Former PGA Tour caddie, and current on-course reporter for NBC, John Wood, joins Quiet Please this week. No stranger to the pressure cooker that is the Ryder Cup, having caddied in seven Ryder Cup’s events – John offers his candid insight into the European Team victory and Marco Simone. A can’t miss show!
Welcome folks to another episode of quiet please the golf podcast and we have got a great panel because it’s Ryder C Ridder cup recap week uh Allan Dew I was on assignment last week missed a great one Andy uh hior with uh almost called you Andy bonus from another time in my golfing
Career I had a Andy bonus there but uh Andy hior joining us once again you guys had a great show last week uh yeah we had we had a couple Legends of the LPGA Tour on last week and legends of the game without question uh also joining us
You were on assignment as well and I believe you’re sitting in State College PA right now so you suddenly better have become a uh Penn State grad is Christian nus pretty a pod podcaster in golf and literally folks dialing in as I hit record bourbon Bob baldari joining us once again hello
Bobby feel like I’m out here on the golf course I I was gonna say are you literally doing a podcast from sitting in a golf cart is there no more is that’s classic he’s on his I’m I’m yeah I’m on an easy go I’m literally coming
Down the 10th hole at the Woodford Club we’re getting ready for the LPGA Legends event tomorrow we’ve got nine sounds sounds like Bob’s been drinking the bourbon I was gonna say Bob Bob’s been drinking the bourbon and I got to our special guest rounding out the the
Uh the panel tonight I mean if there’s anybody with boots on the ground it’s it’s John Wood welcome to quiet please it is an absolute pleasure to have you thanks for having me this will be fun uh picked a good week to come on with what happened last week what did did anything
Go on I don’t know I don’t know I would I would before we even get started I’d love to say that you know John Jon’s background was was on the PJ tour you know he caded for Matt coocher Hunter man Kevin Sutherland and others he was in the Olympics um for coocher
Bronze medal um and I think a few years ago when NBC decided to put Bones on um as an OnCourse reporter I think that really changed the Dynamic of of watching television Golf and I think that such a valuable proposition that they did and now having John on um it I
Think it’s just great Insight um to have you out there giving you know through your eyes what goes on on the PGA tour no I appreciate that you know it was all Tommy Roy’s idea from the NBC producer he just uh I think he would Hur hear me
And bones while we were catting and the discussions we would have with our players and I think he kind of got tuned in there’s a lot more there than just 1529 iron um yeah and that’s kind of what I’ve tried to do is is is you know really get across what they’re really
The the kernel of the shot is and what they’re trying to get to um the discussions and um because you being out there so long you notice body language you notice a lot of things from the guys that that really doesn’t come through on
TV so um I just try and get as deep as I can in in the amount of time that I have Andy I got to interject Christian’s the only one here that get 1529 iron anymore speak speak for yourself there Mr 60 shoulder turn I got I got a big
Shoulder turn without now Allan it’s pitching yeah most guys it’s a pitching wedge exactly but I can also hit an eight 150 if I need to so all right John we all have a ton of questions I’m GNA come out I I want to jump in first
Because I’m GNA come out from a different an angle I just saw some early Returns on the TV ratings and it ratings were down this year uh compared to the last time overseas in France and people people have even chiming in on Twitter about how it’s uh oh that’s the tiger effect
Which is valid I gotta believe do you think it’s because the maybe a little bit earlier start do you think it was because of Europe taking that big lead out of the gate I mean got got any yeah to me it would be a combination of things one obviously Tiger Tiger brings
In the non-golf fans which you know he is the needle yeah nobody else brings in those those people who aren’t normally interested in golf um obviously the time it was awful but I think had the Americans come out and had been 3-1 in the first session they they’re up or 2-2
Even I think it totally changes the week but once that happened and the fact that they won the afternoon session as well I think people kind of probably tuned out a lot thinking there’s no way there’s no chance um and it was going to lack the
The buzz that we haven’t had at a rer cup for a while on a Sunday they’ve had a lot of lot of blowouts lately so I think it’s probably a combination of those those things yeah I agree I agree completely I mean when I woke up in the morning and I
Saw that we were down 40 early I thought for sure I was like does this team have it and their like in them to fight back right and I think that was the biggest question mark with this team to begin with was like you know one was at the
Right team a lot of people gave Zack Johnson a lot of crap for a few of the picks that he had um I thought watching it yes however I just wish that um we got an extra point or two for that matter um you know in the four balls
Because that like you said that would have made a huge difference I think tremendously in the abely right Christian in the in the alternate shot or in the four ball in the fors in the forums yeah yeah got it yeah I think both formats both formats that the you
Know um Americans had some issues closing out matches they were one up on quite a few coming to 18 and they would lose 18 and that’s a huge half point you know um and those add up quickly so had the Americans done one of two things had
The Saturday team shown up on Friday or if they’ closed out those matches that they you know went to tie on 18 I think it’s a different week so tell us a little bit about the golf course because you know there’s a lot of talk about how you know Luke
Donald wanted it set up so that you know there’s not a lot of wed shots and that there was a lot of mid irons and longer approach shots into the greens and um do you put a whole lot of uh Credence into that theory and and that setup and how it favored the
Europeans um yes and no I think it it did just statistically um Eduardo moliner was their stats guy that’s his new business now now he does stats um incredible Guy and um that’s what the stats were saying that Americans were much better at wedges um and so Luke
