Colt Knost

It’s all things golf this week when Brian is joined by his friend and retired PGA Tour golfer, Colt Knost. Colt doesn’t hold back as the two discuss highlights of his notable amateur career, the constant grind of making The Cut, finding his second life as a media personality for CBS Sports and Sirius XM, and his opinions on the challenges currently facing the game.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
But it is terrifying being out there every single week
because you don't know who's miked up and who's not,
so you gotta be very careful with what you say.
I made a comment to Max Olma's caddie Joe Grinder
on day and he just starts laughing, and I go,
you're miked up right now, aren't you.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yep. I'm like, damn it.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Guys like delete that I looked up for the guys,
but it's so fun. I'm Colt Knows from CBS Sports,
otherwise known as Big Gravy, and I am so excited
to be on Off the Beat.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Hello everybody, and welcome to Off the Beat with Me
your host Brian Boncartner. Now, guys, you aren't going to
believe this, but my guest today is someone I play
golf with. Yes. Now, I know that a lot of
my guests lately have also been my golf friends. But

(00:54):
here's the thing. I am very very lucky to get
to play golf with some really interesting people. In fact,
this is one of my favorite things about the game
of golf, is that I get to spend four or
five hours out on the course with someone. And I'm
really fortunate to have the time to talk and get

(01:15):
to know them very well, and so I want to
share some of these fascinating people with you. So today
I have brought a fascinating friend right off the green
and right into your ears. The great cult Gnost is
with me today. Colt is a former PGA Tour pro,

(01:35):
current PGA Tour commentator, and alumnus of SMU Hail to
the Red and the Blue. Like myself, go Mustangs, And
as I said an analyst on CBS golf coverage, where
he is doing a fantastic job, I know a few
things about golf. Colt knows seemingly everything about golf. He

(01:57):
knows so much, in fact, that he has not won
but two shows where he shares his knowledge and talks
about the sport. You can hear him on the podcast
Golf's Subpar and three days a week on his serious
XM show, Gravy and the Sleeves Cult No he's known
as Big Gravy. He's a big personality and he really

(02:20):
gives up the sometimes stuffy game of golf a big
injection of personality and I love it, and I love
what he is doing for the game of golf. So
let's hear about him starting his golf journey at a
very young age, and completing his pro career, retiring at
the also young age of thirty five, and beginning anew

(02:43):
in the media and broadcast world. Here he is my
friend and soon to be yours Big Gravy Cult gnhost
Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble and Squeak on

(03:03):
Bubbling Squeak, I could get every more lift over from
the ninety before. What's up Cold?

Speaker 1 (03:20):
How we doing, Brian? Thanks for having me on?

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Well, thank you. I mean I can see you're a
professional podcaster. You have a light shining right directly behind you,
right into the thing. I mean, that's perfect. You've done it.
You've set yourself up perfectly.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
It took me a while, but I kind of figured
it out a little bit. We do a few of these,
I know.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
You certainly do. We're gonna talk about that in a minute. Well,
first off, how are you are you good? Are you
taking some time off these days? Well?

Speaker 1 (03:52):
I thought I was. You know, we just did nineteen
to twenty one weeks to end the season for CBS,
starting back at AUGUSTA, so I thought I was gonna
have some time off. But you know, things come up
here and there, so I guess I'm for a fact,
I don't sit still very well. So I've been all
over the place, heading over to Roam here shortly for
the Ryder Cup, which I'm really pumped about. But yeah, man,

(04:12):
life's good. It's good to be wanted occasionally.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
I guess CBS has the Ryder Cup this year.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
No, they don't, NBC does. I'm actually working it for
Sirius XM. We have a show over there three days
a week and I'm going to be one of their
analysts over in Rome. I've never been to a Ryder
Cup across the pond, so I'm very excited.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Oh that's awesome, Well, congratulations on that. Is the Ryder
Cup the best golf event.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
You know, it's it's my favorite to watch, just because
it's so different than anything. You know, it's actually team golf.
And going to my first Ryder Cup two years ago
at Whistling Straights. You know the scene on the first
t Friday morning. I mean, the people start getting there
at five am and they are going, you know, they
got the chance, the songs, everything, I mean, you get
I'm not even playing it. I was getting goosebumps, and

(04:59):
I was nervous the guys. But I just don't think
you see that passion at any other event other than
the Ryder Cup. I mean, the Masters, obviously, individually wise,
is the greatest golf tournament there is, but the Ryder Cup.
Since it's every other year, I think it makes it
so special and you get twelve guys coming together where
you know, normally it's just mono and mono.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
Well, you know, I want to talk about you, but
you bring up something that I feel like I need
to talk about, which is, you know, we've got We've
got the Live Tour, which essentially has well I don't
know if it's staked its claim on this, but you know,
obviously one of the huge components for them was team play.

(05:39):
I had a conversation with Charlie Hoffman about this. Do
you feel like team play is coming for the PGA
Tour or no? I do not.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
You know, I'm all for, like I said, the Ryder Cup,
and it's every other year, the President's Cup all that
like that's different. I mean, that's representing your country, the
team part. Like I think the PGA Tour professional golf,
it's always been an individual sport, and I think that's
what makes it great. You know, you look at tennis,
like the ratings and singles are much higher than the
ratings and doubles, Like no one really cares about the

(06:13):
doubles matches at the USO game. Sorry, they just don't.
So therefore, I don't think it's that big deal. Like
Listen Live was great as a disruptor, but I don't
think the team aspect is that big a deal. I
think they're told to talk about it and say, you know,
I'm not playing that great this week, but I know
if I can play well the last act and really
help my team out and all that, I don't see it.
I still think golf's an individual game. You're out there

(06:34):
playing for yourself and your caddy, and you want to
go out there and win individually. I would say that
the individual win and live probably means a lot more
than the team win.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
Okay, I mean it's curious to me. I mean I
tend to agree with you, but you know, I think
the Righter Cup thing and Charlie said a similar version
of what you said, which is, if you're playing for
your country and as a spectator, you can get behind that.
Either you know, the Europeans or international teams or whatever

(07:07):
versus the United States wanting to beat the United States.
The United States wanting to you know, to dominate singularly.
So you feel like that is the thing that makes
it special and brings its passion. It's less about the
team aspect.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, Like for me, like I played the Walker Cup,
which is the Amber version of the Ryder Cup, and
I mean, you put on the red, white and blue,
you hear your national anthem at the opening ceremonies, Like
I mean, it brings a lot of guys to tears.
You just in golf, you're never a part of the team.
And like I know it's in the Olympics now, which
is really cool, but it's still not you know, we're
used to seeing major championships and Ryder Cups growing up

(07:43):
in the game of golf, and I think you always
dream of putting on the red, white and blue, and
whether it's in America or in Europe, going over there
and being with eleven other guys and teaming up and
battling it out for your country. You're not battling it
out for it's no disrespect to live the cliques or
the range goats or anything like that. That's just that's
totally different. I haven't been able to get behind the
team aspect as far as it comes to live the

(08:05):
Ryder Cup. It's just different. I mean, being every other
year is such a huge deal, and you see the
fans are one side or the other. You know, there's
not twelve teams out there. There's a group of people
root for one team and a group of people root
for other. It's listen, I'm Team USA and I'm Team Europe,
and we're gonna chant, we're gonna sing, we're gonna talk
trash and have fun. I just don't think it's quite

(08:26):
on the same level.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
The other point you made that that I have to
address with you or at least ask your opinion about
what makes the Masters the greatest golf tournament.

