Discover the vibrant heart of professional golf as I, Frank Bassett, whisk you away to the scenic Torrey Pines Golf Course, setting the stage for a PGA Tour Countdown unlike any other. The stage is set for Max Homa's title defense, and the tension is palpable as we navigate the challenges of the course, and the tournament's strategic Saturday finish. You'll get insider access as Keegan Bradley, Max Homa, and Xander Schauffele pull back the curtain to discuss their tournament experiences, ambitions, and the incredible drive that keeps them climbing the world rankings.
Discover the vibrant heart of professional golf as I, Frank Bassett, whisk you away to the scenic Torrey Pines Golf Course, setting the stage for a PGA Tour Countdown unlike any other. The stage is set for Max Homa's title defense, and the tension is palpable as we navigate the challenges of the course, and the tournament's strategic Saturday finish. You'll get insider access as Keegan Bradley, Max Homa, and Xander Schauffele pull back the curtain to discuss their tournament experiences, ambitions, and the incredible drive that keeps them climbing the world rankings.
This is PGA Tour Countdown. There it is. Welcome in everybody, frank Bassett, joining you for PGA Tour Countdown 2024. We are at the Farmers Insurance Open Torrey Pines golf course, san Diego, california. 7,765 yards Just a short course compared to some Defending champions, max Homa, and it's going to be a good tournament. It's going to finish on Saturday this week because guess why? It's football, it's the playoffs, you know. So here we go. We're going to hear from Keegan Bradley, max Homa, xander Shafley and see what they had to say in their media interviews about the tournament this week and some of the other things going on in the world of golf.
Speaker 1:A lot going on. We would ask that you go to pgetourcom for information on that and also go to whatever your favorite streaming for your podcast is Go to Apple or iTunes or whomever and listen to Golf Talk America A really good show out this week with Harrison Frazier joining us, and I think you'll enjoy the conversation. It was a lot about what's going on in the world of golf right now, so let's get right to it. Let's jump in and hear from the boys from Torrey Pines.
Speaker 3:All right, we'll go ahead and get started. We'd like to welcome Keegan Bradley to the interview room at the Farmers Insurance Open. Keegan, you've had some success here. You're making your 13th start, you had a runner-up finish last year and you've got a few other additional top fives. Can you talk about your excitement to be back and what you like about this course?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I love the Farmers and Torrey Pines I always think of when I think of the pgetour, I think of here. I just the course is tough. You know, the atmosphere is great and I just love coming back here every year.
Speaker 3:This is your third start this season. You also had a runner-up finish at Sony last week. Can you just touch on that finish as well as your season, upcoming your third start here and just beginning 2024?
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was, you know, for the first time in my career finishing second, I was really, really bummed out. I thought I should have won the tournament but I didn't. So you know, sometimes those things can work out as a positive if you keep you motivated and hungry. And then you know, I'm coming up on some courses that I love and a stretch of the schedule that I love. So, you know, I feel like I'm in great shape and I'm in a great spot here to go out and have another great week.
Speaker 3:Before we turn it over for questions, one last for me. What are some of your goals for 2024? What's that stretch of the season coming up that you're excited about?
Speaker 4:Well, I think I'm in a great spot in my game and you know I'm trying to climb the world rankings. I'd love to. You know I've never been hired in tenth in the world. I'd love to set a new record there for my personal goals. I just want to be in contention as much as I can. I feel like if I put myself in contention enough I'm going to win. You know, hopefully a couple of times, one time, but that's my goal.
Speaker 3:All right, perfect. We'll start with Paul right here.
Speaker 5:Keegan, when Sony goes the way it goes, do you, how do you recover from that? What do you think about it? Do you kind of put it away, put the clubs away for a little while? How did you go about kind of getting over it?
Speaker 4:I mean, I think it pops into my mind a couple of like daily. You know, I felt in total control, I felt comfortable, I really felt like I was going to win that tournament the whole day and to not win is sort of a bummer. But you know, I got right back out there. It was a short week to come here, especially starting Wednesday, so we were right back at it. But it's sometimes you have to take those as motivation and be like we're not there, we got to keep going. And you know I've certainly took a lot away from it, but it makes you want to win even more.
Speaker 5:As you think about trying to get inside the top 10 and hitting your goals, have you evaluated areas of your game in which you feel like things need to get tight, or is it mental, or what do you feel like the barrier is for you to get to that point?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I put a lot of work into my chipping this offseason and I felt like I really needed to get better there, to contend more in majors and some of the tougher courses and these signature events with the fields. They're so strong with the players and you really can. I can feel it when I'm playing the tournament with the scores I shoot, or you shoot and you think like man, I played great and I'm in 20th, 25th, so you really got to play well in these tournaments and majors especially. So you know I feel like I'm constantly trying to improve, but my focus this offseason was short game.
Speaker 6:Todd.
Speaker 7:Keegan, what's the appeal for you, for Tori specifically? First, I want to ask you when you say you kind of equate the PGA Tour to Tori Pines, what does that mean to you?
