Akshay Bhatia joined “The Wagyu Filet Show” to talk about his career thus far in golf including getting his temporary membership on Tour last season, his shot-shaping ability, decision to skip college, outside interests and how he slid into his now fiancé’s DM’s. All of that and more with Johnson Wagner & Brendon de Jonge.
Hello and welcome into the wagu filt show Johnson Wagner here with Brendan dong bryndan we got a special one tonight yeah I’m pretty excited about this one wag I’m glad I don’t have to look at you for the whole show this this is gonna be a lot of fun uh we are proud
To have the 2023 Barracuda championship winner OA batia joining us on the show I think this is only a grip it’s only my sole connection to this it’s only in my hands on every single shot it’s an extra 2 yards of carry when it matters Most yeah only a grip mine are only Golf Pride respect the grip OE there are so many places that we could start this thing but for me as someone who’s known you for a little while I’ve just got one question early that I want to know I’ve
I’ve I’ve heard stories about it um secondhand I’ve read articles about it you’ve just gotten engaged in September to the lovely Presley schz um I would like to hear in your own words about how yall met all right well that’s a hard- hidden question there not even about golf man uh yeah so
We um we actually met uh over the internet I feel like that’s kind of the normal nowadays in this Century but but I just you know scrolling through Tik Tok and saw her and thought she was really pretty so ended up dming her on Instagram and then she actually didn’t
Text me for about two weeks two three weeks so I just waiting you know I thought my chances were were gone and then uh ended up meeting up the Valero Texas open she was going to school in Texas um and then from there you know we
Met a couple weeks later at in New Orleans she got used to the tour life very fast um but then after that you know we just traveled a lot and then she met my family at the US Open I believe and then I met her family eventually
That year and within a year we were living together and and traveling the world so it’s pretty pretty crazy you know that’s not where I want to go I want to talk about the 2022 I’m gonna read this the Bahamas Great Exuma classic at Sandals Emerald Bay you won
That golf tournament and I I thought the story kind of originated around in yeah I guess that’s kind of when um I don’t know our story became more relevant um it funny you know my caddy I had four starts to start that year on the corn fairy tour uh with the status I
Had and um my cadd got Co the week before it was really unfortunate but she was you know coming anyways um to the Bahamas I was like oh just come caddy like we just have a good time have fun she had no idea what she was doing you
Know she’s just getting straight into this straight into this world of of catting in a professional tournament let alone a you know corn fairy Tour event um but anyway we get there and we’re staying at this crappie Hotel it’s like 20 minutes away you’re taking you’re taking these like probably
1960 you know bus to the to the golf course and um one of the Corn fery media uh people she’s like hey can we do a story on you guys you know we’re looking for for for couples uh kind of promote sandals and anyway we ended up doing
Like a little like uh one whole walk and talk and you know I hit a couple shots we talked about our story and then the the manager there was was like you know if there’s anything we can do let us know and um ended up getting a free room
At Sandals uh like it was perfect you know all inclusive right on the beach we got like a a really nice sweet and it was just weird because everything started to align so fast and uh I think the perspective of her being there and just kind of having fun and being in the
Bahamas you know as teenagers it was pretty cool and ended up winning that golf tournament so first time she ever caded first corn fairy event um as a member you know win the golf tournament it was just like what the heck just happened you know and it’s just the
Coolest one of the coolest memories for me because the next week we’re we’re going going to a different island in the Bahamas and we’re getting on this Charter plane and just being like the guy on that plane of like congrats congrats you’re the man or whatever it
Is it was like so cool and and uh Presley posted a Tik Tok when we were on the plane and it got like over 300,000 views or something so it’s crazy our story just kind of bursted so fast uh New York Times and you know locally
Every everywhere it was uh it was cool that that’s pretty awesome bryndan has a story from the Exuma classic in 2017 not quite the same as sliding into someone’s dmms but Brenan do you recall your 2017 down there at Exuma uh yeah I actually do um my wife