Speaker 1 (08:38):
I think because it's at one golf course throughout the
history of time. And so if even if you're not
a golf fan like you can probably you probably know
what Amen Corner is. You can recognize those holes because
we see it every year and it's just one of
the most beautiful places on the planet. Everybody knows about
the Green Jacket, the history. I think that's what makes
it so special? I mean, it's by far the most

(08:58):
watched golf tournament every single year, and the place is
just so special.

Speaker 2 (09:03):
Yeah, you know, it's funny. I've talked to some people
about this, the sort of the age old like what's
the what's the greatest golf course? Or people asking me
like what's my favorite golf course or whatever, And a
lot of times people will bring up Cyprus right up
there on the Monterey Peninsula, and you know, talk about

(09:24):
that versus pebble and people saying, oh, Cypress is so
much better. See for me, it can't compare to pebble.
And the reason why simply is, as you're playing pebble,
you remember shots that you have seen year after year,

(09:45):
either in US Opens or the regular tour event at
and T that's played there. Oh this shot on six,
Oh this shot on seventeen, you know, and to be
able to play those shots that the other players that
you've watched other players play so much to me that
that makes it special, right, yes.

Speaker 1 (10:05):
One hundred percent. And just going back to the Masters,
like my first ever trip there, I believe it was
three years ago to cover the Masters, and it was
twenty twenty one, it was still very limited patrons and
all that. So Monday, I get there and I go
out and I walk all eighteen holes by myself, and
you're exactly right, like I'm going up every hole and
I'm like, oh, so and so did this there, you know,

(10:25):
And I knew exactly what hole was coming every time.
Like it wasn't like I would walk to a hole
and be like, oh, this is number four. It's like, no,
I know what number four is. Watched it so many times,
you know, I remember, like on seventeen you're putting from
the left side of the green to the right. It's
crazy fast going that way, and everybody thinks it breaks right,
but it always holds up. So you just you remember
those little things. And going around Augusta sing it in

(10:47):
person for the first time, I was just blown away
at by how small the sections in the greens are,
Like you have to be so precise, and it just
shows you how good these guys are. Like seeing like
everybody on sixteen on Sunday, right, you're waiting on that
hole in one because we see it every single year,
And then you get there on the tea box and
you're like, Okay, that's not really that big of an
area where these guys lay in that golf ball. This

(11:09):
is not that easy.

Speaker 2 (11:10):
I'm a shot, right right, all right. I could talk
golf forever, but let's talk about you something equally as interesting.
That's interesting. You were born in Ohio and then fairly
quickly moved to Pilot Point, Texas. What was the move?
Was this some family move? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (11:31):
My mom moved down there when I was very young.
So like, I consider myself from Texas and I have
some family in Ohio, but I don't remember any of Ohio,
and my voice definitely doesn't sound like I'm from Ohio.
I quickly adopted the Texas twang. But yeah, mom moved
down there, and you know, it was a blessing, obviously
a much better weather throughout the year in Ohio and
introduced me to the game of golf.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
How did you start playing golf? Did you start playing
really early? Are you like a four year old out
there little gravy swinging or are you are you is
this later? No?

Speaker 1 (12:04):
So I joke around about this, but I'm actually seriously
like I was a sports freak growing up. I mean, football, baseball, basketball, hockey.
I loved it all. I watched it all. Golf was
later for me, and it's honestly because I realized, like,
I'm not going to be built for much else, Like
I'm not going to be six ' three in the
you know, the super fit guy and super athletic, Like
that's probably not just me.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
So I started.

Speaker 1 (12:25):
I had some buddies that played golf. I picked it up,
and I absolutely fell in love immediately, and I pretty
much quit every other sport and focused on just golf.
I was like, if I want to do anything in
professional sports, I think this is the route I have
to go. So I was all in on golf immediately,
and it's honestly because of the way.

Speaker 2 (12:41):
I was built. How old are you at this point?

Speaker 1 (12:44):
I was twelve or thirteen when I picked up I
think I was twelve years old because Tiger was the
big influence when he won the ninety seven Masters.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
Okay, so you're twelve or thirteen years old by the way,
Like I decided at a really early age, I was
going to be the first basement for the Atlanta Brave.
So for me it was early as well. It didn't
happen for me quite that way, but for you was
it like, oh, I'm picking this up and this is
what I'm gonna do. Is it that early?

Speaker 1 (13:12):
It was pretty early on, But I still didn't know
throughout my career because growing up in Pilot Point, Texas
by the way, as a town of five thousand people,
it's like horse country. There's not a golf course. My
former stepdad was a horse trainer and we had a
fifty five acre range. So basically I had my own
driving range at the house. I just had to go
pick them up and shag balls, okay, And I I

(13:33):
was very natural, like I didn't take a lot of lessons.
Started later on working with a coach here and there,
but I just fell in love with the game and
I was like, you know what, this is what I'm
gonna do. I'm going to figure out a way to
make it in golf. And I would every day after school.
I would be out there alongside the house hitting golf
balls into the past year, going out there and picking
them up and just got better year in year out.

(13:54):
Didn't play a ton of national like junior stuff or
anything like that, didn't have many college looks. Ended up
where you went at SMU. Here you go because my
longtime coach, Randy Smith was ten minutes down the road
at Royal US Country Club, and I worked with him
and even in college, Like I remember I went out
my first qualifying round because you have twelve guys on
the team and only five travel My first round shot

(14:15):
seventy seven, and I told my mom, I'm like, I
don't know if I'm made for this, and just kept working,
ended up making the first tournament, never missed one throughout
college in four years, and just continue to get better
and then obviously had a lot of success my senior
year and knew like, hey, PGA Tours my dream, and
I'm going to do everything I can to get there.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
The Western Athletic Conference, the WHACK conference that SMU was
in at the time, two thousand and four Freshmen of
the Year. So yeah, I mean you started out quickly.
The seventy seven must have turned into six is pretty quickly.
How SMU has always had or typically has a great

(14:55):
golf team. Rice and Deshambeau among others, went there. And
how was SMU when you were there? Were you competing nationally?

