Golfweek Amateur Tour - The Podcast
Welcome to the Golfweek Amateur Tour Podcast!
If you love amateur golf, the thrill of competitive golf events, and the camaraderie of the golf community, this is the podcast for you!
Join hosts Tim Newman and Chris Rocha as they bring you the latest from the Golfweek Amateur Tour, covering everything from all of the local golf tours through the road to the National Championship. We’ll break down recent golf tournaments, highlight standout players, and dive into what makes amateur golf competitions so much fun.
But that’s not all, we sit down with tour directors, course pros, and players from across the country to hear their stories, get insider perspectives, and maybe even pick up a few tips along the way. And, of course, we’ve got Roger’s Rules, where we tackle the quirkiest, most debated rules in golf (because let’s be honest, we all need a refresher sometimes).
This isn’t just another amateur golf podcast, it’s a golf podcast for everyday golfers who love the game, the grind, and the great people that make up the Golfweek Amateur Tour. So hit subscribe, grab a drink (or a range bucket), and let’s talk golf!
Golfweek Amateur Tour - The Podcast
Golf, Grit, and Brotherhood: Highlights from the Golfweek Amateur Tour
Welcome back to Golfweek Amateur Tour - The Podcast, your favorite amateur golf podcast where the stories are real, the community is tight, and the competitive golf events bring everyday golfers together from across the country.
This week, Tim Newman and Chris Rocha take you on a journey through one of the most heartfelt and fun chapters yet in the Golfweek Amateur Tour. From first-time victories to powerful stories of resilience, this episode captures what makes the amateur golf community unlike any other.
Greg Gunnels’ First Win
After five years of dedication, Greg finally secures his first win on tour, and it’s not even the best part. He shares how one Bloody Mary at a Louisiana South event led to deep friendships and a true sense of brotherhood. Despite having a local Houston tour, Greg keeps coming back to Louisiana for one simple reason: “Those are my brothers over there.” This is amateur golf at its most meaningful.
Roger Claytor’s Story of Strength
Recognized as the March National Player of the Month, Roger opens up about supporting his wife through her cancer battle and how the Golfweek Amateur Tour community showed up for them in a big way. From his home in Richmond, Roger’s decade-long commitment to the tour and his family is nothing short of inspiring. And when his wife rang that victory bell, the tour gave her a championship belt of her own. If you ever doubted that golf tournaments could change lives, this story will prove otherwise.
Tour Wrap-Up
From Richmond to Louisiana South, this episode highlights everything that makes local golf tours special: competitive spirit, camaraderie, and a community that rallies around each other on and off the course. Whether you're playing through pouring rain, chasing personal bests, or just soaking in a weekend with your golf buddies, there’s nothing quite like being part of the Golfweek Amateur Tour.
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Nominate your Player of the Month by May 5th
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Whether you’re grinding for a National Championship or just here for the golf tips, laughs, and community, this episode is packed with everything everyday golfers love. Thanks for being part of the Golfweek Amateur Tour family!
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All right, chris, welcome back Postmasters. Post-heritage edition of the Golfing Campers Tour. The podcast Best episode in the history of podcasts is going to happen right here tonight.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, it is. It's going to be exciting. You better listen in.
Speaker 1:Better Do you enjoy the Masters? Happy Rory won.
Speaker 2:I did enjoy the Masters. I was really rooting for Rose. I'd rather see Rose win than Rory, but you know, eventually he was going to win his Grand Slam. Honestly, I'm not a big Rory fan, but I think a lot of Tiger fans are not a big Rory fan.
Speaker 1:You know that's a good point. I used to despise him but you know I've kind of come around as he's gotten older. I think he has really kind of grown into his, into his role as I wouldn't say an elder statesman but a but an ambassador of the tour. I think he's really kind of grown into that and and not not been the obnoxious kid that he was.
Speaker 2:I mean, when he started he was um, I would completely agree with you until the last Ryder cup where he wanted to fight everybody in the parking lot. Um, I thought that was a little childish and kind of took it back A good notch or two or 10. Um, but I mean, like tiger, as tiger got older, we started seeing him smiling and you know, you see that kevin na interaction he had at the players with him and it's good to see and you're starting to see with rory and, and you know, some of the older, older golfers out there. Um, like I said, I'm happy that he got the grand slam. He he's been working at it for 11 years trying to get that thing solidified.
Speaker 2:Um, you can tell in his reaction how much it meant for him to get it. Uh, glad his, his family was there, his daughter was there. She may not understand it but later on in life she will understand how much, how much that meant. Um, so, like I said, you know, good for him. I was really really rooting for Rose, especially when he made that birdie on 18. Really thought there was a chance and I can't believe Rory gave him that extra hole, because anything can happen in that playoff hole, anything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Rory tried to give it away. I mean, he tried his hardest to give it away. Oh my God, yeah, he really tried to give it away.
Speaker 2:I mean he tried his hardest to give it away. Oh my God. I think that second shot on that last par five around the trees, like Bubba Watson did a couple years or what a decade, probably more than a decade ago that I mean that ball could easily hook into the water or hit the slope and keep rolling down to the water and that thing landed what? Seven feet, maybe eight feet.
Speaker 1:Well, here's the thing about that If you ever get a chance to go and you look at that shot, it's more impressive than you think. It's more impressive than you think from where he hit that ball to where it was. Right. I mean no, you have. I mean you really don't have any idea Unless you've seen, unless you've been there and seen that I mean it looks impressive to begin with. Right, right, right.
Speaker 2:But it's, I can imagine, with the green being as tiny as it is.
Speaker 1:It's oh God, it's narrow, I mean, and with the tree there, it's impressive. I mean, it was a heck of a shot, I mean, any way you look at it, right, right, but dumping the ball in the water, I can't believe he did that.
Speaker 2:And Bryson, I mean Bryson, he didn't seem like he showed up for a fourth day. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know what that was all about.
Speaker 2:Like he was tired after three rounds. Like it was a live golf event, I mean.
Speaker 1:Oh man see, Come on now.
Speaker 2:He was a disappointment.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm going to tell you another disappointing thing. Okay, so we're now a month into this thing, this whole Stu sub thing, guess what Huh. Still haven't had a Stu's sub. I said to Jen on Sunday. I said let's go over to Stu's to grab a sub for Sunday afternoon before the Masters actually comes on. I said wait a second, I'm not sure if they're open. Check that they're not open on Sunday.
Speaker 1:So I don't know, I got to get us to a sub here soon. Anyway, let's get back to the business at hand. We've got a really good episode. We've got a Louisiana South Tour member won his first event. We'll be talking to him. We've got the March Player of is first event. We'll be talking to him. We've got the March player of the month winner we talking to them. And actually you know we're going to, we're going to name all the nominees later on the show, congratulate them and then we'll go from there Ready to get started.
Speaker 2:Sounds good, let's go.
Speaker 1:Let's do it.
Speaker 3:Ladies and gentlemen, Golf Week Amateur Tour proudly presents Golf Week Amateur Tour, the podcast Talking about all things Golf Week Amateur Tour, including interviews with tour directors and course professionals. Now here are your hosts, Tim Newman and El Paso Las Cruces. Tour director Chris Rocha.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God. Chris. Yes, so welcome back.
Speaker 5:Just so everybody knows, Chris made me laugh as we were coming in.
