Season 1 · Episode 36

USA Wins Presidents Cup

October 1, 2026 · 01:27:00

We are back Under The Covers to talk about Brandt Snedeker leading our boys to the biggest comeback in Presidents Cup history!

Jackson Koivun thrives in match play just like college. Did you know he went to Auburn and Justin Thomas went to Alabama? Comedy!

We highlight clubs we appreciated throughout the tournament

Phil Mickelson sighting! Yale Golf Club! Tom Kim!

Matt goes through his "Way Too Early" Ryder Cup picks. Who did he get wrong?

Trivia and more

Chapters

00:00 Technical Difficulties and Team Dynamics
02:59 Reconnecting and Personal Updates
05:56 President's Cup Overview
12:05 Analyzing Player Performances
16:57 Equipment Spotlight: Drivers and Woods
26:58 Reflections on Golf Equipment
28:00 Analyzing Irons and Wedges
31:10 The Art of Wedge Design
36:02 Putter Preferences and Innovations
48:01 Team Dynamics in Golf Competitions
53:04 Team Dynamics in Golf Events
57:01 Player Performances and Strategies
01:01:00 Media Interactions and Player Accountability
01:06:06 Future of Team Events in Golf
01:16:02 Phil Mickelson's Recent Developments
01:18:09 Navigating Player News and Military Service
01:24:21 Turf Management Challenges at Yale Golf Club
01:30:32 LIV Golf's Financial Landscape and Future

Transcript

Dominic: Hello and welcome back to another edition of Under the Covers. We took a couple weeks off after the clubbies. Thank you for the support on that episode. That was a fun one to do. but we wanted to take a couple weeks off because now we have the president's cup to talk about. There's a few more things in the news. we'll get to that. But guys, it's good to see your faces again. Kevin, how you doing?

Kevin Spisak: Doing great. I missed you boys. You know, we we went from talking you so much to, you know, these last couple of weeks felt like an eternity. So happy to be back.

Dominic: I was waiting for the text where it's like, are we recording tonight? Or I was like, yeah, we're

Kevin Spisak: Ha ha.

Dominic: waiting, we're waiting. Matt, how you doing over there, buddy?

Chief Wedge Officer: Dom Kevin, I am I'm great. the weather is changing here in Texas. It's only ninety-five degrees. so fall has fallen. it's great. And and and yeah, happy to be back. I freaking miss you guys. I feel like I went to spring training. I'm back, I'm ready to go. we got a big we got a big fun fall season. PGA tour.

Dominic: Speaking of speak spring training, that brings my mind to baseball. Astros lost today. I'm sad. But our group is still alive and the Guardians get their first round bye. So we're rooting for them from now on. It's gonna be fun to watch the postseason. Kevin, have you been playing any fall golf yet? Is it is it fall weather down there?

Kevin Spisak: it was ninety degrees today. so I wouldn't consider it fall, but I played today with with some coworkers. Pr I played a college friends like Ryder Cup thing you know a couple weeks ago and took home the trophy, so that was huge. I got absolutely the brakes beaten off of me on my singles match. I lost seven and five. I I was just kinda slapping it all up the course and my opponent played really well. so bad bad recipe there. And then like the match was over, five holes left, figured out something that had been plaguing me the entire weekend, corrected it, then started playing really well, and then I played really well today. So that's kind of frustrating to figure something out after the big golf trip, but what can you do?

Dominic: Yeah. What was the what was was it like a swing thought or what?

Kevin Spisak: Like my hand position at takeaway, I was like effective I it was unintentionally like scooping the ball.

Dominic: Mm, okay. Damn, that stinks.

Kevin Spisak: Kept kept hitting a bunch of fat shots and like just flubbing things, but

Dominic: You got it back though, so we're good.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dominic: Nice, nice. It seems that you had that thought, but you and the boys, shout out the Dayton boys. Y'all looked incredible. You had some really cool hats. I feel like eventually we're gonna kinda build a little bit of a merch kind of shop, I guess you could say. and the fact that you made them look so good, I'm excited to see what we have to come for under the covers. So be up be on the lookout for that.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, definitely. We've got two of our listeners that were mentioned during the clubby's episodes reached out for their free hats. So we got those made. When I see you guys next, give them to you. And then two of our very, very, very loyal listeners also reached out and said that they wanted to buy a hat. So we've got some merch flowing here through under the covers.

Dominic: yeah. That's gonna be fun.

Chief Wedge Officer: Kevin Kevin's merch store that's completely Cleveland Browns color schemed and no one's gonna buy anything.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah that'd actually be pretty sick. I didn't I hadn't thought of that. Thank thanks for the idea.

Dominic: Yeah, there go. We just do like NFL colors for all three of us.

Kevin Spisak: Okay. Comes with a free bottle

Dominic: man, that's great.

Kevin Spisak: of baby oil.

Dominic: Ooh. Speaking of, we got a little bit of a we're doing a little bit of a rebranding too, you know? We got we got a cool little logo. Check out our socials if you haven't yet. some fun things coming coming in the future. But for now, we got a lot to talk about. Phil Mickelson sighting. We got President's Cup recap. Tom Kim is playing to dodge some of the military service. We'll get into that too. but I think the most important is a president's cup. That's why we're here. they the US they mount the second no, the largest comeback in President's Cup history. I looked it up. There have been two instances where they're trailing it on Sunday. So I was like, well I guess it's not that big of an accomplishment. You're not like breaking barriers here, right? I mean it's only happened like once 'cause they destroy every single time. But It's it's interesting what everyone's been saying in the news with Sean McDermott, I mean Brant Snedeker and how he how

Chief Wedge Officer: Ha ha ha.

Dominic: he's been captaining this team. and then like some of the decisions he was making. But Matt, what were you seeing out there? give us a little bit of insight on the on the President's Cup this last week.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, I watched a ton of golf this weekend. I love team golf, I'll say that. the President's Cup is always this weird thing where, you know, i it's it's kind of like a Ryder Cup knockoff a little bit. so it's never been and it's not super competitive either, right? We've we've run we've won eleven in a row now. So the US team is has dominated the internationals and the internationals have been extremely decimated with live, right? They lost Joaquin Neiman, a ton of these guys that like that like our are or Cam Smith, all the Australians that were on the team basically are gone except for Adam Scott. so yeah they just it's been a really tough go for the President's Cup. They really needed a competitive version of the President's Cup to make it relevant again. and I think they got it which was great. but yeah it's great golf. Medina was awesome I loved Medina. I thought it was super cool. They come OCM, which is Jeff Ogilvie's actually design company, who is the the captain of the international team, did the redesign of the course, which I thought was cool. But yeah, it's the if you guys noticed they had out of bounds, super close on one and two of the entire hole, and it just put the pros in a in a in a body bag. They're I mean Sam

Dominic: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: Burns just hit one straight OB. There's so many people that hit one straight OB. And then did you guys see the clip where the guy kicked it back into into play? That was a

Kevin Spisak: yeah. You gotta know

Dominic: That was insane.

Kevin Spisak: what you think about that one.

Chief Wedge Officer: That I I it brought me back to the Cubs guy. Remember the Cubs guy that reached over the fence and and caught

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: Barman.

Chief Wedge Officer: all? Yeah. People were saying it was him. reincarnate.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: And it's in Chicago. I didn't even think about that.

Kevin Spisak: Do you think that was intentional

Dominic: That's incredible.

Kevin Spisak: or just a reflex when you see a golf ball coming at ya?

Chief Wedge Officer: My leg doesn't go up like that when I have a golf ball coming near me, but I I would d

Kevin Spisak: I I think I would flail in all sorts of different directions if I saw a golf ball coming at me.

Dominic: The but it was going more past him and then he had a full extension. And then you can kind

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: of see him in the crowd. He's like, like he probably didn't think it was gonna be that good. I

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: I'm curious y'all's thoughts of if it should have been considered out of bounds or play it as it lies, it's on the green. You know, like Jordan Spith, he hit somebody and then it bounced back in and he got to keep it. Whereas this one, maybe it was intentional, was it like the ruling, but like What did y'all think, like Kevin? Did you did you get to see like some of the the clips afterwards?

Kevin Spisak: Yeah. I agree with it was probably not in I mean it probably was intentional. and I think the rule is good 'cause there's probably too many like crazy scenarios that could happen if you allow like fans to interfere with the ball. but I don't know. It'd be kinda be kinda cool if You know, you could just bump one out there for someone, take one off the chin, you know, help someone get it back into the fairway. I don't know. I don't know how you draw the line. But they probably they made the right ruling. But it would be cool if there was some way that you could kinda I don't know, Savannah bananas it a little bit.

Dominic: That'd be so funny.

Chief Wedge Officer: What if you you bet?

Dominic: man, what's your perspective, Matt, being a competitive golfer? I mean, like, have you had something like that happen where it's just something completely out of the ordinary?

