Jack Nicklaus Award winner Jackson Koivun joins the show + Memorial Tournament preview & picks

Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme open the show with a preview of the PGA Tour’s seventh signature event of the season, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, before passing it off to Smylie’s conversation with Jackson Koivun. Jackson joins the show on the heels of winning Auburn’s first men’s golf national title, and along with the Fred Haskins, Ben Hogan, and Phil Mickelson awards that he won for his play as a freshman, just received the Jack Nicklaus Award, which comes with an exemption into the Memorial Tournament. SK and CH close the show by making their one-and-done picks for the Memorial.

#golfpodcast #pgatourpodcast #golf #progolf #collegegolf #auburn #auburntigers #nationalchampionship #memorial #jacknicklaus

[Music] Smiley caufman for 61 wow I’m Smiley caufman and this is the Smiley Show welcome back to another episode of the Smiley Show and we’ve got a a really good one for you all today we have a conversation with a man who is a national champion at Francy Kaufman’s alma mater Auburn University uh Jackson Coen also the H Haskins Award winner one of the most talented young players in the game right now really fun conversation Smiley had with him uh just on the heels of that team National Championship win uh so we are going to toss that maybe in about 10 to 15 minutes here uh but before and after that interview we’re going to talk a little bit about the signature event on the PGA tour that’s leading into the third major of the Year and that is the Memorial tournament presented by workday so on the front end of that chat with Jackson uh we’re going to talk a little bit about some of the names in the field some of the guys we like and then we’ll come back on the back end of the chat with Jackson to make our oneandone picks uh because we we uh want to done we we we need something right now Smiley we need something uh I got I got Tommy Fleetwood got me a little bit I was hoping he was close he was close close and then just kind of dude nor missed the cut on me by the way yeah tough scene uh you know kind of I wouldn’t say reach for Alex nor he was a he was moving up the odds board I was really excited about taking Alex dor I felt like I was catching a guy that was about to just have a great week and he would totally let me down but the two guy the other two guys was between was Shane Lowry had a pretty good week and Aaron Ry finished 13 did you did you hear his stats tell me you know how I feel about his ball striking he was first T green 63rd putting wow I mean to figure out GRE he’s right like he’s he’s going to win this year I don’t know where he’s going to win but he’s going to win yeah I I I love he’s such a unique sort of story everything about his sort of game and Persona is like very interesting you know borderline eccentric uh but it it was you as I was flipping this on and watching the end of the coverage uh I you know I was looking at that putt that Victor Perez made on 18 to get to 14 under and there was Aaron Ry moving his Mark you know to over like oh wow like right there one of the guys Smiley liked heading into the week uh you know of course like couldn’t get it done but is is doing all the right things and yeah if he runs into a hot putter could absolutely pick up a win but yeah uh norin a strange one because he’s been playing really good this year but unfortunate for the for the one and done piigs I think it’s my first no I think Brian har missed the cut on me yes well and then John ROM as well actually that’s an interesting stat so you have so let’s let’s actually let’s go back through we we both have three Mist Cuts uh yours were Harmon the vpar John Rama the PGA Alex noren at the Canadian open mine were Eric Cole the cognizant Lou Vig oer at the PGA Austin e root at Colonial so we’re yeah we’re we’re in a little bit of a lean I feel like it’s it’s like if we were PJ tour pro because we’ve been comparing ourselves to FedEx Cup standings like we’d probably take a week off probably go home get a little home cooking you know maybe relax a little bit try to reset uh but but let’s let’s flip let’s talk a little bit about the memorial um heading back to Jack’s Place mirfield Village Golf Club uh I just want to maybe kind of run through let let’s set the table with this first because this is a signature event and so in all these events this year there are guys that are getting into the field through these these sort of Aon next 10 and Aon swing five categories so your next 10 is Lou big Oar Shane Lowry Matthew Bavon Justin Thomas stevenh joerger Thomas dietry will zot torus OE batia Christian Zaden Hout and Taylor pendrith and then your swing five uh Bobby Mack Robert McIntyre jumps 29 spots up into the first spot in the swing five Davis Riley of course after his Win Ben Griffin jumps up into that category Chris gotd up and Victor Perez those your swing five uh who are enjoining the tournament and then on top of that we have current Year winners Nick Dunlap Austin ekro Peter malady Taylor pendri and then Matt coocher brand snedaker and Billy horel are your sponsor exemptions and that is of course in addition to the top 50 from last year’s FedEx Cup standings that will be your field so Le let’s start with kind of like some names some guys that you like and maybe kind of a a preview for the one and dum picks we’re going to make on the other side but like let’s talk about course fit you know this the profile the type of player like that that that wins at Jack’s Place well I mean there’s a couple players that come to mind and you know a player who’s not been in form at all this year the only time we’ve talked about him it’s been when it’s we’ve been talking about the Liv PGA Tour debate and that’s been Patrick Klay he’s been a player that’s had a ton of success at this course of uh winning the year that John ROM had the the covid breakout before that final round walking off that green the on that 50 fourth hole on sun on Saturday saying hey buddy you tested positive and Patrick canay cruises to a victory um he’s played really well there but I I’ll go into just a little bit of what this golf course is and it is and always it it is my favorite tournament on the PJ tour it’s my favorite Golf Course uh love every bit of what it makes you do um and and how it makes you think out there you have to hit the shot in which it’s called or if you don’t pull it off you’re you’re looking at a a bogey or a double and that’s just a reality and I think when you look at the leaderboards here you see plenty of guys figure it out and and hit and execute the shots and then you see the guys that don’t and it’s a leaderboard that always has like five or six guys that have it figured out and then you go to like the bottom of the leek board or the guys that miss the cut guys that are shooting low 80s you’re like what course are they playing and that is like what this golf course is it’s it’s the risk reward that’s required on just about every shot that there’s just not a ton of room for error on a lot of these shots out there now especially a couple different holes you’re going to have wedges into your anytime that Jack puts a wedge into your hand there’s a challenge to the shot it’s not just an a bucket wed shot there’s there’s and if and if it is an easy wed shot that means he