PGA Tour Breakdown-Fairways of Life w Matt Adams Tues July 1

Matt Adams is joined by Tour Winners Austin Smotherman and Will Gordon as we discuss their recent great play. Matt Adams explains the PGA Tour’s new structure for the playoff’s, the new top 100 cutoff and how the new system in place is going to work.

#MattAdams #golfdiscussion #FairwaysOfLife #GolfTalk #willgordon #austinsmotherman #kornferrytour #fedexcup

Welcome to the most listened to golf in the world. The Fairways of Life show on air, online, and around the world with the most candid interviews, unforgettable stories, taking you beyond the ropes. Here’s your host, New York Times bestselling author Matt Adams, as we welcome you into the PXG Custom Studios. You have never played like this before. Yeah, as you could tell, I’m still up here at NBC Sports hosting Golf Central this week and it will take me into next week before I head over in advance of the Open. So, next week on the Fairways of Life show here, we’re going to have Tom Kite on with us, Hall of Famer. very much looking forward to uh his company once again and then I will be making my way to Royal Port Rush. I do the world radio feed there which is I tell people all the time it’s probably my favorite week of the year because we’re we’re doing encourse playbyplay and there’s just there’s something that always has been to me romantic about doing sports on radio particularly doing golf on radio and that in a lot of ways with all due respect to this medium I kind of feel like television tends to be talking at in radio there’s this sense of talking with you know what I mean that’s what I mean in terms of the intimate of it. So, we we’ll be on from 2:30 a.m. Eastern time, the week of the open, and you guys will be able to hear us in North America on I think we’re on SiriusXM that week. And I know that you can always log on to theopen.com and you can click on the audio version there. I believe it’s on the open app as well. and then you could take us with it wherever you go. But so I’m only mention it because I’m super super excited. I’m excited to be here too. I love this studio. I love when we’re up here. I love the vibe up here. It’s it’s a great deal of fun. So we’ve got an interesting show coming up for you today because in just a couple of minutes I want to talk to you about the winds of change because there are huge changes coming on the PGA tour and the significance of those changes as well. And then we’re going to have a couple people on the show who I’m sure you’re going to know and recognize players that at one point or another of their careers they would have been and maybe still are getting directly impacted by these changes and more. So we’ll we’ll touch base on all that and and I’m doing it in the context of is this what you want as fans? Is is this what you’re interested in? And I’ll give you example of what I mean. ratings in 2025 are up and they’re significant across the board because normally if you look at it from let’s say you know a a finance standpoint or getting a return on an investment you’re looking at somewhere between 5 to 10% and 10% is pretty darn good and you’d look at that in those realms those very significant realms of people’s lives and go wow I can’t believe the return that I’m getting well the television ision ratings are significant. So for the year that has been, these are year-over-year comparisons. Signature events, PJ tour signature events are up 20% from last year. Think about that for a second. 20% from last year. The Travelers Championship, just to give you an example, that’s a signature event. Just I’m mentioning because it just took place a couple weeks ago, right? Keegan Bradley winning there so dramatically and and Tommy Fleetwood kind of pulling at everybody’s heartstrings because he wasn’t able to close. Ratings were up 35%. It’s incredible. Network coverage on average is up like 13%. And it’s numbers that they haven’t seen since precoid because I had a really interesting conversation. uh it was with a top executive of one of the largest manufacturing companies, equipment manufacturing companies and I at that time because this was going back a year a year and a half ago I was asking about any concern in the golf industry as to ratings are their barometer of of what’s important and he said to me you know I’m not terribly worried about the ratings because my sense is they might be down just because people are out playing golf which I thought was a really interesting theory a very positive spin obviously. Well, people are still out playing golf. The the game itself at again to use the USGA’s uh terminology at the recreational level is still booming and now the ratings are coming back as well. So, it begs the question why, you know, what is it that changed? Well, they changed the structure. They put together these signature events and then you’d say, “Okay, why did you put together a signature event? What was the agenda there?” Well, the agenda was to be able to go to media partners. I’m talking about, you know, networks that own the rights. To be able to go to sponsors, the people who are writing the massive checks to have their name associated with these respective events. Uh to be able to go to you as viewers and consumers of the sport and say, “We’re going to deliver the stars for you.” And the delivery of the stars was one where guaranteed you’re going to have the stars on site Thursday and Friday. Guaranteed they’re going to be around in Saturday and Sunday because it’s no cut and it’s a limited field. Right? On the other side of it, there was the argument that said, you know what, what happened to the purity of the game of golf where you eat what you kill? Full field, there’s a cut. If they are the best in the world, won’t the cream rise at the top anyway? Won’t they be at the top of the leaderboard? And doesn’t that leave us the opportunity for a lightning in a bottle that we get to know a young player? Maybe it’s a Jordan Speath that bursts on the scene and all of a sudden establishes themselves as a superstar and we watch to happen right before our eyes. Now, for that same player, they have to go through grades. They have to go through corn ferry tour. They have to go to the full field non-s signature events and they have to play their way up to that level of stardom. Is that so bad? So the direction that and the reason why I’m framing it the way that I am is that that direction is leading us to these winds of change that are coming in 2026. And these are very significant changes. For example, the fully exempt list for 2026 is going from 125 to 100. That’s the first time in more than 40 years since the fully exempt tour started in 1983 that the number will be that low. Think about that for a second. Those from 101 to 125, they will have conditional status. On the corn ferry tour, 20 players will earn their graduation and advancement to the PGA Tour. That’s down from 30. Stay with us. We’re going to be back with more on the Fairways of Life Show right after this, folks. Head down. Water down the left, Walker down the right. Take the club straight back.
