National Champions, Senior Showdowns, and a Season of Growth

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In this episode of Golfweek Amateur Tour – The Podcast, hosts Tim Newman and Chris Rocha celebrate the champions, stories, and camaraderie that make this tour, Where Amateurs Play Like Pros!

Fresh off the National Championships, we sit down with winners from both the Golfweek Amateur Tour and the Senior Amateur Tour to relive their biggest moments. From Jeff Wong’s short-game masterclass to Ricardo Almeida’s first-ever El Paso national title, these champions share the mindset, course strategies, and mental resilience that defined their victories.

We also highlight the community heartbeat behind the competition, tour directors, fellow players, and families, reminding us that amateur golf isn’t just about scores; it’s about stories, friendships, and growth.

As we look ahead to the upcoming season and Black Friday kickoff, Tim and Chris reflect on lessons learned, celebrate milestones, and offer a reminder to every competitive golfer: patience, preparation, and passion build champions on and off the course.

Listen in for:

• The secret to performing under pressure at national championships
• What the short game reveals about consistency and confidence
• Senior Amateur Tour champions on friendship, focus, and fierce competition
• The post-win chaos and emotions of national champions
• Tour-wide support moments that prove this golf community is family

Follow the Golfweek Amateur Tour online at amateurgolftour.net and the Senior Amateur Tour at senioramateurgolftour.net. Subscribe, share, and join the community where Amateurs Play Like Pros!

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_03 (00:42):
Why are you laughing?
Why you laughing?
Just because I'm leaving thisin, just so you know.

SPEAKER_02 (00:51):
I'm like, that's fine.
That's fine.

SPEAKER_03 (00:57):
Welcome back, Chris.

SPEAKER_02 (00:59):
You know, hi.

SPEAKER_03 (01:02):
It was not I'm not in the move for this today.
We got 350 some days, 345 or 350days to national championship.

SPEAKER_02 (01:18):
Ready?
Go.
Uh yeah, I mean I'm ready now.
I have I have revenge to to takeout uh uh out there, so I I'm
excited.
I've been excited for a whilenow.

SPEAKER_03 (01:33):
Well I I I I'm glad you're feeling better.
Um I I know that was uh it wasnot how you wanted National
Championship Week to go.
Um gl glad you you made it homesafely and and and you're
feeling better.
But you Yeah man let's look atthings, it's not all about
Chris.
It's not all about Chris.

SPEAKER_02 (01:51):
For this show it is, at least half of it.

SPEAKER_03 (01:54):
Well, I was gonna congratulate you because you you
you as a tour directoraccomplished something this year
that that that I didn't and I soI want to congratulate you
personally and publicly on yourfirst uh uh national champion
out of out of a tour that thatyou've been tour director of.
It's it's a big accomplishment.

(02:15):
I mean, you know, it's there'sonly five uh national champions
a year.
Right when you've got you knowforty-some tour directors,
forty-some tours, um five are Imean, only five are gonna walk
away with with a nationalchampion at most.

SPEAKER_02 (02:30):
Yeah, man.
Yeah.
Ricardo Almeda, sea fly champ.
Um, I mean, he's been workingall year.
Uh, him and another one of myplayers, Jared Lanham.
Uh I'm gonna share this storybecause they've shared it with
probably half the tour there,anybody that can listen.
Uh, but last year during ourtour final awards, they didn't
get one award.
And it kind of rubbed them thewrong way because they know that

(02:52):
that they can win, you know,something.
Uh so they worked all summer orall winter and came out firing,
and Rick Ricardo won the Vegasregional, first regional of the
year.
Um so to win that and then to goto nationals and win in uh you
know, he third day he had a biglead, and and I think he gave up

(03:14):
six shots in the first threeholes.
Um so to be able to overcomethat and grind it out and and
take the victory.
I mean, he's one of the mosthumble guys um you'll ever meet.
I'm pretty sure we'll get himback on here during our uh
veterans um episode because heis he is a veteran.
Um but I mean he just just acool guy, and you know, kept

(03:37):
telling me, here you take thetrophy.
This is our tour's trophy.
And it's like, no, man, youearned it, you deserve it.
Um, but he just kept you knowsaying that that it's all for
for El Paso.
And uh yeah, it's pretty cool tohave a national champ.
Um trying to figure out somenice things I can do for him
throughout the year to to kindof highlight that for for our

(03:58):
tour itself.
Um you know it it's cool to bethe tour farthest west to have a
national champ now.
It was Dallas last year and nowit's us.

SPEAKER_03 (04:10):
Wow, so so so Arizona doesn't have one?

SPEAKER_02 (04:13):
Nope.

SPEAKER_03 (04:14):
How about that?
Okay, so I I know how close youand Gabe are.
You you didn't you know rub thatin at all, did you?

SPEAKER_02 (04:22):
Oh, nonstop.
Um to the point where uh I Isent them uh sent him a
screenshot of our our email forthe Ryder Cup trash talking.
Uh so I I sent him a littlepicture and I made sure to
include Ricardo's face in therebecause he's above our Ryder Cup
part of that email.
So uh he'll get glimpses of itevery every once in a while.

(04:44):
Just wait.
He has no idea.

SPEAKER_03 (04:47):
I I I know you guys that that's coming up in in
December, so we got we got sometime.
We'll we'll we'll talk aboutthat uh um definitely next
episode.
Uh but I you know I I did wantyou to know how how proud I am
of you and and what you're whatyou're doing with with the El
Paso tour.
And it it it shouldn't gounnoticed.
I appreciate it.
You know, only we we joke and wegive you know we give each other

(05:08):
a hard time a lot, but you know,I d uh I can't tell you how
proud I am of with your growthin as being a tour director, the
things that you're stepping upto doing, and um how much better
you're getting and how muchbetter we are getting together
as a as a team doing doing thisand it that that was pointed out

(05:29):
um by other people by otherpeople numerous times uh over
the course of nationalchampionship.
I just want to let you know howhow I felt how I feel about it.

SPEAKER_02 (05:37):
So no, I appreciate it.
I mean I and it goes both ways.
And uh, you know, it it it'scool when you know me being a
player, the player of the group,um, show up to like the
luncheons and it's like, hey,where what happened to you?
Where's your scores?
Uh type of thing.
You know, it it it it's it canget annoying to have to tell a

(05:58):
hundred people that you're notfeeling well.
Um but at the same time it iscool that that that we're making
an impact on the tour.
Um you know, I I mean we fromepisode one to now, I think
we've you and me have improved.
Uh we've got to know each othera little bit better, and and
maybe that's why we're laughingso much when when we when we
start recording.
But um it's been awesome, man,and and I can't wait for what's

(06:21):
this now, season three for us?

SPEAKER_03 (06:23):
Actually, we're officially we we've finished
three full years, but we'reactually going into to season
four.
Um starting after uh uh BlackFriday.
Black Friday is is the openingof uh you know Airfinger's
quotes of the official tourseason.
Um because so we're you knowwe're still we're still in the

(06:44):
2025 season here and and youknow we you know I I really do
like wrapping things up the thisway.
You know, we we have we have ahave an episode or two where we
can kind of look back and andsee where what was done, what
we've accomplished, you know,celebrate celebrate some things,

(07:05):
you know, rub some dirt in somethings, you know, for other
people and you know get you knowyou know try to tr try and get
them a little bit motivated.
Uh you know, that's not reallyhard, but um but to relax a
little bit before the before itkicks off because what people
don't truly understand um as asgolfers, okay, you may be taking
some time off of the tour, youmaybe you're still playing golf,

(07:27):
maybe you're practicing, maybeyou're getting ready and those
types of things.
But from the tour director'sperspective and the national
office perspective, uh I cantell you they get so the seniors
was over on a Thursday, they getFriday, Saturday, and Sunday
off.
They get three days off.

SPEAKER_02 (07:44):
Yeah, and then it's full steam ahead.

SPEAKER_03 (07:46):
And then it's full steam ahead because you gotta
wrap up everything from nationalchampionship, you've got to pay
people out.
And if j just let me stop there.
If you do something fromnational championship, please be
patient.
They're working on it, they'llget it out.
Uh whether it's skin money,whether it's uh you placed,
whether it's two-manned, whatwhatever it is.
If if you do something, pleasebe patient.
They're they'll they'll they'llget it to you.

(08:08):
But that's it.
They they've got three days.
Right.
Close up national championship,you know, pay people what's
gotta be paid, wrap things up,shut it down, turn it over, get
the website ready, get all thisother stuff done, um, and have
it open and ready to go on onBlack Friday.

(08:28):
That's a that's a pretty talltask.
So yeah, so today is novNovember 3rd.
Okay, Black Friday is 25 daysaway.

SPEAKER_02 (08:38):
Don't tell me that I haven't even done my schedule
yet.

SPEAKER_03 (08:40):
25 days away, guys.

SPEAKER_02 (08:43):
Hey, better get on better get together.
Yeah, I mean, uh, yeah.
And and I mean, and also keep inmind it i i if you did take
advantage of the huge sale atthe Pro Shop, um, they probably
have to ship all that out too.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (08:59):
So let's listen to uh uh interviews from our
national champions.

