Keegan Bradley and the Ryder Cup, Tommy Fleetwood chokes, Brian Rolapp new PGA Tour CEO

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode Title: Go Low - Keegan Bradley and the Ryder Cup, Tommy Fleetwood Chokes, Brian Rolapp New PGA Tour CEO
Release Date: June 25, 2025
Host: John Middlekauff
Produced By: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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1. Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, host John Middlekauff delves deep into recent high-profile events in the world of golf. The primary focus centers around Keegan Bradley's leadership in the Ryder Cup, Tommy Fleetwood's unexpected performance decline, and the appointment of Brian Rolapp as the new PGA Tour CEO. Additionally, the episode touches upon the evolving dynamics of golf media, player psychology, and the impact of modern equipment on the sport.

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2. Keegan Bradley and the Ryder Cup

John Middlekauff initiates the discussion by highlighting Keegan Bradley's recent triumph as the Ryder Cup captain, particularly his decisive victory over Tommy Fleetwood on the 18th hole at his home course. He raises pertinent questions about Bradley's dual role as both captain and player:

• Leadership Role: Middlekauff debates whether Bradley should maintain his position solely as a captain or take on a playing captain role, likening the potential playing captaincy to that of legendary figures like Arnold Palmer.

  • “Should he just name himself as a member of the team that he's also the captain of? Can he be the playing captain?” ([02:32])

• Bradley's Performance: Emphasizing Bradley's consistency, Middlekauff notes his recent top 10 finishes and his resilient performance under pressure.

  • “He's clearly one of our best Americans. He just won a tournament for the second time in three years.” ([08:45])

• Team Dynamics: The discussion touches upon the chemistry within the Ryder Cup team, questioning if Bradley's inclusion enhances the team's overall strength.

  • “I just think he's the choice, right? In terms of the way he's playing. He's got to be on the team.” ([18:50])

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3. Tommy Fleetwood's Performance Decline

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing Tommy Fleetwood's surprising meltdown during the Ryder Cup:

• Critical Moments: Fleetwood's inability to secure the win after leading showcases a rare instance of performance under pressure in professional golf.

  • “...look at Tommy Fleetwood, who again, I'm pro. Tommy Fleetwood. I was rooting for Tommy Fleetwood. I wanted to see him win. He had no clue what to do, felt lost.” ([14:30])

• Comparison with Peers: Middlekauff contrasts Fleetwood's performance with other top players, suggesting a possible mental hurdle affecting Fleetwood's ability to close out tournaments.

  • “He just doesn't blow that tournament if you're him because he was playing well too.” ([19:10])

• Impact on Career: The meltdown raises questions about Fleetwood's future prospects and whether such performances will hinder his ability to secure major wins.

  • “...he could be a guy that wouldn't shock me if, like, I don't know, never wins a PGA Tour event.” ([20:05])

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4. Brian Rolapp as New PGA Tour CEO

The appointment of Brian Rolapp as the new CEO and commissioner of the PGA Tour marks a pivotal change in the organization’s leadership:

• Immediate Actions Proposed: Middlekauff outlines three key initiatives Rolapp should prioritize:

  1. Reversing Suspensions: Rolapp should consider lifting existing player suspensions to foster unity and inclusivity within the tour.
     • “Number one thing he can do immediately tomorrow, tear up all the suspensions.” ([25:30])
  2. Implementing Injury Reports: Introducing transparent injury reports akin to the NFL to maintain trust and clarity among fans and players.
     • “Number two, there needs to be interview reports.” ([27:15])
  3. Enhancing Broadcasts: Overhauling the broadcasting strategy to make golf more engaging and viewer-friendly.
     • “Number three, one thing the NFL is very serious about is their relationship with their broadcast partners.” ([28:50])

• Comparison with NFL: Drawing parallels with the NFL's structure and broadcasting success, Middlekauff emphasizes the need for similar strategic partnerships in golf.

  • “The lifeblood of the sport is the games is Fox. CBS is NBC broadcasting the games.” ([29:55])

• Potential Challenges: Rolapp inherits a complex situation with previous leadership controversies, necessitating decisive and strategic moves to stabilize and grow the PGA Tour.

  • “This is where Rollup comes in. And he might be the right guy.” ([34:20])

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5. Bryson DeChambeau's Performance and Ryder Cup Prospects

Bryson DeChambeau's recent performances and his influence on the golf landscape are also examined:

• Dominance and Influence: DeChambeau's ability to dominate courses and influence modern golf through his analytical approach is highlighted.

  • “Bryson entered that space, and he immediately became a rock star, and he changed the game.” ([37:10])

• Ryder Cup Inclusion: Middlekauff expresses strong support for DeChambeau's inclusion in the Ryder Cup team, citing his performance and popularity.

  • “He's a lock to be on that team. And he's another guy that I think is going to take a lot of pride and be a fucking awesome Ryder Cup player for us.” ([39:45])

• Fan Engagement: DeChambeau's significant presence on platforms like YouTube and his ability to engage fans through tutorials and performance breakdowns are noted as key factors in his rising prominence.

  • “He gave a hole by hole tutorial of what he plans on doing. It's pretty awesome.” ([38:20])

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6. Golf Media and Player Psychology

The podcast delves into how media scrutiny and psychological pressures impact golfers differently compared to athletes in other sports:

• Media Focus: Golf media often centers on consistent narratives, sometimes overshadowing individual player stories and fluctuations in performance.

  • “The media is the one pushing that.” ([23:00])

• Pressure Handling: The contrast between players who thrive under pressure versus those who falter is explored, with Bradley lauded for his composure and Fleetwood critiqued for his underperformance.

  • “Keegan Bradley has been asked to be the captain. It consumes his life... he's been fucking awesome.” ([17:50])

• One-on-One Sport Dynamics: Unlike team sports, golf places the burden of success solely on the individual, making every lapse a personal failure.

  • “In golf, there's no one to blame but yourself, just you and your caddy.” ([21:30])

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7. Tournament Viewership Statistics

Recent data on tournament viewership underscores the growing popularity and engaging nature of golf events:

• Record Ratings: The Ryder Cup drew 3.5 million viewers on Sunday, marking a 35% increase from the previous year.

  • “That Sunday drew 3.5 million people. It was up 35% from last year.” ([22:15])

• Comparative Analysis: The Travelers was noted as the third highest non-major tournament of the year in terms of viewership, trailing only behind major championships won by Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas.

  • “It was the third highest non major of the year behind the players, which obviously Rory won and the heritage, which Justin Thomas won.” ([23:45])

• Media Coverage: Thursday through Friday coverage also saw substantial viewership, averaging almost 600,000 viewers and peaking at 5.5 million.

  • “Golf channels Thursday through Friday coverage average almost 600,000 viewers, up 40%.” ([24:10])

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8. Mailbag Highlights

Listeners submitted questions regarding various aspects of current golf dynamics, including player performance, career prospects, and the PGA Tour's leadership changes:

• Fleetwood’s Future: Concerns about Tommy Fleetwood's ability to overcome his recent performance slump and secure major wins.

  • “Do you think he ever breaks through? Would love to hear your answer on the pod.” ([44:02])

• Justin Thomas's Major Performance: Skepticism about Justin Thomas's ability to compete effectively in major tournaments based on his recent track record.

  • “He has missed seven cuts in his last eleven majors. It's pretty nuts.” ([60:15])

• Brian Rolapp’s Strategy: Recommendations for Rolapp to address suspensions, injury reporting, and broadcasting improvements.

  • “I would text Tiger and be like, can we just give Jay his golden parachute now and get him out of here?” ([58:20])

• Future Stars: Speculation on emerging talents like Charlie Woods and their potential to become golf greats amidst immense pressure.

  • “The pressure on him will be unlike anything we've ever seen.” ([63:40])

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9. Equipment and Modern Golf Comparisons

A critical analysis is provided on how advancements in equipment have transformed the sport, affecting player performance and audience engagement:

• Consistency vs. Variance: Modern equipment allows for greater consistency, which in turn reduces the dramatic variances in player performances seen in past decades.

  • “You don't see as many meltdowns as you used to. Maybe it's the equipment, maybe the courses are too easy for these guys.” ([32:00])

• Impact on Play Style: The evolution from high-variance playstyles of legends like Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer to the more controlled, power-driven approaches of today's players like Scottie Scheffler.

