April 2, 2025 • 49 mins
Claude sits down with Rickie Fowler to discuss his career, his command over his game and equipment, what it's like to be coached by Butch Harmon, and the many positive effects he's had on the game of golf.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's the Son of a Butcher podcast. I'm your host,
Claude Harman. This week's guest one of the most popular
players in the game, Ricky Fowler. He's had an amazing career.
I think he changed the game with regards to fashion,
and he's just always been a player that the fans
have been drawn to. Won the Players Championship, He's won
on DP World, He's won on some big golf courses
(00:22):
in the United States, and I'm a fan. My dad
and I've worked with him in the past. And what
you see is what you get from Ricky. This is
a good one. Sit back and enjoy listening to Ricky Feller.
Rick we were talking before we started recording. Next year is
going to be your sixteenth year on the PGA Tour.
You're thirty five years old, You're father of two. Now
(00:44):
you are a veteran, but I think some people still
see you as like one of the up and coming players.
Do you see yourself now as a veteran on the
PGA Tour?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yes and no.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
And you go down and look at the timeline and
you know, been out here for a while and definitely
have more experience now. Mentally, I don't think I've gone
past fifteen years old, so there's yeah, I still feel
like a young guy, but uh, just more experienced.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
When you look at the arc of your career, Rick,
do you feel like you've in your head when you
look at your game and the things that you've accomplished.
I mean, I look at the things that you've done.
Players Championship, you know, six wins, President's got to Ryder Cups.
I mean, you've had a hell of a career. But
when you evaluate your career, are you harder on yourself
and say I should have done maybe better at this point?
(01:37):
Are you comfortable with where you're at? Because I look
at what you've done and how your career has you know,
basically just continued to go in a positive direction. And
but golfers are hard on themselves. I think everybody listening
is hard on themselves from a golf standpoint. Are you
happy with where you are right now?
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Depends how you look at it, because you always want more.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
But for me, if you if you kind of remove
yourself from current situation and go back to me as
a kid, I just I dreamed of playing on the
PGA Tour and winning on tour. So when you start
to add things up, and once you've been out here
and know how hard it is to win on tour,
you know to have done that multiple times and have
a players in there, be on you know, a handful
(02:23):
of team events. It's a solid career, but when you're
in it, you always want more. But that's that's a
good thing because you you never want to be satisfied,
because you want to continue to push yourself. You know,
there's plenty of things that I still want to do.
If I was just okay with it, there's no point
(02:44):
in continuing to play. But I love to play, even
if I'm not competing. I love to play at home.
It's always a fun grind and trying to figure out
how to get better. There's no way to perfect it,
so we're we're always working towards more.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I think obviously your image has been one of the
biggest images in golf. You've been one of the biggest figures.
But I think one of the cool things for those
of us that are lucky enough to know you personally
and be around you. You and I have worked together
in the past. You've worked and worked with my dad.
I don't think people realize how hard you work. Where
do you think the drive and the work ethic that
(03:19):
you have and that I've been lucky enough to witness,
where does that come from? And how can other young
players kind of learn from the way that you've approached
the game and the way that you approach your practice
and all of those things.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I mean, I just at the end of the day,
I love it. I've loved it since I was a
little kid. There's a lot of factors that go into it.
I mean, my parents and grandparents and family around me.
They one just always supported it and it was never
something that was pushed on me. It was always something
I wanted to do. Like I said, I loved playing
(03:56):
and the grind of it from day one. So it's
it's different for everyone, and there's some people that are
good at it that don't necessarily fully love it and
it feels more like work. For me, it's always just
been fun. Even when we've gone through tough times, it's
still part of the grind. There's still something that's when
(04:16):
you look back at it, there's fun to it because
you're trying to figure out how to get it done,
and ultimately when you do come out of the other side,
it's so satisfying. So yeah, there's a lot of factors
that go into for me, but I think the biggest
thing is I've always loved it when.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
You were younger and growing up and playing golf. Obviously
everybody knows about, you know, the extreme sports that you
love to do and stuff like that, but what drew
you to golf and when you were younger, what did
you like about golf at a young age.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I always liked individual things. I wasn't a big team
sport guy, played you know, some baseball. As a little kid,
I pitched, and so that's about as individuals you can
get in that situation. Rod and Rice dirt bikes, it's
just you on the bike and then fishing and golf.
So for me, it was, you know, there's really no
(05:05):
one else to blame. It's it's all on you. Some
guys will blame caddies and know there's situations like that,
but at the end of the day, it's it's just
you and I always I always liked that. I'm not
sure why, because as as a kid at two, three
four years old, really don't know what's going on a
whole lot of times. But for some reason, it was
(05:26):
just what I loved and you know, my parents would
drop me off of the range. I'd hang out there
all day and they'd pick me up and it was dark.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
You mentioned that you love the individual thing about golf,
but if you look at your relationship with the Oklahoma
State Golf program, how how important that relationship has been
to you, How important that relationship has been to your career.
I mean it's almost like you're still on the Oklahoma
State Golf team. You care about that so much. You
(05:54):
love being on the President's Cup, you love being on
the Ryder Cup. So as much as you love the
individual part part of it, the team part of it
is something I know that is really really important to you.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Yeah, I think a lot of it is it comes
down to, like the relationships and friendships you can.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Build with the game of golf.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Just the individual side is literally you just you know,
hitting the shots and pulling the trigger and playing your game.
But outside of that, the family that we have out here,
and like you said, the relationships you get to build
and we're all out there grinding it out together, trying
to beat each other up as bad as possible. But
it's you know, sharing houses together, traveling together, that's that's
(06:36):
the other side of it that a lot of people
don't necessarily see. They just see us grinding it out
inside the ropes. I guess they've seen a little bit
of us having some fun outside. But that's that's the balance,
and it's amazing the you said the friendships and relationships
you get to build over the years.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
The PGA Tour is kind of like high school, right.
You've got the cool kids. You've got the kind of
kids that do their own things. You've got the kids
that want to You've always been, in my opinion, in
the cool kid category. You JT, Jordan, the boys that
you kind of hang out with. You guys always play
your practice rounds together, and I think that's one of
the reasons why the fans relate to you so well,
(07:13):
that relationship you have with with JT and Jordan. You
guys stay in houses together and stuff. Do you think
that makes the life that you lead on the PGA
tour easier? I mean a lot of this was before
you got married, before you had a family. But it
is a very lonely life. I mean, it's an individual sport.
You're traveling twenty thirty weeks a year. The relationships and
(07:33):
the friendships that you've got on tour with all of
the various players. Do you think that's helped kind of
elongate your career and make it, you know, make it
more fun for you when you're on the road.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Yeah, I mean being able. I feel like, in a way,
I'm a little bit of a rover. I can kind
of go and hang wherever, kind of hang out with
all the different groups. I like to be able to
fit in and have a good time with anyone. So
it makes it definitely makes it more fun on the
road if it's there's other guys that are are very
much just themselves. They go out there, do their job,
do what they need to do. I like to have
(08:07):
fun while I'm out there. I love playing and practicing
in the grind of it, but it's a lot more
fun when you can, you know, be with your buddies
and kind of mix that up a bit. So yeah,
being able to stay in houses together, which has gotten
a bit tougher, you know, having a family, and it's
hard to find big enough houses if you got myself
and the family, and Jordan.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
And his family are married now and having.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Kids too, so you know, at least maybe we can
start working on trying to get houses closer together. But
it's it's that's created a whole another dynamic. And you know,
like with Jordan's oldest Sammy, he's four days older than Maya,
and so like when we're on the road, they're they're
together all the time, and then they have another and
our second will be about a year behind. JT's got
(08:50):
one coming here shortly, so that's going to continue to
keep us together at a different level.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
No.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
I I enjoy having a good time, and whether that's
you know, having fun with the grind of golf and
practice and working at that, or you know, having games
with the guys or having the families hang out and
you know, maybe have a few drinks.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
The Ryder Cup and the President's Cup, but specifically the
Ryder Cup are such a huge part of the game
of golf. Every two years, that's the one everybody wants
to watch. Anytime there's a Ryder Cup year, everything's ramped
up because everybody's trying to play, is trying to make
those teams for the fans. What's it like getting on
those teams? Trying to get on those teams. But also
I think everybody is fascinating the bond. I remember when
(09:32):
Brooks finally made his first Ryder Cup team at Hazel Team,
I kept telling once you get on one of these teams,
you will never ever not want to be on one.
There's something about what do you think about those weeks?
Make them so special? Even though you don't necessarily win
every single time, But the weeks and the bonds that
(09:52):
I've been able lucky enough to watch, it's like there's
a Ryder Cup fraternity and if you've been on one,
it's almost like your boys for life, right, you're always
because you shared that one week experience that was so intensive.
What's it like for the fans? I mean, what's it
feel like to get the call to know you've made it?
And then the weeks are just I mean, I'm on
(10:15):
the outside looking at as a coach, but they just
must be magical for you guys to spend time together
in ways that you don't normally do that.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
It's I mean, yeah, you go out and play practice
around with your buddies and for a normal tournament, and
it's those are fun, but it's different when you're there
together for the same cause and playing together and on
the same team. I think more goes away from the
course and you know, whether it's the rights to the course,
being in the team room, it's a it's kind of
(10:46):
a bummer. It's only just that one week, six seven days,
and once you're there, they fly by. So it'd be nice,
we'd all want them to be longer, but I think
it's such a you know, little just small piece of
time compared to all that we put into, you know,
(11:07):
the years of playing and other tournaments. What makes them
so special. If they happen more often or they were
a longer amount of time, they wouldn't be as special.
But like you said, once you're once you're a part
of one, or you've been on a Ryder Cup team
or President's Cup team, you're in it's like being verified
on Instagram or something like you've got that stamp.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
It's it's you got it.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Almost like you've arrived. When you make one of those, right,
there's always those rookies that everybody knows is a really,
really good player and then all of a sudden, like
Max Max Homwich, it gets on on a on a
Ryder Cup team and just plays unbelievable goal even though
the team didn't win, but you have these players that
basically get into that environment and it's it is sink
(11:53):
or swim. You have guys that are great players that
necessarily don't have great Ryder Cup records. But then you
always have players, you know that are rookies that sometimes
just had that breakout. When you were a rookie on
your first Ryder Cup team, were you nervous, did you
feel the weight of everything, the weight of the US
and playing for the flag and all that, or were
(12:13):
you able to do what I think you you've always
been able to do is just kind of act like
a kid, be a kid and just have fun.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Uh combo.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
I mean, if you're not nervous at the Ryder Cup,
then you're doing the wrong thing. It doesn't matter. If
you're the best player in the world, then you're you
know you're going to go beat everyone. It's you're still nervous.