Speaker 1:He can't stop.
Speaker 2:Oh gosh, that's funny, Don't even worry about what he said, but it's funny, Chris, how you doing bud Good, I'm doing good. Yeah, Getting better, so that's a good sign. But I feel like I'm 90 years old with the amount of medication I'm taking. But as long as it gets me better, that's all that matters.
Speaker 1:That's all that matters. That's all that matters. That's all that matters. Yeah, I like your new setup. Maybe we'll talk about that, let's just get right into it. Our first guest of the week one of his buddies sent a message through Facebook, so we got to talk to this guy. Even though we've got a Houston tour, he drives from Houston to the Louisiana South Tour every tournament. Got his first win a couple weeks ago and let's just go ahead and bring him in. His name is is. He's not there, come on now I do.
Speaker 1:I got. I got Jan Meyer trying to tell me his name. I know his name but I'm hitting show and he's not showing up. There he is.
Speaker 2:There he is, hey welcome.
Speaker 5:Greg.
Speaker 1:You would think this is our first time doing this and I got Jen in the background on the other side of the curtain, back there telling me your name. I said I know what your name is. I can't figure out how to get you back into the room. So welcome to the show, greg. Thank you for having me. No worries, you know you live in Houston, but you traveled to Louisiana South Tour for all your tournaments and one of your buddies sent us a message and said you won your first tournament, so we've got to talk to you. So tell us about it.
Speaker 5:Well, our Louisiana South tournament for Carter Plantation got canceled so I decided to play the Houston tournament which was in Margaritaville. And I mean I was just hitting the ball. Good that day, the ball good on the fairway. I don't hit the ball long. If I hit the ball 200 yards I'm surprised actually. But I played pretty good, I guess, and come out with a victory. I was very happy Well you blew everybody away.
Speaker 1:You won by four strokes.
Speaker 5:Yes, sir, but it's the Houston tour. It's not as much competition as the Louisiana South.
Speaker 1:Oh, I mean calling them out come on, come on, houston, you guys gotta step it up. Uh-oh, here we go. It's this, chris. I think this is the first time we've had this. I mean just just throwing throwing the gauntlet down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that. I enjoy it.
Speaker 1:I'm I'm all right with that.
Speaker 2:I'm all right with that maybe I said that greg, you said the right way, don't worry about that greg, you said what you said, don't it?
Speaker 1:I mean it, you know it, it is what it is now. If you had said it was it was the el paso tour, then then I'd probably have to separate you two. Uh-oh, uh-oh.
Speaker 5:On the Louisiana South tour we have 15, 16, even 18 to 20 players in the D flight. That's what flight I'm in On the United. I mean a win's a win. I understand that.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of. I understand that, yeah, but like you said, a win's a win. Take what you can get Five years.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, I'm looking at it right now and I didn't even know this In sea flight. One of my guys went out there and won, so congratulations to him too. That's his first time winning as well, so maybe Houston's the spot to go if you want to get your first win.
Speaker 1:Chris, maybe that's where you should go for your next A-flip Settle down.
Speaker 2:Stop right there, stop right there, stop right there.
Speaker 1:So, greg, you've been on tour for five years. What keeps you coming back? If this is your first win, what keeps you coming back?
Speaker 5:Man, the guys over in Louisiana South are just absolutely amazing. Yeah, I'll go over there and win, but it's a memorabilia than anything. Those are my brothers over there. It's really funny how it all started. Michael Wilcox came over to Houston my first year we were playing Tour 18, came over to Houston my first year we were playing Tour 18. And I met him and you know he told me he was from Louisiana South. He bought me a Bloody Mary and that's really how it all started. You know, I started playing there the next year and I mean from the very get-go. The very first tournament was the Bluffs and I mean they just took me in like they knew me forever and that's the way it's been for the past four years that I've been on.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. It was Shane Stevens that sent the message on Facebook. Basically, what he said was you drive over there because one of the reasons is you like to party with the LA South guys. I mean excuse me Louisiana South guys.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, we do that too. He's like yeah, yeah, it's there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just normal stuff. It's just normal. It's just normal saturday. It's just what we do. So what you know when you drive over there. What's your favorite course to play over there in in uh in louisiana?
Speaker 5:probably cassati pines. That's a beautiful course um. This year we're playing the EPC of Louisiana, so that's going to be interesting.
Speaker 1:So you're at Kasadi Pines at the end of June. That's good. Yes, at the end of June.
Speaker 5:We're playing a new one this weekend that I've never played Golden Nugget. I've never played that course. Never played Golden Nugget, I never played that course, so it'll be interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when we had JP on last year, he talked about that course and he said really good things about it. So you know, I think you're going to enjoy it.
Speaker 2:That TPC one. That's where the Zurich Classic is correct. Yes, I might have to look at my schedule and see if I'm available.
Speaker 1:You're doing a lot of traveling, though.
Speaker 2:Eh, I'll drive, Just kidding, I'll be in Albuquerque.
Speaker 5:So, Greg, you know you, that would be a long time.
Speaker 1:Yes, what would that be for you, chris?
Speaker 2:10 hours 24 hours maybe.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:It's 16 to get to Houston.
Speaker 1:Not doing that. But, Greg, I'm just looking at your scoring history. You don't miss. You don't miss tournament at all. You've got 60 rounds since March of 2001. I'm assuming March of 2021.
Speaker 5:Wow, how many rounds 60. He doesn't even know. That's it. No, I did, I really I didn't. I had no clue.
Speaker 5:No, I uh, I really I don't try to miss. I'm going to miss a lot more this year because there's a lot of Houston tournaments that I want to play lot more this year because there's a lot of Houston tournaments that I want to play. But, um, you know, I, I like I said before, you know, I just like around them guys, they're, they're my brothers to me, and you know it's, it's just when you're around them you can see you, could I mean no, it's hard to explain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, greg, I know, I know exactly what you mean. You know, we've talked to him here before. You know, at least for me, tournament days is best day of the week. Um, yeah, Love hanging out with the guys and and and and having all that fun. So, um, you know you. You know, chris, from our perspective, we kind of hope that every tour and having all that fun.
Speaker 2:Chris, from our perspective, we kind of hope that every tour is like that. Right, and I think every tour strives to be like that, where it doesn't matter where you're at, but your local tour or a tour that you call your local tour, you have those special bonds with those players. So I completely agree. I was like with me and some of the arizona guys. Even though I keep getting pictures of the rider cub belt every two weeks, um, they're still like brothers to me you're not gonna give that up, are you?
Speaker 1:you're not gonna let it go?
Speaker 2:not until I get it back. No come on now.
Speaker 5:Then it'll be on every episode of the podcast, Don't you wait? Just wait and see.
Speaker 2:I get it Now that we're video. They have no idea.
Speaker 1:Oh, greg, you know you. You were at the Regional at Tamaka Trails last June. There's been a lot of talk about the food that was there. You know, gina did a really good job with the authentic Cajun food, but Chris was liking the Mexican food better, did you?
Speaker 5:I. We were playing a little game. She had, she did, she really did an awesome job. Yeah, but she had a thing to where you had to chip over a 12 foot wall and then you had to putt and then you had to go out there, chip underneath some trees and I didn't even I didn't get to eat, basically what I was trying to say, um, but everybody's saying that the food was was great. I'm gonna be back over there this year. I mean, she really did an awesome job on that regional. It was a lot.
