Reigning Michigan Amateur Champion Caleb Bond

On this weeks episode we sit down with Michigan State university golfer, and Reigning Michigan Amateur Champion Caleb Bond. After winning the Michigan Amateur Caleb went on to a sweet 16 run at the U.S. Amateur so we talk about his hot summer along with what clubs he's gaming right now and his keys to playing great golf.

Not Salty Golf Podcast by Great Lakes Gear is a weekly podcast highlighting the top golfers, golf courses, and golf related activities around the Great Lakes region.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Hello everyone and welcome to the second episode of the Not Salty Golf Podcast. Thanks for joining us today. Before we get into our guest this week, Caleb Bond, I want to talk about the Masters real quick. We just wrapped up Masters Week, and it's amazing how the Masters always brings the cream of the crop to the top of the leaderboard. What a weekend! What a Sunday. You had Rory there, you had Scotty Scheffler making a run, Justin Rose with the lead on the back nine there for a second. You just had a whole host of options that could have played out. But in the end, Rory McElroy gets his second master's title, goes back to back. And I think it's uh just uh easy to say that he was the calmest and didn't make the mistakes on the back nine that some others made, and that's why he's our master's champion. Either way, it was a great watch. Great for us golf fans to kick off the golf season, especially here in the north, where the weather's just starting to turn. So we're excited to get out on the golf course and uh play golf with our buddies and get some games going. Um I wish we could do a whole master's episode. Maybe next year we'll do a whole master's episode, but we wrapped up Masters Week, and now we are on to our second podcast. Our guest this week is Caleb Bond. Caleb is a Great Lakes Gear golfer, not salty golf golfer. Um and he has hit had a tremendous run here in the last year, winning the Michigan Amateur, making it back-to-back years. A Great Lakes Gear golfer won the Michigan Amateur. He went on to the U.S. Amateur where he made it to match play and made it to the round of 16 and had a chance to win that match. So just an unbelievable performance for Caleb, um, not only in the Michigan amateur, but at the U.S. amateur. And it's really uh kind of cemented his place as one of the top amateurs, not only in the state of Michigan or the Great Lakes region, but in the nation. So we're excited to bring you Caleb Bond and let's get to it. Uh to be joined with Caleb Bond. Uh Caleb is a offer at State University. Uh, he's had uh some great success here in the past year. Uh team Great Lakes gear member. We're excited to have him. So thanks, Caleb, for taking some time out with us tonight and joining us.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Glad to be here, Mike. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

Awesome. All right, G Money. Let's dive right in with Caleb. Caleb, I'll uh start off. Why don't you just tell us a little bit about where you're from, um growing up a little bit, sports you played, how you got into golf, and then just kind of a little progression of your junior golf career into high school, uh, and then we'll get into college golf after that.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Yeah, I'm from uh Williamston, Michigan, pretty central, the lower peninsula. Um started playing golf when I was probably three years old with my grandpa. He um grew up playing with his buddies and I'd follow him around all day and got me my plastic set and took off from there. But I grew up uh kind of playing every sport and up until about middle school, I played basketball, baseball, um, a lot of soccer, uh, ran some track in middle school. Um, and then kind of decided I was gonna stick with soccer and golf through high school. Um wasn't a grade junior golfer, uh, didn't really have a lot of success until maybe my senior year. Um I I really enjoyed soccer as well, and that was kind of a tough decision which way to go. But about my senior year, I decided I wanted to keep going with golf, and fortunately that's worked out pretty well.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Uh can you take us real quick um because you did go to Ferris State University right out of high school. So can you just talk to us a little bit about your were you recruited by Ferris right out of high school, the decision to go there, what led you there? Um, you are now at Michigan State University, and so just maybe talk about uh what happened at Ferris or was your game progressing to then transfer to Michigan State University?

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Yeah, absolutely. I think um like backtrack, I think, you know, starting with freshman year of high school, I probably averaged in the mid-80s and never really had a coach growing up, just kind of did it on my own and uh got a lot better. Um, just kind of loved golf and practiced a lot just because I had a lot of fun with it and got better into my senior year of high school. Um and you know, essentially I played well enough my senior year. Um Ferris is pretty much my only look and the only place I had the option to go. Um, so I was grateful, obviously, to go to Ferris. And, you know, they have great facilities and I had a great opportunity there to get better. Um and kind of just saw myself continue to get better, um, some good coaching and just a lot of opportunity there. And I knew that was what I had going into Ferris. Um I think the mindset was always to maybe just try my best and you know, play as well as I could, maybe have the opportunity to transfer, but you just never know what what you're capable of. Um, but thankfully I played some good golf and now I'm here in Michigan State.

