Steve & Ben are BACK and kick things off recapping our visit to the PXG Philadelphia store and the amazing weekend Steve had in Philly. Then they recap the Farmer’s Insurance Open to put a bow on the weekend that was before diving into the RETURN of Anthony Kim! Ben and Steve detail the wild and unexpected return and what it means for golf. Then they discuss Tyrrell Hatton jumping to LIV and joining John Rahm’s Legion XIII squad. Finally they preview the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and give their Beer Money Picks of the Week!
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Content: Steven McAvoy, Ben Pirro
Producer: Kyle Bennett
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For the podcast in the past weekend sure you’ve uh you’ve heard for those of you who don’t know are you yes we’re 18 seconds in and we’re already having uh technical difficulties maybe maybe it’s me this time uh to be honest I think it’s me I’m
Not I’m not at my house I’m at someone else’s house because I’m in uh Orlando for Rehab so whose house you at my my friend Josh you’re an idiot uh yeah so uh for those of you who don’t know uh if you haven’t been checking out our social for the past weekend Friday
Was a really fun time for me um spent time over at the pxg store in Philadelphia uh particularly in King of Prussia which I didn’t realize was so far away from Philadelphia it’s like a that like 20 minutes 30 minutes north um stopped by saw KB and Christian really
Good time met their Master fitter uh great group of people at the pxg store got to see the facility test out some new clubs they just came out with their new Black Ops line of of Fairway Woods which hit absolutely amazing um their their player improvement irons are
Probably the most forgiving I’ve ever played or at least like hit before every single bit of the fitting that I went through was so carefully crafted and for some reason I felt like almost more comfortable in those clubs that than I do with my own also realize
That I’ve been gaming a regular flex shaft and I need uh extra stiff for how fast I swing so that’s most certainly something that I took home from my fitting yeah like like I’m how fast I swing okay yeah sure dude well my my club head speed is like 89 90 miles an
Hour which is like right at the extra stiff like Point according to what the fitter said wait wait wait wait 89 to 90 miles an hour with what club like a six iron seven iron okay that makes more sense my seven Iron’s at like 100 miles an hour yeah so
I’m I’m supposedly at more of a extra stiff or at least a stiff probably a higher gram stiff um shaft which I’ll have to be I’m probably going to wind up going to get a A fitting again uh locally in order to get my clubs redone
Um I definitely have to improve on those because these clubes are like 4 years old but you know had an amazing time at pxg people were great their equipment’s awesome really cool like they have like the storefront style where like you don’t see storefronts of of any other um
Brands like like the major uh Distributors ping call Titleist the like typically you only really find those at like actual sporting good stores and you could buy the clubs there but um really cool what they’re doing at pxg hope we could do some more work with them uh interview with their Master Fitters
Coming out soon might actually be a part of of this episode depending on how editing goes so stay tuned at the end of this episode and or we’ll be he’ll be on on next week and just really good time at uh at pxg hope we could work more
With them and really really good time I I I think you would actually really really like how they um worked us out for the I don’t know hour and a half two hours that I was there um went through a whole comprehensive thing including a pot Potter fitting was pretty cool um
Something I didn’t really think was a super super important part of the game obviously putting is really um almost a 30e Strokes are made from putting but uh the idea of going through the the small idiosyncracies of putting is was really cool to uh talk about and learn about so
Welcome into the get the whole podcast Stephen maoy Ben Pio here another week in the golf world the AT&T PEB bees proam tal Hatton jumps to live golf and a new name has emerged after a decade long Hiatus they again podcast brought to you today and every day by our
Friends over at Tomah HW Shades founded on Long Island and supported by some of the biggest names in athletics Kyle Harrison Chris Hogan of course our favorite golfer and Ben’s favorite golfer PA fanic tomw Shades is meant to give you the absolute best style from the first to the 18th check them out
Tomah hof.com or use the app you can find them in the App Store and Google Play Store and use code 25% off uh USP code code USP for 25% off your next order at Tomohawk shades.com or on the app Tomahawk Shades app ben we lead off
With a a question that that I find really interesting that’s been that’s been trolling around the uh the Twitter World um this past week the Farmers Insurance open at Tory Pines while typically one of the strongest events of the year has the best field managed to
To give us a field of names that if you have never watched a PGA Tour event in your entire life you would say who the hell is on my TV screen Champion uh matu pavon the first French champion in PGA tour history uh Stephen joerger from Germany was was on the leaderboard uh
Jake nap recent promotion from the corn fairy Tour on the leaderboard as well just a a leaderboard full of names that you aren’t typically familiar if hearing Nikolai hogard of course you know him um from the rder cup Nate Lashley Uh Kevin Kevin Yu and there there were of course
Some names uh mixed in there that you are aware of Tony fow L elberg Patrick Rogers Andrew shley M will Al Tes uh Asha batia M Homa they were all around the top 20 uh overall but the big story was was the Farmers Insurance open boring or underwhelming according to the
Twitter World whether it be because the leaderboard was unknown players or was it because the the the course was playing as difficult as it was the course finished out uh averaging less Two Strokes over par for the entire tournament between the North and the South course and on the final day the
Average score to par was three over uh paven w at 13 underpar uh the average score only five guys or sorry six guys eclipsed the 10 under Mark what do you think the the story here was this week the the leaderboard or the conditions uh I would say more so the
Leaderboard um and I think this is something that I’ve been harping on for months and months and months honestly actually over a year uh once Liv became a thing and guys were defecting it was going to this that that in of itself was going to bring more parody to the game
Um because you have guys that you maybe haven’t heard of uh who will now get an opportunity to shine and maybe instead of finishing like top 15 and no one’s really talking about him and they only get a little bit of TV time they’re like
Top five and they have a chance to win um the Farmers Insurance open obviously we know uh Tory Pines has hosted two US opens um and we know that the South course does have some teeth that’s something that I want to say in the mid 2010s uh they really tried to bring up
