Sergio Garcia and Rick Shiels talk all things Golf!

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All right guys welcome back to the Rick Shields Golf Show podcast episode 221 in this week’s episode we have an incredible guest thanks mate more as a co-host than a guest thank you very nicely done thank you this week I sit down with Sergio Garcia wow Master’s

Champion now a fireball Captain um this was actually recorded at the end of last year this was before John had even mooved to live so we probably don’t we don’t even discuss it in this podcast however we do dive into lots of Juicy Juicy topics including his desire and will still to

Be a rerup player and a rerup captain yes also how desperate and I mean desperate he is to win the Open Championship and he will do everything in his power to play in every single Open championship for the the rest of his life and then even more important

The Open Championship this Friday 400 p.m. UK time Sergio Garcia Rick Shields Rick starts s par Sergio starts level par who wins who’s a man who’s a mice we will find out on Friday 4 P.M do not miss it I might be watching it behind the sofa anyway more exciting news as

Well this podcast today is sponsored by marot bonvo because we’re doing something exciting with marot bonvo or I am I can’t wait to do be able to play with some marott bonvoy members well speaking of how you felt when you teed up with the famous Sergio Garcia the

Masters champion what a few in fact a handful a number of of Lucky marott bonvoy members they could have that same first day experience where although they won’t meeting up with a a master’s champion and a ride cup Legend and a captain of the Fireballs they will be

Tin up with Rick Shields at Marriott wory Park who one shot 77 un preferred lies there we go yes take that so it it is going to be exciting there is some terms and conditions I want you every single one of you get involved obviously Marriotts around the world but Marriott

Bonvoy is a travel program of marott international it encompasses an extraordinary portfolio of over 30 Brands membership is free Rick and full of unlimited travel possibilities and all members get immediate access to members rights mobile service stre Mar bonvoy mobile app and free Wi-Fi everybody needs free Wi-Fi guys you do

Cuz You’ got a good Thun for scrolling would you agree nicely saved um the more you stay the better the benefits get for example bonus points late checkout always a winner for you Rick after a bit of a few guinnesses although maybe not So Much Anymore now you’re in the gym

Instead I need late checkout because I’ve been in the gym too long okay this is maybe more for you then a room upgrade you like have a room upgrade welcome gifts and much much more and members can earn points for stays at hotels Resorts premium home rentals

Tours and activities and even on dining spa and golf everyone loves golf in particular uh sorry in participating hotels without a stay as well as through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards marit bonvoy American Express card members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays uh Mario bonvoy moment and Shop

With points and so much more I’m a fan of Marriott marot Wy Park is would you say it was our kind of it’s one of our homes isn’t it it’s our home away from home it’s certainly where we filmed a huge bunch of our incredible videos there from such videos’s straightest

Golf ball a legal straightest golf ball to tall Paul world’s tallest I hope I want to get Paul back on the channel again soon and many other incredible videos um and again this is a chance to play with me at marot Worley park now all you need is one marot bonvoy point

One just one that’s it wow that is it um to play golf with you that’s it there any pressure on you by the way in this situation a little bit I do feel I’ve get nervous anyway um but to be able to play with real humans who watch the

Channel who are like R we expect so much from you you know what though do they expect much from me yes let’s picture the scene right my name’s Gary okay I live in Milton keary I have entered in a moment I’ll explain how I did this but I

I got into this day with you via marot bonvo my one point okay and I book the day off work to get there so R my boss hi Nigel I can’t come in tomorrow I’m going to play playing golf with Rick Shields Gary enjoy it mate it’s a once

In a lifetime opportunity thank you uh how it cost you one point one Mar at bonvoy point and also Nigel I’m actually going to be playing at golf cuz I want to play for so long I am playing at the Mario at Worley Park so Nigel gives me his

Blessing I get there on the first here meet you RI shake hands I’m excited nice to see you what t- shot do you hit Rick shields on that first tea in front of me I’ve pretty much got a track history of just pulling it left into the roof

Correct cuz it’s the perfect place to hit it there’s no point in in the Fairway what’s the point it’s too hard you got bungers down the right you got out you got that bush that’s practically all be down the right just pump it down

The left and just let it go yeah um if you are already a member um I’m sure you already have one point but if you are not a member no worries because you can join Marriot bonvo for 3 through the link in the description of this podcast

And the video podcast earning one Mar bonvoy point is easy even if you do not travel in the UK and selected other markets you can earn points on a coffee or a great meal a participate in hotels even on spa treatments and golf as I mentioned earlier once you have your

Point be ready on the 7th of March at 400 p p.m GMT the package drops on marot bonvoy moments platform there’s 10 packages available for one point and a few more auctions afterwards wow this is this is going to be 10 people Rick I’m actually getting

More nervous 10 Gary stood there on the first two waiting for you now also there’s loads of uh advantages for being a Marriot bonvoy for golfers as marot bonvoy members you can make sure you got on the very best of your golf club so if you’re going to a marot golf club and

You’re a bonvoy member you are getting the best of the best you can earn points on golf without a stay link your credit card to start earning five marot bonvoy points per $1 us spent at participating hotels in the UK there’s five hotel and country clubs across the UK in idilic

Locations and there’s seven Premier challenging you can vouch for that challenging golf courses including five Championship golf courses all the information you need is in the description below if you’re watching on YouTube description below if you’re listening on uh Spotify or apple go in the description box below there’s the

URLs sign up get your point and come and uh potentially play golf with Rick Shields and um enjoy it enjoy it you’ll be there as well sure I’ll be I’ll be there vibing but I have the pressure of hitting a shot you see so what I can do

Is I can say when you hit a bad one I’ll go I wouldn’t have done that when you a good one go that was a fluke I like it um also in the in the last week or so I was going to come on Sergio Garcia

Podcast cuz that that is the juicy part of today’s podcast they also had the return of Tiger Woods this weekend yeah I want to talk about this briefly he uh he appeared in his own pretty much his own tournament he’s the host of The Genesis uh Invitational at Riviera a

Golf course that looks so unbelievably pure I think there one hole was it the six hole which had a greening regulation percentage of less than 20% wow so like golfers could not hit that green one it’s it’s a upside down Source P but the guys are hitting like four irons and

Five irons into that green they just couldn’t hold the green at all um unfortunately Friday evening I sat there CLA my wife had nipped out some friends from school I was sat there eating actually had a healthy meal didn’t have any beers wow put the TV on

Tigers’s Tiger’s playing this is it this is it tiger is back I’m excited I’m I’m you know he’s he’s shot over front first round you know he can get this back he’s going to make the cut it’s going to be epic he’s going to have a weekend charge

And go and Win It by 12 and he just didn’t look like the same Tiger Woods as no as we know and after was it about seven or eight holes he actually had to retire through apparently he did something similar to what I did correct I was always going to

Tweet about it because I walked off at St Andrews when I was playing Bob the sports because of Tommy tummy bug and tarer did exactly the same yeah that’s the the one thing that me and tiger have in common you know what I’m going to

I’ve sing up this on the way to work this morning and how I articulate it in the best way I possibly can careful I’m going to try I’ll try my best hit me out I love Tiger Woods that’s that’s no secret I am guy chanik and I love tiger

I love Tiger Woods and I would love nothing more than Tiger Woods to win another major another five Majors another 10 Majors I’d love to win every other event he ever plays in of course I grew up watching Tiger Woods idolizing Tiger Woods playing the games at the

Tiger Woods PJ tour games everything about Tiger Woods I do however I am currently out a situation where I am over the Tiger Woods hype when he comes back now to play I’m over it’s happened so many times and there’s so much expectation and so much anticipation and

There’s so much media coverage around it and we obviously play a part in that by getting so excited and on Thursday my dad rang me and he was like oh you know tiger about to tee off I said oh didn’t do I knew he was playing tonight I didn’t know it was

About to te off I’ll put it on put it on okay okay yeah quite entertaining seeing him back in his new Sunday Red Clothing looked a bit weird at first quickly got used to that but I’m just I am over it I want him back I want him healthy I’d

Love him to an events I’ve just said but the hype I just feel like I’ve moved on in my life and I’m just not been it’s been a pleasure co-hosting podcast with you guy um if you you collect your vloggings at the door I tiger bubble

Head on the way out ironically um yeah I I’m not going to say it I’m not going to say it but I also I understand where you’re coming from because was I as excited this weekend seeing tiger back I can’t say I was no I why did I turn the TV on on

Friday when you know obviously the tournament was on it was because of Tiger Woods why did I turn the TV off 15 minutes after he pulled out because Tiger Woods pulled out it for me the reason why I watch certainly on a Friday night I like

Watching golf on a Sunday I do cuz you obviously see the the drama and you see the winning I I’m not a Friday evening Watcher of golf orbe it my wife was out you know I had I had the free night to watch golf as much as I wanted to I

