but the actual tournament the actual tournament is Dreadful the media center food is bad
TBC Louisiana absolutely stinks uh so I’m going uh with that one uh I’m sure you guys have both covered the Waste Management Phoenix Open uh our media center is in like this cart Barn underneath the clubhouse uh it can get a little uh moist in there uh which is not
Great yes God yes don’t say that they say it’s a dry heat uh but I promise you in the cart Barn it very much is not and the actual the actual scene out on the golf course is is just absolute Mayhem but it’s only concentrated on in like four holes the
Rest of it is is a ghost town but in those four holes it’s just not my scene personally like there’s people doing cocaine in the bathrooms having relations other like it’s just it’s just an absolute mess scar open I’m not I’m not I’m not going to cover that one uh
Ever again it’s like I think it would be great to go as a fan as a media member especially during the Super Bowl uh no I can find myself Ryan I yeah I would go to your boss and say I’m never covering that again covering that again and see
If you can get it’s really cool man it’s a nice place I mean it’s really the parking fantastic don’t see cocaine in the bathroom there smells so good the flowers it’s just I mean I drove I drove past the rits it looks great I just actually haven’t covered
A golf D there Mama’s Fish House shout out M Fish House absolutely delicious tou as you look ahead to 20124 uh you’re not going to the Olympics Rex is doing your job for you that week but what else are you looking forward to doing uh in the new year uh well looking forward
To let’s see uh I mean I I I mean us opens in my home state I’m looking forward going to Pinehurst uh so that’ll be fun um and I’m actually looking forward to the President’s Cup I think it’s you know I’ve talked to Trevor emman I’ve talked
To Mike Weir I I I think that’s that’s going to be an intense environment not saying it’s G to be like Rome oradian Canadians intense environment those two are let me just say they you guys know they love golf up there they love golf outside of hockey you know I think golf
Maybe number two up there um so I think it’s going to be yeah I think it’s going to be a great environment I’m I’m looking forward to the president cup and I I God man I’m a I’m a big red white and blue guy I Lov my country but you
Know I there’s a part of me that wants the international team to win I mean because I think it would be you know great for the series and you know be kind of cool but I you know I still I want to go out and enjoy enjoy the bit I
Think that’s going to be fun unless unless cam Smith’s coming through that door I don’t see an international victory in 2024 as as much as I just dogged rex on on the New Orleans Food in the media center I’m looking forward to the President’s Cup as well I know we no
Longer have the reasonable dinner expense we do have prdm we’re going to be stockpiling our prdm Montreal is quite possibly the best food city in the world uh wife and I did a trip there last year I know exactly where we’re going it is incredibly expensive uh but
Arguably the best two meals I’ve ever had were in Montreal t feel free to join us oh thanks early week yeah thanks buddy appreciate that you’re welcome is there anything else you want to get to Rex you you and I will be doing our own personal favorites and look ahead to
2024 so won’t bog down the viewers uh with that but any other memorable moments from the year T that you want to share before we get you on your shuttle yeah uh let’s see um well I would have to say you know again coming coming on this podcast is right up there
For sure uh pandering we love pandering very good yeah yeah that’s cool I I still um I I’m I’m hoping that we can have a seminar that you could help me understand the separation between TV voice and lunchroom voice because I don’t I don’t get it you do get it you
Just pretend I don’t get it we’ve had this conversation a thousand times okay go ahead Cy actually why don’t you give me a description let’s do a Rex give me give me your of Todd Lewis lunchroom voice and then Todd Lewis TV voice you were just doing Todd Lewis at lunchroom voice
It’s it’s it’s light it’s Airy it’s a little uh little uh soprano uh and it’s just fun you’re telling stories we’re laughing we’re talking about food we’re talking about whatever the case may be TV voice is as soon as the camera comes on and you turn to John Foo our famous
Cameraman and I you can even see it in your body language you kind of do you do a little shift do a little sh shimy yeah yeah and you make a show of bringing the the mic up and you’re usually and this he’s always caught off guard how is he
Always caught off guard they literally tell you in your ear when they’re coming to you this is the ultimate Todd Lewis move where he’s hearing three two one and he’s looking down and it’s like he’s surprised that he’s in living room hi there oh hello friend oh it’s you yeah and
It’s four octaves below what what you are right now and it’s very slow it’s very measured it’s professional man like you think we’re making fun of you this is nothing but respect out of I’m holding a an imaginary microphone I’m sitting here holding an imaginary microphone uh this is only only because
Lav and I can’t do it like we’re bad at it so we I mean we’re also like authentic and genuine and I think what I think what you’re trying to say correct me if correct me if I’m wrong you’re saying that that t has two different personalities uh I don’t think that’s
That’s out of the RM of possibility I’m not saying he’s a psychopath but he has the qualities of a psychopath all right well I’m taking you to I’m taking this podcast now as my highlight of the year off the list now just ridiculous I do not have two