Bring out more teeth in the South course the North Course is Al is kind of viewed as like the little brother course if you’re you know your first two rounds as we said last week you play either the North or the South and you flip the next day you
Need your good round to be on the North because that’s where you can make a lot of birdies whereas the South there is it’s a much tougher test the fairways are very narrow the rough is much thicker um it’s a different kind of rough um it’s not like a Kentucky blueg
Grass I believe it’s uh pretty sure it’s po all around it might be uh but it’s it’s a very it’s it’s a different kind of rough um I think the leaderboard you know the leaderboard it is what it is you know this is what you’re going to get when
Your star players defect to live and it’s kind of not really a secret that you know the last 10 or so years they’ve really tried to bring the Beast out in the South course in particular yeah so ashle um corre on my and it’s you’re right it’s uh kakuyu
Ruff kuuya Kya thank you that’s yeah that stuff the ball just sits down it’s really like gnarly stuff so yeah so based on what you’re saying I now actually I’ll start with a followup do you think the the fact that that the leaderboard was a little bit
More unknown was that a deterrent do you think for the overall viewership or do you think that it’s a good thing that we’re going to see more of this probably in the future I think for the viewership I think I think the answer to that is a
Little bit twofold and reason I say that is because I think yes it does hurt viewership because you’re not seeing like Max Hom OR JT or Jason day or like a will zalatoris I know Rory didn’t play but like or like a Rory maoy obviously yeah those guys are in
Contention that you know the viewership is goingon to go up but I think for the overall health of the game and someone who follows it more religiously like you and I do because this is part basically our job like we are the media I think it’s great because it actually gives us different
Storylines I mean I don’t know I don’t know about you but like uh mat Pon like I had never heard of the guy you know like Nikolai like Nikolai hogard like yeah like we knew him from the Ryder Cup he’s obviously a very good player um like no one really knows anything about
Nate Nate Lashley uh Jake NEP same thing Stephen joerger I hadn’t heard that name in a long time you know um so you know and look like it’s not like there were these there you know it’s not like none of the really good guy like good players
Didn’t play well like Fina had a top six Patrick Rogers and Xander Schley and L gber they all finished top 10 you know um I think I think we got to give a little bit more credit to the guys that did play well and not focus so much on like oh the
Stars didn’t play well it’s golf it’s so up and down like it’s the hardest sport in the world to have consistency in because it has the most variables so just enjoy it because you know forever it was Tiger and tiger is great but it’s like tiger was going to win 30% of the
Time he teed it up you know and that’s a fact roughly 30% back when he was in his Heyday you know and now that tiger is not tiger anymore and then all the stars go to live or Mo a lot of the stars go to live that just opens up more
Opportunities for other guys so yeah like when you look at it from the um from the big picture here you’re right the the movement of guys from Liv and Dan raport was talking about it earlier today on Twitter he had tweeted out that when you look at
The list of names of guys who have gone to live now including um T haton haton Michelson Ram dambo Kea Johnson Smith Reed Garcia Bubba these are all headliner names every single week whether or not they’re good because they’re they’re the Old Guard and they maybe aren’t playing their best golf
Like like a Garcia they’re still a headlining name there’s still someone that that that pops when you look at them on leaderboard I think it’s kind of to prong so the leaderboard while underwhelming to the Casual which I kind of have to take the point of view of the
Casual because I knew everybody on this list with the exception of Jake knp who I found out apparently matches the [ __ ] golf ball I think he averages like 184 Club head speed um for his D or the ball speed for his driver um which like and like like tops out almost close
To 200 like a a exceptional driver of the golf ball I knew for the most part everybody else on this list whether or not I knew them well or not but Nikolai hogard is the the next gen let’s say Victor havland of the European players coming over and um being the young guys
On tour to lead the European side along with havin and oer and and the like Nate Lashley again no one really knows about Kevin Yu is at back toback weeks where he’s finished top six um the past two weeks Taylor pendrith was once a COR f
For Champion uh one two years ago so like yes the names are compelling from the fact that we know them very well and people need people have to get used to them but I think the conditional part of this event actually made a lot more
Sense I made the joke about it at the century of like we need to appreciate the highs scoring events more and John ROM has been harping on this forever and it’s why the roll back happened was oh the the equipment is getting too good for the golf course and um John ROM said
That he wanted a challenge I think it was after oh God I want to say it was the US Open um said said that he wanted more of a challenge and to not see events be uh 20 under par on average per week our winner here was 1300 par Tory Pines
While yes a challenging Golf Course is not as challenging as it was at the US Open three years ago they they clearly make the event harder at those Majors but this is a very challenging golf course this this the South course played three Strokes over par on round three
Played even on round four and played I believe less than a stroke under par in rounds one and two while the North Course played I think on average three Strokes under so when you look at it from that sense the South course has teeth we know that already it’s a very
Challenging Golf Course people I think were underwhelmed with the idea of oh they’re not making birdies but we’ve been trying to counteract this for years according to the players they want to have more of a challenge so wouldn’t that also correlate the people wanting to see it it’s maybe it’s very similar
To the idea of B Baseball fans want to see home runs they want to see low scores they want to see the battle but think about it think about it here P pavin had a a shot from about 145 out of the deep rough landed it to eight feet
And nailed the birdie for the win when could have made par could have forced the playoff we had three guys within one stroke going into the final shot of the event could have very well seen a five-way playoff isn’t that what you want though you want the more
Challenging courses you the golf fans appreciate the challenge more than a baseball fan wants to see home runs I personally want to see a no hitter every single night I want to see a game that has four hits total an absolute pitchers duel I don’t know maybe it’s the