Tried to design a course that didn’t have a lot of wedges and and he did he did a great job of it there were a lot of um you know it seems like five to seven irons and reachable Par fivs and drivable par fours there weren’t a lot
Of you know holes where you just get hit a wedge in so if that was his goal he he did he did good job um that being said I think uh the big the big takeaway for me is five weeks off for the Americans most
Of the Americans I think that was it I mean I think that was it I think the Saturday team was ready to fight they fought in singles um they fought on Saturday I just don’t think they were quite ready to go on Friday and I can
Only attribute that to to five weeks off for a lot of the guys I definitely agree John yeah that that was my big takeaway that they’re just anybody’s GNA play that first round you’re a little rusty you start to feel better and then the back against the won when they came out that
Last day and they always play well on Singles uh you know I think we we really want to ask you your take also on the Ricky Fowler given the putt there um games known as gentlemanly Rick is a really nice guy but in that circumstance what’s your take yeah I was shocked I
Mean Brad Faxton said it live as it was going on no way is that going to be good and then he picked up the coin so I think everybody was shocked um Ricky is is one of the greatest guys in the world um I haven’t talked to him uh I think my
First thought was I wonder if he knew what the if he was mistaken what the situation was that was my first thought when I saw it but um it didn’t seem like he was confused it it seemed like he just kind of decided this was he was
Going to give this one and then um I don’t know I I I just I don’t think most people would have given that but other than the television people what like was there any other Talk Amongst even the team that you know Ricky what are you
Doing I see we didn’t I I didn’t have any access to the team after the round um it was you know such Chaos on 18 as you guys saw and they just they just go right into the team room so um you know in the in the coming weeks I’ll probably
Talk to some of the caddies and say you know what was the thinking and you know what else and was going on in the team room and and and all that so um I’m sure there was some head scratching at the fact that he gave that putt but um
Nothing you can do about it now well I don’t want I don’t want to bounce all over from Friday to Saturday to Sunday but you you touched on CAD so we gotta ask the question the per the perfect segue of course yeah that was you can
Tell you’re in TV because that was a great segue John thank you what happened with the oh my gosh I was right there I was on the back of the green and you know the crowds were uh very partisan which they should be um but it got personal with Patrick out
There all day it was a very ugly day for him in terms of what people were saying to him um non-golf related stuff and um he handled it extremely well he really didn’t react all day he just you know stayed laser focused played great golf Birdie the last three and when that
Happened the the entire American team was on the front of the green so they took their hats off in tribute to him because he hasn’t been wearing a hat and and you know started whipping it around which the crowd had been doing to Patrick all day long I mean it was just
What they decided to to key in on on Patrick um Joe from my when I saw it I didn’t think Joe was that close to Rory’s line he was he wasn’t moving but Rory was looking at it kind of from the side he was about 20 feet away and when
Rory came around and Joe was right there I just think it was a misunderstanding because I don’t think Joe went into Rory uh Rory turned around from reading it from the side and Joe was just there and once that happened um it maybe looked to
To feel I know it felt to Rory like he was going in on him and and not leaving his line when he when he asked him to um and then Shane Lowry got involved from the back of the green started yelling at Joe Joe yelled back um I think it was
You know honestly a big misunderstanding because I think Joe was mostly facing his teammates trying to to whip his hat and and kind of join them in their celebration and and Rory felt he was too close and that tournament is so emotional it is from honestly from Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday practice rounds everything is emotional about that week and in such a big moment everything’s amped up so I’m sure Rory’s adrenaline was going 90 miles hour as was Joe’s um and it it you know it happened I wish it hadn’t but um my understanding is they’ve texted I
Don’t think they’ve talked but um they’re both good guys um and I think they both like each other genuinely it was just the situation got out of control and um it was it was unfortunate uh but it did add did add a little fun to the writer cup I will say at that
Point see here’s here’s a here’s a cue when when Andy starts leaning in he wants to make a point but I’m gonna interrupt real quick here because I gotta what did Shane actually say and the other thing is I saw today on Twitter a panned out version of the end
Of that where Rory and Joe have the conversation there’s you can see there’s continued dialogue and then Joe obviously you see him wave his hand but when you pan that camera shot out you see he’s more waving his hand at it was either Rory’s caddy or one of the
European caddies who had said something to him also so yeah he was I know he he was I I I think Harry Diamond Rory’s cadd he just asked him you know Joe move back that’s out of you know you’re too close and that’s Joe was doing that to him um not
Rory um but you know I think if Joe could do it over with I think he would he would still you know wave the hat but maybe not not get where he was I just think the emotions were were off the charge there and as Joe said to you know
Shane Lowry I think just yelled at him get out of the way um and and Joe basically said we’re getting our butts kicked here I’m gonna celebrate the fact that we’ve done one thing good um so it it’s just uh I think by the next time those two see each
Other I think they’ll be fine really yeah the the the one thing that I kind of stuck out to me in that whole exchange was you know and I I saw what what you said John where you know Joe was kind of celbration a little bit and
I think he got in Rory’s way as Rory walked back around to to get behind his putt but then once they said something it looks like Joe took a couple steps toward Rory again and to me that’s where it looked a little odd yeah no I don’t I
