Augusta Golf Show/17th Anniversary

Augusta Golf Show 17th Anniversary

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Augusta Golf Show with John Patrick here
on News Talk WGAC.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Pleasure to welcome Johnson Wagner back to the Augusta Golf Show.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
I feel like the beauty of it is that we're
taking the viewer down on the ground at these venues
and really digging into some of the shots of the day,
and it's no I've gotten so comfortable. I've gotten so
comfortable with it and setting up a shot that the
outcome of the golf shot is almost doesn't matter compared
to the setup and where we are and where we're

(00:31):
taking the view He.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Is also the voice of the Tennessee Titans. It's a
pleasure to welcome Taylor's Arzer back to the Augusta Golf Show.

Speaker 4 (00:37):
You know, I didn't get to see Jack Nicholas in
his prime.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
I guess that probably maybe Hogan or Nicholas would be
the closest thing to what we're seeing with Scheffler's this
ability to execute.

Speaker 5 (00:48):
Shot after shot after shot, and.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
We really haven't in this generation.

Speaker 6 (00:52):
We didn't.

Speaker 4 (00:53):
Tiger Woods's talent is above all else. I'll argue that
with anybody, I think he's the most talented guy to
ever play the game. The Tiger missed more shots than
Scottie does.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Hey, Hi, morning, Welcome to this week's AUGUSTA. Goolf Show.
I'm John Patrick. Thank you for tuning in this morning,
and welcome to my seventeenth anniversary show.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Lord.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
If you want to get in touch with me, you can.
It's easy to do. Email is the best way. Send
me an email right now, John at Augustagolfshow dot com.
All right, John at Augustagolfshow dot com. Hopefully you're following
me on xat Augustagolfshow. I mentioned the website Augustagolfshow dot
com just to let you know if you missed any

(01:40):
of the conversations this week or at any point, they're
all available on the website Augustagolfshow dot com. Slash listen
Augustagolfshow dot com slash listen. Okay. This morning, we will
look back on some of the best conversations from the

(02:00):
past year. As we have done in the past, we
kind of categorize the segments. We'll start this morning talking
about the coverage provided around last April's historic Masters, Rory
McElroy's fifth major championship and the completion of his career
Grand Slam. I'll revisit the conversation I had with Golf

(02:22):
Channel's rich Lerner before the tournament took place, and then
the conversation I had with a member of Rory's team,
doctor Bob Rotella, following Rory's win. After that, a segment
with some of the journalists and authors that were on
the show. You'll hear from Michael Bamberger. You'll hear from
Tom Coin, and a bit of the final conversation I

(02:45):
had with John Feinstein before John passed away just after
the first of this year. And then last but not least,
a sample of some of the players that were on
the show in the last twelve months. Conversations with a
first time winner on the PGUR, a long time friend
of the show, the newly minted Solheim Cup captain, and

(03:06):
a player turned television personality and he found new fame
over the last twelve months. So that is the show
for this morning, celebrating the seventeenth year of the Augusta
Golf Show. As always, I will let you know where
to find the golf on TV this weekend It's US
Open weekend and if there's time in our Why I

(03:27):
love the game segment Bones Jim McKay. Jim Bones mackay,
covering the US Open this weekend for NBC, will tell
us why he loves the game of golf. So again,
thank you for listening this morning, Thank you for being
here today and through the years. We'll get started in
just a couple of minutes. Don't go away. You're listening

(03:49):
to the Augusta Golf Show with John Patrick. Here News
Talk Information WGAC.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
The Augusta Golf Show with John Patrick. He's brought to
you in part by the Forest Hills Golf Club, the
area's premier public facility. Add by Roof Savers Save your
roof and save your money, Ammuni.

Speaker 7 (04:11):
Not always the best golf experience, questionable greens, unraked bunkers,
a variety of players, and swings. At Forest Hills Golf Club,
we can't do much about the swings, but we can
elevate every other aspect of the experience. Get your friends,
make a tea time and see what we're talking about.
Brand new Tift Eagle Bermuda greens. We've improved the turf

(04:33):
and playing conditions and several bunkers and on many of
our tees. Then the hurricane left behind an entirely different
look on many of the holes and with the shots
on the course. It's great. When you're done, come into
the grill for a sandwich. There's Coole beer on tap
and the new larger screens are always showing what you
want to watch. Get started. Book your tea time on

(04:55):
either our website, the Forest Hillsgolf Course dot com or
on our app for at golf Now. This hain't no
Muni Jones played here. The Jags still do. This is
the area's premier public facility. This is Forest Hills Golf Club.

Speaker 8 (05:11):
At Lionel Smith Limited, we can help you dress to
impress at every occasion. We have the area's best collection
of spring and summer suits and sports jackets, shoes, excess
rays and more, plus a huge hand picked selection of
those famous midy ties. Follow Lionel Smith Limited on social media.
We'll share the very latest trends in in store fashion,

(05:32):
event updates. Lionel Smith Limited to only the finest in
men's clothing.

Speaker 6 (05:39):
Hi, it's Dan Hicks.

Speaker 9 (05:40):
With NBC Sports and you're listening to the Augusta Golf
Show with John Patrick.

Speaker 10 (05:45):
Your roof is your home's first line of defense. Don't
let aging shingles, ugly black streaks, or granular loss become
an issue. Root Saver's exclusive product, renew At seventeen is
a lab tested, scientifically proven solution powered by rock clock
technology and extends your roofed life by seventeen years with
just one application, one treatment, and comes with a seventeen

(06:08):
year transferable warranty. Roof Savers can preserve your roof, stop
granule loss, make your shingles pail impact resistant and extend
its life for seventeen years with just one application, saving
you thousands of dollars versus replacement. It's a big deal.
Renew It seventeen is truly a game changer. The independent
lab testing results speak for themselves. You can check out

(06:31):
the lab results at myroofsavers dot com. Don't wait until
it's too late. Call roof Savers today and see if
your roof qualifies. Avoid the expensive full roof replacement and
save thousands. Roof Savers, save your roof, save your money.

Speaker 11 (06:46):
Making it on the corn Ferry Tour means they can
make it on the PGA Tour, but they'll out to
aim high in order to go far. This season long
poison raise is on and PGA Tour cards hang.

Speaker 12 (07:00):
The balance.

