345: From Sudbury to the PGA. Kurt Kowaluk's Journey

Have you ever wondered what really happens inside the ropes of professional golf tournaments? Kurt Kowaluk pulls back the curtain on the caddy experience in this captivating conversation that takes us from his humble beginnings in Sudbury, Canada, to the prestigious fairways of Augusta National.

Kurt's journey into professional caddying began with a serendipitous phone call from his friend David Hearn, launching him into a career that's spanned nearly two decades across multiple tours. With remarkable candor, he shares the pivotal moment when he won his first tournament as a caddy—an LPGA match play event where defeating stars like Cristie Kerr and Angela Stanford changed his perspective on what was possible in this profession.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is Kurt's unique vantage point across different tours. Having caddied on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and, more recently, LIV Golf, he offers a refreshingly balanced perspective on the evolving landscape of professional golf, focusing on how these changes impact the lives of caddies rather than getting caught up in industry politics.

Golf enthusiasts will appreciate Kurt's technical insights, especially his detailed explanations of green-reading techniques and why he considers Brendan Todd the best putter he has worked with. His analysis of Coyote Springs Golf Course and thoughts on the upcoming Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black (where he's both caddied and played) provide context that only someone who's lived inside the professional game could offer.

Whether you're fascinated by professional golf, curious about the player-caddy relationship, or simply love great storytelling, Kurt's journey from sharpening hockey skates to walking alongside the world's best golfers delivers an authentic, entertaining perspective you won't find anywhere else.

Transcript

Meet Kurt Kowalik: PGA Tour Caddy

Speaker 1 0:22

What is up everybody? Welcome to another episode of the Chasing Daylight podcast. American flags are flying, it's Ryder Cup preview show and we have brought in a special guest, kurt. Is it pronounced Kowalik? Is that the?

Speaker 2 0:39

proper way to say it. You did very well. That's amongst the best I've heard, yep.

Speaker 1 0:43

Right on. So Kurt is a caddy out on the PGA Tour and live, and I'm sure you've probably caddied a lot of other places as well. But I wanted to bring Kurt on because we've well, we've wanted to have him on for a while and he has some great you know, professional golf insights, and so we're going to have him on for this whole episode. He's going to be here chatting with us. If you have any questions, hang on. Let me get the. Uh, let me get our weekly giveaway stream going here behind the scenes. There we go.

Speaker 1 1:17

Um, if you have any comments for kurt or you have any questions, please throw them in the chat. Uh, we'll throw them up on there. We'll try and get as many answered as we can. If you do have any questions, we're going to talk a little bit about his life as a caddy and then we'll get into some Ryder Cup action. We'll talk a little bit about Mitch's revenge in Coyote Springs. Kurt got to experience Coyote Springs for the first time yesterday and they had the same pins that we played, so he got to play his own little mitch's revenge. But before we get into that, I just want to say real quick thank you so much to garson golf. They are a proud supporter and sponsor of the show uh. We are having some good success with uh the promos that we're running for them. Thank you to all those of you out there who have used our code and have bought some grips.

Speaker 1 2:08

We're getting some numbers. We love seeing that and hopefully the grips are on your putters and you're making more putts as we are.

Speaker 1 2:16

We also want to thank the Golf Stop and Wars Golf as our supporters of the show. Thank you so much for that continued support. If you caught the Instagram stories today, you see that we have some new ways that you can support the show. I've been doing some digging behind the scenes and found a different way for us to generate some revenue, and that's through your support. So there's two options right now. You can just click on the submit or support the pod, and you can donate any dollar up to $500, whatever it's a one time donation to a contribution to help us grow the show and, you know, bring people like Kurt on here that are going to have great insight and add a lot of value.

Speaker 1 3:01

And then we also have a new subscription base. Now this is very new. Shout out, cliff. This is very new.

Speaker 3 3:05

This is this is.

Speaker 1 3:08

This is very new from the ground up. This is nothing that we have been working on. I didn't even tell the guys about it, I just found out about it and threw it out there because I wanted to get it out there. But we have a subscription feature now where you can subscribe for a small monthly fee and that is going to get you some content that is not going to be out on our socials, not out on YouTube videos. It'll be kind of like private type stuff.

Speaker 4 3:40

Cdp-of shit, yeah, yeah, cdp-of.

Speaker 1 3:45

We have a Starfish stunning video We'll be sure to share with everybody. So, like I said, that is very new. If you want to wait to sign up for that, I completely understand, but you know we may if it takes off and it does. Well, you know, maybe our Vegas ranking episode is going to be on the subscription side of it, maybe specific interviews with industry leaders that we think are incredibly valuable to you, maybe some fine things like that Links to Joe's whatnot shows and stuff like that.

Speaker 3 4:23

Yeah, links to my whatnot shows. Go bookmark the 5k show y'all, please.

Speaker 1 4:28

Joe's got a big show coming up, so make sure you check in with him for that. So, now that that all the particulars are out of the way, how are you doing, kurt?

Speaker 2 4:38

I'm doing well, thank you. Thanks for having me no problem, excited to be here amongst the uh, four amateur golfers from las vegas dude shut up bio dude, it's so funny, like it.

Speaker 3 4:53

It's so funny how we met you too, like just to become part of, like the vegas golf network, and the crew, like just at the shriners yeah, you know.

Speaker 2 5:02

So you remember that, like I mean, yeah, I had to have been, at least if it wasn't two years ago, it was three years ago, I think it was three.

Speaker 3 5:08

Yeah, it was two or three.

Speaker 2 5:10

And you were like, yeah, I run this, you know amateur golf tour, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, damn, I wish I travel so much. And people are like, oh, you still play hockey? I said, yeah, I still play hockey. I just go to like the mid-afternoon like rando driving range sessions at the ice rink, you know.

Speaker 4 5:36

Yeah, big.

Speaker 3 5:36

Shorzy guy over here.

Speaker 2 5:38

Why don't? Oh, are you, you're nice. Do you watch Shorzy? Oh yeah, well, so I'm from Sudbury, do you?

Speaker 1 5:44

watch Jersey.

Speaker 4 5:44

Oh yeah, well, so I'm from.

Speaker 2 5:45

Sudbury. Oh nice, Shut up. No joke, Shut the fuck up. That's my hometown, and I was the referee when I was a kid too. So like it is just, oh my God, it's pulling on all the heartstrings, like, yeah, that arena that they, the arenas they play in, were like arenas that I grew up playing in. Oh, dude, that's gotta get the heartstrings. Oh, that's all the restaurants, all that stuff is all the all right for my hometown wild.

Speaker 1 6:10

Oh my god, I thought it was a fake town. No, it's a real deal.

Speaker 2 6:14

Oh, that's amazing like even the names of the bars yeah, the blueberry but yeah so and they're like, oh, like, why don't you join the league? Like there's so many great leagues in Vegas and I'm like, well, I'm away 30 plus weeks a year, like nobody wants a goalie. Nobody wants a goalie, who, you know, stops every other shot and only shows up, you know, once every four weeks.

Speaker 1 6:42

So that's why I don't do that.

Speaker 2 6:46

And that's why at the time when I met you guys, I didn't play like anything organized, I was just doing the random. You know, when I was home I'd play with, like if I had a buddy who's a member, say at tbc summerlin or red rock or dragon ridge, you know, just hopefully the hopefully the guy in the golf shop that day I I knew and uh, and he charged me a cart fee or something like that yeah, a little yeah exactly. I remember the reason last time right.

Speaker 4 7:10

Yeah.

Speaker 3 7:11

I'm good right.

Speaker 2 7:11

I'm good right, so how?

Speaker 1 7:16

did you. By the way, if anybody is a hockey fan and you have not watched Shorzy go?

Speaker 2 7:21

watch.

Speaker 1 7:22

Letterkenny and then watch Shorzy, because it's some of the best TV you can watch. I mean, it is absolutely fantastic.

Speaker 3 7:31

Yeah, it's great.

Speaker 2 7:32

I'm behind on it, so I need to catch up.

Speaker 2 7:35

It's funny. I did probably, I would say, two years ago. I started having people, or I started saying I'm from Sudbury, when people would say, where are you from? Oh, I'm from Canada, and then they'd kind of be like, give you that excited, like, oh, whereabouts. And I'd be like, oh, you know kind of near Toronto, and they're like, oh, really, like what area? And I'm like, oh, so you've been to Toronto a couple times. They're like, oh yeah, I've been up there a bunch of times. Oh, I'm actually from Sudbury, which is about two, two and a 200 miles North, and they're like, they're like no way, that's where.

Speaker 4 8:10

Yeah.

Speaker 2 8:13

So then, after it happened, like maybe five times or the next 10 times, like somebody I just like I'm going to just say it from Sudbury and I was like some rando golfer and is like wait, you're from Sudbury.

Speaker 4 8:29

And I'm like why are you watching?

Speaker 2 8:30

Shorzy.

Speaker 3 8:31

Like how deep into Hulu or wherever you're going. It went from do you know Drake? To like do you?

Speaker 5 8:38

watch Shorzy real quick.

Speaker 4 8:42

That's the Canada.

Speaker 1 8:45

Or Shorzy yeah that's the, the canada. Yeah, so how did? How did you get involved in caddying?

Speaker 2 8:52

um, so I was, um, I was okay at golf and, in my quest um to just continue playing golf as long as I could, uh, you know, just through the junior ranks, went and played college golf at the university of Wyoming. Um, and I followed a junior golf buddy who was winning all the tournaments. His name was David Hearn and, uh, so he started in 97 at Wyoming and I started 98 at Wyoming and it was kind of like that was the like when you go back in your life and you see all the forks in the road that you've had and they brought you to where you're at. Like, that was the one Catalyst, catalyst. There you go. I love this guy.

Kurt's Journey into Professional Caddying

Speaker 2 9:33

I got you there, hey, for a guy who got 925 and it only took 900 to get into Wyoming on the SAT. I like you, yeah. So, uh, you know, choosing to go to school there and follow David David was one of the top juniors in Canada, um, and so following him and just kind of being being able to hang around them and see how you know how good players practice and all that stuff so got a little bit better. Um, didn't really do a whole lot in college until my fifth year, but there wasn't COVID back then. Okay, so there I had a fifth year but it wasn't COVID.

Speaker 2 10:11

I had like a my first year where I my stroke average was 78.5. So it was kind of like a COVID year. The, the, the coach, was like we're going to register you next year, you're going to keep your scholarship and then you can just play in your fifth year of school. Um, I was like sounds amazing. So, yeah, it was kind of a long winter in laramie, but uh and this is a really long story so I followed david there. We became closer buddies. He's playing on the pga tour a couple years after graduating. I'm shooting 74 on the mini tours which everybody knows here is a nice score when you're playing against your buddies in an amateur.

Speaker 1 10:53

Vegas Golf Network yeah.

Speaker 2 10:54

Vegas Golf Network. That is a really tough course. I mean to finish maybe fourth or fifth that would get you. You've got to shoot 60. What are you shooting, dan?

Speaker 4 11:05

Not me.

Speaker 2 11:07

Let's say it's a long one. David says, hey, do you want to come to Florida next week? And it was Saturday and I had just taken a job sharpening hockey skates in Sudbury, ontario, home of the Blueberry Bulldogs. And so, no joke, this is 2005. I'm 25, um, I'm at home, I'm eating a bowl of cereal, the phone rings. My dad says hey, david's on the phone. So I pick up the phone. It's 8 30, I gotta work at like 10 am, uh, sharpening skates, and uh, he goes, can you meet me in florida? And I was like, yeah, yeah, sure, like, when he said, oh, next week, so I'm like it's Saturday morning, so I'm like you mean, you mean like in two days he goes. Yeah, there's like a.

Speaker 2 11:50

At the time it was called the Funai Classic, it was at Disney, and long and the short, I just the next day I flew down to Florida. So I, I, I worked that shift and then the guy who owned the sports store I was working at was actually one of the guys who sponsored me to play some mini tour events. So he was. He totally knew my heart was in golf. So when I told him I was going to go, like I can go away for a few weeks. I did that one. I did the Funai in 2000,. Like it's actually 20 years is coming up this month, in our next month, in October, um. So I did uh, orlando, and then we went for the uh Katrina, delayed or postponed uh Southern Farm Bureau Classic in Jackson, so, which is actually I'm going to that tournament next week, um, just for, like a, a 20th year anniversary, b I think it's going to be the last tournament. I don't maybe I'm misspeaking by saying that, but someone I know within the tour told me that the that was going to be their last tournament. I don't maybe I'm misspeaking by saying that, but someone I know within the tour told me that the that was gonna be their last tournament. So I'm hoping to go back and play Avondale, uh, uh, which is where the Southern Farm Bureau was 20 years ago, anyway. So I went to those tournaments.

