Jack Bushman and Ross Baran are back for another episode to discuss Austin Eckroat breaking through for his 1st PGA Tour victory and other thoughts on the 2024 Cognizant Classic at PGA National. The boys also get into Joaquin Niemann’s win at LIV Jeddah, Anthony Kim’s return, & this week’s 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
W what’s popping everyone welcome back to another episode of golf on tap as always I’m Jack Bushman joined by Ross Baron today we’ll be getting into Austin e Road’s big win at the cognizant classic earlier this morning with the Monday finish plus some thoughts on Walky Neiman getting another win on Liv golf
This time at Liv Jetta getting him an invitation to the PGA Championship Anthony Kim in his debut last week as well and then some thoughts ahead of this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill the fourth of eight Signature Events on the schedule a lot
Of good stuff to get into as always make sure to jump into the YouTube feed of this so you can interact with us throughout the episode let us know your thoughts on Austin NEC Root’s win and what Walkin neeman’s win on live golf means and who you’re tailing this week
For the Arnold Palmer Invitational and also go and subscribe to golf on tap which is now on Apple podast or on Spotify 100% free so you can get it there as soon as the episode comes out each and every day Ross a really good show got a lot to break down here today
But before we do how’s this Monday afternoon treating you my friend got to watch a l golf this morning so it was a nice little pep in the step you know sitting in my office at work just clicking back and forth which we knew which way this was going it it seemed
Like it it seemed like it was over last night we just kind of had to wait wait until this morning to get our official answer but I mean when when you get a little bonus golf a little extra day that you know a little pep in the St
Especially when it’s a Monday yeah never a Bad Thing uh although I will say a little bit of a curious decision on behalf of the PGA Tour to not go with split teas yesterday knowing there was some bad weather coming up and that led to like a two and a half threeh hour
Delay the guys got to come back on the course for a couple more holes and then the Finish there this morning like you said had an ink that it was probably going to be Austin Eckler who ends up coming through for the victory uh no one really just pressed him after the
Restart on Monday morning minw Le got a little bit close there down the stretch but wasn’t able to Rattle off enough birdies but ekro started the final round on Sunday morning in a share for the lead at 13 under with Shane Lowry and David show me some skins uh but that
That pairing Lowry man just every year at PGA National and I don’t want to take anything away from Austin neckroad because he was great and I actually have some stats to bring up here in a second about how spectacular he was throughout the course of this event but Shane Lowry
Kind of gagging away this event for the third consecutive year Ross was a little bit of a tough scene and it kind of to me at least once I saw the conditions on Sunday were going to be soft even before the rain and what it meant after that
When they could come out and the greens were wet and um it was going to make for some easier scoring on the players which we saw in the final round scoring average which was like three under but with that being the weather situation I I kind of had a feeling that it wasn’t
Going to be necessarily Shane Lowry’s bread and butter like playing in the wind some tough difficult conditions maybe CLA together a two or three under round to get it done I think that’s more so how I Envision Shane Lowry getting the Victory and because of the weather
Uh it just didn’t play out to that type of day but has to be a disappointing event for Shane Lowry because he’s been close all three years but but hasn’t been able to get over that Finish Line in first place Ross yeah you know the the thing is
Shane Lowry is one of the best players in the world but he’s just had such a down patch rate you know lately where the winds aren’t coming the game is there the winds just aren’t coming through and it’s one of it’s one of those things where we saw it today where
When he put the ball in the water and then slammed the club on the ground and then he went to kick it and whiffed on the kick which just made it so much funnier that he completely whiffed it it was just the epitome of of this tournament for him for the past three
Years yeah I thought the same thing I don’t know if you actually saw the post that I put out today of his kick in slow motion and like black and white I thought it was pretty funny not to toot my own horn but yeah toughy for Shane
Lowry man just didn’t have it once again and weely enough Ross you mentioned Shane Lowry is a a known golfer because of his win at the open and what he’s done in his career at the Ryder Cup for whatever reason though almost like Tommy Fleetwood es the wins in North America
On United States soil just always seem to elude him for whatever reason but don’t want to discredit Austin ekro today certainly deserves to be his I’m a little bit disappointed because for those who uh have been keeping up with my bets all season long I had hadaki Matsuyama at the Waste Management
Phoenix Open also bet him at the century he goes on to win the next week after Phoenix at Riviera I was on Austin EO last week at the Mexico open he struck the ball beautifully as he’s done most of the Season just couldn’t hit a putt
To save his life what does he going and do this week at the Cog goes and putts lights out he was third in the field and putts per Green in regulation first in Strokes gain total first in Greens in regulation first in birdies uh fourth in Strokes gained off the te fifth in
Strokes gained approach a marvelous performance from E Ro in like I touched on earlier it it was because no one really no one else had their Peak stuff on Sunday Kind of aside from him but at the same point in time he never really faltered down the stretch he made that
One bogey on 14 or 15 I want to say but that was his only bogey during the restart on Monday and Cruis to a four under 67 in the win in really really impressive fashion man and um the ball striking is what’s always been talked about with Austin eckroad and why he was
Highly touted coming out of college at the same time as guys like Victor havland and Matthew wolf who burst onto the scene real early we’ve seen some sprinkles from ecro but felt like this was a a true coming out party for him this weekend with how he just put
Everything together at the cognizant classic yeah I mean like like you said he he was part of that unbelievable Oklahoma State program that gave us Matthew wolf they gave us Victor hin along along with him that I mean you’re you’re looking basically all teammates at the same time being world class
