PGA TOUR COUNTDOWN™

Teeing Up with Lanny Watkins: A Look at Golf's Evolution, Event Innovation, and the Future of the Tour

December 31, 2023 HOST: FRANK A. BASSETT
Teeing Up with Lanny Watkins: A Look at Golf's Evolution, Event Innovation, and the Future of the Tour
PGA TOUR COUNTDOWN™
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PGA TOUR COUNTDOWN™
Teeing Up with Lanny Watkins: A Look at Golf's Evolution, Event Innovation, and the Future of the Tour
Dec 31, 2023
HOST: FRANK A. BASSETT

Feel the pulse of golf's evolving landscape as we tee up with Hall of Famer Lanny Watkins, sharing his seasoned views on the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and his storied Ryder Cup history. Lanny swings into the heart of modern challenges, including the LIV Golf Series' impact on the beloved tournament. The conversation doesn’t shy away from the speculation around Tiger Woods' potential involvement in his Bahamian event, while our very own Frank Bassett stirs the pot with lighthearted takes on Arizona city names and a foggy escapade at the country music awards.


Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Feel the pulse of golf's evolving landscape as we tee up with Hall of Famer Lanny Watkins, sharing his seasoned views on the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and his storied Ryder Cup history. Lanny swings into the heart of modern challenges, including the LIV Golf Series' impact on the beloved tournament. The conversation doesn’t shy away from the speculation around Tiger Woods' potential involvement in his Bahamian event, while our very own Frank Bassett stirs the pot with lighthearted takes on Arizona city names and a foggy escapade at the country music awards.


Speaker 1:

Welcome to the fusion of golf, music, sports and entertainment. Golf Talk America with Tim Matthews and Frank Bassett. Take it away, boys.

Speaker 2:

And hello everybody. Welcome to Golf Talk America and Matthews with you today. And we've got a special guest joining us very shortly. That would be legendary Hall of Fame golfer Lanny Watkins. So stay tuned for that coming up in just a few minutes. In the meantime, we'll talk about where Lanny is, which is at the Charles Schwab Cup Finals, if you will, for the PJ Tour champions Kind of final event. Give you a little bit of update on what's going on there. And of course he will too when he joins us from Phoenix and whatever else is happening in the world of golf. I guess a lot of eyes are on the Bahamas and Albany and Tiger's event coming up at the end of this month. And will he play? Won't he play? Everybody's kind of wondering. I'm thinking the smart money is he will try to play at least and show up and have some fun and pick up a little check, probably in the same time. So a lot of stuff that we can talk about. In the meantime. Frank Bassett is always in the Nashville Studios. How you doing, frank?

Speaker 3:

I want to get straight on to phonetics. Okay.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 3:

When we're talking about Arizona, of course, the 2023 Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club. In Phoenix, and you know, we have the Colaguard that we attend most every year and Tucson. Now, tucson is spelled at what? How do you spell?

Speaker 2:

Tucson T-U-S-C-O-N yeah.

Speaker 3:

So how do you get Tucson out of Tuxon Tuxon? So how do you get Phoenix out of phonics?

Speaker 2:

I don't know how much thought did you put into this. A lot, did you sleep last night? No, no, no, that was tossing and turning.

Speaker 3:

That happened to Phoenix and, all seriousness, the CMAs were here last night, so we always attend that and that's a huge part of the country music awards. It's our Academy Awards for country music. And, okay, foggy, this morning, tim Foggy, oh is it, is it Very?

Speaker 2:

foggy in my head.

Speaker 3:

Oh, I'm sorry the weather. No, no, no no, no, no, no. The country music awards the parties.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 3:

You know, redneck Oscars, I'm sorry, whatever.

Speaker 2:

Anyway, glad that's over Anyway.

Speaker 3:

No, it's going to be great to be having Lanny on the show. He is a legend, yeah, a great commentator. I mean he does such a good job for PGHR champions. Quality coverage.

Speaker 2:

And we'll talk to him about I know we're going to go backwards a little bit, but we'll talk to him a bit about the Ryder Cup, because Lanny is legendary Ryder Cup, I mean seriously one of the. If there was a Ryder Cup I don't think there is Hall of Fame, but if there was, he'd be in it Played for an eight of them and consecutively and just never, never seemed to miss and almost always won. They had a few draws in there, but back in the time the US was kind of an automatic win and Lanny did exceptionally well. So we'll talk to him about what changes. He and he captained one team as well 95. So what changes, he might think, but also the lingering effect of how do we fix this thing?

Speaker 2:

It's our Ryder Cup team in the US is just, it's a broken system and they got to figure the way to fix it, because, while there certainly are great international and well European golfers, we should be losing them as consistently as we have been over the last 20 years. Just there's no excuse for it.

Speaker 3:

At least we're consistent. Lanny says you know, we're consistently bad.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yes, that's good, that's a good thing.

Speaker 3:

Well, this year, understandably so, based on the fact that we have a ripple in the force between Liv and PGA Tour. So, yeah, yeah, and that that caused a lot of problems and his thoughts on that as well.

Speaker 2:

Right, I mean to see what he thinks about that yeah, supposed merger and how that's going to maybe come together, and and what he thinks about if we put our best players and you know, I'm not only Ryder Cup team, but do we also get to see him in majors? So right now there's still that a partness, if you will, that we don't know who's going to be at the Masters and will the best players be there? Well, if they don't get invited but I guess the former champions will always get invited, I guess that's still on the roster but if you're a Xkepka, you don't get invited. You know it doesn't sit well with a lot of people about not having the best players feature, especially in the best events of the world. So what do you think about that?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, Lanny, like we're going to send the Coast Guard to fight our battles in the Middle East? I don't think so. No, maybe. Maybe that's a little bit. That's not a good analogy, is it? No, I guess not. Hey, there's a lot going on in speaking of live, a lot going on right now, and two boys who may be out, given what's happened with the going on at live, and one is Pat Perez and the others Graham McDowell. They may be out, and if they aren't back on the team, where do they go? Where do they play? They?

Speaker 2:

won't qualify. So you're saying exactly as in, they didn't play well enough.

Speaker 3:

Didn't play well enough over the season.

Speaker 2:

Have that people? People think that you just keep playing at live, like you just get a free pass, but they actually have a system in place where it's complicated, it really is back in. Yeah, yeah, but there will be some in present. I think Brooks's brother, is it Chase Kepke?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, Chase Kepke Right.

Speaker 2:

Chase. Yeah, that he's out, I think as well, because he was kind of the bottom of whatever the 48 guys. And so there are. There is some attrition there that they're talking about and which was part of the. The reasoning, part of the reason for not getting World Golf ranking points was that there really isn't much attrition, right that the same guys play every week. There's no Monday qualifying and whatnot, that kind of made. I guess the golf world think that's a better system for actually giving points. So that was one of them. So I don't know if that's going to, because I think at some point you've got to look at the at the live tour. I think even if they stay separate, who knows, all this is all going to come together at the end of the year is when it's supposed to be finalized.

Speaker 2:

Well we see that's slowly getting here, right.

Speaker 3:

So either we're going to have liftoff at the end of the year or we're going to have an explosion on the pad and I'm, I'm thinking, I'm thinking it's going to blow up.

Speaker 2:

It might. I mean it might, and, but my point, my point was that I still think the live tour, if you look at it, is easily as good. If you're giving World Golf ranking points to the DP, world Tour, to Asian Tour, well, yeah, the Canadian. Tour to to Latin American tour, those, all those tours and events get World Golf ranking.