Wanted to watch Tiger Woods in that situation and as soon as he pulled out I was a bit like okay I’m kind of done that I don’t the leaderboard wasn’t as packed full of names that I wanted to watch um you never really ever see Tommy

Fleetwood on the on the um us coverage do you really and he was up there I think he finished top 10 you see loads of bloody Patrick kley you see loads of Justin Thomas you see loads of Jordan Speed you know I love I love JT and and

Jordan Speed um you just don’t see that many players I’m I’m I’m not overly impressed The more I’ve been watching professional golf over the last few weeks and I would say watching it with a very critical eye I have been less fond of professional golf in as a whole it’s

Funny to say that because so I just said then my dad rang me on Thursday about tarer te off and I watched it watched a couple holes I’ll be honest with you now and I hate to admit it I just turned it off and it should because great to see

Tiger back after a few holes got used to it but with professional golf it’s often four days who know lives three days realistically other than the majors for me I don’t get that invested on like you said Thursday Friday or even Saturday so I thought of a new way of professional

Golf could be run hear me out it’s not that revolutionary but I think it’ make it so much more exciting for me personally you might agree Rick you might disagree and people at home may agree or disagree so to give every round a purpose let’s take professional golf

Down from four rounds not even three rounds like live let’s take to two rounds have 18 holes then there’s a cut so there’s a reason to watch that first day because every single shot matters and your favorite player might not made the cut that’s on Saturday it goes from

Like say 100 in the tournament orever to then down to like 50 so it halves the field then you know Sunday is the final day so you have to be watching and see who wins but what we could then do a bit like the F1 does is televise a Friday

Practice round so you’re still getting three days of golf on t TV the Friday practice round let’s mic them up let them hit multiple balls if they want to and test out the greens and get it on get you know get us watch that maybe we could learn some stuff maybe the plays

Might be open to on course interviews walking on the fway a bit more or even almost over the ball right what are you doing here um tiger right I’m going to hit this 79 bump and run to test how fast the greens are they may not want to

Get involved they may do but you can kind of watch that very much just chilling feet up it’s all in the background diping and out and then Saturday comes bang you’ve got 18 holes every shot matters and then Sunday bang It’s the final day yeah I I I like that

I’ tweak it just twe because the one thing that you would struggle there with is ticket sales on site yeah if you’re reducing it down from four days to effectively two I would actually go a little bit early than that so still have maybe a Wednesday is a bit of a program

Okay it’s not televised people can go and spectate if they want it’s a nice little money maker get your autographs you get your autographs it’s also good for sponsors Etc that that’s your Wednesday yeah your Thursday becomes that practice round okay you’re right why I want to watch on Thursday I’d want

To watch Rory mroy on the side of a green talking me through how he plays a shot like that and you know I think who does a really good job of that uh George um God his surname slips my mind now from the RNA the South African not South

African New Zealand is even new I think um Harper yes George Harper does a brilliant job at that the open MH correct and do you remember that time when he’s like going into Rory and saying if you hold this put I’ll give you 20 quid get someone like a George

Harper and a few others on the around interviewing these players these kind of cheeky chappy presenters who do a really good job at getting this these information out of these players that’s your Thursday and I I would genuinely want to watch that and you’d get so many

Short clips from that as well wouldn’t you the little three minute Clips Etc so we’ve got we’ve agreed on that Wednesday’s a proam day Thursday is this day so that’s the Casual day what’s then then and I I I’m going with you approach on Saturday Sunday yeah got no problem

With that at all Saturday is your is your almost your every shot matters and if you don’t make the cut you’re out you gone home the other guarantee there at least a Saturday you guaranteed to see all the best players so you take little Jimmy day his day off school obv on a

Saturday goes to the event with his dad and his mom and his dad or whatever he sees guaranteed he’s going to see everyone which again the advantage that Liv’s got Sunday you need a winner I don’t mind that at all Friday what I’d actually quite like to see still a bit

Of competitive but like a twom man tournament like every almost every time two against two two against two you can have little cash games in the four balls but like my come all open it might only be 10 groups it doesn’t have to be a lot

Of groups but you could have this kind of like two versus two format you could have a running tally you could almost have a round Robbin for the rest of the year where you know it might be JT and Tiger Woods are the are the pair they

Always pair with each other next week they playing against Jordan spe and Hadi Matti Arma and whoever wins that earns points and there’s a bit of a cash game you know bonvoy points Mar bonvoy point one each have a chance to play me mar marott Wy Park and then in the um each

Event each week it builds up and builds up and builds up so you actually on a Friday you end up getting to a final pairings almost and then Saturday Sunday and I agree I think that’s the thing isn’t it there’ll be people listening to this now who absolutely love watching

Golf and that’s great and and I kind of wish I was that person really who’ll watch Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday and they’ll be listening to us and now going shut up you’re talking nonsense but I I’ve said this before and I’ll say it I’ll say it again I do feel guilty as

A golfer that the golf is on the Thursday night Tiger Woods my childhood hero is playing and I’m still not in not engross because it doesn’t feel that important I’m going to say something I think it’s going to get me in some sticky water is that I’m saying hot

Water I think hot water sticky hot water sticky hot water go on slightly misli this weekend wow just slightly have you become a fireball is that what it is you know what it is wow I’m starting to realize it’s like I don’t know what it

Is actually I’m saying I know what it is but this weekend because I only had one choice I only had to watch the PJ tour yeah as my only real one choice I quite liked that other alternative choice if if I wanted to you know what I mean okay like if

Someone said to you every Saturday you can have a Chinese you like kind of sick someone says was a Chinese or an Indian on the rest on you could swap it a little bit which which one fancy and this weekend I was like I’d like a

Choice I if I would have made a different Choice i’ liked a choice which really surprised me wow really surprised me and I want to share that with the group I want to share that with everybody wow and this isn’t just because with the fact we’ve got a live

Player on the podcast today that is genuinely how I felt this weekend anyway without further Ado yeah obviously shout out to Hideki Matti shoot 62 and winning at Riviera it was ridiculous and you know what he said after one he said he obviously was got he couldn’t get a

Picture with tiger really even he’s a tiger fan obviously um even bigger shout out to Mar bonvoy thanks marot um and B and there’s going to be 10 people who will be on that tea 11 ball no what they’re going to do I think is they’re

Going to play a few different like three or four balls you’ll join a few groups a few holes you’ll give some tips some some hints some uh behind the scenes guidance of of how you make videos with the Marriot maybe I don’t know you can

Just Vibe it it’s going to be a very chilled out Vibe day love it guys get involved do not miss it and get involved with this epic sit down chat at Spanish Oaks which is in Austin Texas Sergio Garcia’s home golf course this is a fantastic podcast that we recorded just

Before we went out and did the 10 shot challenge enjoy well Sergio thank you for joining us my pleasure this is a real an honor and a pleasure for me growing up admiring you as a golfer and and your talent and what you’ve achieved in the game I’m I’m really excited about this

Podcast I can’t wait to dive in to what you’ve achieved in the golf game and also what you’re looking to achieve and what the future looks like as well um we’re here in Austin um because this weekend we’ve got your foundation golf event and I’d love to start things off

With you tell us a little bit more about that because it sounds like a fantastic cause that you’re raising money for yeah thank you Rick uh obviously it’s a pleasure to to be with with you guys um you know I’ve uh I’ve watched you guys a

Little bit too so you guys are always fun to thank you to follow uh no but yes we’re here we’re here in Austin uh where um where uh Where I Live Now with uh with my wife and and our two kids uh here at Spanish Oaks uh one of the clubs

Where I’m a member and uh yes like you said this weekend we have uh we have our our big charity event uh for kids ATX is called so we try to raise as much money for uh kids and Community uh and um we um we did it last year it was our first

Year here in Austin and it went great and we’re we’re super excited to to do it again with the help of uh some of our fellow professionals and you know you and excited and all the celebrities and and all our sponsors and donors and stuff so it’s uh it’s great we’re we’re

Excited and that’s to raise money for children in underprivileged areas to help them with life or golf as well does that get them into golf yeah we uh we have uh we have four organizations that we’re going to uh benefit to and uh one one of them is uh Del Children’s

Hospital uh so it’s uh obviously it’s a big Children’s Hospital here in in Austin and uh you know we we’re raising money to to help them you know improve and you know for anything they need and if they need uh uh anything any extra Wings build or anything like that for uh

To take care of children so that’s one of them um another one is Foster Village which is for foster parents wow um so it’s a great organ organization we have U we have some friends that are Foster uh foster parents and you know it’s it’s really it’s really a tough uh tough