Speaker 11 (07:02):
Reaching the ouldimate stage has never been tougher. On the
corn Ferry Tour, champions will be made and futures will
be earned.

Speaker 13 (07:11):
Tune in for all the action.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
On Golf Channel.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
You can listen to The Augusta Golf Show on the
iHeartRadio app, also on the iTunes and Odyssey apps. It's
also available on Apple podcasts and on many of the
devices used to stream at home.

Speaker 2 (07:29):
Welcome back to the Augusta Golf Show. I'm John Patrick,
and welcome back to my seventeenth anniversary show. Okay, let's
get started. Well, it's the biggest thing around here each year,
and this year the Masters was as memorable as it
was historic. There was the announcement from Chairman Ridley at
the start of the week regarding the project at the

(07:49):
Patch and the addition of the short course that's going
to be designed by Tiger Woods. Before the tournament, Golf
Channel's rich Lerner joined me to preview the tournament, and
during that conversation, rich and I talked about the pressure
that was mounting on Rory as the Masters was getting closer.

Speaker 5 (08:08):
Look, there's immense pressure on Rory when he shows up,
they have to answer the questions with each pass in
the year, face the media, and then think about it.
So you know, the question is why is this year?
Why would this year be different? One? You could say
a lot of averages will begin to tilt in his

(08:29):
favor at some point too. He's playing the best golf
arguably he's played in his life. I mean, he's had
stretches where he was lights out. We know that he
won his first two majors by eight shots, but he's
a more complete player than he's ever been. He has
the ability to win with his B game. I think
he demonstrated that at the Players he's better with his

(08:51):
short irons, able to flight it, control the spin and
the trajectory better, something he's worked hard on. And then
I think psychologically he's just in a better place through
the work that he's done with Barbara Tullas and with
Ryan Holiday, the books on the stoics, just this idea

(09:11):
that you have to be willing to have your heart
broken if you are as good as Rory is, whether
you just have to accept that you're going to get
kicked in the teeth fairly often. He's not alone. They
all did. Palmer famously, even Jack No. Nineteen runner up finishes.

(09:32):
You have to be willing to take it. At that level.
You contend a lot, you lose a lot, and he's
lost plenty painfully in the last few years. So I
like what he said when he sat with us after
having won the Players. He hearkened back to Los Angeles

(09:53):
and a comment he'd made after he lost the US
Open at LCC North in twenty three Wyndham Clark. He said,
I would I would go through that paint a hundred
more times to get my hands around a trophy, to
get my arms inside a green jacket. I would willingly
do that. So that sort of acceptance I thought it

(10:15):
was a positive death. And I do think just generally
he has more at his disposal now and as a
level of confidence that I don't think he had before.
You when you begin to understand that you don't need
to be perfect to win, I think it frees you up.
And I think that's the case with Rory, you know,
I think, because you know he hits these jaw dropping

(10:40):
drives and the swing appears to be the kind that
you could hang in a museum, his short game gets overlooked.
I think he's a twelfth coming in or somewhere in
that neighborhood. Strokes gain putting, he's been a good putter,
but raises the question if he has four feet on
the seventy first hull at the masss does Pinehurst at

(11:02):
number sixteen, number eighteen, does that go through his mind?
I think we got a little caste of how he
might handle it. At the Players, he had four feet tough,
four feet to not just to sort of, you know,
make the playoff spawn behind him still at thirty feet
and almost made it to win outright. But had Rory

(11:22):
missed that, you know, he would have blown the players.
And I also like the fact that Monday at after
he won, he acknowledged that when he arrived for the
start of that Monday morning playoff the sixteen toll at
the Players, that he was as nervous as he has
been in a long time. Why because he really wanted

(11:44):
to win it. I think that's some that's a player
who's in touch with reality. It's not this I'm staying
in the process and it's just another tournament. No, these
are big acknowledge it, embrace it, walk through it. And
I think that's what you know Rory's done. I think also,
and you'll hear this from Paul. Paul's close with Rory,

(12:05):
and he's done quite a bit of work recently with
Bob Rotella, and I think Rory's at a place where
you know, he's China, he's coming after Scotty, he's borrowing
from Scotty, and he's acknowledges, and we think Rotella is
pushing him in this direction.

Speaker 3 (12:25):
Go prove it.

Speaker 5 (12:26):
Come on, man, you're as good as Scott, You're better
than Scotty.

Speaker 3 (12:30):
Go prove it.

Speaker 2 (12:31):
That was rich Lerner before the Masters. Rich mentioned doctor
Bob Roteller with regards to Rory. After the Masters, doctor
Bob came on the show and I asked him, how
did it? How did it all begin with Rory? What
did you tackle first?

Speaker 14 (12:49):
Gosh, I don't even remember. I mean, basically, he wanted
to win more tournament and win more majors, and you know,
it's pretty basic stuff, but I mean, some of it
is believe. Some of it is getting your will to

(13:10):
be like steel and say, I can't give into anything
that happens out there. I've got to be strong, I've
got to be resilient. And what you need to understand
is when you're as good as Rory on the range
and you get on the golf course, you're still going
to miss a lot of golf shots, and to have
total acceptance of it and just go get it. My

(13:31):
last book was make your next shot your best shot.
And all that means is wherever you hit it, go
get it and go play the next shot. You can't
be dwelling on the last one or getting down or
frustrated or mad or embarrassed. And you just got to
say that's where my ball is. I got to go
get it and go get in a hole. So we
talk an awful lot about being mentally tough and having

(13:52):
a you know, a will of steel. And it all
starts with the idea that you know, as a human being,
you have a free will, and so you get to
choose how you're going to respond to stuff that happens
during around the golf and you get to choose your dreams,
and you get to choose whether you're willing to do
the stuff you have to do to get your dreams.
And he's got some pretty big ones. And then I

(14:13):
tell him that you had to take personal responsibility for
how you respond and how you think about yourself and
you got to hold yourself accountable. I mean, that's probably
where we started. And then it's about, you know, you've
got to stay in the present moment and you got
to kind of get lost in your own little world
on the golf course where it's you and your ball
and your target and you're just playing golf, and you know,

(14:36):
you have things like Thursday, he felt like he played
almost a flawless round and they hit a nice chip
shot on fifteen and the greens had really gotten firm
and fast and it dried out, rolled in the water
and made it double and they made another one. I'm seventeen,
and he felt pretty good about the shots yet, you know,
and so then we really started talking about, all right,

(14:57):
how are you going to bounce back from this?