Speaker 2 12:56

David didn't do all that well, uh, he asked me if I wanted to then continue on. We went to Houston and he went to the q school, uh, to like I guess it would have been second stage of q school at that time and didn't make it to finals. So all he had was, um corn fairy status the next year and at the time it was the nationwide um. So yeah, that was the start of it. And then, once the q school didn't go all that well, um, you know, I think that our first tournaments in the new year were like in new zealand or australia than new zealand, so yeah, so that was that was like I'm gonna, I'm gonna start caddying, like we kind of committed to caddy farm for the whole year on the, on the uh nationwide yeah and that was, uh, that was a really long time ago, so that's what I kind of curious about, that Like it's like so you, just you, while you're out there, right, because you didn't end there, right.

Speaker 3 13:50

So like you're just talking to people and you create relationships and like golf being golf, you just meet people through the love of the game and like handshake and, you know, eating a runza with someone in Nebraska or whatever, whatever it is like you're just you're out there creating relationships, right and right, cause that it didn't stop there and that's golf.

Speaker 2 14:14

Yeah, no, a hundred percent, yeah, it's. Uh, that was, that was like my first. Uh, that was my first time, kind of like understanding that you know what can come of it, Because you know you work your butt off, you work your butt off, you work your butt off, and then you're not really that good at golf in the scheme of the people you're hanging around with. You know what I mean. So, yeah, and I just my next job was a guy that David would play practice rounds with and I just my next job was a guy that David would play practice rounds with and got a lucky break headed to the PGA Tour the next year after counting for a guy who didn't keep his card.

Speaker 2 14:53

The guy, 48-year-old rookie, Jim Rutledge. His wife is going to be undergoing some cancer treatment in that next year, so he gets his card and it turns out that she's not going to be able to travel with him as much. So, bang, he needs, he wants a caddy. Yeah, that's how I got, that's how I got to my first taste of the PGA Tour, which is really, if that year doesn't happen, I probably don't stick with it because, like the nationwide wasn't all that fast.

Speaker 3 15:21

It's a grind like the nationwide wasn't all that grind, it's a grind.

Speaker 2 15:24

oh yeah, I mean the PGA Tour and like, see what, like these are the courses I watched on television. I didn't watch the the Omaha tournament on TV. I didn't watch the Kansas City tournament on TV and I sure as never on TV, yeah sure as hell didn't watch the Exuma Bahamas classic on TV in January. I was watching. I was watching a couple of Hawaii's. I was watching the West Coast Swing. My favorite course on earth when I was 17 years old and never even been to Arizona, was TPC Scottsdale.

Speaker 2 16:00

Before I even knew what Scottsdale was, the town, town. I was like in love with this golf course. Like I don't know how old was I Was I 14 or 15 when Andrew McGee got the hole-in-one there, bouncing it off someone's foot or someone's club? Remember that? Yeah, Really weird stuff. Like that's my memories of being a kid watching golf in the cold winters where, like yeah, that's interesting.

Speaker 2 16:24

Up in sudbury, like we in. The cool thing about sudbury is they have they have snow plows that clean the streets, clean the snow off the streets. And then we have plows like a snowblower that that goes and cleans the sidewalk and cuts a cuts, cuts a place for you to walk that's not on the street I don't know if that makes sense to you at all, but like that's how cold and dark and crazy, the yeah, um, yeah, that. That, that was my, that was my thing, like I used to. I remember every january, february, I'd watch, like the us, the australian uh tennis tournament, um, because that was always down there, because it's the opposite uh season, and then uh, and then watch that West coast swing and just wait till and then when the masters happened, the courses in Canada were open it was on yeah.

Speaker 2 17:12

Three, three weeks. The courses in Canada were open up. Golf season was coming around.

Speaker 1 17:17

What, at what point did you know like?

Speaker 2 17:27

this is what I want to. Uh, probably, I guess even after, even after that 2007 season with jim um, because I so started in five. Six was corn fairy, seven was pga, eight was lpga, and it was at that point where I was still just like not ready to go back, not ready to get a job.

Speaker 1 17:42

It's cold in Sudbury.

Speaker 2 17:43

Or like exactly like a real job. And then that was the time where I was not like I guess it was. It felt most like a job because you're technically you're caddying for this. I mean, my experience on the ladies tour was, if you were Korean, japanese or Chinese and you were between the ages of 19 and 22, I was your guy. So I'm not. You know what I mean. Like you know, there's not a lot of conversation on the course. It's 187 yards, two hybrid, three hybrid, whatever you know what I mean. Like it's.

Speaker 3 18:22

You know what you're doing, you know the player, you know what the club is, but you're kind of working for their parents, whatever. You know what I mean, like it's.

Speaker 2 18:24

You know what you're doing, you know the player, you know what the club is but you're kind of working for their parents, really Like their parents are the ones who are there?

Speaker 3 18:29

Yeah, they're the ones paying you, yeah.

Speaker 2 18:32

Yes, and this was the first time I wasn't counting for someone who was my. I would consider my friend, like it was results that point when I started to take it more serious, man, but I still wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna do this forever, like I was just delaying being an adult adrian's got a question.

Speaker 1 18:56

Uh, he says what is your most surrealist moment um?

Speaker 3 19:03

so jason daylight podcast obviously yeah, well, I mean totally.

Speaker 2 19:07

But uh, staying in the present um lots of, lots of cool moments, the most surreal, um, um, maybe, winning, winning the first winning, my first PGA tour event.

Speaker 3 19:25

Yeah.

Speaker 2 19:26

Um, did win a, so that was the John Deere classic. This is. This is going to be a really funny story. I'm going to reverse to 2010. I'm caddying for a girl named Sun Young Yoo. She's um, she's Korean, she's a really nice player. She makes the match play tournament in New Jersey at Hamilton Farms Golf Club.

Speaker 2 19:52

Um, now, keep in mind like eight, nine and then now 10. So this is like my third year taking it seriously, beyond, like just hanging out with my buddies, right? So, uh, uh, we get into this match play tournament and it's like, not like this. Uh, you know, the match play tournament now is like where there's brackets and you play three rounds because everybody wants to watch you play and the other yeah, this was a lose and go home right away. Lose and go home. Um, there was no consolations or anything. So, whatever, we win the first one. So now we're into the 32, and then we're into the 16. And then, and then I'm like, I'm looking at, I'm like, dang, if we, if we win this next match like this is the biggest check I'm ever going to make.

Speaker 3 20:35

Yeah.

Speaker 2 20:36

So, and it was about that point, the guy I was rooming with I just thought, like you know, you organize, like hey, we'll stay for the whole week was an old guy, an older caddy at the time, if I was 29 or 30, this guy was 50. And Dan Wilson was his name. He says to me here's the check, here's half my room, but don't cash it yet, because if you win this tournament you're going to rip that check out. And I'm like, like, like I'm winning a tournament, like yeah, because it's like you know, think about it, though, like because when you get to friday, like when you're in friday at a normal tournament, there's still 132 or 144 golfers in the field, right, like not all of them can win, but now I'm down to like 16. So like there's only my girl and 15 other players. So we go again and we win. And then I'm like, then I'm seeing, like what first place is and then what? Like losing in the final and then making the semifinal and then winning the consolation. And I was like, oh dang, I'm so sure we get rolling around the weekend. She plays good. Um, I, I'm kind of. I mean, obviously there was a lot of matches because it was 64, uh, 64 golfers.

Speaker 2 21:59

But I remember playing in the, I remember beating Christy Kerr, which was she was, she was a bulldog, she was a bully, um, but you know what I mean. Like she was. I, like I said, I'm still new to this whole thing, right, so I'm showing up with a clean shirt and uh, and a good attitude and trying to do my best. And here's, like Christy Kerr is at the top of her game, you know, Um, but it was one of those where it's like, uh, I'm kind of, I kind of get animated when I talk. So I'm standing there, right, and Christy Kerr's like, yeah, yeah, just move off to the side. A little bit, like we were on the tee, I was outside the markers already, so I, like she asked me to move and I went like this Cause, we, we and she'd been a real, you know, real saucy, let's say yeah. And I was like, oh boy, so when you know, you know, in match play, I was not like going to give and let her walk all over us.

Speaker 4 22:52

Yeah, right.

First Tournament Win and Career Milestones

Speaker 2 22:52

Because my girl's like not even conversational you know what I mean she wasn't like. She was the semis. And then we beat Angela Stanford in the final and Angela was probably at the top of her game as well. Like she ended up certainly winning the major.

Speaker 2 23:15

But yeah, so sure enough, I ripped up Dan Wilson's check for his half of the hotel because I was the winning caddy, so I paid for my roommates, like getting a hole in one Check. But it was just yeah, exactly. It was just weird because, like I got to be honest at that point I was not like yeah, yeah, I'm a good enough caddy to win the tournament, you know, or on caddying for a player who's good enough to win a tournament, right. But then, like Dan, who'd been caddying for if he was 50, he'd been caddying for maybe 25 years he's like hey, don't cash that check yet, just wait, because if you win this tournament and I was like dang, so that was like my I mean I don't know if surrealist is the. I've had a lot of cool moments in caddying, but that was like my first time where I was like I can do this as a job.

Speaker 1 24:02

Yeah, so have you. How many times have you told another guy hey, don't cash this check yet.

Speaker 2 24:08

Uh see, nowadays it's always like you're Venmoing him. You know what I mean Um.

Speaker 3 24:15

I'm curious. I'm curious on that because, like you didn't believe and it sounds like you were just like in that flow state, you know, the Bryson De de chambeau, like you know, just let it happen and you just found your rhythm, was that, was that it like? Because for me, like when I play golf, I play best, when I'm like it is what it is, I'm free, I'm playing free and I can I play my best golf and I'm not worried about anything. Like you might not have seen it happen, it being a possibility, so maybe that helped you capture that first one. And you were just like whoa, like no, I'm just going to go out there and do what I do and just live and and do it freely and just live in the moment Soul, golf and everything.

Speaker 3 24:59

We're soul golfers over here.

Speaker 2 25:02

I mean that's that's when I play my best golf, because I'm not worried about anything else? 100. I'm that way when I, when I play and when I caddy, like um, people ask silly questions like is this a par 71 or is this par 72?

Speaker 3 25:16

I'm like yeah, it doesn't matter at the end of the day, doesn't matter.

Speaker 2 25:20

um, I gotta know how far that bunker is on one, like I'm just in my mind. I was just visualizing one at TPC Summerlin, you know what I mean. Like I need to know what the wind is and how firm that fairway is, and can my players, golf ball, get in there with whatever club they have? Yeah, and do they want to be more aggressive? Like you know what I mean. Like it's, it's, it's.

Speaker 1 25:41

It's shot by shot.

Speaker 2 25:42

And it's shot by shot.

Speaker 1 25:43

And it's yes.

Speaker 2 25:44

And I've been in certainly a lot of pressure packed situations where you're on the range and you're fiddling and you're making sure you got all your pencils and you're doing this and you're nervous as hell, and then you get out there and you're throwing grass and you're like this lot, you're talking about the lie, you're talking about this, you're too busy doing all of the little catty.

Speaker 3 26:05

To worry about it.

Speaker 2 26:05

Yeah, to, to be consciously aware that, like I, I'm in the final group and it's sunday and blah, blah, blah and um, yeah, so that is, that's a thing, and I I think that that that's certainly, um, something I learned playing golf that helped me caddying, um, but yeah, I want to say, like, maybe earlier that year I was maybe in, so that was 2010. I was in another playoff with that girl at like a regular tournament, but it wasn't this big match play tournament. I think what the purse was. The purse might have been a million dollars at this and now, keep in mind, this was 2000 and, as big back yeah, 2010, um, and I think first place was like 375.

