November 26, 2025 • 48 mins
Rich reaches 100 episodes with this show, and he's bringing back a few past guests for the occassion. He catches up with former LPGA player Kris Tschetter, former Oakmont Country Club head professional Bob Ford, and former PGA player Steve Wheatcroft.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the rich, Come We'll go show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is a milestone show for us, and I have
to say thanks to Corey for all of it. This
is one hundred shows, and we thought a lot about
what to do, and I kind of am a little
bit amazed that we made it this far. But I
(00:22):
think what's interesting what I decided to do, what we
decided to do is to pick pick a select few
guests that actually made the biggest impact and just actually
just amazed me that they actually agreed to be on
the show because I'm just a little little show and
they're pretty These people are pretty famous. So we're going
(00:43):
to start with LPGA Tour winner and LPGA Tour player
Chris Cheddar. Chris was on earlier in the year and
she agreed to kind of come on for one hundred
and so Chris, first of all, thanks for helping me
get to one hundred.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well thanks for having me, and congratulations on one hundred.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
That's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, it's pretty it's pretty neat. I'm pretty amazed that
it happened. I'll tell what else it is. It feels
like it happened about like like how fast my kids
grew up, Like in fifteen minutes, it was one hundred.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
So all right, what is it where the days are
long and the years are short?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yes, and actually and actually I think the older they got,
the shorter the years got. And and and actually, unfortunately
for me because they're all gone now, is the days
the day's got.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
The days got shorter too.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So yeah, all right, so first off, thank.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You uh for for being on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
And you know, I've known you for probably longer than
you would care to admit, and look, I would care
to admit, but because that makes us.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Like old, but we won't talk about that, we won't
talk about that.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
So what we will talk about, though, is is tell
me tell me how your year was. I know you
played some and then I want to talk a little
bit about what you're doing right now and then the
next year. But tell me tell me how you how
your hear went this year?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah, I you know, I'm still playing. It's it's getting
harder and harder. You know, the Legends Tour, the age
is forty five, so I am no longer a rookie.
In fact, I'm a veteran out there and it's just
it's harder. You know, you don't think of golf as
a sport where you really lose a step, but you
(02:28):
definitely do. It's hard to get the speed and it's
hard to compete with those young rookie forty five.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Year old Yeah I can, but it's.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Still fun to get out there. I'm still thankful.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
You know, I love golf.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I love playing I love playing in competition, and so
you know, I'm thankful that we have a place to
play and you know, a few tournaments to play in.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So, yeah, it's interesting because I would think that, first
of all, it's got to be strange to be, you know,
considered a veteran on the on the Legends tour.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
That's that's just me. That's just me.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Okay, I'm just gonna say it that way. But so so.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Charles, Charles Barkley told me that if you're a legend,
it's just you're just old.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
That that's that sounds exactly like something Charles Barkley would say,
along with some other things. But so, so, how many
events did you play in?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I played in? Let's see what did I play in for?
For events?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Okay, and what was your best finish?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Oh, it wasn't worth talking.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
About, okay, all right, So we're not gonna do that. Okay,
that's fine. So all right, so let me ask you this. Okay,
what places did you play? Because I want to because
you guys, you guys, actually how many how many events
are on the Legends Tour?
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Well, we have oh gosh, I think we only.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Have four official events, and then we have some invitational events.
So I played in the LPGA Senior Championship out in Utah.
I played in New York. We had one in Atlanta.
I didn't play in the Open this year, which was
you know, I had to qualify this year, and I
(04:24):
didn't qualify. So that was tough because I love playing
in USGA events. But you know, that's again, that's just
part of the deal. You got to keep playing well.
And I'm divided. I don't play much. When I'm home.
I do brain balancing. Now, I do something called cyrust
(04:47):
brain balancing, So when I'm home, I'm pretty busy with that.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Okay. So, and by the way, that I will tell
you that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Of all the people I've talked to speaking of USGA events,
that was the best line that you I've ever heard
my life. When you finished second to Annica Sorenstam and
you said to me, I actually won the event.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I don't know what event she was playing in.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I don't know what event she was playing in because
she beats you guys, but with the field by like
eight or nine, right, seven or eight or something like that.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah it was I think it was six. Maybe maybe
you're right.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
My memory is not as great.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
But yeah, that was the class. That was the most
awesome line of the way. Like I want I always
tell myself I won. I go to sleep at night
knowing I won the event. I don't know what she
was playing in. That was a whole different thing. Yeah, exactly, exactly,
So all right, yeah, no kidding, like like when you're
that good, you're that good, and you know, if you
(05:47):
if you need any evidence, just take a look at
some numbers. So all right, So okay, so you're at home,
so tell me about tell me about your Sarah said,
brains brain reset. This is a really interesting thing.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Well, this is it's so amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It optimizes your brain on its terms. It's non invasive.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
And what we do.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Is we put sensors on your head, we read what's
going on. We've applied musical tones to all these different
frequencies and then we play these tones back to you
in real time, and your brain actually recognizes them as
itself and notices if there's imbalances or any issue, and
(06:34):
it tries to fix itself, which your brain is constantly
trying to do. But once it kind of sees the problem,
it happens faster.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
It has been, you know, amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
It was amazing for me, and it's amazing for a
lot of people. I actually, when I first started doing it, I.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Got both of my daughters to do it. They both
felt better, but then, you know, because it was me,
they kind of didn't want to do it.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Well. One one of my daughters just decided to try
it again and she's like, oh my gosh, I feel
so much better, MoMA. I can't believe that. I'm just
sitting there trying my hardest not to say I've been
trying to.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Get you to do this.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Oh, but i'my.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
She feels better now, right, that child voice you just did.
We all have that.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
That's awesome. That's exactly how they all sound, every one
of them. Every one of them sounds like that, every
one of them.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
But you know what, sometimes they just have to learn lessons.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
The hard way or the long.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Take the long road, right, you just keep walking into
that glass door, and eventually you're going to figure out
I taught you how to open the door.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I taught you how to open the door. I really
did a long time ago. So all right, so you're
really busy with that. What else?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
I mean, obviously you're not doing that twenty four hours
a day. I mean, you don't play a whole lot.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
So what else are you up to?
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Well, I this, this really keeps me pretty busy. I
you know, like it's a job.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
I come to work every day, and and.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
You know, it really does take a lot of time.
The good news is my office is about two blocks
from a golf.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Course, and so I can run over there and hit balls.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I give a few like playing lessons. That's I like
that much more than you know, just trying to help
someone with their swing. I'm better at helping them, you know,
around the golf course with strategies and and you know,
more the mental side of the game. So I do
do some of that as well.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Well.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
That's interesting you say that, because I mean, obviously everybody
listening wouldn't know this, But I teach a young lady
that that Chris was nice enough to say, hey, just
how her to call me and I'll talk to about
some stuff. And I talked to her. Name's Ellie, and
I talked to her. I'm like, okay, so what did
she say? And it was hilarious. She goes, you know,
she really want to know about my grades. I'm like, no, kidding,
cause you're cause you're cause you're like thirteen years old.
(09:03):
And that's somebody who's not thirteen years old and understands
how important all that is. And it was it was
just it was just really it was really interesting and
like and then she said to me, she goes, she goes,
you know, and she's like really serious, like she's gonna
tell me a secret.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
She's like she's really good.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I'm like, yeah, okay, like I already knew that secret,
but I appreciate you confirming that secret.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
But it was it was just really.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
She sounds like a great kid.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Yeah, she she really is.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Her parents have done a really good job with her,
and she just she's And actually it's interesting because we
talked the other day, she and I about like, your
golf scores aren't aren't you you know, just because you
play badly?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Or play well. It doesn't make you different than who
you really are.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Like, you know, you're still the same, same friend, You're
the same like whatever you are daughter, you know, whatever you're,
you're still that. You know, your golf scorers can't be you,
and you can't be your golf scorers.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
So it was just it was just really really hard.
It is.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
It absolutely is, because you become you just tie yourself
to that. Well, you know what, I didn't play well,
so therefore I'm I'm not as whatever I was an
hour ago. Well that's not really true. It has nothing
to do with it, nothing to do with it, yea.
So all right, So are you gonna let me ask
you this? Are you gonna play more next year?
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I'm gonna play as much as I can.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
I like that, I like that, I love to play.
Speaker 5 (10:33):
I just golf.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's been so good to me, and it's it is
truly my happiest of places. I'm you know, I'm thrilled
that I have something else I'm doing, because I I
would really I would miss it.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
More right than I than I do.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So it's it's great to have something that I really
get up and I look forward to doing every day.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
But boy, golf, golf.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Was it for a long long time. And still when
I go out to tournaments, it's just I'm I'm just
really excited to be there.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
And so I got to ask you.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
I got to ask you.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
So you grew up, growing up, and then then you
go to then you go to Texas Christian and all
that fun stuff, But like, did you ever stop and
think that one day you would be working with people's
you know, brains and brain resets. I mean like, I
mean like literally like you couldn't have.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
There's no way you could off, no way. No.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
But here's the thing, my if you look back in
my family history, we had seventy five percent of the
people our doctors, and so I've always kind of had
this healer. I've been a healer at heart my generation,
my brothers, I've got we've got two professional golfers and
a bar owner. So I don't know what happened to us,
(12:00):
but I'm trying to get back in the healing profession.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Oh, I thought you're gonna say you try it on
the bar, you know, because that's probably not really.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
The direction we're going to go there. Eric.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Let you only you only have room from one of
those at the Thanksgiving table. That's it, that's it.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
No, he's actually he's done great. And now he's talking
about getting into politics.
Speaker 6 (12:21):
So there you go.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
He'll be he'll he'd be great in anything he wanted
to do.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
So all right, so let me ask you this the
most well across the board. You mentioned Charles Barklington across
the board. Who's the most famous person you've ever met?
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Uh, most famous person I've ever met?
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I mean, you can say me, but we know you're lying.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
So Charles would be up there.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
I met Barack Obama at the golf course one day.
That was fun and fire ring.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, yeah, okay, we.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Got me in the In the five minutes we spent talking,
he asked me probably four questions about about myself.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Yeah, so he was pretty pretty impressive.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
That's neat. That's neat.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
So okay, so we're gonna stick with that because as
President of United States, I'm gonna go with that. We're
gonna leave We're gonna leave that one alone. So all right,
So you're gonna try and play more, and you're gonna
keep working the Sarah set and all that fun stuff.