Speaker 1 (15:03):
Yeah, we made it to nationals two out of my
four years. You know, you got to go through conference
regionals and then get to Nationals. Probably our best team
we ever had was my junior year and we just
missed out, which was a tough one. But yeah, we
have a great history there between you know, the late
Payne Stewart of course, an SMU mustang, Hank Keeney. We
went on a run where we won four USMS in

(15:24):
sixteen years at a school like SMU, which is kind
of unheard of. Kelly Kraft Prison, myself and Hank Keeney.
So yeah, I mean it's always been a good school.
It's a great spot. Obviously, have great facilities there in Dallas.
But the biggest thing for me was I was able
to stay close to Randy Smith and work on my game.

Speaker 2 (15:40):
So was Randy your official coach?

Speaker 1 (15:43):
He was my swing coach, not my college coach. I
worked with a guy. Our college coach was Jay Laurd SMU,
but Randy Smith was the longtime swing instructor Justin Leonard,
he's now a Scotti Scheffler. He's at Scotti Sheffler In's
he was six years old. He was my swing coach.
So when I wasn't practicing with the team, I was
out working with Randy.

Speaker 2 (15:59):
Right, you decide to turn pro when you leave school.
You have had a ton of success in college. What
was behind the decision for you to make that jump
and decide that you're now going to grind and turn pro?

Speaker 1 (16:17):
Yeah, so it was, you know, whinning the US Amateur
got me an invite to the Masters the next April.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
Which you didn't you didn't take.

Speaker 1 (16:24):
Yeah, So I mean, that's obviously one that gets a
lot of criticism, and you know, looking back at I'm.

Speaker 2 (16:29):
Not criticizing, but that's partly why I'm asking, Like you're
sort of dialed into this path and you decide to
turn pro. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (16:38):
The biggest thing for me was, you know, I mean,
and now going professional it's a business now. And the
way I looked at it and my team looked at
it was like my stock was never going to be
any higher. Like I was the number one am in
the world. I had just done something that only two
other people in the game of golf had done, an
amateur golf like and there was a financial opportunity there
for me. And as a twenty two year old kid,

(16:58):
it's it's hard to pass that stuff up. And I
was confident enough in my ability that I would get
back to the Masters, and I talked to a lot
of people. I mean Phil Mickelson being one of them
who reached out. We had a long discussion about it,
and I decided it was time. Obviously, you know, I
wish I would have played in the Masters, but I didn't.
But at the right at that time, that was the
right decision.

Speaker 2 (17:19):
Right. Do you regret it? No, I don't regret it
at all.

Speaker 1 (17:22):
I don't regret anything I've done in my career, just
because I think it's led me to a place that
I'm really supposed to be, which I'm sure we'll get to.
But no, I mean, it's hard to look back. Like
like I said, I would have loved to have played
in the Masters. I joke if I would have played
in the two thousand and eight Masters when in the
USAM champ plays with the defending champion, which would have
been Zach Johnson, and I always give Zach ardon. Like
you guys, if Tiger would have been the defending champion,

(17:44):
I would stayed there. I didn't want to play with
another guy that hits it short and butts it really well,
like I see that every day.

Speaker 2 (17:52):
You don't stay now? Is it buy dot Com? At
the time? Still?

Speaker 1 (17:57):
Oh god, I think it was web dot com.

Speaker 2 (17:59):
Web dot Yeah, the current Corn Ferry Tour. You miss
out getting your PGA Tour card, but just for one year,
and the second year you win two tournaments. Are you
feeling like your trajectory is You're gonna be the best
in the world.

Speaker 1 (18:17):
Everything is going the way it's supposed to. Honestly, Like,
I mean doing what I did No. Seven, going over
to two thousand and eight on the now Korn Ferry
Tour and winning twice. Honestly, had a couple of chances
to win even.

Speaker 2 (18:28):
More, Oh you did.

Speaker 1 (18:30):
Oh yeah, I had a few chances. I mean I
was in the final group in Omaha, I remember to
get a battlefield promotion, had a good chance at the
Tour Championship as well. But honestly, that was probably one
of the worst things that happened to me, is because
I felt like golf was easy. I literally had not
played bad in two years, and so I'm like, I'm
gonna go out on the PGA Tour. I'm gonna win
once or twice a year out there, make millions of dollars,

(18:51):
have a great career, and then right off into the
sunset and then the golfing gods heard me. They slapped
me around.

Speaker 2 (18:57):
There for a while.

Speaker 1 (18:58):
There's a lot of distraction out on the PGA Tour
that are a lot of fun, and I, you know,
that's the one thing I probably do regret is not
working as hard early on in my PGA Tour career
as I did.

Speaker 2 (19:09):
You know in college and amateur golf. So once you
got your tour card, you feel like you worked not
as hard.

Speaker 1 (19:16):
Yeah, I just I thought, like, honestly, it was just
everything was easy. I'd won something like if you went
back between college and my first year on the corn
free I had won like eight times in two years.
Like it was just it was, seriously, golf felt easy.
And I went out there and wasn't working the way
I was. Had a horrible rookie year. Had to go
back and those first few seasons I was back and

(19:36):
forth between the corn Fairy and the PGA Tour, just
trying to find my footing. And it took me a
little while. It took a lot of growing up.

Speaker 2 (19:43):
I talked to Charlie about that a little bit as well,
that the only equivalent kind of right is going between
Major League Baseball and the miners. How was that for you?
I don't know mentally emotionally, was was that difficult free
you, you know, being relegated or I guess soccer too right,

(20:04):
I'm watching Wreckham right now being relegated back? Was that
tough for you?

Speaker 1 (20:10):
I think it's tough on everybody, you know, starting out
when you're twenty two, like, you're hungry, you'll play anywhere.
That competition is great. You're playing professional golf for a
living at the second highest level basically, so things are great.
But then you get a taste of the PGA Tour
and you have to go back and it's a slap
in the face. You go from courtesy cars, nice hotels,
you know, finish top ten, making six figures. Things are great,

(20:33):
and then you have to go back again, and you
go back and back and forth, and eventually, the older
you get, I think the tougher it is. Early on
it's like, okay, I'm learning, I'm learning. But eventually it's
it's at one point it's like okay, enough is enough,
Like it's time for me to step up play golf
and stay out here on the PGA Tour where I belong.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
Do you feel like you did that in twenty fifteen?

Speaker 1 (20:53):
Yeah, Eventually, you know, I finally got comfortable. I had
a good year in twelve, I believe twenty twelve, struggled
in thirteen, and then fifteen and sixteen I really started
playing well, had a few chances to win. I think
I had like eight top tens in two years, something
like that. And then I hurt my left hand and
had some struggle with that. But I finally felt like
things were heading in the right direction right before I

(21:14):
got hurt.