really challenged you on the drive that means you like hit a freaking awesome drive to have a wedge in where it’s not as challenging of a shot but I think about the third hole um I think about the 14th hole these these greens that have these narrow necks and anybody remembers that famous chip in that Tiger Woods hit it 14 long and left after he tried to go for the full flop leaves it short then chips in for par goes on and wins you know that you can’t miss left there and it’s all you’re hitting off the te is a four iron you’re hitting four iron into the Fairway and you’re hitting a 138 yard fade pitching wedge and you can either hit it on top of a minivan or you can’t and if you don’t you’re you’re make it Bogey and that’s just uh most of the time I mean you can get it up and down but you got to be like right near the edge of the green but this golf course it excites me because you could I mean if you drive it great you get you can get in a great Rhythm off the tea on this golf course and it turns into an awesome second shot course and if you’re hitting those shots and you’re giving yourself looks that’s where you see a guy like Denny McCarthy over the last two years who’s had great ball striking weeks and given himself opportunity on the greens and if you turn into a putting contest on on slopey greens Denny McCarthy’s going to win that putting contest and was very close to winning uh last year losing into a playoff with Victor havin so my mind takes me to okay who’s first off you you c as Fairways out there like you you need to be driving it somewhat long and straight um so R kind of fits that fits that mold to me um you need to you need to be a good putter but you got to have the ability to kind of hit second shots kind of both directions you can’t just really be I mean you could play any golf like the guy like John ROM or Dustin I mean these guys hit Fades they hit Fades but I I do think it’s a course in which you really can use the slopes to your advantage if you’re able to work the golf ball into the greens that correct way um so I like creative players out here um I I think that’s probably the way I’m going to go um or you go with a methodical guy like Colin morow who just hits Fades but he sure knows how to hit a number so a lot of ways to skin a cat with this with this place but um I’m probably going to end up leaning towards a player in which I think is going to hit hit a ton of greens and and hopefully they just have a good putting week yeah I mean kind of to your point about the the spread of scores you can see out here I mean I believe it was I believe it was last year if it wasn’t last year it was year before we saw Billy horel you know kind of emotional after shooting 84 and just like I don’t know I don’t really know what to do right now now I think that was probably a more of a product of where his game was and the things he was working on but at the same time it’s a course that can you know quite literally bring you to tears uh but at the same time the guys that go out and execute the shots like we saw last year you know Victor havin I believe was coming off this win where you chatted with the guys at Golf Digest and said uh I I think he’s in the conversation for one of the best players in the world and and at the time it sounded absurd what you do the rest of the year went out and and and won the FedEx Cup and played incredible golf to close the year out so um so it is it is an A fitting venue to kind of separate the best from the rest and a signature event and one that leads into the US Open um I’m curious we talked on our most recent episode a little bit about um Rory and and you know wouldn’t it be a Rory thing for him to win here not win the US Open win Travelers you know just win everything except for majors and I I just wonder you know chart out for me what best case scenario looks like like for let’s just take the three guys who are kind of the cream of the crop right now uh Scotty Sheffer Roy mroy and Xander Schley you know what what what is how does this week go that sets them up for the best amount of success at Pinehurst well I think I I think it’s it’s easier I think for Xander and and Scotty to view view this as a week of all right let’s just go get ourselves in contention um I think for Rory he he kind of knows where he’s and he plays last week um you have to imagine Scotty had a pretty busy week probably just touching the clubs for the first time yesterday maybe and Xander maybe he started touching the clubs a couple days ago who knows um but I think uh you know this golf course it it exposes your weaknesses pretty quickly so if these guys are Rusty uh that Thursday round I think they’re going to get some weather on Wednesday it’s going to be a little softer on Thursday which I think is beneficial uh to to anybody that might be coming in with a little rust uh if the greens were super super firm and the fairways were firm then you’d have to be much much sharper and you could get it a little bit more exposed if you’re a little off but uh I think that benefits the the the player like Xander and Scotty that um hey maybe they’re coming in with u maybe their head’s not all quite over what the for Xander wi in the PGA when that first major for Scotty it’s like where where is does he have Dad fatigue you know like where where are we in that so I think Rory’s probably going to come in with you would think a little bit more gho of all right let’s let’s go out shoot a five six s00 par around if we can get off to a hot start um but yeah of those three I mean um I I it’s hard to not see Scotty not contend um I would I would still be picking Scotty over the three of them well and and I wonder to well you know how uh like col morawa intrigues me so much at this stage of you’re thinking about picking him aren’t you well I I just I I mean we’re my heart wants to go to Victor havin because is I mean it it was just so nice seeing Victor hin play Victor hin golf at the PGA you know he makes a Boge e the last and that kind of puts a damper on the weekend but I mean it just too soon to take Victor is that what you’re kind of is that what you’re asking me is it is it is it too was that just a flash in the pan on a really easy Golf Course well it’s I’d love to see him play like that again so we know he’s back back but I also don’t want to miss the boat on a Victor wi you know you remember what he said on this podcast right well he said a lot of things refresh my memories What specifically or or did he say he said he was he thought it was stupid that that he played Memorial he said like it’s not even worth playing for me because all the bunkers are like this oh that’s right y that he had a big chunking problem like taking too much sand out of the bunker and he was like it’s not even worth me playing and and then he talked about how you know figures out his bunker game with Joe mayo and and then they go out um and he wins Memorial so I thought that was pretty cool I can see that video on my head now that he sent out of the bunker Memorial in the practice area like that lime green dark green combo Jay linderberg outfit of him just like thump in the sand and finally hitting it good with the work of Joe Mayo I I love that they’re back together and I think he’s going play really good golf to close this year out now that they have it theoretically fixed but uh I I I do yeah I wonder if it’s a little too