Decided she was going to do the same thing the similarities here oxay are endless she decided she was gonna come caddy for me as well we rode those heinous buses that you’re talking about from the hotel I didn’t quite get the upgrade you did but I did did make this
Actionpack pressure packed six-footer to break 90 in the first round um the best part about that was that I wasn’t the high man in the group some other clown shot 92 I think so I did have him beat but uh I think that might be the hottest golf course in the entire
World or it was that day uh we just we had some miserable weather but enough about me this is H thanks Wags for throwing me under the bus on that one anyway um all right say listen I’ve a I’m a big fan and I don’t mean that in
Any weird creepy way I uh I love the way you play golf I really do I love the fact that you are so willing to stand up there shape it both ways you seem comfortable moving it left or right right to left um tell me is is this the
Way you’ve always played is this that you’ve always seen shots that way um I think the more and more I’ve worked with my my coach that I’ve worked for five six years now Chase Duncan uh it’s kind of really excelled more like the the true feel I have the
Understanding of like what you know what it takes to hit certain golf shots but growing up as a kid like I used to mimic everyone’s golf swing Fred Couples Phil Bubba Watson uh Luke Donald like all these guys you know different finishes and different whatever I it’s just a kid
Messing around right and I think um I’ve always kind of learned to hit you know shape shots and everything but once I I truly started working with my coach you know back home it just for whatever reason we simplified it so easily um and now it’s like on tour there’s there’s so
Many so many things that you have to do correctly and you have to miss it in the right spot every time if you want to be in contention and for me if I’m you know onedimensional hitting one shot I just I don’t know I can’t do it um and like I’m
Terrible at for a stock shot right I can’t I have no face control doing it like if you told me to hit a stock seven iron just full finish everything I have no idea where the face is uh which is weird you know but like it I had so many
Knockdown shots and different flights open the face close the face um I’m just really comfortable you know hitting two clubs more or whatever it may be and uh I think it it benefits a lot especially on tour golf courses when the greens get firmer or you know you got a
Ton of wind I just I think I can perform more uh under those circumstances that was kind of my followup before you said at the wind like you look at the places you played really well at Puerto Rico Mexico openet Vidant andne sneaky trucky where you
Want at to Barracuda that is a sneaky afternoon windy place so that obviously the ability to do that and it seems like we play and wind on tour every single week yeah now we do I mean there’s plenty of places where you you can get some crazy Gus I
Mean um I think that’s why I played so well in the Bahamas when I won is like it blows so hard yeah I mean not to the extent where you’re not breaking 90 but it does blow so hard off that ocean and and having ball control and hitting it
Solid is so important um but I remember telling my coach that week like I’m it’s I was like it just feels easy to me you know if it’s the left to right wind I’m open in the face a CRP ton and if it’s the opposite I’m shut in the face of
Crap ton like it was just so simple to me and um yeah I don’t know it’s just anytime I get in that wind I feel like I have that little advantage of of knowing my start lines knowing how much it it’s going to curve versus uh riding the wind as much you
Know you don’t know how much it’s going to get hit in that second third um and I actually realized you know last week my coach was out there at at the cognizant and I was hitting a lot more shots riding the wind and my distance control
Is terrible um that whole week and he kind of noticed that he’s like you know that used to be a really big strength of yours and I feel like you’re starting to do what other guys are doing and that really clicked with me like okay yeah
He’s right you I’m starting to hit more these basic shots that are ending up 35 ft versus hitting two clubs more and and hitting it to 10 feet so it’s uh it’s fun playing that way though you know it’s it’s fun when you get it going and
You’re seeing everything you know do the right stuff I want to talk about putting a little bit AE as long as I’ve known you you’ve kind of gone from an arm lock to a broomstick this season seems to be a little more broomstick or all broomstick and your putting stats are really
Showing some improvement based on compared to last season but the real question I have is how old were you when you went away from conventional Style putting and and why yeah I um I mean I’ve gone through many phases even through my pro career of of using a
