3 & Out - Russ goes to the Giants, What's going on with Scottie, JT has changed

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd — Episode 3: “Russ goes to the Giants, What's Going on with Scottie, JT Has Changed” Release Date: March 26, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, host John Middelkopf delves into the latest developments in both the NFL and PGA Tour. The primary focus revolves around Russell Wilson's surprising move to the New York Giants, the evolving performance of golfer Scotty Scheffler, and notable changes in Justin Thomas's game. With insightful analysis and candid opinions, Middelkopf navigates through these high-stakes sports narratives, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of the current sports landscape.

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1. Russell Wilson Joins the New York Giants

Breaking News and Initial Reactions (02:10 - 07:00)

John Middelkopf kicks off the episode with breaking news: Russell Wilson, the once-celebrated quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks and later the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, has signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants. Middelkopf reflects on Wilson's career trajectory, emphasizing the decline from a Hall of Fame potential to his current status.

John Middelkopf (02:25): “Russell Wilson is much more famous than he is a good player now. The version of the guy we saw last year crumbled as the weather changed.”

He discusses the financial aspects of Wilson's contract, highlighting that the Giants have guaranteed him approximately $10.5 million, positioning him as a bridge quarterback amid uncertainties surrounding the team's future prospects.

Implications for the Giants (05:15 - 07:00)

Middelkopf analyzes how Wilson’s arrival might influence the Giants' draft strategy, particularly regarding their quarterback situation and potential selection of Shador Sanders. He expresses skepticism about the effectiveness of Wilson's addition, suggesting that the move might be more about desperation than strategic improvement.

John Middelkopf (06:45): “Russell Wilson is no longer really that good. If you have the opportunity to sign a guy you know can be your starter, you have to cut Daniel Jones.”

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2. Scotty Scheffler’s Performance and Betting Insights

Current Form and Expectations (07:01 - 20:00)

Transitioning to golf, Middelkopf shifts focus to Scotty Scheffler, a rising star on the PGA Tour. He evaluates Scheffler's recent performances, noting a stark contrast between his early career dominance and current struggles.

John Middelkopf (12:30): “Scotty started being treated like Tiger in his heyday. If he can't win this weekend, we have to go.”

Middelkopf delves into Scheffler's potential to regain his form, considering factors like mental pressure and recent on-course incidents that may have affected his gameplay. He examines betting odds, revealing his own confidence in Scheffler's ability to secure a win in upcoming tournaments.

John Middelkopf (19:50): “I think it’s time to just acknowledge that whatever happened with that wine glass and the ravioli has really thrown them off.”

Mental Fortitude and Team Dynamics (15:10 - 18:00)

The discussion touches on the psychological aspects of professional golf, emphasizing how mental stress can hinder performance. Middelkopf compares Scheffler's situation to team sports, where a quarterback’s performance can dictate the team's fate, drawing parallels to his analysis of Russell Wilson.

John Middelkopf (17:25): “You can get in your own head. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to win at the same clip, but you’re going to be in the mix more often.”

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3. Justin Thomas: Evolution of a Champion

Changing Game and Performance Metrics (20:01 - 40:00)

Justin Thomas's transformation on the PGA Tour receives significant attention. Middelkopf explores the adjustments Thomas has made to his swing and strategy, assessing how these changes impact his performance in tournaments.

John Middelkopf (25:40): “Justin’s mentality and his mindset is as good as it gets on the tour when he’s playing.”

He highlights Thomas's resilience, noting his ability to maintain composure despite setbacks and his consistent presence in top-tier tournaments. Middelkopf praises Thomas’s dedication to improving his game, which has kept him competitive even as other players experience fluctuations in form.

John Middelkopf (33:15): “Justin Thomas is a fucking killer now. His driver let him down in that tournament, but his mentality is what keeps him at the top.”

Impact on the PGA Tour (35:00 - 40:00)

Middelkopf discusses how Thomas's evolution influences the broader PGA Tour, particularly in relation to emerging talents like Victor Hovland. He contends that Thomas's experience and adaptability set a standard for both peers and upcoming golfers, fostering a competitive yet inspiring environment.

John Middelkopf (38:20): “Justin’s playing well is as good as it gets in the tour. It makes him more likable, more relatable and just more real.”

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4. Listener Mailbag: Golfing Gear and Player Highlights (40:01 - 48:53)

Gear Optimization and Performance (48:00 - 50:00)

The episode shifts to the mailbag segment, where listeners pose questions about optimizing golf performance through equipment and fitness. Middelkopf offers practical advice, emphasizing the importance of modern technology in golf clubs over traditional strength training for increasing drive distance.

John Middelkopf (48:35): “It's much more swing speed than lifting machines at the local gym.”

Building the Perfect Golfer (50:01 - 53:00)

Another listener questions the ideal setup for a golfer's bag, leading Middelkopf to recommend a combination of current PGA Tour stars' equipment choices, such as Rory McIlroy for driving and Collin Morikawa for wedges.

John Middelkopf (52:10): “You just take whoever the, like Danny McCarthy overall mentality of guys currently playing. I think Justin Thomas is just as good as Tiger for no reason.”

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5. Closing Thoughts and Final Insights (53:01 - End)

Future Projections and Tournament Predictions (53:05 - 55:00)

Middelkopf wraps up the episode by forecasting upcoming tournament outcomes based on current player form and psychological states. He reiterates his confidence in Scotty Scheffler's potential recovery and Justin Thomas's continued excellence on the tour.

John Middelkopf (54:20): “I'm betting on Scotty to win, because if Scotty's going to kind of get back to where he's been, I think he wins this week and a couple other guys.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, Middelkopf emphasizes the interconnectedness of mental resilience and performance in both football and golf. He encourages listeners to stay informed and engaged with the dynamic shifts in these sports, underscoring the importance of adaptability and strategic decision-making.

John Middelkopf (55:45): “When there's a light at the end of the tunnel of like, we are going to be able to stream everything, these DVDs are going to be irrelevant pretty soon.”

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Russell Wilson Analysis:

  • 02:25 — “Russell Wilson is much more famous than he is a good player now.”
  • 06:45 — “Russell Wilson is no longer really that good. If you have the opportunity to sign a guy you know can be your starter, you have to cut Daniel Jones.”

• Scotty Scheffler Performance:

  • 12:30 — “Scotty started being treated like Tiger in his heyday. If he can't win this weekend, we have to go.”
  • 17:25 — “You can get in your own head. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to win at the same clip, but you’re going to be in the mix more often.”

• Justin Thomas Evolution:

  • 25:40 — “Justin’s mentality and his mindset is as good as it gets on the tour when he’s playing.”
  • 33:15 — “Justin Thomas is a fucking killer now. His driver let him down in that tournament, but his mentality is what keeps him at the top.”
  • 38:20 — “Justin’s playing well is as good as it gets in the tour. It makes him more likable, more relatable and just more real.”

• Mailbag Insights:

  • 48:35 — “It's much more swing speed than lifting machines at the local gym.”
  • 52:10 — “You just take whoever the, like Danny McCarthy overall mentality of guys currently playing. I think Justin Thomas is just as good as Tiger for no reason.”

• Closing Thoughts:

  • 54:20 — “I'm betting on Scotty to win, because if Scotty's going to kind of get back to where he's been, I think he wins this week and a couple other guys.”
  • 55:45 — “When there's a light at the end of the tunnel of like, we are going to be able to stream everything, these DVDs are going to be irrelevant pretty soon.”

