Matt Adams is joined live by 2 PGA Tour Champions. PGA Tour winner Lanto Griffin and 5x winner Scott Verplank stop by to check in and talk about their games, this season and the state of golf. Plus we’ll get you ready for all the golf ahead this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and on the LIV Golf Tour in Mayakoba.
Welcome to the most listened to golf in the world the fairways of Life show on air online and around the world with the most candid interviews Unforgettable stories taking you beyond the ropes here’s your host New York Times bestselling author Matt Adams welcome into to the fairways of
Life show pleasure to have your company today from wherever you are joining us around the world so some big changes are coming to Pebble Beach I’m going to talk about that in just a second and remind everybody that coming up on today’s show we have a couple of winners on the PGA
Tour that we’re looking forward to catching up with but as to Pebble Beach there will be no Bill Murray this year there will be no Ray Romano some significant changes have been made so The Echoes of the old Crosby Clan bake which started 87 s years ago is no more
Something entirely different now on the PGA tour the changes that they’re making it is of course a signature event it will be an 80 there’ll be 82 man teams those are Thursday and Friday only for the proam only two courses in pebbl and spy glass this year $20 million is the purse
I’m going to go through uh who you can expect to see playing in the field in just a second in recent golf week article Adam shupac wrote of the changes to this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach program quote of the tourist efforts to Breathe new life into the event by making the
Star studded field the attraction other than the cele close quote I like the changes that the tour has made to the AT&T Pebble Beach pram this year let me bring Dominic in here for a second Dom I’m not sure what you decided to do with your question of the day I suspect
You’ve already got a crafted in Scent but my question is when we’re looking at this AT&T Pebble Beach pram 2024 Edition I I’m curious what you think about the fact that it’s it’s not going to be what it used to be it’s the smaller field signature event Elite guys
Still has a little touch of a glimpse to what was the celebrity proam the the celebrities that are in it this year are all uh celebrities of the World of Sport Tom Brady amongst them that I noticed on the on the list although I haven’t been
Able to find an official list yet on online but like I said from what I’m seeing so far from the efficiency of what they boiled it down to so that we can actually see the stars of the game of golf I like it I’m one I’m one of
Those who kind of got worn out on the true celebrity you know focusing on the celebrities particularly on Saturday I was okay with it I guess at some point don’t remember when but not so much now thoughts um I don’t know if I’d say it’s
A hot take but it’s a negative take if I want to see AMS play I can go to my local mun and watch them hack it up I I don’t need to see that on TV so I’m very much like you said the stars of the game
I’m very much on the side of watching the stars of the game play at the highest level at beautiful Pebble Beach so I am loving the way this is situated right now and the question of the day is centered around that in fact it’s do you care about celebrity pram events anymore
Do you care do you is that important to you yes no does doesn’t matter and I literally when you came to me I hit the button question go and it’s already at 65% no immediately oh okay so it’s pretty much in in line with what both we
Were saying as to the players that will be in the field top 50 and last season’s FedEx Cup standings top 10 finishes in the FedEx Cup fall standings that’s a a on next 10 top five FedEx Cup point earners in the the American Express and the farmers that’s the Aon swing
Five FedEx Cup champion Victor havin world number one Scotty Sheffer of course will highlight the field I’ll get into that in just a second as to those top 50 on the prior Year’s FedEx Cup points list when I go through this list it it’s going to include Terell Hatton but right now
There’s there’s wild speculation in terms of what Terrell’s going to do based on published reports the the telegraph saying that he is going to sign with Liv so but the top 50 on the on the FedEx Cup points are as follows Scotty Sheffer Victor havin Rory maroy
Lucas Glover Max hom Patrick Klay Brian Harmon wam Clark Matt Fitzpatrick Tommy Fleetwood Russell Henley Keegan Bradley Ricky Fowler Xander shley Tom Kim sunj M Tony feno Cory Connors sewu Kim Taylor Moore Nick Taylor Adam shank Colin morawa Jason day Sam burn ailan guo Terell Hatton A4 mentioned Jordan spe
Sep straa siahi theala Chris Kirk Denny McCarthy Justin Rose Andrew putam Kurt Kama Adam senson Harris English JT poen Lee Hodes Sheamus Powers Cameron young Eric Cole benan Adam hadwin Tom hogi Brendan Todd Cam Davis Patrick Rogers Hideki Matsuyama McKenzie Hughes the Aon next 10 that’s for those that finish 51-
60 in the final 2023 FedEx Cup fall standings Bo Hustler ludvig Oar Ben Griffin Taylor Montgomery Matt coocher Nick Hardy JJ span Sam Ryder Luke list Alex Molly leading finisher from the race to Dubai not otherwise exempt he’s in the field Nikolai hoard he finished second
Last week the current Aon SW swing five Matthew pavon and Grayson Murray they’re both winners so they’re going to be in all the rest of the Signature Events this year uh Christian buen Hout Kevin Yu Stephen joerger current year tournament winners not including additional events Nick Dunlap top 30 official World Golf
Ranking Justin Thomas sponsors exemptions members not otherwise exempt they got in Peter malani Maverick mcney Adam Scott web Simpson and players Beyond 60 in the final 2023 FedEx Cup fall stains not otherwise exempt are alternates Alex noren Thomas dietry Mark Hubbert Eric Van royan Brandon Woo Davis
Riley sh Kim and Keith Mitchell so a look inside the field at that’s the field for the AT&T Pebble Beach by the way all this beautiful video that you’re watching is courtesy of Evan Schiller thank you to Evan for being the official photographer of the fairways of
