June 16, 2025 • 16 mins
Professional golfer and Michigan native Grant Haefner joins the show to discuss his experience at Oakmont for the U.S. Open.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It was a tough weekend, and it was tough week
for anybody playing at the US Open at Oakmont. What
a brutal, brutal track to try and navigate for the
one hundred and twenty fifth playing. Our next guest on
the Lindsey Hunter Foundation guest line is Grant Hefner, and
he was able to do just that. He played there
Thursday and Friday. He had to win a qualifying round
(00:21):
in Ohio and was unbelievable in winning it, beating out
some massive names that you're familiar with. And the Michigan
native joins us here on this Monday, Grant, hope your
dad had a great Father's Day. How are you this morning?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Good? I'm doing well.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Good. How difficult was that course?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
You know, it's sometimes it's tough to explain. It probe
the hardest golf course I have played in my career
so far, just based on the condition. You know, US
Amateur was health there in twenty twenty one and I
had a privilege to be able to play in that.
But it was nothing like what I just experienced Thursday Friday.
(01:02):
I mean, the rough is just five and a half
inches thick, and you know, the people who did the
best were those who could avoid it.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
How do you prepare for course like that with its challenges?
I mean playing it in a practice round is one thing.
Playing it like you said before, uh is another. But
the conditions are not always the same. So how do
you prepare for something like that?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
The conditions before the golf course throughout the weeks changed.
When I got there Monday, we had just got off
some rain and the course was quite soft in the fairways,
like it kind of was yesterday to the final round,
the rough was a little more wet. To prepare for it,
I mean I must have hit hundreds of chips and
shots out, you know, out of the rock, just over
(01:48):
the course of three four days, just to you know,
have any idea what to do. I mean, fortunately I
had a good team with me, with you know, two
of my country group coaches, you know, coaching on tour.
But you know, even with that, I mean, it was,
you know, it's a blind you're off pretty much. It's
you know, it's it's a rubb of degree meaning it's
(02:08):
you know, do you end in it or do you
do you get in the rough or do you not?
And you have to play your best to you know,
you know, play very strategic in order to achieve that.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Michigan ned a grand Hefner joining us here on extra
Jo Bros. He was a qualifier for the US Open.
On Thursday. You shot an eighty one. On Friday you
shot a seventy seven. But your front nine is one
that your back nine was really good. I mean, if
you played the back nine, you're in right, you make
the cut. It's the front nine that caused problems, not
(02:42):
just for you, but for just about everybody. What was
the biggest difference between the front nine at Oakmont compared
to the back nine at Oakmont?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah, so it's funny you caught on to that. The
I think the front nine there are holes there that
are just absolutely brutal to take three Hold eight and
Old nine. Those three holes are just they had to finish,
uh three of the hardest holes of the week, and
there's no escaping that, meaning if you hit a bad shot,
(03:13):
you can't get away with it. Compared to the back nine,
you know, full ten you don't need a hit driver,
whole eleven you don't need a hit driver. And the
green top pluses or I would say a little less severe,
but you could have almost all a scoring stressed and
I played really well on that nine the second day,
and if I made a couple of cuts, you know,
(03:34):
making the cut wasn't out of the question for twenty seven,
but unfortunately, you know, I didn't, and so I still
had a great nine of that shot even far. But
you know, I'm bogied eighteen and it's still just a
brutal tot. They hit it right and the rough off
the team on eighteen, and I'm kind of knew it
was pretty much a bogie immediately.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
How big of a challenge is number eight? It's a
two and ninety three yard par three. It just seems
like it's so daunting from the tee. What do you
use in that? And how are you playing that? Specifically?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
That's burn the practice round. A lot of the players
just put it myself, we were hitting drivers at it.
As a week went on, out of the course firmed
up a bit, we switched over to three woods, and
but still the difficulty of it is you're hitting the
three wood of the small you know, I don't say
small green complex. The broach is large, three upon complex.