  • “Equipment is a big reason it's harder for these guys. Everything is so optimized.” ([62:00])

• Nostalgia vs. Reality: Middlekauff reflects on the nostalgia for the unpredictable and flamboyant playstyles of past golfers, contrasting it with the current state of the game.

  • “You walk down some of these hallways ... You realize this network has broadcast some of the most important sports moments of mine in Your lives.” ([09:30])

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10. Other Players and Major Performances

The episode also touches upon the performances and prospects of other notable golfers:

• Scottie Scheffler: Praised for his driving accuracy and potential to secure major wins.

  • “He’s swinging hard and hitting the ball really far. He's hitting the ball really straight.” ([49:00])

• Tony Finau and Rickie Fowler: Discussed in terms of their potential to win majors, with Finau seen as a credible contender and Fowler deemed unlikely.

  • “And do you think some players who won majors the last couple [of] years will ever win one again? ... Tony Finau, I would say, has a chance.” ([61:45])

• Charlie Woods: Speculated to face immense pressure as the progeny of Tiger Woods, with an uncertain yet promising future.

  • “He has to be an excellent high school golfer and play college. The pressure on him will be unlike anything we've ever seen.” ([64:30])

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11. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

John Middlekauff wraps up the episode by emphasizing the intricate balance between player performance, leadership changes, and media dynamics in shaping the future of golf. He underscores the importance of strategic leadership under Brian Rolapp and the need for the PGA Tour to adapt to modern challenges to enhance both player experiences and viewer engagement.

• Key Takeaway: The integration of competent leadership, transparent operations, and engaging media coverage is pivotal for the PGA Tour's growth and the sport's sustained popularity.
  • “They have to make a better job and a more assertive effort to figure this out.” ([34:50])

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Notable Quotes

• “Sometimes you just got to cut through the noise and just call a spade a spade.” – John Middlekauff ([17:00])

• “In golf, there's no one to blame but yourself, just you and your caddy.” – John Middlekauff ([21:30])

• “What makes golf a lot different than these other sports is like, you know, finishing third is really impressive.” – John Middlekauff ([26:00])

• “This event being in America, especially in the Northeast, an area where he's comfortable with, it's been well documented he went to St. John's the Ryder Cups in New York.” – John Middlekauff ([18:05])

• “He can just kind of cut through, find an angle, something he's fired up on and just attack it.” – John Middlekauff ([16:45])

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Conclusion

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers an in-depth analysis of pivotal moments and figures in contemporary golf. Through insightful discussions and critical evaluations, John Middlekauff provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the current state and future trajectory of the sport, making it a must-listen for golf enthusiasts and sports aficionados alike.

Transcript

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Episode of Next Question with Me, Katie Couric. I sat down with Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas. She's holding down the fort for her party in one of the most conservative states in the union.

[Jemele Hill]

I think that ultimately who will become the Democratic nominee for president will be someone that has been out there and has shown that they won't allow themselves to be punched and just say thank you like they will punch back.

[Katie Couric]

Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater PODC network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.

[John Middlekauff]

Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[John Middlekauff]

The Volume.

[Jemele Hill]

Foreign.

[John Middlekauff]