early and but Colin is one who fascinates me who’s a guy who’s been in contention at every major and who is one here and so you feel like it’s a guy who could see this as an opportunity to kind of set himself up for hey let’s let’s go win a major at Pinehurst and as a guy who is an incredible uh you know ball stri Striker and and you know approach the green as one of his you know most good dude Piner Piner can be perfect for him as a guy who could hit some precise approach shots into those greens so it’s like you know I mean I I know we’re getting out in front of Memorial I mean I like him here this week but I also kind of like it as a tuneup to kind of go into that major he’s had four top fives this year I mean this guy’s um golly just uh he keeps surprising me I is the best way to put it cuz his his ball striking is back man like he’s he’s he’s hitting it really well he’s he’s not NE I think he’s hitting it fairly short right now like I think he is sacrificing a bit of distance right now I don’t know if he was ever a long player but he’s hting Fairways and uh that putter was really good to I think kind of play his way into shape ball striking showed up and uh he was at tigers event in Las Vegas uh so maybe he’s picking tiger brain too you have wonder you know just one-on-one time with tiger um I’m sure there was maybe a chat or two about hey man I’m I feel pretty close like uh you’re not contending right now you want to give me some advice on how to kind of break through again yeah it’s it’s I think it’s going to be we I we know that col morawa is going to win again and we’re pretty positive that he’s going to win another major at some point and so the thing for me that I I find the most intriguing suround in col is what’s going to be the thing that clicks into place where you’re like yeah he got he he got that down and now he won so for example was Xander was just like we we were asking about whether or not he had the clutch gene on a Sunday you know and then he goes out of balla and he has to kind of take it deep and and and navigates some some minor wobbles and holds off Bryson D Shambo and Victor havin and and Colin as well in that same group and goes out and wins and for Colin I know the putting’s been you know a little bit of a sore spot for him um you know and the ball striking a couple years ago was was a little bit off after his after he won his two majors but you know now is is back on track driving accuracy is amazing I’m just wondering what it’s going to be where we’re looking back at the story of that tournament or that major and saying that was it it just fell into place and like he’s the K morawa that we remember who was kind of coming up onto the scene and is a guy we thought was going to win as zillian majers you know yeah totally and I don’t know if I’m going to take Colin this week I think I know I’m going to use him this this uh this year um but I probably should use him but I’m not going to well I’ll say this Smiley excellent tease because now we’re going to toss you over to the Jackson Ken interview where you’re going to chat with uh with our buddy from Auburn about you know what what an incredible run he’s had uh in his very short Collegiate golf career and it’s only going to get better and better but now he’s a national champion and that’s going to be a fun conversation on the other side of that interview is where you’re going to find out who Smiley’s taking a one and done this week and who I’m taking a one and done this week and couple teases there but uh stick with us through that break and uh we will be we’ll shoot you over to Jackson coin now and we’ll have our Memorial one of done picks on the other side all right guys welcome back to the Smiley Show we have Jackson quen joining the Pod this is uh I tell you what if you don’t know who this kid is you’re going to learn about this guy he is an absolute stud coming off a winning National Championship team from the Auburn Tigers playing on their men’s golf team and Jackson I mean coming in as a freshman what has it been like the last three days I mean did you ever dream that this would happen and what have yall been doing to celebrate the last three days um there’s so many emotions with the win U we work so hard as a team to uh to put ourselves in that moment and then you’re actually in it and you’re trying to rely on all that work and yep over these past couple days it’s been a lot of uh a lot of Media stuff a lot of traveling I went in a we landed in Atlanta at 9:00 and then I had a practice round at 11: the next day in Atlanta so I drove to Auburn and then drove back to Atlanta but don’t have a bunch of rest um but hopefully these next couple days I can get some sleep yeah I mean shoot it you you would like to have like two weeks off to you know hang with the boys go to Lake Martin have a good guys trip to celebrate but no not for you I got a text saying that well I got to do some homework and um I got to get ready for sectionals at US Open so no rest for the weary straight back to work and by the way is school not over like what do you what do you still have homework in I got I got summer school I I’m doing two classes over the summer so trying to get a couple extra credits in here and there good what do you what’s what’s the uh two summer classes if you don’t mind me asking uh geology and ismn yeah sure what is what is that fill me in I’d love to tell you I you figure it out I I’ve barely opened the class and I’ve missed a test and lecture and all this stuff already but I get I get a little extension from National Championship and why and why wouldn’t you and we’re going to get into just a little bit more of the the national championship and what y’all were able to accomplish but I think I got to start with where I first saw you and this was at the US Amer at Ridgewood and this happened to be I would say one of my uh biggest golf channel uh media events that I had been put on to start my media career right and I was just kind of doing some course research just going out of the golf course honestly was probably doing too much re research I was like overpreparing it was still stroke play I think even in the first first round and I’m on the 17th hole which was one of my favorite holes at Ridgewood and I happen to see a young guy uh who happened to be you on the 17th Fairway and you absolutely just nuked this three-wood going for that green and two and it was like a quick swing I could tell you there’s a ton of speed in there and you know I’d watched a bunch of players that day already and I was like this guy’s got to be really good because I you know I recognize a fair amount of names on uh the US leaderboard but you know when you’re out there folling you don’t know whose group is who and sometimes you just don’t have put a face with a name and I was like all right I’m going to look this cat up and it was like Jackson coin okay he’s in high school he’s a junior oh he’s a number one Junior he’s heading to Auburn in a little over a year and here we are Jackson I mean you’ve come quite quite a long way since that us amard Ridgewood yeah yeah that was a great that was a great venue I really like that course it kind of ate me up uh AR Cola kind of ate me up but it’s all right and um but ever since then I’ve uh kind of grown a little bit obviously physically and mentally and uh yeah progress the game a little bit too yeah so up to that