Chief Wedge Officer: mean I've like hit done the thing where I've hit like rocks next to part three and it's like bounced back onto the green and stuff like that before. But no, I mean like 'cause the rule is really there for like if you hit it OB and like somebody goes and picks up the ball and throws it back in, right? Like that's

Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.

Chief Wedge Officer: what's for. But I don't know, I thought it was funny. I was like I was watching it, I like, what the heck just happened? And then yeah, it was It was wild and it was perfect because he didn't like kick it far either. Like he just kicked it just enough where it was like fifteen feet for Birdie. But yeah.

Dominic: Yeah. It's pretty impressive.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: It was very impressive. I don't think he could have tried to do that. I guess that's my my point. I think it was definitely like I don't know.

Dominic: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: But I don't know. The the presence cup was good. I'm glad we won. I have some some hot takes that we can get into later about about the US team and what the President's Cup should be, but yeah, otherwise like I guess we're twelve and I don't know.

Dominic: U S A. Now I think I think what we wanted to do, we kind of want to highlight some of our favorite clubs, you know, kind of attached to the player for each kind of club grouping. so Matt, why don't you start us off with the driver? What what kind of driver stuck out to you?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, I don't think we've gone over this club this year, but Hadeki's driver, he's got like a super prototype driver. it looks like. So I was looking at it when essentially we were they were lining up to tee off and they were kind of showing the the guys and and doing these things. His driver face is like really tiny compared to other like regular driver faces almost. It's almost like he has Like he wants to see a smaller target. so it's interesting. and and I tried to do some research on like the USGA conforming website. I'm pretty sure sure Shrixon has like one specific version of their driver, the ZXI9 or whatever it is. But it they don't even ha it just says Shrixon prototype. And I'm pretty sure it's just Hideki's that's on

Dominic: nice.

Chief Wedge Officer: there. Specifically for him. So they have like this This very specific driver. I just thought that was cool. you don't you know, you see all these guys just like hitting these like big face drivers now. Everybody does. But it seems like Hideki like wants a small target or something and like I don't know, his clubs are wild, I feel like. It's just you've no idea what the heck he's got in his bag. It's just it's crazy. I was

Dominic: I'm trying to find it, a picture of it. Is it like can you see is the face itself small or is it like the the carbon fiber actual like hitting area is smaller?

Chief Wedge Officer: No, like the face itself is like smaller. And I guess I couldn't tell if it was a like smaller driver altogether or or just a smaller face. Like it might just be like a really

Dominic: Like a mini driver.

Chief Wedge Officer: yeah, like a real like almost like a three hundred and eighty C C driver or something. which would be sweet. It's so hard to tell what

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, it says like nine point zero T two six two on it. Is could it could the two six two be the the volume? I mean that would be really small, right?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, two fifty yeah, okay, yeah, yeah. I see what you're talking about. Honestly it could be. And it looks tiny.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: Which is which is sick. So I think that was that was one of my favorite things to see.

Dominic: I like that. Yeah, really anything Srixon right now, I feel like it's getting really popular. like Ryan Fox had one recently with one the the Rocket RKT, you know. I've seen a lot of people on Twitter where it's like, you know, those really cool looking, very high quality camera shots of these driver faces and driver heads where it's like, yeah, I think I'm turning around on Srixan now. And it's it's they're just really cool looking. And I'm definitely biased 'cause I have some of my own, but yeah, love the Srixons.

Chief Wedge Officer: And especially Japan only stuff. They do some sweet stuff in Japan.

Dominic: Mm-hmm.

Kevin Spisak: Japan always gets the coolest, like limited run, everything with Mizuno and Srixan. Even like Callaway and Tailormade have had Japan only stuff that's been really cool.

Dominic: really? Okay. Kevin, did any of these clubs stick out to you?

Kevin Spisak: certainly some some stuff stuck out, but you know, clubs that we've covered in the past. The thing that stood out the most to me was Jacob Bridgman's driver shaft. He's got the Titan Green. So we've talked about the Titan line is re replacing the hazardous line. you know, Wyndham Clark won several times with the Titan Yellow driver shaft that was brand new. and then had the Titan Black. in his fairway woods. But yeah, now Jacob Bridgman has the green. So not quite available for retail yet, but the hazardous smoke green was their lowest launching lowest spinning shaft that they had then and now the titan green will be the lowest launching lowest spinning of the Titan line. so I Desperately need to get w my hands on one of these and test it out. I've been playing the hazardous green Hulk Shack Hulk can't talk Hulk Shaft for quite a while. and can't get it out of the bag. Maybe maybe the Titan is what can get it out of the bag. but I I was fortunate enough to go swing some clubs here a couple weeks ago and popped in a Titan black into a three wood and had a shot. Maybe it was a simulator error. Maybe it was awesome. It had zero side spin. It was crazy. It

Dominic: Jesus.

Kevin Spisak: it hit or or sorry, not side spin. Zero side dispersion. So that was pretty awesome to see. And I just striped like four in a row with the Titan black. it it seems to really fit my three with swing. So might might need an Might need to be popping one of those bad boys in my fairway woods, but yeah, I thought the Titan Green was cool 'cause we we talked about that it was coming out a few weeks ago, maybe a few months ago. It it's here. Jacob Bridgman's got it. Put it in the driver.

Dominic: Nice. Yeah, you'll have to you for sure should get that. Let us know how it goes. maybe you just go back to the simulator, see if it's see if it was a outlier.

Chief Wedge Officer: It looks sick.

Dominic: Speaking of three woods, I think we should definitely talk about Patrick Cantley's Three Wood. He's rocking the nine fifteen F, which what year'd you say it was from, Matt? It was twenty fifteen.

Chief Wedge Officer: Twenty fifteen. So that was when Titalist was doing like the nine with the whatever year they put out.

Dominic: That's right, okay.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. So yeah, that's a almost a as an eleven year old three wood which nuts. That's a long time for club. But the nine fifteens were sick. The nine I had a nine fifteen driver and it was an awesome club. That was

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, I had a nine fifteen driver too. They were they were really cool.

Dominic: What is the so he has it fifteen degrees and then C one sure fit setting. What does that actually mean? Do you know?

Chief Wedge Officer: It's just like title it

Kevin Spisak: It's the hassle.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. it's like I think it's more draw. It's like their way to it's like their their way to say more draw or less draw or something. C one is the most fade and the lowest loft. So

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: So does it so I'm assuming that would counteract his draw?

Kevin Spisak: One one degree flat one. One degree flat, one degree less law.

Dominic: Okay. Gotcha. Kevin, do you have any any any other three woods or just woods in general that you were liking out there?

Kevin Spisak: If if anyone listened to our Clubys episode, you would know this very well, or or any of our episodes throughout the year. If you haven't, go back and listen to the Clubbies. The Q I four D just was everywhere. It was across both teams, bags, everywhere. Driver, three wood, five wood, seven wood, everywhere. QI four D has made a real appearance.

Dominic: Yeah, check out the the club tracker on our website, under the coversdolf.com. good amount of ping as well, which is always fun to see. I know it's not as as dominant in the manufacturer game, but we're a ping heavy podcast. So if you're listening, hit us up. We'll get you a free hat.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: man. Matt, did you have any other any other woods? I was trying to count quickly how many seven woods there are, because there's I'm just curious how many are in play nowadays.

Chief Wedge Officer: no, but I think there was a c there was one Apex UW which I'd love to see. I love seeing Apex U W's.

Kevin Spisak: In Xander's bag, right?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, that's one of my favorite clubs. But yeah, no, other than that I think it was pretty I mean, Tom there's a couple Hideki has a has one of the railed cobras, which I always love. That was like a great three wood back in the day. but again Hadeki has some crazy

Dominic: Alright, and then I I got a final Cali. There was there's seven seven woods in rotation for the President's Cup. But Matt, why don't you go through Yeah,

Kevin Spisak: Seven once the cheat code club.

Dominic: Matt, why don't you go through what are some of the irons that you saw that you liked?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. Sam Burns, even though he smoked one O B on two. he has a six set of Apex Bs. one of my I think we did we give that a clubby for one of the best looking clubs of the year? I believe I did. Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, I think you did. Yeah.

Dominic: Mm-hmm.

Chief Wedge Officer: yeah, it was they look sweet. Although those aren't the Apex MB Raws. He's playing I believe he's playing just the regular Apex MB, which is the Chrome version, but still. Very, very sick. and w one of the best looking irons of all time.

Kevin Spisak: Definitely. The irons that stood out to me going back to Patrick Cantley and playing old clubs, abnormal in two ways. You know, he's so he's got the title of seven eighteen AP twos. So abnormal for a tour player to be playing A P twos. Those are generally, you know, up a player's iron, but not quite tour player level. not blades or CBs or anything. And then also 718 from 2018. So he's got a pretty aged bag.