It's it's the Ryder Cup. I haven't had the obviously
the best record by any means in the Ryder Cup.
I've I've had my fair share of maybe meaningful half
(12:43):
points or a point here and there. At least we
don't have a goose egg to start. They're just they're
special and like you said, there's there's plenty of situations
where guys maybe haven't played as well but make the
team or get a pick and then ball out. I mean,
I think looking at last Ryder Cup with JT not
(13:07):
necessarily being in a great spot, but he's someone that
you know, rises to the occasion, played great over in Rome.
Obviously the team didn't play as you know, well as
we all would have liked to. But there's definitely situations
where you see guys, you know sometimes that gives them
that little spark and ignites their game being in that situation.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
DS Adapt drivers feature four models to fit every golf
repaired with future Fit thirty three, which offers thirty three
unique lie and loft settings to fund your ideal ballflight,
minimize your miss, maximize your distance, and dial in your game.
I talk a lot on the podcast kind of switching
to you know, golf and technique and stuff. I talk
(13:48):
a lot about. I think there's a there's a big
balance in golf between the technical part of things, your technique,
your golf swing, and then the execution part. What have
you learned in your you know, going on fifteen sixteen
years on the PGA Tour about executing on the golf course.
And I think so many players are convinced Ricky that
you know, you go to the range, you work on it,
(14:09):
you work on it, you work on it. And what
happens on the range. If you hit it good on
the range, you're going to hit it good on the course. Right.
Sometimes the warm up is bad and then sometimes you
play great on the course. But the executing part, the
playing of the game. What have you learned in your
time on tour? You feel like you're better now at
playing the game of golf? And how do you do that?
(14:32):
Because I think so many people think, Okay, go shoot
eighty five. I just go straight to the range. Technique technique,
work on my game, work on my game, Whereas sometimes
it doesn't really have anything to do with what your
technique is. It's how you're playing the game of golf.
So when you look back at when you started versus now,
as I said, you are sixteen year veteran on the
(14:54):
PGA Tour, what have you learned now or know now
about playing golf that maybe you didn't know when you
were rookie.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I was always good at playing the game. Technically, I
wasn't as sound as I am now going back to
the start of this, I have a lot more experience,
and I think i'm I know, I'm a much more
like well rounded and better player technically and playing the game.
I was always good at hitting shots and working my
(15:24):
right way around the golf course, but if I got
a little off where the golf swing was, I would
get too far off. And then working with your dad,
you I learned a lot. Also with Tillery, I probably
got too far into the golf swing there, but also
those were times and some stuff with the golf swing
(15:45):
where I learned some of my most how things should work.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
And that set me up.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
After being with Tillery, being back with your Dad and
I had a probably at that point is when I
had the best understanding of kind of everything from swing
to playing and being able to get back to that
two years ago and playing well last year was just
that was golf. So now I definitely feel like I
(16:15):
said a lot better understanding top to bottom from the
playing side and the swing side, because at the end
of the day, it's it's about hitting golf shots. It
doesn't matter what it looks like, but can you step
up there and yeah, it comes down to execution. So
when you're playing your best, whether it's me other guys
(16:36):
out there, you're just hitting shots and hitting your numbers
and you're not thinking about, well, to hit a cut,
I need to do this and make sure it's here.
It's like, no, I'm gonna aim there. I'm gonna cut
it five yards and hit it one p seventy in
the air.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
We hear that a lot. I mean, obviously, when you're
playing good, it feels the game feels very, very easy.
And I think you know when you went through that
struggle for those couple of years, the fans and the
average golfers, it was as close as they're ever going
to get to you. They struggle with their golf swing.
They're not hitting it where they're looking. They're not hitting
(17:11):
the type of shots that they're wanting to hit. When
you are in that space, because you, like all the
great players, you guys can make the game Ricky look
so easy. You know. As a coach, I've been lucky
enough to watch all of you guys play for the
last twenty five years, and I just marvel at what
you guys do under the pressure that you're under. I mean,
I still to this day, I know how nervous I
(17:33):
am as a coach when any of the players that
I've been lucky have to work with like you, when
you have a chance to win, I know how nervous
I am. And I'm sitting to myself saying, I mean,
I can barely even hold my phone or take a
cap off a bottle of water. I'm so nervous. So
I always I just I don't think you will get
enough credit for the pressure that you're under. But when
you do go through a struggle and it was really
(17:53):
kind of the first kind of time in your life
to where the ball wasn't going where you wanted to,
you weren't able to do the things you wanted to do.
All of a sudden, you've been, in my opinion, one
of the greatest pure putters that I've ever seen, and
all of a sudden, you're not making the putts easy.
What's that like for you as a player, because you're
trying to figure it out and you can't take six
(18:15):
months off to figure it out. Now, you have to
keep playing when you are struggling, and you know you're
going to have to go play, and you know you're
going to be on TV and you're on the spotlight?
Is it hard to stay positive to just say listen,
just got to keep grinding out, grinding and out, grinding
and out.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah, it is stuff because I mean, like you said,
with how the schedule works, you can't It's not like
you can hide or go and like I'm going to
go take four or five months and you know, go
dig it out and figure it out. But at the
end of the day, the best way to fix it
and where you need to get work done is at
(18:52):
a tournament. I mean, you can do stuff at home,
but until it's under the gun, I don't care how
good you hit it at home.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
It's not relate.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Rarely do you guys shoot over. I mean it's not
like you shoot seventy five at home. No, I mean
your home course you got And that's the other thing.
I don't think the people listening to the pod understand
when you guys are at home. I mean, you shot
the course record here at the Floridian and you shot
twenty nine on the front and or on the back.
We started on the back and we were going to
(19:22):
go have lunch and you weren't even gonna finish the back,
and you just shot twenty nine, and but you said, hey,
why we go play the front nine and you shot
the course record and you had a chance to shoot
fifty nine. So when you guys are at home, you
light it up. But when you go out on tour,
So you can be playing good at home, working on
good stuff, but the pressure of the tour and all
(19:44):
of the other things that can sometimes magnify any kind
of changes that you're trying to make.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Oh for sure, I mean, yeah, it's it's so different
from Yeah, you can be playing what you think is
decent golf at home, but until it's like I said,
under the and when you need to do it and
the pressure's on, it's not like oh, I can just
hit another ball or maybe I'll just go to the
range and work on some stuff after this, Like no,
it counts. You can't hide. You're fully exposed. But that's
(20:13):
where you have to fight through it. And so yeah,
going through that, it's I think the biggest thing is
trying to find and look for as many positives as
possible to continue to build on, because if you're you know,
sitting there dwelling on bad shots and you're just going
to go further and further down that was.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
It helpful to have a friend like Jordan who went
through a downtime as well? He went through a couple
of year period where he was struggling. He wasn't playing
the type of golf that we all know he can
play and that we're all accustomed to seeing him play.
Is it easier to have a friend like that on
tour who you know is going somewhat through the same thing?
(20:51):
And how much did you lean on your boys on
tour when you were going through that.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
No, that's where I mean having your crew and the
guys that you you know a lot of time with,
they know you, you know them, they're not afraid to you know,
whether it's if there's something they really see or give
their opinion whether it's good or bad. That's where it's
it's nice to be able to lean on guys, you know,
between talking with JT and Jordan too, you know with Duff,
(21:18):
who's another close friend. Well, that's the other thing that's
fun is we're we're all there for each other, like
we bounce ideas off each other. You know, I helped
JT when we're at home sometimes, same with him with me.
It's we all want to see each other play well.
And when you see like in past, when you know
I've been there for guys when they've won, or guys
have been there for me. You know, some people have
(21:41):
give me a hard time for like why are you
like celebrating your buddies wins and stuff. It's like, well,
I was done playing boy, Yeah, I left everything out there,
like and then vice versa, like you want to beat
your friends when they play well, you know, if if
they're going to beat me, they played better, and it's
It's just that's how it's always been, even growing up,
(22:02):
you know, having putting and chipping contests with buddies at
the range, back home to high school golf to college golf.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I feel like that's where you get the best.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Out of your game, is being able to be with,
you know, friends and be able to push each other.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
It helps to have three friends like that that are
all major champions too, and that's helpful.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I got some work to do in that category.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
I mentioned you're putting. I think you've got one of
the best putting strokes I've ever seen. I was asking
you once what you thought about when you were putting,
and I'd love for you to tell everybody what you
told me you were thinking about when you're.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Putting, because you talk, Yeah, I can remember, I.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Was your brain off as you get into it once
you go to the information gathering system. And I think
putting for the average golf and for a lot of
people listening to the podcast Rick, putting is something that
is so difficult for so many people. I've always thought
that as instructors, we kind of teach putting backwards. We
teach technique, can stroke first, and then we kind of
(23:02):
work on speed your natural stroke. The fact that you
told me that when you get over potts you try
and turn your brain off. I think that's the total
one hundred and eighty degree opposite of most of the
people listen. They can't turn the brain off when they
put They're thinking of so many things. But what is
to you when you said turning your brain off? What
(23:23):
does it mean for you?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Well, I think, I mean it's hard to say. There's
ever like nothing. But when you're putting, well, it's like
you're going into it. You have a picture you visualize
where you see the ball rolling, and whether you're looking
at a spot and started it there and you're over
the ball you're set up, you've lined up, and you
and you kind of have that look from behind as
well as in front. You've you've got that picture in
(23:47):
your head. And a lot of times I look at
like the grass just behind the ball, because I mean,
one of the things is you don't want your eyes
to follow the ball, so staying fixed on that. But
I'm looking there, but I kind of have like a
picture there of what I see the putt doing. And
really it's just thinking of the speed and how hard
(24:10):
I'm hitting. How do I make that picture happen. But yeah,
when you're doing it, I'm not thinking of.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Stroked mechanics or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
No, it kind of just goes somewhat.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I guess you kind of say blank, Yeah, it's there,
and you're subconscious you know what to do. That's where
you know, going back to like talking about the mechanics
of the golf swing and executing. You've hit plenty of
cuts on the range, working on stuff, You've hit plenty
of draws.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
It's in there. You know what to do. You don't
need to.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Like tell yourself twice. You're already trying to hit a draw.
