My Golf Source
Attention Golf Enthusiasts! Level up your golf game with hosts Darren Penquite and Noah Horstman, PGA as they keep you up to date on the latest trends, equipment, training aids and more. Learn tips and tricks from PGA Professionals to lower your score and grow your love for the game of golf.
My Golf Source
Guest Evan McLennan: Why Mental Toughness Defines Champions
Rory McIlroy's thrilling Masters victory takes center stage as we unpack what truly separates champions from contenders at Augusta National. The mental fortitude required to bounce back from a missed putt on 18 to win in a playoff demonstrates why McIlroy has risen to the pinnacle of professional golf.
We welcome special guest Evan, who shares his remarkable journey from college baseball player to golf professional in less than two years. His story highlights how passion, combined with access to quality facilities and technology, can accelerate development in this challenging sport. The conversation reveals that magical moment many golfers experience—when you feel that perfect strike and become forever addicted to the game.
The podcast explores the critical crossroads many golfers face between pursuing playing professionally or establishing a career in golf operations, management, or instruction. This decision requires honest self-assessment and understanding what truly brings fulfillment in a golf career. We discuss how modern data collection and analysis have transformed practice sessions into targeted improvement opportunities, giving today's players advantages unimaginable to previous generations.
We also preview Running Y Golf Course, Arnold Palmer's only signature design in Oregon, and celebrate recent tournament successes from our team. Looking ahead to next week's episode featuring mental performance coach Daniel Shuler, we'll dive deeper into the psychological aspects that make golf both maddening and magical. Subscribe now and join our conversation about the game we all love!
Welcome to the my golf source podcast. Welcome to my golf source. I'm Darren, I'm Noah, here we go again. Week after master's week.
Speaker 3:That is my favorite time of year. My man.
Speaker 1:It was so exciting Rory wins in a playoff round with Justin Rose.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was pretty fun. Everyone always asks you who to vote for, who you're rooting for, what you got. Even my kids were like Daddy, is that who you want to have win? It's pretty special when your kids are enjoying a golf tournament as much as you are and your youngest is five and he's just glued to the TV.
Speaker 1:I am happy for Rory. I'm glad he won. He completed the grand slam. My son was 110% in for Rory. I got to say I was kind of rooting for DeChambeau.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's, it's hard.
Speaker 1:He's a disruptor.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:He's a headline grabber. He grabs people's attention. He does off the wall things. He says and does the unexpected and he was. He was on track for a big win.
Speaker 3:I'm a little on the opposite side, rory and I see eye to eye. You know he's only about 5'8". I'm 5'7 1⁄2" and ultimately I was in the locker room of the PGA Championship and he was the one guy I wanted to go stand next to and just see how tall he really was. I knew JT was kind of a little smaller, but he was even taller than Rory, I think by an inch or so. But I remember going over and I just stood right next to him. Then he like shook my hand and stuff. I mean, the dude's a class act, regardless of what the media makes him out to be. Same with DeChambeau um, us Open 2010,. I believe it was.
Speaker 3:We're're at oakmont, got my junior academy there and uh, and bryson's an alternate and he's walking in and he's a little guy at this time. I mean, he's so built right now it's not even funny. He's like a. We were joking about it. He's like a rectangle with arms right and he's just a beast, you know. And uh, you know he was just very skinny at that open, but he spoke and talked to our kids for about 20 minutes. Didn't know if he was playing alternate and it was, uh, probably one of the coolest things and I just thanked him for what he was doing for golf because at that time he was just starting to get more into the science of it. His coach definitely was focused on, you know, just launch monitor data only, and ultimately that's what we do a lot at the golf garage Maybe not as in-depth as what Bryson's going, but pretty cool stuff.
