[upbeat piano music] Welcome to Base Takeoff. I'm Sean Melia. It is Masters week. I've got Paul Burke on the other line. Paul, how you doing, man? [chuckles] I'm in such a good mood. I'm so excited.
[chuckles] For those of you listening, he just- I am-... slept on a-... fantastic. I've got a 2026 vintage Masters cup just arrived. I also have a Masters shaker- Shaker. [chuckles]...
that I have and a nice Azalea in here. I'm gonna pour myself a little, little cocktail before this. Listen to that go in. There we go. That should last me about 10 minutes of this pod.
And, uh, they even gave us a little bit of a, a stirrer this time. See this thing? For those who are watching, you know, audio medium, it's a Masters stirrer. Um, yeah. Oh, sh- shouldn't forget this. Masters coaster.
Coaster. Yep, this, this, uh, little Azalea package arrived the other day. And, uh, it's just the best, uh, the best way to kick it off. I kinda look preposterous. I'm, I'm wearing my hat, my straw hat over my headset.
So, um, what is it? That's probably function over form or function not over form. Um, yeah, uh, it has felt like...
I don't know about you, but it-- [chuckles] for some reason, like Butch Harmon's comments earlier this week about the Ryder Cup, and I was just like, "Are we really gonna be talking about the Ryder Cup?"
Like, I thought we were past that, and like the Masters was sort of the way that we were
all done with the Ryder Cup, which, man, can you imagine if the US had won, the amount of complaining that would be going on with the Ryder Cup still? But, like, I- it- it- it-- they lost. They got smoked.
And so I, I really was- have been looking forward to this this week. I mean, I always look forward to this week. Everyone always looks forward to this week.
But, um, I thought it- this'd just be one of the better transitions into spring. It sort of feels like it's really coinciding with the turn of spring here, which it doesn't always do. Um,
and so [chuckles] yeah, I mean, I have no idea where to go from a, a picks perspective, but it's gonna be great. It always is great. That's, that's the best
intro I think you've done in the, in the Jonas Blixt, uh, inaugural. We've been doing this for so long, and, um, [chuckles]
I would encourage if you are, are-- if you are just listening to this, you can go over to YouTube and, and actually watch it. [chuckles] And you can see Burkey with, uh, with his straw hat over his headphones.
I c- completely agree with you. I, I just feel like this winter has been so long up, at least in the northeast, that this really does feel like, uh, like rebirth [chuckles] this week with the Masters.
I've played nine holes of golf. I'd say the last, like, four or five years, uh, maybe aside from the COVID year, there's been, like, golf c- golf has been played. It just felt like it was more a part of the spring.
This, this year feels like it is the start of spring 'cause it's been so miserable. So I, I echo what you said, and I'm super excited. And I'm so excited that I want to go back to 2025.
I wanna answer Rory's question after his win at the press conference. He sat down and said, "What are we gonna talk about next year?" I'll tell you what, Rory.
We're gonna talk about two guys who aren't even in the field first. [chuckles] I wanna talk about Tiger and Phil, not because it's Tiger and Phil, and I think they had a chance to be, um, you know, competitive this week.
But this is the first time since 1994 that one of these two is not playing in the Masters. And I think for you and me, we've talked a bunch
over the years on this podcast, off this podcast, about, like, our Masters memories, our history. Actually kinda starts in '95, like Ben Crenshaw winning. Yep. That's right.
And then you get to Faldo is, like, uh, is a little more crystal, and then, like, '97 locks everything in for us. And if you're a 40-year-old who, you know, if I'm 42, you're 40, 40. Like, this is 41.
So this is, um, this is, like, the era of our Masters, and this is the first one really that, you know, both of them aren't gonna be there. '94 was a very long time ago.
And I just think it's worth, like, pausing and just marking it just because of who we are and who, you know, how we've spoken about this tournament for so long. I think it's a big deal.
I get very romantic about this tournament. I love everything about it. Um, I love, you know, e- even watching Tiger's cut streaks. Mickelson, y- you know,
say what you want about him, but him finishing second a couple years ago was preposterous. Like, it was amazing. Like, he tends to throw back the clock, like, like a lot of people do at Augusta, right?
Like, that, that happens. Um, and so there's always this, like, nostalgic feeling about the tournament, about the players, especially about Phil and Tiger. Like 2004,
like, I always like to frame tournaments more in like how did you feel in the moment versus how do we feel, like, retrospectively, and I think
Phil's 2004 won't get enough of the happiness that it did in the moment that it will in, like, in history. Like, people were extremely happy. It was amazing. Um, all of that being said,
I'm less sad about this than I thought I was gonna be, and, and I think a lot of it has to do with Phil barely played. He's kind of a weird figure. Tiger had not w- would've come into this tournament only playing a TGL.
And, like, I don't know. It's, it's not qui-- like, I, I get the marker of it, but I'm not...
Like, they almost would've been a distraction from the tournament, which I don't even think that they would want-In and of themselves Yeah.
I mean, I think, I think this, this record, this streak is more, it's more of a Phil streak.
And if anyone was gonna keep it alive this year, it was, it was gonna be Phil after what happened to Tiger a week and a half ago. Oh, but no, he was definitely gonna play though.
Like, if it, if, if, if the car crash doesn't happen, he was playing in the Masters. How do you know? He was fine. He was absol-... He would not have done TGL. He absolutely would not have done TGL if he wasn't playing.
Okay. I don't know. I, I, I'm not sold on that. But, I mean, Phil has missed- And he told the cop that he was. Did you read... The cop that he was like, "You gonna play the Masters?" He goes, "I'm trying to."
Yeah, I'm trying to. I mean, he told, he said that at Genesis. Um, I mean, this, Phil has missed one Masters since 1994. He played in '95. He played all the way through. '22 is the only one he's missed in this window.
He missed '94 'cause he broke his leg. Um, he played in '93. So, like, an amazing streak on his own. Before we move on, I just wanna...
I actually think it's interesting to compare the two of them at the Masters and the records. So Mickelson has 29 s- 29 appearances in this as a pro. He's won it three times.
He has 13 top 10s, nine top fives, missed the cut four times. He also was a low amateur in 1993. And then Tiger, 26 appearances, five wins, nine top 10s. That's four less than Phil. Seven top fives.
That's two less than Phil. One missed cut in '96 as an amateur, and then one WD in 2023 after he made the cut, and he was low amateur in 1995. It was interesting putting those two up against each other.
I think I was a little bit surprised at, like, Phil having better top 10s and top fives. Obviously, he's played a few more, uh, more missed cuts as well.
But 13 top 10s for Phil and nine top fives is, uh, pretty incredible as well. Awesome record. I mean, he's- Yeah. Just gets lo- Like if you- Sometimes it gets lost with Phil. And it, I do it too 'cause I don't like him.
The only, the only r- really surprising record is the fact that Faldo has won three times, and I don't think has ever come in the top 10 other than that. Uh, and it might even be higher.
Like, most of the people that play well and win a- also, like, are, are racking up top 10s. Like, I think Nicholas has, like, 15 top 10s. Um, so yeah. That is... Uh, it's not surprising.
It's like, it's a really quintessential horse for course. So that brings up another thing that I, I wanted to touch on quickly before we get to this year's coverage.
I just jotted down four names that ha- didn't win the Masters that I think are, like, guys who should have probably had the, had the game to win a Masters. Not that they were...
I mean, these are all, all great players, but guys who seem like they were built to win. Ernie Els, Davis Love, Greg Norman. I only have three here. I think I had a fourth, and I took him off.
Um, like, those three to me stand out. Weiskopf maybe. Weiskopf was one I thought about. And, like, even... Oh, Justin Rose was another one. Oh, yeah. Thinking about, like, thr- three runner-ups.
He, he, he still has a chance though. And he still has a chance. Um, but I just, yeah, it just got me thinking about- I'd argue a little bit with Davis Love, but- So I think Davis Love is, is...
He might not have had the... He, I think he had the game, but he's also just, I don't know, like, the, the Southern thing, the...
He d- he, he str- he came cl- he kinda, like, never really came super close, but he just feels like a guy who probably maybe should've won a Masters 'cause maybe he's a white guy from the South who was playing golf in the '80s and the '90s.