SPEAKER_01 5:54

That's great. Go ahead, G Money.

SPEAKER_02 5:57

Yeah, that's good stuff, Caleb. Um, were you recruited to Michigan State, or was this something that you pursued and and kind of chased on your end, or what?

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Yeah, um, I knew Coach Lubon a little bit just from being in the area um growing up. And I was never recruited there in junior golf. Um, it's obviously just pretty competitive. And, you know, I'll I know myself I just didn't play well enough golf to have the opportunity. Um, but entering the transfer portal in December of my uh sophomore year, it's kind of a sticky process. It's not easy for coaches to really see who's in the portal. Um and so I remember maybe a week after I entered, I had coaches' phone number and I gave him a call and you know he made sure the whole process was right and I was in the portal. And um, but when he heard that you know I was looking at transfer, he was very open to having me out, you know, on a visit. And I already knew the the area and the facilities well, but it was great to be uh welcomed, you know, to Michigan State.

SPEAKER_02 7:00

Nice, that's awesome, man. Congrats.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Yeah, Cale, could you talk a little bit about um when did your game? You said you're a late bloomer, um, and Charlie DeLong, you know, when we were talking with him, he said the exact same thing. You know, he was kind of a late bloomer and just kept getting better and better. What was the turning point for for you? When was it? And do you kind of remember something that maybe triggered that to where it was the turning point in your golf career to where you made a big jump?

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Yeah, I think I mean a lot of golf is confidence, and I always I always felt like I was better than I was. You know, I always felt like I was uh one of the better golfers in the state of Michigan, even though at times looking back, I definitely wasn't. Um But you know, I won um the Michigan section for the junior PGA championship qualifier, um, which for background is there's one in every state. Um pretty much everybody from the state plays in it. It's about 85 kids for two spots. And um I ended up birdieing my last hole and then birdied two holes in a playoff to win, um, which was got me into the biggest tournament I've played in at the time. Um, but just kind of looking back and having that moment, you know, in the back of my head, um, especially that freshman year at Ferris, like knowing I've accomplished a lot, knowing I'm I'm good enough to you know play in the lineup or play the one bag to keep getting better. Um, I think little wins like that, um, or big wins, you know, at the time for me, um were almost more important than swings I might have made in my golf, you know, in my golf swing, or I might have changed on the putting green. I think those confidence, uh, the confidence that brings, I think, uh makes the biggest difference looking back.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

Nice. I agree. Confidence is key.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Absolutely. I think it's the biggest part of the game.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Yeah. Absolutely right, McGee. That's right. Some aspects were more confident than others.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

If you hit 18 greens, you don't have to chip. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

I love that not salty plug on every episode. Thanks for getting that in.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Yeah. You know, Garrett, we have to ask him because uh if if you're from Michigan or uh you know around Michigan, you know the rivalry of uh uh Grand Valley, Ferris State University, and football and stuff. But uh you look at the golf aspect of it, uh two great programs. Um do you feel like that there is a big rivalry there with you guys in Grand Valley State University, Caleb, when you were at Ferris? Because you know, we do a lot of work with the Grand Valley program, which is an unbelievable program, and you and McCoy from Ferris, and so we've worked with both schools, great kids. You know, you guys are all phenomenal talents. Um talk about is there a little rivalry there or anything, anything?

SPEAKER_00 10:08

Oh, yeah, for sure, Mike. Um, you know, I'm sure they can't stand us, and at the time, you know, I couldn't stand them. Um you know, it's it's definitely a different relationship now that I'm at Michigan State, because you know, at the time, playing at Ferris, um, you know, I know they're they're great guys, they're great people. Like, like through and through, I know I'm, you know, outside of golf and they're all great people, but you just can't stand them. I mean, just on the golf course, you see them across the fairway, like you just want to, you know, kick their teeth in. Like, and um, I'm sure they can't stand us. They are always ranked in the top five in the country, and we take it to them every year at the conference championships and get them a little more than we we deserve. But um they uh yeah, there's definitely a rivalry there, and it it gives me a different perspective um looking back at it now, and I have that same rivalry now with you know Michigan.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