You don't need to tell yourself to do it on
top of that. So that's where the practice the same
thing into the putting. Like you've worked on your stroke,
you're starting it online. Just aim at your spot and
here's how hard I need to hit it.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I think you have a great visual approach to putting.
And one of the things that I always say to
the juniors that are struggling with putting, I always Ricky
use you as an example. One of the things I
love about you is you'll have a twelve foot of
for birdie and if you miss it, you kind of
look at it, take it well. The next part of
it is you go over to the bag. You put
the putter back in the bag. I've never seen you
(25:21):
go over and work on your stroke like a lot
of players do. To me, that's the sign that you
are a great putter because you don't feel like you're
going to lose it. But for everyone listening, do you
think that how much of it is feel? And how
much of your practice do you think for golfers needs
to be technical stroke mechanics and then feel. Because I
(25:45):
just don't see a lot of people on the putting green.
You'll see them every now and again, go putt long
pots just oh, let me go get the speed of
the green, but they're not really doing anything and they
think they're supposed to. So feel for you means what
on the greens? Is it a visual thing? Are you?
Do you feel it kind of when you look at it?
Do you feel it in your feet? Or are you
(26:05):
trying to take all of this in? Because I think
you are the old in my opinion, you're one of
the ultimate field putters.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Yeah, I mean I thought it with a line here
and there in parts of my career, but definitely a
lot better of just whether it's feeling with feet and
eyes and there's there's greens that I see better just
like anyone. Some some guys just sea greens well that week,
and sometimes you're a bit off. No, Like, putting has
always been super interesting. I've spent a lot of time
(26:33):
with Paul at Scotti's, and I've learned so much down
there over the years of stroke mechanics and having an
understanding there, but also still being able to take that
and and still be a field putter.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
So I feel like.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
I've always had a where kind of I am now
golf swing wise. I've been with putting for a long
time and putting you don't you don't have to be perfect.
I mean there's there's three variables. There's you know, starting
the ball online, speed, and read. And I think when
you go back to talking about me kind of accepting
(27:09):
a pot and moving on, it's it's being able to
have a you know, quick assessment of like which one
was wrong? You know, did I hit it too hard?
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Too soft? Maybe my read was wrong.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
And I mean the one that you don't really want
is starting it offline. But you're gonna push or pull
a pot here and there. But if you can take
one of those and you're like, Okay, this is what
I did wrong, We're going.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
To move forward Augusta Nashville where you you've had a
chance to win. He came so close. Do you love
those greens? Do you? I mean you must, I mean,
knowing you the way you must love those greens? Right,
what do you love about them?
Speaker 3 (27:43):
There's yeah, you have to be able to visualize it.
I mean yeah, with with ame point stuff, you can
you know, in today's kind of green reading aame point
you can get you know, pretty good there. But I
feel like having createivity and imagination only helps you on
those greens. I had one of my best putting rounds there.
(28:06):
I can't remember which year, but I doubled one and
I doubled ten shot sixty eight with twenty one putts.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
It was just one of those days. It was a
trash can and I just filled it up.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
When you do putt well at Augusta on those greens
in competition under the heat, you must just come away
from that saying yeahuts, and it's that's a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
It's I would say it's a big majority of that
is speed because, as you know, with the movement and
it's not like you get like perfect planar putts. There's
just always something going on. You could play a putt
in so many different spots, but you have to have
the speed to match it to that. So it's picking
your read but then committing to what that speed is.
(28:49):
So speed control is probably one of the biggest things there.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
What's the hardest green to read it Augusta, Nashville? For you?
Is there one where you get on that when you're.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
Like not now, I feel like, you know, some greens
will have subtle changes over years, but since I've been
there so many times, I usually, I mean, I have
a pretty good feeling, like you could almost tell me, hey,
this pin this spot from eight feet, where should I
be playing it? I have a pretty good memory. I
(29:21):
could probably go around and give some decent reads just
off memory.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
And when you put rick, do you see there's linear
and nonlinear? Right linears already put straight putt to the
brake and then let the brake go way. When you're
looking at a putt, do you see the curve? Do
you see it going in? Do you see it like
a clock to where you know it's twelve o'clock, six
o'clock and I'm try and have this left righter come
in about eight eight thirty nine o'clock. Do you see
it like that?
Speaker 3 (29:45):
It's a little yeah, a little bit of both. That
definitely starts with like where the ball's entering the hole
and then drawing lines back from there. Part of it
is because you'll see me kind of plumbob in a way,
but it's it's kind of my own I'm not just
letting it sit there, so I'm almost finding like a
(30:05):
straight line to a high point and then depending if
it's downhill or uphill, varies on how far up the
shaft I'll go, So kind of creating some sort of
a triangle in a way, and then within that triangle
is the circle or like the curve yeap, so like that.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
I've never thought about that. So you basically kind of
create like a barrier and then you're trying to curve it.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Yeah, so it would be like the entry and then
the start. Obviously you're never going to get to that
high point of the triangle, but it's gonna start and
then finish on those lines.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Grade for twenty twenty four, goals for twenty twenty five
coming off twenty three.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Twenty four was about.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
An f.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
I didn't think you were gonna say that D minus.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Honestly, looking at early parts of events, probably I wasn't
that far off of some of the starts in twenty three.
Is just when I had chances or what I did
on weekends in twenty three was the big difference. I
didn't execute, you know, I missed a handful of cuts,
(31:16):
but nothing like the years prior. So twenty three I
just did a really good job of getting myself a
tea time and then moved forward on the weekend, and
if I was in a decent spot, I was in
contention and had chances to win. So I like what
I saw from the last three events that I just played,
coming off a nice little break, feeling refreshed and happy
(31:39):
with where things are going. I've got a nice good
chunk of time right now with some work stuff, time
with family, but also be able to get ready building
off of these these three events going into twenty five.
So yeah, twenty five is definitely gonna be better than
twenty four.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
In twenty five, you'll be celebrating fifteen years with Puma,
in ten years with Cobra Golf. What's that relationship been
like and how important has that relationship with the Cobra
Puma family been to you in your career.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
For me, it's always been about you know, partnerships and
being able to you know, work with you know, companies
or people you believe in and obviously want to be with.
To me, it's, you know, we're all family, and it's
it's felt like that from from day one, So yeah,
we're in it together.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
It's it's hard to really put.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
It into kind of perspective for people on the outside
or have a full understanding, but yeah, it's not like
I don't feel like, hey, we pay you to, you know,
wear these clothes or you know, you need to hit
this stuff. It's like, we work on this stuff together
and we all want to see it do well. And
now it's been fun. I said, I'm someone that looks
to have partnerships and do stuff together and have a
(32:51):
good time.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
You mentioned the family, asked of it. Ben Showman and
James Posey work on the tour truck. Ben does a
lot of your fittings. James does as well. That relationship
that you've created, it's almost like I look at the
relationship you have with Ben, it's almost like an F
one driver and the engineer. You know, the relationship that
kind of Lewis has with Bono, his chief engineer. You
guys are kind of always in the trenches kind of.
And you're a tinkerer too. I don't think a lot
(33:13):
of people realize how much you're constantly trying different stuff
because you're trying. I don't think you're trying to try.
I think you're trying to gain an edge. But that
relationship that you and Ben and James, you know from
a tour department. They're the ones that build your equipment,
they're the ones that help you test it. What's that
relationship like now and how has it changed over the years.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
I mean, it's an amazing team and what's fun. You know,
We've always had a fairly small team, so it's it's
just a few guys girls, So it's not like trying
to work with a big crew. Our input is you know,
actually gets hurt and being able to work with Ben
and James and you know everyone back in the shop
(33:58):
and engineers. But yeah, I love being able to test
and mess with stuff and figure out why things work,
why some stuff doesn't, what causes that, what are the differences,
Just to have an understanding. I've always loved equipment from Woods, Irons, putters, everything,
(34:19):
So it's always trying to figure out like or we'll
talking about our experience earlier, but it's like having an
understanding of what causes what and ultimately how do we
make things better.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Well, I know you're a big car guy, but it
is a little bit like an engineer in F one.
They know how you like the car to run right,
they know how you like your equipment to look, they
know how you like your equipment to feel. How much
when you're testing equipment with Ben and Jas, how much
of that is you balancing what the numbers are saying
(34:52):
versus the look and the feel of the clubs that
they're trying to put into your hands, because it's tough
to play clubs that you don't.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Like the look of Yeah, I mean, look is kind
of the first one. You feel has a big part
to do with it. But if it if the look
and it performs, you can deal with feel being you know,
maybe not your normal. So I'd say, yeah, the first
thing when someone puts a club down.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Is it has to pass the looks test.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
It's got to look good. Yeah, you put the King
Tour Black Irons in your bag. They look really cool.
I mean I took him out when I got sent down,
I took him out. I was like, man, these sends
look money. What do you like about them from a
look standpoint but also from a playability standpoint?
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Uh, well, I've been in the King Too or iron
Now for a little over two years. When I tested
them against having the NBS and the CBS, I took
them all out. And this was obviously a couple of
years back, but I was seeing them basically the same
numbers with the King Tours. But I was just noticing
on on little off center hits, whether it was groove
(35:57):
low or healed tobias, the numbers or the carry numbers
were staying a lot closer to a full number, So
mishits were, We're a bit better if you can get
away with you know, saving two or three yards here
and there, that's that can be a big difference. So
very similar performance, just a bit more forgiving. So I
was like, well, why make it harder on myself, I'll
(36:18):
go here and then I didn't even really know about
the black and the works.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
That was a couple of months ago.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Ben sent a fresh set of Irons as well as
the black, and I don't think the fresh set of
the silver King Tours have been hit yet. I just
took the black, which, yeah, obviously same head, same shape, everything,
just you know, being in black, and you know with
the black heads, you know, the King Tours are obviously
(36:45):
a little bigger profile than like an NB or CB,
but the black does help kind of mute the edges
and makes the head look a fraction smaller.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
To me, they look better in black.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
I obviously played well and have had plenty of success
with the over, but in black I thought.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
It did a better job.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
And sometimes in that brush finish, the edges or leading
edge or some of those high points can pop a
little bit, so the black kind of helped kind of
mute and just quiet them down a bit.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Cobra has some cool new technology coming out in driver
fitting and adjustable huzzle future Fit thirty three to be
able to adjust the loft and the lie for everyone listening.