Speaker 1:So Bryson kind of jumped in both feet. He's got single-length clubs. He does a lot of things that are technically abstract, that a lot of players just don't see eye to eye on, but it works for him because he is so data-driven.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, ultimately he just wanted to learn how to swing harder and harder and he puts a net up in his house and all he's doing is swinging as hard as he can at golf balls and all of a sudden he's the longest guy out there and he's learned how to control that. Yeah, I mean. Looking at the major championships, that guy has no fear on anything.
Speaker 1:No, and when it goes really good, it goes really good, and when it goes really bad, it goes he says why?
Speaker 3:why did it do that, that? What is it going?
Speaker 1:on the numbers, don't make sense yeah, it didn't happen.
Speaker 3:So, no, no, and and you know what's really cool, I mean when we had Jermaine on. Jermaine's partner, jibo, is Bryson's caddy, so I've spent some time with him too and one of the things that was really cool and hopefully we'll have Jibo on the show here in the next few weeks. I'm going to reach out to him. But we're playing golf at Running Y. A couple summers ago for a head-to-head our academy versus theirs. A couple summers ago for a head-to-head um, our academy versus theirs and jibo told us that basically anytime bryson's putting inside of 15 feet, he doesn't miss the hole. So it doesn't always go in, but he's like touching the hole almost every single time. Interesting, it's insane, because you know 15, you know 15 foot putts. The make rate percentage is sub 40 most of the time for the tour, so for him to hit the hole every time, that's ridiculous.
Speaker 1:So where did it, in your opinion? Where did it go wrong for Bryson, Because he was doing so well in round three?
Speaker 3:He just he didn't look like he had it mentally. I mean the small things that I was watching. He was just questioning so much Like I can't get my hip through, or I mean I heard that on the TV one time and I don't know exactly what that meant in his mind, but he, he wasn't hitting the shots. I mean ultimately. I mean Augusta is a big golf course. You got to hit it far, um, and if you miss it in those trees, you know you've, you can escape, but if you're not hitting the shots, you're not hitting the shots, um, you know.
Speaker 3:And then you're playing against Justin Rose, who's coming up strong, and and Rory, who's playing some amazing golf, um, and you know they both wanted it more. I mean, I think that's kind of what it comes down to. You always laugh when a player is like who wanted it more? You know, but the person that controls the ball the best that week wins, and whoever controls their emotions the best typically also wins right. Rory could have also thrown it in when Justin and him were tied right and then he went down.
Speaker 1:I mean it was pretty incredible, and Justin had a commanding lead in the first two rounds.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, I mean it was so cool to watch Justin Rose. I was actually I've always been a Justin Rose fan. There's a local player from our area, jason Allred, and you know it sounded like when he was down in the desert he and Justin Rose were both playing and practicing together at a private club in Arizona. That's what, that's what I heard, at least and I've always wondered, like how is it that they're playing and practicing and then all of a sudden, justin Rose becomes a superstar? This was before. He was like a big, big name and and then Jason played great golf, he made it on the PGA tour, but he just didn't continue. And it's always that that question, right, like why did he? You know, justin make it, but Jason didn't make it right? I mean, jason hit it farther at the time and you know just as good and was in contention, and it's just amazing how good they are. That's what's the perspective that no one really pays attention to.
Speaker 1:Is it luck, or does it just come down to your ability to embrace the pressure?
Speaker 3:It's self-belief. Ultimately, they all have the ability to hit the ball far, they all have the ability to putt well, but what it comes down to is you know when you're in that zone, you know you're going to make it, and if it doesn't go in, you know you're going to make the next one. And then, when that one doesn't go in, you know they're going to make that right. It doesn't, it doesn't falter, nothing bothers you. So I think ultimately it's like that, the tiger effect, right.
Speaker 3:Tiger's dad comes out and starts telling us all the things that he used to do to Tiger Woods when he was a kid, to mess with him, and just literally, I mean not abusive, but he was preparing him Try to ruffle his feathers a bit For the worst.