Don’t doubt that and I I think I think he was moving towards Harry because Harry was talking to him as well but you know that’s no excuse I um I just I haven’t I talked to Joe right after it happened and I haven’t talked to him since then so um like I
Said tensions are run extremely high it was a huge emotional moment and uh I think they would rather do it over if they could you know I’m sure I I agree completely and I’m more I’m more curious to see your thoughts on the whole can’t lay situation because I know he was in
The news a lot this week as well regarding just his like why he’s not wearing a hat that kind of stuff I don’t know if you’re allowed to touch on it or not but that’s just my I mean because I I have my thoughts on it personally but I’m
Just like I’m just kind of curious to see what you think of it yeah I mean it’s all rumors we don’t know for sure um right um I know I know he was getting married he got married on Monday and he didn’t want that tan line for the wedding pictures I
Mean that was one thing that was going around which makes perfect sense to me um but there’s always there also the rumor about you know money the money issue coming up um and I I have no idea honestly I saw what Xander’s dad said um about you know the players trying to
Have some leverage in this event um I don’t know I haven’t spoken with any of them about it um I’m sure if that did happen I’m sure they’ll expand on it you know you know soon um but for it to happen during the week obviously it’s very unfortunate and that
That tournament takes a lot of energy and to let energy go away to something like that I think was was uh pretty wasteful no I agree because I I genuinely think it is the best like tournament to watch period like I will put that over any major I will put it
Over our own United States open like any any tournament period the Ryder Cup is the best hands down tournament to watch it’s it’s the best everything it’s the best to commentate it’s the best to caddy um that was like president’s cups are fun but Rider cups you just it
Killed you if you weren’t in that room on the team it just you know after you’ve done one knowing what the week is like it kills you not to be there for another one so it is it’s the best tournament in golf it’s the most passionate most emotional um it brings
Out some incredible golfing people and um I’m the same it’s it’s the I’m I’m totally with you it’s better than anything else yeah hey John yeah I used to work at the PGA headquarters and I had the all access badge so I went from one extreme to the other it was it’s a
You know I feel like some of the unwashed now just walking around but um I want to ask you about the situation with Max hom and forgive me I’m blanking on his CAD but that situation in that cauldron on the 18th hole and and from
What I heard from Max was his CAD he saying let’s let’s make take an unplayable lie and to think clearly in that situation as as a player relying on you to try think clearly because they’re so wound up um I thought that was a really really great um scenario that
Played out oh I was it was incredible I mean there’s good cading and there’s great cading that was great cading to think of that option um because the ball when I saw the ball my immediate thought was this is this is missable I mean even
If you were just trying to chip it into the bunker or chip it to the front of the green there’s no way he could have gone it the hole because it would have come out so hot just to get it out of that lie it would have gone in the water
Um so while they’re going through that and Max is kind of taking stances here and there and trying to decide what to do I think Joe Griner um he yeah Joe grinder just a good player great caddy great guy um he was um we’re able as cadd I think a good
Cadd is able to stay unemotional about the shot players have feels we don’t have any feels it’s all it’s all data driven or here’s what we see um and when he was thinking when they started talking about chipping it out or just knocking it down into the bunker I think
That’s when the light went on to him and he looked right behind there there was a fairly bare spot and he said you know why would we try even try that when we can be guaranteed a pitch shot from here and I think that’s when when Max
Immediately light went on for him as well uh but to come up with that decision to talk your man into it um it was one of the best caddy calls in a pressure situation I’ve ever seen so that leads into that leads into what something you touched on you just mentioned it
Again put it into words for I mean you you’ve already highlighted it for the for our listeners for someone who’s not been there Bobby is you know Mr all access back in his his days um what’s it like to be in that pressure cooker I mean what’s it like to
Have 20,000 fans giving you an ol on the first T box or I mean it’s like no it’s like a sec football game that you’re playing golf at I mean that’s really what it feels like it’s a um it’s the only tournament I was ever nervous on a
Tuesday H because the every hole is lined five deep on a Tuesday Wednesday Thursday all the practice rounds but the special thing about the week and I think this is what makes it so special is week in week out it’s you and your player that’s it I mean you root for your
Buddies here and there there if they’re in contention but it’s just such a a lonely experience a solo experience but you know once a year either President’s Cup or Ryder Cup you get to really get inside your peers heads both the caddies the players how do they prepare what do
They think of this whole um you get to know them much better as people because you spend every moment together as a team you know you’re eating every meal together um and if there’s any outings you’re walking the courses together um and I think just that being on a team
And playing for something else and somebody else is just such a special feeling um one of one of the most unforgettable probably the most unforgettable moment of my career uh was being out with Hunter when we were out last against Gran mcdal and the matches completely
Came down to that one match um we were two down I think Hunter birdied 15 um you know and then hit the the horrible chip on on on 17 which you know it happened um that being said if I could change the outcome I would but I wouldn’t have changed that
Experience for anything at one point you know with about five holes to go every single player every person on the property everybody’s with that group and um you know you try and stay in your own little bubble which we were I think we were able to do for the most part but um