Life show delighted with a couple of guests that I told you we’ve got coming up in the show today Scott for plank is joining us five-time winner on the PGA tour distinctively he won the 1985 Western Open as an amateur I’m going to get into the details of that in just a
Moment here multiple times represented the United States on the Ryder Cup team multiple times representing the United States in the President’s Cup team he played in ready for this 645 PGA Tour events I like because we count them when we have the players come on for first
Thing I’d like to say is do you feel like you played in 645 PGA Tour events 94 top 10 along the way seven top 10 in Majors Oklahoma State Alum he won the 1984 US amateur and the 1986 NCAA individual title did Scott verplank Scott what’s going on my man how you
Been uh doing good Matt uh I love that you’re on the Golf Channel now and and got a bigger platform so good for you thanks man uh when you were heard heard me talking about Pebble right proam and all the rest what proam were you ever played
With that just annoyed the heck out of you um you know that that one there actually was a little tough just because like you said you had the celebrities and you had so many people in the field playing three courses and the rounds just seemed to take forever so and then
You throw in some kind of marginal weather I mean it’s it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world to play golf and um when you’re when there’s six six and a half hour rounds and it’s raining sideways um you can only laugh and giggle so much eventually eventually you get run
Down does Scott for plank have any place left in the world at golf core that course that’s your like your bucket list I’d love to play here um I think I would like to go play uh some golf down in the the New Zealand I have been to New Zealand and have
Played there but there’s a couple places that look just so cool um and I’ve never played Royal County down in Ireland so um I’d really like to go play that and other than that I’ve been so lucky and blessed to get to play most of the great
Places around the world that um I’d rather not travel unless I get to go to someplace really special well we’re doing a trip to uh Ro County down next year if you want to join us you are absolutely more than welcome all right so Dom showed me this video that is
Allegedly you skiing down this hill Scott for plank on the driving range we can some really nice turns here yeah Matt that’s my Pro uh my teacher ski teacher and and I just can’t break 80 skiing you know that’s was that you was that who was doing the play
Byplay of that uh that is a guy named Charlie farnon who basically is runs crest of mountain in Colorado he’s been teaching me for 35 years um great guy great golfer um but yeah I just I work on it I work on it but I’m just about an 80
Shooter so that’s I mean I I want to get better but uh I just don’t want to hold anybody up so I’ll pick up if my Ball’s out of play I don’t know it looked pretty good to me the thing that I don’t understand about it is that for guy
That’s already like the Six Million doll man with all the different parts and pieces in you is that safe out there ski and have you done that for your whole career you’re like I’m going to I’m going to live my life outside the ropes uh yes to be honest with you um
You know growing up being a type 1 diabetic and and having dealing with that it’s no it’s not anything bad it’s just what I’ve had to do um I just was like I got to have some other things to do besides play golf and and I didn’t
Start until I was like 24 skiing so I just kind of said the first time I went I went for a week and I never once thought about playing golf so I immediately fell in love with skiing so um unfortunate I uh am good enough to
Stay upright all my kids my wife my kids they all love it uh we just got back from a trip together and it’s some of the best family time you’ll ever have awesome stuff you’re a father of four right how the kids doing yeah uh all
Great have a grandson now so that’s even better wow all right yeah you can’t really explain how cool that is but it it is uh it’s the best I’ll get to see him here in about an hour very very cool indeed so when you mentioned that you
Were a type 1 diabetic I mean you you’ve been quoted many times saying that amongst the things that you have to do watching what you eat Etc that exercise is not an option it’s an obligatory thing that you have to do what I’m curious to that and you show this with
Your foundation helping put kids through through school helping them deal with type 1 diabetes how much is it for you Scott something that continues to fire up your passion continues to fire up your life that you know you can use the platform that you’re on to help impact and change the lives of
Others well that obviously is is um I mean you hit the nail on the head that it it is it is exciting to me or I wouldn’t say exciting but it it’s gratifying to me that that I’ve been lucky enough to get in a position to
Help other people that are in a similar spot so we give me and my wife we give uh college scholarships to type one diabetic kids who play play a sport try hard in school and make an effort to take care of themselves you don’t have
To be a superstar you don’t have to make Straight A’s but we want to commitment that you’re going to give it your all and basically we’ve always been looking for people my number one goal is to find a group of young people who are going to be so successful that they’re going to
Be able to do way more than I’ve ever been able to do be way more successful um socially and financially than I am so they might even be able to take uh what I’m doing to a different level so I I’m just trying to
Get well I tell all the kids that I talk to that we give scholarships I’m just looking for another I need a superstar I I’m we’re we’re expecting you to be a superstar go out there and and kick butt and when you get to the top make sure