Wandering minds.
When golfers lose their focus,
they’re totally But Bridgestone can help.
Introducing mindset. The ball scientifically designed to keep you focused.
First, identify your target.
Next, visualize your shot path and then focus on the green dot. Smooth one.
Play the tour B and E12 with mindset technology.
You see what happens when we work together? Stuff like that. Flight Scope Meo Plus is the ultimate indoor and outdoor golf launch monitor and simulator. It gives you the club and ball data you need with the accuracy you demand. MEIBO Plus comes with ownership of simulated golf courses for you to play and practice at home. Meo Plus is an essential golf partner to help you improve and understand your game better. Put more purpose in your practice. To learn more and get your MEVO Plus, shop now at flightcope.com. golfers today are a different breed.
Who me? We see the game in a different way. [Applause] We all have our own style.
We swing our own swing, but we have one thing in common.
We are all about the details.
Introducing the Rebel line of grips from Superstroke. With three distinct offerings to choose from, the Revel is in the details. Our journey began with a simple yet powerful vision to provide the world with the highest quality Virginia type peanuts. The Hubard Peanut Company, where quality and tradition meet to create an unforgettable experience. Visit hubspanuts.com to explore our full range of products and place your order today. [Music] [Music] [Music] Middle market businesses are facing unprecedented shifts which demand tailored solutions and decisive action. RSM stands as the unwavering leader of the middle market, empowering you to take charge of change and conquer this era of transformation. RSM. Experience the power of being understood as we welcome you back to the Fairways of Life Show, the wonders of doing live television. So, let me pick up where you may have uh lost me and and that is this idea of winds of change that are coming to the PGA tour. The graphic that you’re looking at right now illustrates precisely what I’m talking about. the exempt status going from top 125 down to 100. That is such a significant move. The PGA Tour hasn’t seen that number since the fully exempt tour started in 1983. So you’re talking about over 40 years since we’ve gotten to that point. Conditional status then for those from 101 to 125, the Cornferry Tour will now be the top 20 will graduate onto the PGA Tour. That’s down from 30. That’s more than a 30% drop there alone. I mean, it’s it’s huge. DP World Tour will still have their pathway with their top 10 not otherwise exempt. The maximum player field would drop from 156 to 144. The players championship field will now drop to 120. the FedEx Cup point system, the majors and the players will have a slight increase to second place points and a slight decrease for points in positions 11 and beyond at signature events will have a slight decrease to points for positions seven and beyond. So, this comes down to what I started the conversation with this morning, which is which type of tour do you prefer as fans? And if one would reasonably assume that fans vote with the remote control, you vote by what you watch, by what you enjoy. And and you reference back those ratings that I mentioned earlier, signature events are up 20% year-over-year. It would seem as though the people, all of you are speaking and saying, “Yeah, we like the concentration of the stars. We’d like to see the stars play against each other more often and we like the structure. Well, the so-called playing opportunities, which which is the terminology that’s used often to say, well, I thought the PGA Tour was about providing playing opportunities. Well, now we’re seeing the PGA Tour for better for worse, is first and foremost about providing the best product they possibly can. And if that’s in keeping with, say, your particular sentimentality, maybe you’re someone that likes a full field, as I mentioned, you’d like to see a player emerge from the pack. Maybe it’s a sponsor’s exemption, maybe it’s a qualifier. Um, maybe it’s, like I said before, a Jordan Speed back in 2015 that suddenly burst on the field and became a superstar right before our eyes. Granted, that’s extremely rare. There still are those opportunities for players to emerge, but they generally have to start to go through these steps as I outlined. Those steps are going to get tighter. It’s going to get harder. So, I did see some interesting quotes from Peter Malady. Peter Malnati is important because he is on his final year of the board and for probably the first time in the history of the PGA Tour, the players have a very, very significant position at the table. dare say the most significant in terms of how the structure of the tour is actually administered. Peter spoke at the Rocket Classic. His speech was described as impassion and when he recounted it to golf week, these were amongst the things that he said. Then lastly shared the fact that the system while it creates a very narrow funnel, I said the whole point of what we’re doing, the tour doesn’t want to use this language quite this bluntly. We’re identifying the top players and then getting them competing against each other more regularly. So yes, the signature event model caters to top players. It does. But the thing that I want everyone in that room and everyone on tour and every fan and every partner to realize is that even though smaller fields are inherently a little bit less competitive because there’s fewer guys, the system we’re implementing right now, there’s no rules that rule out anyone. He went on to say JJ Spawn was not exempt into a single signature event at the start of the year and he’s currently ranked eighth in the world. He’s played his way there. Maverick McNeely played his way into the top 10 in the world. I think he’s 14th right now, but he was top 10 in the world. Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak in term of everything that they’ve been able to accomplish on tour. They have played their way into that group of top players. They’re going to qualify for the BMW Championship this year, be fully exempt for signature events next year, and they’ve played their way into it. This system is aspirational. The funnel is small, but the opportunity is there, and it’s still objective. It’s still golf. If you shoot low enough scores, you will be there. So I close by saying my challenge to Brian Rolap is to continue to grow the opportunity on the PGA tour. So here you have a Journeyman professional and Peter Malady and you could see now Peter’s 190th on the graphic that we’re showing you right now. But bear in mind that asterisk there, same with Austin Ecro because he’s already fully exempt both from a win that will play itself out. But if you’re looking at the significance of from 101 to 125, and we didn’t illustrate all of them for room because we’re we’re picking players here that you might recognize and where they sit. You’ve got a lot of players that are right now on the outside looking in. And there really isn’t much time left. Even those on the inside of the bubble are precarious. Joel Damon, Max McCreevy, Victor Perez, Henrik Norlander, Chan Kim, Austin Ecro, as I mentioned, is 100, but he is also going to benefit from uh his exemptions that’s continuing to run through for win. Uh Justin Lowour just outside of it. There’s Zack Johnson at 103 and more. This is significant. This is that narrowing of the funnel that Pete that Peter was talking about. And I thought it was really significant that a player uh who has said admittedly that by supporting this at a board level he realizes to use his phrase he might be cutting off his own head but he feels he’s doing it for the strength of the product to get it better. Now let’s talk about that for a second in terms of Brian Rolap. Brian Rolap is the newlyannounced CEO of the PGA Tour. Jay Monahan’s term will be running out over the next year and Brian Rolap has a lot to deal with. You’ve got the best of the best and you have a tour because of this narrowing funnel uh that is catering to the best of the best because they’re putting their they feel their best product out there so it can be consumed accordingly. Okay, fair enough. Uh then you’re going to have journeyman professionals that are going but wait a minute what happened to the sacred calling of playing opportunities. Uh will they still exist? Well not as easily as as they have existed in the past. Uh even for the better ones amongst that list they’re going to be struggling to get inside of those number because the numbers are very very tight. All right. Now you have SSG that invested $1.5 billion, the Strategic Sports Group and PGA Tour Enterprises. If you are a venture capitalist investor, won’t you be looking for a return on those funds? And it’s usually not a long-term perspective. It’s usually a tightening of the ship and what can we do to get a return on what we put in and why. Maybe that’s what this this is in some measure apart. Fair enough. uh that constituency is there as well. Then you’ve got the people that are paying very significant rights fees, the networks, the media partners uh in order to broadcast the PGA tour. What do we owe them? And is that being delivered because of the ratings that are up significantly? One would think that that’s a reasonable assumption in that regard. And then of course you also have the people, as I mentioned earlier, who are writing the big checks. You’ve got the sponsors, the name sponsors for these different events. What’s their perspective? Where do they stand? Are they getting everything that they want from this new PGA tour as it continues down the road? That’s a lot of constituencies, all of whom an argument can be made that they are as important, if not the most important, and Brian Rolap has got to try to manage all this as he comes in uh as the new CEO of the PGA Tour. And that doesn’t say anything for everything else surrounding the game of golf, which includes trying to bring the game back together, if in fact that is continuing to be an agenda of all the parties that are involved. So, there are some big changes on the way. Huge changes in the life of Austin’s Smotherman. Uh Austin is, and I’m going to ask him this question. He’s playing great golf. Is it the best golf career? A strong argument can be made in that regard as well. Uh, let me give you some of the stats of what Austin is doing here. He now has three corn furry tour wins, including two in this month. 171 career starts between the PGA Tour and the Cornferry Tour. 17 career top 10s. He’s currently first on the Cornferry Tour point standings and he’s effectively locked up his PGA Tour card for next year. He’s sixth on the Cornferry Tour in scoring average. Get this, at 68.3. And just in case you’re wondering, number one on the PGA Tour is Scotty Sheffller at 68.5. He’s fifth in greens and regulation. Ready for this number? Staggering. 78%. Greens and regulation. Turned pro back in 2016. He is 31 years old. Austin, how you doing, my man? How’s life? That’s a that’s a pretty nice introduction. I appreciate it. Um life’s good, man. Um bright and early. We’ve been at it this morning waking the girls up and uh just finished a little family breakfast. So
So I promised you I was going to ask this question. Are you playing the best golf of your life right now? I I think so. Um we’ve uh we’ve worked hard to get to this point and to have to have these results come about and be on this run um is uh I don’t even know how to describe it. I mean, it’s just trying to stay in this bubble that we’re in and uh just keep doing the same things that Zach, my caddy, and I are doing every week and, you know, wins stack up great and just good events is all we’re looking for. When you say trying to stay in this bubble that we’re in, what does that mean? How do you define your bubble? You know, showing up to tournament weeks, there’s always so much, especially the better you play, you know, the more the more kind of the asks happen. Um, you want to uh you want to say yes to everybody and and that’s not always always the case. and he’s done a great job as far as getting me through my process as far as what our prep looks like Monday through Wednesday and then come Thursday we always feel like we’re ready to go play and we just kind of just let it go and we free swing it and 72 holes later see where we fall.