So okay, all right. So now that you're at Michigan State, because you are friends with a lot of those players from Grand Valley, so you get along with each other, but in the heat of the moment, there's that that you know it gets heated a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 11:25

Oh, for sure. Yeah, I mean, I like you know, even in the summer, like teammates now in Michigan State, you know, if we're playing a tournament against each other, like I want to beat them more than anything. So they're still my friends, but at the end of the day, you know, you gotta take care of business.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

Nice individual game. Yeah. Always want to get the dub. Yep. Yep. Speaking speaking of dubs, Caleb, um, obviously I'm looking forward to kind of hearing about some of your success in both the state AM and the US AM. But uh senior year at Michigan State this year, correct?

SPEAKER_03 11:58

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

That's right. Awesome. What's the uh what's this kind of tail end of your collegiate career been like? Any any good kind of stories, any good wins from kind of the MSU side of things?

SPEAKER_00 12:08

It's been good. Um, I think it's been totally different from my junior year. Um I started my junior year pretty slow, was making a couple changes that didn't really go um my way. Uh the team was struggling. We lost one of our best players to an injury at the time. Um season was kind of heading in a bad direction. Um, and we had this super young team that just was inexperienced, and we were ranked about 80th in the country. And for people that know you know college golf, you need to be about 60 to make the postseason. Um we ended up killing it in the spring season, won a tournament as a team, um, made the postseason with a team that was like way underqualified. Um I finished, I think, inside the top 15 in all of our events coming in, except for regionals. Um, you know, I've kind of continued to play pretty well and have uh a lot of top 10, top 20 finishes this fall and this um this spring so far. But it's just it's so different. Like we have such a a talented team now that's underperforming, whereas we had such a an underqualified team that really overperformed. So it's it's a grind right now, but um the team is really exciting. We still have a lot of season left. Um, I'm still playing pretty well myself, and you know, we continue to finish this uh spring season strong.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Nice, good stuff.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Will we be seeing Caleb Bond at the state pro-am this year? Oh, great question.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

I don't I don't think so, Mike. I don't think so. I think uh there was something that came up. I don't know off the top of my head. My partner, um who I played with two years ago, was asking me about it. And I know there's something in the way. Maybe uh I think US Open Final Stage was in the way last year. Um, so hopefully I'm playing in that.

SPEAKER_01 14:05

But uh, I mean, we can talk about your Michigan Am title or your run at the USAM, but you know, it's the state pro am is where it's at. Well, no, we'll get back on track in all seriousness. Uh you win the Michigan Am last year. Uh that gets you an exemption into the USAM, and you not only make match play, but uh you are there on the golf channel for a few days grinding in your matches uh and make it to the final 16 of the USAM, which is an unbelievable accomplishment in itself. And I know you're a little disappointed at that uh match that you did end up losing, but now that you've been removed from it for uh uh you know a little while now, can you talk about that little run you had last summer as far as winning the Michigan AM? Um, you know, your matches there all the way to the finals and then the USAM run?

SPEAKER_00 15:10

Yeah, of course. Um yeah, I mean, I was playing some great golf coming off of the spring season in Michigan State. Um, you know, I the same thing with the confidence we talked about earlier. I mean, I always thought I was capable of winning all these events and playing well, but it's just a matter of you know, actually playing the golf and staying calm and and executing the shots. And you know, fortunately, I played really well that week and uh for the Michigan Am up at Belvedere, um, you got to have a lot of right things fall your way too, a lot of good breaks. You know, it's just it's such a long week. You it's just about a lot of consistency over the week, too. I mean, you got to get a good draw sometimes in match play. I mean, you can run into a guy who just plays his heart out, and you can be playing your best golf. I mean, the year before in Boyne, I was playing some of my best golf, and I ran into one of my best friends, McCoy. He I lost in 28 holes and he ended up winning the tournament. You know, our match felt like the final match, though, the Michigan Am. And it was in the round of 16. So um there's a lot of luck involved, but I was playing some great golf at the time, and um Michigan Am was another another great win that gave me a lot of confidence, and I kind of just carried that into the USA.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

And the USAM was held at Olympic Club, correct?

unknown 16:31

Correct.