Dominic: For a pretty aged man, so it makes sense.

Kevin Spisak: Ha ha.

Dominic: I really like how Chris Godderup is rocking the the Bridge Stones. They're they seem like a pretty straightforward iron, like not too flashy. They're just very like sleek looking. and he absolutely rips them. So I just I just love seeing

Chief Wedge Officer: You did. I think you can buy them now.

Dominic: Yeah, you can.

Chief Wedge Officer: Y you used to never be able to buy Bridgestone stuff.

Dominic: Yeah, it's pretty sweet. So he's got the the B forged hundred cavity backs for his four, and then the two twenty MBs for the rest of his irons.

Chief Wedge Officer: What do they go for these days?

Dominic: I was just looking that up.

Chief Wedge Officer: a thousand bucks.

Dominic: wow, okay. Not as much as

Chief Wedge Officer: So they're not like

Dominic: I thought.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. They're not anything different than other iron sets.

Dominic: Mm-hmm. He does have a custom grind on them. so I'm curious what that would actually entail, but a lot of a lot of wedges, a lot of vokey wedges out there. I did see a few pings, which is always fun to see. more importantly, I'm shouting out all the stamps that pros have nowadays. I love it's like just a tiny little hint of your own personality there. You get to add in whatever you want. Matt, did you have any specific wedges that you liked?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, the Jackson Coyvin wedges, those are all over the internet. he had for the f you know, for the free and the brave and all that sort of stuff. Like Voge or probably not Voge, Aaron Dill. shout out Aaron Dill. he's like the Vogue wedge rep. he does all the stamping. He did some really cool stuff, with Jackson Coivans, like Team USA, all that sort of stuff. Sam Burns has a yes sir stamped on his wedges, which I think is pretty cool looking. And I think he has a couple with his kids names on them and stuff like that. So Yeah, big fan of Jackson Corvin's Corvin wedges.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, what stood out to me with the wedges was a lot of the wedge grinds just being like butter knifes, you know, with really low bounce, really intense grinds, you know, like the T grind and A grind and Colin Morikawa's like SBO9 Tailormade grind just looks like something I could really chunk into the ground. That'd be a good time.

Chief Wedge Officer: Did you see how the the around the greens were there though? They were like like I've never seen pros struggle so much chipping.

Dominic: yeah. It was it looked like it was like you're chipping off of a the desk that my computer's on right now.

Chief Wedge Officer: I know. It was it was

Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.

Chief Wedge Officer: crazy. Wyndham like straight up chunked one. That was nice.

Dominic: Shoot. Dang it.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: Darn.

Dominic: I was actually gonna ask you Matt, so with a lot of these wedges now, like is there actually a difference between raw and s having some kind of finish? 'Cause it seems like a lot of tour players use the raw and you know there's different degrees of the rust that is accumulated, but like is there actually a thought process there?

Chief Wedge Officer: I don't know. It this has always been something that's a rumor, I feel like. It's always been like, yes, all the tour players use raw finishes. because it because when you get rust on the face it provides more spin. And maybe that was true back in like the nineteen seventies or something, whenever like the grooves weren't very good. But now that the grooves are so freaking good, like the rust like doesn't do as much, or like not as much as like what the grooves do. And they handle water so much better that Now I think it really doesn't matter. I now I think it's one, an aesthetics thing. And two, I think it also is like whenever I had chrome wedges, I feel like I was always like I had s sun shining in my face off the wedges sometimes. especially

Dominic: yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: down here in Texas. But I I think now I think it's just an aesthetics thing. And it used to be tour only, but now you can just go on titleist wedgeworks.com.

Dominic: Yeah. That's a good point.

Kevin Spisak: Yep, I've seen a bunch of posts about it in the last couple years of people like testing the rust versus not and it like effectively makes no difference at all. The grooves are so like sharp and crisp compared to like what like what Matt was saying. They do all of the like, you know, getting water away from in between the ball and the club.

Dominic: Mm. Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: But th but like I'll I'll always use rust rusted wedges. And I want a pair of rusted irons at some point. Like I almost bought the Apex B Raw because just because but then, you know, good good went and made that weird ad and I couldn't buy

Kevin Spisak: Ha ha ha.

Dominic: Damn it, good, good.

Kevin Spisak: Dang it.

Dominic: Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: do you guys see that Xander has two sixty degrees? I was like reading through his his bag and I was like, did he just switch mid round? But then I was totaling up his clubs and it was fourteen clubs. He's got a sixty T grind and a sixty K star. I was like, I was like, there's yeah.

Dominic: Wait, I think I can answer that. Cause

Chief Wedge Officer: Dom here.

Dominic: isn't that good for like really tight lies like the K Star? That's kind of what you want that for?

Chief Wedge Officer: K Star is bunkers.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah. The

Dominic: Bunkers. Okay.

Kevin Spisak: T grind is four degrees of bounce. That would be really good for tight lies. Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Dominic: Okay. But two two different wedges is crazy.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah. That's what I thought. And I was like, surely he must have switched and they're just showing both, but it's fourteen clubs.

Dominic: Yeah, and don't call me Shirley.

Kevin Spisak: Nice.

Chief Wedge Officer: I think I I think I'm going tea grind this year.

Kevin Spisak: Poof.

Dominic: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: Scary.

Chief Wedge Officer: So I think I think my I think what I'm gonna do is have T and K star. I'm gonna keep my old K star that I have and it's like depending on the course I'm going to I'm gonna switch that.

Dominic: Okay, so never two sixty degrees in the bag at the same time, but you'll just keep them on rotation.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. Exactly.

Dominic: Okay. Well it would you would you get a fifty eight or would you get like keep your fifty eight K star and make it sixty?

Chief Wedge Officer: I go fifty anyway. Or fifty eight.

Dominic: okay. Gotcha. Okay. so with putters, I'll start. I was I was trying to count up. Blaze vs. Mallet. There's I think there was maybe three or four total. And most of them on the international side, which is very interesting. If you're if you're watching video, you just saw Matt in reacting to the most popular putter, which is the spider, of course. but I'm not talking about the spider. I'm talking about Xander Shoffley's Odyssey. I have been really digging the bat wings lately. I've said it on the last few podcasts. but I I just like how it's not a spider. It's a little bit different and it's completely red. Like you gotta love anything cherry red. Like you're riding a convertible going up to PCH, cherry red Mustang, you know? That's kind of what it reminds me of. But yeah, Xander Shoffley's putter pretty sick.

Chief Wedge Officer: Did you see Minwoo Lee's turtle, which is just the Odyssey version of the spider?

Dominic: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: Did you also see him miss two sh two two foot putts to lose the President's cup at the very end? I did.

Dominic: yeah. But he was he was doing some damage though throughout. Like every time I it felt like every time I looked up he was either winning a hole or tying it with a good putt, but at the end it was not very good. Kevin, what you got?

Kevin Spisak: It Sun J played around with two different putters. One that really stood out to me was his circle tea prototype. It basically looks like if Scottie Cameron took, you know, his Phantom Nine line and then copied the ping alley blue onset. And so it's like man, getting getting my hands on one of those would be Would be nice. So yeah, the onset a little bit, not quite as much as the ping, but center shafted, mallet, I moi, mill face, it'd be pretty sweet to toy around with one of those.

Dominic: Yeah, I like the look of that one a lot. have y'all seen Rio Hats hisatsune's putter? It's the there's no picture on the on the website that we have, but it's Taylor made black balboa number eight long curve. And it's it's kind of giving me like fill vibes a little bit. like the flow neck.

Chief Wedge Officer: yeah. Can you believe he puts a he drinks he he has a sip of water before he hits any shot?

Dominic: Every single well, I thought it was just putts. Is it every shot?

Chief Wedge Officer: I thought it was every shot, but maybe it's just putts, but literally like he ha he he keeps like water in his mouth while he putts.

Dominic: I didn't know that. I thought you just

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Dominic: it was like a superstition like let me get a sip of water type thing.

Chief Wedge Officer: I think he keeps it in his mouth and then swallows it after

Dominic: I might try that on Friday.

Chief Wedge Officer: Keeps your head keeps your head still.

Dominic: okay. Like you wanna feel it kinda at your teeth or something?

Chief Wedge Officer: Well if your head your head's moving, you can you can feel the water floor.

Dominic: That's

Kevin Spisak: Thing.

Dominic: kind of fun. I like that. I'd I'd be terrified if I was this caddy. She'd like like you feel it's a little empty. It's like, Is there a water

Chief Wedge Officer: Ha ha ha.

Dominic: fountain coming up?

Kevin Spisak: Ha ha ha.

Chief Wedge Officer: It's got water on every freaking hole in the PG.

Dominic: Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: So I saw an interesting video last week that made me second guess everything we've discussed about putters all season.

Dominic: jeez. jeez.

