EP 10: Exclusive Interview with a PGA Tour Caddy after the CJ Cup Byron Nelson

Ash sits down with Matthew Smith, a caddy for the #6 player in the PGA Tour U ranking William Sides who was in the field at the Byron Nelson on a sponsors exemption. Matthew provides us with a great first hand experience of what its like inside the ropes of a PGA Tour event. Give this episode a listen for some great information. Enjoy! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

What's up, guys? Welcome back to that's a fact sports podcast. We're here with our first ever guest, uh Matthew Smith. Um he is a former Stanford golfer, but more recently, uh Caddy in the CJ Cup uh PJ tour event for William Sides. So, Matthew, thank you for joining us. Uh, excited to have you with us. Absolutely. Grateful to be. Um, so as we're looking through this tournament and seeing this experience, I'm sure it was awesome. We'd love to hear about it in a minute. But before we begin with this, like how did it come to be? How did this this duo happen? Did y'all have y'all known each other for a while? When did he reach out? Stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Yeah, and just to start, I'll give a quick uh bio of um sort of the guy I I caddied for. Um his name is uh obviously William Seitz. Um he's from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I'm from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for those that don't know. So we grew up playing a lot of junior golf together. We're good friends uh through that. But um one of Will's really close friends out at Southern Hills, where he plays, um, played golf at Sanford, um, Davis Woodliffe. Um, and Davis and I obviously became super close. Um they we sort of uh all three of us sort of became better friends through that. And um this this past year at the uh Jones Cup, I was down in in C island for the over the winter, and uh he he and I were talking. I was like, hey, I'll I'd love to go uh caddy for you in that event. I thought that'd be a cool opportunity. Wasn't really thinking anything of it in terms of um something long term, but he actually ended up playing great with me on the bag and he won that tournament, which was actually one of the the biggest biggest wins of biggest wins of his career to that point. So, and that sort of sparked his uh spring season where he won um two college events, finished top five in several, had an unbelievable spring, and he just kind of reached out to me and with interest in me being his uh caddy in professional golf, and I thought that was uh an opportunity that I wanted to see through. So that's kind of his bio. And he goes to SMU uh for those that don't or who just graduated, did SMU for those that don't know, and um is one of the best amateur golfers in the country. So it was a really cool um opportunity that he gave me there.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Yeah, he's an absolute stud. Um been I've been following him through the PGA Tour U rankings, uh, been rising up those and has gotten what seems to be win after win. So um as you get to the tournament, Tradus Rounds, actual tournament itself, kind of walk us through that experience. You can talk about this as much or as little as you want to.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

Yeah, yeah. Um, so this week was it was kind of crazy when we when we found out he was gonna get a sponsor's invite, we knew that he had graduation and regionals um in the lead up to the tournament. So actually the Thursday before the tournament started, um I drove down from Oklahoma City to uh Dallas and we we went out to the golf uh TPC Craig Ranch. He got he went out and played and saw the course before he left for regionals and just kind of you know got a good feel for it. And then on that week, I went out there when he was at regionals and just kind of um got take took took notes on the golf course, uh, you know, got a feel for the golf course as he was playing, just just so just so that he I could he could feel more prepared, just knowing that I had some information and could pick up on some things while he was um competing. Um and it was uh just a really cool, really cool opportunity to be able to kind of pick pick some of the cat other caddies out there's brains. And uh there's no so you get these yokes that you have to be able to learn how to use the the book and get certain learn how to get distances without um just shooting shooting the pin like we're we're all used to. So that was uh a big adjustment and several of the got to talk to a bunch of the caddies out there, um which was uh really cool to kind of get to hear some of their stories and some of the guys that they've caddied for over the years. A lot of a lot of older, I would say it's a lot of older um guys in terms of the caddies. A lot of them are been doing it for a long time, so it was good to kind of learn from those guys for sure in the preparation. Um and I don't know if you want me to go into sort of like the any any other the practice round stuff, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

I mean I think a big thing that I got from that was like how from your background as a player, how did that cross over into you being a caddy? Did it help, or is it like a completely different perspective from player versus being a caddy?

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Yeah. Yeah, you know, uh it's a really good question. Um, so it's I think it I think it's very helpful because he and I he and I can kind of both he if if if he's like a on a for example on a certain shot, how he can he could at knowing I'm a player, he could ask me, hey, how would you what do you see here? How would you play it? I can give him my opinion if he's uh wondering about that. And something that's kind of funny is him and I hit it um sort of very similar distance, which I think has been helpful in terms of I what club I would kind of hit is also maybe the club that uh that he would I can kind of help you is it cutting out the case.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Yeah, I was cutting out for a little bit. Sorry about that.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Sorry, sorry. I don't know. Um am I good now?