Speaker 1:It was, it really was. No, I mean.
Speaker 2:I was able to participate in it and it was a blast. That wall makes you think you know, oh, I'm a good flop player, but no, you're not. Not when you got to go over a wall like that, but luckily.
Speaker 3:I hit the top of one and it bounced over, so I got the point.
Speaker 2:But I ended up winning my flight, so that was nice for at least that challenge, Greg how'd you do in that Friday?
Speaker 5:That Friday we were over at the casino and we got to go to the top golf simulator. Yes, the simulator, that's what that's the word I was looking for. Thank you, Chris.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I enjoyed it out there too, although I didn't like the casino very much. I didn't walk away a winner there, but the food was good. Love seeing the guys again. Gina did a great job with it and hopefully we can get back there again real soon.
Speaker 1:Chris yeah, I can't wait, it'll be a blast now, greg, the big question is are we going to see you at national championship this year? So you will, all right. So make sure you come and see us at check-in, and we're still working on which regionals Chris and I are going to get to, and hopefully we'll see you at one of those as well. All right, but thanks so much for taking some time with us tonight. I really do appreciate it. Congratulations on the win. And you know, chris, I think we should start just making this a standard invitation. If you come on and then you win three in a row, we'll make a segment for you for the rest of the year.
Speaker 2:Fine with me Hopefully.
Speaker 5:I'll win, hopefully I'll win this second one. Yeah, I hope so.
Speaker 1:It's kind of a big deal. There's only one thing better than one win, and that's two wins, so you got to get after it Exactly. All right, buddy, will you take care of yourself, and we'll talk to you soon. Let's take a break from the show to hear about Strixon's ZX Mark II drivers.
Speaker 6:ZX Mark II drivers are for major players, major winners, major power. All new ZX Mark II drivers Only from Strixon.
Speaker 1:You know, chris, I'm really glad that we got to talk to Greg tonight. And you know, when we started this thing a couple years ago we never knew what it was going to turn into. We surely didn't think it was going to be this Right. But Greg was sent to us from a Facebook message, you know, from one of his friends on tour. He said, oh, you got to talk to this guy, he got his first win ever. Really excited. And you know I really enjoyed talking to him, talking to Greg and what he goes through to. You know to travel and play every week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's cool that you have a bunch of tours around that you can just go and travel. I mean, I'm pretty sure they can be long weekends, depending on how your round goes, if you have to drive back right away, but to get your first win is just one of those that you always remember. You know, you get that monkey off your back and then it just seems like there's a time period where you keep winning and that's where the competitive part comes, you know, and then some players are lucky enough to get moved up because they're playing so well, and then you have that dry spell. But when you get that next win in the next flight, it builds that competitive fire again and you just keep going. So congratulations to him. You know it's good to see that other people are bringing up the fact that, hey, you need to interview this guy that got his first win ever.
Speaker 1:First win ever. Yeah, that's pretty awesome, and he had some technological difficulties. I think that's going to be the theme of this episode Still the best episode ever but I know he had some technological uh issues and he sent you an email to wrap things up. You you want to go ahead and read that, for yeah, I mean he.
Speaker 2:He sent me this email almost right right after we we talked to him um, but uh, he forgot to mention a couple people that that he really wanted to talk about um. Like he said, we have some issues, but uh, I'll go ahead and read it out. You know, this is from greg. He wanted to thank sh. Like you said, we have some issues, but I'll go ahead and read it out. This is from Greg.
Speaker 2:He wanted to thank Shane Stevens and please forgive me if I mispronounce some of these names. In El Paso we kind of have some regular names. Everybody has the same last name. So he wanted to thank Shane Stevens for sending us an email to set up the interview. Stevens for sending sending us an email to set up the interview. Uh. Also like to thank jp and his crew, michael wilcox, uh, geoff bernard and miss jenny for doing such a wonderful job on the tour and, last but not least, kane savoy for giving me a few pointers and helping me with my game. All of the guys on tour are the best, and my brothers Thank God that I'm able to play golf wherever possible. And again, thanks for having me on the show. So that's kind of cool, you know. I mean he has like a little fan club that he wants to thank. But I think everybody on tour has that five or six group of people that they really enjoy seeing weekend and week out at events.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and it's good to know that you know again like that people are cheering each other on as well, that's again. That's what it really comes back to. But, greg, congratulations on your first win. Hopefully we'll see you in Hilton Head at National Championship or, if you go to a regional, hopefully we'll see you there as well. Now we've got our March National Player of the Year, which is yes sir, you know it's a really inspiring story.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we talk all the time about cancer and how devastating it is of a disease and how it affects everybody, and I'm really glad that this person was nominated because it's a feel-good story all the way around. I mean, he's been a longtime tour member, very loyal to the tour, has been helping out and doing those things that we talk about all the time, plus helping his wife beat cancer, and so I'm really looking forward to talking to this gentleman.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, you know, I will say this the competition is getting fierce every month as we keep getting more and more, uh, nominations, um, but when, when you and me read it, it kind of stood out to us. Um, because of that, and I mean that's one of the driving forces of this tour is is to help the foundation. Um, and, like you say, all the time, you know everybody's touched with it one way or another. And, like you say, all the time, everybody's touched with it one way or another, touched by it, unfortunately. But it was a cool story and being able to talk to him it's going to be a great time and, yeah, I can't wait to hear how excited he is to be nominated for this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let's go to Bremen. All right, chris, oh my gosh. All right, chris. Let's go ahead and welcome in our March National Player of the Month from Richmond, roger Claytor, and his tour director, sean Redman. Guys, welcome to the show.
Speaker 7:Hey how y'all doing this evening.
Speaker 1:Doing awesome. What everybody doesn't know behind the scenes is it took almost two hours to get everybody connected tonight.
Speaker 2:Settle down, settle down.
Speaker 1:Roger. That's what you get for being Player of the Month. You get to mess with technology when you should be hanging out Absolutely, I learned some stuff I didn't know. There you go, Roger. First off, congratulations. What I want to do is I want to read you the nomination that was sent in, and then we'll really get into talking about what's been going on with you and what's going on in the Richmond tour. Here it is I would like to nominate with you and what's going on in the Richmond tour.
Speaker 1:Okay, so here it is. I would like to nominate Roger Claytor of Richmond Virginia for this month. Roger Claytor has been a tour member on both Tidewater and Richmond Virginia tour for over 10 years. He has been a multiple winner and season points champion as well. His dedication to this tour and the friendships he has built along the way goes to show why he's such a great tour member. Roger's wife just finished her cancer treatments and fellow tour director Sean Redmond presented her with a championship belt. She loved every minute of it, and now Roger and her have champion belts. As tour members and directors, we always look after our tour members and ask about the families, and this has been a tough battle, but Roger was right there all the way with her. So you know, congratulations on being the player of the month, but, but more importantly, congratulations to your wife, who is better and still with us. Thank you very much. She's much better.
Speaker 4:Is she cancer free or out of the woods, or or just she's cancer free's back working full-time now, well, enjoying life I think that's most important thing working full-time in it.