Kevin Spisak: So basically it was saying that like you know should you copy your bag after PGA tour players? Like should you actually play what they play or are they just being like paid to play things and it's all marketing, you know, and and not good for the general player. So so this person looked into like what the top free agents were playing, being like, all right, these are guys who can pick and choose whatever they want, and you know, just highlighting some of their clubs. So when you go through, you know, the top fifty golfers, there's like very few blades, like Don mentioned. And But when you look at the top free agents, I think I think the number was, I could be off, but I believe he said it was five of the top eleven golfers who are free agents play blades. So are we just being marketed a whole bunch of mallets from all these manufacturers? Cause they can they can make different mallet shapes so they've got a new product to sell. Is it that much better than playing a blade? Here's the question. I don't know.

Dominic: boy. That's wild. I never really thought of it like that. Because my my

Kevin Spisak: How many different shapes can you make with a mallet? That's it's it's infinite. You've got an infinite amount of products you can sell. You can always come out with something new. A blade, we we kinda we have the blueprint. We have what a blade is.

Dominic: And it's more material so there's more cost so they can charge more. Interesting.

Kevin Spisak: Exactly.

Dominic: 'Cause my my initial thought was and it's against again what you say where it's like putter putting is all feel, like it's all based on what you are and how you swing. Every time you hear that, you just feel so bamboozled. Eat that.

Kevin Spisak: Totally. Totally.

Chief Wedge Officer: Golf equipment companies are not in it to make the best clubs for you. They're in it. But but I I mean yeah, I agree. I think the best putters you see don't change putters all

Dominic: Tiger.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, I mean Scotty's only changed putters twice in his career and he's a pretty good putter, but like I guess Jordan's probably the exception. He never I mean I guess he does change his putters but he plays a blade, he spakes.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah. You're not helping you're not helping the blade argument.

Dominic: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: I don't know, like Brad Faxen was always a great putter. I yeah, I mean I think there's definitely something to it that I mean they keep making these stupid putters named the Turtle and the lab what's that peanut butter and jelly lab that they have or something?

Dominic: The Smuckers? Uncrustables? Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: yeah. Yeah the Uncrustables one, yeah. That was sick.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Dominic: I think Bob Desports rocks that one right now. And then end of list. That's it.

Chief Wedge Officer: Hey

Kevin Spisak: The only person willing to be seen with one.

Dominic: Yeah. I will say JT's putter is sick. The Scotty prototype. And it's literally called the experimental, which is hilarious. Really

Chief Wedge Officer: I they gotta get rid of that chain link crap.

Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.

Dominic: yeah, you were you're explaining that last time. That it's just a a nightmare.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. actually funny enough I played golf with a pro on the Core Ferry Tour a couple of weeks ago and he said that Scottie Cameron's dead.

Dominic: Yeah. They're just like struggling to put out a good product? Like what do you mean?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, like so many Tor pros are going away from Scotty Cameron. they're all going to Odysseys, t spiders, they're all going to these like different kind of just other manufacturers and and there's only like a like it used to be like Scotty's had like sixty percent of the tour and now like Scotty has such a

Dominic: Yeah. Dude, we need to we need to call up Scotty. We need to give him the proposition that you started about a year ago and just have for amateur use only.

Chief Wedge Officer: That's right.

Dominic: We can we can make some money off of that. They would love it. It gives it people use them.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, maybe it only maybe it only it only is for a amateur use.

Dominic: Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: It seems like Scotty's like no no longer like a an innovator for putter design. It's just he they're coming out with putters that someone else came out with first. Like for the

Dominic: Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: last how many years? Like, you know, copy the spider design with most of the Phantom, copy lab, you know, and all the zero torque stuff. Obviously copied the answer, you know, but that's everyone's copied the answer. Yeah, th there doesn't seem to be like a lot of new Scotty Cameron head designs in the last since the Phantoms came out that, you know, are new or or unique to Scotty Cameron.

Dominic: Mm-hmm. Yeah, and like it's just th there's almost I can't tell if there's a plateau in putter technology or if there's just a lack of creativity these days. Kind of like I know people in like the film industry, they say that there's like waves of have you heard this this kind of thought process where there's waves of like good TV and movies? Like would you say there's a there's like waves of good like technology for golf? 'Cause I feel like what was it the last maybe like five to ten years, they were just slapping a new name with a new paint job, but then now they're actually coming out with new things and new like kind of designs.

Chief Wedge Officer: Well it it goes back to like kind of like an engineering cycle, right? So like it you can't you can't R and D something new every year. You just won't be able to to do the design and then also do the manufacturing and the supply chain of all of it within a year. It usually takes

Dominic: Mm-hmm.

Chief Wedge Officer: every five years, usually like you said, that like there's kind of a new technology introduced that's like, okay, we've made a big jump and then they like do really small But that's all planned out by these manufacturers. Like titleist, Tailor made, and and maybe even probably even ping, they have the next probably two or three drivers planned out of what they're gonna release. Like they probably already know a lot of it. It's like we know we're gonna introduce this feature here and this feature here. They don't know exactly what it's gonna look like, but they know kind of what they're gonna go do. So you're probably right, spot on you're spot on with like every five years there's like a big wave because they'll be like, all this is our big one. It's like the iPhone seventeen S and and and seventeen, right? Like some some years you get an S, some years you get a new something new.

Dominic: Yeah. And maybe with the what what is the term that you use that Taylor Maid's doing where it's like every two years instead?

Chief Wedge Officer: I don't know if there's a term for it, but yeah, they just moved from an every year driver released every two years.

Dominic: Yeah. I think it'll give them some more some more time to think of better names too. So it'd be good. man, but let's let's get back to the President's Cup a little bit. so you had mentioned it earlier that you love team golf, and I had I had one thing to say that I wanted to point out that it's like Brant Snedecker, he was saying that who says the USA can't play team golf? Which we won and we played well, but like we did horrible in the one team aspect. You

Chief Wedge Officer: Ha ha

Dominic: know, like that's that's the thing that's giving me so much pause. I'm like Yeah, but when you have play as a team, we didn't do well. Like everyone won on their own ball, which is great. and then it it brought me to so I was watching an oiling up video, and they always have Justin Huber on there. And he had a really good point that I wanted to bring up where in an alternate shot competitions, like a forces competition, he was saying that the mentality of being a team makes it makes him play worse. Like he always wants to think, like, let's play like we're opponents. So then like having that mentality of don't try to play with me and play to what I want to do. Like hit the best shot possible and try to hit a better shot than I'm gonna hit. I don't know how how many like competitive foresome or alternate shot matches you've played, Matt. Like, have you ever like had that kind of mentality switch?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, like it can ev it can definitely go really good or really bad, right? Like I feel like when it's it's never like mediocre, almost I I guess I would say. 'Cause it's like you're either vibing or you're not vibing. and Yeah, I mean like if you like if you can find somebody that you pair well with again but like I don't know, I just feel like nobody on the US team like has that Kobe mental. They're all just countless. w I'm I'm me and I do my own thing and like they don't buy in for the team. Like you always hear those epic stories about like you know co those epic y team USA practices where like Kobe was like getting in people and like all that sort of stuff. Like Team USA needs to be

Dominic: Mm-hmm.

Chief Wedge Officer: somebody's needs to be like the dude. And like I it's tough because like Justin Thomas like can't be the dude when he shoots seventy five and like Like Kobe was the dude because like he was he was good. And like Scotty's Scotty

Dominic: Yeah, that's true.

Chief Wedge Officer: like could be the dude, but Scotty doesn't have that personality. So like I don't know. I I I guess yeah, there's something to that where like I don't know, the Europeans just do it so much better. And I feel like Roy McElroy is kind of that dude for them.

Dominic: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: But he's also really freaking good.

Dominic: There was I think it was maybe John Rom, but somebody on the European team for the Ryder Cup had said like they're really good at leaving leaving everything at the door and then actually playing as a team. Whereas like you said, USA everyone should like they have fun, they have camaraderie,

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: but they don't ha do it, they don't play as a team in these team events. It's very interesting.

Kevin Spisak: W in the history of golf, who would you say is the most like Kobe like? I think there's one obvious answer. But Tiger was terrible in Ryder Cups.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. I yeah, I mean, but Tiger well, okay. I guess I take it back. Tiger was like a Yeah. Who was the most Kobe like in team golf? P Reed?

Kevin Spisak: Yeah. So n did

Chief Wedge Officer: Kind of that doll.

Dominic: It's actually not horrible.

Kevin Spisak: he pass the torch to Wyndham, your boy?

Dominic: Wouldn't have actually played well.

Chief Wedge Officer: Wyndham did play good, except he chunked that shit, but that was bad. I don't know. Like yeah, I mean we just yeah, you we we don't seem to buy in, like everybody says we need to bring in like experts, like we need to bring in Coach K or like whatever and and like

Kevin Spisak: Mm mm mm.