Golfers Prof at the professional level now so it’s it’s great to see him finally get that jump make that big jump to securing his first PGA win and it’s also just kind of leading us into the argument continually where people want to say not my PGA you’re missing the best
Players I really think we’re just reaching a point for the tour in general where when these guys come out of college when they come off kft or the DP World Tour it’s not a fluke when they have success right away and I think this year kind of attests to that that
They’re coming and it’s because they’re ready to play and their game is really that good yeah it’s a sign that the game of golf even though the talent is divided and we can talk a little about little bit more about this in a second but it is a reminder that the game in
General is far more talented that it than it’s ever been and like you said kids are ready to jump onto the PGA Tour level in contend right here right now when like 10 years ago that was kind of an afterthought you were like a specimen
If you were able to do that at a young age so Austin ecro just yet another example of that and another example this week Ross of a long shot non favorite getting a dub on the PGA tour it’s been a common theme all season long the lowest odds winner we’ve had was Jake
Knap at 40 to1 at the Mexico open and the only two other kind of big names that we can say have won this year have been Hideki Matsuyama and wendam Clark who both hadn’t been playing that grade of golf leading into those tournaments we haven’t seen a whole lot from the big
Dogs on the PGA tour yet this season and we were talking a little bit about this before recording you know we are still earlyish in the season but now we’re getting to that Midway point of the Florida swing and as as you put it we’re starting to get into that like second
Quarter of the PGA Tour season and we just haven’t really seen it from the big dogs and what’s kind of even been crazier to me Ross thinking about it is like some big guys have had chances to win like Scotty Sheffer has had chances to win nearly probably should have won
At Phoenix if the pter didn’t disappoint him once again Patrick Klay and Xander schafle were both in great spots going into the final round at the Genesis Invitational like we’ve seen some big dogs be there but it’s oddly enough been like that socalled second tier of player
On the PGA tour that has burst through for the victories and played the best golf when it’s mattered the most what do you kind of make of that so far this year now that we are over two months into the season and getting into the nitty-gritty of this Florida
Swing I I think there’s a couple things that come out of this I think the the biggest thing is like if you look at the current FedEx St or Cup standings where people are you got people like Rory that are down in the 90s remember the top
They they made the adjustment the top 70 M make the the first round at at St Jude we’re starting to get to the point in this season where normally guys like Rory Max hom play select events you know they pick and choose I’m gonna go here I’m
Gonna skip these I’m gonna go here and they basically bank and bet on themselves that I’m going to go to one of these I’m going to win I’m going to just lock up my points I’m gonna lock up my early dub in the season I’m going to
Just kind of Coast for a bit and then when we hit that Midsummer swing or you know early spring swing start to get into the majors I I I’ve already got one on the board and I’m and I’m good that hasn’t happened the young guys have come up and taken those events they’ve
Notched their their their points got their win but the thing is those same guys are still playing weekly they’re not they don’t have the availability to pick and choose what events I want to go play they are signed on for no I’m gonna go play every single freaking event I
Can because I am trying to make my way on tour so when I get it so when I get a w early I’m still playing every single week and when I’m having top 15 finishes well now I have I have the FedEx cut points because I have a win but now I’m
Adding on to that so I’m solidifying my place where there’s a bunch of guys that have that are new to the tour that have already gotten a win but they’ve also backed it up with top 10 finishes on top of that win where a bunch of these guys
Have already made kind of cemented themsel that I’m gonna be playing at least at St Jude now I know that and we’re like we’re only a quarter way into the season but they know confidently I have enough that no one’s gonna be able
To come up and get me yeah a lot of uh like I said that so-called second tier of golfer has done a a good job of not only um playing some really solid golf but playing solid golf consistently to rack up those points in an abundance
That like you said it’s going to make it difficult for some of these guys to come back and Chase now it’s not impossible we’re still pretty early but it it is something that is getting more and more notable week in and week out as this stretch kind of continues and I think it
Puts just more emphasis on the big dogs in the PGA Tour really wanting their big dogs to come to play these next two weeks that are the two big boys before the Masters which is uh just a month away now Ross we got the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week a signature event
The players next week you obviously know what that means to the PGA Tour but after that all we have until Augusta is the valpar the Houston open and the Valero so it it is starting to creep up here and like we’ve said just the big dogs haven’t really come out to play yet
So I think that’s going to be rather interesting to see how it’s going to play out these next next two weeks in those final big events before the Masters before we move on from uh the cognizant classic though Ross there there are some guys I I do want to touch
On here real quick one of them being Jake knp we talked about him on last week’s show he was someone that you kind of shouted out because you thought the odds were a little bit too big and seemed like the public was mostly trying
To fade him off of his win in Mexico and thinking it was going to be a bit of a quick turnaround after the win and the travel and yada yada yada he put together a really solid high-end finish once again and was really in the mix
Until those final four or five holes he was one of the guys that was making a little bit of a charge I told you off air I’m still not exactly sure what to make of Jake knap in terms of his long-term potential given his age and just just everything that goes into his
Extremely unique situation but there’s no denying this guy not not only proved it last week by a win at Mexico with an underwhelming field but coming into a really demanding Golf Course like PGA National and doing what he did on top of that to back it up a little bit I think
Just gives him Ultra more credit and and deserves all the respect for being able to back that up with a really solid performance and I I’m still really curious to see uh how he’s going to kind of build off that the rest of the way