Is that the way you would explain it? Letting it go, free swinging it. I mean, what what changed? What what put you on this path that you’re on right now? Yeah. Um probably the little bit of the relegation this year. um having to come back down to the corn ferry, having a taste of the PJ tour life for for three years and not just having a taste of it, but just feeling like, you know, it’s a place where we belong. Um so many friends and and good buddies out there. Then you have uh you know, guys I’ve played with since junior golf days that are having successes that, you know, I could kind of ask myself, why is it not me? But, you know, my journey and my path as far as, you know, I see the stats right here, 171 career career starts and, you know, a number of those on the corn ferry. But, um, playing professional golf is such a blessing. And to be able to do that day in and day out for my life as a career is, I mean, it’s pinch me moment, um, every day.
All right. So, let’s look back at it, Austin, for a second from that PGA Tour perspective. You asked the question yourself, why not me? Why wasn’t it you there? I think I you know God’s got me on a different path. Um we’ve we’ve gone through PJ Tour Latin America and you know could have whatever kind of perspective and outlook on that as far as seeing it as a as a detriment or or a setback or kind of a a a challenge that I was ready to meet. But I honestly enjoyed my time starting off getting to play every level of the PGA Tour. Um different tours. Um the the growth as a player. I feel like when I made my way to the PGA tour, it wasn’t just a rookie season, you know, I was a seasoned pro by then. I had a lot of scheduling stuff figured out, all these questions, and then it’s just kind of just getting comfortable and it just comes with time. And so, you know, not trying to change my process every single week because that’s when you start going through these spirals and you don’t you kind of lose your identity that I feel like I developed playing PJ Tour Latin America cornfair years through COVID through all those those difficulties where we had our super season when I first graduated off uh the corn ferry to the PJ tour finishing number 25 in the regular season. and we spoke we spoke you know I think two weeks after that happened and when I was in Boise I remember sitting in an Airbnb just trying to get decent service to talk to you and I’m fortunate enough to get to be in my own home today to get to talk to you again
now that that identity that you forged in those early days did you lose it at some point did it diminish and have you found it again how would you define that
yeah gosh you know bits and pieces probably fall fall off here and does it doesn’t mean that we don’t know what they are, but it’s just I think a nature to what the sport means um or what the sport is all about is you talked about a little bit earlier in the show is you know you eat what you kill. It’s uh there’s never there’s never a guarantee in the sport um as far as injuries, taking care of your body, bounces, mother nature out there affecting shots and and doing things that you just don’t expect that are completely out of your control. So just keeping those things front of mind present to where when things aren’t going your way, you can shrug them off and not have those start to build up and the next thing you know you’re two weeks into a little bit of a slump that we all go through. But hopefully you kind of have those intangibles that kind of get you back on track quicker than most. And I felt like I did that this last week. Sorry. When I when I won, I actually hit the ball pretty poorly on Saturday by my standards. And it’s so it was so hot last week in Springfield, Illinois. could barely hit any balls afterwards. Just trying to rest up for a Sunday noon tea time. And I knew I had to be efficient. I had to figure out where the face was. I had to start working on it. I had to show up the next day with a plan because I didn’t have a lot of swings cuz I needed to be able to make them on course. So, I wasn’t going to waste any extra energy. Things like that that all, you know, build up and come coming down the stretch, I felt like I hit some of the best golf shots. You know, it’s interesting, Austin, because in my case, when I get a chance particularly to speak to young people, you know, everybody’s praying for talent. Everybody wants talent. Uh and and my personal feeling is that tenacity is a far greater commodity than talent because I think talent tends to sit and waits for the for the phone to ring a sense of almost an entitlement whereas tac tenacity doesn’t take anything for granted. Where do you fall in that spectrum? I’ve I’ve always considered myself a gamer, you know, um all the way back to my first win playing PJ Tour Latin America down in Tijana, playing Tijana Country Club when I won the Mexico Open in 2018. I shot 77 on my Wednesday ProAm for 18 holes and I proceed to go grind on the range and you know what happens? My eight iron head flies off in the middle of the range
and it’s it is a complete like freakout moment. What is gonna happen? I don’t have an eight iron. It’s Wednesday night of tournament week and uh I play that whole week with no eight iron. I throw in an extra three iron just to have 14 clubs in the bag with my hybrid and I win by three. And I win by three.
Wow.
And it was like weird things like that happen. And but as far as being a gamer, you know, I think having that belief that your your best rounds Thursday through Sunday are are what matter. You know, I love playing great on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays, but in our sport, they don’t really get you too too much. Um, and so I felt like I was I was a gamer. I showed up Sunday this last week and whether I shot eight under, two under, you name it. Our goal was just to go out there and like I said, free swing it because we’ve we’ve earned that right as far as our our hard work and you know where we put ourselves on the points list going into last week and we almost didn’t even play. Um, we kind of had a little bit of a contingency plan if I had played really well in Witchah that I was uh possibly going to take that week off and go take two weeks at home and be ready to get back at it in Colorado next week. But I’m glad we played. Last week after Podrick Harrington won the US Senior Open, he I’m paraphrasing, but he he said a comment about to win on Sunday, you have to have as little stress as possible, which I thought was interesting because I don’t think that stress is something that as an athlete you always can control. You control, you can try to diminish it, but but it’s hard to control it.