Speaker 4:My rookie year. This was my third start yes, third start and I just felt that I could feel the buzz of the PGA Tour. The Hawaii events are amazing and Palm Springs was amazing. But when I got here, it seemed a little different and I was on this putting green out here and I was still in awe of everything you know of my rookie year. Everything was just I couldn't believe it. You know, living out of my dream and I was putting and so many people around the putting green and I heard this like buzz or this commotion, and I didn't know what was going on. I looked around and Tiger had walked down to the putting green and it was like a holy cow moment for me, like I'm trying to put, but I'm still like I'm peeking over to see, like I've never really seen him before. So I was. It just struck me, you know, and there's holes out here, mostly because of Tiger that you remember, you know. You remember shots that he hit and US opens and it's just a special place.
Speaker 7:How about this being such a tough test early in the year? You know you're trying to get warm-bed for the season. Essentially, you've done your work. You're probably still working on some things To have this big of a test with the rough and everything. Is that something that you embrace and can you also see why other guys might not?
Speaker 4:Of course, I think you either love this course or you don't. You know, every single time you tee it up here it's just going to be a battle, and it used to be. You'd go to the North Course and you know, shoot really low score. But now the North Course is, in some ways it's just as tough, it's tricky, it's got some crazy greens. So you know, coming here this is going to be an absolute battle. Every hole is if you miss the fairway you're in trouble. But if you do hit the fairways here, especially with it being soft, you can score. But you have to hit these fairways and be pretty tough, you know of all four days, because you know you're going to make some bogies.
Speaker 7:And just one more what's your thought on what the rough looks like right now?
Speaker 4:Well, the rough is insane. I don't know if they haven't been able to cut it because of how wet it is. I would assume they're probably going to try to cut it because it's I mean, it's chip out, it's US Open style rough.
Speaker 8:Rick. Hey Keegan, going back to you, talked about Tiger and when you think about Torrey Pines you think about a lot of the shots that he hit. Here Does one stand out to you that you think about the most whenever you come back on property or when you're out playing a practice round or getting ready for the week?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean I remember the putt he made on 13 for Eagle in the back to the front, and then of course, all the shots on 18 and that last playoff hole. You know a I think it's when you come to a golf course that you've never played and you kind of know it already just from watching it, like Augusta or maybe Pebble too. I think that's pretty special and you know we I grew up watching Tiger win here and Shotzi hid and credible. You know up and downs and it's it's got a lot of great history.
Speaker 8:How much does that familiarity kind of free you up when you're out here, because you kind of know a lot of what you're getting into already?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean it's it's luckily for me. I've been played this tournament 13 times, so I've played the course a million times, so I know it pretty well. But you know, there's, there's there's memories of you know, like you know, on the backs, in the back nine, you got a couple par fives. I love when courses have that, like Augusta, you have a little action coming in. But you know, you know that those holes in the middle there are just so brutal you missed the fairways. You pretty much just chipping out.
Speaker 8:A lot of guys use these early season tournaments to kind of ramp up and get ready. You mentioned earlier your games already in pretty good form. Is it difficult to not kind of look ahead to what you have coming up with signature events as well as the majors coming through, and is it tough to keep that focus on keep improving weekend and week out, even when your games already in pretty decent shape?
Speaker 4:Yeah, it is, but you know, there there's signature events and they're they're amazing, but this is a big event. This is, this is, for me, this is. This is a big event. And every event that we tee it up at where plan for a lot of FedEx Cup points, great purses, world ranking points. So, yeah, we got pebble next week, but this week we have Tori Pines, you know one of the most amazing venues that we get to play. So they're all big events.
Speaker 9:Okay, thank you. You had mentioned with your runner up at the Sony that you just really bummed out. Was there a certain message you were telling yourself during your off week leading up to getting to Tori that you were telling yourself just to get through it and kind of push forward?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean I just I tell myself constantly have to get better. I try to get better every day. I feel if I'm not working at what I do, I'm somebody is so like you know. That's a step that I took at Sony that hopefully will get me prepared for another time I'm in contention or maybe a bigger tournament like a major. You know, I keep telling myself every time I put myself in that position on Sunday. It's difficult on the last group on Sunday out here and when you hang in there especially, I got kind of got off to a bad start. It could take a lot away from that and I'm trying. You know, hopefully we're building for some. Second place is a bummer when I thought I should have won, but hopefully we're building up for something bigger.
Speaker 9:Paul.
Speaker 5:Back to back seasons prior to 6 top 10s in terms of just consistency and top results that's kind of the best you've had in the last decade or so. How much do you value kind of consistency at this point in your career and what you're trying to do?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean I. There's a whole, my whole generation that I came out on the PGA Tour with are mostly gone. They're mostly, either, you know, playing the Champions Tour or you know they're the group of guys that I looked up to are gone. I'm very proud to still be, you know, top 15 in the world. You know, winning and contending something I take a lot of pride in and I really want to. I feel like I still can play at this level for many more years and I really I pride myself on that and I want to be, you know, in the conversation for team events and majors. You know this is what I've, you know, worked my whole life out dream of mine to play this tour and I'm very proud to be able to go out there and keep doing it.