Speaker 3:I mean yeah, I mean to the extreme Right. And so Tiger learned how to turn it on and turn it off Ultimately, like again, this is a story that I've heard about Tiger where there was a recruit that was a really good player coming out to Stanford and you know Tiger's already won three junior amateurs and another amateur and I think it's his sophomore year before he plays Augusta and this is super crazy. But front nine, I think Tiger and this young recruit tied. And so the Stanford coach comes up and says, hey, how's it going? He's like, oh, it's going great, I'm tied with Tiger right now. He's like, oh good, you know, that's great. And so coach goes over to Tiger and whispers and said, okay, it's time.
Speaker 3:And Tiger goes and shoots like four or five under par and crushes this kid Right. So it's one of those where, you know, coaches said hey, don't, you know, beat him up too bad. And then all of a sudden it's like rocky or something. It's like don't give up, and now I'm just going to take you out. So yeah, it's, it's pretty interesting that step on your throat mentality.
Speaker 1:So hole 18, rory had what approximately a five foot putt and he kind of dropped the ball. He missed that putt which tied the round, caused the playoff. That's discouraging. That's a tough pill to swallow because that was a putt that statistically was darn near a gimme for him.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, I mean, ultimately you don't know what he's thinking and you know it's a five-foot putt at Augusta is different than a five-foot putt at your average municipal golf course.
Speaker 3:Right, that's true you know the greens are very pure, they're very smooth, but where that whole location is, if you pay attention to bunker shots and things, they're playing it off of ridges that are super extreme, where they're trying to kill it. You know 20 feet from the hole to let it trickle to the hole. So he's also. He's playing defensive aggressive, right. I mean, you have to be aggressive in the sense that you're trying to make the putt, but if you don't the putt, you don't want to have a crazy putt after knowing that you just lost the entire tournament. So I think defensive aggressive is a pretty good way of thinking. So he goes into the playoff.
Speaker 1:Justin Rhodes comes in with a high because he just played a good solid hole 18. Rory missed a putt that he should have made. Now he's got the upper hand. He's coming into this with a lot of confidence and it went really bad.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean and that's the funny thing too is when you look at where Rory is and you think of prime, like who's in their prime right now? I mean I would say that Rory's more in his prime right now than Justin Rose, right?
Speaker 1:I mean when you look, much so, very much so.
Speaker 3:Well, it's just like even the mentality of it. He was so driven to win that tournament, yet emotions also got to him when he had a couple-stroke lead to get back to having to tie and ultimately you look at that par five where he had to flight a seven iron from about 200 yards I think it was 15, um and hit a draw like under and then he like stuffs it and it had to have drawn 15 to 20 yards and you're just like man under that circumstance with, I mean again that much pressure right.
Speaker 3:With the water short and going long to that pin, having did a flop back, I mean, and you execute that shot. I mean, I mean it would have been just like it would have been so sad for him to lose that golf tournament, based on the ups and downs and the highs and the lows and how he carried himself coming down the stretch. I mean, you know, you look back to when Stuart sink won the British open um, uh, you know, and I think it was like Tom Watson, right Wasn't even like contention, and I mean everybody's rooting for the underdog and I mean, in a way, you almost feel like Justin Rose is the underdog in that situation. Yeah, he's won the gold medal, he's won the major championships, he's an incredible golfer, but I think at this point, rory is the guy you're just looking to to go out and be that next Tiger Woods we don looking to, to go out and be that next Tiger Woods.
Speaker 3:We don't like to say that, but ultimately, his win record what he's doing and tour the media, that fact that he can handle all this pressure based on potential divorce, then going into not getting a divorce and then going into what live and PGA were battling right and he's still able to win a golf tournament after doing all that. I mean his expectations are so much higher than any other player in the world, right? So, ultimately, right he's, he's. He's partnering with organizations that grow youth golf, pga junior league and operation 36.