point would how would you describe your junior golf career were you somebody that kind of won at pretty much every single stage or did you kind of find yourself a little waiter in your Junior process I mean being number one in the junior in the country obviously you had to be pretty dang good from the get-go yeah I had I had a good amount of success when I was younger um I played all like the US kid stuff and I was always competing and then got into ajga when I was um a freshman and yeah kind of just stayed there for rest of my junior career I mean then started playing all the elite am series my senior summer and now I’m here and and I I told everybody here if you don’t know who Jackson Coen is you’re going to and Jack I’m about to Gass you up if you don’t mind is this permission to be gassed up because this is this is actually great stuff I’m just sitting here looking at all your accomplishments from your freshman year at Auburn and you won twice you won the SEC individual Championship won at Pinehurst in in another College event you had 10 top fives 11 top 10 which is just insane to think about in one year you don’t even play that much that’s so many you’re the Fred H Haskins Award winner you were the first Auburn player in history to win the H Haskins and the first freshman to be awarded that award since Justin Thomas at Alabama back in 2012 you won the Phil Mickelson award All-American individual runner up which we need to talk about because I saw a video that was absolutely Chaos on that on that ninth hole you were finishing up on Ben Hogan Award winner SEC Player of the Year freshman of the Year you guys get it this guy is absolutely a bonified stud um and why don’t we touch on that National Championship individual stroke play because you were Runner up and you absolutely flush a shot into that ninth hole you’re one back you need a birdie and what happens uh I hit a little too good I just nailed the flag stick my coach told me to aim a little right at the flag and I should have listened to him but it it was a pretty good shot I probably would have gone to maybe eight feet um if it didn’t hit the flag it also could have had the chance just ride down the flight and go in but ended up in the bunker and then I gave the bunker shot a little scared too I think it man but I needed birdie there to get in the playoff but I mean we’ll be back next year and try to get it again yeah you will buddy I mean just a just an incredible year I mean there was a couple more accomplishments I didn’t even read uh because the list was that long I mean I I I was working in the USM again uh the following year uh this past year at Cherry Hills and and so when I saw your name on on the match play leaderboard you win your first couple matches you make it to quarterfinals I wasn’t surprised at all because I had I had picked you like a I feel like a a mini Nick Kleiner picking you out of the rough here and I was like this guy’s gonna be really good so I’ve had my eye on you ever since then um but you feel like did did did did you just carry some type of momentum into the year did you did you see this success uh coming into Auburn or did you surprise yourself every step of the way I definitely surprised myself I mean I knew what I was capable of but it was just kind of getting over a mental hump um people like to talk about freshman you know they kind of slack a little bit at the start and then kind of get going but I kind of just looked at it as I’ve been playing those Elite am series and the usam and all that stuff and I’m playing against the same guys every week that I can go compete with them and if I play good golf I’m right in the mix yeah that that makes a lot of sense too because you know the the intimidation factor of of when you get to school and you’re playing with all these guys that you feel like are playing on a different level you yourself you’ve played in two usms and did you make match play at Ridgewood I feel like you did no I did not it was close was very close but I had a tough 10 holes to finish my round yeah that was a that was a sweet place but you know you had some success at Cherry Hills and and then you’re able to carry that over and get off to a hot start but I I think everybody as a as a freshman and any person that’s ever played college golf Jackson knows how like difficult qualifying can be and your team I mean I I just think about the guys that were coming back and I I look at Carson is it Baka is that how I Baka Baka JM Butler who I was so high on heading into the year uh watching Carson have success but also JM have success to the USA and they’re so close to getting into that final uh to play I believe uh yeah Nick Dunlap um or actually no I think Nick Dunlap beat JM Boer if that’s that’s right in the sem finals Neil Shipley Neil beat I have him all confused Parker Bell was in there too I can’t remember but yeah anyways you had a dang good team coming in and my point getting to this is showing up I mean y’all’s qualifying had to be pretty ruthless yeah it was that’s probably what I was most nervous about coming in because I mean our team is very deep like even our six seven eight nine guys can go play in our starting lineup and we’ll have success so it’s and we do a lot of qualifying and Coach likes to keep it really fair we’re like we’re playing for six spots we’re playing for four spots and only one person is exempt so you either have to play really well in the tournament or play some really good golf back home did you uh get to a point to where you you’re like all right coach I mean am I gonna be exempt like where did that happen throughout the year because surely at some point like cliner couldn’t like leave you at home cuz you were playing that well right yeah so I think I got exempt after my first event cuz I got second and then but he kind of does it tournament by tournament so um I was Exempted maybe three of the six tournaments in the fall and then I I almost missed my the first tournament of the year I was coming I was coming off a second at Jones cup and we went and did qualifying and I got Sixth and jam got seventh oh gosh so coach that’s not what cliner was looking for probably no but I was lucky enough to get the pick and um I played well in Hawaii and I was pretty much good throughout the rest of the spring because of that that that Hawaii tournament that’s like the birdie Fest one isn’t it yeah I shot 1700 and got fourth no it it was you can go get some birdies out there for sure oh man I mean I I miss uh I I miss college that being with my teammates and I still think about those years and how fun it was to practice with my teammates but when you when you got there and and I already mentioned some of those top players but I mean y’all were a very experienced team when y’all showed up and excuse me when you showed up into college how much was there as far as goals goes for the for the team was was national championship on y’all’s radar are from from day one or was that something that once yall started winning in the fall and you’re like you know what like who’s going to beat us this year yeah I mean I think for every team national championships the end goal um it became pretty realistic after sec’s um we knew we had a a squad of guys that can go go get us a national championship and I think throughout the year I mean it was always on the back of people’s minds but um again it’s match