The experience I wouldn’t trade that experience for every for anything at one point I thought how many people get to caddy with the rder cup on the line you know I mean it’s it was pretty special um and even though you know Hunter ended up losing that match and we lost the
Ryder Cup it was um it’s just it’s I can’t I can’t explain what those weeks mean meant to me and mean to most people so two part question for you the uh how many different Rider Cups did you CAD in uh seven seven wow seven yeah two wins
With uh Hunter at uh at um bahala and with cooch at hazeline wow and I worked for Chris Riley um and Mark covia as well at different writer cups so so second part of the question is after being you know on the bag during Rider cups and then now being inside the ropes
Reporting has your view of the event changed has it heightened I mean give give me a little little insight of of uh that Dynamic yeah it hasn’t changed my my thoughts on the event it’s still um the biggest the biggest thing in golf I mean guys want to in Majors obviously
But in terms of what it feels like what the pressure is like um it’s like every every hole is the 18th hole at a major that’s what it feels like um and like I said the emotions you get to share with other people I think make what what
Makes it so special so no doing what I do now uh that’s the one week I truly miss cadan because to be in there it’s something else I think everybody raises their level a little bit um or tries to at least and um but yeah it hasn’t
Changed at all in my mind as a commentator I still know it’s the biggest thing that in golf most likely and more people love to watch the Ryder Cup than than anything else so um it’s still you know my my favorite event Bar None to to do you know cading or
Announcing for yeah so how how different when you were with Hunter right how different was he Ryder Cup week as opposed to a major as opposed to like just a normal event yeah like what’s his mindset as far as a great question chrisan I’m just curious now I know he’s
Probably prepared more for Ryder Cup but I’m just curious it’s it’s a great question because um I’ll tell you right now the two wins that we had uh but well cooch at hazeline and and uh Hunter at Valhalla um the preparation is a little bit Captain
Dependent um Zinger came in and Davis in 2016 came in on we had a team meeting Monday night all the players and Caddy’s only and Zinger said here is what we’re doing these are the three guys you’re going to play with that’s it you so not
Having to learn 12 guys and 12 golf balls and I mean there’s not that many difference um makes a huge difference because all of a sudden you go okay we got three practice rounds whether we play 18 or nine uh we can hit Justin Leonard’s ball we can hit Phil’s ball
And we can hit Anthony Kim’s ball because those the only three guys we were going to play with to so to learn those um and have it in our head that that’s who we might play with what made it so easy to prepare um I think guys used to over prepare for
Ryder cups um in terms of the week of um they’d get to Friday and have that they had that extra day on Thursday and it was just like 18 holes 18 holes 18 holes 18 Nobody Does that anymore usually both teams do 18 the first day they’re there and then Nine and Nine
Um it is um it’s such a a week that takes so much energy that as a caddy I was always wary or or very mindful of what Hunter was doing or what cooch was doing and saying hey let’s get out of here you’re going to play 36 tomorrow and you know I’d
Rather have you fresh than you know having you stay here three more hours to find a swing key you know you’re playing good enough let’s be fresh tomorrow and go get them so yeah and and it’s kind of fun playing practice rounds in those things um week in week out they aren’t
Very fun but that you you know get little games going with your teammates and uh they are fun so it takes some discipline to not be exhausted come Friday morning and John you talked about the special nature of the team the Ryder Cup it is every
Two years so it’s like sort of that Super Bowl feeling do you think there could or should be more team competitions even one other time during the year used to be I grew up watching the Jason Penney team classic I thought that was pretty cool and then that went
Away but you know the idea of a on the PGA tour one event I know the match play I think is going away it’s G gone away but something team event because the guys see really do seem to like that yeah you know I think that was one of
The reasons they started the President’s Cup as kind of a obviously when it started the international Squad was unbelievable with Norman and VJ and Ernie El’s all in their Prime um and um so I think that the fact that the Americans do play on a team every year whereas the Europeans
Every other year in the inter Nationals every other year um it can um it can it can do one of two things one it can get you used to the team atmosphere in the President’s Cup or it can you out of the sit of the team event
You don’t want to play one every year um playing it’s not the problem the problem is making the team there is so much pressure on making a team and you want to be on the team so bad it gets in your head um and whether it’s President’s Cup
Or Ryder Cup you want to be on those teams um and the fact that I’m not making excuses but I think the fact the Americans have the pressure every year to make a team um it can get tough um whereas the Europeans and and the Internationals every other year they’ve
Got to you know bow up and have really good years to make the team um so yeah I I wouldn’t add another team event we got the grant Thorton coming back which is the mixed gonna be like the J JC Penning mixed team event um I’m not exactly sure
What that format is yet I’m I’m devastated the match play is going away because that to me is one of the funnest weeks of the year um I’m hoping somebody decides to to pick up that format again because I think it’s fantastic um but um you know I don’t
Know I I don’t know I’m bummed that’s going away and um but that that would be my take on the whole situation hey John you touched on you know the the us being flat I think we all recognize that and and some of the other components let’s
Talk about the positive side Luke Donald did an amazing job I think in orchestrating running his team managing his team and I’ll I’ll point to one thing specific which is F uh Matty Fitz and and putting him out in fourball as a opposed to forom right
Out of the gate where he can just free swing and especially pairing him with Rory is that I mean you’ve been a you’ve been a cad you’ve been on the bag I mean forom is hard and I mean it’s just it’s tough it is because it’s so hard to get