SPEAKER_02 (09:06):
Yeah, let's do it.
Right.
We're here with our champ flightchampion from Hilton Head
Savannah, Mr.
Jeff Wong.
Jeff, we talk about you all thetime on the podcast.
Okay.
I don't know if you listen ornot.
Well, I do once in a while,yeah.
Yeah, um Tim's always talkingabout you.
There's a handful of guys thatyou know your name is known in
the champ flight.
Uh for you to come out hereminus five through the weekend.

SPEAKER_04 (09:28):
Yeah, uh, what were the courses you played?
Uh we started at Oyster Reef onFriday, and then we did Hampton
Hall on Saturday and the countryclub Hildenhead uh on Sunday
here today.

SPEAKER_02 (09:39):
And you went 697270, which is solid.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (09:43):
How how do you feel you played?
I didn't play that great, to behonest.
Uh I hit for to be, for example,my greens and regulation.
I only hit nine greens onFriday, I hit only 10 greens on
Saturday and only nine greenstoday.
But my short game was on point.
Yeah.
I chipped in a couple times.

(10:05):
Um I got up and down fromeverywhere and on stressful,
like out of the bunkers, aroundthe greens, up to a few feet.
So not stressful bars.
Drilling those.
Yeah, I just couldn't get myirons all weekend.
Like uh was hitting it off thetoe, I was hitting them thin.
Um, but it goes show what a goodshort game will do.

(10:25):
Right.
You know, I mean there's there'sa reason, you know, the best
players that's what theypractice a lot.
Um and I you know didn't realizehow much I was going to lean on
it.
Didn't really want to lean onit.
Right.
I would have loved to have hitlike 14, 15 greens, you know, a
lot of two plus, make a fewbirds here and there, but you
just have to just so I can getlike uh you gotta make it work

(10:47):
with whatever you got.

SPEAKER_02 (10:48):
Right.
I mean, I I think that's that'sawesome coming from Champ Fly
because you know a lot a lot ofplayers look up to their champ
fly guys, um, and to say thatyou don't have to be strong off
the T or even an approach.
If you're strong on your shortgame, you're chipping, you're
putting, that's where itmatters.
And I mean, like you said, youonly hit half greens and reg.

SPEAKER_04 (11:06):
Yeah, I I hid literally one green over 50% for
the entire three days.
Do you um you have uh anymemorable shots from this
weekend?
Uh couple chip-ins were prettygood, 18 at the country club
here.
Okay, um, you know, there was uhBrian Quackenbush, great player.
Right.
This guy, I envy him.

(11:27):
He struck the ball so well.
Great ball strike.
I'm thinking if I struck theball like half as well as he
did, I win by 10.
Like no problem.
Uh but he was playing just solidall day.
And uh yeah, I made a a good paron 17, then 18, uh hit a drive
and then laid up or hit youknow, strown through it up

(11:48):
there.
The last shot I hit, a littlewedge from about 60 yards, put
it to about two feet.
I was just like, everything wasjust like ah, thank you, after
all.
Yeah, right.
Um at that point.
Because I never look at theleaderboard and never, but yeah,
at that point I was like, we wegot her done.
So I I can't recall, is thisyour first time winning it?
This is my third.
With Jerry.

(12:08):
I won in 2019 and 2021.
And now 25.
Yeah, I'd skip 23.
I'm good on the odd years.
Uh so 23, I'm blaming COVID.
I don't know, because it's thereto blame.
Okay.
Um, but uh yeah, that it seemslike every other year in the odd
years I do pretty well.
So that's awesome, man.
Yeah, had a lot of fun though.

(12:29):
A lot of good players out there.
Uh it's uh it's it sayssomething when you we come out
on top and our uh field asstrong right as what we have
here, and in all the flights.
I'm sure all the champ you knowwinners from each flag feel that
way.
Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 (12:43):
I mean you have to because you get to know all
these players throughout theyear.

SPEAKER_04 (12:47):
Yeah, oh absolutely, especially if you travel a lot,
you get to know these guys, andso you know who you're going up
against.
And there's tons of goodplayers, you know.
It's so I feel fortunate to bethe last one standing, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 (12:59):
Isn't gonna be the last time we talked to you, I
bet.
I hope not.
I'm pretty sure you're gonnahave a great 2026.
Uh you got a little chip on yourshoulder, yeah, you know, being
national champ again.

SPEAKER_04 (13:09):
Yeah, gotta put the target back on my back, I guess.
I like that.
For sure.
Well, again, congratulations.
Thank you very much.
Appreciate everything you guysdo, seriously.
Appreciate you.
Yeah, thank you guys.

SPEAKER_02 (13:23):
All right, we have our A-Flight champ, Chris
Centala.
Centala, yeah.
Congratulations, first off.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
Uh, he's from the Tampa, Floridatour.
Shot a 229 and one by threestrokes today.
What what course did you playthis weekend?

SPEAKER_13 (13:38):
Uh Friday we played Country Club of Hilton Heads
Saturday we played Oyster Reef,and Sunday today we played uh
Hampton Hall.

SPEAKER_02 (13:44):
Okay.
Although those three, which oneHampton Hall, not even close.
I agree.
That that's my favorite one tocome out here.
So I can agree.
I mean, you shot 74 today.
Yeah.
Um kind of helped you seal thedeal.
What did you ever look at thescoreboard throughout today?

SPEAKER_13 (13:57):
Uh no, I looked at it at my hotel when I got back
to it.
I stayed off the scoreboardcompletely.
And where where were you goinginto today?
What place?
Uh so at the end of the firstday I was first, end of the
second day, I was tied forthird, and then the end of today
I was first.
Okay.

SPEAKER_02 (14:11):
So your strong showing today is what helped you
get through it.
Totally.
Um, how long have you been ontour?

SPEAKER_13 (14:17):
It's my first year.

SPEAKER_02 (14:18):
First year on tour, first year out here, and you
come out with a win.

SPEAKER_13 (14:21):
Yes.

SPEAKER_02 (14:22):
So what's next?

SPEAKER_13 (14:23):
What's next?
Um I got a seven-hour driveahead of me back home and I'm
looking forward to.
But um, as far as golf goes,just you know, in the offseason,
just making sure I stay sharpand then uh come back in
January, February, kick it backup, keep competing.
Nice.

SPEAKER_02 (14:40):
You're gonna try Tramp Flight?

SPEAKER_13 (14:42):
We'll see.
We'll see.

SPEAKER_02 (14:44):
It's always the dangerous question to ask,
right?

SPEAKER_13 (14:46):
It's it's a tough uh bracket up there.
We got some really good guys inChamp Flight.

SPEAKER_02 (14:49):
For sure.
Tampa's always been loaded.
Oh, yeah.
Um, throughout the three-round,did you have a memorable shot?
You kind of remember?

SPEAKER_13 (14:59):
I can think of one.
Yeah, we it was a par five.
There was um trouble long.
It was about 310 to the trouble,and it hit driver into the
trouble.
Didn't think I could get itthere.
Um, so I had to take my penaltystroke out, drop my ball, and
then I hit um from about 225, alittle bit of helping wind.
I hit a six iron to about 15feet and saved my par.

(15:21):
Wow.
Yeah.
Well, who was it?
Well, what course was this?
This was today at Hampton Hall.
Oh, wow.
Yeah, that's that's pretty good.
I heard the winds were prettytough out there.
It was not, it was no joke.
It was tough, man.
You had to keep the ball low.
If you didn't, it was anyone'sguess where we found out.

SPEAKER_02 (15:33):
I heard some guys are hitting three wood off some
part threes.
Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_13 (15:36):
Yeah, oh, it wouldn't surprise me.

SPEAKER_02 (15:39):
So, yeah, I mean, coming out here, taking the win,
that's awesome.
Uh, how many you know how manybirdies you had throughout the
week?

SPEAKER_13 (15:46):
If I had maybe like five, six somewhere in there.
Good.
That's not bad.
Yeah, not too bad.

SPEAKER_02 (15:52):
So, enjoy your ride home.
Thank you.
Make sure you put that trophy inthe seatbelt.
Oh, definitely.
I mean, I I usually do when Iwin a trophy, I'll put it in the
seatbelt, make sure it's safe.
Um, and then hope to see you outhere next year to defend.
Thank you very much.
I appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
All right, our B flight championuh from Central North Carolina,
Mr.
Paul Hines.
Paul, congratulations.

(16:13):
Thank you, sir.
Um, you're lucky I had towithdraw.
But um, how do you feel, man?
It's you know, it's been almostan hour, hour and a half after
the last putt's probably gonethrough.

SPEAKER_15 (16:22):
Yeah, it's surreal, man, because even after
yesterday I felt an 87.
I came into it this morning,kind of just thinking I was out
of it.
So I just came out here to havea good time and ended up
shooting the lowest round I'veever carted.
So so B Flight, we you know, wesplit up day one, day two.

