Bruce, Sam & Tom get together to talk through the pre-tournament coverage of the Masters. They discuss current story lines and the takes that seem to be far too worn in the build up to the tournament.
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Watch this. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] No way. [Music] Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Cookie Jar Gold podcast brought to you in partnership with FootJoy. I am Tom Mills and today I’m joined by Bruce Fitzpatrick. Good evening. And Sam Williams. Sam, welcome. Thomas, that is a very fine hoodie. I can see you wearing one of my Royal Port Rush studio. Yeah, it’s uh it’s baby blue. I’m looking sharp in my Royal Port Rush hoodie, which I could wear on the golf course. You got ejected from Port Russ hoodie ones, didn’t you? Did not get ejected. I actually I got sold a hoodie in Port Rush and I wore on the golf course. Uh did not get ejected for for the benefit of anyone listening. But that is a Fjoy hoodie. And uh turns out I’ve got your latest shipment from Fjoy right behind me. And you’ve got exactly that hoodie but with a cookie jar crest on it. So I’m curious to see which one you’ll wear more this this summer. Uh well, I’ve got oil back of this one trying to fix a lawn mower. So probably that solves that. Gentlemen, isn’t it great to be rolling into the Mast’s Week so prepped with insightful takes, um, knowledge, things we’ve acquired to share with our listeners over the next 45 minutes? It feels like you don’t really need to. Feels like there’s no need for any of that cuz it’s so well covered by people who for, you know, the other 51 weeks of the year don’t actually take that much of an interest in golf. The Masters seems to be the one event that just permeates the whole sporting landscape. It certainly does in golf. To be honest, we’ve been talking about this pod for a little while. We’ve been sitting down probably for the last my fault. I’ve been on holiday, but uh we’ve been talking about as the three of us like what we’re going to do, which angle we’re going to take. Last year, Bruce and I gave one of the most insightful podcasts on the topic. A tradition like no other any of you judged that as one of the most insightful. Was that you, Tom, that judged it? I did. Um I did. Yeah. Yeah. And we had loads of feedback about how how brilliant it was. But then we got to this year and it’s kind of like it’s a really difficult one to cover as from a media point of view because it’s so covered and we’ve sat here and talked about it and we’ve decided to come on and talk about how it is. No, I I abs I sent my stall out early on this. I absolutely love the Masters. I think anyone who’s a golfer loves the Masters. um the start of the golfing year really the first major you know it really does wet your appetite for the next six months of golf doesn’t it but I must admit maybe this year it starts to just feel so saturated that’s probably just because my feed and what I look at and I see so much golf that when I look at my phone or I look online I just get hit with masters masters masters there’s so much of it but it’s absolutely incredible just the machine this has become um absolutely staggering. I feel like walking around the office in London, you know, amongst people who um don’t actually play all that much golf, it’s interesting to hear how for this week they are thinking, “Oh yeah, I’m looking forward to sitting down and watching the Masters Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night.” And you’re like, “Didn’t really know that you’re that interested in golf, to be honest.” But it’s um yeah, it’s just something that clearly just captures the attention of of of so many people who otherwise aren’t that interested in in in the game more so than the open even. I mean, dare I say it, like I think even in the UK I think even in the UK, yeah, there’s like I’d be interested if you took that that kind of survey across the you avid watchers of not just golf but sport in the UK and you said would you rather win the Masters or the Open in your dream fantasy land? I would be interested to see what those results would be. I feel like amongst the hard and core they would say oh the open championship you know um golf’s original major and so on and that would be something that we pro probably would have some sympathy with but um yeah the wider sporting audience I’m not so sure you think that’s because he used to be like a big BBC thing you know the back n on Sunday BBC coverage and all the rest of it where it’s just kind of ingrained into us that you know masters is something that we all get together and watch. I mean, they’re they’re definitely competing, aren’t they, in terms of I I feel like top spot for top major, but I I agree with Bruce. I think in the, you know, you got to look at this as something that still really interests the absolute avid fan and also the kind of the casual golfer alike. It does. It doesn’t matter what if what your relationship is with golf as long as there’s some relationship with golf. There is a deep deep interest in the Masters and I I actually don’t know why what drives that. I’d love to know what the actual what the unique thing cuz it’s the most recent major. I think it’s the first of the season. I think it’s it’s the promise of New Hope, you know, like I think that, you know, golf season’s about to start. It’s the same venue. So, it’s always kind of like everyone’s like, “Oh, I I I know a little bit about golf. I can watch the Masters.” I’ve got to be honest. I’m with you a little bit. I am probably I’m less excited about this Masters than than I have been in a while. And I honestly don’t know why. I think I’m with you that it’s just like complete oversaturation of coverage from about a month ago. It’s probably from when the players finished. It’s just been like an obliteration of Mast’s content. I do wonder if there’s a couple of little bits