Speaker 1:Absolutely bring that money in, baby, my sugar mama. There you go. Yeah, I need to get one of those. Sean, I know you and Roger have been friends for forever. First off, you know thank you for bringing this to our attention, because you know everybody knows what the tour, what our tour charity, is. We're all around cancer. You know, nobody on tour doesn't know somebody who hasn't been affected by this, whether it's a family member, whether it's a friend. We've all been touched by this deadly disease and hearing something positive about this is really good to hear. So thank you for nominating Roger, amen.
Speaker 7:Yeah, you know it's. You know, like I said, me and Roger have been neighbors and golf friends. We've known each other for a long time and when somebody finally we hear so many bad cancer stories that when somebody finally can come through the other side, it's worth celebrating, it's worth the belt. And I was just like man, we got to do something. I mean she still worked going through chemo Just good people. And you know, like I said, you know Roger is one of my players on my tour but also one of my friends and part of the family. It's just something that you can't be quiet about. You've got to do something. And Roger had got a belt where he won a belt in previous golf. So I was like man, let's get her a championship belt for for beating cancer. Me and me and Roger, we all we rolled up in our work one day and we just stopped everybody and said, look, we want to present her with this trophy for her kicking cancer's ass. And I mean the place went wild.
Speaker 7:It just gives me chills thinking about it now, because we all talk about it and we want to help, but sometimes that little bit of stuff there, and then the people that talked to us afterwards that had been battling and it just gave them a little bit more of encouragement to keep going. Um, it's just, it's just awesome. Um, and you know, we've all lost people. I mean, there's a lot of people I play golf with not a lot, but I probably, in the last five years, at least five or six people that have been on the tours that I've known that have died from cancer. Um, and that sucks, man. And we're all trying. Last year we had a good push and raise some money for for the V foundation now and putting all our stuff together. So, um, we keep lifting our players up and and start, keep raising money and you know we're going to have more of these victory stories soon. Yes, we will.
Speaker 1:So, roger, how long have you been on the tour? And you know what would you say, is your, your favorite memory of of being on tour and and you can't say you know winning the belt, or giving you, giving your wife, the belt, it's got to be something that, that you actually did.
Speaker 4:I've been on the tour about 10 years and my biggest accomplishment was at King's Mill. It was about two weeks after the ladies played there, probably six years ago, I was still in D-Flight and I hit one heck of a drive. The ground was just hard as a brick when the girls were playing. You could see them hit iron shots and dust would fly. So I hit a pretty good drive right down the middle and then I hit a five wood, stuck it on the green and I made a eagle. That paid me about twelve hundred dollars. Whoa, wow and uh, that's. That's one of my biggest accomplishments other than winning a championship in g flight, so that was a day to remember $1,200.
Speaker 1:I'll take that over a win any day, though, yeah.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, I got the skin and the scooper skin and I'm sure those champ and A flighters were just having a fit that a D flighter won that kind of money.
Speaker 2:I mean, but it shows you that any flight can win a super skin Any flight, that's it. These guys that are in deflates saying, oh, I have no chance. Yeah, you technically do, you're playing closer, you just have to have that one perfect hole, that's it and you can walk away with some money.
Speaker 4:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, chris I don't know if you looked at the winners from the pool that we're in. So, guys, masters was just over this weekend and Chris and I are in a pool where the winner won $31,000. Woo. That wasn't me, it wasn't Woo that wasn't me. It wasn't me.
Speaker 7:It wasn't me either. That's a lot of money on the line.
Speaker 1:It is. It is so, Sean, you told me a story about Roger before we got on. You want to tell that story Because I think I like your story better than the one he told.
Speaker 7:Yeah, you know it's how golf goes sometimes. So it was the Carolina club and Roger Claytor was playing Kennedy Bland in a playoff and you know there's this good following. So there's probably 30 people, 35, 40 people standing back watching them coming to the green. So Kennedy Bland hits it on par five and two Roger's just a little bit short. So everybody's watching getting quiet and we're watching him.
Speaker 7:Roger gets up there and blades the ball across the green and you just hear everybody go, oh, and it's like people are moving. It's like, oh, man, it's bad, it's bad. I mean, roger's face is blood red. I can see he's pissed. So as he's walking across the green he just looks at me a little bit. I was like, come on, man. And he's probably say 10 or 15 yards and it's not an easy shot, by no means. He's 10, 15 yards off the green. It's got to chip it up on a green, let it trickle down. And he holds out for birdie. So it's like you go from blading it across the green to chipping it in for birdie and I'm videoing it. So I'm like, yeah, man, now he goes show everybody and then you know KB's putting for Eagle, but after you chip in for Birdie, man, he didn't even get it close, but they wound up Birdie and then going to another hole. But yeah, roger, I mean bladed it terrible and then the chip in. That's our golf careers. Right there, you know. Bad shot, good shot.
Speaker 1:But that's what keeps you coming back, though, too. Absolutely.
Speaker 7:No doubt Roger's definitely lucky on the golf course. I play a lot of golf with him in the afternoons and stuff we're battling over those dollar birdies and dollar CPs. That's it.
Speaker 2:They add up after a while.
Speaker 4:I keep telling him he needs to give me. He needs to give me strokes.
Speaker 7:He says I'll give you mulligans because you'll learn to be get better that way yeah, if anybody, look, if anybody wants to get better, because it's very hard for a low handicap to play with a higher handicap golfer and give them 15, 20 strokes. So I always told roger when he started playing back look, I'll give you mulligans, because if you're going to take my money, you're going to hit the shots. And if everybody did that, that's how you bring those D and C players up to A and B flight because they've got to hit those shots. I like that, yeah, and get tired of losing. You know you got to shoot five under to beat a 19 handicap. I mean that's just like oh man, that's tough.
Speaker 2:I like that idea actually.
Speaker 7:I mean what it does is it keeps people playing together, because I know my C&D flight guys love to play with the A&B flight guys but sometimes they don't want to bet or do anything because it's like different t-boxes or whatever. But when you give them mulligans, so I'd give roger four or five mulligans aside, so and he would take my money because you know you missed that first shot. Then you hit that second shot. Now he's confident. Now I'm struggling to try to keep up with it, right, um. But that's how you you improve the game. You don't. Don't give nobody nothing. Let them earn it um. And and if you do that, then everybody be calling me roger's good at golf.
Speaker 7:Right now I mean he's in sea flight um, but I've seen him. I've seen him shoot, you know, one or two over in our afternoon nines and it's like man dude, you need to calm down um. But but you give them, you give them that opportunity to get better. That's, that's the whole thing. Is you want people to get better. I'm not in for it, for the, you know, career d flighters. I mean they're out there, but you know, get the d and c flight, you know, and then c to b um and then you change people. So I started in d flight. I know people from d to champ flight on like all the tours. Almost it seems like you know um from the mix of people. But yeah, if you give them mulligans, let them get better. If you're gonna take my money, earn it.
Speaker 1:You know I like that yeah, that's a really, really good idea. I've never thought of it that way, but but you know you, you're absolutely right because you got it like you said you got. You got to actually hit the shot and and then go and and hit it again, as opposed to you know, I'll go ahead and I'll double bogey in, because I know I got two strokes in this hole right and and I'll I'll be fine, as opposed to actually concentrating and focusing on on hitting the shot, like you're supposed to.
