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August 6, 2025 20 mins

Colin is joined by LIV Tour professional golfer Kevin Na!

They begin with Kevin’s decision to make the move from the PGA Tour to the LIV Golf tour and how difficult of a decision it was (4:00) They discuss what the biggest changes are between the two different tours and why it’s such a great experience playing events all around the world (7:00).

They talk about the initial blowback players received for “defecting” from the PGA Tour and whether that has dissipated after some time (9:00). Kevin highlights his favorite course that most of the public has never heard of, and the experience of bringing his kids to new countries while he’s on tour (10:45).

They discuss the challenging conditions players have to play under, including brutal weather and why golfers aren’t given enough credit for being professional athletes (13:30). They talk about the evolution of Phil Mickelson over the years and Kevin offers nothing but high praise for the legend (14:45). 

They highlight Bryson DeChambeau’s journey from heel to hero as he’s become a superstar on the tour (16:30), and discuss whether another golfer will ever be able to capture Tiger Wood’s larger than life persona in the world of golf (19:30).

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Will. Live Golf is redefining how golf is experienced and enjoyed,
supercharging the sport across the globe with innovations and team competition,
a really electrifying event and an atmosphere that welcomes fans
from all backgrounds.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
It's the f one of Golf, a truly unique event.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Stars come out for a celebration of sport, entertainment, and
culture played in some of the world's most iconic venues.
So in addition to world class golf, you get a
festival off the course, incredible food, live music, and a
fan village pack with games and challenges for young and old.
It's all on the line when Live Golf comes to
Chicago's bowling Brook Golf Club. I'll be there August eighth

(00:44):
through the tenth. Players will be fighting for places at
both ends of the individual standings, while the US players
have another chance to push for Ryder Cup selections. That's
big too, So it's a chance to see fifty four
of the game's best players at bowling Brook Golf Club.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Of course, that's open to the pub. All be there.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
This marks another major step forward and Live Golf's commitment
to build a more inclusive accessible game of golf. It's
a campus experience. Grab your tickets at livegolf dot com.
That's liv goolf dot com. Or if you can't make
it this time, you can follow every shot live and
exclusively on Fox Sports. Well, the Live Tour makes it

(01:31):
stop in Chicago. Just part of the journey of Live
and its unique style and its popularity. And anybody that
listens to me knows that I have supported the Live
Tour from the beginning. I never loved the way the
PGA Tour, which was officially a charity, treated some of
its golfers. And I had said for years that Greg
Norman's and Phil Mickelson's had verbally come out and said

(01:55):
they were disappointed. And so when they left, I supported
a and still do. Kevin naw also made that decision.
And you know, when I defended Live Golfers, one of
the things I said was, you know, these guys grew
up wanting to be on the PGA Tour. They dreamt
of the US Open and Pebble Beach and the Masters.

(02:16):
So this was a hard decision. A lot of people
looked at the dollars and said, well, it's easy now
when you have a dream and you land it. It's
hard to separate you from that dream. Do you remember, Kevin,
the day, the week, the car ride when you and
your family decided I'm going to leave the PGA Tour

(02:37):
And do you remember the emotional moment of that, the epiphany.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yes, I do. It wasn't an easy decision. I thought
about it for weeks. I just discussed it with my team,
my family, and you know, I haven't had a talk
with Jame onhand before I left, like I literally called them,
you know, with the PA when I had the offer
and I had the contract, and I waighed a bunch
of options. But at the time there were some of

(03:06):
the things that some of the players would have would
wanted to see change in the PGA Tour, the direction
of the PGA tour, wanted to go, and none of
those things were happening. And when this living, the lead
was forming and the offers were going out, and it
was a great opportunity for me because I played the
PGA Tour for nineteen years and right I loved it.
I loved every minute of it, and I was grateful

(03:26):
to be there. I enjoyed it. It was a great
platform for me to play and I'm grateful and thankful.
But when this opportunity came along to play this team
style with individual team uh player around the world and
at the same time, you know, have some security, not

(03:47):
that I didn't with the PGIATE tour. You know, I
was pretty successful out there as well, but it sound
like it was a new challenge and I was. It
was exciting and and a lot of the great names
of the game of the golf were joining and I
wanted to be a part of been. I want to
be a part of this new adventure. And that's the
reason why I made the job.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, and I think you know it's it's something to
remember the word globalization.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (04:13):
You grew up in California of Korean descent. You grew
up in California. You're a global citizen to some degree.
My mom's from England. We all are or descendants of it.
But we see this with all businesses. And I know,
as I've aged and experienced travel, I love the idea

(04:34):
of every I love the idea of traveling. I love
the idea I've I've moved to six different companies. When
you go to the live tour, was their anxiety, were
their nerves take me to your first six months. This
is a whole it's like a new job for you.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
Yeah, it was different.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
The biggest change I felt was the music was so
easy for me. I really enjoyed the music on the
golf court. That part I have no issues with. What
was a bit of a transition, and it took me
a little bit to get it juststitute was the shotgun
start standing starting on a random all. You know, there's
a flow of that golf course, right, you start on
one or ten, you know, and you know where you're at.