Consensus they want to see lower scores and and and the players seem to be otherwise but I think it was two-prong but overall I think people should really start getting used to the fact that we’re going to see a lot of these guys and the European tour players now
Specifically considering when you look at when you look at the leaderboard at the end of the weekend I’m sorry going into the weekend I think like nine of the top 10 were all non-americans when have you ever seen that I think that that’s the other part too we’re seeing
Guys who aren’t Americans where a large fandom of course un States is of course American but you’re finding new guys and new names that aren’t just who you see already from the college ranks in the and the kft that are relatively unknown I think that’s that’s a really cool part
Of all this that makes um total sense then moving on we have some uh some breaking news I cannot wait to use this graphic so I’m very excited that we can use this for the first time in show history we have breaking news on the PGA Tour golf world I had already
Technically mentioned it but we might as well use it now tiaden is officially on live golf jumps for $60 million roughly according to reports 50 to 60 million he’ll be joining up with John ROMs Legion 13 which by the way is getting announced officially tomorrow so some
News uh for colors and logos and everything tomorrow but there’s another name who’s possibly out there now the team The rosters are set everyone’s team is full for live however they introduced a new thing this year two players will play in every event who are playing as
Individuals and not as a team member a little bit of a fun twist kind of allowing people to get like SP not like sponsor exemptions but allowed into events to display their talent and one of those guys happens to be someone who has been probably the only name you’ve
Talked about for the entirety of the week and I will let you take the floor and tell us who that name is and the metrics behind it because we have some sources here here on the G the hall podcast and very very smart sources of whom we’re not going to name of course
Because we are journalists and we need to keep our uh friends and constituents quiet in terms of the public eye Ben take it away who might be joining the Liv golf ranks after not golfing for I can’t even tell you how long it’s been Anthony Kim so Anthony [ __ ] Kim it’s the most
Exciting thing I think I’ve never seen somebody before you get into this you go on Twitter when John ROM went to live move the needle every single [ __ ] person on Earth was talking about Anthony Kim’s 12year Hiatus from golf and the potential of him going back on the PGA
Tour it pro it’s moved the needle more in a given weekend that I think that think than ever in the history of golf who for someone who isn’t named Tiger Woods sorry go ahead okay so the basically uh Anthony Kim um he has not played golf competitively since
2012 um I have heard stories about Anthony um I know someone who knows his swing coach um Anthony the is widely regarded as one of the most talented golfers ever okay and that is not an exaggeration now was the work ethic there uh no I have heard stories about
Anthony how he would be the hardest working golfer in the world for two weeks and then the next two weeks he it would be two weeks spent in Vegas on a bender on a bender um he loved to he loves to party uh I mean who knows I mean he’s like 38
Years old now uh maybe that’s out of him who knows but you know he was always someone who he’ loved to talk [ __ ] he loved to just whatever was getting thrown his way what whatever whatever negativity was thrown his way uh he he relished in
It he really did I mean I’ve heard story you know Shan O’Hare talked about it uh on a podcast I don’t remember which podcast it was but he basically said um and Anthony was the best he said something like Anthony was the best player on that 2009 president President’s Cup
Team do you guys know who else was on that President’s Cup team Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson okay now is that a little bit of an exaggeration yeah but the international team uh it’s pretty well known that they didn’t like him that year at all I think he had a little bit
Of a mixup with Robert Allenby the night before the singles match and then Anthony went out the next morning and absolutely slacked he gave as Sha O’Hare a slacken to uh Robert Allenby uh that next day he also made that um he made that field that at like 22 years old like the
I think the the other part of this before you you dig deeper is like people don’t understand and I and I don’t technically know a lot because I didn’t watch golf in 2012 much but like Anthony Anthony Kim was not only a really good golfer and while the numbers might tell
You differently because he kind of fell off in his final two years and only had two really strong years he’s the youngest guy to ever make a President’s Cup team at least for America and like you said people he slang [ __ ] and when and when [ __ ] was was talk about to him
He had the Michael Jordan Complex he would kick your ass and also on top of that he he had the Swagger unlike anybody else yeah I mean and there you know there there’s a story that Pat Perez told and I guess like it was before they played around one time uh at
Some tournament I mean they were just going back and forth and Anthony had Pat Perez just going absolute berserk and they were basically just it was just like a war of words and then p goes and all of a sudden we just became friends it was the it was the craziest thing um
And so just a brief overview of his career uh 2006 he kind of made his he made the he burst onto the PGA tour with a sponsor exemption at the Valera Texas open I believe where he finished tied for second played amazing um proceeded
To be a rookie on the PJ tour in 2007 had a pretty good year but he was kind of known as like an immature cocky guy now keep in mind he was a three time I believe it was a three-time All American at Oklahoma okay and he he didn’t
Graduate he he left after three years so he’s an All-American as a freshman sophomore and Junior okay 2008 rolls around he wins what was then the wacovia championship which is now the Well Fargo Championship he won it by like five shots I think no uh put on a short game
Mass just a clinic of a short game uh display in that final round uh proceeded to win the AT&T national uh which I believe was held at Congressional uh um which I don’t believe they have that event anymore but those are that at the time those were
Two staple events on the PGA tour I mean those were events that like literally tiger won the the wacovia the year before and the AT&T National was was an event that was very highly regarded on a very difficult Golf Course a golf course that in fact H the US Open um 2009 he
Kind of fell off a little bit and I think the media I’m not saying the media played a role but when you have such a good sophomore season on the PJ tour not to mention he was amazing in that Ryder Cup in 2008 and I’ll never forget the video
Of him running with the flag the American flag after they won I mean he was a b that guy he was a baller I mean just an absolute stud and he I mean he stuck it to Sergio in that final round too um in that f that singles Match 2009