Speaker 7:Yep, and then also we'll let the that champ and a flight guys play with the B and C's. You know, cause if they feel like they got to shoot three or 400 to win a little bit of money or on a side game, right, they're not going to play. But you get a champ flight guy that that's going to give you 10 Mulligans aside. You know he'll be like all right, man, let's go see what you got you. You know he'll be like all right, man, let's go see what you got you know. And it just, it just makes it makes that whole thing like like my champ, my champ flight guys, will play with my b flight guys. It's got to be a good mix and I think that's how you build a good tour. You got to have everybody you know vibing together exactly so.
Speaker 1:so, roger, you and sean been friends for a long time. Give us a good story about Sean. Give us a good one, man, you caught me by surprise.
Speaker 4:He has too many. He does really have too many. But I have to say, Sean, his worth ethic is one top notch of anybody. I know he's working hard to build the Richmond tour up to what he wants it to be, and he's a hard worker whether it's work or play. I mean, you play hard, you work hard, but all around good guy. I can't ask for a better friend.
Speaker 1:Well, we know that, but I want a golf story with you playing golf with him. That's going to make us all laugh.
Speaker 4:Oh, my God.
Speaker 1:I know you got it. You probably got two dozen of them.
Speaker 4:Sean is so good, I mean oh get out of here. He's an A, I'm an C. It's hard for me to compete with him. So a lot of times we'll get out there and we'll have a few dollars on the line and we'll do reverse mulligans. Where, say, he sinks a birdie putt, we'll call a mulligan on him. He's got to make that putt again. Ooh, ooh.
Speaker 2:Ooh, now we're playing.
Speaker 7:Uno golf. Hey, they will take my money one way or another. They like my money.
Speaker 4:Man, that's harsh.
Speaker 7:They'll take a 20 one way or another. They like my money man that's harsh.
Speaker 4:Well, I know I got to put that son of a bitch over again.
Speaker 1:Man, I'm speechless on that. That's harsh.
Speaker 4:That is pretty tough.
Speaker 1:But you're going to do it anyway, though, right, absolutely, but you're going to do it anyway, though right.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 4:And then you know, when he really starts to hit it. Good, me and my buddy Bobby we call him Bobby Dollas because he's always winning dollars from us We'll play best ball against Sean and has one ball, and that keeps us pretty close as well.
Speaker 7:So another quick little quick story and that keeps us pretty close as well. So another quick little quick story. So when Roger first started playing golf again, I think it was like January or February, but it was like 70 degrees in Virginia but raining, and I was like come on, roger, let's go play. So we put on the rain suits and went out and played dogwood in the pouring down rain 70 degrees, the only two knuckleheads out there. So Roger's pretty right or down when it comes to hitting a golf ball. Man.
Speaker 1:See, I don't play very much golf anymore, but when I was playing a lot I was like, if it's raining, I'm not playing, it's just, I love playing in the weather, it's just I love playing in the weather.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's no fun, unless you hit it on a green and it bounces about six feet Because it's frozen. It's frozen right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we played on Thanksgiving Day one time and it was this was in Pennsylvania and it was frozen. It was like when you hit the green it was like hitting a cart path, yep. And when I finally hit the green and the ball literally bounced like 20 feet in the air, I said we're done, we're not doing that. That's just crazy. Go ahead.
Speaker 7:Go ahead, sean. Oh, years back we played a winter tour event at Bayville out on Virginia Beach and it snowed like two inches by the time we got back to the pro shop. The sun come out, melted it and we went back out and finished the tournament. Good old Virginia.
Speaker 1:Just give it a second right.
Speaker 7:That's it.
Speaker 1:So, Roger, it looks like your lowest score on tour is a 79. You did that last year.
Speaker 4:Yeah, Providence Country Club, yep Tell us about that. I didn't win that day. Oh, Bob Potter got him. This old guy Out of all of that. How old is Bob Potter? 78?.
Speaker 7:Oh, he might be 80 now he shot 73 that day.
Speaker 4:I said, lord, have mercy but uh in d flight.
Speaker 1:Oh, you know what, I remember that c flight. You know what? Okay, I remember that because I was, I'm, I'm on the handicap committee and those scores came in. I'm like what the hell's going on?
Speaker 4:I had a really good day that day. Most of my shots were right where I wanted them that day, and the putts were falling as well.
Speaker 1:Couldn't do any wrong. Well, you could have done six or six more, right?
Speaker 7:Yeah, yeah, for as old as Bob was man, he was on fire that day. He just won't go. Give Roger no room to win. Man.
Speaker 1:Sean, what's your best round on?
Speaker 7:tour 71. I've shot one under, I think three times on tour. Okay. But you know golf is so funny to me. You know, some days I'm really good, like right now I'll struggle in A flight, I'll get back to B flight and shoot a 73 or 74. Boom, back to A flight Right on back. Just not long enough sometimes to hang with the big boys.
Speaker 1:Chris just moved to the A-Flight this year. Congratulations.
Speaker 2:Voluntarily, not by skill.
Speaker 7:I'm still trying to figure out. I shot a 91 and stayed in A-Flight the other, I think last tournament.
Speaker 1:Well, see, sean, here's the thing as tour director, you've got to be really bad to move back and stayed in A-Flight the other, I think, last tournament, so whoo Well, see, sean, here's the thing. As tour director, you've got to be really bad to move back because you're going to take all kinds of crap from your tour members, right? I mean for you to move back to B-Flight, you've got to have like an 18 before you can actually justify moving back to the B-Flight.
Speaker 7:Sometimes they want me to move back.
Speaker 2:I've considered it. You know that.
Speaker 7:Man, we played hunting hog from the tips and we had a 235-yard par three and I'm not going to say I didn't hit the driver, but I'm not going to say I did hit the driver but it was a very big-headed 3-wood.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, yeah, I've got nothing for 235.
Speaker 7:Just give me a triple I was like how in D-flight did I play so good and hit the ball so good? Now I'm in A-flight and it's like my short game's. Like how in D flight did I play so good and hit the ball so good? Now I'm in A flight and it's like my short game's solid. But that driver is just ridiculous. A man, a man, and you know, moving to A flight, you get a double or, god forbid, a triple in the first three or four holes. Man, you're 15th, 20th place, easy, you know. You got that fine line where the guys are dropping down from champ to a. I mean, it's a flight is probably the toughest flight out of all the flights. I think a flight is the most competitive across the board.
Speaker 1:I I don't know if I disagree with that. You know, because, like you, you said again, you've got your borderline champ guys, and then you've got, I mean, if you're an A-flag player, I mean you're single digit and you could go low at any point, right, it's not like a B-flag player is going to shoot really on any given day, you know 73 or 74, right, but an A-flag player will, will shoot us, could shoot a 71 or 72 at any time at any time and then, and like I said again, you're competing with, with the borderline champ champ players, and if you got, I mean if you got 15 or 20 guys in the a-flight, you it's like playing in the regional every week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I mean you've got to be on every week to win or be in the money, absolutely.
Speaker 7:So and then you know, for a lot of my events I get some Tidewater A-Flight guys that will come play our events, some DC. So not only am I playing against my A-Flight guys but now I'm playing against, you know, the Andrew Haynes and some of the top echelon guys that come from Tidewater, which I'm glad because you know that's my, they're my brothers man. I've played with Tidewater for like 17 years. You know I don't even think I missed the event the first 16, 17 years I played on tour. But you know those guys they support and that's one good thing about Tidewater and Richmond sort of being close.