Speaker 5 (14:59):
Are you?

Speaker 14 (15:00):
You tell me you want to win championships? Well, there's
a lot of time. And that's a word that comes
up a lot, that Rory. There's lots of time. You know,
it's Thursday, You're still in this thing, and there's lots
of time, and you're talented and you're probably going to
go on a run if you'll just be patient with yourself,

(15:20):
and a lot of it for him on the Masters
tournament was are you willing to be patient on the
front side? You know, I would say, he's telled me
he's had times in the past where he would try
to force shots that he didn't need to force and
end up making a mistake, he getting in trouble. And
that's why probably Thursday was even more challenged. It was

(15:41):
because he played the front side just the way he
wanted to play it, and he usually plays the backside
really well, and he messed up on the backside. So
that's this beautiful game. And that golf course is just
such an incredible golf course. It's just not as good
as it gets, but it's challenging. And I'd say the
other thing on this course, you have to be prepared
for like an inch one way or another. One ball

(16:04):
can end up in the hole or an inch from
the cup and an inch shorter and it can be
fifty feet and off the green and you didn't do
anything different, and you got to be able to deal
with it. And I just was so proud of how
well he dealt with, you know, making some shots that
it'd be really easy to think, how can I hit
a shot like that and get down about it and

(16:26):
beat yourself up. And instead he just kept plugging along
and kept playing, and every time he made a mistake,
he came back and did something fantastic. You know. He
made the comment that the pitch shot on number three
he thought was probably the most important shot because that's
a really tough up and down, So he loved that.

(16:48):
I think he loved the shot on four. I mean
that was an incredible five iron, and obviously the shot
on fifteen, but you know, the playoff hole to go
to eighteen twice in a row and just blitz the drive.
You know, everyone was saying he was nervous on the
first tee, which he probably was a bit, but the

(17:09):
day before he hit the same drive on the exact
same line and it carried the bunker by several feet
and then kicked up there and went forever. And on
Sunday he hit it on the exact same line and
it came up like six inches short from being an
absolutely fantastic drive. So the truth of the matter, his

(17:29):
mind was really clear and committed on the first tee
and hit a great drive and he got a really
bad result and again, you know, ended up with a double.
But he bounced back and that's that's what you got
to be able to do in this game. And you know,
we talked a lot. It's a game of mistakes. It's
it's not a game of perfect. I don't care how
good you get, you're not going to master it. And

(17:51):
can you live with it? You know, And then it
was all the pressure of you know, when you try
to explain to people how badly Rory McElroy wanted to
win and the Masters, and yeah, what went with it
on top of it was finishing the Grand Slam and
putting you in a very elite company. So I mean,
that was all there, But I can't see as we

(18:11):
spent much time talking about that. We spend all the
time talking about what he needs to do, and you know,
then it's like staying in the present when when that
all is on the line coming down, you know, in
a tournament like this, you know, it's a heck of
a challenge. And I thought he did a really good job,
and we pretty much meant in the in the building

(18:32):
at the end of the range every morning before he
went to the practice area and went over stuff and
then he made some notes on the key things. Mentling
emotionally he wanted to do in his yardage book, and
he you know, every other hole he'd have something to
eat or drink, and every other hole he'd look at
his yards book and kind of go over his notes,

(18:52):
and he was just, you know, very happy with himself.
I think he's getting very mentally strong and is really
loving it. And you know, he's such an honest kid.
I mean, you can see what we honesty is in
his interviews and open about everything and in the same
way when I'm working with him, which makes it very

(19:13):
easy to help somebody.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Here you go, doctor Bob Rotella on working with Rory McElroy.
While I have you take a look at a couple
of the golf headlines from this week. The headlines are
brought to you by Lionel Smith Limited. Lionel Smith Limited
to only the finest in men's clothing well. During the
annual USGA Press Conference earlier this week, USGA CEO Mike

(19:37):
One made it clear that despite the PGA Tour and
the equipment manufacturers not being on board, the organization is
moving forward with the plan to roll back the golf
ball in twenty twenty eight. Starting then, golf ball manufacturers
will have to design balls conforming to the new parameters.

(19:58):
All of the golf balls out there today will be
non conforming, so they'll have to create new ones. Now
you and me, recreational golfers won't have to obey these
new rules and specifications until twenty thirty. Well. There are
reports that the new for profit arm of the PGA
Tour has decided on its first CEO. Reports are Brian

(20:21):
Rolapp will be announced following the US Open. Roll App
is a longtime NFL executive and was thought by some
to be Roger Goodell's potential successor. The tour is not commenting,
but there is a policy board meeting scheduled for Monday. Hey,
don't forget when you're logged into your Facebook page, come
on over. Become a fan of our Facebook page. The

(20:44):
Augusta Golf Show with John Patrick and we talk about
golf during the week. You can join in on the
conversation if you're following me on x At Augusta Golf Show,
our seventeenth anniversary show will continue. We'll look back at
some of the conversations I had with some of the
best writers and journalists in the game. We're coming right back.

(21:06):
Thank you for listening this morning. You're listening to the
Augusta Golf Show with John Patrick here on News, Talk
and Information WGAC.

Speaker 15 (21:15):
I really didn't start playing golf till I was in college.

Speaker 16 (21:19):
Chris Gunningham, President, Wife Savery Restaurants.

Speaker 15 (21:22):
I try to play once a week, don't play much
out of town, but play locally some and made a
lot of friends on the golf course and through the
people I've met on the golf course, it's been good
for our business. I mean, I try to be an
ambassador for our business, and people like to do business
with people they know, and so as I meet people

(21:44):
in fundraisers, golf tournaments, Lauderdale's, those kind of things, I
meet a lot of people that I end up doing
business with. Because you spend four hours with somebody on
the golf course, you really get to know them.

Speaker 16 (21:56):
Click on Wifesivery Restaurants dot com for locations and for number.

Speaker 15 (22:00):
I've been told that Wife Saver Chicken will cure the yips,
the shanks, the slices, the hooks, the tops, everything, So
just come by Wife's Savery and give it a shot
and we might cure all that for you.

