Best of Smylie Kaufman with Rory McIlroy, Akshay Bhatia at the Valero Texas Open | Golf Channel

Watch the best moments from Smylie Kaufman’s ‘Happy Hour’ at the Valero Texas Open, which included appearances from Rory McIlroy and Akshay Bhatia. #GolfChannel #ValeroTexasOpen #RoryMcIlroy
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Best of Smylie Kaufman with Rory McIlroy, Akshay Bhatia at the Valero Texas Open | Golf Channel
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we’re going to get into your round two
highlights you talked about that little
weird start you kind of hit into that
Fescue off the T at 10 but you were able
to hit it onto the green to this point
talk about this pot yeah it was pretty
straight uh I didn’t you know have too
much of an idea what it was going to do
but you know I hit a good pot thankfully
CAU that right Edge so didn’t have a
good idea what it was going to do still
finds the bottom and how about here on
your back n you made a couple bogeys
before this but a great shot here at 7
yeah my K has been great kind of
adjusting the numbers altitude weather
and so I feel very confident in kind of
his ability to tell me how far to hit it
and I feel like iron play has been great
even today was really solid and that
shot was kind of perfect and next hole
over here at eight yeah I hit a really
good drive this Fairway is so hard to
hit I mean the left side of the Fairway
you can hit it 5 yards left to the
middle of the Fairway and be in the
rough and be blocked by a tree and you
know that shot was uh it’s kind of a
perfect spot just because it was
straight into the wind and had a lot of
green work with so it’s good and a help
us understand the challenge of how
difficult it is to pull a club in these
windy conditions especially when you get
gusts and then you also get back in
Corners where you can’t feel the wind at
times yeah it’s definitely it’s very
tough here it swirls so much here too
especially kind of on those Tree Line uh
t- shots and and second shots and I
think the good thing about it in Texas
especially it blows so hard so you have
a kind of a consistent and a good idea
of what what it’s what’s going on and
even on this hle you know there’s like
12 Flags so you kind of know an idea of
what what’s going on and um but it’s
definitely you got to hit in the right
spots and the greens are firm so it’s
another element to kind of adjust to
very first time it was held at Augusta
National that is the young 12-year-old
AE batia showing us his skills back in
the day Smiley how about that guy Dan I
think I think o we want to see some fist
pumps like that here on the weekend
because that guy had some energy man I’m
embarrassed that was oh you’re
embarrassed well we got something for
you for myself to make you feel a little
bit better because this is me in 2002
with my brother lucky at the drive
chipping putt finals and and you were
lucky that the fact that you got to go
to Augusta this was somewhere in Orlando
and my dad still says to this day was a
long way to go for just hitting about
six
shots yeah made it a little better when
you go to Augusta National so but but
still a you’re you’re 87th in the world
right now you have a five shot lead here
in San Antonio haven’t played the
Masters yet is that have you allowed
that thought to kind of pondering your
mind a little bit or is it still just
sticking to a routine at this point
being just 36 holes in yeah I mean I of
course think about it but that’s not my
main focus and uh you know I’m not even
really focused too much on how this week
goes I have some other goals that you
know I want to achieve in the next
couple months and that’s all I’m
focusing on and you know if this this
this week helps me do that then that’s
great yeah we were talking a little bit
in the break this your sixth week in the
row but actually you met your uh now
fiance here three years ago so are y’all
having some type of anniversary first
time meeting three-year deal here this
week I think tonight’s going to be the
night you know we had our early day this
morning but uh we went to the sushi
place here and I think we’re going to do
that and just kind of go through the
memories of when we first met and it’s
it’s crazy it’s been three years now so
wild I think the big story this week you
went and got a second opinion from Butch
Haron you and I were speaking a little
bit and you actually sent uh us over
some of the Swing videos and we’re going
to take a look at the before this is uh
looks like to be where is this at this
that’s at the Grove um and that’s
actually it’s that’s not too bad it’s
probably a little better than it was but
um right arm gets a little deep and
behind me um and then just face rotation
through impact is a little too much and
um you know I start missing it left with
the with that sort of Swing where you
know trying to keep the club a little
more in front well not in in front of me
more on the second half of the back
swing that’s really it’s just that sort
of softening of the right arm is what we
tried to do and then it’s the the second
half of the back swing which is the the
the important thing for me and Rory we
have the second video as well this is
kind of really cool we we’ve seen Ricky
fer and Justin Thomas kind of rehearse
this type of feel so what are you
feeling on that freezer type of golf
swing Yeah so basically just trying to
get the club on my tow line halfway back
um a little bit of a softer right arm
feel and then once you get the club in
position halfway back then all you do is
turn to the top and and it’s sort of in
position and you can go from there so
really you know if I can get that first
you know three or 4 feet of the Swing
figured out um you know everything sort
of follows up from there so really
simple stuff but it was it was
worthwhile going to Butch and and
talking about those things his uh you
know his vault of knowledge and wisdom
over the years is uh is incredible and
it’s great to spend time with them and
as you know a a pro is always just
trying to find any type of Freedom with
as very little feels as possible to
where you’re not thinking as much in the
first two rounds how would you assess
how much you were thinking out there to
be able to go out there and just play
Shots yeah so I’ve been sort of doing
this little rehearsal before every swing
and and that just gives me a nice feel