Speaker 7:You get a lot of support both ways. So you know Lyle's real good to me with trying to make things happen. And then I get a couple golf courses that won't even talk to me and then I'm like Lyle pull a string or two, you know, give him a call, whatever, and you know he helps out on that end. But we've got to support each other's tours. I'll just take a few minutes for that. We've got to support the DC tour, we've got to support the Down East tour because as a whole, as we do that and we go to different events, when you go down to nationals. You already know people. So much fun. You're already confident you're, you're comfortable. There's nothing worse than being on a t-box with three dudes. You don't know and it's your first time playing a three-day event. You know, exactly, exactly exactly so we're building a good brand.
Speaker 7:Dennis has built a, a model, and the people that he's put around him is is is awesome. You know, when I went to the director's meeting, I was overwhelmed with how down to earth and cool everybody was. It was more of a family cookout, you know.
Speaker 1:It's, you know, that's, you know, really the only time that we as tour directors get together all year long. You know, and yeah, we may talk on the phone, may see each other at events and those types of things, but you know, being able to have everybody in that room together, you know, even for a couple hours it's so much fun. You build, you know, much better connections and you can also learn a lot while you're there too.
Speaker 7:Yeah, you see what's working and what's not working. You know it's good stuff. I mean I'm very grateful.
Speaker 1:So I mean, Sean, you're doing a really good job in Richmond. So tell us what's going on in Richmond and what do you got going on this year. And if there's one event that if somebody's traveling shouldn't miss, which one is it?
Speaker 7:I would have to say the back-to-back-to-back events with both me, cephas and Tidewater. All three courses are great courses. All the pros want us there and that's the difference. Sometimes they tolerate us, but you know everybody that all of them, providence, they want us there, the Mattapanau, they want us there At the Highlands. Troy the pro, I mean he went to bat for us because the owners didn't want us there. The matapanada, they want us there at the highlands. Troy the pro, I mean he went to bat force because the owners didn't want us there.
Speaker 7:Um, not that they don't want to play, but they always have a full t-sheet six, seven days a week and and the pro there, troy, went to bat force, got us out there and last year we had 124, 128 players and I mean pace of play was good. We left the course better than we found it and everybody, you know there was pizzas coming out, everybody's hung out. We did a great prize ceremony. It's just like, um, uh, everybody supported it and because of that we got to come back again this year. Uh, just building, and it takes a little bit of time to get your face out there. But I also I would say we got 19 new players this year that we didn't have last year, and of the 19, 17 were from player referral.
Speaker 7:So I had 17 new players that my players brought that said, hey, man, this is the product that's out here. Come on, let's go play some golf, and I would rather build that way. You know, I don't mind people coming off the street or whatever, but you sort of know. And then when some one of your players are pumped up and they get their friend to come, or one of the guys at their golf course to come out and play're already ready because they've already been coached up, they say, hey, man, this is what you got to be here, be ready, have your skin money ready, let's check in, let's get to the ranges, hit balls, let's get ready. You know, um, so when your tour develops from within, oh man, that's, that's awesome. Um, you know, you got the, the tattooed biker looking guy and the young preppy kid in his Puma skin-tight shirt on, and then at the end of the round, their best friend's talking about let me buy you a beer, man.
Speaker 1:That to me is just awesome man, it really is, but that's what it's about, sean. You know we talk about this all the time. That's really what it's about. You know, the golf course on tournament day that's the day that leave all the other bullshit at home right, yes, you're coming and we're gonna have a good time and and and play golf, have fun, relax, compete and and hang out and be, be with, be with your buddies, be with your guys, be with, be with your family.
Speaker 7:That's what it's about, and all it takes is one person in your group to hit a great shot, and then it's like let's go, man. It's so easy to cheer for somebody when you've got the right people Exactly. It's awesome.
Speaker 1:Well, Roger. Again, thank you so much for all that you do for the tour. Congratulations on on being the march uh national tour member of the month and um and all our best to to your wife. I'm so happy that she's cancer free and back healthy and and supporting you so you can go out and play golf some more.
Speaker 7:Absolutely, thank you very much hey, uh, hey, and Tim, real quick, I want to let you know that I really appreciate you and Chris. What you're doing with this is putting us out there on a wide scale. Somebody can listen to the podcast. There's going to be people on other tours that's going to hear this and be like man, I'm going to nominate my guy, this guy, and then we find more about each other and then, when we all go down to nationals, we'll be able to like, hey, man, that's that guy, that's that guy Exactly. Y'all keep doing what y'all are doing, because it's a great thing and I listen to the podcast all the time. And some people I know, some people I don't, some people I want to look to see, but I appreciate you guys. Tim, I remember when you was in DC, man, you've, uh, you've taken it to another level, brother, and I really appreciate it. And Chris, hang out in a flight for a little while. I'll see you in nationals, bro.
Speaker 2:I'll be there. I'll be there for a minute, but I appreciate it, John.
Speaker 1:I really do appreciate the kind word, but you know me it's, you know it's. It's not about me, it's about it's about the tour, it's about the tour members, and and, and we do this because we love the tour. That's. That's the other piece of it. You know when, when we started this it was, you know, I don't know if I've ever told this story on on on the podcast, but when I went to dentist with this idea, I was at a place where I I needed something that was fun again. That's how this got started. And, uh, he, he said, yeah, go ahead and and and it kind of.
Speaker 1:This thing kind of really blew up in about 35, 40 days. I mean, it just exploded that quickly. But it's always been been about the tour, it's always been about the members, um, and and providing value back to them, and so I appreciate the kind words, but I'm gonna going to throw it back off on on you guys, as, as as tour members, it's it's for you. Anybody that's listening out there, if you've got somebody that should be on here, send them our way, cause that's what this is about.
Speaker 7:That's it. We're a big family, we're a big family, and in golf is golf is all knitting us all together, you know.
Speaker 1:Exactly Made a lot of friends. All right, guys. Again, thanks so much for hopping on tonight. I mean, it's only taken us two and a half hours to get this done, but we got it. It's good seeing you guys, and we'll talk to you soon. Let's take a break from the show to hear about Strixon's ZX Mark II irons.
Speaker 6:A great iron set needs more than good looks. It's got to be fast and got to be pure, but good looks never hurt either. The all-new ZX Mark II irons from Strixon Tim.
Speaker 2:That was a fun conversation and you know it sounds like Richmond tour is a lot of fun. You know they have a good time, but they also why are you nodding your?
Speaker 2:head. No, go ahead. Oh, but they also have a, but it seems like like you know, a great time out there and just Tour directors down to earth. You know, he's got the Guy, the Guy, fury goatee going on. I'd be interested in going and checking them out. I wish I had a million dollars so I can just go and do an East Coast tour. You should. How about everyone there?
Speaker 1:Just tell your wife you're going to take the second half of the summer and just move out of here. There you go, rv it you should. How about everyone there? Just tell your wife you're gonna take, you know, second half of the summer and just just move out of here there you go rv it. Yeah, I, I've been known sean for a number of number of years and he's number one.