Came around and I think you probably the media they were like you know AK contend for a major blah blah blah blah blah um you know he had an okay year you know he didn’t make it I don’t believe he made he made it to the Tour Championship but
He still finished like 30 something in FedEx Cup points I believe um and then 2010 was in a lot of ways was shaping up to be a rebound year for him um he got off to a good start um he was playing really well uh and then it was revealed
Um that he was playing with the torn ligament in his thumb and this was kind of like the beginning of the injury issues for Anthony he had finished second at the Honda when Camila vas had won uh PJ national uh he won the shell Houston open the week before the Masters
And he wanted a playoff and I remember I he would almost play Reckless at times man I mean he was hting driver off the deck when he just like didn’t really need to um I mean this guy was like he went balls to the wall I remember in that tournament I
Remember watching that that was like my first introduction to AK as a golfer and from there uh went to the Masters he had an amazing final round where he finished I believe tied for fourth no um he finished he finished third with that uh that 11 birdies I
Think which still stands the most birdies round 11 birdies was in 2009 are you sure yeah I I’ll bet money on it right now with you I have a look he might have finished third but but yeah yeah finished third and 20 down okay so he finished third
Um was9 and then what’s that Ben the historian is Ben the historian is coming outside it was 2009 with the with the 11 birdies by the way still [ __ ] stands AK Still second round too that was the second round too 2009 Masters yeah um
Gez what you I know I’m just a genius um and but it it began to kind of go downhill uh he started to experienced some issues with his driver off the tea and uh like that was a big theme at the Masters I mean he w at the Shell as well
The week before he wasn’t driving it well he was obviously hurt and then eventually I think he finished like tied for seventh or something at the Wells Fargo uh in 2010 when when Rory won and then he withdrew I believe from the players and then uh he was said to have thumb
Surgery because I guess at this point it was like he had I remember he had said something to the media as if it was like it’s going I’m going to have surgery it’s just how much more can I tolerate the pain and so I think AK kind of rushed back
Because it was 2010 and he wanted to play another Ridder cup and I don’t believe he made a cut with the exception of playing all four rounds at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational which every one plays four rounds let me just double check um uh well you’re right on on the WGC
Part um he he never missed a cut so he finished so his first event back was the WGC finished tied for 76 where everyone makes the cut at 16 overp par then he goes cut cut cut at the bar Clays cut at the Deutsche Bank okay then
The BMW he finished tied for 48th but I believe everyone made the made makes the cut at that event as well because it was only 70 guys left so and then he didn’t play until the world C championships HSBC but that was after the Ryder Cup so
Yeah he technically didn’t make a cut and didn’t make the Ryder Cup and I think something I think that it was probably something that might have plagued AK for a little longer than he might admit I think maybe if he could do it over again
He would wait to come back um and maybe not try so hard to make the Ryder Cup I know that might sound ridiculous to someone listening but the end of the day you have to prioritize your health the rider Cup’s always going to be there every two years you know um and
Regardless though he had a very good year um I mean even with all those non-descript finishes after the surgery I mean he still made it to the bmd W which was good uh that just shows how strong he played and then 2011 he kind
Of dipped I mean he he had a tied for six at the Farmers Insurance open his third event of the year and he was playing pretty well he had start of the year with three top three straight top 20s but then he really just kind of fell off the map I mean really
Struggled and uh he had kind of an out of nowhere top five at the Open Championship uh the year that Darren Clark won um and then really like the last AK moment for the PGA Tour was the green buer classic where he fired I believe it
Was a bogey free 62 was 8 under par at the old white TPC course to take either sole possession or tired for the lead going to the final round and it was like oh AK is going to get on back on track you know AK you know he’s putting it together and
He didn’t make a single birdie in that final round and he shot 74 didn’t yeah didn’t finish that it didn’t finished inside the top 10 and so you know look he he had some okay finishes uh I know he played pretty well in a couple tournaments in Asia I believe uh after
The PJ tour season had ended I think he lost in a play off to Rory maory he missed a short putt after after hitting a pretty good bunker shot um but 2011 was kind of a letdown and I remember seeing a graphic and it was like golfers
Who are at a Crossroads and it was going into 2012 and AK was one of those golfers on like this cartoonish graphic and um 2012 just didn’t go well uh he got off to really not a good start he played 10 events uh I believe he only made two
Cuts and one of them he ended up being disqualified in uh and then he withdrew from his last three tournaments um the shell he withdrew after a 79 he didn’t even finish uh the first round at the Valero uh it sounds like and it looks like and then at the W farger you
Withdrew after 74 and I remember reading an article because the thing is at at the time AK was one of my one of my favorite golfers just the swing the Swagger I mean he was like the first golfer to bring swag into golf you know
What I mean and you know he had you know the guy he had the he had the he had the diamond belt buckle early in his career and then he had like the flatbill Nike hat he had the long hair I mean he was like a dude he was a dude playing golf
And I remember reading an article and it was written while he was playing at the Wells Fargo and instead of hitting on the Range he was so embarrassed by how he was playing he was hitting balls like full Shots by the short game area to get away from people that’s how
Embarrassed he was and I really think his his confidence and his self-belief really took a hit and I think a lot of it I think it was a combination and look I’m just speculating you know only AK knows this and maybe the people closest to him
Know this but I think it was a combination of the injuries maybe coming back too soon and coming back too soon and if you play injured you can you can really screw up your confidence because you’re not you’re probably not going to play as well and then the media
Expecting you to do all these things and eventually it’s just like well I can’t make any of these people happy you know and I think AK was just a victim of maybe I’m not going to say poor career choices but I think if he could make
Some decisions over I think he would he would he would choose differently you know maybe not trying so hard to make the writer Cup in 200 uh 10 you know maybe trying to like make sure he gets healthy and then I believe he withdrew for like a wrist issue or a forearm