Speaker 11 (22:12):
Don't forgive in out of Pridon.

Speaker 17 (22:14):
Celebrate Father's Day this year at Edwin Wats Golf Shops
by Worldwide Golf. Unleashed Dad's swing with ping G four
forty woods and irons crafted for precision and power. The
Chief four to forty driver and irons deliver faster ball
speech with incredible control plus and hands forgiveness. Neat ideas.
This Father's Day. We have gift guards and are on
my gift guide at Worldwide goolf dot Com, Trusted by

(22:35):
golfers since nineteen sixty eight and home to the legendary
ninety day one hundred percent satisfaction guaranteed Edwin Wats Golf.

Speaker 2 (22:42):
Shops by Worldwide Golf.

Speaker 14 (22:43):
Get there, Hi, everybody, This is Terry Gannon from NBC
Golf Channel, and you are lucky enough to be listening
to the Augusta Golf Show with John Patrick.

Speaker 18 (22:52):
For more than one hundred and twenty five years, Pinehurst
Resort has been the home of American golf, and yet
there's never been a better time to be there. In
twenty twenty four, the US Open returned to Donald Ross's
masterpiece Pinehurst number two. But Pinehurst is so much more
than one major Championship golf course. Pinehurst is home to

(23:12):
ten courses, including its newest Tom Doaks, rugged and breathtaking
design of Pinehurst Number ten. After testing your game there,
grab a couple of wedges and enjoy a loop on
the cradle, the seven hundred and eighty nine yard short
course that's been hailed as the most fun ten acres
in golf. Away from the course, indulge in an array

(23:33):
of craft beers brewd on site at Pinehurst Brewing Company,
or relax with your buddies in the stylish North and
South Bar or Carolina Vista Lounge. Pinehurst continues to evolve,
making it much more than a bucket list destination, but
a place to return to again and again. Go to
Pinehurst dot com now to plan your visit.

Speaker 19 (23:53):
At the First Sea, they are teaching us how to
set goals. It doesn't matter how big or small they are.

Speaker 15 (23:58):
I want to break eighty some day.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
Michael is to go to college Sunday.

Speaker 11 (24:02):
I'm going to be the fourth funeral president of the
United States, maybe fifth.

Speaker 19 (24:08):
Some of the best golf lessons have very little to
do with golf. The life skills young people learn at
the First t stay with them long after they leave.
Visit the first t dot org to learn more.

Speaker 1 (24:26):
All of the conversations from the Augusta Goolf Show are
available on our website Augusta Goolfshow dot com slash listen.
That's Augustagolfshow dot com slash listen. Welcome back to the
Augusta Goolf Show. I'm John Patrick, and welcome back to
our seventeenth anniversary show. Now the writers, let me start

(24:49):
with one of the most influential voices in the game
and one of the most thoughtful. Michael Bamberger has a
brand new book out. It's called The Playing Lesson a
Dupper's Year among the Pros. It's available right now wherever
you get your books. I mentioned how thoughtful and insightful
Michael is, you know. At one point during one of

(25:10):
his appearances on the program, I asked him this question,
why why is it that we are drawn to excellence?

Speaker 9 (25:19):
Well, I think it excites us to think about what
the outer limits of what a person can do. I'm
right now, I'm looking at a little play Einstein Dohl
I have here.

Speaker 20 (25:31):
Now.

Speaker 9 (25:31):
I come from a scientific film, but the science gene
did not fall to me at all. But you could
say to millions of Americans, you know, who are some
of the great figures of the of the twentieth century,
And many many people will say Albert Einstein, without understanding
anything about what really was the science behind him. I
know that he's thought about problems, scientific problems in totally

(25:56):
in totally new ways and change the course of history
along the way. So I think we're whether it's in
the whether it's in the arts or or or leadership
figures like I'm near Martin, Luther King or jfk uh ever,
whomever you want, to fill that sense with people who
can do establish things in new ways in any field,

(26:20):
excite us about the possibility of what we can do
with our own lives. So I think the short answer
is we're all looking for inspiration wherever we can find it,
and you know, I don't know where we would be
without that sense of optimism. And also it's a little

(26:41):
bit I think there's an escape element to it too.
I mean, especially when it comes to sports and maybe
the arts as well, is that you can lose yourself
in another person's pursuit.

Speaker 5 (26:55):
And I think John just just to finish.

Speaker 9 (26:57):
That one thought, and this happens in you know, the
NCAA basketball tournament every year as well. The idea of
the underdog. Of course, many many people, myself included in
any situation, will are just wired to root for the underdog.
And that's even more wish fulfillment, like because you can typically,

(27:19):
you know, I grew up as a Mets fan, you know,
belovable losers, untily one of that six non World series.
But we can identify even more so with athletes and
teams that appear to be ordinary and can do extraordinary things.

Speaker 2 (27:37):
That's Michael Bamberger. Okay. Another thoughtful and insightful writer is
Tom Coin. Tom is the author of several books on
the game, and he's currently the editor of The Golfers Journal,
which is a wonderful quarterly on the state of the
game we love. He is also the owner of a
nine hole course in Sullivan County, New York, as well

(27:59):
as a Burgetna golf course architect. I asked Tom if
he thought the state of the game that we love
was in good shape, the game.

Speaker 4 (28:08):
That we play, Yeah, I mean it's probably the healthiest
in my lifetime, you know, I mean, obviously there's you know,
there was the Tiger boom and that was in my
lifetime certainly, and you know, that was an exciting time
for golf. You saw then like you see now, like

(28:29):
a lot of golf courses being built, kind of in
a different way. Back then, it was a lot of
businesses were trying to It was a lot of corporate
golf or club golf or you know, there was there
was a boom, but it obviously then two thousand and
eight comes along, so it just it felt a little different.