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Conclusion

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd provides an in-depth look at significant shifts in both the NFL and PGA Tour. John Middelkopf's candid analysis offers listeners valuable perspectives on Russell Wilson's NFL career move, the fluctuating performance of Scotty Scheffler, and the evolving game of Justin Thomas. Through a blend of expert opinion and listener engagement, the episode underscores the complexities and pressures inherent in professional sports.

Transcript

[John Middelkopf]

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[Jeremy Hobson]

Live in a divided country and our media couldn't be more polarizing. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Each week we hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Are your ears bored?

[John Middelkopf]

Yeah. Are you looking for a new podcast that will make you laugh, learn and say que?

[Jeremy Hobson]

Yeah. Then tune in to locatora radio season 10 today. Okay, now that's what I call a podcast. I'm Theosa. I'm Mala, the host of Locatora Radio, a radiophonic novella, which is just a very extra way of saying a PODC podcast. Listen to Locatora Radio Season 10 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Middelkopf]

The Volume what is going on everybody? How are we doing? This is John Middelkopf and this was I had recorded a Go podcast which we will do on Scotty Scheffler on Justin Thomas and Victor Hovland going at it as well as a little golo mailbag at golopod is the the Instagram. So fire in those DMs and get your questions answered. Anything golf related. But right as I finished we had breaking news that Russell Wilson, the former Seattle Seahawk Quarterback, I don't know if you remember him. Play for the Broncos, play for the Steelers, has signed with the New York Football Giants. So did have to do a quick reaction to that right after and we will, we will lead the show with that and then get into golf. But so this will be a little Russell Wilson meets Golo podcast. And, and yeah, we will go from there. So you guys know the drill. Subscribe to the podcast wherever you may listen, Spotify, Apple, anywhere. Podcasts are found. YouTube, everything is up and running there as well. So make sure you go check that out before we dive in to anything I do need to tell you about my friends, my partners. Game Time. Do you want to go to a golf tournament? Sometimes. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays. You end up not even watching that much golf. You just have some, some cocktails, some brewskis, enjoy the sun, walk around, you get your steps in. It's like a double whammy. You get to booze, you get your steps in, you're like, feel pretty accomplished, you get some sun. Highly recommended. They are a very chill event to go to. So any chance you have to go look on gametime, obviously any other sport, college or pro. We have concerts, we have comedy shows. I cannot recommend this enough. So just use the app. It's really easy. From price points to venues to specific teams. The search ability is easy as it gets. And I've been a loyal user now for well over two years and I've probably gone to more concerts in the last two years because of game Time than I had in like the last 10. So I cannot recommend them enough. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with game time. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use the code JOHN for $20 off. Your first purchase terms apply. Again, create an account, promo code johan for $20 off. Download the game Time app today. Lowest prices, last minute tickets guaranteed. Well, we just had some breaking news. Russell Wilson has officially signed a one year contract with the New York Football Giants. And some of us are old enough to remember when him and Pete Carroll started butting heads and Russell put out this kind of trade demand if he was to get traded. He listed like four teams. And if memory serves me correct, the Giants were one of those teams. So he finally gets his wish of being the starting quarterback for the New York Giants. Over the last five or six days, they've signed Jameis Winston $8 million contract for two years, $4 million a year. I looked at the details, not out. I don't know how much they guaranteed of that contract. We do know that they have guaranteed Russell Wilson ten and a half million dollars. So let's just say four or five million dollars. They're in this season, guaranteed money at around $15 million for these two players. And listen, the headline, because he's a really famous player and at one point in time in his career he looked like a lock to go to the hall of Fame. That that will be highly debated. I think in the peak of his career he definitely was. But that feels like a long time ago. I mean, the version of the guy we have seen last year crumbled as the weather changed. Obviously, Denver, they couldn't have got him out of there fast enough. His career has taken a turn for the worst where now he's in a position where a team is desperate as the Giants give him a bridge quarterback contract. Pretty crazy how this is all played out now as we sit here today, March 25th. I think it's fair to assume that Russell Wilson will be the starting quarterback for the New York Giants Week one. Now who his backup will be yet to be determined. I don't think this move changes anything for the draft. I do think when you don't control. I still think Shador Sanders is going to be drafted number three overall by the New York Giants. But something crazy could happen. Someone could trade above them. They don't control their own destiny. So as you sit here right now and you have the opportunity to sign a guy that you know can be your starter and you know you can function with if you have to, because let's face it, while James has, I would say improved over the course of his career, is still a guy that once upon a time through 30 interceptions, let me repeat that, 30 interceptions, not in a career, in a season. So when your job's on the line like it is for Brian Day Ball and Joe Shane in your quarterback situation is playing out like it is now, you got to cut Daniel Jones. Aaron Rodgers essentially tells you no, you're not drafting number one overall to pick Cam Ward. Not that he would be your savior either as a rookie, but you're in a really, really tough situation. Here's the other problem. You play in a division with the defending super bowl champs who have a loaded team with the Washington commanders who have what looks, sure looks like a superstar quarterback and a team that might not win as many games as last year, but it's going to be better on paper and should be a playoff team. And let's face it, the Cowboys, when, when healthy are just better than the Giants. So now we'll see. Brian Schottenheimer, new coach. There's some transition there. I think the Giants are just in a tough spot and this is just a desperate move. But I hear some people that believe the Giants have a better roster than the casual guy thinks. I don't know about that. I really don't. I just think that Russell Wilson is not fixing much. And I think the same thing with the Pittsburgh Steelers with Aaron Rodgers. Like, is Aaron Rodgers an upgrade over their quarterback situation of Russell Wilson and the Rudolphs and that crew of guys, Kenny Pickett's the last couple years, maybe a little, but I don't think he changes the outlook of your team. Winning nine or ten games like that would be the same thing. And when I look at the Giants, I go, yeah, maybe you win a game or two more and you're not drafting third overall or six overall, but okay, you're drafting 11th overall. Like, you're not going to be very good with this player. And I feel for Shane and Day Ball. Sometimes the cookie crumbles from a quarterback standpoint and you're in the situation where you don't have any options. And when Russell Wilson is your best option in 2025, I just face it. Let's not beat around the bush. You're fucked. I mean, you really are. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who have a way better team and a much more established head coach. We saw what happened last year. They started getting their ass kicked down the stretch and they got worked in the playoffs and they were one and done. But Steelers always win nine or 10 games and they go to the playoffs every year. Now they're the seventh seed or the sixth seed, but they're always there. Like, the Giants over the last 10 years have been really, really bad. And I just don't think much changes here. Now, one of Russell's attributes that still works really well is the deep ball. And they do have Malik neighbors who is a special talent. But when I look at this team doing this, like, you're going into this draft with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, like, welcome to the quarterback room, Shador. But I still expect, if he's on the board, the New York Giants to draft Shador Sanders with the number three overall pick. Now maybe the coaching staff, who is desperate to win, to save their job, thinks, hey, why don't we take. If Shador doesn't go to. And it goes Cam Ward, Abdul Carter, why don't we take Travis Hunter at pick three and then all of a sudden have Malik Neighbors and Travis Hunter to go With Russell Wilson, maybe the coach pushes for that. I wouldn't blame him if he did because clearly, like, it's not like Shador is going to beat out Russell in training camp. So you might as well try to build up your team as well as possible and hope your defense can be better. Because in theory they should have a solid defense. But I've always thought K. Vaughn's a little overrated. You know, Brian Burns is solid, but I don't exactly think their pass rush is like Miles Garrett meets T.J. watt here. So I don't know, man. I think the headline and this is going to be a major talking point. Russell Wilson, Russell Wilson, he is much more famous than he is a good player now. And while it looked really good early when Tomlin went to the bullpen for him, I'll never unsee that December as the weather got cold as they started playing better teams and they had no shot. And I mean they had no shot. And I just think he's very average at best football player. And when you play in this division, you know they're not playing in warm weather. So New York obviously gets really cold. Philly gets really cold, Washington gets really cold. Like this is a cold weather division. And we just had a front row seat for what happened when the weather changed with Russell. He looked dramatic. He fell off a cliff for even a guy that had just looked okay, nowhere near what he once was. So I just think that this is what happens when you get a coach and a GM holding on for dear life because that's what they're doing. And I don't blame them. You're the head coach and the general manager of the New York Giants. Pretty good gig if it works out. Last I checked, made some pretty legendary individuals holding those positions when they won. But this team is not going to win. And I don't think signing Jameis Winston and clearly signing Russell Wilson changes much of anything. I'm not trying to hate on the Giants or being negative Nelly here, but I think we have to acknowledge what we have seen. And what we have seen is one, this team is that talented and two, Russell Wilson is no longer really that good. And if let's just give the hypothetical that Shador, because I guess Shador is a hypothetical to go there as well. Let's say he doesn't go there. I. If you told me what month do people start going, should we go to Jameis, I'd say late October, early November, like that would be a conversation. And if you tell me Shadors on the team. When do, when do fans start going, let's go to Shador Sanders? I would say the exact same time. So you can see what's coming from a mile away, though I understand why they made this move. If I was in their shoes, probably would make this move, too. I'm desperate. I have no other options. What else am I supposed to do? I can't just go. Well, even if we feel like 100% confident that Chador is going to be there three and we plan on drafting him. Well, like if Shador can't beat out Jameis in training camp and Jameis is my starting quarterback going into the season with, you know, and I'm desperately trying to, like, compete for the seven seed in a conference that while it doesn't have Mahomes and Burrow and Lamar, it's still got like, I don't know, Jalen Hurts, Jaden Daniels, Jared Goff, I mean, Matt Stafford, Jordan Love's been a playoff quarterback two years in a row. Brock Purdy's won some playoff games. It's like Jameis, Baker Mayfield, like this. It ain't going to work. This ain't going to work. Dog Dak Prescott. We're at a huge advantage in all of our divisional games if that's the case. So like I said, big headline. I don't know if there's much substance to this move. When it comes to college basketball in March mania, one thing is for sure, nothing's for sure. Upsets, buzzer beaters, Cinderellas, top seeds going home early. It's all gonna happen. Bet the unexpected. Every upset, every day with DraftKings Sportsbook. With live betting, exclusive content, promos and parlays, DraftKing is the ultimate college basketball destination for March. Ready to make your first bet? Check out matchups and pick a team to win. It's that simple. First time. Here's something special just for you. New DraftKings customers bet five to get 200 in bonus bets instantly. Bet the unexpected with DraftKings sportsbook. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app. Use the code JOHN. That's JOHAN. That's Code John for new customers to get 200 in bonus bets. 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[Jeremy Hobson]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York. Call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill Casino and resort in Kansas, 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void. In Ontario, bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng. We live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people. You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas. Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban, so great to have you on the Middle. Thanks for having me. Jeremy. Neil Degrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle. Thanks for having me. And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues. Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news.