though, aren’t there? I think the the the golfer’s deep rooted fascination with Augusta, you know, yes, it’s the first in the year. I think that that plays a part. I do think legacy and storylines does seem to cut through it. I find some of the sort of things that get trotted out year after year are you know over time you kind of get used to hearing them but they are great stories and there’s a massive and in in the modern era or the super super modern era this whole thing with Rory has actually given you know in a social media age has given like another dimension because it’s like what are we at 10 years plus more 14 years or whatever isn’t it was it 2011 2010 he collapsed um you know ever since then that’s given that just like another dimension of a storyline to tell. The whole thing with, you know, Bobby Jones, I think I think there’s a a huge legacy there. And I actually think there’s a bit of almost visual stimulus. I think the fact that it’s so green and it’s so vivid and so bright. I actually think it’s a bit like, you know, how like I mean, Bruce, you won’t identify to this, but how like a two or threeyear-old really loves Coco Melon. It’s like, you know, it’s like crack for them because it’s really vivid, bright colors and it’s like, oh, hook it up to my veins. I can’t get away from this. And I think there’s a little bit of that. Yeah. And I think, you know, like the Masters is like one of those things, isn’t it? Where it’s like, it’s probably not the best golf course in the world. Like I think we I think we all probably know that deep down inside, but it’s one of the golf courses, one of those ones that resonates with every every person who’s ever played the game is like just dying to play the Masters. And I’m with you, Sam. It’s like someone’s found clarity and just turned it up to 100. It’s just Yeah. It’s just uh it’s just so pink and green. And I mean, it’s lots changed because of all the storms. Have you seen all the sort of course changes that have happened and the I’ve seen nothing on this? So, I’ve completely missed missed the net on this. Why don’t you boys illuminate me and our listeners? Well, it’s not it’s not a huge amount really. I mean, like they’ve just had from the storm damage, they’ve had a lot of trees come down. So, they’ve had like the trees at the back of I think it’s 11 have gone. They were kind of guarding the back right of 11. They’ve thinned Well, it’s thinned out the trees on the left of 10. So now, like where they used to really have to hit kind of like rope hooks to get around that corner, it’s less of that now. And they kind of apparently like I think Rory said in his presser today that you can kind of pick a line off a TV tower you’ve never seen before. And it’s so there’s like it’s just going to be I don’t think it’s going to be demonstrabably different, but it’s certainly looking a little bit more a little more more thin on the tree coverage on certain holes. And they’ve built some new greens, haven’t they? I must admit, I’m actually not all that close to um the greens that have been rebuilt. I know 15’s always been sort of critiqued or or just observed to have played much firmer than some of the others, but um Mills, what you want to tell us about that? I don’t know. No, I think it I think there’s four greens, but I I think it’s pretty common they do this most years. And it I think this is just this is this Rory effect which is why I want to talk about what some of your favorite kind of little stories are that that that you just see crop up year after year. But it I think it’s pretty customary for Augusta to rebuild some greens and just you know it’s like any part of you know it’s not it’s not completely out of it. But because Rory’s brought it up in a presser it’s like holy [ __ ] there’s like four new greens been built now. This is going to be a big factor this year. And it’s like, well, it’s probably because we haven’t talked about the four greens that have changed most years. Yeah. Um, but there’s all these things, aren’t there? Whether it’s the slopes, whatever it is, the elevation change, all there’s just like it feels like there time warn takes, and they’re great. That’s what makes the event special, like I keep saying. But I’m I’m curious for some of your favorites. We talk about overused takes. Yeah, heavily overused takes like Rory winning and completing the Grand Slam has got to be over the last 10 years the most horrendously over overblown take. Now I I I I’m think I’m fed up of hearing seeing about like the slopes and how you can never understand what the slopes like or you will never understand what the slopes like or Augusta. Um, and it’s kind of like, yeah, yeah, you know, I I I get it. They’re probably pretty slloy. The green’s pretty slloy. Talk about green speeds all the time. And they Augusta National Augusta National um are famous for not um giving their stimp readings. And it’s really funny cuz like you’ll hear on like the commentary that they’re like stimping at like 14, but then stim’s such a weird thing cuz if you measure it uphill versus if you measure it sidehill or downhill. I mean, if if you’re on a 3% green and you stmp do a normal stimp, it could be like 30 foot downhill. So, like the slopes I’m a bit fed up here. We all know it’s pretty slopey. Just let it go. Yeah. Someone was telling me the other day they were trying to convince me that I could start I think they were saying if I started on the furthest point away from the pin on every green could you break in the tournament I wouldn’t win the Masters. I was like get out of town. I would win. Like I would definitely win. Teeing off, you mean? So you could start on the 13th. Yeah. So like you could start on the 13th. My first shot. You got five shots. Yeah. I mean that is just wild. So So like that would be like a bottom left pin on 15. I’d be top right. And it’s like okay, but I’ve got five shots here. Like I’m going to get this done. Yeah. Well, no