Regular putter um but you know right when I turned Pro uh let’s see was 2019 I was I remember this but I was playing us Jr and I don’t know if it was the expectations or like whatever it may have been um about to turn pro like I
Started to feel a little uneasy over the putter like feelings that I’ve never really had um and going into my pro career you know I thought it it’d go away it’d go away it’d be fine it’d be fine but it all stuck around like
I I never have I don’t it’s not The Yips right but it is it’s more like um a lot more self- pressure I put on myself to like make these putts or or how you know try and fight the feelings that I have um so I did that for my
First seven starts when I turned Pro Miss every cut and then ended up Co happening and it was like obviously a terrible terrible thing for the world but one of the best things that happened to me I could sit back relax really work on my golf swing um and then I I don’t
Really know what drew me to switch an arm lock but I gave it a try I remember getting it and just going to this Monday qualifier and I just it felt so solid like this felt like I used to you know I used to be a really good Putter and I
Believe I I have it in me it’s just kind of getting out of my own way but I remember that that qualifier is in Colorado and I made like a 35-footer on the first sole with arm loock Putter and I was like this is great um and then
Ended up you know finishing top 10 in my first uh and making my first cut on tour um but fast forward you know I’ve gone back and forth with arm loock and conventional Putter and then you know I obviously won Barracuda I had one really good putting day
Um and but it was just never consistent like I was always losing Strokes on the greens and my ball strike I was top 30 on tour um but you know I hired a new putting coach kind of throughout that year and then we had a conversation about you
Know broomstick and then I think the validation of Lucas Glover doing what he did was kind of like okay it I mean this guy struggled forever right and now he’s won two tournaments beating all these great players uh just like that and look at the confidence he had so I played
With him in Cabo and he rolled it great and then I’ve play with him Adam Scott and and Bermuda makes everything and I’m like oh my gosh man like what the heck I can’t you know if I could put decent I’m gonna win a golf tournament and then I go and
Play RSM play the first round in the first two rounds I’m playing with seu Kim is using a broomstick and I remember we had a rain delay and after the first round so we come back we finish the next couple holes we have 20 minutes till our tea
Time and I had a broomstick made up I said screw it I told my C I said go get that broomstick like if I miss this cut whatever I just want to see how this feels and I’ve never felt so comfortable again um just over you know tapping in
Putts or hitting three Footers like it was amazing and I didn’t play that great but it was still like okay this could really work but then offseason I was stressing myself out uh that dece this December past December you know I’ve putted so you know just done so many great things
With arm loock going into this year it’s like the unknown of how this broomstick is going to really perform and you know just a little indecisive um we had like two two or three phone calls as my team and you know it was still obviously up to me but
I was like man I really want to use this arm lock and just have the broomstick in the back in my back pocket um but then Odyssey made me the kind of Ricky Fowler Jailbird putter and a broomstick and I set that thing up and I was like this is
It uh so yeah showed up this year and you know I I wrote down some goals which I never do and my goal is to use this putter for at least uh a full season six months to a full season and I remember going into sentury being okay with finishing dead
Last in that tournament it’s like all I cared about is how’s this how’s this putter going to feel and how can I improve you know for for future weeks so it’s been that’s a tough mindset to convince yourself but uh you uh you look good you do you look really comfortable
With that broomstick already a tough place to go play that’s a tough place to go putt with a broomstick Cala giant greens high winds grainy conditions and what you fin you were top 15 13th or 14th so I mean that’s a good first start with it yeah I mean I just I remember
You know playing uh the third round I played with saah and Jordan and you know after that was I’ve shot seven or eight under in the final group of uh you know one of the best fields of the year uh signature event a freaking you know it’s just like
I didn’t it’s almost like a this kid doesn’t really belong like this should have been uh Scotty sheffler or or Jordan or whatever who whoever in that final group but it was I you know I was there and I remember after the round Jordan being like this kid just made