[John Middelkopf]

We should be examining what our government.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Spends its money on and are these.

[John Middelkopf]

Jobs necessary and what are we doing here?

[Jeremy Hobson]

But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. I'm excited to share my podcast with you, Math and stories from the frontiers of Marketing. This week I'm talking to the CEO of Moderna, Stefan Bonsell, about how he led his team through unprecedented times to create, test and distribute a COVID vaccine, all in less than a year. It becomes a human decision to decide to throw by the window your business strategy and to do what you think is the right thing for the world. Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math, and the ever important creative spark, the magic. Listen to math and magic stories from the frontiers of Marketing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[John Middelkopf]

My name is Harry Houdini.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Harry Houdini could make elephants disappear, walk through walls, and escape the Chinese water torture cell. But he was also on a mission against mediums.

[John Middelkopf]

I have never seen one genuine medium.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Join me, Tim Harford, for a cautionary tales trilogy on the world's most famous magician.

[John Middelkopf]

It takes a flim flammer to catch a flim flammer.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Houdini wanted the world to see reason in an age of spiritualism, he went undercover to seances, exposed fakes and charlatans, and even tried to convince Washington lawmakers to ban mediums for good. A campaign that cost him friends and made him many enemies. They're going to kill me. Listen to cautionary tales on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On November 5, 2018 at 6:33am, a red Volkswagen Golf was found abandoned in a ditch out in Sleep Hole Valley. The driver's seat door was open. No traces of footsteps leaving the vehicle.

[John Middelkopf]

No belongings were found, except for a.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Cassette tape lodged in the player.

[John Middelkopf]

On that tape were 10 vile. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Grotesque. Oh, my God.

[John Middelkopf]

Oh, my God.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Horrific stories that to this day have been kept restricted.

[John Middelkopf]

You feeling this too?

[Jeremy Hobson]

A horror anthology podcast. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Middelkopf]