you haven’t actually because you’ve got to be I reckon you got to average at like but you got to average four under through the round. So, but you basically you got to tackle the par fives, haven’t you? So, you got to make sure you make birdie in all the par fives. There’s there’s certain short fours you could take. What I mean, what are particularly small greens? Two’s a small green. Um, no, no, three small green. Three is a small green. You have to really Yeah, you’d have to re That’s a short four. You really got to I would take a wedge cuz I still think there’s a high chance I’d green it and I know I’d take on water at that point. But I mean, I’m going like I saw another one. It was like, “Oh, if you stood if you started every hole at the Masters from 100 yards off the green, you know, you know, could you break par?” It’s like again, yes, I would cuz it’s a par 72 golf course. I am going to just eventually learn how to hit 100 yard shot roughly to the middle of the green. And even if I make four, like, it’s not the end of the world. Where are you going to start? Also on that one, where are you going to start? 100 yards away on the 16th hole, for example. It’s like, are you going to start halfway up the walkway on the right in some rough? Like, I just feel from a logistical point, who knows? 15 could be a bit spicy. 15 could be spicy. It’s a great piece of content for us to pitch to the to the national. If it goes to national, what a challenge us with it. We can always have a go. Someone will do it. This is the best part. Someone will do it. Um, it will happen. That will It’s brilliant. Do you see Bryson Bryson actually in the presser today? So, we’re recording this for the people who don’t know. We’re recording on a Wednesday cuz uh I was selfishly away. But someone said to him in his presser today to Bryson, he’s like, “If you could record one bit of content at Augusta National, what would it be?” And he literally fell apart. He could, you know, he seems to have forgotten the fact that he ran round like an imbecile with Dude Perfect about 3 years ago, but he was like, “Oh, I think I’d definitely do something on the history of the place, you know, with like Mr. Jones and Mr. Roberts.” And you’re like, “No, you wouldn’t. No, you wouldn’t. Do you’d like I don’t know, you’d do something like can you break par from 18,000 yards. You play with Donald Trump. You talk about tariff policy and you you’d see if you could shoot 50 from the front or something like that. I’m not going to have a bad word said about Bryce and the guys the content king. He would actually be that would actually be really good from the members tease. I think that’s one thing that started to trot to be trotted out quite a bit now. I I feel like the course is getting a lot of discussion about its length. Um, and I think that’s massively massively overlooked just quite how long this golf course is still. It’s only in the last year or two. Maybe it’s cuz I’ve I’ heard from a few friends that have been out watching and looking at different sort of tea boxes and stuff, but it’s I mean the course is night and day from the members TE’s to the backs. Like absolute night and day. Um, I would be I’d love to see what Bryson could shoot from the front boxes. I think there might be something like 1,200 yards between them. Really? That that much? Yeah, I think there might be. I think because they they play they play the the Masters near enough. Seven more. I think it’s I think it’s even more than that. Yeah. Is it more now? Just to um a bit of a tangent here, but it is somewhat related. Um an absolutely rancid take I heard when the Anma was on you’re just taking the kind of, you know, um, chauvinistic sort of commentary on golf to a new level. Someone said, “I can’t believe the TE’s that these these um, women are playing from. I’m a 1.4 index and I would choose 67 if I played off these TE’s.” No, no, no. Yeah. He was like, I would I wouldn’t have I wouldn’t have any more than 150 yards in and I wouldn’t have um to most of the parkours. It’s like, yeah, and I’d have five iron or less into the par fives on a 1.4 index, and I’d shoot 67 going around here. And he just got absolutely slaughtered. I I don’t actually think he was someone who’s well known, but it was just that classic sort of rancid chauvinistic. Appalling tape. Yeah, that’s a truly appalling take. That’s that’s that’s truly off that’s just off the back of Sam saying just 100 yards out. I know. I I was gonna say Sam’s not a million miles away from that, is he? Yeah. Put him 100 yards away on the 15th and watch him do Sergio Garcia from uh Yeah. from 2018. Put me on a live broadcast covering the AM where I’m not going to say that. Like it’s just it’s not in the lock of that one. Do you know um some of the takes I absolutely hate are the chat about people who tried to change their swings to fit Augusta. Like there was stories about Kimmer trying to hit a draw so that he could play Augusta. Actually a slightly different one was Brandle Shembley saying you need to be able to hit a you need to be able as a right-handed golfer. You need to be able to hit a hold off fade off a hook lie if you want to be able to play there and avoid the long left miss. And that’s why Rory hasn’t been able to get it done. And it’s like you’re trying to be too niche there Brandle. I think, you know, I just I just don’t know if I buy trying to hit hit a hold off fade from these sloppy lies is necessarily the the difference maker there. I think I think it’s a combination of factors. There’s real heavy analysis, isn’t there? It’s micro dissection on a I don’t think any event finds that level of dissection like the open absolutely won’t and you get a completely fresh canvas most years you know you rarely I mean maybe the old is a bit more familiar but most of the time the courses have changed about a bit by the time it comes back but yet when you go to the same place the dissection on