Speaker 2:

and you're saying the live tour players well, 54 holes, here we go with the yeah but we're going to be seeing that the PJ Tour, frank right and you're going to be seeing no cuts. Yeah, you're going to be seeing. Some of the similar things that they complained about are being integrated into the PJ Tour, so it's a fine line.

Speaker 3:

It's also, it's a cuss fight, and yeah, yeah you know, it really is. It's a well, you're infringing on our golden goose, and well, we own the golden goose and it's going to lay in eggs if you mess with us.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, type attitude.

Speaker 3:

And so yeah, it's going to be a mess. It is right now and it's affected the quality of of of golf. Yeah, for the fans.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, which is which I know is secondary to the people fighting. They're almost like oh yeah, you guys over there that want to watch and go to and attend golf and spend the money for sponsors and blah, blah, blah, blah. The real reason, I think we're secondary. It's almost like here's our little fight between us and here's what we're doing. And I think what should come down to Frank, like I think a lot of these fights similar to when Congress has issues and the Democrats, republicans, they should do it like Troy the movie with Brad Pitt.

Speaker 1:

Remember the beginning of the movie they finally said.

Speaker 2:

Remember the beginning of the movie. The two, two armies were going to fight and the two generals come out and say tell you what? Let's do it the old school way your best guy against our best guy. The winner takes all right. Brad Pitt had to come running in from behind. All that kind of right. They had a monster guy on the one side. That's how they should do it. The PJ Tour should say monahan, greg Norman, ding ding, ding going to ring somebody. I don't think so.

Speaker 3:

Well, I know who would win that fight. Yeah, I know, Don't we hands down.

Speaker 2:

but it just, but it just keeps going Right.

Speaker 3:

It just keeps just a bunch of bull lawyers and lawyers and who knows? And you know who else is losing in this. And I'm not a real sympathetic person when it comes to people who don't advertise with us, but the sponsors Sure, the sponsors that advertise with us I'm very sympathetic, like invited and love those guys Right.

Speaker 2:

Indeed, they want money from all the from 20 million now you know from from. Instead of it being eight million or nine million for a total purse, they want 20. Well, those are they saying. Are we getting our $20 million worth?

Speaker 3:

And maybe they have a say in this, if you're a sponsor, if you're exactly what happened when they say we know we need our best players out here.

Speaker 2:

We don't want just a semi good field for our added money.

Speaker 3:

You know that's going on in the negotiations with the tour, especially the tournament sponsors. Well, wait a minute. You're wanting a 20 million out of us and, yeah, we don't have. Let's see, let's go down the list of who we don't have.

Speaker 2:

Right, not who we do have. Because even if you don't think, phil, let's just say it fills a draw, still Huge draw.

Speaker 2:

Just like Tigers a draw. Tiger is not going to, in my opinion, not going to win any more tournaments, but let's just say theoretically it's going to be unlikely he wins. But if Tigers in your tournament, it's a huge difference, right, Of course Fills that kind of draw kept because that draw. So if you don't have those guys and you're the title sponsor and Frank is writing a check, Frank's kind of going, why are we not getting those guys in our tournament again? Instead we've got eight, 10, 15 guys that nobody's ever heard of.

Speaker 3:

So that's not belittling their talent, because they're some very talented players. In fact, the corn fairy tour is it's hugely competitive.

Speaker 2:

Sure, but you just don't know them and it's hard to sell tickets to Bob Smith, you know, coming into play in your tournament.

Speaker 3:

Well, you see that on the corn fairy tour how hard it is to sell tickets on the corn fairy tour, to get the patrons out there To see future stars, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And let's be honest with NBA and NFL and on and on and on, the entertainment dollar, frank, is getting cut thinner and thinner and thinner.

Speaker 3:

Every day.

Speaker 2:

You know who doesn't go to. People go to mixed martial arts. There's all kinds of other things they can spend their money on. If you're not going to spend money on coming to my golf tournament, I got a problem.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

I got to figure out how to solve that problem. To get you interested in my and that's where I lived to her, I think, is that. Well, if that's certainly a challenge, then let's make it more fun. And you've been to an event, I have been to one yet.

Speaker 3:

Oh, it's incredibly fun.

Speaker 2:

They're playing the music, they're doing it and they're like OK, if we're going to change things up a little bit, then maybe that's what we have to do. And and get people to come.

Speaker 3:

And there's a big article out today and one of the digital publications that's very pro PGA tour. That is totally against music. Liv needs to cut it out. No music on the golf course. We'll tell that to Bushnell, who made the Walkman. I mean not the Walkman, the, what's it called? What's that thing called? The little speakers?

Speaker 2:

the wingman, wingman yeah.

Speaker 3:

I have two of them and I can't remember the name. That's how tough it was last night.

Speaker 2:

Two am in bed, Um yeah, I mean, did you like the music at the?

Speaker 3:

Miami event. I absolutely loved it and it wasn't overpowering, it was music. And they bring it down. Ok, music and party. And introducing Dustin Johnson now in the team oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and they bring it down. He teased off everybody. Then it brings it up and everybody cheers it's, it's a show, folks, it's a show.

Speaker 2:

And here's another part of that too, frank. Going back to the writer couple we were talking about, when you go to the writer cup you even watch on TV. It's a whole different atmosphere because it's it's serious cheering for and against, and yet for some truest that want to go, oh, there's music and everything should be the way Hogan played it. Nice they want to smoke it and they don't want to boo and a heckle. But if you go to writer cup, that is 80 percent of the fun is seeing that the European fans get on the American guys and vice versa.

Speaker 3:

Have you been to a writer cup? No, ok, I'm not trying to one up you, but I have been to several and they're, they're fabulous. I mean, you have golf and you're right, you can parallel those two. It's, they have walk up music and walk out music, or whatever you want to call it. And at the writer cup it's, it's fun, it's enjoyable.

Speaker 2:

And you see quality golf. Oh yeah, patrick Reed egging the crowd on his hand to his ear Like I can't hear. You know you don't see that on a regular tour.

Speaker 3:

So boo boo, running down off the first T box with this club between his legs and slapping it like he's riding a pony, yeah, yeah, you know, so fun stuff.

Speaker 2:

People have a good time and I'm like, ok, so are we supposed to not have a good time? The rather, the other 80 events before you get to a writer. No, they should all be fun and entertaining and have a good time.

Speaker 3:

I should.

Speaker 2:

And I get it. Everything's not for everybody, and that's OK. If you don't want music, maybe that's not your cup of tea, maybe you should go to. But if there's a lot of people that aren't going, who would go if it was jazzed up a little bit at a golf event? Yeah, then maybe that's who we have to accommodate.

Speaker 3:

Well, that's what ones who aren't going back to the matter is what do you think those corporate shallows are for all around 18 and around 16? It's in Scottsdale and what do you think?

Speaker 1:

I think that's where the party is. Yeah, obviously.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it's it's, it's, it's christening and things like that. Yeah, baptism.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, hey, yeah, marriages, yeah Well, divorces, yeah, I saw you kissing that girl on 16.

Speaker 3:

No, I mean, that's, that's what it is, what lived it is. They took the walls down off of that. Now they do have some private venues there that we have access to, which is really nice, but not as it's not as well. It's us and them. You know how many alphabet letters do you have on your badge? L, p, q, r, j, m in big deal. Live open. They took the doors off and said OK, let's all enjoy it. This is every man's golf, let's have fun. Yeah, and they did it, and they put shorts on and they didn't like that on the PGA tour. A lot of stuff, a lot of stuff. So, yeah, so.