Different personalities I I don’t feel myself talking differently but okay all right I’m gonna work hey I’m getting ready to a live shot at some point here this week uh after this podcast so I really do pre appreciate you making me feel insecure thank you so much this
Really that’s what friends are for no no again I keep going back to the idea that you a you are a professional lab and I are not we have nothing but a appreciation to the idea uh no not the idea you are a profession we have nothing but we have
Appreciation and admiration for what you do we’re just blown away by the idea that one moment we can be telling fart jokes that’s what we do when the camera’s not on and the next moment you hear 32 one and you look up into the lights surprised somehow that you’re on
TV and you immediately break in to the Todd LS voice the other thing that and this is so mean the other thing that you do that I think this that I think is so funny is watch Todd when he gets done with an interview even with me like it’s
Not like I’m going to run away but when he gets done with an interview with the player he literally grabs their arm and I think it’s to keep them from running away no well yes actually because the protocol the choreography of the definitely not to touch is definitely
Not to touch the athlete that’s definitely the protocol let’s be let’s be I have now I have yet to see a memo from the tour on that um you will when I’m doing a winning interview champ the the champion is generally holding the trophy and they they have to do an interview
With uh the the television network they have to do XM radio and then they get to me and what we do is we start on what’s called a two shot so it’s me and the champion and then I turn and then they the camera goes in tight on the guy who
Won and then I say finally finally Champion I ask that champion a question and then I stand beside him and then they pull out on a two shot and to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere I do put my hand on his back and say here he is
Victor hlin your fattic scope Champion back to you that TV voice just like that hey no we’re talking about we’re talking about the boops on the on the forearm we’re talking about the Bops on the knee ands we’re talking about boops and Bops you always you always touch the athlete
Before you send them on their way this it’s so I I need take some freaking notes here all right so I have one more one more I know you gotta catch a shutt I want to make this quick and and and look you this is going to force you
To throw someone else under the bus and I know you’re wildly uncomfortable with that what’s the craziest thing you heard someone else say on TV you know what a colleague of yours I’ve got mine off the top of my head and I’m gonna throw him
Under the bus we all love Steve Sans but lab and I are sitting with him doing our thing at Augusta and that that very fancy set overlooking the beautiful range and Steve was being maximum Steve and he actually has the hand thing as well and I think he actually reached out
And touched my knee and he was going to break and he said uh come back soon we’ll be back soon to the Augustus and he literally stopped himself and said and said out loud what am I saying at Augusta National that was funny I remember seeing
That profal and he’s so smooth and it just came out like I would have panicked I would have probably carled onto the floor got into the field position like started sucking my thumb like I would have just never I’d been unreconcilable but he just kept rolling with it what
What did you hear this year that got just got you what did he just say oh that’s a good question let’s see um any like Freudian slips T Oh Yeah from meone those those are always fun yeah obviously you always had a perfect interview oh we already established that
Touching massaging um boops and Bops yeah God I can’t really think I you know again I can’t think of any I mean the brand that comes out of his mouth I mean you know you know it’s just you know just the stuff that he says you know look at that
Straighter than you could point you know and that’s you know stuff that is just amazing it’s just yeah he is us give us one give us a brand like you have one off the top of your head you’re just you’re reluctant to do it I mean oh
I um you know he he’s you know he’s look at him he’s built like a Greek god he’s just walking down the pharaoh you know stuff like that you know Tiger Woods he’s got the shape of V you know shoulders big and his waist is small most of them are Us’s
He’s a consonant there vowels you know that kind of thing you know this is great it’s funny I mean yeah you know he’s informative and entertaining he’s he’s got that great little balance there uh maybe brandle will be the podcast guest after this roasting I’m not sure you’re particularly complimenting him I think
It’s fantastic no I’m saying I’m I’m not sure you’re gonna be to come back on this golf shell podcast that was TV voice the New Year TV voice yeah yeah it’s okay it’s okay you have you have a you have you have a split personality disorder they do have
Medication you got plenty of time before you actually go to Hawaii I to get that sorted out T thank you for joining us know you have to know you have to catch uh a shuttle appreciate your insights appreciate your friendship uh look forward to doing it again in the new
Year with you uh thank you guys for listening hope you enjoyed this uh sneak behind the scenes with the one and only Todd Lewis on this Golf Channel podcast with Rex and La Rex and I’ll be back uh next week for more as we wrap up the
Year that was in 2023 and look ahead to the New Year in golf which promises to be as captivating as ever
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