Where are you at with your heart and your mind when it when it comes to controlling things like that? How much, for example, is it a reflection of of Jesse, your wife,
that you’re able to come out with a clear mind and perform as best you can?
I mean, complete. I mean, it starts starts in the home, you know, having having two young girls now, being a dad, having to be on the road and leave them and cornfairy not being the easiest uh tour to bring the family on, just especially through this summer stretch just with the heat and whatnot. So, home life, having it all settled, just taking care of that and just having such a good team around me. I mean, I’ve got my coach Cameron McCormack, who I’ve been with now since my sophomore year at college. So, I mean, we’re going on 12 years together at least and uh just having him, having my my manager Richard in in the picture for a long long time and being more than just a manager, you know, being a good friend of me and and my whole family and just adopting us kind of as a you know, extension of their family and here in Dallas with my whole family being in California and my wife’s family being in California. Um it’s it’s a combination of all them. And then something else in this past year year and a half is I’ve actually been uh speaking with a mental coach kind of just personal everything. And uh and that being her name’s Fanny Sussan who I’m sure you kind of recognize the name. Um Fannie’s been Fann’s been in my corner and been part of our team now for just under a year. And uh I talk to her every day. Yeah, I’ve actually worked with Fanny quite a bit over the years. She she is an absolute classic.
So, was there ever a time when the insecurities attacked? Was there ever a time that that you had doubt and you had to start to think of what if this doesn’t work? What’s next? A maybe a little bit. You know, I’m I’m blessed to have the support behind me as far as being here in Dallas and having all my SMU buddies, whether they are golfers or not, being at Trinity Forest where the membership has been an extension of family. Um, and having the belief in me feel sometimes greater than my own than what I believe in myself I can do. And so those low moments, you know, they pull me out of it pretty quick. And, you know, they just go say, “Go play TF a couple times. Go shoot your typical scores out there. Come back. let’s just have a have a have a boy’s round, whatever it is, and you know, go back on the road. And so, keeping those those things at home consistent and having some kind of outlet as far as not letting myself start to spiral because I’ve got these foundations in place that uh help eliminate some of those insecurities. They’re never going to be fully gone. I mean, I’m sure even Scotty and Rory and top top five players in the world have them in some regard. And it’s never And I think keeping that perspective, too, you know, I mean, Scotty talks about it so much. I mean, just his his demeanor on and off the golf course and keeping things in line, you know, is a little bit of kind of how I try and view view everything around me.
If you could go back in time a decade or so and talk to a young Austin Smotherman, what would you whisper in his ear? Just that you probably a little bit of the that you you can you can do this and that you believe you believe in yourself more and more and more every day. and just uh your your journey is your journey that I feel like I kind of had that idea um but maybe not solidified in my brain enough till till maybe now that you know these processes and this this journey I’ve been on as far as playing golf as a career and and part of my life so immensely is uh I get to I get to do this for hopefully as long as I can and you know what when when I got to hang it up whenever that is um I’ll be content with where my my career fell no matter what. Yeah, it’s wise to embrace it with the with gratitude. You are literally living the dream of of many many many millions of people right now. There’s no doubt about that.
What did you have to do? What did you have to work on in your game in particular, Austin, that not only allowed you to play as well as you are right now, but you’re on your way back to the PGA tour again. What do you need to be ready for? Being on my game every single week. I mean, figuring out how to kind of rewrite the ship or correct the the ship if if we get off path a little bit a little bit quicker than what the corn ferry allows. You know, coming down to 100 players, it’s you see how cutthroat it is out there this year. Guys that you would expect to be in the top 100 maybe not being there and uh it comes down to not not uh not forgetting about every single shot um and how much it means out there. And so being able to not let that stress of what what the PGA Tour lifestyle can bring as far as a lot of uh lot of extra ass and and just the demands of of playing good golf. I mean you mentioned the scoring averages earlier. I mean I’m I mean Scotty’s 68 and a half on PJ tour courses is a little bit different than our corn ferry courses we play week in and week out but golf is still golf and you know when we’re making birdies like that we’ll we’ll take them in bunches.
Yeah. it. Since you brought up the narrowing of the funnel to use uh Peter Mad’s terminology, how do you feel about that coming back on the PGA tour knowing that it is significantly harder to keep yourself up there than what it has been for the last 40 plus years? Yeah, and it’s it’s a new challenge. Um, I think this season on the corn ferry has kind of helped me solidify a bit of the processes and the the prep like I mentioned with my caddy and understanding what Monday through Wednesday are all about to be ready to be able to have those free swings Thursday through Sunday. Um, to have it only be 100 guys, the narrowing of it. We get, you know, we get this opportunity to play the PGA Tour. I mean, it’s it’s I don’t know. I don’t know what else to say. Um, just just blessed. I guess
there’s a little doubt about that. I do want to ask you about your sponsors before we say goodbye and thank you this morning. Austin, who have you aligned yourself with? I mean, I’m wearing one of my shirts right now, you know, trying to give them a little bit of air time as well. But, uh, you know, Sean Macaulay and the Macaulay company have been a big part of part of my career. Uh, Veritex Bank. Um, huge thanks to Malcolm Holland and the whole team there. They put on a great corn fair event here in Dallas. and uh Churnney Forest, uh Rock Materials, uh Grayson Closers, um who else am I thinking? The First T. I mean, I got to give them a huge huge uh shout out as far as being a part of my life and helping me get here with a little bit more foundation and and uh you know, things that I want to embody kind of throughout the game and and when I see see kids and be able to give back. So with all them, um, you know, I’m excited to to have these partnerships and and just keep doing what we’re doing.