Issue or something at the Wells Fargo and then a couple weeks later a couple months later he was uh I believe a Sprint training in Southern California on the beach and he ruptured his Achilles tendon his left Achilles tendon which essentially that’s like a career Ender as as a as a right-handed golfer
Because your your weight shifts laterally this way right and you’re posting up as a wrer you post up on your left leg that’s incredibly difficult to come back from and so he had received because that’s at the time that was a 9 to 12 month process he had received a I
Believe was a major medical you can receive either a minor medical or a major medical but I believe because of the time of year happened and how many events he had played I think they gave him the major and so essentially how that works for those of you that don’t
Know is you get X number of events the next year when you come back and you have to make x amount of dollars to make it so that you finish inside the top 125 on the money list to keep your tour card because that was that was his last year
Of exempt golf on the PGA tour 2012 and then nothing was really going on uh nothing was really being told um no one really knew what was going on with AK and then reports kind of started to come out that he had this insurance policy that he had
Obtained and but it was very gray it was like people were like estimating it’s between 10 to20 million and event essentially it’s just he’s getting paid to go away yeah but no one really knows the inner workings of this unless you are so deep in the game
Of golf essentially you know and so fortunately for me and for us we have some sources and I’m sorry for the long uh ramble but I just I want it I want everyone to understand AK was one of the most talented golfers you will ever see and a sweet swing great
Swag and it’s really a shame he wasn’t able he didn’t play all these years because I I do think the game of golf really missed him especially since we haven’t had tiger you know not saying he was going to be Tiger but um I think people don’t realize iiz how
Good this guy was and so a friend of mine uh I asked him I said you know what do do you know anything about the AK situation you know kind of what’s the deal like I know he got this injury settlement supposedly but like why does
He have to give the money back um this uh fellow said I wish I knew more about that it’s an interesting situation I understand it as if his insurance policy was based upon the idea that if he was never able to play pro golf again then
It would basically be like a cover for the money he would have made on tour so if he plays again he can’t make money on top of that policy so if you’re not able to work they cover what they think you would have made in that time and then I
Asked him another question I said I assume the insurance policy would have been negotiated between AK and his insurance company because I was like are they insured by the PGA or does the PGA help the players essentially this Source said yeah usually all the PGA tour players are
Covered through the PGA Tour health insurance so they must have reached an agreement with the tour’s insurance and AK um then another individual um who is another source of ours I asked some very basically the same question uh the same initial question he goes I’m not sure whether it was an insurance
Policy with the tour or with a different policy carrier as far as I know the tour will only pay you roughly 25% of your salary for up to three years it might be different for PJ tour winners otherwise he might have taken out a policy called a permanent total Disability Policy
Which would have guaranteed him x amount of money for the rest of his life so long as he wasn’t competing once you compete you can’t receive payments he likely has to pay back money because the policy was giving him money under under the condition he does not compete again yeah so that’s most
Likely because they probably viewed it as it’s his left Achilles he’s probably not going to be able to play again and maybe that’s what the doctors were also saying that’s probably the insurance policy he took out now Anthony wants to play golf again which I’m very surprised because Pat
Perez said that AK doesn’t miss it at all but um yeah and who know if he goes to live and they give him the $10 million the dude breaks even essentially roughly assuming it was 10 to20 million do that he was insured well well the question is though
Is that if he goes to live which which obviously the report is that that that he’ll go there and not not not P by the way his swing 12 years later the guy spent the last 12 years basic literally in in the Shadows Golf Dodges Joel Beal
Wrote wrote a really good story about um it it was it was an opinion piece basically saying like stay out of the Limelight like some things are best best left in the past but this exert really kind of hit me it was Anthony Kim was the aberration the rare star in golf who
Burned out rather rather than faded away he literally played my injuries scre from the spotlight and literally didn’t play golf for a decade he said he fell out of love with the sport he stopped playing entirely he he said he said in a recent like interview of some sort that he just has
Not played golf whatsoever all of a sudden a video Sparks up up of him on the Range completely piure swing it’s one of those things that like like you once you have it you never lose it sort of thing it’s like mental mental so like he’s yeah I would not not
Say that he did not completely play golf I had heard and I had read that he just wasn’t doing what he used to do like he would show up he’d hit balls for like 30 minutes 45 minutes pure most of them and then just leave or like he’d practice
For like an hour it was more just it sounded more like it was just because he was bored like I don’t think he just hasn’t touched a club um because your swing doesn’t look that after 12 years uh if you don’t touch a club it just that’s just not how it works clearly
Clearly he he he wasn’t playing competitively at all he wasn’t doing no he was not either but I mean look I mean the guy I’m sure I’m sure he was just kind of [ __ ] around like hitting some balls and maybe playing with his buddies or something you know I mean look he is
A partyer you know he’s he was known as a partyer you know I mean maybe he was just entertaining his buddies you know and getting group of guys together whatever you know but I’m sure he was playing to some degree obviously not competitively because he would have had
To give the money back which now it sounds like he’s going to give the money back um well so that that that’s the question now right the report is he’s gonna the report is he’s in talk for live not PJ tour if he goes to live PJ
Tour can’t expect him him to pay them the money he isn’t playing on the PGA tour well no so he has been in talks with both the tour and Liv uh that was what the that was what the initial report had suggested I do think he’s more inclined to go to live regardless
He would have to pay pay the money regard wherever he goes he would have to pay back that $10 million that’s most likely or whatever it was that’s most likely what would happen um I know because I know people who have played Tour golf uh not quite at the level of
