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John Middlekauff
This is an iHeart podcast.
Jeff T
Guaranteed Human.
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Colin Coward
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Jeff T
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John Middlekauff
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Daniel Cormier
this is Daniel Cormier from the Daniel Cormier Show. This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. Power doesn't wait in the octagon or outside of it. You either make the move or you miss the moment. That's why you need a network that's just as powerful as you are. With Total Wireless, you get unlimited 5G data keeping you in the action from the walkouts to the knockouts. Now that's a total power move. Make your total power move today. Visit totalwireless.com or stop by your neighborhood. Total Wireless store. Additional terms apply. See total wireless.com for details.
John Middlekauff
The volume. What is going on my people John Middlekop A little Go Low podcast We've been on a little hiatus tar with Little Jack. I've had less time. Football. We've had so much going on football wise. I haven't done one of these in a while, but we got Shinnecock, we got the US Open, we got Rory, we got Scotty, we got all the big dogs and very, very, very excited for this weekend. So we'll talk a little Shinnecock. We'll talk. We'll just go over some different stuff. We'll do some at golopod is the Instagram if you want to fire in those dms. It's how you get on the podcast for your golf questions. So we'll do a bunch of those as well and have some of my picks because I love to gamble. I mean I've been, I haven't done a Go Low pod in a while. I have been watching a lot of golf. I mean I watch it every weekend. So I've been keeping up very closely with the tour the last couple weekends. Memorial Canadian Open and very much looking forward to this week. And really just the buildup Golf Channel all week live from I find myself rewatching some of the episodes. So you guys know the drill. We have a Go Low podcast feed so you don't miss anything. We also have a YouTube channel. You can go check that out as well. And let's just dive into some golf. Anytime you get to the US Open before you even get to the players, like when I was a kid, you went into the US Open thinking carnage plus five, plus two, plus one could win the tournament. And over recent years we obviously some courses are dependent on weather. It hasn't always been the case. And by all accounts, I was watching some of the Golf Channel earlier today. The wind is pumping right now and it's it's Monday afternoon and the forecast shows that the wind is going to be even harder come Thursday. So you know, if you've watched any of These guys play YouTube, the YouTube Golfers at Shinnecock because they they host a bunch of media guys, the course looks fantastic. I mean it's in most of these guys are hacking it up unless like Horvat and the Bryan brothers, I haven't watched them yet, but when they played this in 2018, Koepka won at plus one. So a little bit of a throwback now. You could say that technology you would Say guys play are just better top to bottom than they were back then. I mean, a lot has to do with technology and figuring out how to maximize with the. With the trackman. And when the wind goes 30 miles an hour and it's US Open setup. The rough is long. The greens are fast though. They were just watering it. I don't give a shit how dialed in you are in your numbers. You kind of got to be just a ball striker. You kind of got to just be a player. I mean, what did Koepka really hang his hat on in his prime? He actually was playing pretty good at the Canadian Open and then his fingers went numb and he melted down on Saturday and then would. Would Drew. So as of recording this, I'm not sure his status on this tournament because he would have been a guy I liked a lot of. But you got to be off that if he plays because of this finger issue. But the one thing I would say is this is a tournament that just tests you mentally, right. Regardless, on a yearly basis. Last year the weather came and Sam Burns kind of got boned with the water ball where they didn't give him relief. And JJ Spawn just made some of the greatest shots of his life. And obviously his rolled in that putt on 18. Just an incredible moment for the guy. And he's. He's actually turned a season around this year. He's playing great golf. I mean, he's a really good player. JJ Spawn's a really good player. But one thing about the US Open is you can have, you know, obviously you can have the Tigers and the Rory's win. You can also have the JJ Spawns. You can also have Lee Jansen. You can also have Corey Paven, right? Phil Mickelson finished like second in this tournament 25 times. That's an over exaggeration. But could never win it. Like there are no guarantees sometimes. Like Ernie Ells, one of the greatest players I've ever watched could just never win the Masters and part of the U.S. open. And we'll get into Scotty here in a second is I would say mentally it tax you more than most of the other tournaments. I mean, the pressure to win the Masters is obviously unlike anything else. I mean, Rory's gone on record about this for a decade. That just the, the, the weight of the world he felt driving down Magnolia Lane. But let's be real, it's not exactly the hardest course in the world for these guys. I mean, just look at the scores. So when you go back, that plus one won it and Tommy Fleetwood, who finished second, had one of the craziest weeks you'll ever see. 75, 66, 78, 63 to finish second. So I, you know, if the wind's pumping, I doubt we see many 60 threes. You could argue being around par, maybe one or two under could win this bad boy. And this is the tournament where I don't get as caught up as some of the people in the golf media when we get 20 underscores. I have a bigger issue with individual courses than I do the scores on the television. Right. To me, some courses are just kind of boring. Let's face it, the Canadian Open, little bit of you had some cool holes, also had some holes where it just becomes a little redundant. You know, everyone had an issue with eronomic, didn't mind it. I, I actually enjoyed that. So I'm looking forward to watching this course, you know, anytime you get a major. Also, there, there are, when you win the US Open at Pebble beach, when you win the US Open at Shinnecock, like, it's, it's a really, really big deal. Right? Last year for, for JJ Spun winning it at Oakmont, like it's a historic course. It's a course that kind of, kind of carries a little weight. Like if you ever win the Open Championship at St. Andrews, kind of a big deal on your resume. So I, I, I can't wait for this thing to start. I hope we get carnage. I hope the wind pumps. I actually think that makes gambling and betting on some of these guys a little bit easier. I think it's a little bit harder for some of the randos to separate when the conditions get outrageous. Now you could argue, you know, making some long putts. That's kind of how Aaron Rye won. He just didn't up hit all the fairways and made a big putt when he had to.