Everything and hearing that from him you know is something that you know you’re doing something right but yeah it is it has been uh it’s been a great change uh there’s been a lot of times where I’m like how am I going to hit this putt and I just you
Know ends up just going close to the hole or touching the hole and I’m hitting so many more good just better Strokes more confident and I’m I’m looking forward to the rest of season because that’s one of my goals being top 20 top 30 putter on tour
So all right I want to Pivot take you way back to when you were a young boy or a younger boy because you’re still a young boy but uh all right you decided young man young man young man uh you decided real early on that college
Wasn’t for you I think as an eighth grader yeah you you you weren’t enjoying school didn’t didn’t want to go to college how did that conversation go with your dad dad was I mean that was the whole reason I’m I’m here today right uh my
Dad had no problem with it he he saw the potential he did a lot of things differently uh played you know I played US Open locals when I was a 11 years old Monday qualifiers when I was 12 13 14 I mean I played so many Monday qualifiers
When I was like from 14 all the way up to 1617 so he was preparing me for it you know this is kind of a version of The Grind I played mini tour events when I was a kid um the conversation was great my mom you know was very hesitant being our
Nationality as well it’s like all about school and all about you know doing the like correct thing right um but all in all they they had the support and you know it was great my dad he he’ll never admit about crying about anything but I think you know when
I was in Puerto Rico last year and I got my tour card I have a picture of him crying and he won’t never admit it but it’s just you know he knew that everything he did worked out so I uh you know he’s a man I was crying that day too OE that
Was that was one of the sickest performances I’ve ever seen But I want to I want to go I want to go back a little bit to col the college thing do do you ever feel like you missed anything by not going to college like playing on a team and anything like
That um I don’t know I don’t think I necessarily I don’t I never pictured myself doing it I think the the social the social life and probably you know was a bummer uh especially out here you know there’s kind of their the clicks here of like the Jordans and the jts of
Having their kind of class you know all together all a share in a house and then you have you know so many guys that went to the same school like Georgia Tech and Clemson and UNC like all those guys all hang out all the time and for me being
You know young out here for one but also not going to school and not having much in common about talking about football or or whatever it may be it is it’s definitely uh a lot different you know on the PJ tour versus corn fry tour
Um but you know I’m I’m happy to be out here I’ve can’t believe it’s been five years as a professional golfer and I’ve probably played 50 60 tour events now which is crazy uh but it’s um it’s one thing I probably missed out on was just the social kind of atmosphere
Well I had Brendan and I were teammates at Virginia Tech and uh I don’t know that you missed out on much Brenan was more of a bad influence than anything we’ll leave those stories for another day all right so AA Porto Rico last year um I had the pleasure of walking with
You a couple days Sunday was ridiculous one of the best back nines I’ve ever seen um I found myself I was walking for Golf Channel and I found myself just cheering for you and getting so fired up in tears after the round you get your temporary membership with that solo
Second in Puerto Rico play pretty good A couple more events and then you have the fourth place finish I believe in Mexico you’re kind of on fire had nice finish again at at barbasol you’re pretty much sitting pretty for keeping your 125 and you go into Barracuda and have another
Epic back nine to win that golf tournament and I’m not sure if everybody knows this story but since you weren’t a full member of the PGA tour at the time you were a temporary member and those barbasol and Barracuda are co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour you didn’t get
Your points I was on the call in Barracuda and when you finished I said and with that win he’s going to move up into 55th 56 in the FedEx Cup I’m just like I got chills thinking about it right now because I was so excited for
You when did you learn that you weren’t gonna get those points and which which is [ __ ] by the way it is absolute [ __ ] complete [ __ ] I think all three of us agree with that but when did you learn you didn’t get those points and and I mean obviously it made you feel like
I’m not going to cuss but it had to make you feel terrible and I remember seeing you after that so like to walk us through that yeah I think uh so much happened you know from that Puerto Rico to to winning a Tour event um but you know won the golf