Speaker 2 (21:15):
Yeah, you and I spent a little bit of time
together during that time when you hurt your hand. Now
what exactly happened? Again? What was it? So?

Speaker 1 (21:26):
I was really struggling with a lot of pain in
my left thumb in twenty sixteen. Had it looked at
many at times kept telling me there was really wasn't
anything wrong with my thumb, and I was playing. So
I went all of twenty sixteen where my doctor let
me warm up for twenty minutes before the round and
then no practice afterwards. And I had the best year
of my career. But it got to the point where
my clubhead speed kept going down and down and down.

(21:48):
And I can't afford that. I mean, I don't hit
it far as it is went in. They finally looked
at my wrists and my wrist was jacked up. Went
in fixed, that was out nine months, came back, hit
a shot in Dallas and was like, man, and something's
not right, Like I just felt that pain immediately again
in my thumb. Saw a specialist there in Dallas and
he's like, whoever told you there was nothing wrong with
your thumb was out of your mind, Like your ucl

(22:10):
in your left thumb is hanging on by a threat,
like we should have to do surgery tomorrow. So I
literally withdrew from Byron Nelson that week, had surgery the
next day, and was out another nine months.

Speaker 2 (22:20):
Jeez, So when.

Speaker 1 (22:22):
Of those things happened? But you know, the way I
look at it is like that injury led me to
what I'm doing now, and it might be the best
thing that ever happened.

Speaker 2 (22:30):
Right, do you think if you had I mean, hindsight
is twenty twenty, But if someone had told you what
the real issue was earlier, that you could have gotten
it corrected earlier and come back stronger. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
Maybe. Obviously being out, being out for a lengthy amount
of time is brutal, just I mean, not being in
competition is tough.

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Well, you lose your status too, right, Well, you can.

Speaker 1 (22:53):
Come back and play on a major medical which is
what I was. So I was on a medical exemption.
So I still gotten all the PGA Tour events. I
just didn't play as well as I needed to keep
my car. But yeah, the way I was playing in
fifteen and sixteen, I was very confident I could come
back and do it again. But also, the game of
golf's changed a ton in the last decade. You don't
see many guys that play the way I did out

(23:14):
there competing still today. Like the short precision hitters really
don't exist anymore.

Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah. Zach Johnson, who you mentioned before.

Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, he's done right. We had a guy calling to
our radio show the other day and say that Zach
Johnson was a mediocre PGA Tour player. I was, like,
he's fourteenth all time in career money, and he hasn't
had the greatest last three or four years when the
purses have gone up, and he's a two time major
championship at d two most historic golf courses in the world.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
Hall of Famer.

Speaker 1 (23:40):
Oh I'll take I'll take that mediocrity please.

Speaker 2 (24:03):
You did compete in one hundred and ninety nine. Wow.
When I saw that number, I felt, I was, that's unfortunate.
One hundred and ninety Is it two hundred if you
count the Byron Nelson that you withdrew from or does
that is that part of the one ninety nine. I
don't know.

Speaker 1 (24:20):
I'd have to look back. I think it's one ninety nine,
though it's a it's an interesting number. People people ask
me if I'm going to go back and try one more, just.

Speaker 2 (24:27):
What just what you can get it now? You can
get an exception probably in play play one more over
thirteen seasons. What do you consider to be the highlight
of your professional golfing career? Oh?

Speaker 1 (24:44):
Professional, there wasn't many highlights.

Speaker 2 (24:47):
You know, well do it? First off, let me say
this because I mean you've hinted at it, but but
let me get the stat right. In two thousand and
seven you won three us GA tournaments, only the third
player to ever do that after j segual Great and

(25:07):
Bobby freaking Jones. I mean that is uh, I mean,
that is a huge accomplishment. And you know, as I
indicated before, like you were on a trajectory you know,
to be to be one of the top five players
in the world. Probably, Yeah, that was kind of my thought.

(25:27):
At least that was your initial plan. Yeah, but things changed.

Speaker 1 (25:32):
Maucks, as they say in Varsity Bluz, you know, highly
of the professional career. I would probably say the Players
Championship the year I finished third, shooting sixty three on
Friday there with a bogie on the last. By the way,
your man, Charlie Hoffman, no one had ever been ten
under part through seventeen holes at any point at tpcsaw Grass.
I'm ten under through seventeen. I three put eighteen to

(25:54):
tie the course record. And I'm a golf junkie, so
I knew exactly what my little three and a half
footer for sixty two.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
Who meant, oh you did?

Speaker 1 (26:02):
Oh yeah, Perc. I'm a golf nut. I know all
the all the numbers. But the first text I got
after shooting sixty three on Friday was from the Seagull,
Charlie Hoffin saying, nice three puts. I mean, just it's
just so typical he is. He is one of my
favorite people. Nobody has a more fitting nickname than the Seagull.

(26:24):
We were in Atlanta a few weeks ago. CBS was
covering the Tour Championship for the first time, and I'm
on the range and they showed me on the range
talking to Roy McRoy. Get a text from Charlie glad
to see you finally made it to the Tour Championship.

Speaker 2 (26:38):
He is special. You know. My researchers, by the way,
told me about you finally making it to the Masters.
I mean that I don't think they were They were
making fun as much as just pointing that out to me.
Oh my god, he is a butte. He is something. Yeah,
he is a butte. Yeah. Third at the play that's

(27:00):
a big deal. Do you are you still tied for
the course record?

Speaker 1 (27:04):
No, Unfortunately, Tom Hogy shot sixty two last year and
now he holds it alone right now.

Speaker 2 (27:11):
I got nothing seconds. Not bad. Well, you still won
three USGA events in two thousand and seven. Let me
ask you this, do you think, well you brought up Tiger,
I mean that he's like the obvious go to guy.
Do you believe or do you know, because you've obviously
spoken to him quite a bit, do you think he

(27:31):
has those things in his head? Probably not.

Speaker 1 (27:36):
I mean he's so ridiculous. I mean, he's not even human.
I mean, the things he's done, I mean it's crazy
looking at you know, like historical records and like crazy
streaks and everything, and every single one of them's Tiger.
I mean, he was just so much better than everyone else.
I don't now. I know he is a golf nerd,
and he knows who has the course record here, low
a score of all time here, So yeah, he definitely

(27:58):
is aware of it. But when he's out there, he's
so strong mentally compared to me, he ain't thinking about
that stuff.

Speaker 2 (28:04):
Right, Well, I wonder. I mean people say, and look,
I fully admit that I'm a mental midget, but people say,
when you're when you're playing, just concentrate on the shot
ahead totally right, like leave everything behind. But people are
like they don't, don't think about your score. That's I don't.

(28:28):
I mean, who's not doing that?