Because like I said he is such a unique case and I don’t know exactly what type of player he’s going to be but he’s playing some really good golf right now oh I mean he he’s been in incredible if you actually go back over the course
Of the Season since he earned his card and got on the tour he’s taken advantage of the events the events also like we just spoke about he’s played everything he possibly can he showed up he’s played well in most of the events now he’s got
That he got the early W in the season and he followed up the W with what a T3 th this week Jake knap is sitting fifth in the FedEx Cup points realistically even though it’s early in the season even if he goes into a slump he’s secured himself that’s high enough on
That board I don’t see him falling outside the top 70 yet I forget what exactly the stat is but they always say it on the PGA tour if you’re in the top 10 by this point in the season all of those players have always made it to I
Want to say East Lake all the way to the Tour Championship I’m not sure how many weeks we have until that point but Jake knap has got to be liking his odds right now yeah I mean he’s he’s sitting at five and I mean our are our boy matu
Pavone is at the top of the board no match Pavone leads the FedEx Cup points because once because once again he played great to start the year he got the big win to start the year picked and choos a couple tournaments because he bought himself some time but every
Tournament he’s come back and played he’s essentially finished in the top 15 and again this this past weekend he did it again yeah really impressive stuff I do want to also shout out Eric Van royan someone who’s been playing some pretty solid golf here in the early portion of
The season and what a run that he made before the weather delay kind of cooled off his momentum he was eight under through 11 holes on Sunday to get his hat into or get his name back into the Hat Ross I fully believe that if we did not
Have that weather delay you and I are talking about a different winner um to today I think that was the biggest thing I think the three-hour delay is cost him and I think it cost him I think it cost him dearly because he was so hot the game what the game the putting
Everything was just in tune it looked like he was going to run away and then we get a three-h hour weather delay went back out and just didn’t see didn’t seem the same you know and to his credit he basically parred out to to finish the day after but eight he’s eight under
Through 11 goes back out after the delay and just kind of part part plays par for the the course the rest of the way I think we would have had a different result if he was able to play through without the delay I think you were going
To continue and he was gonna go lower and lower and also just shout out Eric Van Ryan for just the greatest mustache I’ve ever seen oh it’s a thing of beauty for sure and I think the biggest part about the weather delay kind of screwing him was the I think that would have
Allowed him to carry that momentum over more obviously but I think posting a a 15 or a 16 breathes Austin Eckler’s neck a little bit more on that Monday morning and Van Ruan wasn’t able to take advantage of the par five 18th like you said he ends up paring out I think even
If he finishes at 15 it gives Austin Eckler a little bit more of a sweat of him already being in the clubhouse so yeah a bit unfortunate that Eric Van royan uh got got postponed by the weather there a little bit but we’ve seen him a few times now this season
Ross have some high-end finishes and also what stood out to me is when he’s going he’s really going like a guy that can shoot that 6162 go eight under we saw it in the first round uh two weeks ago at the Mexico open so I do think he’s he’s
Someone to pencil in that’s playing some good golf lately that you don’t want to forget about and also before we uh move on to matchu pavon and Jake knap both getting some pretty big odds once again this week a little disrespectful once again hey you know we we kind of we tend
To like those things and I think our viewers like those things when we once again just able to point out like hey we’ve talked about them every single week basically for the past month and guess what their odds are again so but no you you can definitely see the Eric
Van royan thing when he gets in that Groove I was laughing because I saw someone post that when he gets in that Groove and that game is on he’s like a big dick walking in the locker room where it’s like oh [ __ ] someone’s here everyone just kind of notices big dicks
Back in town and that’s even that that’s even like that type of golf is what led to his victory during the fall swing at uh the worldwide technology Championship where he just got scorching hot on that back nine and rolled in an eagle on the 18th to steal that Victory so yeah maybe
Just something worth noting if Eric Van royan is four five back going into a Sunday just know that guy does have the goods to come back against any odds but the last thing I wanted to bring up about the Cog Ross was just the event in itself because there was a lot of
Chatter on golf social media about #not my Honda because this event was well well in the terms of the final scores um we saw the winner reach 17 under this year which I thought it was going to be over 15 because of the additional par fives and that wasn’t really the problem
To me was the winning score the problem was the amount of guys that were creeping into those high high teens at PGA National which for us true golf fans like it’s one of the venues that we rely on to produce Carnage and produce good finishes because of the bear trap and
How demanding the course is and the PGA Tour even admitted to wanting to play this easier this year because they think the Florida swing is too grueling of a stretch for these guys before the first major championship of the year I th that couldn’t make me any more sick as like a
True golf fan and once again it feels like the PGA tour for whatever reason just loves birdies and feels like they need to pump out birdies to the crowds and low scores to like get the fans but I just couldn’t feel any more opposite about that statement personally Ross it
Really grinded my gears to see what the Cog turned into this year no I I completely agree I I think the setup for the bear trap is one of the best things to watch on the tour for this event every single year because of how grueling and difficult it is that
You know when you’re playing on Sunday and the whole location is set right on the edge and I either got to land it right on the flat or if I come up short I’m in the drink but I need to make I need to make this shot because I need to
Birdie this hole because I need to put more pressure on we didn’t get to see that because the rest of the course was shooting so low that when we got to the bear trap guys were going oh I’m just gonna knock it to the back of the