But you can't miss, you know, the moment you hit
(04:35):
it in a rough, you're still just you know, debt,
you're trying to sit from around the green, and so
I mean it was very easy to make a four.
You know over.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Immediately is the mindset of par Is okay? Or even
a bogie on certain holes is okay? How challenging is
that to adapt when you're you used to being the
guy who was shooting sixty two and sixty three.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, it's amazing. Really, the mentality of bogey as your
friend in the major championship, especially as mainly as I'd
say the US Open is a very accurate statement. And
I don't know if it was so hard to it's daft,
but sometimes making bogeye was hard. Best example for me
it was whull number three the first day. I hit
(05:25):
it right in the rough, and my Kaddy and I
talked about shipping into sideways last. But if I took
this sideways, the least it would have gone through the
fair way into the other rough. But let me try
to killing forward. And I tried hitting at nine iron
just to get it to go one hundred yards, and
I couldn't even get us to go one hundred yards.
And so now you know, a bigger number wasn't playing
it ended up making triple.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Grand after joining us here on Exison Bros. Professional goal
for Michigan or played in the US Open. And it
is a very challenging track, the greens or the rough.
What was more challenging for you?
Speaker 2 (06:03):
The rough, without a doubt is uh, it was just
such a It's so thick and it was so dense
that it was really just luck if you had a
good lie. You know, sometimes you did, but in the
jord of your time you didn't. And you're opening that
club base on your wedge and taking a swing that
(06:23):
you would from sixty yards and you're hoping your ball
just on the green.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I don't know if you watch the last round, but
you know Sam Burns on fifteen and you know, short
side of himself to the last and you know he's
taking this huge swing and he'n't even getting on the green.
I mean, it was just it was just incredible to
playing conditions like that.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
So I got a quick question for you. I'm glad
you brought up Sam Burns. I forget which hole it was, Grant,
but his ball lands would look to be in a
puddle of water. I mean, it was. It was nasty
usually it's a drop from there, right, I mean, it's
some type of relief. Should they have get they didn't
give him relief? Should he have gotten relief?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And why if it was whole fifteen someone? I think
some of they posted a picture on Instagram or stuffing
saying like this is where his ball was. But you know,
I didn't look at it too much. But to my knowledge,
I don't know if there was enough rain to justify
(07:23):
him get in what they call a standing water release.
And so in order to get standing water release, you
have to literally stand on pretty much where your golf
ball is and water has to rise out of the ground.
And at that point, it was not raining, and I
think the ball the water was draining away, and I
(07:44):
don't know if it was I don't know if it
was justified. I can't say, but I think, you know,
based on the telecast that I was watching, I thought
his ball of fine didn't have mud on it. He
just hit a really bad shot on fifty. I mean,
you know, his daddy should have had a name in way, right,
and knowing that if he, you know, makes a thirty
on seventeen, he's you know, still in the tournament.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
It's a good answer, Grant Hefner joining us on the
Lindsay Hunter Foundation guest line courses in general, Grant, do
you find that they are trying to make them pro proof?
If you look at it, Oakmant has only two par fives,
number twelve, six hundred and thirty seven and number four,
six hundred and seventeen. You're playing par fours that are
(08:29):
over five hundred yards five hundred and nine on number fifteen,
five hundred and five. On eighteen you got a four
hundred and sixty five yard par four, four hundred and
ninety yard par four. Are they tricking these golf courses
too much? So you guys can't score as easily as
perhaps you could have ten years ago.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Even ye you know, so I looked at this. But
so if you were to have two ins rotten at
that US Open instead of the five and a half
six sens roughly played in, I think the winners you know,
under ten under parts. So it put a premium on
hitting the fairway out there. And because you know you
take nine, it's four hundred and ninety six yards, and
(09:13):
if you missed the fairway two yards left, you go
into a penalty hazard. If you miss it two yards right,
you're in a bunk or a rough, and from neither
location you can't get it. On the green. You kind
of thread this ball through a small, small opening and
it puts just an exacerbation on accuracy and temperate patience.