You know, I thought about going to hit some golf balls and go outside today, but it was like 92 degrees. So it's a hot one in Arizona, but I do come from the Andy Reid school, where the hotter it is outside, the lower your air conditioning goes. And my office is cranking at about 65 degrees. I'm actually kind of chilly. I had to put on a, a pullover to stay warm. I was like, God, it's, it's cold in here. But it got me thinking because I think I'm going to bet on Scotty Scheffler to win this week. And it's not because I'm confident in the guy and I think if he cannot get it done, we have to go. Something is seriously off relative to the guy that we saw last week and last year at this tournament. Heading into the Masters, Scotty Scheffler finished second and he missed under a 10 foot putt on 18 to force a playoff. He was playing at an extremely high level. He had won at Arnold Palmer, he had won the players. He had just been a major factor. It was clear, like, this guy is playing at just a complete elite level and he deserves to be talked about like the best player in the world. And he started being treated like that, like Tiger in his heyday. From a gambling standpoint, in a golf tournament, it's, you are playing so well if you are 10 to 1 favorite against 150 people. Rory right now, having won twice this year, hovers between 7 to 9 to 1, which is insane. It is hard to pull the trigger when you are getting those odds. Hell, Rory, to win the Masters, something he's never Accomplished is currently six and a half to one. Scotty Scheffler hovers between three and three and a half to one, which I had no problem with last year. And there were times where it's like, yeah, this is nuts, but it's actually the right thing to do. And then there's right now, like, to me, he should fall back. And if he can't win this weekend, or at least be a major factor, I think it's time to, like, just. We got to acknowledge that whatever happened with that wine glass and the ravioli has really thrown them off. I mean, when you watch them at the players, from just a personality standpoint, listen, it's golf. I lost 100 bucks last Saturday, and I threw a hat on 12 and started screaming F bombs. I just. I lost it. It happens to us all. It is a frustrating sport. Hell, Gordon Sargent, who looked like the number one prospect in all of college golf, who looked like a lock, like the next Ludwig, the next Victor Hovland, the next Colin Morikawa. I just. Someone forwarded to me last week, he got benched on his college team. He hadn't finished within the top 50 of any event so far in 2025. And I guess they qualify every single week at Vanderbilt. And their last tournament, he did not represent the team. They didn't even bring them. Which shows you, in golf, it can come and go really fast. Now, usually when you're at the peak of your game, it takes something weird to happen. I mean, I saw Brandon Chamblee said yesterday to Dan Rapaport that he thought Tiger woods changing his swing in the 0405 range when he was at the peak of his powers, kicking the living. You know what? Out of everybody is the most insane thing that's ever happened in sports. And at first, when I thought. When he said that, I was like, is that kind of a Stephen. A curveball here from Brandle? And they start thinking about it, it's pretty insane. Like, it's like you are annihilating everybody. You are winning majors at a historic clip. It's like, yeah, just change your swing, but that's part of golf. And we'll dive into Victor Hovland. Unlike all these other sports. Like, you have a ton of time to think how even when you are playing, the walk between each shot is a lot of time in your head. It's not like us driving golf carts, where you got 30 seconds. I mean, depending on how far you hit it between each shot in golf, like, you're taking slow walks. You're playing with other people. So it's like you have a lot of time to think. And as Brandle mentioned as well, like the worst place and the stuff that ruins players happens more often than not. Not on the course, not in the weight room, not at home with their family on the driving range. And there was a clip at the players of Scotty Scheffler working with his coach, like getting really frustrated. I don't blame him because last year he had to feel like indestructible and this year it's not like he's even playing that bad. He's played in five events, he's made all five cuts. His worst finish of the five events is the Waste Management where he finished 25th. Now he was the two time defending champion or I guess Nick Taylor had won it last year. He had won it multiple times, but he shot 72 on Sunday. So if Scotty had just shot a couple shots better, he probably finished like 15th or 12th, T9, T3, T11, T20. It's not like he's bad. And again he's being held now to the standard of like last year was, was a Tiger woods like season. Is that who you are? And the thing that made Tiger such a great player is he maintained it for such a long period of time. We have seen a lot of players, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, I mean certain guys have like incredible 18 month stretches. It's very rare that you just see a guy dominate and this sport, and this is what makes golf so great. It's an individual sport and ideally you get a guy that's everyone's chasing Tiger was like that for the majority of, you know, my youth, before I was born, you know, Jack, Nicholas, Arnold Palmer, when I was really young, before Tiger came on the scene, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo were right there. You know, Rory's had his moments, but not winning a major in over a decade takes it away a little bit. Koepka in the majors was unreal, but he didn't do much outside of those. You know, DJ was winning a tournament or two a year, but it wasn't like it felt like he was Tiger or Phil. Phil had a little stretch in the late 2000s, but it's like the sport is better off when it's like this guy is the clear cut, dominant person. I think sports is in general like it is so much better when you like everyone's chasing Shaq and Kobe and the Lakers, everyone is chasing the late 90s Yankees, everyone's chasing the New England Patriots. For 20 years, like, I'm sorry, we've all seen that sports benefit from parody is very, very overrated. I mean, you're hearing this a lot with the NCAA tournaments. Like, are Cinderella's dead? Have they really ever been that alive? We have had individual moments, but for the most part, the best programs consistently dominate. Now with nil, it's not going to be a fair fight. It was never really a fair fight. There were just some upsets here and there. Now those days are probably, I don't want to say long gone. It's still basketball, it's still a one game situation. But given the power of individual players in that sport and given that the top programs are going to have all the money. Yeah, it's going to. And the moment you get a good player at a smaller school, they can steal them from you. It's going to be difficult. But I think the one thing you see with golf, and listen, I'm going through it in my own game right now. I'm struggling to break 85. A couple of years ago I was like a three handicap and it's like, I don't know what to do. And listen, I can't even imagine being a pro, having all these people look at you, having all these people talk about you. Scotty, in these press conferences, getting edgy. He's, you know, got a new kid. He's probably not sleeping like he used to when he was younger. There's a lot going on in his life and obviously the injury kind of derailed some of the momentum. But like, I'm sorry, like, for a guy that you just chalking in, like, he's going to win the Masters. He's going to win the Masters, which it felt like the last couple years, like, it's hard to bet against Scotty, even though his odds are really shitty. Like, to me, if he just comes in like T11 in this tournament, which again, his floor at this event I would say would be like 15th, but like last year he probably should have won because he makes the putt on 18, forces extra holes. Like, who's betting against Scotty Scheffler in a playoff against Steven Yeager, which I've heard Steven Yeager on a, on a podcast, he's actually a pretty likable guy. But like, I'm just sorry you're not winning that event. Right? I mean, we saw JJ Spawn. They had a night to think Rory. JJ Spawn, like, not a fair fight. And I think I'm just fascinated to watch it. I like watching greatness and Last year it felt like Scotty was just so much better than everybody else. I'll never forget. Like a moron I was. And I kind of plan on doing it again. I. You got to be crazy. Unless you're just like super rich to put large individual bets on people to win PGA and majors. Like, I mean, for the most part, I rarely get above like 100 bucks betting an outright because the odds of you picking the winner is slim to nut. It's extremely hard. I've done it a couple times, I would say over the last like three years. But I'm also betting literally every week and it's very, very difficult to do. But I was like, kind of cocky is the wrong word. But I was, I was weirdly confident last year in Rory McIlroy going in to Augusta. I put $1,000 on him, which is by far the biggest individual bet I've ever placed on someone to win the golf tournament. I've done large bets on top 20s and top tens, but you got way more leeway there. And I remember after, I think it was round one, might have been two. No, it was one because the wind was up and it was like, Rory and Scotty are playing a different game. And I don't feel like that right now. And I think part of that is, you know, clearly over. I feel like the off season, which is kind of weird in golf, but it's a couple months. But Rory doesn't play that much in the fall relative to some, you know, of the lower tier players. It feels like he's much better with a sandwich in his hand. Still not great. I'm not comparing him to like Tiger or Phil here, but like if, if you gave Rory