But so you've got to be really, really and I'm
not asking you to patch yourself on the back, but
(13:39):
you've got to be really pleased with your career. At
least I would be. I mean, I'm not you, but
I would be.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Oh, you know, we always want to do better.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Right right, But but I mean, it's.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
It's pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
I gotta tell you, somebody, I know you don't, I
know you like hear this, but it's pretty impressed.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Of well, I'll just say thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
I mean, because you know, it's you don't get to
do that for that long and that well without being
pretty impressive to a to anybody who's anybody who's watching
or actually half paying attention.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
So well, I guess maybe.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Really, I I got to say thank you for for
coming on today. And I know it was kind of
You're kind of enough to kind of shift your stuff
around for me, but I just want to tell you.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Thanks for for doing this.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
And and I really I'm not going to call you
out and tell you how long I've known you, but
you have been in incredibly impressive From the the first
day I ever met you, actually first they ever talked
to you.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I talked you on the phone the first time.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
You've been incredibly impressive, and you've been incredibly kind and
you and you and your and your skill is really impressive.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
But well, I thank you very much and I appreciate
you having me on. And it's fantastic that you've had
one hundred shows.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, that's pretty amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
I think it's even more impressive that I can count
to one hundred. But that's a whole different story. That's
a whole different story. So well, I'm just going to
tell you this, thank you again, thanks for doing it,
and obviously I'll be talking to you and again from
a personal standpoint, thanks for talking to Ellie and and
you know, and thanks for all and I'll be honest
(15:29):
with you. Thanks for always answering the phone when I
call you and when I text you, because it's really
really it really it's really impressive and it's really cool.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Well anytime, so thank you so very much.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
And this is Chris Cheddar and she came on from
one hundred show and I don't know what number she
was because but she is part of my one hound
of the show. So Chris, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Well, you are welcome and have a great day and
good luck with the rest of your one hundred and
first show.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Thank you very much. This is the Rich Comboll Golf Show.
Welcome back to the Rich Como Golf Show. As everybody
already knows, this is one hundredth show today. And I
went back through and picked up some looked at some
of the guest list, and I came up with three
and that I really wanted to have on and just
(16:20):
kind of catch up with and just say thank you
so And this segment is we are having Bob Ford on.
And for those of you who do not know who
Bob Ford is, Bob is the former head professional at
Oakmont Country Club and the former head professional at Seminal
Golf Club in Florida. And before I even welcome Bob
(16:42):
to the show, if they did build a Mount Rushmore
of PGA professionals, one of them would be one of
the one of the faces on that Mount Rushmore would
be Bob Ford's. So, Bob, thanks for coming on. I
appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Well, I appreciate you Rich. I think that's a little exaggerated,
but I appreciate the intro.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Thank you so so as I as I as I
indicated to you. Obviously, it's one hundred and that's a
pretty big milestone. I guess from a lot of people
that tell me that. But so you were one of
the major guests that I had on and SO, and
as I told you in that episode that you were,
(17:26):
professionally speaking, you're one of my heroes. So I wanted
to say thank you first of all, and I also
wanted to ask you talk a little bit about.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
About your year this year, and I know.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
You got to go back to do some special stuff
at Oakmont and then what you're looking forward to next year.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
So thank you.
Speaker 5 (17:46):
First off all, Rick, congrats. I think you two hundred
is a milestone. I hope we all lived a hundred.
That's it's great for you. You're doing a great job and
we appreciate all you do for the game.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
So so tell me about tell me about the last
time I saw you was at Oakmont. So a lot
of people don't know you get to do this, or
a lot of people do know, but not everybody knows.
Tell me what you do with the US Open.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
So I'm the first t starter all four rounds. I've
been doing it since twenty seventeen, since I retired from Oakmont,
and it's a real treat for me. I feel like
it's real honor for me to do it. I know,
you know, it's a minor, minor, minor, minor role in
what goes on in the US Open, but you know,
I get to stand there and greet the players, every
(18:37):
player and getting their scorecards and answer any questions they
might have. I think, you know, Mike Davis tabbed me
to do that back and kind of seemed because he
felt like, you know, he wanted somebody there that knew
the players, They knew him, they were people with them,
and they wanted somebody that would do it for ten
or fifteen years because they in the previous years they
(18:59):
had used USC executive Committee members who didn't know any
of the players, and they rotated so there wasn't any
continuity to that position. And because of this Amino Pro member,
you know, I've really gotten to know most of the
players and now after all these years, like you know,
most of the ones that come in and you know,
(19:19):
the guys that qualified to play, you know, through their
sections and whatnot, like I had to when I was
trying back way back when uh, you know, I really
try to make them feel extra special because it's an
extra special thing for them. They're not going to do
it every year like the tour players. And you know,
(19:39):
you're very uncomfortable in naturally, so I know how uncomfortably are,
So I just try to feel comfortable and so you
can hit that first T shot, which is a tough especially,
ok mom.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Yeah, no kidding, no kidding.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
So all right, so let's talk about let's talk about that.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
For a second. So how many US Opens did you
play in?
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Three?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Three and so obviously you ified in every one of them, correct, Yeah,
And so so that T shot actually, so you have
real first hand experience of what that feels like to
go out there and just basically shake your socks off
because of what I would assume that's what's happening.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
Oh my god. Yeah. My first Open was at Baltlestraw
in nineteen eighty and I was on the first tea
at three twelve my on Thursday, and uh, you know,
Jack was on eighteen, which is pretty close to the
first tea, sinking his last putt for sixty three, and
Wiscouf was already in the house at sixty three in
round one and I'm like, well, what am I doing here?
(20:40):
He announced my name. I was quivering as you would
it was my first year at Okamont. That's that's behind it.
Hit it off the toe. Thank god I had a
toe on my clever I would have whift and you know,
start out with double bug. He was a nice start.
I did break eighty both rounds, but not close to
(21:01):
making the cat, which was you know, expected, I think
from that point. But you know it helped me in
eighty three when I did qualify again. And then obviously
it's it was at Oakmont, my own course, and I
was somehow lucky enough to play well that week.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Well, let's not downplay that, like where'd you finish twenty sixth?
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Twenty sixth in the United States? Open? As the as
the and you are? You were? Are the host? Professional?
Speaker 5 (21:31):
I was? And I had a lot going on that week,
and I got hypnotized, you know, about a month earlier
because I knew that I was going to struggle mentally
with all the things that I had going on. And
you know, I owned the merchandise, right, so I had
the big tent was mine and my family and my
staff really since I did qualify and I wasn't really
(21:51):
there on site you know, every minute of every day
like I should have been they handled it for me
and did great. But so yeah, the hypnotism thing was
when you know, when I got to the first tea,
I was getting off an elevator and going into a
whole nother world and I forgot everything I was doing
other than playing golf. And I was able to concentrate
(22:13):
on golf and it was great. And the bad news
was I got addicted to her, and like in August,
when the State Open was coming around, I called and
she was at a voicemail said I'm out for two weeks.
I'm down, you know, having a holiday and in Hilton,
and I'm like sat down. I started shaking. I'm like,
(22:34):
oh my god, I can't play with that. And I said,
you know what you need to You need to cut ties.
You need to grow up and be a man and
just forget about this. I just did that. Was it?
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Wow? How did you do in the State Open?
Speaker 5 (22:50):
I can't r eighty three? I can't. I can't recall
it was over on the other side of the state.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
I think, yeah, that's that's a fascin I never knew
that story. I didn't know that story, right, That's that's
really cool. That's really cool.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
So I have to cut down. I like that.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
I like that I have to grow up and be
a man. Yeah, okay, that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
That's interesting.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
I was a I was you know, I asked God,
I was shaking, I was sweat. I'm like, God, you
gotta get a hold of yourself. Boy.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yeah, yeah, grab your bootstraps. We're gonna be okay, you're
gonna be all right. That's really interesting.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
All right.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
So because you have that going on and and and
there's no end in sight for that, correct because obviously
you can do that as long as you are the
start the starting on the first t for all four rounds,
as long as you are willing and want to correct.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Yeah, as long as I'm cohering, I can pronounce everybody's name,
and I don't make too many mistakes this year at
the Open. I mean, I believe me, I made plenty
of mistakes in the years. But at oakmin Eyes sort
of shot a perfect score. You know, I think I
didn't just pronounce one of their names and got them
all on the tee on time. You know, you got
to pay attention with the time.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yeah, because I'm right.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Yeah, so it was. Yeah, Oakmont was a good one
for me.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Where are you going next year? I should know where
that is. But there you go.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Cock. That was my second, second one last, you know,
back nineteen or twenty.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Yeah, you got some You have some friends up.
Speaker 5 (24:18):
There, right, Yeah. Jack Druego is one of my best friends.
He lives about a mile from there. He doesn't work
there anymore, he's retired, but I'll stay with him and
we'll have a great week.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
There you go, There you go.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
So all right, So I have to ask you how
much golf do you play?
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Well? Rich, I try not to play more than once
a day, and you know this week, I think I'm
six days this week, but usually three or four.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Okay, So all right, so you're not I hate to
break this to you if you're not thirty eight years
old anymore. So well, and actually I just I just
My first guest in this show was Chris chatter who
you know Chris. She's she played the OLDPGA Tour for
many years and she's trying. She plays a little bit
on the Legends Tour now and she says, you know,
they say you don't lose a step in golf, because
(25:08):
that's the one game it doesn't And she said they
lied to us because I don't. I don't move it
nearly as fast as I once did. And she said,
I'm playing against Chris Is I don't want a date
or she's a fifty seven to fifty eight years old,
but the rookie on the Legends Tour on the LPGA's
(25:29):
forty five. She said, Now I'm playing against like kids.
They're just whipping it and I can't. So what's the
big thing for you? Do you see a serious change
in speed or do you see something else?
Speaker 5 (25:41):
No, you know, your your your body just doesn't move
like it used to, and it just happens over time.
I'm going to be seventy two here in another month,
and no, I lost a phenomenon that speed. I'll tell you.
You know, the golf ball and the and the drivers
equipment has really kept us playing the game at a
decent life was certainly not competitive. But you know it's
(26:04):
because I recall when I was, you know, growing up
there at Oaklahm. I was young, and you know, pot
of members were in their sixty lite worsh and with
fifty seven when I got there, right, and they really
struggled to play good golf. They really did it couldn't
hit you know, they couldn't hit it far enough. It
was they had the percim it would and couldn't make
it go, could hardly play. It's amazing now how great
(26:27):
that has been for us as we age. But other
than that, we're not too happy about the kids hitting
at three fifty.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Right right right.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
The other thing is the other thing is those golf
balls that you were talking about, when those those things
curved like they curved, they curved like the ball's curve,
and it's like it's like, oh my god, you know,
like I always wanted to. Okay, so I'll ask you
because you you are a really, really really good player,
(26:58):
So the tell me the level the difference in the
golf ball between you're really highly success in E three
at the US Open, and like if you played that
golf ball today, what would you see?