You give back that’s awesome stuff by the way uh behind you you’re kind of flexing on us with with it looks like a lot of trophies Etc what’s on those shelves behind you um that’s the this one right here the tall that that’s the US Amer trophy
Uh right behind me I’m not really flexing map I just this is the only place that I can sit down with not being attacked by a dog or a cat or uh you know um trying to make trying to keep quiet so they’ll stay asleep I just you
Know what I just have some uh stuff I got a riter cup trophy uh I have a Pine Valley Pro member winner plate um I have a Sidelines pass from Oklahoma State Oklahoma game just just kind of memorabilia stuff that um I don’t know you know what I look at it
Every now and then but but in all honesty it’s just kind of decorations hey dude it’s I’m more interested when my grandson’s coming over yeah definitely share it with them and celebrate it so when we come back with Scott for plank I want to talk to Scott
About what he witnessed what he was feeling when Nick Dunlap won as an amateur on the PGA tour that is exactly as I mentioned what Scott did in 1985 and to do it was not something that was easy at all he had to do it in a playoff against
Jim Thorp we’ll get some Recollections on that very very momentous event right after this relax easy now find your happy place happy place the PGA TOUR Superstore it’s all in the hips where every swing is possible just tap it in yes find all the latest gear apparel and personalized Club fittings is this
Goodby we’ve only just begun shop with the pros at golf’s happy place the PGH or superstore in Ireland golf is more than than just a game come and experience our world famous Lynx courses and our world famous Parkland courses all set alongside world famous scenery and visit our world famous historic sites and
While you’re here enjoy our world famous Hospitality fill your heart with Ireland at ireland.com golf it’s scams it tracks it’s soft it reacts it is the Bridgestone TB with a game-changing reactive cover designed to Spring faster off your driver and stick longer to your wedges try bridgestone’s tour bees the Tour ball
Reinvented the Gen 6 iron is a culmination of everything that we we have learned as a team the absolute best golf club I ever hit it’s something special say hello to the New pxg Gen 6 iron the longest most accurate irons we’ve ever made they go higher and
Farther than any iron that I have hit to date and they’re so easy to hit super excited for the consumer to try these they’re going to love them pxg nobody makes golf clubs the way we do period baseball nah football done it I think I’m going to go after the PGA Tour Bo
You’re going to need the right equipment company I think I got that you know Tour Edge backs all their clubs with a lifetime warranty I know they ship all their premium custom clubs in 48 hours I know all their premium clubs are hand built in the USA I know you know Tour
Edge has won 35 times out here guys I know pound for pound nothing comes close Bo golf provides the Ultimate worldclass Golf Des ation with 10 Championship caliber courses spanning three Resorts centered in Michigan’s Northern lower Peninsula the courses are the products of some of the games Masters including
Robert Trent Jones Senor Arthur Hills and Donald Ross from the all-inclusive vacation package is Elite instruction with the bo Golf Academy tournaments and so much more Bo golf truly offers an unrivaled Michigan golf vacation experience just log on to Bo golf.com welcome back to Fairways of
Life show Matt Adams here with you if you want to weigh in on our question of the day or join the live discussion board just log on to the fairways of Life YouTube channel and you can make your opinion known there Scott for plank is our guest so when Nick Dunlop
One much attention was made to the fact that well it hadn’t been out for over three decades and the last guy was Phil mikkelson and it’s understandable because a it was Phil mels and two because of the amount of time but what people didn’t realize is that
The amateur that did it before Phil was our guest today in Scott verplank and Scott verlan when he did it was the first to do it for 31 years there’s a lot of crossed lines there between he and Nick Dunlap so I guess the first question I’d
Have for you Scott is did you feel that when you saw what he was doing and heard about what he was doing did it bring back some emotions and some memories oh absolutely um he is obviously he’s a very talented young man um great success you know winning the the junior Amer and
The US Amer so he he obviously has some mental game um which is really what it takes in match play so I think that served him very well with how he handled himself there in Palm Springs um it it I’m I’m so I was so happy for him I was
Like come on kid pull this thing off because I know you can do it and I know there’s kids in college right now that they have the physical game but it’s kind of are they quite there yet mentally or confidence-wise and man he hung in there so well and saw an opening
There at the end and took advantage of it and I just I couldn’t be happier for him now distinctively different than you from when you won the USDA amateur that you’re flexing behind you as we speak you win on the PGA tour you win the NCAA
Individual title you pretty much as a as an amateur I would say what save for the Northeast Amateur for bever Serv me you won pretty much everything else that there that you could possibly win out there and you won the US amateur and then on tour during a time where the
Echo of the voice of Jack Nicholas was still saying that his two amateur titles he considered majors in a nod of course to to Bob Jones his hero so I’m curious when you just how and why did you decide after winning on the PGA tour that you were not going to turn
Professional well you know Matt that was um gosh almost 40 years ago um I first I’d made a commitment um well for put it go back even further uh become a type 1 diabetic at age nine so my life got more structured um more kind kind of