Speaker 2:

I know it's a lot of noise Right, so I think I go back to you know doing the World Long Drive championships.

Speaker 3:

Oh God, you used to see those. I mean, you were the guy out there screaming and hollering.

Speaker 2:

Right, and so I was encouraged to stop Not be quiet, and I get that's a bit of a different animal in the world of golf, but still, guys would step up there and make a living out of hitting the hell out of a golf ball. Well, you had to concentrate. You had to quiet. I mean, you had, but you didn't. You had to do it within yourself because they had AC DC blaring from the speed as you were swinging the club. They didn't bring it down after you came on this and so it was going all the way through your, your swings.

Speaker 2:

But you once, it's not a sudden noise, it becomes just part of the event. Right, it's not a intrusive kind of thing like a car backfiring on your backswing would be troublesome, but if the music's always there then it's not really a big deal and it quite honestly it gets the fans screaming, and before you and the guys were even raising their hands like this kind of telling the fans get excited so they can swing with all kinds of noise going on. So I think you know it's, it's. You can have just that music thing. You can have music. You can have a good time at a golf event, well, and not have to go. Oh, but it's not the same way that Byron else played here's.

Speaker 3:

Here's something I think they need to do, and this is nothing against my friend David Ferrety or Jerry Foltz OK, nothing against those guys. Foltz's Forte was always being out walking the fairways with the players he was. He's so good at that. Yeah, I think they're restricting him when they put folks in I'm talking of the live broadcast team they put him in the booth and so they're sitting there with monitors trying to cover 18 holes simultaneously, as opposed to being able to. They have some people out there, you know, the young lady who did long drive and some other guys. Excuse me, but I think it's restrictive the way they're. They're covering it from the broadcast booth, being the play by play.

Speaker 3:

I think they need more people out on the course and let the broadcast booth and like you are, be the traffic cop. You're I mean you're controlling the traffic with the show. I mean you do the outs and ends and all that, and that's why you know you're good at that. Let's take what people are best at and put them at doing that. And I'm just saying that you would be honest. I'm not. I'm not not BS in here. You'd be really good on the live golf tour in that broadcast booth.

Speaker 2:

You would be good in there, better than what they have right now, I promise you yeah, and they make them make us through some changes that are involving me, but I mean it makes it go through some changes because it's all new and they're trying to figure out right how they should do this and what they should do. I'm just saying I give them credit for trying something. If they would have just said we're going to be PGA tour light, right, and just another version of the PGA tour would have made any sense. You've got to do something that is like OK, this is different and unique. And even the NFL who's king of the mountain when it comes to sports and making money and everything even the NFL tries new, different things, whether it's rule changes and replays and all.

Speaker 2:

And that's what you have to do. You have to evolve, right. If you just kind of stay as golf always was, you're not going to exist. I mean, it wasn't that long ago, Frank, that tennis was a really big sport oh, huge as far as spectators, and I used to love watching Wimbledon and US Open and Bjorn Borg and McEnroe back in the. I don't watch any tennis anymore.

Speaker 3:

Well, I like to. It's August. Remember Auguste throwing his blue, blue, jean tennis shorts up into the stands? I mean, you know, not taking them off. He had them in his bag and he'd throw them up to people. By the way, he was, by the way, just a point totally off of the show. Auguste dated Barbara Streisand at one time.

Speaker 2:

He did, didn't he?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, he did so. That's a new book.

Speaker 2:

That's the yeah that sports evolve and sometimes they kind of fade away a little bit, yeah, and sometimes they're bigger. I, olympic events and things like that used to be a bigger thing to me and, I think, to the fans and now it's kind of diminished a little bit Like I don't really know any of the pole vultures. I don't know some of the sprinters know, a lot of that stuff Right. Well in high school and college you know golf can't go that way is my point. You don't want golf to be like well golf used to be a big thing.

Speaker 3:

I live. I don't know how this is all going to pan out. And by December 31 was the projected date or the target goal date that they would have an agreement. That ain't happening. That's a. That's a pipe dream. Yeah, it's going to be another year at least. You're talking about huge mergers and, with the PGA tour enterprise, a new co whatever you're going to call it, if it's in existence. Yet there are other people who want to invest. So you know, let's see what happens. And then there is the, the Department of Justice.

Speaker 1:

Oh, yeah, yeah, I forgot about them.

Speaker 2:

Make sure that everything's tied up with a bow.

Speaker 3:

There's certainly going to get their piece of flesh out of this deal, so so let's say let's take a break.

Speaker 2:

We got it. I said. Lanny Watkins is in Phoenix getting ready for the Charles Schwab challenge and a champions tour and he's going to join us in a brief short window that he has and we're so appreciative that he's got a little bit of time to spend with us and add to the incredible knowledge that Frank and I have just laid down.

Speaker 3:

Shot the dark radio folks right here.

Speaker 2:

If he has anything to add to that. I can't imagine he would, and we'll hear what he has to say about that and other thoughts coming your way. So stay with us. You're listening to Golf Talk, america and Frank and I will return with Lanny Watkins right after this.

Speaker 3:

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Speaker 2:

Welcome back to Golf Talk America, to Matthews and Frank Bassett with you and we talked about about everything that we could talk about over the last twenty minutes or so doing the first segment. And, as we tease and let everybody know, we have a special guest joining us and he's in Phoenix getting ready for the champions tour and the Charles Schwab challenge that they have out there starting in a few hours. But he has a few minutes for us and welcome, lanny Watkins. Thanks for being with us, lanny, how are you doing this morning?

Speaker 1:

I'm doing very well. Good to be with you guys.

Speaker 3:

Great having you, buddy. How is that Phoenix Country Club Golf Course? I'm sure you've scouted that thing out.

Speaker 1:

Well, it really is. It's a terrific course. It's in town, it's not like your typical desert course. It's the one we played on tour, played the Phoenix Open that for years. In fact I won on this course in 1982. Phoenix Open by like six shots or something, so it's always been one of my favorites. I had a really good record here. We played here until, I think, 86 when they moved up to Scottsdale, to the TBC Scottsdale. So it's a nice move bringing the champions tour in here for our Schwab Cup. It's a course that the players a lot of them have played in years past so it's fun for them to be here and being in town. We really get great galleries and good attention. It's just a great venue for what we're doing.

Speaker 2:

You also have a bit of breaking news in a sad way or an unfortunate way, and that is the hottest golfer on the tour, the champions, who were Steve Stricker, had to withdraw. You found that out, I guess, yesterday probably?

Speaker 1:

Yes, we did. I guess his father has some heart issues or something or his undergoing surgery and I don't know the extent of what it is, but obviously we wish Steve and his family all the best. We're going to miss him here this week. He's already won the Schwab Cup because he's played so well all year. He won six times a bunch of majors and most of the tournaments with the biggest money. So he had them and our points are essentially money points until he gets to the playoffs and then the money essentially doubles to add up to the end of the year for the cup and Steve had already won so much he had to claim. So not a whole lot of suspense there, but we still got a good tournament. We got a three million dollar person and 35 players playing for it. Believe me, I'm guessing 35 of them are probably not very disappointed that Steve Stricker is not here.

Speaker 2:

What's the reason? Some people actually, lanny, we're going to go back and talk a little bit about Ryder Cup this year in a second with you, but we have a few people Art Seldar, I know you know Art real well and he's been on our show. He said I think Stricker should have been a serious consideration for the Ryder Cup. Even at his age he's still playing phenomenally well, isn't he?

