Johnson Wagner and Brendon de Jonge were on the coverage this week, and it was a big week at Riviera Country Club for the Genesis Invitational with Hideki Matsuyama winning for the 9th time on the PGA Tour with a record-setting final round. They discuss that performance as well as Tiger Woods being back on the golf course (at least temporarily), Will Zalatoris in contention, scorecard issues for Jordan Spieth and an illness that seemed to hit a number of players including Patrick Cantlay. They also look ahead to the Mexico Open as the tour heads away from the west coast.
You think this is only a grip it’s only in my hands on every single [ __ ] it’s an extra 2 yards of carry when it matters most respect the goup welcome in to the wagu filet show Brendan dong Johnson Wagner Brendan what a week Genesis Invitational uh lots of storylines this
Week Johnson you know what I feel like I’ve seen you all week we’ve been talking uh you’ve been on the ground I’ve been in the studio it has it’s been fun you know anytime Tiger’s involved it adds to it it’s an extra special week [ __ ] let’s get straight into it yeah
Let’s do by the way I thought you crushed it on golf Central this week I was on the ground uh you know first time at a really big event like this it was a lot of fun Tiger Woods obviously is the headline of this event um Brendan and I
Had the fortune I was so excited when he committed the week before that there was a potential I was a walker for Golf Channel that I was going to get to walk with him and I got to walk with him on Thursday and I have to say being out
There in the group and the vibe of the crowd it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had in the game of golf and and I have to say Thursday you know he showed a ton of rust out there chipping didn’t look great speed on the
Greens didn’t look great but uh he drove the ball incredibly well walked as good as I’ve seen him since the car accident uh didn’t seem to have much of a lamp I I am still even though everything that went on I’m still very bullish on on him going forward playing
More Golf and we’ll be able to see him on television heck of a lot more before we get down to the the breakdown of his game I want to ask you um obviously we’ve both played in a bunch of fields with tiger we’ both had the fortune of
Playing golf with tiger does he still carry that same kind of Aura is there still that that Mystique around him 100% And I know you said this on The Telecast On th on your broadcast with golf Central Thursday you mentioned something about you know tiger when
Tiger Woods is in the field as a player you know it well as a covering it on TV for the first time with him in the field you know he’s there it was uh it was magical out there the crowds were big Thursday morning he teed off early and
Uh Steve Sans Aaron oberholzer who were on the team with me at Golf Channel we got there really early on Thursday about four hours before we needed to just to be able to see him tea off we we bullied our way up to the t- box I couldn’t
Believe Steve sanss I mean you know how how narrow that cart path is behind the first tea at Riviera and Steve bullied his way in there we all three got up on the tea and to to to be on the T box watching him tee off with that
Announcement with the Ovation that he got it was really special and yes tiger definitely still carries that aura that’s cool you know that that’s kind of you know obviously we’re in the studio but watching it it looked like that you know it still looked like everybody had
Eyeballs on every single movie made um and I agree with you looks like he’s walking well it does um I I’m I’m bu too I’m also a little hesitant though you know he he says he wakes up and his body feels different every single day that’s
A that’s a hard way to play good golf you know that’s the reason he’s not using a swing instructor at the moment because he says I don’t know how I’m gonna feel when I wake up in the morning I don’t know how I’m going to be able to
Move my swing feels are going to be different every single day that that’s the only reason I’m hesitant as to whether he can still contend out here yeah and and AO Aaron overholser made a point the other day that you know Tiger has in his last I think six or seven
Events he’s only finished four rounds twice he had to withdraw from the Masters last year it was a cold nasty Saturday his body just didn’t feel right his foot obviously that was the Catalyst for his surgery he withdrew from the PGA at Southern Hills he seems to be W Dean
From tournaments where he’s actually made the cut a lot more than when he finishes he’s only finished two events in the last couple years I know and and that’s the thing like can he get through four rounds can he get through four rounds where he starts out the tournament and he finishes the
Tournament in the same kind of physical shape and honestly I don’t think so I really don’t it’s it’s such an effort for him to to get through one round of golf it seems um I understand listen this was some extenuating circumstances this week um obviously we see that cart
Pull up on on number seven there in the second round and my automatic thought was oh geez what’s it is it his back is it his ankle the Silver Lining there was that he just had some flu um it sounds like the flu was going through the field
Out there yeah it was Jordan spe uh was sick as a dog on Friday I think that probably played a little bit of a role in him signing that incorrect scorecard and getting dced but back back to tiger for for just a second because you mentioned you know he was shot one over
On Thursday with pretty good golf he made a lot of Bogies a lot of sloppy bog but he was driving the ball well he hit some beautiful iron shots didn’t quite have the touch with the putter that rust was a real thing I got to witness one of the greatest things I’ve
Ever seen in my life on 18 on Thursday when he hit the most epic hosle rocket ever and and now now tiger was sick I’m not g to go down this road of of debating whether or not he was Tiger was legitimately sick what I will debate
With you is if backs spasms were an excuse for the shank or if it was just a shank and he was trying to make an excuse for it because I watched the guy I watched the first five holes in person watched it on PJ Tour live and then I