Speaker 2 26:58

So that was like no, because normally um, now I don't know if side side I don't even know what side base is it was some tech company or something from New Jersey, um, but that Hamilton, that Hamilton farm golf course, was really cool, um, but uh, normally first place is 18% of the purse. So, like you know, million dollar purses yield 180 for the winner.

Speaker 3 27:23

Yeah.

Speaker 2 27:23

So that was kind of a cool one where they kind of like made it top heavy because it was match play, I guess. Um, but uh, yeah, I lost my train of thought there on exactly what we were going with, but uh, that's okay, we got another question.

Speaker 1 27:36

Yeah, good, uh, david, thank you so much for this says to know the rules of golf pretty well as a caddy.

Speaker 2 27:48

What are the most important qualities you need to have as a caddy? Yes, you do need to know the rules, but, as I'm sure you guys watch golf on TV, it doesn't matter how well you know the rules. The pro still calls for a ruling, the simplest, like your golf ball. You are taking relief over here and you, um, like it is a no-brainer, there's nothing like they just don't want. It's like yeah, so you want to. Like do you want to just put two over there now? Or like you can totally, but you get like you don't want to, I don't know. Just say your guy's not playing. Well, you don't want to be the one to be like, hey, like, you can do this on your own. You know, like you're kind of trying to be, um, his best friend or her best friend, I mean, depending on where I was in my life. But, um, yeah, so you obviously need to know and obviously, like, I'm always telling my guy like, hey, so when the rules of virtual comes, you're asking for this, just so you know.

Speaker 2 28:45

Like this, is what your plan is this is how you're going to attack this. Um and kind of a cool story. Um, I caddied for Miles Russell at the pro core tournament two weeks ago. Um, he is a 16 year old, like standout amateur little lefty guy. Um, so through, um, a vegas guy, jj jackovac. He knew the agent and the agent reached out to him blah, blah, blah, enter, kurt. I ended up counting for him. He pulls a t-shot, pull, draw, t-shot on number 16 and I can see it kind of going over towards the bunker in my in my mind, like I don't talk out loud, um, but I said to him in in in my head I'm like get on the ground now, like this ball, cause it's drawing to the right, cause I know there's a, there's a cart path over there, and B, there's like a fence and then it's a maintenance area and it's out of bounds.

Speaker 4 29:44

Yeah.

Speaker 2 29:45

So I see the ball land on the grass, but it takes a couple heavy, heavy hits off the grass and rolls across the path. So now I'm just, I'm just like miles, you're gonna, you gotta, we should hit our provisional for a lost ball. And uh, he goes, okay, cool, no problem about hits his five wood down the middle. We go up there and then I can, then we can't see the ball. So it's kind of like we're just going to see the ball and play it, but he's left-handed. So we end up on the other side of the road in like a little trench that's like a foot and a half wide and so with him being a lefty, he'd have to play the shot right-handed. Okay, so because I have the USGA app, I get all the videos. I get the videos that pump into my email or whatever it is, so I know he can play the shot right-handed, get relief from the road.

Speaker 2 30:39

Now he's back on the golf course. Now he's back on the golf course and then he can switch over to be left-handed for his approach shot. So we dodge a huge bullet because now he's got a sand wedge or, you know, depending a gap wedge onto the green, no obstruction of any trees or the fence or anything, because Did he know that rule? Well, so he kind of before he could say like, hey, this is this I. I kind of told him. I said, hey, when, when the rules official does come, you know that you can, you're going to get relief because you're going to play it right-handed and then you can switch over to left-handed once you're on the other side. He goes okay, good, I, I thought that was it, but I wasn't sure. So hence the the rules official guy comes over, and I think he was super I've been catching for a lot of pros and they come over and be like, hey, what's up.

Speaker 2 31:31

But, he was really good. He was really good to him because he's probably a 16 year old amateur and was like hey. So this is what we're going to do. We're going to give you relief here. We're going to skip the cart path like the dropping on the cart path. We're going to go to the other side. We're going to give you relief as a right-hander. If your ball is okay to play lefty, you can just go ahead and play it right away. But then if you need to take relief as a lefty because you're still standing on the road, then we can do that. But he ended up taking far enough relief from the path where his feet weren't on it anymore and ended up hitting it onto the green and making par.

Speaker 1 32:05

I don't know the rules. Let that be a lesson Go.

Speaker 3 32:10

follow USGA on Instagram as well.

Speaker 1 32:12

They post some really good stuff.

Speaker 3 32:13

Yeah, exactly Sign up for the mail letter, email letters and if you're in Vegas and you need a USGA certified club to be a part of Vegas Golf Network, is the one and I post a USGA certified club to be a part of Vegas golf network is the one, and I post a lot of the USGA videos on the network page.

Speaker 1 32:30

Some of them I'm like and some of them I don't. Because I'm like I don't want anybody to know about this because it's just going to cause more problems.

Speaker 3 32:38

But it's one of those things. I mean, you know the rules and you, you, you play, you can use the rules and you, you, you play, you can use the rules, and to your advantage in certain situations. Yeah, which is what you guys did 100 all right, let's talk about coyote spring.

Speaker 1 32:53

We had mitch's revenge and I have, I have some photos here. Let me, let me, uh, bring up these photos and, uh, we can look at here. It's beautiful beauty.

Speaker 3 33:02

It's in such good shape.

Speaker 1 33:07

It's the number four Beautiful hole. That's number one. Dan and I were talking Great opening hole, great opening hole in Cary Springs.

Speaker 2 33:16

What hole is that?

Speaker 1 33:19

That's six. Just beautiful out there. Beautiful out there. I got some videos. I got some videos. I got some videos.

Speaker 3 33:28

Padeos.

Speaker 2 33:30

Quiet out there too, yeah.

Speaker 3 33:32

Nothing out there.

Speaker 1 33:36

Uh, oh, there's Dan with his T.

Speaker 3 33:38

Squirty no.

Speaker 1 33:43

That one wasn't fat, dan was hitting it fat.

Speaker 4 33:46

Keeping an eye on it. No, that one wasn't fat, dan was hitting it fat Keeping an eye on it here's Jeremy Listening to Lincoln Park.

Speaker 3 33:57

Yeah, jeremy, with the big shoulder turn.

Speaker 1 34:03

Jeremy with the big shoulder turn.

Speaker 5 34:05

What is?

Speaker 4 34:05

that that's 10, isn't it? 10, yeah, that is 10, yeah.

Speaker 5 34:09

That's where our balls were touching, not in slow motion.

Speaker 3 34:14

That wasn't in slow motion, yeah.

Speaker 2 34:18

I mean first one to pick up the team before it hit the apex, though. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 34:22

And then here's Joe.

Speaker 4 34:28

There's Joe jumping off the ground. Let's see. Yeah, no, no, I think I stuck.

Speaker 3 34:32

I think I stuck down dude. I fucked up my knee.

Speaker 1 34:35

This one was this one was.

Speaker 3 34:37

This was a good one.

Speaker 1 34:38

No, this one was bad, that's right fuck yeah, one-handed finish adios uh, so that's some videos from us out at coyote uh, nice, nice pick on my video, matt.

Speaker 3 34:51

I appreciate you so much.

Speaker 1 34:53

I had one video and that was it. So I didn't want to leave you out.

Speaker 3 34:58

Good right if I, if I wouldn't have put it, you'd been upset I would have been like I was there, I was there, I was there, I was there, I was there. Yeah, trust me, I was there.

Speaker 1 35:07

So, Kurt, what's your thoughts, Aside from the questionable pin locations that you had the pleasure of playing yesterday? What's your thoughts on Coyote Springs? We consider Coyote Springs a hidden gem.

Speaker 3 35:21

Also I'm really curious If they had an event out out there like a tour stop, like what, how do you think they could eat it up or how would they would play out well why don't they have a live tournament out there, like I don't? Know, dude I? I think it's such a great venue.

Speaker 2 35:38

I know there's nowhere to stay nearby nowhere to stay and shuttle them in, but I just thought like just the size of the property. You know what I mean. When I first pulled up the driving range and the mac, the keying area was 110 yards long. I thought about the 13 golf teams and four golfers on each team. We want to warm up and then you go to. You go to some, uh, some range where it's super tight and, um, I mean, I'm sure it must have been a kerfuffle when, um, the lift tournament was here, the driving range at that, uh, they moved part of the driving range to the eighth hole yeah, so anyway I just thought I saw that range and, um, certainly a hidden gem.

Speaker 2 36:19

So I went with some, uh, went to play with some guys that I know who are members at Dragon Ridge.

Speaker 1 36:25

I saw a rebel bag with one of those guys.

Speaker 2 36:28

Yeah, yeah, eric Nielsen, I think, is his name. He's a cop. He's actually a baseball player, so he's a member at. He's a Henderson cop, and so the two other guys are members there as well. So we drove out and they love going out and playing when it's their overseed time there, right?

Speaker 1 36:52

Yeah.

Speaker 2 36:52

But for $79,. What a green.

Speaker 3 36:54

It's a steal. It's a steal, it's an absolute steal.

Speaker 2 36:58

So Hidden Gem, I'm in on the Hidden Gem. So people are like, oh, you live in Vegas. Yeah, every time I go, are I go and play this course and cascada, yeah, and okay, we heard of that one yet, and then this one, and then, uh, coyote springs. And I'm like man, like I think I've been in vegas like six years this was a couple years ago and I'm like I've never heard of that course, yeah, and I don't think it's in Las Vegas. And they're saying it's so amazing. I'm like the ones that are they're amazing to talk about are like Shadow or the Summit or something like that. I'm like what are these people talking about? Like where is this course? And then now, now it's been so and I'll go back 100% I was sad to miss the tournament, the VGN tournament, obviously. Did they? Did Trey shoot with his low score there? Did that come from the back tees?

Speaker 1 37:52

Yeah, that was from the back tees, yeah, yeah, and then he shot 20 more strokes.

Speaker 5 38:00

Yeah, mitch's 71-93.

Speaker 1 38:06

Yeah, For what Joe was saying do the PGA Tour.

Speaker 2 38:11

guys tear that place up. Well, you can certainly put some locations. You can speed up the greens Small shells. I know the carnival pin locations for your event on Sunday and my casual fun round on Monday.

Speaker 3 38:27

But Is that the most challenging course in the Las Vegas area for the pros?

Speaker 2 38:41

considering I've only I've only really seen the pros play like I get what you're saying, like I should know the, but I I only really know they've played summerland shadow they lit up oh yeah, you know what they did. They played shadow and they played they lit up the summit.

Speaker 3 38:55

Corn corn fairy was at piute, but they destroyed it um I think we're also played so high back in the day.

Speaker 1 39:04

Yeah, um, and like none of them were like crazy challenges.

Speaker 2 39:08

I'm just curious if that's their most challenging test in las vegas I think so because if you, if you grow the grass and and uh, like I saw matt on on monday before I went out there and uh, he was like yeah, there's no, like there's no flat lies, um, and I would agree with that like there was a couple times. Uh, I think on the number one hole is like we drive out, there's like a bunker all up the right and then anyway, I was like not that one.

Speaker 4 39:37

No, yeah, don't play, let me bring that one up again.

Speaker 1 39:40

Hang on a a second Swing and side.

Speaker 3 39:42

I did win second in my division in Vegas. Pop-tart Work.

Coyote Springs Golf Course Review

Speaker 2 39:47

But yeah, yes, exactly there you go. Yeah, so I don't know, I may have been playing that lower deck, I played the blues. I played the blues with my buddies, but yeah, I had a seven iron in, but the ball was below my feet to the tune of, like I better start this at the right edge of the green and, um, it's not really a common thing, like most. So I think that would be a big thing for the pros would be the undulations in the side slopes and the fairways. So if you get the greens firm and you can grow some rough around the greens which sounds like there's no shortage of water out there that would be a beast of a course. Yeah.

Speaker 3 40:27

What's the yardage in the?

Speaker 2 40:28

back. Was it 74 or 57?

Speaker 1 40:32

They had us play it at 76.

Speaker 3 40:35

It was probably 75.

Speaker 1 40:37

Yeah, 75 is respectable.

Speaker 2 40:40

Yeah, nice track.

Speaker 1 40:43

I'd go back in a heartbeat, for sure um one of the best deals in in the valley yeah, especially right now, because there's so many courses that are, are, uh, you know, either car path only or shut down for another couple weeks right doing overseeding.