that place is just absolutely molecular like it’s the same with the left-hander stuff isn’t it you know left-handers got a really big advantage I don’t know about that. You know, I just feel like this year in particular is the year of the stats. And to be fair, um, Data Golf put out some pretty cool stuff there. But it’s like that seemed to me to be a fairly niche website that um, you know, not loads of people knew about and it was actually people who loved following stats and wanted to track their own stats that would that they would kind of follow that stuff closely. Now I’m in like I’m in WhatsApp groups with people who are doing sweep stakes for the masters and people are like pinging in um data golf kind of links about players that are trending into the masters and how that compares over the last sort of 20 or 15 years of data whatever it is and there’s like you know all these nice graphics and charts showing strokes gain data and and all this sort of stuff. It feels particularly amped up this year. I don’t know if you guys think the same. Yeah, I’d agree. I’d agree. I’d say that’s an excellent segue though, Bruce. Um, I do want to come back onto it, but we need to segue a little bit of trending into the Masters. Um, yeah. Have you seen Cabrera? Cabrera? I find it really straight out I actually can’t believe he’s playing straight out of jail. It’s a PJ. I actually can’t believe he’s playing in that event. Do you remember? Do you remember when um Do you remember when Woods, you know, had all that sort of I mean, you know, that that trouble, you know, and it Do you remember the adultery and getting hit with an N iron by by Elen? You mean crashing his car into the fire hydrant? Just so I’m clear that was the trouble. Yeah. I can’t remember exactly the chronology, but I I think it might have been before the N might not have been. I don’t know. But do you remember he was he was publicly hauled up by the um Augusta National Chairman. Was it Billy Payne or was it Fred Ridley at that time? It was Billy Payne, wasn’t it? And he was I mean it was it was unbelievable. It was like they were on absolute wish for him. Cabrera is a completely different offense. Like that is I’m absolutely staggered. The guy is playing. I mean you take you’re a fan of taking everything to its extreme Tom. If he’d had killed someone, would he be allowed to play in the Masters still? Well, he’d still be in jail, wouldn’t he? But I suppose the point of a jail term is you see your you see your jail term and you’re rehabilitated, I suppose, is the point of it. But, and if it’s not, you know, if that’s not where it’s supposed to be, then perhaps he should still be in jail. But I don’t know. talked about. It’s weird that he comes I mean I’m not imagine he’s practicing much in in jail but he’s come out and and won on the Champions Tour straight off the bat and he’s like 600 to one. Yeah. I mean like he’s he’s got he’s got much shorter odds than some say someone like Jose Ballister which by the way is another excellent story this week. Um which is way off now but yeah tell us about that. He’s the guy that he’s the Spanish kid who won the uh won the US. His his coach got ejected from the practice ground today for wearing shorts. No way. No way. Yeah. Yeah. So, he uh he was on the practice range today. Let me just uh grab this. Um and his coach Matt Thurman who is the head coach of Arizona Steed was on the range with him wearing shorts and got marched off property and he was like he got questioned by like reporters about he’s like I think it’s pans tomorrow. I’ve heard a few takes on this but this is the one week of the year where it’s toughest for the entourage. So if you’re a swing coach or you know even the caddies and stuff like this is a tough week because they just put so many walls up between the you know what’s going on and the player and the rest of the team that it’s almost impossible the whole phone thing. I can imagine that’s absolutely impossible to get your job done when you can’t pull your phone out on the driving range. Um like you know it’s it’s almost impossible video your players swings. No. Yeah. I’ve heard they’re almost right. So you can’t even video the swings. No, you got to hand in your phone. Yeah, hand in your mobile phone. And I’ I’d heard they’re all like held in a sort of um ball pen of sorts. So like you can’t and which is interesting in in in this day and age where everyone’s specialized and you’ve got your physio, you’ve got your biomechanics guy, you’ve got, you know, your swing coach, you’ve got your psychologist, you got the equipment person. You can’t take four or five people down with you to the practice ground. I think it’s like caddy and one other and then they sort of sub in essentially. That might that that might not be totally true, but maybe they’ve they’ve changed it slightly, but that was what I’d heard a couple of years ago at least. Um, so yeah, not been able to take an iPhone and and like, you know, film someone. How do you I wonder how you even get your Trackman numbers or like your, you know, launch monitor numbers if you haven’t got a smartphone to hook it up to. I’m I’m not interesting. But but in almost like it’s the things you don’t see then that make the difference because what you don’t see then is gazillions of iPhone photos of people staring at the backs of people’s heads. You just don’t see that do you with the masters. So therefore every piece of content that you see when you’re not at the masters is you know Christian Hayer Cojo these like top photographers that are taking these unbelievable images and that’s what you’re looking at. And then you go and look at, you know, whatever’s happened at the US Open, it’s like, oh, it’s just a guy with an iPhone all the time. I think subtly that’s what it sort of in many ways it’s quite a sort of far-sighted policy because it does protect the image so well. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that’s really I never really thought about it like that. Like everything you do see, everything that comes out of Augusta National is incredibly curated. like they put um I think right like at the beginning of like I say two or three weeks ago they just put a drone shot. I mean Sam’s a massive fan of like a top down drone shots is just like best in the business. Um and for for those of people that don’t really know or don’t really look at things top down all that often like looking looking top down exposes like every floor. Like if there’s a if there’s an a minute problem in the surface like you’ll see it on a top down and you can only really do it at really good golf courses cuz of the purity of the grass and the way they keep it all and stuff. Anyway, Augusta did one of just them putting up umbrellas. It was so good. It was literally just them putting up umbrellas and it was like, “Oh my god, this is just so But there is that.” But the problem was, you know, it was the start of the start of the barrage and then Yeah. Now it’s just like just a relentless abuse of Masters content which is what got us onto the topic. Langanger’s last 41 Masters appearances. Yeah. Is it couples said he’s got like definitely this year and probably next year and then um I saw that um everybody’s you know cult hero Crunch or is in the par three. Is he teeing up in the No, in the big tournament to be honest. No, he can’t be. Well, I didn’t think he would be. Is he just going for the path? I mean, correct me if I’m wrong here, but I feel like the is there an element of discretion in in terms of the past champion deciding when they want to call time on it, but in reality, do we think that they probably just get a word from the chairman saying this is probably it now? I mean, Langanger has obviously been competitive for for for a long long time. Um, I know Larry Mai, there was a great bit of content a few years ago. It was right around when Bryson was saying that Augusta’s a par 67 and then Larry Mai was beating him through the first round. I mean, he he obviously has been quite competitive for a while just despite not um, you know, not being able to keep up with these guys off the tea at least. But yeah, I I feel like the past champions when they get north of sort of 60 65, it’s sort of time to hang it up maybe. Well, I think Langard is still incredibly competitive. He had a great run. It might not be last year. Was it was certainly the year before if it wasn’t. Um, but he’s he’s definitely the exception, isn’t he? They talked about it. I was watching this is part of it is the buildup as well, isn’t it? The this sort of like I I flick the TV on on Monday. Clearly wasn’t busy enough. And um and it’s like the whole day is just dedicated to on the range and you’re like Christ. I don’t I don’t know how those people go for a whole day talking about it at that point, but they were talking about I think it was Langanger or couples asking about when it’s time to call it a day and I think Fred they sort of talked to Fred Ridley and he sort of says you know you’ll know when it’s time. So the the inference is that they’re not pushed that they absolutely make the decision themselves. Um, did you think though like so I mean look if you get someone like I don’t want to badmouth any of these people cuz they’ve won masters so let’s keep it anonymous but if you get a past champion that’s well well beyond you know their playing their ability to potentially win do you think then you can like end up with a really bad draw you know like if you’re with this person and that you know you know taking three shots to get to par fours or whatever it is and it’s like he’s never going to win and I’ve got him in the I mean they are these par fours are like 520 yards it’s like they are going to be taking three shots with some of them but do you think like like you can get a bad draw I suppose but I think they’re still pretty good like the reality is they’re still pretty darn good and there’ll be an element you know of okay they they lose their length they lose their ball striking but I’m pretty sure that a lot of these people who are playing at past champion would still knock it round your ordinary golf course in under par, you know? I think they’re probably like a decent scratch plus two and they’re not it’s not like it’s not like going out the monthly medal with someone who’s just having an absolute car crash. Shoot 67 easily. Um so, okay. Um rounding out gone. Can I just just just can I just chip in on on like a couple of other just things I’m a bit fed up of? But keep them up because it is a good week. I don’t want to be I don’t want to bring in a downer on the Masters because it’s not a downer. But I think Well, you asked me to bring salty takes on the word salty. Was that not the instruction? Salty. You wanted overdone takes. I did want I did want Yeah. The wellworn stories. I mean, you can’t It can’t be pleasantly overdone, can it? Don’t know. People who like their steak well. Okay, let’s go with pleasantly overdone. Pleasant, pleasantly overdone. I I I’ll throw in pissful salty. Um I I am a little bit fed up patron. Going to just going to place it there. Um pleasantly overdone is how cheap the the the food and food and beverages. That’s a wellworn one. Yeah. Yeah, that is well worn. Agreed. But it is at least inflation. I don’t know. Maybe like the ice creams have just got like down to the size of an atom or something like that now and that’s the way they’ve killed it. But um it’s great to do. It’s it’s farical when you go to other places. You feel like you’re absolutely getting your trousers ripped down. If you’re lucky enough to go there, then I think good on them. Good on them. Yeah, I think so as well. Um yeah, I mean the Burkeman’s that sounds like a that doesn’t sound like a cheap food and drinks affair if you’re if you’re lucky enough to get into the Burkman’s. What’s the You know about it, don’t you? Oh, you’re