The people’s caddie, Geno Bonnalie, joins the pod to discuss his original letter/email to Joel Dahmen, how the two have seen their popularity grow since the release of Netflix’s “Full Swing” and how he balances life on the road with being a Dad and a husband back in Idaho. Bonnalie also talks about his famous Winged Foot hotel video, being the mascot in college and his role as one of the five caddie “Ball Masters” for SAXX Underwear.
four please on the te from Leon Idaho
Gino banelli the caddy of Joel Damon the
Guinness Book of World Records holder
for most birdies in a week and the ball
Master himself Gino Benelli coming up on
eyes on golf this was a ton of fun I
mean someone bucket list podcast guest
right here Gino Benelli I know a lot of
the stories are out there but I wanted
to hear him tell maybe some of the
stories again and also get some of the
new stories about full swings Gino
Benelli PGA Tours Gino Benelli the caddy
Gino Benelli the husband the father Gino
Benelli we dug really into what makes
Gino um the person that he is and why he
has become such a fan favorite caddy on
the PGA toour working with Joel Damon so
that’s coming up on is on golf right now
[Music]
Gino Benelli is in here or as it says in
we’re doing this in Riverside as he has
posted here ballmaster Benelli so I I
feel like I’m just gracious to be in
your presence right now ballmaster thank
you for being with me on Ison
golf well um very glad to be here as
well this morning you’re coming to us
yeah I think you said you ho defense at
TPC Louisiana not to get you in trouble
early in the morning on this Tuesday I
did yeah the uh Security’s a little
tight around here usually and I wanted
to find a comfortable spot excuse the
golf carts in the background but uh I
found a nice place posted up here in the
Sun but I have a feeling there’s going
to be a security guard that boots me out
of this secured area here very shortly
well we’ll try to do everything uh we’ll
try to get this all in as as quickly and
efficiently as possible but you are in
TPC Louisiana for the the Zer classic of
New Orleans this week obviously you know
you working with Joel Damon uh you know
you always got to keep him focused keep
him in line he’s playing with Keith
Mitchell this week in Louis in New
Orleans does that add to the uh to the
coaching of the week and the maintaining
the focus for an event like this there’s
a lot of added pressure in this format
and not only is Joel trying to provide
for his family but there’s the another
family that uh we have to think about so
there’s just this added level of
pressure and Keith got a a a sub
substitute caddy on the bag this week so
I think that’s doubling my
responsibilities out there on the golf
course as well this
week yeah and I want to we can talk
about that off the top youo in
journalism school they told me you know
don’t when when a subject is promoting a
brand don’t ask them about it right away
may you know get it get it to the end of
the interview but I’m going to throw
that out the window here because I think
it’s it’s one of the most interesting
Partnerships I’ve ever seen for the
second year you’re part of saxs
underwear’s ball Masters you and now
four other caddies you mentioned John
Lamonte who would have been on the bag
for Keith Mitchell this week he’s now
working at appears with OE batia Joel
stock working with will zures Aaron
fleiner uh with JT Poston and now you’ve
added John Ellis wam Clark’s caddy I
guess it took a US Open for him to join
the crew yeah a couple elevated events
and uh a major championship that’s the
minimum requirements to become a ball
master um if you weren’t in the original
gang uh take me through this partnership
because I think it is incredible not
only watching you act but obviously
you’re now an underwear model uh you
know how did how did this all come
together for you beautiful men to to to
be a part of this partnership to get
this sponsorship and to wear this
underwear you know I think they were
looking to get in the golf space and uh
it may have originated with Joel being a
testicular
cancer uh Survivor I don’t know if
Survivor is the right term maybe it is
um but it started with him and then just
kind of evolved into the caddies and
Joel got kicked to the Wayside and uh my
fellow ball Ms and I uh met with them
and it was just a great relationship
right from the go and they’re such a
good company and a good group of people
to work with and not only that but they
have a great product and we’ve had a lot
of fun with it thus far yeah we should
mention that you’ll be wearing Sachs
underwear shorts polos on the course
this year and you mentioned a little bit
about you kind of alluded to it $100
will be donated to the testicular cancer
foundation for every birdie made by uh
your C by you and your fellow ballmaster
Caddy’s players this year so you talking
about the added pressure yeah well I it
concerns me for Sachs because uh we
might put them out of business with the
with the crew that we’ve got now a lot
of talented individuals obviously with O
and Windam
and well who else we got will zorus yeah
how about that and JT hon man Joel Damon
uh he stepping up a little bit this week
so no it’s uh it’s going to be good
there’s going to be a lot of money
raised for the testicular C Cancer
Foundation so it’ll be
great so that’s going to be that’s going
to be you know we’ll see what you guys
filled with that obviously there’s the
pressure of like you said Joel Keith
working together this week on that uh
how about the acting of these ball
Master scenes I mean you’re I’m not
saying you’re Tom Hanks yet uh maybe
it’s more of a Ben Stiller comedy what
was there any acting coaching or how did
you just co go about this whole thing no
it uh I don’t know I wouldn’t say I’m a
natural by any means but I don’t really
being in front of a camera doesn’t
really bother me and John Ellis the
newest edition was so funny
because when we were doing the last
filming they were like okay John just
repeat this line and they’ give him like
two sentences and he could not get
through the two sentences without
messing it up and then he wasn’t able to
say certain words so we had to modify
the script slightly for for John but uh
for myself I don’t know I just don’t
take it too seriously it’s fun and uh I
find myself going off script maybe more
than I should it just kind of comes out
me uh but I really enjoy it so maybe
maybe my next career will be more of an
acting role than a caddy rooll how
Comfort how comfortable are you in just
underwear very yeah I just in fact when
they are like okay go ahead and put your
underwear on and here’s a robe I’m like
we don’t need a robe I don’t care it’s
just I mean oxe wears shorts that are
