Cole Hammer, a National Champion at the University of Texas and two-time Walker Cup team member, is on his professional journey and currently a member of the Korn Ferry Tour. This is his second appearance to share his story and since we last talked he held the 54-hole lead on the Korn Ferry Tour and discussed that experience and what he learned from that and what he will take away from it. He also talked about his coach Bruce Davidson and their relationship, the ability to use a range finder on tour and reminisced about a photo he found from 10 years ago when he stood side by side with Rory McIlroy as a 15-year old at the U.S. Open that he qualified for at Chambers Bay.
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In case you missed it, a pros life with Cole Hammer. Every month he’s going to be joining us and sharing the experiences of trying to get to the highest level in the game. And off of a tie for third several weeks ago in Chile reflecting on that. Here is a pros life with Cole Hammer. How are you my friend? Good morning. Doing great and happy to be back on the show. Miss seeing your pretty face. Well, it’s good to see you, too. This is uh Veritex Bank. I know that uh you’re proud to represent them just like you are, Peter Malar. That’s part of the pros life. You got to have support from people who believe in you and and represent the brand. Since you and I talked last, look, so much can change, including you uh being a 54hole leader as you were in Chile. Let’s let’s start there because I heard it this past Sunday with Joel Damon saying, “You know what? you learn more in not winning. Let’s start with you and what you learned. What did you learn about the way you process things that final day sleeping on a 54hole lead? I know you remember most if not all of it. Let’s go through that day. What uh what is redeemable? What is impenetrable in terms of your memory of that particular day about a month ago? Well, it’s funny you say redeemable. I feel like there were a lot of things that I did really well um to give myself a chance to win that Sunday. Um I slept a lot better than I thought I would Saturday night and woke up um feeling confident and fairly comfortable. Obviously I had some some nerves and uh just anticipation of the day and whatnot. Uh but I tried to fall back on some of the experience that I had in amateur golf and in junior golf. um having leads and uh so I thought I was pretty well prepared. Um but the one thing that I whiffed on was just the the mindset that it takes to win on the corner tour I think is a little bit different than an amateur golf just because uh you have to stay aggressive and I think that’s where I kind of uh turned a wrong corner. Um, I played pretty conservatively and um, you know, out here on the corner tour, guys are just so good. They fly up the leaderboard and aren’t afraid to chase people down. And in amateur golf, that’s not really not the case. You can kind of make pars and and find your way to the trophy at the end of the day. Is that something, Cole, that is that is realized in reflection? Is it something where maybe you’re late in the golf tournament, all of a sudden that that lead is gone and you’re trying to flip that switch to where all of a sudden your aggression uh has to be renewed. It has to be restored or is that something like I said that is only kind of captured in your mind uh in reflection when it’s over? I think it’s a little bit of both. Obviously, um I’ve had a lot of time for reflection and you know that’s pretty much my biggest takeaway. But during the during the tournament uh or during the final round, I felt it too because I went out thinking, “Okay, I’m not going to look at the leaderboards today.” And I put myself in good positions and just wasn’t capitalizing on on these birdie putts. I was kind of being a little bit defensive. And um I look up on hole eight and the crowd that had started following us at the beginning of the day um had um moved forward to the group that was uh playing great golf. um Logan Mallister had started making a bunch of birdies and I could clearly see the momentum shift to his side and all of a sudden I kind of had to wake up and um try to force things and as we all know as golfers when you try to force it um it doesn’t really go your way. So um that was a huge learning curve and I think I’m better prepared for uh the next time that I’m there. You know Cole, I’m a I’m a big believer in reading there’s a guy Ryan Holidayiday. I invoke his name a fair amount here. Uh he’s written a lot about about stoicism and about certain things that if you can condition your mind in the long run it’s going to benefit you. And one of those things is these are outcomes. They’re they’re not distinctly starkly, you know, like failure or success. Can you get your mind in that place to where it’s an outcome? And there’s a lot of positives that can be drawn from that. And it’s not just some abject