Speaker 1 (28:30):
But right I know, I know what everybody in my
group is at, of course, like I know everything that's
going on, of course, So I don't. Really I think
that's impossible. Like I know exactly how many underpar or
how many overpar I am every single time I've teed
the golf ball up my entire life, So that's pretty
much impossible. When someone gets done and be like, oh,
what I shoot today, I'm like, dude, you know, damn

(28:51):
well when you shot today.

Speaker 2 (28:52):
You know what? I just thought of something. I just
thought of something. My best round ever. I actually lost track.
I didn't lose track, but I forgot where I was
because I was on this day, on this weird day,
I had gone under on the front and the idea

(29:16):
of a minus on one side didn't compute to me,
and I lost track and had and the course was
a part seventy one, and so I had about a
five footer for seventy one really and and didn't make it.
How long was you put for seventy two? But I

(29:38):
I made the one from seventy two. I was putting
well that day, but I was thinking it was just
it was still for one over. You know, I lost
track of where I was, But I don't I don't know.
That's only because I lost track. It wasn't like I
wasn't thinking about it.

Speaker 1 (29:52):
I just think pro golfers in general, I mean, they're
really really good, and so they're normally under part.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
They know exactly where they stand, yeah, at all times. Yeah.
In twenty twenty, after what I have heard you say,
is one of your favorite tournaments, the Waste Management Phoenix
Open you decide to retire? Is that about your injury?
Couldn't do it anymore.

Speaker 1 (30:14):
So that was the end of my major medical and
so that's kind of going back to what I said
about going back and forth between corn Ferry and PGA Tour.
So I had two decisions, either I do something else
in my life or I go back to the corn
Ferry Tour. And I was thirty five years old, and
I think I'd been out on the PGA Tour for
six seven straight years something like that, and I was like,
I don't think I can go back and do it,

(30:36):
Like I have the opportunity with Serious XM do a
show three days a week. I was like, I can
make I could finish top ten on the corn Ferry
money lest sitting in my office talking about golf three
days a week and don't have to stress about making
cuts or beating these young and hungary twenty two year
old kids. So I'd done some work for CBS and
Golf Channel at the time, and they reached out and

(30:56):
I was like, you know, I think I think it's time.
I think it's time for me to go try something else.
I love talking about the game of golf. I love
being at golf tournaments, and this gave me the best
of both worlds, Like I still got to travel with
the PGA Tour, be out there in the action and
talk about the game I love. I was like, I'm
I'm gonna give this a go. I can always go
back and try to go to Q School and play

(31:17):
the Corn Ferry Tour or something like that. But you know,
I don't know if this opportunity with CBS Golf Channel
all that will always be there. So I decided to
take a little bit of a risk and went and
got into the media world. It's weird to say that
I'm part of the media, but man, am I having
some fun with it?

Speaker 2 (31:34):
Yeah? All right, Well, before we talk about that, I
got to ask you, do you miss playing competitively?

Speaker 1 (31:40):
I think you'll always Anybody that does it for a
long time will always miss it. Like I miss tuesdays,
trash talking in money games with the guys out there,
that feeling of like you're gonna throw up over every
shot when you're in contention on Sunday, Like you can't
ever replicate that in everyday life, so you'll always miss that.
But at the same time, with the direction golf is gone

(32:02):
where everyone smashes it and it's all about fitness and
you got to carry it three twenty or you don't
have a chance in seeing the best players in the
world up close and personal every single week like I do. Now,
I'm like, I have no business being out here playing
against these guys. So yeah, party, you will always miss
the competition part, no doubt. But I've never been happier

(32:22):
in my life than I am right now.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
How often do you play now?

Speaker 1 (32:25):
It depends during the season, Like I hate traveling with
my clubs because they're paying lugging around. No, it's the worst,
you know, So I don't play a lot. But now
that we're finished, like I normally play three days a
week and only Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

Speaker 2 (32:37):
So you play three days walking of course.

Speaker 1 (32:43):
Off from my cart to my ball.

Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yes, in the season, and if it's cart path only,
you don't. You don't.

Speaker 1 (32:51):
Plus see here in Arizona we oversee in October and
so it's carts on path only until like January one,
and it is the worst. I mean, you might as
well just walk. Yeah, they keep the carts on the
path for a long time around her, just because it's
so busy January through May. They want their golf courses
really green and pretty. So that's my least favorite time
of the year. One the ball doesn't roll, so my

(33:12):
drives go even shorter, and then you have to walk
like one hundred yards from the car path to your ball.

Speaker 2 (33:16):
Sucks. Yeah, I hear you. You have been described by
me as the Charles Barkley of golf. Why do you
think And first I want to talk about your role
with CBS lead on course analyst.

Speaker 1 (33:38):
That's Dottie. That's Dottie. She's got the lead term.

Speaker 2 (33:41):
I'm just on course analyst.

Speaker 1 (33:44):
Yeah, on course would be fair, on course yeah, on
course reporter analyst.

Speaker 2 (33:48):
On course Yeah. But I feel like they're doing some
really fun new stuff with you that is ultimate great
for the game of golf. I'll bring up you at
the Waste Management Phoenix Open on the sixteenth hole there

(34:09):
and the work that you've done the last couple of
years from there, Why do you think that this work
suits you?

Speaker 1 (34:15):
That's a great question. You know, I never had any
plans of getting into this. I recently learned in the
last couple of years, my mom told me that I
would sit when I was a young kid and act
like a broadcaster during all the sporting sports. That was
interesting to hear. That's something I never knew. You know,
I'm a student of the game. I obviously played at
a very high level for a long time. I know

(34:36):
the guys so well. Like I mean, I'm just recently retired.
The best players in the world are still some of
my very good friends, and so I know what it's
like to be out there. But I also in the
game of golf, where a lot of people are scared
to show any personality.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
I'm not right. You know.

Speaker 1 (34:50):
When I got that call from CBS, I'll never forget.
I had a cast on my hand. I was probably
with you. I was laid in my hotel room, and
I wasn't with you in my hotel room. I was
in Vegas at the same time as you, but I
was laying there in bed when I got the call
from CBS, the like would you ever consider doing TV?
And I'm like, I've never even thought about it. They're like, well,
a lot of people say, You've got one of the
best personalities out there, and we're looking for guys that

(35:12):
were ex players to possibly do this, and I was
still trying to play at the time. So it's like, well,
that's kind of a slap in the face. They think
my career's done. But it works out. It worked out
really good. So you know, you mentioned the Charles Barkley thing,
which is the biggest compliment anyone's ever given me. By
the way, thank you for that. I think he is
the best in the business. How he makes it fun
and informative and is not scared to, you know, say

(35:34):
what he thinks. And that's what I try to do
with golf. Like, not everybody is a golf nerd. Not
everybody knows exactly what's going on. So like when I talk,
I want to I want the average golfer to know
exactly what I'm talking about and make it fun along
the way. Like I know it's when it's time to
be serious and stuff like that, but you know, making
jokes about myself or Frank Nabolo and even Jim nance

(35:55):
having fun with those guys. I mean, it's a show.
I mean, you know you're in the entertainment world.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
That's exactly right. And here's what here's what I think.
I mean I already gave you a compliment, but I'm
gonna I'm gonna explain what I mean, you know. I mean,
you bring up the fact that you're recently retired, and
you know a lot of the guys, well, that could
be true of dozens of players. Let's be honest. I
think what makes you so refreshing is one you're not

(36:24):
afraid to have fun in a game that let's face it,
there are times where I believe and you maybe can't
say this anymore, but I'll be happy to where the
PGA Tour at times tries to make it the no
fun league, and that's what they call the NFL at times,
but you know, takes itself just a little too seriously.