Speaker 1:

Yes, it's a different ball game. You take him out there and I think Patrick Herrington has been at the same thing. He's played over here. He won this tournament last year by six shots. He just won last week by, I think, seven shots on our second playoff event and he went and tried to play with the kids on the DP World Tour and our PGA this year. I think he had like one top ten and it's not the same. You think you're long to go with those kids and you're not, and all of a sudden it starts pressing. You feel like you've just got to shoot 65 every round and it's just not going to happen. They played really nice.

Speaker 1:

We had the same thing years ago when Hal Erman was winning everything and it was a really serious talk of Hal big on the Ryder Cup team at that point and you know in my mind he would have been a different character. He's had a lot more wins on the record tour than Steve Stricker did. He won three majors. Stricker didn't win any. So you know that would have made more sense back then to me that I don't think Stricker was ever a consideration. He plays really well in a lot of ways. His game is very one dimensional and relies on really hot putting. So, but you know he's the heck of a player and has played, had a, you know, phenomenal year.

Speaker 2:

We're talking with Lanny Watkins, hall of Fame golfer, ryder Cup participant captain. You name it and Lanny's done it. So let's step back a little bit chronologically here, lanny, and when I ran into you to talk to you about being on the show, we were both at the PGA headquarters up in Frisco when they were announcing the entire Ryder Cup team for the US, and so we talked a little bit there. So let's go back to that. And it was as it turned out.

Speaker 2:

We all know by now that it didn't go well for the US and you have such a phenomenal record with Ryder Cup and you're almost always on winning teams as a player five wins, if I'm getting this right. A lot of stats in your career five wins, three draws as a player captain lost by a narrow margin in 1995. But overall, twenty eleven and three. So phenomenal record as Ryder Cup player. You can speak to it as well as anybody. What's not only gone wrong this year, when they looked dismal the US did but even the last 20 years? What's flipped, what's changed that's made the US go from being the heavy favorite to struggling to ever win?

Speaker 1:

Well, I think in a lot of ways, people you know they were able to send to the American team. I think they need to take a step back and understand the Europeans have really gotten better and started, you know, back when, with Sevillian Wisdom and Faldo and then Ole Fahble, sandy Lyle, that group, when they, you know Langer, when they, you know, started playing in Europe, was included, and then you know they played our tour. They knew what they were doing. A lot of the kids have now that played on. I see a lot of the kids that played on the European team went to college. Over here you've got guys who went to Oklahoma State that you know went to Texas Tech. I mean there's two right there that played right right around us. So that's their. Your experience level is entirely different than what it was back. You know, a long time when I was playing it was actually changing when I was playing. They've just gotten a very, very deep tour, so they're better now. Are some of our guys handling it right? I don't know.

Speaker 1:

I've never been a fan of the President's Cup. I think the President's Cup takes away from the Ryder Cup. You know it was a Johnny. Come lately if you will, and I think you're asking our guys to play one of these events every single year. The Europeans gear up for every other year and there's more focus from them on those matches. I think our players could do with that.

Speaker 1:

I don't think the approach this year very seriously. I think the players must have thought they were going to dominate. They didn't play anything leading up to the, you know, to the Ryder Cup, whereas the European players were playing almost every week and staying sharp. You know, it didn't seem like it was important to them until they got over there and found themselves losing and that was and I was there. It was a little disappointing. It was a strange vibe over there. I'm not really told anybody this much, but you know we had a really great contingent of former captains there at the Ryder Cup. You know the PGA invites us to come, just like they did, up in Bisco for the announcements. Well, lee Trevino was there, raymond Floyd was there, I was there, crenshaw, kite Curtis Strange, corey Pavin, paul A Zinger, and we weren't allowed in the player locker room at the course. We weren't allowed in the player team room at the hotel and it wasn't the PGA's, it was the team members in the captain I guess it didn't want us around really found that very strange Lord.

Speaker 3:

I think that's ridiculous, my God.

Speaker 1:

I mean, yeah, I to me was. I mean that that's got to speak to some kind of mindset there or something. I mean it seems like our team is worried more about the locker room being great that when I played and we won, we never thought about the locker room being great. We all got along. You know it's. You know golf's always been an individual sport. I got closer to people when I was on the Ryder Cup team but got to know guys better than I had before, so that was always a big plus and some of us became better friends down the road. But this I don't know. I don't understand, and a lot of us we we're sitting there looking. You know Lee and Raymond and I look at each other like you. What the hell is this all about?

Speaker 3:

so huh, that's, that's. That's a little like the inmates taking over the prison you know, the sailors took over the ship.

Speaker 1:

There's no question. The inmates are running the asylum they really are.

Speaker 3:

They absolutely are, and that I think that's a big problem with our, our team, when the captain.

Speaker 1:

You're getting a captain to be in charge and take care of things and now you're not letting him do it. And right, and I didn't know, you know I, you know I when they did this task force thing, it was supposed to be to train guys to be captains. Then how was? How was having four guys that have already been captain as vice captains doing that? So I, you know a lot of things to. We've had. We actually, as former captains, got had a meeting with Seth Wilde while we're over there. We're not happy by the way things have been going, and that's you know. We let him know it that's good.

Speaker 2:

That's kind of curious too and again we're talking with Lanny Watkins about the Ryder Cup this year over in Rome, and and so, lanny, I'm curious too is when all that was happening, and even again going back to when, when they were announcing the captain's picks, did you have a sense even back then up in Frisco, that this is kind of a bunch of buddies wanting to play golf together?

Speaker 1:

not necessarily did you have that?

Speaker 1:

then, that had already already looked that way it was. It's been looking that way the last few Ryder Cups. You know they all asked to play with each other and they want to play together. I played on 18s. I never one time asked the captain to play with someone. It was always am I playing great? Who with you know that was that was. That was all of our attitude. I don't think any of us ever went into a ride or come thinking I'm going to play with this guy because he's my buddy.

Speaker 2:

Right, well, it'd be nice if they would let you in the room, because you have a lot of knowledge between the guys.

Speaker 1:

I think Raymond and Lee have a little bit as well.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean all of you combined. You think that they would want some input, but apparently the only input is from the younger guy. So well, somebody will get that frank. Send this Frank to PJ headquarters.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you really want me to piss off Camp Pona Vider in a heartbeat, don't you?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, all the guys in Frisco, let them know, oh no.

Speaker 3:

Frisco. No, that's right, sorry, frisco.

Speaker 1:

Well they knew it. I mean, they were there.

Speaker 3:

They really did. Well, you've seen more and more of that going on. Really, guys, I mean, and Tim, you and I have this conversation, landy, tim and I start an hour early and just absolutely voice everything that we can't record.

Speaker 1:

And I understand.

Speaker 3:

Yes, You're in the business, you know, and, but my pet peeve is respect for those that went before us that were successful. Learn from that success, Learn from their failures. But it seems today, especially at the university level, that a lot of these athletes and I'm not just taking golf a lot of the athletes and their trainers and their entourage think they know better than those that are trying to bring them forward to succeed in the uh, in their given sport.

Speaker 1:

It just seems like they've all got a team. I never had a team. My team was my wife. That was pretty much it.

Speaker 1:

So you know, so that was team Jenkins right there. But, uh, you know, but I don't get it either and I will say this you know, we, we always had so much respect and we really wanted to be around the older players. Yeah, I know that for a number of years. I give you a great example For a number of years we played the, our tournament champions at La Costa the same time that senior tour played theirs there, and Crenshaw and I, every year we would, we had fortunate to have been winning and we played the La Costa number of years row. We set up matches every year with Don January and Miller Barber.