for what I’m trying to do halfway back
so you once I do that um it’s really
just all systems go I’m trying to see a
shot I’m trying to hit a shot whether
I’m seeing a little and and these
conditions make you see shots right
you’re trying to flight it hit it high
in the wind hit it low left to right
right to left so um you know there’s
still a ton of creativity in there and
it’s just trying to find pretty simple
feels to to be able to do it and this
one was from the Ridder cup the Miracle
at Madina here you are coming in I mean
what happened here I know you’ve told
the story but remind US time zones um it
actually was the Golf Channel’s fault
it’s all your guys fault um I was
watching the Golf Channel on Saturday
night and the ticker along the uh along
the bottom had the times in Eastern time
and obviously we were in central time in
Chicago so I was an hour out and uh but
I was able to eat a first Tea Bar and
get some water and roll five putts
and then go be Keegan two and one so it
was okay yeah this is your third at six
that day just a chip from the front of
the green yeah so all I was thinking was
if I can be if I can be all square
through six that like I feeling like the
first six holes were like my warm-up and
if I could be all square through six I’d
be okay and I chipped in on six to go
two up and that was yeah beat him two
and one and yeah that was you know
obviously for for a European one of the
most incredible days in in Ridder Cup
history for us it sure was I’m sure you
already thinking about New York but this
week it’s nice here saying at the JW if
you happen to see the Golf Channel put
up the tea time in Eastern Time Zone at
least you can get a cart ride this time
instead of having to get in a car I’ve
learned my lesson I’ve never made that
mistake again but thank you that I
appreciate that and and what about New
York for the Ryder c yeah Beth Page is
going to be incredible uh it’s such a
great venue obviously there’s been us
opens there PJ championships there um
yeah New York rows especially when
you’re on the receiving end of them is
uh is is not going to be fun so I might
have to just put my airpods in for the
for the week and uh try to play like
that but no it’s going to be you know
home home field advantage has become
such a big thing in the ryer cup over
the past you know 10 years and uh you
know I I keep saying this I think the
first team whether it’s the Europeans or
the Americans to win an away Rider cup
um since 2012 it’s going to be one of
the you know one of the greatest
achievements um in the last couple
decades in Gulf so you know that’s what
we’re trying to go for but we know it’s
not going to be easy
so this is a
sixer strike seem good look at him this
is a good looking shot too if the
distance is right oh right over the
stick is it going to come back here it
comes got a little momentum to it look
at this look at
this how good are
you well Rory that was a great shot but
also a great call from Johnny Miller how
good are you and I have two questions on
that shot number one can we bring the
hair back and number two when you see
21-year-old Rory in that video where
does your mind take you um so firstly no
we can’t bring the hair back because
there’s way too many Grays in it
nowadays uh and secondly I just think
how free flowing it was um you know I I
I still think it’s the best four days of
golf that I’ve ever played you know I
feel like I could have landed and I
could have landed it on a pin cushion
that week you know I was just so dialed
in um and yeah just you know how much
how much I clear my hips and how much I
just release it and um you know final
round of a major championship trying to
trying to win one for the first time and
you know you can swing it like that um
you know I’m not saying that’s what I’m
trying to get back to but you the more
the more free I can play you know
usually the better it is is there
something in that swing that you see
that you’re like man I I can’t do that
anymore more um so I would say I keep
the club a lot uh on plan a lot better
on the way back um I had this rib injury
back in 2017 and that sort of it’s been
hard for me to get back in that position
to sort of externally rotate my right
shoulder and my right arm um so I’m
always trying to work and and get back
to to something similar to that but
since that rib injury it’s just being a
little bit more difficult to try to get
back in that position because sometimes
when I to do it too much it starts to
hurt and then I have to have to sort of
back off it’s it’s the product of
getting older I I’m aware of it as well
I’m also aware of the uh the gray hairs
as well so me and you both my man and
we’re going to go to 17 and call Little
golf here Rory from this bunker short
side here Wilson fur this looks
difficult yeah this is but he’s back
into the wind a little bit so it might
actually be okay it’s floating as it
looks like okay yeah
easy I was thinking man he didn’t have a
chance but sometimes the TV when when it
comes up and pops up I think you know
what he might make this and Wilson fur
having a nice day two bires on his
day and last week uh excuse me not last
week the conent we had we had Luke
Donald well we had Luke Donald uh do our
Premier League reads did at the
cognizant he did at the Bay Hill we
haven’t heard back we were thinking we
have a chance for Luke Donald to win an
Emmy he was so good Rory it’s your turn
to do this Premier League Reed okay
Sunday wake up with Premier League
morning live Nashville FanFest where
Arts Rivals look to settle the score at
the theater of Dreams Manchester United
Liverpool Sunday at 10:30 a.m. eastern
on NBC and
peacock I think it was pretty good I
think it was pretty good and we got a
little photo I know you uh you cheer
from one of these teams don’t you I do
yeah I U I’m not full of confidence for
Sunday uh no I think Liverpool are going
to um we got a nil-nil draw at unfield
in December I actually went to that game
um but I uh I we lost to Chelsea
yesterday I I really hope we get some
sort of result on Sunday but I’m I’m not
too confident well I have to tune in and
check it out but uh that was pretty good
I’m going to give I’m gonna give you an
A on that read you you nearly said A+ I
was almost A+ I mean I think Luke Donald
just has that little English touch yeah
yeah I I I can’t argue with that yeah
absolutely