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Yeah, you're good now. So you said that the thing about is that you know y'all kind of swing similarly. Is that what you're saying?

SPEAKER_01 6:18

Yes, we hit it very Yeah, yeah, we hit it very similar distances. So we're it's it's it's helpful in terms of what club I would hit is generally speaking the club that he he might he might hit as well. So we're able to kind of both piggyback on that and I can help him with, you know, if he's you know, is it is it a seven or a six iron, I can be, I can kind of think, you know, kind of help him to the right shot and make it make him feel really comfortable um with what he was doing. Um so I think my background as a player can I think he trusts me. I think there's a level of trust that he knows that I know what I'm talking about in some some as in some respects, so he can he can kind of you know trust my opinions or advice when I when I give it to him.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Yeah, so when you get to the actual tournament Thursday, um who are first of all, for Thursday and Friday, who are you paired with? Were there any nerves going into that? Did you kind of settle in throughout the tournament? How did that how did that actual tournament experience go for you?

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Oh yeah, um I I mean I was super excited. I I you know he hits it so well that I I you know I was I wasn't really too nervous, and I I really felt like he was playing some really good golf coming in. I but I could really tell that he was amped up and really, you know, excited, nervous, but all those emotions kind of one is actually his professional debut, so all of those sort of emotions, a lot of family friends out there watching him. Um we were paired with uh Taylor Montgomery, he's from uh Las Vegas, and um uh another a rookie, um AJ Ewart, if I pronounced that wrong. Sorry, AJ. Great guy. He's a rookie from Canada, and he actually AJ actually won Q school to get his PGA tour card. So he never played on the um Corn Ferry tour. He just went from the Americas tour and then won Q school and got on tour this season. So he's a rookie out there, and he's a great guy. Um both of them were awesome, um, great guys to play with. But yeah, Will was super, uh, I'm definitely super excited, nervous, and he definitely got off to a little bit of a you know shaky start. I think he was plus four through the first 10 holes. But you know, we kind of just talked about it, and it was like he I think he started to realize it's the same game. I mean, the game is no different. Just because you're playing for money, you're playing with fans, and you know, with a lot of a lot going on in the tournament, once you get you know onto the golf course, it's the golf is no different. And I think he he really settled in the last 20, really, the last 26 holes he played, he played them eight under par for the last 26, which was really awesome for his um debut out there.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

That's great. So when you're on the course and you're looking around at all these different swings and all these different scores and all of these um different players, like is there, you know, actually being there, is there like a PGA tour difference? Meaning like when you get there, is there are there levels to this? In other words, is like have you noticed anything crazy?

SPEAKER_01 9:38

Yeah, you know, that's a it's a good question. I would say the ball striking, if you went out on the range and watched everybody hit, it would be some guys hit it further, sure, but everybody hits the ball very, very well on the range. Like you could be, I mean, you wouldn't be able to you wouldn't be able to tell who's playing great and who's really struggling out on the driving range. Um but on the golf course, I think there's the the highest level guys, the way that they plot their way around the course, the way that their short games, um, and I'll give a lot of credit. Taylor Montgomery's the guy who his short game, you know, you I've never seen, you know, it's one of my first time as well being you know in the ropes of a PJ tour event. And seeing his short how good his short game was and their ability to you know get the ball up and down, that's very impressive. And I just think it comes down to, and actually McCarey talks about it a lot, heart, right? The guys who are they have a lot of confidence, they got heart, their competitors, guys like Scotty Scheffler. Um, obviously Wyndham Clark won the tournament. Guys a really you know fierce competitor. Um, you know, those the guys who have supreme confidence and are super competitive, you know, seem to appear on the top of the leaderboard week in, week out.

SPEAKER_00 11:03

So what you've seen, especially like being, you know, inside the ropes for this tournament, like it's it's much more of a mental thing than it is physical because you can't tell who's in first place versus who's in last when you're looking at the range. When you're when you're actually in there, it's it's all up here. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_01 11:18

Uh I I would I would I mean I would a lot I mean obviously you have to be able to you have to be able to hit the shots, right? Execution big factor, but mental, the mental, the mental edge, the you know, the ability to just you just refuse to make a bogey, those guys just and they and they make it look obviously week in, week out, they make it look super easy, but it's really, you know, it's it's just it's super impressive how they're just always able to day in, day out, the consistency, the mental grind of being that consistent to be a real an elite level player is that you gotta have that in order to be at the top.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Yeah. So for our listeners and viewers, like as you're in this event, as you're actually catting in it, and you see, you know, a lot of the conversations, and you're there for the range sessions and you're there for um a lot of the behind the scenes stuff, what is something that like you wouldn't necessarily know about PGA tour events that as you're you know sitting on your couch watching on TV that you actually would see in the tournament itself?