What is happening everybody? John Middlekop, Little Golo podcast today. Recording from my hotel room in the corner, as you can see, and very, very excited because we got a big show today. I we did a football podcast yesterday and I did want to do a golf podcast this week because there's a lot going on, huge television ratings last week, obviously a big moment with Keegan Bradley, the Ryder cup captain, defeating Tommy fleetwood on the 18th hole of essentially his home course, his home area. The local kid gets it done for the second time in three years. So we will talk about Keegan Bradley cutting through the noise. And should he just name himself as a member of the team that he's also the captain of? Can he be the playing captain? Obviously, he can be the playing captain. The first one says Arnold Palmer. But shouldn't he just be, at this point, Tommy Fleetwood on the opposite end of, you know, with the thrill of victory comes the agony of defeat. And Tommy Fleetwood is a little bit of a throwback. You know, I mean, it's. You don't see as many meltdowns as you used to. I feel like maybe it's the equipment, maybe it's these courses are too easy for these guys. But it's rare to witness what we just did. I mean, a top player who just looked like he was going to cruise to a victory, and then all of a sudden you're walking off 18 and it looks like the guy's in tears. Brian Rolapp, the new PGA Tour CEO commissioner. You know, technically the CEO, also commissioner. He's the boss. I have three things that I think he should immediately implement moving forward just to kind of help to get this ball rolling and things that can, I think, make the transition a little bit easier. We have Live Dallas this week, also known as a Bryson D. Shambo home game. So we'll see if Bryson, who is the betting favorite going into the weekend, can get his first win actually on American soil from since joining live. Obviously he has one more major this year to see if he can win another major and knockoff. I guess he's. He's 1 2, but they both been a U.S. open. So can he, can he win the Open, which, you know, tournament that would give Bryson a little trouble given that there are a lot of variables there and he can't scientific his way, you know, through pars and birdies. But before we dive in to some golf talk, I do need to tell you about my friends, my partners, and the official ticketing app of this podcast. You know, I've spent the last couple days in the Fox studios, and it's obviously pretty cool, but you walk down some of these hallways and you look to your right and you'll see like Edelman jumping in Brady's arms after they came back from 28 to 3. And then you'll look in another and you'll see Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and then you'll look and you'll see Derek Jeter, and you just realize this network has broadcast some of the most important sports moments of mine in Your lives. And it's really kind of cool to be there. And then you realize, like, a lot of people were at these games. There were a lot of people that witnessed this super bowl or this NFC championship or this playoff game or this historic regular season game, Caitlin Clark tournament game. You can go to these games. So if you want to go to a game this summer, any sport, obviously this fall football season is not very far away. Me and Colin were talking about Arch Manning today, and someone's like, you know, you're in Fox. Do you know what the opening game is? I'm like, what is it again? They're like, Texas, Ohio State, 9:00am Pacific Standard Time, kickoff, opening weekend. I'm like, texas, Ohio State. That's how Arch Manning starts the season. If I was a UT fan or I was an Ohio State fan, I'd have to be at that game because that thing, I mean, what a way to kick off the season. So any event you want to go to, concert, comedy show as well, they got you covered. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use a code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase Terms of play. Again, create an account and redeem the code JOHN for $20 off. Download the Game Time app. Last minute tickets, lowest prices guaranteed. You know, I think sometimes we just spend too much time talking about stuff that like, ultimately doesn't matter. And sometimes you just got to cut through the noise and just call a spade a spade. And one thing, being around Colin in the show this week, like, he's really good at that. He can just kind of cut through, find an angle, something he's fired up on and just attack it. And I think sometimes the golf media is different than a lot of other different medias. And I'm pretty close, you know, in the football circle. And there's not that much fluff to football, right? Like, if something bad happens, people attack it. Fans, media, the shows. Like if you, if you have a bad timeout call, if you make a bad play call, if a player does something stupid, if anything happens there, there is every different angle attacked. And I think sometimes with golf, it almost feels like the media all reiterates the same thing sometimes. Like the fans don't care about the ball rollback, the players don't want it. Who wants it? The media is the one pushing that. And I think sometimes with Keegan Bradley, it's like, well, he can't play and be the captain. Why not? He's clearly one of our best players. It's not even debatable at this point in time. And it's not one of those situations where our team is so deep with star power. It's like, well, it's an easy one for Keegan. Just be the captain and become a legendary captain. Maybe do it for the next four Ryder Cups. It's like he's still in the prime of his career. He is clearly one of the best Americans. He just won a tournament for the second time in three years. He's played really well over the course of the last month, finished top 10 at the Memorial and at the PGA Championship, and obviously had an incredible comeback on Sunday against Tommy Fleetwood. And here's the other thing. In some events, right? Like a playoff game, whether it's basketball, whether it's baseball, whether it's hockey, any situation, you know, in an industry you're in, if you have a big meeting, we've all been there, especially younger people or someone who doesn't have that much experience, you can feel overwhelmed. You're like, I wasn't quite ready for the moment. I hadn't prepared for this moment. Hell, I didn't even want to be in this moment. Keegan Bradley has campaigned for over a decade that he never unpacked his bags from the last Ryder cup he was a part of because it hurt him so bad. One, to lose and two, he would do anything in his power to get back. Like, he has openly talked about his passion for the Ryder cup, for America, for the team, how it means everything. Honestly, when you say the Ryder cup, even before Keegan Bradley became the team captain, when you just think American Ryder cup, like Keegan Bradley's passion for it is right up there, obviously, like Spieth and Justin Thomas, that combo, you think Tiger and Phil, but they've been very hit or miss players. Obviously there are some historic players like a Sevy Ballesteros or, you know, some of the Europeans that have had huge moments. But when I think Keegan Bradley, I think about a guy that two years ago was kind of screwed, who got, I don't want to say overlooked, but got bypassed for Justin Thomas, who at the time this year, it's a no brainer to take him. But at the time it was a little controversial and they showed it on Netflix. He was clearly pretty devastated. And now you're looking back two years later, he's asked to be the captain. And he even talked about it last week or I guess after he won. That all he thinks about now, since he's been named the captain, when he's not playing golf is how to be the Ryder cup captain and what to do as a Ryder cup captain. It consumes his life and the only time that he can relax a little bit and just play golf is when he's inside the ropes. And you see him when he's inside the ropes now, he's been fucking awesome. So like this notion that the captain of one of these teams is like the difference between hiring Freddie Kitchens or Bill Belichick or you know, Steve Kerr and Mark Jackson, that's just not the case. Right. I mean most of these pairings are player driven. The Ryder cup, especially when it comes to the Americans is much closer to like the NBA. The players pick and choose everything. If Scottie Scheffler doesn't want to play with you, guess what, he ain't playing with you. If Justin Thomas wants to play with somebody, he, he's going to play with that guy. That's the way it works. So obviously there are things that behind the scenes that matter and there is a chemistry element. But when I hear people like, what about the leadership? The leadership, you're either going to make a 10 foot putt or you're not. You really are. And this event being in America, especially in the Northeast, an area where he's comfortable with, it's been well documented he went to St. John's the Ryder Cups in New York. I think at this point in time, Keegan Bradley should just officially name himself on the team and then just figure it out from there. Because if we're serious about winning this, which, whether he's on the team or off the team, it is going to be very difficult. I think they are better than us. The only advantage we have is typically the home team wins. But when it comes to like Keegan Bradley shouldn't do this. Put the team first. For whom? Andrew Novak, Ben Griffin? Again, I like these players, they've had awesome seasons. But for a guy who's played in this event before, who's won a major, who's won big time events lately and let's face it, who's kind of wired for it. And this is a huge point, sticking point. Why they took Justin Thomas a couple years ago, obviously he has a really good record in the Ryder cup. But you go, you know what JT is, he's kind of a war daddy. You want him in the trenches with you. You say the same thing for Spieth. And I do feel that way with Keegan Bradley and some of these other names and maybe they would turn out to be that way, like, if you put them on the team, they would like. I think Max Homa has proven to be like, okay, he can handle the moment. And he gets into it and it feels like it's a big. Tom Kim, like, doesn't always play that well on the PGA Tour, but in some of these team event, you're like, fuck. Tom Kim's kind of a, you know, little shit store. Kind of like him around. And Team Europe historically has been full of those type guys. And I think we lack some of that. And that's what JT brings. Like, ultimately, Scotty Scheffler is not bringing that to the table. Colin Morocco is not bringing that to the table. JT is speed will a little bit. Keegan Bradley definitely will. And I remember a couple years ago, it's different. You know, we have a bigger advantage in the President's cup when the famous meme that they've kind of, you know, messed with the production when Tiger woods is playing Abe Answer and he walks in the putt from like 50ft, even though he didn't start walking it until it literally fell in. But last time I checked, wasn't he a playing captain and it worked out okay. And I think Tiger like Keegan, similar, very serious guys like, these aren't screw around guys. This guy's Keegan. Bradley's not having like three extra beers. Like, he'll do whatever it take to get it dialed in. I just think he's the. He's the choice, right? In terms of the way he's playing. He's got to be on the team. And I got no problem if he's also going to be the captain. Like, I don't think he needs to recuse himself. Like, okay, I got to be a vice captain now. Give it to someone else. You've come this far. You be the captain, you be the playing captain. And let's roll. And congrats to him. Who I saw there were some incredible stats this weekend about the ratings of this tournament. That Sunday drew 3.5 million people. It was up 35% from last year when Scottie Shelfer won it. It was the third highest non major of the year behind the players, which obviously Rory won and the heritage, which Justin Thomas won. Even golf channels Thursday through Friday coverage average almost 600,000 viewers, up 40%. So it peaked at like 5.5 million people watching. It's a good tournament to watch. I don't know if it's the fireworks. I don't know if the. It just looks really like the green Looks so plush. Like the course is always just in great shape. It really pops on television, you know, not shocking to see the players of all the non majors. The players really pops pebble if the weather's good, always pops. RBC heritage because of the water, kind of always pops. I think the Travelers is just an elite PGA tournament. You know, it's had some great winners lately. Keegan's won in dramatic fashion. Scotty Scheffler last year won in dramatic fashion. It's just a really, really fun tournament, but with a winner comes a loser. And you know, I think Tony Finau said this a couple years ago when he was really struggling to win tournaments and he was clearly one of the better players, definitely one of the better American players. I think he summed it up like, you know, a winner is just a loser that never gave up. And I think what makes golf a lot different than these other sports is like, you know, finishing third is really impressive. You're finishing in a tournament of 150 people, you're beating 147, right? Hell, you can finish second. And if you lose an extra holes, no one beat you through the course of the 72 holes. Where in basketball like everyone was better than the Utah Jazz, right? The Colorado Rockies suck. But if you finish like 20th in back to back tournaments, like you're playing pretty good golf. So a winning percentage on the PGA Tour, if you have like a 3% winning percentage, you're a Hall of Famer, right? If you win a couple percent of the tournaments you enter over the course of your career, incredible accomplishment, right? So I think Jordan Spee spinning 300 tournaments in his career, I'm pretty sure he's won like 15 or 16 tournaments. So think about his winning percentage, right? You're talking about a couple percent, 3, 4%. And my math could be a little off there. I guess if you win, if you've won 15 tournaments, it'd be like 5%. And that probably is only going to continue to go down if he keeps playing and he doesn't win tournaments. But objectively, Tommy Fleetwood's a really, really good player. I mean, there is no disputing. He is an incredible ball striker, a very consistent player. I looked at his winning percentage. Now he's played less tournaments than guys like Spieth and Justin Thomas. But when you just factor in cuts made, he's played in 159 PGA tournaments. He's made 135 cuts. So he's made 85% of his cuts. To put that in perspective, Again, these guys have played more PGA tournaments. Obviously Tommy plays a lot in Europe. Speech. Cut percentage is 81%. Thomas's cut percentage is 82%. So just to put into perspective, like you're in the mid-80s, you are, you're a big time player. He has 28 top five finishes. He has 42 top 10 finishes. He's finished runner up six times. He's been an awesome player in majors. Like his resume speaks for itself. He's made well over like close to $35 million. He is objectively a high end player, One of the best players in the world, one of the best European players. A guy that is going to be a lock, a lock for the Ryder cup for years to come. Like, that is not going to change yet. He can't win. And you know, a guy like him, I think it's easy to go. He's going to win, it's inevitable. And then you watch Sunday and you kind of struck with, are you sure? Are we sure? Because I'm watching that he's up three on the 14th hole. And I know Keegan after he says, listen, obviously you're not in a great position there. But I go, hey, these last four holes, anything can happen. You can have birdies, eagles, doubles. And that's what happened kinda. I mean, Tommy Fleetwood was in the middle of the fairway with one shot lead on 18 with should have been a nine iron in his hand and he hit a pitching wedge and didn't win. And you just watch these moments and this is what makes golf. I feel like it used to happen more. Maybe it's just old age, maybe it's just nostalgia, maybe it's actually not true. But I feel like we used to have a lot of meltdowns. And I do think when I was definitely before this equipment boom, the club, you know, there would be much more, there'd be a greater disperse of shots. Right. When you watch some old highlights of Tiger and Phil in the late 90s, early 2000s, both those guys were all over the fucking map off the tee, I mean, all over the map off the tee consistently. It's why Tiger implemented those little stingers and hit three irons off fairway, you know, into fairways all the time. It wasn't just he's like a conservative player. It was also because he could hit a 320 yard drive into the homes at any moment. Same with Phil. These guys now, I do think it's shocking, and I mean shocking when someone down the stretch of a tournament just hits a ball 50 yards into the trees. It does not happen like it used to. Which is understandable because anyone who's decent listening to this at golf, if you have a newer club, your misses do not disperse as crazy as they did 10, 15, 20 years ago. And I've just, somehow I've gotten down a Sevy Ballesteros rabbit hole on YouTube recently. And the one theme that keeps coming up, and Johnny Miller keeps talking about this, some of the greatest players, the most popular players in the history of the sport sprayed the ball. And it's almost like they become closer with the fans because they're around them all the time. You know who notoriously did not hit the ball straight? Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth. These guys have blown it all over the map. They're all over the place. And that's what made them so great, is they hit these spectacular shots. Well, Tommy Fleetwood like his shots. He's like peppering the fairway. And to me, to watch him implode like he did on 18, like there's no other way to say it than he kind of choked. Because if you were in that situation and you just had two putts to win the tournament and you three putted like that, is whether you're playing Keegan Bradley to win the Travelers or whether you're playing your buddy for $100, that is 100% a choke job. And then I think when you factor in, like, the pressure on him to do it, is this guy a winning talent? There's no disputing that. His consistency speaks for itself. But when you watch that situation, you have to go, I don't know. Like, I do think there might be some sort of mental hurdle. And this only makes it worse, makes you question yourself. Now, you look, earlier this season is a good example. JJ Spawn gets two extra holes with Rory McIlroy and then just kind of implodes. Not all his fault. The ball just flies on him on 17 and losing the playoffs by, I don't know, what was it, four or five shots. And then he used that to his benefit later in the season to help him win the US Open. The difference, though, is JJ has less like of this conversation around him. JJ hasn't been a guy finishing 42 times in the top 10. He doesn't have 28 top fives, doesn't have a career of contending in majors. So once you start getting that conversation around you, it only grows. We see it in the other sports all the time. We've been talking about it all week. Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen. Who can win a Super Bowl? Who can get it done in the playoffs? Who's going to get over the hump? Who's going to be Patrick Mahomes? We see it in basketball. It's like, when can James Harden ever get it done? It turns out he just never got it done. Just never was able to get it done. And the difference in some of these team sports, in these individual sports, like you could always blame. Well, coach called shitty plays. Well, my defense sucked. Well, the second best player on my team tore his ACL in the second round. So we didn't have the depth. In golf, there's no one to blame but yourself, just you and your caddy. And it's on you to win it. And it's what makes it so fascinating to watch. It's essentially a one on one sport. Sometimes there are three or four guys in the mix, but there's just out there on an island, you're like a cornerback, they're throwing deep and it's just you and the wide receiver and you can screw up and you can point, but we all just are watching you and, and in golf, middle of the fairway, hole 18, Tommy Fleetwood. You going to hit a 9er, you're going to hit a pitching wedge, you going to knock it in stiff or you going to leave it way short to the left and give yourself a very hard up and down. Because you know what Keegan Bradley did and he mentioned this, I saw the shot and I hit that exact same shot 100,000 times. He called it like a 10 to 10, which was basically ear to ear. And he stuck it five, six feet. And he was a guy that got over that. And you know what he acted like, I've been here before, I expect to hit this shot. And when you look at Tommy Fleetwood, who again, I'm pro. Tommy Fleetwood. I was rooting for Tommy Fleetwood. I wanted to see him win. He had no clue what to do, felt lost. Hell, we've all been there. Sometimes you get over a shot, you're like, I don't know what to do. You can't be like that on the PGA Tour. Not on hole 72 of a big time event against another big time player and expect to win. So obviously there you could say Tommy can learn from it. But Tommy's been in this position a ton now, truly leading like this with a couple holes to go. Maybe not as much, but it does make you question like sometimes, you know, a guy can go on to make a bunch of money, have all these accolades, have a bunch of success. And honestly, he could be a guy that wouldn't shock me if, like, I don't know, never wins a PGA Tour event. Which is, which is crazy to say, but you know, the odds, it's really, really difficult to do. Now you could say you put yourself in enough situations, it's eventually going to flip your way. And I would have said 100% before Sunday, but after watching Sunday, you go, I don't know, man. I don't know. Pro golfers drive for show in Pufferdale. The easiest shot for you to make some dough betting on this week's tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook. From the opening round to live on Sunday, DraftKings Sportsbook has you covered with live betting and player props. I'll give you something. We got the Rocket Mortgage Classic this this weekend up in Detroit, and Colin Morocco is currently the betting favorite. But how about Cam Young? You get it plus 2,800. That's about $100 to win 2,800. And you can also get him 5 to 1 to top 5 plus 260 to top 10. The other thing that's great about golf, you can bet on guys to top 10 to top 20. Don't even need them to win the tournament. 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Well, with the Gemini credit card, a card that I've been using now for a couple of months, you can dip your toes in the bitcoin world without even trying. You just spend like you normally do. I go to the gas station, I use it. I go to the grocery store, I use it, I take my wife out, I use it and I instantly earn up to 4% back in Bitcoin or one of the over 50 other cryptos straight to your account. You can choose. There's no annual fee and the Gemini credit card is a no brainer. I love it. I use it all the time and right now you can grab a $200 bitcoin intro bonus. So just go to gemini.com gemini john to learn more and start earning today. Terms apply. Again. You go to gemini.com john and start building your Bitcoin stash now. Terms apply. The Gemini Credit card is issued by Web bank and in order to qualify for the intro $200 crypto bonus, your application must be approved by June 30, 2025 and spend 3,000 in your first 90 days. Terms apply. Some exclusions apply to instant rewards in which rewards are deposited when the transaction posts this content is not investment advice and trading Crypto involves risk. For more details on rates, fees and other Gemini credit card terms C Rates and fees, go to gemini.comjohn to learn more and start earning today. To all my small business owners out there, I feel your pain. Business is on your mind 24 7. It never ends. So when you're hiring, you need a partner that works just as hard as you. That hiring partner is LinkedIn jobs. When you clock out, LinkedIn clocks in. They make it easy to post your job for free. Share it with your network and get qualified candidates that you can manage all in one place. Post your job. LinkedIn's new feature can help you write descriptions. Then quickly get your job in front of the right people. Get qualified candidates. 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[Dan Flores]