Speaker 3:I can't even imagine how many podcasters zoom calls are, you know in the limelight calls for all day long, right, and what, what he's got to do, what you know, and so it's kind of like you never think of it. It's like, uh, you know Jay Leno and all those shows, and you always laugh because you're like, oh, he's just on at night. You don't realize what they're doing to prepare. I mean it's a 24-7 job, nonstop to get that done. And then you have to practice, then you have to be a family man, a father and a husband, right, and he's still able to perform at the highest level. I mean that's incredible. And these courses are getting tougher. They're not getting easier, I know so.
Speaker 1:No, and it's not talked about much. Jason Day had a great showing at the Masters Love Jason Day.
Speaker 3:He's one of those guys. I mean that leaderboard on Sunday.
Speaker 1:I love that guy's attitude. He is so happy-go-lucky all the time and to see him placing. What did he? Was he tied for fifth?
Speaker 3:He was earlier on.
Speaker 1:He was tied for fifth. He was earlier on and was tied for fifth, but I was super happy to see him have such a great showing at the Masters this year too.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, it's just incredible. That leaderboard on Sunday was just one that I think was exciting for everyone to see. You had Rory and Justin Patrick Reed was even up there. He's you know the what is he? Uh, he went to augusta state, you know, and you know, it's just, it's like his home course, right, scotty scheffler?
Speaker 1:obviously, we all know um bryson, so a little bit favored on that one, wasn't he, I think, number one I, you can never rule him out.
Speaker 3:No, he's incredible. When he's on, it's just hard to come back. You know, at Augusta I think, when you've got big hitters at the top of the leaderboard, it's it's it's tough to come back.
Speaker 1:So you know, the the masters is that that tournament that kind of really separates the best of the best from the best of the best. Really, it draws that line between the very, very top players in the league and allows them to shine when we get to. Let's back up. You know a hundred steps here. When you're in college with aspirations of being on the PGA tour and you're faced with that career path in golf of do I get my PGA card and become a teaching pro, work at a pro shop, or do I jump in both feet and go for the tour, what factors come into play in that decision?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, ultimately I can speak on my own story a little bit. I always wanted to play on the PGA Tour I have back in seventh grade I wrote a story about, you know, beating Tiger Woods at the Masters in the final group. I mean, that's just that's how I felt. I always wanted to be. Injury ultimately took me out of some competition early on in my professional career where I didn't travel as much to go play and I played in some mini tour events and some bigger qualifiers for the Opens and whatnot.
Speaker 3:And I think when it comes down to it, you're trying to figure out what you're passionate about and I think when you get wound up in just the playing side of it, sometimes you lose sight about maybe what you could be good at. Um, and I think every you know at least when I was going to the PGA program, um, you know everyone wanted to just teach golf and play golf, but most people didn't do it because there wasn't really a model for that. And now the PGA has more of a specific program where you can do teaching and coaching or you can be in management or general, you know, or executive right. So it's nice to see that there's some evolution going on with the PGA of America and the difference too right. So anyone can declare that they're a professional right and go play in a professional tournament and take money, and then you lose your amateur status for a couple of years.
Speaker 1:How do you make that declaration?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I mean you ultimately can go to that tournament and sign up as a professional I mean it's nothing crazy and then you lose your amateur status.
Speaker 1:So I think the biggest thing is what are the cons about losing your amateur status?
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, I just think that a lot of people think that they're ready to go pro and they're maybe wasting their time. If you really look at it from the outside, looking in, I don't think a lot of people what they do is they try to move up through the ranks instead of just going for the big stake. Right, I mean, ultimately, if I was doing it again and when I talk to people, um, yeah, there's a time and a place to say I need to go play on a mini tour, like the Pepsi tour or um, you know, whatever it may be, even like the used to be gateway tour. You know there's a lot of those tours. I know Ryan's played on the Dakotas tour, but those tours don't actually get you PGA tour status.
