Denny McCarthy is in.a big 2024 season on the PGA Tour. He just got married in December, will play his first ever Masters in April, and is in all the signature Tour events on the schedule thanks to a career year in 2023. Denny breaks down how much he’s looking forward to his first trip to Augusta National and shares a number of putting tips as well.
All right joined by Danny McCarthy PGA Tour player entering his seventh season already on the tour and uh Denny like when you hear seventh year like is it kind of hard to believe you’ve been out here this long or what are you thinking uh it makes me feel old yeah
I’m uh my body feels feels like it at times my body feels old but yeah it’s uh yeah I’m no longer a young guy on tour um so yeah it’s been it’s been a good ride um it’s crazy how how fast time flies um I mean it’s crazy to believe that I
Graduated Virginia uh coming up on nine years now um so it’s uh it’s been a fun it’s been a fun Journey I’m I’m looking forward to uh I’m looking forward to continuing it the I think the Journey’s really only just begun honestly because I think um
I’ve gotten a lot better at golf but I I think think I can uh I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement so I’m excited yeah well we’ll get on golf in just a minute but speaking of a journey that just begun you just got
Married to Samantha um just what a month or so ago back in where you guys live in in Florida like what yeah you had mentioned to me off here that it was one of the funnest days or just funnest events you’ve ever been a part of like
What what was your takeaway like how was it so fun yeah it was amazing um obviously just to have all of our closest family and friends together um you know celebrating us was was very special um we uh the the weather cooperated the day before our wedding
And the day after our wedding weren’t so nice but the day of our wedding um turned out pretty good so we got a little lucky with the weather um especially because there’s a little bit of an outdoor component to it so um yeah we just we we had a blast Sam Sam did
Such a good job with the planners um you know her vision kind of came came through and um the venue was beautiful the uh the band was incredible people are still talking about our band uh that we had um we had you know an after party
After that and it was it was just so much fun we had uh it was it was it was stressful leading up to it but it was it was nice I felt like we we both were able to really enjoy our wedding um and we had a blast yeah it’s a piece of
Advice remember I got in 2013 right before I got married a friend of mine my friend Jeff Ritter mentioned like hey dude you will never have another time in your life where so many people are together celebrating you like this is you know this is as good as it’s gonna
Get so so soak up that part of it it was his advice and what do you make of for your perspective yeah we yeah 100% I got some similar advice um going into going into the wedding um hey try and try and cherish it try and remember everything
Think don’t get don’t get too drunk too early because you want to you want to remember it um and yeah we I feel like I’ve replayed it in my head a few times um since since that since that day just going through what happened and you know
The sequence of events and um yeah it was just it was just so much fun yeah it’s funny like um now that you’ve got a family guys obviously the two of you as a family was there ever any discussion on expectations uh like whether you guys
Were in your engagement time or or now since then because I know for me like expectations remember we went to um a counsel kind of premarital counseling just to kind of like set the expectations and and they were asking me okay um my wife was asking okay how many
Years do we want to go before kids and I was like well I’m working on a career I’m looking at least 10 years yeah she just both uh my wife and the counselor just laughed me out of the room and I was like Hey so any kind of funny
Moments like that doesn’t have to be just about kids we just about like travel anything that that has kind of like been funny for you guys um not nothing not exactly but uh you know we’ve communicated Sam and I um a decent amount about you know certain timelines
And when we’d like to have kids and um so we’ve definitely talked about that stuff I wouldn’t say anything’s been like you know funny obviously um you know I’d like to you know I’d like to focus on my my my golf a little bit over the next year too um and and I
Want her to be able to enjoy the travel aspect of it too you know she’s she’s in real estate down here but her job’s uh somewhat flexible where she’s able to travel with me every now and then so um I want us to travel and and enjoy um you
Know enjoy traveling and having fun and um you know before we have to travel travel with kids yeah no I hear you man and like you said over the years you travel 30 30 weeks a year like you know this been has been the thing uh coming
Off a career year one of your best years your best year you’ve had on tour how are you assessing things in terms of just how you’re feeling about the game and and where you’re progressing right now uh yeah Everything feels good um you know I think this break in in this fall
Um this past fall was was really nice and much need is um for me I kind of ended the season on a on a disappointing note um I played well for for most of the year and um had a few injuries kind of nagging me towards the end of the
Year um I was forced to take a little bit of time off and um I just never really recaptured that form that I had um you know in the middle of the year when I was playing some nice golf um I just couldn’t I just couldn’t quite
Recapture it so um it was a little bit disappointing but I know that uh I know that I’ve gotten a lot better and I know that there’s a lot of good golf in there and um this fall was important just to kind of take a break a little bit um
Focus on some things with my body um trying and get healthier trying to get stronger um so so towards the end of the year I don’t have uh a breakdown so um yeah I’ve done I did a lot this fall to kind of prepare for this season I