Speaker 5 (27:13):
Well, you know, I actually have you know, through the
last ten years, I've actually gotten my old Precima driver
out and hit an old golf ball, actually hit a
new golf ball. Couldn't get it in the air. I mean,
you know I didn't hit grounders, but you know there
was no flight to the ball at all. Probably carried
one hundred and forty yards, So I mean it's it's
(27:34):
it's bad. And the old golf balls. You know, if
I hit a two fifty in my era, I could
probably hit it now.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Right.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
That's it's huge. It's a big, big change.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Yeah, that's okay.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
So let's see, let's ask you another question. So I
know that I know that Seminal is a very very
very special place to you, and obviously Oak Bann's a
very very special place to you. But where if you
could play one round of golf, not of those two
places in the United States, where would you play it?
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Well, I think that's a good way to put I
played Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach is really really my favorite
place in the world. Really, Oh that's neat. No place
like the Monterey Peninsula. You know, Siders and Tevil are
just extraordinary places in the game. And yeah, that's it.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
There you go, all.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Right, and then go a The other thing is I
do I want to bring this up because I obviously
I'm fortunate enough, or foolish enough, or whatever you want
to call it to. I was recently elected to the
board of Directors of the Tri State Section, and I'm
a real big, you know, PGA professional guy. But I
(28:51):
know that you are very very very proud of all
the people who've worked for you and how they've gone
on to have their own, solid, great, awesome careers. And
I think that's really, really, really I think that's one
thing that people overlook with you. And I'm not judging you.
I'm just telling you it is impressive when you look
(29:14):
at a list of people who have worked for you,
or have been around you, or speak of you very
very very highly. And I just want you to know, like,
you know, I had Bob Friend on here and he
couldn't stop talking about you, you know, and Weatcroft has
said a lot about you, and a lot of a
lot of guys do, and you should.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
You should really know that. Well.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
I appreciate it, you know. I always felt, you know,
like I outpicked the coverage being at Oakmont. I was
just in the right place at the right time. I
didn't deserve that job, but once I got it, I felt.
I really had this feeling early in my career that
you're in a position to help people and shame money
if you don't help people. You know, from this position,
(29:58):
and you know you're going to have a lot of
cap cloud, you're not going to deserve it. But because
you're at Oakmont. Like when I was an assistant in
Oakmont for Lou Warshon for five years, everywhere I went,
all of a sudden, I was I was highly respected,
and I'm like, I don't deserve this. People don't I'm nothing.
I'm a I'm just an assistant, don't you know. But
(30:18):
I worked for Lou Warshon, so you know, got people
like Sneed and the Merit and Tony Penna, and you know,
the old guys are like you know, they they really
treated me differently. And like I said, I didn't deserve it.
But because because I was, you know, worked for Blue
and worked at Oakmont, all of a sudden I was
(30:40):
somebody they thought I was, you know, and I just
knew that it was a powerful spot and that I
would have an opportunity to help a lot of people.
So that was that was why all that happened.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Well just so you know, I mean, even if you don't,
even if you don't, that was also one of the
best things you said to me. So the good thing
is all the people that work for me, I get
to go play a lot of places and don't have
to really don't have to really really really knock on
the door too hard because they're always like.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Hey, yeah, you can play here. But I just.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Wanted to say thanks, because you know, I I shared
our podcast and I've listened to it a couple of
different times.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
The first one I had you on.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
For the whole hour, and and it's just you've always
been you know, and I t I tell kids all
the time, I tell people all the time in this business.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
I called him three times on the phone and he
called me back within six hours, and and and you're
just you are, like you're the definition of professional. And
I just wanted to say thanks. And I want to
say thanks for getting me to one hundred, but thanks
for everything you've done.
Speaker 5 (31:46):
Oh well, I appreciate it. Rich. You know, it's one
complaint I have about the young kids. And I've got
two sons and I want to smack around too, but
you know, I had two jobs and three kids, and
you know, if I didn't get back to some money
that day, I didn't sleep that night. I mean, I
just think it's it's just proper to get back to people.
I don't care whether it's a dishwashirt Okamanta, president of
(32:09):
the club. You know, I tried to treat everybody the same.
It's it's worked out well for me.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Well again, thanks for everything, and thanks for doing this
and I greatly appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (32:19):
All right, buddy, congrats on a hundred.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Thanks, I appreciate it. This is the rich Comoll Golf Show.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Welcome back to the rich Comboll Golf Show. This is
show one hundred and so, as everybody already knows, I
had to sit down and select some people to you know,
commemorate one hundred, so we kept it to three. I
wanted to do twelve, but Corey said he wasn't down
on the phone that much, so we limited it to three.
(32:47):
And this is our third one and the person who's
joining us in this segment is Steve Wheatcroft, who is
a former PGA Tour player and actually has a is
a really doing some really cool stuff right now.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
So Steve, thanks for coming on.
Speaker 6 (33:03):
Yeah, it is thanks for having me.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
I'm curious that well that wanted was twelve.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
And I'm just no, Actually, I knew I knew were
gonna I knew you're gonna say that.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I knew you're gonna say that.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
No, actually I wanted to call twelve you were actually seven.
Just so you know, I'm just telling you right now.
I wanted you were seven. Then I gotta gets you
down to three and then so now you know, but no,
and why don't you tell me what you're up to,
tell me how your year's been?
Speaker 7 (33:32):
Yeah, so, uh, you know, first off, I want to
say thank you for having me down. I really didn't
apreciate all different side. It's it's a pleasure to be
on here. And ironically enough, I had breakfast with Bob
Ford about five days.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
Ago and down in Jupiter, So there you go.
Speaker 6 (33:44):
Small world, yes it is.
Speaker 7 (33:46):
But yeah, so that the last year has been incredible.
So obviously I was on the show before and we
talked about the trials and tribulations that I went through
post career and how I battled depression, alcoholism, anxiety, a
bunch of different things and I managed to overcome those
been sober for a year and a half. Now I
don't miss that lifestyle of the drinking whatsoever. That part's
been an easy transition, and now it's just a matter
(34:08):
of building building a monster here and being able to
help other people. So We've I started the Mulligan Foundation.
It's a it's a nonprofit designed to help other people
in the golf space. We're getting ready to launch a
huge initiative here with partners such as the First t
the a j g A, the LPGA Tour, the NTA
(34:29):
Collegiate Ranks on the mental health side. So we're excited
about that. Well, we're gonna announce that in the first
quarter of twenty twenty six. We're doing some great work
with the Honica Stornstam Foundation. And I also just wrote
a book. So I just published a book. Didn't think
I was ever going to have author on the resume,
but here we are.
Speaker 6 (34:49):
But yeah, it's been, it's been. It's been a heck
of it.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Last year.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
It's been a great year. It's it's nice to have
some clarity at my own brain again, which I hadn't
had in a long time.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yeah, it's it's really interesting because the interesting thing is
is you see guys now they're actually and I don't
want to say I do want to say brave enough
or I say powerful enough to come out and say, hey, listen,
you know what, It looks pretty cool from where you're
sitting because I'm paid a lot of money to catch
a football or throw a football, and I'm paid a
(35:19):
lot of money.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
To hit a golf ball.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
But there's a lot going on in a lot of
people's heads.
Speaker 7 (35:24):
Yeah, I was just going to say, I'm calling to you,
calling into the show from the RSM Classic up in
Sea Island. I was just walking the range and walking
the pudding green scenes some old friends, some caddy friends
and whatnot, and the amount of stress. I think I
talked to five guys and three of them have huge,
hugely stressful weeks coming up with you know, where they're
out on the money list, and whether they're going to
(35:45):
have a job next year, where.
Speaker 6 (35:46):
Their job is going to be.
Speaker 7 (35:49):
And I thought really comfortable being on the other side
of the conversation where I didn't have to stress out
about any of it, because I spent you know, fourteen
years out here doing that and trying to figure out
what that last tournament of the year was going to
mean me and if it meant anything, or you know,
you know what it meant as far as where I
was going to start my following year. And to see
the mental anguish on a lot of their faces, it's
(36:10):
like it's definitely it's a growing problem in sports all together.
But at the same time, it's it's finally starting to
get it's being talked about for the first time in
a long time, so guys are understanding the mental component
of any sport and how much it can weigh on
you at how it does perfect performance and and if
they can get out ahead of this and try to
you know, attack it from an earlier age and that
(36:31):
way it doesn't build up and then explode the way
it did in my own story. And that's that's part
of our mission. What we're trying to do is just
help give people the tools, you know, so they can
handle it better.
Speaker 6 (36:42):
From a younger age.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
It is true too.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
I mean I've you know, because I not to that level,
but actually to any level, because when you are trying
to do something, you know, like I've had kids Division
two players like actually literally melt in front of me
and I'm like, I'm like, all right, yeah, there's okay.
So now that this young man is never going to
(37:06):
play on the PGA Tour, he is never going to
probably play in the NCAA Championship at a Division two level,
but I'll tell it, I watched him melt, and I'm like, Okay,
this is something that I personally or professionally am not
trained for, but I was. I was, so I guess
maybe the word would be thankful that he actually felt
(37:27):
comfortable enough to melt in front of me. I think
it's pretty, you know, because I saw you stand up
in front of two hundred and fifty golf professionals in
the meadows and.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Just say hey, listen. I was. I was spinning. You know,
that's a fancy turn, but I was.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
It was cloudy, and if you can help, if you
can help one, you can help two. But even if
you only help one, that's one more that you helped
that didn't get help.
Speaker 7 (37:57):
You know, I've been doing for years with my career,
you know, playing twenty years a professional golf. You get
a lot of fun stories and a lot of cool
things happen. I've heard from a lot of different people, Hey,
you need to write a book. You need to write
a book.
Speaker 4 (38:06):
I was like, I'm not writing a book.
Speaker 7 (38:08):
Nobody wants to read this stuff, like somebody wants to
hear these stories. And so finally I was.
Speaker 6 (38:12):
I was talking with a friend of mine.
Speaker 7 (38:13):
He's more in the recovery side of things, recovery circles.
Speaker 6 (38:16):
And you need to write it.
Speaker 7 (38:18):
Like, hey, i've heard this before. Man, I got it.
And he's like, no, no, you don't understand you. You're not
writing the book for you.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
You're writing it for him. And I was like, all right,
who's him.
Speaker 7 (38:27):
He's like, you'll know when.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
You write the book.