(28:50):
I feel like right now that grew out of of COVID.
People reconnected with something in golf during the time that
I think is still carrying on and may it continue to,
which is appreciating the game one as a walking sport,

(29:10):
as just an experience and an opportunity to get away
from your phone, a chance to disconnect and reconnect with
something different. So I think that golf is kind of
like and I think this is some of the ethos
of the golfer's journal, is a chance to just enjoy,
Like our lives are louder than ever, and that's why

(29:32):
golf feels more essential than ever, you know, and then
it's a chance to enjoy the quiet a little bit.
And so I think people are appreciating golf for that
in a way that I probably haven't experienced in my life.
That it can be that it's a break, it's a
chance to get away, it's a chance to enjoy the quiet,
it's a chance to enjoy something kind of pure, you know.
Like there's so much, so many different people consuming golf

(29:54):
in different ways. You have country club golf, you have
private golf, public golf, et cetera. And then you have
a lot of like golf like kind of soul seekers
out there who are looking for something kind of like
pure and unspoiled and are willing to travel to find it.
So that's all those kinds of golf are great, and

(30:17):
they're all pretty vibrant right now.

Speaker 2 (30:19):
With everything you have going on, is writing becoming easier
for you or tougher?

Speaker 4 (30:27):
I would say the writing is It's never easy, but
when I can find the time to do it because
I have to be very you know, much more disciplined
about I mean, I was thinking about this the other day,
like after writing, you know, my first book, and then
having nothing to do, you know, except for trying to

(30:48):
write a second one, and you know, no one knows
who the heck I am and you know, the book
is doing fine, but it's just sort of like, okay,
the only thing to think about was what's the next book?
And now I have a lot of other things to
think about. So I have to be pretty disciplined with
my time. So so when I do sit down to write,

(31:09):
it's it's more productive than it used to be. I
could waste whole days, you know, doing the laundry just
to avoid writing. You know, when you're when you're faced
with those long spaces of empty time and you have
to fill them with your work, it's it's a daunting thing.
So now it's sort of like, okay, Like last week,
for example, I am plugged and went up to our

(31:31):
house and the cat skills and I wrote for a
week and didn't see another human being and didn't leave
the house. And it was a little like the shining.
It was borderline unhealthy. But wrote a hundred thousand words
and then of some for the Golfer journals, not most,
most for the new book. And uh so it comes

(31:53):
more in fits and spurts, you know. And but I
have to write every day that I have to touch
like everything. If I'm working on something, I have to
check in with it every day, so that hasn't changed.
The writing hasn't changed that much. I wish it got easier.
But you know, every time you sit down, there's that
initial anxiety of like, I have no idea what I'm doing,

(32:13):
that voice in your head that tells you you shouldn't
do this, You're not good enough, you don't you don't
know what you're doing, and that goes away after a
little bit, but it's that thing that makes you not
want to write. And I guess I have gotten better
at not listening to that so much.

Speaker 2 (32:30):
Here you go, Tom Coin, And finally this morning, a
little piece of a conversation I had with John Feinstein
last year. God, I really like John. We became closer
through the years, and I was always always in awe
of his skill set. And you know what, it didn't
hurt that we shared a love of duke basketball. We

(32:52):
lost John at the beginning of twenty twenty five. This
was John's answer to a question I asked him about
the importance of having a dominant player in any particular sport.

Speaker 20 (33:05):
Absolutely, and you said it right, particularly golf, golf in
itch sport. You and I both know that women's basketball
has been a niche sport at best until now, until
recently golf. Nobody knew anything about golf until Arnold Palmer
came along. And then, you know, people fell in love
with Arnold Palmer, not because he was the greatest player

(33:27):
of all time. He wasn't, but because he had all
that charisma and the good looks and the great personality
and was a hell of a player. And then came
Jack Nicholas, who I don't remember this, I'm not that old,
but who was vastly unpopular when he first came along
to challenge Palmer starting with that sixty two US Open playoff,

(33:49):
and clearly became a better player, a truly great player.
And those two guys, to me, launched golf as a
corporate sport and as a team sport. And then there
was a little bit of a lull. Tom Watson filled
in for a while pretty well eight majors, and then
along came Tiger.

Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah, we're talking with John Finne.

Speaker 20 (34:11):
So the answer to your question, long winded answer is yes.

Speaker 2 (34:14):
Well we're talking with John Feinstein here on the Augusta
Golf Show. Do you think at some point the PGA
Tour and the saudi'st come to an agreement.

Speaker 20 (34:23):
John. They have to. They have to come to some
sort of an agreement. They can't go on like this.
Nobody watches the live events, especially because they're fifty four holes.
I'm not sure what genius decided to name the tournament
the Tour Live LIV Fifty four golf is a seventy

(34:45):
two hole sport. You know, the women weren't taken seriously
for many, many years because they played fifty four holes
so often. And I think to a lesser degree that
well maybe not a lesser degree, but certainly the scene
have that same issue that in the carts. Although I
understand the carts. I mean, do you say to for example,

(35:08):
when Tiger Woods turns fifty, do you say you can't
use a cart and then he doesn't play? Or oh, yeah,
you can use a cart and play. Of course you
tell me you can use a cart and play. But
I think that you've got to figure out. I don't
know what the heck's going on. I mean, they announced
a merger almost a year ago now, and nothing has

(35:30):
happened to advance that unless Jay Monahan is making another
secret deal of some kind since then, and the Live
Tour marches on and nobody's watching, and the PGA Tour
marches on and fewer and fewer people are watching. It's
not good for anybody. And now I'm told the tour
is demanding a search charge starting next year for each tournament,

(35:55):
up to two million dollars and two percent of the purse,
depending on how big the tournament is. The sponsors can't
be happy with that, and they can't just say no,
we're not going to pay it, because then the tour
will go find another sponsor.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
I will always miss being able to pick up the
phone and get John's take on just about anything, John Feinstein,
while I have you take a look at the golf
on TV. This weekend Golf on Television brought to you
by the Forest Hills Golf Club, the area's premier public facility.
Different ways to watch the US Open This weekend. Coverage

(36:36):
begins on USA Network at ten this morning. NBC and
Peacock will then pick up the coverage at noon. Coverage
Tomorrow will start at nine on USA Network, NBC and
Peacock again picking it up at noon. Golf Channel will
also have coverage of the LPGA Tour The Meyer LPGA Classic.

(36:57):
Coverage today begins at three. Coverage tomorrow begins at one
on Golf Channel and switches to CBS at two when
we come back. Seventeenth Anniversary Show continues with conversations from
some of the players that joined us in the last
twelve months. Don't go away. You're listening to The Augusta
Golf Show with John Patrick here on News Talk and

(37:18):
Information WGAC.