Maybe that's what it is. I mean, he won one very soft major, had the talent to win others, but he just w- Yes... he didn't really, like... I don't know.
I, I, I look at it differently from, like, Greg Norman, who number one player in the world, constantly won hundreds of times across the globe, did win two majors, was, like, in contention at the Masters.
Davis Love, like, should have won Masters. Um, I'm not sure you could ever say Davis Love should have won a Masters. Whereas Justin Rose you can say yes. Greg Norman you can absolutely say yes. Ernie Els, like, probably.
I don't know. David Duval is another one I feel like a little bit, but- David Duval is another one. Like, Davis Love to me doesn't belong in that group, but I get what you're saying. Like, he's, he's- Yeah...
supremely talented. Yeah.
And it just got me thinking about, like, those guys and then who are, who are the guys in, like, 10 years' time who were s- And even with Rory last year, there was always the, "Oh, he'll, like, he'll get one.
He'll eventually win one." I think Els had that. Els was part of that back when he was playing, like, "Oh, Els will win a Masters." I think people just thought Norman would, would win a Masters, and it's hard. Um,
so- And Norm- But Norman had, he was gonna win a Masters for, like, 12 years of contention, like something [laughs] something crazy. Yeah. Yeah.
I mean, from '86 to '96, um, was a pretty, pretty tough little stretch, um, capped off by those two. Which they played back-to-back on Golf Channel today. I don't know if you saw.
[laughs] Uh, well, well, uh, in, but, and they just forget '87, right? Like, when he lost in a playoff to Larry, Larry Mize chip-in. [laughs] Yeah, on a chip-in. Yeah. Yeah. On, on an impossible chip-in. Yeah.
Just felt like a Greg Norman two hours, like, "Sorry, but we're just gonna kick you in the face. Uh, we're gonna show both of these back-to-back."
Yeah, I guess if I were, if I were to think of somebody now that didn't win one, it would probably be Xander, right? Like, who's just been there. Yeah. Um,
you know, that's one that, that comes to mind, that if, if he weren't to win, which you can't take anything for granted in this sport. You cannot. I know.
Like, Will Zalatoris isn't playing the Masters, and he was- Uh-huh... unbelievable. Yep. Yep. Um, so you just can't take anything for granted.
And, you know, you hear this conversation about how many majors is Scott gonna win, and people are just, like, penciling him in for eight majors like they were penciling Rory in for eight majors.
Well, he's still gonna do that. He's still gonna do that. I'm not, I'm not... He's got the best caddy in the world next to him. Um- I mean, nothing to worry about him now. [laughs] No, he's, he's, he's good.
So I, I just heard on G- I heard just heard on Golf Channel, uh, the past couple weeks he would have breakfast at home, fly up to Augusta, play 18, and be home for dinner.
Like, uh, yeah, I'm not worried about, um, Rory.Yeah. He's gonna be fine. That's a nice little- Rory's not worried about Rory. So- Which is maybe a little scary. Masters coverage. Content.
I, we, I think we talked about this last year. We had this conversation. Just the fire hose of stuff. Yeah. But it... I have a, just a, one other quick thing that I've thought about this week.
The value of it being in the same place has become, I think, more and more apparent, and it draws a stark line between this tournament and the other three in a lot of ways. Because I think there's more creativity within,
like, the independent media who has created a bunch of really good stuff,
whether it's, like, Fried Egg, No Laying Up, Jeff Shackleford, just people, like, have time to dig in and know this is evergreen because next year it still makes sense.
And I don't know, I just think the more, the farther we get into the four majors, and in 20 years' time as we get older, I think it becomes more im- important.
And I think it's why the USGA has picked some anchor sites, so that they have a little bit more, like, of a story to tell every few years at the same place.
And it gives the media an opportunity to like, "All right, we're gonna make something, and in four years' time we can use it again. Five years' time we can use it again."
'Cause it doesn't feel like at Shinnecock's every 10 years, and it just makes storytelling harder.
So- Does that make The PLAYERS Championship come off even worse because they have the exact same setup, and they still don't even come close to getting to what the Masters does? Yes. And I think it, it...
And I don't know if this is also, like- And they do a very... They do, comparatively speaking, I think they do a better job with that tournament.
But the, the PGA Tour has a competitive event where they go back to these places every single year. Yep. I think the PGA Tour doesn't seem interested in,
I don't know, letting other people tell stories as, as wil- as willingly as the Masters is, where you can f- like, here's everything. At this point it's like, "Here is all of our stuff.
You wanna watch 1986 on YouTube, like, pop it on. Go for it." And then it helps people actually watch it and think about things. I mean, I watched the Rory, uh, like, every hole thing he wa- this afternoon.
It was, like, so good. And it shakes, like, little thoughts free in your head that could become like a, you know, a story or a project or, like, a, a topic somewhere, whatever it is. Um, I don't know.
So- I mean, I do think post-production golf is... There's obviously very clearly a market. Just look at what YouTube Golf does. Um,
but they need to thread the needle between, like, what they did with their reality show a couple weeks ago at The PLAYERS. They had guys that weren't in it. Was it good content?
I thought it was pretty good, but, you know- It was fine. Yeah... I don't think it's gonna move the needle on it. Um, so yeah. Uh, I don't know. I, I think the, the cover- it gives you... It's a lot.
It's a lot of coverage. It's great. It's a lot. Yeah, it's a lot. Um, it's- And I also, I also love that- I don't, I don't want the bouncing around, personally. What do you mean?
Like you have to do now, like bounce around from Prime- Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah... to- Yeah... all that stuff, having to get, you know, take... I don't know.
Maybe I need a new TV, but, like, it takes me, like, three minutes to go from Prime to regular cable TV. Yeah. And then, like, jumping. You can't jump channels anymore. If you're, like, on Prime, you're watching Prime.
Yeah. Um- So I don't know. I, I still think there's, especially as they get into a relationship with apps, um, I think there's a lot to be worked out there. Yeah. Agreed.
And, like, can I just pay $100 and just get, like, everything Masters? But, like, with, with- I know. You're drinking, you're drinking azaleas out of a, out of a- I-... branded [chuckles]
mixing, uh, mixing mug and a plastic mixer and a- I've al- Yeah... I've already, I've already spent- Like you're at Masters now, here... I've already spent $190 between the food package and the drinks. Yep. Yeah.
And you're gonna tell me that this clown, this guy who's wearing, you know, his wife's hat he g- she got at Augusta a couple years ago, uh, wouldn't spend $100 for, like, a potpourri of Masters that just got, like, literally everything on my, on my TV.
Like, that's the thing. Like, I don't want it on my computer. Like, I want it on my TV. Yeah. Right. They haven't solved that yet. Yep. Yep. All right. General storylines. It feels super wide open this year, obviously.
So I mean, the things that... I'm just gonna throw some out to you. We can pick one and dig in on it. Uh, pick a couple. Obviously for me, Scottie Scheffler's form, top of mind. Like, what's he gonna play like?
Is it, is, does this, do we get the Masters, uh, magic where the guy who plays well here just kinda shows up and plays well here? Rory defending.
Um, we th- I thought the freed-up Rory was gonna have a great second half of last year, great majors year, and kinda fizzled, was o- uh, kind of just an odd experience [chuckles] for Rory, and the media and whatever else was going on with his life.
That's what I want a documentary on, is what happened- [chuckles]... in the next two months after. Next two months. [chuckles] That's- After the Masters.
You, you, you would've thought he kicked away the Masters, not won the career Grand Slam, which- Trying to unpack, like, Rahm and Bryson as another... Like, they're both, they're both coming in playing well on Liv, which
hasn't really been the case in the past, at least both of them playing well. Koepka being back on the PGA Tour, hitting the ball like a maniac and putting like a maniac, um, at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Like, Morikawa, who was everyone's favorite heading into The PLAYERS, gets hurt, and now he's saying, [chuckles] like, he can't hit certain shots in practice today. He's done. Uh, 'cause he's worried about his back.
Like, that's not promising. I, he's not on my list of guys I would pick this week.
So those for me are, like-Obviously the big names, but the things that are gonna make this interesting as far as the top end of the Masters. Where... Do you have one you wanna talk about? Oh, man.