Committed to a schedule um that’s kind of how I grew up so I was by the time I went to college I was kind of committed to the schedule of you know making good grades being part of the team working my butt off to get better at golf um and I
Put the three years into it up to that point and everything was on schedule and I wanted to go back for my senior year of college to be honest with you guys having a ball um kind of felt like hey why wouldn’t you go back as the you know
Winner on the PGA tour and enjoy your last year of college so and I was having I really wanted us to win another team title so uh the money was not the same I think now you really have no choice so I’m I think Nick Dunlap is
Doing the right thing what advice would you give him in terms of even expectation after having one on tour as an amateur to allow yourself to breathe and to play your best golf without the weight of expecting that every time you Tee It Up you’re going to be in contention to
Win um well I would say um that’s obviously going to be a part of the equation Matt but I I think you know he’s got like JT and a couple other guy Alabama guys plus their coach uh J Sewell has done a nice job you know the
Alabama golf family will support him uh wholeheartedly but he’s actually way I look at it now is in a great spot that you know he didn’t wake up on January one of this year thinking he was going to be exempt on the PGA tour he was preparing his year of playing for
Alabama playing in the Masters playing in the US Open as an amiter uh you know maybe the British Open doing all these cool things that you get to do after you win a US Amer um and then all of a sudden this happens and whole world
Change so you know I thought about a little bit and I’m like yeah he should probably I’m he’s going to get great advice he doesn’t need it from me but he should probably take advantage of these uh these select events the what do they call them I can’t you know elevated
Events sorry yeah the Signature Events elevated events whatever they they change every day what they want to call them kind of like everything else has been going on um but yeah he should take advantage of these these short field no cut big money tournaments maybe add a couple other tournaments and then enjoy
All the major stuff that he got in from wi in the US Amer and just and kind of ease into it that that’s what I would tell him just because you weren’t necessarily geared up to go right you know full blast uh Allin PGA Tour or go
Play them all uh just learn along Ong the way I loved what he said he came out there to Palm Springs to learn um that’s basically what I did when I won the Western open I was there just to learn see try to play my best golf and see how
Good it was compared to the best in the world um so he went out there learned a lot learned that he’s good enough to to not only compete but win so um you know if he stays healthy uh it looks to me like he’s going to play a lot of great
Golf for a lot of years so uh hopefully he’ll just take it slow and enjoy what he’s got and just try to be prepared to play every time he plays and that is kind of the key uh that’s what makes like Jack Nicholas and Tiger Woods and
Amongst that level of players so good they were prepared to play every single time they teed up particularly in the major so uh a Nick Dunlap that’s what he needs to be shooting for not not shooting for playing every event and uh going wild so we’ll see I know he’s got
Great advice coming his way so uh I’m looking forward to watching him play I’m going to ask you a question in which I’m I’m going to interview through memory young Scott verplank and now you who has the advantage of looking back on your PGA Tour career when you decided to turn
Professional and you had won everything everything you touched you you you won what were your expectations going into professional golf what did you expect of yourself in terms of performance and when you look back at the same time on the career that you had did you have the career that you
Expected um I don’t know that I would say I had the career that I expected um the problem I mean not the problem but yeah I just didn’t play as good um for a number of reasons you know healthwise uh probably pushed myself too hard mentally stuff like that um I
Thought I could probably contend a little bit more in Majors um but I just listen I don’t have any regrets I I played my butt off every time I got a chance to play play um never uh felt like i’ let being uh diabetic hold me
Back I think it actually prepared me it did prepare me at a young age to be ready to to win um just because I had to be methodical and a little more mature than the guys around me but um listen I I I’m I’m I’m good with it like I said I
Was lucky enough to to play all the big tournaments I was lucky enough to represent the United States in two Rider cups um and in two president’s cups and the World Cup so um I have no regrets on on that I there’s obviously times I wish I would have played better but there’s
Uh a lot of times where um I was just trying not to trying not to hang it up so I’m just not very good at quitting that so that’s why I had some pretty highs and some and some pretty low lows but uh what are you going to do I’m
Happy to be here talking to you this morning that’s awesome my friend you know that I love bringing on the the guys that are veterans that can give us some perspective not only into their own life but what’s going on in the world I know that your voice is about to take
Another step up because if I’m not mistaken you’re new podcast the Scott verplank show does it not debut today I think it does um I was uh I had a company here in town that has been real successful launching some podcasts they asked me if I wanted to do one and
I said sure and um sure enough I got Victor havin to be my first guest so I’m trying to start out with a bang I have a pretty good insight inroads to all the Oklahoma State guys uh plus a few other guys so um I’m kind of looking forward
To it we’ll see if it works I’ve told him if I’m not any good then just give me a call and tell me to go home and uh if we have some fun like I said Victor and I had a great talk uh looking forward to see how it comes out and U