Hi Zoe Saldana. Welcome to T Mobile. Here's your new iPhone 16 Pro on us. Thanks. And here's my old phone to trade in. You don't need a trade in when you switch to T Mobile. We'll give you a new iPhone 16 Pro plus we'll help you pay off your old Phone up to 800 bucks and you still get to keep it. There's always a trade in. Not right now. @ T. I feel like I have to give you something in return for karma. That's okay. I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, let's see. Hand sanitizer. It's lavender. I'm good. Seriously. Let me check this pocket. Oh, mints. Really, I'm fine. Oh, I have raisins. I'm a mom. Wait, wait one sec. I've got cupcakes in the car.

[John Middlekauff]

It's our best iPhone offer ever. Switch to T Mobile. Get a new iPhone 16 Pro with Apple intelligence on us. No trade in needed. We'll even pay off your phone up to 800 bucks with 24 monthly bill credits.

[Unknown]

New line, $100 plus a month. I experience beyond finance agreement. $999.99 and qualifying boarded for well qualified plus tax and $10 connection charge. Pay off via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days credits end and balance due if you pay off early or cancel.

[Jemele Hill]

See T mobile.com I think Democrats have for a very long time allowed Republicans to play them. So essentially, Republicans came up with a narrative and. And Democrats decided to play into that, and that only hurt the Democrats.

[Katie Couric]

I'm Katie Couric. Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas, is not known for holding back. And our recent chat on Next question is no exception. But when you hear how she got to where she is, her intensity makes perfect sense.

[Jemele Hill]

It's just hard to imagine a world where you don't have enough people that care to do right by people. And so that same passion that carried me through as a public defender, that led me to want to change laws and thinking about the harm that will happen not just to my constituents, but just generally like, I carry that weight.

[Katie Couric]

With me because you've seen it up close.

[Jemele Hill]

Yeah.