Tab Ramos
Right.
John Middlekauff
He didn't do anything stupid. That's kind of major golf. You know, Jack Nicklaus talked about it. It's like hit it to the middle of the green in, in the tough tournaments, if you make a lot of pars, like you're not going backwards. And these guys, you know, in the, in the modern day PGA Tour, let's face it, are used to just attacking literally everything. I mean, most of these guys, all their iron shots, like they can just hit straight balls. This isn't like the 70s, the 60s, the 80s, even the 90s where you're just constantly working the ball. So I, I think the course this weekend is going to shine. Now, to me Number two is forever. All we ever wanted were Tiger versus Phil. And it never really happened. And it kind of sucked. You know, you look back or, you know, I wasn't alive for a lot of this. It felt like we got some Arnold versus Jack. We definitely got some Trevino versus Jack, right? We got a lot of like Faldo versus Norman, you know, I mean, Tiger had a lot of foes. They just turned out to not really be Phil. You know, it came down to Chris DeMarco. They had some knockdown drag outs, right? So if we could ever going into the weekend, just have Scotty and Rory both being in like the top six or seven, that would be fucking electric. And for this weekend, Scotty's going for the grant, his career grand Islam. He turns 30 on Sunday. You know the, the video that went viral a couple weeks ago of him yelling at Ted Scott. I don't want to say unbecoming because I heard someone bring up this point. With the modern day technology of the broadcasts, everything's on camera, everything's mic'd up. Like every, every shot Scotty hits over the last several years is there's gonna be video around it, even if it's in the early in the morning Thursday through Sunday. You can watch on ESPN plus, where a lot of players have moments that would be incredibly embarrassing, that are just not on camera, that happen throughout the day on a course where we just don't see. I would also say like, and, and maybe it's remembering it a little bit different. Tiger would scream at himself. You know, he would constantly scream at himself, especially off the tee when he would hit an awful shot. I don't remember him undressing Stevie Williams very often, if ever. Now maybe it happened, happened off camera in the clubhouse when they were at home or whatever, but Tiger was really professional, like one of his underrated attributes. I mean, see Victor Wembanyama over the course of the playoffs, skipping media, you've seen Rory do it. You've seen a lot of modern day players do it. They just skip media. Tiger never did that. You know why? Because he knew he was the Michael Jordan of the operation and whether he played well, which he did most of the time. But it's golf. Like he had some shitty days.
Colin Coward
He.
John Middlekauff
He fucking sat there and the cameras were on him.
Daniel Cormier
Why?
John Middlekauff
Because he was the number one guy everyone always wanted to talk to. And that's Scotty and Rory now. And they've proven over the years to get. I mean, Scotty's been prickly over the course of the Last year. Now you could argue there are some dumb questions answered. Yeah, it comes with the territory. You know, this is, this, this is part of the deal. You know, I asked Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen or Lamar if they get some dumb questions like, yeah, it's gonna happen. You seen some of these media. I used to sit in the press box with some of them. I wouldn't say all of them are the most impressive individuals you're ever going to come across. So I think the one question mark with Scotty at this tournament is if Candidis get outrageous, he can get a little whiny and like Tiger get whiny. But he could also immediately refocus. Like he could immediately lock back in. And that's my question with Scotty for this weekend. If he gets off on a couple holes and the pressure of this major, does it derail him? So like I, I'm kind of off him this week. Relative, like top 10. The odds are terrible. I don't envision Scotty winning. Not that he can't. He's actually had a really good season. I know he hasn't won since basically essentially the first week of the season in, in Palm springs, but like 99% of players in the PGA Tour would immediately sign up for the year he's having.
Colin Coward
Right.
John Middlekauff
But I don't see it. I actually like Rory more this week.
Daniel Cormier
Now.