short enough to looks like he’s wearing
underwear all the time
so but uh so John will be very
comfortable as he moves into this
exactly so it’s been great um I want to
talk a little bit about your story you
know obviously Netflix has allowed the
world to see not just golf fans but the
world to see a lot about yours and
Joel’s story and only so much can get in
to that actual Netflix full swing series
so I want to go back first a little bit
do you remember the initial moment that
you met
Joel I don’t know if I remember the
initial moment I have some early
memories of playing with him my earliest
ones I was better than him but to his to
his credit he was probably only like 10
years old so uh I’m a few years older
than he is so I just had age and height
and weight in my favor but uh other than
that he started beating me very quickly
after that age of
10 and that’s important right Leon Idaho
Clarkston Washington for those that
don’t figure it out Lewis and Clark make
sense right on the border there of Idaho
in Washington and for you I mean this
this this Joel kid this pesky Joel kid’s
three four years younger than you why
would you as kind of why would you take
an interest in a kid like that at that
age around when you guys were teenagers
I always thought he was fun to play with
so there was never a a thought of oh man
maybe someday I can work for this guy I
just enjoyed playing golf with him and
being around him and whenever we would
play it was just almost in awe of him
because this little kid who doesn’t hit
it really that far but still manages to
shoot 67 as a 15-year-old or whatever it
was every single time he teed it up it
felt like it was just everyone in our
Valley who played golf respected the
heck out of Joel and just wanted to be
around him and I remember Joel uh
qualified for the Canadian open one year
uh off of the at the time was the
Mackenzie tour in PGA tour Canada and it
was his first PGA Tour event and he made
the cut and was actually playing really
well and that’s when it first started
clicking for me this is before he was
even on the the web.com tour corn fairy
tour now uh that I was like I think I
want to quit my job and go to work for
him this happens and uh he showed that
he can compete at the highest level and
so I sweet talk to wife into let me quit
my job and make piles of cash out there
on the corn faery tour as a caddy that’s
right and you were you had a business
degree and completed the professional
golf Management program I believe at the
University of Idaho you did that in 2007
and you didn’t start working for Joel
until around
2015 so you were working in Seattle what
does it mean you were doing a staffing
and recruiting job what does that mean
right out of uh I was like a it’s like a
head hunter uh so I worked with a bunch
of different construction companies
around the Seattle area to help find
Project managers superintendent and
things of that nature and truthfully I
hated cold calling people and be like
hey Jeff are you interested in a new
position
no I it was it wasn’t really for me uh
and either was just the Seattle area in
general so we moved back to my hometown
of lisis Idaho and I went in to a
construction business I was a logistics
like a purchasing person I made sure all
of our job sites just had what they
needed to complete the project and I did
that for a while and then went on to
another company from there and then
sitting in a cubicle and I’ll never
forget the sweet lady barb that I sat
next to in a
cubicle uh she had been with the company
for 40 some years and was getting ready
to
retire and I just remember thinking man
Barb has been in this cubicle for 40
some years I do not want this to be me
and I love love Barb but I had to do
something different so I rolled the dice
and uh asked Joel if I could do what
we’re currently doing and this is our
10th season together that’s I mean think
about it you were a head hunter this was
the exact opposite there was no listing
for the job of Joel Damon’s caddy you
essentially created the job offering yep
uh the letter has become something of
golf folklore over the last few years
how much can you almost recite the whole
thing at this point what do you remember
from it yeah well I remember I was
sitting in my cubicle when I wrote it
and I just I just wrote everything that
I was thinking and feeling and when I
got done I read it and I was like yeah
that’s perfect like I think he’ll hire
me just as long as he reads it so I I
waited until the last event when he
officially locked up the money money
list and I sent it to him and then like
two weeks goes by but I don’t hear
anything from him like man I don’t know
what this means so I was like hey have
you I sent him a message have you
checked your email in the last couple
weeks he’s like no like oh could you and
so I remember he called and we talked
about he’s like I I don’t think this is
something that you want to do you’re not
going to make any money like I know I
realize that but it’s it is something I
want to explore and he never really told
me yes or no he came back and we went
out and played golf and we’re on the
very first hole and he had like a it was
a windy day and he hit like a seven iron
from 150 yards this little chippy one in
there and I was like man I was like I
never thought you’d pull seven and he
was like well if you’re going to caddy
for me you need to you know let’s get on
the same page and at this time he still
hadn’t told me whether or not he was
gonna hire me so I’m like well is that a
yes because the first tournament’s in
like two weeks and I have to quit my job
so he was like oh yeah if you want to
I’m like well D
okay so uh that was that it started in
leyon Mexico and uh off and running ever
since do you remember what your boss
said um said in which regard oh my uh
sorry I thought you meant Jo or Joel my
boss not Joel no well I actually uh I
had I was supposed to go to Germany to
visit a customer like this same
week uh and she was like I’m so glad you
told me because if you would have went
to Germany came back and then quit I
would have killed you so uh thank you
for saying something that’s awesome give
it a try and if you ever needed anything
that she was great if you never ever
need anything let us know so it worked
out wonderfully I’m glad to hear Idaho
is doing a lot of business overseas all
the way in Germany it was a ammunition
manufacturing company so I transitioned
to a logistics person shipping ammo to
Germany I’ve been all over the place
with my
jobs yeah around that same time your
wife Holly what did she say as you
walked out the door for that first corn
fairy Tour event with Joel she was very
excited for me we’ve always been uh you