[ __ ] green it’s fine I’ll get out of there I just want to get out of here with par right it way more birdie opportunities than ever before I couldn’t disagree more with the change of the par 4 10th which used to be a very difficult golf fall it turned into a
Basically give a guy a four and let him go on the rest of their way I was really disappointed to see this man um I hope they’re not tinkering with the rest of the Florida swing because I think that’s what makes this four-week stretch so great is all four golf courses are
Demanding they’re tough they’re the style of golf that the best usually Rises to the top like that’s and that’s usually what we get in major championships it feels like this is the real sort of Prelude into major championship season and when you dumb it down like that it just doesn’t really
Make any sense to me and it’s just it just it feels like more pampering of the PGA tour players right and it’s just not what I I personally want to see I know there are lots of people that feel the same way about it as I do based on the
Amount of comments I saw about it um on social media and I I really hope that and look like I think week in and week out we get enough of these types of events that reach the high teens and reach the 20s where it’s not the worst thing in the
World to sprinkle one of these in there and yeah I know Florida kind of has all that in a four-week stretch but I think it’s still what everybody the true diard golf fans love want to see and the PGA Tour continues to not give the fans what
They want and it’s just more losing for the fans perspective week in and week out with this thing yeah well I mean we once again it just ties into what you and I talk about all the time that somehow J Mahan still happens to run the tour and make
Decisions and do everything that just seems to be wrong wrong wrong so I I I think I’m hoping maybe they have the hindsight to go and see like oh we [ __ ] up on this one like we’re not going to do that we’re not going to do that again and
Let’s let’s be honest it is the PGA Tour it is the highest status of professional golf don’t make it easy make it [ __ ] hard that is what that’s the point that’s the whole point of this of this tour exactly and I gotta feel like cognizant in their first event as a
Sponsor can’t be getting some good publicity right now you got to think right oh I I mean I especially taking over for the Honda because it’s the Honda and it’s going to remain to be the Honda to every to everyone but we’re we’re we’re I’m sorry you you’ve tried I
I can’t even get into the Cog yeah nope nope not not gonna happen but they need they need to make it more difficult they made it too simple golf is supposed to be hard especially at this level and when you when you sit there and go only a handful of golfers
In the world could hit this shot cool you got 150 of the best [ __ ] one’s there let let’s see what 17 can do it exactly couldn’t have said it any better my friend so I think that’s going to take care of business from the Cog this
Week in Palm Beach Gardens Florida on to Orlando though this week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational before we get there though there was a lot of golf going on this past weekend Liv had a tournament in jeda we talked about that last week uh Anthony Kim made his debut but before
We get to that W Neeman man someone we’ve been talking about a decent amount on the show as well here in the early part of this season gets his second victory of the year on Liv golf um ends up getting an invite into the PGA Championship as a result which he broke
Uh in an interview with Matt venzi earlier this morning um he’s now in three of the four majors officially but still took the time to throw a little bit of a jab at the owgr in his uh post round interview what do you make of Waco’s comments and Waco’s second
Victory Of The Year here in the early going roster so it for for me it’s very simple I like Waco I like Waco as a player I enjoy his game the part of the only reason I’ve even flipped on any Live Events is to see I’ll see post that oh Waco’s going
Low or Waco’s doing this and yeah I want to watch that because it’s exciting he’s an exciting player for me part of it decisions were made Waco yes you are one of the best players in the world World there is no doubt you you’ve won four times over the past two months on
Two different tours between winning the Australian Open and now winning what three events on live to start the to start the year you you’re you’re one of the best play you’re one of the best players in the world we know it but it’s the fact
That well the owgr says I’m not a top 100 well well actually they they they do although it was funny because they did knock you down four more spots today after yesterday’s win yeah uh Wen even dropping down to number 76 as Austin ekro vaults all the way up to number 49
No further conversation needed I think we all know who the better player is but at the end of the day Wen is now in three of the four majors and I completely agree I’m a big Neeman fan keep hit that final round that he had um
In in Mexico when uh the Pebble Beach proam was canceled on that final day really the only live golf I watched the season and I was more encouraged to do so because nean was in the mix the owgr I I don’t see how he could still be
Complaining about it at this point um I don’t think at the time of that interview he knew that he was going to be in the PGA Championship as of yet but still like we know this hasn’t been an ongoing discussion we know what the repercussions of you making this
Transfer to live golf is I thought it was a little um just mistimed for that type of conversation after the win and the World Golf Ranking to be honest I I think it’s gotten to a point now where it’s important it obviously dictates major championships but the people that really
Under understand like where where these guys actually sort at know that walk Neeman is one of the better players in the world regardless of what his ranking is and I’m just happy to see that now he’s in three of the four major championships and if he performs well at
Either the PGA Championship ship or the Masters here in a month he’s going to have himself a spot in the US Open as well which which is absolutely how it should be for a player the caliber of walkie demon yeah absolutely I I think what I’m I’m struggling with overall is
Just the it’s like every time he gets on camera it’s the same thing over and over where it’s like dude we get it and yes a lot of us like golf enthusiasts are on your side that we know you are so much better than you are credited to be by
The rankings but the thing is decisions were made this this is part of that decision but here here’s what drove me nuts over the weekend when he made the initial comments prior to finding out he was invited to PGA today is the well they they don’t how how can you say I’m