Speaker 1:

Oh we wanted to go out and listen to them and talk to them and have fun, you know, more so than I think we wanted to play with them. I mean, they were, you know, there. We always felt like we had something to learn from those guys.

Speaker 2:

Well, in that same vein, Lanny, what we're talking about, the young guys and how their attitude is now writer cup wise. What about the money sense of all this? Is that ridiculous to you? Is there a question?

Speaker 1:

Um, it's unbelievable. No, I never thought about you, can tell you, never, never, never inquired, never asked to be paid. Uh, they gave. I think we got $5,000 and that was to go to our wife's our wives dresses for the event, cause we went to several gala events. So they paid for our wives to get dresses and that was it. Wow, wow.

Speaker 1:

So they gave us they gave us clothes and stuff and you know we all had had teams and stuff and we were all fitted to that and that was. You know you take it to the tailor shop and pay to get it. You know where it fits you good. Last thing you wanted was a pair of pants that didn't fit properly and you had to go play 36 holes in them.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, Been there, done that. Now the hat. The hat issue with Patrick Cantley was one of the things that got my go.

Speaker 1:

I think, if you look back, cantley didn't wear a hat anyway back in, uh, when he played, I think, in the present cup, Correct. So I, so you know guys would pick you back their hats. I gotta tell you I was on tour like 12 years before I wore a hat or a visor at all. You know, we didn't wear them back in the 70s, like like they do now no.

Speaker 1:

And uh, and you know we all wear them today and we should be wearing them, I guess, because you know we know more about, you know what goes on. But if he didn't have a hat that was comfortable, I don't blame, and I got. I must tell you they put two of the hats team hats in my room. I didn't wear them either. I didn't like the way they fit.

Speaker 3:

I didn't, I didn't wear them any clothes that validates what he said then.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, he didn't wear them. I don't have an issue with him not wearing a hat. I think it stood out, because everybody does wear hats these days.

Speaker 3:

And I've always worn visors.

Speaker 1:

I mean, I'm a big visor person, yeah, and I wore visors for the longest time and then uh went, you know, I wore Pino's represent Montalini all the way through about 92. I was wearing visors, so I just I'm wearing hats till a little bit after that, but, um, you know the hats and and we don't. You know, unfortunately, when you're on a team like that, you, you don't control the brand of clothing or hats. I think you do your shoes, that's about it, probably shoes and underwear, but uh, that's probably about it, but I know that when, when.

Speaker 1:

I was with different companies and wore their hats, it was always I would get a brand I wanted and then they would logo it and that I'm sure that's what Kandley does when he when he you know, with his hat that he wears the corporate logo on. So, uh, I didn't. I didn't have an issue with that, I think. I think people were just trying to find something there.

Speaker 2:

So, hmm, Again, we're talking with Lanny Watkins. Hall of Fame member, pro golf, I mean a golfers Hall of Fame back in 2009 got inducted. So let's uh, that was Ryder Cup and great points there and some great uh insight. But in today's world of golf, uh, we can't not talk about the live tour and what's happening, because Frank and I before you came on, lanny we're talking about, well, the end of the year. They're supposed to have made this semi agreement uh, permanent and figured it out. We're getting close to the end of the year. What's your crystal ball say? What do you think is going to happen? Well, number one everybody.

Speaker 1:

Everybody talks about this is live and the tour merging. It's not live and tour and our tour merging is the Saudi fun merging or being, you know, coming on to our tour as a sponsor. That's what you know. We're not merging with live lives. I can be part of it, uh, in my understanding anyway.

Speaker 1:

So, uh, I think there's still a lot of questions of guys leave live with how they. Is there a path back to our tour? I don't know what the signs would be, the suspensions would be, I don't know. I'm not privy to any of that. I haven't watched maybe a minute of live. I have. No, it doesn't. You know? I'm a golf tournament with guys we're in shorts and playing shotgun starts and music playing is not a golf tournament. So, uh, I'm sorry, I don't, I just don't have any interest. It's just too gimmicky. I mean, you know, golf always it's got its own way. I mean, we're going to go change the baseball diamond just because the range is one of the world series. I mean, what are you going to do? I mean, you know, uh, you don't do that. So we play great venues and I think they should be showcased and golf tournaments have worked very, very well for a long, long time.

Speaker 2:

Is it diminished the game of golf? If you, I guess, talk mostly about the majors, if indeed you don't see some of the best players, if the Shambon, capca and whoever else doesn't make it into a major Is there?

Speaker 1:

is there a loss? It's it's. It's honestly their loss. I mean when, when we're playing our regulatory events at this stage of the game, do you miss them at all? Do you think about them?

Speaker 3:

I don't know, not really.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly they. They, you know, out of sight, out of mind, and they're out of sight and out of mind as a point, and you know they're. They're beating the same 40 players every week, or whatever they're playing. I don't know, but it doesn't you know, just don't, I don't care.

Speaker 3:

I personally think we're seeing some of the best golf that we could see right now on the PGA tour. We're seeing players and talent that we would have not normally seen. They wouldn't have been highlighted, and now we're seeing a depth that we've always talked about all the way down to the corn ferry tour.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, a lot of young guys are really improving and and to play in quality golf on the on the corn ferry tour is unbelievable. So it's just going to get better and better and it's you know it's interesting that that our tour is is dialing back some exemptions. Now I always felt that should have happened a long time ago. You know, when I came on the tour the top 60 was exempt and everybody else Monday qualified to get internments. That changed, I want to say, in the early 80s and when it did they more than double the. You know they went to 125 from 60.

Speaker 1:

I always thought I don't have an issue with going to more people being exempt, but we don't more than double it. You know it should have gone. I think I always thought it should go on to 85 or 90, somewhere in that, in that range. Because when you go back and look at all the the money list which we went by money list back in the day, not FedEx points when he looked at the money list he had the same people finishing 75 to 125 every year and were they really adding anything to the tour and was making it hard for younger, really good players coming out of college to get out there and maybe make a difference. You know, get young blood infused, if you will. So that's you know, I always thought that was too many to begin with. Now, going back to where they've gone, almost to 60, it's I don't know if that's right either. So it's you know, time will tell. We'll see what happens.

Speaker 2:

We're talking with Lanny Watkins and about a lot of things, including his great career, but he's in Phoenix for the Charles Schwab Cup championship and they're going to be playing at Phoenix Country Club, a great venue in Phoenix that he was talking about earlier. But another great venue, lanny, I have to say, is Black Jack's Crossing at LeHitas in West Texas that you redesigned and made into a special golf course it is. I've been there, fortunately, about four times now and played there. How's the design work going? Do you have time to do it as much as you'd like to?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's doing pretty well. I've got my little company. I've got a partner that was with Nicholas for 15 years, kurt Bowman, who's just an outstanding architect, and we've just got through a renovation in Austin for invited it used to be Club Corp. We've done some other work for them. We did the range of Los Colinas, we did one in Woodlands, we did one down there at the Gary Player course and we've got some other projects. We're about to start a renovation for them out in California, one in San Antonio. So we've got some work lined up with them and, yeah, we'll get more and more.

Speaker 1:

I'm kind of winding down the TV part of my life. I'm finishing up the last one this year. I'm only doing 12 events next year, which will include a couple of majors and the tournament champions and the playoff events. So I'm doing the main ones next year, but only 12. So I've got more time to do more course design and we may even have a surprise with LeHitas up our sleeve before it's all said. Really, I was down there about a week ago with Scott Beesley who runs it in Kelsie Warren, the owner, and we've got a couple things we're talking about. So we'll see.