Speaker 7 (38:29):
And I was like, come on, man, now you got
my curiosity peaked like that. Yeah, at least was a
decent way to a different way to look at it.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
So I took some time.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
I thought about it, and I sat down one night
and I started trying to write it out out with
a book. And next thing you know, a few months later,
I had the full book written out and was ready
to go, and I self pushed it the day it
got put onto.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Amazon on Tuesday.
Speaker 7 (38:52):
And Wednesday morning, I get a message on one of
the social media a private message, and it's from a
from a PGA tour go and just said, hey, man,
I know we don't know each other really well at all,
but I really need to talk to you a sap
if you can give me a shout, here's my phone number.
And I called him and sure enough he was going
down a very similar road that I went down and
(39:14):
had seen my story, seen the book and just said
I need to talk at a SAP And now we're working
through a lot of the issues there. And it's it's
funny how it worked. I mean, it's you know, when
I wrote that book, I was curious to see who
him was gonna be. And I figured out for a
few years on, I figured it out and it took
twenty four hours.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
That's that's that's that's a really cool that's a cool story.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
That's a cool story.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
That's that's way more important than you ever made.
Speaker 5 (39:39):
Correct.
Speaker 7 (39:39):
I was like, the book could go way tomorrow and
at least did its job. It helped one person, and
you know it, uh, you know, because I give it.
I gave that person all the credit in the world.
I said, look, man, you you've already made the hardest step,
and that you called me. I made the other step.
I could have easily and when that day came from me,
I could have easily reached for a phone, and I
reached for a bottle and I went down the.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
Wrong path, and you turned the right path.
Speaker 7 (40:02):
And that's why you're gonna be just fine.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Well, so you're going to start to attack, and not attack,
but to try and kind of seep into younger like
A J G.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
A that kind of thing.
Speaker 7 (40:14):
Yes, the more I traveled with the total, the more
I realized that, you know, trying to get across to
a thirty five year old grown man that you know
had this stigma andy grained in his whole life is
going to.
Speaker 5 (40:23):
Be really dead the attack. What if we put more
of a.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
Grassroots approach and started to teach you know, younger children,
high schoolers and whatnot what they could be doing to
help their own mental health. Whether it's talking with somebody,
whether it's you know, mindfulness and breathing exercises, whether it's yoga, meditation,
what anything that might help them get through their own
mental struggles. Let you know, let's teach these kids from
(40:47):
a young age. Let's build it into the first curriculum.
Let's build into the A J G A curriculum. Find
different ways to do this so that by the time
they get to the you know, collegiate ranks, so the
PGA tour ranks or many tours, whatever it might be,
that they've got these soul already in place so that
it doesn't escalate. So instead of being the four alarm fire,
maybe it's a one alarm fire here, so to speak.
It's right, it's a lot less than what it is,
(41:09):
just to be able to open their minds up a
little bit and let them know, like, hey, it's okay
to not be okay, and it's okay to ask for help.
And where I'm excited where we're headed. It's like I said,
we're about to launch a huge initiative. I think it'll
be a game changer, not only in golf but in
sports in general. And it's not like we're building it
all from the ground up. And you know, I'm not
going to take all full credit for it because we're
All we're doing is just pulling the best resources around
(41:29):
the country together and trying to work under one umbrella
cohesively instead of independently.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Man, that's you know, it's funny you say, you know
because you mentioned, you know, even if they never played
golf again in the corporate world or whatever. I you know,
I was driving down, I was driving to the studio
today and I was listening to the the radio station,
the sports radio station in Pittsburgh, and the one guy,
the guy was like the guy on the radio set.
(41:56):
I have to take a break in the middle of
the segment, and so the guys kept talking. He got
back on the on the radio in about a minute.
He's like, you know, for everybody who doesn't know this,
because I suffer from pretty hefty anxiety and we're dealing
with my some of my medicine stuff and things like that,
and I get this sometimes I get this feeling of
(42:17):
like like being covered in blankets. And he goes, and
I got one, so I had to go leave and
you know, wash my face and come back in. And
he's like, I he goes, I'm no longer ashamed of that, yep,
because at one.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
Time I was. And he goes, But now, you know,
I just say it out loud.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
You know what if you if you don't like then
I say it out loud, then I'll talk to somebody else.
Speaker 7 (42:40):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (42:41):
You know.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
And so it's it's like it's self preservation. It's like
it's like, look, you know what, I need this for
me for the next three minutes, and nobody, including you,
is telling people to sit down in a chair and
talk for twenty four straight hours. It's just like, understand
that this is you and you're the most important in
this sequence.
Speaker 7 (43:02):
Yeah, you got it, And you know he's got a
better understanding of what to do when he does get
those feelings now instead of just you know, especially with
anxiety and panic attacks and things along those lines, it's
you know, you can you can talk yourself down off
the ledge, and usually what happens is people start to panic.
That's why they call him panic attacks right right, And
you start to freak out and things start to spiral,
and instead of being able to cut it off, you know,
(43:24):
you keep this thing going and it just keeps escalating.
Speaker 6 (43:26):
So there are.
Speaker 7 (43:27):
Ways to do it. But until you know how to
handle that, until you know how to get it out
in front of it, you know, you have no idea
how to fix it. So that's where a lot of
those tools.
Speaker 4 (43:36):
Come into play.
Speaker 7 (43:37):
And kudos to him for for knowing it, acknowledging it,
and getting.
Speaker 5 (43:40):
Out ahead of it.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
It's it's funny because you know it's it's that old saying,
you don't know what you don't know, you don't you
don't know how to fix it if you don't know
how to fix it.
Speaker 7 (43:48):
So you got it.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
The fact that you can inject mechanisms to de escalate
the situation just makes everybody that much healthier. Literally, that's
the word healthier. Yeah, and that's pretty cool. So all right,
well let me ask you a little later question, are
you are you playing at all?
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Do you play it all?
Speaker 4 (44:11):
I do?
Speaker 7 (44:12):
And it's weird.
Speaker 6 (44:13):
I I'm sure my last four rounds of golf were
sixty five, seventy five, sixty four, seventy four.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
So you are now officially the most hated man in America.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Just so you know, I'm fine.
Speaker 7 (44:29):
I've probably been there before.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
You really not. But that's funny. That is cool.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
That's got to be crazy to you sitting there going okay,
I can do that, and then I did that.
Speaker 6 (44:40):
Yeah, I don't get it. I I was.
Speaker 7 (44:42):
I played the I went up to Raleigh to play
in the Grayson Murray Foundation Classic U and you know,
I played it up there in an event I hit
the ball. Okay, it was a team deal. It was scramble,
but I had to rush back to get to BC Sawgrass.
One of my donors was in town asked if I
would play in this four man basketball tournament out there
with them. They needed a fourth so I did, and
(45:02):
you know, we were playing the up teas a little bit,
but I mean I was won over through I think
six or seven holes, and I was just like, oh
my God, get me out of here and start raining
on us.
Speaker 6 (45:10):
And I wasn't playing well.
Speaker 7 (45:11):
I was tired from the flight. And then I birdied
eight of the last eleven holes at SAGA, and I
just said, what happened? We ended up winning the event.
They didn't help me a shot. And then I went
out to Atlantic Beach the following well, it was probably
three weeks later, and I shot like seventy five, didn't
hit hardly any good shots, just slapped it around and
made a bunch of bars. And then I played down
(45:33):
at the Park down in Jupiter, awesome spot by the way,
public spot they had like the Max home a Alexi
Thompson that you know. Primetime match was at the at
the park.
Speaker 6 (45:43):
It was freezing cold in the morning.
Speaker 7 (45:45):
It was like a you know wind chill of about
forty one forty two. It was thirty one hour winds
and I shot sixty four like it was nothing. Yeah,
I don't know, man, I just I enjoyed the game
for what it is. I enjoyed competing with my buddies,
just having a little ten dollars now game and try
to see what kind of golf game shows up. But
you know, if I shoot seventy five, I don't really care.
(46:06):
If I shoot sixty four, I don't really care. It's
just it's nice to just get out and play golf.
I have a hard time hitting golf balls now. I
just don't like practicing. I think I've I've hit my
allotment of golf balls in my life. I just enjoy
going out and playing now.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
So I will tell you this that just so you know,
because I talked to you, you know, whenever I talked
to you last time, and the first time I ever
talked to you was at the at the Tri State
Section PGA meeting. And it's funny because you have a
completely different tone about the game of golf than you
did then because you could see it was it was
it was kind of like a monster that you were
(46:42):
talking about. And now it's just something like, hey, this
is pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
I get to do this.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
But my real why or whatever it is, and my
focus is that it's just really neat to hear the
tone change.
Speaker 7 (46:56):
It's funny how when you start to discover a why.
And that's what that's I struggled with so much is
everybody can look at it and like, oh, he just
became an alcoholic because he didn't play professional golf. It's like, no,
there was a lot more to it than that. Like
I walked away from the game on my own terms.
I didn't miss the game when I left it. I
just missed having that persona behind me. You know, I
was Steve the golfer since I was fourteen years old,
and all of a sudden I wasn't. So I didn't
(47:17):
know what my purpose was here. I didn't know what
I was supposed to be doing, and any kind of
job that I was trying to do, it just didn't
feel natural. It just didn't feel like I was serving
a bigger purpose in any way, and I didn't like
the way it made me feel. And so once I
started to learn the why, and you know, how I
could help others and just see the power and some
of the things we can do and how we can
(47:38):
change lives in a positive way. It's it's amazing how
certain things in your life that you let affect you
so much for so long just seemed trivial and don't
have the same meaning as what they used to.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
It's absolutely awesome, Steve. I got to tell you something.
I could talk to you for like three straight weeks,
but we're out of time. But thank you so very
much for doing this. Thank you so much for what
you're doing. Okay, so don't don't forget that, because this
is a larger picture. So thanks for doing all that too.
But and thanks for helping me personally, helping me get
to one hundred.
Speaker 7 (48:12):
Of course, Rich, I appreciate congratulations.
Speaker 4 (48:14):
Do you want one hundred?
Speaker 7 (48:15):
And for your listeners out there, there were the books
called Cocktails and Rangeballs.
Speaker 6 (48:19):
Go get it.
Speaker 7 (48:19):
You might find some little life nuggets in there that
might help you as well. So yeah, I appreciate you
having me on. Congrats one hundred. I can't wait to
come on two hundred.
Speaker 2 (48:27):
And thanks, buddy, I appreciate it. This is the Rich
come woll Golf Show.
