Tripp Isenhour joins Fairways of Life after covering the CJ Cup Byron Nelson alongside Matt Adams, where they saw Taylor Pendrith edge out Ben Kohles for the title. They also discuss the mindset of winners such as Nelly Korda (currently 5 consecutive wins) and Brooks Koepka (winner at LIV Singapore and gearing up to defend the PGA Championship)
some fantastic shots down the stretch on those last couple of holes how were you able with all that was on the line how were you able to lock in on those moments and pull off those shots um obviously you know my mind kept wanting to go to 18 it was such a long day I felt like we were out there well I was I’ve been up since 4:00 a.m. so it has been a long day um but as I like I have to give props to Jason because he’s the one that kept me in it is the one that kept telling me a shot at a time shot at a time don’t get ahead of yourself um stick to what’s in front of you and work on that you’re right that it’s very difficult to play golf and not think about what you’re shooting okay because anybody can do that the players who get really good learn to get lost in the present moment and take it one shot at a time I and how did you push those doubts out that you were referring to earlier um by having a great team around me um full of positivity and working hard I mean hard work will always get you somewhere so um I kept my head down and I worked really really hard and all I know about all my people if if they want to become as good as they can be they have to accept that everyone has to get past doubt everyone has to get past fear everyone has to make some type of commitment to really getting good with the short game and a lot of the short game is practice and a lot of it is having the right attitude with it you have to embrace it and love it and enjoy it and look forward to both practicing and doing it when you get on the go our guest is trip isenhower he’s won six times amongst the professional ranks 360 make that 306 I beg your pardon starts on uh the professional tours he has his own gig that he’s got going on now new Gap golf personalized golf development program that we had a chance to talk to him about last time and I’ll make sure that we talk to him about it I particular interested in how it’s going with him uh after we featured it on this show and are people reacting and is he happy about all that but where I want to start with trip what’s going on we’ve been we’ve been together for two weeks folks we’ve been doing shows nonstop so so our our hellos how you doing can be short so yeah trip here’s my question the Aon swing five and the Aon next 10 right Andrew could you pull those pull those Graphics up so we can see the the players accordingly okay you’ll see it slide in here in just a second next 10 Pavone Lowry joerger batia nap ecro how come in the and and Andrew you can slip between next 10 and the swing five as much you want how come there’s players on these lists repr these lists are additional entryways into Signature Events right for the guy that are grinding out but why would you have players on the list that are exempt if those players they’re already Exempted mebe because they’ve won taking up the spot of someone that would otherwise shouldn’t it be the next 10 are players here’s the next 10 from players not not otherwise already exempt what’s going on here well Matt that would extend the fields beyond their precious little 70 number um or 75 number or whatever I look I’m all for Signature Events and and I I think they’re a mixed bag so far there have been uh some successes there have been some uh silly things that have happened like playing short um I mean at Bay Hill they played one short they couldn’t fill the field uh um to your point I I I’m all for elevated Signature Events and having these things you know mean a little bit more and the money is a lot more and we know why this has occurred I feel like they threw a lot of things up and now they’re going to have to fix it which is typically one of the things that the tour kind of does they kind of get reactive I think um they’re going to be more proactive with uh some of the people involved um at the top of it but to your point I don’t if you’ve already won you should get your way in and then those players should come in but then that’s going to expand the field beyond what they’re talking about and that’s why I think if the field was 120 in each of these events and we had cuts which is that to me is so an itical to everything that golf is about you you need to have play 36 holes and the best players get to play 36 more holes I I I I’ve always um you know disliked the world uh golf events that were no cut events where you show up and just guaranteed to get a big paycheck I think part of the meritocracy of golf is that you’ve got to beat half the field uh to continue playing so uh is it something that they’ll look at I have no idea I hope they do I hope they do because if if you know they expand the fields in these things the other thing I wish they would do and take a look at for their sponsors is rotating these Signature Events around the schedule so that or at least give the opportunity for other events in the schedule if they want to raise the purse and offer you know all the extra benefits of a signature event you could move the schedule around and at least uh reward your longtime loyal sponsors that have been there say a John Deere for example you might have to move the tournament from its date but at least give John Deere the opportunity John Deere