Speaker 2:Go right down the line. Hey, keegan, when you talk about courses and iconic shots Michael Kim earlier was talking about as a teenager trying to replicate Tiger's Putt on 18 to force the playoff, I just wonder and I know it's a weird question but do professionals ever try and in their downtime or whatever, mimic shots, great shots, iconic shots on courses that they've seen?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean we. You know everybody hits that putt on front left flag on 18 at Augusta, like we know that's where the flag is and we've seen so many people make that putt to win. So you go and you know you hit that putt every time. Or you know that I know at Augusta they had to put a big drainage in where Tiger hit his chip on 16, where he won, because everyone was going there hitting it. So we know, I don't know if we go over there and hit the shots, but we know, like I know, that that putt on 13 that Tiger made for Eagle breaks right to left and then back left to right because of that putt. I can see that overhead blimp shot of that putt going in. So there's, you know, there's memories of that, but I can't say that I've gone out and tried to hit. You know, certainly as a kid I was trying to be like Tiger Woods, but I'm not coming out here and doing it right now.
Speaker 3:No, Alright, last question will be right here with Matt.
Speaker 10:Taking special week at the AMX last week. Just wanted to get your thoughts on what Nick did and if you have any similar experiences, that kind of stand out for you.
Speaker 4:I certainly don't have any experiences like that. I was in complete awe of that. I didn't think we'd ever see an amateur win a PGA Tour event. I couldn't imagine playing in a PGA Tour event as an amateur, let alone winning or making the cut. I just think, now more than ever, these younger kids that are coming out are so ready to play. I can't believe it. I'm just astonished. Honestly, that was one of them. To me, that was one of the most incredible things I've seen in golf. You know that I've watched to see a college kid that's an amateur win a PGA Tour event. It's pretty spectacular.
Speaker 3:Perfect, we'll leave it there. Thank you for joining.
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Speaker 3:All right, we'll go ahead and get started with Xander Shafley at the Farmers Insurance Open. Xander, let's start with last week. This is your second consecutive year coming to Tory Pines off of a T3 win at American Express. So can you just tell us what that top five finish does for your frame of mind going into this week?
Speaker 11:Yeah, I mean it shows that I'm playing decent golf. The style of golf is very different, coming from a birdie fest to what can be a par fest at times, depending on how windy it gets and how thick or firm the course is. So I think it means that I'm playing good golf and seeing my start lines and sight lines and things of that nature, but a completely different animal this week.
Speaker 3:And now we're transitioning to San Diego, where you're a native of. You've had great success here. I know you're familiar with the course. You had a T2 in 2021. Can you touch on your excitement to be back in your hometown?
Speaker 11:Yeah, I'm always excited to be back back in San Diego. It's a nice feeling for me, just just like it is every year. Whether I'm golfing or not, it always will feel like home.
Speaker 3:And then last question, before we turn it over to the media your world number five ranked right now. What kind of motivation do you have to continue climbing up toward number one this season?
Speaker 11:Yeah, it's sort of what drives me my off season, what makes me get out of bed every day. It's just trying to get to the top and there's there's a big, big leap I need to make. Scott keeps running away and making it really difficult, so we'll just keep chasing after him.
Speaker 3:Perfect, We'll go ahead and open it up and start with Todd Leonard here.
Speaker 8:Hey hi Todd.
Speaker 7:It's got to be almost comical to leave the desert on Sunday and come out here today. And the conditions Do you face? Another one week to next week, contrast as big as this one.
Speaker 11:Probably not. I can't think of one right now. It could be. I'm trying to think of maybe trying to think of what's close to the US Open, maybe the travelers after, but still, I mean you get sort of on that sort of thicker grass. If it travelers wet, the grass can kind of grow a bit there. But this is up there. You know we're on like dormant grass with you know super clean, bent and I have all kinds of different grass. It's super long because it rained a ton and greens are, you know, pointed and soft, not rolling, super pure. It's just a completely different animal.
Speaker 7:What it look like today.
Speaker 11:Yeah, better than I thought, to be honest. You know, after a few inches of rain it's definitely playable.
Speaker 7:Would you play this every year if you weren't from San Diego?
Speaker 11:I'm not sure.
Speaker 7:What would go into your decision about playing here or not? Would it be the course as much as it would be your schedule A?
Speaker 11:little bit. I've been a big advocate of just having it on Torrey South. I think it's just a better test of four rounds of golf. I know we get three of them, three rounds on South, but South is just such a beast at times. I think now that they've made North a little bit harder it probably is averaged out better, I'd say, versus when guys were shooting 10 under on North and then would shoot even par on South. You'd feel pretty good about it. But now North has got some teeth of its own, with the rough being crazy long and the course having some serious distance on it. I'm not too sure, though.
Speaker 7:Just one more For this big of a test so early in the season, with you working on stuff and just getting into your game. Is it good to have this tough of a test this early?
Speaker 11:I think so. I mean, I think any property where you're forced to hit, fairways, where you're forced to hit, you know, shot sides, shape away from hazards, where there's a lot of sort of penalty in play. I feel like it's the only way to truly test if your game's ready or not for some bigger events later than you.
Speaker 6:We'll go to Rick.
Speaker 3:Oh sorry, that's not going to happen.
Speaker 8:Hey, sandra, growing up here in San Diego, I'm curious do you have any good Tiger stories? All the other guys that came in here today, tell them your favorite Tiger stories. I've seen them out here. Any shots stand out or any holes or tournaments yeah, I mean I was on the tree on 18 that fell.
Speaker 11:I was hiked up pretty far on that tree. I remember I was going up the trunk of it as high as possible. I got pretty far above, just short left of the hazard on 18. And I had pretty much a straight on sight line of him making his pot and the whole sort of Coliseum feel at 18 was during that you was open.