like Tiger or Phil's short game, he would have 50 plus wins right now, right? Because actually now he's a pretty good putter. But his short game, and really he's just his wedge game from like 90 yards. For an all time great player, you don't have that much confidence in him yet. Like Scotty or Xander, when they're playing well, you have a lot of confidence in them with that club in their hand. Like most human beings. If I gave you a 90 yard shot, even if you're a single digit handicap, it's going to be very hit or miss, depending on the flag position, depending on the green, like, but you give Scottie Scheffler, when he's playing well, a short club in his hand, like it's going to be relatively tight and I don't know, we've got to see. I don't know if Scotty's losing his mojo a little bit. Putting, definitely can relate to that as well. But I think that the Tour, you know, I think they need two guys. They either need Scotty to get it back or they need Royer to keep kicking ass. Because I respect Xander, and he's an awesome player. Obviously, he got hurt as well with the rib injury, but, like, he can't carry the sport. And the reality is, for as great as Bryson is and he is one of the rare needle movers, he only shows up four times a year. So Rory's playing this week. I really don't think this week really matters to him at all. Like, if you told me he was just working on one specific thing that he wanted to carry over to Augusta, didn't even care about making the cut, I'm not saying he's going to do that, I'd be like, yeah, it doesn't matter. I mean, he's. He's already won twice, and he looks fantastic. So I think it's a big week for Scotty. I'm actually betting on him to win, because if Scotty's going to kind of get back to where he's been, I think he wins this week and a couple other guys. You know, I like Jason Day this week. I mean, I like Jason Day most weeks to top 20. Davis Riley is a guy that, when he first came out on tour from Alabama, I used to gamble on, and then he kind of fell off a cliff. Well, he finished seventh at Puerto Rico, like, a month ago. He finished, I think, top 10 last week. He made the cut at the players. He just got a little momentum. And sometimes I just like writing guys when they're hot and you get them like, 3 to 1 to top 20. So this feels a little weird because you get a lot of guys that, you know, just wait until the Masters to play, which. Which is fine, depending on who you are. But I don't think, you know, I know Scotty. This is a Texas event, means something to him. But I think on the course, playing well means a lot to him. Okay. Last week, Valspar, you know, one of the things with the PGA Tour that live is just. I was in the car today, and I was flipping around radio stations, and Webb Simpson was, who's part of, like, the player pack, was calling in and doing an interview with PGA Tour radio. And clearly one thing that they are butting heads with, I think why this negotiation is taking longer is because the Saudis and live, and I don't know if it's Yasser, I don't know if it's the players on live pushing back whatever's going down is like they're adamant of having like a legit team element to when this merge happens. And at the end of the day, golf is an individual sport, just like tennis. It doesn't mean we can't have a couple team events, which golf does. It's called the Ryder cup and the President's cup, but I don't think the consumer gives a shit about team golf throughout the season. It does not matter. So the problem is, is the financial situation and I don't want to say desperation, but the Tour needs some of those guys back that, you know, it's not like you can just tell them to kick rock so you have to negotiate with them. But, you know, watching Hovland and watching Justin Thomas, who essentially turned into kind of like a duel down the back nine last week in Florida, and part of what the Tour brings to the table when you get bigger names is there is such a built up stardom with these human beings, right? Like when you turn on the Lakers playing the warriors, you just get Steph Curry, Draymond Green, LeBron James, Luka, Jimmy Butler. Like, you have so much history with these players. You know, you have watched the ebb and flow of their careers, right? With the Yankees. This year they make another push, try to win a World Series. Like, you have been following Aaron Judge's career now for a long period of time, the good and the bad. And part of these two guys, and this is part of the nature of golf for basically every player in the history of the sport, is you're going to go through the mud, you're going to have really, really shitty times. Even when you're a player like Justin Thomas, who, you know, probably for his generation, his age group, is easily one of the most accomplished players of his generation and probably one of the better Americans, right? 115 times on tour, won a couple majors, is probably, if not the best top two or three Ryder cup player of all time, you know, is now kind of synonymous with Tiger woods, their best friends, obviously, his relationship with Jordan Spieth, he's just a very, very important part of American golf. And Victor Hovland, who several years ago, you know, if golf was football, he would have been viewed as like an Abdul Carter, a Jamar Chase, you know, a Miles Garrett. Like, he was a Blue Chip number one overall pick and then he got to the PGA Tour and within like a year, you're like, holy Shit, if this guy can figure out how to chip, watch out. And then guess what? He figured out how to chip. And in 2023, a couple years after he turned pro, he had three wins and nine top tens and won $30 million at the end of 2023, I would say most people that fall golf pretty closely would have made the argument, this guy right now, not by the rankings, but just right now, is the best player in the world. And then a year later, it's like he's in the wilderness. He's changed his swing, he's a tinkerer, and he just looked like a shell of himself. He was missing cuts. He only had two top tens in 2024. And then this season got even worse. I mean, two weeks ago at the Players, he shot 80, which for most of us, you feel pretty good leaving the course shooting 80 for a pro golfer. Like, that number is a pretty eye opening experience. But held the week before at the Arnold Palmer shots, 77. And he was giving quotes like, I suck. I don't know where the ball is going. My shots are disgusting. These were quotes last week at the Valspar when he won. So it's very relatable now when you're at the highest level, like a guy like this once you can kind of figure out where your miss is. Like, you can kind of. I don't even want to say fake it, but you can figure it out. And then if you watched him on Sunday, coming down the stretch, he looked like the 2023 version, especially with his irons from the middle of the fairway. It's like, this guy is pin hunting. But like, one thing that was cool about those two guys decking it out was like, these are two of the better players when they're playing well in the world, but we have history with them now of really struggling. And it makes them very relatable. It's why, like Victor Hovland, who came out in Colin Morikawa's class, you look at Collins quotes from a couple weeks ago, I don't owe anyone anything. And then you got Victor Hovland, who probably felt a couple weeks ago like, I'm at the lowest point of my career. I bet he hadn't felt that way in his golfing career potentially ever. Like high school, college, the pros. Like, I would imagine he has never, in anything that has mattered, ever played this shitty and never felt that lost. And yet he is giving these eloquent answers, these eloquent press conferences of just like wearing it. And it's like, God, that Makes him more relatable. Justin Thomas had a two shot lead on the back nine. This is a guy that's won, I mean, he's five wins away from having 20 plus wins on tour. And when he blew the lead and Victor Hovland, now did he blow it? Did Victor Hovland take it? Kind of a combination of them both. Justin Thomas gave multiple press conferences. He talked, I think to Smiley before he even signed his card. And then he just gave a normal press conference after. And it actually, and listen, he's older and Morikawa, it like made him. And Justin's a guy I think that some people he's turned off over the years. To me it made him more likable, more relatable and just kind of more real. Like, yeah, I'm a guy, I've made a lot of money playing golf. You know, no one feels sorry for any of us. It's viewed as, you know, this soft activity that, you know, people get labeled as country club guys. And I have felt like one of the leaders in that clubhouse yet, like I can wear this and take this on the chin and be, and not act like a sore loser and storm off and be a good partner for people I'm in business with, AKA NBC. So I give a lot of credit to JT because even before he, I mean, probably should have won that tournament, he's, he, he's playing well. I mean, that's his third top 10 this year. Like, I think you could bet the farm on Justin Thomas winning a golf tournament this year. I feel pretty confident. But I also watch a guy that feels a lot more mature. I saw this clip go viral of Baker Mayfield. And when you watch Baker Mayfield talk now, I don't think he's quite 30 yet, late 20s. He just comes off and sounds like a different human being than the guy five or six years ago when he first got to Cleveland. That's part of you get married, you have kids, you kind of grow, you mature. And that's kind of what I feel like Justin Thomas has become. We know, like these guys and I'd say the same thing about Victor Hovland is they are not gonna not figure it out. I think it would be stunning if a guy like that in kind of this era just disappears forever. I think it used to happen more, but with technology, with the resources they have, they're just going to figure it out.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Now.