Welcome to the rich, Come We'll go show.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
This is a milestone show for us, and I have
to say thanks to Corey for all of it. This
is one hundred shows, and we thought a lot about
what to do, and I kind of am a little
bit amazed that we made it this far. But I
(00:22):
think what's interesting what I decided to do, what we
decided to do is to pick pick a select few
guests that actually made the biggest impact and just actually
just amazed me that they actually agreed to be on
the show because I'm just a little little show and
they're pretty These people are pretty famous. So we're going
(00:43):
to start with LPGA Tour winner and LPGA Tour player
Chris Cheddar. Chris was on earlier in the year and
she agreed to kind of come on for one hundred
and so Chris, first of all, thanks for helping me
get to one hundred.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Well thanks for having me, and congratulations on one hundred.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
That's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, it's pretty it's pretty neat. I'm pretty amazed that
it happened. I'll tell what else it is. It feels
like it happened about like like how fast my kids
grew up, Like in fifteen minutes, it was one hundred.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
So all right, what is it where the days are
long and the years are short?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yes, and actually and actually I think the older they got,
the shorter the years got. And and and actually, unfortunately
for me because they're all gone now, is the days
the day's got.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
The days got shorter too.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So yeah, all right, so first off, thank.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
You uh for for being on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
And you know, I've known you for probably longer than
you would care to admit, and look, I would care
to admit, but because that makes us.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Like old, but we won't talk about that, we won't
talk about that.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
So what we will talk about, though, is is tell
me tell me how your year was. I know you
played some and then I want to talk a little
bit about what you're doing right now and then the
next year. But tell me tell me how you how
your hear went this year?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah, I you know, I'm still playing. It's it's getting
harder and harder. You know, the Legends Tour, the age
is forty five, so I am no longer a rookie.
In fact, I'm a veteran out there and it's just
it's harder. You know, you don't think of golf as
a sport where you really lose a step, but you
(02:28):
definitely do. It's hard to get the speed and it's
hard to compete with those young rookie forty five.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Year old Yeah I can, but it's.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Still fun to get out there. I'm still thankful.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
You know, I love golf.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I love playing I love playing in competition, and so
you know, I'm thankful that we have a place to
play and you know, a few tournaments to play in.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
So, yeah, it's interesting because I would think that, first
of all, it's got to be strange to be, you know,
considered a veteran on the on the Legends tour.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
That's that's just me. That's just me.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Okay, I'm just gonna say it that way. But so so.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Charles, Charles Barkley told me that if you're a legend,
it's just you're just old.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
That that's that sounds exactly like something Charles Barkley would say,
along with some other things. But so, so, how many
events did you play in?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I played in? Let's see what did I play in for?
For events?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Okay, and what was your best finish?
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Oh, it wasn't worth talking.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
About, okay, all right, So we're not gonna do that. Okay,
that's fine. So all right, so let me ask you this. Okay,
what places did you play? Because I want to because
you guys, you guys, actually how many how many events
are on the Legends Tour?
Speaker 4 (03:58):
Well, we have oh gosh, I think we only.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Have four official events, and then we have some invitational events.
So I played in the LPGA Senior Championship out in Utah.
I played in New York. We had one in Atlanta.
I didn't play in the Open this year, which was
you know, I had to qualify this year, and I
(04:24):
didn't qualify. So that was tough because I love playing
in USGA events. But you know, that's again, that's just
part of the deal. You got to keep playing well.
And I'm divided. I don't play much. When I'm home.
I do brain balancing. Now, I do something called cyrust
(04:47):
brain balancing, So when I'm home, I'm pretty busy with that.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Okay. So, and by the way, that I will tell
you that.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Of all the people I've talked to speaking of USGA events,
that was the best line that you I've ever heard
my life. When you finished second to Annica Sorenstam and
you said to me, I actually won the event.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
I don't know what event she was playing in.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
I don't know what event she was playing in because
she beats you guys, but with the field by like
eight or nine, right, seven or eight or something like that.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yeah it was I think it was six. Maybe maybe
you're right.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
My memory is not as great.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
But yeah, that was the class. That was the most
awesome line of the way. Like I want I always
tell myself I won. I go to sleep at night
knowing I won the event. I don't know what she
was playing in. That was a whole different thing. Yeah, exactly, exactly,
So all right, yeah, no kidding, like like when you're
that good, you're that good, and you know, if you
(05:47):
if you need any evidence, just take a look at
some numbers. So all right, So okay, so you're at home,
so tell me about tell me about your Sarah said,
brains brain reset. This is a really interesting thing.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Well, this is it's so amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
It optimizes your brain on its terms. It's non invasive.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
And what we do.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Is we put sensors on your head, we read what's
going on. We've applied musical tones to all these different
frequencies and then we play these tones back to you
in real time, and your brain actually recognizes them as
itself and notices if there's imbalances or any issue, and
(06:34):
it tries to fix itself, which your brain is constantly
trying to do. But once it kind of sees the problem,
it happens faster.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
It has been, you know, amazing.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
It was amazing for me, and it's amazing for a
lot of people. I actually, when I first started doing it, I.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Got both of my daughters to do it. They both
felt better, but then, you know, because it was me,
they kind of didn't want to do it.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Well. One one of my daughters just decided to try
it again and she's like, oh my gosh, I feel
so much better, MoMA. I can't believe that. I'm just
sitting there trying my hardest not to say I've been
trying to.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Get you to do this.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Oh, but i'my.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
She feels better now, right, that child voice you just did.
We all have that.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
That's awesome. That's exactly how they all sound, every one
of them. Every one of them sounds like that, every
one of them.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
But you know what, sometimes they just have to learn lessons.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
The hard way or the long.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Take the long road, right, you just keep walking into
that glass door, and eventually you're going to figure out
I taught you how to open the door.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I taught you how to open the door. I really
did a long time ago. So all right, so you're
really busy with that. What else?
Speaker 2 (07:56):
I mean, obviously you're not doing that twenty four hours
a day. I mean, you don't play a whole lot.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
So what else are you up to?
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Well, I this, this really keeps me pretty busy. I
you know, like it's a job.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
I come to work every day, and and.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
You know, it really does take a lot of time.
The good news is my office is about two blocks
from a golf.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Course, and so I can run over there and hit balls.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
I give a few like playing lessons. That's I like
that much more than you know, just trying to help
someone with their swing. I'm better at helping them, you know,
around the golf course with strategies and and you know,
more the mental side of the game. So I do
do some of that as well.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Well.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
That's interesting you say that, because I mean, obviously everybody
listening wouldn't know this, But I teach a young lady
that that Chris was nice enough to say, hey, just
how her to call me and I'll talk to about
some stuff. And I talked to her. Name's Ellie, and
I talked to her. I'm like, okay, so what did
she say? And it was hilarious. She goes, you know,
she really want to know about my grades. I'm like, no, kidding,
cause you're cause you're cause you're like thirteen years old.
(09:03):
And that's somebody who's not thirteen years old and understands
how important all that is. And it was it was
just it was just really it was really interesting and
like and then she said to me, she goes, she goes,
you know, and she's like really serious, like she's gonna
tell me a secret.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
She's like she's really good.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I'm like, yeah, okay, like I already knew that secret,
but I appreciate you confirming that secret.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
But it was it was just really.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
She sounds like a great kid.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Yeah, she she really is.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Her parents have done a really good job with her,
and she just she's And actually it's interesting because we
talked the other day, she and I about like, your
golf scores aren't aren't you you know, just because you
play badly?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Or play well. It doesn't make you different than who
you really are.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Like, you know, you're still the same, same friend, You're
the same like whatever you are daughter, you know, whatever you're,
you're still that. You know, your golf scorers can't be you,
and you can't be your golf scorers.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
So it was just it was just really really hard.
It is.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
It absolutely is, because you become you just tie yourself
to that. Well, you know what, I didn't play well,
so therefore I'm I'm not as whatever I was an
hour ago. Well that's not really true. It has nothing
to do with it, nothing to do with it, yea.
So all right, So are you gonna let me ask
you this? Are you gonna play more next year?
Speaker 3 (10:26):
I'm gonna play as much as I can.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
I like that, I like that, I love to play.
Speaker 5 (10:33):
I just golf.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
It's been so good to me, and it's it is
truly my happiest of places. I'm you know, I'm thrilled
that I have something else I'm doing, because I I
would really I would miss it.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
More right than I than I do.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
So it's it's great to have something that I really
get up and I look forward to doing every day.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
But boy, golf, golf.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Was it for a long long time. And still when
I go out to tournaments, it's just I'm I'm just
really excited to be there.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
And so I got to ask you.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
I got to ask you.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
So you grew up, growing up, and then then you
go to then you go to Texas Christian and all
that fun stuff, But like, did you ever stop and
think that one day you would be working with people's
you know, brains and brain resets. I mean like, I
mean like literally like you couldn't have.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
There's no way you could off, no way. No.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
But here's the thing, my if you look back in
my family history, we had seventy five percent of the
people our doctors, and so I've always kind of had
this healer. I've been a healer at heart my generation,
my brothers, I've got we've got two professional golfers and
a bar owner. So I don't know what happened to us,
(12:00):
but I'm trying to get back in the healing profession.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Oh, I thought you're gonna say you try it on
the bar, you know, because that's probably not really.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
The direction we're going to go there. Eric.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Let you only you only have room from one of
those at the Thanksgiving table. That's it, that's it.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
No, he's actually he's done great. And now he's talking
about getting into politics.
Speaker 6 (12:21):
So there you go.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
He'll be he'll he'd be great in anything he wanted
to do.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
So all right, so let me ask you this the
most well across the board. You mentioned Charles Barklington across
the board. Who's the most famous person you've ever met?
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Uh, most famous person I've ever met?
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I mean, you can say me, but we know you're lying.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
So Charles would be up there.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
I met Barack Obama at the golf course one day.
That was fun and fire ring.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, yeah, okay, we.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Got me in the In the five minutes we spent talking,
he asked me probably four questions about about myself.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Yeah, so he was pretty pretty impressive.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
That's neat. That's neat.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
So okay, so we're gonna stick with that because as
President of United States, I'm gonna go with that. We're
gonna leave We're gonna leave that one alone. So all right,
So you're gonna try and play more, and you're gonna
keep working the Sarah set and all that fun stuff.