Speaker 8:And then do we make those of us in the media like talk about you know the home game for people who you know live in the area. Do we make too much out of that? Is that a myth? Because you guys are all coming out playing the same course over and over. Other people have course knowledge. So I'm curious what do you think about that?
Speaker 11:I mean, I'm sleeping in my own bed tonight and for the rest of this week, which is nice, so it definitely feels different. You know what I mean and I think some you know whether you put too much pressure on yourself or whether you see a bunch of family and you want to sort of show out for them. You can use that for motivation if you'd like. But you know, there's just some sort of level of comfort when you're sort of at home and I try to use that to my advantage.
Speaker 8:This is obviously one of the bigger events on the tour schedule, but it's pretty early this season. You're taking these early tournaments to kind of get your game in form for the other bigger events that are to come. Is it tough not to look ahead to those? When you're getting your you're, you're started early on.
Speaker 11:I mean, not really. I. I'm pretty pretty good at being a day to day guy and looking, you know, to really prepare just for the tournament. So, you know, it rained a ton yesterday and no one was really able to practice, which is kind of nice actually. It was actually, you know, I think everyone was sort of relieved that played last week, because it was like a true day of rest where you didn't feel like you were resting and losing sort of a little bit of practice and everything. So, mentally, that sort of helps someone like me who I always feel like I'm losing out if I'm not, you know, practicing as much as everyone else. But yeah, I mean, I'm not really looking too far ahead just trying to figure out how to, how to play well in this golf course.
Speaker 3:Any other questions? Oh, right behind you here, Linda. Thank you.
Speaker 8:Hi, do you prepare any differently for Tori than other tournaments?
Speaker 11:I think so. The rough is is tricky around the greens. Chipping onto Poana Riviera is Poana as well, but you sort of chip off this cacuia which is a little bit more predictable based on how your ball is sitting out. Here your ball can sit, you know, on dirt it can sit an inch off the ground, half an inch, two, three inches off the ground, four inches off the ground, depending on sort of where it is in the rough, and guys who are really good rough chippers usually play pretty well this week. So for me I feel like it was a short week of practice and last week was all like perfect lies and it was a bit of a wake up call just playing nine holes just right now trying to figure out how to chip, chip out of this rough again.
Speaker 3:I'm going to go over here to the back of the room.
Speaker 6:Yes, Xander. First of all, your preparation for this year you were talking about. What are the events that you're looking forward to? And also we're in an Olympic year. Could you give me your feelings about what it would be if you can defend your title?
Speaker 11:Yeah, I mean I'm honestly pretty excited to play all the tournaments I signed up for. I don't think I would honestly play a tournament if I wasn't excited for it. I was a bit on the fence on this event just because it'd be five weeks in a row, but I told myself that I'd be pretty bummed out if I was practicing, you know, ten minutes away from here while this event was going on, watching leaderboard watching while not playing. So I'm pretty much excited for all events, olympics especially. It's definitely up there on my list of goals just to get back to and compete in. It's very difficult being an American and trying to qualify for that team.
Speaker 6:What do you think about the course? Have you played the Golf Nacional?
Speaker 11:I have not. I've only seen some snippets of it on TV, but that was sort of tricked up for the Ratter Cup. But yeah, it looks like there's a ton of water on property. It looks like a pretty fun golf course to play and should be an awesome venue.
Speaker 3:We'll go right here to Matt.
Speaker 10:Xander, you mentioned playing last week. Just wanted to get your thoughts on what Nick did out there.
Speaker 11:Yeah, it's incredible, he just turned 20 years old. He's a sophomore. In college. I played against Hunter Hammerick, his assistant coach, on the corn ferry, you know eight, nine years ago. It was cool to see him. Yeah, he's got a big decision to make. I think it's pretty mature for him to not play this week and sort of sit back. I'm sure he's getting some good advice from his coaches, his family, some friends on what he should be doing, but ultimately it's his decision. Yeah, for him to sort of set himself up. He shot 60 on Moving Day, which is what everyone dreams to do. He had that lead and he protected it. So I think big hats off to Nick, and what accomplishment that is to make history.
Speaker 3:All right, if there's no further questions, we'll let you go.
Speaker 11:Cool Thank you.
Speaker 6:Good luck this week.
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Speaker 12:I would like to welcome Max Homer to the interview room here at the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open. Max, coming back as the defending champion, it's gonna be a pretty neat feeling coming back to a tournament, obviously as the defending champion, but where you have some roots here. Just talk about coming back here to defend.
Speaker 13:Yeah, it's cool. I enjoy any time I get to come to this golf course. I remember I think we skipped school on a Friday once and came down and it was kind of sleepy out here, so we got to watch Tiger play the back nine on South, which is cool. So I've always enjoyed coming back here and just thinking about how awesome it is to get to play golf. Of course I watch so much growing up and then, yeah, I've had some success here. Then last year obviously hit the jackpot in one, so now it holds an even more special place in my heart. But you know, my sister lives here in Delmore, so I think that's really cool just to have a golf tournament now that she was here last year we had to bond over, so I think that makes this place extra special.
Speaker 12:That's excellent. We sat here a year ago and you were the first player, I think, to do like a walk and talk with CBA.