Hopefully it’ll make you know be significant in some way or the other sellout crow.com is where you can find the Scott verplank verplank show that debuts today sellout crow.com okay Scott simple question I suspect it’s a complex answer here’s your complication you have one minute to give us the answer before
We have to go to break is the game in the end of January 2024 in a better place than it was a year ago um well I that’s all Matt really a minute yeah um I guess I would have to say yes because I think that both sides of this
Equation have kind of stepped it up a little bit and it’s not without some real heartache and some some uh lots of bumps in the roads but um to me both sides are getting to the point where they’re going to have to get together because the the the Liv has taken so
Many good players um it’s taken really taken away from the top of the PGA tour and the PJ tour is counter countered by elevated events um kind of stuff it just that that the mo the roads need to merge here pretty quick and they need to
Figure it out um get the Egos and the maybe some of the top guys out of the way and let the game of golf rule you know let the game of golf keep living on and professional golf moving forward where all the best players can play
Together so um I I think we’re closer to that but I just I’m not convinced it’s going to happen yet see I knew you’d nail it in a minute and I also knew that that would keep you coming back the next time when we go a little bit deeper
Scott for plank uh his show kicks off today it’s called the Scott for plank show the podcast can be found at sellout crowd.com always a pleasure my friend thank you so much for your company you bet Matt thanks for having me on the fairways life show is presented by the
PGA TOUR Superstore they are the number one golf retailer in the land if you need it you can find it at the PGA to our Superstore your happy place relax easy now find your happy place happy place the PGA TOUR Superstore it’s all in the hips where every swing is possible just tap
In yes find all the latest gear apparel and person personalized Club fittings is this goodai we’ve only just begun shop with the pros at golf’s happy place the PGA Superstore in Ireland golf is more than just a game come and experience our world famous Lynx courses and our world
Famous Parkland courses all set alongside world famous scenery and visit our world famous historic sites and while you’re here enjoy our world famous famous Hospitality fill your heart with Ireland at ireland.com golf it screams it tracks it’s soft it reacts it is the Bridgestone tour be with a gamechanging reactive cover
Design to Spring faster off your driver and stick longer to your wedges try bridgestone’s tour bees the tour balll reinvented the Gen 6 iron is a culmination of everything that we have learned as a team the absolute best golf club I’ve ever hit it’s something
Special say hello to the New pxg Gen 6 iron the longest most accurate irons we’ve ever made they go higher and farther than any iron that I have hit to date and they’re so easy to hit super excited for the consumer to try this they’re going to love them pxg nobody
Makes golf clubs the way we do period baseball nah football done it I think I’m going to go after the PGA Tour Bo you’re going to need the right equipment company I think I got that you know tourage backs all their clubs with a lifetime warranty I know they ship all
Their premium custom clubs in 48 hours I know all their premium clubs are hand built in the USA I know no you know Tour Edge has won 35 times out here guys I know pound-for-pound nothing comes close Bo golf provides the Ultimate worldclass Golf destination with 10 Championship caliber courses spanning three Resorts
Centered in Michigan’s Northern lower Peninsula the courses are the products of some of the games Masters including Robert Trent Jones Senor Arthur Hills and Donald Ross from the all-inclusive vacation package is Elite instruction with The boying Golf Academy tournaments and so much much more Bo golf truly offers an unrivaled Michigan golf
Vacation experience just log on to Bo golf.com zero friction introduces the wheelpro push cart golf bag with its revolutionary 3 in-one design supportive legs that spring into action a comfort grip handle with three locking positions accessories for the modern golfer enhanced by seven pockets for more storage and removable alterrain Wheels
Which slide right into place the new zero friction wheelpro golf bag checks every box for every golfer push carryer cart the decision is yours thanks to zerof friction head to zerof fr.com today welcome back to Fairways of Life show pleasure to have your company folks golf at Pebble Beach this week one
Of the most beautiful places for the game anywhere in the world I’d be curious maybe we’ll do this tomorrow would Pebble be your number one bucket list course I’m not talking about courses that you can’t play you know like gusa National or Pine Valley or whatever you the the chances of
Anybody getting on there are remote right I’m talking about places you could go to would Pebble be number one or say Piner number two or Royal Port rush or Royal County Down B bun hinch CH old Course St Andrews what would it be or would it be right
Here so we’re going to get a chance to see that this week in fact let me give you some of the uh air times of when and how you can find the coverage of the golf that is coming up this week and we start with the PGA Tour Thursday and
Friday’s coverage on Golf Channel from 3 p.m. all these times are Eastern on Saturday and Sunday split between Golf Channel and CBS at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively same on Sunday until the conclusion PGA Tour live coverage uh which I will be hosting this week I head out tomorrow afternoon Thursday and
Friday from 11:45 a.m. on ESPN plus Saturday and Sunday you can see at 11:30 and 11:00 a.m. respectively each PGA Tour radio which can be heard on the tours app website or on national satellite service sirusxm Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. Saturday from 2: p.m.