But so you've got to be really, really and I'm
not asking you to patch yourself on the back, but
(13:39):
you've got to be really pleased with your career. At
least I would be. I mean, I'm not you, but
I would be.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Oh, you know, we always want to do better.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Right right, But but I mean, it's.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
It's pretty impressive.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
I gotta tell you, somebody, I know you don't, I
know you like hear this, but it's pretty impressed.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Of well, I'll just say thank you.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
I mean, because you know, it's you don't get to
do that for that long and that well without being
pretty impressive to a to anybody who's anybody who's watching
or actually half paying attention.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
So well, I guess maybe.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Really, I I got to say thank you for for
coming on today. And I know it was kind of
You're kind of enough to kind of shift your stuff
around for me, but I just want to tell you.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Thanks for for doing this.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
And and I really I'm not going to call you
out and tell you how long I've known you, but
you have been in incredibly impressive From the the first
day I ever met you, actually first they ever talked
to you.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I talked you on the phone the first time.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
You've been incredibly impressive, and you've been incredibly kind and
you and you and your and your skill is really impressive.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
But well, I thank you very much and I appreciate
you having me on. And it's fantastic that you've had
one hundred shows.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Yeah, that's pretty amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
I think it's even more impressive that I can count
to one hundred. But that's a whole different story. That's
a whole different story. So well, I'm just going to
tell you this, thank you again, thanks for doing it,
and obviously I'll be talking to you and again from
a personal standpoint, thanks for talking to Ellie and and
you know, and thanks for all and I'll be honest
(15:29):
with you. Thanks for always answering the phone when I
call you and when I text you, because it's really
really it really it's really impressive and it's really cool.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Well anytime, so thank you so very much.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
And this is Chris Cheddar and she came on from
one hundred show and I don't know what number she
was because but she is part of my one hound
of the show. So Chris, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
Well, you are welcome and have a great day and
good luck with the rest of your one hundred and
first show.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Thank you very much. This is the Rich Comboll Golf Show.
Welcome back to the Rich Como Golf Show. As everybody
already knows, this is one hundredth show today. And I
went back through and picked up some looked at some
of the guest list, and I came up with three
and that I really wanted to have on and just
(16:20):
kind of catch up with and just say thank you
so And this segment is we are having Bob Ford on.
And for those of you who do not know who
Bob Ford is, Bob is the former head professional at
Oakmont Country Club and the former head professional at Seminal
Golf Club in Florida. And before I even welcome Bob
(16:42):
to the show, if they did build a Mount Rushmore
of PGA professionals, one of them would be one of
the one of the faces on that Mount Rushmore would
be Bob Ford's. So, Bob, thanks for coming on. I
appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Well, I appreciate you Rich. I think that's a little exaggerated,
but I appreciate the intro.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Thank you so so as I as I as I
indicated to you. Obviously, it's one hundred and that's a
pretty big milestone. I guess from a lot of people
that tell me that. But so you were one of
the major guests that I had on and SO, and
as I told you in that episode that you were,
(17:26):
professionally speaking, you're one of my heroes. So I wanted
to say thank you first of all, and I also
wanted to ask you talk a little bit about.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
About your year this year, and I know.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
You got to go back to do some special stuff
at Oakmont and then what you're looking forward to next year.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
So thank you.
Speaker 5 (17:46):
First off all, Rick, congrats. I think you two hundred
is a milestone. I hope we all lived a hundred.
That's it's great for you. You're doing a great job and
we appreciate all you do for the game.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
So so tell me about tell me about the last
time I saw you was at Oakmont. So a lot
of people don't know you get to do this, or
a lot of people do know, but not everybody knows.
Tell me what you do with the US Open.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
So I'm the first t starter all four rounds. I've
been doing it since twenty seventeen, since I retired from Oakmont,
and it's a real treat for me. I feel like
it's real honor for me to do it. I know,
you know, it's a minor, minor, minor, minor role in
what goes on in the US Open, but you know,
I get to stand there and greet the players, every
(18:37):
player and getting their scorecards and answer any questions they
might have. I think, you know, Mike Davis tabbed me
to do that back and kind of seemed because he
felt like, you know, he wanted somebody there that knew
the players, They knew him, they were people with them,
and they wanted somebody that would do it for ten
or fifteen years because they in the previous years they
(18:59):
had used USC executive Committee members who didn't know any
of the players, and they rotated so there wasn't any
continuity to that position. And because of this Amino Pro member,
you know, I've really gotten to know most of the
players and now after all these years, like you know,
most of the ones that come in and you know,
(19:19):
the guys that qualified to play, you know, through their
sections and whatnot, like I had to when I was
trying back way back when uh, you know, I really
try to make them feel extra special because it's an
extra special thing for them. They're not going to do
it every year like the tour players. And you know,
(19:39):
you're very uncomfortable in naturally, so I know how uncomfortably are,
So I just try to feel comfortable and so you
can hit that first T shot, which is a tough especially,
ok mom.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Yeah, no kidding, no kidding.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
So all right, so let's talk about let's talk about that.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
For a second. So how many US Opens did you
play in?
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Three?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Three and so obviously you ified in every one of them, correct, Yeah,
And so so that T shot actually, so you have
real first hand experience of what that feels like to
go out there and just basically shake your socks off
because of what I would assume that's what's happening.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
Oh my god. Yeah. My first Open was at Baltlestraw
in nineteen eighty and I was on the first tea
at three twelve my on Thursday, and uh, you know,
Jack was on eighteen, which is pretty close to the
first tea, sinking his last putt for sixty three, and
Wiscouf was already in the house at sixty three in
round one and I'm like, well, what am I doing here?
(20:40):
He announced my name. I was quivering as you would
it was my first year at Okamont. That's that's behind it.
Hit it off the toe. Thank god I had a
toe on my clever I would have whift and you know,
start out with double bug. He was a nice start.
I did break eighty both rounds, but not close to
(21:01):
making the cat, which was you know, expected, I think
from that point. But you know it helped me in
eighty three when I did qualify again. And then obviously
it's it was at Oakmont, my own course, and I
was somehow lucky enough to play well that week.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Well, let's not downplay that, like where'd you finish twenty sixth?
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Twenty sixth in the United States? Open? As the as
the and you are? You were? Are the host? Professional?
Speaker 5 (21:31):
I was? And I had a lot going on that week,
and I got hypnotized, you know, about a month earlier
because I knew that I was going to struggle mentally
with all the things that I had going on. And
you know, I owned the merchandise, right, so I had
the big tent was mine and my family and my
staff really since I did qualify and I wasn't really
(21:51):
there on site you know, every minute of every day
like I should have been they handled it for me
and did great. But so yeah, the hypnotism thing was
when you know, when I got to the first tea,
I was getting off an elevator and going into a
whole nother world and I forgot everything I was doing
other than playing golf. And I was able to concentrate
(22:13):
on golf and it was great. And the bad news
was I got addicted to her, and like in August,
when the State Open was coming around, I called and
she was at a voicemail said I'm out for two weeks.
I'm down, you know, having a holiday and in Hilton,
and I'm like sat down. I started shaking. I'm like,
(22:34):
oh my god, I can't play with that. And I said,
you know what you need to You need to cut ties.
You need to grow up and be a man and
just forget about this. I just did that. Was it?
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Wow? How did you do in the State Open?
Speaker 5 (22:50):
I can't r eighty three? I can't. I can't recall
it was over on the other side of the state.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
I think, yeah, that's that's a fascin I never knew
that story. I didn't know that story, right, That's that's
really cool. That's really cool.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
So I have to cut down. I like that.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
I like that I have to grow up and be
a man. Yeah, okay, that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
That's interesting.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
I was a I was you know, I asked God,
I was shaking, I was sweat. I'm like, God, you
gotta get a hold of yourself. Boy.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Yeah, yeah, grab your bootstraps. We're gonna be okay, you're
gonna be all right. That's really interesting.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
All right.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
So because you have that going on and and and
there's no end in sight for that, correct because obviously
you can do that as long as you are the
start the starting on the first t for all four rounds,
as long as you are willing and want to correct.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Yeah, as long as I'm cohering, I can pronounce everybody's name,
and I don't make too many mistakes this year at
the Open. I mean, I believe me, I made plenty
of mistakes in the years. But at oakmin Eyes sort
of shot a perfect score. You know, I think I
didn't just pronounce one of their names and got them
all on the tee on time. You know, you got
to pay attention with the time.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Yeah, because I'm right.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Yeah, so it was. Yeah, Oakmont was a good one
for me.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Where are you going next year? I should know where
that is. But there you go.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Cock. That was my second, second one last, you know,
back nineteen or twenty.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Yeah, you got some You have some friends up.
Speaker 5 (24:18):
There, right, Yeah. Jack Druego is one of my best friends.
He lives about a mile from there. He doesn't work
there anymore, he's retired, but I'll stay with him and
we'll have a great week.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
There you go, There you go.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
So all right, So I have to ask you how
much golf do you play?
Speaker 5 (24:36):
Well? Rich, I try not to play more than once
a day, and you know this week, I think I'm
six days this week, but usually three or four.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Okay, So all right, so you're not I hate to
break this to you if you're not thirty eight years
old anymore. So well, and actually I just I just
My first guest in this show was Chris chatter who
you know Chris. She's she played the OLDPGA Tour for
many years and she's trying. She plays a little bit
on the Legends Tour now and she says, you know,
they say you don't lose a step in golf, because
(25:08):
that's the one game it doesn't And she said they
lied to us because I don't. I don't move it
nearly as fast as I once did. And she said,
I'm playing against Chris Is I don't want a date
or she's a fifty seven to fifty eight years old,
but the rookie on the Legends Tour on the LPGA's
(25:29):
forty five. She said, Now I'm playing against like kids.
They're just whipping it and I can't. So what's the
big thing for you? Do you see a serious change
in speed or do you see something else?
Speaker 5 (25:41):
No, you know, your your your body just doesn't move
like it used to, and it just happens over time.
I'm going to be seventy two here in another month,
and no, I lost a phenomenon that speed. I'll tell you.
You know, the golf ball and the and the drivers
equipment has really kept us playing the game at a
decent life was certainly not competitive. But you know it's
(26:04):
because I recall when I was, you know, growing up
there at Oaklahm. I was young, and you know, pot
of members were in their sixty lite worsh and with
fifty seven when I got there, right, and they really
struggled to play good golf. They really did it couldn't
hit you know, they couldn't hit it far enough. It
was they had the percim it would and couldn't make
it go, could hardly play. It's amazing now how great
(26:27):
that has been for us as we age. But other
than that, we're not too happy about the kids hitting
at three fifty.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Right right right.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
The other thing is the other thing is those golf
balls that you were talking about, when those those things
curved like they curved, they curved like the ball's curve,
and it's like it's like, oh my god, you know,
like I always wanted to. Okay, so I'll ask you
because you you are a really, really really good player,
(26:58):
So the tell me the level the difference in the
golf ball between you're really highly success in E three
at the US Open, and like if you played that
golf ball today, what would you see?