Yeah, we’re very excited for you. Congratulations with success that you’re having. Uh, love that you like you’re embracing it with a big hug around gratitude and long may it continue, my friend. We wish you the very, very best. Matt, enjoy being on the show as always. You’re uh, awesome to listen to and uh, fair ways of life, man. I mean, it’s I always sign off of all my emails. as I say, you know, best Austin Smotherin Fairways and Greens. It’s almost 80% in that. Thank you so much. All right, folks. We’ll be back with more of the Fairways of Life Show. When we come back, another player, another path once again. The virtues of gratitude and perspective and more as we continue. In Ireland, golf is more than just a game. Come and experience our world famous Lynx courses and our world famous Parkland courses. All set alongside world famous scenery and visit our world famous historic sites. And while you’re here, enjoy our world famous hospitality. Fill your heart with Ireland at iireland.com/golf. Ben Hogan Golf Equipment is back. Established in 1953, we serve golfers who demand excellence of their equipment. Designed by the game’s best engineers, forged in the world’s best foundaries, and built to order in the USA. Don’t settle for off therackck disappointment. Elevate your game with custom clubs at direct to consumer pricing exclusively at benhoganolf.com. That’s benhoganolf.com. [Music] How you feeling? Golf season is back, baby. Play the best rounds of your life with PXG. [Music] Visit pxg.com to see what we can do for your game. [Music] PXG, you’ve never played like this before. Golfers today are a different breed. Who? Me? We see the game in a different way. [Applause] We all have our own style.
We swing our own swing, but we have one thing in common.
We are all about the details.
Introducing the Revel line of grips from SuperStroke. With three distinct offerings to choose from, the Rebel is in the details. What would your ultimate golf experience be like? Just you and a friend? Or would you round up some buddies for a foresome? Just one day, or an entire week? There’s a good chance your ultimate golf experience could be Michigan’s magnificent 10. 10 incredible courses set among three remarkable resorts. See for yourself. Book your ultimate golf experience today. Hey, I’m golf broadcaster Matt Adams. You know, Hubs Peanuts has been cooking up the top 1% of peanuts for over 70 years. And these aren’t your average nut. These are super extra-large Virginia peanuts cooked in the USA. Family-owned Hubs peanuts have more protein than any other nut. So whether it’s a boost on the course or a special gift, the variety of flavors guarantees Hubs Peanuts is just what you need. Family-owned, nutritious, delicious, and sustainable, Hubs Peanuts. It’s just right. hubspanuts.com. When you choose Newton Chefs, you’re choosing more than a product. You’re choosing innovation, pride, and excellence right here in America. We pay attention to the minutest of details, and you can feel that in the performance of our shafts. [Music] [Music] [Music] as we welcome you back to the PXG Custom Studios. Will Gordon made some huge news of late playing on a major medical exemption. He made it for the rest of the season by the thinnest of margins. It was a story that connected with so many and for so many reasons. We love when we get a chance to speak with Will a winner on the corn ferry tour. 148 career starts between the PGA tour and the corn for tour. 13 career top 10s. He’s 14th on tour in driving distance at 313 yards. He also has a ninth uh his position is ninth on tour in greens regulations, 70.3% in that regard. currently 137th in FedEx Cup points standings and the injury. I I’m going to let him explain to us what happened and how it happened. But first, we say hello to Will. And Will, how you doing, my man? Are you breathing?
I’m good. I’m I’m breathing. I’m breathing a little easier today. Uh I’m really thankful to be at the John Deere Classic this week and have another playing opportunity. It was a quite the quite the crazy weekend and quite quite the crazy uh kind of accumulation of a lot of different things over the last year and a half. So, uh for it to all play out that way was a bit bit insane.
It is insane, especially when you you had to make it on the number and and all. But we’ll get into that in a second. First of all, if I may, what was the injury? Could you tell the world what happened and how and why it ended up becoming major medical exemption?
Yeah. So, a couple years ago, I started um probably two and a half years ago, I started feeling some kind of symptoms in my neck and shoulder uh kind of down my nerve tract. And looking back, I I kind of had some symptom flare-ups that kind of got shorter and shorter in between kind of flare-ups. And um I played Phoenix Open uh last year and got home, was practicing um hit a drive, was playing with a couple friends and um felt like kind of some warmth in my elbow and then by the time I made it to the green, I couldn’t get the elbow my elbow out. I’m kind of next to couldn’t extend it. And um I ended up having a little tear in my forearm. And it was it came from basically three vertebrae in my kind of neck and spine area that had gotten so inflamed that I I couldn’t turn to the left. So basically every time I’d swing a golf club, I would just I learned how to kind of throw my arm at it. And over time my my arm just couldn’t take it anymore. So uh ended up taking I think a full eight weeks off from touching golf clubs. And when I came back, had to had to start playing um left-handed to kind of offset the inflammation and um did that for a couple weeks and slowly built kind of like on a pitch count, built my way back up to hitting drivers and hitting full shots again and then was able to uh come back actually here at the John Deere Classic last year. Um so to be sitting here and have have overcome that and to be able to play this week again and feeling a lot healthier is a pretty rewarding experience. What would you say was the origin of all of this? Was it just from beating golf balls non-stop? And and have you had to do anything to physically alter your golf swing so that the injury doesn’t come back?