failure that he didn’t close a 54hole lead. Is that a work in progress for you? It it is. Um you know that was the first time I’d had a 54hole lead uh as a professional golfer. So obviously it was um tough to take walking off the 18th green that day. But um you know at the start of the week if you told me that I was going to come in tied for third and um head back to the to the states with that type of momentum I would have taken it and um yeah just it kind of sucked in the moment. Uh, but I I I’ve moved forward and um yeah, I guess like Ryan Holidayiday said, it’s an it’s an outcome and uh you know, I’m just gonna work as hard as I can every single day and um hang my hat at the end of the day knowing I did what I could and kind of let you know, kind of let God take care of the rest. Uh I had this really interesting conversation uh the week of the Masters with Maverick McNeely who’s you know he is having a breakout year and and he he has these guys in Vegas that are also high-erforming uh athletes. One’s a NASCAR driver, another guy might be an extreme athlete and they call themselves and maybe he doesn’t even want me sharing this, the Flow Boys. like they they spend time talking about all the things that they can do to get in that very elusive space of being in a flow state and one of it is nutrition. How do you try to manage the things that you’re ingesting so that your body can be in the best place for it to react and respond to a mind that is processing a lot of different things in the heat of moments especially in contention late. What do you do about nutrition? So, that’s a it’s a great question. Uh, I think it comes down to consistency at the end of the day. Um, obviously it it it matters what you eat. Um, but if your body is used to consuming something um, you know, let’s just say Thursday morning um, and Friday morning, Saturday morning, Sunday morning, and then you switch that up, all of a sudden you’re kind of sending your body different signals. And, uh, to be in that flow state, you want to be able to give yourself um, some stability to come back on. And I think nutrition is the easiest way to start that. So, you know, when I get to a tournament, I um my caddy and I go to Whole Foods and stock up on pretty much the same stuff every week. Uh and we we’ll cook it, meal prep it, and um you know, that’ll be our uh breakfast and dinners for the week. And then I I pretty much eat the same snacks every day. So, just trying to kind of give myself that um consistent baseline so that uh I give myself the best chance to uh mentally be where I want to be. And then hydration is a huge aspect of that as well. Um because if you’re poorly hydrated um you know that can affect the way your brain functions and um the way it it uh communicates with your with your muscles. And so we need full control of that for five and a half hours. Um I wish it was five hours or less, but unfortunately that’s not quite the case. No, it isn’t. I I got to share with people. You were telling me during the commercial break that you were sitting at a table recently outside of this country. Uh and Ryan Armor of all people are sitting across from me. You know, Cole, that alone speaks to how interesting this journey is. Ryan Armor played against Tiger Woods in the US Jr. and here he is still out there a self-described mule, still trying to chase it and still trying to be as good as he can be. I I don’t know that you’re sitting there at that moment going, “Man, this is really cool.” I mean, this I mean, this is Ryan Armory. He’s been doing this a damn long time. But isn’t that an an interesting aspect? Here you are. You’re at the beginning. I’m not saying he’s at the end because he’s probably going to make a zillion dollars after he turns 50. But that this game can allow you to not only keep the lights on, but believe that you can be better tomorrow. And he’s a shining example of it. There’s no question. And I I would like to consider myself a maybe not a historian of the game, but uh uh I have a ton of respect for the guys that came before me. And so growing up watching the PJ tour, guys like Ryan Armor were always at the top of the leaderboard. And you know, to give him credit, I mean, he still is. And uh not up until recently, he was killing it on the PJ tour. So um it’s fun to share the fairways with guys like Ryan. Um, and I guess that self-proclaimed mule, um, characteristic of a career. Um, and so, yeah, it’s fun and it’s, uh, it’s definitely encouraging to a young guy to see someone love the grind and, um, love what professional golf has to offer as a career. um because yeah, he’s he’s pushing 50 and um but he’s not showing signs of slowing down and it looks like the the fire in the drive is still there and um a lot of times, you know, maybe that can be lost um when things aren’t going well, but um I think it’s it’s a true pros mentality to kind of just keep your head down and Ryan’s a great example of