going to annoy me when you tell me what it is because I’ve definitely heard the So, off the fifth, go on. You’ve got this sort of housing complex just off the side. I think it’s called the Burkman’s and that’s like the corporate hospitality, but it’s very very low key and there’s a very very limited number of tickets that are sold and they’re not they’re not stupid price like for what I can imagine you’ll get like you know tickets to Augusta is thousands anyway once you load in your travel and stuff. So, but it’s got sort of five restaurants in there. It’s plush. There is again no cameras. So, you’re in this completely secluded little sort of housing development. There’s replica greens that are maintained by the same green keepers to the same spec of the golf course that people play to. And yeah, if there’s any if you’re in corporate hospitality, if you’re a you know, if you’re the head of Rolex or whatever, that is where you’re locked up is in there. Like that’s where you’re held up watching it with a beer and and a and a filet minan. I’d imagine it’s meant to be off the RTOR scale good, but it’s very low key and I’ve not seen much about that at all. The Burkeman’s that does say there’s a very little there’s a very short YouTube video you can find if you want to see inside it and I would encourage everyone to go and have a little quick quick look at it. It looks like definitely the best ticket for going and watching. It’s unbelievable. Like so someone just done like a really kind of discreet, you know, sort of lowkey film that they shouldn’t have. Clanderstein that Well, you’re either getting invited by a member, I think, to go there or you are you’re a very very high up blue chip sponsor who’s very well connected. Like you’re not just you’re not steaming in there for for a prawn cocktail sandwich. like this is you’re not you’re not even waving your your not waving your Sky TV card at them and just and just getting waved through. This is the real deal. Um Burkeman, check it out. It’s uh we can all dream, right? It’s pretty cool. Sam, as our as our resident uh short course enthusiast, what do you reckon you shoot at the park? I’ve seen hundreds. I’m in the worst place I’ve ever been. The worst place I’ve ever been was my short game. I don’t know. You did well around. I puted from absolutely everywhere. I hit some atrocious short shots around Burnham at the weekend, which was, by the way, in amazing shape. That was such a um that was just amazing. Burnham was as good as it was for open qualifying a couple of weeks ago. It was absolutely mega. Um I I I think there’s quite a bit of trouble. I think the par three course looks I mean like nearly every shot is water carry. It doesn’t look like you miss left, right? If you hit the surface, I think life is pretty. I think I’d have to take a few You want to take a few sort of extra sleeves out with you. But it does look absolutely unreal, doesn’t it? It’s on right now as we’re recording this. Um I I love how the greens just take so much spin as well. I think that’s like I can imagine that is endless fun just hitting to the back of the green trying to rip one into the cup. Um they’ve also had like a tremendous amount of rain at the beginning of the week, like an inch and a half or two inches of rain. So the things have softened up. I think the the players have been reporting that the actual greens are quite slow, but you know that they pretty much do this every year and then they just turn on that sub air and it goes mental and by Sunday they’re just like glass. Yeah, they can just do whatever they want with them, can’t they? It is remarkable when you have that level of resources. You can literally just create you can defy weather. Do you guys remember that? I mean, he’s still around, but that crazy guy Alex Jones who um you know, did loads of kind of crazy conspiracy theory stuff and he was on Joe Rogan a bunch of times and I remember there was a clip of him once was doing the rounds talking about how the government control the weather the weather stations like they can control the weather. They can control rainfall, storms, all this stuff. It’s all controlled. Um it feels like Augusta National can almost do that with the golf course, can’t they? They can just defy the laws of nature and just create whatever golf course they want really conditions wise. And yeah, um I’m sure I’m sure it will be challenging. The whole field of aronomy has gone like I mean it’s just what happens when you know you put an unlimited budget into stuff but like when when Sorrass moved that tree on the uh sixth hole. Yeah. Sixth hole where they moved the they’ve moved a tree from somewhere root system and all and just lobbed it over the tea box to emulate the old tree was there before it fell down and it just looked like it’s been there forever. And it’s like the stuff they can do now is genuinely industries. I think that’s probably the least that is that is the least sort of worn out take in golf. I think in professional golf is just the the the R&D around turf. Like going over to the US, it’s so strange. Everybody knows what strain of grass they’re playing on. It’s like a thing. It would be like it’d be like knowing your watch brand or knowing what you’re driving as a car, you know? It’s like, oh, this is Tiff Eagle or whatever. Like, yeah, yeah, we’re just after the control they must have over that golf course must be staggering. Absolutely staggering. Are you boys in any gambling actually? No, but I have the the masters is one of the only things I do gamble. Say gambling and you always talk about gambling activities. Well, it’s only on the masters and it’s because because the field is small. My thought process is cuz the field is smaller, you statistically have a better chance of winning. But then but then I actively go and choose like horrendous choices. You do know the bookies price that in, don’t you? So that’s kind of Well, you do know that