One of the best players when I’m not in the top 100 you are in the top 100 and you got you you got invited to Augusta you you were one of 80 going to Augusta and guess what you have that the other 79 guys do the same [ __ ] chance to win
The tournament is everybody else maybe just believe in yourself that you think you’re that good go win the freaking thing and you’re in the other three no problem no questions asked playing good golf is always the answer Ross there’s a very simple route to fixing all this
Problem if you think you’re that good just go win it just go and prove it baby we’ll see what nean has in store at the Masters here in a month his odds have been slashed heavily over the last few weeks as well and I know a lot of people
Will be betting him before we move on from Liv though Anthony Kim did make his return this week at Liv Jetta uh it did not lead to me turning on live whatsoever throughout the weekend but I was a little interested to see how he was going to Faire I didn’t have high
Expectations finishes dead last by 11 Strokes behind Hudson Swafford I don’t really know one way or the other if I really care about the final result all that much I didn’t expect it to be great in his first competitive rounds in 11 years um I don’t really know what to make of
It what were your thoughts he did what I thought yeah kind of saying I I I I I I mean and and I I mean that respectfully and I actually do applaud him considering he went and he played in a pro tournament after 12 years away you you shot 11 over for the
Tournament okay you you show me any other person that doesn’t pick up a club for over a decade professionally enters a tournament and does something like that I’m gonna applaud your effort regardless because that’s in that it’s good I I mean it it’s good by the standard that that is set for
Expectations we we know he wasn’t gonna go shoot eight under every freaking round there was not a chance that was going to happen but did he go and fire off a What Would by if you go PGA standards if someone comes on the PGA tour after being away
For 12 years and and ends a tournament at 11 under or 11 over I’m impressed for for not swinging for not swinging or playing that long competitively I I I don’t think it was the draw like we talked about last week I think the wrong tournament I think the
Fact the time zone the broadcast everything kind of screw screwed it up royally I think if it was the Miami tournament where you could flip on in between especially with the rain delay and everything the PGA had may maybe get a little more people to tune in but
Overall it didn’t draw me in to turn on the TV but it also didn’t turn me away I did follow and just kind of want to see where he was at and I thought it was respectable for a return to Pro Golf I I was kind of impressed for hey you know
Not great but not not absolutely dog [ __ ] terrible either for being away so long yeah nearly an impossible situation for him right and I think even just finishing the three days is uh uh feet in and alone of itself right and finishing stronger on on that final round shooting 74 which is respectable
Again given the situation for sure but yeah I am rather curious to see what is going to be next for Anthony Kim I assume he’s probably going to be playing in Miami at their um next United States based event um if that seems like a good time to just Market him there and
Potentially get some American eyes on him and I also want to know if he if he is gonna open up and like tell his story I feel like that could be another interesting way for Liv golf to potentially get some clicks and get some eyeballs on it if they do like a post
Round interview and Anthony Kim’s GNA have a discussion about what What’s led to this 12year Hiatus or whatnot and I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen it’s just something that I’ve thought about I did I did see though that um Trump Dural is a much more
Difficult course and they were playing um this past week in Jetta so maybe that was a reason that they wanted to give him a little bit of a tuneup there rather than in dur where he could have absolutely blown up but I still thought Las Vegas Super Bowl weekend would have
Been like a mammoth opportunity for them to jump on ship and make and have him make his debut but yeah not an abject failure I think there’s stuff to build on if he even wants to um and I think that’s the rather curious thing too is like what Anthony Kim truly wants like
This is a good financial situation for him I’m sure and we knew the path to get back on the PGA tour was going to be costly for him financially as well so yeah just that next step is what I’m GNA be a little bit curious in am I gonna
Turn turn it on and watch him play probably not unless he’s playing some good golf and showing some signs of life but I am interested to see how they’re going to handle it a little bit moving forward yes I I completely agree I don’t think there’s going to be anything that’s
Going to get me to fully tune in or be like oh I need to watch this well I maybe at some point flip over to watch for a few minutes like in a commercial break whatever because PGA God knows PGA has enough freaking of them every single
Week yeah may maybe Pro probably for a couple minutes just to see AK play but also you show me a guy that walks off the street after 12 years away and fires off a 76 and I’m gonna go that’s that’s decent yeah pretty darn good I’ll give
An I’ll give Anthony Kim some respect and just even um like I said getting through the three-day tournament without completely melting down on Sunday and probably having an idea he was going to finish dead last going into that round not letting like the complete Wheels fall off and not looking like he didn’t
Give a [ __ ] and I also saw a lot of people saying I don’t know who was on the bag for him this week but I saw there were a lot of questionable decisions being made in terms of like he could have taken some drops in some situations that could have benefited him
And just maybe not maneuvering around the golf course as a professional would and kind of something you would expect again for a guy not playing in 12 years you know so I think there’s there’s upside for Anthony Kim moving forward how big is that upside I don’t know but
Again I don’t think it was H the worst start in the world for him after a 12y year Hiatus I’m I’m just saying for after 12 years away coming out and doing this tournament finishing dead last the bar set so low that anything he does basically Beyond here is a a come
Up literally we’ll see what is next for Anthony Kim whenever he makes his next start for live golf any thoughts before we uh or any other things you wanted to touch on before we kind of move into Bay Hill this week Ross did I forget anything uh I just wanted your opinion
On the viral clip from this week’s Cog uh Thomas dri’s five putt from three feet I’m glad you bring that up my Friend Thomas dietry had a case of the going bads the first six putt on the PGA tour since Danny Lee I forget exactly