know do what makes you happy kind of
relationship
and she couldn’t have been better so uh
she sent Joel a nice text message and
Joel sent her a great text message and
like I can’t believe we’re about to do
this just two dumb kids from northern
Idaho about to Embark upon this journey
on the in route to the PGA Tour and uh
originally we were going to Holly and I
were going to give it three years on the
corn faery tour to see if we can make
the PGA Tour thankfully we did it in our
second
year what would 2024 Gino tell 2015 Gino
now about catting uh in professional
golf man um I don’t you know just the
process of learning everything uh I
don’t know if I’d have to tell myself
much uh that sounds maybe lame but I’ve
had so much fun along the way and
learning about everything and making
wonderful friends some of my best
friends in the world are caddies that
I’ve met along the way so um I don’t I
don’t have any regrets about it how
anything has taken place or whatnot so
just keep doing what you’re doing I
suppose I’m I’m I’m very proud very
proud of the way that everything has
evolved and I absolutely love my
job that’s do you see yourself now as a
veteran caddy on the PGA
tour you know it’s funny I don’t I don’t
see myself in that light but other guys
may see me in that light because the uh
there are a lot of younger caddies out
here feel like the tour is getting
younger and younger with the talent
level out of college uh but no I I still
don’t put myself in that
box you don’t feel like you know you you
showed up back then nine ten years ago
asking people where the restroom was or
something like that and now you’re the
guy pointing out where the range is to
some of these
CES I remember getting so frustrated uh
because I never knew where parking was
you know a lot of times park off site
and as a first timer you know they might
label it lot a BC but as a
caddy that does that doesn’t help me
what lot are Caddy’s in a or C so you
know driving around and doesn’t seem
like volunteers are fully informed all
the time so a lot of driving in circles
around the blocks getting frustrated but
what what’s that what’s the most common
misconception about caddy life what do
people not know about what it’s like for
you guys out there um I think a lot of
people think it’s you know all expenses
are covered and it’s just a really
luxurious life um which isn’t the case
at all there’s you know you’ve got
two extreme ends of it with know Ted
Scott and then basically the other 185
guys on tour
uh so yeah there’s there’s times that
are rough we do have a great job uh you
know I’m sitting here in Louisiana right
now on a beautiful morning and been
eating wonderful food so far this but uh
but we we have to be away from our
families a lot and that’s really hard um
you know I’ve got two kids and a wife at
home and haven’t seen them in a couple
weeks
and all I want to do is truthfully go
home and even if it’s for 20 minutes
just be able to hug them and if I could
transport or teleport back and forth
that’d be a ideal but it gets hard
sometimes one day maybe technology will
let Cates and players commute and
transport every
morning yeah that would be that would be
something but you know I do want to talk
about kind of what you’re saying about
being a family man and some of the
aspects of of the job you know I think
in season two of full swing we saw I
don’t want to say a much more serious
genino because I don’t know if I’m ever
going to say that you and Joel are
totally 100% the most serious people on
Earth but we definitely saw someone who
was uh trying to be a serious friend to
droll trying to be a committed family
man you know trying to maintain some of
those aspects of Life did you feel it
was a a little bit more the way that you
were P portrayed perhaps was a little
bit more you know I want to be the the
big figure here big brother to Joel a
husband and get everything uh kind of
right in my life yeah um I think it was
portrayed very well and know as goofy as
we are and as much fun as we have
there’s still serious things that we
need to do and deal with um and address
and I think it was
just it’s it’s hard having those
conversations with your best friend
though too and um it was definitely in
the works the Netflix stuff you know was
hard for Joel Cu uh Joel put it really
well it was like if the PGA Tour was had
a hotel and he would be you know on the
you know second floor with all of his
friends where he’s comfortable and then
all a sudden he’s thrust into the
spotlight where every round we play in
the first two rounds were in a featured
group with Justin Thomas and Ricky fow
or Tony fow you know playing with all
these guys and with huge Galleries and
all of them are rooting for Joel you
know and it was new and it was
uncomfortable uh you know some people
would have ate it up and loved it where
Joel wanted to hide a little bit um the
golf wasn’t what it had been previous
couple years uh so it just made it
uncomfortable and then it just kind of
snowballed from there but he’s in a good
place right
now uh been hitting the ball fantastic
and we just got to get that little thing
in the hole but uh
I think
he’s the mentality has changed slightly
and he’s excited to be where he’s at and
the support is still there by all the
fans uh so that makes it nice I think
that’s a good you know I’ve heard you
guys get the question so many times in
the last year how are you dealing with
the fame how are you dealing with the
fame what I want to know is almost the
opposite how are you staying focused
within the fame and kind of what you’re
saying how do you keep Joel In the Zone
during an event almost saying tune out
all these people forget that you know
get this pressure off your shoulders
just because more people are watching
and let’s just focus on playing the same
golf courses that we’ve been playing the
last few years yeah it’s uh Joel it it
kind of falls on him himself you know
caddy you could say that all you want
but ultimately he’s got to tune it out
and just go to work um and it does it
does become a lot with people yelling at
you all the time you know what the
smaller Crowds Are the tough ones when
you know you’re standing on a tea box
and there’s two or three guys there you
doesn’t it’s not white noise at that
point you can hear everything people are
saying to you and a lot of times it’s
positive but when you’re playing poor
golf you don’t want some stranger tell
you to keep your chin up you know you
want to turn on a p so
uh but at the same time he’s a nice
person and he’s like okay thank you you
know so it uh I don’t even know if I
answered your question it it’s difficult
at time out there and you just have to
uh you listen to it and kind of just