[John Middelkopf]

One thing that Hovland says that I do think a lot of people push back. Like, why are you tinkering? Why are you changing Your swing, you're in your mid to late 20s, you're in the peak of your powers. You just won $30 million on the PGA Tour. You won the FedEx Cup. You won multiple times on the PGA Tour. Why would you mess with anything? And I do, and I've noticed this in myself, is like, as you age, maybe you lift a little bit differently and muscles change. I do think your natural swing path and your flexibility can change. Jordan Spieth has been talking about this for years. There are ways that he swung in the peak of his powers in like 14, 15, 16 era that he's like, I can't make that swing. My body does not allow me to do it. So I have to figure out a way to still try to play like that, but with a different swing. And it can be very frustrating. And I don't think I hear many people that cover golf ever discuss that element. Like, bodies dramatically change now overnight, Like Victor Hovland have to do it overnight. I think we can question that. You know, did Justin Thomas do something similar when he was playing pretty well a couple years ago, and then not like his swing? Very possible. Because the other thing that's different now than probably even 20 years ago, let alone in the 70s, 80s, 90s, is the power of video, the phones, the being able to text stuff to coaches, the being able to overstudy, clearly, the numbers, I mean, you can overthink. I mean, what I do, the analytics of what works, what doesn't, you know, what I should never do again, what you should stay away from sometimes, like, you just had a bad show. It just wasn't an interesting topic. It doesn't mean to never talk about that again. You just took a bad angle. And I think with the amount of metrics that I have access to that most people listening have access to in whatever profession you're in, you can over quantify anything in your head. And it's easy, especially if you kind of like numbers. It's easy to throw yourself off by diving too deep into them. There has to be some sort, I don't care what you do, of a gut feel of like, yeah, this might not be the right thing to do now. And, you know, Victor Hovland talked in depth about that after he won because they asked him if he was a perfectionist, and he said, isn't part of being a pro athlete doing everything humanly possible to get better? And I think he's not wrong with that statement. But when you win the FedEx cup and you win three times on the PGA Tour, like, you're about as good as it gets. So can you just maintain that for a while? Because if you just maintain that level of play, it doesn't mean you're going to win at the same cliff, but you are going to be in the mix more often than not when you're as good as you are. So. And that's the difference in between. Like, you know, in football, like, the Lions aren't going to do a deep dive and change a lot of things, but the 49ers, because they went 6 and 11, like, not only look in the mirror, but it feels like they're throwing a nuclear bomb on everything. If the 49ers, instead of going 6 and 11 had gone 11 and 6 and lost to the Eagles in the NFC championship game, they're probably not doing as big of a knee jerk reaction. So like the warriors, part of the reason they traded for Jimmy Butler because they had a couple years of realizing like, this is not working. So we got to make a change. You do is not really making changes. The Boston Celtics. Why? Don't really need to. Right. So when you're doing things well, you can ride it out for a while. Now when there's a light at the end of the tunnel of like, we are going to be able to stream everything, these DVDs are going to be irrelevant pretty soon. Yeah, maybe there's a time to slowly start to pivot. But like, I do think golfers probably tend. It's. It has a lot of parallels to kicking. Look at guys that can fall off a cliff. Baseball, a lot of time to think. You know, in basketball you just play, you take more shots, just run, get to the hoop. You know, in football it's like just, just make a play full speed. Just hit someone hard, just do something full speed and good things will happen. In coffee. Just spends so much time thinking. And I think it gets in the way of some of these great players because I don't think it's just random that Justin Thomas and Victor Hovland played bad golf for a longer period of time after they had just dominated. I think you can get in your own head.

[Jeremy Hobson]

We live in a divided country. I am a lifelong Republican with all kinds of different people. You know, I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Anna, I'm calling from Las Vegas. Each week we bring together an all star panel. Mark Cuban. So great to have you on the Middle. Thanks for having me, Jeremy. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, welcome to the Middle. Thanks for having me. And hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country on the most important issues. Hi, my name is Venkat. I'm calling you from Atlanta, Georgia. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news.

[John Middelkopf]

We should be examining what our government.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Spends its money on and are these jobs necessary?

[John Middelkopf]

And what are we doing here?

[Jeremy Hobson]

But that doesn't seem to be what we're doing in this situation. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. I'm excited to share my podcast with you. Math and stories from the frontiers of marketing. This week, I'm talking to the CEO of Moderna, Stephane Bonsell, about how he led his team through unprecedented times to create, test, and distribute a COVID vaccine, all in less than a year. It becomes a human decision to decide to throw by the window your business strategy and to do what you think is the right thing for the world. Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math, and the ever important creative spark, the magic. Listen to math and magic stories from the frontiers of Marketing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[John Middelkopf]

My name is Harry Houdini.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Harry Houdini could make elephants disappear, walk through walls, and escape the Chinese water torture cell. But he was also on a mission against mediums.

[John Middelkopf]

I have never seen one genuine medium.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Join me, Tim Harford, for a Cautionary tales trilogy on the world's most famous magician.

[John Middelkopf]

It takes a flim flammer to catch a flim flammer.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Houdini wanted the world to see reason in an age of spiritualism. He went undercover to seances, exposed fakes and charlatans, and even tried to convince Washington lawmakers to ban mediums for good, a campaign that cost him friends and made him many enemies. They're going to kill me. Listen to Cautionary tales on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Are your ears bored? Yeah.

[John Middelkopf]

Are you looking for a new podcast that will make you laugh, learn and say que? Yeah.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Then tune in to locatora radio season 10 today.

[John Middelkopf]

Okay.

[Jeremy Hobson]

I'm Diosa. I'm Mala, the host of Locatora Radio, a radiophonic novella which is just a very extra way of saying a podcast. We're launching this season with a miniseries, totally nostalgic, a four part series about the Latinos who shaped pop culture in the early 2000s. It's Lala checking in with all things Y2K 2000s. My favorite memory, honestly was us having our own media platforms like Mundos and MTV Tres. You could turn on the TV, you see Thalia, you see JLo, Nina Sky, Evie Queen.

[John Middelkopf]

All the girlies doing their things.

[Jeremy Hobson]

All of the beauty reflected right back at us.

[John Middelkopf]

It was everything.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Tune in to locatora radio season 10. Now that's what I call a podcast. Listen to Locatora Radio Season 10 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[John Middelkopf]