SPEAKER_02 (16:38):
Where did you start?
What course did you start?
Uh Robert Trent Jones.
Okay.
So you shot 82 of Robert TrentJones.

SPEAKER_15 (16:43):
That's very impressive.
I love uh this kind of courseand that one, uh Arthur Hills
and Robert, I love those kind ofcourses.
Yeah, it's kind of a placementgolf course where you gotta hit
the shots where you want them,or you're you know blocked out.
Right.
So so 82 is really good.
Then you go to Golden Bear 87.
That rough is thick, or therough and the trees.

(17:06):
Yeah, they're they're they'reclose to you.
Yeah, I struggled pretty badafter that.

SPEAKER_02 (17:10):
Uh and then you come out here, Arthur Hills, and
shoot a 76, which might be thelow round of the day for
B-Fight.
That's that's impressive.

SPEAKER_15 (17:17):
It's again, that's the lowest score I've ever shot
in my life.
So, yeah, I shot a 79 a coupleweeks ago, and then so just had
everything was clicking on allcylinders.
For sure.
How how long have you been ontour?
So this would be my second year,but first year here.
Wow.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (17:33):
First year is out to nationals, and you take it all.
That's ultimate bragging rights,you know that, right?
I'm happy.
I'm happy.
For sure.
You get to go back home and say,hey, it can be done.

SPEAKER_15 (17:44):
This is your first year.
For sure.
And yeah, and I was talking tomy buddies before we came down
here, and they were just like,Man, if you can shoot the
consistent low edge, you can winit.
And I was like, Yeah, whatever,man, you know.
And it tended to happen.
So for sure.
Uh any memorable shots you mighthave had?
Probably today, actually.
Uh, I think it was on the lasttwo holes.
I had about 200 yards over waterto hit the green, and uh my

(18:06):
buddy was like, Man, just lay upor whatever you do, just take
your time.
I said, I'm gonna rip it, hit athree-wood 200 yards, and put it
to 10 feet.
Wow.
So that was probably the mostmemorable.
Did you make the putt?
I didn't because it was just asuper slippery putt.
Two-putted though.
Okay.

SPEAKER_02 (18:21):
Yeah, I liked it.
At least at least it was in athree-put.
We don't want those.
That's right.
So what's next?
You staying in B flight?

SPEAKER_15 (18:26):
You're gonna try to see how A-flight goes?
So probably.
Um, you know, uh talking to thetour director, of course, but
you know, I don't like being ina flight.
I don't do you know, I don'tlike if I'm playing good, I
don't like to, you know, sandbagfor sure.
So wherever they want to placeme, I'm cool with it.

SPEAKER_02 (18:42):
That's awesome, yeah.
Yeah, well, again,congratulations.
For sure.
I I I know it's not easy.
Uh my guy told me he couldn'teven sleep after Saturday night.

SPEAKER_15 (18:51):
It's been a stressful weekend for sure, you
know, especially coming intosomething like this.
Three days of golf is a lot ofgolf for an amateur, you know,
back to back.
So you know, just stayingdisciplined and staying
consistent, and uh God is done.

SPEAKER_02 (19:02):
That's what it is.
That's right.

SPEAKER_15 (19:03):
Well, congratulations again.

SPEAKER_02 (19:04):
Enjoy it, and I hope to see y'all next year.
We'll be here.
All right, thank you.
All right, we're here innational champion for sea
flight.
Uh, little bias here from ElPaso, Texas.
Ricardo Almelo, congratulations.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
So you played what courses?

SPEAKER_07 (19:19):
Arthur Hills, Arthur Hills, Country Club, Country
Club, and then uh Golden Bear.

SPEAKER_02 (19:22):
And Country Club, you had a great round.

SPEAKER_07 (19:24):
I did seven.
I did have a 77.
Yeah, it was a round that youknow, it's one of those rounds
that you kind of come out thereas a golfer, you understand, and
it it happened.
So I'm thankful for it.
And that helped me, you know,propel me to you know where I'm
at today.
So yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 (19:37):
Thank you.
So C flight.
Uh you know what your totalscore was?

SPEAKER_07 (19:41):
I do not.
I just wasn't really payingattention.

SPEAKER_02 (19:44):
Did you ever look at the scoreboard at all?
I did.

SPEAKER_07 (19:45):
Oh, yeah.
I had to, I mean, of course Idid, yeah.
I had to, you know.

SPEAKER_02 (19:48):
All right.
So you ended with a 251.
You won by eight strokes.
Okay.
Um, and you mentioned to meearlier that you couldn't sleep
last night.

SPEAKER_07 (19:58):
Well, what was on your mind the whole the whole
evening?
Well, for one, blowing theprobably a large lead that you
know, If you know it's one ofthose things, you think about
it, and if you blow a lead likethat, it's not good.
So as I was thinking, you know,my fellow El Paso members that
were gonna probably make rad onme and stuff, so I had to make
sure that was like that wasgood, and I took this home.

(20:19):
So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (20:19):
Nice.
So you're the first ever for theEl Paso tour out of I think it's
been 14, 15 years you've beenaround.
Um, I know you've come beforeand you've gotten real close,
but how do you feel now thatyou've crossed the finish line?
You know, you've been able tolet it soak for what probably an
hour now.

SPEAKER_07 (20:36):
Yeah, no, it feels good.
I mean, I'm thankful.
I mean, God, god, all glory toGod, and I'm just thankful for
it.
But yeah, it's just it's a goodfeeling, especially to bring it
home for El Paso for all myfellow GWAP members.
I this is all for them, and uhalways I I give it to them.

SPEAKER_02 (20:51):
We appreciate you.
I mean, you've always beenhumble all year long.
Oh man, B Flight can't wait tohave you.
I'm excited about B Flight.
I am.
I mean, you started the yearregional champ, you end the year
national champ, tour final MVP,flight champion.

SPEAKER_07 (21:08):
Yes.
Goals and they're goal, they'regoals that we had.
And it is so I mean, um, I givea shout out to one of my fellow
members, Jared, um, JaredLanham.
He's in, you know, obviouslyhe's in the B flight.
And we we we went through thislast year, where we were like,
okay, we're sitting there,everybody's getting their
trophies at the end of the uh ofthe season, and we were just
like, no, it ain't gonna happenno more.

(21:29):
And uh we we had a good season.
So I give a shout-out to my boyJared.
You both did.

SPEAKER_02 (21:34):
Well, enjoy the celebration.
I will I will.
Uh we'll need you out there forthe Ryder Cup for bragging out.
Be there, yes.
And um, again, congratulations.
Last last question.
Yeah.
One shot that was memorable foryou.

SPEAKER_07 (21:47):
Uh one shot.
Uh probably the shot I had lastnight at the bar.
But um, no, it was.
I mean, it's it's hard to say ashot that I had that was
memorable this weekend.
I don't know.
I can't tell you.
I mean, a lot of maybe somewherein out in the Hilton head, uh
the country club.
I I mean, but I don't even know.

SPEAKER_02 (22:05):
The last one.
Yeah.
Say the last one that went in.
The last deal.

SPEAKER_07 (22:08):
Oh, this one right, yeah, that's right.
The one here on 18, yes, uh atuh at Golden Bear, yes.
Still the deal.
That's it.
All right, brother.

SPEAKER_02 (22:15):
Let's do it again.
Congratulations.
Thanks, man.
Appreciate it, Roddy.
Thank you.
All right, we're here with our Dflight champion from Washington,
DC Metro, Zach Thompson.

SPEAKER_14 (22:23):
Zach, congratulations.
Thank you.
How do you feel?
It's good.
It's been, you know, this I washere last year and uh it's my
first year on tour last year,and uh it was pretty cool
actually.
Final day, got to uh play withmy dad in the same group.
Um, so it was like pretty coolover you know, get to play with
your dad on the final day, but Iended up getting fourth.
Um so you know, was practiced uhgot got a lot better and uh came

(22:46):
out here and was wanted to getfirst again or try to get first.
So I was happy I did.
I mean, you had some solidrounds.
What what was the order of thecourses you played?
Uh Hampton Hall, uh ArthurHills, and then Robert Jen Jones
today.

SPEAKER_02 (22:57):
Oh, so you had the harder one in the last day.

SPEAKER_14 (23:00):
Uh yeah, RTJ was uh the back nine, especially.
I I was I was happy with I went42 on the front, which is pretty
good for me.
And uh, but I went 50 on theback, and that's you know, I had
a round like over 45 all all uhall tournaments.
So I was uh that was prettypretty rough.

SPEAKER_02 (23:17):
Yeah, it can be.

SPEAKER_14 (23:18):
I mean 84 Hampton Hall, I can see it, it's pretty
wide open.
Uh and then out here, you know,you gotta be a little bit
tighter.
Target golf, that's what it washere.
I was I probably you know, Ionly took driver once or twice.
Everything else was either threewater, four hybrid, and uh that
kept it alive.
Nice.
So first national championship.
You're moving up to C5 nextyear?