(36:47):
And I'm a guy who loves golf, you know, just
like you, and I think that you have a way
of explaining to the average golfer what's going on, and
the not so average golfer what's going on. You're respectful
of players, but it's not precious, and I think that's

(37:07):
what people are tired of in the golf world specifically,
probably all sports. But when it gets a little too precious,
it's a turnoff, to be honest, and I feel like
that you have brought a renewed energy behind the broadcast
where you're telling the story of what's going on on

(37:31):
that day, but also giving us enough backstory to have
it mean just a little bit more and have it
be a little more personal for all of us.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
Yeah, like you said, it's like I have no control
over what happens on the golf course out there, Like
my job is to inform the viewer, and if I
can have some fun along the way, like that's what
I want to do. Like I pay attention to everything
that's going on in the world up to date on
curt events, I know where I'm at, Like I love
taking shots at other football teams around the world if
we're in there city and stuff like that and bringing

(38:01):
them in and then getting Twitter all riled up. It's
just so much fun. But I also know, like if
a guy hits a ridiculous shot, like I appreciate it
and I can describe to the you're at home, like
how difficult that was?

Speaker 2 (38:15):
You know.

Speaker 1 (38:15):
I use the example just to make fun of myself.
Like we're at sixteen at Mirefield Village up in Columbus
Jack Nicholas's tournament and they had this pin tucked over water.
It was an impossible pin. And I said, this whole
location looks about as inviting as one of those gem signs,
and people just they think about it in a second,
They're like, oh, I get it, Like you don't want
any part of that. And I'm like, exactly, like you
just ignore this whole location, shoot out to the right

(38:37):
and move on with it. But you know, you can
be serious, but just have some fun with it. And
you said you mentioned energy, and like that's what I
tell everyone at CBS, like the one thing you can
always count on me for every day when I show
up to the compound, whether I'm having a terrible day
or a great day, Like I'm going to bring the energy.
And I can tell like when when I'm on the
broadcast first when I'm off the difference in the energy.

(38:59):
Everyone on that podcast knows they can poke fun at
me or say something creative to me, and I'll give
it right back to them or I'll roll with it.
And so I think we're heading in the right direction,
which is which is good news because like, let's be honest,
golf can be very boring.

Speaker 2 (39:13):
There's no doubt.

Speaker 1 (39:13):
I mean, the old adage I turn on the golf
to take a nap. As a broadcaster, that's very insulting.
I don't want you think an I just want to
scream wake up out there every once in a.

Speaker 2 (39:21):
While, right right, right, No, I know it's fair, it's
very funny. This is I don't know if I've ever
said these words before, but you know, we I hear
a lot. Not to make this about me, but about
the office and the number of people that say I
put it on every night to go to bed. Thanks oh.

(39:43):
In a second Full Swing documentary that Netflix did about

(40:05):
the PGA Tour, you a fan. I thought it was.

Speaker 1 (40:08):
Great for the game of golf. They did a great
job with it for me. You know, I compare to
Drive to Survive, which was the first one of those
that was a massive hit. Like, I knew nothing about
F one, so when I watched it, I was fascinated golf,
Like I knew all this. I didn't need to know
how to make a cut for you know, how many
people play the weekend. What a birdie, what a par
Is and all that. But I don't think that was

(40:28):
made for me, the guy who lives and dies with
the game of golf. So for the people at home
to bring more people into the game. It was fantastic
and the numbers have shown them, like the viewership at
PGA Tour events is up, the number of people that
follow golfers on social media, and the people that tune
in like it's great. So it's done great things. My
one thing, and I've told Chad Mum, this is like

(40:49):
they showed all the guys getting on the private jets
going tournament to tournament, Like, let's follow the guys that
grind it out to make a cut every week and
are grinding to keep their tour card every single year.

Speaker 2 (40:58):
Like I find that part fast. Yes, well, you know
I talked to Charlie about this as well. Figala though.
I mean that story, that episode there, I mean, it
has to have given him thousands, if not millions, of
more fans. It was such an engaging story and you know,

(41:19):
he just won. And I mean, look, it's great when
you have a young player come out, play amazing and
win a tournament. And if we know about those players,
or we want to know about those players, that's what
makes it especially special.

Speaker 1 (41:39):
It was huge for him. I thought it was huge.
I mean, look what Joel Damon like Joel Damon became
all of a sudden this fan favorite because of his personality.
His caddy, Gina was all over the episode that he's
out there signing freaking autographs. What are we doing? But
it shows you. I mean, that kind of exposure when
you get on Netflix is awesome. I can't Season two,
I think will be even better because they are learned

(42:00):
a lot from season one. They're like, Okay, we can
go this route and make it even better. But it
is terrifying being out there every single week because you
don't know who's miked up and who's not, so you
gotta be very careful with what you say. I made
a comment to Maxima's caddy, Joe Grinder day. He just
starts laughing, and I go, you're miked up right now?

Speaker 2 (42:16):
Yep. I'm like, damn it.

Speaker 1 (42:18):
Guys like delete that looked for the guys.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
Yeah, yeah, I think it's great, and I mean it's
I mean, it shows what a nerd you are, because yeah,
I just gave the stats out forty two percent people
are watching more golf and thirty seven percent people are
following and searching et cetera players and golf on social
media sites. I think it's done a lot to grow

(42:44):
the game as well as the little thing called COVID
that happened. You know, it got more people playing and
so they're too four with more people following the best
players in the world live. Good for the game of golf.