Into a rhythm putting the rookies out in the four ball seems to make a lot of sense yeah I agree um just to to to get him into the tournament in the situation um play their own ball only their own ball play golf like they
Normally play um I think is a great way to send rookies in alternate shot is such a specialist um it’s such a specialized skill um because you’ll go five or six Holes without hitting a putt you’ll go five or six holes because of the makeup of the course without hitting a driver
On a hole you know you hit one three hours ago now all of a sudden you’ve got to hit one more because you didn’t all the other holes you teed off on weren’t driver holes um it it’s um it’s a tough format it’s a really tough format not
Only that but um you know there’s there’s kind of a rule in team golf no apologies you know because you don’t want to feel like you’re letting your teammate down he knows you’re trying as hard as you can um and if you’re putting it in bad spots you just don’t want you
Know you don’t you just play as hard as you can and and you can’t apologize for anything but um yeah it’s it’s a it is a hard format to find a good partner no question about it and I’m not Sugg obviously wasn’t suggesting Fitzy is a
Rookie but I mean he’s he has certainly struggled 0 and five I mean that I think I was one of my keys the week I thought if he lost his first match I think they would have been um in some trouble because it just builds and builds and
Builds you know at one Rider cup not to mention you know this being his third and he hadn’t even gotten a half Point yet um but what during a Ryder Cup if you are out in a match and even if you tie the match you want to win it
Obviously but it’s a tremendous relief be going okay I I put something on the board for us you know um and if you don’t win your first match it builds and builds and builds going oh my God I’m 0 and two now oh my God and the pressure
Gets immense because you just want to contribute um so yeah him him going out in in four balls and playing great obviously with Rory I was a huge key for them so your thought oh go ahead Andy okay um we talked about the kind of layoff before you know 30 days and for
The US team anyway and one of the hardest things about golf is that every day is different right and and even players at that level go through spurts of good play and Spurs of play where they’re struggling a little bit and you know where somebody was with their game
30 days ago isn’t necessarily where they’re going to be 30 days from now right it’s a long time it’s a long time and I I my question is as the week develops you know the Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday there’s got to be a lot of lot
Of talk and a lot of discussion amongst the captains and co- captains assisant captains as to who’s in in good form right because I know there was a lot of talk that Brian Harmon was really really looking good leading up to the to the matches and and uh you just wonder how
Poorly Rory or not Rory how poorly Jordan played you know it it’s it just seems like that plays a big role in what happens come Friday yeah I I completely agree the Europeans were ready to go um and I didn’t find this out until Zinger
Brought it up on the air but um all their matches in the practice rounds they were playing twom man three hole matches to the immediacy of getting up in a match so just three you only have three holes gotta win them um I think sometimes in match play you just get
Started and say okay here we go um I hope I win the first poll but it’s not necessary um but I think that sense of urgency was was huge for them and yeah I think hindsight’s 2020 I think if Zach had to do it over again the one thing he
Would change is tell his whole team maybe not Jordan because he was having a baby I mean his wife’s having a baby so you understand that but I think I looking back I think Zack would has told the whole team you’re all playing Napa two weeks before the event like Justin
Thomas played it because he kind of had to he hadn’t played the playoffs even um and he played well there but I think that layoff um it took some you can play practice rounds but it’s not the same and and I think Thursday they had a lot
Of rust to knock off or Friday I mean they had some Rust to knock off and um it cost them to get behind like that was was it and um yeah I think if Zach could do one thing different I think that would be it so just say guys we’re all
Gonna play Napa we’re gonna be paired together maybe even we’re GNA stay together we’re gonna get one big house and and um just kind of get started that way but um like I said hindsight’s 2020 he trusted his guys and and I’m sure the guys worked and practiced and prepared
But there’s something about playing in tournaments when it really counts when it really matters it’s just a little different yeah 100% I even like that moving forward I actually like that idea even going overseas for that matter playing in a tournament on the European tour right get acclimated to the to the
Time change for that matter um but I I I I when I look at this team I don’t think any of them had necessarily their best stuff per se but I will say that Max H I thought was our Captain America this year MP MP not even
Close yeah amazing it’s so I mean there’s there’s two ways as a rookie obviously playing as a rookie at home is fun it’s you it’s obviously you get amped up um but the crowd’s for you to play as a rookie on the road is so hard because you’re experiencing things
You’ve never experienced before they’re booing you they are you know upset when you hit a good shot they cheer when you hit a bad shot and Max was just I mean every part of his game I think those two matches he won with Brian Haron Brian Haron didn’t say one thing about himself
He just said my partner it’s been a pleasure Watching Max play golf this week he’s just he’s been on fire and um I think he was definitely the best player by far the best player on the American team so and he and he played Napa
Yeah go ahead I’m sorry go ahead no go ahead no go ahead no I was gonna say you could make the argument that he and Justin Thomas probably played the best on the team um Justin’s record might not show that but he you know had a couple losses with geordan when Jordan didn’t
Play very well um or play at all yeah yeah yeah so I mean you can make the argument I think very easily that the two guys who played Napa were the two best players on the team yeah I I actually agree because I was I was very adamant as these three