Haven’t gotten off to I didn’t play great the first couple events didn’t get off to the start that I I wanted to but um kind of went back to the drawing board this these last two weeks um and just kind of tried to simplify it a
Little more just to clear my mind and so I can just go go play golf um so I’ve been uh I’ve been happy with I think I’ve gotten a lot better I just need to go you know show that in the tournament now yeah well and your coach uh Brian
Krian right yeah when you guys look at like what you’re trying to work on and and make incremental improvements on like what what tends to be the focus when you’re looking at Stats or you looking at Improvement um we don’t I mean we look at Stats but we’re not obsessed over it
I think just um coming up with a little bit more of a repetitive motion where um where you know I’m not at at times when my body doesn’t move well um then I the state the club face becomes a little bit more unstable and so under the gun
If I’m not moving exactly how I want to be um then it’s a little more timing based which can you know can get off when when you’re under pressure so just trying to really um move my body well and when I do that the club face uh
Stays really stable and I’m able to hit um I’m able to hit exactly how I wanted too very straight so that helps um when you’re playing these big tournaments and you know these difficult places where you got to be precise and under the gun you gotta hit pressure pack shots and
You gotta you gotta deliver so I’m trying to I’m trying to just you know I’ve done a lot of things in the gym to make to make myself stronger move better in my golf swing and in turn promote a really stable Club face to um basically
Be able to just kind of hit any shot I want to at any at any given time sometimes um when my body is not moving well like I alluded to or I get maybe a little too fast or excited um things get a little out of whack and then it
Becomes a little more timing based in my swing um where I need to maybe use my hands a little more so even though I do have good hands and it works sometimes trying to you know trying to take my hands out of it and make it more so um
It’s a very body driven uh body driven swing and and promoting a CL stable Club face yeah um we were talking about under the gun a second ago right and just the importance of like playing Under Pressure what do you what do you learn from yourself from that experience at
Memorial I know there you’re standing on the 18th hole AAR would have gotten the win but you know you still got to a playoff it was really as close a call as you could ask for like what you take away um yeah that was a I had I had a L
You know that was a lot of fun obviously it’s a big tournament and you know I had a great chance to win um I had I had a lot of fun that day I played really well for most of the day um there I didn’t
Play my best I mean I I still gave myself a chance to win when I didn’t really feel like I played my best which is a good sign um you know my my putter kind of bailed me out I I putted really well all week and especially on Saturday
Sunday um I didn’t hit it exactly how I wanted to but I hit it good enough to give myself a chance and um yeah I mean I I hadn’t made it bogey in a long time I don’t think 18’s a hard hole I mean with the firm Fairways and how it’s
Tilted it’s a very small Target um and I just didn’t didn’t hit a great t-shot um and got probably my worst lie of the week couldn’t even Advance it up around the green so it was uh it was tough I mean it was like all of a sudden I had
To make part of win then all of a sudden had to make a five-footer for bogey to go into a playoff and that that can happen pretty quickly out at a place like mirfield Village um and it just didn’t happen to me for it was all of a
Sudden I hadn’t hadn’t made a bogey and then all of a sudden I’ve got a five or six footer for bogie to get into the playoff it was a little bit of like a okay let’s uh let’s let’s knock this in at least give myself another a chance
Here um but uh yeah it was a lot of fun I learned a lot about myself I learned I can handle the big moment I was really comfortable um felt like it was you know my tournament to win um but you know I keep putting myself in those situations
I’ll knock the door down yeah and being Jack’s Place did you get have a conversation at all with Jack or did you see him um after after you were done with the playoff uh just the handshake off off of 18 green um I think there’s a
Clip of it that the tour posted of just that you know five 10 seconds of of me talking to him uh but you know he just said he just said great playing um and you know I told him I think I told him I’ll be back so i’ I’ve I’ve got a good
Track recet there I’ve played well there over the last few years so that obviously be a great tournament to win um and I’d be honored uh if I had that opportunity again thing that I would looked at for a year like last year you know you got a
Phone call from Zack Johnson you made a push for the ryer cup you ended up 14th but at least getting the call I mean that’s got to give you some positive takeaways to to some degree right uh yeah I mean I listen I figured I I probably hadn’t
Done enough towards the end of the year I wasn’t I think everyone in the top 20 or 25 in the points probably got a call or at least top 20 um and like I said I mean I knew that phone call was coming and I knew it was probably going to be
You know you’re not gonna be on the team um I felt like I hadn’t really done enough it was you know kind of going back that’s this that’s why this past year was so disappointing I had a you know there was obviously a lot of great
Stuff I don’t want to say this the whole year was disappointing just the Finish to the year was disappointing um just you know fighting fighting an injury or two and then um you know there was just there was a lot on the line and I and I
Didn’t uh I didn’t come through and finish the year how I wanted to um just missed out on East Lake um if I finish a little stronger I probably have a better chance of maybe making that team um maybe not I I don’t know um I I probably