Chief Wedge Officer: say like how do you guys get these guys to buy in? I just think I think it comes down to like the the you the the Ryder Cup and the President's Cup doesn't mean as much to the US team as it does to to the internationals. Everybody that I talk to, like they everybody will come out and say like it means a lot to those guys too, so I don't know. It's it's a tough one to put their hand on, but yeah, we s we somehow can't play as a team. But I also think there's something to like we keep trotting out Scotty Scheffler and Sam Burns 'cause they're buddies and it's like they don't play what it's it's it's very obvious that they don't play.

Dominic: Good thing they did it twice that weekend.

Chief Wedge Officer: No, they did it thrice.

Dominic: it was three? Geez. And like that's what that's what confuses me so much about I keep I keep saying Sean McDermott in my head, but he literally looks like Sean McDermott. but Snedeker, like he keeps putting it on himself, you know, like it's my fault and everything, and you know, like the pairings didn't work or whatever, but like he he's acting like he didn't prepare for this at all. Like he didn't even think about any of these matchups whatsoever. Like did you did you see whenever they're releasing pick by pick of like we're gonna release we're gonna set this person against this person. You know what I'm talking about?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, yeah.

Dominic: So those were really weird, I feel like. Like some of they didn't really make sense where it's like, we're just gonna throw out Scotty and see who you put against them. It's like in that scenario, you should save the best person for their best person. You know, like I feel like there's could have been a little bit better strategy.

Chief Wedge Officer: For sure.

Dominic: Yeah. I mean, ended up winning. They were fine. Like it whatever. I'm just on my couch. But I just feel like there was a little bit less preparation than I would have expected out of a captain of a team event.

Chief Wedge Officer: And and the the guys team is bringing in this guy named Justin Ray, that's like a really good big stats guy. He works for technically the LPJ tour right now, but I guess they're bringing him in for Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup specifically. but like the Europeans have Dodo Molinari who's like this like crazy good stats guy also. And that's how they do it. So I don't know, I just think we don't want the ball. That's that's all I got. That's all I can come that's all I can come to a conclusion. Yeah. Team didn't come out to play. Got

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, the quick aside in when you brought up the Kobe thing, I quick pulled up Tiger's Ryder Cup record.

Chief Wedge Officer: Not good.

Kevin Spisak: It's not good. Dom, what do you think so in 37 matches, what do you think Tiger how many of those are wins?

Dominic: Out of thirty seven, you said?

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: Ooh. I mean if it's bad. Like four. Like is it really bad? Okay, okay.

Kevin Spisak: No, that's too much. That's too much.

Dominic: give me like a round double digits, like a like a give me like eight to twelve.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, 13. So he's 13, 21, and 3. And it's like the greatest golfer of all time. You know, can't play in like a team golf event. And his foursomes record is 4-9-1. And then his four-ball record is five and ten.

Dominic: Wow.

Chief Wedge Officer: But I

Kevin Spisak: Isn't that crazy? The the greatest golfer of all time.

Chief Wedge Officer: I also think there's something to like the the greatest golfer of all time won over seventy-two holes. And these are 18 hole matches. It goes up it goes against like it's like the thing of like the NFL playoffs, right? Where like anybody can win a game, right? But it's really hard in the NBA to win a seven game series because you gotta go win four games against you know, the LA the Lakers or whatever it is. And like Like Scotty doesn't beat the entire field every day he plays in a tournament, but he beats the entire field over four days 'cause he wears them down. And like it goes up, it's like it's like anybody that is on if you're on that day, like you can take him down. And even if they're the best player in the world. I feel like the world rankings get shrunk big time. Like the fiftieth best player in the world can beat the best player in the world. on any given day. But over four days, they're gonna beat them a lot less.

Dominic: That's a good that's a good way to think about it. That is crazy.

Kevin Spisak: Can guess what Tiger's record was against Lee Westwood? Sorry, I'm in a real rabbit hole here. This is crazy.

Chief Wedge Officer: That's

Kevin Spisak: Tigers record against Lee Westwood in the Ryder Cup.

Chief Wedge Officer: Two and six.

Dominic: Against Lee Westwood.

Kevin Spisak: Eight matches

Chief Wedge Officer: Two and six.

Kevin Spisak: against Lee Westwood.

Dominic: I like two and six.

Kevin Spisak: One in seven. That's

Chief Wedge Officer: Ooh

Dominic: Whoa.

Kevin Spisak: crazy. Isn't that nuts? All right. Anywho, sorry.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, it's a good it's a good thing

Dominic: Holy smokes.

Chief Wedge Officer: it's a good thing Lee Westwood won all those majors Oops

Kevin Spisak: Yes.

Dominic: Oops. that's funny. Well, Matt, give us a rundown, kinda kinda go through the things that you were looking at during the weekend, kinda just give us a recap of of the President's Cup of General.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. Jackson Coyvon. you guys probably saw all the clips of Jackson Coyvan, I'm sure, just just pimp stepping after he hits shots pr pretty

Dominic: Speaking of tiger.

Chief Wedge Officer: so yeah, twenty one years old and and seems to be an absolute dog. He's played I mean it it's interesting because he's played a ton of mash play in college. That's what you play for like the NCAA championships and stuff. so

Dominic: That's right.

Chief Wedge Officer: pretty familiar with match play, being in college this year. So yeah, I was pumped to see him get some experience. he just he just looked good. I'm surprised they didn't put him out in f I guess it's foursomes, right? The the alternate shot format.

Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.

Chief Wedge Officer: he only played with JT in best ball. so he carried his little brother JT around like a little like a little dog

Dominic: Do you think was that like was that planned for J T to kind of be his mentor or was it just let's pair them up and then they just had that like you know that back and forth the whole time that J T was just like, you know what? I'm gonna change my strategy and just help him because he's playing so well.

Chief Wedge Officer: Usually it's planned. and they the data probably said that they would pair well together. I think Jackson Coyvin is a really good putter and JT's like a pretty good iron player, so like or I guess they they're not playing alternate shot, but like I guess I I yeah, data would say that they pair well.

Dominic: There was an interesting tweet, I don't know if y'all have thought much about this, but it was like do they you know, you get fitted for balls for a spin rate and things like that. Like do they fit teammates for alternate shot by like what ball they use, or is it like you just said where it's irons and putters and like kinda like that?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, so for alternate shot they definitely do. That's like the rumor of why JJ Spawn didn't get paired in Alternate Shot 'cause he plays a circus on

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: at the Ryder Cup.

Dominic: That'd be so ridiculous. man.

Chief Wedge Officer: was the Yeah, they definitely do that stuff. They'll definitely be like, Okay, this these guys play the Pro B one X and So John

Dominic: Mm-hmm. Okay.

Chief Wedge Officer: Carol Hatton play together an alternate shot 'cause they both play the Cowway Chrome.

Dominic: Gotcha. Okay. That makes sense.

Kevin Spisak: I forget who Windham was playing with, but I saw

Dominic: Colin.

Kevin Spisak: him like putting Callaway. That that looked bizarre.

Chief Wedge Officer: He was playing

Dominic: That was Morokawa.

Chief Wedge Officer: Morakawa. And they don't play Morakawa plays Tailor Maids, so yeah.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, it had to have been a different round.

Chief Wedge Officer: Or did Windham play with X? He might have played with with

Kevin Spisak: it was he played with Sam Burns.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, yeah, the last round. The last round, yeah. Going down. No.

Kevin Spisak: We said we said that sorry, we said Wyndham played well, he was one and four.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, but he did play.

Dominic: Well yes.

Chief Wedge Officer: Strokes gained he did play he just got he was on the wrong end of some He got paired with little baby

Dominic: Yeah, he played well, but the team didn't play well for him.

Chief Wedge Officer: yeah, I mentioned this before, but the OB on Hole One and Two was awesome. I'm a big fan. big fan of that. Brent Snedaker forgot who we paired together on Saturday afternoon. Did you see that interview? They were like, He

Dominic: Yeah. Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: he was like he was like, Yeah, and God her up and and then Cara Banks was like and Cameron Young and he's like, yeah, yeah, Cameron Young, Cameron Young, sorry I was

Dominic: yeah, sorry, sorry. I will say I've been kinda talking mess about Sneaker, but like in that scenario, your team just gets absolutely waxed. He has no idea what's going on. I could I would absolutely like brain fart in that moment to also just like who did I play? shoot. That poor guy.

Chief Wedge Officer: Totally. I I feel bad for him. He S Snedeker Snedeker's always been a good dude. he's just maybe not Ryder Cup captain material, but he's been a good guy. Did you guys see the whole Scotty thing with Nico?

Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: So the guy shouted in his back in Nico's backswing. I think he said get in the bunker.