that. He is. I I mentioned at the top of the program, you know, you look at the Cornferry Tour standings. I know Hank Lebiota, he’s 31, but he’s got a lot of experience on the PJ tour. Josh Teter is 46. Uh he’s he’s got a win already this season. Uh and and you look at that and you go, you know what, keep your head down. Keep believing that that that you know what, success is always under construction. Uh and move forward like you’re doing. I want to ask you because I think this is something that can benefit whether it’s somebody who’s 14 years old who’s getting ready to walk out the door to go to go to school and he’s in ninth grade instruction and and and taking instruction and being a good listener but not maybe overanalyzing what it is that you’re being asked to try to do. I I know the person that that you work with and he’s a he’s he’s one of the good people in the game. He’s got he’s got a great soul. When you spend time with your instructor, how do you know that he knows that you’re listening to what he’s trying to impart upon you? Well, the man that that we’re talking about here is Bruce Davidson. Um he is uh become like a second father to me. He was the head pro at my home course growing up and uh now he spends most of his time um at Conger in South Carolina. So, I think I might have gotten my first lesson from Bruce when I was about eight years old, um, give or take a couple years. And so, he’s been with me throughout my entire, uh, journey in this game. And he’s imparted so much wisdom on me. Uh, he had he’s a great player in his own right. He he um played some, you know, really impressive golf while he was a head pro and he subscribed to the, you know, the Harmon theory where, you know, the the head pro should be the best player at the club and and he was and um he’s played in some senior majors and uh so from a player perspective, I really respect that um and and am a sponge listening to someone who has uh you know been there, done that versus um you know not taking a shot at other guys but uh or other swing coaches when they haven’t uh experienced what it’s like to hit a shot under pressure or try to make a putt to qualify for a major or win a tournament. Um you know I think that’s a that’s a skill and that’s something that he’s able to impart on me. Um so my ears are always open and uh you know the best part about our relationship now is it it’s an open line of communication. We talk almost every day. He reaches out after you know good rounds, bad rounds, and everything in between. And um you know, if something’s not feeling quite right, uh I’ll go to him and if he sees something that you know, doesn’t quite look right. But uh you know, I’m playing well, he’ll tread lightly. So, it’s all about performance. And um and then you know, if I come off a rough stretch, he’s you know, the first one to to comfort me and say, “Look, this is just a this is a blip.” and we’re going to get through it and we’re going to work hard and and see what happens. So, he’s just a a steady, like I said earlier with nutrition. He’s just another baseline for me to uh to come back to when things aren’t going great. And then um he also has one of the best senses of humor that I’ve ever been around. So, it’s always a good couple of days at Congereie. No, it is. I know you took a picture that that I was touched by because I’ve taken the same one. Uh, and that is pausing and and looking around at your environment. It was late at night. There’s a schoolhouse on the property there. Powerful things happen in that room. And I know that that’s not lost on you. And I know that that that that fills your tank as well. Let me ask you about a couple things going on that I want to get your thoughts on. Rangefinders. Uh, the idea that these now uh can be used during competitive rounds. We saw it this past weekend at the Heritage. Uh, is this a gamecher? and if so, why? Uh, I think it’s a complete gamecher. I hope it is a permanent uh rule change for um both tours and professional golf in general. Uh just because I mean I like I said earlier, I have a ton of respect for for the game and um you know, playing by feel and and using sprinkler heads, but a lot of times some of the courses we play on the corner tour aren’t that well marked. Um, and that’s just the way it is and they do the best they can. But, uh, it can take time to find these sprinkler heads and, um, and that can be an attributing factor to some of these rounds taking so long. Uh, and this past week in Florida, uh, you know, I just got the rangefinder out and buzzed the flag and, uh, that saved us probably 30 seconds at least. And so we were, my caddy and I were able to get into the shot earlier, if that makes sense. And so, uh, I had the number. We would subtract how far, uh, the pen was from the front of the green and then bang. And then all we’re worried about is the wind and shot selection versus sometimes we get to the ball and it takes forever