Got out there with him on 12 and I didn’t see one thing and I was studying him like a I was I was like I was in college I was studying this guy I didn’t see one thing that led me to believe his back was spasming on that back nine so I
Have never had a back spasm but I was talking to a lot of people about it and apparently a backs spasm is going to take you to the ground like you are going to go down you’re not going to be able to complete a golf swing with a
Backs spasm so I am 100% saying that that was an excuse for the shank I I wish he hadn’t I wish he had just said listen I shanked it I didn’t see it coming nobody saw it coming I shanked it it happens it happens to the best in the
World it happens to one of the best ever it’s part of the game so when I’m when I’m walking and I’m I’m so new at walking this was just my fourth event uh on the ground as as a Walker for Golf Channel and I like to get about 30 35
Yards in front and to either side wherever the sun’s at my back so I can have a good view of the flight and I it’s pretty easy my son plays junior golf so I kind of practice with him where to stand and how I can tell the
Flight of the ball and when this thing came off the club I I I had never experienced it I had never seen anything like it and it was it was so shocking to the system there was it was unmistakable and then going back and watching the
Replay of it there was a trackman tracer and it was just dead right and you know my old caddy Matt Hower and I we had I I I shank the ball every once in a while we all do right um there’s a difference there’s an amateur shank and there’s a
Pro shank sometimes a pro shank will get up there and kind of end up 20 30 yard short ride of the green this thing was not a pro shank it was a proper hosle rocket I am I did like your call there that uh after that miraculous third shot
That he hit which really was pretty go that he’s got a putt for sha I thought that was a a pretty good call there um got a little chuckle out of Terry Ganon and Frank noo um but yeah that that was a that’s a full on shank that was that was 90 degrees
Um it caught him by surprise it really did and again I I wish he hadn’t said listen I had a back SP you shanked it it happens he he had a lot of Club coming into that green he was hitting an eight iron I think he was trying to take a
Little distance off of it downhill lie trying to take off of a shot and you know that plays to some of the rust that we see that I think offspeed shots lag putting and short game are the things we see most of when you’re Rusty competitively and so I I think the
Downhill lie trying to take a little bit off of an eight iron it just got it just got too close to the hosle but Brendan I do have two shs in competition on the PGA tour one on uh 13 at the Sony Open in Hawaii the year I
Was defending Justin Johnson was like cracking up I no 14 I shanked it over onto the 15th T box to a right pin but fortunately I was on the tea and was able to like nip a wedge and hit it to 10 feet and make it and then I I I
Shanked one pretty good uh on at Sanderson Farms on number eight that hole with the stream down the left side at Jackson Country Club shank did that was a pro shank it was only about 30 yard short ride hit a flop shot made the
Putt so I proud to say I have two shs in competition you ever hled one on the PGA tour I’ve got I’ve got one sh I I did it in in Memphis um my 35th hole in Memphis I needed to finish par par to make the cut and I absolutely huzzle rocket rocketed
One on number eight the par three over there by that fence that runs by the road which is so far right I think I hit a full wedge in from there on like 160 yard par three and I got it up and down for par so I’m like all right I’m going
To actually somehow squeak out and make this cut and then I drove it in the water on nine made bogy to miss so it was it was a useless sh but I got my one you can’t hit it far enough to get into the water on nine in Memphis oh I can or
I could I C now but I did then um getting back to Tiger though and and I do agree with you and this to me was very very promising the way he drove the ball there there was a lot of speed there um listen his golf swing has
Changed so much it’s had to change so much it’s very much of an upper body dominated goord now he’s got no legs listen I mean he’s who knows how many surgeries I think we’ve lost count on how many surgeries he’s had to his knees and his legs and stuff um but there is
Still a lot of speed he’s he’s strong enough in the upper body where he can still hit it far enough to to contend um the the other thing that does make me worry a little bit about him is he even stated this himself that every single
Time I play I know I’m going to have to beat off the rust that to me these guys are too good if you take an entire round where you’re knocking a little bit of rust off you’re are so far behind the eightball by the time you got three more
Rounds to play you’re not going to be able to beat these these fields that we’re playing or seeing yeah and it’s not like he’s going to the Mexico open next week against a slightly weaker field when we see him it’s going to be a major it’s going to be the players it’s
Going to be a signature event so I completely agree with you on that that is a fantastic point and he averaged to to your to your point about his length averaged 304 yards off the T still on a golf course that you and I both know uh
You’re at sea level it was not warm it was slightly cool so plenty of Pops still in that bat for Tiger yeah not to mention the cuuu fairways cuuu Fairways don’t typically bounce that much they’re a spongy grass the B sort of hops up and releases a little bit but doesn’t bounce
Bounce that much so there’s a lot of speed um as you said the irons are good um he he would have cleaned the short game up I fully do believe that um but again I don’t think he’s able to contend if he’s giving himself an entire round
Where he’s got to knock the rust off so I would love to see him play more I I just don’t not be visi can I I agree and and you would have thought on the ground when it happened on Friday I was walking with Rory maroy group and you could feel
The wind coming out of the saes of the tournament uh but being on the ground Saturday and Sunday there were still a ton of people out there the the event had such an incredible scene and as Riviera always does it’s one of my favorite venues down there in the canyon the Roars echoing