Not everybody knows you can adjust the loft on a
driver right. That technology has been around, But I think
the cool thing that Cover has come out with is
all these abilities to change the lie of your metal ones.
(37:35):
Why is that important and how can that help regular golfers?
Speaker 3 (37:39):
Well, just being able to have that many options, and
I mean not you're not going to be using all
of them, but starting in the middle and have an
idea of maybe where to go from there. Then you
have a quadrant that you would kind of live in.
But having that many options in that area, it's I
think four times the amount of options. But being able
(38:00):
to do loft and lie independently. You know, if you
want a more loft but flatter or vice versa. It
just helps fine tune it a bit more, especially when
you're looking for a certain look. I want to see,
you know, more face. I want some more loft, but
I don't want this thing to come upright on me.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
It's amazing to me how many when we look at drivers,
how different all of the all of you guys that play,
How different you want the driver to look at address.
Some guys don't want to see a lot of the face.
Some guys want to look down and see that. Some
guys don't want to see the toe. Some guys no, No,
that looks way way too shut for me. I need
when you look down at your driver, what do you
(38:40):
like to see from a look standpoint? Do you want
to see a little bit more of the face? Do
you want to see a little bit more of the toe,
or do you want to see that kind of toed
and less of the loft?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
I would say it would be if you measure it
probably be towards just a fraction open. What would look
square to a player's eye or for most players, I
would say, And then I want to see a little
bit of face, because I feel like when you get
to a point where you don't see enough face, then.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
You trying to get it out.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
The average golfer doesn't realize the more loft they put
on the driver, it's going to help them get the
ball in the air, because the less loft they go
it looks like there's no loft, it looks shut and
then they get hanging back and trying to hit up
on it and work it in the air.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
Yeah, And a big thing is, you know, being able
to deliver it in a good way and let the
driver work for you, not trying to you know, help
it or so one. I mean obviously getting into a
shaft that fits you, but then being able to mess
with the loft and lie to get it in the
spot where one it looks good but either there's going
to be enough loft for you or where you don't
(39:44):
have to try and manipulate it.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
Covers also doing some really cool things with three D printing.
They got a new iron. You like that technology and
where do you think that technology can go down the line?
Speaker 3 (39:57):
The three D and printing is really cool, you know,
from being able to do some different wedges and you know,
if there's you know, having a grind that you might
like and being able to scan it and duplicate it
a lot easier from the irons and being able to
move waiting around. We've done some testing there and going
to try some more extremes as well, because with that printing,
you can i mean move weight and CG and in
(40:20):
a bunch of different places and seeing you know how
that translates. You know, sometimes just because of moving weight
in a certain direction, sometimes it doesn't fully translate how
you think it might or like what a robot might do,
because you know, once it's in your hands and you're
swinging it, players will react to what that feel is.
So it's been interesting to mess with that a bit,
(40:41):
and we're going to do some more testing in that area.
I think being able to use the printing in other
ways to you know, whether it's being able to print
woodheads or whatever there's there's it makes prototyping a lot
easier and being able to test things out because.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
You could say, hey, listen, I wanted to look.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Like this, and then yeah, and being able to you know,
down the road as far as you know, if you
wanted to have an iron that had this soul, this
top line, this heel toe length, kind of just pick
and choose and hit a button and here's your iron.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
Your relationship with my dad, butch Harmon not that what
she needs is ego massaged more, because I mean, obviously
we know how much he feels about himself. I think
he's the one of the best, if not the best,
golf instructor at the tour level. But I've never asked
any of his guys, and I've always wanted to. So
you're the first opportunity that I'm going to get to.
What do you think makes him such a great tour coach?
Speaker 2 (41:45):
I mean we can say kind of whatever on here. Well,
he's not gonna bullshit you.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
He's definitely not gonna do that.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
I mean some of the texts or responses or like
what the fuck was that?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Like, Yeah, I know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
He's I think people don't realize one and a lot tummy.
Fleetwood said this to me. He said he was unprepared
for how much my dad cared. Yeah, and I think
the thing that people are surprised at given kind of
his public persona, you know, the Butch Harmon kind of throwing,
you know, jabs at everybody. You know, Tony Navarro used
(42:21):
to say, who used to caddy for Greg Norman? Who
caddy Prada? Suff The world is his dart board. He's
just firing darts at everybody. But I do think that
and I learned that from him with all of the
players that I've got, And my wife always says to me,
you care too much about the guys you work with.
I'm like, I don't know how to do my job
if I don't. And I think he is the ultimate cheerleader.
(42:42):
He's he's a he's a bad cop at times, but
there's way more good cup for you guys, not for me,
but for you guys. They're more good cup for Butchy
than people realize.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Yeah, no, he's he's he's always watching them. He always
knows what's going on. He's always keeping an eye.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
One bad swinging.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
He's gonna tell you, oh yeah, no, he's gonna let
you hear it. He's he's not a he's not a
yes man. He's gonna even if you did play well,
he'll pick a part like this needs to be better,
or you know, you were getting a long today, or
you're getting quick like you did a good job of
getting away with it. And that goes back to kind
of the executing and finding a way. But he will
(43:20):
be the first to tell you you're you're doing a good job. Sure, well,
you have to get to that point, as far as
it takes work.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
I'm hoping I get there one day.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
Because I think he's nicer to his players than to you,
but because you're you're blood. But he wants to be
able to push you and and he means it in
a good way. He's trying to make you better. But
he'll keep keep me, will keep pushing you because he
wants the He wants the best of his guys.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
And I think he has And this is the thing
I'm marvel at him that I've tried to emulate over
my career. He has this unbelievable and aate ability to
say the right thing at the right time. But the
other thing that he told me when I first started
working with tour players, he said, listen, this will be
hard to understand, but sometimes it's what you don't say
(44:07):
that makes all the difference. Because he said, it's easy
to just go in and go, hey, we need to
change this, this, this, this, Hey, you didn't do this,
you didn't do this. But I do think that there
are times where he doesn't say something to beat you
up and you're surprised by that.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, no, there's there's definitely been times where you're expecting
something and kind of radio silent. I think, what what?
Butch does a very good job at with with a
you know, number of guys one with him understanding both
the playing and the coaching side. That's invaluable, being able
to keep it fairly simple and sometimes even more simple
(44:46):
depending on how it's going. But working or saying we
need to work on this certain thing, but that certain
thing will help these others get into place, not saying
this is what we need to we need to do
all these things and be like gonna hammer this and
he knows it's going to help clean up other things.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
And I think the other thing is, you know, my
dad is he's a winner, right, He's one that he
prides himself on that he is so proud of you
guys when you win. I mean it's almost like he
wants it more sometimes than you guys.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
Like you're saying earlier about like being nervous when the
guys you know, you guys have a chance and stuff,
like you guys are as much invested as all of us.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
Lastly, Ricky, I think you changed golf fashion forever. I
think when you came out on tour, the way that
people view dressing in golf and the way people now
dress in golf, and if you look at not just
the relationship and the work you've done with with Puma Golf,
but I think when you came out on tour, nobody
had seen anything like that. The Justin Bieber hair, the
(45:47):
flat bills, the orange, the monochrome, all of that. Are
you proud of the fact that you kind of you
took golf maybe in a different direction just based off
of the way you dressed.
Speaker 3 (45:59):
I mean, it was obviously we didn't go into it.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
Yeah, no, it was.
Speaker 3 (46:04):
It was It was fun being able to, you know,
start with Puma and kind of have like open doors
and be able to just let's have fun, you know,
having the Moto background and being from southern California kind
of I'm definitely Moto Capital World and Action sports and
and just kind of bring my childhood into you know,
(46:27):
me being me on the golf course and to see
the like how much the definitely younger generation like took
that in and and to see you know, how many
kids wanted to you know, wear our gear and the hats.
That was just I mean a huge bonus because it
was just I wanted to go out, have fun and
(46:47):
wear what I wanted to wear, and then here we are.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
Have you ever dressed as Halloween is just a regular
golfer And that's my Halloween now. And I'm wearing pleated
pants and I'll wear kakis. I'm gonna wear some big
sleeve shirts. And you know something.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
One time was I can't remember if I was like
seven or eight, but I dressed as Freddy, so that
might have been as that might have been as traditional
old school as I've gotten for Halloween.
Speaker 1 (47:11):
It's been so fun to watch your career. I've been
lucky enough to spend a lot of time with you.
I consider your friend. I know my dad was happy
when you got back in the Winter Circle last year.
I'd be honest with you. I was sitting in my
hotel room. I was in London at a tournament, and
I was crying. It's great to see you back. You're
such a great ambassador, Ricky for the game, for the
way the game should be played, and the way that
(47:32):
everybody I told all the junior golfers two people, if
you could model your career off of obviously the og
goat Adam Scott. Everybody wants to be Scottie right. I mean,
he's kind of the gold standard of class. But I
think when I look at the way that you have
conducted yourself and the things that you've been able to do,
and the way that you have handled not only great
(47:52):
successes but also adversity and the friendships, when we see
you behind the greens waiting for guys that you're trying
to be the it shows that people mean something to
you and and relationships mean something new. And I'm so
lucky to get to watch your career, but I'm also
incredibly lucky to get a chance to spend time with
you and work with you in the past. So great
(48:13):
to see him.
Speaker 2 (48:14):
We got too, thank you.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
So a really good interview with Ricky Fowler and easy
to see why he is so popular with the fans.
I just think he's a really, really genuine person. I
think it comes across in all of his interviews and
just kind of the way he carries himself. And listen,
you could make an argument that he could have won more,
but I look at Ricky Feller, and I look at
the career he's had, and listen, golf is tough, and
(48:38):
I think we expect a lot from our superstars. But
I think Ricky's delivered. I think he's delivered at a really,
really high level. And I still think he has some
great golf left in him and his career, and I
wouldn't be surprised if he goes on to do some
incredibly big things even at this stage of his career.
(48:59):
Can't thank everybody enough for listening. Son of Butch comes
to you almost every Wednesday, but we will definitely see
you next week for a little master's preview
It's the Son of a Butcher podcast. I'm your host,
Claude Harman. This week's guest one of the most popular
players in the game, Ricky Fowler. He's had an amazing career.