Subject uh to talk about because you know you bring a a kid that that obviously is having a tough at bring in or or family can’t take care of him or whatever and um and then you you know you have him for whatever you know some

Months or a year or a couple of years and yeah and you kind of have him as one of your own then all you have to give it back and it’s it’s tough so uh those those families are are amazing uh so we do that the third one is safe mun which is

A municipal course it’s called Lions it’s it’s pretty much in the in the heart of Austin oh nice um yes it’s called Lions Lions Municipal go name is it so we call him mun uh and it’s a it’s a fun course uh Tom Kite and and Ben

Kcho they grew up playing there uh there’s uh some so many so many kids and people that play there and uh you know there’s a possibility of it’s owned by uh by the university here and there’s a big possibility I want to sell it and and build whatever so we uh we’re trying

To raise that money to kind of buy it and obviously with other organizations and and make sure that we keep it there preserve it uh and so we can have you know people keep going and playing and stuff and then the fourth one this year uh is one that obviously is very close

To my heart because it’s my wife Foundation which is called the ugly Foundation ugli not not why and excuse me and stands for uni unique uh um unique gifted loved individual and it’s an anti-bullying Foundation that she started yeah she started about a year

And a half ago so um uh she’s been doing a great great work going to going to different schools and having talks and stuff like that so it’s um you know it’s it’s a great cause and uh so we’re we’re trying to help as much as we can for

Those BR I mean that you know all all those four um benefits from the weekend they going to really obviously appreciate your support and any help as well and it leads me quite nicely on to kind of my next question obviously you’re looking into putting money into

The muni golf course as you mentioned Lions to help kids and and really anybody to try and get into golf kind of leads me quite into how what was your actual background into golf like how old are you when you first started was it easy for you to start in Spain obviously

You know Spain now is a hugely popular golf resort was it back then when you kind of first started picking up a golf club maybe not as much obviously it was 40 years ago when I was probably about 2 and a half three years old um for me it

Wasn’t difficult uh for a couple of reasons because my my dad is the head pro and he um he’s uh he just is retired but he he was the head pro at uh our home course in in Caston Metrano WF uh for whatever like 30 35 40 years and

He’s just retired now yeah what’s he going to do with his time well I mean he still goes and plays every day and and you know does his little lessons here to to the people that he wants and stuff like that yeah he loves he loves the

Game very much I I’m not sure I know anyone that loves the game more than him so but uh because of that I was very fortunate to be able to to grow up you know doing sports and playing golf not only not only golf but I played also

Soccer and tennis and uh you know I’m a I’m a sports freak uh I love I love sports um but uh yeah so I was I was very fortunate with that I was able to to to grow up in a in a country club and

And uh you know where my dad worked and my mom worked at the at the pro shop there so uh you know I was I was able to practice and and have little games with members on the Penning green and stuff like that so so that obviously helped me

But um you know as you know it’s a lot of work and to be able to to uh become a professional and and do halfway decent it’s uh it’s never easy and was there a point was there ever a turning point that was almost like I think I’m good

Enough for this like did maybe you might have not known as you were younger but as your dad ever told you a story of where you were like of a certain age it’s like you know Sergio’s got this he’s got the potential I don’t know I

Don’t know personally uh if he ever told me that I’m sure he he thought it at at some point uh because he he saw how you know how I grew up and how I developed and everything for me personally I do remember uh and I think it was uh when I

Was 13 yeah um I remember you know when I was 12 and stuff I started traveling playing in the UK playing a little bit here in the US some some of the uh some of the amateur events but I remember when I was 13 I I played the Spanish

National ranking um League or or um however you want to call it uh for the first time and obviously I was playing against the best players in Spain the best amateur players in Spain uh all ages uh I was 13 I was pretty much the

Youngest and I remember that I uh I did well I won I think one or two tournaments that year I finished quite in the ranking uh probably finish uh in the top five or six in the rankings and I thought you know if I’m 13 I’m playing

Against these guys that are 20 25 30 4 years old and they’re the best in Spain and I’m and I’m doing well with them you know maybe uh maybe this may we have a little future here well I mean that’s it because I think sometimes and and again

I can’t relate fully but I I felt like I made the mistake of staying very much at my home golf course and feeling like I’m pretty good at my home golf course but if your game doesn’t travel you’ve got to test yourself against better players

In different areas you’ve got to go to a national level you’ve got to go to the European level and you’ve got to test your skills again against the world stage and and that’s when you really know oh yeah you know what I’m actually good enough for this or or I’m not you

Know and I think too many youngsters certainly when I was growing up didn’t maybe travel as much now it feels like it’s very common for talented golfers you would just mention a young lad from your golf course who who showing incredible potential at the moment what did you say his name

Was yeah he’s at uh University of Arizona no uh sorry as state you and again he’s gone from your home golf course and he’s straight away like a lot of talented golfers have done over the last few years have gone straight over to the states and gone into University

And then done incredibly well from there really um yeah like like you were saying sorry RI yeah I I totally agree I think that you know it’s very easy to get get comfortable you know with in your in your home course and and obviously yes

You you play it all the time so you you’re very comfortable you know exactly what you want to do and and it’s it seems like it’s easy to do what you want to do but yeah when you start traveling and playing getting on courses different courses and and in situations that are

Maybe not as as comfortable not only as a golfer but I think as a as a person it helps you grow a lot you know to to to meet new people and and and kind of open up and uh for me um I uh obviously I I

Was I was studying English and and uh and I had like a like a private teacher and stuff but to come out and go to the UK and and come to the US and and try to speak in English and stuff like that it’s it’s you know you have to it takes

A lot of confidence to be able to do that and I know that you’re going to make mistakes when you when you talk and I actually have a couple funny stories about that that we can go along we can get into them later but where you where

You you pron your language stopped you maybe from saying what you wanted to say no where I where I was saying something in in English that that I thought I was saying it right and I was said it wrong and and uh yeah but uh yeah but all those things

Definitely uh help you grow both as a as a player but also as a person it’s funny cuz real hardcore listeners of the uh podcast know even though English is still my only language that I speak I still mess words up and I still get sayings wrong and I still don’t know if

I fully know the language fully um with obviously growing up in Spain and you had I’m guessing natural heroes in seevi and Alis when did they kind of get introduced to your life and and do you remember those moments those kind of key key points where you got to meet I’m

Guessing at that age kind of Heroes for you yes I um I briefly remember meeting seevi uh um I think it was in Els salair in Valencia they were playing a Spanish open um and uh I remember meeting him I think I was I think I was probably I want to say

80 85 or 86 something like that so I was five or six years old oh wow so really young yeah so my my dad knew knew seevi they obviously my dad came as a as a caddy from Madrid and and and they obviously knew each other as caddies and

Stuff um so uh I remember meeting him meeting Berner longer uh I remember that they played a a little soccer game at uh there they have a nice pitch there and and you know I have a couple pictures with me being very very little very young and and you know them wearing

Like yeah like soccer soccer shorts and and stuff like that so a little Germany versus Spain match I don’t know I I can’t remember what what the I’m sure it was a big mix of of players but um that was my first time meeting seevi uh and

Then uh and then I uh you know I I obviously got to see him a little bit uh farther down the road uh as an amateur uh playing in in um in Sant andere in pedia and and then I remember 95 96 uh me as an amateur and him kind of

Getting towards the end of of his career We we played uh we played a couple rounds at the at the bris open in Royal andan in ’96 um Spanish open in 95 which was his last victory if I remember correctly uh in in Madrid at um so at CL the Campo uh

So you know all those yeah obviously all those memories then and then obviously when I turn Pro and S trophies and and stuff like that so did he did you ever give you any any words of wisdom was there any I’m guessing he mentored you or helped you along the way was there

Any real moments he was like Sergio this is something you need to know about professional girls uh well I mean he he always told me to uh to believe in myself um obviously he um you know he saw me play and and he knew what what I

Could or couldn’t do but uh I always looked up to to him and and try to I remember when we PR practice rounds you know try to see some of the imagin ation that he had in in the shots and and I tried to kind of uh suck that in as much

As I could uh to uh and to to to help me you know in my game but uh but more than anything he was just a very very confident person uh huge Charisma uh and you know it was it was always fun to to see him think about shots and and and

And see you know what what what’s going in in his mind did it give you confidence as well knowing that someone obviously the S Stater did so well in the professional game did it kind of give you the confidence coming from Spain to like yeah I can do this too I

Can I can follow in his footsteps yes without a doubt him ol hav him menz at that time too uh so they were all they were all you know huge players doing doing well from Spain which which at that time golf in Spain wasn’t as big as

It is now no it’s huge now uh so uh so all those things definitely definitely help when you see fellow countrymen doing doing well in front of you uh or ahead of you it’s always it’s always a plus and and and it kind of gives you a little