Speaker 11:It was a pretty historic moment.
Speaker 12:So just when you reflect on that, when you see how that's progressed and what that's been like, what's your perspective of that?
Speaker 13:Yeah, I think it went really well with all the guys who went and did it. I can tend that when we were kind of first talking about doing it, it wasn't necessarily that this was the end all be all. But I think the leap we as players need to make in as a tour was to start to realize that we're entertainers we're not necessarily just great golfers. So we need to entertain people and I think maybe getting out of your comfort zone here and there and doing something to give back to the viewership so that it gives them one, a reason to watch and two, to keep watching. I think that the walk and talk at least was kind of something risky and different that I think turned out quite good.
Speaker 13:I'm sure there's other variations that we could do, but just in general I think that's kind of the direction At least. I'll just speak for myself. I'd like to see golf go do. It's not too crazy, it's not too unbelievable to have people do something like that. So I thought that it was nice. I mean it was nice to do it and then win and look at people who said it might be distracting and at least have that say.
Speaker 12:And before we take some questions and when we do, just raise your hand and we'll get you a microphone. But you had a chance to play in the Pro Am today. Nine holes, obviously it's been pretty wet. Just your impressions of the golf course. I think you played nine holes in the south and just your form, how you feel your game's rounding in the shape.
Speaker 13:Yeah, the course is wet. The fairways here do a great job of not holding too much of that, so it's been good. The rough is extra thick, so that's gonna be. It's always hard here, but that's gonna be extra difficult. But yeah, I mean it sounds back out. I would imagine by Friday the courses will dry out quite a bit and get back to how we normally see them. But tomorrow I'm playing south, so it's not gonna be too different. But yeah, the greens are just a little slower but still hard golf course, so it's playing a little longer but a little more receptive. So usually when we have receptive here or just on tour, the scores are low. I do think that south will do a pretty good job defending itself, but kind of one of those things you'll have to just wait and see because it is still a bear. It's not like it's gonna be a pigeon putt all of a sudden.
Speaker 12:Okay, we'll take some questions. We'll start with Paul over here on the set.
Speaker 5:Max, obviously your connection to California and how well you play here has become pretty well known just with here and RIV, and where else you've been able to play well in California? I'm just wondering it's gotta be more than just like vibes of coming back as a California kid. What do you think it has been that maybe is a through line through some of those California victories.
Speaker 13:Well, I'd say between here and LA they're pretty similar in what they demand. You need to hit the ball really well. I think I see Riviere as a golf course. I know where to leave it and I don't just mean no, like it feels like every once in a while you hear a guy say this course fits my eye. I think that's kind of what they're alluding to and I just have always known kind of how to play that golf course. And then here I think everybody knows how to play it, but it lends itself to things that I'm good at.
Speaker 13:So I'd say that I guess a lot of guys seem to struggle on Poana. I know a lot of guys complain about it and I don't know. I've just had a lot of success putting on Poana. It's not every time I play the US Open here and put it awful, but I just think that I've had a lot of really great putting weeks on Poa. So I'm not sure why, but I'm not really gonna keep. I'm not gonna worry about the why. I just know that it suits me. I grew up putting on it and yeah, it's just one of those things I guess I just probably have a bit more of. There's a bit more comfort in it around the whole state. But especially, like I said, those two courses ribbon here they just kind of suit what I do well in golf.
Speaker 5:You had 13 top 10s last year, which is I think you had 14 in the previous three years combined. So consistency wise and top results. It really kind of rounded into form last year. How much do you value consistency as you kind of think about looking back on a season and how you wanna play moving forward?
Speaker 13:Yeah, it's definitely like it's always hard to put it. I mean wins. You leave a legacy. It wins, so I'm never gonna discount them but or discredit them. But when you're talking about the best players, they're around the lead a lot. There's a lot that has to go right for you to win a golf tournament. Obviously, when you put yourself in position enough, you should knock off a few.
Speaker 13:But yeah, I think when you watch guys consistently in the top 10, consistently in the top 20, you can always look at those people and just marvel at how great they are at golf. I know there's a couple guys like Tommy and Tyrell and Tony that seem to get a lot of flack for maybe not winning as much as people think they should win. But, like I said, there's so much that goes into it luck and just little things that I marvel at how amazing people are that are just around it and it's cool to see people win. But I do think that I was incredibly proud of last season, not as much because of two wins, but I was really pumped about the top 10s. I just wanna put myself in position as much as possible and I know that there's gonna be weeks where I get it done and weeks where I don't. But being around it I think shows the, I guess, skill and talent of a golfer.
Speaker 12:We do have a few lined up, so we'll go over to Todd and then come back to MK next.
Speaker 7:Max, you said you liked the walk and talk and it was kind of progress for the two. Or do you see something beyond the walk and talk that you think fans would enjoy? That you guys have maybe talked about behind the scenes, or is there a next better walk and talk?
Speaker 13:Yeah, I mean I have my ideas. I don't know how, if they would do it, but I have my ideas. But I just think that the main point is, like Adam Silver and Rob Manfred this year did two things in their sports that I thought were insane, in season basketball tournament thought that was a terrible idea. The courts looked weird and the pitch clock was crazy. I thought that was never gonna work and wasn't gonna make enough of a difference. They seemed really extreme and those are my two favorite sports and I absolutely loved what they did.