SPEAKER_01 16:32

And so just tell about us about that experience going out to Olympic Club, you know, USGA, one of the premier USGA events, you know, how they treated you out there, the experience, and then the little run you got on out there.

SPEAKER_00 16:47

Yeah, absolutely. It was my first USGA event. Uh I never played in a US junior growing up. I've never played in USA before. Uh, been pretty close, qualifying a couple times, but um, you know, it was it was a lot to look forward to and it lived up to everything. Um, fortunately, I mean I'd played the course maybe four or five months before with our team when we were out there on a trip for a tournament up in Napa. We stopped by and played the course in San Francisco. Um, so I kind of knew a little bit of what to expect. But um USG always sets it up super hard and they they uh they don't give you any room to breathe out there. I kind of struggled my way through the first 18 um on the easier side of stroke play. Um left myself kind of a lot to chew off on the second 18, the late course, which had played probably two shots harder all week. Um I was thinking I was sitting around four over my first round. Uh looked like the cut was probably gonna be around four, maybe three over. Um, and I knew I was gonna need something around even, maybe one under on the late course, um, uh, which is their premier course. Um, and funny enough, story. Um, I've told a couple people this. You know, I'm on my last hole and I was off in the morning, and I was sitting around 85th, maybe, you know, uh at three over. I was one under on the day. And I need, you know, in my mind, you know, there's still the other half of the field to play. A lot of people are playing this course. You know, I think two putts probably gets me, you know, inside the cut line, maybe in a playoff. And so, you know, I've I've 30 feet from the front fringe. I actually, I actually like rammed this putt into the back of the cup um for Birdie, you know, huge fist pump. And it turns out I needed that putt to actually get me in the playoff the next morning. You know, if I would have two puttted like I thought I needed, um, I would have made match play. So it's just, you know, a little bit of luck there. Um, I mean, a lot of things got to go right, but it was a pretty great finish to get me into match play. Um, made it through the playoff in the morning, and then uh had a couple nice runs those first two matches, and just a long, long day for that last match, and it just came down to the wire. And he hit a couple good shots, and you know, I hit a couple good shots too, they just weren't good enough, and that's golf and it happens, you know. But it was a it was a great experience.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

Yeah. Garrett, real if I can ask real quick before you ask your question, uh, what did you learn that week being on that national stage and being around the best amateurs in the world?

SPEAKER_00 19:36

Yeah, I learned a lot. I think um, you know, a lot about my own golf game, about what I do well, like about how I can play to what I do well. You know, uh I think I have a pretty good shore game. I'm a good putter. Um, you know, there's some areas, you know, like I just I don't love hitting three with off tease, but I got a great like chip driver that I can use. Um just playing to my strengths and keeping it where um I know I do do well. I know I can um, you know, I really learned I can hang with everybody. Um my my playoff group in the morning um for the uh to get into match play was with uh Philippe. I'm gonna mess up his last name, but he's like ranked number 10 in the world right now. And then Mason Howell is the other kid in my group, and I didn't neither of them at the time. Um two clearly amazing golfers. Um, but I'm watching them and I I have no clue who they are, and I don't think they're any better than I am. So um just kind of learned over the week, you know. I think if you're good enough to be there, if you're gonna make match play, I mean, I think you're good enough to win the tournament. So it's a lot to take away from it.

SPEAKER_01 20:53

Nice. I would agree. Yeah, go ahead, G.

SPEAKER_02 20:57

Yeah, Caleb, I'm I'm curious, man. Um, you talked a lot about just confidence and self-belief and and getting these experiences that you've had and winning at the level that you have in the state am and getting the that stage of the USM. Like what what do you feel is your competitive advantage? What is Caleb Bond's strength out there on the course and at competing at that level? And then also what are you kind of grinding on? Like if there's one thing that you're really working hard in the 2026 season, what do you what are you chasing?