(23:38):
Absolutely.
Yeah, yeah.
I had to go up there and give myuh tour director and my dad some
more hell and try to uh comeback out here next year and win
another one.
Your tour director C Fis, isn'tit?
Yeah, C Fis is okay.

SPEAKER_02 (23:49):
Off topic.
Sure.
Because I've known C Fis for awhile.
Yeah.
What was your impression whenyou saw his golf cart the first
time with his iPad, his iPhone,his GPS?

SPEAKER_14 (23:58):
I'll tell you, you know, when I first started on
the tour, I didn't make I didn'thave anything like that, but you
know, I I put a little phoneholder up there now.
It's uh, you know, I mean it'syou know, all the gadgets might
be a lot, but you know, it's uhhe definitely got a little phone
getting a little phone holderwas uh was the move, and I
probably wouldn't have got onehad I not us started playing on
the tour.
So right.
Um but yeah, C Fizz is a trip.
He's a great, he's a great guy,great director.

(24:19):
Great director.

SPEAKER_02 (24:20):
Um but now you played these three rounds, you
know, obviously you're anational champ.
Any memorable shots you mighthave had?

SPEAKER_14 (24:28):
Um, you know, off the top of my head, I I actually
was probab not even drivesweren't it wasn't even like a
drive or anything.
I had a uh I had a I had a realgreat shot and like and had a
birdie on uh 11 at Arthur Hills,and that was probably that was a
real good one.
It didn't stick.
I didn't get the skin, I didn'tget the skin, of course, but uh
you know that was I stuck atlike four feet left and it was

(24:50):
an easy uphill punt.
It was uh it was a good bird.

SPEAKER_02 (24:53):
Nice.
Well, anything else that youwant to say?
You know, uh now that you're anational champ, it's kind of
stuck in a little bit.
Yeah, you get to take all themedia pictures.
Oh yeah, you can get your yourface on the big billboard next
year.

SPEAKER_14 (25:04):
Everybody gets to look at my face for a whole year
every time they go on the site,so it's good.
A little bragging right there.
Absolutely, yeah.
They see me every day.
Well, congratulating, thanks,man.
We'll see you next year.

SPEAKER_03 (25:14):
Let's take a break from the show to hear about
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SPEAKER_00 (25:19):
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It's gotta be fast and gotta bepure.
But good looks never hurteither.
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SPEAKER_11 (25:34):
Okay, we are here for the 2025 Senior Amateur Tour
National Championships.
We're here with our champ flightwinner, Wendell Aikens from
Louisiana.
Welcome to Hilton Head andcongratulations on winning the
event.
Why not we?

SPEAKER_01 (25:50):
Thank you.

SPEAKER_11 (25:51):
Why don't you tell us a little bit about uh when
you joined the tour and uh whatbrought you, what what was the
key factor in coming down forthe national championship?

SPEAKER_06 (26:00):
So I joined the tour two or three years ago.
Um, you know, once you turn 50,that there's a lull between 40
and 50 where you really arebattling to to find somewhere to
play.
And once you turn 50, you have alot of opportunities.
And this was one of them toprepare you for upcoming

(26:20):
tournaments.
And our tournament director,Troy Coker, he puts on such a he
advertises such a great product,and he gives you such a great
product and gives gives everyonea chance to to participate and
compete uh in high-level golf,which is what in you know what

(26:41):
inspired me or what whatactually drew me to the tour.
Um, and once I got in, I Irealized, hey, this is you know,
there there's some really,really good competition here.
And um, you know, it's it itit's a good path.

SPEAKER_11 (26:57):
Yeah, Trey does a phenomenal job.
Part of my job is to train ourtour directors, and Trey is an
all-around, super nice guy,hardworking, cares about his
players, does a does a reallynice job, you know, runs a tight
shit down there.

SPEAKER_06 (27:11):
The bet he he's he's the best director there is.
I I I've played under several ddirectors as far as traveling to
other tours and and playingregionals uh and other
tournaments.
And as far as it's running theevent, Trey Cooker's the best.
You you can't you can't denythat.

SPEAKER_11 (27:30):
I I agree.
So let's talk a little bit aboutthis weekend or this this
tournament, I should say.
Um tell us uh what you shot eachday, a little bit about the
course, your favorite part of uhof your game.

SPEAKER_06 (27:44):
So I shot 70, uh, excuse me, pardon me.
I shot 65, 700, 73, 1 over, andthe 65 put me in position to do
what I needed or whatever Iwanted to do in the final round.
Once I got in the final round,we were I was so many clear of

(28:06):
third that all I had to do wasworry about second place.
So therefore it was just matchplay from there.
Um you know, uh it's notsomething that you want to say
or broadcast, but I all I heardwas I had to beat one player,
and obviously that player was insecond place.

(28:27):
Okay.
Okay.
Now he's a great player, he wonthe regular tour last week, but
unfortunately for him, he was insecond place chasing me for for
this weekend.
Okay.
Um so all I had to do was beathim today.
That was it.
And we were fortunate enough tobe able to come out on top.

SPEAKER_11 (28:47):
And who was that player?
That was Jeff Warren.
Jeff Warren.
I just wanted to hear you saythat.
Everybody who's listening, Jeffis a legend down here.
Yeah, he is.
So for you, yes, you definitelyheard that he's the person to
beat.
And he wins a lot.

SPEAKER_06 (29:00):
So they forgot about me.

SPEAKER_11 (29:02):
Well, I think they didn't know about you.
I don't know that they forgot.

SPEAKER_06 (29:05):
Well, if they would have checked uh if they would
have checked the world golfranking points, they would have
known.

SPEAKER_11 (29:09):
Okay.
What's what's your strength inyour game?

SPEAKER_06 (29:12):
I have I have no strength and I have no
weaknesses.

SPEAKER_11 (29:15):
Okay.

SPEAKER_06 (29:16):
Yeah.
So I play a lot of next leveltournaments for amateurs.
But I also play at a high levelon simulator golf, which is a S
SMI, simulator golf tour, SMT.
Um, the world golf ranking therepretty much matches you with

(29:39):
world golf ranking in regulargolf amateur.
So if you're ranked in simulatorgolf, you're pretty much gonna
be in the in the same area inworld golf uh amateur rankings
on regular golf.
Um, so I played a lot of that,but um, you know, that that

(29:59):
gives By a lot of people.
They don't really recognize yourworld golf ranking when you come
to an event like this.
So yeah, that that's what putsme above everyone else is that
I'm competing not only on turf,but I'm competing on simulator
as well.

SPEAKER_11 (30:17):
So what'd you think of the courses?
Being here in person, on theground?

SPEAKER_06 (30:22):
What what the first course we played was really,
really, really great.
The second course, they dideverything they could to give us
the best product that they had.
And I had no problems with itbecause everyone had to play it.
Could have been better, yes, butcould have been worse as as as
well.
But I have no qualms with thegolf courses.

SPEAKER_11 (30:41):
Okay.
So uh will we see you back hereagain next year?

SPEAKER_06 (30:45):
Probably not.

SPEAKER_11 (30:46):
Okay.

SPEAKER_06 (30:46):
Yeah, we'll be moving on to uh to other events.

SPEAKER_11 (30:50):
Well, I'm glad that we had you here this time.
Now I know that you broughtsomebody with you.

SPEAKER_06 (30:54):
Um my wife, my my one and only, my significant
other, my special uh person anduh my partner and wife.

SPEAKER_11 (31:03):
And I'm guessing you wouldn't be here at the winner's
table without her support.

SPEAKER_06 (31:08):
100%.
It's if she didn't come, you andI would not be having this
conversation.

SPEAKER_11 (31:14):
Well, I'm glad that you both came and that we had
you here.
And congratulations on your win,and we really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_06 (31:21):
Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_11 (31:22):
Absolutely.
All right, everyone, we're herewith the 2025 Senior Amateur
Tour National Championships.
We're here with Clayton McCoyfrom the A-Flight.
Um, why don't you tell us alittle bit about your journey
with the senior amateur tour?
How long have you been on thetour?

SPEAKER_05 (31:39):
This is my first year joining the tour back in
March.
Uh was talked into it by a goodfriend of mine.
And uh once he talked me intoit, I I started and and really
enjoyed it and just come throughevery tournament they had in the
Augusta Tour series.
So once we got through that, andyeah, that's basically it.
It's my first year doing it.

SPEAKER_11 (31:55):
First year right out of the gates, and now you're
you're the big winner.
Okay, wow.
So that that's pretty amazing.

SPEAKER_05 (32:02):
Had you won many of your tournaments in the very
last tournament, our uh ourfinal tour tournament at the uh
Fort Eisenhower two-daytournament.
Um I've competed in every one ofthem pretty much.
I was in the, you know, in thein the top five, probably in
every tournament.
So I played really well.
Um I did finally close the youknow, close out and won that at
Fort Eisenhower.

SPEAKER_11 (32:22):
Okay.
So what were your thoughts goingthrough yesterday and today?
Did you know you were in thelead uh as you were playing?