Guys know um that I definitely thought JT should not have been on that team and I really don’t think Sam Burns should have been on that team but JT did proved me wrong he did play very well um but I guess my question uh my final question
Was um kind of like in the locker room right up or down what’s that what’s that message really like from Zach like what do you think his message was to them right after being down early in and you know the uh on the first day never really honestly never leading at all is
His message the same do you think throughout the week or do you think it would be slightly different um it was interesting just as a parallel the the team in Mel for Tigers team I mean Friday afternoon it looked like we were going to be down 82 or 91 even that
Was possible and then JT made that putt on 18 and Klay made the putt on 18 in their matches to get the full points but it was still 73 um and tiger didn’t change at all he just you know he kept saying look there’s I don’t there’s more
Points available on a President’s Cup but I think Zach probably emphasize guys there’s 28 points available this week and we just played four of them there are 24 points still out there we are not out of this by any means um and I don’t think he probably changed up his his
Pairings more um because that it’s so analytical now and and and they or they they pick Partners poor Partners um it used to be more fly by the seat of your pants hey you won in the morning you’re going in the afternoon you know um now
It’s all planned out from the get-go and um you know on paper it’s right um I think maybe we’ve gotten a little too in love with Statistics and and um I like I like a little you know I got a hunch about these two uh I’m sending
Them out um so yeah I I think maybe we could back off the statistics of touch and and go with more a little more feel hey John you know at my golf club I walk through the clubhous grill members usually looking at TV and they’ll go hey
Bob what do you think they’re talking about meeting the player and caddy so I give him my take but just take us in the sort of in that little uh sequence when and you could pick maybe something with hunter or a shot and it’s 172 yards and
It’s a hanging line and just you know sort of talk through you guys are thinking about um after they hit their t- shots I think every good caddy immediately goes to that next one have an idea where the ball is have an idea what the yardage is going to be what the
LI is going to be um before the round you would have known where the pin is um if we get in trouble um these are things that Caddy’s talking thinking about to his head the entire weight of the ball what what is going to be the key to this
Shot if we’re in great shape um all I’m thinking about at that point is what is the carry number going to be what is the no- wind flat carry number going to be because that’s the last thing I’m going to tell them it’s playing 183 um then when you get to the ball
It’s different for different players but basically you start with a front number and then give him the uh the total number and then you try and boil down but the key number here is we need to carry okay you got 172 front and 11 183 the the key number here is 176 we
Have to C cover that bunker 176 over that um so to try and boil it down to that you already have an idea of what Club you think it is um and you hope that he comes to you you have to let the player present what he thinks to you
First you can’t say you know it’s just perfect seven iron hit it um he’s got to come to you first and if you agree which is most of the time just let him go you love it you know put your best swing of the day on it let’s go um if you
Disagree there’s two kinds of disagreements one I well did you think of this shot that one you’re talking about could work uh but I think this one might be a little bit easier and the penalty isn’t quite as much um and then there’s the other one where you know
He’s wrong and he you know 100% he’s got the wrong Club he’s got the wrong shot and then you bring data into it you just say uh you got 172 downhill a touch um it’s going to play 163 with the helping wind okay eight iron no and here’s why
Two holes ago we hit the exact same direction with a nine iron and you carried it 162 that’s perfect right now so it’s all data at that point if it’s a feel um a lot of times you just um I think bones is great at this um presenting the other option and just
Saying I see that shot you’re talking about but what would you think there’s also this available to you um and sometimes they they don’t see it and it clicks in oh yeah that is an easier shot or if I miss my shot I’m in deep trouble
If I miss this shot I’m not um so that’s what a lot of it is um you know just going through uh the situation and and the great thing about caddies is they can be unemotional about the shots it’s all data it’s all here is what it is and
Um if a player’s got a feel um you kind of got to let him go because you know when you play golf if you get a feeling doesn’t make any sense that I can get this nine iron there but I know it’s a nineiron so you go with it and if they
Have that feel you got to let them go because ultimately they’re they’re making the swing um but that’s kind of what most of the conversations are about over the ball excellent Andy here muted he hit the mute button my God at least he’s not at least he’s
Not John at Le at least at least one time every show he his he he freezes so I mean I I rebooted before the show so he’s back he’s back so I I have to stray from the writer cup for one second because I’m dying to hear your opinion
On this so let’s go back to the Masters on the 15 hole with Brooks kka and Gary Woodland and you know what we’re talking about but for the listeners you know Brooks hit first his second shot into 15 and he he flashed a hand signal to uh Woodland’s caddy and
Then Brooks’s caddy flashed a hand signal to to Woodland’s caddy and then Brooks flashed it to to Gary Woodland and you know there was a lot of talk about well it’s no big deal it happens all the time um you know because they’re signaling to the to the course reporters um blah blah
Blah but you know at at the end of the day when they’re signaling to the course reporters that’s one thing if you’re purposefully trying to give information to the guy you’re playing with that’s another what’s your take on this yeah uh it was a tough situation I love Ricky
And and I’m I’m good friends with not good friends but I know Brooks well uh it looks suspicious and um you know what I’m in I think a lot of guys in those situations um will do things like I’ll clean the club facing you so you can see