SPEAKER_00 21:26

Yeah, I think um competitive advantage. I think you know, from a golf perspective, I'm a great putter. Um I I drive the ball really well. Um, so I don't find myself in a lot of trouble. And you know, I I think I fall back on that I am a good putter. I don't think I have to be very aggressive into the greens. Most of the time, I know um I'm good enough if I give myself a couple 20 footers down the stretch that I can make one of those. I don't need to fire at every flag. And I think uh because of that, I I don't make a lot of bogeys and the rounds my putter get tight. I'm gonna make a lot of birdies. Um, so it, you know, it always keeps you in the red numbers. Um, and it's also, you know, I I just have such good support system and family and um people that support me. So I mean, I'm just having a lot of fun out there. It's not like there's a pressure to achieve more than I think I can. Like, you know, I'm just I'm blessed to play golf and I'm out there having a great time. You know, my sister caddy for me all summer. So she's keeping me, you know, lighthearted and we're having a great time. And I think where I can improve, I'm I'm trying to improve some ball striking stuff. I've been working a lot with coach. Uh, we're doing a lot of great things. Um, I think I can be a little bit better long iron player. That's something you do you don't see a lot in division two golf. Uh it's a little bit shorter. So it's something I kind of neglected and I didn't uh have a huge focus on because I just didn't need it. Um but between maybe a six-iron and a three-wood, I think I can be a lot better. Um, approaches in bar fives or long par threes. I can just clean up a little bit. I get away with a little bit because I got a good shore game and I played a well, but um I think I can make life a little bit easier working in that direction.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

Sure. You sound like a patient golfer, man. You sound you gotta be patient, level head, especially, yeah, especially in those marathon weeks, like a state am or like a USM, where it's just perpetual grind. Patience is key.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Definitely, I would totally agree.

SPEAKER_01 23:29

I would say I'll speak for Caleb and say what I think his strengths are because I played with him a few times, and last year we had a good match going. Paula was my teammate, and Caleb, who's your teammate? I can't remember.

SPEAKER_00 23:45

Uh is it Lorenzo? Yeah, Lorenzo.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

I think Lorenzo. Yeah, and we uh had an early season match but at Hawcala. Yeah, Paula, yeah, Paula and I were doing okay. I think we had the lead. But what makes Caleb really good is he had the ability, like he did that day, to go on a little heater, like you made five birdies in a row on that backside. And then the when we've played at Prestwick, you know, you'll go on that lead heater where where you'll make four birdies in a row or three birdies in a row, or three birdies out of the lot, the you know, five holes. Is would you agree with that? Is that kind of where you're just patient, but then you do find that where you get on those little heaters?

SPEAKER_00 24:36

Yeah, yeah. I think um I'm pretty calm and relaxed out there on the golf course. And I think I can there was kind of a moment in my career where I I found I kind of wanted to calm myself down when I started making a couple birdies in a row. I didn't want to like get away from me, or I didn't want to make some dumb bogey and mess up the streak. And I think I totally got that wrong. I think um I've kind of realized like when I'm on a roll and I'm going and I'm making pots, like just ride this wave. Like, let's just keep it going. Like, it's not like I'm picking bad targets or I'm being too aggressive, you know. It's because I'm making great pots or I'm hitting good shots, like just keep firing, you know.

SPEAKER_01 25:18

Good advice.

SPEAKER_02 25:20

Mm-hmm. And Caleb, you were uh you were down in Alabama a week and a half ago, weren't you?

SPEAKER_00 25:27

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_02 25:28

That's was that your first America's tour Q school type experience?

SPEAKER_00 25:32

Yeah, it was. I mean, it was really my first. Well, it was my first Q school of any kind.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Yeah, how how was that? Would you uh you played well round one, I saw.

SPEAKER_00 25:41

It was good, yeah. I I uh I got a weird draw, round one. I was the first T-ball in the air, actually, of 150 players. Uh I was off at 640 in the morning um on a weirdly cold week in Alabama. Um I started off on about a 480 par four on a bunker that was 250 yards of cover and barely got it. And then I hit a four iron around the green and got it up and down to get my round going. But um yeah, it was a good week. I think learned a lot. Um I was telling some of my friends my my lucky hoodie is this black GLG hoodie I've had for two years now. I wore it round one, played well, wore something else, round two, played bad, and then wore it the last two rounds because I was like, I just need to go back to what works. And um, so I found some success there, you know, and in my in my black hoodie and uh in my golf game. So it was a good week.

SPEAKER_02 26:38

I love that. I actually I saw the PJ Tour Americas use your photo on their Instagram story in that black hoodie, and I I screenshot that and sent that to McGee. I said, How's that option GL exposure?