Speaker 1:He's a, he's a fun guy fun guy to hang out with um, loves the tour, loves to have fun, loves to to. You know to joke around um, and you know I'm I'm sure that he's building those relationships with his players that lyle had with his players. You know who's been um, who's sean's, you know mentor, but but you know, like again, sean's been around for a long time and he, he knows he knows the for a long time and he knows he knows the culture of the tour and he knows what he's trying to build and and I mean he really does exude that, that, that family, the idea of family and culture that you know that we talk about all the time, and it and just with his relationship with Roger, just just kind of shows that. You know they've been neighbors for forever and started playing golf together about 10 years ago and that just kind of, you know, grew that friendship in into what it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you could tell by their conversation. They just like like they've known each other for forever.
Speaker 1:It seems like I mean, I really did enjoy it. And and again, what, what most people don't know is you only see or hear, uh, what we put in into the podcast. You, you, you have no idea some of the other things that are said and we see, uh, that don't actually make it in. Um, you know, for, for example, the stories that were told as we were trying to, as we were getting through our technical difficulties, trying to get everybody logged in tonight, and then other things that we were laughing at and cutting up about as we were making sure everything got uploaded, so you always see a piece of it. You know when the cameras are on and the mics are hot, you miss some of the other things that happen. And again, to me it just kind of goes back to the authenticity of who Sean is and who Roger is and what the tour is for our members.
Speaker 2:For sure. It's a whole different ballgame and we said it last year with the James brothers. I think these two are leading the pack for 2025 so far, unless the James brothers come back on, because that's a tough act to follow. It is, but no, I mean it's a great time and it was good. Laughs and those I mean those off camera or not off camera, but like off recording stories they can be pretty funny.
Speaker 1:They are, they're hilarious, they really are. So again, congratulations, oh God. Congratulations to Roger Claytor, the March National Tour Member of the Month. But you know, I do want to make sure that we recognize the other nominees that we got, because, you know, again, just because you didn't win the national, I mean, you're still doing really good things and that's part of this. We want people to know about what's going on around the country. Right, and so you know.
Speaker 1:The first person that I want to read off was nominated by the Alabama tour director, Scott Parker, and he writes I nominate Corbin Holt. He was the first champ play player that I met once I took over as tour director and he has been the biggest reason, other than myself, for the growth of the Alabama tour. He has recruited players from all over the state to play. He has always been willing to travel to play on other local tours Mississippi, Nashville, Atlanta, to name a few. We've also taken several trips to regionals and national championships over the past few years and Corbin is always a force in those events. He's also a great husband, father to his two girls. I'm proud to call Corbin a friend and extremely proud to have him on the Alabama tour and um, you and I have talked about Corbin.
Speaker 1:I think he's the most talked about. I think he's probably the most talked about person that has not been on the podcast yet and we we got to make sure that we get him on here real soon because he's a stick man. He can play me, yeah, I mean he comes to atlanta on a regular basis to play. I mean he can, he can play um, but again, he's also that down. He he's a down-to-earth guy and I don't know what it is about those champ flight players, but that's what they, they all seem to be. You know the, the, the down to earth, personable. You know type types of players. You know. You know, compared to you, a flight players always be in somebody's face how you're going to be better than them.
Speaker 2:I'm the bottom of the barrel. We'll see what happens when, I get up there on top.
Speaker 1:But you know what I'm saying. I mean, he's just a good guy. And again, Scott, thank you so much for nominating Corbin, and I can't wait to see you guys here soon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean he was right there up top of the ones that could have gotten picked. You know, I think any other month he might have been the one that was chosen. So we'll see what the next couple months have. But I mean we also had from Steve Riley the Cleveland Akron Tour, which I'll be there this week, but he would like to nominate Chris Luzio.
Speaker 2:Chris is always willing to help me set up and tear down and sticks around until my car is packed. He's a super positive person to be around and loves the tour. He speaks well of the tour and tries to recruit as many as possible. Everyone wants to play the round with Chris, our defending player of the year, and I mean just having guys like that excuse me, having guys like that, you know, that are willing to help and not asking for anything in return and just making sure that you get everything done, um, and you're ready to go as a tour director, leave the course before he does. You know, those guys are very special and and they're the the unsung heroes sometimes for for us directors exactly.
Speaker 1:they really are the unsung heroes. You know what you know last year and years prior, I couldn't have done it without al, couldn't done it without jen, couldn't have done it without Al, couldn't have done it without Jen, couldn't have done it without. You know some of the other players, whether it's Donald Price, whether it's Jamil, I mean you know Jamil's been on Donald Price in Atlanta, was, you know, always willing to step up and help out, and you know there's players like that all over the tour.
Speaker 3:Like you said, the unsung heroes and we should recognize them.
Speaker 1:And then we've got Scott Eide, the Charlotte Tour Director. He nominated Roger Stevenson from the A-Flight. He says he plays in numerous regionals and other tours. Plus he won the A-Flight Championship last year in Charlotte. I'm sure that we're going to see Roger Stevenson around. I mean, he is one that goes all over the place and plays. So again, scott, thanks so much for making that nomination and Roger, thank you for being who you are for the tour. We really do appreciate it.
Speaker 2:For sure. Again, we had a lot of good candidates this month and I think what we're doing with this contest is nice to see, and these guys get recognition, or they deserve the recognition that they're getting from their tour directors, because anybody can tell them thank you, but being able to be recognized for the little things that you do is just what's awesome, exactly.
Speaker 1:You know. So now we've got about two more weeks to get nominations in for April Tour directors. If you haven't sent somebody in, start sending in some names and we'll highlight them. And just remember that the winner of each month will have an opportunity to win their nationals paid for this coming year.
Speaker 1:So, think about who you got, think about who really exemplifies what we're looking for in tour members and let's get them nominated so that they can be recognized, and we need to make sure we get somebody from each tour across the country so that we can recognize them.
Speaker 2:For sure.
Speaker 1:So what's been going on with you? You sound better, you don't sound sick.
Speaker 2:I'm feeling better not a hundred percent to be a long road ahead, but uh, been swinging the sticks around, which is nice, you know, not losing my breath after a couple swings. I have a turn, a couple tournaments coming up, a regional to go to, and we'll see what happens. I know you're going to get upset. I was debating on going down the B flight for the regional but I'm going to stick it out in A and see what happens. Stick it out.
Speaker 1:Stick it out. Yeah, Unfortunately, you know we had talked about the plan was for both of us to be there, but unfortunately I've got some family stuff that I have to tend to. Not to be able to make it. Chris, it's one of those things where you got to take care of the family stuff and it is what it is.
Speaker 1:So unfortunately, it is what it is and so, unfortunately, I just got to miss it. You know it is what it is. I mean, I was so looking forward to it for any number of different reasons. I mean, obviously, to go to the course and see the course and be someplace that's, you know, has a long history in golf, but also to see all the people that that we were going to, that I was going to see. I mean, you're going to be up there, you're going to be able to see them, you can be able to have fun with them, but please send them all my best and and and send my regrets.
Speaker 2:We'll do. Yeah, I mean, it's going to be a good time. Can't wait to get out there. Might play a course where they have motorcycles instead of golf carts, so that'll be kind of fun, that'll be fun. That'll be fun, um, but yeah, I mean, well, you know it is what it is, um, but I'll go represent us both the best I can yeah, mick sent me a a taxi.