Speaker 1 (37:21):
The Augusta Golf Show with John Patrick is brought to
you at part by Lionel Smith Limited. Lionel Smith Limited
to only the finest in men's clothing by Wife Saver,
voted best Chicken and best iced Tea for more than
thirty years in a row by the readers of Augusta
Magazine and by Edwin Watts Golf Shops by Worldwide Golf.

Speaker 7 (37:43):
Get there a Muni not always the best golf experience,
questionable greens, unraked bunkers, a variety of players, and swings
at Forest Hills Golf Club. We can't do much about
the swings, but we can elevate every other aspect of
the experience. Get your friends, make a tea time and
see what we're talking about. Brand new Tift Eagle, Bermuda Greens,

(38:06):
We've improved the turf and playing conditions and several bunkers
and on many of our tees. Then the hurricane left
behind an entirely different look on many of the holes
and with the shots on the course. It's great when
you're done coming to the grill for a sandwich. This
whole beer on tap and the new larger screens are
always showing what you want to watch. Get started. Book

(38:28):
your tea time on either our website, the Forest Hillsgolf
Course dot com or on our app for at golfnow
dot com.

Speaker 1 (38:35):
This ain't no Muni.

Speaker 7 (38:36):
Jones played here. The Jags still do. This is the
area's premier public facility. This is Forest Hills Golf Club.

Speaker 8 (38:45):
Pat Lionel Smith Limited. We can help you dress to
impress at every occasion. We have the area's best collection
of spring and summer suits and sports jackets, shoes, excess
rais and more, plus a huge hand pick selection of
those famous mythes. Follow Lionel Smith Limited on social media.
We'll share the very latest trends in in store fashion,

(39:06):
event updates. Lionel Smith Limited to only the finest in
men's clothing.

Speaker 19 (39:13):
Hi.

Speaker 6 (39:14):
This is Mike terrikon and you're listening to the Augusta
Golf Show with John Patrick.

Speaker 10 (39:18):
Your roof is your home's first line of defense. Don't
let aging shingles, ugly black streaks, or granular loss become
an issue. Roof Saver's exclusive product, renew At seventeen is
a lab tested, scientifically proven solution powered by rock clock
technology and extends your roots life by seventeen years with
just one application, one treatment, and comes with a seventeen

(39:41):
year transferable warranty.

Speaker 13 (39:43):
Roof Savers can preserve your roof, stop granule loss, make
your shingles hail impact resistant, and extend its life for
seventeen years with just one application, saving you thousands of
dollars versus replacement.

Speaker 10 (39:56):
It's a big deal. Renew It seventeen is truly a
game changer. The independent lab testing results speak for themselves.
You can check out the lab results at my roofsavers
dot com. Don't wait until it's too late. Call roof
Savers today and see if your roof qualifies. Avoid the
expensive bow roof replacement and save thousands. Roof Savers, save

(40:16):
your roof, save your money.

Speaker 21 (40:19):
Then Douglas It helps the first amateur to win a
Tour in more than three decades.

Speaker 6 (40:27):
Scottie Shuffler has one his seventh winn of the year,
and with that he captures the PGA Tour's ultimate fries,
the Fedech Cup.

Speaker 12 (40:37):
A season of moments like this only happens on the
PGA Tour. Follow the action of the FedEx Cup season
at pgatour dot com.

Speaker 1 (40:48):
If you'd like to comment about anything you've heard on
today's show, just send John an email. Send it to
John at Augustagolfshow dot com. That is John at Augustagolfshow
dot com.

Speaker 2 (41:02):
Welcome back to the Augusta Golf Show. I'm John Patrick,
and welcome back to our seventeenth anniversary show. For this segment,
we'll hear from a couple of the golfers we've had
on I love first time winners, I really do talking
to folks whose lives have changed because of the game.
Matt McCarty was one of those players. Matt one out

(41:24):
in Utah last fall. It was only his third PGA
Tour event. He got on tour by winning three times
on the Corn Faery Tour. The conversation started with just
you know what, a couple of lefties talking to each other.

Speaker 22 (41:41):
I mean, my dad taught me. He was a great player,
you know, good players still in his own right. He
played you know, Division three golf at Redlands, and you know,
I was, you know, once I was able to walk,
I probably had a club in my hand and was
swinging in And I have no idea how he came
left handed. The best guess we got is he's a righty,

(42:05):
So I probably I think I kind of grew up
on the range and just stood across from him and
kind of mirrored his swing. And but I think it's
natural at a certain aspect too, Like I swing in
baseball that left handed. It's just kind of how it goes.
But it's a cool story to kind of say like that.
I think I just grew up across from him and
mirroring his swing, and that's.

Speaker 6 (42:25):
Why it is.

Speaker 2 (42:27):
Are you right handed?

Speaker 21 (42:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 22 (42:30):
I do everything else right hand.

Speaker 2 (42:31):
H me too, Me too.

Speaker 20 (42:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 22 (42:33):
If I read like an article that it had more
to do with eye dominance, like if you're right eye dominant,
you're more you know, to be left handed, like you're
more it's more common for you to have like your
front eye be the forward eye and a golf swing
and with everything, so I think that might be some

(42:54):
of it. But yeah, it's pretty unreal. And it's good
that I'm not righty because I don't think I would
break a hundred ever.

Speaker 2 (43:01):
Well yeah, of course, but don't you. But I kind
of think being right handed but playing left handed it
has a bit of an advantage.

Speaker 22 (43:11):
Yeah, I mean the strong hand is like the lead hand,
you know, like you kind of hold it, I guess,
And I feel like with cutting a lot and everything,
like I feel my right hand more with chipping and
kind of the shorter shots.

Speaker 6 (43:26):
For sure.

Speaker 22 (43:28):
Yeah, I think it's helpful, but uh yeah, I mean
it's it's gotten me this far, so I'll.

Speaker 6 (43:33):
Stick with it.

Speaker 2 (43:33):
Okay, were you nervous last Sunday? You didn't look nervous.

Speaker 14 (43:39):
Yeah, I mean I actually felt really good. I was
talking to.