I think he changed the game with regards to fashion,
and he's just always been a player that the fans
have been drawn to. Won the Players Championship, He's won
on DP World, He's won on some big golf courses
(00:22):
in the United States, and I'm a fan. My dad
and I've worked with him in the past. And what
you see is what you get from Ricky. This is
a good one. Sit back and enjoy listening to Ricky Feller.
Rick we were talking before we started recording. Next year is
going to be your sixteenth year on the PGA Tour.
You're thirty five years old, You're father of two. Now
(00:44):
you are a veteran, but I think some people still
see you as like one of the up and coming players.
Do you see yourself now as a veteran on the
PGA Tour?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yes and no.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
And you go down and look at the timeline and
you know, been out here for a while and definitely
have more experience now. Mentally, I don't think I've gone
past fifteen years old, so there's yeah, I still feel
like a young guy, but uh, just more experienced.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
When you look at the arc of your career, Rick,
do you feel like you've in your head when you
look at your game and the things that you've accomplished.
I mean, I look at the things that you've done.
Players Championship, you know, six wins, President's got to Ryder Cups.
I mean, you've had a hell of a career. But
when you evaluate your career, are you harder on yourself
and say I should have done maybe better at this point?
(01:37):
Are you comfortable with where you're at? Because I look
at what you've done and how your career has you know,
basically just continued to go in a positive direction. And
but golfers are hard on themselves. I think everybody listening
is hard on themselves from a golf standpoint. Are you
happy with where you are right now?
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Depends how you look at it, because you always want more.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
But for me, if you if you kind of remove
yourself from current situation and go back to me as
a kid, I just I dreamed of playing on the
PGA Tour and winning on tour. So when you start
to add things up, and once you've been out here
and know how hard it is to win on tour,
you know to have done that multiple times and have
a players in there, be on you know, a handful
(02:23):
of team events. It's a solid career, but when you're
in it, you always want more. But that's that's a
good thing because you you never want to be satisfied,
because you want to continue to push yourself. You know,
there's plenty of things that I still want to do.
If I was just okay with it, there's no point
(02:44):
in continuing to play. But I love to play, even
if I'm not competing. I love to play at home.
It's always a fun grind and trying to figure out
how to get better. There's no way to perfect it,
so we're we're always working towards more.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
I think obviously your image has been one of the
biggest images in golf. You've been one of the biggest figures.
But I think one of the cool things for those
of us that are lucky enough to know you personally
and be around you. You and I have worked together
in the past. You've worked and worked with my dad.
I don't think people realize how hard you work. Where
do you think the drive and the work ethic that
(03:19):
you have and that I've been lucky enough to witness,
where does that come from? And how can other young
players kind of learn from the way that you've approached
the game and the way that you approach your practice
and all of those things.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I mean, I just at the end of the day,
I love it. I've loved it since I was a
little kid. There's a lot of factors that go into it.
I mean, my parents and grandparents and family around me.
They one just always supported it and it was never
something that was pushed on me. It was always something
I wanted to do. Like I said, I loved playing
(03:56):
and the grind of it from day one. So it's
it's different for everyone, and there's some people that are
good at it that don't necessarily fully love it and
it feels more like work. For me, it's always just
been fun. Even when we've gone through tough times, it's
still part of the grind. There's still something that's when
(04:16):
you look back at it, there's fun to it because
you're trying to figure out how to get it done,
and ultimately when you do come out of the other side,
it's so satisfying. So yeah, there's a lot of factors
that go into for me, but I think the biggest
thing is I've always loved it when.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
You were younger and growing up and playing golf. Obviously
everybody knows about, you know, the extreme sports that you
love to do and stuff like that, but what drew
you to golf and when you were younger, what did
you like about golf at a young age.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I always liked individual things. I wasn't a big team
sport guy, played you know, some baseball. As a little kid,
I pitched, and so that's about as individuals you can
get in that situation. Rod and Rice dirt bikes, it's
just you on the bike and then fishing and golf.
So for me, it was, you know, there's really no
(05:05):
one else to blame. It's it's all on you. Some
guys will blame caddies and know there's situations like that,
but at the end of the day, it's it's just
you and I always I always liked that. I'm not
sure why, because as as a kid at two, three
four years old, really don't know what's going on a
whole lot of times. But for some reason, it was
(05:26):
just what I loved and you know, my parents would
drop me off of the range. I'd hang out there
all day and they'd pick me up and it was dark.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
You mentioned that you love the individual thing about golf,
but if you look at your relationship with the Oklahoma
State Golf program, how how important that relationship has been
to you, How important that relationship has been to your career.
I mean it's almost like you're still on the Oklahoma
State Golf team. You care about that so much. You
(05:54):
love being on the President's Cup, you love being on
the Ryder Cup. So as much as you love the
individual part part of it, the team part of it
is something I know that is really really important to you.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Yeah, I think a lot of it is it comes
down to, like the relationships and friendships you can.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Build with the game of golf.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Just the individual side is literally you just you know,
hitting the shots and pulling the trigger and playing your game.
But outside of that, the family that we have out here,
and like you said, the relationships you get to build
and we're all out there grinding it out together, trying
to beat each other up as bad as possible. But
it's you know, sharing houses together, traveling together, that's that's
(06:36):
the other side of it that a lot of people
don't necessarily see. They just see us grinding it out
inside the ropes. I guess they've seen a little bit
of us having some fun outside. But that's that's the balance,
and it's amazing the you said the friendships and relationships
you get to build over the years.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
The PGA Tour is kind of like high school, right.
You've got the cool kids. You've got the kind of
kids that do their own things. You've got the kids
that want to You've always been, in my opinion, in
the cool kid category. You JT, Jordan, the boys that
you kind of hang out with. You guys always play
your practice rounds together, and I think that's one of
the reasons why the fans relate to you so well,
(07:13):
that relationship you have with with JT and Jordan. You
guys stay in houses together and stuff. Do you think
that makes the life that you lead on the PGA
tour easier? I mean a lot of this was before
you got married, before you had a family. But it
is a very lonely life. I mean, it's an individual sport.
You're traveling twenty thirty weeks a year. The relationships and
(07:33):
the friendships that you've got on tour with all of
the various players. Do you think that's helped kind of
elongate your career and make it, you know, make it
more fun for you when you're on the road.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Yeah, I mean being able. I feel like, in a way,
I'm a little bit of a rover. I can kind
of go and hang wherever, kind of hang out with
all the different groups. I like to be able to
fit in and have a good time with anyone. So
it makes it definitely makes it more fun on the
road if it's there's other guys that are are very
much just themselves. They go out there, do their job,
do what they need to do. I like to have
(08:07):
fun while I'm out there. I love playing and practicing
in the grind of it, but it's a lot more
fun when you can, you know, be with your buddies
and kind of mix that up a bit. So yeah,
being able to stay in houses together, which has gotten
a bit tougher, you know, having a family, and it's
hard to find big enough houses if you got myself
and the family, and Jordan.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
And his family are married now and having.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Kids too, so you know, at least maybe we can
start working on trying to get houses closer together. But
it's it's that's created a whole another dynamic. And you know,
like with Jordan's oldest Sammy, he's four days older than Maya,
and so like when we're on the road, they're they're
together all the time, and then they have another and
our second will be about a year behind. JT's got
(08:50):
one coming here shortly, so that's going to continue to
keep us together at a different level.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
No.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
I I enjoy having a good time, and whether that's
you know, having fun with the grind of golf and
practice and working at that, or you know, having games
with the guys or having the families hang out and
you know, maybe have a few drinks.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
The Ryder Cup and the President's Cup, but specifically the
Ryder Cup are such a huge part of the game
of golf. Every two years, that's the one everybody wants
to watch. Anytime there's a Ryder Cup year, everything's ramped
up because everybody's trying to play, is trying to make
those teams for the fans. What's it like getting on
those teams? Trying to get on those teams. But also
I think everybody is fascinating the bond. I remember when
(09:32):
Brooks finally made his first Ryder Cup team at Hazel Team,
I kept telling once you get on one of these teams,
you will never ever not want to be on one.
There's something about what do you think about those weeks?
Make them so special? Even though you don't necessarily win
every single time, But the weeks and the bonds that
(09:52):
I've been able lucky enough to watch, it's like there's
a Ryder Cup fraternity and if you've been on one,
it's almost like your boys for life, right, you're always
because you shared that one week experience that was so intensive.
What's it like for the fans? I mean, what's it
feel like to get the call to know you've made it?
And then the weeks are just I mean, I'm on
(10:15):
the outside looking at as a coach, but they just
must be magical for you guys to spend time together
in ways that you don't normally do that.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
It's I mean, yeah, you go out and play practice
around with your buddies and for a normal tournament, and
it's those are fun, but it's different when you're there
together for the same cause and playing together and on
the same team. I think more goes away from the
course and you know, whether it's the rights to the course,
being in the team room, it's a it's kind of
(10:46):
a bummer. It's only just that one week, six seven days,
and once you're there, they fly by. So it'd be nice,
we'd all want them to be longer, but I think
it's such a you know, little just small piece of
time compared to all that we put into, you know,
(11:07):
the years of playing and other tournaments. What makes them
so special. If they happen more often or they were
a longer amount of time, they wouldn't be as special.
But like you said, once you're once you're a part
of one, or you've been on a Ryder Cup team
or President's Cup team, you're in it's like being verified
on Instagram or something like you've got that stamp.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
It's it's you got it.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Almost like you've arrived. When you make one of those, right,
there's always those rookies that everybody knows is a really,
really good player and then all of a sudden, like
Max Max Homwich, it gets on on a on a
Ryder Cup team and just plays unbelievable goal even though
the team didn't win, but you have these players that
basically get into that environment and it's it is sink
(11:53):
or swim. You have guys that are great players that
necessarily don't have great Ryder Cup records. But then you
always have players, you know that are rookies that sometimes
just had that breakout. When you were a rookie on
your first Ryder Cup team, were you nervous, did you
feel the weight of everything, the weight of the US
and playing for the flag and all that, or were
(12:13):
you able to do what I think you you've always
been able to do is just kind of act like
a kid, be a kid and just have fun.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Uh combo.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
I mean, if you're not nervous at the Ryder Cup,
then you're doing the wrong thing. It doesn't matter. If
you're the best player in the world, then you're you
know you're going to go beat everyone. It's you're still nervous.