Not for the par five is they were very long,
(09:36):
but they're actually both very reachable because some elevation change.
So every guy was going for hole twelve pretty much
if you hit the fairway, including myself, and I was
going for them with either a six wood or three wood,
and some guys were going for him with the iron seasons,
but those were the only holes. He felt like, you know, hey, Exeason,
my thirty opportunities. So I mean you just have to
(09:57):
hold on and you know, grind out the rest.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
It's such a narrow margin of error though, I mean,
you're talking about two yards. You hit it two yards
right of your target or two yards left of your target,
and you're getting pedalized even though you're hitting it in
the fair way. And Grand Heffner can relate. He's on
the Lindsay Hunter Foundation guest line with us here on
X's and Bros. We saw the frustration from Terrell Hatton.
(10:22):
We saw it from Sam Burns. We saw it from
Bryson to Shambo. What were your colleagues on the PGA
tour telling you about the course when all was said
and done.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
You know, it was funny hearing a lot of people
weren't thrilled as the four setup. I think they wanted,
you know, they would have appreciated like four inch russ
instead of you know, the five and a half six
and stuff we had, which I think that it would
have been a little more fair. But I wouldn't say
the USJ ass the golf course as they have in
the past. It's like USOLP such as Shinnecock. But I
(10:57):
think it just led the frustration. I know, we all
saw the Rory McElroy slams in the club head on
uh on seventh or slamming this clubhead on the team
marker on seventeen. But you know, I mean, I think
that golf course does that to you. I mean, it's
it is. It just puts a premium on you know,
staying within yourself and making incredibly smart decisions and you know,
(11:20):
not screwing up. And I did a nine hole where
I played that way and it was a good score.
Was out there, but you just really had to, you know,
buffle down and earn it.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Was it more challenging physically or mentally?
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I think I think physically, I think it's from like
a I think mentally, I mean, because this game, this game,
all of us have like very good golf wings and
have the ability to shoot a low score and just
to be able to mentally stand over a golf shot
and really commit to a line and know that, hey,
if I turned my club days a degree closed the
(11:58):
reopen on this and you know, I've we're going to
be in the rough and he just can't be in there.
So it just puts an exager just exaggerate, you know,
just frustrating.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
You got a chance to work out a little bit
with JJ Spahn. You get to know these guys a
little bit better as you continue to improve your game.
How happy are you for a guy who made a
sixty four and a half foot putt for birdie on
number eighteen to win it by two and be the
only guy in red figures.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Yeah, it's incredible. You know, it's funny. I thought I
thought two under was a pretty good score for the
end of the week and ended up being one under.
But I can't say more nice things about JJ spawn.
I happened to be able to play in the Rocket
program with them last year. It was just a gentleman.
And you know it's funny enough. I it's a golf course,
setsuots so well, he's not the longest said are he
has you know, he gets it far enough. He's a
(12:54):
great iron player. He's patient. You know, he's not some
guy who's going to go two twenty under in a
US Open, but he can you know, stay around are
in the US Open. And that's what they did this week,
and uh, you know he's gonna be a nicer guy.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
What did this experience teach you and how do you
use it moving forward in your PGA to her career?
Speaker 2 (13:14):
The my coaches and myself, we learned, we learned a
lot about this week. We learned what I need to
work on and what our game plan is going forward,
and we start at this Thursday with that implementing this
stuff so I can you know, get my get my
status out there and you know, play out there week
in week out and being out there for those guys,
it just makes me want it even more, you know,
(13:36):
it makes me want to be Uh, you know, a
solidifide figure on the PGA Tour makes me want to
be someone. You know, I may not be an r
mac or air Bipon, but I can go be you know,
even makes me makes me say I can go be
a JJ sponsor. You know he uh, he's gonna win
his first PJ Tour event. Soal ten years being a
pro and uh, you know I'm only in year two.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Help us with the challenges, I think it people view
the PGA Tour as private jets, five star hotels, you know,
Chaufford cars to the clubhouse and then you're playing and
living the life of luxury. That's for the very rarefied error.