Speaker 2:

That's a really unique. I mean I know you've done things all over, of course, but you're right there on the border of Mexico and far west Texas, but a great piece of property and you've done a phenomenal job because I mean the venues you get to see Frank literally. I know you haven't been there.

Speaker 3:

No, I haven't.

Speaker 2:

The real grand. I mean you can hit a ball and I have hit a ball.

Speaker 3:

Not on purpose.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I didn't mean to. Yeah, I just happened to hook it that far. It's a piece of property that you get to work with there, lenny, and it's really special. It's amazing.

Speaker 1:

Well it is. It's unique and the course that was originally. When Kelsie bought it. They had a massive flood and it just wiped it out. So I did a completely different golf course. It's not a renovation, it's a new golf course and we moved it up higher. We still have some around the, but we we even built a couple of I call man made Arroyos that they look very natural and that was done to really keep it out of the you know 1000 year floodplains. What we tried to do. So it's it's become a very popular, good venue. We really have done a wonderful job keeping it in great shape.

Speaker 1:

Kelsie's got JSX running down there and I think three times a week so you can get there. You know, plain wise. We got a you know 7000 foot runway on property so they can go in there and anything to want to. So I love being down there. I was probably one of my most disappointing times of my life was when I finished was finished designing it, so I wasn't spending as much time there. Just a great place to hang out. Yeah, well, I've taken my family down there for Thanksgiving before. We've had we. We love it down there, really do.

Speaker 3:

All right, Tim, it's time to invite Frank down there. Yes, yeah, I'd love to go. I'd love you rave about it.

Speaker 2:

So it's a it's a special place and. Laney, again, I know your time is short so we don't take up too much of it, but I do want it, before you say goodbye, ask you about Tiger Frank and I talked about earlier and the event in all bennies coming up in the Bahamas with him and his buddies. What's your projection on the future of Tiger? Do we think we're going to see anything close to?

Speaker 1:

I don't know. I don't know. I just like everybody else, I would love to see him play. I think he swings the club now almost as well as he ever has. He's really under control, we has to be, because his body won't let him go at it ridiculously hard. But you know it's, it's got so much to give and he's such a big part of the game that when he plays it is exciting. I mean it's like it was like Nicholas and Arnold playing as long as they could and the people really enjoyed seeing them. I think they would come out and drove just to watch Tiger play. So hopefully he comes back in place.

Speaker 1:

But the injuries you said were very telling and you know there's a lot of speculation that he might, when he gets older he may play the champs tour and if he does that would be unbelievable. I mean he can ride and play out here. So you know we have got, you know you can get the ADA. You know American with Disability Act lets you apply for that through doctor stuff. And we've got players even on Termes that are walking tournaments, that are able to take a cart, and we've got a couple of caddies believe it or not that have ADA and Caddies have carts. I don't know how that works.

Speaker 3:

Are you telling me keep pennies out there now, carry the walk.

Speaker 1:

I think that's another.

Speaker 3:

Are you telling me keep Henley has jumped over to Pgh her champions. Is that what it is Gotta be, gotta be? Hey, landy, let me ask you before we let you go I live in Nashville, tennessee. Did you play at one time here in Nashville over at Gaylord?

Speaker 1:

We did play a champions tour event there. I played there. Also I played golf club of Tennessee. A bunch of pretty minding Toby will used to.

Speaker 1:

Yeah is all right there and I played there a number of times that helped then skills start his program out there. Yeah, we kind of model it after the shelter program that we've had. We've had this stark Taylor and I started in Dallas over 30 some years ago that Feny Ewing and Bill Duvall now really have done a magnificent job. They raise, you know, we that's the only thing Preston Trail has. We raised I think over 600,000 one day for shelter for bad women, children.

Speaker 3:

I have a. I have a 12 o'clock today at golf club, by the way, so oh yeah, but yeah, that's the venue is a great venue to.

Speaker 1:

I was defending champion in 1969. We played at Bell meet.

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah yeah, the old Donald Ross course Bell meet.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yeah, great country. Oh yeah, he was green one that you that week come back and see us in Nashville sometime. I love to.

Speaker 2:

All right, lanny. Thanks again for your time. People listening, make sure that you check out this weekend the PJ tour champions, the Schwab Cup championship In Phoenix and Lanny and all the broadcasters doing a wonderful job there again. Thanks so much for your time. We do appreciate it and can't wait to have you on again, lanny.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. Okay, guys, take care. Thanks so much.

Speaker 2:

Take care to. All. Right, take care, lanny Watkins, and I like the fact that, lanny, you know who's now in the 70s. It's fun talking to those guys when you kind of lose your filter right. A lot of us put a filter on from about Not us 30s to 60s. You know, and you're kind of like today right things, and then you kind of get to the point you know how?

Speaker 3:

what the he dropped? He dropped a bomb on us today. How about that? Can you imagine?

Speaker 2:

No, can you get that out to people?

Speaker 3:

Not, we are anybody knows that.

Speaker 2:

Nobody knows that.

Speaker 3:

No, I don't think we're gonna be.

Speaker 2:

We're gonna launch that today all those, all those people that he was talking about, from he and Trevino, and Hail, erwin, and, and, and I mean you enlisted all these different people that Well, floyd not allowed Raymond floor, were not allowed into the Players area, if you will, whether locker locker room, team room, nothing.

Speaker 3:

I would have had those guys in there be like Moses and the boys coming down off the mountain.

Speaker 2:

That is see. I mean come on and here's the thing Frank is that is I think. Most people would look at the Ryder Cup players as you and I would, which would say you know, most of those guys are good guys, right? I mean, I think Scotty Schaeffler and Jordan Spieth and Justin are good guys. They're not egotistical, you know, whatever always in trouble bad.

Speaker 2:

This is certainly painting a picture, and so it's shocking to think that those guys and because that's what he said, remember he said, lanny, it wasn't the PJ of America, wouldn't let us in the players the players. Yeah, wouldn't allow us into and I misspoke.

Speaker 3:

I said PGA tour and, yeah, that's a mistake.

Speaker 2:

I never make Runs it runs it, runs it so, but it's like what the hell, guys, you got your butt kicked and you're being an ass.

Speaker 3:

to Lanny Watkins and Hail Erwin, I mean you have a right Ryder Cup record, like Lanny Watkins has, maybe, maybe.

Speaker 2:

Maybe some osmosis in the room right. It couldn't hurt to have. Like he said, he looked forward to playing with Don January.

Speaker 3:

Yeah and no. The barbers.

Speaker 2:

Because those guys might throw a little knowledge at you, might give you a little something, you go.

Speaker 3:

I gotta tell you I there's a tournament that's we raised share for money for charity in Kentucky called the children's charity classic Matthew Lawrence kind of champions that every year and years back I used to play in it all the time and one year I yeah, there's a lot, of, a lot of celebrities come in for that thing Okay, from all Hollywood, everywhere. Well, everybody were. After the party that night everybody said you're, you're playing with gay Brewer, that old guy I said do you know gay Brewer is? Folks said you understand, the man won the Masters, the man was a great golfer and I had more fun playing with mr Brewer, yeah, and I hung out with him. I Was he and I sat at a table by ourselves at that dinner that night. We moved so we could talk and and just it was incredible to pick his brain and the knowledge the man had and he, you know I played Augusta by bunch and he walked me through Augusta just out of his mind, right there it just I don't understand these kids not warning.

Speaker 2:

I.

Speaker 3:

Just don't get it that really at, really honest to God.