SPEAKER_05 (32:30):
Did you watch the No, I I usually don't watch the
leaderboard.
I don't ha it makes me toonervous.
I don't like to see where Ifall.
Um I guess playing I playedpretty decent yesterday.
Uh ended up shooting us, I thinkit was a 78.
Uh not bad for the course Ithought we'd played.
Okay.
So, but no, I don't ever checkthe leaderboard.
I checked it once I finished up,I checked it and said, Well, I
think I was sitting tied for 12.

(32:51):
And I said, Well, it's gonna bewhat it is today.
And uh I never checked theleaderboard until I made a
birdie on number or 18th hold,uh, and I said, Well that maybe
put me pretty close.
So once I checked it, I said,Well, how to go to a playoffs.
So that's a shop.
So Wow, the last birdie to toget into the playoff.

SPEAKER_11 (33:08):
So how uh tense was it for you?

SPEAKER_05 (33:11):
Honestly, it wasn't as bad um this time around.
For some reason I wasn't asnervous.
I was pretty pretty confident inwhat I was doing because I
played well all day.
Okay.
So uh I just done what Inormally do, just hit the ball
down the middle and you try tohit the pin and then go off from
there.

SPEAKER_11 (33:25):
So was it a one hole playoff?
One hole playoff.
Okay.
What'd you think of the coursesthat you play?

SPEAKER_05 (33:32):
You know, back home where I'm from, we don't have
these kind of courses now.
Once I went to the Augusta Tour,I played on some great courses
there.
But the guard the courses arereally set up, you know, they're
well maintained.
Uh Roberts Row yesterday wasreally tough because it's so
narrow and tight to play andshort.
Uh but the day's course was inextremely great conditions, so I
really enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_11 (33:51):
And what did you shoot today?
Okay, not not bad.
Not bad.
So what did you like the mostout of your first year on the
tour?
Other than winning nationalchampionships.

SPEAKER_05 (34:02):
That was the most uh some really great people that I
met and made some lifetime fromyour friendships.
Uh everybody I played with fromevery tournament has been great.
So I think that's the mostmemorable thing that I have.

SPEAKER_11 (34:13):
Wonderful.
So now you'll get to see yourpicture up on the website all
season for next year.
Get nice trophy, nice prize, anduh do it again next year.
We'll we'll see you back herenext year.
Okay.
Well, thank you so much forcoming on.
Thank you.
And uh safe travels home.
All right, we are here now withour B flight winner of the 2025

(34:36):
Senior Amateur Tour NationalChampionship.
We've got a repeater here.
We've got Michael Anderson inthe in the B flight.
So welcome back.

SPEAKER_12 (34:46):
Thank you, appreciate it.

SPEAKER_11 (34:47):
So tell us a little bit about your experience on the
tour because you're not anewcomer here.
You're not like some of ourother winners who this is their
first season.

SPEAKER_12 (34:55):
Tell us a little bit about I've been here playing
this since 2022 on a senior, alittle longer on the regular.
Um, the reason I keep comingdown here is all the guys that I
meet.
I mean, I'll come down for thesenior and I'll see someone in
the regular event, and I waslike, hey Michael, where are we
going to dinner tonight?
And I only see them down here.
I don't know them but from this.

(35:17):
And there are guys from Augusta,Florida.
One guy was from Louisiana.
He goes, we're going go getshrimp tonight.
You're coming along, right?
Sure.
Sounds great.

SPEAKER_11 (35:26):
That's awesome.
And which tour are you from?

SPEAKER_12 (35:28):
I'm on the Cincinnati uh Dayton tour.
We also go play the ColumbusTour and the Indianapolis Tour.

SPEAKER_11 (35:36):
Okay.
And you're not a uh first timerto sitting in this chair.

SPEAKER_12 (35:41):
No, I got to do it twice last year.
Got lucky.

SPEAKER_11 (35:45):
And so how's it feel to be back again?
So this is two years in a row.

SPEAKER_12 (35:50):
Didn't expect it at all.
My goal was just to come downand just not shoot 120.

SPEAKER_11 (35:57):
So what did you shoot?
Tell us about your two rounds.

SPEAKER_12 (35:59):
I shot 80 on the day one.
I got every break imaginable onthe front nine.
Then on the back nine, everybreak that I got on the front, I
did not get on the back.
I tried to hit it in people'syards across ponds and
everything else.
And just survived.
Today was a 77.
I played out of my um acted likeI was 20 again.

(36:24):
Okay.
Hit fairways, hit greens on thefront nine, and in the back
nine, it was just hold on, holdon, don't do anything stupid.
And that's all it was.
Just tried, and guys in thegroup, both days were
phenomenal.
We cheered each other along.
We tried to do our best to helpeach other out.
If you got down, we werecheering each other on.

(36:45):
Say, come on, don't give up,don't give up.
And I just don't think peopleunderstand that if you have a
good group where everybody getsalong, how easy it makes the
round go and how relaxedeverybody is, and it makes a
difference in your scores.

SPEAKER_11 (37:00):
Right.

SPEAKER_12 (37:00):
It really does.

SPEAKER_11 (37:02):
Well, you you played really well.
Got some breaks.
What's the best part of yourgame these days?
What do you think helped you winthis the most?

SPEAKER_12 (37:13):
I've been putting very well.
Um it's what helped me out themost.
But today in round two, Ichanged my driver's swing.
I made it short, I hit it about210, hit a little 10-yard fade
on it, and I think I only missedtwo fairways all day long.
And that made a big differencerather than the full swing and

(37:34):
just just wailing at it.

SPEAKER_11 (37:37):
Well, you obviously did something right.
Is there um anything inparticular that stands out?
Uh, whether uh about about beingdown here this year from the
senior tour?

SPEAKER_12 (37:49):
Just love it.
There's a lot of good guys.
The people that run it do aphenomenal job.
I appreciate everything they do.
I used to run tournaments at mylocal tour, and I know it's
thankless, and it's a lot ofwork.

SPEAKER_11 (38:02):
Well, we we all do it because we love seeing the
success of our players, uh, thecamaraderie, just like you talk
about.
It's no different for us.
We come down here, we get to seepeople like, you know, again, we
were just talking, I was justtalking to Chef Ellis that we
met years ago when we were outin Chicago, and you get to see
players from all over thecountry uh coming and and seeing

(38:25):
you guys play and and being apart of it.
It it's really uh it's it's aspecial environment here on the
tour.

SPEAKER_12 (38:31):
It is when you have people from other tours go, hey,
this is a good event on ours.
You come down, and when youcome, here's my number.
You call me, you're staying withme, you're not allowed to stay
in a hotel.
It's like, okay.

SPEAKER_11 (38:42):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_12 (38:43):
It's wonderful.
It's it's very nice.

SPEAKER_11 (38:46):
Well, I guess we'll be seeing you again next year,
right?

SPEAKER_12 (38:49):
That is the plan, unless the boss tells me
otherwise.

SPEAKER_11 (38:53):
All right.
Well, we really appreciate youcoming down and congratulations
again.

SPEAKER_12 (38:58):
Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_11 (38:59):
And uh have a good off season, and and your your
picture's gonna stay up foranother year.

SPEAKER_12 (39:06):
That's a rumor.
So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 (39:08):
Congratulations again and uh have a safe trip
home.
I will.

SPEAKER_12 (39:12):
That's a full 11 hours.
Not too bad.
You've talked about thetemperature earlier.
Uh-huh.
The high back home is 52.
Oh, that's the high.
So this morning I was like,yeah, this is easy.

SPEAKER_11 (39:25):
Yeah, that's where we were in the morning, but it
it got up to 70 something today,and it was beautiful.
So both safe travels back homes,and uh, we'll be looking forward
to seeing you play again nextyear.

SPEAKER_12 (39:36):
Plan he would be here next year.

SPEAKER_11 (39:37):
Wonderful.

SPEAKER_12 (39:38):
Thank you very much, Jen.

SPEAKER_11 (39:39):
Absolutely.
Uh, welcome back to the 2025Senior Amateur Tour National
Championship.
I am here with our C Flightwinner, all the way from
Jacksonville and ourJacksonville tour, and we've got
Rick Williams here.
Um, why don't you tell everyonea little bit about your overall
tour experience before we starttalking about uh this national

(40:02):
championship?

SPEAKER_09 (40:03):
Sure.
Uh first year in the tour, Iturned uh 50 this year, which
qualified me uh for the seniortour.
Um I moved to uh theJacksonville area just a couple
years ago and found out about umthe uh the senior tour just by
by searching for competitiveevents uh in the area uh and um
and ended up finding the thesenior tour and joining, and

(40:24):
it's been a great experience.

SPEAKER_11 (40:26):
Okay.
And so uh did you win much onthe local tour or were you where
were you in the point standingsbefore you even got here?