Speaker 22 (43:44):
You know, my girlfriend and my caddie kind of afterwards.
They asked the same questions, but like, I felt really
good on the front nine. But it kind of builds
a lot on the back, Like every hole just kind
of kept getting like a little more and more or like.
So it was a little crazy in that aspect because
I feel like a lot of the corn Ferry wins

(44:07):
were like you know, you kind of nervous out of
the gate and then you kind of call him down
into the round. But was never really able to do that.
And obviously once I hit that shot on eighteen, you know,
to like twenty feet and was a little ex five
putted or whatever it was, at that point, I was
able to enjoy it a little bit more. But yeah,

(44:28):
I mean pretty, you know, pretty clenched the entire.

Speaker 6 (44:33):
Round, to be honest with you.

Speaker 2 (44:35):
There you go. That was Matt McCarty got into his
first Masters a couple of months ago. You know, Johnson
Wagner would probably admit that he was a journeyman when
he played the tour. A couple of years ago. Johnson
went to work for Golf Channel and shortly after that
began appearing frequently on the live from shows. He has

(44:58):
over the last fifteen months become a huge part of
their broadcasts because of his analysis, but also for attempting
to recreate shots from the various major championships. I asked him,
did that all begin back in March of twenty twenty
four at the Players?

Speaker 3 (45:19):
It absolutely did. The producers at Golf Channel back in
the beginning of twenty twenty four, said They had this
great idea for me to go out on the course
at major championships, in the Players Championship and recreate the
best shots of the day. And that was the first one.
That was Thursday. Now I was able to go out
on the course and do stuff Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday night,
but it was the first recreation. And I remember walking

(45:44):
in and Jeff Fabians, the Live from Late producer who's
on site, and we were like, what are you thinking.
He's like, you know, Rory's taking two bad drops today.
He's like, I want not bad drops, but questionable drops
on eighteen and then he made the turn and on
seven it was like the speech was, you know, questioning it,
make sure they were in the right spot. And he's like,
go out there and tell me what you can do.

(46:05):
And so I went out there, looked at it, and
I was like, hey, I think Rory took a fine drop.
You could see the ball bounce. I was like, let's
let's get some balls. I'll chuck him into the ground
and I'll hit him on the bank in different locations
and we'll be able to replicate how his ball bounced up.
And the first two went perfect, and then the third
one I threw was trying to hit inside the pendaliera

(46:25):
and kick into the water. And I was driving home
that night and I called my main boss, Matt Haggerty,
and I'm like, I'm messed up. The ball bounced in
a different direction and I feel like I just proved
Rory took a bad drop. And he was laughing at me.
He's like, have you looked at social media yet? And
I said, no, I haven't. He said, when you get
back to the hotel, take a look and then call
me back. And like the amount of people that were

(46:47):
just loving the content and the fact it was just
it was incredible and it's kind of taken off from there.
And I'm just so lucky and fortunate to be able
to get to do those kind of things on the
course at these venues.

Speaker 2 (46:58):
Well, okay, let me ask you this. Yes, And I
think I'm looking for a serious answer. I know there
have been times, there have been shots that have not
gone as planned. Has any of this really been difficult
for you? Or was it fine right from the start.

Speaker 3 (47:17):
The only thing that's difficult is, you know, trying to
hit a shot when you haven't hit a golf ball
all day long and you're just out there kind of
cracking your back, waiting to go on air for thirty
forty five minutes an hour even, and to try to
pull off like a hero shot. It's a very difficult
thing to pull off. And I'm just to the point
now where I'm going out there trying to execute the

(47:38):
shot as best as I can, and if I mess up,
people seem to seem to like it. If I hit
good shots, they like that. It's just I feel like
the beauty of it is that we're taking the viewer
down on the ground at these venues and really digging
into some of the shots of the day. And no,
I've gotten so comfortable, I've gotten so comfortable with it

(48:00):
and setting up the shot that the outcome of the
golf shot is almost doesn't matter compared to the setup
and where we are and where we're taking the viewer.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
That's Johnson Wagner. Finally, our friend Angela Stanford. She's been
coming on this show for almost all of the seventeen years.
She was recently named captain of the twenty twenty six
Solheim Cup team. I could not be happier for my friend.
You know, I was curious when she was on the show.

(48:32):
How long How long before the announcement did she note?
Did she have to sit on the news?

Speaker 23 (48:37):
Actually I did. I found out I got the phone
call Friday, January seventeenth, and we announced it March twentieth.
So yeah, I had to sit on it for a
couple of months, and yeah, it was tough at times,
but I think it actually also helped because it gave

(48:58):
me some time to tell my family and friends and
you know, just get get prepared for the big announcement.

Speaker 2 (49:04):
Was it something that you, you know, always wanted to do.

Speaker 23 (49:10):
You know, that's an interesting question. I think most people
would be yes. And obviously, yes, this is something you
always want to do. But I think the other thing
you have to learn along the way is are you
willing to you know, put in the time. It's a
huge responsibility. Do you want to say yes to that?
I mean, everybody wants to say yes to being a captain,

(49:33):
But do you want to say yes to all the
details and all the things that you need to do
to get to get your team prepared? And you know, so,
I think it's a big responsibility. And I really didn't
know until I left Spain in twenty twenty three that
I was ready and I wanted to do it.

Speaker 2 (49:53):
A little bit about that, and you've been an assistant captain.
How important is doing something like that when it comes
to assuming this role.

Speaker 23 (50:03):
Being an assistant captain is extremely important if you want
to be a captain. You know, there were so many
things that and I would say, you know, for me,
I'm so glad I had three times. You know, I'm
so glad I was an assistant three times. Some people
just need one go around, you know, But I there
were so many things that I learned in twenty one

(50:26):
that you know, there was still more. There were still
the way I looked at being an assistant in twenty
three and then twenty four because I already knew kind
of what was coming now. I say, when you're a player,
you're worried about yourself. When you're an assistant or a captain,
you're worried about twelve plus everybody else. So there's so
much to take in. There's so much organizing in that.

(50:48):
So I'm glad I did it three times. I'm you know,
so I needed to learn all that and really fortunate
that that I could do that, be an assistant three
times well.

Speaker 2 (50:59):
And doing it three times a little different. You you
you got to see how two different captains worked, right,
I did.