SPEAKER_01 12:26

Yeah, you know, I think that's a good question. I think first off, there this there are guys that you've never heard of in your life that are some of the most talented golfers in the world that they may for whatever reason, right, they don't they're they don't they haven't broken through yet. And I think Aaron Rye is a good example of that with the PGA, right? Yeah, nobody really ever would have thought of him, but you know, all of a sudden he goes out and win a major. And there's a obvious, I would say there's it's just so impressive how good, how good and deep the talent of golf is right now. Um I would also say, you know, when you're you you you frame up these guys in your mind to be larger than life figures when you're little. And I just think all these guys are just normal, they're dudes like us. They're dudes that, you know, when you're walking the course, we're talking ball, we're talking, you know, what we're just having a good time, you know, banter between shots. There's a lot of downtime in golf. And I think, you know, a lot of, you know, everybody for the and I'm not not everybody, but a lot of the guys are pretty loose out there. You know, they're they're chopping it up, you know, they're they're they may they're really locked in when it's time to hit the shot. But outside of that, you know, it's they're still having, you know, I think they're having fun with it, especially a guy like Scotty. You know, we were we were hitting balls pretty close to him, and you know, he's laughing, you know, rain session, laughing, you know, cracking it. You know, they were obviously, you know, have he's just having he seems to be having fun with it, which I think is is a super important balance to yes, take it seriously, but it also seems like it's they're pretty loose and relaxed out there as well, which is honestly cool to see and and makes it, you know, you just you just realize that they're just like us at the end of the day, they're just really good at golf.

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Yeah, because like when you think about it, you know, you're actually in the tournament and you're catting for it, that actually probably relaxes you a lot as well, and William, like or Will. Like when you think about, you know, he could have some nerves, you could have some nerves, but then when you you're actually in the tournament, you're like, these guys are just normal guys, go out and play your game. Like that, I'm sure that helps you out a lot too, especially with hit that being y'all's first tournament. Um so as we're looking forward, like with everything with Will, with you, could you see the potential of this being a you know full career for you? And it could be too early for you to say this, but like have you shown any interest in in caddying for him kind of full time as he as his career kind of takes off?

SPEAKER_01 14:55

Yeah, yeah. Um, you know, it's it's it's something uh where you know I I think in order to get get to if I wanted to be out, you know, just say I wanted to be a caddy on tour, you have to, you know, have a guy that starts where Will's gonna start. And I think that that's definitely something we talked about and and I've you know shown interest. Now grant given granted he um you know begins on the on the Corn Ferry tour, he's gonna have a really you know an opportunity to you know work his way up the ladder. And he might, you know, he's either gonna start on the Corn Ferry or Latin America or PGA Tour Americas, um, which both obviously great opportunity either way. Um but I that's definitely something that I I I think I'm gonna you know try to pursue with him and as long as he uh continues to you know want want me, you know. I I I think that we have we've had a a lot of success. When we uh won the Jones Cup together, he won uh US Open local qualifying with us together. Obviously Byron Nelson, we missed the cup by two, but he shot 65 in a round already on tour. I think we've you know we've been a it's been a great partnership so far. And it's something that uh it's just I'm I I think we're both having a lot of fun with it. And I think we're we're just we're trying to you know take it, take it week to week and just see how good how well we can how well we can play. And in the meantime, that's kind of what I'm I'm planning on doing is at least for this summer, is you know, try to help him be as good as good of a golfer as as I can.

SPEAKER_00 16:31

That's great, dude. Um and obviously we wish we wish both of y'all the best, uh written for both of y'all. Um as we get into as we're closing out here, you and I both know the the listen, I'm sure a good bit of the listeners know. Die Hard Oklahoma sports fan. Uh, we're gonna talk a little bit sooners, we're gonna talk a little bit thunder with you. Umers as we're looking ahead in this football season. Uh, we're just watching the all access uh thing on ST network with them uh two nights ago. But the team looks really good. I'm I'm happy for Villables. Uh Mateer coming back is huge. Um, of course, losing our Mason Thomas or you know, some guys on the defense could affect y'all, but as you're looking ahead, are you excited? Are you nervous? What do you what do you expect out of this team this year?