to to get the number and then we’re almost in a rush, especially if we’re on the clock to try to beat that 40 second mark before, you know, we get a bad time. So, in the long run, I think it’s it it should improve pace of play, especially if you hit it offline because, uh, it’s really hard to figure out angles and get numbers from sprinkler heads that are in the fairway, if you miss the fairway. Um, and so I I’m just excited about the possibility of it it speeding up play, although incrementally um, in the short run. And then by the way on T- boxes, it’s so great to be able to shoot the covers on bunkers and how far it is through the fairway. And you know, we didn’t have that opportunity before. So less math, more ease. Maybe that’s just me wanting to take the easy way out, but it was nice to be able to use those guys. No, look, if if if the the refrain from everybody is let’s make it quicker and and if this is a practical efficient measure to do do so, those same people cannot push back now on the idea of the institution of of using them. Last thing I want to show people an image uh that you sent me and this was 2015. This is Chambers Bay and this really to me amplifies just how much can change. Uh that’s you on the left. The guy on the right just completed the career grand slam. And oh by the way, you were 15. He at that time was your age now, 25. He had just finished fourth at the Masters, which was his first opportunity to complete the career grand slam. And Cole, 10 years later, and just a little bit over a week ago, he just did it. What does that say to you? Well, I think Rory said it best in his press conference. Uh, it’s just to to never give up. I mean, I was looking at that picture. I just randomly came across it and, you know, I paused in my tracks. Um, I thought it was pretty powerful because 10 years ago, while it, you know, maybe at face value doesn’t sound like that long ago, oh, it’s just 10 years ago. I mean, I felt like Chambers Bay was a lifetime ago. And so someone in Rory’s shoes who has had that, you know, burden on his back for a lot for that amount of time, you know, I can’t I can’t imagine it. Uh just because he’s been kind of the the figurehead for the modern game for such a long time and he’s had to deal with so much and and and trying to compete at the same time. And so watching him complete the career grand slam last weekend um was extremely powerful. I um I sat there and stared at the TV. I didn’t get off the couch from 1:00 until until that last putt dropped and I watched the, you know, the whole green jacket ceremony and everything. And I, you know, I was a little bit emotional just because, uh, Rory’s been my favorite player to watch ever since I can remember. Um, and obviously I thought the final round of the Masters was a bit of a microcosm of his career. I mean, ups and downs and wins and losses. like you look at his his career, he’s won pretty much everything there is to win in the game. Uh except for, you know, this last masters leading up to it, you know, FedEx Cups, Race of Dubai’s players championships and and to and then, you know, he’ll have uh close calls at majors, and it just seems like it it was the same story every year. And you know, uh, as a as a young guy, as a 15-year-old back then, I had those and I still do have those same dreams to win majors and to complete career grand slams. Um, but when you kind of get into the thick of it and you start thinking about uh a career in professional golf, sometimes those dreams can kind of be lost. And not that my dreams were lost by any means, but they were rekindled. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. just by watching that sheer emotion come out of him on on 18 green. Uh it was a look of relief and dreams being realized and uh so you know that was uh something that I thought about when I was going to sleep that night and have thought about every day since. And so yeah, that picture there is pretty uh it’s pretty wild to think that uh it’s been it’s been that long. And I just I’m so happy for him and his family that uh he was able to uh you know triumph out last Sunday. Very well said. And and by the way, in that 10 years for you uh winning a national championship, being on a victorious Walker Cup team, ascending to number one in the World Amina rankings, a lot can get done uh while you’re still trying to pursue, you know, these other dreams. So uh it’s great to see you again. looking forward to to reconvening in about a month’s time. I know you’re going up the road to Arlington. Uh it’s nice to play an event in your home state that means so much to you. I know you’ll get great support. Thanks so much as always. Yeah, thank you, Gary. We appreciate Cole and his perspective, including getting emotional watching someone like Rory Maroy complete the career grand slam. He joins us every month as a contributor here on Five Clubs. We hope you enjoyed a pros life with Cole Hammer.