the odds are it’s they’ve run a book like you know. Yeah. It’s like nobody’s just going it’s a field of 125 versus a field of 97. The the odds are not quite as one in the open. He’s not 15 to1 in the Masters. You know, there’s less there’s less people out trying to beat him. No, it’s roughly the same, isn’t it? But anyway, I’ve picked you like Anel Cabrera. Anyone that makes money out of a man who’s a convicted domestic abuse, I I I’d take a dim view on you there, Tom. I I tend to go I tend to go a short, medium, and a few longs. So, my short is Oberg. No, got him at Got him got him at 13 to1, which I thought was okay. Um, but I got a couple of mediums in there, which is um and I’m I’m I’m playing for places here, boys. Right. I’m not um I’m not thinking about winning, so don’t judge me immediately. Okay. I just need him to place in the top 10. In fact, the top 12. Billy Horchel, who’s out of form, I think, but could find it. Billy Horchel, 71. 70 to1. I thought that was okay. 71 to1. Strange odds. Uh that’s a a Yeah, Lucas Glover. Okay, that is wild. That is wild. Yeah, I don’t think it is that wild. I think he’s been doing okay. Uh and then a really out of form guy, but you know he’s got a chance is uh Max Homer. That No, that’s that’s that’s the worst take of all. Homer 111. Do you want to know a nice little nugget about home? You got to get in the top 12. Do you know how many balls he hit on the range today, Mills? Um, it’s either zero or a million on the on the Tracer thing. 240 apparently. What? Yeah, someone put apparently 240 balls. His caddy dropped him last week. Um, he’s changed swing coach. I mean, he’s just Yeah, he’s just sort of all over the place at the moment, which he’s a fan favorite. You follow this a lot closer. Please tell. Well, yeah. What hasn’t? I mean, he’s changed equipment. Obviously, he was with Titist, moved over to Cobra. Um, he moved from Mark Blackburn, moved from Mark Blackburn to another swing coach I’m not all that familiar with. Um, and then, yeah, his caddy and he parted ways um, a week or two ago, who’s his caddy’s actually now cadding for Justin Thomas, who’s had a bit of a resurgence in form since about the tour championship last year. JT, who’s been coming back into it, so he’s in my stable of picks. Um, I’ve also gone for Larry. He practices Justin Thomas. Justin Thomas practices a bit of caddy pologamy, doesn’t he? Polygamy. Polygamy. Poly. Polygamy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Polygamy. Um, you and Bruce know how it’s pronounced clearly. It’s easier to do it second, isn’t it? Um, polygamy. Polygamy. Yeah. So, JT’s been trending a bit. Um, but Larry, I think Larry’s such a sort of artist and he’s obviously got an unbelievable short game which I think stands him in goodstead. But curiously, his um his approach play has been really good as well recently. It’s like trending. So, I I quite like the look of Lowry. And then my sort of hopeful is Tommy Fleetwood who had a good showing last year. And I think this narrative around, oh, Fleetwood, he’s never won a PJ tour event. Paul Azinger, you know, he doesn’t know how to win on the PJ tour sort of thing. Um, I’m hoping that could just be He was pro He was proven right. I mean, he said that about four years ago, didn’t he? Well, yeah, but you know, he’s not I don’t know if Fleetwood’s had loads of chances really. Okay, there’s a Canadian Open which he lost to Nick Taylor. Anyway, we’re going down a rabbit hole. Fleetwood I’d love it if he just put all that to bed and and won. Um, yeah, you kind of get the feeling if he is going to win like it’ll just be huge. Like it’ll be like a major just going to come out and Yeah, it’ll be the it’ll be the Masters 2025. Are you putting your putting your your bottom dollar on it? I’m not saying bottom dollar, but I’m you know I’m putting just some dollar on there. Putting some cash down on this. Okay. Sam Wise Patrick Reed 8s one guy’s in form just playing great golf. You laugh. You check it out. I call that Do you know what I call that though? I would say that’s like an emotional hedge because you know he’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Yeah. Yeah. But if he’s gonna win, you might as well make some money out of it sort of thing. Whereas if Rory wins, it’s like I don’t need to be compensated for that financially because it’d be a lovely thing to see get the grand slam. Exactly. But I like that emotional hedging. But there’s a there’s a couple of bits in here. He is playing, you know, he’s clearly playing very actively all over the world in different events, partly by Products of Live thing, but also, you know, he’s clearly not just sitting on the boat fishing, is he? Uh, and he’s in quite good form, I believe. Um, and is Mrs. Burner account, but burner Twitter burner account? much as I love the artistry of Larry, Patrick Reed’s probably got a pretty similar spec short game and the guy’s like an absolute marksman with an iron. So I I I I actually think 80 to1 there’s a little bit of value there. I think he’s kind of a little bit overlooked. Um top of the tree obviously you know you’d really want Rory Twin, wouldn’t you? But but Oberg would really delight me. Um whether I’m I probably haven’t got the stones to to put put the money on him. He’s not trending either apparently. He’s kind of for as well as he has been playing, I don’t think he’s properly trending the last few weeks. I’m going to say that he did win at Tory Pines. Down the bottom of the list, if I was going to pull something out, Lori Caner for a top 10. That is 350 to1. It’s not a massive field, Bruce. You make the cut and you get get a hot potter on a Saturday. It’s not a million miles off. That is yeah I mean that one I have just pulled out of thin air to be fair. So I couple things just before we go on to it. I really don’t want people going headlong into lorry caner. I don’t want people betting the mortgage payment on it. It’s not researched. You