It I’m I’m not going to mouth it I’m not going to flash it to you if I flash it to a TV reporter and it’s obvious there’s an encourse reporter there um and somebody else happens to see it you know that that’s what happens all the
Time and that’s fine um but that one was it was tough um you know I think most guys either let you see it while you’re cleaning it or you know just put it back in the bag and let you come take a look at it if they want
To look um the information is gathered a lot it’s not given a lot like that and um that’s that was um a tough one and at the end of the day um it’s a it’s a it’s an honor issue and you you have to take
If the player in the cad say one thing um it’s hard to it’s hard to say we disagree um and here’s your penalty uh because it’s it’s a lot of it is I wasn’t doing that and you have to trust the player on it that’s that’s what this
Game is you know even when you’re caught red-handed doing it yeah it was it was a tough one for sure okay so that brings us right to the hot seat so all right that that was just a warmup for you oh man now I’m on I’m sudden death
Playoff now yep so um you know before we start these questions for our listeners John actually played golf at UC Berkeley as well so he uh he can golf his ball as well as do all the other things in the sport that that he’s done so um so
What’s your lowest 18 hole score John 66 66 what are your three favorite golf courses you’ve played oh wow what a good question Olympic Club Riviera tell us you’re from California without tell exactly right um gosh I have to have played it right yep okay okay um I you know
It’s I know Pebbles Pebble but I love spy glass I think spy glass is just one the best best golf courses in the world so I I’ll say those three okay now three that you would love to play that you haven’t played Augusta National uh St Andrew’s old course um and
Shinicok I could get on two of those so name the three best players of all time in no order Tiger Woods Ben Hogan Jack Nicholas all right what’s the best part of your game I’ll tell you the honest truth is I have played one round and that was three
Weeks ago in the last five years I I have um I don’t I get time off I kind of don’t want to be on a golf course even though it’s different when you’re playing um I have a lot of other stuff I like to do
And um I I like going out and hitting balls for an hour chipping and putting and and then calling it um but to go play 18 holes is um it’s very hard for me right now it’s just like there’s just a lot of things I like
Doing so back when you were playing golf what was the best part of your game um I was a really good driver um I hit it really long you know back in the Pim and Bot days um that was probably hitting the driver what was the worst part of your game my
Temper good one I had a Fant fantastic temper when I played you don’t strike me as The Temper guy but you know only at myself honestly I don’t get mad I’m pretty calm in most situations but uh for some reason golf golf got me fired up so what skill in
Your opinion is most important to playing Great Golf um not trying to be perfect you know it’s just it’s it’s the answer of the game trying to be perfect there’s so many people you see come and go on tour who you look at the golf swing and go
There is nowhere you would change he can’t hit a bad shot but he can’t play unless he feels like everything is perfect um and that rarely happens as you guys know um being able to put up a score when you don’t have um your aame
Is is the biggest thing you can you can do that’s a that’s a that’s a long list of names right verplank Duval we can keep going sure yeah and and frankly when we do this hot seat that’s we get some of the best answers to that question because not bet you know it’s
Very easy for someone to just say oh if you’re a great putter then you’re gonna play good golf yeah we get more introspective answers on that question and yours was certainly right up there um so PJ tour or live that’s an easy PJ tour no-brainer uh so who’s your favorite golfer past or
Present Ben Hogan Ben Hogan yep yep I was a very much Hogan disciple uh in my playing days um I still think the amount of Majors he won for the amount of Majors he played is is right up there with anybody’s um and I just love how he was kind of the first
Person to dissect the golf swing and uh I just I love that aspect of him that’s probably why I like the range more than playing these days I I just want I just want to throw that out there John there you go yeah there you go well that was a great last question
To wrap up the hot seat so well well played thanks guys and I will and I will bring it up that we are now on number 18 18th ho final thoughts Christian we shall start with you we’re gonna we’re gonna actually save John to the end I feel honored that I go first
Usually I go last so I feel honored it’s probably because I’ve been on assignment for the last month and I haven’t seen you boys in quite some time I was afraid if I didn’t throw it over to you that you’d be gone again hey I’m sorry work
Duty calls I I gotta travel for work but um it’s been a while since I’ve said it but um you know continue guys please follow us on uh on social media Facebook Instagram Twitter um you know we’re gonna have amazing guests come on the show just like John did as well so John
For me thank you very much for coming on I could listen to you you talk all day and I can I I’m sure there’ll be a thousand questions that I forgot to ask you but hopefully we can uh stay in touch and uh maybe we can ask those
Questions down the road or even have you back on for that matter anytime I would love that I appreciate it and uh so yeah continue to follow us guys we have a lot of great stuff coming as well and um you know hopefully we can get John on an
Actual golf course it’s not work related hopefully we can get a little you know mini tournament going on for uh for fun so that’s my final thought and I’ll pick it over to bbon Bob all right hey John thanks so much uh my final thought actually gonna kind of
Qu it sort of tee it up to you with a question but um my dad was a PJ member second generation PJ member been around the game a long time one of the really truly unique and wonderful aspects about playing golf is with a caddy and every
Time a friend a colleague a member of the club plays somewhere and they play with the caddy they go that’s just the greatest thing ever and it is a shame that the caddy has gone out of the the day-to-day in the business and heart Revenue but anybody listening out there