ignore it and put your head down and
hopefully the next putt goes in how
about this from your end of being more
in the spotlight you know you can walk
around a golf event and more people are
going to recognize you now you can walk
maybe you show up in the supermarket
this week in New Orleans and someone’s
going to say something uh you know
recognizing you from the ball Masters
commercial or maybe recognizing you from
full swing or just watching Joel out
there you know how do you feel that you
carry um this a little bit more of a
weight but an ability to spread
positivity to you know spread some of
the uh positive aspects of your life
like what we saw about you being a
family man in the last season of full
swing that you do have some more
responsibility perhaps than you used to
have yeah I do and I enjoy it uh you can
always tell when people are kind of
looking at you like side eyed and like
and I’m like oh yeah uh hello you know
give them a wave and uh there was a
couple people uh in the airport in
Chicago on the way here they’re like
excuse me are you Gino and you know take
pictures with people and uh everyone is
they’re like man I love you guys I’m you
know Joel’s biggest fan I hear that a
lot uh so just to spread that and just
keep being ourselves and being nice to
everyone is always so great with the
fans and uh we both try to just be that
way and make take care of the kids out
here because I think uh it’s just such
an awesome thing to do and this week
here in New Orleans there’s actually a
great turnout the The Spectators here
are awesome there’s always a bunch of
bunch of youngsters hanging out so sign
a lot of autograph both Joel and myself
uh so
yeah what’s the weirdest place you’ve
been recognized now
oh good question let’s
see Bo it’s just a it’s a lot of
airports feel like there was oh I know
where so we were uh I had coming back
from I don’t know if it was weird but uh
coming back from Japan I had a stop in
Hawaii I had like a 4-Hour layover in
Honolulu and I just went into a little
restaurant and sat at the bar and
ordered and I was sitting next to this
just random gal and she looked over and
she goes has anybody ever told you you
look like that caddy and I was like
which cat is that and she goes bone you
look like bones and I was like
oh no I’ve never heard that I look like
bones she was like do you know who bones
is I was like I do know who bones is
yeah and she’s like well we’re big
golfers her and her husband were there
and we talked about Golf and she’s like
what do you do and I was like I’m a
caddy she was like really so that was uh
that was a funny story and then
ultimately she’s like wait you’re that
guy yes I am so I got uh I got bones for
the first time but uh that was a that
was a very random one but I do get in
some Supermarket supermarkets I’ve got
in a Target stopped in Target
before so hi buddy
sorry uh you should you should have just
rolled up to Justin Thomas’s bag a
couple weeks ago just you know maybe
just uh just weaved yourself in I
considered it just go grab it out the
locker room and make him fire
me like Gino what are you doing get out
of
here I know you say that Joel Joel fires
you every week um you know you’re you’re
talking about some of the that that
change and you guys being the same
people we did see in full swing you know
you’re on the PJ Gino you you’re up
you’re up in the private jet I don’t
think that’s what you expected when you
signed on in 2015 what are some of those
moments that you’re like I can’t believe
this is actually my life defin itely the
private jet thing and I had somebody
reach out to me they seen that scene
they think I fly private but I
definitely do not fly private uh I
usually sit in
33b um so that that one uh you know we
do some outings uh I do an outing oh
shoot I did one the week of uh Saturday
in Augusta uh for a company inspirado
travel
company and they flew me out to Augusta
and did a Q&A with Shane bacon and sat
around and it was amazing and they’re
like oh we have an extra ticket for
Sunday if you’d like to go I’m yes
please uh so getting to do stuff like
that is special that uh has came
from Netflix I suppose and it’s been
awesome can’t believe I so so you were
there Sunday at the Masters I don’t
believe Joel has not played The Master
yet was that your first time on the
grounds at Augusta so let me let me back
up I the way I worded that was slightly
misleading I could so they there’s a
place called The Magnolia club or Club
Magnolia which is like right against
Augusta and the place is incredible
there’s all you can eat food and drinks
and there’s putting greens and it’s just
a massive area that was so much fun so I
had a grounds pass but there was TVs
everywhere and shade and air
conditioning I was like you know what I
don’t think I need to leave Club
Magnolia so I actually didn’t go onto
the golf course I had the opportunity
but uh I stayed there and watched it on
TV I guess like everyone else but I was
kind of there so well we hear players
say all the time right they say I don’t
want to go to Augusta even to practice
until I get in is there is there a
little bit of that caddy Superstition
there um
not for me no for me it was more that it
was roasting hot that afternoon and I
was just very comfortable where I was I
would have loved to have gone out on the
golf course but uh I stayed and hung out
with uh the company I was with and I
felt like that was the right play uh but
I I definitely put in for Augusta
tickets every year because that would be
awesome well one year hopefully soon I
can caddy that’s for
sure uh before your catting days 2011 I
know last year when you went on no
laying up kind of you know brought to
the surface that at one time you were a
two-time Guinness Book of World Records
holder uh for most holes in a week at
2,000 most birdies at
493 now it’s just the birdies
record in 12 hours I did have that one
as well yeah so currently a GU squeaked
Me by one hole played 2001 holes in a
week and uh claimed that record from me
but I still hold the most birdies made
in a week which I uh not trying to be
boastful but I don’t know if that one
will get
beat so the guy who who beat your record
is a guy named Mick mcclaflin in
Australia who played 2001 holes one more
hold than you in 2021 he says according
to the Guinness Book of World Records
website he reached out to you and
received fantastic support can you vouch
for that I mean we definitely I was very
he did it for charity which is awesome
um and obviously I I wanted him to raise
a bunch of money and fall a little bit
short
probably nobody wants to have a record
broken but uh looking back I quit a
little earlier than I should have I just
got to 2,000 and I was so tired and I