(05:12):
You know, like some of the holes, the stretch, you
got to take advantage of some of the holes. You
kind of have to be you know, you know, you
want to pars are good. That kind of disappeared, and
so that part was a bit a bit awkward in
the beginning. I got used to it now. But besides that,
it was cool to travel around the world and to
see like, look, I played the Open, I've played in Korea, Asia.

(05:35):
But to go around to the world and all these
golf fans come out and say, you know, to come
root for you can watch you and tell me asking
your people in the crowd say hey, Kevin, I want
to see you walking the pot, you know, like things
like that. It was it was pretty cool to go
different corners of the world and to play in front
of the crowd and for them to see, you know,
the big names of golf like Books, Djfhil all these guys, Bryson,

(05:58):
you know, for them to to see those guys in
different parts of the world were before when everybody played
the Pig Tour, it was very rare that we all
got together and play it the different parts of the world.
So I think that was very cool experience. And we
can see that the fans are welcoming us in different
parts of worlds and join us watchings, and that's it's

(06:18):
a rewarding feeling, you know.

Speaker 1 (06:21):
I think they're initially in Like any change in life,
there's animosity. People don't like change. In America. Forty percent
of Americans never live outside of the area code they
were born in.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
Isn't that crazy?

Speaker 1 (06:36):
So when there was change, I remember going on the
air and saying, yeah, there's going to be some animosity,
there's going to be some emotion with it.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Do you think that's.

Speaker 1 (06:47):
Dissipated over the last year, that that initial shock is
now well, I can watch the shamba at this tournament,
I can watch Kevin Nall here, is that there's a
realization that this is what's happening in all business. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (07:02):
I think in the beginning, you know, like you said,
people are not comfortable with change.

Speaker 4 (07:08):
And when we were.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
Making this jump, you know, the PGA Tour, a lot
of the media, you know, they said it's not going
to happen, They're going to fold in six months, four months,
you know, it's never gonna last. But we've the league
has proven that we're sticking around.

Speaker 4 (07:22):
And you know, and when our players, you know Brooks
want a Major rice and want a Major when you know,
playing live and where, and these guys are still playing
well in major championship and showing good performance and watching
us grow.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
They're starting to realize that we're not doing and we're
sticking around. And that's the same time when the PGA
Tour is asking for investment from p IF.

Speaker 4 (07:47):
Then you know, all those.

Speaker 3 (07:50):
You know, attacks of towards the players that made the
first jump is kind of it's been silenced a little bit.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
Yeah, so.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
I have to ask you.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
I told my wife, you have three kids, you're married,
three kids, So family and golf I felt Live gave
you an opportunity perhaps to golf a little less, more
time with family. And my take is if people are
happier at home, they're more productive people.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
It's just a better way to live.

Speaker 1 (08:18):
That And by the way, before you left the Live Tour,
PG golfers today had it easier than PJ golfers forty
years ago. So I mean everything changes. Tell me a
course that maybe isn't talked about a lot globally that
you love. If I said, Kevin, give me your favorite

(08:40):
course that I would never guess and why.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
Hong Kong Golf Club amazing. Hong Kong Golf Club that's
been around forever. It's an old style golf course. I
think it's an amazing golf course. Every time I go there.
I think the city is amazing. I think the golf
course is amazing. I think the fans are amazing. Obviously Korea,
first time playing it this year. The Jackan Golf was
a pretty good golf course. But I'm a little biased

(09:05):
because of my current descent, and I love going to
these Asia countries and playing, you know me obviously being
an Asian, you know the Asians fans are gonna you know,
feel like a bit more of a home crowd. And
speaking of families, you know, in the past few years,
we've taken it's hard to travel with three kids internationally,