Speaker 3:They're kind of a way to go out, make some money, get some competition head to head with some you know really good players. And then you're trying to go to Q school. So it's preparation for PGA tour qualifying school and there's pre-qualifying first. So if you don't pass pre-qualifying, you're done. So you paid money to get into that. Then you go to stage one, stage two, stage three, right, and then you go to hell week basically, which is six rounds of golf and you're trying to be in that top 20 to get your PGA tour card. Otherwise you get conditional status, otherwise you get some sort of mini tour status and there's and that's great, right. But ultimately the guys live in amazing, are in the top 30 of the world, right?
Speaker 1:Maybe top 40.
Speaker 3:They're making, and again they're making money, but they have the sponsorships because they're top 30 in the world. It's. It's amazing to me how much money they do make if they win, but ultimately it's the sponsorships that are paying their way.
Speaker 1:Right. So when you see somebody making $4 million winning a tournament, Look at travel.
Speaker 3:Look at travel expenses for the year and where they stay and their caddy and everything right Family.
Speaker 2:Of course. And then?
Speaker 3:their sponsors.
Speaker 1:Their sponsorship is probably at least doubling what their winnings are.
Speaker 3:I never even thought about this one, but I was talking to a CPA one day and I didn't even realize that any state they play in, they get taxed in that state above and beyond. So now they also have like 50 tax returns they have to file on top of that. Can you imagine?
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:It's crazy. It's like all professional sports are like that. Nba is like that too. I never thought about that. You play a game. Don't tell me what I'm winning, Just tell me what I got after tax. Yeah, you know you.
Speaker 1:We always talk about how much money LeBron James makes in a minute, but what's he getting taxed on, right, right? So Evan is our guest today. Welcome to the show, evan. Thank you guys, thank you for being here. I bring up this conversation about coming to the crossroads in a professional golf career because Evan is on that path himself and I just want to understand the technique, not just the technical side of things and what boxes need to be checked, but the mentality side of things that helps to drive the decision as to what your golf career is going to go. Is it going to go making a career out of playing golf as a professional and winning tournaments, or is it going to be more getting yourself established into the golf industry in the operations, management, teaching, coaching side of things?
Speaker 2:You know, I think, with playing golf, I think it would be everybody's dream to make money actually playing golf tournaments.
Speaker 1:Of course. Who doesn't want to play on TV and play on the PGA Tour right?
Speaker 2:Winning golf tournaments is hard and I've only actually been playing golf now for just under two years. I played baseball my whole life. I played two years of college baseball and getting this job and working here, I just fell in love with golf. I love it, love everything about it, love playing it, love the people that play it.
Speaker 1:When did you catch the bug, what specific instance, what day was it where it just clicked and you're like forget about baseball, you know.
Speaker 2:so for golf it was actually when I was already done playing baseball. So I was done playing baseball and I kind of was going crazy for a little bit. Injuries was kind of the thing that kept me out of baseball and I had always thought that that would go a little bit further. But when I was done playing baseball I needed something to do and I started going to the driving range One day after another. I kept going until I finally hit that one shot and you know everybody talks about it. It's that one shot that just feels different than everything else and all you want to do is do that over and over again.
Speaker 1:You feel that ball hit the center of the club face. You feel that ball, for the first time ever, compress. That's it.
Speaker 2:And it's like crap, it truly is. And getting this job here and being able to use this facility it is truly the most incredible facility in the country. It's amazing the technology, the people and just what it has to offer it has allowed me to. I mean, I've been playing golf for just under two years and when I tell people my handicap they kind of are a little surprised sometimes. But I also tell them I've probably practiced as much as your average golfer would in about five to 10 years in my under two years of playing golf.
Speaker 1:Well, just being an athlete goes a long way in that as well.
Speaker 2:Yes, a lot of people don't give credit to it definitely, definitely helped in the hand-eye coordination, coming from playing baseball Right. And you know, once I started playing golf I really wanted to figure out a career that I could have in golf. I always thought I'd be working in sports. I love sports, love athletics, and one of my passions is also seeing people do things that they enjoy and improving at things that they enjoy.