Throughout that property it still was an incredible event and and you know that’s what we get with these Signature Events we have great Fields there was an amazing leaderboard and at the end of the day we had an awesome Champion with uh Hideki matama winning his ninth PGA
Tour event including that great Masters Victory damn he played some good goal tonight I mean that that at end at Year’s End that is going to go down as one of the best rounds of golf of the year I I don’t care what anyone else does from now that that was just
Unbelievable the way he played that back nine that stretch from uh 12 through 16 you and I both know that’s the meat of that golf course and uh playing into that southernly wind that is the toughest the toughest stretch on that Golf Course by far everybody else is
Struggling with that stretch he goes out there and plays that stretch in three underpar and just laps the field um you know he hit it he hit it to a combined distance of like six inches two holes on 15 16 on 15 and 16 like could have given
Him those two putts from the Fairway it was fantastic um and it’s just you know that that’s what happens when a world toass player is firing on all cylinders uh you start seeing some golf like that and uh it was it was cool to watch it
Was cool to be part of the tournament and see someone you know really just take take the ball by the horns and I have to be honest I at the beginning of the day Hideki matama was not on my radar at all even after he birdied even
After he birdied one two and three to start I had no idea he was on the leader board then he goes to the back nine after six straight pars to finish the front Bird’s 10 11 which is not a surprise and then the only really long
Putt I saw him make was on 12 he made that bomb on 12 and boom he’s at the top of the leaderboard now you’re watching and paying attention that shot into 15 you know how brutal that whole location is front right it’s not really front right the way that green angles
But it’s on the front of that right side it is one of if not the most inaccessible whole locations for a tough par 4 on the PGA tour like you said he hit it to inches there I don’t think I’ve ever hit that green in regulation
Whatever the the 10 times I played that tournament whatever it was it that that hole is so difficult and as you say that the way that green sits at that angle you you’re forced to carry it over the entirety of that bunker and there’s just nowhere to landed he landed it with
Within a foot of where he needed to obviously and this thing looked at the hole almost went in and I mean it was just a fantastic shot and under that pressure right then he was tied for the lead or maybe one ahead at the time needed to pull something off like that
And just I mean hit a do and on 16 you know you correct me if or if you played this hole any differently than I did but on 16 uh my my caddies both Stephen hail and Matt Hower every time I played that golf course you look at you look at the
TV cameras the TV towers there and there’s a big one six you see 16 right in the middle of the green every time we play there and you hit it right in between the one and the six into the center of the green and leave yourself a
15-footer uh to a tight right pin Hideki took that thing on knowing I we saw Rory make a triple from one of those bunkers on Thursday Hideki took it right at that right flag again just like on 15 landed it perfectly and for a for a minute
There it had such good speed trickling out towards the hole he like oh my God is he going to make a hole in one is he going to make a hole in one it was mind-blowing that shot to me it’s very similar to the shot John Ram hit last
Year to get it done there but you’re so right there’s that 16 behind the green and it feels like anytime you hit it right of that you’re going to bury it under the lip of that bunker like it feels like anything that’s at that flag
Even a little bit right of that flag is g to come down in that front trap um the deis didn’t you know he gave it one of those weird follow-throughs you never really know with him whether he’s he’s hit the shot he wanted or he didn’t and
I mean again landed it within a foot of where he was trying to probably and almost went in twice in a row the two shots on 17 to hit it over the back of the green were gorgeous I mean 17 that right bunker you know you can’t if you
Hit it in that Ry bunker you’re laying up and probably having an eight iron into the green like we saw Klay make bogey from yesterday on Saturday in the third round uh Hideki splits the middle hits a beautiful Fairway Wood over the back of the green I was sitting watching
I was staying out there on the golf course to uh to do a hit for golf Central with you later so I went into the CBS kind of talent truck it’s called Titan and we had the truck feed um which is you get to hear the conversations
Between Nance and emman and all the announcers during the commercial and after Hideki hit that chip shot down the hill they call in Mark du boob the the main rules official for this uh Genesis Invitational and they start zeroing in zooming in on the LIE and the way he was
Putting his Club down I was like oh no did the ball move are they deeming that he was improving his lie with the way he was setting his Club down I didn’t know what was going on it was such beautiful touch coming down the hill but I was
Very concerned that there was going to be a rules infraction and all of a sudden Hideki is gonna get some sort of penalty fortunately they deemed it the ball clearly when they zoomed in slowmo it didn’t move it just shows like hideki’s got such a great allaround game
When he’s on that touch that is coming I mean tell me how how difficult I know he had a lot of green but coming down that Hill that’s not that easy in that situation to do what he did no it’s not not at all you know under under the
Pressure of trying to win the tournament as well that chip that took so much feel and me got it down there to within a couple feet of to tap in really so three tapin in a row while you’re at the lead maybe one ahead was just I mean he got
It done we’ve seen him get it done in some of the biggest moments before I I honestly and uh Anna Jackson who I was working with at on golf Central she says what what kind of viewer do you think that this can lead to Boi and honestly