And Sunday once again from 1: p.m. for that coverage we’ll keep rolling uh Liv is back underway this week Liv golf mayakoba we’re expecting a lot more answers coming in the next few hours in terms of who will comprise the various teams and will those teams include uh
Terell Hatton as it was reported by the telegraph coverage Friday at 1M on the CW app Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm on the CW is the coverage coming up for that lanto Griffin is a PGA Tour player uh that he has won on every single level
That he has played the game including as I just mentioned uh the PGA Tour I had a chance to speak with him at The Travelers Andrew find me this video if you would this was when I had a CH chance to speak with him in June and
There was a player meeting coming up that afterno coming up that afternoon that’s why I brought it up and said hey you’re going to be at this players meeting here was how lanto resp responded to that back in June later on today are you going to a players meeting you know what
I I don’t think I’m going to go to this one I’ve been to every other one and and I get worked up and it I’ve noticed a trend where when I go to the player meeting and it’s three hours the one in Canada was for us we stayed after and
Talked it’s just it’s just gotten to the point where bet that tightened up your back yeah that’s that’s part of it I just want to focus on Golf and um I don’t necessarily feel like we’re always heard and and the truth is you know I know it’s a tough it’s been a really
Tough two years for everybody so I’m not sitting here saying that what the tour’s done is right or wrong I know they’re in a tough spot but it’s it’s been frustrating for the players and and um watching Brooks’s press conference last week the US Open where he just deflected
All I’m here to play golf I took that to heart and um and I think I’m going to do that this week I’m just going to try to just avoid that drama and what ever happens what whatever happens happens and just go out and try and play good golf are you able
To avoid the drama though of the letter from Tom Watson I mean here you got a legend weighing in on that what did you see it did you have a reaction no yeah I read it yesterday I thought it was brilliant he brought up a lot of really
Good points um you know you read that letter and a lot of those questions that he asked it’s like well shoot why didn’t we ask that in Canada you know so uh he brought up a ton of good points hopefully they address that and hopefully we just get a little bit more
Clarity I think part of the issue is the last three years it’s been you know they change the schedule they Chang the FedEx C points they change you know how many people get in the in the playoffs they change it’s just and I’m not saying they
That there’s a way to avoid all that but it’s just been it’s it’s been tough when the landscape changes all the time even look at corn fairy tour they go from 25 to 30 cards no more corn fairy finals Q school’s different it’s been one of those things where you
Know we as players we want to focus on golf golf’s hard enough and everybody’s really good so having to worry about all this other little stuff has been it’s been a distraction and and unfortunate I think as players we love the game of golf and the PJ tour the shield that brand is
Just so special to us we dream about playing on the PGA tour as a kid and I I’d say all of us out here feel extremely grateful to be on the PJ tour so it’s it’s almost uh it’s almost a little frustrating to see things change
The way they have when we’re so used to you know the the tiger era and then and everything so hopefully things get worked out and uh there’s a lot of unanswered questions um so hoping for the best not for just for me and for the other players but for the game and and
Kind of what makes golf so special which is a PJ tour and and the great championships that we have so on Sunday the PGA Tour announced the players on the player advisory count so there you see the second name down lanto Griffin is part of the pack he is joining us
Right now lanto I hope you’re doing well my friend before we get into all this how you feeling how’s the back uh I’m I’m doing great the back uh body and the back feel I’m about five years younger than I was in that interview with you at Travelers so uh
It’s nice to I just played three weeks in a row um Redeye flight from Hawaii and and no back spasms and and really no pain so uh that’s a real positive POS uh for me cool now the sound that we played from The Travelers in June to where we
Sit today with you a member of the pack what’s the bridge there what took place why’d you do it well I got I got voted on um we spent some time in the offseason asking some questions um with a tour and just trying to get some answers trying to get some
Transparency um with everything that’s going on uh in the game of golf it’s it’s crazy to sit back uh I was thinking about our interview today last night and just thinking back on how much golf has changed since since the the co pandemic and Liv came along um it’s hard to
Recognize the PGA Tour and the schedule and everything that’s going on uh it’s kind of wild so I’m excited to be on the pack it’s cool to have a voice um I think it’s needed uh I think this is a kind of a critical time in golf and and
For the PJ tour so hopefully we can write the ship and and try and settle things down and and ultimately get back to golf and and talk about Golf and not talk about schedule changes in Signature Events and in other leagues the live tour and and um that’s the goal is is to
Give golf fans really good golf and and the level of play on the PJ tour right now um is incredible I think Nick dunlop’s win at at AMX is it’s going to go down in history it’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen I was I
Was there that week seven underpar for the first three rounds was insane and then for him to close it out playing with Sam Burns and and Justin Thomas and the or maybe yeah final group um just shows you how deep golf is um and it’s it’s pretty exciting time when you when