It's it's the Ryder Cup. I haven't had the obviously
the best record by any means in the Ryder Cup.
I've I've had my fair share of maybe meaningful half
(12:43):
points or a point here and there. At least we
don't have a goose egg to start. They're just they're
special and like you said, there's there's plenty of situations
where guys maybe haven't played as well but make the
team or get a pick and then ball out. I mean,
I think looking at last Ryder Cup with JT not
(13:07):
necessarily being in a great spot, but he's someone that
you know, rises to the occasion, played great over in Rome.
Obviously the team didn't play as you know, well as
we all would have liked to. But there's definitely situations
where you see guys, you know sometimes that gives them
that little spark and ignites their game being in that situation.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
DS Adapt drivers feature four models to fit every golf
repaired with future Fit thirty three, which offers thirty three
unique lie and loft settings to fund your ideal ballflight,
minimize your miss, maximize your distance, and dial in your game.
I talk a lot on the podcast kind of switching
to you know, golf and technique and stuff. I talk
(13:48):
a lot about. I think there's a there's a big
balance in golf between the technical part of things, your technique,
your golf swing, and then the execution part. What have
you learned in your you know, going on fifteen sixteen
years on the PGA Tour about executing on the golf course.
And I think so many players are convinced Ricky that
you know, you go to the range, you work on it,
(14:09):
you work on it, you work on it. And what
happens on the range. If you hit it good on
the range, you're going to hit it good on the course. Right.
Sometimes the warm up is bad and then sometimes you
play great on the course. But the executing part, the
playing of the game. What have you learned in your
time on tour? You feel like you're better now at
playing the game of golf? And how do you do that?
(14:32):
Because I think so many people think, Okay, go shoot
eighty five. I just go straight to the range. Technique technique,
work on my game, work on my game, Whereas sometimes
it doesn't really have anything to do with what your
technique is. It's how you're playing the game of golf.
So when you look back at when you started versus now,
as I said, you are sixteen year veteran on the
(14:54):
PGA Tour, what have you learned now or know now
about playing golf that maybe you didn't know when you
were rookie.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
I was always good at playing the game. Technically, I
wasn't as sound as I am now going back to
the start of this, I have a lot more experience,
and I think i'm I know, I'm a much more
like well rounded and better player technically and playing the game.
I was always good at hitting shots and working my
(15:24):
right way around the golf course, but if I got
a little off where the golf swing was, I would
get too far off. And then working with your dad,
you I learned a lot. Also with Tillery, I probably
got too far into the golf swing there, but also
those were times and some stuff with the golf swing
(15:45):
where I learned some of my most how things should work.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
And that set me up.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
After being with Tillery, being back with your Dad and
I had a probably at that point is when I
had the best understanding of kind of everything from swing
to playing and being able to get back to that
two years ago and playing well last year was just
that was golf. So now I definitely feel like I
(16:15):
said a lot better understanding top to bottom from the
playing side and the swing side, because at the end
of the day, it's it's about hitting golf shots. It
doesn't matter what it looks like, but can you step
up there and yeah, it comes down to execution. So
when you're playing your best, whether it's me other guys
(16:36):
out there, you're just hitting shots and hitting your numbers
and you're not thinking about, well, to hit a cut,
I need to do this and make sure it's here.
It's like, no, I'm gonna aim there. I'm gonna cut
it five yards and hit it one p seventy in
the air.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
We hear that a lot. I mean, obviously, when you're
playing good, it feels the game feels very, very easy.
And I think you know when you went through that
struggle for those couple of years, the fans and the
average golfers, it was as close as they're ever going
to get to you. They struggle with their golf swing.
They're not hitting it where they're looking. They're not hitting
(17:11):
the type of shots that they're wanting to hit. When
you are in that space, because you, like all the
great players, you guys can make the game Ricky look
so easy. You know. As a coach, I've been lucky
enough to watch all of you guys play for the
last twenty five years, and I just marvel at what
you guys do under the pressure that you're under. I mean,
I still to this day, I know how nervous I
(17:33):
am as a coach when any of the players that
I've been lucky have to work with like you, when
you have a chance to win, I know how nervous
I am. And I'm sitting to myself saying, I mean,
I can barely even hold my phone or take a
cap off a bottle of water. I'm so nervous. So
I always I just I don't think you will get
enough credit for the pressure that you're under. But when
you do go through a struggle and it was really
(17:53):
kind of the first kind of time in your life
to where the ball wasn't going where you wanted to,
you weren't able to do the things you wanted to do.
All of a sudden, you've been, in my opinion, one
of the greatest pure putters that I've ever seen, and
all of a sudden, you're not making the putts easy.
What's that like for you as a player, because you're
trying to figure it out and you can't take six
(18:15):
months off to figure it out. Now, you have to
keep playing when you are struggling, and you know you're
going to have to go play, and you know you're
going to be on TV and you're on the spotlight?
Is it hard to stay positive to just say listen,
just got to keep grinding out, grinding and out, grinding
and out.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah, it is stuff because I mean, like you said,
with how the schedule works, you can't It's not like
you can hide or go and like I'm going to
go take four or five months and you know, go
dig it out and figure it out. But at the
end of the day, the best way to fix it
and where you need to get work done is at
(18:52):
a tournament. I mean, you can do stuff at home,
but until it's under the gun, I don't care how
good you hit it at home.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
It's not relate.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Rarely do you guys shoot over. I mean it's not
like you shoot seventy five at home. No, I mean
your home course you got And that's the other thing.
I don't think the people listening to the pod understand
when you guys are at home. I mean, you shot
the course record here at the Floridian and you shot
twenty nine on the front and or on the back.
We started on the back and we were going to
(19:22):
go have lunch and you weren't even gonna finish the back,
and you just shot twenty nine, and but you said, hey,
why we go play the front nine and you shot
the course record and you had a chance to shoot
fifty nine. So when you guys are at home, you
light it up. But when you go out on tour,
So you can be playing good at home, working on
good stuff, but the pressure of the tour and all
(19:44):
of the other things that can sometimes magnify any kind
of changes that you're trying to make.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Oh for sure, I mean, yeah, it's it's so different
from Yeah, you can be playing what you think is
decent golf at home, but until it's like I said,
under the and when you need to do it and
the pressure's on, it's not like oh, I can just
hit another ball or maybe I'll just go to the
range and work on some stuff after this, Like no,
it counts. You can't hide. You're fully exposed. But that's
(20:13):
where you have to fight through it. And so yeah,
going through that, it's I think the biggest thing is
trying to find and look for as many positives as
possible to continue to build on, because if you're you know,
sitting there dwelling on bad shots and you're just going
to go further and further down that was.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
It helpful to have a friend like Jordan who went
through a downtime as well? He went through a couple
of year period where he was struggling. He wasn't playing
the type of golf that we all know he can
play and that we're all accustomed to seeing him play.
Is it easier to have a friend like that on
tour who you know is going somewhat through the same thing?
(20:51):
And how much did you lean on your boys on
tour when you were going through that.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
No, that's where I mean having your crew and the
guys that you you know a lot of time with,
they know you, you know them, they're not afraid to you know,
whether it's if there's something they really see or give
their opinion whether it's good or bad. That's where it's
it's nice to be able to lean on guys, you know,
between talking with JT and Jordan too, you know with Duff,
(21:18):
who's another close friend. Well, that's the other thing that's
fun is we're we're all there for each other, like
we bounce ideas off each other. You know, I helped
JT when we're at home sometimes, same with him with me.
It's we all want to see each other play well.
And when you see like in past, when you know
I've been there for guys when they've won, or guys
have been there for me. You know, some people have
(21:41):
give me a hard time for like why are you
like celebrating your buddies wins and stuff. It's like, well,
I was done playing boy, Yeah, I left everything out there,
like and then vice versa, like you want to beat
your friends when they play well, you know, if if
they're going to beat me, they played better, and it's
It's just that's how it's always been, even growing up,
(22:02):
you know, having putting and chipping contests with buddies at
the range, back home to high school golf to college golf.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I feel like that's where you get the best.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Out of your game, is being able to be with,
you know, friends and be able to push each other.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
It helps to have three friends like that that are
all major champions too, and that's helpful.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
I got some work to do in that category.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
I mentioned you're putting. I think you've got one of
the best putting strokes I've ever seen. I was asking
you once what you thought about when you were putting,
and I'd love for you to tell everybody what you
told me you were thinking about when you're.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Putting, because you talk, Yeah, I can remember, I.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Was your brain off as you get into it once
you go to the information gathering system. And I think
putting for the average golf and for a lot of
people listening to the podcast Rick, putting is something that
is so difficult for so many people. I've always thought
that as instructors, we kind of teach putting backwards. We
teach technique, can stroke first, and then we kind of
(23:02):
work on speed your natural stroke. The fact that you
told me that when you get over potts you try
and turn your brain off. I think that's the total
one hundred and eighty degree opposite of most of the
people listen. They can't turn the brain off when they
put They're thinking of so many things. But what is
to you when you said turning your brain off? What
(23:23):
does it mean for you?
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Well, I think, I mean it's hard to say. There's
ever like nothing. But when you're putting, well, it's like
you're going into it. You have a picture you visualize
where you see the ball rolling, and whether you're looking
at a spot and started it there and you're over
the ball you're set up, you've lined up, and you
and you kind of have that look from behind as
well as in front. You've you've got that picture in
(23:47):
your head. And a lot of times I look at
like the grass just behind the ball, because I mean,
one of the things is you don't want your eyes
to follow the ball, so staying fixed on that. But
I'm looking there, but I kind of have like a
picture there of what I see the putt doing. And
really it's just thinking of the speed and how hard
(24:10):
I'm hitting. How do I make that picture happen. But yeah,
when you're doing it, I'm not thinking of.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Stroked mechanics or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
No, it kind of just goes somewhat.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
I guess you kind of say blank, Yeah, it's there,
and you're subconscious you know what to do. That's where
you know, going back to like talking about the mechanics
of the golf swing and executing. You've hit plenty of
cuts on the range, working on stuff, You've hit plenty
of draws.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
It's in there. You know what to do. You don't
need to.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Like tell yourself twice. You're already trying to hit a draw.