Speaker 2 40:59

So it's, it's a great, great deal while we're on the topic of mitch's revenge, um, is mitch a dog or a coyote?

Speaker 1 41:08

yeah, a dog yeah, when they were building the course. Uh, somebody had stranded a dog out in the desert on the highway and he made his way to the golf course and hung out with everybody while they were building the course, and so he just kind of became their little mascot okay, gotcha yeah, also rumor is the second course might be coming soon, which was a pete die jack nicholas collab design.

Speaker 3 41:35

We'll see if that happens.

Speaker 2 41:37

Hopefully it happens, I hope so, I hope so okay, it probably won't, but I hope you guys have been there a bunch right.

Speaker 4 41:46

Yeah.

Speaker 2 41:47

Okay, so when you're driving to the driving range or you're about to, you saw the poles On the right side. Are those there all the time?

Speaker 3 41:56

Yeah, that was. That's the Pete Dye course.

Speaker 1 42:00

Yeah, that's the 18th hole on the second course.

Speaker 3 42:03

Design the putting green that you practice on yeah that was the 18th green they used to have a model in the in the little clubhouse that showed the other course, but it's gone now gotcha well.

Speaker 2 42:16

How long have the polls been up then?

Speaker 1 42:19

since the course.

Speaker 2 42:20

Yeah, oh, gotcha, so it wasn't. They didn't put them up last year, to no?

Speaker 1 42:23

No, no, no, they haven't been there.

Speaker 5 42:26

There is a lot of activity out there. Every time we go there's trucks and they're moving dirt and stuff around, so it seems like something's.

Speaker 1 42:33

There was originally supposed to be three courses out there. There was supposed to be 10,000 homes, a PGA training center it was supposed to be the palm springs, the new palm springs.

Speaker 2 42:43

yeah, three championship golf courses, a hotel, uh, houses, restaurants, shops, everything and uh, I feel like the way uh dan's dressed, uh, and they've got the dark. He's got an inside story about the corruption involved in the guy losing the real estate investment portion of the program and having to sell the course. What do you know, dan?

Speaker 4 43:10

I don't know, I don't know about all that. But, I do know for a while that development stopped out there because of water water issues and water rights, of, uh, water, water issues and water rights, um, I'm I don't know full details, but I think for a long time uh, clark county was really trying to get that water out there from coyote springs and coyote springs was like no fuck you, this is our water. And shit got tied up in in court and litigation and all the stuff for close to in the politicians.

Speaker 4 43:41

a would say and then yeah, so as of, what was it about two years ago? And they said that Coyote Springs gets to keep their water, and Clark County doesn't get any of it, so we'll see what happens.

Speaker 3 43:56

As far, as I know no.

Speaker 3 43:58

From when I was in the pro shop at Coyote. The dude that owns Coyote springs owns like 50 acres in downtown la and he owns all this. So that's my whole thing. Is is like they've been cleaning that place up a lot and my, my thought process is they're bringing out investors to see how dope the golf course is, because it is 100% of very dope golf course and they're going to be like hey, come play our golf course. Do you want to invest into the future of coyote Springs? And I.

Speaker 3 44:31

I think it'll come, but it all comes down to water. It's all water.

Speaker 2 44:37

Right, just like. Well, I don't want to get off topic, matt, you're the sheriff of the of the program here, so, but what about the? Uh? Capalua had to change because, uh, because of oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yep, yep, yeah.

Speaker 3 44:50

No capalua this year no capalua, no century tournament of champions yeah, but rob got a new location, or no?

Speaker 1 44:59

haven't heard yet. Haven't heard yet. Just, it's not going to be a Capilou and and it's going to be.

Speaker 3 45:04

It's going to be at coyote Springs this year.

Speaker 1 45:06

Yeah, totally, that would be amazing. Uh, no, I I have a feeling that last year's century was the last PGA tour event that's ever going to be held at Capilou. Uh, and there's a really good chance that course never comes back as a golf course, so I hope you got to play it.

Speaker 3 45:23

Ripcord Crenshaw legend Golf course.

Speaker 1 45:28

It's a fun golf. I did get to play it. I'm pretty happy about that. It was fun.

Speaker 3 45:31

You played it.

Speaker 1 45:33

Yeah, I played it.

Speaker 3 45:34

That's cool.

Speaker 1 45:35

Back in, oh god, I'll say 2015, 2016. It was pretty amazing, was that when?

Speaker 3 45:43

you were trying to become a DEA agent.

Speaker 1 45:46

No that was way before that.

Speaker 4 45:49

Way after that I'm a DEA agent.

Speaker 1 45:53

Wow, you know, you think you have private conversation with your friends but I guess not, hey and I didn't say DEA agent. I said I wanted to work for the DEA Big difference Not at all, oh my goodness. So what was your favorite hole out there, Kurt? Did you have one?

Speaker 2 46:13

that you were like wow, this is absolutely insane and incredible.

Speaker 1 46:17

I birdied.

Speaker 2 46:18

I had two birdies on par threes. I want to choose one of those as my favorite. Some beefy par threes, huh.

Speaker 3 46:25

Yeah.

Speaker 2 46:25

Yeah, it wasn't the one, it wasn't the long one, but actually the longest one was downhill and it was only a five iron, but there was a couple. Oh, there were so many. Good, well, that's the thing. After a while you're just seeing these pins and you're like well, if I hit it out into the middle of the green, I have this ridiculous putt.

Speaker 1 46:41

So I was just shooting at some pins.

Speaker 2 46:46

I think I'm so new to the course I can't even like necessarily say oh yeah, this hole here, although from the blue tee or I guess I played those black and the blues, it was about a 280 carry over it was somewhere middle of the back nine, a par four, where there's like a bunker in the middle of the fairway 13.

Speaker 2 47:07

Yeah, 13. So I teed her up, you know, an extra inch higher, and gave her a wallop and I carried the bunker and had a wedge in. It was the back pin back right, the back center, whatever you want to call it and landed on the back fringe. So I cleared the green but, um, spun back down to like 12 feet and, uh, I think that was a third birdie in a row, which was good because the guys I was playing with were, uh were up in the match, so that was I needed to claw my way back in the match we were having, so I had an amazing up and down from the bunker on that hole nice, almost hold it out, yeah nice I

Speaker 1 47:49

think that's what's so cool getting that on the green so we're going with lucky 13.

Speaker 3 47:53

We're going with lucky 13 there I think that's what's so cool about that place is like if there's a golf course that could change day by day, like in Vegas. That course can change every single day, you know, and it just breeds creativity. What they've been doing lately, too, is amazing.

Speaker 1 48:11

I don't know if you how much you were around the bunkers, but they they've let the grass grow incredibly thick around the bunkers.

Speaker 2 48:20

Where it's like you want to be in the bunker.

Speaker 1 48:22

Yeah, you want to be in the bunker yeah, you want to be in the bunker because if you're in the rough on the edges of the bunker, you're just fucked, toast same hole, kurt, during that tournament.

Speaker 4 48:33

13 with the bunker in the middle black tees. Oh fucking, pounded a drive. I was like god please be. You know I hit it too straight, so we get up there. I'm about this far past the bunker's edge and that longer grass. I would have gotten one more yard. I would have carried that bunker and been in the fairway and then I just had to hack a wedge out because it was like 12 inch raft, it was so deep yeah so deep, so close, love that place yeah.

Speaker 2 49:00

It looked cool, but when you get into a dance situation it's not so much fun.

Speaker 1 49:07

When it first opened it was like $200 to play and you had to have a caddy. The greens were like 14s. I had 44 putts. The first time I played it it was absolutely insane. You couldn't keep anything on the greens. But it's come. It's come a long way. You know from what they wanted it to be. Uh, same thing happened with royal links. They opened up, it was caddy only and and went away from it. But we're happy that coyote springs is here where it's at um. We're big fans of it, so i'm'm glad you got to play it.

Speaker 2 49:41

Love that yeah it's great.

Speaker 3 49:43

Oh, I hate finish. Too Great, I think, I think. I think it's a fantastic finish.

Speaker 1 49:48

I think 16 is fantastic, that's my favorite fairway on that course and you haven't hit it in like three times.

Speaker 3 49:55

It doesn't matter, you hit triple, triple bogey birdie eagle.

Speaker 2 50:00

whatever it is, is that the blind one? No that's the downhill par 5.

Speaker 4 50:05

Par 5 with water 610 yard par 5.

Speaker 3 50:09

Big old ripples in the fairway Muggles in the middle of the fairway, so cool. Yeah, exactly, it's a test man.

Speaker 2 50:18

How much is a pro v1? $18. $18. $18. Now that hole cost me $10 to play there. It was a $79 green fee, but that one particular hole it was an extra tax $10.

Speaker 4 50:39

I made a nice five foot trickly downhill putt for an eight yeah, that was so funny. Downhill putt for an eight yeah, that was so funny Nice putt for an eight.

Speaker 2 50:49

What the listeners should also know is that $20 for a six pack of beer.

Speaker 3 50:56

Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, they do it.

Speaker 1 50:59

And the smash burger there is absolutely insanely good.

Speaker 2 51:02

Yeah.

Speaker 3 51:02

Yeah, and their breakfast burritos are fire too, yeah.

Speaker 4 51:08

Alright.

Speaker 3 51:10

And probably one of the best practice facilities in our area. I mean like public practice facilities.

Speaker 1 51:19

Yeah, it just sucks that it's so far from the clubhouse.

Speaker 4 51:22

It's an hour and a half from my door too.

Speaker 2 51:24

Once you're there the range isn't that far.

Speaker 1 51:32

Did you ever get to Prim? Did you ever play Prim Valley?

Speaker 2 51:37

Is it closed? Now? You're talking about it like it was a thing of the past.

Speaker 5 51:41

No I did.

Speaker 2 51:41

Yeah, I went during COVID Because wasn't it open during COVID.

Speaker 3 51:45

Oh yeah, yeah, that was my baby girl, if you will.

Speaker 2 51:51

Yeah.

Speaker 3 51:51

Always there for you, I will yeah.

Speaker 1 51:55

It was amazing because they had the two courses you could play 36 out there for 45 bucks, 36 out there for 45 bucks but they had one of the best practice facilities out here because they had the the big arcing driving range two-sided, but then they had they had two different putting greens and then they had a short game area that was two like 100 yard fairways that you could hit yeah, just go out there and drop a bucket and just oh man.

Speaker 2 52:25

So good Nice, and then pick up a Powerball on the way home Exactly.

Speaker 1 52:30

Yeah, everything's closed there.

Speaker 3 52:34

Right now You're. You're a Vegas guy now.

Speaker 4 52:36

Yeah, strawberry, strawberry shakes from the mad Greek. Yeah, there you go.

Speaker 2 52:43

I got to try one next time I go by.

Speaker 4 52:45

It's gone though.

Speaker 2 52:47

When I win the Powerball, I'm going to buy Coyote Springs.

Speaker 3 52:50

There you go, let's build a lot more courses. Kurt, Build more courses.

Speaker 5 52:57

Let's get in.

Speaker 1 53:00

We've already gone 53 minutes Awesome, I love this. Let's get into a little bit of Ryder Cup. You say you have caddied at a President's Cup, so you have been at an event like this, but not on the USA side. You were with the international team, correct? Have you been to Bethpage? I don't know if you're aware of this, but Joe has played Bethpage Black. I have played.

Speaker 3 53:22

Beth Page Black. I camped out in the parking lot over there.

Speaker 2 53:27

Oh wow, yeah, that's your part of that story.

Speaker 1 53:31

Have you caddied there at all or ever been up there?

Speaker 2 53:33

Yeah, the 2019.

Speaker 3 53:34

PGA oh.

Speaker 2 53:36

Cameron Champ.

Speaker 3 53:38

Oh nice.

Speaker 1 53:40

So you were on Cameron Champ's bag.

Speaker 3 53:42

Yep, I'm going to have. Yep, I can watch the YouTube footage. Man, yeah, that's cool.

Speaker 2 53:47

I started, yeah, 18, uh, a good chunk of 18 when he was on the corn ferry, um, and then he won Sanderson in October of 18. No-transcript. And then I worked with him through the 2020 Pro Championship.