play Anything Can Happen um I mean we didn’t play great and stroke play at Nationals I think we finished sixth yeah but being able to get in the match play and then we have a bunch of guys with a great head on their shoulders it was really good to see uh See us get some wins there yeah I mean get some wins as an understatement I think heall won nine times in stroke play and then and then the other two wins which I I guess would count for a 10 and and 11 were in match play and in the fall was the SEC tournament match play thing is that still a match play deal we do stroke and match so I think did y win that too or no I think we won stroke I know we won match but I’m not sure if so you had three match play championships this year right we had the fall preview SEC match play and Nationals wow okay so that’s that’s pretty impressive how was how’d you do in match play in all all those three uh three outings um I went 80 okay that’s not too bad yeah I mean I I remember watching you uh let’s see this would have been oh gosh what you were down in one of your matches at the national championship and then kind of came roaring back right was that this that was FSU I was um I was playing Brett Roberts who was a really good player and that’s right I kind of got I remember your chip in that was yeah yeah I got off to a bad start but I uh kind of flipped the mentality around on the eighth hole and made a pot and kind of got hot from there on out and ended it off with that chip which was really cool that chip was dirty was I mean what can we talk about just your game in general because you’re obviously an incredible player but let’s just talk about your kind of what your strengths are what your weaknesses are and and why you think you’ve been so successful at at the college an amateur level was it your ability to that you just know your game is it just how talented you are what what exactly do you think it is that makes you cck and have all this early success um I I’m definitely talented I think there’s guys out there who definitely are given a little more Talent than me but I would say uh course management is something I do really well just knowing what I can do to make take bogey out take double out and make birdies and i’ say that’s something I uh do pretty good at and then obviously I I think putting is my strong suit and then I I don’t hit it too far I’m not the biggest dude out there but I hit it pretty straight which is very helpful because a lot of this courses now the rough’s getting thicker and I mean of course they’re still long but you want to be in the Fairway what’s like your cruising ball speed I guess you say you’re not too long but I feel like everybody all these kids coming up are just so long so like what is a cruising ball speed for you I’d say on course it’s like 170 to 172 that’s funny it’s it’s enough there’s definitely guys out there that have more but I mean as I grow and get through college I think think it’ll get up to 175 I think that’ll be perfect yeah and I I’ve got to mention to uh one of my uh favorite players on the Auburn team besides yourself obviously is is is my boy got to mention Ryan echelman he has got to be the the life of the team the best personality but he I I sent him a text and asked him about uh you and just anything that we could talk about and and one of the things that he he mentioned and you just kind of said it yourself was he said every single putt looks like it should go in and you just you just kind of talked about your putting I mean for you what how you see putts and how you read putts is are you somebody that’s that just sees the Apex and the line the curvature is that something that you just naturally are able to see or you like a spot aim aim Point type of guy that is just really good at reading greens that way I’m definitely all Visual and feel I uh I’ve always been that way I I’m pretty good at seeing like The Arc of the putt I think uh and then I think I match the speed and the line really well that like when I throw it down the line I know what I know most of the time what speed it should be at and I think uh I mean I think speed’s probably the most important part of putting I mean obviously getting it start online’s really important too but if you have perfect speed like the hole just gets that much bigger I’ve always said it I even uh when I was on tour I on like five six Footers I didn’t know which way they would go I would just try to to dye the ball into the hole cuz it just makes the hole bigger the harder you hit a putt the the the smaller the hole gets it’s actually um yeah it’s that’s great advice you’re giving anybody that’s watching or listening but I think the the the people that really want to tune in this is the stuff that gets people up and excited about and this is the circle tea collection we have just got to get in to what your putter collection is with the circle te’s I’m I’m hearing that you’re somebody that is a club collector and has quite the collection so how do we got any in the room that we can show off most most guys have like six or seven Putters in their room what how how how deep are we rolling right now with the circle T’s I think we’re at five or six so it’s not too deep but um but a good line got I got some good ones I got a lot of that uh that five I’ve use that putter forever I’ve got obviously the one with the slant neck which I’ve been using forever and got one with a little knuckle neck and I just got one with a flown neck but it feels a little a little different so um which what are you using now I used the plane uh 5.5 gotcha it’s the one with the fangs and the little slam neck on it is that that’s like the one JT right yeah yeah I when I was younger I really liked JT’s putter but obviously um back in 2018 2019 you couldn’t really get your hands on I wasn’t about to spend like $10,000 on it so I first started with it odsy 7s y because it was the Fang and had the slant and yep ever since then I used that and then Scotty finally released that Putter and I got it and I’ve used it for three years now so did y’all make a pit stop out there in Carl’s bat at the uh the studio we we went out um right before Christmas last year no you did was Paul there yes uh he really nice to us and I got A9 out there so that was pretty cool let’s go that’s that’s the blade right like that’s the old is that like the Adam Scott like uh or Jordan putter or no no it’s that same head I got um it’s like Cameron Smith’s like so it’s pretty sweet and um I’ve tried to use it but I’m not a blade guy but maybe maybe one day it sure looks and feels amazing you know just you wish it was that’s the thing about a blade putter now it used to be nobody had mallets nobody had different putting grips you know everybody was conventional and puted with blades now you see everything from an arm lock to uh the the long broomstick you see everything now and I I think more guys are going to the maet just because it’s more consistent but there’s nothing better than that blade when when you pull that thing they look really good and you look you look down on it you’re like man I’m going to make everything but it’s just it’s got that I would say it’s a little less forgiving than a mallet I think there’s a reason I mean if you go look on tour now it’s like the top 10 in the world like I think maybe one uses a blade I know and there’s got there’s a reason for that cam