AK uh but they had something very similar and if they so much as competed in a mini Tour event they would have to they would have to they would stop getting their insur whatever payments they were really now it depends now I’m sure it depends on the certain situation
They wouldn’t have to give it my friends who have had to do this they it was not like a permanent disability thing so they weren’t they didn’t have to give it all back but once they compet and like hypothetically a one day Moonlight yeah they would stop getting
Whatever stien they were getting like to cover them so he would have to give that back there’s no question now the thing is he no longer has that major medical yeah okay the PJ tour did away with that back in like 2013 or 2014
With him so if he was to play on the PGA tour it would literally be on past Champion status or it would be um sponsors exemptions no or if he Munday I look I have no idea if he would have to go through pre-qualifying as
Well I have no idea what his status is he doesn’t even have an official World Golf Ranking at this point so no he doesn’t know um like I don’t know how that would work but if I were him I’d sit there and I’d be like well I’m just
Gonna [ __ ] it I’m going to go to live like even if they gave him five million he makes half of it back and then he just competes in like six or six six seven eight Live Events he’s making six figures minimum I think that would be a
Much better route for him because a it would it would probably give him more competitive reps as well like if he’s really serious about this and I think he must be because who the hell forfeits 10 million plus dollars about if they’re not serious about something you know
What I mean like hold on hold on maybe he’s serious about everyone to go play on go play on the PGA tour not that I’m gonna and again I’m gonna speculate the hell out of this is there an opport is there a chance here it’ll know what he’s been doing for the last
Decade and a half what if if he needs he he needs money right what if Liv GF gonna offer him $20 million and a chance to make really good [ __ ] money with W with with a minimal schedule you net $10 million and then you’re playing for at
The very worst what $400,000 a week when you go play 120 but yeah the possibility here is that and obviously it makes more sense to go to live anyways because you’re going to you’re going to automatically get the money back I don’t know what his financial situation is I’m
Sure he’s fine but also like the idea of live golf offering you this money it’s the same thing as as what as what we what we say forever the opportunity is there to make a hand hand or fist money and be able to have some to give to the
Give back to the tour I do not think he’s hurting for money he made 12 over 12 million in basically Five Years on the PGA tour on top of that he got the 10 to 20 million in the insurance p policy and then on top of that he had he
Had his endorsements he was a Nike athlete and I’m sure he was getting paid pretty well by Nike Stefon Marberry also went broke like you like it this should happen I’m aware but I know I know someone who knows Anthony swing coach yeah AK is not hurting for money I
Can imagine he’s not he’s not hurting for money AK Kevin nah ran into him a couple years ago in freaking Vegas like what a Kevin and Kevin was like yeah you look great like he’s not he’s not heard there is not I if AK was hurting for money
Like I remember we would know about it yeah we would know about it for sure because West being homeless well the thing is he can’t he’s not just going to give up $10 million if he doesn’t have it that’s true like he there’s no way no
One would give him a $10 million loan either you know like let’s just say hypothetically right he’s like shoot I am broke I gotta play golf again but first I got to give back this $10 million but I don’t have $10 million well I’m going
To go and get A1 million dollar loan but I hav playl in 12 years like it wouldn’t make any sense or just go to live and get your 20 million that’s true but like matter Point either the man is not hurting for money I heard someone say one time um
Actually you know what I’m going to throw this one out there because this is just absolutely hilarious because the person that told me this I don’t care for at all so I’m just gonna I just don’t care for this individual I’m not gonna say the person who told me this
But I’m gonna say the person who uttered this remark to the person I don’t like sure when people are like why the hell is Tiger Woods playing after like all those back surgeries Claude Harmon oh God said tiger is hurting for money and I heard that from an individual who I don’t like
And I was just like okay there is absolutely no way on God’s green earth that Tiger Woods is hurting for money like there is no way dude [ __ ] go zillionaire he’s a he’s he’s been a billionaire twice before his wife divorced him and then after his wife divorced him okay he’s doing just
Fine but regardless though back to the AK thing I really look I don’t think he’s hurting for money I just I just maybe 12 years away he’s just like damn I miss it I miss talking [ __ ] with like Pat Perez you know I miss like the camarad the camaraderie even
Though it sounds like not a lot of guys liked him I miss like the competitive stuff maybe that’s what it is with AK yeah you know I I will say one last thing I think it’s completely unreasonable to think that he’s going to play well because I just want everyone to understand
Something and just so I’m not talking out of my butt cheeks I’m going to P pull this up in the PGA Tour he barely made he made just over half of his Cuts in 2011 yeah 2012 he only made two what played 10 events missed missed what six
Cuts and went through from three or missed five cuts Miss five cuts with D from three his last three events and made two cuts in 10 events where withdrew from three dqd in one so he missed the cut in four yeah so this guy yeah look at
Us wow two [ __ ] Geniuses over here but in the his last year and a half on the PGA tour he played 36 events he made 16 cuts and a lot of it was ugly yeah okay and he was frustrated and he was hurt can his body withstand a
Full season on live or a full season on the PJ tour and can he play well he hasn’t competed in 12 years I’m not going to put anything past him because he’s universally regarded as one of the one of the most talented golfers like sha O’Hare I think it was
Shan oare that said he was going to be a Hall of Famer yeah okay I wouldn’t against him but everyone just pump the brakes and when he does return regardless of how Anthony plays just enjoy it because the this is a treat this is an absolute treat for any golfer
Golf fan out there Anthony Kim is going to play professional golf again this is a treat and enjoy it after a half hour of talking about about about Anthony Kim I’m ready to watch Anthony Kim highlights for literally for the next like eight hours dude they’re so good I was watching them
Like the other day and I was like I was like bro this guy’s swing is so good like it’s unbelievable there’s something about the giant silver bedazzled Diamond AK belt buckle or honestly again I’m still like in shock at how good his swing looks uh in his latest post from