Speaker 5 (27:13):
Well, you know, I actually have you know, through the
last ten years, I've actually gotten my old Precima driver
out and hit an old golf ball, actually hit a
new golf ball. Couldn't get it in the air. I mean,
you know I didn't hit grounders, but you know there
was no flight to the ball at all. Probably carried
one hundred and forty yards, So I mean it's it's
(27:34):
it's bad. And the old golf balls. You know, if
I hit a two fifty in my era, I could
probably hit it now.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Right.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
That's it's huge. It's a big, big change.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Yeah, that's okay.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
So let's see, let's ask you another question. So I
know that I know that Seminal is a very very
very special place to you, and obviously Oak Bann's a
very very special place to you. But where if you
could play one round of golf, not of those two
places in the United States, where would you play it?
Speaker 5 (28:10):
Well, I think that's a good way to put I
played Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach is really really my favorite
place in the world. Really, Oh that's neat. No place
like the Monterey Peninsula. You know, Siders and Tevil are
just extraordinary places in the game. And yeah, that's it.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
There you go, all.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Right, and then go a The other thing is I
do I want to bring this up because I obviously
I'm fortunate enough, or foolish enough, or whatever you want
to call it to. I was recently elected to the
board of Directors of the Tri State Section, and I'm
a real big, you know, PGA professional guy. But I
(28:51):
know that you are very very very proud of all
the people who've worked for you and how they've gone
on to have their own, solid, great, awesome careers. And
I think that's really, really, really I think that's one
thing that people overlook with you. And I'm not judging you.
I'm just telling you it is impressive when you look
(29:14):
at a list of people who have worked for you,
or have been around you, or speak of you very
very very highly. And I just want you to know, like,
you know, I had Bob Friend on here and he
couldn't stop talking about you, you know, and Weatcroft has
said a lot about you, and a lot of a
lot of guys do, and you should.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
You should really know that. Well.
Speaker 5 (29:37):
I appreciate it, you know. I always felt, you know,
like I outpicked the coverage being at Oakmont. I was
just in the right place at the right time. I
didn't deserve that job, but once I got it, I felt.
I really had this feeling early in my career that
you're in a position to help people and shame money
if you don't help people. You know, from this position,
(29:58):
and you know you're going to have a lot of
cap cloud, you're not going to deserve it. But because
you're at Oakmont. Like when I was an assistant in
Oakmont for Lou Warshon for five years, everywhere I went,
all of a sudden, I was I was highly respected,
and I'm like, I don't deserve this. People don't I'm nothing.
I'm a I'm just an assistant, don't you know. But
(30:18):
I worked for Lou Warshon, so you know, got people
like Sneed and the Merit and Tony Penna, and you know,
the old guys are like you know, they they really
treated me differently. And like I said, I didn't deserve it.
But because because I was, you know, worked for Blue
and worked at Oakmont, all of a sudden I was
(30:40):
somebody they thought I was, you know, and I just
knew that it was a powerful spot and that I
would have an opportunity to help a lot of people.
So that was that was why all that happened.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Well just so you know, I mean, even if you don't,
even if you don't, that was also one of the
best things you said to me. So the good thing
is all the people that work for me, I get
to go play a lot of places and don't have
to really don't have to really really really knock on
the door too hard because they're always like.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Hey, yeah, you can play here. But I just.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Wanted to say thanks, because you know, I I shared
our podcast and I've listened to it a couple of
different times.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
The first one I had you on.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
For the whole hour, and and it's just you've always
been you know, and I t I tell kids all
the time, I tell people all the time in this business.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
I called him three times on the phone and he
called me back within six hours, and and and you're
just you are, like you're the definition of professional. And
I just wanted to say thanks. And I want to
say thanks for getting me to one hundred, but thanks
for everything you've done.
Speaker 5 (31:46):
Oh well, I appreciate it. Rich. You know, it's one
complaint I have about the young kids. And I've got
two sons and I want to smack around too, but
you know, I had two jobs and three kids, and
you know, if I didn't get back to some money
that day, I didn't sleep that night. I mean, I
just think it's it's just proper to get back to people.
I don't care whether it's a dishwashirt Okamanta, president of
(32:09):
the club. You know, I tried to treat everybody the same.
It's it's worked out well for me.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
Well again, thanks for everything, and thanks for doing this
and I greatly appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (32:19):
All right, buddy, congrats on a hundred.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Thanks, I appreciate it. This is the rich Comoll Golf Show.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Welcome back to the rich Comboll Golf Show. This is
show one hundred and so, as everybody already knows, I
had to sit down and select some people to you know,
commemorate one hundred, so we kept it to three. I
wanted to do twelve, but Corey said he wasn't down
on the phone that much, so we limited it to three.
(32:47):
And this is our third one and the person who's
joining us in this segment is Steve Wheatcroft, who is
a former PGA Tour player and actually has a is
a really doing some really cool stuff right now.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
So Steve, thanks for coming on.
Speaker 6 (33:03):
Yeah, it is thanks for having me.
Speaker 7 (33:05):
I'm curious that well that wanted was twelve.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
And I'm just no, Actually, I knew I knew were
gonna I knew you're gonna say that.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I knew you're gonna say that.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
No, actually I wanted to call twelve you were actually seven.
Just so you know, I'm just telling you right now.
I wanted you were seven. Then I gotta gets you
down to three and then so now you know, but no,
and why don't you tell me what you're up to,
tell me how your year's been?
Speaker 7 (33:32):
Yeah, so, uh, you know, first off, I want to
say thank you for having me down. I really didn't
apreciate all different side. It's it's a pleasure to be
on here. And ironically enough, I had breakfast with Bob
Ford about five days.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
Ago and down in Jupiter, So there you go.
Speaker 6 (33:44):
Small world, yes it is.
Speaker 7 (33:46):
But yeah, so that the last year has been incredible.
So obviously I was on the show before and we
talked about the trials and tribulations that I went through
post career and how I battled depression, alcoholism, anxiety, a
bunch of different things and I managed to overcome those
been sober for a year and a half. Now I
don't miss that lifestyle of the drinking whatsoever. That part's
been an easy transition, and now it's just a matter
(34:08):
of building building a monster here and being able to
help other people. So We've I started the Mulligan Foundation.
It's a it's a nonprofit designed to help other people
in the golf space. We're getting ready to launch a
huge initiative here with partners such as the First t
the a j g A, the LPGA Tour, the NTA
(34:29):
Collegiate Ranks on the mental health side. So we're excited
about that. Well, we're gonna announce that in the first
quarter of twenty twenty six. We're doing some great work
with the Honica Stornstam Foundation. And I also just wrote
a book. So I just published a book. Didn't think
I was ever going to have author on the resume,
but here we are.
Speaker 6 (34:49):
But yeah, it's been, it's been. It's been a heck
of it.
Speaker 4 (34:51):
Last year.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
It's been a great year. It's it's nice to have
some clarity at my own brain again, which I hadn't
had in a long time.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Yeah, it's it's really interesting because the interesting thing is
is you see guys now they're actually and I don't
want to say I do want to say brave enough
or I say powerful enough to come out and say, hey, listen,
you know what, It looks pretty cool from where you're
sitting because I'm paid a lot of money to catch
a football or throw a football, and I'm paid a
(35:19):
lot of money.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
To hit a golf ball.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
But there's a lot going on in a lot of
people's heads.
Speaker 7 (35:24):
Yeah, I was just going to say, I'm calling to you,
calling into the show from the RSM Classic up in
Sea Island. I was just walking the range and walking
the pudding green scenes some old friends, some caddy friends
and whatnot, and the amount of stress. I think I
talked to five guys and three of them have huge,
hugely stressful weeks coming up with you know, where they're
out on the money list, and whether they're going to
(35:45):
have a job next year, where.
Speaker 6 (35:46):
Their job is going to be.
Speaker 7 (35:49):
And I thought really comfortable being on the other side
of the conversation where I didn't have to stress out
about any of it, because I spent you know, fourteen
years out here doing that and trying to figure out
what that last tournament of the year was going to
mean me and if it meant anything, or you know,
you know what it meant as far as where I
was going to start my following year. And to see
the mental anguish on a lot of their faces, it's
(36:10):
like it's definitely it's a growing problem in sports all together.
But at the same time, it's it's finally starting to
get it's being talked about for the first time in
a long time, so guys are understanding the mental component
of any sport and how much it can weigh on
you at how it does perfect performance and and if
they can get out ahead of this and try to
you know, attack it from an earlier age and that
(36:31):
way it doesn't build up and then explode the way
it did in my own story. And that's that's part
of our mission. What we're trying to do is just
help give people the tools, you know, so they can
handle it better.
Speaker 6 (36:42):
From a younger age.
Speaker 1 (36:44):
It is true too.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
I mean I've you know, because I not to that level,
but actually to any level, because when you are trying
to do something, you know, like I've had kids Division
two players like actually literally melt in front of me
and I'm like, I'm like, all right, yeah, there's okay.
So now that this young man is never going to
(37:06):
play on the PGA Tour, he is never going to
probably play in the NCAA Championship at a Division two level,
but I'll tell it, I watched him melt, and I'm like, Okay,
this is something that I personally or professionally am not
trained for, but I was. I was, so I guess
maybe the word would be thankful that he actually felt
(37:27):
comfortable enough to melt in front of me. I think
it's pretty, you know, because I saw you stand up
in front of two hundred and fifty golf professionals in
the meadows and.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Just say hey, listen. I was. I was spinning. You know,
that's a fancy turn, but I was.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
It was cloudy, and if you can help, if you
can help one, you can help two. But even if
you only help one, that's one more that you helped
that didn't get help.
Speaker 7 (37:57):
You know, I've been doing for years with my career,
you know, playing twenty years a professional golf. You get
a lot of fun stories and a lot of cool
things happen. I've heard from a lot of different people, Hey,
you need to write a book. You need to write
a book.
Speaker 4 (38:06):
I was like, I'm not writing a book.
Speaker 7 (38:08):
Nobody wants to read this stuff, like somebody wants to
hear these stories. And so finally I was.
Speaker 6 (38:12):
I was talking with a friend of mine.
Speaker 7 (38:13):
He's more in the recovery side of things, recovery circles.
Speaker 6 (38:16):
And you need to write it.
Speaker 7 (38:18):
Like, hey, i've heard this before. Man, I got it.
And he's like, no, no, you don't understand you. You're not
writing the book for you.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
You're writing it for him. And I was like, all right,
who's him.
Speaker 7 (38:27):
He's like, you'll know when.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
You write the book.
Speaker 7 (38:29):
And I was like, come on, man, now you got
my curiosity peaked like that. Yeah, at least was a
decent way to a different way to look at it.
Speaker 4 (38:36):
So I took some time.