Bit of a you know kicking the butt saying oh you know what we might come from a smaller country or maybe not as popular uh golf guys as others but you know they’re doing well why why why can I not why can exactly and like say and

You’ve now as well you’ve now helped with the develop of the next wave of of Spanish Talent you mentioned the young lad from your golf course and and John Ram I’m guessing as well who kind of looked up to se alab himz yourself and it’s like yes okay we can keep doing it

I think sometimes like that really helps golf um golfers from countries who maybe not known from the US like obviously golf in the US have always had great players and as from the UK Etc it kind of gives you that confidence you can go out there and we starting to see it now

In more Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway and you know I think it really helps when players can break through the barrier and make it into professional golf because it really just helps the next wave of young talent definitely to think they can achieve that as well one of the I’m guessing the

Highlights of your whole career and I’d love to dive into it nice and early 2017 the Masters definitely one of them one is is it is it the one or is it the something top the fact that you won the Masters in 2017 yeah I mean that’s that’s definitely that’s definitely on

Top uh with but I think with it’s on top with with with others with others you know I’ve been I’ve been fortunate to to have uh to have a very nice career and still going but um you know obviously I mean I can’t I can’t forget rer cups and

And I had so many fortunate and and amazing moments there uh so so that that obviously uh that’s obviously it’s it’s it’s you know something that I I cannot put aside um but um wins in Spain they’re always special when you win in your home country um the

2008 Players Championship yeah was my first big big win individually so so obviously that that also that also is up there but but yeah obviously the Masters winning winning not only a major but winning at aasta it’s um you know it’s super super special and obviously you

Get to go to the Champions dinner every year you get to be part of the Masters and playing it every single year like how special is that like when you’re turning up to driving down Magnolia Lane and you know that your green jacket’s there waiting for you cuz it I’m right

In saying it has to stay at the club so how it works is you win The Masters that first year from when you win it to the next year when you play it as a defending Champion you get to you get to take the jacket with you and travel

Around yeah obviously you have to ask for permission when you use it it’s quite a lot of stract rules isn’t there yes yes it’s not it’s uh it’s a it’s a great piece of clothing but uh it has it has its rules that it comes with Rules

Book cuz you have you can only wear certain colors with it am I right in saying and no I mean not some obviously you’re not you’re not going to wear something that doesn’t make it look good because you want to respect it but uh but more than anything it’s make sure

That you use it in the right ways and and you know uh take uh like respect it like like the Green Jacket should be respected so but uh but yeah you you get to trouble with it uh for a year and then when you get back to austa

And defend your title unless you win it again then it has to stay there when you leave so you can’t you can’t take it with you I mean you might be able to snatch it but I don’t think you want to do that I think they’ll have trackers on

It we’ll um obviously it’s a familyfriendly show but what what was the what was the most adventurous thing that you did in the Green Jacket what was what what was the funniest thing um we we did a we were fortunate to do a lot of things we travel obviously we

Played a lot we took it to Australia we took it to Switzerland I have I have a couple funny stories but like I remember um so we went aasta and then the Monday Tuesday after you go to New York and do all the all the morning Empire State Building the morning shows

Empire State the the New York Stock Exchange uh so you do you do all those things I remember we went to the New York Stock Exchange and uh I’m there with a green jacket doing the Bell amazing uh and you know walking the floor and I’m taking pictures with

Different people that you know obviously saw me and and they were fans and and uh and I remember that then we finished that we got to do a couple of uh Morning Show and and I’m sitting there with my wife and uh I’m just kind of sitting

Waiting to to start my first uh Morning Show and I kind of look to the to my I don’t know if I think it was the right the right yeah I think it was the right sleeve so I look to my to my right sleeve and I have a stain I’m telling

You I mean so like a golf ball size like a golf ball size like grease black oh my God and I’m like almost like oil yes so obviously I when I was taking a picture with some of the guy someone they were wearing vest and working V so someone

Must have had and I I just and it got on the jack I look at it and I looked at my wife Andel I said oh my God babe you cannot believe this I mean it’s the first day with a green jacket and I have a huge stain already on the on the

Sleeve so anyway we we tried to get it off obviously you can get it off uh with water and stuff but you know okay we’re kind of hiding a little bit um we finish the morning the the morning shows we go uh we go to Switzerland CR monana where

We used to live yeah and uh and I’m like okay I’m going to take it I’m going to take it to a cleaners and hopefully they can get it off oh my God what pressure on the cleaners as well yes but here’s here comes the funny part get

There take it get to the cleaners which is 50 yard in front of our house yeah so I get there and I’m thinking okay I need to tell this person to be very careful with it because obviously it’s the green jacket and get there hey good morning

Good morning it was a woman um so uh I need I need uh I need to clean this jacket but very delicate very very important she’s looking at me like it’s a freaking Green Jacket she doesn’t know she SE she’s probably see many Green Jackets but it

Looks like just a green jacket yeah see that’s a no looking at me like a freaking Green Jacket I mean who wears a green jacket so I’m like just very very dead be careful you know she’s like okay okay whatever takes it couple days later

I go to get it it’s perfect oh my God St is gone I’m like yes but I mean it was so it was so Random because I remember then a few months later we came back uh we came back to to Austin uh to see Angela’s family and stuff and we stayed

A few days and uh and I went to and I went to another cleaner to to to take the jacket because obviously we’ve been traveling with it all over the world and and it was totally different get to the cleaners they see it they’re like oh

Like their eyes are like this and stuff I’m like okay be careful with it they’re like yeah yeah don’t worry it’ll be ready in it’ll be ready in in in probably a day or two after a day and a half it’s going to take about two or

Three more days oh my God because they were almost being so delicate well I don’t know if that or they was just enjoying having it didn’t want to give it away I bet this picture somewhere on someone’s WhatsApp group we said’s Green Jacket probably uh but yeah he came back

Fine and uh yeah but uh I guess you see the difference between uh one country and the other and and on the Champions dinner when you get to go on on the is it the Tuesday or the Wednesday week tues night Tuesday night do you have a

Certain area of the table that you sit at and who do you who do you normally sit next to and who do you normally chat to uh yes uh obviously when you when you win it uh when you do your Champions ler you sit at the head of the table with

The with the chairman and and you know usually Ben crer is there and a couple others um and then and then you find your spot and and I sit uh I sit to the to the left of olavo and the right of I think is f Zer uh and usually

Everyone sits in the same spot unless then somebody anymore and then they move a little bit of course yeah but uh but yeah you usually you usually sit in the same spots um every every time and obviously that’s all closed doors that’s no there’s no cameras involved no you

Must have heard some some incredible stories there oh yeah there’s there’s some there’s some great stories that uh that the the older the older winners talk talk about and stuff and and they’re they’re fun to to listen some of them they they repeat them every year

But still you still want to hear them you nod and smile you you still want to hear them they’re still fun with with and this is an interesting question that being so far your only major win do you feel like that was a real important win

Did you feel like you had to win a major championship to almost in your own right deem success of your career uh for me personally no um I and I always said it I I I thought that already uh in 2017 before I won the Masters I felt like my

Career and I always said it obviously yes it depends who you compare with uh but uh on average I always felt like my career was a great career uh even without a major obviously the major makes it even better the cherry on top and yes and I

Don’t take it back you know I I obviously I wanted to do that and and hopefully you know I still give myself chances uh in the near future of of more but uh you know but I always felt like you know I already had a great career uh

So and and I always said you know if you if you go and talk to probably 80% the guys that are on tour and you offer them my career I think they will probably take it I think they would definitely take it maybe 20% w w but but I think ad will probably

Take it do you and and it’s one of the main barometers of of success of professional golf is how many major wins um you know obviously Jack Nicholas Tiger Woods Etc do you think that’s a fair barometer on success of a career or would you would you Vision it differently

Obviously you are the most ride decorated Ridder cup player ever and the most points ever scored on rder cup which we’re definitely going to dive into but do you feel like it’s a fair barometer that it’s it’s measured on major championships well I think you

Know like I said at the end of the day Rick um to me you you personally you are the one that has to be comfortable and happy with your career that’s true that’s that’s the most important thing it doesn’t matter uh what anyone else says what the media

Says or anything the media are always going to ask for more because that’s their job you know so it doesn’t matter you know if you haven’t won a major they tell you you’ve never won a major if you win a major then say well well you’ve

Only won one major if you want two then if you win if you win 15 Majors then they say well I mean you got a you got Jack Nicholas at 18 so there’s always sorry there’s always something more so at the end of the day for me

Personally you have to be happy with with your career yourself that’s the most important thing um then obviously yes I mean like people look and they look at I think they look at Majors they look at R cups um I think you know PJ T wins and stuff like that they’re also