This is not us blowing smoke up his ass I I think hii is primed for a massive year he’s coming into a stretch of golf some tournaments where he’s played really well he loves the players the uh the year that Co hit he had the first round lead I believe they uh they
Canceled it that year he played really good there I think maybe last year finished fifth and obviously he won at Augusta we’re coming into some some big tournaments if Hideki can stay healthy now he’s he’s another guy that’s dealt with a Buu of injuries right he’s he’s
At a neck he’s at a back if he can stay healthy I think we can see him get back to the top of the world I think he got up to number two at one point I think he’s got the game to get back there it’s it’s hard to believe yeah that he’s
Fallen all the way down to 55th in the world only two top 10 last year the last of which being the the fifth place finish at the Players Championship one thing that I thought was really cool in his round today he had three different stretches of three birdies in a row around
Riv turkeys he had three turkeys out there as Virginia Tech hookies we we sure certainly love our turkeys and I was I was watching the golf with a graphics guy from CBS and I made that point I was like if he birdies 17 that’s GNA be three turkeys on the round and he
Ran immediately over to the research department just to see if they could scr anything up if there’s any history of a player on the PGA tour having three different three hole stretches of three birdies in a row in one round because I mean nine birdies alone in a around is
Hard to do but to do it the way he did it I I mean I’m not gonna claim that it’s the first time it ever happened because the PJ tour has a great history but it would not surprise me if that was the first time that ever happened and uh
You know a little bit off your point here I’ve got to give the guys up here at Golfs in a massive shout out I sat and watched all the golf with them these guys are golf nuts man they’re they’re into it they are they are watching they’re
Living and dying by some of these shots they’ve got some of their favorites um I sat with Harris Chang and and Brett uh calucho these guys they love golf um and it’s so cool to see that that kind of passion from these guys Tom Archer as
Well and and honestly like it made me excited to watch the golf and it’s so cool to see it from the perspective of a golf fan right we still we watch it as a ex players we’re fans but we’re ex players to see this from just Avid golf
Fans it really it did it’s contagious and as Arch Tom Archer legendary ESPN producer and now the coordinating producer for Golf Channel golf Central shows Arch always tells me when I’m preparing he said make sure that you can speak to what Joe sixpack who’s sitting on the couch watching our show what he
Wants to hear and it’s a you know Brendan last week we were talking a little bit about live and the team aspect and how much you loved the team uh golf in college at Virginia Tech like we had a great team uh some of the best memories of my life are playing college
Golf at Virginia Tech getting into this role into TV whether it’s in studio whether it’s PJ Tour live that you and I have both done I know you’re going to be doing a lot this year or me being out on the ground like we’re it is so nice to
Feel like you’re being part of the team I I absolutely love the the entire staff at golf at Golf Channel and uh you know Brett and Harris those are two of the best producers and Kevin Ryan in research and Kevin Casey and Alex LaVine and all these guys that that we work
With on a daily basis it is it is just so fun and refreshing and and and you and I were talking earlier that’s like the best part of the day is hanging out watching golf with people that have high golf IQ and that just absolutely love
The the sport they they really do you I think you hit the nail on the head there W and it is if you you feel part of a team you really do from from the production meeting when you’re sitting there kind of everybody huddles around and you you start bouncing ideas off
Each other and trying to formulate formulate a game plan of how you’re gonna attack this and yeah let’s go with that no that’s [ __ ] let’s leave that alone let’s go with that I think it’s so awesome um and yes it’s cool it’s obviously slightly different than
Playing um but I I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world no certainly not all right let’s get back to the golf a little bit will alatus has been on a steady uh trajectory since coming back from his back surgery didn’t play great at the hero but I’m not really counting
That missed the cut at Sony I think he was 34th at AMX maybe 13th at farmers and then has this T2 today had a legitimate shot to win this golf tournament the broomstick putting style he was 15th in Strokes gain putting this week the last registerable year for him
Uh two years ago because he missed so much time last year dude injury was 105th or 103rd in Strokes game putting this dude hits the ball a mile in the air he is built for major championships as we’ve seen at the Masters the PGA the US Open like will
Zalatoris like what do you make of of his comeback and and what do you think about his future going forward oh man it’s it’s bright so we did a breakdown of his his putting stroke old and new and that that ugly loopy loop that uh that that he was working with when he
Was still contending in Majors that’s gone that’s completely gone this broomstick the stroke the the rhythm of the stroke is so nice and uh to your point there Riv from all accounts the greens were as quick as they’ve ever been that’s what these guys are going to
See in Majors they’re going to see really really quick surfaces if Will salot Taurus can get that pter working on quick services at Riv he can certainly do it in the Maes and I tell you what we got to down the line look at
A putt that he hit on 13 I think that ball hugged the surface rolled end over in and went dead in the heart of the hole at absolute perfect uh hold holding speed and you you gave me a hard time when I said watch out for Scotty Sheffer
With that broomstick later on this year telling you there’s something to it everyone that’s gone to this thing is putting the ball pretty good yeah I don’t think Scotty’s there yet uh Rory maroy came on the CBS set and sat there for seemed like a long time 30 minutes