Where it was but yeah the uh the video got got thrown around on social media there a little bit tough look for Mr Thomas dietry man especially on like a uh was it Friday afternoon like just absolutely derailed any chance whatsoever of making the cut and you
Could tell in that moment he just said [ __ ] it just said [ __ ] it and I also give credit Stephen Jagger for holding it all together and not like reacting any differently as he’s right across the Green from him going to line up his put as well just waiting for Mr dietry to
Tap one of those in okay so the funny the funniest thing is is there there’s two parts of this video that become hilarious and it’s about the third putt when he misses and it lips again that you just see that I don’t give a [ __ ] hit him where he he’s just walking over
Tap it Miss again walk over tap it Miss again the fourth one when it’s literally measured at 15 inches from the cup and he lips it the fact that Stephen joerger is standing less than two feet away to watch him miss a 15 foot putt the fact that Stephen Jagger had
The balls to hold it together and not just audibly laugh right there because I didn’t when when I saw him miss the 15inch putt I lost it because that was four and then remind you there were two more after that to come back home yeah for anyone who uh didn’t see or didn’t
Hear about it Thomas D tre’s first putt on uh the par 4 sixth hole on Friday afternoon was from 51 feet one inch pretty good lag putt here from drie leaves it at uh 5 feet 10 inches that misses the next one leaves it two feet six inches misses from there misses from
3 feet 10 inches as you referenced misses from 15 inches and then the last Miss Miss from three feet 10 inches finally puts it in the hole to record uh an eight a quadruple bogey that uh like we said plummeted any chances of dri having to come back a relatable golf
Moment I don’t know if I’ve ever six jacked from that close but we’ve all had that moment where you just go to tap it in and you think it’s a gimme maybe you’re playing with your friends you’re trying to get away with one a little quick see if anyone’s looking yeah we
Had the camera on you Thomas tough moment for the dri band wagon ended ended up finishing dead last in the tournament because of it um but also finished Jed last but not too far behind Eric Cole who you and I both picked last week thinking that he was going to win
But you know what not I honest I honestly I texted people in apologize that I made that pick because I I I didn’t have an answer for that literally the worst tournament that he’s had in a year couldn’t believe it um it looked like the extra motivation that I thought he
Was going to have going into this tournament after coming so close last year wound up just being like nerves or something I don’t know it was not the iril that we have seen who’s been playing ridiculously consistent golf over the last handful of months and yeah I feel like I probably should apologize
To people for that selection as well because dfl Eric Cole not only did he miss the cut he was the worst player in the field with Mr six Jack Thomas dietry so yeah tough look for the co train I I I would never wish injury upon anyone
But if Eric Cole just wanted to come out over the next 48 hours and be like Oh I’m hurt I I’ll feel so much better yeah right uh shot a 70 78 on Thursday had a real case of the going bads to kickart the tournament yeah not very good for my
Wallet Ross but yeah let’s move on to the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week at Bay Hill Club in Lodge and I swear Ross if they go and make this thing easier like they did to PGA National last week I’m going to be very upset because this is one of my favorite
Courses on the PGA tour has been a staple of the schedule since 1979 coming here year in and year out and over the last handful of Seasons it’s really been one of the more strenuous non- Majors on the schedule thick rough a long course over 7400 yards severe dog legs in
Typical Florida fashion it’s got lots of holes with water lots of sand bunkers uh Bermuda grass greens that tend to run really quick and the property is pretty exposed to the wind and when that gets Gus in which it looks like it’s going to do throughout the weekend on Saturday
And Sunday we got winds up to 30 35 miles an hour on both of those days um it’s one of the hardest courses on the PGA tour I personally love it I hope it provides a brute of a challenge this week and we ALS also have the PGA Tours
Finest on hand with this being the fourth signature event of the Season 54 of the top 55 in the World Golf Ranking are here The Only Exception being Tony feno so it’s who’s who on the PGA tour they’re here this week at be bahill Scotty sheffler Rory mroy Victor havlin
Patrick Klay Xander Schley Sam burns the who’s who like I said out of those bigname guys and like we talked about earlier Ross it’s starting to get to that time we’re not hitting the panic button just yet but it feels like one of these guys has to go and do something
Here right out of all of those guys at the top the the big name guys in this field who are you looking to the most this week whose chances are you like in entering the tournament I have a few picks love it and you you could call me
Crazy for my logic but I’m thinking about this with what what you just said the weather we’re expecting it’s a more o it’s a more open course we’re expecting high winds I’m looking at the golfers that typically are based in play conditions like this AKA most of these guys I’m looking
Overseas okay so I’m looking at obviously third on the board Victor hlin I I I like Victor hin I like I like ludig going with the sweds this week huh this has always felt like a really good spot for havland and he nearly won here
A couple years ago before kind of a a lackluster two-hole stretch and I believe Scotty ended it up stealing it from him but ludvig’s getting a lot of attention this week because of the way he could drive the ball um I understand those two picks as well who else you
Likeing I have three more to R to wrap up um is a break through finally because it fits his game it fits the courses he typically plays overseas with the win conditions everything I do like Tommy flew plays well in Florida very often can he win in America to be
Seen our guy just every time I see him this high up on the board I just have a problem and it’s always going to be a problem because I always believe in him I like Keegan Bradley at the 45 to one a lot of people like Keegan there were
Numbers there were 80s and 90s out there on Keegan this morning I would Lov to get a hold of that it’s been bet down a little bit but lots of Keegan love this week I’ve seen it as well and my fifth and final after this after yesterday slash
Today I think the conditions are going to fit him this weekend like you brought brought up earlier in the show I’m not going to be surprised to see Shane Lowry come back and kick a little ass this weekend yeah he has done well in Florida for the most part this