Wouldn’t have gotten uh I don’t I probably wouldn’t have qualified but and I and I don’t know if I would have gotten a pick or not if I was say 10 11 12 I I don’t know um but yeah it it stung finishing the way I I did because
I knew it probably meant no Ryder Cup it meant no East Lake um it so it was you know obviously it was still a great year um but I I I hope I never feel like that again finishing a year yeah and the injury it was during
The time of the British Open right wasn’t it like back issues that you had right yeah it was yeah yeah so I had a uh um yeah kind of a a back issue a disc a disc kind of a minor disc bulge um in
My low back um and yeah it flared up at at the British Open and I probably shouldn’t have played I tried to I tried to play there I probably shouldn’t have um but I was was my first British Open I was I was already all over there and
Doctor said I probably wasn’t gonna make it worse so I was like you know what I’m gonna try and play uh but it’s hard to play golf with the back injury when you’re guiding guiding against it most of the time um but yeah it was you know unfortunate timing but you know that’s
That’s part of the game it’s part of a career it’s part of it’s just that’s just part of it so um I moved past it well and you know I’ve I’ve taken the right steps to you know ensure that hopefully it doesn’t happen again for sure man yeah and that’s a big event
First time in that major that you you were playing another big event the Signature Events obviously when we look at the at the season here but we got Pebble Beach next week signature event and it doesn’t have npcc they took that out of rotation I know that’s of course
That sometimes the green means uh you know you’ve had a a bad day at once out there so yeah overall like you got to be what are your thoughts on this new Pebble Beach yeah I mean listen i’ i’ I love Pebble it’s one of my it’s one of
My favorite places in the world um I I took it I took it off for a few years in the middle of this seven-year career stretch so far um and I I’ve played it I’ve played it the last few years and I’m like man I can’t believe I even I I
This event off it’s such a it’s such a fun event um with the proam aspect obviously there’s a lot of cool people you meet um lot of good connections um obviously you get to play Pebble Beach and spy glass with two amazing courses um it’s hard to be in a
Bad mood walking around Pebble playing golf um it’s just it’s such a special place and um you I really like it too I mean I think it’s I think it’s good for me and I’ve played well there the last few years so um I’m looking forward to
Just another good trip out to Pebble Beach yeah well and you mentioned there’s a lot of different people we meet because of the proam is there like a story that comes to mind like one of your favorite kind of experiences during a Pebble Beach week I’m running it a
Celebrities or just just overall just on that property um yeah I think just you know it’s kind of hollowed grounds and and then you got all these celebrities and athletes walking down there I don’t think nothing really comes to nothing jumps right to my to the
Front of my head but um just a bunch of glimpses I feel like of you know I’m trying to picture a bunch of you know bunch of the people I’ve seen there um it’s just it’s just really cool I mean everyone it seems like a lot of the you
Know the AMS the celebrities you know they they they like it just as much as we do being there um they think it’s just as cool they think they think that we’re like were famous in a way but um I don’t I don’t really see it that way I
See them as as obviously being um as famous but they you know they love being a part of the event um how could you not you’re playing you’re playing Pebble Beach uh for a couple days and the at least the weather at least the years I
Took it off the weather was terrible the years that I’ve played it the weather has been nice so knock knock on what hopefully it’s good weather again this year yeah and just the overall um big events the the Signature Events like how much are you looking forward to kind of
Just just this this opportunity yeah I mean it’s you know you’re they’re big events they’re big purses with with the best players in the world and um you know that’s what you know you know having a The Good Year I did last year that’s that this is their reward I get I
Get uh you know finishing top 50 in the FedEx Cup you get to play in all these um big purse limited field events with the best players in the world and um you know that’s what that’s those are the tournaments you want to be you want to
Be playing in you want to um you want to play well in them you want to see how your game Stacks up against you know the the top top guys and um you know it’s fun it’s it’s fun competing and like you know it feels like they’re almost like
Many many majors in a way um so I like playing I like playing challenging golf courses with the best fields and seeing who comes out on top it’s uh you know golf’s such a funny game it’s like you know anyone can win any given week obviously you know there’s you know the
Top five or 10 favorites here and there in the world that are you know that are always playing well but it’s fun to try and compete and you know and take them down so um that’s uh that’s what I’m G to try and do here in in some of these
Events yeah and and speaking of big events and getting a chance to play the best in the world this is going to be your first Master’s coming up you got through you’re going to you’re going to play August the first time you uh you had mentioned in the past that you’ve
Avoided going there as a patron because you want to obviously play as a player what was the anticipation you get the invite in the mail we see it all over Twitter we see it over social media but when you get the invite knowing how much blood soil and tears you put into this
To get into the Masters you get that invite what was that anticipation like uh for that to come in the mail yeah it was pretty cool it was funny how it happened it was uh it was like shortly after our wedding and we had been getting a bunch of boxes