Speaker 7 (38:38):
I thought about it, and I sat down one night
and I started trying to write it out out with
a book. And next thing you know, a few months later,
I had the full book written out and was ready
to go, and I self pushed it the day it
got put onto.
Speaker 4 (38:50):
Amazon on Tuesday.
Speaker 7 (38:52):
And Wednesday morning, I get a message on one of
the social media a private message, and it's from a
from a PGA tour go and just said, hey, man,
I know we don't know each other really well at all,
but I really need to talk to you a sap
if you can give me a shout, here's my phone number.
And I called him and sure enough he was going
down a very similar road that I went down and
(39:14):
had seen my story, seen the book and just said
I need to talk at a SAP And now we're working
through a lot of the issues there. And it's it's
funny how it worked. I mean, it's you know, when
I wrote that book, I was curious to see who
him was gonna be. And I figured out for a
few years on, I figured it out and it took
twenty four hours.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
That's that's that's that's a really cool that's a cool story.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
That's a cool story.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
That's that's way more important than you ever made.
Speaker 5 (39:39):
Correct.
Speaker 7 (39:39):
I was like, the book could go way tomorrow and
at least did its job. It helped one person, and
you know it, uh, you know, because I give it.
I gave that person all the credit in the world.
I said, look, man, you you've already made the hardest step,
and that you called me. I made the other step.
I could have easily and when that day came from me,
I could have easily reached for a phone, and I
reached for a bottle and I went down the.
Speaker 4 (40:00):
Wrong path, and you turned the right path.
Speaker 7 (40:02):
And that's why you're gonna be just fine.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
Well, so you're going to start to attack, and not attack,
but to try and kind of seep into younger like
A J G.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
A that kind of thing.
Speaker 7 (40:14):
Yes, the more I traveled with the total, the more
I realized that, you know, trying to get across to
a thirty five year old grown man that you know
had this stigma andy grained in his whole life is
going to.
Speaker 5 (40:23):
Be really dead the attack. What if we put more
of a.
Speaker 7 (40:26):
Grassroots approach and started to teach you know, younger children,
high schoolers and whatnot what they could be doing to
help their own mental health. Whether it's talking with somebody,
whether it's you know, mindfulness and breathing exercises, whether it's yoga, meditation,
what anything that might help them get through their own
mental struggles. Let you know, let's teach these kids from
(40:47):
a young age. Let's build it into the first curriculum.
Let's build into the A J G A curriculum. Find
different ways to do this so that by the time
they get to the you know, collegiate ranks, so the
PGA tour ranks or many tours, whatever it might be,
that they've got these soul already in place so that
it doesn't escalate. So instead of being the four alarm fire,
maybe it's a one alarm fire here, so to speak.
It's right, it's a lot less than what it is,
(41:09):
just to be able to open their minds up a
little bit and let them know, like, hey, it's okay
to not be okay, and it's okay to ask for help.
And where I'm excited where we're headed. It's like I said,
we're about to launch a huge initiative. I think it'll
be a game changer, not only in golf but in
sports in general. And it's not like we're building it
all from the ground up. And you know, I'm not
going to take all full credit for it because we're
All we're doing is just pulling the best resources around
(41:29):
the country together and trying to work under one umbrella
cohesively instead of independently.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Man, that's you know, it's funny you say, you know
because you mentioned, you know, even if they never played
golf again in the corporate world or whatever. I you know,
I was driving down, I was driving to the studio
today and I was listening to the the radio station,
the sports radio station in Pittsburgh, and the one guy,
the guy was like the guy on the radio set.
(41:56):
I have to take a break in the middle of
the segment, and so the guys kept talking. He got
back on the on the radio in about a minute.
He's like, you know, for everybody who doesn't know this,
because I suffer from pretty hefty anxiety and we're dealing
with my some of my medicine stuff and things like that,
and I get this sometimes I get this feeling of
(42:17):
like like being covered in blankets. And he goes, and
I got one, so I had to go leave and
you know, wash my face and come back in. And
he's like, I he goes, I'm no longer ashamed of that, yep,
because at one.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
Time I was. And he goes, But now, you know,
I just say it out loud.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
You know what if you if you don't like then
I say it out loud, then I'll talk to somebody else.
Speaker 7 (42:40):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (42:41):
You know.
Speaker 2 (42:41):
And so it's it's like it's self preservation. It's like
it's like, look, you know what, I need this for
me for the next three minutes, and nobody, including you,
is telling people to sit down in a chair and
talk for twenty four straight hours. It's just like, understand
that this is you and you're the most important in
this sequence.
Speaker 7 (43:02):
Yeah, you got it, And you know he's got a
better understanding of what to do when he does get
those feelings now instead of just you know, especially with
anxiety and panic attacks and things along those lines, it's
you know, you can you can talk yourself down off
the ledge, and usually what happens is people start to panic.
That's why they call him panic attacks right right, And
you start to freak out and things start to spiral,
and instead of being able to cut it off, you know,
(43:24):
you keep this thing going and it just keeps escalating.
Speaker 6 (43:26):
So there are.
Speaker 7 (43:27):
Ways to do it. But until you know how to
handle that, until you know how to get it out
in front of it, you know, you have no idea
how to fix it. So that's where a lot of
those tools.
Speaker 4 (43:36):
Come into play.
Speaker 7 (43:37):
And kudos to him for for knowing it, acknowledging it,
and getting.
Speaker 5 (43:40):
Out ahead of it.
Speaker 2 (43:41):
It's it's funny because you know it's it's that old saying,
you don't know what you don't know, you don't you
don't know how to fix it if you don't know
how to fix it.
Speaker 7 (43:48):
So you got it.
Speaker 2 (43:49):
The fact that you can inject mechanisms to de escalate
the situation just makes everybody that much healthier. Literally, that's
the word healthier. Yeah, and that's pretty cool. So all right,
well let me ask you a little later question, are
you are you playing at all?
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Do you play it all?
Speaker 4 (44:11):
I do?
Speaker 7 (44:12):
And it's weird.
Speaker 6 (44:13):
I I'm sure my last four rounds of golf were
sixty five, seventy five, sixty four, seventy four.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
So you are now officially the most hated man in America.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Just so you know, I'm fine.
Speaker 7 (44:29):
I've probably been there before.
Speaker 1 (44:33):
You really not. But that's funny. That is cool.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
That's got to be crazy to you sitting there going okay,
I can do that, and then I did that.
Speaker 6 (44:40):
Yeah, I don't get it. I I was.
Speaker 7 (44:42):
I played the I went up to Raleigh to play
in the Grayson Murray Foundation Classic U and you know,
I played it up there in an event I hit
the ball. Okay, it was a team deal. It was scramble,
but I had to rush back to get to BC Sawgrass.
One of my donors was in town asked if I
would play in this four man basketball tournament out there
with them. They needed a fourth so I did, and
(45:02):
you know, we were playing the up teas a little bit,
but I mean I was won over through I think
six or seven holes, and I was just like, oh
my God, get me out of here and start raining
on us.
Speaker 6 (45:10):
And I wasn't playing well.
Speaker 7 (45:11):
I was tired from the flight. And then I birdied
eight of the last eleven holes at SAGA, and I
just said, what happened? We ended up winning the event.
They didn't help me a shot. And then I went
out to Atlantic Beach the following well, it was probably
three weeks later, and I shot like seventy five, didn't
hit hardly any good shots, just slapped it around and
made a bunch of bars. And then I played down
(45:33):
at the Park down in Jupiter, awesome spot by the way,
public spot they had like the Max home a Alexi
Thompson that you know. Primetime match was at the at
the park.
Speaker 6 (45:43):
It was freezing cold in the morning.
Speaker 7 (45:45):
It was like a you know wind chill of about
forty one forty two. It was thirty one hour winds
and I shot sixty four like it was nothing. Yeah,
I don't know, man, I just I enjoyed the game
for what it is. I enjoyed competing with my buddies,
just having a little ten dollars now game and try
to see what kind of golf game shows up. But
you know, if I shoot seventy five, I don't really care.
(46:06):
If I shoot sixty four, I don't really care. It's
just it's nice to just get out and play golf.
I have a hard time hitting golf balls now. I
just don't like practicing. I think I've I've hit my
allotment of golf balls in my life. I just enjoy
going out and playing now.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
So I will tell you this that just so you know,
because I talked to you, you know, whenever I talked
to you last time, and the first time I ever
talked to you was at the at the Tri State
Section PGA meeting. And it's funny because you have a
completely different tone about the game of golf than you
did then because you could see it was it was
it was kind of like a monster that you were
(46:42):
talking about. And now it's just something like, hey, this
is pretty cool.
Speaker 1 (46:46):
I get to do this.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
But my real why or whatever it is, and my
focus is that it's just really neat to hear the
tone change.
Speaker 7 (46:56):
It's funny how when you start to discover a why.
And that's what that's I struggled with so much is
everybody can look at it and like, oh, he just
became an alcoholic because he didn't play professional golf. It's like, no,
there was a lot more to it than that. Like
I walked away from the game on my own terms.
I didn't miss the game when I left it. I
just missed having that persona behind me. You know, I
was Steve the golfer since I was fourteen years old,
and all of a sudden I wasn't. So I didn't
(47:17):
know what my purpose was here. I didn't know what
I was supposed to be doing, and any kind of
job that I was trying to do, it just didn't
feel natural. It just didn't feel like I was serving
a bigger purpose in any way, and I didn't like
the way it made me feel. And so once I
started to learn the why, and you know, how I
could help others and just see the power and some
of the things we can do and how we can
(47:38):
change lives in a positive way. It's it's amazing how
certain things in your life that you let affect you
so much for so long just seemed trivial and don't
have the same meaning as what they used to.
Speaker 2 (47:50):
It's absolutely awesome, Steve. I got to tell you something.
I could talk to you for like three straight weeks,
but we're out of time. But thank you so very
much for doing this. Thank you so much for what
you're doing. Okay, so don't don't forget that, because this
is a larger picture. So thanks for doing all that too.
But and thanks for helping me personally, helping me get
to one hundred.
Speaker 7 (48:12):
Of course, Rich, I appreciate congratulations.
Speaker 4 (48:14):
Do you want one hundred?
Speaker 7 (48:15):
And for your listeners out there, there were the books
called Cocktails and Rangeballs.
Speaker 6 (48:19):
Go get it.
Speaker 7 (48:19):
You might find some little life nuggets in there that
might help you as well. So yeah, I appreciate you
having me on. Congrats one hundred. I can't wait to
come on two hundred.
Speaker 2 (48:27):
And thanks, buddy, I appreciate it. This is the Rich
come woll Golf Show.
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