(09:26):
but we've taken one or two and at times at
three to these different countries. And I was able to
show my kids different parts of the world at a
young age. And I think that's very very cool for
them to, you know, to learn different cultures, to experience,
and I think it really opens their eyes to the world,
right and I and we really enjoyed that experience. And honestly,

(09:49):
like I'll be honest, like I've never been happier at home.
Up my golf game honestly hasn't been that great. I
feel like in the last few rounds of something is
clicked and I think I'm gonna I'm about to go
on a good run of golf. But look at home,
I'm home more often for my kids. I get to
travel the world with my family. Look looking back at

(10:11):
it now, I think it was a great decision. I've
talked about this with my wife, and when we go
back two and a half three years ago, we go back,
we have a time machine. Would we make the same
decision and the answer is yes.

Speaker 1 (10:24):
The I've always believed that unless you're a golfer, and
I've started playing a lot in the last three years.
As I've got a little bit more time, I've got
a lot more gray hair, and i think when the
gray are your hair gets, the more golf grabs into me.
And I've always felt an underrated part of golf is

(10:46):
that when you guys are playing in the summer in
parts of the globe, it's incredibly hot, and it's mid day,
and it's day after day after day. Has there been
an event on the PGA or the live tour where
you thought to yourself, I hope people realize I'm a

(11:06):
real athlete here because I could fall apart. I mean
there there are moments watching you guys and I'm like,
I could see Phil Michelson. I'm like, Phil looks tired.
Do you do you think that's an underrated part of
even your live tour. You go to Hong Kong a
lot of your You're playing in the sometimes the steamiest

(11:28):
of weather.

Speaker 3 (11:29):
Oh yeah, I mean Singapore is extremely hot. I remember
PGU Tour that we played in Malaysia, extremely hot Dallas.
This year we played in you know, oh Dallas, Oh
it was rough. Uh. And you know, we travel. We
went from Saturday, Arabia to Australia. We went from Mexico
City to Seoul. I mean and and literally we have

(11:49):
a twenty hour travel day. And as soon as we land,
if it's thuring the day, in the morning, we go
straight to the golf course. We start practicing. That's not
easy to do, and your time zones are all off,
but we're on this. You know. We get up in
the morning, we spent all day on the golf course.
We trained, we practice, you know, I mean we might
we may not look like an athlete, but we are.

Speaker 1 (12:13):
I've always loved Phil Micholson and I read a I
don't think there's a book about him.

Speaker 2 (12:18):
I don't think he loves the book.

Speaker 1 (12:20):
But I loved him more when I read the book
because he's so unapologic, unapologetically Phil Mickelson. And there was
a point in his life he probably he probably ate
a little too much. He was a little more obnoxious
with tour members. Michelson's a character, and but what I
love about him he leans into it.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
Now.

Speaker 1 (12:41):
Now you're getting the older, more mature, wiser Phil Mickelson.
Have you watched him chain, I guess have you seen
the change in Phil in the last twenty years when
you've been around him, ever played with him, played against him?

Speaker 2 (12:55):
Have you seen it?

Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yeah? I've seen skinny Phil, shot, Phil, gambling, Phil, drinking Phil. Look,
he's been nothing but great to me. The first time
I played with him, I was twenty one years old.
We played in the final group. That's the first time
I put it in the final group at the Phoenix Open.
He ended up winning the term and I finished second.
And he's been nothing but great to him. You can

(13:17):
always go go to in ask for any advice, whether
it's golf, game, life, meeting you want, he would give
you his time, his sincerity. He's been nothing to great.
I think he is the same way right now to
all the younger kids out here. I think he's a
great leader. Like whether I don't not. Obviously, you know,

(13:40):
you can't please everybody, but a lot of the people
out here respect him, and I personally respect him, and
I'm a big fan of Phil, and I think what
he's done for the game of golf we had to
be thankful for.

Speaker 1 (13:53):
And I also think sometimes you know, I say this
all the time. I was not mature enough at twenty
two to twenty three to be like a professional quarterback
in the NFL, you know, the leader of a billion
dollar franchise. You guys are not on a team necessarily,
although you are the iron Heads on the.

Speaker 2 (14:08):
Lib Tour now.

Speaker 1 (14:10):
But Bryson de Shamble is a fascinating guy. I didn't
love him when he came out. I didn't like him.
You know, the thirteen pieces of bacon, the nine protein shakes.
I'm like, this feels like he's selling me something. It's
too obnoxious. He pivoted over the last two years. I
find him incredibly likable now, and I go back to

(14:34):
he was young. Yeah, he was a good looking, big testosterone.
Have you noticed his personality. He feels a little humbled,
a little more, a little wiser. But I find him
now incredibly likable, and I didn't.