It's a challenge. It's really hard. What's the most difficult
(14:18):
part about trying to stay get and then stay with
your tour card on the PGA Tour.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, I mean the lives we see if you watch,
you know that's the full swing or the top of
the line guys. You know, you see the price and
you see the roar, you see the Jordan's ps and
Justin Thomas and all these guys who are just you know,
phenoms and world numbers, top ten in their life. Looks
(14:47):
pretty tarn good. But there's a there's a large PJ
tour that's you know, find commercial every week. You know,
has rental cars who who you know, you may not
be able to recognize if they walk to do a restaurant.
I mean Jay Jay Fond told us, you know the
practice FREEKW that is kind of his thing. You know,
like you could walk into a restaurant and you know
(15:08):
not really you know, maybe one first recognizing them. You know,
it's not not uh you know, not somebody gives someone
the starstruck. But with that, you know, not being a
top of the line guy. I mean, it's it's adop
and you know it's not glamorous, especially when you're chasing
it like what I'm doing. You know, you don't have
status and you're driving across the country to play in
(15:30):
these events that are called mini tour events or Monday
qualifiers just to have an opportunity, and you're staying in
uh you know, you're not saying a five star hotels
or you know, driving around a courtesy Lexis for the week.
You're you're grinding it out, looking at your finances, making sure,
uh you know you're well within your meat. I mean
(15:52):
it's by far. Uh, you know, not a oral treatment
when you're chasing them.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Yeah, it's tough, but we give you a ton of
credit because you're a hell of a player and we
know that the challenges are there, but you can overcome them.
We appreciate the time. Congratulations on winning the US Open qualifier.
Congratulations on playing at Oakmont. We're going to hear and
see you quite a bit moving forward. Thanks for the
time today, Grant. We appreciate you joining us.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I appreciate it. Thank you for what you do.
It was a tough weekend, and it was tough week
for anybody playing at the US Open at Oakmont. What
a brutal, brutal track to try and navigate for the
one hundred and twenty fifth playing. Our next guest on
the Lindsey Hunter Foundation guest line is Grant Hefner, and
he was able to do just that. He played there
Thursday and Friday. He had to win a qualifying round
(00:21):
in Ohio and was unbelievable in winning it, beating out
some massive names that you're familiar with. And the Michigan
native joins us here on this Monday, Grant, hope your
dad had a great Father's Day. How are you this morning?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Good? I'm doing well.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Good. How difficult was that course?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
You know, it's sometimes it's tough to explain. It probe
the hardest golf course I have played in my career
so far, just based on the condition. You know, US
Amateur was health there in twenty twenty one and I
had a privilege to be able to play in that.
But it was nothing like what I just experienced Thursday Friday.
(01:02):
I mean, the rough is just five and a half
inches thick, and you know, the people who did the
best were those who could avoid it.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
How do you prepare for course like that with its challenges?
I mean playing it in a practice round is one thing.
Playing it like you said before, uh is another. But
the conditions are not always the same. So how do
you prepare for something like that?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
The conditions before the golf course throughout the weeks changed.
When I got there Monday, we had just got off
some rain and the course was quite soft in the fairways,
like it kind of was yesterday to the final round,
the rough was a little more wet. To prepare for it,
I mean I must have hit hundreds of chips and
shots out, you know, out of the rock, just over
(01:48):
the course of three four days, just to you know,
have any idea what to do. I mean, fortunately I
had a good team with me, with you know, two
of my country group coaches, you know, coaching on tour.
But you know, even with that, I mean, it was,
you know, it's a blind you're off pretty much. It's
you know, it's it's a rubb of degree meaning it's
(02:08):
you know, do you end in it or do you
do you get in the rough or do you not?