Tournament we go inside uh they have like a little party for us and and you know my agent he goes you know I got some bad news and uh um you know I just came out from like signing a bunch of flags he’s like you know you’re not going to get your points
For winning and he’s like I’m trying everything to figure it out like you know is this actual facts like where where is the say in the rule book and and it was really hard you know it’s um it was uh it was tough because it’s
Such a you know I just won a golf tournament I remember posting on my I still have it uh but posting the the picture on my Instagram of the win and it says like in the top corner like plus 300 points you know to 51st in the FedEx Cup
And and all these things and I’m just like man you know this and obviously we didn’t know too much about how this this season was going to pan out obviously we knew the elevators were going to stay but it it went from I’m going to be in
The playoffs and I have the opportunity to take a couple weeks off to okay now I got to go try and finish second again to get into these playoffs and it was really important to me to get in those playoffs because you know three events with world ranking points money uh no
Cuts um and then obviously getting into the elevated events there was just so much that could have really changed my season this year um and you know there’s always an outside chance I get that TOUR Championship or whatever it may be and then you’re talking potentially Ryder Cup uh very outside
Chance very unlikely you know but it’s still possible with you know three four events left and instead I’m I missed the cut at Windom and I’m like man this sucks like right away I was like I want to go play a DP world event you know
Right after I finish um coming off like six seven weeks in a row and it it sucks I remember having a bunch of conversations with the tour at Windam no one had answers you know it was just a lot of BS uh to be honest
And it just uh you know I’m still pissed off till this day because I’m not in Arnold Palmer this week I wasn’t in Pebble where I played great uh Genesis and La where I grew up in California I mean there’s all these events I’m missing out
On um and what I love to go to Puerto Rico sure but you know it just the travel doesn’t make sense and now you know is even writing in for sponsor invites doesn’t even seem likely that anyone outside of you know I just there’s a lot of
Politics that that are going into some of these these starts I believe and there’s nothing I can do you know all I can do is play good golf and hopefully my my face and my name kind of shows to these tournament directors but it uh it
Sucks for sure Wags I remember having a conversation with you about that you were absolutely Furious it’s the point like look ae’s young he’s talented he plays with Flare uh he’s got style actually my whole point when I was talking with people the tour was that you guys he’s already a temporary member
This is the guy you want playing in the playoffs and it it I’m still infuriated by it AE but I will tell you one thing it it’s happened it’s over it is you’re going to be in all those events for the rest of your career and you just have to
Have the right mindset about it you’re headed to a huge event next next week for the first time the PLAYERS Championship so keep your head up and and just go take what’s yours because you you have all that all right yeah no I you gotta be optimistic obviously
Um but yeah I think I think what was the hardest thing is if I was maybe a DP player or I had you know a if if I didn’t play so many events on the tour I wasn’t a special temporary special temporary member of the PGA Tour I think
Yeah it makes a lot more sense but the rule of it was for WGC events not it never says co-sanctioned um and you know the tour has a lot of power they could have done they could have handled it differently I think uh a little more remorse or guaranteeing me
At least one start in one of these elevated I played great at Pebble a couple years ago and you know did everything I could uh to get into that event and had no chance so it’s all good I mean I’ll uh I’ll climb my way there so on a on a
Positive note from the win because it was your first PGA Tour win first of many I believe uh hopefully you do as well I know Brendan does tell us a little bit about the celebration did you did you get to go enjoy yourself anywhere special after that win yeah
We yeah being 21 uh being about 30 minute 30 minute flight to Vegas we ah good man we went to Vegas uh spent a couple days there um and it was funny we flew Southwest we’re trying you know I don’t ever spoil myself or anything but
We were trying to get a private jet straight to Vegas we obviously couldn’t get it in time but we go to this air we go to the Reno Airport we’re flying Southwest it was like a $70 flight no one’s on the plane so it’s pretty much our private you know only private plane