Monday q that was just like just so pure so nice he swagged out still with the sunglasses and the Rope hat he’s just chilling I love it quick little Around the Horn here uh for what else happened in the world of golf before we hit before we head to the break again after
A half hour of talking about Anthony [ __ ] Kim uh Nelly Corda claims the LPGA drive on Championship Force the playoff with Lydia Co went birdie eagle in her last two holes to force the playoff do you think you could ever do that birdie eagle on the last two holes for the playoff
Uh yeah I think I could do that for sure I mean to be fair I got into I got into a uh a tournament one time and I was like all right Ben you screwed yourself over you got you better go birdie birdie birdie and I did I went birdie birdie
Birdie let’s see so uh the PJ tour is going to receive about3 billion dollar in investments from the Feb Sports strategic Sports Group as early as this upcoming week it’s only to cover domestic rights we’ll talk more about that soon as well as this Bob harck from
Sports Illustrated by the way shout out to Sports Illustrated I feel so bad for all those folks who got laid off um hope they all find home soon uh Bob harck reports that significant progress has been made between the PGA and PF a new framework will be presented soon
Possibly a deal is already done they’re just waiting on Final confirmations we’ll update you on that as it comes in with that being said we’re going to take short break on the other side we’re an hour down 25 more minutes to go we have a talk on the AT&T Pebble Beach
Pram the second of eight Signature Events of the year we’ll talk about who is hot going into this week and of course we’ll give you our picks for the event don’t War folks it’s again the whole podcast right here on the on the Underground Sports Philadelphia Network
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19th Hole go to phip par. and use code underground at checkout for 10% off any order that’s code underground Phi apparel.co and grab exclusive get in the whole podcast merch and support your favorite golfers welcome back in folks getting the hole here with Stephen Ben
We head on to Pebble Beach this week I can’t believe cost a $1,000 dollar to play this golf course like it’s like ridicul I can I mean it was years ago yeah right well although actually I found out you could play Bandon all three courses on Bandon
For like $200 you play one of them in the offseason fee for like 110 and then they have a playback rule where you could play another 18 for half the price and then a third time around if you were to play 72 holes or or sorry 54 holes
Six holes you you can pay it would be full price half price and then the third round’s free in one day so you can technically play all three courses abandoned for uh for the price of of one and a half we start off here quick little segment before we head to our
Picks we’re already an hour down 20 more to go HST is hot going into H Beach I love bringing back this uh this segment Ben I’ll lead off with you give me a couple names that you think are hot going into this week we could do a
Little bit of whom is not but feel like everybody’s hot at this point uh ear on in the year Benny boy whom’s is hot going into P Beach okay uh since this is new I’ll give you two and you give me two how that sound all right cool who’s hot
Xander Schley who did I I think I picked him to win last week didn’t I yes who did yeah and he didn’t win he still finished top 10 he has three show top 10 to begin the season including a minus 27 showing at the MX in Palm Springs
California and he’s third on tour and strokes gain TI green I mean this is like CL I mean this is what you expect of Xander this is not a shocker by any stretch of the imagination uh and my other pick Uh Kevin U has two straight top six finishes to
Start the year with the California swing good on you Kevin yeah know quite quite yeah quite the wrong from Kevin so far also hate the fact that could you please not eat and talk I could not understand a word you just said I hate the fact that Kevin Yu is uh they they
Put him on on the broadcast saying he’s from Chinese Taipei just say he’s from Taiwan like we’ve been not toing geopolitical here guys but it’s been Tai on forever uh I have three guys who are actually really hot going going going into this week and I’m going to Discount
A little bit from the farmers because I feel like the the course plat of played so difficult he didn’t play the best at this golf course I’ll give you a bit of a pass uh first of all of course the runner up from this week Nikolai hogard
Uh three top 25s to begin the year on the PGA tour finished seventh in Dubai uh behind Rory mroy couple weeks ago at the Hero World typical of a guy like him plays of course in Europe uh quite often has a really good European acument it’s
Only going to get better as he continues here in the states um Eric Cole while he missed the cut at the farmers again giving him a little bit of a pass he had three straight top 21 finishes he finished seventh uh at the was the Sony
Or the century one of the two in Hawaii um really strong beginning of the year for the reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year at 34 years old and someone who I’m probably going to be picking uh in beer money boiler alert JT Poston has been on
A [ __ ] Bender uh he finished top five at the century he finished six at the Sony and finished 11th at the MX uh he’s only going to get better from here this is probably this is the best three round stretch three event stretch he’s had his
Entire career uh he’s won at the John Deere in the past he’s played tremendous Golf and alternate event showings finally has worked his way up into the signature event level uh finishing top 50 this past year particularly with his FAL swing stretch really looking forward to what’s going to happen with JT post
And with that we jump in to our Beer Money picks this week brought to you by friends over at Kenwood beer getting the hole is brought to you by Kenwood beer who’s Kenny you might ask well he’s smooth he’s clean and bright with a taste to boot Kenny is the routine
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Drink responsibly we begin with a top 20 at Pebble Beach Ben who are you taking this week oh man okay uh real quick I understand that Pebble Beach is one of the most fantastic and amazing golf courses I said fantastic didn’t I yes yeah fantastic and amazing courses in America and in the
World this event though they have this event at like the worst time of the year I can count I can count on numerous occasions when this event has been short into 54 holes literally because of rain yeah I think Dustin Johnson won two of those actually which is hilarious enough
That’s at this specific tournament um but regardless my top 20 finish I’m going to go with our main man Russell Henley he’s off to a strong start this year he’s one of those guys you know we should do sometime a list of guys who don’t get enough respect on the
PJ tour he would be one of the top guys on that list for me I don’t think people give him enough love he had he won in his first ever PJ Tour event I believe in 2012 at the Sony and he’s kept his card every single year think about that