And you have to play your best to you know,
you know, play very strategic in order to achieve that.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Michigan ned a grand Hefner joining us here on extra
Jo Bros. He was a qualifier for the US Open.
On Thursday. You shot an eighty one. On Friday you
shot a seventy seven. But your front nine is one
that your back nine was really good. I mean, if
you played the back nine, you're in right, you make
the cut. It's the front nine that caused problems, not
(02:42):
just for you, but for just about everybody. What was
the biggest difference between the front nine at Oakmont compared
to the back nine at Oakmont?
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Yeah, so it's funny you caught on to that. The
I think the front nine there are holes there that
are just absolutely brutal to take three Hold eight and
Old nine. Those three holes are just they had to finish,
uh three of the hardest holes of the week, and
there's no escaping that, meaning if you hit a bad shot,
(03:13):
you can't get away with it. Compared to the back nine,
you know, full ten you don't need a hit driver,
whole eleven you don't need a hit driver. And the
green top pluses or I would say a little less severe,
but you could have almost all a scoring stressed and
I played really well on that nine the second day,
and if I made a couple of cuts, you know,
(03:34):
making the cut wasn't out of the question for twenty seven,
but unfortunately, you know, I didn't, and so I still
had a great nine of that shot even far. But
you know, I'm bogied eighteen and it's still just a
brutal tot. They hit it right and the rough off
the team on eighteen, and I'm kind of knew it
was pretty much a bogie immediately.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
How big of a challenge is number eight? It's a
two and ninety three yard par three. It just seems
like it's so daunting from the tee. What do you
use in that? And how are you playing that? Specifically?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
That's burn the practice round. A lot of the players
just put it myself, we were hitting drivers at it.
As a week went on, out of the course firmed
up a bit, we switched over to three woods, and
but still the difficulty of it is you're hitting the
three wood of the small you know, I don't say
small green complex. The broach is large, three upon complex.
But you can't miss, you know, the moment you hit
(04:35):
it in a rough, you're still just you know, debt,
you're trying to sit from around the green, and so
I mean it was very easy to make a four.
You know over.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Immediately is the mindset of par Is okay? Or even
a bogie on certain holes is okay? How challenging is
that to adapt when you're you used to being the
guy who was shooting sixty two and sixty three.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, it's amazing. Really, the mentality of bogey as your
friend in the major championship, especially as mainly as I'd
say the US Open is a very accurate statement. And
I don't know if it was so hard to it's daft,
but sometimes making bogeye was hard. Best example for me
it was whull number three the first day. I hit
(05:25):
it right in the rough, and my Kaddy and I
talked about shipping into sideways last. But if I took
this sideways, the least it would have gone through the
fair way into the other rough. But let me try
to killing forward. And I tried hitting at nine iron
just to get it to go one hundred yards, and
I couldn't even get us to go one hundred yards.
And so now you know, a bigger number wasn't playing
it ended up making triple.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Grand after joining us here on Exison Bros. Professional goal
for Michigan or played in the US Open. And it
is a very challenging track, the greens or the rough.
What was more challenging for you?
Speaker 2 (06:03):
The rough, without a doubt is uh, it was just
such a It's so thick and it was so dense
that it was really just luck if you had a
good lie. You know, sometimes you did, but in the
jord of your time you didn't. And you're opening that
club base on your wedge and taking a swing that
(06:23):
you would from sixty yards and you're hoping your ball
just on the green.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I don't know if you watch the last round, but
you know Sam Burns on fifteen and you know, short
side of himself to the last and you know he's
taking this huge swing and he'n't even getting on the green.
I mean, it was just it was just incredible to
playing conditions like that.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
So I got a quick question for you. I'm glad
you brought up Sam Burns. I forget which hole it was, Grant,
but his ball lands would look to be in a
puddle of water. I mean, it was. It was nasty
usually it's a drop from there, right, I mean, it's
some type of relief. Should they have get they didn't
give him relief? Should he have gotten relief?