To ourselves uh just you know 1% of the price um but yeah it was awesome I mean we we had a great time in Vegas and and it was awesome being able to go home and then just go straight to Windom where you know it’s a CLE an hour drive
Or so where did you stay in Vegas we stayed at some Marriott it wasn’t on it was on the shrip but it wasn’t you know we didn’t go to any we visited a lot of the the nice hotels I’ll say that but well that’s where hotels like the Marriott that’s where
Brendan used to say we tore up that Weston just off strip a few times there for oh man I love I love that place I remember gambling at the same table from 7 o’clock one night until 4 o’clock the next afternoon and finally The Pit Boss
Said I’m giving you a ride home where are you stay yeah no it’s crazy I did not yeah I did not sleep at all and I remember you know we were we were playing some games and all I know I don’t know what time we started out we landed probably 10:00 we
Probably started playing around 12 and you know my cousin and I are playing can’t obviously we’re not on our phones and we walk outside it’s probably 78 a.m. it’s light outside people are jogging and I’m like what the heck is going on was that your first trip to Vegas no
I mean now I’ve played Shriners before but first time you know being old enough to like be in those hotels and everything so and not having to work yeah it was pretty cool it pretty cool all right let’s have let’s have a little fun let’s take it away from golf
For a second I want to talk about off course I know you have two dogs uh word on the street is you’re a big car guy uh and you know if you were to win the FedEx Cup tomorrow and could go buy any car any year any any car you want what
Is Your Bucket List vehicle ah man I mean how much is a FedEx 20 million you can afford any car you want I mean I would it’s hard to say I’d probably buy a couple you know I’d buy like a Rolls-Royce coling in which is the
SUV and deck that out and then probably get like a super sick you know Ferrari or I don’t know if maybe a Lamborghini it’s just anything exotic right I was I played the seminol pro member um this past week and I saw Rory pull up in a
You know $4 $500,000 Ferrari it was so sick right and I was in the locker room and talking to him and I was like you big in cars and he um he’s like yeah you know he’s like I pretty much had everything under the sun he’s had like a
Law Ferrari which is like you know a couple million and he just I mean I was like that is sick like that’s the that’s who I want to be having sick cars and he’s like you know it’s just like when I was in my 20s that was my thing but now
It’s you know have a nice car and then a big SUV for the kids and you know this week I’m I pull up to seminol in a in a Chrysler minivan parked that valet I’m like but yeah I don’t know just anything sick come on Wags I’m sure you got some
More hard-hitting questions I I do I I got one I want to have a little fun with this like look you it’s pretty clear as you take your hat off your hair game is strong to quite strong like what are I know you’ve worn VI ERS in the past
You’ve worn hats you look great in a backwards hat probably look good like uh with no hat what was the old European tour guy’s name that never wore a hat uh you could put some flow in there like Brendan’s only got one possible style of haircut and that
Is so like what are we gonna see anything interesting out of the flow long short yeah I don’t know I I’ve I’ve wanted to cut it pressley’s she likes long hair it’s kind of my style uh so I just keep it um Hawaii I got a haircut it was more like
A mullet um so I just keep it going I mean my head’s really small too so I wear you know I wear kids hats I wear Junior fit hats even with my long hair they still barely fit me so I got to keep it love it love the long hair I’m
Jealous of it too I’m starting to go a little bald but I got more than Brennon yeah you do but it’s it’s trending that uh that Peak is growing there is trending all right o we’ve all played professional golf for long enough now and we all have that one question that
We hate what is it out of like a proam playing partner yeah um gosh I don’t one question I would hate that you get all the time that pisses you off uh you know it’s probably not for you guys necessarily but for me it’s like I hate when I get asked what my
Weight is I get that all the time I get the same thing you know it’s like what do you weigh and I’m like I don’t know what do you weigh you know what I mean but I would I would say you know either that or like you tell them a putting tip
Or something and then it’s just like they don’t even it’s like one year out the other brenon what’s your least favorite question you get all the time for such a big guy why do you hit the ball so short that’s classic I bet you that more and