John Middlekauff
Rory turned a corner, you know, in 2018. I don't even count that honestly. Like to me, Rory is like a completely different golfer the last two or three years. I know he won more majors early on in his career. This is the best version over the course of the last 36 months we've ever seen of Rory McIlroy on a golf course. I would also say the US Open is something he's kind of figured out. You know, he really blew back to back US Opens. He should have won at lacc. I played that course the last time I was with Colin and I actually, I pard the hole, which he did too. That cost him the tournament. He hit a wedge in the bunker. I think it's the par five 14th. It's the Playboy mansion hole, which is cool. Where you tee off. You can hear the monkeys. I mean, obviously the Hefner has estate has sold the mansion to new people, but the, the animals are still back there. And then it's a, it's a long ass hole. I hit two incredible shots and I was still like 50 yards short. And we definitely were not playing the, the tees. We, we were technically playing the Back tees, but we weren't playing the version of the US Open. And I think he had under 100 yard shot and he hit it into this front bunker and it cost him the tournament. It just did. And then Windham Clark hit two of the best shots of his life. But again, like he went back to back seconds in the U.S. open at LACC, which was definitely playing easier and at pinehurst, which he 100% should have won. So like he has had a lot of momentum in this event. And even last year, like I give him a pass, he wins the Masters, he even went on record, say, like I kind of lost focus. I was around. He finished T19 last year, so it's not like he just missed the cut and didn't even try. I, he's been up there a couple times, played this course. I, I, I think Rory's going to be in the mix and if you could say you could sign up for one kind of matchup, we got that. Bryson, Rory, we've got it a couple times. We got it two years ago at the Masters. We got a couple years ago at Pinehurst. I would love to get it this weekend, I really would. But if I'm betting on one of those two guys to truly have a chance on the back nine come Sunday, I mean, Scotty always kind of does. I really believe Roy is going to, I would say another major storyline. We got two big time thoroughbreds who are just kind of US Open players. And you know, one thing's pretty clear with this live disaster. It's no fault of like, listen, Scott o', Neill, who is the CEO when me and Colin went to the event, he's really impressive guy. It's, you know, he didn't create this thing, Norman and Piff did. And I think he thought he was getting into something with unlimited funding and they yanked it on him. Now, I'm not a big believer in the product. It's not like I watch it on television, but, but I understood where he was coming from. Like you have this type funding, maybe you take it to the next level and it works. He's not a golf guy. I do wonder he's a big basketball guy if he had understood the golf landscape a little differently, if he would have been as interested. But he's clearly all in now and he's trying to keep this thing in survival mode. And the players, specifically Bryson, are helping him pitch this to investors. You know, one guy that has nothing to do with it and he said like, yeah, I'm staying out of it. Is John Rahm. And I think Jon Rahm sees the end inside. He hopes this thing just. Just ends now. He'll probably lose a little money that he probably thought he was going to make, but then he could just transition back to a normal competitive tour. But the one thing you would say about Jon Rahm, who feels like he's got his swag back a little bit over the course of the last two years in some of these majors, I mean, last year in the PGA Championship, he's just this year in the pj. Like, he's just. He's just shown more momentum in these big tournaments because we really only see him right in these four weeks a year.
Jeff T
He's.
John Middlekauff
He's obviously a US Open champion when he wanted a Tory. But if you look at his career in this event, T3, T23, 1, T12, T10, he got injured, and then T7, like, this is an event he's pretty comfortable in. And why is he comfortable? Because typically this event just wipes out so many people. So the best players, the best ball strikers, the most mentally tough guys are just going to be in the mix. And that is, to me, Xander's greatest strength. Pretty steady Eddie. Like, he's not really a whiny, Scotty type. Like, he's not going to be one of those guys bitching and moaning walking down the fairway. And honestly, he doesn't show that much emotion when he gets a bogey, different from when he fucking knocks it stiff and has tap in birdie. And to me, that bodes well in tournaments like this. And I do think it speaks to. His first ever US Open was in 2017 in his career. T5, T6, T3 fifth. T7, T14, T10, T17, T12. This is just made for this event. Now, do I think Xander's gonna win it? I don't think I would go that far, but I would say one of these two guys are definitely in the mix come Sunday. And I think One of these two guys feels like a lock. Top 10. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet. We talk a lot of football here, but it's now time to talk the other football. You know, the soccer tournament is going down right now. Everyone's watching, including myself. National pride on the line. Superstars everywhere chasing immortality. And for the next month, every match will feel like the finals. If you haven't tried Hard Rock bet there's no better time than now. Whether you're back in your country betting on your favorite superstar or building a same game Parlay goals over unders to win a group. You name it, they got you covered. And if you're ever late to kickoff, don't worry. Hard Rock Bet let you live Bet all match long. Plus they have new promos daily. Sign up with Hard Rock Bet today and place a $5 bet if it wins. You also score 150 in bonus bets. A winning bet plus an extra 150 to bet with. Now that's how you get this summer party started. Download the HRB Hard Rock Bet app today. Roll with us. Go with us Hard Rock Bet.