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And why if it was whole fifteen someone? I think
some of they posted a picture on Instagram or stuffing
saying like this is where his ball was. But you know,
I didn't look at it too much. But to my knowledge,
I don't know if there was enough rain to justify
(07:23):
him get in what they call a standing water release.
And so in order to get standing water release, you
have to literally stand on pretty much where your golf
ball is and water has to rise out of the ground.
And at that point, it was not raining, and I
think the ball the water was draining away, and I
(07:44):
don't know if it was I don't know if it
was justified. I can't say, but I think, you know,
based on the telecast that I was watching, I thought
his ball of fine didn't have mud on it. He
just hit a really bad shot on fifty. I mean,
you know, his daddy should have had a name in way, right,
and knowing that if he, you know, makes a thirty
on seventeen, he's you know, still in the tournament.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
It's a good answer, Grant Hefner joining us on the
Lindsay Hunter Foundation guest line courses in general, Grant, do
you find that they are trying to make them pro proof?
If you look at it, Oakmant has only two par fives,
number twelve, six hundred and thirty seven and number four,
six hundred and seventeen. You're playing par fours that are
(08:29):
over five hundred yards five hundred and nine on number fifteen,
five hundred and five. On eighteen you got a four
hundred and sixty five yard par four, four hundred and
ninety yard par four. Are they tricking these golf courses
too much? So you guys can't score as easily as
perhaps you could have ten years ago.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Even ye you know, so I looked at this. But
so if you were to have two ins rotten at
that US Open instead of the five and a half
six sens roughly played in, I think the winners you know,
under ten under parts. So it put a premium on
hitting the fairway out there. And because you know you
take nine, it's four hundred and ninety six yards, and
(09:13):
if you missed the fairway two yards left, you go
into a penalty hazard. If you miss it two yards right,
you're in a bunk or a rough, and from neither
location you can't get it. On the green. You kind
of thread this ball through a small, small opening and
it puts just an exacerbation on accuracy and temperate patience.
Not for the par five is they were very long,
(09:36):
but they're actually both very reachable because some elevation change.
So every guy was going for hole twelve pretty much
if you hit the fairway, including myself, and I was
going for them with either a six wood or three wood,
and some guys were going for him with the iron seasons,
but those were the only holes. He felt like, you know, hey, Exeason,
my thirty opportunities. So I mean you just have to
(09:57):
hold on and you know, grind out the rest.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
It's such a narrow margin of error though, I mean,
you're talking about two yards. You hit it two yards
right of your target or two yards left of your target,
and you're getting pedalized even though you're hitting it in
the fair way. And Grand Heffner can relate. He's on
the Lindsay Hunter Foundation guest line with us here on
X's and Bros. We saw the frustration from Terrell Hatton.
(10:22):
We saw it from Sam Burns. We saw it from
Bryson to Shambo. What were your colleagues on the PGA
tour telling you about the course when all was said
and done.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
You know, it was funny hearing a lot of people
weren't thrilled as the four setup. I think they wanted,
you know, they would have appreciated like four inch russ
instead of you know, the five and a half six
and stuff we had, which I think that it would
have been a little more fair. But I wouldn't say
the USJ ass the golf course as they have in
the past. It's like USOLP such as Shinnecock. But I
(10:57):
think it just led the frustration. I know, we all
saw the Rory McElroy slams in the club head on
uh on seventh or slamming this clubhead on the team
marker on seventeen. But you know, I mean, I think
that golf course does that to you. I mean, it's
it is. It just puts a premium on you know,
staying within yourself and making incredibly smart decisions and you know,
(11:20):
not screwing up. And I did a nine hole where
I played that way and it was a good score.
Was out there, but you just really had to, you know,
buffle down and earn it.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Was it more challenging physically or mentally?