Speaker 3 54:14

I probably lost $5 every week on him because I was betting on him every week. Yep, but he was playing man man. I wanted to see him win one of those back then and then he pulled Were you on the bag? His first one was Sanderson Yep, Were you on the bag then? Yeah, let's go.

Speaker 2 54:39

Nice, and then he was doing well at Vegasgas after, after, saying I'm swinging.

Speaker 1 54:47

I'm gonna have to go look and see if you're lingering in the background there.

Speaker 2 54:50

Yeah, you'll see some guy wearing a blue nike striped shirt and a sudbury sudbury jersey um, but yeah, and then uh, and then he won again. So he won his rookie year. He won his second start, which was sanderson. His second year. He won his second start, which was safeway in napa yep, um california winner yep. And then now pro core. Yes, now the.

Speaker 2 55:22

Procore and then, yeah, so that was the. That was September of 19. So, technically, we're qualified for the. Well, sanderson wasn't a master's bid because world golf championship China was, or Shanghai was opposite, so that was not a master's the. The 2019 pro core was. We're qualified for the april 2020 masters covid. Um, uh, so it gets moved to november and I got let go the day after the tour championship.

Speaker 5 55:58

Oh man oh no no, do you have a?

Speaker 1 56:03

caddy in Augusta, yet I have.

Speaker 2 56:07

So Danny I mean I'll tell all the good stories Danny Lee wins in the summer of 15. So we're Greenbrier and in a playoff we beat my buddy, david Hearn.

Speaker 4 56:20

Wow the one that brought you.

The Live Golf Tour Experience

Speaker 2 56:25

So your guy was asking earlier about the real. That was like my first PGA win and we're going into a playoff with, like, kevin Kisner, um, david Hearn, and do you do, guy from Pittsburgh, turn on the blank, anyway, put it with his wedge on the back nine and made like two, two birdies or something to get into the playoff, four man playoff, um. And then obviously somebody had to win and I kind of felt bad but we moved on, moved on, moved on and it was David and Danny and Danny ended up winning, um, but anyway, so Danny, danny wins that tournament, qualifies for the 16 Masters and I get, let go the match play, the Dell match play in Austin, which is two weeks before, because it's like Austin and then San Antonio or Houston Houston.

Speaker 2 57:20

Yes, Houston open, and then the Masters. So he demolished a putting green. He demolished a green littered debris all over it with a divot and didn't go and clean it up on the last hole, on the 18th hole. So there I am like going over to shake Charles Wurzel's hand and I get like pelted with a divot and like dirt everywhere and I'm like danny, you should go clean this up. And he goes, he goes. You don't understand. I pissed off, like you know whatever he had to like tip in from over the green or, but god bless him, he's a hell of a golfer. And, uh, we had some crazy success together in five years. That's danny. So, anyway, yeah, so the crazy success together in five years, that's danny. So, anyway, yeah. So the the masters was, um, how do you say? It was a joe? You're supposed to fill in for me here with the word.

Speaker 2 58:12

It was an incredible experience no, it was an incredible experience. What I'm saying is like the rug got twice. Oh yeah, the rug.

Speaker 1 58:21

Yeah, you have a golden ticket.

Speaker 2 58:24

So anyway, Brendan Todd in 2021 messaged me and says, hey, can you get to Austin tomorrow? And I'm like, not really, but if you want to work together in the future, I'd love to work for you. And he goes okay, let me figure out this week, and blah, blah, blah, and let me figure out this week and blah, blah, blah. And then he missed making the weekend at the match play. And then he messaged me and said, hey, do you want to start at the Masters? And I was like, yep.

Speaker 2 58:51

Yes, I do, and at the time I went back and kept it for Danny for a little bit.

Speaker 1 58:59

I'm like, hey, danny, something came up, that's awesome.

Speaker 2 59:07

So you know it, just don't. You know it was meant to be so, but those were the. That was also surreal, like a surreal. Nine days I showed. I traveled on friday, showed up on saturday, watched the women's uh, amateur tournament and then we could go. Then you could go back to the caddy area, throw your jump caddy jumpsuit on and then go walk the course, cause you can't go, like walk inside the ropes without your jumpsuit on as a caddy. Um, so yeah, that was so. That was like a, so I call it like. There's the. There's the movie like nine days or eight days in utopia, or something like that, with the golf one. I think you four amateurs would know which movie that was. Yeah, um, you're the man, rob.

Speaker 2 59:45

I'm glad you're enjoying the story, so yeah. So anyway, I called that my nine days utopia only because I spectated in 2007. And I was like, damn, this is sick. So because in 2007, I was caddying, like I was telling you guys that off chance I got the caddy for Jim Rutledge that year and got to become buddies with Weir's Caddy, and Weir's Caddy was like, hey, just come to the Masters next week, Like you got the week off, we're not going back to Canada.

Speaker 2 1:00:19

So I did, I hung out at their rental house and everything and, you know, had beers at all the cool places you're supposed to in Augusta. Um, God, wasn't working. I wasn't, didn't have tickets to get on the grounds. But on Wednesday, one of the people who they were, you know, setting up with tickets came back at the house at like noon. I was like, hey, yeah, I'm done. Uh, I got to head out of town. And I got to head out of town and I'm like you've got, you've still got your ticket. Like you think I can go back in with it. They're like, yeah, take it, go. So I went and watched Wednesday. So I followed a practice, a nine hole, followed Weir for nine holes of practice round. This is 2007, right, so you know, just four, four years after he won. And then Friday afternoon I did the exact same thing. It was a guy went to watch Nice.

Speaker 1 1:01:04

A guy went to watch in the morning.

Speaker 2 1:01:06

Yeah, went to watch in the morning and then I went and watched Friday afternoon as well, so very cool. And then I can't remember where I was heading after that, where the tournament was, but I think it was as you go to, like Hilton Head is usually the tournament after, but my guy wasn't in that tournament, I think I was going somewhere else. But uh, yeah, really cool, really cool place. Like you know, like I was.

Speaker 2 1:01:32

I mentioned in my cold winters up in Canada, um, when the masters came, like golf season was on the horizon, so for me it was like, okay, cool, the U S open is at this course and this course I can remember what number, like I remember corey pavin winning at name the course in new york in 1995. Yeah, there you go, you know what I mean like. But oh, yeah, like number 13 in chinook. No idea what that hole was like, never caddied, it watched it on tv every 11 years or whatever the rotation is um. But the masters was like there was like pj tour events, the three majors, and then the masters was up here, way in there.

Speaker 1 1:02:12

Yeah, that's right, it wasn't even close um and it was.

Speaker 3 1:02:15

That's my, that's my dad's fault, for sure I think that's what's so interesting, right, right, like I mean we love the Masters, right, but like it's such a guiding light for like people like you that are in Canada or like Maine or wherever you are. It's like a. It's a, it's a moment in time where it's like, okay, golf is about to be back and I think that's why it's so massive, like we can play golf all year long in Vegasgas. But like, right, for the rest of the world that lives in like colder climates, it's like, okay, we get all seasons coming to an end soon.

Speaker 3 1:02:51

That's why it's officially spring and that's why the masters hit so hard because half of the golfing community is like yo. The masters is back, we're watching the Masters and then we get to go play golf.

Speaker 2 1:03:02

Yeah, 100%, 100%. But yeah, I don't know where you wanted to go with this, matt.

Speaker 1 1:03:11

Well, we were talking about Beth Page, but I want to get in some live golf too, because that's an important part of what you've been doing.

Speaker 2 1:03:21

Really cool. Really, let's go back to the masters just real quickly. The I mean obviously always welcome brendan's a true professional.

Speaker 2 1:03:31

uh, treated me amazing while I caddied for him, um, and then he, being a georgia bulldog, knows everybody there. Um, like all the green jacket guys who are members are like somehow you know like, anyway, it was just really cool meeting so many of the members Like and that's the thing is, I don't mean just like a spectator member guy, I mean like the guy would come up and he was like, oh hey, you know, meet my cat, you know, and I'd meet him, and then they'd chit chat for a minute and then he'd walk away and I'd be like, oh, you know who's that guy. And he's like, oh yeah, he's the… he owns Boeing. Yeah, he's the.

Speaker 5 1:04:07

CEO of AT&T.

Speaker 2 1:04:09

So there was…. I know he was the president of the Braves, is this one guy? But his job at the Masters was like head of security. At the Masters was like head of security. So like, not like he wasn't in charge of you know, he wasn't necessarily in charge of making sure the person was scanning the badge correctly or anything but like he was like head of security at a different level than you know, just checking the badges on the way in. But that's what. The guy's a member and he has a task for the tournament too, right, so it was just kind of cool. It's like yeah, yeah, you know, I bring my kids. I bring my kids to baseball games and stuff and that's my, that's my guy I reach out to and I go and watch games and is in the box with him.

Speaker 1 1:04:53

Yeah and uh so um on to. Uh, let's get on to the um if you want. What was when you found out what was happening with the live tour and pga guys leaving and going there, what was your initial thoughts? Before going and working on on the bag for a player, what was your initial thought?

Speaker 2 1:05:20

um, I feel like I had enough, uh, enough caddy buddies. I mean, you kind of know pros, but you don't really know pros. Um, I was happy for some of them to get baseball contracts. You know, like golf didn't get that, it was like stay healthy and play well, or see you when you rehab yourself, after you come back and like, whereas like baseball contracts wasn't a thing you know. So I was happy to see it. I guess, you know I don't think I know of maybe, like some primo players, like maybe DJ might've shared his signings with his brother Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but they're really tight.

Speaker 2 1:06:04

So it wouldn't surprise me if what I heard was true. Um, that's cool, good for good for Austin. Um. But I also had a lot of caddy buddies who even a guy I roomed with, uh, tim Giuliano, who caddies for Honor Bond.

Speaker 2 1:06:19

Um, he didn't go over initially, but I do know that, like him, being away 30 weeks a year and having young kids was a real challenge on their family. Um, so I know that when it happened for him, um, I was pretty happy cause I knew that he'd a have some, you know, a bump in pay. A bump in pay, um, and then Honor Bond played nicely. Um, that his, I think, his first tournament. He was in a playoff with DJ and someone else at the TPC Boston. Um, but uh, anyhow, like so for me I'm just thinking about like how it impacted my caddy buddies lives, not like they got rich, but it was like so in that one one instance. Like so in that one instance his livelihood got a lot better, not just financially, he was home 14 more weeks, 15 more weeks a year, which is huge, when you back up to two and four, did you think I love your answers?

Speaker 1 1:07:21

because your answers are so specific to being a caddy. It's like I asked that question to 50 other people and they're all like, oh, the PGA sucks, the live is going to be great, live sucks, pga sucks. Your perspective is there's people that I know now that lives are going to be changed because of it, and it a small. Nobody knows those people. So I love your perspective, but I also want to know what you thought about the live becoming a thing like as far as in the global aspect of professional golf. When live happened did, were you like grind, yeah. Were you like, wow, this is crazy, or wow, this is stupid, or what were your thoughts on on live as a profession, as a, as a professional league?

Speaker 2 1:08:13

I thought, um, wow, like who are they gonna, who are they gonna get? Like, how are? Obviously there's just all sorts of questions like what, what do you mean?

Speaker 2 1:08:23

there going to be shotgun starts and there's going to be 54 holes and all these different things that it was just like it was almost like every, you know, every month there was like new info coming out and oh, this is hey, the first tournament was in England, right? Um, and then oh, oh, and then they've signed on to play here, and they've signed on to play here, and oh, new course. And and then you know, a player signs on and then someone's feelings get hurt. Um, you know, just silly, I mean, I personally I don't really care, like I wasn't, I didn't grow up like PGA Tour is the greatest thing in the world and anybody who wants to challenge me on that. I don't know if it's because I'm Canadian, but like I've got a bunch of hockey teams I cheer for, like I've got my childhood team, I got the Golden Knights now and I've got the NHL. Like I just like NHL hockey, just the NHL. Like I just like NHL hockey. So when it came to that, it was like I like my place in the golf world right now. Like you know, I had kind of just finished caddying for Cameron Champ saw a lot of success, kind of predicted I would probably get on with another player and have a bunch more success. That hasn't quite happened yet, but there is more tournaments coming up.