know Patrick Reed I would encourage people to think about. Well, now we’re speaking here. We’re speaking here at quart 9 on the 9th of April just as Trump has, you know, reverse his tariff tariff policy and people’s investments are looking a bit better. Don’t go piling all of that into Lori Caner is what is what you’re saying there really, Sam. Um, yeah, I’m going to do it and I’m going to I’m going to we will we will continue to keep an eye on this. Um, so there we go. Couple of honorable mentions. So, a lot’s been made about um whacking Neman playing really well over at Liv. I don’t know if you saw um yeah, you know, some of the results he’s had there. Best side bend in the game. Do you know? Yeah, I mean, true. Remarkable swing. Um do you know who else has been doing quite well on Liv? Patrick Reed. Yeah, but he’s been doing slightly better than Patrick Reed. Go on. Sergio Garcia. Yeah. So Sergio, I know I I I must admit in some of my favorite masters memories, Sergio winning was one of them. I feel like he kind of lost his way a little bit in in the years since sort of you sort of few tantrums and obviously the stuff around live and um maybe didn’t cover himself in the best light, but he’s trending as well. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Sergio put in a good performance. Um, and then yeah, also worth mentioning on the Sheffler thing, just to tie that in what you’re saying there, Sam, don’t know if you saw Mickelson’s Stone Cold take a few weeks ago. It might have been a bit longer actually, saying that um he doesn’t think that Sheffller’s going to win between now and the Ryder Cup. Um, yeah, maybe to come out with a wild come out and say that. Even if he thought it, why would you say it? It’s just generating hits, isn’t it? Do you think? But um yeah, we’re we’re in a world full of dopamine hits, aren’t we? Um as a let’s round this out as a podcast that fames itself well prides itself on amateur on the amateur game. We got five amateurs in the field. Uh we’ve got Jose Ballister who won the US AM. Noah Kent um who was who was runner up in the 2024 USM. We’ve got Evan Beck who won the midam. Justin Hastings who won the last Latin America Ram and Hiroshi Thai who won the 2024 NCAA. Um it’s got to be we I watched that that Jose Ballister US final like he looked absolutely he’s like a swashbuckling huge swinging big hitting Spanish guy out of Arizona isn’t he? up Arizona State. I mean, he’s got to be he’s got to be looking good for it, hasn’t he? Been nice to especially he’s got added motivation now that he’s uh you know, coach wasn’t allowed to wear shorts on the practice ground, so he’s got a point to prove as wellated on the range. Yeah. Um but that’ll be an interesting one. It’s always a good one to to see. It’s just nice to see amateurs make the cut. There was a who who was it a few years ago, Bruce, you’ll know this, that was on like top 10 until like Saturday. Uh yeah, so there was um I mean Bryson famously obviously was doing really quite well as an amateur and then there was Sam Bennett um that’s right who I think he won the US amateur at Rididgewood and he Yeah. He was doing really really well. He had a vicious swing. Remember it was Ne? He had a lot of sidebend as well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You say Neman’s the king of sidebend. Sam Bennett Sam Bennett says hold my beer. Yeah. But no, watch out for I would say watch out for Ballis. He was on that note. Actually, Neil Shipley, he he blessed us with a lot of brilliant memes last year, didn’t he? Finishing Loam and playing with Tiger in that final round. Like I mean, he was just the, you know, the meme king, wasn’t he? After after playing with Tiger and all that sort of sideeyed stuff. There was like captions galore over that. So, um, yeah, don’t think we’re going to have anyone quite live up to that, but you never know. Are you boys playing golf this weekend? Yes, I will be. Uh, yes. Got a bit of foresomes golf to look forward to. The masters has got a kind of, you know, huge event. Ah, yeah. Curry lunch and another bit of gambling which Tom presumably won’t partake in because he only gambles on the masters. So, I’m pretty sure Tom will be gambling on that as well. You can bet you can bet on yourself. I don’t know why he keeps saying he’s not a gambler. He always tells me, “Oh, the good thing it’s like the good thing about the McNair medals is that they’re a small small feel as well though, so the odds won’t be baked into that necessarily.” It’s uh it’s like, you know, when like heroin addicts, I don’t like heroin as they’re kind of literally lighting up the spoon. That’s where I’m kind of like, but no, it’s uh I don’t gamble all that often, but when I do, I obviously talk about it. It’s like, you know, how do you know someone does CrossFit? And I think that’s something you do as well. Yeah. I’m getting the only trilogy here is are you have you gone vegan? But um you know, don’t I don’t think you got carried away just told you already. Gluten-free vegan crossfitter who gambles, right? Yeah, we gambles religiously. Right, gentlemen. Uh, thank you very much for joining me and as a parting gift, we have talked roughly about about you know who you who you’ve bet because we all want to make a little bit of dough. Your goggle marks are so bad. You’ve just come close to the camera and I’ve seen your skiing goggle marks. They are absolutely heinous. Yeah. The other Yeah. Um, who’s going to win? Let’s call it. I thought we covered this. Lori Caner, wasn’t it? I thought we all could be could be the most outrageous pick of all time. Um I’d love it if it was Rory. I really would. But I think similar to the Port Rush story, I think the other Darling of Irish Golf is actually going to Yeah. cruise to it. Shane Larry. Love Shane Larry to win. I’m gonna go Sheffller. And until next time, Thomas. Boring. Boring. Adios. Watch this. [Music] No way. [Music] [Applause] [Music]