may not take it for example but I think it would be wise to to at least offer that so that’s my opinion on the Signature Events but you bring up a good point the the Billy horel who won uh in the Dominican Republic he’s in this week at Wells Fargo great for him but he should be in anyway from winning same thing with Taylor pendrith and then you can get other guys that have played well and haven’t won the opportunity in these bigger events so I I I think there’s some changes that need to be made and again it’s just my opinion but I I do know that one one opinion shared by every Tour player I’ve talked about is that they shouldn’t have played Short in any of these events when they start with the when somebody withdraws from these they should have an alternate list to put put someone in the field yeah I mean it’s and I realize that you and I are golf junkies with all this stuff but the nons signature events for me have been incredibly entertaining yeah the fact that Taylor pendrith broke through yesterday and he was battling with Ben Kohl’s uh the fact that you know like I said Alex norn was in the mix Aaron Ry was in the mix a lot of players who this would have been a lifechanging breakthrough Victory and we get to see that and we get to know them and we get to hear their stories that’s part of what I’d like to see golf do more of I I’d like to see the the the chances for us as fans to know who these players are in in some ways you’re almost force-fed the Stars which is good they’re stars for reason and you are interested in him I’m not taking that away from him but there’s so many more players like even though he’s a winner already like Jake knap I think is he’s got the story he’s got the personality you know he’s he’s he’s got a tattoo on the inside of his left bicep that are the initials of his grandfather because he had that close relation with his grandfather in Tron game and we start to hear all that kind of stuff and he was the guy that was a bouncer for a while I think he said he worked security at this at this place but all those stories can be can I don’t know can build fan interest and it’s one of the reasons why I’m liking these events so much I’m having fun with them yeah absolutely and and you know you think about the David ver versus goia stories I mean the the the fans love to see uh somebody that that doesn’t really seem to have any chance going up against you know a Tiger Woods a rich Bean going up against the Tiger Woods a y Yang going up against the tiger those are the great stories and we still talk about them I mean we’re we could talk about rich beam and that was what 23 years ago so I mean these are the things that the stories that are great and yes the stars are always there and they’re going to be there anyway because they’re better than everybody else that’s why they’re stars and that’s why I don’t think you need to guarantee that they’re going to play four rounds because they’re pretty much going to play four rounds anyway and they’re pretty much going to be on the leaderboard because they are the best in the world and that’s the the wonderful thing about it but you also give the opportunities and I I’ll give you another story last year and then think about what that player has done uh from then was you know not many people had heard of Nick Taylor now he had won on tour when he was playing Scotty Sheffer coming down the stretch in Phoenix and everybody was you know thinking oh Scotty’s gonna go on and win this now Nick stood toe-to-toe with Scotty and Scotty did end up winning but then think about what that did for Nick Taylor later on and what he’s gone on to do after that so it it not only if even if they don’t succeed in beating uh the the you know the top of the game they benefit hugely from it and then they’re able to apply it elsewhere and of course last year you know that win in Canada for Nick Taylor and you know he’s now a star on the PGA tour and he’s going to be a star at the international cup he’s going to be a tough out up there in Canada oh no doubt and and so much is happening in the game of Go you know there’s a lot of people talk about ratings and fan engagement Etc even though the top tier professional game is trying to find its pathway into the future what is happening right now with Scotty sheffler with Nelly Corda with the prospect of discussion about Brooks which I want to have with you in just a moment here trip we are right now being treated to an incredibly special time in the game of golf even at its top competitive tier and I think that’s sometimes that message is getting lost in the swirling Winds of what about this what about that when you talk about the leagues and all the rest so I want to talk to you about some of those storylines when we come back I do want to pick up on that video you sent us trip before bring us back to the two box here Andrew because I want to ask trip one question did you edit that yourself it had it had a little bit of a kind of a like a hostage look to it yeah I edited it myself yes I I’m I’m an amateur on ey movie that’s put it that way amate producer I’m glad that you said that to us and said go ahead and play it well we did we did Nelly cter Dr Bob someone that look like trip Eisenhower’s son anyway we’re g to get into the details of what all that means too as a Fairways of Life show continues right after this the video that you set in with Nelly and then it cut to Dr Bob and and cut to you guys son yeah what was that why did you send that first of all I have to tell you I love