Let's end on this. We will do a little OLO Mailbag. So it's olopod. Olopod is the Instagram. Fire in those DMs and get your questions answered here on the show. This is from Bobby. Question for the Mailbag. If you could pick one player who's never won a major before to win a major this year, who would it be, which major and why? For me, it'd be Tony Finau to win the Masters as it feels like a major victory. It would take him from a solid PGA pro to a household name and for the fact that he's such an incredible ambassador to the sport. He's great off the tee, which is paramount at Augusta and has been in the mix of the Masters in the past, I. E. 2019 against Tiger. Curious to hear your thoughts. Well, I do. I'm biased on this one. I do have $500. After I had a big win on Tony Finau month ago, I spread some of it out on Ludwig Aidberg to win the masters at like 16 to 1. So it would win me like 80 $500. So. And that's the only bet I have on the Masters. I think I'm going to place another one on Rory. So it would be Ludwig, but if it was a non Ludwig player, that's a pretty good question. Like I don't have. Like I, I root for the guys that already have majors. There's probably not a guy on the PGA Tour right now that does not have a major that I'm like in the bag for. Like if Patrick Cantlay never wins a major, I'd have no issue with it. I don't hate your Tony Finau. Like if Tony Finau were to win a major, I think that would be really cool. I would Imagine that Tony is. I know he's played well at the Masters before, but it does feel like he'd be more likely to win, I don't know, the PGA Championship. He actually played well last year at Pinehurst. If I was a betting man right now, I doubt Tony Finau ever wins the Masters. Now, over under, like, how many majors is Tony ultimately going to win? I think the over under right now would be like, point five. Probably feels like a one major guy, like a Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia, and he'd have an incredible career if he wins the major. But, yeah, I don't know if I have a guy. Like, I think there are guys with huge droughts, like Spieth. When's the last time he won? Some, like 16 or 17. I think Jordan Spieth winning a major would be just legendary. I think if Rory could win the Masters, it would be great for golf. I think Bryson. I think if Bryson could win the Masters, I mean, how incredible would that be? So I, you know, I like Tommy Fleetwood, but, like, if he doesn't win a major, I don't really care. Most of the guys I feel like I root for are already major champions. And it would have to be someone specific that I'm gambling on, because there aren't Ludwig I like. I just like watching Ludwig play. I saw Xander say in an interview that, like, one thing that taught him at playing the tgl, he's like, I was trying to play, like, draws and cuts into the screen, and I was playing Ludwig, and I just watched Ludwig just aim and fire. And then I realized Ludwig just basically plays golf like he's playing in a simulator when he's playing just regular golf. So he's like, I just copied him and just aimed at the pin and tried to hit straight balls. So I. Again, he hasn't played well lately. He fell apart at the players. But I do think it'd be cool if Ludwig won a major this year. Myrtle beach, extremely overrated. I live in Charleston and work two days a week in Myrtle Beach. There is good golf, but it's not worth flying all the way from Arizona. Charleston has fewer options, but you have a much better weekend in Charleston versus Myrtle Beach. I know this. No one, and I mean no one, likes Southern charm as much. Maybe there are people or. Or more. Maybe there are people as much, but not more than Maria. She desperately wants to go to Charleston, so we might have to do that this summer. Maybe I'll play a little golf and hang out there. Hi, John. Hope all is well with the new Marriage Looking to hit the ball farther. I weigh about 155 pounds and hit the ball 250 to 260 on a good floor today. My friends say I can hit the ball farther if I change to a new driver. Since mine is 15 years old, it's my best club because I hit fairways. Working out is also the other option. So this begs the question, how many yards do you think someone like me could gain with a workout regimen? I'm a flexible dude, but not very muscular. Also, do new drivers actually make us civilians hit it farther and straighter like the one Rory uses. Would love to hit it 280 consistently. I mean Rory and Tiger are pretty like strong but I mean what's Justin Thomas Way 165lbs? Hitting the ball far is not necessarily about like how much you can curl and bench. It is way more about your swing path, slash speed. I do think the way if you have a 15 year old driver, I mean that is really old and you are hitting the ball 260 yards. If you got newer technology, you don't need to get a brand new one. Just go to the PJ Superstore and buy a couple year old head of, you know, Callaway, TaylorMade, Titleist, whatever. Hit him, hit him into the thing, see what you like and just you could take the shaft and you have right now basically the same shafted grip. Take the head off and put the new head on the, on the club. Like that's what I would recommend doing. You could add probably 15 yards. The technology over the last 15 years, I would say over the last 10 years has changed dramatically. So I don't even think if you're hitting the ball 260 years old with a relic of a club face or club head. I would just go see if you can find a deal at some golf store and just take the head and continue to use your shaft. The gym is not as important. Flexibility matters. But I think it's much more swing speed than hidden the machines at the local gym. In terms of golf. Question for the bag. If you had to build the perfect player in terms of driving irons, wedges, putting, an overall mentality, who are you picking for each category? Can't pick the same player twice. By the way, I'm a watch dealer out here in Philly. No, you said you're not a watch guy, but if you ever in the market. What's funny is I got my first nice watch a couple years ago and when you first get it, you're like God, I'm going to get a bunch. And then I realize I just wear it not that often. Now some people, you know, I'm a podcaster, so if I went into meetings and like, even the meetings I have like a big business meeting is over. Zoom. So like, it's not like I'm putting on a coat and a watch. Hell, I don't even put on my wedding ring. So I. The nice one. I wear a rubber one. Actually not one on my hand right now because I forgot in the bathroom. But I, I appreciate a good looking watch. I just, given my profession, I just don't wear them that often. And once I have one, like, do I need another one? If I went into an office more often, I think I would be more into them. And I understand people that are in offices and meetings that they matter or, you know, I don't want to say they matter because they, I don't think they do. Like, if you don't have one, I, it doesn't matter. But I understand why people wear them on a, on a daily basis when they're interacting with other people. Perfect player. Driving would be 100% Rory if you, if you pick Ludwig. I don't think that would be crazy either. I would go Rory Irons. Last year you'd go Scotty. This year you'd probably go Morikawa wedges. I think you could go this, you go driving Rory Irons, Morikawa wedges. I mean, last year Scotty around the green was incredible. Now Phil in 2025, I think historically you'd feel pretty good about Phil putting. Again. Are we doing historically, like, can I do like Steve Stricker or Brad Faxton or do I got to do like Russell Henley or you know, Danny McCarthy? Because if you're going historically, you'd go Rory Tiger short game. I don't know who would consider to have the best short game ever like Ben Crenshaw or like Tom Kite putting, who's the greatest putter of all time. I feel, I just, I just think Brad Faxon overall mentality. But if you're doing current players, you go Rory Morikawa, Scotty with the wedges putting. You just take whoever the, like Danny McCarthy overall mentality of guys currently playing. I think Justin Thomas is just. Tiger's not really close to them for no reason. I mean, JT is, is a fucking killer now. His driver let him down in that tournament, which, you know, kind of his downfall. Sometimes putting feels like he's better on the greens now, but like he's aiming for the big cut on 18 and he just pumps it left. It's. It happens. But it does feel like with this modern technology and how hard he swings, you know, sometimes he just pumps it into the trees. I mean, a couple years ago, I remember when he was trying to make it to the next level of the playoffs, he hit one of the most incredible shots ever to give him a chance to chip it in. I forget, were they playing like Hartford? But the reason he had to hit one of the best shots ever, because he was behind a tree. He's got a little tiger in him too. Like he can be, he can be squirrely off the tee, but I do think his mentality and his mindset is as good as it gets on the tour when he's playing. Right. What's in the bag Currently? I was thinking, I've been asked this question a bunch. I think I'll do a video for Instagram in the next week or two and post up what's in the bag. It's actually not that cool. I was thinking my wedges. Sometimes when you see like a pro on Instagram, they're like, how often do you change your wedges? And the guy's like, every other week. Keep the grooves clean. We're like at minimum once a quarter. I think I've had the same sand wedge and gap wedge, 50 degree, like Titleist wedges. Easily five or six years, maybe even long, maybe even like seven years. My 58 degree, I think I had lost my 60 degree one day playing this is when I lived in the Bay Area. So I just went into like the local golf shop to just try to buy like a lob wedge and I found this 58 degree I kind of liked. That was probably four or five years ago. It's probably one of my favorite clubs in the bag. Then I just have like 790 tailor made irons, which I probably had for five or six years, four or five years that I remember Instagramming a guy. It was a tailor made replacement on Instagram and he gave me a code for like 40, 50% off. So I remember getting the set for like $1500 and it cost me like 700. And then I just took it to like a club champion and they kind of bent them and cut him down for me. My woods, I have a tailor made hybrid and three wood that I bought from the PGA Superstore. Literally just went and hit them and bought them. And then I have, I have a like special shaft from Club Champion that I used to use with a different head that I Have, like, the maverick head on it now from Callaway. So it's. It's a mix mismatch of clubs. Probably why my handicap is currently rising at rapid speed. Would you rather win Augusta one time or win the other three? Each, once. I feel like three majors is hard to beat, but the prestige and history behind Augusta gives me reason to stop and think about it. Also, it's cool knowing that you'd always be invited back to play each year. I think if it was two of them, right? If it was like one was the PGA and one was the other, the US Open or the Open, I think the answer, unequivocally, without hesitation, is the Masters. I think when it's the three of them, like, you win three majors, you're a Hall of Famer. Even if those are your only three wins ever. If you've won a U.S. open, the Open, and the PGA Championship, I think you're a lock hall of Famer. But I still think you think about it because, you know, golf is not the NFL or basketball or the Stanley cup or it's just. It's. There is a very. And listen, I'm passionate, and I watch it, I play it, I love it. But I'm not. I'm in the football business. I understand its lack of gravity on the. On a bigger scale now. It's more popular than ever from a playing standpoint. But, I mean, Grant Horvat's more popular than probably 98% of the PGA Tour, and rightfully so. He does good shit. Actually. I watched a lot of YouTube golf. Like, I watched Wesley Bryan play this shitty course yesterday or last night with Jason Day. They're just entertaining. I was very entertained. Whether it's the Brian Bros. Grant I watched. Good, Good take on Joel Damon, like 10 of them. That was entertaining. At We Kapa, obviously, Bob does is just the best and hilarious. Like, it's just a good product. It's just very entertaining. And unless you're just a golf nut, I do understand where PGA golf cannot be entertaining. It's not exactly Bill's Chiefs. Like, I get it. Even if it's Rory and Scotty, it bores a lot of people. But you win the Masters if you just say, hey, I've won the Masters. Someone that doesn't give a shit about golf and it's an NBA fan or a hockey fan knows exactly what you mean. So I think the power of being a Masters champ, having the green jacket and being a part of that, I think if you wanted to decide that, I'd have To think long and hard. I'd probably just choose the Masters. I probably would, but it is hard. Three majors and that's. You'd be considered like one of the great players in the sport. But like, Xander Shafley is a good example because he's one. He's a U.S. open away from having three of them. Right. He won the PGA last year. He won the British Open last year. If he wins the US Open, he'll probably end up with like 15 victories. And let's just say he ends up winning the US Open, never wins the Masters. Like, would Xander have been way more famous if Xander Shopley just won the Masters and never those tournaments? I think you could say yeah. He wouldn't be as rich. Probably. But that's a great question. If the PGA was really worried about ratings and viewership, don't you think they would figure out the utter disaster of setting tee times? Here I am watching the first round of the biggest non major tournament of the year and Spieth, Wyndham, Clark, Sebstraka, Tom, Kim, Aberg, the Gala, Henley are already through 14 or 15 holes. Can you speak to all the broadcasting network rights that the PGA is going on right now? Because it is not working. And if they want to increase viewership, they need to change. Well, the way a golf tournament works on Thursday and Friday one beside the majors, every other golf tournament is just on Golf Channel. And a good Golf channel viewership is not seven figures. So you are, and I am definitely this. We are a very, very small audience relative to most sports watching Golf Channel non majors Thursday and Friday. But the way a golf tournament works is there are two flights of people. Group groups go off in the morning and groups go off in the afternoon. So you have to split the groups. So one of your TV windows on Thursday is going to get the afternoon group. Well, if you load up like you're saying Thursday afternoon with every guy that's in the field that's worth a shit, you know all the top 25 players. Well, the next day they would tee off in the morning. So it would change the viewership window. Friday, who you'd be watching a bunch of random no name guys. Now they might be leading that individual tournament or playing well, but the group of Schefflers and Rory's and you know, Justin Thomases, even in a major, Bryson's and you name it would have already played. So it's not like you can't put them afternoon, afternoon because there is an integrity of the field and playing in the morning is different than playing in the afternoon. I would imagine if I talked to a rules official or you know, Jack Nicholas. Like why do they do rotate the tee times? It's because the integrity of a golf course. If you've ever mean you tee off tomorrow at TPC Scottsdale at 7:00am and then we teed off the following day at 1:00 in the afternoon. Like our experiences could be a lot different. Sometimes the wind kicks up around lunch so it makes the golf course play different where on the weekends anyone that's in the mix are all playing at the same time but they cut down the field. And the other thing is because of the size of the field, right. You have 150 guys playing, not 50. You can't put them all in the afternoon. Where some of these events like the elevated events that have 70 people in, you can kind of cook the books on that but that's not how the players is. There's 150 people playing in it. Love the pod. Been listening to your content. Appreciate it. This from Nick. Had to laugh at your wedding ring golf story. I've been married 15 years and an avid golfer and gym goer. I was taking off my ring to do both and lost it three times the first six months of marriage, replacing it each time. Eventually I just acknowledged I will keep losing it and told my wife honey I love you and we are married. A piece of jewelry doesn't need to prove that. Haven't worn one since. That's awesome. Listen, unless you are, I would say one of those horn dogs out there and just has ulterior motives in the head, right? Or just a really good looking dude, you know, if you're not out attempting to do nefarious stuff, not having your ring on is not going to phase most guys, Right. It's not like women are walking up to the majority of humans and hitting on you. But like it does mean something to her. What I've done is I just ordered. I forget the they're called no free ads here but the Thunder Fit, they're the rubber black rings and I have about 20 already. I've already lost a couple. I just have unlimited amount of black ones and those are just I wear to the gym, shower, play golf, just do activities just in life. I don't have it on right now because I I took it off earlier for some reason. Oh because sometimes when I put lotion on my face I hate the lotion that gets into it. So I take it off and then you forget. But I'm not worried about Losing it. If I would have worn the ring that I bought myself, I 100% would have. It'd already be gone. And I've been married for three weeks, two and a half weeks. It would be. It'd be 100% lost. It just. It would not exist. I would have no clue where it is. But the rubber rings are a game changer for me because they actually don't look bad. And they're, you know, if you buy a pack of however many, they're like, I don't know, seven bucks a ring. I don't even care. I mean, it just. It doesn't. And I haven't even. I don't even. Maybe I've lost one, but you don't even think about it. And when you bought it, they give you this thing that has, like, 50% off so you can buy another pack for like a pack of 10 for, I don't know, 30, 40 bucks. That's a game changer. Okay, adios, everybody. Have a great day. Talk to you soon. See you. The volume AI is redefining what's possible for your business. With more unique challenges to solve and higher stakes than ever, Microsoft helps you stay ahead. Our trustworthy AI tools and guidance can empower leaders like you to drive greater impact. And with Azure's simplified platform management, we're helping businesses go further, faster, unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers this.