From uh you know wedding registry presents wedding gifts from you know our guests and uh you know we made dinner one night Sam was like I’ll clean up the kitchen and I was like okay I’ll go break down all the boxes for for trash day and uh like breaking down all these
Boxes and know I see one on the on the counter and looked looked on opened and I looked at it I was like it’s oh it’s from August the National Golf Club um so uh I I knew what it was so I I obviously stopped uh you know unpacking or you
Know breaking down the boxes brought it into the kitchen um and Sam she took a video of me opening it um we sent it to like my family and her family and um you know family group chat and uh it’s I mean obviously amazing it’s been I knew
It was coming I just didn’t uh I didn’t know when exactly um and so it was a nice little early Christmas present um pretty good week wedding got the um got the Master’s invite Christmas it was uh it was a pretty good little Christmas present um yeah the invitation the envelope
Everything about it is just is so cool um we’re gonna we’re gonna get it framed here um at some point and put it in our my little golf room that I have yeah you got to I mean that’s that’s a memorabilia that’s that’s huge and um I specifically Augusta National like what
Kinds of things are you really looking forward to about getting to the property um out there t I think just kind of comparing you know obviously we’ve all seen you know AUST on TV and it’s like we we know the holes um so obviously comparing you know
What I have in my head of what it what certain things do on certain holes and and then what it actually looks like in reality right so it’s like we we have an idea of of what it looks like um but I’ve heard it’s just it’s it’s crazier
In person like the the hills and the lies in the Fairway there’s way more undulation and slope um there’s not that many flat lies um obviously on TV we see these balls just trickling and rolling um and you hear people like yeah that slope is massive like the the T TV you
Can hardly see it on TV but that slope’s massive so I think just kind of comparing in my head uh you know what I’ve seen on TV throughout the years and then once I you know first get there and I’m sure the first look’s going to be
Pretty eye opening um you know how big some of these slopes are and how undulating it really is um so I guess I’m just excited to kind of start picking the course apart using my golf brain to um you know start coming up with a a game plan and you know start
Mapping out the greens in my in my head if you will yeah and obviously like for you green reading is something that you’ve always pointed to as being one of the big strengths for you as to why you’re you’re such a good putter um what are you looking forward to about that
Challenge for Augusta yeah I think I’m gonna need to I think I’m gonna need to get some rounds under my belt it’s it seems like um course knowledge is very important there and obviously I don’t have any of it really um so I you know I
I plan on making a couple scouting trips before the the actual tournament week so i’ I’d like to play it you know four or five times before um the week before the week actually um starts just uh just so I have a really good idea just so I’m
Not surprised by anything um I want to feel like I know the course and that I’ve played it multiple times so um I’m sure I’ll um get some good work in when I when I get there you know hit some you know probably hit some of the famous
Putts that you know people have you know winners and you know guys have had over the years and um you know maybe I don’t know how it works but you know local caddy you know he’ll have me maybe hit some putts here and there here hit this
Putt this this does this many people think it does this but it does this um so I guess I’m just trying I’m looking forward to the challenge of um because that’s a lot of I’ve I’ve heard it’s it’s hard sometimes it’s hard to see things out there um so I’m I’m looking
Forward to kind of getting those tricky putts that that prep work and um you know obviously it’s hard to hit every single putt on on on the greens but I’m gonna try and I’m gonna try and hit as many as I can yeah yeah is there a couple favorite memories watching it
Growing up that that come to mind um obviously like first one that comes to mind is the the tiger tiger chip in on 16 um I remember I’ve watched set up at Argyle Country Club where I grew up um and then I remember I remember uh him
Doing that and then I went back out I was like oh he’s gonna win um and then he actually Bogi 1718 so he chipped in had a two shot lead and then he bogied 171 18 and then he birdied 18 in the playoff um um that one that one stands out
Um I don’t they all they they all kind of run to they all run together obviously there’s all there’s many different winners but they all you know Jordan I remember watching Jordan um wi in 201 15 yep yeah because we were you know we were the same high school class and I
Remember being at UVA my my last year um um you know watching that and thinking how cool that was I was just playing with this guy in college Amer events and yeah here he is on Sunday I’m here I here I am you know hung over Sunday
Afternoon and and here he is when in the Masters um so it was uh and it was a little deflating but also also also very uh very inspiring and and motivating at the same time um just because um you know like you know I remember thinking you
Know I i’ I’ve beat him before I’ve beat him in many tournaments um here he is winning the Masters you know that could be me someday so um we’ll see the first first time around would would be pretty magical that would be pretty sweet um if I were able to lift
The Hoist the the green jacket on around my arms um but I think I need I think I have a lot of prep work to do um between now and that moment maybe yeah you think February will be your first practice round out there uh yes I’m playing these last
Three of the West Coast Pebble was Riv and then I’m thinking I’m going to go before uh the Florida swing starts so it goes Pebble was River and then it goes Mexico I don’t think I’m I’m not playing Mexico um and I’m going to try and go maybe in