Speaker 1:When in the last two years did making a career in golf kind of sink into your mind as being a reality.
Speaker 2:Honestly not too long ago, Probably three, four months ago. You know it hasn't been too long, so I've known you for longer than that, yes, 100%.
Speaker 2:Um, it hasn't been too long, so I've known you for longer than that A hundred percent. And I, even when I first started working here, I didn't know that it was going to be my career Um, but I truly fell in love with the game. I think the game of golf is the most incredible game there is, coming from baseball. I love baseball. It still holds a very, you know, important place in my heart. But there's just something different about golf, in my opinion.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, evan, you hit the nail on the head. There's, it's a love story.
Speaker 3:It's a, it's a love hate relationship and and there's, there's nothing better than being at a facility that allows you to grow as a golfer and then go out on the golf course and see if you can, you know, be a good player. Um, you know it's. It's funny. Ryan was on the show a few weeks back, our director of instruction, and ultimately ryan's the reason that I hired you, and I think you know that, because I didn't know you as well, I just knew you from oak knoll. I think you know that because I didn't know you as well, I just knew you from Oak Knoll, and you know, obviously it's the best thing Ryan's ever done for me.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 3:I'll just say that right now, ryan deserves more than that. Oh no, no. But what I was going to say was going back to how the facility makes you better and how you can kind of fall in love with the game in both ways. You know, ryan's been coaching a lot and he works on his game here and then he'll go and play in some tournaments and we played in a charity event a couple of weeks ago that was for South Medford High School, north Medford.
Speaker 2:High.
Speaker 3:School and St Mary's High School. This is their big charity fundraiser that gets them everything they need for the year and it's at Rogue Valley Country Club and my friend, like my best friend, craig, is the superintendent there and I'm a member and I haven't played it much and I don't remember the greens ever being so like firm and smooth Like they're. They're just great right now and Ryan and I have a best ball the first round and we shoot 73. Like we shoot one over par in a best ball, which is just insane. Like that's so high for us. And so you know we're just laughing about it honestly and our whole thing is okay, let's go shoot 58 tomorrow. That was our whole thing. It was never about what we shot that day. We were a little frustrated at a few things, but nothing that wasn't. You know. We were out there having fun. So the next day we go out and we shoot 57, not 58, in a two-person scramble.
Speaker 3:And the reason I bring this up is because, going to Ryan, who's tried to play on tour a little bit, tried to do some things. He's an awesome golfer. He's still, you know.
Speaker 3:That's not over for him. No, it's not over. It's not over for any of us, honestly, like it's. It's just one of those things. You just got to get it at the right time.
Speaker 3:But but, long story short, ryan was going second on putting. I felt like he was rolling a little better. He had a few more rounds under his belt this year than I have and so, man, I would either make the putt or I would just burn the edge. So we were both putting well, but if I missed the putt, ryan was rolling it so good that he made it after me. These were like 15 20 foot putts too, so it's not like we were absolutely murdering it as far as how close we were hitting it, but we were just making putts.
Speaker 3:And so I remember thinking that we had this pro-am coming up and this just happened. Um, it's the rogue pro-am. It's one of the biggest pro-ams in our area. Two days at Grants Pass, two days at Rogue. I didn't play Grants Pass, I played Rogue.
Speaker 3:Um, and I go out there the first day and I shoot 73 and I haven't hit it that good in so long and the greens were concrete and they were fast and you're just like man, I felt like I shot 66 and we get done, and Ryan and I both shot 73 and I was like, okay, well, I feel pretty good about myself, honestly, considering how little I played and you know I'm in the top I made money that day, you know and of all the 20 pros or whatever, I'm in the top five or something. And then Ryan and I are on the range and I watched him hit a drive and I'm just like, okay, that looked a little different and you could see he was kind of ready to play. And sometimes you see that about a golfer, but while they're warming up about how they're ready to play, and it's just that, that pure sound, that different look aggression.