Speaker 13:In baseball it was from the day one you were getting a strike called on you If you were in the box ready to hit. And I was watching baseball games in 90 minutes sometimes and it was like fascinating how yeah, it was a jump and it was a stretch, but it worked. And then the in season tournament. I would turn on a game and see these crazy courts and it immediately noticed this is an important basketball game. So as crazy as those things sounded, I, as a fan of those sports, was really pleased with what I saw. So I think, whether it's my thought in my head of what we could do after this walk and talk, I would imagine something different, as I'm not the smartest. I just think trying stuff to entertain is really what the point of this all is just kind of evolving and being creative and things of that nature.
Speaker 7:I want to ask you too about, obviously, the win last year. When you come into Torrey Pines one, I mean, you're a California guy, so you probably it's always an automatic on your list, I would think. But also, can you understand why other people might not want this kind of test?
Speaker 13:Oh yeah, yeah, I mean, when you just look at the last two weeks, some people are starting their past. Why starting their season in the desert? And some are starting it here, and I get why people will want to start the desert. Even if you missed the cut, you probably shot 11 under par. It's a good, nice, easy way to feel good about yourself and kind of I would say, knock some rust off, because you're gonna make a lot of birdies and you could probably learn a lot about your game. You start here and you're gonna get punched in the mouth immediately.
Speaker 13:But when I'm setting up a schedule I like to go to the golf courses that I feel like fit me the best and I don't typically do well when the winning scores in the 20 unders. I do better when it's closer to 10 to 15 under. So as much as I would have liked to have played last week, I liked this whole run of events on the West Coast and I just figured I would always probably start with this one and skip that one. I mean, it's always kind of a coin flip, but I just feel like this one suits me better than last week did. But I totally understand not wanting to make a bunch of bogeys right after having a bit of an offseason.
Speaker 7:If I can just ask you one more, are you concerned at all about farmers? Is probably going away in a couple years of the sponsor Tori's kind of in this weird spot now between subdesignated things. Do you have any concern about this tournament particularly losing some stature at all?
Speaker 13:No, I don't think that's the place for me to have concern or not. Personally, you know it's been amazing having farmers here for as long as they have been. But they are a business. They have other things going on, you know. So you just have to look back and appreciate the time that they've spent and the money they put into this event. But yeah, I mean, of course, if this or any of the events we play ever were to go away, it would be a shame. But you understand that this is a business and that you got to do what's right for that. I mean, you can always play Torrey Pines, but I have a good feeling that this golf course will have a long standing relationship with professional golf. And it's just too good and it's beautiful and it's one of those stout tests of golf that I feel like stands up to where technology is gone and how far people are hitting. I think you still show up here and you still need to play some amazing golf.
Speaker 12:Go to M-Can if you can hand the mic behind you when you're done.
Speaker 9:Next, whenever you look at weeks like this week, like the earlier start on Wednesday and then you have almost three inches of rain since Saturday, does it give you a leg up?
Speaker 13:Do you think, with your experiences here, your success here, Probably not just because this is a very straightforward golf course both are. You know where you got to hit it. It's actually one of the beauties of this place is it's staring right at you. 12th hole is a great example. It's one of the hardest holes we'll play all year. I mean, the fairway is very obvious where you can and cannot hit it. It's just hard. You need to go execute.
Speaker 13:I do have a leg up. I feel very bad for the Monday qualifiers and no Tuesday qualifiers because they probably won't get to see an inch of the golf course. That's a shame. I have a leg up on four people, I would assume, in the experience side of things. Other than that, I think this is one of the reasons I love this place is I didn't think I really needed to play any holes, maybe to get the firmness of the greens and the speed. But other than that, I mean it's telling you exactly where to hit it and where to leave it. It's just you have to go do that. It feels very clear there, no, the only advantages I feel like I have out here. Like I said, people just hate Polana and I just don't mind it. It's something I always just try to remind myself.
Speaker 12:We'll go over the side and then come back to you.
Speaker 8:Hey, max. Earlier Michael Kim was in here talking about how, around with you a couple of years ago kind of opened them up to you know you were very active on social media and you saw what a following can do. He kind of used you as the catalyst for why he's been so elevated. What do you think of his social media game and what he's done the last couple of years?
Speaker 13:Ours are different. He's nice. I'm not very nice. I've gotten along with Michael since the first day I met him at the Western AM back when he was about to be a freshman at Cal. I love that kid and I think it's easy on this tour, for good reason. I mean, we're out just golfing, there's hundreds of us doing it. It's easy to just blend in and you know he clearly wants to kind of be himself and show who he is and I feel like he's doing a great job of that. He's a smart kid, he's funny, he's woody, he's got all those great things that I think most people out here have. It's just how willing are you to put yourself out there? I'm happy for him to take the reins on Twitter because it's not for the faint heart. I'm kind of I'm personally sick of it. So he'll go through the same ebb and flow that I saw. But, like I said, I just like to see how now other people can see how great of a duty is and how interesting is and unique.
Speaker 8:When people think about Tiger Woods being here, you mentioned coming out and seeing him play. What shots do you remember? You know from him, specifically behind here, whether it be at the Farmers or the US Open. Is there any any that stand out?