Speaker 2 1:09:47

But yeah, so I didn't. I just stayed away from the. Oh yeah, you know what the Saudis are doing the sport washing and all this other stuff. I'm like, if you want to have that conversation with me, like not you, but I'm just saying like if somebody, one of my buddies or something, was like you know a proud American and was like there's no way a tour's going to come up and uproot my PGA Tour, I was like I'm good bud, thanks. Like you're not having that conversation with me, you're not going to, we're not going to be in a debate and a fight about it. I just said I can't wait. I kept saying I can't wait to see what the next update is. I can't wait to see what the. I can't wait to see the next series of players are going to sign and all this.

Speaker 1 1:10:28

Was there anybody that shocked you, that left?

Speaker 2 1:10:34

Not really. Not really Because, like I said like and keep in mind, not everybody was getting suitcases of money, right? Yeah, I know that like specifically related to like, because I was on, uh, I caddied on the iron heads for kevin na and, uh, that was so danny lee's on that team and I spent a caddy for danny for close to five years um, probably five years over the course of seven, and you know, to watch him go and play. I think he went and signed and didn't. There was no like signing bonus or anything. He's just like I want to go and play. He got an opportunity, kevin. Kevin recruited him to play. Kevin said hey, you got a fresh start out here, let's go. And uh, he won a tournament, pretty, maybe not in his first, I don't know if it was in his first year, but he won a tournament like down in Tucson.

Speaker 2 1:11:29

Um yeah, so pretty quick. So you know what I mean. It was like he took Like I'm going to be, I signed a two-year deal for this much and when I'm done I'm suspended for who knows how long. So he kind of took a risk going and it paid off for him. He played well that year. I know he had some challenges this year, you know. Just being healthy and being able to compete is obviously challenging when your body's not 100%. But yeah, Do you?

Speaker 2 1:12:02

think it's sticking around? Sorry, do you think it's staying around? I do, just seeing how they're spending the money like it's. It's crazy. When you're out there you hear the crazy numbers of oh yeah, this Like there's the PIF, public Investment Fund and apparently they manage $900 billion.

Speaker 3 1:12:21

Got a lot of dough. They got a lot of dough Something something.

Speaker 2 1:12:23

So. But that's just that PIF thing, like apparently the way they're making money with the oil like that. Aramco company is also involved in sponsoring them. A lot of those tournaments have like the Aramco logo there and, um, yeah, I don't think it's going anywhere. They really don't. Um there, obviously this. So this new thing where like uh, I guess Bryson's contracts up and maybe Kepka and but yeah, that'll be interesting, I mean to see what they think that they're worth.

Speaker 2 1:12:54

Like Bryson's making a bit of a name for himself. I'm sure the PGA tour would love to have him back, but who was the golfer recently that? Uh, they, they told him he was suspended, um you're talking about uh Wesley.

Speaker 2 1:13:08

Bryan, yeah. So so what? Yeah, wesley Bryan was, yeah, he got. He got suspended by the tour, but I think it was a pga tour like it was. Um, I know wesley brian is obviously a tour player, but um, he went like he played live and I think it was I think it was hudson swafford he played, got kind of not not kicked off the team but like didn't keep his, but he was still in the contract. So he played a couple years as in, as a wild card I think they call them um like as an individual, and so that that ran out and he wasn't, you know, lighting up the tour. So I feel like he's now like said, hey, I'd like to go to q school or something. The tour is like no, you're suspended for like five, five years or something.

Speaker 5 1:13:54

I just saw him recently.

Speaker 2 1:13:57

Yeah, when he left. When he left is maybe like when the suspension started or something, so he may only have two more years on it. But yeah, just kind of like you can't like, can you now tell Bryson? Oh yeah, you know what, don't do that. We'll give you your media rights or whatever Bryson's beef is with the tour, because now he's like an absolute legend, yeah he's the YouTube guy. I'm hanging out with four YouTube guys tonight.

Speaker 1 1:14:28

Yeah, we're trying being out there between the ropes for a PGA Tour event and a live event. Uh, do you see a different demeanor with the guys playing the live events? Because you know, phil had a sound bite a couple weeks ago where he's talking about how, you know, I used to stress about coming to the tournament and, and you know, trying to make the cut, and now I'm just so much more free and it's so much happier just to be out there playing golf.

Speaker 3 1:14:56

It's the coffee. It's the coffee.

Speaker 2 1:14:58

Yeah, it's, it is the coffee, um, I don't know. Um, well, well, nice, I don't know about that, about his comments, that is. Uh, I don't know about that. But yeah, I guess there was a lot of pressure to perform. Now he's got a briefcase of money, that is.

Speaker 1 1:15:20

Do you see that? I know you didn't. Clubs need to be picked up off the ground.

Speaker 2 1:15:26

Clubs need to be picked up off the ground. Divots aren't the only damage. You know what I mean. Like there's still the guys who banged clubs before Liv, who swore out clubs before live, uh, who swore out loud before live, who MF their caddy before live. They do it on live. It's all the same they're. If I had one thing I would say maybe even some of the expectations are maybe a little bit offside because there's you're playing for so much money.

Speaker 5 1:15:58

You don't know. No, Like cool.

Speaker 2 1:16:03

No, no names, no names. Okay, but like we finished 14th, cool, um, I don't mean we like, I just mean a golfer and a caddy finished 14th, um, and you got like 300 and I'm trying to remember what that caddie made, that one or the pro made that one turn, but it was like north of 300, and I was like it was either 12th or 14th, whatever it was, and I was like what the you know, like this is wild, but I know like he can place money, yeah, had he not finished like bogey par bogey. I get that he's pissed because he didn't finish seventh or didn't finish eighth. But yeah, there's, there's a lot of good golfers out there. So, yeah, I don't know, I don't know, it's just weird. I just find that there's a lot of expectations that are a little maybe misaligned, um, with the amount of effort that's being put in to prep and be ready for these tournaments. Like you know, I I don't think dj is like oh shit oh yeah tell the guy to, yeah, tell the guy

Speaker 2 1:17:13

uh, can we have a can? Can, can the jet fly us tomorrow or we'll just go on Tuesday? You know what I mean. Like I still think he cares Like the guys. It's not like he's done his pro-am and he's back at like he's. He's back at the range, you know, trying to tweak his driver. He's at the, at the putting green, grinded, like I mean maybe not like he was back in his heyday of you know, just clobbering PGA Tour events, but they care. Like that putting green after a tournament or after a round is guys are grinding, guys are at the range. Like there may be a sense of a vibe, but I watched it for six tournaments. There may be a sense of a vibe, but I've watched it for six tournaments, um, and I was pretty impressed with how, with how they were, um, going about their business and like taking it seriously. So you know, like caddies are not, like you know, drinking beers at two in the afternoon, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:18:11

Um because their player has already gone back to the hotel. Like the players are. Oh, I'm going to putt a little bit, okay, cool. Well, the last shuttle tonight 6 o'clock. I'd like to go walk the course. Okay, go walk the course, whatever you know, because a lot of the courses I'd never been to, so it was you know, they were all new courses for me, which was fun because you can kind of get and not that monotonous is a negative thing on the PGA Tour. But like you're going back to the same course with the same guy, you know, and he loves it.

Speaker 2 1:18:43

You look at that win for the week and you're like, yep, this is exactly like last year. Like the Amex tournament in La Quinta that's been one of our biggest gripes all the time.

Speaker 3 1:18:58

Dude, throw some variety, mix it up a little.

Speaker 1 1:19:02

Mix it up Last Liv question for me. Okay, do you think the guys playing on Liv deserve world ranking points playing?

Speaker 2 1:19:14

54-hole tournaments.

Speaker 1 1:19:14

Top shelf. I'm okay, serve world ranking points playing 54 whole tournaments Top shelf.

Speaker 2 1:19:19

I'm okay. You're going to get the Canadian part of me I'm okay with. If they're not following the rules. They're not following the rules. I don't feel bad for Joaquin Neiman because he was grinding all over the world.

Speaker 2 1:19:34

All those guys I don't feel bad, for where were we? I think we had. Well, kevin played two tournaments earlier. We went to Hong Kong and then Singapore, and then a really good chunk of the players were going to Macau, which is like some little island off the edge of China next to Hong Kong, for the Macau Open, which was like one of their chances. It was like an international series event on the Asian Tour. So a little bit elevated purse and world ranking points. So every like, not everybody, but like Sergio went and you know you got all these guys that are. You know it's not a live tournament anymore, right? So like the caddies are, the caddies have been bunking up at staying at the whatever the Macau Inn.

Speaker 1 1:20:29

Like not the you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 1:20:30

Like they're not cause cause it's not paid. It's not paid like the live at the live tournaments. We're staying at the Mandarin Oriental and the Fairmont Residences and things like that, but it was just funny to watch the caddies make their plans for the next. Is your guy playing? Yeah, my guy's playing. He's playing. Okay, I'll see you there. What are you doing? I'm flying to Hong Kong and then taking the train over, whereas, like, if it was a live tournament, there'd be a guy there with an iPad with your name on it and you'd get in like a black you know black limo SUV and get dropped off at the Mandarin Oriental. So, yeah, just a wild Do they deserve?

Speaker 2 1:21:07

I don't, I don't really care. They knew. They knew what they were signing up for. They knew what the rules were. At the time it wasn't. Maybe there were promises made by greg norman or whoever that. Um, you know, oh, yeah, we're gonna do this, and you know there's, there's not. There's a lot of things that he said he would do in his career and he did. That was not one of them. Um, but, uh, you know, like joaquin rom de chambeau, you could name a couple. I mean kevka's Rom DeChambeau, you can name a couple. I mean Kepka's still, you know, still has exemptions from winning at Oak Hill. The guys who are supposed to be there are there. I don't know. Do they deserve? If they're not following the rules, they're not following the rules. That's the end of my answer.

Speaker 1 1:21:53

I love it, love it. How much golf do you watch?

Speaker 2 1:21:59

A sneaky amount. I will watch a fair bit of the tournament of the Ryder Cup, but like I watch especially being on live, like I feel like when I'd watch the PGA I'd get a better beat on, like who's caddying for who and um. But yeah, I mean even t's, I'll watch an lpga tournament if, like this buddy of mine is caddying in the final group or you know so, um, yeah, I don't know how to answer that question like in a, in a quantity, but I watch a lot of golf.

Speaker 5 1:22:35

Yeah, there's a, there's a weird amount of golf on in my house, yeah I got a question.

Speaker 5 1:22:41

So as far as like, like, when I played with you a couple times I kind of noticed the way that you approach a green and read your putts and stuff like that. Do you kind of use your caddy skills and experience to kind of enhance your own, like studying for your own game, like maybe reading a green and all to kind of enhance your own like studying for your own game, like maybe reading a green and all that kind of stuff have you? Do you think like you're a step above the average person as far as reading your putts and gauging the wind and the slope and all that?

Speaker 2 1:23:09

yeah, I would say, um, I would say that's certainly where I have a bit of an advantage. I think you know, like, just for example, like one thing I started doing and I can't quantify it because I'm not like keeping the stats for it but like Kevin Na, for example, he paced off his putts and if he was nine paces he putted it with the pin out, and if he was 10 paces or more he putted it with the pin in. And I thought I always caddy for, or I have caddy for players before where I'm like this is a challenging putt. I'm not saying it to them, but I'm like you know this 48 footer like, and I'm like I'll go tend it for you. And they're like no, no, you can just take it out. And I'm like fuck, like you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 1:24:05

I'm just like I'm like trying to help you like you, you don't.

Speaker 2 1:24:10

I just feel like 48, like don't, don't. If the pin gets in the way on the 48 footer and you have a tap in, okay, fine, you're not. Like you know you're not losing your tour card, I don't think because you putted with the pin in for a 48 footer, like um, but there's little things like that, like that's one thing going forward, like I've tried to do that. I learned from Kevin Um, yeah, it's kind of like uh, yeah, it's not like oh, uh, I do this, but my guy doesn't. Like I try and like what's the word become? Like not become them, but like implement somewhat of their routine.

Speaker 2 1:24:50

because that's like when I'm making money, that's what I'm out doing. Um, but yeah, mean I've learned all the green reading systems and, uh, I've seen lessons from all the coaches. Um, yeah, the other day, the other day at the carnival course, I even went like this once wow, it was a five finger and I hit a nice putt actually it was on the first hole actually, um from the middle of the green putting to that pin um. But yeah, so I've seen all the cool lessons from all the cool coaches, um who's the best putter you've?