That week um and play a couple times so um not finalized yet but in in the process of being finalized yeah no that’s gonna be exciting man and uh you mentioned uh one of your peers at one point obviously Jordan spe from that class of 2011 I
Want to ask about some other peers too like you you obviously pair with Joel Damon had a top 11 yeah there Zurich what’s the story about Joel Damon that that golf fans would would would really you know laugh at and enjoy I mean he’s such a personality man ah yeah he’s he’s
He’s a be um there’s only one Joel and there’s only one Gino um and they’re they’re they’re awesome to be around I love I love spending time with those guys they’re uh they’re so easy to be around that team event is is a lot of fun especially when you play with them
Like they’re just so easy going and relaxed um it just makes for an easy partnership he uh the the first time I actually played with him I was a it was my first year on tour I was first alternate I wasn’t into the event and um I think Martin Piller his wife
Went into labor and he had to withdraw and that was Joel’s partner and so I was then paired with Joel um and we got paired with John Daly and Rory satini uh was our group it was me and Joel and John Daly and Rory satini and those you
Know John Daly and Rory satini are they’re riots um that was that was really fun um playing with them um but I remember Joel being like you know I’m like I’m like okay we got to we got to like game plan strategize like uh you know what what what what ball do you
Want to play on the alternate shot day and Joel goes doesn’t matter I’ll I’ll play your ball I’m like well don’t you don’t you want to know what ball I play I’m like no I don’t really care I’m like I’m like man this guy’s this guy’s awesome like he doesn’t he doesn’t give
A um I knew him a little bit leading leading into that but we became pretty good friends after we played that week and then I’m just like so what do you think do want to play odds or evens and he was like whatever whichever one
You want to do doesn’t matter to me and so like I couldn’t ask couldn’t have asked for a a you know more easygoing partner I will say I would have liked some more like like I I I think you should do this and and I’ll do this
Because you know you know I drive it better than you so so I should be hitting these t- shots uh but there is none of that with Joel you just you get to pick what you want to do when you’re when you’re Joel’s partner which is
Which is nice in a way you get to if there’s certain shots you don’t like on certain holes then you’re like yeah I don’t want to play these holes you can you can play you can hit these tough part three shots over over water um but yeah
He’s I don’t I don’t know about a specific story I’ve had a couple nights out with Joel where we’ve had some fun um he’s just he’s great to be around that’s why uh we make a good team he’s very easygoing um and so same with Gino
They’re just they’re fun to be around um I don’t know if I’m playing that event this year or not but um whoever’s Joel’s partner is is a lucky guy right well another player that you seem to have gotten to know a bit over the years is
Because of your names are so similar and you be in similar parts of the locker room is is Rory mooy um you know for I don’t know for golf fans at at home that watch him I mean we we see him at the big events but you know would there be
From over the years a story that comes to mind uh with him either just a funny story or just something uh something memorable you guys did together um we’ve had yeah we’ve had a handful of conversations he’s very he’s he’s great he’s very easy to talk to um he’s very
Approachable and we’ve we’ve run into each other many times at each other’s lockers um we’ve talked uh you know my dad’s been to a few golf trips in Ireland and I’ve been fortunate to have a nice golf trip to Ireland and so we’ve talked um we’ve talked a decent amount
About golf in Ireland and you know I remember my dad was playing royal County Down um and I remember the day he was playing I think it was at uh actually I don’t know what tournament it was but I I remember you know seeing Rory that day
And I was like hey my my dad’s playing royal County down today and Roy was just like ah he’s like that’s my favorite place in the world that’s that’s the best like that that place is unbelievable I was like yeah I’ve never played it I’ve heard I’ve heard really good things um
I’m jealous of my dad right now he was like he should be it’s it’s it’s an it’s a spectacular place and I was like man I kind of wish I was I can’t even remember what tournament that was at I was like man I kind of wish I was playing that
Place now uh Roy County down that is um and we’ve had a couple times where uh you know there’s not you know usually usually you have like a fulllength locker and his is next to mine we’ve had a couple times where somebody’s on the top and somebody’s on
The bottom um and so I I think I joked with him one time he was on the bottom and so he has to like bend down and like I was on the top I was like yeah they they said I was just a half inch taller
Than you so they gave me the top one and they gave you the bottom one um how do you respond to that uh he was like oh yeah is that what it is um yeah no it’s it it’s that’s that’s more so credit to him because you know we’re
Like the same size and he hits it 40 yards farther than me um it’s pretty crazy what he’s able to do um to generate speed and hit the ball like he does because it’s there’s I’ve played with him a couple times there’s not many people that that move and hit a golf
Ball as as gracefully as he does um he was he’s he was meant to play golf and be really really good at it because he’s he’s very impressive every time I every time I play with him um the control um the ability to hit it really high drives
It great I’ve been impressed with his short game in putting when I when I’ve played with him I I think he’s I think he’s very good and obviously he’s a great Ambassador for the game also yeah and I know you guys played a match there in Austin as well uh last
Year right yeah yeah yeah that was a lot of fun um you know to go you know head-to-head with him and you know have a chance to beat him was a lot of fun um I didn’t I we both didn’t really make that much that day honestly we both had