SPEAKER_09 (40:33):
So funny enough, I started I started off in the in
the A flight.
Okay.
Um thinking that I was betterthan I was.
Tournament golf's a little bitdifferent than than leisure golf
and um my handicap balloon.
Uh and so they so Bernie umright-sized me, put me in the C
flight, which is where myhandicap took me, and still saw

(40:55):
no success in the in the uh inthe early rounds going into sea,
and and then I uh I won oneevent uh this this year, and and
then this was my my second.

SPEAKER_11 (41:07):
And this is your first time down here, first time
on the tour.
It is so so tell us a little bitabout uh what you like the most
about participating and and theoverall experience.

SPEAKER_09 (41:19):
Yeah, so I I you know I played sports my entire
life, team sports, played, youknow, football in college, and
um when you when you playcompetitive sports that long, it
becomes part of you and and thensomething's missing when you
stop it.
It's that that competition, uhtrue competition that you get
from um you know from doingthings like this.

(41:39):
And and so I, you know, littleolder do do you know a bunch of
the other sports, but you know,golf is something that I intend
on doing, you know, um as longas I can.
And if I'm gonna do it, I mightas well itch the competitive uh
nerve I've got.
And that's what brought me here.

SPEAKER_11 (41:56):
Okay, so let's talk about the the two rounds that
you played here.

SPEAKER_09 (42:00):
Sure.

SPEAKER_11 (42:00):
Uh tell us about uh day one, day two, kind of how it
went, and uh what your what yourthoughts were after the first
day.

SPEAKER_09 (42:08):
Sure.
I played uh oyster uh reef on onthe first day.
Um I played okay.
I I shot an 84, which tied mefor uh uh first place um at in
that at that event.
Um I could have had a muchbetter round.
I I lipped out probably ninebucks where where literally just
went around and and kind ofkicked out.

(42:29):
Um and uh but overall I I Ithought I I played well, and
obviously I did to get into thefinal group and um um you know
felt like I was gonna come intothis uh this day playing well.

SPEAKER_11 (42:43):
Okay.
And so starting day two, wereyou nervous?
What what were your thoughts?

SPEAKER_09 (42:48):
No, I don't think I was uh nervous day two.
I I was focused.
Uh and uh you know it it helpswhen you're in the final group
and and you know kind of umwhat's going on.
Funny enough, um the othergentleman that um one one of the
guys in the group today took offand started playing very well in

(43:08):
the beginning and then um uh youknow kind of collapsed on on the
back nine.
But but throughout the day Ithought I was chasing him the
entire time.
And through the first nine, Iwas.
Um but my cart mate, quietly, Ihave no idea how um ended up

(43:29):
tying me for the for the uh theuh two-round lead.

SPEAKER_11 (43:35):
Okay, so did you go into a playoff?

SPEAKER_09 (43:37):
We did, yeah, we did.

SPEAKER_11 (43:38):
So so one hole or more?

SPEAKER_09 (43:40):
One hole.
We played 18 uh here at at um atat this course.
And um, so he I shot 84, 88 uhtoday.
He shot uh 85, 87 today, so 172tie, and we ended up in a
playoff on 18.

SPEAKER_11 (43:59):
Um So tell us about that.
Well, walk us through whathappened on that sudden death
playoff ball.

SPEAKER_09 (44:04):
Yeah, so um so they they um flipped to see who who
teed off first.
I ended up teeing off first.
My first shot I hit out ofbounds off the tick.

SPEAKER_11 (44:14):
No pressure, right?

SPEAKER_09 (44:15):
No pressure.
And so my my second shot um offthe tee, it's par five um, by
the way.
Second shot ripped one rightdown the middle.
Um, kind of went through thefairway and into the rough.
When he saw me, uh when he sawthat I was in my bag, in my bag
already, he put his driver awayand Alex to go, I think four
iron was in four or three.

(44:37):
And he hit it straight down themiddle.
And then he was up next,obviously, hit it straight down
the middle, his second shot, andhe was he's probably about a
hundred um from the green fromthe from the flag.
Um I was two forty.
So this is now my third shotlying, lying uh so so uh third

(44:59):
shot, or I'm lying three, excuseme, um, in in the roughs, two
forty, and I hit a three-woodtwo forty just off the green.
Okay, and uh, and so that put alittle pressure on him.
We get up to the to his ball,and he hit a a perfect iron uh
right over the flag, right overthe green, just into the rough

(45:20):
adrenaline rush and and kind ofcooked it.
He said it was a perfectdistance for him.
Um and then he he chipped and itwent down the hill, uh back into
the rough on the other side,chipped on, and then he missed
the putt two putt.
Okay, gave him a seven, and thenI I uh putt just off the green

(45:40):
and then made a four or fivefooter to win with a six.

SPEAKER_11 (45:44):
Nice job.
Nice job.
Yeah.
So what did you think aboutplaying down here in Hilton
Head?

SPEAKER_09 (45:49):
Uh, it's my second time this year.
I'm not too far from being athree-hour trip, and so I've
made my way up here um, I thinkonce before, but yeah, it's very
similar to Jacksonville.
So uh a little chilly today.

SPEAKER_11 (46:01):
Yeah, it we've had beautiful weather.
Today was the first day that gota little chilly.
I was out there in my longsleeves earlier, but uh it it
was nice out there.

SPEAKER_09 (46:10):
Yeah, a little chilly, but outside of that, uh
the weather was great, thecourse was great.
Um, it was a great event.

SPEAKER_11 (46:16):
Okay.
Well, thank you so much andcongratulations.
Thank you.
We're glad you were here and uhenjoy your trophy and being
displayed on the website for awhole year.
Yep.
Bragging rights, and hopefullywe'll see you again next year.

SPEAKER_09 (46:28):
Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_11 (46:29):
Thank you.
All right, we are here with theD-flight winner of the 2025
Senior Amateur Tour NationalChampionship, Shep Ellis from
Chicago.
Shep, welcome.
Oh, you're actually not fromChicago anymore.

SPEAKER_12 (46:44):
Orlando.
That's right.
Chicago is free.

SPEAKER_11 (46:49):
Yes.
Yeah.
Well, see, I'm showing thatyou've you've been around the
tour for a little bit because uhTim and I met you when we were
up in Chicago or South Week.
So now you're uh playing on thesenior tour out in Florida and
where it's much nicer weather.
It is.
And uh how long have you been onthe senior tour?

SPEAKER_12 (47:08):
Um I played senior events starting in 2018.

SPEAKER_11 (47:12):
Okay.

SPEAKER_12 (47:13):
I think.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Chicago senior.

SPEAKER_11 (47:16):
Okay.
So you've been around the block.

SPEAKER_12 (47:17):
Yep.

SPEAKER_11 (47:18):
And uh and you th you think you're one of the
older uh participants, right?

SPEAKER_12 (47:24):
I know I am, that's all.

SPEAKER_11 (47:26):
Are you gonna share your age with everyone?

SPEAKER_12 (47:28):
74.

SPEAKER_11 (47:29):
74, and you just won the national championship.

SPEAKER_12 (47:33):
That's right.
I'm just lucky to get out ofbed.

SPEAKER_11 (47:35):
And you're still smiling.

SPEAKER_12 (47:36):
Yeah, yeah.
It was good, it was fun.

SPEAKER_11 (47:39):
Yeah?
Tell us a little bit about thetwo days and and how it went for
you.

SPEAKER_12 (47:43):
It was just it was a grind.
And uh I just went out there andplayed.
I didn't look at anybody's scoreor anything.
I was you know, you gotta beatthe course.
It's not the people you have tobeat.
So uh went out there and playedand uh played so so, but it was
enough.

SPEAKER_11 (48:02):
Okay, what were your scores both days?

SPEAKER_12 (48:05):
Uh first day was 90, second day was ninety-one.

SPEAKER_11 (48:08):
Okay.

SPEAKER_12 (48:09):
Yeah, and that's with uh that's with four putts.
I had a couple four putts, anduh, you know, I didn't lose any
balls though.

SPEAKER_11 (48:18):
Well that'd be good.

SPEAKER_12 (48:19):
Yep.

SPEAKER_11 (48:19):
What what's the strength of your game these
days?

SPEAKER_12 (48:22):
Uh my short game.
That's pretty much it.

SPEAKER_11 (48:25):
Have you been practicing?
What what have you donedifferently so that after all
these years we're sitting hereat the winner's table?

SPEAKER_12 (48:32):
I just play a lot.

SPEAKER_11 (48:34):
Good for you.

SPEAKER_12 (48:35):
Yeah, and you have I have confidence.

SPEAKER_11 (48:38):
Well good.

SPEAKER_12 (48:39):
Chipping butt, you know, and goes in.
Pretty much.
The rest of the game's not thebest, but you know.

SPEAKER_11 (48:46):
Well, I I tell you, it's so nice to see you smiling
here and and and playing, andlike you heard, we were just on
the phone for a minute with withTim since he's not here and and
he's so excited for you.
You heard how genuinely excitedhe was.

SPEAKER_12 (49:00):
He was, he was.
Hi Tim.
Thanks for having me on apodcast.

SPEAKER_11 (49:05):
Uh we're we're glad that that you got on.
Um and uh uh anything you wannasay about you know how things
went, you know, because you'reyou've been here before, so this
isn't your first time.