Speaker 3:that it's different, it's different and I was feeling good, but I'm just like man that that just looks good. So I said, hey, um, I think 64, it's going to take 64 today. And he's like and I said what do you think? He's like, yeah, that might get it done.
Speaker 1:And so yeah.
Speaker 3:So you know he goes and I said, hey, don't save any birdies for me today. I always say save a birdie for me today. And I said don't save any birdies for me today. So what's he go out and do on the very first hole, knocks in the hole to a tight left pin that nobody even can get to. So I'm laughing. He texted me out there and he's like I knocked it in the hole on 13 and just started laughing. I'm like, okay, so then next hole, normally after a one one.
Speaker 3:You know you're trying to make, not make a bogey, and he, right, even said this the next day goes out and birdies it. So he starts out hole-in-one birdie, par birdie. He shoots a bogey free, 65, you know, wins the day by five shots. You know 70 was the second lowest world. I shot 72, thinking I'm like on top of the world based on, again, how tough it was. Um, but no, it was. It was pretty cool to see that. And again I'm going'm going back to what Evan just said. You know you fall in love with this game. Ryan's played since he was born and you know, ultimately, being in the golf garage and just practicing and playing and seeing what your ball does is allowing you to be better.
Speaker 2:It's been huge for me being able to get the data and start like putting together feels and what creates what sort of shot. The data is everything.
Speaker 1:As a manager, as a business owner. I look at this situation. You're describing Noah and I'm like Ryan golfer you caddy, because you're a motivating factor, obviously, in what he does. You have a lot of you, carry your words, carry a lot of weight with him.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, he's one of the.
Speaker 1:I'm seeing a recipe coming together for success.
Speaker 3:He's one of the few guys I'd probably carry his heavy bag Maybe one round, and he's a lefty, so he can't even play with his clubs. I know it's a bummer. I mean I can hit it lefty, I just try not to. I hyperextended my elbow in college hitting it lefty, but it's fun, I mean, yeah, it's pretty cool. So, evan, one of the things I'd be curious about is did you ever know you were going to be such a good bartender, and did you know it was going to be part of the job?
Speaker 1:I had no idea he makes the second best Cadillac margaritas the best old fashions though 100 all right, maybe the best old fashions. I haven't had one of those yet it's the boxer girl rabbit hole whiskey. That's what did it, yeah you now, now, now I'm only saying second best to give, to give credit to britney here. But but you, you make a killer Cadillac too.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that, darren. And going back to the question I, if you would have told me two years ago that I would have been bartending and doing an event like I did today you know 40, 50 people in here and I'm making drinks I'm the only one in here making drinks for them I would have laughed at you if you would have told me that was that's what I would have been doing two years ago, growing up super shy kid, very introverted, a little bit of anxiety. I can't see that now Totally. That's why this job has been incredible for me. It has helped me in so many ways, not only as a golfer, but just as a person.
Speaker 1:And I've met you know, being a member here at the golf garage, I've I've met so many people who are so passionate about the game of golf. We love it so much and live and breathe everything they do here, um, in their teaching and their passion for the game and everything, um. I see that so much in you. I see how you interact with the customers here. I see your interaction and your love and your dedication for being a good example and a good mentor to my son and I just can't I can't speak highly enough for that. So, on a personal note, not that this is the platform to do it, but thank you.
Speaker 2:I very, very much appreciate it, darren. And Toby kills it. I am so excited to just watch Toby grow as a golfer and as a person over the next couple of years and you know he has this place to grow as a golfer and I know there's so many people here that will also help him grow as a person and he is on such a good path Awesome.
Speaker 1:I'm so excited. Thank you so much for coming on the show, but do tell us what is your favorite course you've ever played.