n I’m a huge fan of Nell quter the fact that that she could make even more history this week on top of all this other history we’re talking about but what I really like is when she gets into her press conference and she’s tired start see that’s 30 that’s that’s 20 years ago that’s 20 years ago all right you’re doing all right I’m doing yeah I’m aging I I’m like Dom I need something that gives me hair too so trying you’ll have to try to get one of his headsets and so when Nelly starts to get tired what I love is that she goes it her voice starts to get a little bit valer she’s a little bit like oh my God I was so it was so long a day I was so tired out there yeah I knew that I had to make this spt but she’s awesome and what she’s doing she’s playing this week and she has a chance to go even deeper into the history books but the piece that you sent to was where Dr Bob was talking about you know you have to get past out have to get past fear you have to work on the short game I mean this stuff is kind of the trip eyes in our Bible oh without question I mean look I’ve known Doc and work with him for uh 16 years since I was 16 years old and and he’s fantastic and this was a series we did back in uh early 2000 well it was 20072 2008 that you know some of that material I have and I’m I’m applying it to you know modern players um and it’s Timeless and you know it’s it’s funny I I I talked to Dr Rotella two about three or four weeks ago and I I said you’ve been saying the same thing for so long do you ever get tired of it and he’s like well it it it’s Timeless because it it’s the game tends to sell long game it can tends to sell you know and everybody thinks they can get better by buying a new driver or getting a a lesson and and lessons do help there’s no question about it uh go to a PGA Pro and and get them to work on your golf swing that will improve your game but the vast Improvement for most people can be applying these mental principles that the best players in the world do and then for like some of the Juniors or college players or or or professionals just trying to to get going in the game they need to work on these things even more because it’s what separates the the greatest from the the the rest and what Nelly is talking about there I can play one from Scotty from the Masters that is basically him saying the same thing they they figure out a way to stay in a bubble stay in the present but if you think that these Elite Champions aren’t scared and Afraid and deal with all sorts of things trying to distract them even when they’re going about their winning streaks uh you’re you’re being foolish because they have to deal with the same things they just deal with them quicker and they deal with them better than most of the other people so that’s why I I show those things and I you know I it’s little minute minute and a half clips that I that I’ve got but I’ve got you know tons of those things just to illustrate that uh if you really want to get good in this game uh you got to you got to work on the short game and you got to apply some of the mental principles to allow you to compete with some confidence and put yourself in in in that what we call the precious present the the ability to stay right there in the moment and look I think Nelly Corda is GNA be right there again this week and touch history I she’s already done it and so many wonderful different ways she’s one ugly she’s one pretty she’s she’s absolutely on a tear but the reason why she’s on a tear is because of her mental state and even what she said even trying to win there at Chevron it was Jason CAD who had to pull her back and say quit thinking ahead or quit doing this let’s stay right here and get into our process on this this next shot and she was able to do that and of course win another major championship gapgolf coach.com is Trip’s website Gap golf coach.com if you want to take advantage of his expertise as well now talking about this mental mindset and the power that comes with that we’ve seen it in players like uh you know Jack Nicholas Tiger Woods over the years and we’ve seen it from Brooks Kea uh his an almost armored bravado that he carries with him uh first of all let’s listen to this from Brooks after his most recent win he’s talking about getting ready for the PGA Championship I want to get your reaction to it and were you aware during the round itself kind of how some of the guys were kind of nipping at your heels I don’t know how much you were looking at the at the leaderboard but you always seem to to come up with the clutch uh parve or whatever just to maintain the lead they never actually caught you yeah I watch it all the time I to me it doesn’t make any difference I’m still doing what I got to do or focusing on what I need to focus on um look if somebody goes out and and beats me and I have no problem with losing if I get flat out beat that doesn’t bug me but um like I said just kind of using it for for last second prep for for the PGI do you feel that you play better under pressure I mean I like to think so but I don’t know if I mean I think when there’s more on the line it’s more more enjoyable and it actually feels like real golf so you know nobody wants to be out competing on a Sunday when you’re battling for 45th um it’s just kind of a go at everything and hope you should a low round but uh being in contention kind of gets gets to be a little bit more fun and I think what what guys are used to all right so if he were to defend amazing right if he’s to defend next week he’ll