Speaker 1 (43:08):
Or no, it's been a disruptor obviously, and I think
it's that I think it brought I mean, like you
mentioned COVID, Like the only thing I think good that
came out of COVID was golf. I mean, the numbers
went nuts because we're all going stir crazy and wanted
to get out on the golf course, and so it
brought a lot of new people to the game live.
It's been a topic of conversation on every outlook right,

(43:30):
whether it's CNN, Fox News, Good Morning America, I mean,
the local coffee shop whatever. Like golf's being talked about
more than it ever has. So as far as attentionionalise,
it's great, but it's not all the best attention. I'm
not a fan of it, you know, I'm not crazy
about the problem at Yeah. Yeah, and I'm honest about that,
but it's it's not for me. I'm a traditional golf guy,

(43:52):
like I appreciate as a guy that struggled and grinded
out to make a cut every week. Like the cut
is a big part of the game. And you asked
Tiger what he his greatest you know record he holds
is it's the consecutive cut streak. But I think it's
like one hundred and forty five minits in a row.
That's just insane. Considering the longest active streak right now
in the PGA Tour, I believe it's twenty five and
it's ender shot, so it's it's insane, But you know,

(44:16):
it's just it's not for me. Like I don't like
the shot guns start, Like I like the leaders coming
down the stretch. At the same time, I like that
guy going out there and shooting sixty three on Sunday
and posting a low score and sitting there and waiting
to see if he has a chance. But look, it's
done a lot of Like it's brought new eyeballs to
the game of golf. It's brought a lot more money
to the professional players, which is fantastic. I just never

(44:36):
thought I would see anything like this happen in my day.

Speaker 2 (44:39):
Right, there's a lot of political issues that have to
be and should be resolved. Will the merger happen? Do
you believe.

Speaker 1 (44:51):
It needs to? I think for the PGA Tour, as
we've learned, you know, they can't compete dollar for dollar
with the PIF. I mean, there's just there's no nobody can.
So if you want to do that, if you want
to try to compete with them, you're gonna lose. So
I hope there's an agreement. Like all I want is
the best players in the world to play against each
other as often as possible.

Speaker 2 (45:11):
That's I mean, that's all.

Speaker 1 (45:12):
I care about. Like you, you know, out on the
PGA Tour, what events have juice and what events don't.
Like you get excited when ten on the top fifteen
in the world are there. The majors are special. I
always want those guys to be there in the majors,
but I would like to see them more often. I
miss Dustin Johnson, I miss bryceon de Shambo, even Patrick Reed.
He's a disruptor, like I mean, he's he's the villain.
Brooks Koepka is just a monster. Like those guys are

(45:35):
great for the game of golf. I want to see
him battle in Roy mclroy justin Thomas John Rome as
often as possible.

Speaker 2 (45:41):
Yeah, and obviously not all of them. But as I
was talking to Charlie about this as well, like and
especially for you and your job, it's about the stories, right,
and it does feel like not all of them. And
I'm not endorsing this position. It's but a lot of

(46:05):
the villains left, yes, and that I think all sports
fans appreciate and want that. If the Yankees were gone,
it wouldn't be as much fun to be the Mariners
or whatever. You know what I mean. It's you want
a behemoth, or you want a personality that you can root,

(46:26):
you know, for or against.

Speaker 1 (46:28):
Yeah, I use Brooks Skepka, and he's not I mean,
you can consider him a villain if you want, whatever
it is. But like when he shows up at major championships,
you know, he's the baddest man on the planet, right,
Like it is just I remember at Beth Page. He
goes out there and shoots sixty three on Thursday at
the PGA Championship, and every single person that field goes
we're screwed because brooks Kepka just went out and took

(46:50):
the lead. And he's one of those guys. He's a
polarizing figure. And you talk to other players and they're
just like, they hate to admit it, but they're like,
he is a problem when it comes to me, he's
that guy, and he's he's all business. He's not going
to give you these funny quotes or anything like that.
He said, my job is to show up, take care
of business, and lift another major championship trophy onto my mannle,

(47:12):
and he does it at a ridiculous rate. So yeah,
there's those guys like him. Even Patrick Reed, who I mean,
you know, has had all his situations throughout the years.
I mean bryceon de Shamba when he came back and
was driving three hundred and seventy yard grades and trying
to knock it on par fives and one like, people
loved seeing that, and he was different. I think you've
got to have those guys that are different to make

(47:34):
the sport interesting, right I'm not.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
Talking about world rankings. Who's the best golfer on the
planet right now?

Speaker 1 (47:43):
That is such a tough question, but I think you've
still got to go Scotti Sheffler. His ball striking numbers
are just insane. I know he's number one in the
world statistically, but like, nobody hits the golf ball the
way Scotty Scheffler does. If he puts it all like,
he wins by one hundred and there was two turns.
He went back tournaments this year at Colonial Memorial where
he missed out on a playoff by a shot and

(48:05):
was dead last in the field. He barely beat you
and putting for the league and lost by a shot.
Like I'm like, all you have to do is putt
better than one person and you walk away with this thing.
That's It's just that's how terrifying it is with how
good he hits the golf ball, because if he just
makes anything, you ain't beat.

Speaker 2 (48:20):
It, right, that's your answer.

Speaker 1 (48:23):
Yeah, My favorite to watch, like just like one part
is Roy McElroy drive the golf ball. It's like golden
d just spin it back and spin it forward and
it goes three thirty down the middle every time.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
Yeah, it's fun. It's an interesting time to be a
golf fan. You're right in the middle of it. What's
your favorite event to cover now, Masters?

Speaker 1 (48:47):
Yeah, definitely, you know, I haven't been on the main
coverage of the Masters. I'm hoping that comes this year
in twenty twenty four. Definitely going there every year. That
is so special. But at home here, I mean it
was my last event, the WM Phoenix Open. That atmosphere
is just so cool. And when they put us down
there on sixteen on Saturday, that is just so much
fun getting involved with the crowd and it's just it's

(49:07):
so unique. You don't other tournaments try to replicate that
sixteen but there's only one WN Phoenix Open. It's such
a fun week. It's a party that one's hard to beat.

Speaker 2 (49:18):
You have a show on Sirius XM. Gravy and the Sleeves. Yep,
your nickname, Big Gravy? How did you get your nickname?
Where to come from?

Speaker 1 (49:30):
So that all happened from Steve Elkington, per former professional
golfer major champion. One day on Twitter, people are going
back and forth and this guy's giving me a hard
time and elk just chimes in. He's like, lay off,
my man, Big Gravy, And I'm like.

Speaker 2 (49:43):
Where the hell did that come from?

Speaker 1 (49:44):
He's like, he's like, I'm a bourbon guy. He's like,
there's a there's a really nice bourbon called Big Gravy.
I love and I just feel like it kind of
suits you, and it was one of the ones it
just literally just took off out of nobody. So yeah,
I got to give Elkington all the credit. It's just
one of those nicknames that went. It wasn't the most
flattering thing I would say, but it's still yeah, and
I kind of like it now Now I just don't it.