thought it was a cool number just to
stop on I probably a couple hours of
daylight left uh so I wish I would have
pushed
on but hats off to him because I know
what a difficult task that is to to
accomplish it was a that’s a long week
Mick raised uh
$219,000 us for Ronald McDonald House
Charities when beating your record now
you rais money um for
sosis when you did when you went for
your world record will we ever see you
attempt to break the record again oh
man there’s a lot of people that want me
to and I think we could raise a lot of
money for a good cause especially what
social media is
nowadays um I don’t really want
to but I feel I had it for so long I
feel like it’s kind of my record so I
want it back in that regard but I don’t
know if I physically could do it anymore
I need to uh probably get a on a better
workout plan than I did the previous
time I did it
it’s for the kids Gino I know uh uh we
need to make it make it work with the
PGA Tour schedule somehow that well
that’s another uh tough thing is you
know taking a week off of being on the
road all the time going home playing
golf for 19 hours a day for a week and
then leaving again so sorry wife I’m GNA
be home but I’ll be gone and then I’m
Gonna Leave You Again so uh speaking of
your family life I do want to touch on
that a bit you know um that when you’re
home in
Idaho how much are you touching a golf
club thinking about caddying and how
much are you being a husband and a dad
husband and Dad way more than anything
else I I typically sneak out one time
during the week uh that I’m off but my
son gets out of I have a three-year-old
daughter and a 10-year-old son and my
daughter goes to a little like play
school for a couple hours a day and then
my son’s out at 3 o’cl so if I do play
golf I try to time it to where right
after I drop my daughter off for a
couple hours somebody else can swoop her
and I always pick up my son from school
so I need to be done by 240 to make it
in time to pick him up so they are
definitely my number one priority but uh
I do try to get out whack it around with
my buddies still once a week do they
especially the 10-year-old does do they
understand what you do yeah he does and
he it’s funny because kids in his class
or the teachers uh you know think that
I’m somebody
important and which couldn’t be further
from the truth but Hudson’s like oh Dad
so and so was talking about you today it
was so annoying and you know he’s my
best little buddy and he just he just
knows me as Dad and that’s all I am is
just Dad so I hope it stays that way
and uh
yeah are you trying to yeah are you are
you trying to put golf in your kids
lives uh no not I mean if he wants to uh
like if I go down and want to sometimes
I’ll be like let’s go hit some balls or
hit some putts because we live just near
a golf course and he likes to go do that
I don’t force it on him at all though uh
I do think it’s important to be outside
doing something though so if he gets a
little lazy and has been playing video
games or something I’m like nope shut
those off we’re going outside we’ll kick
a ball or go hit balls or just something
uh he’s a kid that likes to take things
apart see how they work and uh spray
paint bugs out in the driveway things
like that so as long as he’s outside
enjoying life being a kid getting some
vitamin D from that sun I think that’s
most
important we saw from full swing Holly
not afraid to voice her opinion on how
to handle Joel and everything along
those lines uh you know how supportive
has she been of your career over this
last decade and how how much does she
continue to push you to be a better
person um very very supportive of me she
is the best I can’t if I always tell
people if we were in Switched shoes and
she was in my role and I was in hers I
would 100% make her quit and come home
because I could not do what she does um
you know she works she works a full-time
job and has two kids and I’m out you
know gambling at hara’s in new orans
eating great food and drink and getting
to be on podcasts and just loving life
meanwhile she’s got a three-year-old
screaming at her that she wants to wear
a princess dress to school and trying to
get a comb through her hair and make her
eat and you know she’s got a lot on her
plate so uh I definitely could not do
what she does and she is always
supportive and she’s the best how have
you tried how have you learned we talked
about the advice that you would give
yourself as a cadd 10 years ago what
advice would you give yourself as a
husband 10 years ago oh that’s uh you
know
it’s I’ve never really talked about this
with anyone it’s uh it’s tough as a
person who travels all the time when you
go home when I’m on the road I do
whatever I want whenever I want
responsibly but I’m on my own schedule I
eat what I want and when I’m at home it
takes me a day or two and I think I can
speak for a lot of caddies to get back
into that home mindset uh you know with
the time difference and stuff you feel
tired and it’s tough to put yourself
second immediately I usually takes me a
couple days uh to get my wife’s always
like you’re not very nice the first like
two days you’re home and like it’s
nothing that you did it’s just a rout
it’s different for me and it’s a routine
change
so I feel like I need to make a
conscious effort to just be better when
I go home be a better person when I go
home in those first couple days and it’s
something I’m still working on uh we
have a great relationship and she just
knows that I’m going to be a jerk for 24
hours after I’m home and I don’t I don’t
know why it’s that way but it is and man
verbalizing that now like man I’m a bad
person but no I I’m asking partly Gino
because I always tell people if my
career takes off and I’m on the road
with you guys broadcasting events then
I’m going to have to deal with you know
a similar lifestyle and trying to
understand I think people in the
traveling circus of golf are always
trying to figure out how to be better
human beings how to be better husbands
fathers whatever it may be and I think I
also want to talk about so in Netflix in
full swing obviously you are pushing
Joel to whether it’s a sports
psychologist a life coach I know that
was a little bit of a gray area we only
saw what we saw on camera did you find
that individual just through Instagram
how did this all come to be so the Joel
is uh is working with somebody right now
and uh I think he’s great and they have
a wonderful relationship is not the same
person that you saw on uh Netflix that I
was talking to
um that person is great and I still
communicate with him on a fairly regular
basis but uh Joel found his own guy that
he’s comfortable with uh he works with
some other tour
players and they’ve been in