Speaker 2 (11:37):
I think I think physically, I think it's from like
a I think mentally, I mean, because this game, this game,
all of us have like very good golf wings and
have the ability to shoot a low score and just
to be able to mentally stand over a golf shot
and really commit to a line and know that, hey,
if I turned my club days a degree closed the
(11:58):
reopen on this and you know, I've we're going to
be in the rough and he just can't be in there.
So it just puts an exager just exaggerate, you know,
just frustrating.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
You got a chance to work out a little bit
with JJ Spahn. You get to know these guys a
little bit better as you continue to improve your game.
How happy are you for a guy who made a
sixty four and a half foot putt for birdie on
number eighteen to win it by two and be the
only guy in red figures.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Yeah, it's incredible. You know, it's funny. I thought I
thought two under was a pretty good score for the
end of the week and ended up being one under.
But I can't say more nice things about JJ spawn.
I happened to be able to play in the Rocket
program with them last year. It was just a gentleman.
And you know it's funny enough. I it's a golf course,
setsuots so well, he's not the longest said are he
has you know, he gets it far enough. He's a
(12:54):
great iron player. He's patient. You know, he's not some
guy who's going to go two twenty under in a
US Open, but he can you know, stay around are
in the US Open. And that's what they did this week,
and uh, you know he's gonna be a nicer guy.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
What did this experience teach you and how do you
use it moving forward in your PGA to her career?
Speaker 2 (13:14):
The my coaches and myself, we learned, we learned a
lot about this week. We learned what I need to
work on and what our game plan is going forward,
and we start at this Thursday with that implementing this
stuff so I can you know, get my get my
status out there and you know, play out there week
in week out and being out there for those guys,
it just makes me want it even more, you know,
(13:36):
it makes me want to be Uh, you know, a
solidifide figure on the PGA Tour makes me want to
be someone. You know, I may not be an r
mac or air Bipon, but I can go be you know,
even makes me makes me say I can go be
a JJ sponsor. You know he uh, he's gonna win
his first PJ Tour event. Soal ten years being a
pro and uh, you know I'm only in year two.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Help us with the challenges, I think it people view
the PGA Tour as private jets, five star hotels, you know,
Chaufford cars to the clubhouse and then you're playing and
living the life of luxury. That's for the very rarefied error.
It's a challenge. It's really hard. What's the most difficult
(14:18):
part about trying to stay get and then stay with
your tour card on the PGA Tour.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Yeah, I mean the lives we see if you watch,
you know that's the full swing or the top of
the line guys. You know, you see the price and
you see the roar, you see the Jordan's ps and
Justin Thomas and all these guys who are just you know,
phenoms and world numbers, top ten in their life. Looks
(14:47):
pretty tarn good. But there's a there's a large PJ
tour that's you know, find commercial every week. You know,
has rental cars who who you know, you may not
be able to recognize if they walk to do a restaurant.
I mean Jay Jay Fond told us, you know the
practice FREEKW that is kind of his thing. You know,
like you could walk into a restaurant and you know
(15:08):
not really you know, maybe one first recognizing them. You know,
it's not not uh you know, not somebody gives someone
the starstruck. But with that, you know, not being a
top of the line guy. I mean, it's it's adop
and you know it's not glamorous, especially when you're chasing
it like what I'm doing. You know, you don't have
status and you're driving across the country to play in
(15:30):
these events that are called mini tour events or Monday
qualifiers just to have an opportunity, and you're staying in
uh you know, you're not saying a five star hotels
or you know, driving around a courtesy Lexis for the week.
You're you're grinding it out, looking at your finances, making sure,
uh you know you're well within your meat. I mean
(15:52):
it's by far. Uh, you know, not a oral treatment
when you're chasing them.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Yeah, it's tough, but we give you a ton of
credit because you're a hell of a player and we
know that the challenges are there, but you can overcome them.
We appreciate the time. Congratulations on winning the US Open qualifier.
Congratulations on playing at Oakmont. We're going to hear and
see you quite a bit moving forward. Thanks for the
time today, Grant. We appreciate you joining us.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
I appreciate it. Thank you for what you do.
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