SPEAKER_01 26:50

So you did go as an amateur, you know, for options. So tell us about that, the decision, you know, going as an amateur. You did get conditional status. Uh and so just briefly tell us what that means for you once you graduate or finish your career at Michigan State here next month.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

Yeah, um, I'm still figuring out myself. Um, if I had full status, it would be a very easy decision. Um, you know, I know I got events to play in all year, and um, you know, that's an easy path. Um, I'm not I need to do a little bit more research and a little bit more talking around on what um conditional status will look like for me um in the next season. Um it's it's a difficult decision because I got so many great options as a as an amateur now, because fortunately I've played well in all these college events and at the USAM, and so you know, I'm getting invites to you know the Western M and the Northeast and all these huge amateur events that I've never been able to play in before. And um, there's a lot of great perks to those as well. Um but I think you know, whenever I have my first you know great opportunity um to play in a professional event that I think will help my career, I'll I'm gonna do that first.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

G Money, we got we don't have him very long. We gotta let him go here. He's got 6 a.m. workouts and stuff. I said, Caleb, we're not gonna take up much of your time. So um thing if you have questions for him, let's just go to the clubhouse section, you know, where the round's done and we're in the clubhouse and now we're chilling. Caleb, we're gonna just ask you some questions uh as far as just to get to know you. They're not they don't have to be golf questions, and so I'll start off. Uh what's your favorite food? What are you eating if you go grab something to eat? What's your favorite like movie uh or genre of movies? Tell us a little bit about you.

SPEAKER_00 28:50

Um food. I'm just grabbing something quick. Um, if it's at the turn, uh a good chicken salad cup is hard to beat. Um grew up on hot dogs, I'm almost getting sick of them, but you can't turn one down with the golf course. I've been loving Buffalo chicken wraps recently. Um grew up on that too, and they're coming back. Um I'm not a picky eater, I'm really good with whatever. Favorite movie. Um I'm really into everything. Um I um been watching a lot of Spider-Man recently. Can't beat those movies. Um there's really not a movie I haven't liked. You know, I I try to stay away from them sometimes because I gotta go practice, but I've been caught putting a movie down while I'm working on my putting. So um the there's there's I'm not a picky guy.

SPEAKER_01 29:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 29:48

What do you got for him, G? I'm gonna go back to the golf side, Caleb. Favorite club in the bag.

SPEAKER_00 29:54

Great question. Um, it's changed a lot. I think that's such a good question. Um I think I gotta go. I have a new putter that I really love, and that's kind of that's kind of had my heart recently, but a favorite club of all time. It's probably my my 60 degree, my wedge.

SPEAKER_02 30:18

Yeah. Okay. I kind of had a feeling that just with what you've communicated so far, that putter might be a contender.

SPEAKER_00 30:24

Yeah, yeah, it's hard. Sorry.

SPEAKER_02 30:29

What is the flat stick right now? What are you using?

SPEAKER_00 30:31

Um, I just got a new uh Scotty Cameron. Um it's it's green and black. It's it's pretty much so if if I had my old bag, I would have for sure said my putter. Um, I had this old Taylor-made Juno, it's a blade. I used it for probably five years. Um and it was just getting worn down. They pretty much made a replica of that putter with this new putter. Um so it it's it doesn't have as soft of a spot in my heart as my old one did, but it's it's earning its way, you know, and it's it's made its way in the bag.

SPEAKER_02 31:03

So nice. And McGee, I'm gonna steal the next one too, since since he mentioned a blade putter. Um, blade versus mallet. Obviously, you've you're gaming a blade, but thoughts, feelings, opinions. Yeah, the kind of guys in the world using mallets.

SPEAKER_00 31:17

And I was a blade guy for the first uh first 19 years of my life, 20 years of my life. Came here. I switched to a mallet at the end of the fall of my junior year, okay. And then I switched back to my blade um starting in December, and I'm I'm back as far as I know. You know, I I it's uh there's not many people that do it anymore, but it's what I knew growing up, and sure it's what I think I put it the best with.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

Why do you feel that is? Any idea?

SPEAKER_00 31:51

I really I think most of it's just because I grew up putting with a blade. Um, I'm used to the toe hang and how much the putter opens and closes, um just how it feels in my hands, I line it up better. I do think um a mall that's pretty steady inside of 10 feet. I think I make a lot of those putts, but my speed's just so much better with a blade. And um I there's I just trust it a lot more.