communication now for I don’t know six
or eight months
probably uh and they meet I think at
least once a week uh I don’t ask him too
much about that I feel like that’s kind
of his thing that belongs to him so I
just uh I let him do it and he shares
with me some some stuff that that they
talk about and maybe some stuff that
they’re working on um but I just kind of
let that be his thing so yeah I I think
I think men talking about therapy is
something that we’re all trying to
normalize a little bit more uh in the
world and I think that you showed you
know that ability to go to Joel and say
hey I think you you know you need to
talk to someone I know Joel’s reaction
was uh go get hired by someone on live
but obviously at the eventually it
appeared to work out you know mustering
up sort of the courage to obviously tell
your best friend but also your boss uh
you know have that conversation um you
know how much did that take that we
didn’t see on camera it was emotion and
just just saying the words you know
choked me up um but I felt like it was
important because he just wasn’t in a
good place and when he’s not in a good
place on the golf course I wasn’t in a
good place on the golf course so it was
just kind of a a sad situation for a
while and I just felt like he needed to
talk to somebody and I wasn’t the person
that he needed to talk to I’m always an
open ear
but I’m no professional at it and
probably wouldn’t give the best advice
so I like hey just just talk to somebody
and tell them what your feeling and see
if we can uh write the ship so to speak
so and uh it’s been going great he’s had
a wonderful attitude on the golf course
uh he’s been hitting the ball fantastic
if as long as we can uh make a few putts
this week and uh in the upcoming weeks I
think it’s still going to be a good
season I want to go to a lighter topic
something that you did get fired from uh
the Idaho vandals mascot that you were
at one point in college how did you end
up becoming I believe it’s Joe Vandal
how did that all come together it is Joe
Vandal let me see if I’ve got a oh it’s
I’ve just got my vandals yardage book
cover here I have another one with the
picture of Joe on it but uh it was in
our fraternity
that uh it just kind of got passed down
from one generation to the next uh
within our fraternity and one of the
guys was getting ready to graduate and
needed somebody to do it and I’m goofy
and outgoing and the costume fit so I
was like I’ll do it so I suited up and
truthfully it was kind of a miserable
experience intoxicated people at
football and basketball games punching
you in the face and I always tell people
that costume was so hot uh and the head
was huge and right inside uh the mouth
was this little 9volt battery operated
fan just to keep the air moving inside
my head but it didn’t have a cover it
just blades spinning right here so guys
would punch me and then the fan would
hit me in the mouth and I I remember one
day bleeding I could taste the blood but
I couldn’t do anything because I
couldn’t get my hands up inside the the
head really to take it off so
it was it was not a fun thing but I did
I got fired from that
also uh somebody asked if they could put
the suit on and do the second half of
our last home basketball game of the
season and I was so hot and I think we
were getting blown out and so I went
behind the bleachers and stripped down
and gave him the
suit he uh I think he may have been
intoxicated he ran behind the opposing
team’s bench and was smacking guys in
the back of the head and but I didn’t
know that had already taken place but
somebody called me later and let me know
that that happened and then I was no
longer welcome to be Joe Mand did you at
least get paid for that job nope
complete
volunteer yeah it was miserable I’m like
I don’t care that you’re firing me what
am I losing so I don’t I don’t know if
that’s still in our fraternity or not we
might have lost that privilege
sorry are you are you welcome back now
as a prominent Idaho Alum or do some
people remember that within the within
the organization that’s question I uh I
have not been back uh it’s always a goal
a lot of my buddies still go to
homecoming and uh go tailgate some
football games because most people are
still kind of in that University of
Idaho vicinity but I haven’t been back
in a lot of years and it’s always a good
time when I am able to get up there
though coming from Leon Idaho where you
live now uh there is not a big Leon
airport uh you’ve talked about this a
little bit but what is the process like
for you to get from home to get to a
golf tournament it’s kind of a lot um
typically it’s uh go to Lewiston airport
who has an Avis Renta car and uh Sunday
afternoon I usually pick up a car and uh
use a one-way rental and drive it to
Spokane Washington I usually leave my
house around 1:15 in the morning which
is
awesome uh catch a 5:00 flight from
Spokane to Denver and then generally
from there I can get anywhere in a
decent amount of time from Denver but
just recently in the last few weeks
Lewis and Idaho got themselves a 5:30
a.m. departure on United to Denver
so to take that uh which is huge so now
I’ve got a Sunday night flight in to
Lewiston and I’m early Monday morning
out when I want it uh it is rather
expensive though so you gotta play
better yeah exactly that’s always the
key right just play better and it solves
all your problems I need to C I mean
they should call that like the the Gino
belli you know special flight it seems
like they added that because you’ve been
talking about your whole process of
travel I know I actually sent a message
to the airport commission board and just
thanked them because that is so huge for
me uh I know a lot of people don’t want
to get up at 5 for a 5:30 flight but but
for me it’s such a game
changer you’re in New Orleans right now
uh it’s still early in the week Tuesday
morning do you have any New Orleans
memories that you can share on a program
like this oh as things that might happen
when the PGA Tour comes
through there’s nothing uh no crazy good
ones there my favorite thing here last
year there is a really cool go-kart
track right across the street from the
golf course
and last year uh we went out with the
Netflix
crew and got in these go-karts and they
fly and I think they gave Joel the
fastest one though because I couldn’t
catch him and I think he may have even I
was like the second fastest time and he
lapped me uh so that was uh one of the
most fun things we’ve done uh Joel’s
done one of those airboat or fan boats I
don’t know what you call them tours
through some of the swamps here a gator
tour
uh I haven’t gotten to do that yet but
there’s a lot of fun stuff to do around