Dominic: Something that, but it was like literally on a downswing. Horrible.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, and like he just fanned it up right. Scotty got in the guy, went over and like was bitching at the guy and and they kicked the guy out or whatever. and basically Nico had like a thirty footer for par to tie Scotty ke Scotty Scheffler and Scotty just was like, Pick it up, let's go to the next hole Which which was good.

Dominic: Just a class act. And it was actually it was off the green too.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Dominic: Which you just don't see that much anymore. I I respect that where it's like he he waited till he missed his birdie putt, because if he makes birdie, then you should still, you know, have more of a chance to win. But it's like, let's just push. Like if he would have made it, I'm assuming he would have kept the win, right?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, I don't know. I may I'm I'm assuming so, but it would be interesting to see if the match was tied if he would have done the same thing. Like if he would have gone one down. Or not one down.

Dominic: yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: I guess if he would've kept it all square. Or if he was one down

Dominic: Mm-hmm.

Chief Wedge Officer: if he would if he would

Dominic: Who well Nico was the only person who didn't have a win the entire time, so I think he was I think he was gonna be okay. Did you watch much of him playing Nico? Like was he similar to Windham where he just kinda got the short end of the stick but was still playing well? I didn't see much of him.

Chief Wedge Officer: Nico, I think Nico was Nico the lowest ranked player in the field or was that Christian Christian B Behazen out? I think that was Kr Bazen Out, but Nico is like ranked super in the world. I don't know. I I mean Nico played fine, but Scotty was It's tough to it's tough to win being out.

Dominic: Yeah, fair.

Chief Wedge Officer: Especially playing at seventy five hundred yards. It's not a short goal.

Dominic: Mm-hmm.

Kevin Spisak: I think Nico will be it'll be forever burned in my memory, one of our first episodes of Under the Covers when we learned his prior arrest history.

Chief Wedge Officer: yeah.

Kevin Spisak: If if if you haven't, if you haven't heard, go back into the archives of Under the Covers and go listen. Yeah. It's like it

Dominic: And then you get to hear c Kevin's fun story of of going into college.

Kevin Spisak: Hey, hey th that sounds sounds like I did something similar. I did not spy on anyone. Okay.

Dominic: Yeah, you're right. It it's not that bad. Just go listen.

Kevin Spisak: I didn't do anything.

Chief Wedge Officer: And then

Dominic: Sure.

Kevin Spisak: Ha ha ha.

Chief Wedge Officer: And then Sky

Dominic: boy.

Chief Wedge Officer: was so rude to Kara Banks right after in the next interview.

Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.

Dominic: Was gonna ask about that. So so she had asked basically he didn't play the second

Chief Wedge Officer: Saturday.

Dominic: match. Like he didn't play thirty six holes the second day or the third day.

Chief Wedge Officer: This Saturday.

Dominic: So then she had asked him like why like why like what actually happened there?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, she basically like, Do you agree with Brant Snedeker's choice to sit you? Which is like such a weird question. and then

Dominic: Yeah. I don't like all those questions.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, that was like a weird question. And then he was like he was like, I I I just wanted to do the best right for what's my team and then she like kept asking about it and then she asked about the the whole thing with Nico. Like, doing with like the shot and he was just like Can we just talk about the golf? Can you talk about us playing? And like I was like caught off guard. I was like, what is going on?

Dominic: He's been doing that a lot. Like, it's usually when they're dumb questions, though. Which I kind of like. Where

Chief Wedge Officer: I

Dominic: it's like, we gotta we gotta hold these people accountable for asking these dumbass questions. They're just trying to get clips. Because the one clip I saw was him saying that after her she she said one thing. So it makes it look like he was blowing up for no reason.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Dominic: I didn't realize she asked the same question four times.

Chief Wedge Officer: It was just yeah, he he's just very he's very chippy.

Dominic: Yeah. So

Chief Wedge Officer: good work.

Dominic: So you had mentioned earlier that you had some ideas for the Ryder Cup. I mean for the for like team events. Why don't you get in that?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, So I I I guess I I guess I'm so confused. I know I've talked about this before. This should absolutely be a joint LPGA PGA tour event. Like, it's

Dominic: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: so easy. It's right there in front of them. I don't know understand how they just can't figure out how to do it. That was that's my idea to fix this. Also, would you guys One thing that people are surprised about about is that it's pay for So all everybody's getting paid, that's there. They're not like doing this out of the kindness of their heart.

Dominic: Wait, the president's cup is We got it we got a cat siding. So the

Chief Wedge Officer: All right, get out of here.

Dominic: you're saying the the President's Cup or the Ryder Cup or both?

Chief Wedge Officer: The presents cup is pay for plate.

Dominic: interesting. So why is that

Chief Wedge Officer: Like they're all gett

Dominic: a bad thing though?

Chief Wedge Officer: Well, you know, it's not like genuine like even the captains are getting paid, the assistant captains.

Dominic: a little Gary Woodland paycheck?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: Am I remembering correctly, wasn't there a big thing about the Ryder Cup that the USA guys wanted to get paid for it and the Europe guys didn't or they didn't care?

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. But like the Ryder Cup, they get paid like a very small amount. I don't think these guys are getting paid like a small amount. I think it's like a pretty big that they're all getting paid to be there. So I don't know. It's just disingenuous, I feel like, because and maybe it's not, I don't know. I mean they're they're they're they're putting their time and they're pro that PJ Torres making a ton of money off this thing, but it's it's pay for play which they don't they don't they don't they don't recognize on the they don't talk about it on the broadcast I like let's put it

Dominic: okay, gotcha. That is interesting. I didn't realize that.

Chief Wedge Officer: my last point is I cannot believe Brandt Senecker after we won barely said this these guys are going to be a problem in Ireland.

Dominic: I didn't hear him

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: say that, but I I don't agree. I don't agree at all.

Chief Wedge Officer: my god. It was like Luke Donald was like, Yep, I'll write that one down and throw that on the wall.

Dominic: Jeez. We just yeah, give them more more cannon fodder. That's great.

Chief Wedge Officer: Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Dominic: Yeah, they're gonna replay that one for sure. That's gonna be on Freezing Cold Takes Twitter page.

Chief Wedge Officer: Right when we lose the Ryder Cup in s in Ireland, they're gonna be like, Remember when they said it was gonna be a problem?

Dominic: How so how bad have we been in the Ryder Cup? Like, I'm pretty sure overall, through the whole course of the Ryder Cup, I think the USA has won more, right? But it's just like the last like twenty years we haven't been able to do anything.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, the last however many years, twenty yeah, fifteen, twenty years, we've been the worst team, at the Ryder Cup for sure. And it's it's super hard to win in a Way Ryder Cup, which is what the Europeans did last year, so 'cause they won in the United States.

Dominic: Sure, okay. Interesting, interesting.

Chief Wedge Officer: but I have a couple people that I feel like that need to that need to get removed from the Ryder Cup, and then I have my way too early Ryder Cup my Ryder Cup picks if you guys want to hear

Dominic: Ooh, yeah, for sure.

Chief Wedge Officer: So my team going into Ireland, 'cause we were talking about that, Scotty, Cam Young, dog, Sam Burns, he's kind of a puppy, but he needs to be there for Scotty. I think he's more of a security blanket. like I mean they gotta he Scotty's gotta be able to eat dinner with somebody and hang out with somebody and you know what I mean.

Dominic: You got it, buddy.

Chief Wedge Officer: Jackson Koivin gotta be there. Xander. P Reed, baby. He's back. He's back.

Dominic: Yeah he is Yeah he is

Chief Wedge Officer: The P Reed Wyndham Clark pairing is gonna be sick. I've been on that for a while. Patrick Cantley. Bryson. We gotta bring Bryson. You can't you can't leave him off the team. Kevin doing over there. I can see it.

Dominic: Kevin hates it.

Chief Wedge Officer: Chris Goddard up, Justin Thomas as an as a basically just a cheerleader. Wyndham Clark, and then I'm going on a limb. Michael Brennan makes the Ryder Cup team. He smokes

Dominic: Ooh.

Chief Wedge Officer: the ball, cruises at like 185 ball speed. So a couple guys. It feels like it feels like the Harlem Globetrotters versus you know, and or like remember Space

Dominic: Generals.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, or Space Jam where the aliens versus like the little like Bug Bunny.

Dominic: The plot stars.

Chief Wedge Officer: Like Colin Morcala. He's

Dominic: That's incredible.

Chief Wedge Officer: a little tiny Russell Henley, sorry, great guy, but he just doesn't he doesn't hit far enough. he's great on the PJ tour. But he would be great if it the if the course was right. Like if the course was Colonial Country Club, bring Colin Morikawa, bring Russell Hley. but the w they're playing these big ballparks. They're not playing, you know, the smaller off courses. So that's my team. what do you guys think? Where am I wrong? Who did I miss?