Important but the thing that moves the needle more for people it’s yeah majors and maybe maybe radic cup so um it’s understandable but uh but that doesn’t mean that you know like I said earlier you you can be totally happy with your career personally and and you know it’s

Always going to feel like you may be under achie because you always feel like youve left some here and there of course but you know it’s but no no career is 100% perfect I know you know you don’t play by yourself so you know there’s other people that also of are trying to

Beat you and they and they do great yeah they’re pretty good just like you’re going to do to me later exactly exactly we’ve got a nice we’ve got a nice little 10 shot challenge coming on later today here which I’m really excited about out um but there’s obviously a drive and a

Passion for you to continue to win um we’re obvious going to come on to live and and you and your career so far on live but also this year right in saying you you were still trying to qualify for the Open Championship mhm you know is that something that you’re going to

Continue to try and Achieve every single year without a doubt so you’re you’re get to cuz I’m guessing you skip Regional F Regional qualifying or do you so you go straight to final qualifying so effectively two rounds of golf against a big field of golfers but a lot

Of them ramit are golfers or professional golfers you get a sprinkling of tour players in there still you went out there this year and unfortunately did miss out but I’m guessing that’s something every year you’re looking to go final qualifying yes obviously I would love to I would

Love to qualify um without having to go to to the to the qualifier but uh but that’s that’s my last resort and and uh I did it last year for the US Open and made it and play the US Open and and uh and uh for the Bridge open for the open

Uh I was looking good and unfortunately just missed out by a by one spot but like I said and and people people were like oh you know it’s so great to see Sergio you know going and with everything that he’s achieved and everything going and qualifying trying

To qualify I’m like you know I love I love golf and I love playing Major and I’m going to give myself the opportunity like like I said uh I don’t know if you if you say in English but in in in in Spanish we say like my rings are not

Going to fall off because of me going and playing a qualifier to to try to play that like I it doesn’t bother me to do that and um you know and I’m happy to do it you mean you’re almost you’re not you’re not losing pride no not at all of

Going to a regional or local qualif like some people almost think oh you know he’s putting himself down no not at all I mean I’m playing saying there’s great players there and and and and guys that have done really really well in in their careers that are you know still trying

To uh to get into some of those majors and playing those qualifiers so um you know I don’t see it I don’t see it as a as a down as a downer and uh and because of that I you know I love the challenge

And I you know I tried and you know I was I was looking at my schedule the last couple of days for for next year and I’m already riding hopefully I don’t have to play them but I for wrote the qualifier for the US Open and the qualifiers for the

Open uh to to make sure that I know where they are when they are and and I can uh you know I can play them so your Pathways let’s say into the US Open in the open currently AR’s either qualifying like you just mentioned three final qualifying Etc or I’m guessing the

Only other real option at the moment is doing really well in the Masters yeah do well in the Masters um I’m uh I’m gonna be a member again of uh of the European tour next year so I will play my uh my four events or something like

That so maybe if I do well in those maybe I can I can get myself uh in somehow so uh there’s there’s a couple of there’s a couple of ways what restrictions is that is there any restrictions there if you become a member of the your DP world tour again

Is there any real restrictions you are you allowed to play in majority of the events are you allowed to only play in a few of the of the events how does that work no I think I think you’re allowed to play as as many as as many as you

Want but obviously I’m not going I’m going to play I wna I always said that that I wanted to when I Jo when I join live I wanted to still keep being a member of the European tour and play my minimum at least you know play my four

Events and um you know keep my car and stuff obviously they didn’t make it too easy uh to be able to do that but uh you know but one of the reasons why why I join live was to to play less so I could spend more time with my family so what

I’m not going to do is you know play my my 14 Live Events and then and then play 10 or 12 more European tour events because that defects defeats the purpose of spending more time with the family but I I’m we’re willing to make the the

Little extra effort to to at least keep keep my membership so how many events Dr in next year then you’ll be playing is it is it 14 Live Events now on a year on a yearly schedule and then how many more extra events obviously you’ve got the Masters which you’re obviously already

Into you want to play US Open you want to play the open so PJ championship obviously I’m guessing if you qualify if you can get into that but that’s not maybe as high on your priority and then what four four to 10 European no T events not that many four yeah I will

Play my minimum so yeah so I’ll be playing all in if everything goes well I’ll probably be playing about 22 events yeah 21 22 events and and you Peak when you were playing and when I say Peak I mean playing all the time full schedule how many events were

You playing per year about 27 okay just not that dissimilar really is it yeah I mean but six weeks here and there of course it it makes a big difference and certainly you got two children haven’t you you’re growing up and you want to

See more of them and you want to be able to kind of see those grow up as well I mean obviously this year this year for example uh this year I played um 14 I think I played 18 19 19 events yeah obviously I’m next year

It’ll be a little bit more because of those extras that I’m going to play for uh for the DP Wall tour but uh but if not yeah I mean if you if you take you know 8 nine weeks you know it’s it’s almost you know it’s two two months

Course is there was also a late not a late charge but I’m guessing a desire to try and get into the Ridder Cup team for this year as well the captain has just been announced for the next in two years Luke Donald is going to get the captaincy again yeah been announced that

He’s he’s the captain for 2025 again will that still be a priority will that do you think that is now something that if you do obviously really well at the Masters you do really well at the other major championships there’s no reason why you can’t get picked because

Obviously now if you’ve got a European tour membership and you’ve got your four events you are eligible right yes yeah I want to give myself uh the best the best possibility for it um then viously yes only playing a handful a handful events it’s it’s not easy to make it unless you

Do super super well but uh but I guess at the end of the day if you know uh I feel like if I’m eligible if they see that I’m making the effort if I do well in in live and and I’m I’m consistent in stuff at least

Hopefully I can be considered uh because of not only because of my game but because of what you know what uh what I can bring to the to the the team and and you know and my my history in the in the event so I want to come on you are the

Most like as I mentioned the most points winning winningest player ever at the rider cup is it 28.5 28 and a half yes that’s outrageous like you are a lot of good partners the best Rider cup player ever what’s uh obviously ride cup there’s passion there’s Pride there’s there’s

That team morale there’s that kind of excitement I I was at this sh Ric up and and the atmosphere was absolutely electrifying as a player I couldn’t even imagine what it’s like what’s been there’s nothing like it what’s been your key moments and who has been your favorite two or three partners

That you’ve had um to start with uh like you were saying to me the rder cup it’s every single shot it’s like the back nine of a major with a chance of winning yeah that’s that’s where it is because you know that every single point is so important so there’s there’s that

Much hype there’s that much excitement there’s that much pressure and and obviously the the the energy from the crowds and everything it’s like you don’t really feel that all year long so um so it makes it that’s why it makes it so so special um I think you know

There’s there’s obviously a few amazing moments uh to me even though we lost it 99 was huge huge rup for me uh because it was my first one I just Pro that year ear I mean like five months earlier wow um so to be able to make the team by

Myself and then have a great partnership with jper paric uh had an amazing time uh loved every minute of it uh unfortunately we lost it but but the the the L love that I had for the r cup before just by watching it and and being being there grew exponentially on that

Week just because of everything that I felt and and and what what it meant to me so that was obviously that was one of the big big moments um probably the first one we won in at the belfre in 2002 uh it was the first time winning the rder cup so that

Was that was amazing and be able to to celebrate um 2012 the comeb back that was that was that was amazing that that was you know like we couldn’t script it any better what was what was the celebrations like after that was it crazy yeah it was I mean they’re always

They’re always crazy they’re always they’re always fun they’re always because it’s like I like like I was saying earlier there’s so much pressure throughout the whole week that you get to Sunday and and you finally release and and then you you’re able to just enjoy and and not only yourself but you

Know with your partners and and and your wife and and and everyone around and your family and stuff so um So that obviously was was huge uh and then I think for me personally uh 2018 uh in Paris was was great uh for many reasons uh the weather was great the

Cours isn’t amazing uh Thomas bjor did an amazing job and his and his vice captains and uh the city uh so it was it was just a combination I’m I’m sure that Rome was was unbelievable too but uh but 2018 was uh was super super special am I

Right in say as well that was when you became the most decorated player when I beat yeah when I beat uh um Ricky Fowler on the singles uh I did but but that was obviously extra but just the the whole week itself it just it was so perfect you know the the

Crowds were amazing the the the course was unbelievable love that course um the weather was great it I was there I was and it’s very special I was there on the Friday the first te and I remember getting there super super early running to the grand stand the grand stand was G

Was and I was looking down at like 7,000 people there crazy and and we were there from literally dark and as the sun started to rise it’s quite an early tea off that first day yes it is you must warm up almost in the dark it was cold

Remember yeah and everyone was cheering and the chants and the and the thunder clap that started to come in and just the the I mean I’m getting Goosebumps now even just thinking about it when I look down at that first t-shot it’s was quite hard run in Paris as well water