[Jeremy Hobson]

Is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser podcast. Have you guys seen this new commercial from Stand up to All Hate? It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady going back and forth with reasons that they hate each other. But then when you really listen to them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid. I don't know.

[John Middelkopf]

This.

[Jeremy Hobson]

This commercial really got me. It's a strong reminder that hate in our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up, call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight. You can learn more by following ot'supwithhate Geico's motorcycle expertise means I'm covered by people who know bikes like I do. I'm happy as a clam. No conclusive scientific research has shown clams can experience happiness.

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Good about my coverage. I mean, even if you took the clam out for the best day ever, visiting the zoo, taking a scenic ride, knowing you're insured by specialists and sharing a strawberry ice cream cone together. The clam would not feel happy, and your strawberry strawberry cone would taste sort of clammy. Geico's motorcycle specialists, who know bikes like you do, assume no liability for clammy ice cream cones. Geico expertise for your motorcycle. We live in a divided country, and our media couldn't be more polarizing. That's why we started the Middle with Jeremy Hobson. It's about bringing voices not from the extremes, but from the vast middle into the national conversation. Each week, we hear from ordinary Americans from all over the country. And when you subscribe to the Middle, you also get an episode each week called One Thing Trump did that focuses on just one item from the avalanche of news. Listen to the Middle with Jeremy Hobson on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.