Speaker 1:The other day they picked up a new member for their club, uh-oh. Yeah. So now they got new members. I'm looking forward to see how that club grows throughout the year. Right, but I'm going to miss seeing them. But keep us in the loop because, again, we want to make sure that we highlight what you guys are doing up there and I want to see how many flags you get.
Speaker 2:We're going to have to have a an update on how many you're collecting this year for a 25. Exactly.
Speaker 1:I'm again. I'm disappointed, can't go, but I said my best. I know you guys are going to have fun and it'll be great.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir, it'll be a good time, and you've got to get together.
Speaker 1:I will, I will. But again remember we talked about it. It's still early, I mean you're going to be fine. What you need to do is remember the talk we had right before nationals when we started betting. You just stop having all that negative talk. Right.
Speaker 1:You know it is what it is, your game is what it is. Go out there for whatever tournament it is, and play with the game that you have that day, and if you don't have it, you don't have it. It's that building process. It's that growth that you're going to see. But the only way you're going to be able to do that is if you get rid of that negative thought. You've got to get rid of that negative self-talk.
Speaker 2:You'll be all right. I mean, I've been practicing putting lately uh 10 minutes a day at least, trying to get that good because you suck good because you suck at putting.
Speaker 1:I mean, let me, let me have all that, let me have. See you just did you. You fell right into the trap. So let me talk negative about you I, no, no, no, it's not negative.
Speaker 2:What it is is I. I'm understanding where I need work on okay, uh because. Okay, I've already put the distance out of my mind. I know I'm not going to be the longest hitter out there for now, right, but I know what I can work on to get better. Okay, and I don't think it's being the negative part. I think it's realizing what I can do to improve the game.
Speaker 1:There you go. That's what I like to hear.
Speaker 2:We'll be all right, Just wait. It's a long. It's a long year. We're barely in April.
Speaker 1:Exactly, exactly. So, um, I, I again, I really enjoy talking, talking to, to to Sean and Roger. So again, I really enjoy talking to Sean and Roger. And you know, offline we talked about the Virginia Tech Regional and it's too bad that you're going to be in Hawaii for that. I know, I know, because that's a really good course too, I mean, and I know that's not until the end of July, but I mean we've got some other really good regionals coming up. I mean literally, chris, time is flying by. I mean things are literally right around the corner. You realize that, right, yeah.
Speaker 2:No, I'm already halfway through my list of tournaments for just my local. Remember how I talked about last year? You start scrolling down and before you know it, you're at the bottom, Exactly.
Speaker 1:I mean. So you got Firestone coming up on the 26th, 27th, then we're in May, we got Sequoia, and then end of May we got PJ West and Treasure Coast, and then we're into June we got Cajun Classic and Cabot Citrus Farms. So we've got lots of good regionals coming up. If you haven't registered for them, get on it quick.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're fun. They're like mini nationals it because you're playing from players from all over the country. You're not just, you know, around your local, your local area. You got some, some big guys out there so it gets you prepared. Honestly, I think last year the the two second places I got helped me get prepared for nationals and I mean we saw what happened then.
Speaker 1:Exactly. So what do you got coming up locally?
Speaker 2:Just a local tournament that got rescheduled because of rain out, and then, first weekend of May, we're going to do what's called our Beat the Heat, and we're going to go out to the up in the mountains and play two courses. We always play out there, but Rainmakers is probably the highlight of that one. It's been nicknamed the Painmaker, with just how crazy the course is, the layout. I mean, you got canyonsons cutting right through fairways. Uh, it's, it's pretty enduring. You got deer just chilling in the fairway. They don't want to move. Um, it's. It's a good time, though, but but it it'll test you nice, nice.
Speaker 1:so so let me ask you and I'm not, this is a serious question, so I'm opposed to you, like that. Okay, how much rain did you get? Or does it take in El Paso to close the course down?
Speaker 2:I think it was close to two inches.
Speaker 1:Okay, so it was coming down pretty good.
Speaker 2:It was coming down pretty good. So the way El Paso weather is, it's one of two ways. 90% of the time it's five-minute downpour and that's it, okay. I mean, you don't even get a chance to enjoy. You go out and you and you oh, I hear rain, let's go check it out and then it's done. Or you have a light drizzle that lasts six hours, but that light drizzle that that was lasting six hours was just collecting, because our courses aren't aren't made to drain water that way. Right, because you don't ever get it I mean right and you got.
Speaker 1:And when you get it, you got to soak it up as as much as correct. That's why I was, that's why I was worried about how much it was. You know what I mean? Because because if it's coming down really hard, it's going to wash things out and again, like a lot of times, out where you are. You said it'll come down hard and it'll go away, but then you've got puddles I wouldn't say flooding, but puddles in the course that you can't do anything with because it's not meant to drain, correct.
Speaker 2:I mean, hole number one had a literal river coming through the middle of the fairway, right, I mean, it's not supposed to be there. So I mean I get it. It comes in both hands, because we could have waited an hour, it would have stopped, we could have tried to play. But does the course really want 60 golf carts driving all through? Like this particular course, you have a cart path that leads into the hole and then there's no cart path at all until you get by the green. So do you really want 60 carts driving all through your course and damage it for a tournament? Or can we try and reschedule and honestly, with the reschedule I gained almost 10 players. That's awesome. So maybe it works out. But I mean I'm excited to play it.
Speaker 2:It is out of all the courses we have in town, you know El Paso, las Cruces. It is the bottom of the courses that I like. I'm not a big fan of it. I don't like the layout, but it is the bottom of the courses that I like. I'm not a big fan of it. Um, I don't like the layout, but it is the course has the best conditions that we're gonna get. Um, so it's give or take. Uh, right, but I'm ready to go tackle it because, uh, I've just been so cooped up with this being sick that I haven't been able to play. Uh, I'm, I'm ready to get out there and start playing, start grinding and hopefully get some wins here or there.
Speaker 1:Just get out there and play and again at this age it's, go out and see what happens. Obviously, compete and play to win, but stay within yourself, play with the game that you have that day and work on it in between tournaments. I mean you got to be ready here in a couple weeks.
Speaker 2:Yep, I'm excited.
Speaker 1:All right, my friend, you have a good tournament, enjoy I hope you enjoy the heritage as much as you can. Actually I can't go to that either, and you know, and let's be, I got to be a little bit honest here on that Part of it is it goes back to where we get tickets from.
Speaker 1:And you know we need to. I need to just kind of step away from that. I mean, it's you know, when you lose a friend like that, you know suddenly, you know for me going there. I don't know that right now I could have a good time.
Speaker 1:I got you I understand that and that's let's just leave it at that. But you know, the the the other piece is, and I I know I talked about this, but you know how important my family is, my, my, my granddaughter's, uh. Uh, it's turn five doing birthday, and Sunday is also actually Easter. So my daughter said, uh, said you need to come home. And so it kind of is the best of both worlds, because if we weren't going up there we would still be here and not going. So at least you know I'll be, we'll be away, and it'll give Jen and I a chance to step away for a couple days. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Take the time off, it'll be fun.
Speaker 1:But that also means no stew subs.
Speaker 2:Get one for the road.
Speaker 1:No, because here's what happens you eat a full stew sub. Guess what? It's nap time. I guess, All right, my friend, it's always good seeing you. Send my best to the family and we'll talk when we get back.
Speaker 2:Yes sir, We'll talk soon. Bye, we'll see you next time.