You look at the talent when you when you think of your role on the pack lanto how would you define it what do you hope to accomplish I know I’m GNA be very firm um I’m I’m I’m a opinionated um but at the same time I feel like I’m I’m fair
To the point where I know I can recognize how important the top players are and and how valuable they are and how much we owe to them in the game of golf but I also want to be an advocate for uh rookies on tour the entire membership and ultimately the what’s
Best for the game of golf um the last few years like I mentioned earlier it’s been tough mentally um just always changing the landscape changing ideally um we’d get some kind of agreement worked out between the top players and the rest of the membership and the
Management to where look if you go out and you play good golf you’re going to move up if you don’t play good golf you’re going to move down and and that’s you know the meritocracy that that sport should be it’s everything should be determined on the field or on the course
Or on the court nothing should be determined in a boardroom when it comes to sports and and and that’s kind kind of my view on it and that’s what I’m going to fight for um but at the same time I want to be fair and and and
Hopefully we can all come together and and come to an agreement do you feel like the equity that that you’re aspiring to do you feel like that is in the pathway right now or is that something that needs to be built that’s a good question I mean we
We worked pretty hard in the offseason just to get some answers and trying and figure out exactly why these things are happening and and being voted on the pack by my peers is is obviously um you know humbling and and hopefully we can get to the bottom
Of it um but that’s that’s to be seen I guess um hopefully we can get some things done and and everybody’s happy and I I do know one thing we we we talk about this you know the live golf league and the PJ tour there there’s so much
Talent in the game of golf to where in in a weird way there’s room for two leagues um I don’t NE certainly think it’s the best thing for the PJ tour in the game of golf but we’re not going to change that and that’s fine um I think
We need to look going forward we need to look at the young guys and and the young stars that are coming up the PJ tour has created every Star in the game of golf at least on the US side of of the pond you know so if you look at a will zot
Tus or you look at a Sam Burns or some of these upand cominging young superstars the PJ tour is the reason why they are is because they’ve played really well and they’ve gotten a lot of TV time and they’ve they’ve won some big championships so that’s going to keep
Happening whether guys lead for live or or guys you know remain on the PJ tour golf’s in a really health healthy spot with with what college golf’s done in in the corn faery tour and it’s just crazy how deep golf is a couple of times in this interview already lanto you have
Used the phrase top players uh in and top players getting their due Etc I realize who you’re defining as the top players and I’m curious how and where you define yourself in the spectrum of professional golf uh in a weird way I I don’t even really when I’m saying this I don’t
Really think of myself as um as anything I’m kind of looking at it as you know from an outside perspective um with somewhat of an inside view I’m obviously a journeyman um this is my sixth year on the PJ tour I played mini tours for a
Bunch of years one thing I do look back on is I I played six seven years on the mini tours and and PJ tour Latin America um I went to Q School six times so I look back and I imagine myself now coming out of college and trying to play
Professional golf and make it to the the PJ tour and ultimately went on the PJ tour and the road right now would be a lot harder than it was for me when I did it in you know in the mid you know 2015 2016 and I can tell you it was
Incredibly hard then um you know living at home with your mom and doing Q school and asking people for money I don’t necessarily think I would have made it um in the current landscape it’s just it’s it’s really hard to do and and that’s what kind of scares me with
What’s happening now is is these rookies coming out on tour you know they’ve there’s guys that have played on Cor Ferry for five six seven eight years finally got their du um they finally broke through and they’re on the PJ to on the PJ tour and now they’re not going
To get you know very many starts um the American Express field was incredibly deep um you know the field last week at farmers are incredibly deep so these guys they finally achieve achieve their dream they don’t have that fall buffer that they used to have you know the six
To eight tournaments to kind of get their feet wet and and get some momentum and now it’s you know you’re in a play this week and then you you get a month off and and you’ll you might get in that event and then you can go play an
Opposite field event with you know three to four times less points than than signature events so you look at these rookies and you know your rookie is going to be hard it’s always been hard for a rookie on the PJ tour but now it feels like your backs really against the
Wall and it’s not so much play better it’s play much much better if you want an opportunity lanto Griffin is my guest he’s a winner on the PGA tour we will continue with our interview with lanto right after this I guess hello world huh and with one subtle hello tiger began an
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Able to kind of have a warm-up and have a workout routine and kind of gradually build up to where you’re training your body to move properly yeah you’re going to get a lot of big dividends on the golf course relax easy now find your happy place happy place
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Want to check out his foundation L what’s the what’s the purpose of the foundation what are you guys working on I know you have a charity event don’t you in ronoke yeah ronoke Virginia at Bal hack golf club uh it’s going to be the third week of September and and basically