Left you got to bend it around the corner a little bit on the right was high yeah and I’m looking at that and going I honestly I’m looking at this and I don’t understand how they can hit the golf ball and and nobody hit a bad shot

I’m looking at going every single one of these guys they just stood there and they’ve got balls of bloody steel and I remember uh I didn’t play in the morning but I played in the afternoon with uh with Alex norin we’re playing the forums

And I te off on the first and I remember I was hitting a three iron and uh and it’s funny because I got there yeah it’s not the easiest teacher in the world and I remember I took it back and when I took it back my knle popped no way yes is

After happen before a couple of times but not at that not at moments like that and I remember it popped and I stopped and everybody got to go like you know everybody like the whole crowd like started going what’s happened and obviously nobody knew they thought

They thought I sto because I didn’t you can’t shout it to 8,000 people but I remember I felt it and I’m glad I stopped because you know I felt it perfectly I I got back and as soon as I started going down my middle knuckle

Just pop and I was like oh my God what happened so I and then obviously I I hit a good t-shirt and and then we ended up uh you know we ended up destroying melson and I don’t know who else it was but uh um yeah so that was that was

Funny I mean that that’s luckily that didn’t happen on US Turf because that would have been you would have got a lot because what what are the the you know obviously I know you spend a lot of time now in the USA But if you’re a part of

An a away team in the US they don’t care about that you’re a European and they they want to they want to I think in New York it’s going to be brutal did you find that that was did that inspire you did it motivate you or did you find it

Very difficult to play against the U us team on us soil it definitely the way I look at it definitely motivates me uh and I think everyone should look at it that way if they didn’t care about about you if they didn’t see you as a threat they wouldn’t do anything no so

Obviously the way I look at it is that you know they see you that you know they need to intimidate you they’re dangerous so we we got to try everything to make them feel as uncomfortable as possible so that’s the way I look at it and and

You know it’s if you if you if you look at it that way I think it’s you know it’s it’s fun and it’s challenging and and you know it it kind of drives you and to follow up on the other question three favorite partners oh sorry um

Three favorite Partners um I would I would say Jesper uh because it was my first one and it was great uh I mean I had it’s difficult to just pick three I had I had many uh Luke Donal uh we had a great partnership together we were

Unbelievable in forom uh both forom and and for balls but mostly forom um and then I would I would have to say I would have to say uh lee uh uh we had great great Partnerships but also alava was great uh I mean I played with Rory too and we

Had great Partnerships I play with John and we had great Partnerships so it’s difficult to just pick three um but if I had to just pick three I would say Jasper because he was the first one and it was great Luke because I we felt really comfortable and and we did really

Really well together and probably um yeah I probably would say West uh Westy maybe maybe John Ram maybe ol hav I suppose to to some degree that tells me almost a lot about you and your play it sounds like the captain was comfortable putting you with with most

People yeah I’m I had I had a bunch of different part and we did we did quite well did very well all of you did very well and I suppose that that kind of shows strength in your game that you can you can almost adapt to any of these

Golfers it doesn’t matter if you’re playing with a John um who’s a very different character to a luk Donald you know you you’re you’re obviously a very good team player in that scenario where you and your partner get the best results anyway yeah I try to I try to make make sure

That my partner feels as comfortable as possible so he can play his his his game the best way possible that’s I think that’s that’s the most important thing that that you can do uh because I’m not going to tell my partner how to play and

He knows what to do uh but if you just make him feel comfortable make him feel confident um I think then he can he can just do what he knows how to do and and and just have fun with it and and I think that’s that’s the most important

Thing nice little segue going from the most decorated successful radical player two a little bit off topic I want to talk about football for a second okay and soccer as the US would call it you’re a real Madrid fan right yeah there’s a young lad from England who just joined Jude Bellingham

Is he going to be the greatest player ever man he’s he’s I I love watching him play he’s so good he’s so good and he’s and he’s it looks like he’s gotten even better this year I mean like he’s he’s already with with his goal uh yesterday

At the Champions League he’s he’s got he’s had his best season scoring wise already and it’s and it’s only not pre- Christmas I know so uh but he’s and you know hen chakara who plays for Fireballs too he’s he’s a big Real Madrid fan so we we text each other a

Lot when when they’re playing and stuff and what I tell him is that what I love about Jude is not only you know how good he is the quality he has going forward and everything is he he’s happy to come back and pressure and and Tackle people

And and everything so it’s he’s got it all he’s got it all and and he’s strong he’s obviously he’s he’s he’s a good finisher uh probably better than I than I thought forid yeah for a midfielder it’s he scor so many goals and he’s very

Smart if you if you if you notice very rarely he he’s he’s an offside position very rarely he’s very smart with that his timing is very good so uh So that obviously it’s a it’s a big plus yeah I mean obviously I’m we’re super proud of

Him being from England and it’s and it’s helping the England team as well you look at the moment with football we’ve got Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane both firing in all cylinders both unfortunately left the not part of the Premier League um but yeah I think the

Uh the the future is hopefully bright have you got chance to meet Jude Bellingham just yet I haven’t I haven’t yet uh obviously I have a good relationship with Real Madrid but uh but I haven’t been able to to meet him yet but hopefully hopefully one time soon

It’s really funny cuz my uh my son who is now five he’s called Jude and it was quite kind of not super popular name when when my little boy was born dead cool name I thought yeah it’s great no one’s really going to have Jude and I

Remember a couple a year later I was like I was a young lad that plays football called Jude who plays for Birmingham it won’t it won’t really matter now it’s one of the most popular boys names because of Jude Bell you look at every new K Bo it’s

Like Oh I thought we had a really unique day but now you know everybody’s got it but that that’s crazy so what’s interesting that going from R Cup team to then obviously Real Madrid is a team so now your new team the fireballs and your transition into live it’s been two

Years now playing live golf um how have you been finding it yeah it’s been great uh I’ve uh I’ve really enjoyed it I think that like like we were talking earlier you know i i r cup it’s probably where I’ve performed my best throughout my career and and the team aspect of it

Is probably one of one of the reasons why I’ve always I’ve always enjoyed that that kind of feeling and cality and and and stuff so I played soccer growing up quite a lot and and you get a lot of that there so um yeah so it’s it’s fun

To to be a part of it to be a part of uh something different different project a different um feeling and you know it’s uh you know we’re we’re obviously working hard to to make it uh the best way possible but uh we’re yeah we’re enjoying it what what I’d like to

Explore this question what are your three most enjoyable aspects of live golf right now and also what are three things that you’ve either want to improve or you’re not particularly as happy with at the moment um I think uh the three best things uh in

Live for me uh one would be the team team aspect of it uh I think it’s it’s very unique uh and in golf it’s even more unique because we’ve always played individually so that’s uh you know that I think that’s probably the the most important one um

The the the other one for me it’s you know the the the difference you get in in calendar in scheduling uh obviously the extra time you get like for example now I have three months off yeah an offseason yes so you do so like if you

Have any injuries uh you can kind of make sure you take care of them and and and be be good for for the next season without missing any tournaments um you want to spend more time with your family you know obviously that helps things like that um and uh so those those two

Things are great obviously you know I’m I’m I’m not naive so obviously we play for a lot of money so that also helps not only me but it helps my family it helps probably uh my children he helps probably my children’s children so um

You know you got to you got to look at all those things too uh and it’s and it’s a project you know it’s a it’s a new project and it’s exciting and and it’s um you know it’s the feeling uh within uh all of us it’s it’s it’s a lot

Different than than the PJ tour or the European tour uh is and I’m not saying that there that was bad because I had a great career in them and I and I very thankful for everything that I was able to achieve because of the opportunities they gave me but it’s just it’s just

Different you know it’s less players it’s uh it feels like it’s more like a like a big family uh or you know compared to you know when you have four 500 members you know it’s it’s it’s a lot tougher to to take care of everything I guess um so those those are

Some of the things that I I like the most about about LIF I think obviously there’s you know it’s it’s a new thing uh so it’s a it’s a startup so obviously there’s there’s things that that need to improve and get better I think that uh um you know uh

The way we Pro we show ourselves is probably has to improve and and it’s improving uh I think that the communication uh sometime uh it’s a little bit slower than than you want it uh and uh you know and like I said it’s a startup so there’s there’s always

Things that you you have and and want to improve the good thing is that we’re all working together and they listen to us yeah uh for feedback and stuff like that so that’s that’s nice to know know that your tour listening to you to try to be

The best D they can be and and and you know be be better at what they do and is not is that almost all players get a say or is it a pool of players is it just the captains or is it even is it a bit