Yeah, that that’s been the biggest learning learning process. Um, we couldn’t really identify whether it was a uh kind of an injury that happened out of the blue or something that happened out over time, but um I did know some, you know, whether it was my body was going to start operating better or I would have to say change something in my uh swing. I’ve had to do a little bit of both um to kind of offset making sure those symptoms don’t come back. So, um it’s been a huge learning process and been difficult. I think um I I definitely maybe underestimated the process coming back, but um like I said, it’s been a huge learning process and to be able to grow as a human and as a golfer through through this process, I think um you know, looking back on all the heartbreak and all the little moments of growth that I I you know, you you hope to learn from instead of just waste. So, I think I’ve I’ve tried to do that through every step.
Well, let’s let’s look at it from the human side for for a perspective. When did you feel fear? When did you think that, yeah, maybe this is it. This is this is the end of the road for me. I’m going to have to find something else. And you’re healing and you’re uncomfortable and you’re maybe in pain or what have you. But how dark did it get? Um it the first uh the first month or two when I got hurt because I again I thought it wasn’t going to be that long and I went and saw a couple doctors in New York and I they couldn’t really figure out where the origin of this was coming from and then found some really good people in Greenville, South Carolina that were able to help me that had dealt with some similar stuff from a baseball perspective. And um again, I never let my brain go to, you know, this is, you know, something that’s going to end my career. It was just kind of a bump in the road. Um but the process coming back, especially over the last year with how I’ve played and body not feeling great, um mind not feeling great. A lot of those moments have been pretty dark and a pretty pretty challenging, but I’m extremely grateful to have a wonderful, awesome group of people around me, my family, my fiance, my agent, my coaches. I had so many people kind of helped carry me through times where I couldn’t really um get through myself. And um yeah, looking back, it’s just been a wild wild uh year and a half. and a lot of growth has happened. Um, so I I I just am trying to do the next right thing in front of me and um didn’t know how the story was going to kind of play out as I’ve uh kind of gotten down to my last few medical starts. I’ve played really well and had some really tough finishes, you know, going back to even November of last year, just had some really tough finishes. I’ve had, you know, changes in my team and it’s just been a really adversity adversity season of life, but I I’ve um really proud of myself for just like I said, fighting to the very very end, and it’s pretty wild it took to the last moment. Yeah, it was pretty dramatic the way that it ultimately played itself out. I’m curious when you talked about a lot of growth. Uh because the implication is to me that we’re not necessarily talking about something that’s just between the ropes. We’re talking about some bigger life stuff. How would you define it? Um I I would define it as, you know, I kind of reached the end of not just once but dozens of times the end of what I knew to do and I had to lean on other people. Um, I had really had to trust God’s plan because I I thought I’ve been thinking and really believe that I’ve been doing so many of the right things and I’ve had to learn how to separate my worth and process from results, which is a really really hard thing to do. People tell you that from when you’re 12 years old, but um especially at this level when there’s so many uh consequences that come with how you play. Um, it’s a really hard thing to do and I’ve really had to learn how to do that when there’s a lot of fear and a lot of uncertainty about where my career is headed. And to do that under those circumstances, I think is going to carry me in life and golf a long way in the future because I I I’ve been able to figure out how to insulate myself a little bit more from the results of golf and um, move me forward no matter what and get get a plan together no matter what the results are telling me.
Yeah. I mean, when you came on this morning and we have a friendly banter and I’m asking you how you’re breathing this week and you said a little easier. Is that true? Are are you at a point right now where you’re kind of like, “Hey, this week at the John Deere, I I can I don’t have to be quite so tight. I I can be who I am. I could be the player that I used to know perhaps.” Uh, is that is that something that you’re feeling?
Yeah, I think a little bit. Like I said, the way it all played out when you think about 30 events over the last two years, I played 16 last year and 14 this year. And that’s kind of the way the MA major medical setup. So, it’s like a continuation of what I would have gotten in last year. and um for it to when I think about all the crazy stuff that’s happened in my rounds and um injuries and all the stuff that’s happened away from the golf course, all the great stuff that’s happened in my life away from the golf course. Like for it to come down to that moment of having to birdie the last two holes and for all those crazy things to happen, I’ve missed several cuts by one shot over the last year. um you know, lip outs and a6 points like way less than a stroke. Um and for it to come down to that, it just really I think taught me how much of life is really kind of out of our control. And all all that God really wanted me to do is stay faithful to my my career and being the person that I’m kind of trying to be every day. And I think that experience really felt made me feel like there’s a reason I’m supposed to be doing this for a living because I think I’ve struggled with that a lot the last year and a half because it’s been such an uphill battle. Um so to get that that feeling where you really realize how much out of control you are. Um and just trying to be faithful to what you know are the right things to do. And um I’ve done that. I’m really proud of myself for doing that during some really hard times the last um six months to a year. It’s very inspiring. Uh we’ve got about a minute left here. Will, could you talk to us about who your sponsors are?