Opportunities to make some putts and you know take you know take a strangle hold on the match and neither of us really did it and so it was just kind of we were just hanging around all the way till you know he was one up through 17
And then obviously hit that drive on 18 that I now have to that I now have to see on you know Golf Channel and social media all the time now um at least I can say I was like oh hey I’m standing right next to him on that t- box that was that
Was against me um I remember the camera guy when he hit that t-shot we could hear like a faint cheering we couldn’t because it was faint because we were 400 yards away so like there were still a lot of people but you could barely hear it because it was so far away um
Remember the camera guy that was on the T boox being like holy and I was like I was like oh man that can’t that can’t be a good holy for me that’s got to be a that’s got to be a good holy for him um and like one of the
Camera guys like up 50 yards a hell on the T box just goes like that like like he stuffed it and I’m like oh okay so I can’t win the match now pretty much I need to make a hole in one here um yeah that was that was a lot of
Fun similar type of you know I like being in that environment I came I came out you know I was a little I was a little nervous but a good nervous um kind of a nervous that gets me hyperfocused um and you know I came out I remember I came out playing really
Well I really played well most of the day I just didn’t um I made a couple nice putts early and I just I didn’t make anything the rest of the day um so he he gave me an opportunity to take the match and I just I just didn’t take it
And if you let someone like him hang around um you know I I I gave him too many opportunities um but that was that was a lot of fun to be a part of I like I I remember when I when I drew that
Group I was like I was like man this is gonna be awesome this is gonna be a lot of fun um and I had a lot of fun yeah hey um go ahead um I was gonna say it’s it’s too bad that that’s going away because
That’s a that’s a really fun event um I don’t hopefully it comes back to the schedule yeah yeah that is a bummer that’s going away obviously schedule changes with the tour not having having that event but um it was funny we talk about Joel Dam and we talk about Roy
Maroy who are a couple of the best trash talkers on tour when you’re out there um that’s a good question um I stay in a lot of houses with uh with some of the Georgia guys C and Sea Island guys um so we’re always we’re always giving each other here and
There whether it’s at the house or at the golf course um but that’s been a good that’s been a good crew um to hang around it’s it’s a nice way to kind of break up you know stay in a hotel room staying in a house um I feel like early
On in my career I stayed in a lot of hotel rooms and that can get a little lonely if we’re doing the same thing each week right um so it’s nice it’s nice um when you’re staying in a house with a bunch of guys different form of entertainment you’re hanging with them
Playing card games playing dice games um just watching games sports TV shows um it’s just much it’s much more fun to come home to especially if you don’t play a great round of golf like you know people want you to do well but they don’t care about your bad round to golf
So you kind of just leave the golf at the golf course and um when you get to the house it’s kind of just fun in games and hanging with the guys definitely um um well it’s interesting when we look at your strengths obviously putting is up
There you were third and shots gained uh putting last year and really in in the six years you’ve been on tour that’s been that’s been a big strength um you’ve mentioned mindset really being one of the biggest keys right like you really just have to have the right
Attitude and mindset how how do you kind of foster that yeah I think uh it’s something that I still I still think I need to work on when I’m when I’m very engaged and focused and very um committed to the shot that I want to hit that’s when I
Play I feel like that’s when I play my best golf um when I’m thinking about my swing too much or I’m not um or I’m not maybe fully into each shot or I’m not committed to each shot that’s that’s when um that’s when to me that’s when
You know we all we all have the ability um to to play really good golf and everyone hits it great um to me it’s when you when you really um get engaged with each shot and commit to each shot I feel like is when I play my best and
That’s when I hit my best shots um and my my my worst shots are when I’m uncommitted or unsure um about where I want to land it or where I want to hit it um so um I think it it’s hard to do all the time because we play so many tournaments and
It requires a lot of energy and focus to um to do that on every shot sometimes it’s easy to let your mind slip for a shot or two um but I think just I think just doing that and then you know totally trying to escape for in in
Between shots whether that’s talking to your caddy talking to one of your playing Partners um just to kind of get away from it and then like kind of it’s almost like your turn turning your brain on and off to to hit each shot um you
Want to be you want to give you you you it’s almost like you step into the office for 30 seconds to a minute really give it your that full attention and focus you hit the shot and there’s nothing you can do about it so kind then
Kind of kind of stepping out of the office if you will for till you hit your next shot three or four minutes um and I think I’ve done a good job with that um for the most part but I still think I could I could do that a little better
Um and then you know like I said you know I talked to Dr atella um a decent amount and he’s been he’s been great for me um so talking to him and just you know having some of his key phrases or words um in my head um here and there um
He’s been a he’s been a big help to me and um he keeps it really simple and in front of me and I like you know sometimes we sometimes I know what he’s going to say I just want to talk to him I feel better hopping off you know