join the company with four or more PGA championships of Walter Hagen Jack Nicholas and Tiger Woods I mean just let that simmer for a second with what we’re talking about he said that he was embarrassed by the Masters that he was embarrassed he has now he has to grind it out so we’re looking at a defendant there’s his his quotes from the same I think the embarrassment of Augusta really kicked things into overdrive for me and really having to put my nose down and grind it a little bit harder and having to look at my team in the eye and apologize I’m not looking to do that again it’s all external sometimes I can make it external but it’s all internal to me oh it’s all internal I should say look I don’t enjoy playing bad it’s not fun for me quote close open and close from from Brooks so let’s talk about this for a second here trip and and talking about that mental fortitude that Brooks Kea seems to have in what he’s doing which again in this context of all these things we’re talking about that are absolutely historic that are swirling all around us at professional golf he’s in a position of doing something that is incredibly unique and quite simply only him well look I’ve gotten to see Brooks kept cap play up close in major championships and and the first time I saw it I was like oh my gosh it’s so easy to see why this guy plays well in the toughest championships he plays incredibly conservative correct golf he he is very patient he understands that these uh it’s not about attacking and making birdies like a normal PGA Tour event it’s about being in position with a your t- shots and then where you position your shots into into greens I I remember even uh one shot I thought was going to go at he had I thought a perfect number and a hole that he would go after and he still hit it to the correct side about 15t away he ended up making the putt but he could have hit that shot a lot closer and taken on trouble so that mindsets there but but just listening to him talk right there I’m gonna have to do one of these videos with that because uh that’s incredible stuff I mean that that says everything to me about you know he gets excited when he’s in competition yeah he’s nervous I mean Jack Nicholas talked about it he said I loved being nervous on the first te because that meant it meant something and but they know how to handle it and that gets them going they having that competition and um one other thing he said I saw it on um on X recently was um he was talking about how when he plays casual golf he stinks he can’t play at all because it doesn’t mean anything so so that tells you right there where where his competitive fire is and of course I think Brook kPa is going to be part of the story at the PGA I mean he just he’s got the prototypical game now he’s in form and look when you have your first child you do get some distractions and even Brooks kka kind of admits that but now I think winning as a father for the first time and now having the chance at Valhalla look he’s going to be a factor there he’s gonna be a factor at Pinehurst for sure just because of the style of his game and the way he goes about these major championships yeah I just think that aside from the the body of work that he’s putting together the way that his mind works that he doesn’t have a problem telling us he he’s he’s the type guy that he’s in a press conference he’ll tell you exactly what’s on his mind I mean I don’t think that Brooks keco would be the type person you’d want to have around if you ask a question does a sweater make me look fat because he just gives you to you straight it’s unbelievable a trip Eisen how is our guest uh check out his site gapgolf coach.com so trip I was saying when we had the wide shot of you the picture window behind you if I’m not mistaken is looking down on Quail Hollow correct and how much is it fair just a couple of minutes we have left here how much is it fair for us to use this week and go whatever happens this week form matters that much heading into a major of course it does finding form before a major is always key and I mean you’ve got a major golf course I mean this golf course uh is absolutely in pristine condition it it it looks like Augusta I know nothing compares to Augusta but this this is a close comparison for sure I I mean this week’s going to be a tough test it’s a great field um Rory could be finding some form if that happens we could have a fantastic PGA because Scotty in form Brooks in form and then throw in Rory and uh yeah those would be the three headlines and oh by the way maybe a resurgent John ROM who knows he can show up anytime and play well yeah Val is not exactly similar to Quail Hollow but it will be interesting I I I haven’t even looked I don’t know if you have I haven’t looked at the long-term weather forecast for that week uh to see how it goes but I do think back to when Rory won there and he was aggressive and the way he came through 18 and the way that you could see the lightning bolts off in the distance to your point if that Rory mroy has been found again and what are we going on body of evidence because his season by his standards been kind of eh but he did win in Zurich and you look at and go wait minut that’s a team competition Rory B and this is by Shane Shane said he carried me so we’re we’re almost out of time here trip thank you very much for joining us a pleasure really had fun this whole last couple of weeks working with you too looking forward to
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GOOD JOB BOYS!!!!