Yeah, my sponsors are um Callaway Golf. They’ve I’ve been with them since I turned pro. Um they’ve been amazing. Travis Matthews obviously under that umbrella and they’re they’re a great um really fun fun content and uh fun fun company to be a part of. Wayne Brothers right here or over here. Um a good company out of Davidson, North Carolina. Keith Wayne. Um that’s where I grew up. It’s pretty cool to have a, you know, a relationship and a partnership with a a company from my hometown and um it’s a small town, a really small community that takes care of each other and Keith’s been uh instrumental in supporting me. Um especially the last year and a half. They came on board last at the beginning of last year or end of the year before and I got hurt pretty shortly after and he never blinked and was always there to support me. So um and then Sea Island Golf Club, um that’s I live down in St. Simon now. Sean Golf Club has been an awesome place to practice and Frederica Golf Club is um a special place to us. Um we’re getting married there later this year. So um
pretty pretty special. Awesome. Congratulations with all of it, my friend. 6. You should get that like tattooed someplace. Uh good luck with the path that stands before you. We wish you the very very best folks. We’ll be back to wrap up the fairways of light. See you right after this. I got ball fit in 2000. Went on a little run. [Applause] Then Bridgestone fit me again and I went on another run. [Music] [Applause] I just got fit again for the new Tour BX. The ball fitting’s been helping me. Will it help you? What does it take to be an original? Cam knows something about that. So does Chi-Chi, Charlie, and you get it. In 1955, we stepped onto the scene. Now, a new generation of pros are wearing the most iconic styles in the game. The fit, the feel, the look. It’s all an expression of you. Original Penguin, here for the good times. Innovation has been at the heart of every Superstroke grip we’ve ever created, cementing our status as the number one putting grip on tour. Now, the best just got better. Introducing SuperStroke Synergy, our most advanced putting grips ever for unmatched confidence to quiet your hands and your mind. Find the perfect grip for your game at superstrokeusa.com. Independent tester golf ball addict tested 100 of the best golf balls available and ranked PHC’s two tour balls at number one and number two. Each scoring a 10 of 10 in performance, a 10 of 10 in durability, and a 10 of 10 in value. So, what are you waiting for? Visit pxg.com or a PXG location near you to pick up your PXG Extreme Tour or Extreme Tour X Golf Balls for only $34.99 a dozen. PXG, you’ve never played like this before. Flight Scope Meo Plus is the ultimate indoor and outdoor golf launch monitor and simulator. It gives you the club and ball data you need with the accuracy you demand. MEIBO Plus comes with ownership of simulated golf courses for you to play and practice at home. Meo Plus is an essential golf partner to help you improve and understand your game better. Put more purpose in your practice. To learn more and get your MEO Plus, shop now at flightcope.com. When you choose Newton Shafts, you’re choosing more than a product. You’re choosing innovation, pride, and excellence right here in America. We pay attention to the minutest of details and you can feel that in the performance of our shafts. [Music] Time now for our did you know segment presented by Flight Scope. Know your distance, know your data, know your gapping. Flight Scope’s new I4 rangefinder with its personalized club recommendations makes it easy. A caddy in your pocket. Did you know that the PGA Tour continues to tweak the FedEx Cup playoffs? This year will mark another change as the Tour Championship will alter its staggered handicap start. Instead, it will revert to a traditional 72-hole stroke play where everyone starts at level par. Remember, only the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup point standings will make it into the playoffs this year and will participate in the season’s three event finale. A far cry from the 144 players who played in the first playoff event when the FedEx Cup playoffs were introduced in 2007 and consisted of, remember it, four events, not three. Here’s a look at the last few FedEx Cup champions that you can see before you. Justin Rose back in 2018, Rory Maroy in 2019. His name’s going to pop up again. DJ in 2020, 21 was Patrick Kantlay, there’s Rory again in 22, Victor Havlin in 23, and of course, Scotty Sheffler in 2024. It’s time for you to dial in your yardages with the new I4 rangefinder. Make it easy. Make it with Flight Scope. Flightcope.com for more information. Uh, today was pretty incredible. I mean, to get a chance to speak to two players that in their own degrees, because I’m not going to try to judge the significance of their pathways to each other because they both had to fight their way back into form. They both had to fight their way back into really, if you’re aspiring to be a professional golfer, the greatest opportunity in the entire world to reach the stage of the PGA Tour. for Austin Smotherman. He’s had to travel back through those valleys to regain his confidence, regain his game, and to do and play the way that he knows that he’s capable. Many people say that Austin along with really honestly Peter Malnati are two of the nicest people in golf. And you could see that. I thought Will’s comments, Will Gordon’s comments were so telling. And I think there was so much more to to dig into there. We just ran out of time with Will, unfortunately, because he talked about those dark places. It really comes down to that value of tenacity, the value of self-belief, uh, that you can work your way through anything. Thanks for being with us. [Music]