Speaker 23 (51:08):
And you know, with Pat, she was coming off of COVID.
There were so many things that Pat didn't get to control,
and I it was, it was tough. And and again
that was seeing you know, a Solheim that we hopefully
never see something like that again. So, you know, and
then Spain felt a little more normal, and then twenty

(51:28):
four in Virginia felt like, Okay, this is this is
what normal looks like for a Soulheim Cup. So to
get to watch Pat, you know, take on, you know,
making decisions and then having to just kind of deal
with things the way they are, and then you know,
Spacey and her personality. So I feel like I got
to see the whole spectrum of captains with Pat and Spacey.

Speaker 2 (51:52):
All right, there you go, Angela Stanford, Uh, don't go away,
we are coming right back. You're listening to the Guy
to Golf Show with John Patrick here on News Talk
and Information w.

Speaker 10 (52:04):
G a C.

Speaker 15 (52:06):
I really didn't start playing golf till I was in college.

Speaker 16 (52:10):
Chris Cunningham, President Waife's every restaurant.

Speaker 15 (52:13):
I tell people all the time when I'm playing golf
with people, and we decide we want to play what
we call an emergency nine, which is an extra nine holes.
They can the husband can always come by the store
and pick up dinner on his way home, and it
will keep him out of the doghouse when he's been
away from the house five hours when he wasn't supposed
to only be gone but three and a half for four.
So that's a good thing for him to do to

(52:34):
stay out of the doghouses. Call his wife and say,
I'm bringing home Wife Saver. You don't have to worry
about cooking the night.

Speaker 16 (52:40):
Put a little South in your mouth at Wife Saver.

Speaker 15 (52:43):
I've been told that wife Sab chicken will cure the yips,
the shanks, the slices, the hooks, the tops, everything. So
just come by Wife Saver and give it a shot
and we might cure all that for you.

Speaker 2 (52:54):
Don't forgetting that a pending Why say the true selling.

Speaker 14 (53:01):
Wife, say South in your mouth.

Speaker 17 (53:06):
Celebrate Father's Day this year at Edwin Wats Golf Shops
by Worldwide Golf. Help Dad dominate the tea with the
titleist GT medals and experience faster speeds with longer, straighter drives.
A new class of drivers has emerged neat ideas. This
Father's Day, we have gift guards and our online gift
guide at Worldwide goolf dot com, trusted by golfers since

(53:26):
nineteen sixty eight and home to the legendary ninety day
one hundred percent satisfaction guaranteed edwin Watts Golf Shops by
Worldwide Golf.

Speaker 8 (53:34):
Get there, Hi.

Speaker 5 (53:36):
This is rich Lerner from Golf Channel. You are listening
to the Augusta Golf Show with John Patrick.

Speaker 18 (53:42):
For more than one hundred and twenty five years, Pinehurst
Resort has been the home of American golf, and yet
there's never been a better time to be there. In
twenty twenty four, the US Open returned to Donald Ross's
masterpiece Pinehurst number two. But Pinehurst is so much more
than one major championship golf course. Pinehurst is home to

(54:02):
ten courses, including its newest tom Doaks, rugged and breathtaking
design of Pinehurst Number ten. After testing your game there,
grab a couple of wedges and enjoy a loop on
the cradle, the seven hundred and eighty nine yard short
course that's been hailed as the most fun ten acres
in golf away from the course, indulge in an array

(54:23):
of craft beers brewed on site at Pinehurst Brewing Company,
or relax with your buddies in the stylish North and
South Bar or Carolina Vista Lounge. Pinehurst continues to evolve,
making it much more than a bucketless destination, but a
place to return to again and again. Go to Pinehurst
dot com now to plan your visit.

Speaker 2 (54:43):
Hi, Steve, this a gimmey? What I said, is this
a gimmy?

Speaker 21 (54:49):
You're one eighty from the Green Jim maybe one ninety.

Speaker 2 (54:53):
I am, But you know, is it a gimmey?

Speaker 13 (54:57):
No?

Speaker 21 (54:59):
With half an a million tea times and deals you
won't find anywhere else, everything feels like.

Speaker 2 (55:04):
It should be a gimme.

Speaker 21 (55:05):
Thanks to teoff dot com by PGA Tour, reserve your
next tea time online at teoff dot com.

Speaker 1 (55:14):
If you enjoy the show, follow John online on x
at Augusta Golf Show and become a fan of the
show on our Augusta Golf Show Facebook page.

Speaker 2 (55:26):
Welcome back to the Augusta Golf Show. I'm John Patrick.
It's time for ore. Why I love the game segment
portion of the show where somebody tells us why the
game of golf is so important and so meaningful in
their life. This Morning Phones, Jim McKay from NBC Sports
tells us why he loves the game of golf.

Speaker 3 (55:47):
Wow.

Speaker 6 (55:48):
I love golf for a few reasons. I love golf
because it's outside, and because it's it takes place in
some of the most beautiful locations I've ever been to.
And even if it doesn't, you know, I grew up
on a municipal golf course in central Florida. I didn't
have a dollar and I never would have been able
to play the game had I not been able as

(56:10):
a city resident to play for free after three o'clock.
I love that about golf. I love golf because of
the Ryder Cup. I love that these athletes who try
to beat each other's brains out for fifty one weeks
of the year get together on that fifty second week
and absolutely love and support each other. And I've been
in that team room to see it. And the fact

(56:31):
that those guys play in that event the blood, to sweat,
the tears, they don't make a dollar for doing it
shows me a lot about what golf is all about.
And I also love golf because of the people that
you meet. And it doesn't just have to be Justin
Thomas or Tiger Woods or some of the amazing players
that play it for a living, but it's some of

(56:52):
the people that you run into when you play yourself.
So I just think that it's an incredible sport be
a part of, and I enjoy loving it like I'm
sure everybody else out there does as well.

Speaker 2 (57:07):
Here you go Jim Bones Mackay and why he loves
the game of golf. Well that's it for this morning.
We are running late. We have got to go. Thank
you for listening this morning. Enjoy the US Open, have
a wonderful Father's Day. Please stay well, please stay safe,
and I will see you next time. So long, bye bye.

Speaker 1 (57:30):
The Augusta Golf Show with John Patrick is a production
of the Murto Group, which is solely responsible for its content.
Copyright twenty twenty five. The theme for The Augusta Golf
Show was written and performed by Jim Brickman. I'm Jeff
Lawrence and we'll see you next time.