[Katie Couric]

Listen to next question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Middlekauff]

Okay. Brian Rolap, the new commissioner for the PGA Tour. CEO boss, New Goodell. I'll call him New Goodell. I think there are three things he can do to just kind of set up a little Runway to get us, to get us off and running here. And I think he's been handed a tough situation. Lots going on, the split in golf, some of the stuff that Jay Monahan screwed up, the suspensions, just. Just a lot of moving parts that he had nothing to do with. So I don't put any of the blame and these decisions are not easy to, to reverse. Right. But this is what he's been tasked with, to figure out how to reverse these decisions and get this operation just, it's going in the right direction, but take it to the next level and not have what happened over the last couple years ever happen again. I think the number one thing he can do immediately tomorrow, tear up all the suspensions. Because every guy that went to live was immediately suspended from the PGA Tour. And these guys have talked about it. Like John Rom goes, you know, sometimes when I'm driving down Frank Lloyd and I look over there and I see TPC and I see the stadium, I miss it. Do you know what I would say? Hey, John, if you're in town next year and you want to play in the waste management, you have a spot, you're no longer suspended. Bryson, you want to play in one of these Texas events. Sometimes that Scotty Scheffler and some of the boys are playing in. If you're, if you're open, if you don't have a live event, you're in. Wesley Bryan, the live golfer, that's where Jay Monahan really lost me. But any of these guys, from Joaquin Neiman to Phil to DJ to, do you guys want to play the Florida swing? Do you guys want to come to the Arnold Palmer? You're in. So I think that's the number one thing he should do, is just disband all the suspensions. And then obviously, as they work to get fully some sort of integration, as we move forward the next couple years, they can figure that out. But on a short term basis, if Brooks Koepko wants to play in the Arnold Palmer, if Jon Rahm wants to play at Torrey Pines, doors are wide open. Number two, there needs to be interview reports. Brian comes from the NFL where an injury report doesn't tell you, you know, unless they say the guy is out, you don't know. The questionable can turn into a probable really quick, but at least you have some idea. Throughout the week, you go, hey, you know what? Josh Allen didn't practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I can't be stunned if he does not play on Sunday in the game. But if a guy plays Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in practice and then doesn't play in the game, you're like, what's going on here? And to me, that's the PGA Tour is they're in really deep with gambling, and rightfully so. It is an incredible product to gamble on. It really is. But this notion of guys withdrawing on a Thursday or Friday it's like, yeah, my wrist been feeling weird since Monday. We got to know. And you can't be in business and try to do this above board without some sort of injury reports. And the players, these guys love pushing back against anything you ask them to do, whether it's media, whether it's injury reports. This needs to become mandated again. It doesn't have to be that in depth. It can just be Colin Morikawa wrist. It doesn't even need to be probable, questionable like he's playing, right. But it just so at least you know, Jordan Spieth tweaked his back this week and then by, I think the was it Friday withdrew from the tournament. Been nice to know that something was up with his back. And I think the PGA Tour has done a really, really poor job of that. And it doesn't feel like Jay Monahan even put any effort into doing that. Last but not least, one thing the NFL is very serious about is their relationship with their broadcast partners. Because the lifeblood of the sport is the games is Fox. CBS is NBC broadcasting the games. And Brian was in charge of that, right? He was in charge of the media rights deal and the power that those broadcasts mean for the business of the NFL and the health of the sport, the cash flow of the sport. Golf is a complicated sport. It's easy to broadcast a football game in the sense that you're never going to go to commercial when they're playing the game. Golf, you have guys hitting shots at all different times. So it's not an apples to apples Comparable, right? Same with basketball and baseball. When the action's on, it's pretty obvious. When there's a break in the action, you could say, well, Scotty's walking right now. What's Rory doing? Well, Rory and Scotty are walking right now. What's Bryson doing? It's not easy. They have to make a better job and a more assertive effort to figure this out. Because it does feel sometimes that beside like a Sunday of a major or Sunday of a big tournament that it kind of becomes like a highlight reel. And anytime it's like, oh, let's go to John on hole 14. Well, if you haven't seen John in two hours, you're like, I bet he's going to make this long ass putt. And then, oh, John from 50ft for Eagle, I just think that they've kind of lost the plot. And it's the one thing I do agree with the vast majority of the golf media about is the TV product has been pretty Shitty and would not have been accepted in the NFL. It would have been a major problem. And I think there's just too much money on the line, too. Like, you guys are spending too much of your CBS and NBC to not try to figure this out and make it a better product. And I actually think that that's where roll up comes in. And he might be the right guy. So, number one, suspension's done. Number two, injury reports. Number three, we got to fix the broadcast. Okay, we got a little. The US Leg of the live golf season is in full swing. And for the next couple days, 27, 28th and 29th, Bryson DeChambeau. I mean, I'm sure you saw him on social media. He was all over town. He is. He was born and raised in the Central Valley in California, but he went to smu. He's lived in Dallas forever. This is his home event. And I think, you know, Bryson more than anyone else has done a lot for golf in the last couple years. He's kind of transcended. I mean, it's really remarkable what he's accomplished in terms of becoming, like, as big of a golf influencer. And if you're listening to this, you know, you know, the power of. Of Bob, of Horvat, of the Brian Bros, of the foreplay guys, like, it's a big deal on YouTube. Golf, you know, is, you could argue, is as big on YouTube as it is anywhere. And Bryson entered that space, and he immediately became a rock star, and he changed the game. I mean, we talked about it a couple weeks ago. When has one of the favorites before a major ever just done, like a hole by hole tutorial of what he plans on doing? It's. It's pretty awesome. And I've said forever. I use some of his videos before the tournaments to scout him. You can't take much away from the break 50 when they're playing the red tees. But when it comes to watching Bryson, he'll just go to a random course, typically in the Texas area, Dallas area where he lives, and just try to break the course record. I haven't watched his most recent one. I think he just broke a course record. I've watched him get kind of close, and you're just like, this guy is so fucking good at golf. I mean, his advantage. That's where sometimes on in a major, you're watching it live because he's playing the other guys. You know, it doesn't quite put into perspective how much he's dominating. But when it's just him out there in Some random course, and he's just splitting these fairways 340 yards, playing by himself, playing 18 holes in like, you know, two hours. It's a remarkable sight to see. And he's the betting favorite this week. I would imagine there's going to be a big, big turnout for him. And I think sometimes it's cool to watch a guy kind of turn around his career because I would say two plus years ago, his approval rating was pretty low. People were kind of down on him. And I would say now, just universally with sports fans, if you just say Bryson DeChambeau, you're like, doing what? We're going to watch him like, he's, he's a needle mover. And, you know, speaking of the Ryder cup, he's a lock to be on that team. And he's another guy that I think is going to take a lot of pride and be a fucking awesome Ryder cup player for us. Like, I'm really excited to watch, you know, Bryce in the Ryder Cup. Hell, he should have made it a couple years ago. But, you know, if you want to attend this event, if you're living in Texas, kids under 12 get in free. Obviously, it's. You can follow every shot on Fox Sports. Excited to watch. So watch Bryson DeChambeau tee it up in his hometown event. You know, we all have a bunch of credit cards, connections to hotels or airlines or a number of things, and I don't think we realize that those points and miles, they lose value when they collect dust. So think about this. A credit card with rewards that actually grows. Introducing the Gemini credit card. And with this credit card, you, you can earn bitcoin or one of over 50 other cryptos instantly with no annual fee. So every time you go to the grocery store, you go to the gas station, you go out for a night on the town, you earn instant rewards deposited straight into your account. Plus sign up now for a $200 bitcoin bonus. To kickstart your rewards, go to gemini.comjohn to learn more and start earning today. Terms apply again. Visit gemini.comjohan now. Terms apply. The Gemini credit card is issued by Web bank. In order to Qualify for the intro $200 crypto bonus, your application must be approved by June 30, 2025 and spend 3,000 your first 90 days. Terms apply. Some exclusions apply to instant rewards in which rewards are deposited when the transaction posts. This content is not investment advice and trading Crypto involves risk. For more details on rates, fees and other Gemini credit card terms, see Rates and fees go to gemini.com john to learn more and start earning today.