Or so and uh Amanda b or Amanda rener excuse me asked him a question about Scotty sheffer’s putting and and and Rory’s putting and Rory had a nice comment about how he is struggled and when he puted with a blade putter like Scotty’s putting with uh he didn’t feel
Like he was real consistent he was kind of thinking since Rory went to the Mallet and what it did for his consistency he alluded to the fact that maybe if Scotty went to a mallet putter it may make him more consistent I think that would be the first step we see
Before we’d ever see Scotty with a broomstick maybe in a year or so maybe we see Scotty with one of those lab Putters but I don’t I don’t see that happening he was my pick for the week um man I got to walk with him I got to walk
With him finishing Thursday I believe I finished his round with him Thursday it is remarkable watching that guy hit a driver around a golf course that is so tough to hit drivers on he just seemed to be down the middle in position on on every single hole and I think we’re
Getting to a point uh that we’re going to see him get really frustrated actually saw him walking from 11 to 12 he was in the front of the green on 11 the par five just in the front Fringe hit it about four feet by from 70 feet and then missed the
Four-footer he mumbled to himself the whole way over to the 12th T and I’m standing in the 12th Fairway kind of getting ready for the group for the next shot and he chucked this ball I mean it was impressive throw but I like we’re I think that’s one thing we’ve said about
Scotty is that he hasn’t shown frustration but he’s starting to you go try and find the ball I’m not I’m not Adept enough at at climbing chain link fences to go get that one nobody can fault him for getting pissed off I mean this has been going
For a year almost now I mean he hasn’t won since the players I mean I he won hero but we’re we’re gonna that’s not a that’s not a full field event right um you you you can’t fault him for getting pissed off and we are starting to see
Couple outbursts out of uh out of Scotty Sheffer there was a couple other times Scot on camera there he kind of kicked his putter one he smashed his foot at another Point um but it’s human nature I I’m not surprised it’s it’s got to boil over at some point because God he’s
Missing a lot of short Parts yeah and he still finishes 10th at a signature event T10 in a signature event being the worst putter in the field it’s shocking and and you know I know it seems like we talk about this all the time but imagine just imagine what kind of run he
Could have been on over this last year had he been average had he been had had he put it like will Urus which is shocking to see yeah and asked me that question she’s like you know if he’d puted well what would it have been like
And I said historical it would have been it would have been we would have been talking about another guy winning maybe eight to 10 events in a year and that would have been with putting average Maybe maybe just above average like it it I don’t even think that we can fully
Explain how good this guy hits the ball and it’s it’s week in week out and then the only thing that I do worry about is that these M putts are going to start creeping into the long game at some point just just through pure frustration it’s shocking to see a guy
That can’t get it in the hole that is so good around the greens too it’s not like you know he he was at one point top five in Strokes gain around the green he’s Got The Touch he’s got everything I just think he needs to start talking better
To himself on the greens all right so Saturday yeah I had the opportunity to go walk with and golf channel has two-hour leading coverage I got out there about 30 minutes early I had the opportunity to walk with Adam Scott and Rory maroy picked them up on the fourth
Hole and and left him on the 14th these guys I I think I’m coming around a little bit to the short fields or at least to the shortcut 51 guys made the cut they played Tums off of one t with 15 minute intervals the pace of play on the weekend was fantastic as
Soon as I saw Adam and and and Scotty uh Adam and Rory Adam came up to me on five and uh said hello and I said man what an honor for me to be out there with you guys today and helpful was with him you know South African caddy helpful is the
Man and Harry Diamond’s great too and uh I I I then said it’s great to be with the four of you and Adam said you know what else is great playing Tums with 15minute intervals these guys cooked around the golf course I think this is the future of highlevel PGA Tour golf is
Short Fields cuts to 50 in ties and I I think the players absolutely loved this week and I hate the fact now that we’re on the other side of it that we really want to see the superstars right that that’s how I am when I watch golf I I
Want to see the superstars you and I were never Superstars so we didn’t fit into that mold when we were playing we would have been the guys on the outside but we do we want to see the superstars we want to see them playing in these kind of events superstars on a superstar
Of course um yeah I agree with you I think this is kind of where we’re trending this is uh this is where it’s going to be Adam Scott was your pick for the week he ended up finishing t19 had a nice highlight on the 18th green chipping in in front of a massive
Gallery around that green uh pretty decent week for you on the on the pick scale yeah you know T9 out of what 51 that made the cut I’m certainly trending in the right direction uh to to Adams Birdie on the last I don’t know if you
Saw where he hit his second shot from he was kind of on the same line tiger was but a little bit further back and he hit this big hook that started out almost at the third T and hooked all the way and got it to chase through the back of the
Green and then ch Shi it in for birdie I mean it was it was such a bonus when I saw where he’ hit his t-shot I’d said that’s got five written all over it and he turned that into a three he was in the trees down the right side he was in
The trees deep into the tree line and honestly he had to hit this thing that started just outside of the third team and hooked all the way around um it was pretty cool I I want to get back to a couple other players that that you were