I mean, this might be one of the toughest questions you ever asked me. I- it's, it's such a, it's a weird feeling, honestly. And so, like, does this produce a fluky winner? You know, does... I don't even know.
Pick a person. Like, no one's talking about Xander. I feel like he's been playing okay. Um, you know,
Spieth has been hovering around being, you know, a top 50 player the past couple years, but, like, this place obviously brings it out in him.
Patrick Reed's also another one, like a l- a live coming back that's actually been playing very well against very good competition, and he was not playing well last year and was in contention and, and almost, um...
I think he came in third, fourth maybe. Like, uh- He came in third. Came in third... So I don't know. There's not this like... It's sort of refreshing because you know if Tiger was here, that would be the storyline.
Like, that, that would be it. And now I, I feel like there's maybe less juice Monday through Wednesday, and we're just like, "Give me the golf, baby."
Like, let's, like, let the course be the storyline, let it get a little spicy. Let's, let's just get into the golf. Yeah. You know, probably, I don't know, 30 guys that can win. That's a lot. Maybe.
That might be, that might be a little high. That might be a little high. A little high. But I think there's at least 20. You could probably make it... Yeah, I guess,
I, I was just watching, um, live from as well, and they broke down the last, since I think 2016 to now- That's kinda crazy... or 2012 to now, the 15, like the average winner is ranked 15 in the world,
and the 12 years before that it was, like, 37 in the world. And from the mid-'80s to the mid-'90s it was, like, the high, like 28th in the world.
So this last, like, little 13-year chunk has, has picked out some of the best players. So Data Golf does this... Sent a newsletter out. It's very good.
And they basically give out, like, points up through this past week and who has the most points. And, like, last year Rory showed up and he had 43 Data Golf points, which was the least amount of the last four winners.
Scottie Scheffler showed up the year before and had 51. Like, the top end was getting all of these points.
This year, the number one point getter has 29 points, and it's Jacob Bridgman, followed by Chris Gotterup, and then Scottie Scheffler, Cam Young, Akshay, uh, Collin Morikawa.
So, like, the top end is not playing as well, and the, the pack is playing very well. Uh, kind of just an interesting dynamic, too, across the field that there isn't really anyone who's playing awesome.
Like, Jacob Bridgman is the, is playing the best golf over the last, you know, two months as far as this kind of data goes. And he's not winning the Masters. No, he's not winning the Masters.
[laughs] I think that's the, that's, that's the other thing. Yeah, I mean, he's a first-timer and he did win Riv, which can be a, can be a- Y- yeah, it usually is a, a good-... a trait, but... good predictor.
But he's getting asked if, he's getting asked about Trevor Lawrence in his press conference today, like, he, 'cause he went to Clemson. He's like, "Is Trevor gonna be out here this week?" He's like, "I'm not really sure.
Uh, I heard he might be." It's like, what are we doing? What- whatever. Do they ask you- A lot of odd questions... if Bob Cousy's gonna come follow your, uh- [laughs]... your golf tournaments? [laughs] Yeah.
Cous and, uh, yeah, I guess it'd just be Cous at this point. Is Bill Simmons gonna come out and follow you? [laughs] Yeah, so it is, it is wide open. Um, I think, like, I think the Scottie stuff, just as far as
I think people don't wanna make a big deal of it, but it will be a very big deal if he has a bad round on Thursday. If he has a, if he shoots something at, like, above Scottie Scheffler
on Thursday, it will be a discussion around, like, what's going on with this guy and why can't he get off the blocks in the last six weeks? The harder- It's not a story right now in my mind, but it will be. No.
The harder this course plays, the better, uh, it plays into his, his liking I think, 'cause he knows it so well. It's,
you know, the, like the y- I think if the winning score is under 10 under, which people are thinking it could be this week because of- Yeah...
how the course is playing, like that to me plays right into his, his wheelhouse. If it's, like, more 14, 15, then I think it brings a lot of people into play.
Any thoughts on Ted Scott just feeling like he's out there a lot right now? It feels- Oh. It feels a little funny.
The g- like, big, they just did a big fe- he's doing, like, video stuff and- The guy, the guy caddied for the most out there guy in the world in Bubba. Well, b- okay.
But I just, it, it's just an interesting dynamic, especially given the praise that Harry Diamond is getting for not being a part of the Amazon Prime.
Like I don't wanna do, I don't wanna talk about any, I, just no thank you. And then on the other side you've got Ted Scott, like- I mean, if you follow Ted Scott on-... who seems a little thirsty...
you follow him on Instagram, he does this stuff all the time. I know, sermons. He's, he's kind of a thirsty guy. But that's different.
I think, I think that's a little different than getting, like, the golf.com full exposure. May- maybe he knows he's getting canned soon- I'm wa- I'm watching it...
and he wants some, he, he wants a, like- I'm keeping an eye on it... good pub- publicity. I'm keeping an eye on it for partly that reason. I've got- But I mean, can- This is my new caddy thing. So pay attention, right?
So Tiger with Fluff, he fired Fluff, right? 'Cause Fluff was, like, a little bit too much of a thing. And he had a, then he had obviously unprecedented success with, um, Stevie Williams.
But then at some point Stevie, like, was writing books and talking about Tiger andIt was like, nope, see ya, buddy. Um, but very clearly he was good for Tiger. And then he won one major post Post-D, yeah.
But he wasn't playing enough to, like, really feel like he could have a caddy regularly. Um, yeah, just, uh, just something I... Just something I'm pinning. I'm gonna put a pin in it. Yeah.
Hey, I didn't have that on my radar, but I think it's a good- Yeah... good one to pay attention to. I'm gonna put a little pin on it. Uh, Bryson and Rahm, any, any...
Do you feel like they, uh, do you feel like they can... They're gonna compete? Y- ha- How do you not feel like they're gonna compete? Do you put any- I mean, Bryson has a ton of... Has had
p- pockets of really good s- Like, he's had good rounds on this golf course.
So, like, I was kind of battling this, and someone, it might've been Brandel, was just talking about how his game doesn't fit it that well because he's got the single length irons and the, the, the side hill shots and all, all these things.
Like, but he still shot, like, 63, 64, or, or 64 if not once, maybe even twice. But, like, he's had low 60s rounds or mid to low 60s rounds. And so I think those can stack on top of each other.
And Rahm's won and been in contention, should prob- maybe could've won another one. So I, I feel like they're in as good a shape to contend this week as they ever have been. Yeah. Yeah. This is the first...
I think this is maybe one of the first Masters, and even majors, where you... They f- they have enough momentum from live events, which I don't necessarily know if that's ever been really the case.
I don't know if that's because they're playing 72 holes now, [chuckles] that the, the cream rises a little bit more, uh, over the course of a longer tournament, so they're going to be up there 'cause they're just better at golf than all of those guys over there.
And that's just gonna be... So they're gonna come in just feeling like they're playing better, and they might compete. I mean, Bryson was in the final group on Sunday last year. I'm interes- Uh, he...
Do you think he can win here? I don't necessarily know if he's gonna win a Masters. So those are two different answers. Yes, they are. Y- yes, he can win here. He's shown that he can play the golf course, you know.
And, and he's a major champion, too, and I think that matters. Um, do I think he's going to? I mean, geez, he's gotta go up against a pretty heavy crop of people for the next 15 years, 10 years.
But yeah, like, uh, if, if I had to bet, given that he's been in the final group, you know, he, he... I don't think he's going away anytime soon. Like, he's got his exemptions. Like, I, I don't...
I'd say probably, yeah, probably. Tough one. What are his exemptions at this point? At least his US Open exemptions. That'll take another- Yeah, I guess 24... you know. Yeah, so that'll be '29. Okay.
So he's got this decade at least locked up. And then- That's right. Okay... you know, I, I... Who knows? He's always had these... I don't think he's locked up for Liv next year or the year after or whatever it is.
Um, he's still really good. Like, [laughs] he's, he's a very good golfer. Yeah. I... Reed and Koepka as another duo to talk about. Um, man, if they, if they both have...
Not even just the Masters, but if they have a good stretch here, Reed's gonna get his PGA Tour card back.
But if Reed and Koepka both have a good major season, that's better than what they were doing when they were with Liv. That will be a good... I don't know, a,
maybe a, a way to get Rahm and Bryson thinking about [chuckles] their decisions if they maybe have a- I think, and I think-... struggle...