[Dan Flores]

Hi, Zoe Saldana. Welcome to T Mobile. Here's your new iPhone 16 Pro on us. Thanks. And here's my old phone to trade in. You don't need to trade in. When you switch to T Mobile, we'll give you a new iPhone 16. Plus we'll help you pay off your old phone. Up to 800 bucks and you still get to keep it. There's always a trade end. Not right now. At T Mobile. I feel like I have to give you something in return for karma. That's okay. I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, let's see. Hand sanitizer. It's lavender. I'm good. Seriously. Let me check this pocket. Oh, mints. Really, I'm fine. Oh, I have raisins. I'm a mom. Wait, wait one sec. I've got cupcakes in the car.

[John Middlekauff]

It's our best iPhone offer ever. Switch to T Mobile. Get. Get a new iPhone 16 Pro with Apple intelligence on us, no trade in needed. We'll even pay off your Phone up to 800 bucks with 24 monthly bill credits.

[Unknown]

New line $100 plus a month on experience beyond finance agreement. $999.99 and qualifying ported for well qualified plus tax and $10 connection charge. Payout via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days credits end in balance.

[John Middlekauff]

Due if you pay off early or.

[Jemele Hill]

Cancel CT mobile.com I think Democrats have for a very long time allowed Republicans to play them. So essentially, Republicans came up with a narrative and Democrats decided to play into that. And that only hurt the Democrats.

[Katie Couric]

I'm Katie Couric. Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas, is not known for holding back, and our recent chat on Next Question is no exception. But when you hear how she got to where she is, her intensity makes perfect sense.

[Jemele Hill]

It's just hard to imagine a world where you don't have enough people that care to do right by people. And so that same passion that carried me through as a public defender, that led me to want to change laws and thinking about the harm that will happen not just to my constituents, but just generally. Like, I carry that weight with me.

[Katie Couric]

Because you've seen it up close.

[Jemele Hill]

Yeah.

[Katie Couric]

Listen to next question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown]

I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.

[Dan Flores]

Across the country, cops call this Taser the Revolution.

[Unknown]

But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

[John Middlekauff]

Cops believed everything that Taser told them.

[Unknown]

From Lava For Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1 Taser Incorporated.

[John Middlekauff]

I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad.

[Unknown]

Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2 and 3 on May 21 and episodes 4, 5 and 6 on June 4 ad free at Lava for Good plus on Apple podcast.

[John Middlekauff]