SPEAKER_02 32:15

Yeah. That makes sense. Personally, McGee, I don't know about you, man, or but as a golfer who's gone back and forth uh numerous times, I feel like with a blade putter, I feel like you can make more putts with a mallet putter. I feel like you roll the ball towards the hole more consistently, but I feel like a blade's got more meg potential.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

I think we could do a whole episode on this topic, and maybe we will, Garrett. Sure could like bring in some uh PGA pros, you know, uh area. But I read a uh real quick, I read an article today actually, or that said uh blade versus mallet, PGA tour statistics have not changed, you know, in the last 20-25 years as far as percentage of makes from within five feet, uh five to ten feet, whatever. So uh what is this debate? Mallets are so much better than blades when uh mallets are taking over the PGA tour, but yet the putting statistics are not getting better, they're the same as they always had been.

SPEAKER_02 33:19

Uh I'd be curious, uh and we can say this for that episode since this isn't Caleb specific, but I'd be curious to know if there are any statistics in that article around three putt avoidance. Not that that's a huge topic on the PGA tour, but I I got a feel that that might be a metric worth measuring.

SPEAKER_01 33:36

Because Caleb, when we played last summer, you were rocking the spider, correct? That's right. Yep. Yeah, my guy. You were with a mouth spider last year. And when you did your when you won the Michigan Am in USAM run, were you spider or your blade?

SPEAKER_00 33:52

Yeah, yeah. No, I played a lot of great golf with that spider um from last fall, um, when I played well that's that spring, and then the summer of Michigan Am the USM, and then this past fall.

SPEAKER_01 34:05

Are you a equipment junkie?

SPEAKER_00 34:08

Are you a tinker or not really uh not at not at all growing up? Um I didn't really have that many options, and um I played with a lot of the same clubs growing up, but I've I've found myself going down the rabbit hole a little bit now that I have some more options, mess around with different wedge grinds, or you know, wanting to throw a mini driver in the bag, just doing weird stuff, you know.

SPEAKER_01 34:31

But uh once you cross to the dark side, you're all be back. I know, I know, but the great dark side.

SPEAKER_02 34:39

Yeah, that's right. Uh go ahead, G. No, that was uh uh what else is in the bag, Caleb? Um, if you won't mind giving us a quick kind of rundown of just top to bottom.

SPEAKER_00 34:53

Yeah, um, I'm kind of moving in the titleist direction. Um, but right now I have a so the Scotty Cameron, Newport to Putter, um, Vokey wedges, 60 degree, 55 degree, 50 degree into uh T100 irons. The I've played those for the past two years. Those are really good. And then T100 pitching wedge through four iron uh titles hybrid. Then I have the old the TSR3 three wood. Um, and then I've played a ping driver almost my whole life. I've been playing that recently. Um, I have a new titleess driver I've been trying, which I played today, which is not bad. Um, but it's really hard to switch from the ping driver, it's just so good.

SPEAKER_02 35:46

So sure. Again, once you're confident in something, man, it's hard to get out of there.

SPEAKER_01 35:52

I have to ask quick the new titles driver that you said you're played with today, is it the new titles head or no?

SPEAKER_00 36:01

It's not the new one yet. It's a new one to me. Um, it's the GT2. But um I've heard good things about those as well, so I'll be excited to see what that looks like.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

Yep. It's it's hard to keep up as tinkers. It's hard to keep up because these manufacturers, as Garrett can attest to, and we'll probably do an episode all on equipment here coming up. But um technology just keeps changing, evolving, and just new stuff's coming out. And it's yeah, I think the better players though, Garrett, wouldn't you agree uh that when they find something they like, even though new stuff is coming out, they it's hard for them to change.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

Sure. Yeah, when you get something in your bag that works, man, you and and you trust it. Like, I mean, again, you can spin it right back to what Caleb started with confidence. If you've got confidence in the in the tools in your hands, man, it's hard to hard to change. You can always tinker, it's always fun to try and find that little extra edge and in one way or another, but trust is key, man. Trust and confidence. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:11

All right. My last question, and then Garrett, you can ask one more to wrap it up, and we'll let Caleb go. So you can go to bed and get ready for your 6 a.m. workout. Um, I know faith is a big part of your your journey, Caleb. And that's one of the things you know, we talked about um since I've known you, and just the example you set whenever I'm around you, the way you carry yourself, and uh the the faith that you have in um you know your walk and stuff. Do you just want to touch base on that? Like how does a young man at your age become so mature and and wise?