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Jeff T
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John Middlekauff
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Daniel Cormier
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John Middlekauff
I'm tempted to take this next guy, number four. You know, early in the season it felt like Cam Young was a lock to win a major. Now it feels like he's kind of falling apart. Like, where's Cam Young? What's going on? Obviously his putting's falling off a map. And to me, if you go back to 2018 when this guy shot 63, you would have been like six, seven, eight years later. How many tournaments is Tommy Fleetwood going to have won? You would have been like seven or eight and probably win a major. Well, he's won one and that was a 30 man field and he's majorless. But he is good. He has three top fives in US Opens. He's playing well coming into this event. Two of his last three events, he's top five. So. And last week, honestly, he was playing pretty good. The weather got weird in Canada on Sunday. I like Tommy Fleetwood a lot. This, by all accounts, this is a Second shot golf course. And what's his advantage if the wind's pumping well, where does he come from? You know, he doesn't exactly come from Scottsdale or Los Angeles.
Tab Ramos
Right.
John Middlekauff
These international guys bode well when the conditions get weird. Why? Because they're used to playing in it across the pond. This is a guy that's used to playing in bad weather. Now the sun's going to be out, but the wind's going to be going. This guy that can control his irons, which is extremely important. He's a top five ball striker this year. And honestly, his around the green stats, also a top six or seven guy. Now putting can be very hit or miss. Do you trust Tommy Fleetwood, like over the years, Koepka when he was on. Obviously a guy like Tiger, you know, Rory and somebody, even Bryson's been in some of his big wins, has been a big time putter. That to me is the thing that kind of leaves you wanting a little bit more. So five, who's going to win? I'm a pick. Rory hard Rock bet 11 to 1 plus 1100. I, I'm going Rory McElroy to win. And I, I think that. What did we say after he won the Masters the second time? Like this, this guy's looking to try to like become a legendary individual, right? You, you start going, okay, he's never going to win the Master. He's never going to win the Masters. And then he goes back to back and then you start going, well, he's got six majors. Could he get to like 10 to 12? And I think the answer is yes. And one thing he has clearly instituted into his, into his game is one off the tee. And he showed this at pebble last year is like this kind of low line drive. Guess where that's going to play here this week. The other thing that he's been able to do over the course of the last couple years, because historically he's really high ball player. Like his iron. So he went really high, which is not great for the win. Like much more control, keeping the ball low, especially with his wedges. Remember a couple years ago when Scotty won the Masters? It would have been the year before Rory won it. He played with Scotty and the weather was just atrocious and Scotty looked awesome and Rory was a disaster. And it was pretty telling. Rory, man, you got to go back in the lab and figure some shit out. And over the next couple years he did. And I would say that's, that would define any great player. Like sometimes you lose Sometimes you get your ass kicked. Sometimes you get exposed next to another great player. I don't care what sport you're in. Victor Wembanyama. Like, time to get in the lab this summer, man. Time to really get in the lab. And my guess is that all that work he's done over the next couple years is coming to fruition. So I'm taking Rory this week. My other two top 10 bets are going to be Tommy Fleetwood plus 225. Matt Fitzpatrick, who is just having an incredible season. Another guy won a US Open. So used like excels in tough conditions, plus 200. You know, if you want to hammer Rom or Xander, they will be on my card as well. But my big three plays are Rory to win it. Tommy and Fitzpatrick to top 10. I would say one guy, a little bit of a flyer. He's. He's basically 100 to 1. So if you. You bet $100, you'd win 10,000. But Gary Woodland to top 10 is plus 850, and Gary Woodland to top 20 is plus 350. Another guy who can hit a low liner off the tee, who can control the trajectory of his irons, who's won a U.S. open before. So tough condiddy player. He's having an excellent season. He, to me, would be a little bit of a flyer if you wanted to go down the board a little bit. Well, let's take a couple questions. There's a lot going on in the golf world. Some of you guys hit me up in the mailbag at golopod, and we can. We can answer the questions. We didn't even mention this guy's name. This is from Eric. How crazy is the Bryson roller coaster? Dude went from being a douche to a likable major winner, then back to being a douche who doesn't look like he's good at golf anymore. I'm not touching Bryson DeChambeau this weekend. I actually think if you