We’re raising money for families that that are battling terminal illnesses and also Youth Sports uh the goal there is to give to give kids that um that want to be good they want to earn a college golf scholarship or a college basketball scholarship hockey whatever whatever
Sport it is give them the opportunity to get coaching equipment travel to tournaments um travel leagues whatever it may be so it’s not so much just golf it’s I just remember being a kid and and really wanting to be uh really wanting to play sports I played soccer
Basketball baseball and golf and and my family couldn’t afford to you know put me on travel teams and and uh so this is way that I had a lot of people you know help us financially when I was you know a kid and in college and and helped me
To get to where I am so hopefully find some kids that really want to be good they’re working hard and all they need is a little bit of financial support and guidance and uh it’s amazing what a having an opportunity what it does to your your soul it makes you it makes you
Hungry gets you excited about you know waking up and going and chasing your dreams so that’s that’s the goal behind our foundation those two things what is is your advice then to kids of all ages who are trying to chase their dream as a winner on the PGA tour that has reached
Yours I I anything’s possible uh hard work it it comes down to discipline sacrifice and and perseverance for me um you know maybe not going out with your friends every night um going to bed earlier reading books practicing harder um and then obviously having some good opportunities with coaching and and and
In golf in general any young young kid and parent you don’t need to travel all around the world to play junior tournaments if you can find competition 18 hole nine hole tournaments in your local area putting a score on the scorecard is is incredibly important uh you know golf feels different in
Tournaments than it does on the driving range or if you’re playing at home um so it doesn’t need to be some big extravagant travel uh spending a ton of money just find a really good local tour um and play as much as as you can obviously you can’t do what you’re doing
On the world stage of golf unless you have support I see Stanley on your shirt how important are the sponsors that you have built H it’s incredible uh it really is the the amount of people that we meet in the game of golf at proam every week and
And the cool thing about a lot of my sponsors are they they support my foundation so we obviously have a um a partnership but then they they also give back to local charities in in Virginia and around the country that that I support so that partnership it the the
Relationships with these um with all my sponsors are really important and you know it’s they they they go past the game of golf and and a partnership the friendships and and um it’s it’s really cool a lot of my sponsors will travel and watch me play and we’ll have dinners
And um it’s you saw from some of those pictures the the lonto hats I’ve I’ve seen pictures of those on airplanes and it’s it doesn’t make sense to me Gilbert ROM most might be watching he started that and um but it’s flattering and it’s really cool to have that support um on
The shirt that’s that’s Gilbert right there so you know having uh having sponsors you know that that want you to do well in golf but also outside of golf and in life is really cool very cool uh Scott for plank was on the program before you I asked him the
Question is golf at the end of January 2024 better than it was at the end of January 202 three what’s your Take Ah that’s tough I don’t think it was that good in the end of 2023 so um I’m I’m optimistic about the future getting golf back to where it’s
Decided on the course is is my number one goal um everybody’s on a Level Playing Field if I were to play better than you or you play better than me we you know we we get rewarded for that so I’m going to uh I’m going to say it’s
About the same um same or Worse honestly do you have hope for the future of the game I think there’s a lot of greed um going on in the game of golf right now which is frustrating uh we’re in a bubble and um that’s tough to see
Because the PJ tour is so special um the communities that we play in and the and the Charities and the competition there’s no better feeling than than playing well on the PJ tour and making the cut and being in contention having a chance to win that that hasn’t changed and that will
Never change so what golf what golf can do to you and it can bring people together that’s still there I just think we need to figure out behind the scenes how for everybody to get along and and for greed to kind of get out of it and
And get back to focusing on Golf and honestly not having conversations like why does a signature event have you know two to three times of points of a of a full field event get back to where you you’re just out there playing and if uh
If you can play 15 to 20 events a year and and make TOUR Championship and win then you have every right to do that but give the entire membership an opportunity well that behind the scenes is exactly where you will be as a member of the pack good luck my friend thank
You very much for your time fascinating insights awesome thank you Matt thanks for having me on it was good to see and this week we are going to see Pebble Beach the beauty of the Peninsula will be the thing that defines as much as anything else the week out in Pebble
Although we’re hearing some very ominous things about the weather as well we’ll be keeping a very close eye on that looking forward to your company as we continue the fairways of Life show and as you continue your March thank you so much for spending part of your day with
Us until we are together again be well and goodbye for now
1 Comment
WHY does PGA have any ams play Thursday Friday for a Signature event ? PGA shooting itself in the foot. Drop the ams and Increase the number of pros.