I think Rahm is probably more tied in to Liv, from my understanding, than Bryson is. Yes. Like, I think Bryson's contract is up. I don't think Rahm has, like, something that's coming up in the next couple years. Yeah.
Um- 'Cause he's in his third year there. Yeah. I don't, I don't know. I, I think that, I think Brooks just got a ton of money and wanted to come back. Yeah. And- But he's playing- I don't, I don't know if you heard.
So r- I don't know, did you listen to Patrick Reed's press conference at all? I listened to a little bit of it.
So when they asked him about why he, he wanted to come back and like what went into the decision, and he was just like, "You know, I, I wanted to play more traditional golf."
He's like, "I, I was on the European tour earlier this year, and like being on the range with the range full, but being in the last group and then slowly seeing the people walk away, and then you're like the last one on the range."
He's like- Mm-hmm... "That, that is..." Which you don't get with Liv, 'cause it's all a shotgun start. It's shotgun. Like, everyone just- Yeah... everyone just goes out there. And like...
And he's like, "And then like having to tee off when you were two ahead to start the day, and then you tee off one behind." Like, he just described very- Yeah... in like- That's amazing... like an awesome golf nerd way.
It was like- Yep... oh, like the wa- Like what you just described, like that's probably why you've won a ton. And like, I, I- Yeah...
I could see why going out to Liv, he was just like, "It, it feels like you're going to a scramble. Like, everyone takes their cart, and they go to the sh- the shot." [laughs] Yeah. Yeah. [laughs] Which- But- Which...
Like I, I, I thought, and I, I'm not a Patrick Reed fan.
I, I appreciate his, his game and his competitiveness, but the way that he was describing that, like that was sort of like getting romantic about the minute parts of the game. Yeah. That's a great point.
Just, I mean, if I just put myself in going to play, you know, a charity shotgun versus a qualifier or something where you're playing on your own, and you're at the range, and you are. You're...
Like, you're kinda eyeing people. You're watching guys leave, other people flow in.
I've never been in a final group of anything in my life, but you do have that sense of like the ebb and flow of the, of the people and the tee times, and like the, that energy- You totally do...
is very different than everyone just showing up and being driven out to their holes. [chuckles] Driven out. And like I- Yeah, that's a great point...
I've had it a couple times in a club championship, and it's, it's a different feeling because everyone knows, and like there's this ebb and flow of, um-Who's going where, and then there's like, there's just nobody there.
Like, it w- just the way that he talked about it, if you haven't listened to it, I'd highly recommend going to, 'cause you could tell, like, where I'm not sure this was Brooks' motivation, like Patrick Reed, he just needed to be back on the tour in that sense.
Yeah, yeah. That's interesting. Yeah, it... He's, he is, um, he... I, I don't know. [laughs] His whole thing is... I, I don't particularly like him. But he's worthy of a character on a tour.
But it feels like he's got a very good... Yeah, he's got a good perspective on, like he's ta- I've listened to... He talked about the rollback, um, somewhere. Maybe it was with Joseph Lamagna.
Um, but he says stuff, you're like, "Oh my God, okay." You think about this in the way a lot of, like, golfy nerds think about it. Maybe because he had to be a golfy nerd, you know? Like- I, I think-...
he wasn't a great junior, you know. He was good. He wasn't great, but- He wasn't great... I, I think a lot of...
So I think you can get to be a golf star in a couple different ways now, but the, the old school way is you just weren't good enough for team sports or, or you just were a loner, right Like- Yeah, yeah...
like you just...
Like that was the way to get to golf stardom, mostly because you just liked to be in your own bubble, and that's sort of like- Yeah, or you're an only child, Ri- like Rory and Tiger, only children, just- Like- Yeah...
o- only children. Your dad might have liked golf, or your dad... Like, like it's... It was a very... It wasn't... It didn't follow your traditional, you know, sports path, like all the other sports pretty much do.
Like whether it's soccer, baseball, football, basketball, like you, you just follow the normal path. Like you pick a sport, but you follow kind of a normal path. Golf is a little different like that.
I mean, we've said this a million times, like we were massive outliers in 1999, 2000 when we wanted to play golf. Yeah. Like- Yeah... we were the only ones that thought it was cool.
Now we'd lit- literally witnessed it become cool. Um, but he, even though he's, he's younger than us, uh, he, he was that like original mold of like kinda being a loner- Yep...
having not, not a lot of friends, and just was like a- Yep... massive golf nerd. Yeah. It's been 10 years since Jordan Spieth, uh, let Danny Willett in. That's, uh, [laughs] right.
You can see they're, they're leaning a little he- It's kind of staggering... they're leaning a little heavier into the 40 years since '86 than they are since the 10 years [laughs] since Danny. Or 30...
I mean, 30 years since, since Norman and Faldo. It's b- like- Wow... the sixes have some, um, little juju. I know Mickelson won in '06, so who, who knows? But, uh, yeah, I just [laughs] was thinking about Reed and
2016, lets Danny Willett in. Does he... Like how do you feel about-
And, and let it just be, let it just be like a, a, a cautionary tale to e- every single person with this tournament, and you actually can look no further than what happened at Anwa on Saturday. I know.
I re- I distinctly remember, like vividly, the feeling watching that tournament being like, "Man, what a boring Sunday." Like what a boring Sunday, like with, with Spieth. Like this is gonna be... He's...
And like I actually like Jordan Spieth, but like, and then boom, and he's not even close to winning. Same thing with, [laughs] with Tal.
Like, like people n- like these are all smart people, and they get to that 12th hole. Or even last year, Rory like almost kicked away on 13, like 15, ze- like this tournament is never over. Yeah. Never.
So one thing that Rory just kinda talked about that got me thinking is the... And even with Spieth at 12, for Asterisk Talley, the place is full of like check marks. There are check marks around the golf course.
And I think guys, and now the women in the Anwa, have, have them set, and if they like, if they get past them, sometimes [laughs] it's the next hole there's something else, or they can't get past that check mark.
Whether it's like the tee shot on 12, just getting it h- center of the green on 12. Um, like getting through 13, maybe having to make a birdie. I think three- Talley hit the center of the green.
She just hit it a little too far. Like that was [laughs]... She- She hit it a lot too far... hit her long. Yeah. Um, she might have... Yeah. Um, but it's just... Rory was talking about, like I had to...
He even, I think he said, "You wanna be two under through three." You know, like ultimately you wanna get through one, you wanna t- try to birdie two, you wanna try to birdie three. Like that's his mindset.
This was him talking about his Saturday, starting three three with six threes. So it was kinda like he di- that was the dream start to get three threes to start, um- I think that's a very asterism start-...
to start those holes... for somebody that can, that basically make- makes mincemeat of a really hard hole on the first hole.
Like his first hole is a lot different than the average tour pro, where he can fly- What do you mean?... that bunker on the right. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Like I, I, I think Rory can make birdie on the first hole like a decent amount, and most people can't. Can't. But, but even just having it... Augusta creates those little moments for you throughout the round.
And like as a viewer, we know them, but it gets... I think it can mess with people. And I think there's g- there's been a lot of talk about three this week. I think it's because Rory
spoke about it as being kind of a interesting little moment in Sunday's round last year. Scottie chipped in in 22- Yeah, but that flip... when he won. It can, it can flip.
But I also think that hole is- It flipped Hogan and Bryson... interesting because this is a little bit like we talk about Conquer Country Club.
Two is a par five, and then you get a drivable par three, or a drivable par four the third, and then you get a tough par f- par three as the fourth. I, I, I don't think we can actually label three as a drivable par.
I think we can call it a short par four. A short... It's a short par four. That's, that's fair. Um, it's 350 yards. And-People are like, they did a whole segment on it tonight.
But I think just those little moments within the round that get can get in the guy's heads. And if they, if they start to fall behind, they press and then it gets them into more trouble. Yeah.
Because then you get to four, five, six, seven, and it's like, geez, if I play those one over- Yeah. And you're-... that's, that's amazing. Like the- Yeah. You're holding on for dear life.
And then you get like eight, nine, and you get a- Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's the best. It's just- Yeah. That's what makes it so great.