Speaker 2:So, being that I've only been playing golf for about a year and 10 months now, haven't gotten out to play a whole bunch of courses, I would have to say. Currently my favorite one that I've played is running why? Klamath Falls? Great, great course. It's an Arnold Palmer design course and I loved it.
Speaker 1:I didn't know this ahead of time, but I had a gut feeling you were going to say that I am playing running. Why, day after tomorrow, for the first time, weather is supposed to be perfect. The course is in premium condition. What advice do you have for me on that course?
Speaker 2:man, just take it all in. It's a beautiful course. It's always in great condition. Um, greens greens are always pretty quick, at least they were when I played them out there. Um, some tight holes, some open holes, but it's really just overall a fun course.
Speaker 1:What's the most fun hole? What's your favorite hole in the course?
Speaker 2:Well, for me it was number 11. Um, it's that super downhill par three, and or number nine. Nine's a fun one, that's a semi drivable par four, I mean it's so I think it's like 320, 330, but it's straight downhill. So if you hit a good ball you'll get on, and I think when I played it I was about five yards off the front of the green and then I almost aced number 11 nice, that's got to be a favorite when you do that. Oh yeah, it makes it automatically.
Speaker 1:Noah, what's your take on running why?
Speaker 3:It's my all-time favorite golf course in Southern Oregon. The views are incredible. Arnold Palmer design right. It's the only signature Arnold Palmer course in Oregon.
Speaker 1:And Arnold Palmer has actually said that this is one of his favorite tracks that he's ever designed.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I got to play his course in Pennsylvania. It's nothing like this, you know. So it's just a unique environment and I think Evan hit the nail on the head that it's one of those courses that you look up and you can be happy. So, like Pebble Beach, everyone loves Pebble because you can hit a terrible shot and look up and say I'm in paradise, running. Why is so much like that? Um, and I think that's like why I love giving golf schools out there, why I like taking people over there, and it's a course you can go low on if you hit it in the right spots. So hopefully you don't get any wind and you just get a beautiful day over there and you're going to love it.
Speaker 1:I have an 11 am tea time on Saturday.
Speaker 2:That's perfect, it's going to be awesome. How's the weather looking?
Speaker 1:Perfect.
Speaker 2:Like 64 degree, 64 for the high, and couldn't ask for anything more.
Speaker 3:Hey, kind of like last little piece here. I wanted to give a shout out to the sau golf team. We're heading up to our conference championships this weekend. Right, the men's team shot a scoring record of five under par as a team in round two in our last event and they are cooking and we're going to be able to bring our entire team up. So we're going to have some spectators there. We're going to have some support there. Our culture is family first. We are like we're in a really good spot. Our women's team's motivated right now. Our number one girl's playing great golf. She shot under par this year a few times and she's got a good chance to go on a nationals really good spot. Our women's team's motivated right now. Our number one girls playing great golf. She shot under par this year a few times and she's got a good chance of going to nationals individually. So we're we're looking to go crush it up there Awesome.
Speaker 1:Can't wait. What do we have to look forward to over the next two, three?
Speaker 3:weeks. So next week we're going to have Daniel Shuler. Well, it's the mental performance coach. He has helped um saint mary's golf team locally. He's helped fortune uh, 200 companies, ceos, um, he's a scratch golfer himself and, uh, he's going to come on. And then, uh, there's a couple surprises in the golf industry. A good friend of mine, um, that works for tidalist uh and the tour department is going to be coming on in a few weeks. And then I've got a few other asks. Within the PGA Tour side of things, we all know the mental game is the toughest game.
Speaker 3:It's the toughest game. That's what your son Toby's working on right now.
Speaker 1:He is we had a rude awakening last week at a Roseburg Country Club.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but you know what? He's got it dialed in and that's the next part of the process.
Speaker 1:All right, thanks for joining us. We'll see you next week.