here so I think we’re going to drag
Keith Mitchell and his uh his caddy out
there this week and maybe the wives and
see if we can get ourselves a little
race look forward to that sounds like
Joel is the Scotty sheffler of
go-karting last year slapping everyone
yeah the uh back on the in the BMW days
on the corn Ferry tour we went out to
the BMW facility in Greenville as well
and we got to uh Drive M3s out there and
Joel was crazy fast at that as well so
secret great driver and
Joel you mentioned recently the Longhorn
Steakhouse uh trips that you and Joel
would go on when you played well on the
corn fairy tour uh you know now now
you’re in the private jet so it’s a
little bit different hey now don’t be
spreading that
rumor but Gino what do you almost miss
about those corn fairy days I know money
was slim but what do you think back to
and the things that you miss about it
the
humility uh I always go back to the
accommodations and how many guys we
would put in a room you know we’d do
four guys with two beds and somebody
sleep on the like we’d take pull the
mattresses down and two guys would sleep
on box springs and the other two would
sleep on a mattress on the floor and you
know low score gets the mattress for the
next night and doing things like that
are in the moment feel terrible but
those are the memories that you make in
traveling with Joel too we stay together
pretty much every
week uh and just doing stupid stuff and
not being able to afford things and
staying at Red Roof ends and just having
our stupid little bets that we would
make and you know I bet you a dollar
that this happens and that stuff doesn’t
really happen anymore
uh we we have a good time but you always
hear that you don’t know you’re in the
good old days until they’re gone
you obviously on the PGA tour kept up
some of those caddy accommodations
videos and we talked about it before we
started I went to mamin high school I
was the captain captain of the MC
Varsity golf team and wiid golf club is
right in mamin New York and I see this
video pop up when you go viral for the
first time at I believe you called it
the mam mamar or something mamaron mam
moronic uh
Motel we have an idea of where you
stayed my family my friends uh we don’t
know anyone that had ever stayed there
before what happened that first of all
what happened that week that you lost
your previous room and then how did you
watch that go viral it was kind of funny
so at a previous major I had an Airbnb
guy cancel on me the day before I was
supposed to get there and then I ended
up having to rent this house that was
crazy
expensive had no furniture in it and it
was just it was a kind of a miserable
stay so I land in I flew into Newark
that particular week and as soon as I
touch down getting ready to go go
straight to the house I get a message
from the Airbnb host saying hey I’m so
sorry I have to cancel your reservation
and I was like absolutely not I have the
address and I’m coming there right now
there is nothing that is going to
prevent me from staying here
and she was like we actually had like a
structural structural
emergency uh she was like can you give
me a one day and I was like oh if it’s
if you’re willing to just I’m willing to
postpone 24 hours but I’m not going to
you know rent a place for the whole week
so I was like that’s fine it must be
legit um so I got on Priceline or
hotels.com or something and just found
the cheapest place in close proximity
and I called them and the guy that
answered the phone is like $100
cash like all right that’s fine so made
my way there opened the door and I was
like it’s a little suspect but fine
threw my stuff on the bed went to dinner
came back and that’s when I started
really looking around the room like oh
this is not good and I went into the
bathroom and I think the sink almost
fell onto the floor out of the wall and
uh we’ve got some bullet holes and
bleached out carpet and all sorts of
stuff there that uh that you may have
seen in the video uh and then I remember
I recorded the video really quick and I
sent it to a couple buddies and I was
like should I post this on social media
and they were like absolutely yes so I
did and then I
remember like Scott Van Pelt like
commenting on it and I was like wait a
minute how has SVP seen this and uh and
it kind of just blew up the next day at
the course everybody wanted to talk to
me about my accommodations so it was
kind of funny I think Jordan spe even
came up to me he’s like dude that hotel
you’re staying in is disgusting I’m like
you know my name you know so but uh I
was off and running from there I
suppose well I guess we need an update
you talk about Jordan uh obviously
you’re Joel Damon’s caddy you have
applied for the job of Roy melroy’s
caddy um is there a status on that job
application no I I haven’t seen Rory in
a long time we don’t really play on the
same tour as those guys anymore uh he’s
here this week though with Shane so
uh uh unfortunately I think he and Harry
have a really good relationship and best
friends forever so I don’t think my odds
of Landing that job anytime soon are
good but uh that’s all right I’ll I’ll
stick it out with my man for a bit here
assuming you stick it out with your best
friend since you know going back to your
childhood Jo Damon um what is where do
you guys want where do you see things
going what is a Peak form of Joel’s
happiness his career his golf your guys
everything together what are you
shooting for right now that’s a great I
think the ultimate goal would would be
to it’s always to make the Tour
Championship um we’ve got some work to
do to get there this year but I do think
there’s this level of satisfaction in
you know just just playing good good and
keeping your card every year you know we
always want to be the to do as well as
we can but finishing 75th in the FedEx
Cup and keeping your job year after year
is pretty darn good you know um I know a
lot of guys want to win every major and
um I still don’t think that’s Joel’s
ultimate goal um he wants to be
comfortable and be happy and I’m okay
with that because it provides us a
lifestyle that
we enjoy we get to do what we love uh
granted there is the the Netflix added
pressure of people want want to see you
do great things but medium things out
here are still pretty good so um that’s
kind of a lame answer and people might
be disappointed that I said that but no
no because Gino I want to follow up with
this because I tell people about Joel
and this is what watching Joel on
Netflix right um obviously you know he’s
dealt some things with his family in the
past with his mother’s passing with him
himself having testicular cancer and I
think you see all of the money being
thrown around the golf world all of the