Okay, let's do a little mailbag. Olopod Olopod Is the Instagram fire in those DMs. Get your questions answered here on the show. Very, very easy to do. We got a bunch here. We'll start with Vince. What up, John was watching the Travelers and with four holes to go and Fleetwood in the lead, I decided to put my last $3 in my DraftKing account. I love that when you just have like $5. I put $1 each on Bradley, Henley and Day, who were in second, third and fourth at the time. I placed a bet that was minus 600 on Fleetwood. I had a gut feeling he would choke again. Do you think he ever breaks through? Would love to hear your answer on the pod. $1 paid out 46 before the travelers. I would have said 100%. I really would. And then you watch that and you go, maybe he's just destined to have an all time like top 5, top 10 career and make a bunch of money and just never win one of these tournaments because that was a tournament. You just don't blow that tournament if you're him because he was playing well too. It'd be one thing if like the guy was falling apart. Like he was playing well. He was in the controlling lead and even on 18 right in the middle of the fairway to be a great iron player and to really question what club you hit. And I know Keegan said he kind of got gusted, but that ball wasn't even close. And then Keegan got up there with zero hesitation. I feel like most guys the last couple years on that whole, I mean at worst hit at the middle of the green, but you can't have a three putt bogey. It just can't happen. So one thing that makes me nervous about Tommy is He's not a great putter. Honestly, he's the type putter that in a big spot feels like I'm like this. Just as a casual golfer, we all play with different people, that you have no faith that they're going to make a putt. And on the PGA Tour, like, did anyone think on 18 that Keegan was going to miss it? Not a soul. Not one. And honestly, when Tommy got over some of those putts down the stretch, you just didn't have that much faith. And again, I'm pro Tommy Fleetwood, but you watch him putt, you go, he's just not gonna make it. Not sure if you watched the Bryan Bros, but if you know about Wesley's suspension, I was wondering what your thoughts are about it. Do you think a fine would have been more reasonable than a suspension? After all, he went there for content creation, not to participate in a live tournament. People's careers shouldn't be in the balance of the rules that are still so vague. This is what I'm talking about with Brian Roll up. I think I saw Wesley tweet out today. And for those that aren't super deep, Wesley's like a fringe, you know, top 100, top 125, top 150 level PGA Tour talent. Him and his brother George have a YouTube channel. They do a lot of stuff with Grand Horvat. They are. I mean, Wesley's a pretty fucking good player. George I think was like an all American in college as well. They're big time players. I mean, Wesley's a legit PGA Tour player and was supposed to play in an event this year, but did the duels creation with Liv and Jay suspended him. And this is where. And I think it rattled Wesley. Like, I think Wesley is not trying to be controversial. Like he's in the business world. Like, we're all in the business world, you know. Is this a little more difficult for me to do a podcast sitting in a hotel room? Of course. But I had to make a business decision. It's like, I'm going to do this with Colin for a couple days, right? Did it impact the podcast or at least the ease in which I do it? Of course. Like, we all have to make tough business decisions or just business decisions in general sometimes. And I don't fault Wesley for making that decision. And to think that then he would get slammed when Jay's in the position. I think the problem that doesn't make any sense with Wesley Bryant suspension is how is Jay in a position Feels like, you know, we see these lame Duck politicians or presidents or whatever. Feels like Jay's been a lame duck for years. How is he in position to, like, render this verdict against a guy? It'd be one thing if it was a bigger name. Like, what are we talking? What are we doing? How can this happen? And then I see the mental gymnastics where they invite Horvat to play in the Barracuda up in Lake Tahoe. It's like, well, he's not actually a member. It's like, whoa, why does any of this fucking stuff matter? So I thought it was just embarrassing that Wesley got. Honestly, that happened to him. I really do. And I think that's a reflection. If I was Roll up, I would. I would text Tiger and be like, can we just give Jay his golden parachute now and get him out of here? We'll give him the jet use for another five years. We'll give him a couple more memberships, and can we just. Can we just get his office cleared out? Like, I. I think Jay and a lot of people have talked about this. You get, you know, peacetime generals, wartime generals. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. I'm not sure about Jay Monahan, because the shit really hit the fan the last couple years, and it felt like he was completely, I don't know, over skis. And listen, this wasn't an easy situation. But you get Roll up, who's had a front row seat for Goodell for decades. Like, the NFL gets crazy situations all the time, and you know what you're tasked with doing? Handling them, figuring them out for what's best for you, the players, the business of the operation. So one thing I think the PGA Tour needs to do a better job of. I haven't had a chance to watch the newest duels, but the way that, you know, the Creator Classic that was at the PGA Championship looked kind of cool. It was cool. I watched it. I watched a little bit of the first duels. This second version, like, the stuff they're doing with Grant, with Wesley, with Fat Perez, with Mason Nutt and Bob and those guys commentating on it is kind of genius. Like, these guys have huge fucking audiences, you know? And there's a reason some of these players go on Pardon My Takes Audience or podcast, you know, 7 million millions of people are listening. I was gonna say seven figures, not seven million people. Seven million people are listening. That's pretty big, but you know what I mean. I don't know if you do the mailbag for golf podcasts, but my question is this. We have all these popular golfers, J.T. spieth and others. People have historically great track record of winning majors in various competitions and being in contentions in the majors. Yet when the majors come around or whatever tournament is being played that week, they are nowhere to be seen in the top 20 leaderboard. It seems to me like there are a lot of randoms like Austin Eckrote, Jake Knapp and Sam Burns leading the pack on day four. I like the variety, but gambling wise, I'm struggling. Well, there are individual courses that suit individuals better. So there are certain guys who are going to play better at certain courses. I also think there's a randomness, like if you're a PGA Tour golfer and you play in 20 events and let's say you have an awesome season, you make 19 of 20 cuts, you had a fantastic season. If you top 10 in those 19 events that you made the cut in, I would say in seven of them. If you top 10 in seven of those 19 events, you've been awesome. And if you did, that means more than likely you top five in a couple of them, potentially even one. That's an elite season. But that means Potentially of those 19 cuts you made, how many would that be? 12 of those other finishes are going to be somewhere between 25 and 50. So you're just not really in the mix. And that's what makes golf like it's not just a winner and a loser. Like you're going to have some tournaments where you have a bad four hole stretch and all of a sudden you finish 38th and you're like, I didn't even play that bad. It's what makes the sport kind of unique. It's why Tiger was so big on cuts and it's why there was so much pushback on the signature events and, you know, the live setup sometimes with, you know, being only three rounds and now the signature events, the no cuts, the smaller fields, it's like the purity of golf to me is 4 rounds, 150 people cut half the field. And with that comes especially in tougher tournaments, like you're going to have some guys that just get fucking rocket shipped out of there and you're also going to have some random guys that play well. Now typically those guys come back to the pack, right? You know, look who was in the final group on Sunday at the Travelers. Tommy Fleetwood, Russell Henley and Keegan Bradley, all top, what, 15, 20 players in the world. So I think for the most part over the course of the season, at the bigger tournaments, the cream usually rises. Can you touch on the Brian Roll up hiring and the Jay Monahan stepping down. As a guy who has a lot of NFL experience with the product being the best of the best, what changes do you expect to see the PGA Tour moving forward to grow viewership? Anything particular you're hoping for with the transition with the typical live PGA deal getting done? I mentioned this. I do think they got to figure out to get some sort of uniformity with the partners. Like, we're all in business together and the Tour has less leverage than the NFL. Like, the networks need the NFL. The networks can't function without the NFL. These networks can function without the PGA Tour, though. Cbs, like, they use them for a lot of inventory. I would say CBS is pretty dependent on the PGA Tour, but their product is. Is the better one of the NBC. But I still think we can work to figure out different ways to just make the broadcast better and find a way to show more golf while still like, I'm pro ads. If you listen to my show, we got ads. We gotta pay the bills. We're not doing this for free. This isn't a charity. This is a business. No different than the PGA Tour, no different than cbs. But I feel like the highlight nature of the broadcast is pretty out of whack. I really do. And I think one thing he could do immediately, and I mentioned this earlier, it's so easy. Rip up suspensions. Rip them up. It might piss some people off originally, but we're eventually going to start playing together. They already kind of do with the majors anyway. Hey, John, you want to play at Torrey Pines? Hey, Brooks, do you want to play at the Arnold Palmer? Hey, Bryson, do you want to play at the Colonial? You live here. Do you guys want to be part of some of our. If not, no biggie. But hey, it's open to you if you're. If you're interested. If you tell me that, like, hey, you know, Bryson and John Rahm are playing at Torrey Pines this weekend. Might make it a little more interesting. I think those are two things he can immediately do to just kind of get the ball rolling. And, you know, I think, Jay, sometimes, let's face it, when you make a decision and you stick your feet in the ground and you. And you don't want to budge, it's hard to pivot because whether you're too stubborn, you don't want to look like you're wrong, whether you don't want it to blow up in your face, you don't want to say, well, why didn't you do this to begin with? And I feel like Jay was like that two years ago. Or if you're a roll app, you're not tied to anything. These weren't your ideas. You didn't force this upon anyone else. So you can do whatever the hell you want to do. Why do you think Justin Thomas is not more of a factor in majors? This guy should have been thriving at a place like Oakmont can you can work the ball both ways with his irons and is lethal with a three wood. I just don't get why he isn't more of a factor to win big events. Your thoughts? He can get squirrely with a driver. He can get really squirrely with the driver and I think putting sometimes a little hit or miss. But I do think when you look at Justin Thomas's major career in a weird way for a great player and for a guy that's won multiple majors, I do think it's a little underwhelming. Like if you just bring up his major record, the Open Championship. Let me find this. He has won. His best finish is 11th and then he has a lot of like T53s. Cuts. Cuts. T31, T53. For a guy that's like an all time shot maker, he should be unreal across the pond, the Masters, he's never really played that great. T39, T22, T17. Actually let me take that back. He's. He's gotten better in 2020 I guess. Do we count that one? He finished 8 in 22 but he's missed a cut the last couple years. He finished 36 this year. He has not had a good major season this year for sure. Honestly his last. He hasn't played well in majors the last three years of 3, 6, 9, 11. In his last 11 majors he's been cut 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 times. Seven missed cuts in his last 11 majors. It's pretty nuts. So it's like he's talked about it but there is a little track record there. I would say this right now with Justin Thomas. I just wouldn't put any money on him in these majors based on his. For whatever reason, I don't know if he's pressing. I don't know. He's had an awesome season. For a guy that's had an awesome season who's a lock rider cup to miss two cuts. I mean the PGA Championship in the US Open and he was not very good at the Masters either. I don't know. I honestly don't know. What tell you there, my fellow bald brother, do you like Fleetwood, Finau and Fowler. Do you think that those guys will ever win a major? Stars of the game, but can't get it done. And do you think some players who won majors the last couple years will ever win one again? Clark, Harmon, spawn Xander. Feels like Xander will, but the other guys are probably just a one major player. Last one for you. Do you think Charlie woods will be one of the greats in, say, 10 years? He seems like a kid who has the best shot out of the superstar kids. I think it's. To even take a guess on Charlie woods is impossible. That one stuff I. The pressure on him. Let's just assume this. He's going to be an excellent high school golfer and play college. And if I had to bet he either stays in the SEC and just plays like Florida, you know, like in his dad's backyard, one of the sweet SEC schools, or plays at Stanford. The pressure on him will be unlike anything we've ever seen. I mean, there's pressure on Tiger, but he wasn't trying to live up to Tiger. There had never been a Tiger to be Tiger woods son is. We've seen it recently with. With Bronny, with, you know, we're going to see it with Arch, and he's not even Peyton or Eli's son. So I. It's all. It feels unfair to Charlie, I would say. I mean, Xander's not been good this year, but he got hurt. I would say Wyndham Clark, no chance. Brian Harmon, extremely unlikely. JJ Spawn. Be pretty crazy, but shitty. Looked pretty good. I would say probably not on those guys you listed. Rickie Fowler is never going to win a major. Tony Finau, I would say, has a chance. If you told me Tommy Fleetwood has one win, like his career ends with one win. I know he's won on the European tour. It wouldn't shock me if his one win was like, oh, the British Open. Or you like, Tommy Fleetwood won the US Open. Like, I could see his one win being a major, being in a position where he just kind of wins it, you know, and he's had some of these. He's had like incredible rounds on a Sunday when he's kind of out of it. I've been on him a couple times to top 10 and top 20. It's like, this is never going to happen. All of a sudden, Tommy Fleetwood shoots four under on Sunday. So if he can do that, where he's like two behind in the US Open, he shoots five under. All of a sudden he wins and he kind of gets to fly under the radar a little bit. I think he's less likely to win it if he's in the last group. I think he's more likely to win. And if he's like two back and he's in like the third or fourth group. So I got Tommy Fleetwood's in the in the house. He posted a number. Then the other guy fucks up, is like, Tommy Fleetwood's the 2027 U.S. open champion. You know, we all have a bunch of credit cards, connections to hotels or airlines or a number of things. And I don't think we realize that those points and miles, they lose value when they collect dust. So think about this. A credit card with rewards that actually grows. Introducing the Gemini credit card. And with this credit card, you can earn bitcoin or one of over 50 other cryptos instantly with no annual fee. So every time you go to the grocery store and you go to the gas station, you go out for a night on the town, you earn instant rewards deposited straight into your account. Plus, sign up now for a $200 Bitcoin bonus. To kickstart your rewards, go to gemini.comjohn to learn more and start earning today. Terms apply again. Visit gemini.comjohan now terms apply. The Gemini credit card is issued by web bank. In order to qualify for the intro $200 crypto bonus, your application must be approved by June 30, 2025 and spend $3,000 your first 90 days. Terms apply. Some exclusions apply to instant rewards in which rewards are deposited when the transaction posts. This content is not investment advice and trading. Crypto involves risk. For more details on rates, fees and other Gemini credit card terms, see rates and fees go to gemini.com john to learn more and start earning today.