SPEAKER_12 (49:18):
I think it's my third time.

SPEAKER_11 (49:20):
What brings you what keeps you coming back?

SPEAKER_12 (49:24):
Um I like the golf.
I also win the points and I geta pay for well there you go.
That's you each.
I really is.

SPEAKER_01 (49:34):
Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_12 (49:36):
So uh, you know, but hey, I'd like to thank uh Terry
and Marco.

SPEAKER_10 (49:40):
Okay.

SPEAKER_12 (49:41):
It's their first year uh of running the seniors.
Yes.
They took over from uh Robbie.

SPEAKER_11 (49:48):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_12 (49:48):
And uh they're doing a good job.

SPEAKER_11 (49:50):
They're good people, yeah.
Good people doing they workhard, they care about their
players, and and they do a greatjob.
Yep.

SPEAKER_12 (49:58):
Exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_11 (49:59):
Well, thank thank you.
So okay.

SPEAKER_12 (50:02):
I also have the drive to uh Orlando and beyond
for all my senior tournamentsbecause they don't have any in
Tampa.

SPEAKER_10 (50:10):
Right.

SPEAKER_12 (50:11):
Right?
So we've got to figure out howto get one back back to Tampa.

SPEAKER_10 (50:15):
We're we're looking at it.

SPEAKER_12 (50:16):
Yep.

SPEAKER_10 (50:17):
We're we're looking at it.

SPEAKER_12 (50:18):
That's two hours.

SPEAKER_10 (50:21):
Right.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 (50:22):
So well it paid off for you this year.

SPEAKER_12 (50:25):
It did.
So I had fun.

SPEAKER_11 (50:26):
Well, I'm glad.

SPEAKER_12 (50:27):
Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_11 (50:28):
Congratulations again.
It's great seeing you.
And uh you get to see yourpicture on the website all next
year.
You've got bragging right here.

SPEAKER_12 (50:38):
Yeah, you'll travel sized posters.

SPEAKER_11 (50:40):
When you come down next year, it'll be displayed,
and then when you leave, you cantake it with you.
Fantastic.
So travel safely, going home,and thanks for taking the time
to talk to us.
Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 (50:50):
Let's take a break from the show to hear about
TrickSon's ZX Mark II drivers.

SPEAKER_00 (50:55):
ZX Mark II drivers are for major players.
Major winners, major power.
All new ZX Mark II drivers onlyfrom TrickSon.

SPEAKER_02 (51:10):
Tim, um, you know, you need to stop having a uh a
voice for for radio because uhthey keep pulling you to do all
the all the announcements forthe winners.
Um and you you threw me and Jenout there to the wolves, but I
think we did a great job.
It's awesome to to kind of getthese champions' perspectives
right after you know they win.

(51:31):
Because like you said, it was myfirst one to have one guy and
and to send him here and sendhim there, and then hey, I need
you here, and then go throughthere, and and we need pictures
here.
It it's a lot for them.
Yeah, and and and being beingable to get their perspective
and um kind of how they'refeeling now that that the final
putts rolled in, um, it's prettycool.

(51:53):
I mean it's it's hard to getthem to talk, I'm gonna be
honest with you.
Um but it it's pretty cool to toto see their their emotions.

SPEAKER_03 (52:01):
Yeah.
You know, I w you know we havethe tagline where amateurs play
like pros, and and just think ofit from that perspective, you
know, when a when a pro wins atournament, the the number of
responsibilities that that theyhave from the time that they
walk off the course into thescoring shed to sign their card,
um, from from that point on forhours after that, they've got

(52:24):
media responsibilities, they'vegot sponsor responsibilities,
they've got all kinds ofdifferent things.
And and it's it's you're you'reyou're you're like a ping pong
ball.
You're going from here to hereto here to here.
Oh, we gotta need to have youback out on the green for the
for the interview for the awardspresentation, then from here to
here to here to here.
Right.
Um and you know, it it's reallyno wonder, especially when it

(52:45):
comes to majors for for thepros, why why the winner takes a
week or two off.
Because it's it's a lot.
Because you can't you're notjust like normally, you're not
just jumping on on your on yourprivate jet and going to the
next destination right away.
Yeah.
Right?

SPEAKER_02 (53:03):
I mean, I've I've seen pictures of of the masters
where it's pitch black out thereand they're signing flags,
hundred, two hundred flags, justbecause they just won.
So um, you know, we we we tryand and emulate that the best we
can.
Uh, I think with with us beingable to be there and to do the
interviews kind of brings alittle bit more to them.

(53:25):
Um and you know, and then theycan share with all their friends
and family, which which is cool.

SPEAKER_03 (53:30):
Yeah, yeah.
And and you and Jen did did dida great job uh you know with
these interviews, because again,it's it's real time, right?
It's it's not like you know whenwe do a regular episode, you and
I know who who we're gonna betalking to, and and we can do
some research and look into themand and and really kind of
prepare some things, but it'sreal time for us just like it's

(53:50):
real time for them.
Yeah.
And you know, so so you'rereally getting raw emotion from
them, you're you're getting raw,real feelings, and you're under
a even for us, you're under timeconstraint, right?
So if you if you remember as wewere setting things up and and I
was you know setting things upfor you to start doing the
interviews, and um somebody camein and said that I that I was

(54:14):
needed out to to start callingoff the voice was needed.

SPEAKER_02 (54:18):
Your voice was needed.

SPEAKER_03 (54:20):
And I said, look, you've got to give me five
minutes.
I said, No, you've got to giveme four minutes.
And he went out and he toldDennis that I would be there in
three minutes.
Right?
And and so you you know you havetime constraints.
Yeah that that that things haveto get done.

SPEAKER_02 (54:38):
And and if you're not out there, you you read 'em
pretty quick.
So if I have a champion with methey started without me.

SPEAKER_03 (54:44):
They started without me.
And I was and I was there inunder three minutes, right?
Because pretty much after heleft, I almost followed him out,
but they started without me.
And that's fine, because I I Iget it, but you know, I I I say
this more as an illustration forthe for the listeners and for
the golfers to see that youknow, this is thing things are

(55:05):
happening in in real time.

SPEAKER_10 (55:07):
And yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (55:08):
And to equate that to what what a good job that you
and Jen did to do theseinterviews and for the players
to as good a job as as they did,not only being champions, but
being available and um beingwilling to answer these
questions in in in real time.
It was great, phenomenal.

SPEAKER_02 (55:29):
Yeah, it's always a good time.
And I mean w whether we're ableto do it at a regional or or
national champion every year,um, it's just great to be able
to talk to them.
Um you know, not everybody getsa chance to to win a big event
like that.
Uh so just kind of hear theirstories.
I mean, Jeff Wong's been there acouple times, but I don't think
he's ever done interviews afterafter his wins.

(55:52):
Um so being able to just hangout.

SPEAKER_03 (55:56):
I you know, I I know I've hit Jeff Jeff up one uh you
know after he's won one after hewon the regional at uh uh he won
Icebreaker, I've got him afterthat a couple times.

SPEAKER_02 (56:06):
Um but well but I'm I'm talking about national
championship.
National championship, yeah.
No, because he's he he's won itthree times.
Um and we talk about him a lot,and and you know, I even
mentioned he he's in one ofthose name those groups of names
that we always bring up.
Um and he was able to to finishit off this year and and get the
whole treatment.
Um was was pretty cool, and it'sjust it it just shows the the

(56:29):
excitement that these guys have.

unknown (56:31):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (56:32):
So w what what was your favorite moment?
What was your best moment fornational championship this year?

SPEAKER_02 (56:39):
Um personally, uh I was actually pretty surprised on
the the director's award I gotfor innovation.
Uh that that really surprisedme.
Um but it's pretty cool.
I mean, because that's that'svoted by the directors
themselves.
Uh so so really appreciative ofthat.

(57:00):
Uh tour-wise, you know, I meannothing's gonna be having a
national champ.
And I think with me uhwithdrawing, it kind of made it
a little more special to be outthere on his final hole, uh, be
able to record him.
I was really hoping for like atiger celebration, fist pump,
and everything.
Uh but no, the my guy puttsfirst, taps in and picks up his

(57:23):
ball and just walks away.
And I'm like, That's it?
Well, that's not good.
Yeah, man.
Like mark even if you miss it,mark it.
Be the last guy to putt in.
Like, like be that guy.
Um, but no, it it was it was agreat time to be able to see him
and well deserved.
He's worked hard and and nowhe's gonna be in the beef
flight.

(57:43):
Let's see how that pays off forhim.

SPEAKER_03 (57:44):
I hope you know he's a national champion, he'll he'll
step up and rise to jump.

SPEAKER_02 (57:49):
I'm pretty sure.
He just has to be me now.

SPEAKER_03 (57:54):
The higher we go, the more competition there is.

SPEAKER_02 (57:57):
Yes, sir.
I've been there.