things happening in the golf world and
Joel strikes me as someone who just
wants to play the highest level of
competitive golf he can and have fun
while doing it out there with his with
his best friend on the bag with some of
his best friends that he gets to play
with Keith Mitchell this week he gets to
do all these things and it it it puts a
lot of life in perspective watching you
and Joel together is that how you feel
about Joel’s demeanor out there very
much so yeah it uh just just I mean
Joel’s well off he doesn’t need to make
20 million a year uh to be happy he’s
got a he’s got a great life and a great
family and uh you know as a recent dad
his son’s now about a year and a half
old and he loves being a dad and just
wants to spend time with his kid and
when his kid grows up be you know an
upper
class family that able to do what they
want to do and he’s he’s earned that and
he’s very happy with
it where you this year on the PGA tour
what’s the site you’re most looking
forward to the rest of the year ZK
classic of New
Orleans uh stay in the moment this is uh
this is a really fun event the team
aspect there’s an added layer of
pressure there as I alluded to earlier
but you know when you have an
eight-footer in a normal event it’s just
like obviously we’re trying to make it
but there’s almost like when you eight
footer out here man we don’t want to
disappoint Keith if this doesn’t go in
so it’s almost we kind of crank up the
try a little bit which could be a good
thing this week we uh we need we need to
crank up the try good practice to get
Joel in that head space too going
forward uh as we get into the meat of
the year for you Gino
Benelli your own career obviously you
want to be on the bag for Joel but what
Mark do you want to make on Golf and on
some of the fans that have especially
started to follow you since Netflix boy
I’ve never really had something that I’m
like man this is the mark that I want to
leave on golf I guess I I view it as
more of a selfish thing um just to be
have fun and be nice uh oh I take that
back no I always want to just be nice to
people uh I think there’s a lot of guys
who will ignore people that are wanting
some attention from them and I’m not
good at doing that I’m not good at
saying no I try I’m very much a people
pleaser and I think you know I think
that’s okay I’d probably need to be
better at saying no to things but if it
makes somebody happy if I give them you
know 15 seconds of my attention that I’m
going to try to do that with as many
people as possible
so do the fans say more personable
things to you now as you’re signing
autographs and right up against the
ropes
uh yes very much so um just because you
know I think opening up the home life
like we did in Netflix uh and being a
little bit active on social media people
get to know your personality and some
things about you a little bit more so
yeah they uh they do say things and that
makes it more personable and might be
able to have a conversation with a
stranger immediately and that uh already
having that knowledge of some of my
personal details
and Gino how much are the Netflix cam
cameras with you guys this
year um I don’t know how much they’re
going to be with us for season three I
you know we did a couple things at the
Players Championship and I think they’re
here this week uh I don’t know if they
plan on following us or not um just kind
of have to wait and see I don’t know
what their their drawing board looks
like for team Damon for for season three
we’ve already given them so much that
they might just be tired of us be honest
America might be tired of us I I don’t
believe that they’re not tired of you
and they’re not tired of looking at your
underwear now we mentioned at the top
saxs underwear uh that’s your partner
now going forward you and the four other
ball Masters as we’ve had this
conversation anything else that you want
to talk about about what you guys will
be doing I know I guess I guess you have
to wear Sax’s underwear now you’re
sponsored out there not just Joel when
you’re caddying every week right in fact
Joel asked me he’s like hey uh my
underwear are getting old can you get me
some sacks so I actually need to get on
him and uh or get on it get him some
underwear uh in these next couple weeks
uh we’re doing some cool stuff out there
uh people can sign up uh to be an
honorary
ballmaster uh which comes with a year
supply of undies and a bunch of other
cool stuff uh I’ll send the link to you
maybe you can post it with the video but
of course yeah a long URL to sign up uh
so we’ll do that with some some fans and
then at The Travelers we’re all staying
together and getting a house and are
going to be doing a bunch of stuff with
the the patrons out there uh the week of
Travelers so that’ll be a lot of fun
it’s just a great group of people and
their product is truthfully awesome I
would uh even if they they didn’t give
me free underwear I would definitely pay
for
these Gino Benelli Joel stock John
Lamonte John Ellis and Aaron fleiner
those are your ball Masters also for
every birdie that one of their players
makes the rest of the season $100 will
be donated to the testicular cancer
foundation and like Gino said you can
become a ballmaster as well you can join
them Gino I’ll definitely be on the
lookout for everything you guys are
doing when you come to the Northeast for
The Travelers Championship but this week
you’re focused on New Orleans yes sir uh
it’s going to be a it’s going to be a
good week here uh my testicles
are cool and uh we’re going to make a
lot of birdies and have sacks
donate you you got the tagline down
exactly Geno thanks so much go have fun
out there this week oh you’re awesome
thanks so much for the time Jeff thanks
so much to Gino taking the time if you
were watching on video at TPC Louisiana
early 8: a.m. Central Time on Tuesday
morning he did that getting up for us
before Joel got to the golf course guy
works the guy works hard and of course
uh you know with Harris and all and
Bourbon Street and everything around in
New Orleans still made the time for us
so really appreciate Gino doing that
thank you to all for listening I’ll
thank my my parents my dad I’ve been
using I if you again if you’re watching
on a video I used his office uh moov
some things around didn’t think I needed
his member guest trophies or I think
some golf participation trophies in here
so I moved some things around so
appreciate that appreciate my guys the
production team Tyler and Sam here they
did some awesome help with the research
uh to get us ready for this interview
with Gino so until then follow subscribe
do what you need to do eyes on golf at
Jeff eisenband and we will see you next
time
[Music]