Speaker 2 (50:07):
I like it. You you enjoy doing the show still.
I mean you're like the busiest man in golf too.
I mean you talk about not wanting to grind and
hit balls anymore, tried to work on the corn Ferry tour.
But I mean, you've got your amazing podcast that is
about to have a very special guest, very special golf's

(50:28):
subpar with Drew Stolt, You've got gravy in the sleeves.
So this is this is the same show that you
were offered for Serious when you retired, right.

Speaker 1 (50:39):
Yeah, So I got offered this Serious xim at La.
I was doing TV, just my first ever TV event,
and Scott Greenstein from Serious XM Game called and said,
would you want to show? And I'm like, I mean, gods,
Slees and I had been talking about doing a show
together for years, just never knew how to get one,
and then Yeah. We started out it one day a
week for an hour, quickly went to three, three days

(50:59):
a week for two hours. They want us to go
to five, but I don't have time for that. But man,
I love it. It's Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so I have
to miss shows it occasionally for travel. But I honestly
tell people, like, I think doing the Serious XM in
the podcast makes me better on CBS because I have
to talk about everything that's going on in the game
of golf right between those two shows, so it, you know,

(51:19):
informs me on a lot more things like I know
those crazy numbers about Netflix and stuff like that, or
I don't think I normally would, right, Yeah, I mean
the Serious ExM. It's nine to eleven in Scottsdale, so
I wake up, have some coffee, stroll into my office,
Drew comes over and we just sit here and it's
like two buddies just talking back and forth for two
hours and we get paid to do it.

Speaker 2 (51:38):
It's insane. It's great. You're amazing to listen to. You
offer so many insights. Again, I know to people who
don't know golf well, but even those who do are
constantly listening to what you have to say. It should
be mentioned this year you made your first trip to

(51:59):
beautiful my favorite place on the planet, the American Century
Golf Championship in beautiful Lake Tahoe.

Speaker 1 (52:10):
Do you want to see something amazing?

Speaker 2 (52:12):
What?

Speaker 1 (52:12):
So? I was literally getting ready for this show and
I was on a trip to South Carolina yes day.
So I was pulling my backpack or stuff out of
my backpack and I find this ship from Harras. I
can't make this up, Harris Tahoe one hundred dollars.

Speaker 2 (52:27):
That is a one dollar from Harra's in Lake Tahoe.

Speaker 1 (52:33):
Wow, hilarious. That means I have to go back next
year so I can cash this out.

Speaker 2 (52:37):
You have to cash it, you have to catch it out.
Did you enjoy being.

Speaker 1 (52:41):
There the greatest week of the year. Honestly, I'd heard
stories I was going up there. We flew up there
on Tuesday or Wednesday, Sleaz and I did a deal
for Corbell and the Long Drive. Yes, on sixteen there.
And then my good buddy Alex Klorn, who was making
his first appearance two times Stanley Cup champion, He's like,
would you want to Caddy? But I'm like God, it's

(53:02):
one hundred and forty degrees in Scott's Still I'm like, sure,
I'll caddy for you. We end up playing great the
first day, get paired with Steph Curry in the last
group on Saturday. It makes the hole in one on
eight like it was such a fun week. I knew
it was gonna be fun, but it blew me away.
That is seriously, I see why y'all have so much
fun and see why you look forward to it every year.

(53:23):
I mean that scene on seventeen when we came through
there on Saturday, I'm like, this is this is like
playing with Tiger right now, with Steph Curry out here
and all these people. Man, they do a great job there.
That is, if you ever get a chance to go,
for those listening, you gotta go. It's a blast.

Speaker 2 (53:39):
Where would you put it ranking wise as a as
a I understand it's not a PGA Tour event. I'm
well aware they let me play, but what but what
where would you.

Speaker 1 (53:49):
Rank it as far as just fun? I don't know
if you can beat it, Like you can't beat it.
I mean with all you guys, I mean some the
names that play in this tournament. You Charles Parkley, Aaron Rodgers.
I mean, the list goes on and on. Steph Curry
justin Timberlake's played in the past. Like to see those
guys up close and personal. Then you see him in
the casino afterwards. Travis Kelsey, by the way, who's probably

(54:12):
MVP every year, puts on an absolute show.

Speaker 2 (54:14):
He put a show.

Speaker 1 (54:15):
You can't you can't make it up, like it's fantasy
lamp like. Yeah, I'm making sure my CBS schedule does
not conflict with whatever American Century at Lake Tahoe, Like,
I gotta be there every year.

Speaker 2 (54:27):
Yeah, it's it's a great time. Well, it's always the
same week, just so you know, so.

Speaker 1 (54:32):
I believe it's opposite Scottish Open. It's the week before
the British Open, the British Op. Yeah, so it's opposite
the Scottish Open, which just so happens. We have eighteen
events next year for CBS. I get seventeen of them,
and I happen to have the Scottish Open off, So.

Speaker 2 (54:48):
So I'll see in Lake Tahoe. Oh baby, shoot, wait,
you know what's interesting to me and no one else
the Americans said, I've never talked about this before. I don't,
probably because nobody would be interested by that. Tournament in
a way was built because NBC did not have the
British Open, so it was counter programming to the British.

(55:10):
It was the same weekend on NBC versus your employer Cbah.

Speaker 1 (55:15):
Well, it was a rather good idea whoever came up.

Speaker 2 (55:18):
With it, because John Miller, my friend, my.

Speaker 1 (55:20):
God, I mean, that is a show. I mean, between
the golf, everything going on at night, can't beat. It's
the best week of the year. It takes ten years
off your life, but it's a lot of fun.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
You haven't aged a bit. Colt, thank you so much
for coming on. Check out Colt's podcast Golf Subpar, as
well as Gravy and the Sleeves on Serious XM. And
of course you can hear my good friend doing the
best work in professional golf on CBS, not the lead commentator,

(55:55):
but an on course correspondent for CBS. Check him out
at least if they have the tournament and not NBC. Cold,
thanks a lot, my friend.

Speaker 1 (56:06):
You got it, ma man anytime. Thank you so much
for having me.

Speaker 2 (56:20):
Cold. Thank you, my friend, thanks for joining me, and
thank you for bringing some personality and incredible knowledge to
those who like to watch the game of golf. Unfortunately,
I have to report that since we recorded this conversation,
Team USA did not win the Wryter Cup. But hey,

(56:42):
cold got to go to Italy, so it's not all bad.
And Resid assured we will see the Europeans back on
American soil in two years. Guess what, you don't have
to wait two years for me. I'll be back next week,
same time, same podcast. I hope you will. We'll be
here too. Until then, Yeah, have a fantastic week. Off

(57:13):
the Beat is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner,
alongside our executive producer Lang Lee. Our senior producer is
Diego Tapia. Our producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and
Emily Carr. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and
our intern is Ali Amir Sahem. Our theme song Bubble

(57:34):
and Squeak, performed by the one and only Creed Bray