SPEAKER_03 (58:00):
So you better be ready.
So you know, for for me was youknow, w when we had the the the
awards at at um the tourdirectors dinner, um ha having
everybody all the tour directorsthere uh in the shirts taking
that picture for for Jenniferwas was really, really special.

(58:23):
And then the next day Thursdayat check-in, you know, remember
we had Shaggy on on the livefeed on on uh Facebook L he was
collecting money and andeverybody was signing the shirt
for for Jennifer.
Um and so my favorite momentfrom National Championship
actually happened uh a coupledays ago.

(58:44):
Uh Jennifer was at a uh chemotreatment and she was wearing a
pink shirt and Dennis posted apicture of of her uh at her
chemo treatment in that shirt.
And so that for me was probablythe the the best moment.
Um to see her, she she looksreally good for for going

(59:05):
through what she's goingthrough.
She's lost lost some weight, butshe looks she looks really good
and um first time I've seen herin in in in a while.
Uh so that was probably that wasmy my favorite moment, you know,
to to see her at the treatmentin in the shirt that you know

(59:25):
that that the tour members havesigned really kind of solidified
everything and and and broughteverything home and wrapped
everything up for me.

SPEAKER_02 (59:32):
Yeah, I mean that's we we talked about before.
It was gonna be different, andit was different.
Um but the support that not onlythe directors had, but I mean
the whole tour uh with with youknow supporting with Shaggy and
and his ribbons he was givingaway and things like that, that
was just awesome.

SPEAKER_03 (59:53):
Yeah, I think Shaggy raised close to a thousand
dollars just in those few hours.

SPEAKER_02 (59:57):
Yeah.
Of doing.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:00):
That's pretty good.
And again, that that goes backto n not only you know Shaggy's
dedication to the tour and howhe feels about uh uh raising
money for cancer awareness, butit also shows the the tour's um
stance to to do the same.

(01:00:21):
Right.

SPEAKER_08 (01:00:23):
Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:25):
So anyway, we've got to start looking forward to to
next year.
You know, you get I know you'vegot your rider cup thing.
Yeah, you see how I justdiminished that?
Your your your little rider cupthing, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
That little thing.
Um, but I know you guys arelooking forward to that.
Uh our next episode will be ourlast episode of the tour year,

(01:00:45):
and that'll be on on Novemberthe 17th, right, right before uh
um Thanksgiving.

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:52):
The festivities, yep.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:54):
That that'll be great.
Um so what else you got goingon?
What what what what's your plan?
I know you you haven't doneanything with your schedule,
you've been slacking off.
Uh now you gotta I have.

SPEAKER_02 (01:01:05):
I mean I and you can ask my wife this every year.
I say I need to do it throughoutthe year.
Yes.
Every year.
The problem is I I do travel toa lot of regionals.
And I like to build my schedulearound the regionals so I don't

(01:01:27):
miss any events.
That's what I'm going with.
So I have I have the dates ofthe ones I'm possibly gonna do.
So we're gonna work on that, andthen I you gotta check with the
wife, make sure that she doesn'thave any vacations planned.
That I if I scheduled an eventon a vacation week, you'd be
finding a new partner for theshow.

SPEAKER_03 (01:01:45):
No, no, no.
Can't can't do that then.
You get no you got you gotta lethim have some free reign here
somewhere.
Oh, by the way, by the way, umyou you need to tell her she she
was very much missed this year.

SPEAKER_02 (01:01:58):
Yeah, I've I've been told um by a lot of people that
asked.
So uh I know Matt's wife wasasking about her.
Uh obviously Jen, uh Gina wasasking, a lot of people were
asking.
So uh you know, I honestly if ifif the kids school week can can
be off the same week asNationals, we might make it work

(01:02:21):
and have everybody out there.
Um because I know my boys wouldlove it.
I just would be afraid if ifthey would go pet an alligator.
That that'd be my only concern.

SPEAKER_03 (01:02:31):
No, you're you're your boys are smarter than that.
Yeah.
You truck uh It was pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 (01:02:42):
Uh on on the first day that the day I was able to
play uh in one of the the ponds.
Yeah.
On on one of the drains draincovers, there were three little
turtles, and and turtles are ourour I guess family animal that
we like.
So I sent them a picture andthey really enjoyed that.
So I mean you you have thoselittle sentimental moments, but

(01:03:04):
uh proceeded to then on the nextpart three go into the water,
drop on the tea box and stick itto three feet.
So what can you do?
That's golf.

SPEAKER_03 (01:03:14):
That's it.
That is it.
Alright, my friend.
Good seeing you.

SPEAKER_02 (01:03:20):
And likewise.

SPEAKER_03 (01:03:21):
We will talk again soon.

SPEAKER_02 (01:03:24):
Um fair warning to all the directors.
Um, if you haven't been on,you're gonna get on this year.
That's gonna be one of ourgoals.
And uh if you don't listen toour podcast, you're gonna get
on.
And we've given you the warning.
So if you don't listen, that'syour fault.

SPEAKER_03 (01:03:44):
We'll just call you up at you know at a random time.

SPEAKER_02 (01:03:48):
Yeah, there you go.
Hey, and and we've we'veimproved.
We got our shirts now.
It worked out because it's coldin my house and I got a long
sleeve.

SPEAKER_03 (01:04:03):
Alright, so so you brought this up.
Uh that was good.

SPEAKER_02 (01:04:06):
It's 40 degrees.
It's 40 degrees, and I haven'teven turned the heater on yet.
Alright?
I gotta check the heater firstbefore I turn it on.
Which I'm gonna do today, andthen it's gonna be 70 degrees
tomorrow.

SPEAKER_03 (01:04:18):
So why even bother?

SPEAKER_02 (01:04:20):
Exactly.
So I'll just get a big blanketand walk around all day.

SPEAKER_03 (01:04:26):
How many days a year do you actually have to use
heat?
Seriously.

SPEAKER_02 (01:04:30):
Um days?
No, I'd say maybe mid-Novemberthrough January.
But it's but again, 50 degreesis cold to us, so we're gonna
use the heat because we're notused to it.
Why are you laughing?

(01:04:51):
And it's only at night too, it'snot during the day.

SPEAKER_03 (01:04:55):
And I guess that's what really trips you up.
Because you you you're cold andyou get warmed up, you're used
to it.

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:00):
And then boom.
Sun's gone at 4 30 and it'scold.

SPEAKER_03 (01:05:06):
You'll be okay.

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:07):
We're gonna survive.

SPEAKER_03 (01:05:10):
Yeah, I d I d I uh just not a little and dude.
I I I did an interview withsomebody uh yesterday, day
before, last couple days,whenever it was.
Um and he lives in Maui.
And and he and I know he wasbeing sarcastic, but he was
telling me what a hard life itis, you know.

(01:05:33):
The the ways don't allow him togo to snorkeling sometimes, you
know.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:38):
You know, I I want to go back.
I wouldn't want to live there.
No.
Just because I've seen thecreatures that they have to deal
with, and if you have more thaneight legs, no sir.

SPEAKER_03 (01:05:52):
No, you're not doing that, huh?

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:54):
Nope.
Uh-uh.
And then uh it's just soexpensive, man.
It's very grocery shopping is wewere there for a week, and I
think we spent more money ongrocery shopping than we did on
flights.

SPEAKER_03 (01:06:07):
But everything everything is is shipped in.
I mean, they they pretty muchdon't have any that's not
shipped in.
So I mean, could you imaginebuying a car over there?
My God.
No way.
Nope.
So, all right, my friend.
And we'll leave it on that.
What a down note.
Don't don't go to lie.

(01:06:28):
I mean, why why tourism boardsare gonna be mad at us?
I don't know.
Um and we didn't even talk aboutStews.
How how else?
Let's talk about Stu.
How else was Stu's?

SPEAKER_02 (01:06:37):
It was good, it was good.
It was I mean it was fun to justbe in there and see, you know,
we're there for what, maybe anhour, uh, but to see how busy it
got, and then you think thatthat it the line had died and it
was done, and then blink of aneye, another big and and to be
able to get the you know, chefon and you could I could I could

(01:07:01):
see their their order board fromwhere I was sitting, and that
thing was never empty.
It's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 (01:07:09):
And what the the that I really liked about that
as well is the number of golfersthat were in there.
Right.
From the tour.
Right.
I mean, I I I don't think overthe the hour that we were there
that there was ever a time thatthere wasn't at least one of our
golfers there.
And I and I'm not sure I'm nottalking about us, right?
I'm talking about the you knowthe the uh the uh different

(01:07:31):
people.

SPEAKER_02 (01:07:32):
The people that came out, yeah.
So I mean if we can continuedoing something like that, maybe
we bring more and more.
Uh but uh I just thought it wasa great a great time.

unknown (01:07:41):
Me too.

SPEAKER_02 (01:07:42):
And good food.

SPEAKER_03 (01:07:44):
Oh my god, it was so good.
Well, uh, I can't go today.
All right, my friend, you takecare of yourself.
We'll we'll talk to you soon.

SPEAKER_01 (01:07:57):
Likewise.