Speaker 2 (14:49):
Four years ago.

Speaker 3 (14:51):
I always joked to him. I was like, look, I
was nice to you before you became a bi star
and before you were likable. I always liked him from
day one. You know, I remember talking to him before
when he wasn't playing so good, and you know, when
he was doing the side straddle and I'll come talk
to him about on the putting green into what his
theories were. And I played with him in a QB

(15:13):
team play chart shootout. What year what was this, I
can't even remember, twenty seventeen or eighteen, whatever it was.
We teamed up, we finished third, and I got to
know him pretty well that how he played the game
and what his you know, all these calculations that he made,
and it was it was fascinating him. He would calculate
puts off the green from what the fairies were running
at stemp and then from the green on to the

(15:34):
hole that how many feet that is and that stemp
and he would with the slope and he would say
this put's playing forty seven feet and he hit it
like perfect speed or make it and it was incredible.
But I think people got to know him and watched
him mature and grow up and became this likable, interesting character,

(15:56):
and we need more characters like that in the golf game.
Whether you like him or not, and I think most
people do like him. He's an interesting guy. And what
he's done with his body and his game, the transformation
that he's gone through, it's incredible. And he's an incredibly
talented player. I always enjoyed my conversations with him. But look,
you know, when you're twenty one, twenty two and you're

(16:17):
a millionaire, and you know, you think you have the
world bides, you know, you know, it's a little bit
of a growing sure. I bet that was the same
way when I was young there, and I turned pro
at seventeen and got on the tour when I was twenty.
You know, when you're twenty and but you need a
little bit of that to make it so I think
if you kind of look at that and get to

(16:37):
understand the guy and get to understand the players, I mean,
we're not We're much better than football and other other sports.
I mean, we're much more mature and more well behaved,
I'd say, but it's I think we watched him grow up.

Speaker 1 (16:53):
Yeah, you went straight to the pros at seventeen years old. Finally,
there's there's a legendary piece of footage going to Kevin
naw about you and Tiger Woods when your speak play
after you hit the putt and he does the same thing.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
Tiger.

Speaker 1 (17:09):
There's only two athletes in my lifetime, Tiger Woods and
Michael Jordan that literally changed how I watched TV. I
would cancel stuff on a Sunday to watch Tiger Woods.

Speaker 3 (17:19):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
Do you think that was it?

Speaker 1 (17:21):
You know, it was sort of It wasn't obviously pre internet,
but it was a pre TikTok golf felt those games felt,
those tournaments with Tiger, it just felt like otherworldly. Do
you think golf will ever have that again?

Speaker 3 (17:37):
Yeah? I think so. I think Bryson is his closest
to you know, the excitement. I think Rory's pretty exciting.
I think Rom's pretty exciting, and Joukin's becoming that player
as well. Yeah, I think there's different characters of the
game that bring that kind of energy. Obviously, Tiger was
you know, his dominating in his you know, his power,

(17:59):
and it's blown feel the way and you know, even
though he's four back with nine to Plague, they're like, oh,
he's going to win. You know, he's gonna go on
this crazy run. And I remember watching as a kid
and I'm I mean, you know, being a fan of Tiger,
it's it's incredible. I mean, but I think there are
characters that can follow his footsteps or become maybe not

(18:21):
that Tiger Wood's icon level, but you know, up close
to that level, and we can have three or four
guys kind of equal Tiger, you know what I mean.
But I think golf has become more more entertaining, more
exciting than before back in nineties. I grew up watching golf,
you know, in the nineties, you know, and you know
I became a pro in the early two thousand and

(18:44):
I played all these with these guys on the senior
tour that's playing now. And I think golf has become
more entertaining. I mean there's more characters of the game.
I mean, you got you know, Bryce and that bombs
in cuts corners. You got Roverie also, you know, Scotti
Shaffer getting arrested. I mean there's I think it's entertaining.
I mean, you know, we have some John Days, you know,

(19:05):
the you know, the former John Davis of the guys
right now. Look, I think golf is in a good
place except this division. I think once this we find
a way to get the players back together more often.
I think I think golf is going to go up
another level.

Speaker 1 (19:24):
Yeah, I hope so, Kevin Nah A pleasure to talk
to you. I love your stories. I'll be rooting for
you and thank you so much for taking time.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
Thanks Colin, thanks for having me on.

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