And obviously Spieth on 12 and, um, or listening to Rory talk was, was another kind of thing that just crystallized for me, like this place just messes with you.
And if you get ahead, whether it's in a career, whether you're like Jordan Spieth and you win in 15 and you think like, "I'm gonna win another one. I'm gonna win four more of these. This is gonna be awesome."
And then suddenly he's walking off 12 and he has not won a green jacket since.
And, you know, with coming back to a place every single year, and different than TPC Sawgrass, which I was sort of comparing, I don't think the general public can take you through the entire golf course of Sawgrass.
I can't, so I'm pretty confident the general public can't. Um, we, we know where all, not all, but like we know where a lot of the demons are buried, right? Like you can think of, um, what happens on 11.
Like think about Rory last year on 11. Like that was a pivotal moment, very pivotal. Um, plenty of people have hit it in the water there. And then 12, 13, like you can go down the list. Like, you know,
and these guys are mostly students of the game, and so like they know where they're walking. They know that Tiger dropped on 15 and, and hit the flag stick and went in the water.
Like they, they know that Xander a couple years ago when he was right on the lead hit this atrocious shot on 16 into the water. Like they know- Yeah... all this stuff. Yeah.
They might not know that Kenny Perry went bogey, bogey back in, um, what was it, 2007, terrible bogeys, um, to lose the, the Masters, but I know that. Uh, it can be done. Yeah. Tiger- Yeah... in 2005. Yeah.
Bogey, bogey after one of the most, probably the most iconic shot. Yeah. Bogey, bogey to almost lose. Yeah. Like it's all over the place. Yeah. I g- I put the list of first-timers up here because there's a lot of them.
I'm not gonna read through them all, but they're, they're, they're in front of you here on the agenda. Is there anyone here that stands out to you or like you're interested to watch or follow? I have a couple.
I mean, I, it, it's, it's Gotterup, right? Like, uh, it's... I just think that he has like that escalator potential, um, where he seems like a great guy.
He keeps like crying after his, his [chuckles] wins, and you're just like, "Dude, what are you crying about?"
It like, he's got this emotion to him and- But then, but then also posting on Twitter like, "Show me the money." [chuckles] Yeah. Which is kind of funny. Like I, I don't know. Yeah. The dynamic, the dynamic is funny.
I think that he's, has potential to like capture maybe not a wide audience, but like he's very clearly not your stereotypical golfer, right? Like he played other sports growing up,
Jersey guy, went to Rutgers, then Oklahoma. Like I, I don't know. Like I, I think that he has potential. So never him played the Masters. He's also probably in the best form out of all the first-time golfers. Yeah.
Bridgeman too. First-timers. Bridgeman, yeah. Um- Bridgeman too. So yeah, he's, he's the one that, that sticks out. I don't think there's any, um, any surprise there. I mean, there's,
uh, uh, Mason Howell I think's a pretty good- Yeah... good story, like from an ant, like, um- It's...
I'm fa- I, I kind of, I'm hoping to watch a little bit of him or at least watch his rounds on the, on the, uh, on the- I mean, you can't watch any because-
I watched, I watched him at the Walker Cup this year, and he's just a, like he seems like a dude already as a senior in high school. Where is he going to school? He's going to Georgia. He's going to Georgia.
He's from Georgia. Um, yeah, he's, he's awesome. I think I'm also like Marco Peng. Is he definitely going to school, do you think? He's committed. Who knows if he's gonna go, but he's, he's committed to Georgia.
He's play- like he was playing with Harris English today and another Bulldog 'cause there's like six of them in the field. Like Marco Peng is interesting I think. Some of these guys who have had like,
who, who have good, who... Okay, you've done it on the PGA Tour a little bit. You've, you've played your way into like Su- like late Sunday or early Sunday stuff. He had a pretty good little stretch at Riviera.
How did he get into the Masters though? Top 50? He might be in the top 50, yeah. I, I'm not entirely sure. But that would... He hasn't won anything, so that would make the most sense. Um, but I don't know.
Like him and Gotterup, who has won, is kind of the same where it's like, all right, you can, you can bash it around the park. Let's see what you can do in a major that requires a little- But here's...
That's why the Sony victory for Gotterup was so impressive. Yes. But now this is the next level. Like, okay. And he had a good, he had a good- But totally, totally. No, no.
Like I don't think Gotterup has shown- And he had a good open last year... or, uh, Peng has, has shown that, whereas like Gotterup winning at Sony, which is historically not a bomber's golf course,
I thought was like, that to me meant more than his win at, uh, Phoenix that he had a couple weeks later. Yeah. McKibben is another, another one that just a young- I, he-... a young kid, [chuckles] a young kid.
I don't, I don't know. I don't know. 'Cause he's on Liv now, right? He might be. He, he's on Liv, yeah.
He might've gotten, he might've snuck into the top 50 before the end of the year 'cause they have that, they has like two- Yeah... there's two dates for that. Um, or he won something at, on, in Asia.
Like there's a couple events that- Yeah, there is... are, there are a couple events that you can win out there, so. You have to win. It's not like, it's not like the, the Open Series where you have to be like top nine.
I think he might've won something in Australia. South Korea and, uh, February. He might've won something in Australia. Maybe he won an Australian event. Um, but he's, he's- He didn't, he didn't win the Aussie Open.
No, he didn't win the Aussie Open.Whatever. So he wants something out there. I think that's what got him in. Just 'cause he's young, he's, he, you know, he's playing on Liv. Yeah, I love that guy.
This might be his only chance unless he- He, he gave, he gave Rory the big middle finger going to Liv. [laughs] So... And, and Rory said as much. Yeah. I... That was...
I mean, that's a little bit of a kick in the teeth. [laughs] I'm gonna take the money. But for, like- I'll see you later. And then I'm still gonna get in the Masters. Yeah. [laughs] Yeah. Good for him. Um, all right.
I created a few of our little TikTok before we get to our picks here. Um- I gotta be honest with you, I wasn't really following your TikTok stuff, but... Well, the ti- y- you're... The time. You get...
Like, who's on the clock here? Who's, who's- Oh... feeling the, the little, the pressure of time? I read that more- This is something we've done-... the social media sense... in the past. [laughs] No.
I didn't spell it that way. I spelled it like the clock. I know. I was reading it correctly.
So the last couple, the last couple episodes we've done just thinking about who are some guys, and I broke these into some groups here.
I think there's guys feeling a little bit of pressure 'cause they don't have a major yet. So that's Hovland, Fleetwood, Hatton, Ludwig. I put Cam Young in here. I'm not quite sure he's, he's there yet.
I don't think he's maybe feeling the pressure, but I think those first four are, um, all Europeans, which is, which is not purposeful.
I think there's, there's guys who have gotten, like, a little bit of a lease on life here and are playing well, but I think the window is short. I mean, that's Justin Rose.
I also think that's Jason Day, as far as a guy who's s- kind of just playing well. He's probably in- Does he care about-... his mind thinking like... I think he probably cares about winning a Masters.
Like, I think it's a big deal. As an Australian- I think it's everything to Justin Rose. Like, I, I think he's changed- Oh, I'm not saying it's-... his entire life... I think... [laughs] Yeah.
I'm not comparing it to Justin Rose, but I think Jason Day- You are... would like to win. No, I'm just, I'm just putting these two as far as, like, they both have one little last window of...
Like, Jason Day might, might be cooked in a year's time with all his injuries. [laughs] I s- did you see the tr- did I- That's my, that's my- Did you see the transcript I sent you? Uh, yeah. I, I did, yeah.
Someone was asking about his balloon therapy. [laughs] I, 100 %... That had to be Andy Johnson that asked him. Um- That's right. I was trying to find the sounds to hear the voice. [laughs] 'Cause it was either...
It was one of those guys, I would imagine. So where do you put somebody- But I think they're in... Sorry, go ahead. I'm just curious where you put somebody like Russell Henley in the, in that category. I don't think,
I don't think there's any pressure on Russell Henley. He's not in a con- he's never in a conversation of who's the best player without a major. He's just walking through airports. No one recognizes him.
[laughs] He's cashing checks. Top 10 player in the world. Or at least he was. But he's on island time. He's on island time. I know. He's got... He's in no rush to do anything, I don't, I don't think.