Speaker 13:One whole 15, another bear of a whole. I remember he hit a massive drive. In a look he hit a nine iron and spun it back to like two feet and kicked it in. That was the hole that I remember sticks out. So much to me. Just, you know, it's graceful and it's powerful. It was just something you have to almost see up close.
Speaker 13:It's what I say about Rory. You know, if you're going to come to a golf tournament, I suggest at least watching him hit it one or two drivers, just because it doesn't do it justice on TV. You kind of need to see it. So I just remember that and just the, even when I got out here as a professional, just the the vibe around him. We have one here where there was a fog delay and we were all stuck on the putting green and he's playing with two very popular and amazing golfers, Billy Horschel and Ricky. And then the first day there was like a thousand people around that putting green and you couldn't believe how many people. On the next day he had withdrawn that afternoon. Next day, with the same fog delay, and there was like 22 people around us. You're like dang, this guy really controls the world. So just stuff like that. I always thought it was fascinating about him.
Speaker 8:One more quick one. The match was confirmed with you. Rory, lexi and Rose. Do you have any trash talk? You want to start now?
Speaker 13:No, I need to save my bullets, because they're all phenomenal golfers and I have a feeling if things get going sideways, I'm only going to have one, one bit of value left, and it'll be my mouth. So I'm going to save those for when, when, I need them.
Speaker 12:We'll come out of this side.
Speaker 14:Max. I wanted to get back to Michael real quick. He also talked about the ups and downs of his last decade out here. You guys were obviously, you said, close from the time you got to Cal. Did you talk to him at all during that? Obviously, you saw what was happening. Did you feel for him? What was it like for him? Do you think during that time, what did you see and what did you think and what do you think now about the way that he's rallied and he has his highest ranking ever?
Speaker 13:Yeah, I did not talk to him. I'll never insert myself in that way. I did talk to probably two people from his I don't know if you want to call it team, but people that know him had asked me questions because I keep an eye on the people I know the best out here and of course I felt for him. I mean it's awful to see people struggling at something they love. I think what people don't quite grasp about the difficulties of that struggle is, I think, for all of us but I'll just speak for myself like this is our safe haven.
Speaker 13:This is where I've gone to golf courses on some of my worst days to clear my head and when it's going bad, it's a shame when you go to a golf course and it's no longer your happy place, it's kind of the opposite. So I feel felt for him there. But I think it teaches you a lot about yourself and it can kind of show the world what you're made of. And I think he's done an amazing job. He hasn't given in, he's just looked for answers and tried to get better. And I contend that you can go through it and a lot of people probably don't make it to the other side, but when you do, I think you learn more about yourself and you're more ready to handle professional golf and all of the trials and tribulations that will come with it after that. So it's been really fun to watch Michael play such great golf as of late, and I know that he is now a better golfer because of it.
Speaker 12:We'll go to Suzanne at the back and then we'll get that microphone to this front desk. If we could afterwards.
Speaker 6:Thank you. You've had such a great year last year. What are you looking forward to achieve and what are your goals for this?
Speaker 13:year? Yeah, great question, thank you. I think last year showed me that the stuff I'm working on is right, so I'm going to keep hammering on those things. My goals are obviously to win and to continue to work my way up the world ranking. But to do that you have to do all the little things right. So it's just to make sure that I'm keeping all myself of all that I did last year and to just keep getting incrementally better.
Speaker 13:I haven't played well in majors so I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a massive goal. But you've got to play here first and then Pebble next and then Waste Management and so on. So I'm looking forward to just continuing to chase down better and do what I've kind of always done. But from now I'm a little bit ahead of where I used to be and I'd like to just keep kind of getting ahead of where. I'd like to have this conversation next year and be further along and have people keep asking oh you've played well, how do you keep getting better? That's my goal is just to keep doing all the little things really good and really well and just seeing where that adds up to at the end. Hopefully it's in a bunch of tour wins this year and being in the mix in majors. If not, I'll go back to the drawing board, but I think last year was a really good sign of that. My team and myself have their right, their finger on the pulse of what needs to be done to improve.
Speaker 12:Looks like we've got three more lined up. Do you have another? Don't have the mic for you. What's your question? There you go.
Speaker 6:What would be more important the Olympics or a major, as we're in a major?
Speaker 13:I mean a major, probably. It's just one of those things. I've never played in the Olympics. I think the Olympics are incredible. It just wasn't someone. I was a kid that I grew up watching for golf. I watched it for swimming and diving and the races and all the other basketball all these things that had nothing to do with what I did. Now that it's a part of it, I do think it's amazing. I mean not to take anything away from golf in the Olympics, but as a kid I dreamt of winning majors. It's hard to just now get more excited about that than the other, but I will say that, given the chance that I could potentially make it to it, it is definitely way up there on my list of things. But if you're splitting hairs, I just have to go with what I've kind of dreamt of my whole life Go ahead.
Speaker 11:Max, I believe last year, after you referenced the Mamba mentality, and I wonder how much you lean into that kind of narrative, going into this trying to be the first guy to back to back this since Tiger Woods.
Speaker 13:Yeah, I mean I feel like I just try to live my life with it. You know, I'm a humongous fan of what Kobe Bryant taught athletes. I read a ton of his stuff and seek out old interviews and things that he's said, because I do think that when it comes to preparation, he's the goat. As far as work out that goes, he's the goat. He was never going to leave a stone unturned. He was always going to try to get better, no matter how difficult that may be. And then when he got on the basketball court, I feel like he did a great job of letting himself be himself. So I try to keep that mindset every day and yeah, I mean it'd be great to put that to use this week.