Smith is dirty with that blade oh my gosh I got that putter I was like I’m gonna putt like him and then it wasn’t working but man so what about uh just I mean you just kind of mentioned uh Justin Thomas and and you know watching his his putting with with that type of putter but who were some of the guys that you liked watching up growing up as a kid I mean I I I mean you’re you’re so young that all the people that you’re probably going to name are guys that I’ve been playing with so I’m curious who are the guys that that that you love to kind of model your game after or just guys you like to watch I really like JT I’ve met him maybe once or twice but um I I really like the way plays the game um obviously watched you a little bit growing up yeah and I mean hard not to name Ricky and Jordan and all those guys yeah um obviously now watching Scotty doing what he’s doing is unbeliev silly right it’s it’s crazy I don’t know how someone can be that good but he’s doing it um yeah those are that was about my the era I watched I didn’t really get to watch much tiger except uh was it 2018 M 2019 Masters yeah yep got to watch that but um I didn’t get to watch much of him growing up um trying to think who else no one else is really ringing a bell right now but right and and golf swing wise I mean you have a very unique golf swing it’s it’s a quicker Tempo you shall the club beautifully have you always had the same swing instructor and are there players that you like to watch that you feel like have a SIM similar Tempo or swing the golf club similar um I’ve had the same swing instructor for about 7 or eight years now um he’s never really tried to change that Tempo I mean it’s kind of just part of me now yeah I love it I don’t think there’s too many players out there that kind of do it I mean the only thing you kind of see with me is like that side Bend I got a lot of that and people have told me that looks like JT but um I’m I’m trying to get rid of it now I’m trying to get a little more on top of it and compress a little more but um yeah uh I mean how much weight have you put on since You’ got into school I imagine that’s something too that you’ve probably added some lbs just from from eating more in college and then also hitting the weight program I actually haven’t put on that much I may have put on I I uh I got really I was really sick basically all of the fall like really like maybe half the tournaments or three4 of tournaments I played I was just like really really sick sick and I lost 15 lbs in the fall just from being like sick I went to like er like twice and I couldn’t figure it out and then I found something I guess and it fixed itself but I’m back up uh probably up five since I got here now so yeah we’re we’re we’re working well I mean we see the the big old Auburn flag behind you have to always mention my my wife was a cheerleader at Auburn I get there plenty of times Nick kleiner’s been very kind to me the times that I’ve been able to come into town uh to get some practice and he’s he’s always been very very uh lenient with that and and now my my daughter uh I I think she’s already going to Auburn she’s only 16 months old but uh she loves Obby so I I I guess I’m going to be some form of an Auburn fan as I as I continue to grow on uh being a dad to her but the what I was going to ask you was you I I I eat so many different restaurants at Auburn it’s a great foodie town and I found out from not only your coach but Ryan that you don’t have much of an appetite for anything other than cheeseburgers and chicken fingers and no veggies so I was going to like run you through the whole list of all the great restaurants but that’s all what’s going on here man I think they I think they ere exaggerated a little bit just a little bit um I mean I do like a good burger I think that’s a great you’re simp man decision I yeah I don’t know why they’re always giving me stuff about it but I’m I never ordered chicken fingers I don’t know why they say that like maybe if I go to Like Guthries that’s the only thing they have it’s good though it’s good Guth great it’s really good it’s it’s good um but I I eat vegetables I I don’t know I don’t know where all right just you’re just a freshman man mean next year next year you can uh be like hey man I I eat veggies it’s all good what are I love broccoli that’s it’s a great Jackson KY big big Broccoli Guy of course is there any restaurants in Auburn though that you’re like man this is this is it I got I got one or two meals and this is where I’m going Hamilton’s is really good um the Hound is really good I love the Hound acre is really good that’s really fancy yep that’s an occas special occasion yeah um where else bow and arrow you been there yet not yet I’ve drove by it a couple times but good mac and cheese I would uh recommend that one what Mama Goldberg’s that I mean that’s a staple right yeah I actually haven’t been there either come on I know I need to go I mean I’m not the biggest sandwich guy so I gotcha cuz you know the like the Freshman 15 is for for anybody that’s in a fraternity or swardy whatever anybody that goes Auburn it starts and ends in Mama G so I it’s from those nachos and the sandwiches you haven’t even been there yet that’s why we’ve only put on five pounds at Auburn working on it yeah yeah we need to get we need to keep beefing you up with that broccoli and Mama G’s and maybe some bow and arrow but uh yeah yeah it’s a great Spot Great Town great college town and and before we go I I we we kind of just hit it right off the top but just overall thoughts about the uh the golf course and it was the first time they’ve had this venue at Lacosta for a national championship uh you played it y’all won there it’s going to continue to be there for for the time being I’m not sure how many years it’s booked for but just what were your overall impressions of the golf course I me it was firm as crap from what I could tell I thought it was really good I thought it was a really good test of your entire game like there isn’t anything you can slack in and like play well um obviously course is very new greens were very firm whole eight and 16 were not fun when you hit pitching wedge from I didn’t like 16 like force carry fir firm green bunker Behind the Green that was you come up any short you’re in the water so it’s like you’re just you’re hammering it into that bunker and trying to make up and down and I think next year it’ll be even better I thought the greens could have been faster this year they were only like a 10 and a half so I think next year it’s going to be it could be really tricked out if they play them at like 12 and the green are touch softer but then again the NCA might want them baked out again and we’re going to see more of uh concrete Greens on 16 yeah that that uh I mean you could hear the thud on TV and How firm the golf course was I didn’t like that 16th hole I was like man these guys are hitting perfect golf shots it’s one bouncing Into the Bunker I was like this is this a dumb hole I didn’t I didn’t like that at all and and y’all played at y”s Regional at LSU didn’t you right yeah you want to talk about a hard Golf Course when that place opened it was when when they open it was my freshman year when it opened and those means you couldn’t stop a ball on him like that 11th hole the 15th hole Yeah couldn’t stop a ball on him can you can you imagine playing that