Out there with um obviously this is Patrick klay’s this his home event it’s one that means the most him he’s talked openly about how he absolutely loves this golf course he’s he’s huge on the traditional courses he’s played this place so many times went to school just
Down the road at UCLA I mean it was his tournament for the first 54 holes you know took a massive lead through two rounds took a two- shot lead into the final round and then just he didn’t have it today he just he he struggled he
Really did and it started for me with the driver he had driven it so beautifully for three days and puted it great even yesterday he had to make a lot of par or Saturday he had to make a lot of par putts but I I saw Jamie
Mulligan who I know you and I both know well I saw him right after the round and I I went over just wanted to you know what was wrong with the driver and Jamie said well it wasn’t just the driver he was one of the other guys that got sick
Woke up Sunday morning with a 102 temperature and just you know it’s hard to play it’s hard to focus last group of a big event like that when you aren’t feeling good you know got to cut him a little bit of slack yeah yeah you certainly do um I’m I’m glad and way
That he didn’t come out and use that as an excuse or anything you know just I I didn’t see if he did oppress her after the fact um it’s a shame that you don’t you don’t wish that on anyone you know you’d like to see everybody at their
Best playing um yeah but yeah that that last group was they had no momentum at all two two good friends and you and I both know that at times it can it can get like that you you sort of drag each other down when you’re playing badly in
The other in the other regard you know someone’s playing really well you draft off them it’s just it’s part of the game um and it’s really as part of tuim that’s uh that that does happen a lot I hard to believe it took that group 10 holes before Xander shle made a birdie
On the 10th um speaking of the 10th uh what an amazing hole little bit of a softening of the edge off that front right bunker and kind of over that left side they brought it up a little bit still plenty of Carnage those bunkers are deep I walked it with Rory both
Saturday and Sunday he hit three-wood both days short ride of the and I mean rule number one around Riviera never missed the 10th green to the right he did it two days in a row yesterday had to chip it to the front of the green made a great par today to the
Back right pin he took this flop shot on and hit a absolutely spectacular High soft landed right where it needed to no chance it stayed on yeah ended up getting it up and down making a 10-footer but I I I that hole never disappoints I I I find it fascinating I
Think every Golf Course needs a short drivable par 4 it would be nice to have a thought like a realistic chance to hit a hit a ball close off the te there but I think that’s what makes that hole so great I I love that hole and and we did
A bunch of a bunch of coverage of that hole because it’s so polarizing you know there’s there’s guys that love it there’s guys that hate it um I you’re right you cannot miss it right you cannot hit that b right you you those left trees are fine unless you get very
Unlucky over there those left trees are fine you know we saw guys that they were over there looked like they were on Safari but they were fine they could chip it up the green nothing to worry about and it’s one of those and I remember Phil low C for me for a long
Time and that was our line was it was into that little Swale on the left left side there if it cut a little bit great if it didn’t that was fine yeah even I you have so much room to the left it’s just shocking to see people miss it Luke
List who ended up tying for a second as well on Saturday uh to a front pin hit it in the right bunker and left it in there and nearly made an absolute mess of that hole fortunately got it up and down for bogey uh but it it’s just one
Of those holes that uh that gets me every time I loved playing it I think I only laid up there once and it was the worst I ever played that hole um what other big takeaways you have from this week we got to talk about speed you know obviously obviously ended up getting
Disqualified uh I know you you spoke to Jordan after the fact he he made double on uh made a double on his last hole and obviously we’ve all been there you’re frustrated you just finished your round with a double you look at your card very quickly and just kind of throw it back
To the spores and well you know it’s it’s it’s it’s a bad mistake probably one he won’t make again um but it happens so I I I dug a little deeper on that whole situation um Jordan claimed and he was sick he was one of the guys that was sick maybe you
Know he and Patrick played together Thursday Friday I don’t want to make any assumptions but guys had had the flu uh exhausted after the round had the chills 102 temperature blah blah blah yes the assumption is he just signed the card and ran out what I’ve heard is he looked
At a new scoring official that’s in there I don’t know who it was wasn’t Montana or scribs or any of the vets that we love so much and said are we good and the scoring official said yes Jordan got up walked out and I mean by the way he was shot 5
Under the first day two over the second day he was at 300 par he in good position uh walked out and later was approached in the locker room by a rules official and Jordan was like I told the I asked the guy if I was good so they
Went back to this new scoring official and said did Jordan ask you if if his card was good and the scoring official responded with no so they went to Tom Kim uh one of Jordan’s playing competitors and Tom said Jordan absolutely asked the question is the
Card good before he got got up and walked out of the room so little bit of drama there uh you know Brenan this is a topic you golf has some archaic rules I personally love the fact that we keep our own score but when we have shot link
And we all this stuff we know what the score is do you think it’s time to re-evaluate the scoring system so that just these brutal disqual disqualifications don’t happen anymore 100% I think this is so stupid we are in a day and age now where it’s impossible to cheat it’s absolutely