Kind of a mixture of every everyone I think it’s I think it’s look we we have a survey that we do every after every week oh really yes about and they asked us about how was the course how was the tournament how do we feel about it any

Comments that we want to make and then uh and then obviously that they will come to to the to the captains and ask for a few more uh comments here and there but uh but they ask all of us that play the tournament for a feedback on that week

And we all give our more sincere feedback to because we want we want the tournaments to to be the best possible not only for us but for the fans and and you know for everyone that is involved so um you know so that’s uh I think that’s nice I think what what’s

Interesting I’ve had the luxury now speaking to Ian pter Bryson D Shambo and yourself who have all obviously now lived players what there for me there’s a bit there’s a bit of a trend I’ve asked a very similar question to all three and the number one thing that does come up

Is the team element and and it’s very interesting cuz obviously I’m asking the players and how their what’s their um positives as such such and they are very similar the team the schedule and and the money and I think where it’s quite they did they did call me and told me

That that’s what they say it was that was very well very well thought but what what’s interesting with that I think that those three elements are the things that maybe the fan isn’t quite catching on yet because I I believe the play I do actually believe

The players enjoy the team element I do and you see that you know I understand that you’ve there’s four of you and and it feels like you’re a bit of a community and it feels like you’ve got each other’s back and if if you potentially have a bad round you’ve got

Three other players that could potentially boost you up the leaderboard kind of I see all that and from from the in inside it I get it from a scheduling standpoint again for a player brilliant certainly you know if you you’ve played busy schedules to now to be able to play

For you could only play 14 events there’s quite a lot Live players now that do only play 14 events throughout the year and obviously the money is obviously hugely beneficial I totally get that I think where the the miscommunication this comes on to the negatives cuz again your negatives are

Quite aligned with pter and Bryson as well is the fact that I don’t know if that message is reaching the fans I think the fans first off and let’s be frank they’re not really that bothered about how much money you’re making really yeah and I’ve always been on this

I believe that good talented golfers should make as much money as physically possible cuz you you’re bloody good at the game and you enter and you provide a great service and and never worried about that and when you look at Tiger’s career and how much he’s won or golfers

In the past it’s like yeah Fair dud you buy you’ve deserve that amount of money um I think where the media has definitely Twisted this now is it feels like the main focus is all about money like as soon as a team wins or an individual wins it’s plastered $4

Million for the winner it’s like oh come on guys like what about the score what what who who who played it well or who scored it well and I think the team element at the moment I’m and again you’ll probably see it a bit more onsite

At every single live event is I feel like it’s hard to really for fans to engage with a team you know to really support the Fireballs or The Crushers or smash GC or whatever it may be how do you see that potentially improving how can fans become a fire Fireballs fan or

Or even pick a team in general really yeah it’s it’s a great question I think that uh that’s that’s what we’re working on I think that you got to realize that also uh you know a lot of a lot of that media is not prol so they’re not they’re not going to

P they’re not going to say or they’re not going to write the best thing or what’s going to looks the best for for us so it’s just a matter of ourselves you know making uh making a a strong effort and and showing our fans you know what’s going on uh how

Hard we work for it what what we all the things we’re trying to do to uh to connect and and and build a a relationship between the fans and the teams and you know I’ve always said the beautiful thing is like you’re you’re a football fan Manchester United

So perfect so you would get this so look even better Cristiano Ronaldo play for both your team and my team yeah I’m sure you’re you’re rap a Ronaldo fan I am me too but more than anything you are a Manchester United fan yeah more than anything I’m a

Real Madrid fan yeah so obviously I follow Ronaldo but I don’t follow him as much anymore because he’s not playing for my team of course so that’s the beauty of live uh I think that everyone can have their player that they follow they can follow Sergio they can I

Love watching Sergio I love watching DJ I love watching Brooks I love watching Bryson and L whoever it is but more than anything the connection that you can get to a team like you do in other sports that’s what that’s the the that’s a great possibility a great opportunity

For us and and that’s that’s that’s what we want to work hard and and and make sure that you know we do the right thing to uh to to get that engagement from the fans into the teams and then you can follow your you know favorite player I

Mean I mean I can be a Fireballs fan and I can be a fan of of DJ or or Brooks or whatever but more than anything I’m a Fireballs fan like that so so I think that like you said you know working hard obviously um it’s it’s a lot of work

Because at the beginning you know we had so much bad press uh because you know they were they were all pro PGA and and we were competitors of the PJ and we’re still competitor of the PJ too so obviously they they didn’t that wasn’t good for

Them so so the only thing they could do was to make us look as bad as as as they could and and then I think that that’s kind of changed already I think that people are starting to see more everything that going on and and and realizing then making their own opinions

And and and decisions I guess um but uh you know it’s it’s obviously a working process and uh and you know we we’re trying uh we’re trying to make sure that you know our fans see uh our product and our teams for for what they are and and

Get connected to them I think the the the challenge is you’re right I think most time when you support a a football team or soccer team it’s it’s from your area I was born in Manchester I’m a Manchester United fan obviously you know you support Real Madrid fan and and

Often of often also it is influenced Maybe by your family mhm like your parents are Manchester United fans like my my little boy now we don’t live in Manchester right now but I’m encouraging him to support Manchester United I bought him in Manchester un my dad my

Dad is from Madrid and he was a real Madrid fan and when I grew up obviously Madrid was huge but we we live actually closer to Barcelona than to Madrid yeah uh but we’re always Real Madrid fans so yes it’s totally like that but when you actually look at you

See you’ve got that you’ve got a location a pin on the map to say if you’re somewhere in that area that’s the team you should support to some degree MH but then you also look at how long have these clubs been going for long long long time yeah and and I do believe

As much I think still it’s hard because I do think there’s a missing link somewhere about how can fans really support a team because there isn’t that pin in the map yeah it’s not as if obviously you could argue as a little bit more kind of Spanish team but it’s

Not it’s not like yeah it’s the Spain team it’s not you could argue the Majestics are a little bit more the english team but you’ve obviously got hen Stenson that kind of it’s not just an english team I feel like if it was almost locations but then in America

You’ve got you can’t just have an American team you’d have about six or seven American teams you know so that I think that’s a hard thing and then there’s there’s just not enough Legacy yet it’s only two years so there’s not there’s not that passing it’s take time

It it’s it’s like everything you know it’s like you know when Manchester United started when Real Madrid started I’m sure they didn’t have oh God no 100 million followers not a chance chance you got to you got to build it up and and yeah I think in in golf is a little

Bit it’s a little bit tougher to but but we’re working on that you know on making like teams that okay this team but you know it’s just a matter of finding where and and it it’s in golf is a little bit different than than soccer or football or anything like

That because um you know like everyone lives in their own place with their own family and then we meet for the tournaments and stuff like that but you know we’re we’re looking at possibilities of making like a headquarters somewhere where the fireball or you know other teams and

Beet you know so and to be honest I think things like this Sergio you’ve been willing enough today to jump on a podcast and chat thank you and I think people need to see that a little bit and be able to come out the golf course

Today and shoot a really cool video fun video where they’ll go you know what I love Sergio before and again I’m sure this has been the case there’s been a few guys that might have you might have lost some fans there some other live golfers but then coming

Out on the video like today and it’s like oh of course I love Sergio Sergio do you know what I mean so I think I think putting yourself in those situations as well if players putting themselves out there and being a bit more open and going okay come and get to

Know me again if if you feel like you’ve you’ve lost the connection let’s see if we can make that connection again M how do you feel like professional golf is right now as a whole cuz A lot’s changing into it you know it really is

You know you look back at when you first started your career to to now it’s it’s a whole different ball game do you think golf professional golf is in a better situ ation right now do you think it is going to get even better or do you think

It’s going to not improve do you think we’re on a bit of a Down downward spiral I’d love to hear your take I think um I think obviously I think uh the game of golf uh I think Co helped a lot uh you know a lot more people got into golf So

That obviously that was a a nice rise for us uh I think that this little bump bump I’m going to call this a little bump you know because mostly I don’t think that having PJ Tour live European tour Asian Tour all all these different tour that that’s good that’s good for

The game at the end of the day the more possibilities the more uh the more engagement that you can you can bring to people to watch to watch your game that’s always positive yeah the the media didn’t help because of all the things that that they and because of

That you know there were some confrontations between among players and stuff like that and that that that’s a bit disappointed I think that now we’re starting to go back up again I think that relationships are better um not only for me personally but uh I think

For for many other uh many other players and uh and I think at the end of the day that’s that’s the most important thing at the end of the day what we’re trying to do is obviously we’re trying to play the game that we love which is golf make

A living on it but at the same time just try to help it grow as much as possible uh because with all the respect you know tiger will be gone I will be gone Rory will be gone Westy will be gone uh Brooks will be gone all