You don't need to tell yourself to do it on
top of that. So that's where the practice the same
thing into the putting. Like you've worked on your stroke,
you're starting it online. Just aim at your spot and
here's how hard I need to hit it.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
I think you have a great visual approach to putting.
And one of the things that I always say to
the juniors that are struggling with putting, I always Ricky
use you as an example. One of the things I
love about you is you'll have a twelve foot of
for birdie and if you miss it, you kind of
look at it, take it well. The next part of
it is you go over to the bag. You put
the putter back in the bag. I've never seen you
(25:21):
go over and work on your stroke like a lot
of players do. To me, that's the sign that you
are a great putter because you don't feel like you're
going to lose it. But for everyone listening, do you
think that how much of it is feel? And how
much of your practice do you think for golfers needs
to be technical stroke mechanics and then feel. Because I
(25:45):
just don't see a lot of people on the putting green.
You'll see them every now and again, go putt long
pots just oh, let me go get the speed of
the green, but they're not really doing anything and they
think they're supposed to. So feel for you means what
on the greens? Is it a visual thing? Are you?
Do you feel it kind of when you look at it?
Do you feel it in your feet? Or are you
(26:05):
trying to take all of this in? Because I think
you are the old in my opinion, you're one of
the ultimate field putters.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
Yeah, I mean I thought it with a line here
and there in parts of my career, but definitely a
lot better of just whether it's feeling with feet and
eyes and there's there's greens that I see better just
like anyone. Some some guys just sea greens well that week,
and sometimes you're a bit off. No, Like, putting has
always been super interesting. I've spent a lot of time
(26:33):
with Paul at Scotti's, and I've learned so much down
there over the years of stroke mechanics and having an
understanding there, but also still being able to take that
and and still be a field putter.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
So I feel like.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
I've always had a where kind of I am now
golf swing wise. I've been with putting for a long
time and putting you don't you don't have to be perfect.
I mean there's there's three variables. There's you know, starting
the ball online, speed, and read. And I think when
you go back to talking about me kind of accepting
(27:09):
a pot and moving on, it's it's being able to
have a you know, quick assessment of like which one
was wrong? You know, did I hit it too hard?
Speaker 2 (27:19):
Too soft? Maybe my read was wrong.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
And I mean the one that you don't really want
is starting it offline. But you're gonna push or pull
a pot here and there. But if you can take
one of those and you're like, Okay, this is what
I did wrong, We're going.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
To move forward Augusta Nashville where you you've had a
chance to win. He came so close. Do you love
those greens? Do you? I mean you must, I mean,
knowing you the way you must love those greens? Right,
what do you love about them?
Speaker 3 (27:43):
There's yeah, you have to be able to visualize it.
I mean yeah, with with ame point stuff, you can
you know, in today's kind of green reading aame point
you can get you know, pretty good there. But I
feel like having createivity and imagination only helps you on
those greens. I had one of my best putting rounds there.
(28:06):
I can't remember which year, but I doubled one and
I doubled ten shot sixty eight with twenty one putts.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
It was just one of those days. It was a
trash can and I just filled it up.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
When you do putt well at Augusta on those greens
in competition under the heat, you must just come away
from that saying yeahuts, and it's that's a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
It's I would say it's a big majority of that
is speed because, as you know, with the movement and
it's not like you get like perfect planar putts. There's
just always something going on. You could play a putt
in so many different spots, but you have to have
the speed to match it to that. So it's picking
your read but then committing to what that speed is.
(28:49):
So speed control is probably one of the biggest things there.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
What's the hardest green to read it Augusta, Nashville? For you?
Is there one where you get on that when you're.
Speaker 3 (28:57):
Like not now, I feel like, you know, some greens
will have subtle changes over years, but since I've been
there so many times, I usually, I mean, I have
a pretty good feeling, like you could almost tell me, hey,
this pin this spot from eight feet, where should I
be playing it? I have a pretty good memory. I
(29:21):
could probably go around and give some decent reads just
off memory.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
And when you put rick, do you see there's linear
and nonlinear? Right linears already put straight putt to the
brake and then let the brake go way. When you're
looking at a putt, do you see the curve? Do
you see it going in? Do you see it like
a clock to where you know it's twelve o'clock, six
o'clock and I'm try and have this left righter come
in about eight eight thirty nine o'clock. Do you see
it like that?
Speaker 3 (29:45):
It's a little yeah, a little bit of both. That
definitely starts with like where the ball's entering the hole
and then drawing lines back from there. Part of it
is because you'll see me kind of plumbob in a way,
but it's it's kind of my own I'm not just
letting it sit there, so I'm almost finding like a
(30:05):
straight line to a high point and then depending if
it's downhill or uphill, varies on how far up the
shaft I'll go, So kind of creating some sort of
a triangle in a way, and then within that triangle
is the circle or like the curve yeap, so like that.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
I've never thought about that. So you basically kind of
create like a barrier and then you're trying to curve it.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Yeah, so it would be like the entry and then
the start. Obviously you're never going to get to that
high point of the triangle, but it's gonna start and
then finish on those lines.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Grade for twenty twenty four, goals for twenty twenty five
coming off twenty three.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Twenty four was about.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
An f.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
I didn't think you were gonna say that D minus.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Honestly, looking at early parts of events, probably I wasn't
that far off of some of the starts in twenty three.
Is just when I had chances or what I did
on weekends in twenty three was the big difference. I
didn't execute, you know, I missed a handful of cuts,
(31:16):
but nothing like the years prior. So twenty three I
just did a really good job of getting myself a
tea time and then moved forward on the weekend, and
if I was in a decent spot, I was in
contention and had chances to win. So I like what
I saw from the last three events that I just played,
coming off a nice little break, feeling refreshed and happy
(31:39):
with where things are going. I've got a nice good
chunk of time right now with some work stuff, time
with family, but also be able to get ready building
off of these these three events going into twenty five.
So yeah, twenty five is definitely gonna be better than
twenty four.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
In twenty five, you'll be celebrating fifteen years with Puma,
in ten years with Cobra Golf. What's that relationship been
like and how important has that relationship with the Cobra
Puma family been to you in your career.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
For me, it's always been about you know, partnerships and
being able to you know, work with you know, companies
or people you believe in and obviously want to be with.
To me, it's, you know, we're all family, and it's
it's felt like that from from day one, So yeah,
we're in it together.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
It's it's hard to really put.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
It into kind of perspective for people on the outside
or have a full understanding, but yeah, it's not like
I don't feel like, hey, we pay you to, you know,
wear these clothes or you know, you need to hit
this stuff. It's like, we work on this stuff together
and we all want to see it do well. And
now it's been fun. I said, I'm someone that looks
to have partnerships and do stuff together and have a
(32:51):
good time.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
You mentioned the family, asked of it. Ben Showman and
James Posey work on the tour truck. Ben does a
lot of your fittings. James does as well. That relationship
that you've created, it's almost like I look at the
relationship you have with Ben, it's almost like an F
one driver and the engineer. You know, the relationship that
kind of Lewis has with Bono, his chief engineer. You
guys are kind of always in the trenches kind of.
And you're a tinkerer too. I don't think a lot
(33:13):
of people realize how much you're constantly trying different stuff
because you're trying. I don't think you're trying to try.
I think you're trying to gain an edge. But that
relationship that you and Ben and James, you know from
a tour department. They're the ones that build your equipment,
they're the ones that help you test it. What's that
relationship like now and how has it changed over the years.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
I mean, it's an amazing team and what's fun. You know,
We've always had a fairly small team, so it's it's
just a few guys girls, So it's not like trying
to work with a big crew. Our input is you know,
actually gets hurt and being able to work with Ben
and James and you know everyone back in the shop
(33:58):
and engineers. But yeah, I love being able to test
and mess with stuff and figure out why things work,
why some stuff doesn't, what causes that, what are the differences,
Just to have an understanding. I've always loved equipment from Woods, Irons, putters, everything,
(34:19):
So it's always trying to figure out like or we'll
talking about our experience earlier, but it's like having an
understanding of what causes what and ultimately how do we
make things better.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Well, I know you're a big car guy, but it
is a little bit like an engineer in F one.
They know how you like the car to run right,
they know how you like your equipment to look, they
know how you like your equipment to feel. How much
when you're testing equipment with Ben and Jas, how much
of that is you balancing what the numbers are saying
(34:52):
versus the look and the feel of the clubs that
they're trying to put into your hands, because it's tough
to play clubs that you don't.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Like the look of Yeah, I mean, look is kind
of the first one. You feel has a big part
to do with it. But if it if the look
and it performs, you can deal with feel being you know,
maybe not your normal. So I'd say, yeah, the first
thing when someone puts a club down.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Is it has to pass the looks test.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
It's got to look good. Yeah, you put the King
Tour Black Irons in your bag. They look really cool.
I mean I took him out when I got sent down,
I took him out. I was like, man, these sends
look money. What do you like about them from a
look standpoint but also from a playability standpoint?
Speaker 3 (35:35):
Uh, well, I've been in the King Too or iron
Now for a little over two years. When I tested
them against having the NBS and the CBS, I took
them all out. And this was obviously a couple of
years back, but I was seeing them basically the same
numbers with the King Tours. But I was just noticing
on on little off center hits, whether it was groove
(35:57):
low or healed tobias, the numbers or the carry numbers
were staying a lot closer to a full number, So
mishits were, We're a bit better if you can get
away with you know, saving two or three yards here
and there, that's that can be a big difference. So
very similar performance, just a bit more forgiving. So I
was like, well, why make it harder on myself, I'll
(36:18):
go here and then I didn't even really know about
the black and the works.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
That was a couple of months ago.
Speaker 3 (36:25):
Ben sent a fresh set of Irons as well as
the black, and I don't think the fresh set of
the silver King Tours have been hit yet. I just
took the black, which, yeah, obviously same head, same shape, everything,
just you know, being in black, and you know with
the black heads, you know, the King Tours are obviously
(36:45):
a little bigger profile than like an NB or CB,
but the black does help kind of mute the edges
and makes the head look a fraction smaller.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
To me, they look better in black.
Speaker 3 (36:55):
I obviously played well and have had plenty of success
with the over, but in black I thought.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
It did a better job.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
And sometimes in that brush finish, the edges or leading
edge or some of those high points can pop a
little bit, so the black kind of helped kind of
mute and just quiet them down a bit.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Cobra has some cool new technology coming out in driver
fitting and adjustable huzzle future Fit thirty three to be
able to adjust the loft and the lie for everyone listening.