wanted to take him to miss the cut. Not a crazy play. He clearly has got a lot going on. He's like working hand in hand with o' Neill to try to save Liv. Godspeed to him. But it's sad. I love watching Bryson when he's on, but he's missed the last two cuts of majors, right? Missed the. Missed the Masters, missed the PGA Championship. And I think betting him to miss the cut this weekend is not a crazy play at all. What are your thoughts regarding Garrett Higgo firing his caddy for him being late to his tee time, does that speak to the victimhood that is prevalent in our society. Well, he's an international guy, not an American guy. Not even sure. I can't, I don't know where he lives, but he's a good player. I think it's specific to golf. As a golfer, you're inherently selfish. It's just you. And who do you typically blame? Your swim, your caddy and your swing coach. Look at, look at Scotty. It's like, Scotty, fuck. You're standing there too. You can feel the win. Hit a different club, right? If you disagree with them, pull the six iron. If he's telling you to hit the seven iron like Scotty did it somewhat, you know, I don't even want to say politely, but he kept saying we, we, we. He never said you, you, you. I think it's so easy for these guys to point the finger at their caddy. I do feel like, and I'm sure someone's done a study, that the modern day player over the course of the last 10 years goes through way more caddies than any of these guys did historically. When I was a kid, most of the pro golfers like pre Tiger had the same caddy, the majority, if not their entire career, unless the guy got old. So I think it's so easy. And part of it is the agent, the manager. These guys are such big businesses now, they just blame that guy. It's like, hey, go. Since you play junior golf, if your tee times at 1, 10 or 10, 10 or 310 or 8 in the morning, like you fucking have a watch. There are, there are typically clocks around, like I'm sorry, that is on you. That, that seems to me like a pretty easy out. And playing the blame game, I think it's less about society and more about the golfing world. I think that's just the natural move in pro golf is to just point the finger at the caddy. Now question for the next pod. As Americans, who do we need on the 27 Ryder cup that will help bring the Juice back? Koepka, Spieth, Patrick Reed. I think we're going to get smoked. I mean I seriously do. I, I think their team is so much more consistent and better than ours, it's not even funny. I mean look at the guys. They have one their best players. It feel like always played great in these majors. There was a moment in the Canadian Open, Fitzpatrick Birdies 18. He ended up finishing second last week and Hovland missed an eagle putt and birdied it and they kind of hit each other and started laughing and I was like, these guys know each other pretty well. Well, how? They're Ryder cup teammates. It's like that's, that's not even their, like star power on the Ryder Cup. That, that's like their middle tier. That's not Rory, that's, that's not Rom. That's not even Fleetwood. Justin Rose is going to go down as like one of the great writer cuppers of all time. So I, I don't think it's going to matter. We need a, we need a major reset. I mean, I would say beside like Scotty, everything's on the table. Do you prefer watching tournaments that are more challenging courses, like Ironimic and Oakmont last year that really test the players, or do you prefer to watch earlier courses where guys go really low, like Valhalla a couple years ago? I view golf a little bit. Like I do football. I wouldn't want everyone to play in 13 to 10 games. Like, I enjoyed Mike Leach's teams. I enjoy teams that are all offense, no defense. And then I like watching the Houston Texans play. So I, I view my golf courses the same way. Like, I enjoy variety. I don't get caught up. Like, I enjoyed Valhalla. Why it was Xander Bryson, Victor Hovland. Like, I like watching the players excel in wherever they're playing. People like, oh, too many birdies. Like, that's one week a year. This isn't, you know, it's one thing in pro in like the NBA or the NFL where you, you sign a guy to a four year contract, you're kind of stuck with them, you know, unless you cut them or able to trade them like it's four days a year, then unless it's the Masters, they ain't coming back there. So I like variety. Like, I didn't hate Valhalla, just like I will enjoy this weekend just like next year. I think it's at Pebble Beach. Well, if Pebble Beach's weather's not bad, these guys are going to dominate that course unless they grow the rough out like a foot long. So I don't get as caught up in that. Maybe because I'm so close to football and this is more entertainment to me. It's the one thing that I can just watch unless I have a guy like, you know, a play, a guy to win a tournament or the top five or top 10, that I'm really invested where I can just sit on the couch and enjoy the golf. Like Canadian Open. Are there many holes on that course that I'm going to remember? No. Did I enjoy watching that tournament?
Jeff T
I did.
John Middlekauff
Nothing else was on.
Colin Coward
I.