[Dan Flores]

Hi Zoe Saldana. Welcome to T Mobile. Here's your new iPhone 16 Pro on us. Thanks. And here's my old phone to trade in. You don't need to trade in. When you switch to T Mobile, we'll give you a new iPhone 16 Pro. Plus we'll help you pay off your old phone. Up to 800 bucks and you still get to keep it. There's always a trade in. Not right now. @ T Mobile. I feel like I have to give you something in return for karma. That's okay. I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, let's see. Hand sanitizer. It's lavender. I'm good. Seriously. Let me check this pocket. Oh, mints. Really, I'm fine. Oh, I have raisins. I'm a mom. Wait, wait. One sec. I've got cupcakes in the car.

[John Middlekauff]

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[Unknown]

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[John Middlekauff]

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[Unknown]

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[Jemele Hill]

See T mobile.com I think Democrats have for a very long time allowed Republicans to play them. So essentially Republicans came up with a narrative and. And Democrats decided to play into that. And that only hurt the Democrats.

[Katie Couric]

I'm Katie Couric. Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas, is not known for holding back. And our recent chat on Next Question is no exception. But when you hear how she got to where she is, her intensity makes perfect sense.

[Jemele Hill]

It's just hard to imagine a world where you don't have enough people that care to do right by people. And so that same passion that carried me through as a public defender, that led me to want to change laws and thinking about the harm that will happen not just to my constituents, but just generally. Like I carry that weight with me.

[Katie Couric]

Because you've seen it up close.

[Jemele Hill]

Yeah.

[Katie Couric]

Listen to next question. With me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown]

I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.

[Dan Flores]

Across the country, cops called this Taser the revolution.

[Unknown]

But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

[John Middlekauff]

Cops believed everything that Taser told them.

[Unknown]

From Lava for good and the team that brought you Bone Valley, comes a story about what happened when a multi billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute season one, Taser Incorporated.

[John Middlekauff]

I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad.

[Unknown]

Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2 and 3 on May 21 and episodes 4, 5 and 6 on June 4. Ad free at lavafor good plus on Apple podcast.

[John Middlekauff]

Okay, last question. I've been thinking about Tiger and Scotty. I like where your head's at seems to me like Tiger was less surgical than Scotty. Scotty is almost boring to watch. No risk, no crazy highlights. Tiger was always making the most insane shots. After making subpar shots, like the famous chip on 16 in 2005, what was he doing left of the green to begin with? I don't think it can be overstated. Equipment in 2025. And really, equipment for the last decade, the. The equipment Tiger used and Phil used early on in their career and guys you know, from Jack to Arnold to Greg Norman, the variance on those clubs. I started playing golf in the 90s. Golf was so hard. One reason I was never. That I'm. I'm a better player now than I've ever been. But even in high school, in like 2000, 2001, 2002, we had some really good players in my area, like Nick Watney, Spencer Levine. Ricky Barnes was from a little closer, like Stockton, but he was all those guys are a little older than me, but, like, guys that went on the PGA Tour. But for the most part, like, if you were shooting mid to high 70s, you were like a top two or three guy on a golf team in high school. If you look at the high school scores now, it is stupid how good all these teams are, because it's never been easier to play golf. It doesn't mean that you don't have to be good to play golf. But like, this equipment, I think I heard. I don't know if it was on. No laying up or. Someone said that earlier this year that Scottie Scheffler last year in 2024, hit like 15% more fairways in 24 than he did in 23. And obviously he's swinging hard and hitting the ball really far. He's hitting the ball really straight. Tiger did not hit the ball straight. But also part of the reason he didn't hit the ball straight, because Tiger swing hard. Like all these guys. Now, Tiger was swinging in terms of, you know, ball speed, club head speed, like, with velocity. But equipment in 97 or 2000, like, if you miss it a little bit, it's like you. You could be way off. And I just think that part of what made golf, I mean, the three most famous golfers of all time are Arnold Palmer. Well, probably Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods. But, like, Arnold Palmer and Tiger woods, if you go back and just watch highlights of Arnold Palmer, he did a lot of shit from the trees. Like, what made Phil and Tiger so spectacular was, like, the crazy shots from out of nowhere. Scotty's like, oh, yeah, he just hit 8 iron from 170 yards middle of the fairway to 6ft. Tapped it in for birdie. Like Tiger was like, yeah, Tiger, you know, he took a, he took a 5 iron from 210 yards. He roped it around a tree, bounced on the top of the bunker and ended up rolling 17ft. And then he rolled it in for. Most incredible eagle I've ever seen. That's not really what Scotty Scheffler does, but I think it gets back to the equipment. When you Watch Tiger in 2019, it was much more when he won the Masters and even when he started playing well, remember when he was the playing captain of 2019 Presidents cup, it was. He was playing more boring golf because with this equipment there's no point to not be boring. You're just kind of like hitting it out there, 310 yards. You're just moving the ball forward. If you're a good wedge player and good short iron player, you're going to knock some balls tight. You're going to make a bunch of birdies. That's not how Tiger and Phil played in their heyday because that's not really the equipment. If you're swinging as hard as those guys are swinging, a fucking seven iron could land way left. You know, it wasn't because Tiger was trying to do it. I think the equipment is the ball. The equipment is a big reason it's harder for these guys. Everything is so optimized, like, everything. Swing speed, ball control, like perfectly to a T. Did trackman exist for Tiger 20 years ago? I mean, I'm sure there were elements of which it existed, but nothing to the extent of now. Even Tiger talks about now, like, I feel. I'm a feel guy. They're like, what do you mean you don't measure? He's like, no, I can just, I can tell 67 yards. I'm just used to looking at it the way these guys talk. It's feel, feel, feel. We don't have feel players anymore. I mean, Scotty is. He's the closest thing to a modern day field player. But it's also very optimized with the numbers. And Bryson's the most extreme, right? All the numbers. Can you imagine Bryson if he tried to play the way he's playing in 1998, where some of his drives would end up? He would hit drives on a hole into a different city. Swinging that hard. I mean, it would go. Look at John Daly who bombed it. He struggled. Balls would fly all over the map. Which made golf pretty entertaining. It made anyone that tried playing golf 20, 30 years ago. It's like a lot of people just quit. You're like, this is not fun at all now. It's like you hit a couple shots like, hey, hit this oversized callaway. You're like, fuck, did I just hit this seven iron, 180 yards. You're like, yeah, blast it again. That would never have happened in 1996. You're like, I quit. I'm not playing with these Mizuno blades. So I think a huge element is just is the equipment and the balls and just the. Yeah. I mean I also think that you watch some Tiger Phil highlights, even stuff from like the 90s with Greg Norman, some of the 80 stuff. A lot more variance, a lot more variables. There's less variables now. It's I was not rooting for Tommy Fleetwood to crumble like he did, but it can't really be argued that it was kind of entertaining because we just don't see that as much. It used to happen all the time because at any moment in professional golf a guy could get like a double bogey. It just feels, especially in a non major feels kind of rare now. It's like rare to watch a guy get a bogey in a big spot. Cuz you're like, I just going to hit it 320 yards and then he'll knock it up around the green more than likely get up and down. That was that. That was not the case back in the day. So appreciate everyone listening and I'll see you in a couple days. Back from Scottsdale, see you.

[Dan Flores]

The volume.

[Katie Couric]

On the latest episode of Next Question with me, Katie Couric. I sat down with Jasmine Crockett, Democratic representative of Texas. She's holding now the fort for her party in one of the most conservative states in the Union.

[Jemele Hill]

I think that ultimately who will become the Democratic nominee for president will be someone that has been out there and has shown that they won't allow themselves to be punched and just say thank you. Like they will punch back.

[Katie Couric]

Listen to Next Question with me, Katie Couric on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dan Flores]

Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.

[John Middlekauff]

Listen to the American west with Dan Flores. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown]

I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1 Taser Incorporated.

[John Middlekauff]

I get right back there and it's bad.

[Unknown]

Listen to Absolute Season 1 Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jemele Hill]

I'm Jemele Hill, host of the sports and politics podcast Spolitics. On this week's episode, I'm joined by all time great Hooper and basketball analyst Candace Parker, who gives insight into her candid new book, including why she waited two years into marriage to come out.

[Dan Flores]

I never envisioned being with a woman. I'll just be honest.

[John Middlekauff]

Like when I close my eyes at night every night I was like, I.

[Dan Flores]

Need to find my prince charming. Like it was never a princess.

[Jemele Hill]

Make sure you listen to this episode of Spolitix on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. This is an I heart podcast.