Dominic: I was gonna shout out Justin Thomas. So like We always have him in team events because he's like a camaraderie guy. Why don't we just make him a captain? Why do we always have to go with like a retired or almost retired guy to to do like just give it to Justin Thomas?

Chief Wedge Officer: I think that's what they tried to do with Keegan and it didn't go well.

Dominic: Yeah, he's he's one foot out the door. I think we all know that too.

Kevin Spisak: Keegan's considerably older than Justin Thomas. I don't know. Yeah. It'd be weird to have like a actual, you know, mid-career playing captain.

Dominic: 'Cause he's hype. He he gets everyone hyped up and that's the whole point. So it's like there's a little bit of strategy involved, but like clearly Snateker has no strategy, so what like dom J T can do just as good, I would say. And we need some kind of switch up, obviously. So let's throw a wrench in the situation.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, I think the only real issue I'd say with the team is Bryson. I think he's just too much of a mental like nutcase to play team golf. He's just he's too in his own world to like care about like the betterment of the team. There

Dominic: Okay.

Kevin Spisak: was it was kinda fun a little bit when him and Brooks had their like squabble and then they like became buddies at the Ryder Cup a few years ago. That was kind of fun. But He he like hasn't played well in the Ryder Cup. You know, we were joking around about the Bryson slam that, you know, he was gonna miss all four cuts for the majors. but you know, wound up wound up doing okay in one. But yeah, I I think Bryson's the only one I would switch out.

Chief Wedge Officer: I just think he makes a lot of birdies and he's perfect for best ball. Like he's capable of making a ton of birdies.

Dominic: Could he is there people that don't play in foursoms at all? Like the entire time, or do you have to at least play once?

Chief Wedge Officer: No, you don't have to play you can just play you could get sit out for everything and just play singles. Like you can play anything.

Dominic: So maybe that's maybe that is a good little compromise is just have him in there for best ball.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Dominic: And and singles probably, but that is interesting 'cause the the team aspect is huge. I wonder if they they make some kind of switch in that regard. 'Cause the Europeans do it so much better. But I don't hate that take, Kevin.

Chief Wedge Officer: Who would you who would you

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: for Bryson?

Kevin Spisak: I don't know. Anyone

Dominic: JJ.

Kevin Spisak: else? Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: Anyone else speak?

Kevin Spisak: Just next next highest ranked player. Like I just I don't know. I would not be going out of my way to add Bryson. If he qualified, fantastic. Cool. But I I wouldn't be going out of my way to pick him.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. I I think that's I think that's the team you gotta go with. Michael Brennan is my you know, my interesting one. So But yeah, I think that's the team.

Dominic: He's he's the he's the Jackson Coivin of the President's Cup. He's the kinda dark horse you throw in there to see what happens. I did like Jackson Coivin taking a picture with all the wives because he didn't have a date. Did you see that? That was incredible. He was looking good. Looked like a scared little boy.

Chief Wedge Officer: Sure he can

Kevin Spisak: He looks like a baby.

Chief Wedge Officer: He does. Come

Dominic: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: on, it's crazy.

Dominic: so get into some golf news. Phil Mickelson makes the news today. This is we're recording on Wednesday. He voluntarily checks into a men's treatment facility. and it's labeled as a family trauma and addiction facility. So there's not too many, you know, too much updates or news. It's kind of just like a couple headlines here and there. but you know, it's it's cr it's interesting that We haven't heard from him in like six to eight months, it feels like. And then now we just now know that he's checking in. It's like I'm I'm there's probably something else behind the scenes we're not we're not seeing. You know what I'm saying?

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, this has the feeling of just like a PR stint. You know, go to go to rehab, say you're cured, and then yeah, not take it seriously and then be able to like get in everyone's good graces again. Hopefully

Dominic: Mm-hmm.

Kevin Spisak: that's not the case. Hopefully he's sincere about, you know, the help that he needs and gets that help, but it it has the feelings of, I got busted doing stuff I'm not supposed to do. I'm only sorry because I got caught.

Dominic: I'm curious what it actually is for, though. You know, like, cause there was a lot of somebody said that it was a personal matter whenever he stopped playing the Live tournaments.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Dominic: So like, and then if it says specifically family trauma and addiction, like what does that entail? Is it is it for both? Is it for one of them? I have no idea. But it was definitely as I'm like talking through this, I did forget that there was like Harassment allegations too. I just for some reason I like, yeah, he just kinda disappeared off the face of the earth. So I don't know. Very interesting development coming out, but I'm sure we he we hear more in the off season. So we have some some interesting news after the President's Cup. Tom Kim immediately left on a plane to Japan

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: and he's competing in the Asian Games. and then with his home country, he essentially needs to win gold at the Asian Games, and that way he will not have to enlist in military activity, which is very interesting. I I remember a few years ago this happened to somebody. I don't think it was Tom Kim. was it Siwoo?

Chief Wedge Officer: No, it was I don't know if Siwoo went, I don't know if he got his thing, but do you remember the name Sangmoon Bay?

Dominic: No, but

Kevin Spisak: Yeah.

Dominic: I I definitely would have. That's a

Chief Wedge Officer: He was

Dominic: sweet name.

Chief Wedge Officer: He was like a he was like a world beater, essentially. he came out when he was like eighteen years old from Korea and then he went to military service and he never was able to like pick it back up again. Like he never

Dominic: Like he tried, just couldn't figure it out.

Chief Wedge Officer: Couldn't he wasn't he just wasn't any good anymore.

Dominic: Dang, okay.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, that was like twenty circa twenty twelve. That was a long time ago. I wonder what he's doing now. But yeah. hopefully he does good and he wins wins gold.

Dominic: Yeah, I know. That'd be that'd be crazy. There's some hilarious memes about it where it's like Jerry Seinfeld just eating some chips. He's like, what a shame But I I do hope he comes back. Like it's it's such an interesting like precedent. I don't know what you would call that. So

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah it

Dominic: you like you have to be at the top of your sport to kind of get out of it essentially.

Chief Wedge Officer: Fascinating. And it all

Dominic: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: is about one tournament. Even if he won the Masters, he still has to go like it that doesn't count. The only thing you get is if you win gold

Dominic: really?

Chief Wedge Officer: if you win gold at the Olympics or this this Asian games the thing.

Dominic: Okay, so it's under South Korean law, able bodied men must complete eighteen to twenty one months of service by the age of twenty eight. They can exurn earn an exemption by winning a gold medal at the Asian Games or any medal at the Olympics.

Chief Wedge Officer: any metal.

Kevin Spisak: Wasn't someone

Dominic: Mm-hmm.

Kevin Spisak: close to winning a medal at the last Olympics that that was kind of a big deal?

Chief Wedge Officer: I actually think Sung Jim won a a medal at the Alast.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah w yeah. Yeah, look at that.

Chief Wedge Officer: But yeah, crazy. it's crazy amount of pressure he must feel. basically all year and you only get a chance to eat the Olympics every four years.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah. Yeah, Sanjay and Siwo Kim won the gold medal in the Asian Games in twenty twenty-three.

Chief Wedge Officer: okay. Nice. Yeah, so that's why they're exempt. while you're looking that up, Dom, I wanna talk about the Yale Golf Club. Very famous very famous club

Dominic: Yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: up up by Yale University. So Gil Hance came in, did like a thirty million dollar renovation, and the course, I guess the maintenance is is like garbage and the course looks like crap and they charge like three hundred and fifty bucks to play it still. and it's like a goat track. this is the first time I've ever heard Gil Hants like get mad, I feel like, but like he like He like even called out. He's like, Yeah, he's like, I should have never done this work if I knew the course was gonna be kept up this way. all this sort of stuff. So it's a really famous course, CB McConnell original design, Gilhan's restoration. So, I think the the university's gonna take back over management of it, they said, instead of somebody else that was managing it and and try to keep it up better. So hopefully Yale they pick it back up. 'Cause one on my list a bucket list of courses to play.

Dominic: Yeah, Kevin, go on Twitter right now and listeners do this. Go to Twitter or X and just type in Yale Golf. And then you see a bunch of pictures of this place.

Chief Wedge Officer: Not

Dominic: like there's people who said they played it in May or they played it earlier this year and it was pristine. And then there's pictures that people have taken from like a couple days ago, and it's it's a three hundred fifty dollar course. Keep that in mind.

Kevin Spisak: Gosh. Jeez.

Dominic: Yeah, go look that up. Yale Golf. Bonkers, dude. Like, I I was telling Matt, I I want to learn more about turf management. mainly because, like, you know, for my own lawn care, my at my house. But like, I I'm super interested to see what causes this kind of damage. like it it to me initially it looks like they just don't water it at all, but there's gotta be some fertilizing or you know. the ground is compact, like then maybe that's why you aerate, things like that. But I mean, some some pictures are the green looking bad, but then some is like the rough around the green. So it's very interesting how this actually came about.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. It's it's wild. Gilhan's usually I mean his courses are usually they're all three hundred bucks more to play, so like usually those courses don't have agronomy issues, I guess put it that way. Dom, you should plant Zoija grass in your yard.