Has just interestingly enough been the one tournament that’s got him his highest finish in five Starts Here is t67 but I will say I believe incoming form right now is probably more important than that course history it really just comes down to the putting it feels like for Shane and he’s been
Striking the ball well and has some good odds so I do not hate that pick whatsoever even though we kind of outlined the issues that he has winning in the US this does feel like it would be a good setup for him with low scoring and could get the wind on the weekend
That he could have used last weekend as well so I like all of those five picks Ross no bias actually I’ve considered this week I I I’m I’m the Lowry is the only one is just after he looked good for the first few rounds we got in to
The weather situation where the wind kind of disappeared everything it became way too soft he’s he’s a shot shaper you know he he’s he’s used to playing in Ireland on on the on the coast playing the lynx courses where there there is no there is no block from from the wind you
You have to play the wind on these shots and be a shot shaper to get these thing to get these things done I think if we’re going to play the weather and the elements that we’re going to potentially be looking at at API this weekend I I think that’s a fair bet
Especially for his number being at 60 to1 right now yeah and I think they’re and and coming off last week’s tournament because he played really great until the weather changed out exactly yeah and I think there are even bigger numbers out there on Shane Lowry
Than 60 to1 if you go and shop around and by the way if you’re wanting to place a wager down on this event you’re are not already a member at B rivers make sure to go and use our promo code on tap for up to a 20 50 bonus on your
First deposit yeah there there are some interesting names out here for sure obviously the top of the board is where the big dogs lie I don’t really know where I stand there but some guys who have been intriguing to me Keegan was someone I’ve thought about betting I
Know there are 50s and maybe even 66s out there which feel like good numbers for him uh wendam Clark has some really big odds man and I just don’t know what to make of it he’s 5560 to1 and all of his wins have come in Big Daddy events
Like this guy wins Majors wins Signature Events you’re giving me 55 60 dods on him I haven’t clicked it yet but it feels like it could be a big number in a good spot with the way that wendam Clark can use his driver uh Corey Connors is
Someone who’s intriguing to me as well always ball strikes it well in particular has good results throughout his career in Florida um this is kind of the time of season when Cory Connor really gets going API The Players Championship both of his wins on the PGA
Tour have come at the Valero Texas open which is just a couple of weeks away as well and quietly has performed well at the Masters in his career too so time of the year that I do like betting Corey Connor the only official bet that I’ve
Made so far Ross was actually our boy sahala because I saw him at 70 to1 I just thought that number was big it’s really the only reason uh was a little bit disappointing in his last time out at the Genesis but had a T14 here last
Year at Bay Hill and more importantly to me drove the golf ball really well and is one of the better Putters in this field on regardless of the surface always seems to perform well and with his short game if it gets really difficult I I like the gala’s chances so
He’s the only one I bet what do you think about the gala this week uh I think that it he was one of the ones that I threw out last minute he was in my top five for a very long time and I’m kind of regretting it now because I saw
The same number you you did initially at that 70 to one and currently on DraftKings they’re showing him at 55 for yeah I did see that that dip a little bit as well some other guys who I think have some pretty big odds before we kind
Of wrap things up here matchu pavon 90 to one guys is just churning out High finish After High finish I think that’s a big number I’ve been like one week off on a couple of guys this year as I mentioned earlier in the show amelan O
Grio at 90 to1 man he just continues to strike the ball well and it really just comes down that Putter and in Mexico he made enough birdies to win that tournament he just made too many bogeys and maybe it’s my fomo just because of how things have been going lately but I
Feel like I’m going to be hard pressed to not bet Amano Grio at 90 to one I feel like those are good odds Luke list at 110 to one also feels like some pretty good odds can he putt it’s the million-dollar question week in and week
Out but we know what he can do from T to green with the way he’s been striking the ball lately Ross I completely agree also just so you know I’m looking on my end DraftKings currently has am Emiliano Grio down to 75 to one so and that’s why we always
Recommend shopping out for ads go and get the best ads out there go and get yourself more money who doesn’t like more money so that’s why you always got to be taking a look at other books um we got we got nap time up there again at 45
To one another yet again he’s 60 65 in some places too so and I saw he was bigger to open things up today so there’s there’s been some disrespect on those guys thinking that they can’t consistently play well and they’ve been doing it time and time again um I don’t
I I I’m don’t think I’m gonna bet him but I’m just gonna give him a shout out because he has been playing some good golf and I actually don’t know if he’s in this tournament I actually think he he’s not actually in this tournament but shout out to Andrew Novak um a third
Consecutive top 10 finish I believe he got booted out of the Aon uh top 10 to get into this one because he made a par on the BL hole instead of a birdie um but another guy kind of like Aaron van ruin that I’m going to make a mental
Mental note of moving forward but anyone else you wanted to bring up before we kind of put a put a bow on this whole thing Ross any other names that you thought were interesting at all what do you think about Chris Kirk 60 to one I do like Chris Kirk and playing
Well I am I Chris Kirk is one of is not only playing well well Chris Kirk is playing himself well into the FedEx Cup already yeah he’s in a good spot do you know where Chris Kirk is in the FedEx Cup standings going into this
Tournament is he three he is yeah I knew he was I knew he was top five yeah I mean playing really really good golf and has a good Florida track record it could have even been better last week too uh at the Cog but he had I want to say he
Made a quad on like the eighth or ninth hole on Saturday that kind of just derailed his chances but he Wasing looking good up until that point I I mean just for our our viewers and how ridiculous this season is to start already if we were going to East