I don't think this is the major for him if he's gonna pick one off anyway, so- Right. I don't think so either... even though he gets the Georgia. A- anyone that went to Georgia gets the, the Georgia connection thing. But
I don't think this is the one. Like, he's more likely to pick off a Shinnecock or an Open. Yeah, yeah. Like, he hits the ball nowhere. I don't know. I don't know. I just don't think he feels...
I don't think there's a, like, ex- this is also a little bit of, like, external pressure as well as internal pressure that I think the guys who get talked about, who get asked about these things.
Then the last one for me is just the guys who I think people might start talking. People will start to just wonder, and that's Rahm, and I think Bryson, but only at Augusta.
I think, like, Bryson will show up to the PGA, and he wouldn't be on this list because I don't think- Yeah, that's fair... the PGA moves him much.
But I think for the Masters at this point, if he has, like, another close call, if he has another, like, he's around, he's in the final few groups on Sunday, shoots another 75, like, I think then it becomes like can this guy do it here?
Does he need to use normal length clubs? [laughs] Uh, what does he have to do to, to win here? But I will say getting into contention, like, winning is lucky. Getting into contention is not lucky. Um,
so I, I, I think you have to view those things a little differently. To me, and going back to, like, in sequential order, I think the person that probably puts the most pressure on himself is Hovland. Yeah. I agree.
A- and, and that's, that's purely, like, a comment on their personalities. Like, I, I actually don't think Ludwig... Listen, I, I actually like Ludwig a lot, but there's something amiss there. There, there just is. Like,
you can't swing it that well. And I don't... Like, I... He was terrible at the start of this year. Terrible. And has not sealed the deal in majors. He's had, has what? Two wins, one being an RSM. Um- Yeah.
And then he won at, he won the Genesis, but it was at Torrey. At Torrey. So I don't know. Like, if you're gonna be... And he's 25 years old. Like, uh, he's not young. So I don't know.
I, I'm not as high on Ludwig as a superstar as I think a lot of people are because, I mean, Spieth had won three majors by the... like, three years earlier than this. Like, [laughs] it's, uh... He...
The, the propensity of not even winning lo- lesser tournaments to me is concerning. And when he's- Yeah... been in contention this year, he's, like, totally blown up. Left, left Miss Ludwig just all over the place.
But I, I... So there's something there that to me he's not, uh, doesn't have that drive. Uh, drive's not the right word. I hate saying that. Like- That's not fair. No. No. The... I, yeah, I don't... But
he hasn't won, and winning is a skill. Yeah. I don't think that... Yeah. And I don't think that has to do with drive. No, I agree. That's why I- That might have to do with-... retracted immediately... um, to steal-
Respect my retract... that might have to do with, with some, with some metal, in the q- words of Paul McGinley. Just, like, a little bit of- Or I th- I think it could be-... experience.
I mean, the guy, the guy's won on every level he's played. Uh- And I think- I think that's an overstated comment. He's been very good at every level he's playedI mean, he won, he was PGA, [laughs] he won PGA U,
ran away with a bunch of tournaments in college. Because he wasn't like, he wasn't dominating. Won the Jones Cup. Like, the guy won all- I, I don't think he's-... the guy won a bunch in college.
He was the number one amateur in the world, I think, at one point. He won profess- he won professional events as- But different from what, like, Koeben's doing now. No, he's not doing what Koeben's doing now.
Did he win a, did he win as an amateur at the Euro Tour? He won as an amateur, like, during COVID in s- like, in Sweden, but he was- Oh, that doesn't count... 17, 18 years old. Of course it counts. He was...
He's, like, winning [laughs] he's still, he's winning events. This is the thing I don't under- I, I... There's a lot of people... We, we got... How far are we into this? We're gonna talk about Thor Bjornsson too.
Like, these guys are so young, and I think- We don't need to talk. We can, we can save Thor Bjornsson for- I think Spieth for the PGA when I pick him number one- Yeah... overall.
[laughs] Um, but I think- You might, you might even pick him in this tournament. [laughs] This is a, as a key, in a keeper, keeper league. Um. [laughs] It's like, he's gonna get into the, off the alternate list.
[laughs] He's, [laughs] he's just hanging out at the, uh, Waffle House down the ro- or the IHOP down the road. [laughs] Waiting for a phone call. [laughs] Yeah. I just think, I think we've, I think we've become...
I think that Jordan Spieth, even like JT skewed a lot of this stuff. Ludvig is still pretty young. I know what you're saying. Eh. He's played great in the Masters.
He, he also didn't play, like, any majors as an amateur, which is kind of wild. Um, so his first major was the Masters in '24. He's finished top five both years, I think. Um, but I, I... You're right, though.
Like, I don't think he's puts a lot of external pressure on himself. But man, if he has a good Masters again but has a tough Sunday, it becomes a thing.
There's guys, there, there's guys this week who could create things for themselves that they don't wanna create. [laughs] Totally. So that's the beauty of the Masters. Um, wanna get to our picks? Let's do it. All right.
So the way we do this is, it's snake draft. Obviously, once someone's picked, uh, you can't be pi- they, they're gone off the, off the board. We pick three guys and a dark horse. Dark horse, I said 50 to 1.
Is that a fair- Yeah, that was [laughs]... line, plus 5,000? That was high. That was... I know. But we can do it. This is a tr- like, this is a trickier one just 'cause the field is so small.
There were some that were above the line that I was shocked at, and some that w- were below the line- I know... that I was shocked at. I know. [laughs] That's, that's kinda why I picked it too.
There was, there were some interesting, s- some interesting names. They might've even, some of them might've shifted 'cause we have just a live, live bet. I'm gonna let you pick first, um, 'cause I think- Okay. So-...
you picked Scottie a couple times last year and won, so I'll, I'll give you the floor here. I definitely picked Scottie at the Masters and did not win. Um, I'm gonna pick first who I think is going to win. Um,
I think certain people just like when there's a, a lot of negative momentum around them, and they're like, "F you." Like, "I'm gonna go out and, and show you who I am."
And I just think that this is prime Jon Rahm territory right now. Okay. And having won on Liv, I do think matters. I think winning out there matters. I think coming in top 10 does not matter.
I think winning out there does matter. Um, and you know, all this negative,
uh, publicity that he's getting, very deservedly so, uh, by the way, [laughs] which we, we don't need to get into, but f- with the Ryder Cup stuff, um, I, I'm not on his side o- of it at all.
Uh, I, I, I just think he's gonna be like, "Yeah, I'll show you guys. You don't want me, you don't want me on the Ryder Cup team? All right. I'm here. Go and do this."
[laughs] So, um, that's why I've got Rahm as my winner of the week. Interesting. He was on my list. I didn't think you'd pick him first. He's playing gr- Well- I mean, he's playing great. I, like- Data Golf loves him...
I think he's go- I think he's going to win. Like, so that's why I'm picking him first. Like, uh, you can never go wrong with picking Scottie first. You can always go wrong with picking Rory first.
But, um, I, I, I actually think Rahm's gonna win. I'm taking Scottie. I picked him in January to win this tournament, so if you're gonna give him to me, I'll take him.
Um, I just think, I think he's one of those players, there's a few, you know, or every decade there's always one or two guys who just play well at Augusta National. Even years.
And then you've got the even year thing, little Arnie shout-out every other year for three years. Um- Michael Smith was an even year guy too. Yep. Four, six, and 10, right? So yeah, I'm taking Scottie.
I think, I think he just kinda gets it all together this week. New, second father perspective. Oh my God. That was- Maybe that was a distraction. Just, uh, who knows. I, I, I do think, I do think it's very, um, uh...
It, it's interesting that Meredith and the boys traveled there with him. Like, the, the kid's 10 days old. Like, that's a very, very young kid, and it, it, like it's, it's,
it's, it's like a lot of responsibility that's on Meredith, and like, just, well, a mom of anyone who has, like, that young of a kid. And like, I, I don't know. It's an interesting dynamic that they...
I don't know what to make of it. I was just a little surprised. Maybe that, maybe that helps Scottie because he, he, like, is such a
family man that he would feel, like, a pull back home, and he won't feel it as much there. So it, it is a very interesting... Like, that, that kid is super young to... I don't care- Yeah... if it's a private plane.