Speaker 12:I'll take a couple more when Jim and then Paul.
Speaker 2:Hey Max, you referred earlier to Michael Kim. You said I love that kid. Can you put a little more meat on the bone in terms of what it is about him that you love?
Speaker 13:Yeah, I'll tell you the first thing I ever heard him say. I immediately loved him and I think about it all the time. We were playing a pratt show on, some of the guys on our team had already met him. I was not there for his recruiting trip and they told me his small kid doesn't hit anywhere. He's grown a lot now he hits it quite far, but at the time he hit it absolutely nowhere. He was like 130 pounds soaking wet. So I get introduced to him On the first hole. We don't talk a whole lot On the first hole.
Speaker 13:We get to maybe the second or third as a part three and my other teammate, michael Weaver, who had said very far, asked Michael Kim what he was hitting. And Michael Kim says I'm hitting five iron. And Weaver asked me what are you hitting? I had eight iron. And Weaver had eight iron. And he starts laughing and he's like Michael, how are you hitting five iron? I'm hitting eight iron. And he was kind of giving him grief. And Michael, he's got to be 17, maybe 18. Hasn't even been on the team yet and he just stone cold looked him in the face and said I'm going to hit this five iron inside your eight iron. I was like I like this kid, so that's my best way to explain why I love that dude.
Speaker 2:Lastly, the other golfers have spoken about what Nick Dunlap did. Can you speak to that? Your thoughts on what he was able to accomplish?
Speaker 13:Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit envious Made that look really easy. Clearly he is just a professional in a college kid's body at the moment. The A next to his name is just for looks. That was pretty special. It's incredible to me.
Speaker 13:I've seen a lot of college golfers come out here and you see their talent and you would never be surprised for them to shoot a 60 or a 61 or 62. They're so good. I usually just reference Colin Warco. I watched him in college and he played professional golf tournaments. When he was in college he got lost in a playoff like in a cornfrey event and I just couldn't believe that these kids like Nick and himself and others obviously can not only have that talent but already know how to use it and how to play and how to prepare like a professional. That stuff is amazing.
Speaker 13:I was quite the opposite. I played my first pro event and I got ninth at a tour event and thought, oh okay, I'm doing all the things right and golf just kind of slaps you across the face. These guys just seem to not have that. They know what they're doing. They're not looking around, they're not worried about what I'm doing or anybody else. They just know that if they play their games they're going to do just fine. And just watching Nick I guess we didn't really get to watch to the last hole, but just seeing him hang in there and it just felt like he was comfortable, that's something that I just can't. I'm just so impressed by, because I just don't think people get how uncomfortable you are in new settings and new situations. And he just made that look. He just looked like he was ready for it and that was awesome.
Speaker 5:Back to one question about the majors for you. We've heard with Rory when he's trying to get this masters now some years he's trying not to think about it much at all, not putting a ton of pressure on himself. Other years he's really focused, really serious. He's kind of taking different mindsets, trying to figure out what works. As you enter a year where you're trying to find more success in majors, how do you kind of strike that balance of trying to care a lot but not care too much? How are you kind of going about how you approach those majors?
Speaker 13:I think I've always cared the right amount prior. I care a lot prior. Like everybody, I work my tail off prior and I think I do all the right things before the event. I think my goal for this year, when I get there, is to stop caring as much once I arrive. I've done the work. I don't need to be perfect.
Speaker 13:I think that's why I've had success in tour events is because I believe that my preparation and my work ethic is my best skill and when I get here I feel comfy and I just let myself go be me. I think when I've shown up at majors, I want it to just be as good as it was, maybe the Sunday before I left. Instead, I think I need to trust that everything that I'm doing in preparation is going to. Let me just go play my Thursday. It's actually probably just being more of myself and less thought when I'm on the grounds, just the same when I'm off, because I wouldn't ever tell myself to work less hard to do something, but I think I try to bottle it too much when I actually play the event. I'm looking forward to that. I was happy to see that work at the Open Championship, albeit I wasn't in contention on the half way through Saturday, but at least I had a sniff of it and I started to feel what all that meant. And I was just playing golf and I was playing well.
Speaker 1:I think.
Speaker 13:I understand the simplicity of it now, and I was just overcomplicating it prior.
Speaker 12:All right, very insightful. Appreciate the time, max. Thank you. I'll see you all next week. Maybe we'll see you again.
Speaker 13:Thank you guys very much. Have a good one, yes, saturday. Thank you.
Speaker 1:So there you have it. We've heard from the boys and tournaments underway. We're rocking and rolling at Torrey Pines. The PGA Tour is in full force. It's 2024 and we're going to have a great year out on tour. One of the other things we're going to do for you this year is bring you more from PGA Tour champions. There's a lot of great competition and a lot of the guys are going to be on our show. A lot of the other players too. I mean other players. The PGA Tour players are going to be on our show, but PGA Tour champions, tour players will be on our shows too. So look forward to that A lot of live interviews and some very candid conversations. So, with that being said, thanks for listening to PGA Tour Countdown. We appreciate each and every one of you and we'll catch you at the turn.