Impossible to cheat especially if you’re one of the biggest names in the game and listen I understand wants to be the same for everyone but it’s impossible every single shot you hit is being watched by somebody it it’s so archaic it needs to be thrown out it makes no sense it’s
It’s you know I saw I read a bunch of stuff on Twitter comparing it to other sports and I hate the crossport comparisons I really do but some guys made some perfect points there you know it really it doesn’t make any sense that in this day and age you make a a
Silly little error not trying to gain any kind of advantage on anybody just call him back in and say Hey listen we need to change this and just leave it at that I I I I I was on the other side of that conversation for a long time but
Now I’m starting to realize my son plays junior golf they keep score on their phone with a golf Genius app like it scoring needs it’s it’s so sad to me that that tournament lost Tiger Woods to illness withdrawing and Jordan spe two of are you know I throw Rory in there as
The three biggest draws in the game of golf right now you lose two of them one to a wd and one to a careless disqualification so I’m with you now we have scorekeepers out there that are on you know keeping all the shotlink data like there it’s just it it’s archaic and
And it’s probably time to move forward yeah it really really is um you also as you mentioned you walked with with Rory and Adam Scott um there’s been a lot of questions about Rory’s game he he started out great this year he um you know rinsed one on his final hole at
That that new event in Dubai finished second at Tommy fedw then turns around and wins the very next week since he’s come State side it’s been a little bit of a a mixed bag you know we saw him get off to that great start at spy then made
The mistake with the drop and kind of made a mess of that didn’t play really well there we’ll put that one down to the weather um this week looked like it was a little bit stop start played really poorly the first round or finished the first round really poorly
Um I think what doubled 15 tripled 16 rough stretch there then bounced back with a great round on Friday uh bogy free is do you think this game is where it needs to be I I I do and and I’m probably gonna regurgitate one of your earlier opinions
On this I I walked with him um part of the day Friday Saturday and Sunday his driver is a weapon the way he drives it’s unbelievable I put him in contention any week he teas it up because of the way he handles that club putter looked good short game looks good
You made the point earlier I think it was about the Dubai week that he makes some questionable decisions right and I saw it multiple times Saturday on five at Riv it’s right before the six the par three that’s got the hole in the bunker over the back of five
Is a bogey at best okay he’s in the left rough got a bad kick with an iron off the T landed on The Fairway he’s in the left rough Adam Scott hits out of the rough before him lands it just short but it stops just short of the green to a
Back left flag lags it up there makes par uh Rory flies this ball 15 yards on the green to a flag that’s maybe 20 on and it stopped less than an inch away from rolling over the back and it was like whoa what are you like you you’re out of
Position you cannot take that flag on leave it 20 yards short of that green before you get it past that hole and I just noticed there’s some left misses with the irons which is you know that’s been going on I think this whole season both
D viny played in Dubai and at Pebble and this week but it it is it’s becoming questionable some of the decisions he makes he did he had no chance of hitting on the green on 10 on Sunday no chance from where he was short right of that
Green and but then the next hole he hits driver 350 yards down the middle of 11 Fairway and hits a four iron to 10 feet like the guy is so supremely talented I just I really wish he had a caddy on the back and Harry Diamond’s a wonderful guy
And I hate to make this assumption I just wish he had a guy on the bag that would re him in with some decision making every once in a while yeah I agree with you and my knock on Rory is that you know he needs to use his talent
To make up for all the bad mistakes that he’s making think if he’s able to use that talent to just keep on going forward and forward and forward but he’s he’s the he’s one of the only few guys in the world that’s good enough to actually play as stupid as he does at
Times and make up for it with the talent that He has yeah and it’s frustrating it’s frustrating as a Rory fan it’s frustrating right because he is so likable he’s so friendly I like everybody if you don’t like Rory then then I have a problem with you because
Rory is a fantastic dude uh you know comes from a great family and and I just you know I I I think uh I I think he needs to I think he needs to start playing a little more conservatively and I hate saying that but it’s take pick
And choose your spots like on Saturday he was in the right rough on 13 to a back left flag that doesn’t even appear to be on the green and he plays this just Majestic shot with a nineiron into the middle of the green chasing it back
There to six feet makes the birdie and it it was amazing like that’s what we want to see but when you’re not in position to kind of I just want to see those silly silly mistakes like 16 hit it in the middle of the green why on
Earth coming off a double are you trying to make up for it on the very next shot I I remember I had a chance to win a tournament and I I made a little bit of a mess but and Nick price called me and he absolutely bitched me out and he’s
Like you know what dong you’ve got to figure out how to make your birdies count and I was like what do you mean Nick he’s like well think about it every time you make a bogey and you make a birdie your birdie doesn’t count he’s like that’s two pars you have to figure
Out a way to make your birdies count and that that would be my advice to Rory Rory’s gonna make a shitload more birdies than I ever would I mean I I can’t hold Rory’s jockstrap but he’s got to find a way to make his birdies count
And and honestly Wags if Rory wants to win majors and keep contending in Majors that’s when you have to clean it up that is really really well said but don’t sell yourself short I think you led the PGA tour in birdies one year maybe it’s because you played like 47 events but