Speaker 2 1:25:29

seen, uh, brendan Todd, not even close yeah, not, not even close like oh sorry that I've counting that I've caddied for yeah yeah, yeah. I think, yeah, I think, if you took the like shot length era, which could be let's call that, I don't know the last 15 years or something, he would probably be in the top 10, like every year he's been on tour, I bet you, wow, maybe eight out of the 10 years he's been on tour.

Speaker 2 1:25:58

But who you haven't caddied for best putter you've seen um good question, nothing, nobody's very all yeah, I, I've been in his group before, but maybe it just wasn't like oh my God, the guy can put the lights out. Yeah, obviously, Harry Hall's got some insane stats. He's a really good putter.

Speaker 1 1:26:30

He has incredibly soft hands for the big man, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:26:33

Yeah, yeah, I can't say for sure. Like I mean, I, I don't know, I've probably been in some groups with a hot like cameron champ, for example. Um, his win at safeway, like he was, he gained like everybody's like oh, he's just a ball striking jesse on the greens that week. Uh, for like in 2019, napa, he gained some crazy number like five, something like five on the field. I was like, and that's not normally his game. Normally he is, you know, the ball striker who lost a shot per round and, you know, finished 20th, whereas like four shots better. You know, finished 20th, whereas like four shots better. You would have finished eighth If Eddie putted just average I don't mean like gaining a bunch of straw, just putting average the guy would win twice a year if he just gets zero strokes gained or lost.

Speaker 1 1:27:31

So I got it, I got it. I got another good one. Who is somebody that's an absolute lunatic that nobody knows. They're just absolutely psychotically gone. We're going to have to get in a Ryder Cup at some point I know, I know this is too much fun I'm having way too much fun.

Speaker 3 1:27:52

I love this. I love this.

Speaker 2 1:27:53

Considering I want to. I don't. Yeah, it's a weird question to answer. I may or may not have mentioned his name already, but yeah.

Speaker 5 1:28:05

He could be a potential employer. Is what you're saying.

Speaker 2 1:28:08

Exactly he could be a potential employer. What was that last question there about Brandon Todd?

Speaker 5 1:28:12

Let me ask that one. We'll go to the rest, oh sorry. Follow-up question what?

Speaker 2 1:28:14

made Todd, so about brown?

Speaker 3 1:28:15

and tall.

Speaker 2 1:28:15

Let me ask that one. Then we'll go to the president. Oh sorry, what made Todd so good on the greens Mental approach to putting? Mechanics, repetition, or just a little bit of everything, mechanics for sure. Like I have a buddy who worked for Blast Motion, which is like that putting sensor that goes under your grip, and he was like oh, you got your, you know your, your buddy, blah, blah, yeah. I said yeah, yeah, well, if he's ever out at a tournament I'd love to love to meet him and maybe get the putter.

Speaker 2 1:28:45

Uh, so we got the sensor on his, on Brendan's putter, and we even went on the course where Brendan, like he didn't want to like just hit on the thing and he wanted to like hit during the practice. So my buddy came out with us, set up his putter, um, and brandon's like so what do you think? And like, just after, like the third green, my buddy comes over, he's like this is unbelievable. Like just the amount of, like the, the, the, that, because that last motion has it's about time. Like the way the putter goes back and forth, the total stroke time, the backstroke time, the forward stroke time, all these different things. My buddy's like dude, this is unbelievable, 98% consistency. It was like the windows. The thresholds that he was inside were amongst the best they've tested on that.

Speaker 3 1:29:34

I do have a question pertaining to that. Okay, which we would say how do you feel about the zero-torque wave, zero-torque putters?

Ryder Cup Preview and Predictions

Speaker 2 1:29:48

I own one now. I haven't played in one of the tourneys in a hot minute, but my favorite part of the lab putter that I have is that you can pick the ball up with the bottom of it. I'm not making, I'm not making a bunch more putts. I promise you um uh, but I'm the first to always. I'm the first to say it's operator error.

Speaker 3 1:30:11

So uh, yeah, of course always, always, I don't know.

Speaker 2 1:30:14

Hey, my answer to the question is just like when Liv was coming out, and it's like I can't wait to see what they come out with next month. As long as you have a Garson grip on your putter, then you're in good shape. Look at this guy.

Speaker 4 1:30:30

He has his nose.

Speaker 5 1:30:32

Right there.

Speaker 1 1:30:34

Use the code, feel the difference.

Speaker 4 1:30:36

Daylight. He's a good dude. I saw he was on your Right there.

Speaker 2 1:30:37

There we go, use the code, feel the difference. Daylight. He's a good dude. I saw he was on your podcast. Yeah, bernie's awesome Sometime over the summer. Yeah, he's a good dresser too. Have you seen him? Have you met him at the tournament? He used to be a model, oh, really Okay.

Speaker 4 1:30:51

Yeah, oh shit.

Speaker 3 1:30:57

He was an international model He'll have, like the white and blue shirt with the blue pants and the sharp shoes and oh, sorry, that's my bad.

Speaker 2 1:31:01

Yeah so, uh, but he, I think, mental like he, he just knew he was he would make putts and, uh, I don't think he would get too rattled that we're we're talking about B Todd now. Uh, yeah, so there was a lot of the pieces of the puzzle that he had right. It wasn't just only this. Like, he was a good green reader too, and he was also very candid. Like when I gave him a read, he said I love, I loved your read. Um, I just feel like I had to hit it too hard at your read and I was like so, but and then also like, good read, good read, like, so you know what I mean. Like some guys, some golfers, uh, are like, yeah, so, um, yeah, I just I got, I got too confused.

Speaker 2 1:31:42

My read was this and your read was that it's like he had it on like from eight feet, he had it on the edge and I had it two inches out, like they probably both work at some time. But like at least I was in the same ballpark. I wasn't telling you it was left edge and you were right edge, like that would be confusing. But like, yeah, so hit, hit yours, and then it's like oh, I thought, I thought yours was right. So I played it two inches out and I hit it. Well, you also. You also had to mark your three footer coming back. So how do you know, like you know what I mean? So then it's almost like, just like read your own thoughts. Well, that's why you got to be on the same page.

Speaker 3 1:32:15

It's like are you dying it in? Are you banging it in? What are you doing?

Speaker 2 1:32:20

Exactly, exactly. So there's certainly a lot of like. That's a big part of it, because even like Miles I said so like, let's get like Miles Russell, let's get it out of the way. If we, if you do, if you, if you never asked me for a read all week, I'll be happy. But if you do, I just want to like go over the, go over the basics. Like you know, if I told you, right edge, is that enough? If I told you, I see it's great, is that enough? Like what? Like you know what I mean? What do you because?

Speaker 2 1:32:52

But it turned out like he's like yeah, yeah, that's okay. And then it turned out to be like, do you like this pitch mark? And I'm not a pitch mark guy, I will line my line up to a pitch mark, but when the golfer doesn't have a line on their ball, it's hard for me to see. Like, yeah, just roll it over that one, because I use like a sort of a name point-ish system called Tour Read. So I'm like coming up with like 15 inches, 15 inches, 15 inches is what I like here.

Speaker 1 1:33:16

Have you used that app? The Tour Read app.

Speaker 2 1:33:19

Yeah, it's incredible.

Speaker 1 1:33:23

Yes, Ralph, who's from Canada. Yeah, Ralph Bauer.

Speaker 2 1:33:24

yeah, yeah, he was when I was on Team Canada when I was 18, he was the coach. Oh really, so yeah, he was. I've known him for a long time.

Speaker 1 1:33:34

I would love for you to help me connect with him and get him on, because he was on a podcast that I love called Sweet Spot. He was on there talking about the Tour Read app and his ideology behind putting, and it has changed how I putt. It is absolutely incredible His ideology on how he approaches the reads and it's unbelievable and I encourage anybody to go listen to that show.

Speaker 2 1:34:01

But I would love to have him on yeah, I can do that, I can connect you guys for sure.

Speaker 1 1:34:06

Yeah, because that app me and Julian, we're testing that app. One day I downloaded it and we were out at Club at Sunrise, which, even though it's in a horrible location, has some phenomenal putting greens, um and, and we set up like what we thought was a good there. It is right there.

Speaker 2 1:34:26

Yeah, it's pretty cool you can, uh, you can like toggle.

Speaker 1 1:34:29

You can toggle the distance, you can toggle the speed green speed, um, and then you lay this down and then you tap it and whatever slope you're on, so we set up like a 15 foot right to left putt and we all hit it yeah.

Speaker 3 1:34:47

It's a tinker's nightmare right there. Oh, dude, it's so good.

Speaker 1 1:34:51

Yeah, the average.

Speaker 2 1:34:53

I can't read what that is, but yeah.

Speaker 1 1:34:57

So we hit this 15 foot right right-to-left putt and missed it poorly. And then so we put down the tour read and it told us where we should be aiming and we hit that spot right next to the hole and I was like, wow, I mean, it's really accurate.

Speaker 2 1:35:22

Yeah, my favorite thing to do is like I have a perfect putter and I have a laser on my perfect putter and I like just two or weeks just to get. It's like a player going to hit a couple of putts and I'll put a golf tee out at what I think the read is and line up so I know that where I'm rolling the ball I'm not pulling it or pushing it or whatever Like. It's like not supposed to be putting on the greens. So when you use the roller it's like and it is unbelievable how accurate that like. But then again you have the variables of green speed and the amount of slope you're playing across. Once you're good at those, then you're dialed.

Speaker 1 1:36:01

All right, it's only been an hour and 36 minutes. I guess we can start talking about the Ryder Cup. I'll preface this with this question that you can answer, and you guys can answer it as well.

Speaker 3 1:36:16

Have you played Bethpage Black? Yes, I've played it.

Speaker 1 1:36:20

Team USA loses the Ryder Cup because of Keegan Bradley not playing as a captain?

Speaker 3 1:36:29

Yes, I answered Dan.

Speaker 4 1:36:40

European teams. They're better in that event. That's just it straight up. There's something about it. The US is cursed, jeremy.

Speaker 5 1:36:48

Not enough Garson grips.

Speaker 1 1:36:51

Oh, look at this guy.

Speaker 3 1:36:53

No, I don't know.

Speaker 5 1:36:55

I just feel like Europe always seems to be more ready and it's like even though they've won, they're definitely more enthusiastic about the World. Cup. It's almost like, even though they've won a lot more, they have a chip on the shoulder, it seems like every time it comes around. So yeah, I feel like they're.

Speaker 2 1:37:15

The have a chip on the shoulder, it seems like every time it comes around, so, yeah, yeah, like I feel like they're the, the European teams, like the blueberry bulldogs, you know, yeah, never lose, never don't lose another game, or the team falls.

Speaker 1 1:37:33

Yep, don't lose another game are you rooting for anybody in particular?

Speaker 4 1:37:40

Or do you just? Want to see good, as a Canadian, I'm going to get a shirt made that says I hope both teams have fun.

Speaker 3 1:37:50

Kurt is a soul golfer. Kurt is a soul golfer. I love it.

Speaker 2 1:37:56

I just can't wait for the drama. I hope uh, I saw like a clip of bryson going for the green on one which is one.

Speaker 1 1:38:02

I hope they move the box up, they move the box up, so it's not all the way back I hope he makes a hole in one.

Speaker 2 1:38:08

Um, yeah, I don't know, I just cool. I watched a flyover just and brought back some memories of the course what a what a course, um, and then, and then the fans, yeah, and then it just kind of like obviously this flyover there was no grand stands or anything, but I'm used to seeing the blue, like the pga championship blue, yeah, but, um, I did see ted scott's um sunday scott's sunday sermon from last week and the grandstands will gondola.

Speaker 2 1:38:35

So yeah I, it should be fun. I'm looking forward to it. Um, am I? I just have so many, like I've probably like three good caddy buddies, a caddy on each team. Um, yeah, I don't really. I would love to be interested in watching on Sunday afternoon, Like if it was close.