Lake for the FedEx Cup Championship the top 10 are would be Matthew Pavone Scotty Sheffer Chris Kirk Hideki Matsuyama Jake knap wam Clark Benny on Xander Schley the postman and Jason day yeah it is a very mixed bag at the top of the FedEx Cup standings right now
And we’re getting to that point like we said where a lot of these guys need to start taking advantage if they want to gain some ground because a lot of these guys are playing week in and week out so yeah it’s going to be a big event this
Week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational man uh a signature event that feels like it has a little bit more oomph to it because the PGA Tour just really needs its big dogs to shine because they haven’t at all this season do you think think we get we get one of our regulars
This week to finally take one home I mean I thought it at Tory Pines I thought it in Phoenix I I feel like this is the one I feel like this this is the one but I’ve said it before and been wrong but if they play this the way it should be
Played the way it’s been played the last three or four years and the win picks up over the weekend yes I do think we’re going to see one of the big dogs one of the better ball Strikers in the world with the well-rounded game alongside it
Is going to come away with the trophy this weekend I feel that way and I would like to put a little asterisk on that question that there’s no disrespect to Windam Clark that we do count you as one of the big dogs you were the only one to
Get the job done this year though and and the only reason I say wasn’t a big dog is because he wasn’t playing all that great going into that event and really hadn’t played great since his US Open win it was almost like he was still on that little Victory lab Willam Clark
Absolutely is technically one of the big dogs going into that event though wasn’t highlighted as one of the big dogs that people were expecting to play well so that’s kind of what I meant by that but this week I do think I do think like last year other than Kurt kyama the
Names alongside him were all big names I do think we’re going to get back to that this week Ross my my question I guess just someone I would highlight that I’ve been impressed the further we move into the season as he makes his tour debut
Um how far off do you think Min woi is not far and what’s what’s really fascinating about minwoo is he really has been doing all of his best work on the PGA tour or or even internationally in the last year with driving and putting the irons have oddly like not
Been all that good so far for him this season they were good last week and he had his worst putting performance in quite a while so I think it’s just a matter of time before he puts it all together I don’t know if he’s consistent enough yet to be like a
Weak in and weak out type of guy because I do think he makes too many bogeys and there are some flaws in his game mostly with the irons but he can score with the best of them I mean how many Eagles did that guy make this week five six like
He’s got he’s got that Firepower when I when I was bouncing back and forth at work I was watching him going this morning I was literally watching him thinking if he holds these we’re going to a playoff and the thing is the the putting was just a little bit
Off where he lipped a few birdie putts and he walked out of there with pars but he for he definitely had a chance and was in contention to make it this week be his week yeah I I think he has the goods I I I agree I think I think he
Needs to work a little bit on the iron play because the putting is great the driving is world class he can hit it a [ __ ] country mile down there especially playing from the Outback it’s it’s more of the irons need to be fine tuned a little bit because there’s a difference between leaving
Yourself a birdie from 15 feet and you leaving yourself a birdie from Seven absolutely and oddly enough I don’t even this could be incorrect but I feel like the biggest thing about woo or maybe in my mind what I think he needs to do almost is like be less of an electric
Factory like I think he just needs to settle his game down a little bit like and not in terms of how he plays but like I just think he makes too many bogeys and just makes too many mistakes when they’re not really presented to him I think they’re like forced errors a
Little bit sometimes you know what I’m saying like I don’t want him to change his style I love how he is on social media that’s not what I’m asking for I just feel like there there are the opportunities are there like on the course he’s just making too many
Mistakes if that makes sense if minwu Lee’s team is wa watching us I would like to say that Jack and I have officially trademarked instead of instead of you know let him cook maybe just let him simmer yeah just let him simmer a little bit we know he can get
Hot like he can make the birdies it’s just he needs to make pars when when he really needs to like the Bogies are the ones that hurt more than the birdie like than the birdies feel good you know what I mean like like it’s it’s like a
Crockpot man you know you can put it on high for four hours or you can put it on low for eight you’re gonna get to the same place exactly exactly but it feels like he already already at his age has that like Eric Van Roy and ability we
Were talking about earlier like when he’s hot he’s nuclear hot he’ll go and fire eight nine under on you because he he can score and just the the way that he can give himself looks with the creativity that he has all the shots in his bag um it’s just a matter of time
For me that he’s going to win on the PGA tour agreed Ju Just wanted he your opinion because I do think he is very close I think it is only a matter of time and he was very close this week I think he’s going to be one I think he is
Going to be a star if he can find it and get that consistency I think he’s G to be like one one of those guys that you and I grew up watching consistently as a superstar I think that he can be that for the next generation of watching game
And just be an absolute Electric Factory as long as he can kind of tone it down a bit focus on the game put it all together I think that sky is the limit honestly for him very well said I couldn’t have said it better myself all
Right I think that is going to wrap up today’s episode of golf on tap to everyone who tuned in as always thank you very much if you haven’t done so already make sure you’re subscribed to the show on Apple podcast on Spotify wherever you’re listening to your
Podcast it’s 100% free won’t cost you anything to and hit that follow button we greatly appreciate it as always we’ll see you next time on the golf on top podcast maybe I’ll get a winner this week and add that cold spell it would be rather nice to get one before Augusta
Which is just creeping up and we’re GNA be having some great coverage some good guests coming up before we hit Augusta so make sure you’re following along with golf on tap if you haven’t done so already till the next time crack them lock them everyone enjoy the rest of your week