Speaker 2:

It upsets me it does and, as he said, lanny, the PG of America which puts it on for the Americans. It takes them there right. So it's like yeah, showed up on their own to kind of hang out. They're there officially with PJ because of their credentials, because of their pedigree and they're not. I don't know if I'm Seth Waw right PJ of America. I got, I got a major problem with that and I think.

Speaker 3:

I have a meeting with somebody, the captain- that that can't happen.

Speaker 2:

That is so wrong and I don't. I get it. If you're ready for your, your match, that they're not, but those guys are smart enough to not sit there and go. Hey, jordan, I know you about three minutes away from T&O, but I was wondering if you could sign a ball for me.

Speaker 3:

Well, he dropped another. He dropped another little nugget that kind of went, went by and passing, we and that was the co-captains, yeah, and he said that the task force was formed to bring People up to speed to become the captain. Okay, right, well, these are former Captains. That are all the co-captains of the team. Yeah. Yeah what the hell is that all?

Speaker 2:

about. So your point is shouldn't it, should, there have been a young, up-and-coming future captain?

Speaker 3:

Younger yeah as a as a yeah as well, now let's look at the ones that have gone to live, and.

Speaker 2:

But it's all friends, right, that's its point, right. It's like the captain, in this case Johnson, right, yeah, he wants Zach, wants all his buddies, right, his contemporaries to be the co-captains. Well, assistant captains and the players want all their buddies to be their playing Parts so what are we? Buddies and buddies and buddies.

Speaker 3:

So what do we? What do we have here? The cool kids table.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, kind of right.

Speaker 3:

That's bull.

Speaker 2:

That's what he's saying.

Speaker 3:

That's bull.

Speaker 2:

We don't. We don't have a system set up where we're supposed to be focusing on getting better and learning and all these things. What we have is a great week. Okay to go party and have a great time. Yeah, girlfriend whatever, yeah, we know the way, we'll play a little golf and get our ass handed to us get art art Cylinder.

Speaker 3:

Talking about that, about all the girls being there. I I was flabbergasted at that. I really I was. I just sat back and I folded my arms and what kind of cock my head to the side. I wasn't believing what I was told. I like the fact that he did clear up that thing about Cantley, because I like Patrick Cantley. I think he's one heck of a player, yeah, and not wearing the hat, and he was saying this and that there we go, we're media, but we're not mean media. We want to bring you the truth, you know so.

Speaker 2:

I just somehow that that needs to come out, because it seems like it did. We're certainly, we're certainly going down that road, and now maybe I'd have to go back and look at it. Frank, who is? Who is the the last rider cup captain before Zach Johnson? Do you remember when it was here? We won it whistling straights and it was.

Speaker 2:

Steve striker striker yeah, he's tricker yeah so I don't know, did Steve striker do this? I'm not saying Zach Thomas has Johnson has you know, done this all by himself, just this brighter cut. Maybe it's been a little I didn't in the last five or six. It it's been a lot of friends playing with friends and a lot of buddies Inviting their co buddies to be Freddie couples to come and be your co-captain instead of someone I can mentor as a captain.

Speaker 3:

Is it out of fear? And think about this before you answer. Is it out of fear or these players going? Well, I don't want them in there because I don't, you know, I don't. I just I don't want them talking to their friends or saying something about you know, my game, or what I said this night, or what I said that night because they did block out Netflix.

Speaker 3:

Right, yeah, they did so is it out of fear that maybe Lanny is sitting over there at NBC as a broadcaster and he says something to Dan Hicks and Dan Hicks says something to somebody? I mean, you don't know what it is, but it's disrespect is what it is in my eye.

Speaker 2:

I think, frank, it might be part of it. I mean, now that I'm thinking about it here with you know, two minutes to think about it. It might be part of the world that we're talking about, where we used to, not that long ago, being in the media, walk up on a practice range and chat You're to anybody. Phil Tiger, you could just have a good time talking a little bit. Yeah that you bothered them, but you know, take five minutes of their time and stop up to not Right.

Speaker 2:

I'm saying all beer the writers and all be around and kind of get little nuggets about this and that. Now it's almost like they're over there practicing and you're not allowed anywhere close.

Speaker 3:

That's the PGA tour, does that?

Speaker 2:

right. So you got to go through their managers, you got to go through a whole flock of people. As Lanny said that I don't have a team, I had my wife. That was my team. So is it part of that evolution of these teams that now we're all this and anybody who's not this Right team you're out there. I don't care if you're landing Watkins or whoever, you're not part of what we're doing. It's just they are now who these young players are all about. And I'm not taking Tiger other picture too. Tiger Obviously has an entourage. Is that that entourage Aspect of golf now and sports maybe in general that has eliminated Lanny Watkins from walking in and saying, hey guys, how you doing? Oh, lanny, you happen to win. I mean Tiger has a losing record in Ryder Cup. Almost all the Americans you look at now a lot of most of, have losing records in Ryder Cup. Lanny was phenomenal, I was were a lot of his contemporaries because they always won. Yeah, which you want a little something from them. What did you guys do? I didn't.

Speaker 3:

I just I'm flabbergasted, that's how. I want to talk more about this down the road, because you know, we both know a lot of people and I want to talk to some of our friends about that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and see what they say about it, I'd I.

Speaker 3:

Know a couple right now that would go off on that if they knew it.

Speaker 2:

Well, not that Lanny has. You know, lanny's got his opinion. I don't I don't agree with him on everything about the live tour, but that's okay.

Speaker 3:

I mean he's you know he doesn't, he doesn't like it and a lot of people don't you know a lot and I get.

Speaker 2:

I get old school, I would think most old school, although Greg Norman has got his own particular.

Speaker 3:

He's got a bone to pick, and that's right.

Speaker 2:

You know, but most old school and I would say 60 and up golfers and professional golfers and major winners and stuff Probably see live tour as the anti-tour. I get it, but that's kind of what they're doing. They're trying to kick the can down the road a little bit and say, well, we got to be a little bit different and innovative and whatever. So you may not like shorts or I don't give a rat's ass if you guys, you weren't. Shorts, long pants, knickers, whatever right. Styles are different.

Speaker 2:

Yeah but for him that might matter, so I get it. You know, some things are different, but in this case, when coming right up, I do agree with them.

Speaker 3:

I have some ideas about the OPGA guitar.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, we can change, we can talk about that.

Speaker 3:

We getting all sorts of trouble not going there. There is some issues with some of the the influencers out there. Yeah, as we know, swinging golf clubs. Yeah, probably shouldn't even go there. I don't need to lose my job and my wife at the same time same time, I'm gonna leave it alone, not say word.

Speaker 3:

But that was really interesting. Talking to Lanny, he's cool dude. I've had the opportunity to stand around and talk to him once and and it was in Tucson at the Kolegaard Classic and I was with the broadcast team at breakfast and that was fun. He's, he's just a. He's an interesting guy and he does not pull any punches. I will say that about him. I knew that in two minutes talking to him several years ago. But you got to spend a long time with him the other day and that's good.

Speaker 2:

I just, I just think that, yeah, that's just got to be disheartening, yeah is a good word for it if I'm Uh Land, lanny and all the other guys you mentioned, right, all these former.

Speaker 3:

Ray Ford.

Speaker 2:

Hailer and Ben. Krenshaw and Tom Kite that they're sitting there almost being shunned Would have to be a crappy feeling that you're like okay.

Speaker 3:

Well, that's what he said.

Speaker 2:

Let's just go up into stands and watch, like everybody else, when we're kind of here and use us. You know talk to I'd love to be happy to do it.