John Middlekauff
So I. It doesn't. I don't know. I. I'm not as bothered by that. I just like variety. I have a hot take. Watching Bryson meltdown and play awful in the majors is actually better content than him winning. I don't hate the guy, but watching him struggle combined with his personality makes for amazing television. I can't take my eyes off him. I would agree. I said this. Watching a guy triumph like Rory at the Masters is incredible. Tiger in 19. Tiger when he was young. Phil finally winning the Masters. Scotty winning a major like a great player just accomplishing is Jalen Brunson win the NBA championship. Steph forever. Like, it's. It's Tom Brady is awesome. There's something pretty special about watching again if it's not your team, watching the Falcons blow a 28. 3 lead. There is something special in golf to watch someone implode because unlike football or basketball, like, none of us can play at that level. We can all play golf. And what do most of us do? Most of us ain't playing that well. I played for the first time, like three weeks the other day, shot 82, 44, 38 front nine. Just hitting balls all over the place. Had no clue what to do. It's pretty relatable to watch guys struggle. Chunk of chip three putt, hit one into another fairway. So in Bryson, he's very demonstrative. He gonna let you know about it. He starts bitching with his caddy. Why is it not hooking? We aimed it there. So when you add his personality of. Bryson's a great front runner. He's an incredible front runner. Like when we talk about Xander, why he's so good here, he's not a front runner. Fleetwood, these guys are just grinders. They don't get as emotional. Like, Bryson's very emotional. So when things are going well, it's fucking awesome. When things are going bad, you could argue it's must watch television. My wife loves Bravo tv. Well, I thought I would never watch it. The one reason you can kind of get into it, it's like emotional head cases. When you're watching an emotional head case go through stuff, it's kind of hard to look away. So I'm with you. What are your thoughts on Phil as a person? I grew up loving him because he always had a smile and would tip his cap and he always would sign autographs at the tourneys. Yet I read about him online and I see is not well liked by his fellow tour players. Is that overblown or true? Do you know anyone that has met Phil personally? Well, this DM was actually before the story broke last week. Phil has retained a defamation lawyer to sue. I was looking like I had a. I had a post that actually blew up. I was like, I wonder if he's gonna sue me. It's like, Phil, the farms acknowledged they didn't put your name in it, but they acknowledge they kick someone out for that. I don't think it's Joe Schmo, the businessman in San Diego. They wouldn't have released a statement for that. I think the thing with Phil, I was actually in a tournament probably a month ago, and I was playing against, in this member guest tournament, one of his college teammates. And this is before the story broke, but he hadn't played in forever because of the family issue. And I asked the guy. I wasn't gonna ask him anything personally. We was having a good time. I said, how's Phil doing? I mean, this guy has known Phil for 35 years. And his response was like, whoa. Because I remember last year we talked a lot about. I've played with him multiple times. He said, not good. And I just let that live. And we just changed the subject. And the way he said it now makes a little more sense when this story breaks. And I. I just think Phil, you know, you see the. The visuals of Tiger coming back from rehab, and you can tell his face looks way better. Tiger obviously had the. The issues with the 7 million mistresses banging chicks in parking lots. Like it was.
Colin Coward
It was.
John Middlekauff
It was like a movie. But the thing that he's clearly battled and he's been single for a long time, so he can do whatever he wants is this opioid addiction. Like, he's just sucking down pills. And it's clear, like, looking back once he has the car crash, you can just see it on his face. The stuff that allegedly, we don't want to get sued by Phil's defamation lawyer. It's. I don't know how Phil ever plays professional golf again. Like, if Liv disappears, the PGA Tour is never letting Phil back. The senior Tour guys where Phil would have been a star are not going to want to fuck with him. He, if he wanted to, could have been. I mean, made millions of dollars sitting right next to Jim Nance calling golf. He could have been a star broadcaster. That's done. CBS is a very conservative kind of stiff operation. They are not hiring Phil Mickelson now. I don't know. I mean, I. I've I've never met him personally. I've heard kind of mixed reviews. Again, people's one person. How am I going to put this? My wife. My wife works with someone in the real estate world and his brother is a pro. Was a very prominent PGA Tour golfer for a long time. And I've always got this vibe whenever I've been around someone like that. When you just bring up Tiger and Phil, and they were in that era, they all like Tiger Woods. And I don't know if it's a respect thing, because not like Tiger was friends with, with most of them, but they never really have bad things to say about Tiger. The reaction you get when you ask about Phil, and I'm not talking about his ASU teammates, have known him forever. I'm talking about people that just were on the tour or around that kind of world. And I'm just now living in Scottsdale. Just kind of one degree of separation from a lot of these people. It doesn't seem that positive. So I have no personal interaction with them. I always enjoyed them. I'm with you. I was a fan, but this is a fucking disaster. Embarrassing isn't strong enough if the stuff is true. Allegedly. You just don't recover from that. The other thing is these country clubs, because I text a couple people, I
Tab Ramos
said,
John Middlekauff
how long do you think Phil's
Daniel Cormier
been a member there?
John Middlekauff
They're like 30 plus years. Phil's been going there since he was like in his 20s or whenever the course first was created. I don't know when the farms was created, but Phil has been a member there, like since the Internet was invented for them to boot him again. Allegedly. If it's true, they confirmed it, just didn't put his name on it. I think it's pretty clear to put the piece of the puzzle together. That's insane. I. I asked someone the other day, I'm like, have you ever heard of anyone getting kicked out of a club? He's like, yeah. There was a story recently at this club I used to belong to, two guys got into a fist fight. And one consistent, I would say, theme at most country clubs is the number one rule is when you treat the staff. And this is just being a dick, not doing what feels allegedly doing. It's like, that's a no.