That wherever they are in their stage of life might want to be a caddy and aspire to the PGA Tour what advice do you have for them and you know that the more and more yeah you got to admit there’s some pretty good money out there but For the
Love of the Game and wanting to caddy what’s your advice for that yeah you you would never these days um you would never be able to come out and start on the PGA tour unless you’re like a college teammate of somebody who got their card or a brother or something
Like that um find go to the mini tours if you can you know afford it go to the mini tours um Canadian tour um obviously and and find a player you believe in and find find out who he’s available and take that ride with him um that’s the
Only way to get to the highest level these days like I said unless you are a college teammate or a brother or or a cousin or something like that um so if you really interested um you know College events um or amateur events sit
In the parking lot and find a find a kid you believe in and uh take the ride good advice thank you sure Mr hior yeah so I want to talk a little bit about the captain praising and bashing um because at the end of the day it’s
It’s it’s really hard right I mean like when when the picks are made people are willing to to bash the captain 30 days from the event because of the people they picked and at the end of the day it’s it’s a situation of it’s the man in
The arena and the Man in the arena the Gladiator right in the Coliseum and that’s what these players are going through playing in the Ryder Cup and you know it’s so easy for somebody on Monday morning to say well oh my God Bryson or DJ or Tony feno or
Lucas Glover would have been better you know what anybody who wasn’t there always would have been better because you didn’t have to see him suffer through all the pressure in the dealings of playing under that microscope at the Ryder Cup so you know again being critical of the captains and look I was
Bitching a little bit when Zach kept to play Jordan after Jordan didn’t really want to play or acted like he didn’t want to play but again it’s it’s too difficult to to know which players are going to perform in that Arena and you know the Europeans in the home field advantage thing the
Europeans did a great job they played well I looked at The Strokes gained Stats today the top four strokes gained people in the Ryder Cup were euros four the bottom six were Americans so it’s the players playing good and all that being said there was a point coming down
The stretch the last day where the Americans had leads in four or five or maybe six matches and then the last two matches they needed to flip and they were one down at that point in time there was an opportunity for them to win
The Ryder Cup albe it a a small one but you know again ease up on on the the uh bashing and the applauding of the captains because they’re just there to to do a good job and make it a good experience for their players and like I said I’m saving John
And by the way you’re you’re dead on Andy I’m saving John to he gets to he was boots on the ground so he gets to go last um mine is a three-point bullet points real fast I’ve already graduated him to just a one name Ludwick he’s he that kid is insanely
Good I can’t wait to watch his progression in in golf uh Beth Page will be insane I can’t I can’t even imagine what the New York fans are going to do to the European team there it will be I can’t wait to help the Long Island
Expressway and go out there to be quite honest with you and John I will throw it partially over to you by my final thought which is that golf shot by Rory on Saturday down on 17 below the hill to put so much juice on that thing and was
Was incredible I I thought that was one of the coolest shots of the week yeah I mean I I have to second that I mean I think I said on the air it wasn’t for those that level player it wasn’t a difficult shot for to play it
Like that with so much style um massive points to Rory um well I mean I I worked for I worked for early in my career I worked for a guy who played the PJ tour back in the 70s and he was explaining how how he would play Shots like that
And the whole time Rory setting up like that I’m like he’s gonna hit this thing low and just juice the hell out of it and he did yeah yeah it’s insane insane um that was I agree that was one of the coolest shots of the week especially the
Situation um all right final thought wrap up the Ryder Cup for us sir I’m gonna I’m gonna Flash Forward to Beth beige because I’m worried about that one too um the last couple rer I love partisanship in the writer cup it’s the one time you play golf you know where
You’re not loved by everybody and I think that’s great I absolutely loved it uh when you quieted down a crowd you want a match on the road it is thrilling um so I’m not saying I don’t want the partisanship I wish both teams would get together leading into one of these
And really make it a point to to try and get rid of the personal attacks on the course during these events there’s no place for it it’s not necessary your team doesn’t want you to do that there’s no way Rory was happy that people were were treating Klay with that they don’t
They don’t want that they want partisanship they want cheer for for even cheer for bad shots that’s fine but um I was having this discussion um with Martin Ker’s caddy on Twitter right after and I said the problem I have is those players can’t bring their 10-year-old kids out to watch them play
At a Ryder Cup because they’re going to be insulted and and treated obscenely if they’re on the road that’s so sad that that’s not within reason the players can handle it but for the families to hear that stuff I I’m just tired of it and I wish somebody would would um would get
Together and make it a big talking point leading into and Beth Page would be the perfect one to do it and secondly I wish um I wish when when people do say that say the bad things because it’s 5% of the people at most I wish other people would Point them out
And toss them right away no Second Chances no hey none of that you’re out you’re gone um so you know I I would love to see Ryder cups get back to um stay competitive stay partisan but but not as personal as they have been the
Last few last few go rounds and I agree with that John has hey before we sign off I just want to shout out to our friend Mike Padilla for making the connection with John so absolutely thanks Mike hey Mike my pleasure guys John thank you so much Andy Bobby as always and Christian
If you ever stop uh working so much and play golf again hit it long and straight because it beats Andy hitting a short and crooked ouch