Getting off the phone um when I talk to him and you know he tells stories that are kind of simple and put it right in front of you and um you know puts it in a way that I maybe didn’t think about but you know is is very simple you know
A lot of times I’m like yeah I didn’t really you know he explained something I’m like yeah you know I didn’t really think about it that way um but that makes a lot of sense so um just getting a little n you know some nuggets here and here and there from him obviously
He’s worked with some of the best of the best with all all sports so um when I do feel like I’m not you know in that good spot on the golf course um talking to him usually usually helps me and kind of locks me back in well you were just
Mentioning a you’re going into the office right and out of the office right um for you you hit your second shot and and now you know you got 20 feet for birdie when you have to go back into the office and think about that putt like like from the moment you’re approaching
The green to you’ve executed the putt like what are what’s going through Denny’s uh process yeah for the most part you know we’ve played these places enough if I hit it to 20 feet and I can see the ball I I I know what the putts going to do pretty much already before
We’ve even gotten up there um you know exactly how much it’s going to break right to left uh you know say say it’s 20 feet and I know it’s going to be a downhill right to left you’re breaking about a foot that might that might
Change you know that might be a foot and a half it might be half a foot but I know it’s going to be a downhill right to left or something and then from there it’s it’s like I know what it’s going to do so I’m prepared so I can it’s not
Like I need to think about this downhill right to left 20f footer that I’m about to have um but you know I know I know what this putt does so I already I’m already prepared for it walking up to the green um so I think that that that
Helps when you like when you played all these places and you know the putts you’re going to have that way you’re prepared going into it you’re not like oh man this this this putt really swoops a lot left to right like yeah you you should know that for the most part maybe
Might be hard for for rookies to like totally know the lay of the land but you know this my like you said this my seventh year I know these I know the greens pretty well by now I’ve had enough tournament rounds on these places where I know what most putts are going
To do um and then from there it’s just kind of being an artist picking a spot that makes the most s sense to me between me and the hole sometimes it’s closer to me sometimes it’s closer to the hole but anything that stands out that I can kind of use as my aiming
Point is kind of how I like to think of it um and then from there it’s just point and shoot trying and uh try and be as clear as possible on how you’re trying to hit the putt um and point and shoot just like just like
Kind of shooting a basketball um so when I’m putting my best that’s kind of that’s literally what I’m doing I’m picking a spot I’m not overthinking it and I’m just rolling it near that spot basically at that spot high of that spot low of that spot um I try and I try and
Make it as reactionary as possible um and what I mean by that is like you know I’m GNA just this is what I’ve done I’m committing to hitting this putt at this at this ball marker or at this light colored spot that stands out to me and that’s similar to how I you
Know shooting a basketball like I don’t second get like I don’t second guess myself on oh oh I missed that one to the left was my elbow no I just react to it and you know I know what to do for the the ne like I I don’t think I don’t
Overanalyze how I missed that three-pointer you know I just keep shooting um and that’s kind of how I try and be with putting also yeah I love uh you obviously you played basketball through high school so a lot of lot of passion for that too um
Bust up just clear up and bust up some bad putting advice that we hear out there buzzword that are like oh come on that actually doesn’t you know what was your kind of approach when you hear bad advice like what like what are some isms that that we need to like not listen
To um you don’t I I don’t that’s a good question um you you can put so many different ways like I can stand wide open and take it back you know all Jagged but if my face comes through Square every time that that’s all that matters um obviously
It’s going to be more difficult to match it up if you’re taking it back all squat you know whatever all all goofy uh right but I don’t know to me um it’s all it’s all hand eye coordination and feel and and um like if you were just to take a ball and and
Roll it you know with your hand if you just if you just roll it um you’re not going to like you’re not going to put any weird spin on it like I I try and feel like I am basically hitting like a baby Top Spin forehand in like tennis or
Ping pong with it so like that gets the ball that picks the ball up and gets it rolling I don’t want to I don’t it’s not like I’m hitting a slic backhand um like I don’t want the ball to launch up with backspin um it will actually kind of
Launch up up off the ground um but I’m trying to feel I’m not like you know I’m not holding the Putter and like whipping my right hand at it it’s it’s a little feel in in the right in the right hand um but I feel like I’m kind of I’m I’m
Nice and connected um I try and kind of feel locked in engaged with my core almost um and I’m I’m really just trying to I’m really just trying to swing it and get the ball to roll like a tight baby draw basically little little Top Spin forehand um and that’s that’s the
As as really as mechanical as as I’ll get I like I like my lines pretty Square because it’s it’s easier to hit your line your body um the putter naturally wants to swing down your body line um in my opinion um and you know the guys at the
Scotty Studio I’ve gone to the Scotty studio and they’re and they’re big on that and they’ve they’ve helped me some um so being more open with your stance you you can you can putt Ju Just Fine that way um I I try and be pretty square