[laughs] Like, getting that kid on a plane, like, that's- I know. [laughs] And yeah, it is wild. You're, you're, you're still, you're still, like, flying up and the ears popping of a kid that's 10.
Like, the, it is a, it's a strange dynamic. I don- I honestly don't know what to make of it. I was very surprised to hear that a 10, [laughs] you know, 10-day-old was... I don't know. Maybe they drove. Yeah.
I actually didn't hear, but- Yeah, that's true too.
I mean, they, they could be driving in to get here on Thursday, and Scottie's already thereLike is Scottie staying in the same house as this 10-day-old who's could be screaming through the night.
And he's got a, oh, and he's got a toddler, right?
Like, toddlers aren't easy either, and like it's, it, it is a very interesting dynamic, which I'm sure other players have gone through, just maybe not the number one player in the world. Yeah. Yeah.
So that's my first pick. Second pick is Xander. Ooh. I think he's just kinda lurking. Lurking. I think he's just lurking. I think he's, I think he's slowly kinda rounding back into form, and I, I also
kinda just think his... I think he's almost like the opposite of Rahm, where you talked about Rahm being [laughs] like having a chip on his shoulder.
I think Xander likes just being able to show up and play golf, and I think right now he's able to do that because he's a little bit off of the radar, um, as far as just a favorite or people...
I mean, I think he talked to the media today, but just, you know, he's a little bit past his two, two major year.
And, you know, if he's gonna win more majors, it's gonna be in the next two years or he's m- probably kinda done winning majors. That's typically how these things go.
If you, if you get two quickly, you gotta get a third. You gotta get a third pretty quick or else it gets very, very hard to win the third major. Like, that's just how it all f- how it all falls here.
It'd be so funny if he won this, and the one, like, that he was missing is very clearly the tournament that he's had the most success in. I know. [laughs] I know. The other... So another thing I looked up, I was,
I was interested in how players did the year before, um, the actual Masters. So, like, what fi- w- how did a guy finish. I wrote this all down, so let me find it here, 'cause it was interesting.
Since 2000, I looked this up. Guess how many players since 2000 missed the cut the year before they won the next year's Masters. One. Patrick Reed is the only player this century to miss the cut, then win the next year.
Fi- the average finish is 21st place, and in the last, uh, five years it's been 13th in '21. Matsuyama finished 13th. '22, Scheffler was 18th the year before. '23, Rahm was 27th.
Um, Scheffler finished 10th, and Rory finished 22nd in '20- t- in '24. So you have to, like, make the cut and actually play okay, and Xander I think was, uh, in the tw- finished like 21st, 22nd.
So that was another thing I was kind of looking at. So if you missed the cut last year, you were like, you're out of my, you were out of my, uh, out of my picks.
So that's, that was another kind of thing I was looking at, too, as I was making my list. Good stat. Yeah, it was interesting.
Um, and then there's the o- there's the other stat with, that Kyle Porter throws out where 11 of the last 13 have a 1, 1.7 strokes gained or better. So there's 13 guys on the, there's like 11 guys on the list this year.
Um, but there's some funny ones on that list, too. [laughs] Yeah. Like Seth Strackman. Um, who, his... Like, I feel like he misses the cut every single other week. Yeah, he's a terrible major player.
Uh, he had that six shot at the, uh, British Open that everyone remembers him for. That chip shot. Um, my, my pick, right. Patty Reid. Oh, just l- just Liv boys and... Okay.
Another just guy you're just back in the competition. You're just picking chips on shoulders. Chips on shoulders. Um,
he plays that course very, very well, and I feel like he has been really gearing up for this tournament. Like really gearing up. Uh, I like him a lot.
I, I mean, I talked about him earlier so I don't need to go, go through it again. He's won a couple times DP World Tour. Lost in the playoff, come in like second again. Like it, it's [laughs] the, the guy's just playing
good golf and plays well at Augusta, which, you know, you probably don't have the advanced metrics on him given where he's played. But, like, he's, he's gotta be up there.
I don't have any, I don't have anything pulled up right now. But the, uh, yeah, I mean, I was... I started playing around with, like, is he gonna break just every European tour, DP World Tour record?
Is he gonna win the p- be, like, the most wins in a single season? 'Cause it's five. It's like five or six wins is the record. Like Seve I think won. But, okay. Faldo might have won five or six.
Um, so it'll be fascinating if he just goes and stays out in Europe and wins at a, like, record-setting pace. Would be, would be kinda cool. Uh, he seems like he might be able to do it.
[laughs] I wonder if he wins a major if he gets automatic status on tour. It's not about status, it's about the suspension. It is? Yeah, I think so. I don't think. 'Cause he doesn't have status now, but...
I think he could earn status and just jump in in August maybe, but there's nothing going on in August, and he could play in the fall, I guess. Um, yeah, if he wins, I guess he just it, it would defer until...
But I think he's just suspended until August, 'cause that's the last time he played on Liv. So I might have that wrong, but that's how I assume it's going down. Um, so my last pick, I mean, this guy could legit win.
Cam Young. Obviously playing terrific. Yeah. Um, he has played well at the Masters before. Um, so, like, those two things, you just, you kinda look at the stuff and it's
who's playing well, who's played well at the Masters, and that's kind of where I was going with, with all my picks. Yeah. He's on that list of guys with a 1.7 strokes gained or better.
He missed the cut last year, which actually was part of the reason- Yeah, that's-... I kinda took him off. He's playing in his fifth major or f- his fifth Masters, and it's another kind of like the magic
w- window is the 6th to the 11th. I actually wrote a note just he might be a year away from beingKind of the, uh, a f- a top five favorite here. But he's definitely a, a good pick. I don't hate it. He was on my...
He was, like, on my list if some of these other guys disappeared. But I know there's always one guy who's never gonna disappear off of my list. I'm gonna try to... I'm just gonna ride- Rory. Rory, Rory...
I'm gonna ride with Rory. Rory, Rory. I'm gonna take Rory this year. Rory. Because it is so open. Like, I have... I got Hideki written down. I have Fleetwood. Um, Ludvig we left on the table. Yeah. There's a, there's...
Like we said- Rory's the one left on the table... it's so open. Yeah. Well, yeah. Maybe he can get comforted by a 17-year-old golfer when he walks off the 18th green. I d- I don't know.
I just think, I think if I'm gonna pick somebody out of that group, I'd rather pick the guy who I'd like to root for and- I mean, you've got Rory in the starting. I think people would take that and, uh- Is defending.
And could... Yeah. I know. Just a real... But we gotta have dark horses, which is, which is where the fun. I mean, it's, it- So who do you have as your dark horse?
It's interesting 'cause I- Unless you wanna talk about Rory for a little bit. I'm happy to talk about him... I do, I do think that, I do think that this tournament's a little different.
You could probably bring the dark horses down more than in other tournaments. Um, like, I mean, Hideki's quasi a dark horse. I know. I know. You know what I mean? Like- That's why I was trying to- Like Go-...
figure out the right- To, to me, somebody like Godderup is a dark horse. Koepka, dark horse. Um, so maybe- Yeah, like-... what I said earlier about 20 people is, is probably way too high.
But, but again, someone that has not that great of odds. Like, I don't think Justin Rose is a dark horse. I mean, jeez, I'm looking at the odds. Patrick Reed, I didn't even look at these.
Um, Patrick Reed's way down there. Like, I don't think he's a dark horse. Yeah. I mean, even someone like Shane Lowry is 68 to 1. Oh, my God. That one is the mo- uh, he and Akshay were the most bizarre ones for me. Yeah.
Especially Lowry. Like, Lowry's had good rounds there. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he had a good l- he had a good year last year, and he was all... Was it last year he was all pissed 'cause they were asking about Rory? Yeah.
Right? Well, yeah. That Saturday. He, he like, he just got- On Saturday. Yeah. And he'd shot 80 or something. Um- No, he just had a bad finish. He just had like... He made a bad...
He didn't shoot 80, 'cause he was still like, "I'm gonna go... I, I, I have a tournament to try to win tomorrow." Oh. Oh. Yeah, yeah. It was... I, I do remember the, the press conference. Um- Yeah. He was just pissed.