Speaker 3:

Love to have been a fly on the wall when he said hey, yo yo Seth Deutsche Bank, come here, boy. We got to talk. And I got you know, trevino Well enough to know he didn't pull any punches in that conversation. No, I bet stuff. I thought he was back in the boardroom at Deutsche Bank.

Speaker 2:

But I mean Lanny, when you use the analogy. Lanny said it's absolutely the. The inmates are running the asylum.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so.

Speaker 2:

I think if you're anybody south, wire any of them, they kind of go that, yeah, I don't disagree with you. Are you gonna do anything about it? Hell no.

Speaker 3:

No, can't. They're making money for us.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, guess what those guys all, and they all kind of know that we're the show.

Speaker 3:

Well, remember, remember the movie the greatest game ever played, where OB Keeler, the guy that played OB Keeler was Malcolm McDowell okay, not Graham McDowell, malcolm McDowell. And Bobby Jones was played by Jim Cobesl in that movie. And and OB Keeler gets in a man it's all based on trueisms. And OB Keeler gets in a fist to cuffs in the bar Because somebody smarts off about Bobby Jones and he just turns around and his statement as it goes to the next scene is money's gonna ruin sports.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, there you go and, and it's a fact, it has.

Speaker 2:

That was that was a hundred years ago, yeah yeah, and it's done a good job.

Speaker 3:

I mean, it's, by the way. By the way, on another subject, got to make an announcement here that the Tennessee Titans, we are number one at something. We have the highest paid backup quarterback in the NFL. How do you like that?

Speaker 2:

Tana Hill's on the bench now. Yep, he's on the bench with his, with his, what he last signed, hundred forty million.

Speaker 3:

I just I couldn't believe that when that happened.

Speaker 2:

I think at the rookie in there so I guess he's doing good.

Speaker 3:

I do those four touchdown passes in his first at bat, you know. Yeah, congratulations on the Rangers, by the way, and my condolences on the Cowboys game the other night. Why does that? Why does that presscott hold on to the football? Just throw it away, throw it away. Though I'm screaming, I'm standing up doing throw it, throw it, throw it, throw it, dump it, dump it. And he just takes the, takes the.

Speaker 2:

Three times Forgotten. Forever is that. And we've got to get Earl Forsey to give us our midseason. But Dak Prescott, I think is pretty much been determined You're either you kind of have it or you don't have it right. My Holmes has it, brady certainly has it. Drew breeze in Big clutch moments you come through more often than not not every time, but more than that.

Speaker 3:

Yes.

Speaker 2:

Dak is not that no, he's not that comes through very rarely, and I'm not. That wasn't a Super Bowl, wasn't a playoff game, but it was a big game.

Speaker 2:

It was a huge game watching, that everybody cared about that mattered. Blah, blah, blah. And he and you can say well, the tackle held and this Guy was off side. The quarterback is still the guy who gets credit and blame, so take it as you will. He had to set the tone because Brady wouldn't tolerate that. Crap is all I'm saying. Brady would not tolerate a guy letting a guy in that quickly for the sack. He wouldn't tolerate a delay of get all that stuff. Brady and those great quarterbacks would have locked down and that doesn't do it. That doesn't get it, no, down.

Speaker 3:

So there's there's a being a leader and bit and leadership, two different things.

Speaker 2:

They run. They run the six yard line, frank. They ended up.

Speaker 3:

I know 25. I watched, I was, I was in pain.

Speaker 2:

They lost, they forgot the direction they're supposed to be going, supposed to turn and go down.

Speaker 3:

I heard unbelievable. I thought there was something wrong with my TV, but it was going.

Speaker 2:

Beep, beep, beep, beep. Yeah, but putting the truck in reverse back it up, baby.

Speaker 3:

And it was ridiculous, the Rangers one Frank.

Speaker 2:

So we got a world series.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, congratulations for his time. I was does Bush still own any part of that team?

Speaker 2:

Nope, okay, no, it's all you know when, when, when. Just to tie a little knot here when Landy was talking about his golf course blackjack crossing, he was there with with Kelsey Warren. Kelsey Warren is the oil and gas guy who Pipelines, basically yes gas pipelines that he started that business. I bet he loves Biden the Rangers is one of Kelsey's guys, so he made money with Kelsey Warren.

Speaker 3:

Oh, okay.

Speaker 2:

Who owns blackjack. So yeah, they're. So yeah, he took all the ownership. I think there's a few minor.

Speaker 3:

How do we you flew in privately to? Is it black Jack's or black Jack? Black Jack's Plural black Jack's yeah, and it's in what city?

Speaker 2:

It's, it's its own town.

Speaker 3:

I think it was lajitas, so you flew in private to that right.

Speaker 2:

Terlingua yeah okay but they have, they have a charter. They have a small Still a private plane, if you will, but they have a JSX.

Speaker 3:

Out of what, dallas, I don't love.

Speaker 2:

But you can take that to Miami. It takes you to different places, but one of the places that also takes you is lajitas and back.

Speaker 3:

Well, let's, let's go, do that, let's set up. Do they have a place to stay there? And all that. Yeah, yeah let's get that set up and go do it when it's good Weather, not cold.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know yeah.

Speaker 3:

I'd love to do that because I need to fly over to Dallas anyway. We've got to go see our friends that invited and thank them and shake their hands for being such a fabulous sponsor Of ours. Yeah, yeah, yeah so.

Speaker 2:

Check them out, go to invited comm and you can find out more, including the courses that Lanny mentioned, that he's worked on and redesigned and designed, and whatever our, a lot of them Are invited courses, so but he's gonna do another course there.

Speaker 3:

What do you think he said? We got something to talk about a bit. It's another course there.

Speaker 2:

Yep sounds like it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, sounds like, why not?

Speaker 2:

They got plenty of room. I mean, kelsey Warren owns pretty much the entire county, I think.

Speaker 3:

That part of that part of Texas.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, there's nothing but desert Landscape, if you will. It's kind of you know. What they originally planned before Kelsey even bought it, was to make it into a Scottsdale, make it into a Palm Springs. Yeah, there's a desert kind of location that everybody would go. It's a middle of nowhere. Well, it is, yeah.

Speaker 2:

That's what you want a little nowhere. But that's what it starts from and then so, yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if they got another golf course they want to put in there. And you know, at some point this way I'll try I mean you could put a casino in there. I mean you could do some Vegas kind of you can do your own gambling.

Speaker 3:

I mean, you know we get some poker games going.

Speaker 2:

Where do you think that? Yeah, we think blackjack came from.

Speaker 3:

I know that's exactly poker games.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, all right, we're done, we're out of you. We are why yep, tell people how great PXG is. Frank, you got 30 seconds.

Speaker 3:

Okay, let me tell you, pxg is absolutely fabulous. I love my clubs. I love their fitting process. Everything they do is has been great. I mean, pxg is the very best. Went back to my Ventus shaft and different drive, different driver head for PXG. That's what they'll do for you. They'll make changes, they'll help you. So check it out, pxgcom.

Speaker 2:

So there you go brand new golf balls too.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, they're good, they're good, good All right.

Speaker 2:

Thanks everybody, we appreciate. Thank you to Lanny Watkins for joining us. For Frank Bassett, I'm Tim Matthews. Please remember to join us next time right here for Golf Talk America.

Golf Talk America With Lanny Watkins
Enhancing Golf Event Attendance and Entertainment
Masterclass Membership With Lanny Watkins
Athlete Attitudes and Tour Merging
Golf Courses and Tiger Woods' Future
Ryder Cup Protocol Concerns and Issues
Reflections on Sports, Golf, and Gambling