More these days too yeah I am and yours swags there’s got to be something good uh the one that it’s like no matter if I’m doing a speaking engagement or playing in a pram they always ask who are the biggest dicks on tour and I can’t stand that question I’ve got
A couple standard responses uh but I I I hate that question yeah yeah that one that one’s good yeah all right um this is your first full season on the PGA tour uh I like to know I know you’ve played some West Coast events before played a US Open at
Tory I believe you’ve played Pebble but like what are some highlights for you early on this season on the PJ tour as a winner and as a full-time member first season I mean obviously Sentry was kind of a awesome awesome experience right you watch that that’s one tournament
I’ve watched every time growing up um and being there being on that Golf Course course and then playing with Jordan uh being that final group on Sunday it just like every you know everything was like wow like the year’s already here um kind of kind of thing
And um that was an awesome event I think Farmers is one of the one of the best events we ever play uh the fans there the golf course how hard it is like it really is a true test um being there and then I think I think waste outside the
Weather the weather was so bad but being out there is kind of that’s that’s where I like to be you know that’s that’s my thing we just we started doing YouTube you know a couple months ago and and having that video come out was uh was fun just interacting with the crowd and
And it’s just a it’s a zoo I mean we watched so many people slip and fall that week it was hilarious um but it’s been it’s been you know a lot of there’s just so many things to look forward to uh players obviously I haven’t played there since 2017 or 18 um
I’m looking forward to getting out there obviously anytime we get to play in kind of a golf Community I think is is really cool um brings everyone together you’re playing against the best players in the world um and I’m looking forward to to kind of the whole season you know it
Seems like it’s going so fast you know by the time we look at the schedule it’s like Summer’s almost here so there’s there’s a lot to to look forward to and start of the year it’s been it’s been nice it’s been lot a lot of consistencies and and you know a couple
Miscuts here and there but um I’m looking forward to to the next couple weeks uh I’m gonna give you a statement tell me if this is correct you are a notoriously hard worker but you are really good at leaving golf swing on the Range and playing golf when you get out
There yeah factual I it’s weird I when I get on the golf course I I don’t think about anything other than literally like opening the face shutting the face um just how do I get the ball from A to B but you know when my coach is around
There’s there’s a lot of things I want to improve in my golf swing and and I think a couple shots that I can get better at but once you know even when I’m on the Range and he’s not there I don’t ever think about golf swing it’s
More you know doing a lot of track man tests uh just going through my routine and then going out so that’s nice to be a hard worker Brendan in college when coach would used to put one of those big buckets of balls down then he’d ride off up the hill and
Coach would say you guys can leave when that big bucket’s gone uh as soon as coach was out of sight Brena would take that bucket throw it out onto the range and look at me and say Johnson you’re my ride hurry up and throw your balls out
There too so you can get out of here that’s you should have seen damn range that we were Hitting off it was a I mean it was a waste of time the the we had the yellow cracked Pinnacle range balls the best that’s that’s terrible all right so you
Touch we touched on the players a couple times next week your first time there at the Players Championship you just mentioned that you hadn’t been there since 17 or 18 what are your previous experiences around TPC Saw Grass uh I played Junior players there ajja event lost in the playoff which you
Know is it cool it’s cool being there um being in that locker room you know we had the same locker room and um you know back when I was a kid playing ajja like the invitationals junior players as example they had like the tour trucks
Out there for us so it really felt like a a cool experience but I remember that first round I was six under bogey free leading the golf tournament by probably three or four and I step on 18 I dunk it in the water make double and for whatever reason
Struggling with my driver that week but I remember in that playoff I I hit just two iron as far right as I I could just to keep it out of the water and you know ended up losing that in a playoff but it’s it’s a great Golf Course for I feel