Speaker 2 1:39:03

I don't want it, yeah, yeah, I just want it to be close on sunday. That's all I really want. Yeah, like, like tide going into sunday would be great for for my viewing pleasure. Um, you know, like, if europe's up by five points or something, um, you know, even though you know the way the, you know, when you look at the chart, it's like there's blues and reds and all scattered throughout the screen and you're like, okay, well, there's, you know there's, and then there's four more reds, but they're just like one up and early in the match and it's like there's a lot of golf.

Speaker 1 1:39:28

It's so much fun to watch. You know, so much fun to watch yeah do you? Okay, I've played there, which is cool, but yeah, I don't know if you know that kurt joe's played beth page but yeah, it's, uh, it's in, it's on long island, right yeah, it is.

Speaker 3 1:39:45

Yeah, it is very cool. Great course. Uh, I love that place. I'm excited to see the course. You know, like, as golfers, that um, don't play on pga Tour or I'll never have a Ryder Cup invitation for me to have the opportunity to go play. That course is special and that's something that other sports don't provide. I'll never play on the ice at the Golden Knights in T-Mobile arena, but I've played Bethpage black. So that's what's so cool about golf is, I've played that golf course and I'm so stoked to see those guys out there. I didn't play golf back when tiger one, uh, for the PGA championship, but, um, I'm just excited to see it because I've been there and it's, uh, it's very special. It's very special. It's super historic and that's something that golf provides us we can go play the courses that the pros play.

Speaker 2 1:40:45

Absolutely.

Speaker 3 1:40:46

And I can't wait to see it and I just hope for I literally just hope for like an exciting Sunday.

Speaker 1 1:40:53

Yep, now I want a USA win, but I don't think it's going to happen.

Speaker 3 1:40:59

I think Keegan should have played 100% and I think Keegan will probably. They'll lose. This is my prediction. I think USA is going to lose and Keegan's going to have to live with that. He didn't play for his entire life, unfortunately. I don't want that to happen. I don't want that to happen. I don't want that to happen.

Speaker 1 1:41:18

You'd have a lot of luggage to not unpack, that's the thing.

Speaker 2 1:41:24

Can I ask you a question, joe? If Keegan says I'm going to play, who does he not pick?

Speaker 1 1:41:31

It doesn't matter.

Speaker 3 1:41:36

Colin Markhawa is a bitch putting trash. Colin Markhawa has been putting trash. Colin Markawa has been putting. Cam Young's fine. That's his home, that's his country, cam.

Speaker 2 1:41:44

Young is up there.

Speaker 3 1:41:46

The New Yorkers are going to be written for him, absolutely, yes, yeah, yeah, cam Young, that's his home country, but Colin Markawa has putted like garbage this entire year, in my opinion.

Speaker 1 1:41:59

I think you putter this week I didn't.

Speaker 3 1:42:02

Yeah, it's always new. It's always new.

Speaker 1 1:42:03

Yeah, it's always new, always new.

Speaker 3 1:42:08

The man I just think I just don't want keegan to feel I don't want them to lose. Let me tell you that I want usa to win 100, but I feel like I'm scared if they lose. Keegan's going to live with that for a long time and he should have played because he was playing out of his mind.

Speaker 1 1:42:27

Yeah.

Speaker 3 1:42:28

You know what I mean? Yeah, and I don't want him to feel like, oh, I should have played and I could have helped the team. He should have been picked last at last rider cup he should have.

Speaker 1 1:42:40

Yeah, absolutely zach johnson fucked him over yep, absolutely yep yep, well, it's gonna be a fun watch kurt thanks so much for coming on um, thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 1:42:52

I I kind of am really good. I'm really famous for saying uh, long story short. So, um, yeah, I don't know, sometimes I get going on a tangent. I feel like I only got off track one time today no, no it was great.

Speaker 3 1:43:06

It's amazing.

Speaker 1 1:43:06

You've been absolutely sublime, sir everybody if, if you like, uh sugar-free protein drinks. This is not a sponsored ad right now With protein. God damn it. I wish it was.

Speaker 3 1:43:23

Don't quit.

Speaker 5 1:43:24

This is the brand, don't quit.

Speaker 1 1:43:27

Zero sugar, 15 grams. It is the best grape drink I think I've ever had. The orange is okay, the root beer is, eh, and I got a fruit punch left to try. There you go, don't quit protein, love it.

Speaker 4 1:43:43

Alright, $27 for a six pack at Albertsons.

Speaker 3 1:43:47

Yeah, shout out, albertsons, most expensive grocery store there is.

Speaker 1 1:43:52

No, they got a special on these right now. Yeah, $25? No, they're not that much, but some of that shit is crazy.

Speaker 3 1:44:00

My dear canyon wealth, my dear canyon wealth up there yeah we're bougie up here on the hill.

Speaker 1 1:44:08

We are bougie on the hill all right, uh, so are you gonna make uh, legacy? Are you gonna make the Legacy tournament or no? Are you going to be here for that October 12th? Yeah, you.

Speaker 2 1:44:20

That's a good question. I'm on the fence right now. I mean talking to someone about maybe that's the Japan tournament, about going to the Japan tournament, Ooh yeah. I'm still unable to commit Welcome to my'm still unable to commit Welcome to my life as a caddy.

Speaker 1 1:44:41

Yeah, Are you looking to? You know, be on a bag full-time next year. Is that the goal?

Speaker 2 1:44:46

Yeah, I mean that's the plan. I'm going to as many tournaments as I can. This fall just to kind of. I mean, I've talked to so many people and oh, I'm just taking, like Joel Damon, just taking friends now and blah, blah, blah. He's had his coach caddy a few times and I think that would be a good, uh, a good option for me. Um, he's snuck in the winter circle at one of those off, um, kind of those opposite field, opposite field events. Um, you know, I know he's hungry to change that and you know that's what I'm interested in doing as well. So it hasn't worked out yet, but then again, he hasn't hired a caddy yet. So we'll see. We'll see what goes on, but yeah, the sooner the better. I have only caddied in seven tournaments this year, but six of them were on the live, so the lights are still on.

Speaker 2 1:45:48

The lights are still on and I'm still a member in good standing of the VGN, so you know.

Speaker 1 1:45:54

Yeah, absolutely, and you're in the finals. You got to win earlier this year and you're in the finals.

Speaker 2 1:45:58

You got a win earlier this year, so you're in the finals. Yes, unfortunately, I feel like. Is it not during one of the? I think is it not during Sea Island? What's the date?

Speaker 1 1:46:09

Oh, it's November. It's like November 15th and 16th.

Speaker 2 1:46:14

Yeah, there's a tournament in Bermuda, I think. There's three PGA Tour events in November, so I wish like if I'm not going there, I would love to go yeah 15th and 16th. I would love to play in all of them, but you know sometimes Gotta work.

Speaker 1 1:46:32

Gotta work.

Speaker 4 1:46:33

Well, I'll say this, kurt, real quick Sometimes you got to work, got to work. Well, I'll say this real quick If you know, obviously you're going to be, hopefully, full time on somebody's bag, but if you ever hear of anything and anybody gets desperate, you need an emergency caddy. You let me know and I'll fly out there.

Speaker 1 1:46:54

OK, so I was going to bring my services now.

Speaker 2 1:46:59

I wish there was a golf tournament in this town in three weeks because they certainly could happen Right A better, a better chance anyway you know, and then we lost the PGA event.

Speaker 3 1:47:07

Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:47:09

Wow, someone sent me a message saying that the the champions tour is coming, so they, they are.

Speaker 2 1:47:16

I had. Uh, yes, they're in the. The Champions Tour is coming, they are. I had. Yes, they're in the works of trying to find the core. I think they've narrowed down the course. They're trying to find the title sponsor to be okay having it here as opposed to Kansas City where maybe they're from.

Speaker 3 1:47:34

Guys, donate to Chasing Daylight Podcast so we can sponsor a senior PGH tournament, did you?

Speaker 2 1:47:41

guys hear of anything happening in January At Shadow.

Speaker 3 1:47:48

No no.

Speaker 1 1:47:50

Uh-oh, spill the beans Crickets.

Speaker 4 1:47:56

I think, my.

Speaker 1 1:47:57

Wi-Fi just kind of.

Speaker 4 1:48:02

We'll continue that conversation off the air. You know what?

Speaker 2 1:48:04

tour it can't be. The PGA tour schedule is pretty solid in January right, Except for one event that doesn't have a home yet. Right, and it wasn't that one. Okay, yeah.

Speaker 2 1:48:18

I feel, like some, you know't, I you know there there's again. I just can't wait to see what they say next week about the capital tournament. Like some friend of the PGA tour, you know all these billionaires who own golf courses all over the place. Some of them are, some of them are in Hawaii, like that place. I know it's a different island, but there's so many good. Is there one called the Nenea.

Speaker 1 1:48:43

Nenea would be amazing.

Speaker 2 1:48:45

Schwab and Roberts are both friends of the. George Roberts are both friends of the PGA Tour.

Speaker 1 1:48:52

Yeah, that's an uber private place too.

Speaker 2 1:48:55

They're going to be calling the tour. People are calling people right now. See, that's definitely uber private place too they're going to be calling.

Speaker 1 1:48:59

They're going to be like the tour people are calling people right now, like that's what I don't know does. Does a place like nanea want a tour event and the public on their course? That's because that's exactly right?

Speaker 2 1:49:11

I know you're exactly right. Probably not, but that's what these guys do. They're.

Speaker 1 1:49:17

Yeah.

Speaker 2 1:49:18

You know, like I know, that Right.

Speaker 2 1:49:21

Yeah, I mean it's just that's what these guys do. They have the, they can piece it together. I mean you could totally, because you got to think about it. How many guys go to Hawaii and stay, or go to Kapalua and then stay for Sony, sony. It's kind how few of them stay To show support for the PGA Tour and just play the Sony Open so that they get crazy TV ratings and crazy entertainment. It doesn't really happen. It doesn't have to be in Hawaii, it could be in California somewhere.

Speaker 1 1:49:53

Who knows, it doesn't have to be in.

Speaker 2 1:49:53

Hawaii.

Speaker 1 1:49:53

It could be in.

Speaker 2 1:49:53

California, somewhere yeah.

Speaker 3 1:49:58

So, who knows, Let me get some hot dog bills up in there, let me get a hot dog.

Speaker 4 1:50:03

Bills Go to Olympic Club. Yeah, that'd be it.

Speaker 1 1:50:09

All right, kurt. Thanks so much. I'll have Kurt's info in the show notes for everybody. If you want to give him a follow on his Instagram handle, I'll have that show notes for everybody. If you want to give him a follow on his Instagram handle, I'll have that on there for you and keep an eye out. We'll update. If we find out if he lands with a player or where he's going to be caddying, we'll let everybody know. Thank you so much for coming on, man. I really you know we've been wanting to have someone like you on the show for so long, because it's such a side of golf that not a lot of people are privy to, and so the fact that we can have you on and talk and tell stories just broadens people's eyes on how amazing this game is, and I thank you for spending your Tuesday evening with us.

Speaker 2 1:50:50

Yeah, thanks for having me guys. It's been nice getting to know you guys throughout the year on the VGN and, obviously, hanging out tonight and sharing some uh stories that are longer than the cart rides we take together or the uh we can't get too deep into on the course, so all right, joe, bring it home.

Speaker 1 1:51:10

Oh, go ahead.

Speaker 2 1:51:10

No, I'm gonna say I'm too busy trying to make more birdies to catch.

Speaker 5 1:51:14

Dan, you know what I mean.

Speaker 3 1:51:20

Thanks for everybody that tuned in in the chat. Appreciate you, guys. This was an incredible episode. Shout out Kurt, what a legend. Share this episode. You don't have to tune in live, but we're here every single Tuesday night, 8.30 pm Pacific Standard Time, whether we have a pga tour caddy on or we're just talking about garson grips. Shout out garson grips. But you can also listen in your car on your way to work. Uh, bookmark my shows. There's a giveaway going down right now. Hopefully it's you, if's not better, to luck next time. Thank you guys for tuning in to the Chasing Daylight Podcast episode. There you go. I knew he was going to win. Shout out to homie Nori. You'll be getting something sent to you Until next week, man. Yeah, all right.

Speaker 1 1:52:12

I forgot to do this Until next week.

Speaker 3 1:52:16

Make sure you get out there and hit those greens, chase some daylight and play some fucking golf. Until then later, thank you.