You were definitely a birdie machine and a force to be reckoned with out on tour um Mexico open next week unless you got anything else on Riv you want to discuss no I think we’ve covered most things Riv I mean I it was it was an enjoyable week
It really was I I think we touched on it at the open there just you know how cool it is to have tiger back in playing unfortunately it was only for less than a round and a half but to see him back out there playing um I thought it was
Pretty cool the the Ode to his 1992 shirt that he showed up with this this weird Bonefish Grill logo that he’s that he’s spawning there is uh that thing’s a little odd I think the verdict still out on that logo we’re so used to seeing that iconic swoosh um but when are we
Going to see him next that that that’s the only question I would pose you know maybe the players maybe Bay I don’t know I think from what I’m hearing speculation wise I think he’s not going to play both of them I think I think we’re beill is gonna be a smaller field
Maybe a better chance for Success he’s had so much success there but I if I had to put money on it I would say he’s gonna be at the Players yeah yeah I think so I mean it’s a flat Golf Course easy walk um I I hope so I listen as as
A golf fan I think that the more we see of tiger the better obviously uh who knows you know who knows what what he can handle physically Mexico open at Vidant I am flying there on Monday morning tomorrow we’re filming the show on Sunday night after Genesis uh it’s gonna be a little
Different week I played the inaugural event there at Vidant it is a bombers Paradise it’s gonna be warm I’m looking forward to rocking some shirt sleeves and I have to be honest with you I did laundry tonight just to make sure everything was clean going down there
Figured it’d be easier to do it here than down in Mexico I haven’t done Hotel laundry in two years I forgot like I put it on the middle dryer setting I think I shrunk all my stuff it was already tight I hope you did it was already tight uh it was
Already tight as it was and I when I went to take them out after 30 minutes I mean I could barely touch the clothes it was scalding hot I’ve never had this experience of of just such a hot dryer when I tried to set it on a low
Temperature so I’m concerned about the fit of my clothes I I have a question for you how is your body feeling after walking at 36 holes I know it’s it’s been a little while excuse me more than 36 H 72 holes it’s not feeling good I I walked
Uh I walked a lot Wednesday I think I had over six miles Wednesday Thursday and Friday this weekend we only had two hour shows so it was a little less it was like four and a half my left knee I’m gonna go get ice and I’m gonna
Ice this thing down I can barely walk at the moment um you know I I’ve I’ve had some injuries to that knee you you have had some injuries to that knee I I think that’s actually a good story that we should end this show on an injury to
Your left knee uh yeah well you and I were down at one of our favorite places kaloa Pines back in gosh February of 2022 hard to believe it’s been two years uh we walked in the morning had a wonderful round uh went out in the afternoon and I had a fast golf cart
That uh it tipped over and it crushed my left leg you you I I remember laying on the ground screaming get it off get it off get it off and you came over and ripped that card off of me so quick I’ll always be in debt to you but yeah it’s not my
Proudest moment I’m a little bit L I had a driver this week Wayne we were coming back from you know way out there one day uh and he he went on this Hillside and I was on the low side and I just like shov myself up against against him because
I’m I’m so freaked out about uh golf carts um that is a really regrettable regrettable day for me well yeah that was that not not the finest but you know what it it uh changed your career path and I think for the best to be honest uh it really did
Um well in Mexico you’re gonna have some fun but look out for the iguanas oh you know how much I hate iguanas they’re everywhere uh they freak me out not quite as prevalent on the west coast in Puerto viarta Where We Are as opposed to the Yucatan where we used to play in
Myoba every year but I’ll be scanning you know I don’t I don’t walk through native area uh without just scanning all around for the little and big iguanas um probably my biggest fear in the world I that that is a very quick story to end that is one that I’ll never forget was
When we were walking back I think we were actually in Puerto Rico we’ve been out to dinner somewhere and we’re walking back you were going onto your room and I was going to Mur and then iguana ran out in front of you and you jumped into my arms like a little baby
Like a little baby I think you actually asked me to carry you back to your so scared I’m not exaggerating you are so scared of those things but uh anyway hopefully none of them get in your bed while you’re there and it should be a fun week for you it’s gonna
Be a fun week I am going to pick someone that I am not sure if this person’s still going to be in the field he is in the field as of right now finished second this week at Genesis I think it’s going to move him up pretty
High in the world rankings he had fallen Just Around 50 top 30 get in all the Signature Events he is not in Bay Hill yet but a waiting on a sponsor exemption former Arnold Palmer scholar at Wake Forest uh so he should get an exemption
To API but he may have played his way in with this finish I’m going with will zalatoris yeah I thought you might that’s a good pick he’s obviously trending in the right direction good golf course for him you said it’s a bomb’s Paradise he hits it a long way
I’m G take another bomber I’m gon go with that Mr FAL take Tony fow I obviously loves that Golf Course has played well there uh defending um yeah this feels like the right week to take take big tone yeah that’s a first time taking him you’re you’re going off the
Radar we got to get creative with our picks well thank you everybody for listening to the wagu Fila show we’ll be back with you in a couple weeks we may have a surprise guest coming on the show soon so thanks for listening and we’ll see yall soon
2 Comments
Just in time! 😎
Great to see VT representing! Johnson: buy Bendon a mic. Best of luck to you both!