SPEAKER_00 37:50

And uh yeah, I think uh it's really grown over the past two or three years. Um I you know, I think um, you know, my my sister's a big part of that. Uh she kind of you know came to it the same time I did. And um, you know, I I hung out with her a lot growing up. We kind of had our ups and our downs, but we've really come together the last couple of years. Um we go to church together whenever we can. Um, you know, she carried my bag all summer. Um I, you know, I think she's just such a big part of that for me as well. Um, we have a great community here in Michigan State, um, you know, all the resources, you know, we could ever need, but um just good community like that. Um and people around you to continue to push you and grow in your faith. And um we're just surrounded by such a good area here. And um being close to home is also great. I can still make the church with my sister when I'm when I'm available. And um, you know, I think I've always been a pretty calm and relaxed person on the golf course anyway. Um, but you know, I think it gives you it gives you a lot of patience, it's very freeing knowing that you know, whatever happens, you know, there's a greater plan. And you know, whether I I finish a tournament poorly or I, you know, maybe I don't make it to the finals the US amp. You know, I know you know that's just how it's meant to be. And you know, there's a greater plan out there. So I think that's a big part of my golf career.

SPEAKER_02 39:26

That's great. Also, good perspective. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

Wrap it up, G. I actually have one more question.

SPEAKER_02 39:36

Really? We're gonna we're gonna we're gonna keep Caleb rolling, aren't we?

SPEAKER_01 39:41

I'll ask mine and then Garrett, you wrap it up. Uh Caleb, favorite golf course in the state of Michigan. Great question.

SPEAKER_00 39:48

Uh state of Michigan. I mean, favorite recently, Belvedere favorite of all time. Um probably Oakland Hill South, you know, favorite of my heart, probably Eagle Eye.

SPEAKER_01 40:06

Okay, good.

SPEAKER_02 40:07

Very cool. Yep. All right. Final, final, Caleb, before we send you off, man, as a fellow fitness enthusiast and also with a 6 a.m. workout tomorrow. Is your workout a team workout or is this a Caleb initiative, or what are you what are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 40:20

Uh it's a team workout. We have team workouts, you know, uh three days a week. Um, I work out a little bit on my own, but these team workouts kick our butts. So, you know, especially in the offseason. And then, you know, we have a week and a half till our next event, so they'll kick our butts pretty hard until maybe a couple days out and we'll recover and do more stretching and more mobility, but they'll put us through a cardio gauntlet, and we'll be you know, wanting to go home, but it's good, it's good, that'll make us better.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Garrett, he should not have told us that that he has a week and a half till the next event. That means uh might have to challenge him and McCoy to a little you know early season game.

SPEAKER_02 41:05

You're trying to try and get a little 2v2 going. Yeah, yeah. I think we could if Mother Nature cooperates, I think we can make that happen next week.

SPEAKER_01 41:15

I and when I'm there, I want to talk to your coach. Like, I just don't understand the 6 a.m. I mean, I know there's something behind it, like let's get the kids up, let's get a moving, but it's like 6 a.m.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

6 a.m. workouts are the best, man.

SPEAKER_00 41:29

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I agree. I'm uh I'm a morning guy at heart, and I think that's because of golf, getting up for early tea times. But uh, I'm happy to get up early and get out of the way.

SPEAKER_01 41:40

So nice. All right, Caleb, I really appreciate you. We're gonna let you go. Um, we went over the time, I apologize, but thank you so much for being with us tonight and um just all the success in the future, and you know we're gonna be with you every step of the way. And uh, but in all honesty, no joking aside, Garrett and I would love to get together with you and play a little golf here soon, you know, as you uh wrap things up your senior season and before your summer gets super, super busy.

SPEAKER_00 42:11

Yeah, of course. We'd love to do that. I'm sure if it's either McCoy or Lorenzo or somebody, you know, in the area, we'd love to have you out and play some golf. So that'd be great.

SPEAKER_02 42:22

Scared. Let's do it. Let's do it. Good catching up, man. Good to see you, and I'm I'm sure we'll see you soon, buddy.