SPEAKER_01 17:20

Well, I mean, first off, I just think that I think that our lead, I think the leadership of our football team has done a really good job in terms of you know having having resetting the the values of our program in terms of being back to playing hard-nosed football, right? Physical football. Kind of like how OU, you know, I mean I I hadn't seen it until this year, but uh my you know, my dad and the older guys are always like, well, we used to be a defensive team, you know, hard physical. And and I was uh the Lincoln Riley era was the opposite of that. So it was fun to you know have a great defense this past year. Um we're we're we are returning, we've got 15, I believe 15 starters uh coming back. And um Owen Heineke, I don't know if you've heard of it, but uh him winning that case to be able to come back and play again is a big deal for us. So that's I mean that's gonna be great to get him back. So you know, we and our offensive line is on is was super young last year, so they should be good. But I am a little bit concerned. The schedule's an issue. We're we're uh we're playing your Georgia Bulldogs early in the season, obviously Texas and Michigan at Michigan or um all in the first I think six weeks of the season. So that's gonna be a really that's gonna be a brutal, um, brutal opening to the season. But I'm I'm optimistic about our chances if we can get get through that gauntlet early on.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

Yeah. So are you thinking if you had to pick right now, do you think, you know, nine and three?

SPEAKER_01 18:55

Are you thinking nine and I I do I'll say this. I think if we go if we go ten and two, nine and three, I think we deserve with our schedule being as hard as it is, I think we're gonna be deserving of a spot in the playoffs. And once you get in the playoffs, you never know. I mean, honestly. So I I'm gonna predict we're we make the playoffs. I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say we I'm gonna we have to beat Texas. I think we I think we're gonna beat Texas this year. I do. I got a feeling, I just I just think that that rivalry tends to go back and forth. They've gotten us the last last couple seasons, and I think this is our we're we're gonna be on a revenge tour against uh Texas. I think Mateira will be wanting revenge after uh after last year. So um I'm gonna say 10 and I've I without without looking early season, I'm gonna say 10 and 2. 9 and 3. I don't think would be that it wouldn't be a terrible year at all given our schedule, but I optimistically I'll say 10 and 2.

SPEAKER_00 19:57

I love that.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

With a run at the playoffs.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

Yeah, oh yeah. That's I don't hate that at all. That'd be great. That'd be great. So okay, now let's talk Thunder before we head out. Great series with the Spurs. Uh I've been uh kind of, you know, I don't I don't know how to feel about it um as I'm thinking about it now. Um, you know, it's gonna be a tight series. I would say that this turn that this series is the finals, but then you got the Knicks on the other side who have been bulldozing through teams. Um but you know, what is your prediction for the Thunder the rest of this series and going into um the finals if they make it?

SPEAKER_01 20:41

So I was quoted, and I and I'm gonna stand on this. I think last night's game five, I think that was the pivotal game of the series. I do think we're gonna win this series, and I also said the winner of that game will win the finals. So I do I am gonna say we're gonna win it all. I don't think it'll be easy. Um, but I I I thought last winning, you know, generally speaking, two two two series, the winner of game five generally wins the series. So I feel obviously that was a huge win last night. So um I'm gonna I'm gonna go ahead and just say that we're gonna win it all. I think we'll I think both series will probably go. I mean, I think if we played the Knicks, I think it's probably gonna go at least six. I think a concern with the Knicks is I think that their fans are gonna travel.

SPEAKER_00 21:29

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

Um being uh granted that uh this is their first finals run in a long time, and it's actually probably gonna be cheaper to fly to Oklahoma City and go to a game here than it will be to go to a game in um Madison Square Garden. So um, but really, I mean, Victor Wimbiyama is a issue. Alien, outer I mean, he's from a different planet. That dude is just a monster. So he we gotta until the the series is over. it's uh you can we can't uh can't get greedy with that dude on the other side.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

That's right. He's a stud, but I think that y'all definitely have what it takes to to go all the way. And I'm excited to see uh how all of this plays out. It's gonna be, you know, if y'all make it especially it's gonna be a great series looking ahead. But um yeah so I really appreciate you taking the time with it uh with me to talk um and we'll be releasing um this pretty soon but uh guys thank y'all so much for listening and uh tuning in and we will be back with y'all soon thank you