Boost Mobile Advertiser
No.
John Middlekauff
I mean a complete no. No. A disqualifier. This goes to Augusta, Monterey Peninsula Country Club. You just go around Oakmont, you know, Shinnecock, these nice country clubs, you treat the staff shitty. That's. You're gone. Especially in 2000 like modern day.
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Jeff T
This is Jeff t from the Club 520 podcast. Oh my goodness. Now this is a performance you do not want to miss. The Dell xps. Powered by Intel Core Ultra. It's got the sauce. We're talking speed, style, stamina, bam. And a long lasting battery life unheard of in this league. So whether you're using it for the next level, creativity, never ending productivity, or the entertainment that has you on the edge of your seat, this laptop is your mvp. Just look at the hustle. Is there anything you can't do? From the first second of the action all the way through to overtime, this thing is a powerhouse. The Dell xps. Built for those with all the right moves. Built for you. 5 technology built to take your game
John Middlekauff
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Tab Ramos
this is tab Ramos from inside American Soccer. And this summer topgolf is turning into the ultimate soccer destination. They're not just throwing games on in the background. Topgolf is going all in on soccer. They've got a new soccer themed game you can play with your group. Special in venue activations, exclusive food and drink items inspired by the global game. And at more than 60 locations. They've even installed full size soccer goals so you can try to hit golf balls right into the net. And every match all summer long will be on throughout the venue. So it's a great place to watch with friends, hang out, compete a little bit and enjoy the atmosphere. And if you want to keep the fun going all summer, you can get the topgolf Summer Fun Pass, which lets you play every single day and bring up to five guests every visit. Get yours now@TopGolf.com FunPass Summer hits different at TopGolf.
Daniel Cormier
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John Middlekauff
What do you think the penalty for LIV players going back to the tour is going to be? Bryson Rahm, etc. Since they didn't accept the olive branch like Brooks, I imagine it will be even more steep. What do you think a fair penalty is for them? Well, let's just think who the tour wants. Bryson Rahm. I would say Hatton, Joaquin Neiman. Like I I think DJ just retires. Patrick Reed's already back. Koepka's back. Trying to think being out there. Who am I missing? Phil's done the old guys, they don't give a about. I don't think Bryson necessarily wants to come back. I I really don't because I don't think he believes that everyone likes him. And the one thing he's got with live he's got to be a star. He's got to tell them what to do. Even now like he gets to kind of give his ideas to pitch to investors. No one gives a shit what he thinks when he comes back to the PGA Tour. Besides like play and be a be a big name star. But like he's not going to tell Brian Rolap what to do at this point, right? Scotty and Rory were on the tour, and if Tiger gets a together Tiger. So I don't think Bryson's a lock to come back. I really don't. Rom. I think he misses it. I do think, as a human being, because put yourself in their shoes. You take the money, you leave, you kind of start drinking the Kool Aid and kind of talk shit, right? We're going to be something. This is going to work. I mean, Bryson never shuts up about team golf. Like, this is the future. It's like, no, it's not, guys. And then it fails. And the only reason it existed is because the oil fund with trillions of dollars gave them almost $6 billion over the course of five or six years. This would never have existed without Piff. No American business investors. It couldn't have happened because the only way those guys would leave. It took hundreds of millions of dollars to buy all the top players. It's not like, well, I believe in it. Give me some equity and give me 10 million bucks and I'm in. That's not the way it worked. So I think it's going to be difficult now. Koepka wanted out. You know, I think you kind of got to want out, even if you're worth a ton of money. Koepka gave $5 million, like, through the PJ tour to a charity, essentially a $5 million fine. Like, is Bryson Rom doing that? And I think Koepka looked at it. Well, I already made $150 million. What's, you know, a couple percent of that just to get away from here. I don't know if they're doing that to me. I would have no problem giving those guys the same kind of all branch. But I am not convinced that they are just gonna. Here's five million bucks. And to do all the shit he did, which you don't get into the big events right away. I don't know. I've also thought, like, Jackson Koivan, this star amateur just announced he's going pro. He's playing this weekend in the U.S. open. That, you know, like when the jets, they draft David Bailey or the Cowboys Caleb Downs or the Commanders, Sonny Stiles. Those guys start week one, like, Sunday week one. That guy's your starting middle linebacker, pass rusher, safety, whatever. They're starters. Now. The PGA Tour is going to go from. They're going to have tier one events and tier two events. If you are a superstar amateur, shouldn't you just start in the big leagues immediately? Like, you have to work your Way up. I think that's kind of a big question moving forward as well. And roll up from the football background, I wonder if he's going to want an easier path, like Ludwig, Boom, you're in. If you were the commission, give me your perfect PGA schedule. What courses and when. Well, they did announce recently. I do think starting at Torrey Pines and the Waste Management is a good way to start. And I personally would move Waste Management away from the Super Bowl. I think the Thunderbirds that run Waste Management are adamant they wanted that weekend. So if they're not going to budge, you just leave it and you just do those two weekends. I think it's really key in June and July around the majors to find a way to get prime time golf. There's nothing going on. This is a little bit of an outlier year because the World Cup. But I was thinking last night, like the NBA, the NHL playoffs are done. Now you have this Runway in June and through July of like, could you play on the west coast and just get golf Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the east coasters, that's on TV at like 8, 9 o' clock at night. So I think you got to figure out a way to intertwine some of that. Now, part of it is weather, right? You can't like, you can't just go to Florida in July or August. It's too hot. You can't go to Texas. So part of the hard part about golf is the weather, like, plays a huge factor, which is like pebble beach sometime in the summer, Torrey Pines sometime in the summer, Riviera sometime in the summer. Maybe go to Chambers Bay sometime in the summer. Do a West coast swing where you get prime time golf when you're not competing against anything. All the White Sox are playing the Tigers again. No shit. Play each other like 20 times a year. So you're going up against baseball. That to me is something I would emphasize is how to get prime time golf, really, in May, June and July. You could even if you want to kick May and look more August. That's what I'd be thinking when with that. Great questions at Golopod. Fire in those dms and we will talk. We'll talk soon. See ya. The volume.