And I try and hit a little baby Top Spin forehand it might not be for everybody for me it works um like I said it doesn’t need to be you don’t need to be too mechanical I try and get out of being too perfect with what my stroke
Looks like how it Strokes because my stroke’s not perfect by any means um but I I know how to get the ball in the hole I I I know how I I see the greens well and I I pick out spots well and I’m I’m good at being an artist instead of
Making it a you know making it a science um so try and keep it as simple as possible like I said point and shoot as reactionary as possible pick a spot Let it Fly um once you hit it there’s nothing you can do about it afterwards
So make sure you commit to it going into it for sure for sure um you said that you really try to engage with your core right as well like what H how do we do that like H how do we get that feel yeah so if you just if you you’re about to
Hit a putt your Putter’s down on the ground basically lift it up off the ground hover it behind the ball a little bit metal not natur basically keep everything engaged so if you were to stand there with the club and you put it down behind the ball you
Can still engage with it on the ground for sure but to help get the feel if you just lift it up off the ground and hold it still that’ll that’ll naturally just engage everything a little bit um so that’s that’s a good way to um it’s a
Good way to kind of keep everything like locked in engaged um everything else is kind of solid and tight and then I try and feel like my arms hands shoulders are are loose so while everything else is locked in um I’m able to just then just swing my arms and arms and
Shoulders basically um so it kind of you know I don’t want I don’t want my I don’t want my arms I don’t want my arms super tight and locked in I want them I want them to have some some freedom to move and rotate
Um but it helps for me at least to feel like everything else is locked down and then I can just kind of Swing Swing that nice and nice and gently um and it still feels very free I I don’t want to I don’t mean like hunker down and be like
Totally locked in you you you’ll know if if you guys are whoever’s listening to this um when when they when you come out with this um I’m sure you’re going to try it too when when we when we hop off just just you get down it’s just a light
Sensation of once you hover the putter you’ll feel everything kind of like engage a little bit and then just hover the Putter and keep it hovered and just make a stroke with it Ricky Fowler actually used used to do that he used to hover the Putter and that’s what his
That’s what he was doing when he was he went through a stage um when he was hovering the Putter and that’s what he was trying to do basically when when he was hovering the putter he was trying to get everything like really engaged and then he just swung he just swung very
Lightly gently um and he’s a great putter so yeah um yeah that’s uh it’s a it’s a it’s a good little uh I it’s a good little check reset for me to kind of come back to every now and then for sure um so yeah yeah man um real quickly
Speaking of Ricky uh I know you guys see each other all the time medalist down there you in the same area um what’s your favorite what’s a favorite story with him from over the years um you know during covid I played with him and JT and tiger I kind of crashed
Their group one day um I had been playing and those guys took a couple weeks off um but I had been playing because I was bored and golf was like one of the only things you could do um so I was just up there one day kind of
Tired I worked out that morning I was just up there practicing I didn’t most days I had games lined up I just showed up there one day with no game lined up and JT and Ricky said that they were gonna go play and I was like okay I’ll
Come I’ll play a couple holes with you guys and then start hitting a few balls on the Range and Tiger shows up and puts his bag down and then I’m starting to put two and two together that they’re playing with we’re playing with tiger um
And all of a sudden I went from being like really tired and lethargic and to like like I’m like wired like like really really wired I I become really nervous all of a sudden I’ve got so much adrenaline um and we didn’t really play a game that day they those
Guys hadn’t been playing but tiger with tiger had been playing we all kind of just rode our own cart and you know played 18 holes in two two and a half hours um just a quick easy round but um that was a pretty cool story I’ve played
A couple practice rounds with Ricky here and there he’s he’s great um he’s he’s brought me out to I don’t I actually don’t play at medalist anymore but I’ve seen him out there um the times I have played since I left um and he’s brought
Me out to Grove 23 Jordan’s place a time or two and um he’s he’s very nice he’s just a normal dude likes to have fun likes to play golf um very easy to talk to so he’s uh he’s a good dude and Denny lastly um last question how hungry are
You to get that first PJ tour win like how how how much um you know does that fire you up yeah I I I I want it really bad um you know I want to I want to win I mean I feel like if I you know if I
You know when I get that first win I feel like I can start knocking them off and get more comfortable in that situation it’s just it’s hard to do it that first time um so if I just keep doing what I’m doing um stay patient I
You know there’s I I I don’t want to get to a point where I where I want it too bad where it it frustrates me um it’s just got to let it I gotta let it come to me I mean I I I there’s a fine line
Of letting it come to me and going out and getting it um I want to try and be patient um but if I keep doing the things that I’m doing I know I’m I know I’m getting better um if I just keep trying to get better um I’m going to put
Myself in that in that situation to win to win tournaments you know eventually I’ll knock the door down and and get one here soon good stuff Danny hey appreciate the time thanks for jumping on the Pod and good luck uh with young marriage and and this year coming up I appreciate it
Thanks for having me on Garrett