course firm firm firm yeah yeah that course was hard they definitely had some room to uh take it back a little bit too they weren’t playing all the way back yeah I remember looking at the course rating at like 78 and I was like whoa there’s some room out there you just can’t ever Miss left if you don’t miss left you can play the gor and I had a good two-way Miss for in college for about three years so that was a lot of fun playing that course every day it’s it shaped me to the man I am today I should say all right so we where we got next we got uh US Open sectionals uh we where in Atlanta is it uh it’s in uh Golf Club of Georgia Golf Club of Georgia okay is that is that two courses there one there is two but we’re playing Lakeside okay Lakeside cool you got your te time yet 7:41 a.m. cool how many spots they got not sure I think maybe five okay cool well I’m going to be at uh the US Open uh at Pinehurst Jackson hope to see you there uh I know you got to get back to work get some homework done if if you need any help uh definitely don’t text me I would if if it were me I would uh maybe do the chat GPT thing I think I I hear that’s that uh gives you lot of really good information these days I don’t I feel like you kids now have like Google as your guide where back in the day when we had Google it was you weren’t find anything good so hopefully you get all your homework done and cleaned up and get it get get to bed so you get ready for practice round and make it over to Piner my man hopefully well Jackson I appreciate your time uh go get him this week I definitely would love to get on the links with you soon as well uh we need to get Charlie on as well because he uh he he got the shanks with his wedge we need you get get it all sorted out but uhy our guys are the the member member at Hope Valley we can’t wait to hear about how we finish up uh in our recap this week but Jackson thank you very much and I guess war war eagle I guess I can say that yeah War Eagle yeah there it is kind of kind of hurt coming out but it’s fine Jackson thanks buddy thank you well there you have it Jackson Ken uh Auburn university has asins Award winner national champion and very the newly minted Jack Nicholas Award winner so not only uh did he do all of those AFF forementioned things and he has a lot of Hardware in his closet we’re going to see Jackson at the Memorial tournament this week playing as an amateur by virtue of winning that award so really cool honor for him to gain and and will’ll be very interesting to see him get to test his game against you know the world’s best at a at a venue like uh Memorial excited to see that little prediction time as well I mean tomorrow is golf’s longest day correct tomorrow is golf’s longest day I think I think we’re gonna see I think we’re gonna see Jackson in back-to-back events I think he’s I think he’s gonna cruise through I just got that feeling come on you come you come on the smiley show we give you the bump we we’re bringing the bump we are bringing the bump so wait a second so cuz CU there how does that work because didn’t they had a bunch of guys to try to qualify in Dallas that are already in now us that’s Dallas one is always um a little earlier end of May so so tomorrow’s golf’s longest day with a numer a number of different qualifying sites copy that okay yeah yeah there was there was some Intrigue they had to move some courses around here in the Triangle I’ve heard some heard some very I’ve heard some things about some greens that I hate I hate to hear it I hate to report it we’re just going to just keep that in the back bur file that away put a pin that we’ll we’ll Offline that discussion really hate to see it but anyway that’s that’s that has nothing to do with this episode uh and we’re here to make some Memorial Tournament one andone picks and it is go your turn you you were leading us off this week uh as we’ve mentioned before you put up a goose egg with Alex nor and this last week I earned 41 points with Tommy Fleetwood you have 2,391 points and change I have 2,193 points and change B weeks we’re having big weeks I feel it let me go here and see what um what uh where we we are in the FedEx Cup standings golly this doesn’t even make sense I mean so I I think we’re now we’re now three and four we are behind Scotty and Xander Xander has 2,688 points would you care to venture and guess how many points Scotty sheffler has 4,000 4 , 351 points that’s a lot L that’s a lot of points it’s a lot of points that’s a not inst doesn’t matter brother you’re going still start at 10 under par you know that’s just at the Tour Championship we we need to start the the the point should convert to Strokes that’s really what it should be he should be able to show up to East Lake with like a six 3,000 that’s all need for TV all right all right so who you got this week so do you know what it’s like when you go to Golf Galaxy or PGA Super Store you go to your local Pro Shop and you just grab that putter off the rack and you just can’t stop pooping well let me tell you something I know of a couple players that might be putting in some new Putters this week this this breaking news I’m not sure if there in the bag or not okay but I’m the one of the players that I’m going to pick is going potentially have a new wand okay and I do not know if it’s going to be in there or not but if it is I like it I like it and that player that I’m going to pick and it’s not just cu the wand it’s because I think he’s really really close and this is is a golf course that I feel like requires the creativity that I talked about off the beginning you got to be able to work it both ways and and sometimes for a player that’s struggling with their iron game it’s like this golf course makes you see and hit the shots that are in front of you and he’s been driving it really well and straight I’m gonna get to it here this player I’m picking is Jordan spe Jordan Speed New Wand maybe can we share any details as to to the as to the wand just let Jonathan wall do the talking for you CU it you have to imagine that’ll that’ll pop up right well You’ think so but I would just love I I I mean come on dude it’s like I can’t say a word I’m I’m a can’t say a word like it’s like you’re it’s like I’m a dog and you’re just dangling the treat bag in front of my face I’m a putter Tinker over here and I just want to know I want to know details okay can I can I ask one can I ask yes no question the other player can I can I can I ask a yes no question on on Jordan is it is it a tailor made spider I don’t know maybe I don’t know I don’t know all right what’s the other player what’s the other player with the putter change the other player who I played with this past weekend who I almost just picked but I ended up taking I I think I know where I want to take this other player he might go to a blade this week and I saw him shoot a 61 with said putter uh which we added after the round I was like holy you shot 10 under man and uh that player was Justin Thomas so um hello yeah so he’s GNA go to a blade and same po poten same question there so cuz he was he was using the it was like that Scotty yeah with the with the with the wings on it so it’s like a standard Scotty blade in my hands and man did that blade roll it just it it was the type of Blade where the toad didn’t over relase it just felt so right um how was true by the way you guys have a good time