Not everybody knows you can adjust the loft on a
driver right. That technology has been around, But I think
the cool thing that Cover has come out with is
all these abilities to change the lie of your metal ones.
(37:35):
Why is that important and how can that help regular golfers?
Speaker 3 (37:39):
Well, just being able to have that many options, and
I mean not you're not going to be using all
of them, but starting in the middle and have an
idea of maybe where to go from there. Then you
have a quadrant that you would kind of live in.
But having that many options in that area, it's I
think four times the amount of options. But being able
(38:00):
to do loft and lie independently. You know, if you
want a more loft but flatter or vice versa. It
just helps fine tune it a bit more, especially when
you're looking for a certain look. I want to see,
you know, more face. I want some more loft, but
I don't want this thing to come upright on me.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
It's amazing to me how many when we look at drivers,
how different all of the all of you guys that play,
How different you want the driver to look at address.
Some guys don't want to see a lot of the face.
Some guys want to look down and see that. Some
guys don't want to see the toe. Some guys no, No,
that looks way way too shut for me. I need
when you look down at your driver, what do you
(38:40):
like to see from a look standpoint? Do you want
to see a little bit more of the face? Do
you want to see a little bit more of the toe,
or do you want to see that kind of toed
and less of the loft?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
I would say it would be if you measure it
probably be towards just a fraction open. What would look
square to a player's eye or for most players, I
would say, And then I want to see a little
bit of face, because I feel like when you get
to a point where you don't see enough face, then.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
You trying to get it out.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
The average golfer doesn't realize the more loft they put
on the driver, it's going to help them get the
ball in the air, because the less loft they go
it looks like there's no loft, it looks shut and
then they get hanging back and trying to hit up
on it and work it in the air.
Speaker 3 (39:23):
Yeah, And a big thing is, you know, being able
to deliver it in a good way and let the
driver work for you, not trying to you know, help
it or so one. I mean obviously getting into a
shaft that fits you, but then being able to mess
with the loft and lie to get it in the
spot where one it looks good but either there's going
to be enough loft for you or where you don't
(39:44):
have to try and manipulate it.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
Covers also doing some really cool things with three D printing.
They got a new iron. You like that technology and
where do you think that technology can go down the line?
Speaker 3 (39:57):
The three D and printing is really cool, you know,
from being able to do some different wedges and you know,
if there's you know, having a grind that you might
like and being able to scan it and duplicate it
a lot easier from the irons and being able to
move waiting around. We've done some testing there and going
to try some more extremes as well, because with that printing,
you can i mean move weight and CG and in
(40:20):
a bunch of different places and seeing you know how
that translates. You know, sometimes just because of moving weight
in a certain direction, sometimes it doesn't fully translate how
you think it might or like what a robot might do,
because you know, once it's in your hands and you're
swinging it, players will react to what that feel is.
So it's been interesting to mess with that a bit,
(40:41):
and we're going to do some more testing in that area.
I think being able to use the printing in other
ways to you know, whether it's being able to print
woodheads or whatever there's there's it makes prototyping a lot
easier and being able to test things out because.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
You could say, hey, listen, I wanted to look.
Speaker 3 (40:59):
Like this, and then yeah, and being able to you know,
down the road as far as you know, if you
wanted to have an iron that had this soul, this
top line, this heel toe length, kind of just pick
and choose and hit a button and here's your iron.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
Your relationship with my dad, butch Harmon not that what
she needs is ego massaged more, because I mean, obviously
we know how much he feels about himself. I think
he's the one of the best, if not the best,
golf instructor at the tour level. But I've never asked
any of his guys, and I've always wanted to. So
you're the first opportunity that I'm going to get to.
What do you think makes him such a great tour coach?
Speaker 2 (41:45):
I mean we can say kind of whatever on here. Well,
he's not gonna bullshit you.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
He's definitely not gonna do that.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
I mean some of the texts or responses or like
what the fuck was that?
Speaker 2 (41:56):
Like, Yeah, I know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
He's I think people don't realize one and a lot tummy.
Fleetwood said this to me. He said he was unprepared
for how much my dad cared. Yeah, and I think
the thing that people are surprised at given kind of
his public persona, you know, the Butch Harmon kind of throwing,
you know, jabs at everybody. You know, Tony Navarro used
(42:21):
to say, who used to caddy for Greg Norman? Who
caddy Prada? Suff The world is his dart board. He's
just firing darts at everybody. But I do think that
and I learned that from him with all of the
players that I've got, And my wife always says to me,
you care too much about the guys you work with.
I'm like, I don't know how to do my job
if I don't. And I think he is the ultimate cheerleader.
(42:42):
He's he's a he's a bad cop at times, but
there's way more good cup for you guys, not for me,
but for you guys. They're more good cup for Butchy
than people realize.
Speaker 3 (42:53):
Yeah, no, he's he's he's always watching them. He always
knows what's going on. He's always keeping an eye.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
One bad swinging.
Speaker 3 (43:00):
He's gonna tell you, oh yeah, no, he's gonna let
you hear it. He's he's not a he's not a
yes man. He's gonna even if you did play well,
he'll pick a part like this needs to be better,
or you know, you were getting a long today, or
you're getting quick like you did a good job of
getting away with it. And that goes back to kind
of the executing and finding a way. But he will
(43:20):
be the first to tell you you're you're doing a good job. Sure, well,
you have to get to that point, as far as
it takes work.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
I'm hoping I get there one day.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
Because I think he's nicer to his players than to you,
but because you're you're blood. But he wants to be
able to push you and and he means it in
a good way. He's trying to make you better. But
he'll keep keep me, will keep pushing you because he
wants the He wants the best of his guys.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
And I think he has And this is the thing
I'm marvel at him that I've tried to emulate over
my career. He has this unbelievable and aate ability to
say the right thing at the right time. But the
other thing that he told me when I first started
working with tour players, he said, listen, this will be
hard to understand, but sometimes it's what you don't say
(44:07):
that makes all the difference. Because he said, it's easy
to just go in and go, hey, we need to
change this, this, this, this, Hey, you didn't do this,
you didn't do this. But I do think that there
are times where he doesn't say something to beat you
up and you're surprised by that.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, no, there's there's definitely been times where you're expecting
something and kind of radio silent. I think, what what?
Butch does a very good job at with with a
you know, number of guys one with him understanding both
the playing and the coaching side. That's invaluable, being able
to keep it fairly simple and sometimes even more simple
(44:46):
depending on how it's going. But working or saying we
need to work on this certain thing, but that certain
thing will help these others get into place, not saying
this is what we need to we need to do
all these things and be like gonna hammer this and
he knows it's going to help clean up other things.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
And I think the other thing is, you know, my
dad is he's a winner, right, He's one that he
prides himself on that he is so proud of you
guys when you win. I mean it's almost like he
wants it more sometimes than you guys.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
Like you're saying earlier about like being nervous when the
guys you know, you guys have a chance and stuff,
like you guys are as much invested as all of us.
Speaker 1 (45:25):
Lastly, Ricky, I think you changed golf fashion forever. I
think when you came out on tour, the way that
people view dressing in golf and the way people now
dress in golf, and if you look at not just
the relationship and the work you've done with with Puma Golf,
but I think when you came out on tour, nobody
had seen anything like that. The Justin Bieber hair, the
(45:47):
flat bills, the orange, the monochrome, all of that. Are
you proud of the fact that you kind of you
took golf maybe in a different direction just based off
of the way you dressed.
Speaker 3 (45:59):
I mean, it was obviously we didn't go into it.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
Yeah, no, it was.
Speaker 3 (46:04):
It was It was fun being able to, you know,
start with Puma and kind of have like open doors
and be able to just let's have fun, you know,
having the Moto background and being from southern California kind
of I'm definitely Moto Capital World and Action sports and
and just kind of bring my childhood into you know,
(46:27):
me being me on the golf course and to see
the like how much the definitely younger generation like took
that in and and to see you know, how many
kids wanted to you know, wear our gear and the hats.
That was just I mean a huge bonus because it
was just I wanted to go out, have fun and
(46:47):
wear what I wanted to wear, and then here we are.
Speaker 1 (46:50):
Have you ever dressed as Halloween is just a regular
golfer And that's my Halloween now. And I'm wearing pleated
pants and I'll wear kakis. I'm gonna wear some big
sleeve shirts. And you know something.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
One time was I can't remember if I was like
seven or eight, but I dressed as Freddy, so that
might have been as that might have been as traditional
old school as I've gotten for Halloween.
Speaker 1 (47:11):
It's been so fun to watch your career. I've been
lucky enough to spend a lot of time with you.
I consider your friend. I know my dad was happy
when you got back in the Winter Circle last year.
I'd be honest with you. I was sitting in my
hotel room. I was in London at a tournament, and
I was crying. It's great to see you back. You're
such a great ambassador, Ricky for the game, for the
way the game should be played, and the way that
(47:32):
everybody I told all the junior golfers two people, if
you could model your career off of obviously the og
goat Adam Scott. Everybody wants to be Scottie right. I mean,
he's kind of the gold standard of class. But I
think when I look at the way that you have
conducted yourself and the things that you've been able to do,
and the way that you have handled not only great
(47:52):
successes but also adversity and the friendships, when we see
you behind the greens waiting for guys that you're trying
to be the it shows that people mean something to
you and and relationships mean something new. And I'm so
lucky to get to watch your career, but I'm also
incredibly lucky to get a chance to spend time with
you and work with you in the past. So great
(48:13):
to see him.
Speaker 2 (48:14):
We got too, thank you.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
So a really good interview with Ricky Fowler and easy
to see why he is so popular with the fans.
I just think he's a really, really genuine person. I
think it comes across in all of his interviews and
just kind of the way he carries himself. And listen,
you could make an argument that he could have won more,
but I look at Ricky Feller, and I look at
the career he's had, and listen, golf is tough, and
(48:38):
I think we expect a lot from our superstars. But
I think Ricky's delivered. I think he's delivered at a really,
really high level. And I still think he has some
great golf left in him and his career, and I
wouldn't be surprised if he goes on to do some
incredibly big things even at this stage of his career.
(48:59):
Can't thank everybody enough for listening. Son of Butch comes
to you almost every Wednesday, but we will definitely see
you next week for a little master's preview
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com