The dude’s a model consistency and he’s going to be consistent again this week top 20 uh yeah I’ll the pick um I’m going I’m going to the well that I literally just uh picked from uh JT Poston top 20 okay keep keeping it easy really strong player love him this week top 10
Who you got oh man uh you know what I’m going to go with Tommy Fleetwood I think the I think this tournament I think the course I think everything fits his game and suits his game well uh he’s got that sweet swing he can really curve the ball which is something that I
Really like in high pressure situations just little fun fact Little Nugget for little nugget for you uh golfers out there if you’re ever in trouble if you’re ever in a high press situation it’s easier to curve it than to hit it straight and he can really curve it so I
Would go with Tommy Fleetwood for a top 10 take a freaking rip uh I really hope he gets his first win sooner rather than later uh top 10 this week God I have so many good picks I could take for a top 10 here or a gimme
And I just don’t know where to take them um all right I’m throw I’m throwing a name out here that that I really hope sticks Denny McCarthy top 10 approach game is so important here Pebble Beach has has statistically the smallest Greens in diameter on tour s probably
This year is one of the top 10 players in shoski and approach and of course he’s a putting uh Savant I will take Denny for a top 10 this week at a really good freaking number at at over six to one odds for him this week top
Five man top five you know who I’m going to go with someone who I feel like I never pick to do well I’m GNA go with Jordan spe he’s won this event before and I think this course is made for his game it allows he can be a little loose
Off the tea and for the most part he can kind of be loose uh on this course but I think Jordan speed for a top five is the way to go um top five for me you know it’s it it’s funny because I’m so inclined to go back to the well
Again I think I’ve taken them each of the last two or two to three weeks or like two of the two or three events this year or sorry three three three of our four what’s his recent numbers yeah screw it I’m going for it uh Xander Schley
T5 model of consistency but just can’t win Alexander your gim me pick um man I don’t have uh I don’t have Michael block as my gimme pick this week man is that the one point I got from last week yes [ __ ] all right my uh my gim I was so hopeful
He was going to play better he shot three under in the first nine holes I sent I sent a photo to uh to the chat I said Michael block listened to the Pod and said Ben [ __ ] you did not no no no no it was it was he
It was only after his first two when he went like birdie birdie or something but regardless I was like whatever dude uh and I I got so excited I was like wait did he actually say that that would be so cool and you’re like no I wish was like oh damn um oh
Damn you know who I’m you know who I’m going to pick I’m this is good this is a tough one and it might we can quantify this Lucas Glover will finish in the bottom 15 of this event the bottom 15 well yeah because there isn’t a cut is
There uh I don’t believe so no no exactly so he’s going to finish in the bottom 15 okay all right I dig it um my gimme that’s a good pick no no no no it’s a fine pick it’s a fine pick um my gimme this week you know I’m kind
Of inclined to take the runner up the the the defending Champion the miss the cut uh which or sorry finish outside the top like 50 which would be Justin Rose um but I’m not going to do that because I’m a nice person uh I really like the
Long shots and again look this has been the year of the long shot the all four guys to win this week have been at least 250 to one to win events uh but my gimme I’m going to take Alex noren top 10 in the first round wild pick never done before I
Think Alex noren going to have a really good first round and like be the first round leader I’m going to take him to be top 10 in the first round of this event crazy idea but let’s [ __ ] do it your winner at the AT&T Pebble Beach
Proam you know this one was a tough one for me I’m gonna go with Victor hlin to win and this these are some of the smallest screens these guys are going to see on tour we already know havland is an elite ball Striker but what he brings
To the table now with short game is insane I mean it’s just m around the greens so when you combine that accuracy with that level that high level of short game when he does Miss a green or maybe when he goes for par five and two and he
Doesn’t quite get it there all the way or maybe he just misses it off uh on the Fring or something I like Victor hin to win this week I really do it’s a classic golf course I think that fits his game it’s it long but he’s relatively
Straight and the short game can always bail that guy out now now like you can’t really bet against a guy who made a weakness into a legitimate strength you know what I mean so I gotta go with Victor havland I have a crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy
Bet and you are going to be like what are you doing when I say this so as I mentioned this year has been the the year of the long shot uh so far to begin the Year this is the this this pick is going to be the longest
Shot of the PGA tour calendar so far this year I’m pulling up where he is on on the leaderboard he finished top 20 here last year he proposed to his then girlfriend off the 18th green last year at this golf course loves Pebble Beach is currently eighth on the PGA tour in
Strokes gained around the green and approach based off seven rounds which has mostly happened at Tory Pines also historically small greens uh and the MX also historically small greens the California swing has a lot of these smaller greens to Long Shot pick at 225 to one Mark hubard to win the Pebble Beach
Proam shba hubard homeless hubs he’s gon win this week it’s so hard to get the winning Pick right that I feel like I can just throw [ __ ] darts and they somehow might hit so we’re taking uh we’re taking a taking a you kind of need you kind of you kind
Of need to start throwing darts because I’m currently winning the season long Beer Money pick I’m down one I’m still winning which is hilarious I have 45 more events it doesn’t matter I’m winning awesome a long ass season that’s that’s all I’ll say yeah thank youing in here
I’m gonna build you you picked oh the shut up you picked Mark hubard and I picked Victor havland okay come on let’s be honest what I don’t know I just think your your picks this year have been a little bit Interesting Man they’ve a little interesting you know what what if it
Hits if it hits I’ll never hear the end of it it’ll be the greatest call out in show history tell you it oh for sure the best call out have some fa have some damn faith I don’t have faith I don’t have faith in you my mic went muted nice thank you
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Bringing you all the news and action that you could imagine in the world of golf that’s Ben I’m Steve we’ll see you next thanks for listening to get in the hole the official golf podcast of underground Sports Philadelphia catch us every week wherever you get your favorite podcasts and be sure to like
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