great played good by the way I played good there you go yeah love to see it you know you’re in good company play good it was actually hysterical cuz we were playing quarters you know um and there was six of us at one point and I just wanted to get a game going and of course I flip and it’s I’m heads everybody else’s tails and then my brother um flips and he ends up going tailes so it’s my brother and I versus JT and uh AV AV and uh Cole Swindell was there okay and and uh there was a couple other guys a couple other guys end up backing out by the end of the round but eventually we re-recruited Cole to be on lucky and I’s team and now Cole lucky and I are the new Dream Team I actually have a pretty great crop that I’m G send you a picture of right now because we were a force to be reckoned with until we end up losing on the 17th [Laughter] green but the Vibes were high which is probably the most important part I mean if you were I think uh I mean JT’s like he’s been close this year he’s had he’s had a lot of I think he’s been much more consistent having top finishes maybe not quite getting it all out of his round but had a good PGA I mean we saw that six shot how close he was to the PGA with how well he was hitting it right so um he worked really good so um yeah I I I like those picks um so now for for M we discussed a couple of different options here yes I sent you the text okay all right perfect this is this is great radio great podcasting let I’ll just show everybody here we go yes this is great this is the the classic uh this is the Dream Team picture I believe that’s Larry Bird Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan and uh it’s yeah but instead it’s it’s I think Smiley’s Larry Bird I believe lucky is Magic Johnson and Cole is Michael Jordan so there you go that’s a good uh verbal depiction of uh the the photo that I’ve just received um so so I mean this is a tough one man because boy do I want to take Victor havland I ju I just feel like I feel like it’s it’s time and he’s just but it might be a little bit too early and I also like call Mor at Pinehurst you know do I use him here and and and then it’s like do I just do I just played safe and take a guy like Patrick Klay not playing great but could this get him back on the right track he’s one a good point it’s a good point you know and then I I’ve not even used Xander yet oh no I have I have I use Xander at the API um so disregard that piece so um and I was looking at the rest of the guys on this list and it’s like do I use like do I use Rory at the open there just a lot of a lot of these one and duns man they start to get tricky real quick it was all sunshine and daisies early on but now we’re really G have to make some tough decisions so um oh man I I’m going to go kind of off the board here oh gosh we have got we have what are we doing here hello friends listeners and viewers this is uh Charlie h of course breaking in with a bit of a emergency Public Service Announcement uh what you almost just heard was a three-minute discussion in which I made Adam Scott my one andone pick for the Memorial tournament which had a lot of stats to support it some great rationale for why I was going so far down the board all would have been good and fine just one minor problem Adam Scott is not playing in the Memorial tournament uh that was a huge oversight by the guy who had just finished reading a list of all the participants in the field including the sponsor exemptions in my mind I’d been so trained to assume that Adam Scott was getting sponsor exemptions into all these Signature Events that I just went ahead and ran with that uh having uh just seen that he was not in the field I just for some reason my brain said he’s he’s in the field he’s good to go we’re going to rock with him so my deepest apologies I’m going to spare you that full rationale and uh Smiley of of course had a a we’ll get to this at the end of the podcast but as mentioned earlier he was at baltis he’s a Sleepy Hollow we did not have time to record the back into this podcast so I’m just cutting in here I’m giving you my pick I’m G keep it a lot simpler than the direction I was going I’m going with col morawa for a ton of different reasons some of which I mentioned on the front end of this feel like he’s in great form it’s a signature event so it’s a worthwhile pick because you can get a lot of FedEx Cup points for that this is a course where he’s won before so I’m going with Colin this week even though I also love him the following week at Pinehurst I’m going to use Colin as my oneandone pick at the Memorial tournament at mirfield Village so there you have it back to your regularly scheduled programming my apologies for the C in we will do better next week reeling a little bit on the one andone front uh this was this has to be Rock Bottom we can only go up from here so stick with us we’ll get you some winners uh so you you have balst roll you have Sleepy Hollow on Deck you got a nice a week lined up for yourself yeah Sleepy Hollow uh and uh breaking news I guess playing Sleepy Hollow with Adam schfer um fun um you you broke a piece of news about Adam schfer at you dude Adam uh yeah and then back to work dude I haven’t worked since the Masters so working Memorial this week and uh three in a row so Memorial US Open traveler so I’m actually excited to hear my voice to see if it like when I talk on on the mic again if it still works so be fun to see if if it’s that part of my game still works it’s like it’s like picking up the clubs after a while you know it’s like just hope you don’t get the r off you there you have it that is uh that concludes our Memorial preview Jackson Ken interview which again you’ll see Jackson t in it uh at mirfield Village this week uh with with that winning the Jack Nicholas Awards so very cool stuff there uh we appreciate you watching and listening as always and we will be back here uh with a little recap of mirfield and I actually I don’t know what that’s going to look like Smiley because at that point we will be into US Open week and I’ll be shuttling back and forth from Durham to Pinehurst do some shows with you so just we’ll we’ll see where we end up fitting that mirfield recap in but we’re excited about that week onite together if if anybody in the Durham area has a good helicopter that we can borrow for the week for Charlie uh which save would save some time please please any Durham area helicopter owners there might be like there might be like two or three of you uh if you have them uh would love to take a little look at that because otherwise it’s going to be a lot of long round trips uh and then move the following week so I’m thrilled as you can tell uh so yeah we’re we’re excited most importantly we’re going to be in the same place onside for a major once again third time this year it’s been a lot of fun every time we’ve done it so looking forward to that and yeah looking forward to another signature event this week so appreciate yall watching and listening and we will be back here talk to you again soon you know I listen to this podcast it’s really cool all of our fans and subscribers but make sure you like And subscribe it’s cool to see what you guys are doing I know golf fans appreciate it but we we do too so please keep it up for all the good people YouTube like And subscribe you guys have some good takes so I’m happy to come on and and shoot the