All these guys will be gone at some point and the game will still be here and it has to keep going so we have to keep engaging into those young people that’s the future of our game and uh and to be totally honest when it comes down to live I I like one

Of the things that I like about it is that we have a lot more younger people engaging into it which is great I I’ve been to to a live event I went to London last year it is a it is a younger audience yeah it is and that’s there’s

No way deny wrong we love the allies and and and we need them too but the future of the game comes from down there not from up here and you just see you know the the events at like Adelaide in Australia from what I understand that’s a that’s a really energetic young

Excitable audience as well yes and also um something that people don’t realize uh is that a lot of these countries a lot of these places for them is their first time really getting this kind of name players playing there like even balarama which is an unbelievable G myv Golf

Course they’ve never had a feeli like the one they had in live this year no uh and and they had so many so many events there you know that but Australia they’ve had great great names there playing Australian Open stuff like that but they’ve never had this amount of a

So the excitement that it is globally it’s it’s great and and we we have we have to take care of that because we’re the ones playing more globally and and and you know and going to different places uh and you know the the PJ tour it’s it’s an amazing tour but

Mostly in America of course so the rest of the world also deserves to to to watch great great players uh play in their country and and that’s that’s what we’re you know focusing on and taking advantage of yeah cuz I I mean I do a

Lot of um I’ve done a lot of filming at JCB Golf and Country Club M which is in the middle middle of the UK not far from Birmingham where bellingham’s from and next year there’s a live event there yeah and it was funny cuz I I saw an

Instagram post that went up and I was like o what’s what are the comments going to be like I’m like this will be interesting I thought and just stting I’m like oh my God like everybody’s excited yeah it’s like we never get certainly if you’re in a pocket of the

World and you don’t get luxury of having a Tour event on your doorstep to be able to have one certainly it’s not far from the belfrey JCB and it’s like people can go I can come from the north I can come from the south I can come from the I can

Come from all four corners of the UK to come and watch high quality golf course at one of the best golf courses in the UK by the way it’s a phenomenal golf course it really is there’s a par three the 17th that’s 250 yards island green now it doesn’t quite play that so

I hope not it’s down it’s downhill and I don’t think they’ll play it as far as that and when I say island green it is an island green it’s not so Grass Island Green there’s a green and then there’s a surrounding area so you can miss the

Green and still be on dry land but it’s a phenomenal hole it really is I’m excited to see that you know seeing would again me playing there and i’ I’ve had the luxury of filming there many times would I have ever Envision a future where I know that Dustin

Johnson’s going to be hitting from there you’re going to be hitting from there Brook keus hitting from there Bryson the shamell I want to see Bryson hit a BL 9 into that green and it’s like that’s exciting it is because it’s it’s you’re trying to uh attracts a wider audience

Of golfers definitely um I’m going to come on some quick fires we’re going to finish up pretty soon we’re going to come on some quick fire questions in a second I’ve got one quick question for you though fast forward 10 years okay from right now is there one thing in your career

That you’ve not managed to achieve that you would have loved to and hoping you could have ACH can achieve in the next 10 years yes golf wise careerwise golf wise careerwise the open the open you want to win the open I would love to you come second twice right

Yes Ro Liverpool was it against uh yes to rori and uh KUSI to Harrington in the play yes was the was the raw Liverpool one where you were all all in yellow no that was that was uh when when tier won burn out yes I finished I

Finished fifth that year yeah but I was I was up there on Sunday yeah so the open the open is the one you want to win yes which obviously goes back to why you want to qualify and why you want to get in it all right anything else is there

Anything else that you feel that you there’s something obvious I feel like that that’s was in your pathway and now has possibly been removed Ry Cup captain Oh I mean yeah I guess in 10 years maybe yeah I mean at the moment I’m not thinking about right Captain about captaincy you

Know I feel like I can still bring a lot as a player yeah um but uh but yes obviously it’s it’s uh it’s it’s a possibility uh we’ll see we’ll see what what happens and how it goes but that there’s also you know a lot of work that we’re doing with our

Foundations that that we want to keep doing and and that’s important important too I feel like I’ve always said that I feel very fortunate about how well my life and my career is gone and I want to give back as much as possible as I can and the

Other thing that is also kind of giving back is our um our Academy the serg Gracia Golf Academy uh we just opened one in in castellon in my home course yeah uh mediteran WF and uh we’re looking at hopefully ex expanding uh in in the near future future and you know I

Want to I want to that’s another path to to get more more kids into go and you know so yeah so those all those things are important are your kids getting into it yes uh zelia zelia does play um she uh I mean it’s only she’s only five and

A half uh Ino is three and a half he plays a little bit but uh but Asia does have her lessons here at Spanish Oaks and and with a great teacher and uh she enjoys it oh brilliant um we’ve got some quick fire questions okay I’m actually going to pick some

Real fun ones as well okay these are probably questions that hopefully you’ve never been asked before Andrew Law How many pairs of shoes do you take to a golf event golf shoes golf shoes um probably a little less than I used to I remember I remember in my in my good old

Days with with the DS Where I would mix all kinds of colors and stuff I would take probably my five pairs of shoes so one for practice day and then four different tournament days potentially yeah depending on what I was going to wear you know the ones with the green

Stripes ones with the yellow stripes one with a red stripes one so but now now I usually probably take three pairs I would say pair of white pair of black and then maybe a a pair of like a different different color you know cuz you uniformed every day now

In live aren’t you for Fireballs so you got a match uniform I guess haven’t you um yes I mean uh but it’s not it’s not as easy you know when when you when you’re not with a a shoe company uh it’s not as easy to ask them

To to make them your colors for your for your team if if you’re with a shoe company then it’s a little bit easier I’m sure shoe company will make you some B spokes shoes I mean I’m still wearing adid shoes but but obviously they’re not they’re not with with Fireballs which

Would obviously make it more fun Dixon oh this is an interesting question does playing golf feel like work or play no to me to me I love I love playing golf so it uh I know it’s my job but but I I I really enjoy it and and I I still

Enjoy practicing I think that as long as I love I love competing but as long as you enjoy practicing it never feels like a like a job that’s a good answer um this one I always I do actually genuinely wonder and I suppose this was when you were jet setting to all

Different parts of world more dwight Foster how do you deal with jetl or recover from a long flight uh to me I think uh I’ve always felt like flying West is much easier than flying East um but the the way I I try to it’s you try

To stay awake flying West is easier because you know you you get to whatever you come from Europe you get to the US um you stay you stay up until 8 or 9 at night and it’s like 3: in the morning for you and you just have a late night

Yeah so but but at least you go to sleep you wake up you probably wake up like at 400 in the morning or something but at least you feel like you slept through the night going east is a little bit tougher because you know 12 12 at night

Is 600 in the afternoon so it’s difficult to get yourself to sleep at that that time but I think I try to even if I’m tired throughout the day I try to stay up no no na or anything like that so hopefully when it’s time to go to to

Bed you’re tired you go to sleep and you hopefully sleep through the night wa after this we’re flying from Dallas to Dubai nice good luck I know um Chris Ms do you have any golf superstitions uh I mean I don’t know I guess you could call it Superstition I like

I like a few things to be a certain way uh it makes me feel more comfortable so I like my my clubs to be on the bik set up in the different Pockets the right clubs in those pockets that’s the way I have it set up and so if one clap is in

The wrong pocket I put it back where where it should be it kind of bothers me a little bit I don’t know if because I’m I’m a little bit OCD or need or something and then the other thing is why I like all my all my zippers to be

Closed you like call you what to be my zippers oh really the zippers they have to be close if they’re not close I’ll close it I just I just can’t help it um and then the last question this is from Mr Anonymous uh do you think you’re

Going to beat Rick shields uh giving him a 10 shot head uh I never played against you I hope so but uh but I know he’s going to give me a I know he’s going to give me a run for it so you know if you if you can manage to

Shoot if you can manage to shoot under this is par this is part 71 so if you can manage to shoot under 74 I think I think you have a very good I mean unless I go crazy I think you have a good chance well we have a series break

75 so any anytime I’m I break 75 I’m happy so so if I how many times you won uh have you beaten anyone I’m going to give you a look clue no that’s a big clue every every single match has gone down to the 18th as in like the

Last put really every single one oo all right so Tommy Fleetwood Lee Westwood Ian pter Adam Scott Bryon dambo every single one has gone quite literally to the ball dropping into on the last hole all right well so I’m excited about this one guys thanks very much for listening

Watching thanks for your time honestly I really appreciate it pleas good luck next year with the Fireballs um and again this podcast I’m sure your open open and honest answers you’ve probably converted a few Fireballs fans so that’s good to hear thanks everybody check out the podcast coming out next soon and uh

Let’s get on the golf course hopefully it sto raining yes