Like for for me as a lefty and it’s so awkward um with some of those t- shots and the greens are really tricky uh but I’m looking forward to it I mean uh part of me wishes we still played it in May I remember just seeing you know Carnage with the burn burnout
Greens and the fairways being super fast and firm but I think as a you know as a fan you always watch that tournament everyone calls it the fifth major and um I don’t know how many people have won it in their rookie appearance but it’s you know something that I’m looking forward
To have an opportunity to do well it’s got to be a good course fit to you I mean we talked at length about how you can move the ball both ways and I think that’s the beauty of that Golf Course is that you have to be able to turn the
Ball both ways off the te and then a lot of the holes you have to fade it off the te and then you have to draw it into the green or vice versa and your ability to shot shape would have to think that that it would be a great great venue for you
Yeah no it’s uh it’s kind of it’s kind of fun it takes you out of your your comfort zone of hitting many different shots and um yeah I’m really looking forward to it and also getting those feelings on 17 and you know you could play it in your head so many times about
Being in contention what that’s going to feel like and trying to hit that 18th t- shot but it’s something that I’m really looking forward to just playing again uh competitively right on Brenan you got anything else big guy no man I this has
Been a lot of fun I uh I Lov getting to know you a little bit more and you know what I I second what Johnson said there I think that Golf Course is tailor made for your game um we will be watching very very closely yeah you’re the man I
Look forward to seeing you I’ll be on the ground at the Players myself so I’ll come have to have to say hello and cannot thank you enough for coming on with us today I appreciate it I got I got one question for Brendan what what was it Quail Hollow didn’t you you shot
Like 80 something then 62 to make the cut I did I shot 8062 and then I played with Mickelson on Saturday and we’re walking down number three and he looks at me he’s like what’ you shoot yesterday so I told him 62 he doesn’t say good round or anything Phil was nine
Under through 11 and I could tell all he wanted to do was beat 62 he missed a bunch of putts coming in but it was the best round I’d ever seen but yeah it was 8062 that I there something I always remember for whatever reason I think that’s probably the like the best
Comeback from dead last to making a cut right on tour has to be I think it could be yeah I uh I finished it nicely I think I finished six that week but uh it was it was it was a fun week I mean I shot 80 I’m standing there by the
Barbecue we’re having a bride my parents are over and I had probably 10 12 Beers not expecting any any chance of playing the weekend wake up early and cheat 62 it’s just it’s a stupid game oh man that’s amazing anyway how to ask that how to ask that’s that’s a great
Question the next question you need to ask is how many times have you won on the PGA tour Brendon uh the same amount of tour championships you made wag oh snap all right this could this could go on for a while AE best of luck man you’re the best thanks for coming on
With us yeah thanks boys enjoyed it keep it going enjoyed it thank you well Brendan that was certainly special having oay on I I you know hard for me to become a bigger fan of his but uh I think I just did oh I couldn’t agree
More Wags like I I didn’t know much about axay going into this that that was fun um you know I I’d heard that once you get him talking and once you get him into into it he’s a lot of fun to be around I mean that that really was
Awesome yeah there’s big big things coming for him I think uh I think multiple wins getting a little confidence in himself and and and going ahead and you know finishing off this year and uh you know putting putting the stuff behind him I just I just think
He’s got the brightest future and it’s hard to believe I think he’s just about to turn 22 here soon and I tell you what he’s got a quality that a lot of the younger kids don’t have you know we’ve got seen all these guys that have grown
Up on trackman that have learned to optimize everything we heard him talking about it that once he gets out there he’s just playing golf and this guy hits all kinds of shots he’ll he’ll tee drivers way down and hit these kind of squeeze FAS then the next hole he’s
Going to t one way up and hit this big high draw and I tell you what it’s fun to watch him play um and again I I I wish him nothing but the best and uh I’ve got a again I was I with you I was
A fan I’m a huge fan well hopefully he goes out wins The Players Championship and we can get him on as a regular guest and he can walk us through how he made it happen yeah that thanks everybody for thanks everybody for listening tonight and we’ll uh talk to you real soon have
A good one