Anyways. So, uh, yes. But he's 68 to 1. He's like 10 to 1 to finish top 10. Like, that's not a bad bet. No, that's a great bet. Shane Lowry's a major winner. If he... He's also...
Like, I don't know if the firm and fast will matter. We've already made our picks. But, like, he's kind of a guy who seems to play... Doesn't love the [laughs]... Doesn't love...
As opposed to what people might think, it doesn't seem like he loves to play in the rain, um, as an Irishman. [laughs] No. I actually think he hates it. He's actually come out and said he hates it. [laughs] Yeah.
He- Which is s- hilarious. Yeah. So he might not be a bad little top 10, uh, nugget. My, my, my dark horse, um, is, uh, the Hojgaard twins. Just both of them. Both. Yeah. I gue- Both of them. Yeah. I, ha- one last name.
If you, [laughs] if you can find a- Gene- they're genetically the same, so you get both of them. Yeah. Yeah, no. We had... And the reason I, I... If you want me to pick one, I will.
I still can't tell the difference between the two of them. [laughs] No. I can't either. And, and, and Sean, I- I mean, they're identical. You're not supposed to... I play... But I play, I pay a lot of attention to golf.
I can't tell you which one was on this past Ryder Cup and which one was on the one before. Yeah. [laughs] Neither can, neither, neither can I. And, and like, maybe if I really thought about it, I could.
I can't tell you which one's better than the other, because I feel like it's switched a lot. Yeah. And so I'm just, I'm- Hence the Ryder Cup stuff... I'm taking the Hojgaard [laughs] twins. The Hojgaard twins.
[laughs] 'Cause I know one of them has actually played well there. There, there was someone asking about... I th- I, I don't know who.
I don't know if it was Rasmus or- And it might be an underrated story, by the way, the fact that these twins are, [laughs] like, studs in golf. I know. I know. I know.
Someone was asking one of the, one of those twins today about, like, their... About the Scandinavian golfers between... I think Norren's in the field. Ludvig's in the field.
There's these two Danish g- they're both from Denmark. Hovland's gonna be in it too. And then, and then... And Hovland, and Rasmus, uh, Nørgaard Pedersen, another Rasmus. Yeah, yeah.
And then they asked Godderup about his Danish... 'Cause Godderup's got, like, a, [laughs] like a Danish grandmother. I think Godderup was a little [laughs] like... Well, he was like, "I, I don't speak Danish."
So I think they asked if he speaks Danish. He's like, "I've been there a couple times. Uh, but I'm pretty American." [laughs] Someone's just digging for a story, trying to find other Danes in the field.
So you're take- Are you, are you really gonna take both? 'Cause I can just take two dark horses myself. I've got two people written down, and they're not the Hojgaard twins. No.
Well, I mean, I get both of them, so yeah, both. I, I honestly don't know which one to take. I mean, you c- you can pick. You can give me one, but I'm taking both of them. [laughs] That's... I, I- Okay.
I'll give you, I'll give you both. Give me, give me Rasmus. I don't know. [laughs] Okay. I didn't, I didn't wanna pick for you, 'cause then I'd... Whoever I picked was gonna win. I mean, you can't take another one.
No, I'm not gonna take the other one. No, he's off the table. Um, I'm taking... Oh, man. I'm between two here. I'm gonna take Matt McNealy. Awesome. I like rooting for him. And he's...
He had a, like, an okay major stretch last year. Made every cut. Like, in the 20s, 30s. He's popped a little bit this year. He's obviously won on tour. Um, but he's just...
He also, I think, if it's firm and f- I don't know, I don't know if this makes a difference. He doesn't hit the ball very far.
But I wonder if the firm and fast is going to, like, help some of the shorter guys and maybe bring some more dudes into theinto the equation who don't hit it as far if they can kind of use some slopes and get a little bit of extra, uh, I- I mean, that's where you see somebody like Henley.
That is... Yeah. Right. So McNeely kind of falls in there, too. So I'm taking Mav. Sorry, Mav, you'll probably now miss the cut. My apologies [laughs] for that pick. I don't know.
I mean, your, your long shots usually do pretty well. Yeah. All right. That's, that's it. So you've got Rahm, Reed, Cam Young, and Rasmus Højgaard, don't call me Nikolai.
And I've got Scotty, Xander, Rory, and Mav McNealy as my, as my four. Some year we'll track this all appropriately. Maybe I'll start this year, and we can figure out a way to- Trump Slammer. Ooh, okay. Yep.
Do you have one in mind? Morikawa. Yeah. Morikawa might be, like, a withdraw. [laughs] He might not even play badly enough to, to miss the cut. I am going to... I'm gonna go with Fitz. Ooh, really?
I was thinking about even picking him to win. I'm sorry, I cannot pick a guy who chips cross-handed to win at the Masters. I think, I think we've... I, I just... I could, I could not. And I'm looking at this list.
I mean, Vijay, Vijay won. He's, he is playing well. He wasn't chipping cross-handed, but. Yeah. So I think maybe Fitzy misses the cut.
But I would try to pick someone high up who's playing all right, who might have a bad week. He'd, he'd be my pick. Um- I used to just pick Ian Poulter, so. I know. I, I like Fitz, so I feel, I feel bad.
I'm not gonna root for him to miss the cut, but I think, I think he might miss the cut. Anything else? Any last thoughts? My, my one last thought is that I did have two bets that I thought were kind of fun.
Oh yeah, you put them down here. I just wrote them down. Albatross? Tr- to... So again, like, these are just fun things. So to make a hole in one in the tournament is minus 162, I think, or minus 160. Okay. That is
a preposterous odds for that amount of people in a tournament. Like, it is not... Like, the... So y- you're betting
just for something that's fun to happen, which it very well could happen, but that's not, like, the right odds for it. They're baking in everyone betting yes. Plus 1600 for an albatross. Oh, boy.
Like, that [laughs] that is... Plus 1600. You could put $50 down and win $800. Yeah. That'll pay for a lot of, uh, a lot of drinks. When was the last albatross? Was it... It must've been Louis.
We were due for one, is what I'm saying. I think we're due for one, and there were a lot... There were a lot of close shots on 15 at the ANWA this year, so, hmm, you never know. Yeah. Yep.
And we had, what, Stewart Sink get one last week, a walk-off on 18. Uh- There you go... so they're, they're out there. They're out there. People, maybe they're, maybe they're coming.
So you think, you are saying that someone should bet that there will be a hole in one? I'm saying that it's terrible odds. I, it, it used... When, years ago- Yeah, the-...
when I first started gambling, it was, like, minus 110, minus 110- Yeah... for yes, no hole in one. It was, like, betting a spread.
But now, but now because everyone, like, the public has started to bet on this stuff, everyone wants to bet yes hole in one. Yeah, they wanna root for a hole in one.
And remember last year, that pin was top right on 16 on Sunday. I know. [laughs] Yeah. [laughs] That changes things.
The other, the other cool bets are they have, um, the holes that you can bet hole in ones on, which are pretty cool. And so every one but 16 is, like, significantly plus. So if you can pick a different hole. Yeah.
It's just, it's fun stuff. Like, I mean, you don't need to throw a lot of money on it, but, you know, without betting individual bets, those are, those are kind of fun ones. And albatross,
I mean, hey, man, somebody could go out there on two and just sling one in there. Yeah. Especially if it's firm and fast, there might be some more guys trying to reach 13. Who knows what 13's gonna look like.
But, but you're, you're pr- They, they don't give the no side of these equations very much because the population is so small. Because the, the field is actually...
The field that can make an albatross is equivalent to a field that makes the cut at a normal tour event. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's 90 guy... It's like 93 guys this week, I think, or 89 guys. Right.
But, but, like, and the seniors can't do it. Right. That are in there. And, like, the, you know, the, whatever. Like, you're just, you're really significantly decreasing, um, the chances.
So- And, and then it's smaller on the weekend because there's- It gets even smaller. You're 50 guys- Yeah... which is, which is small. Yeah, versus 70 in ties. Yeah. I... But the ball does roll a lot there, so anyway.
Yeah. I know. This is gonna be firm and fast. I'm excited. I can't wait. Can't wait either. Um, well, enjoy the week, and, uh, thanks for doing this again, Burke. I will do it until you kick me off.
[laughs] All right, we'll see ya. See ya. [outro music]