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Colin Coward
Hi, it's Colin Coward from the Colin Coward Podcast. All right, you know what deserves more attention? The assists. Everybody talks about the goal. A big moment that gets replayed on the highlight reels. But too often we overlook all the contributions and collabs that happen along the way. That's true in soccer and honestly, true in life. Halion is shining a light on the assists, an official partner of U.S. soccer. They got a whole lineup of brands ready to deliver for you, so here they are. Sensodyne Dentist Recommended Defense of your sensitive teeth Centrum Fueling your day with science backed nutrients. Advil of course. Powerful inflammation fighting pain relief Voltaren Arthritis Gel helps penetrate deep, keeps the joints moving and Tums ready to counterattack with fast heartburn relief. These are brands that are ready to deliver your essential wellness assists because every goal starts with an assist. Learn how Halion can assist your game day goals@helionassist.com calm running a business shouldn't
John Middlekauff
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Tab Ramos
from inside American Soccer and this summer topgolf is turning into the ultimate soccer destination. They've got a new soccer themed game you can play with your group, exclusive food and drink items. They've even installed full size soccer goals so you can try to hit golf balls right into the net. And every match all summer long will be on throughout the venue. And if you want to keep the fun going all summer, you can get the topgolf Summer Fun Pass which lets you play every single day and bring up to five guests every visit. Get yours now@TopGolf.com FunPass this is an iHeart podcast.
Jeff T
Guaranteed human.
The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Go Low – U.S. Open Preview, Scottie vs. Rory Showdown?, Best Bets & Mailbag
Episode Date: June 17, 2026
Episode Overview
John Middlekauff returns from hiatus to preview the upcoming U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, discussing course conditions, key players (especially the Scotty Scheffler vs. Rory McIlroy dynamic), betting picks, and current storylines in golf. The episode features a deep dive into what makes the U.S. Open unique, assesses the mental traits required to win, and answers listener mailbag questions covering the Ryder Cup, LIV Golf, and Phil Mickelson’s recent controversies.
[02:35 – 09:19]
[05:45 – 09:19]
[09:38 – 13:47]
[13:50 – 17:46]
[23:21 – 25:45]
[25:45 – 46:15]
| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |---------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 02:35 | Episode proper begins, U.S. Open at Shinnecock preview | | 05:45 | Historical context and mental challenge of U.S. Open | | 09:38 | Scotty vs. Rory head-to-head hopes | | 13:50 | Analysis of Rahm, Xander, LIV issues | | 23:21 | Best bets and betting philosophy | | 25:45 | Mailbag: Bryson, caddies, Ryder Cup | | 34:50 | “Watching a player meltdown is better TV…” | | 38:50 | Deep dive into Phil Mickelson’s off-course troubles | | 46:15 | Penalties & transition for LIV players | | 49:12 | Ideas for PGA Tour scheduling |
Middlekauff’s style is energetic, irreverent, and candid. He uses strong language for emphasis, especially when discussing rivalries or controversies. Listeners will find brutally honest takes and gambling angles, with plenty of relatable asides about the quirks of professional golf culture.
For Listeners Who Missed the Episode:
This episode offers an expert’s passionate breakdown of what makes the U.S. Open special, likely outcomes for its top stars, guidance for betting enthusiasts, and a critical eye on golf’s evolving landscape—on and off the course. Filled with sharp, entertaining commentary, it’s a must-listen for fans tuning up for one of golf’s biggest weeks.