Dominic: Ooh, that could be fun.

Chief Wedge Officer: It'd be nice on your feet.

Dominic: I've been wanting to do like a full reset and just like completely get it as low as possible, get a real mower and then like redo it. But it would just it would be so much work and so much watering and then it would go away in a few months because of the winter. So like maybe it's not worth it.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, I've thought about doing Zoja for my yard, but it it turns so yellow so early and it stays yellow like all winter. There I th I think I mentioned a few months ago on the podcast that my my neighbor is Zia and my mine is not. Mine's a mixture of all a bunch of different ones. My grass stays pretty green year round. His does not. It it it looks very out of place.

Dominic: You have to send us a picture.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah. Yeah, when it turns I'll I'll send you a picture, post it on Twitter. Just roast my neighbor.

Dominic: Just le just completely doxed him. so going back real quick to Tom Kim, he got off a plane and shot sixty seven, a three under sixty seven. So he's two off the lead. the the next the second round of the tournament is underway now. It's now ten o'clock central time and it started at ten forty in Japan. And then his tea time would be Maybe in like

Kevin Spisak: Mm mm.

Dominic: half an hour or so. I can't remember exactly. But he should be starting pretty soon. But we'll probably wake up and be able to see how he did

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Dominic: and see his second round.

Chief Wedge Officer: I'm rooting for Tom Kim. I'm I'm rooting for for for young Tom Kim.

Dominic: Yeah. I think everybody is.

Chief Wedge Officer: Liv issued a bunch of its creditors. I am not a expert in tax or creditors or bankruptcy or anything like that, but it seems like John Rom and Bryson are like the biggest creditors. from what I gathered, it basically means like Liv's like, hey, we can't pay you what you owe what we owe you. So like if you now own a part of the bankruptcy and you know, all this sort of stuff. I think the

Dominic: That's great.

Chief Wedge Officer: biggest joke was that like you know, Rick Shields was owed like a million dollars or whatever, or something like that. Still, but yeah, and like Michael Lassasso is now owed like a bunch of money that he might not get, and somebody was like, Yeah, so you you left college you left Old Miss, skip the masters to have Phil Mickelson as your mentor and be in a lawsuit. And you might not get all the money that they promised you. Real s

Dominic: Yeah, that's horrible.

Chief Wedge Officer: real real real you know real big brain down there on

Dominic: Well back's not gonna last much longer anyway, so maybe he gets some money out of it.

Chief Wedge Officer: but yeah, it's just it's gonna be interesting to see what happens with the Liv stuff over the next couple months. I'm excited to excited to see it. What Liv two point

Dominic: Hm.

Chief Wedge Officer: Well we got the Bank of Utah this week. Big big big week in Utah. if you watch this golf course it is through black lava. Very cool on the T V.

Dominic: Ooh, okay.

Kevin Spisak: Yes, I yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah. people rave about this golf course, so very cool. Corn Fairy Tour finals. big week for the Corn Fairy Tour guys on who gets a PJ Tour card and who doesn't. That'll tha that's all I got.

Kevin Spisak: All right. So trivia time, if we have any new listeners or anyone doesn't remember. Trivia question, if anyone gets it right, the other two have to chug a beer. Matt's the encyclopedia. This this is one like you're either not even gonna be close or you're gonna know it. And I'm just gonna be very disappointed. so dom mentioned earlier. playoff baseball time. You know, there's been some famous baseball players who've played in some pro-ams or or made a big presence in golf, you know, after their their baseball career. You know, John Smolt's come to mind, you know, as being a good golfer. so there is only one player in history to play in the MLB and play in a masters tournament. So the the trivia question is kind of a different one. You can either guess his name, you can guess his his nickname, or you can guess what masters, what year did he play in the masters. And if you get any of those, that'll count as being correct.

Chief Wedge Officer: Played in the ML

Dominic: Whoa.

Chief Wedge Officer: and played in the Masters.

Kevin Spisak: Yep.

Dominic: There is there a a tolerance like a plus minus two years or something?

Kevin Spisak: plus or minus since I'm giving you three options, plus or minus one year.

Dominic: Okay. Dang. gotta be like a like super old where it's like rolling joe or something.

Kevin Spisak: You're you're not you're not that far off, I guess.

Dominic: Ha ha.

Chief Wedge Officer: man, I know I think I know who it is. Can't think of the name.

Kevin Spisak: and quick quick side note, this guy he won six PGA tour events.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah.

Kevin Spisak: So

Dominic: Whoa.

Kevin Spisak: played in the MLB, won PGA tour events, only guy to play in the MLB and the master.

Dominic: W well I know his name though, do you think?

Kevin Spisak: I didn't know it before looking this up.

Dominic: Okay. So I'm going for either the year or you said the team that you played for?

Kevin Spisak: No that his nickname.

Dominic: that's right, okay. What did you say?

Kevin Spisak: What was meant?

Chief Wedge Officer: What about his real name?

Kevin Spisak: What do you mean his real name? Yeah, his name, his nickname, or what year did he play in the Masters?

Chief Wedge Officer: I'm gonna go nineteen Nineteen fifty six.

Kevin Spisak: Okay.

Dominic: I know, I think I have to go year 'cause I don't even have a like a guess on the name. Fifty six. I'll do older. Gimme forty one.

Kevin Spisak: Nailed it.

Dominic: Wait, really?

Kevin Spisak: Yep. Nineteen

Chief Wedge Officer: What was the thing?

Kevin Spisak: forty one. So

Dominic: Bel, baby, baby, baby.

Kevin Spisak: So the guy, Sammy Byrd, he played for the Yankees and his nickname is was Babe Ruth's Legs because he w because he was a common defensive replacement and pinch runner for Babe Ruth. So Babe Ruth would get on base and then this guy would run for him. So then therefore his nickname was Babe Ruth's Legs. Yeah, one one six PJ Tour event or cur PJ Tour events. left the MLB in nineteen thirty-six and yeah and played he played in the nineteen forty one Masters. And

Dominic: That's sick.

Kevin Spisak: and he finished third. Sammy Bird.

Dominic: Sammy Bird. Baby Ruth's legs. That's incredible.

Chief Wedge Officer: Man, I I need a beer. Or I'm gonna get I gonna get wine.

Kevin Spisak: Yeah, I'll go get a beer. I'll be back.

Dominic: my gosh.

Kevin Spisak: Got a terrible pour. It's all foam. I'm gonna be struggling.

Dominic: Dude, that's actually s so annoying. I I kinda wanna go back and see all of the trivia that you've had. Cause I'm pretty sure the only ones I've gotten right are like throwaway guesses.

Chief Wedge Officer: You can you can run if you use Chat G P T, put in the RSS link feed for the podcast, you could ask it that question, it would scan through all of our all of our text and it

Dominic: that's dangerous. I'm gonna have a lot of fun with that.

Kevin Spisak: Before.

Dominic: For sure gonna look that up because I'm I remember three specifically. Well this being the third one. Where it's just like a stupid answer.

Kevin Spisak: When you said Ernie Ells played in the seventies.

Dominic: You're just like no.

Kevin Spisak: Ha ha ha.

Dominic: And then I said Ernie Els is American. That was a fun one.

Chief Wedge Officer: All right.

Dominic: All right. Bottoms up, brothers.

Kevin Spisak: Go Guardians.

Dominic: yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: That was gross.

Dominic: Get all the marmalade.

Kevin Spisak: So cold.

Dominic: Yeah, there it is.

Chief Wedge Officer: Yeah, I'm I'm pumped. I love I actually the Black Desert Championship, while Kevin's chugging, is one of my favorite favorite events of the year. I think visuals

Dominic: yeah.

Chief Wedge Officer: are super cool. It's like a course that I've watched. I feel like it's one of the only courses on the PGA Tour that like I watch and I'm like, like I wanna go visit there.

Dominic: Okay. I don't wonder

Chief Wedge Officer: Like usually like like no Bencom, but I don't I don't watch the three open and be Man, I wanna Although it does look.

Dominic: I'm personally in fan. Yeah, I'm I'm excited to see it. I have been wanting to make my way down to Utah. I heard it's quite nice in multiple aspects.

Chief Wedge Officer: Southern U.

Dominic: Nice. All right, beautiful. that'll be it for our episode. as the the season progresses, there's a few, you know, random tournaments sprinkled here and there in the fall. So we'll kinda keep up with those. but yeah, we'll see ya maybe next week. Keep that keep those notifications on so you know whenever we're gonna come out. We're gonna try and do a little bit of a different upload schedule moving forward too. trying to get it get you the the content a little bit sooner. So stay tuned. Bye.

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