EP127 - BIG update, The SECRET golf course, & Min Woo Lee Guest!

Welcome back to the rickshaws golf show podcast everybody i'm your host rick shields i'm here with co-host guy nice to have you back pal thank you nice to be back episode 127 um apologize a little bit of a late apology for last week's podcast we didn't do one it was easter weekend we couldn't quite go undone however. i feel like today's podcast makes up. For it it's like your best apology in abundance it's kind of half-hearted gravel more please no it's not i wanted a bloody day offer right it was easter monday we were coming in to do a podcast i've gone rick please i'll come off my holiday early let's get one in the background terrible in today's podcast we do have a guess we do. And i think it's it's we've just recorded that section of the podcast it is a phenomenal story i'm going to tease it a little bit if you remember last year people listening watching they would have seen. And heard and watched and known about a young australian golf professional by the name of minwoo lee yes now the video that i did with him said andrew was playing review reverse went crazy he was on the podcast people loved him you guys absolutely loved him. And followed him ever since and he even admitted it at the start of this podcast we're going to hear off him soon he puts it all down to the facts he was on this podcast i think it's nothing to do with practice dedication hard work talent talent you come on the rickshaws golf show podcast you win dp world tour events it's that simple that's what happens that's what happens well minwoo at the end of last year was 49th best player in the world which got him automatic invite to the masters. So a couple weeks ago he played in the masters and we sit down with him and basically i grill him on every small do you think i went too light too detailed my worry was you might be like right. So first you ended the breakfast you had your wee for breakfast right then.

You went for a wee at half nine then.

You went to put you for 15 minutes but you were good i literally wanted to know everything you know what was really good about that there was a couple of things firstly i feel like everyone listening feels like they know minwoo now from the podcast from the videos etc. But i feel like he found that with us in this podcast with you he was really open really honest. And he wanted to be here and i think we've got a good thing with him now because i i think we'll get one again. And then.

Like what's that to play in the open since andrews et cetera he was. So good and some of the insights he gave to the masters was phenomenal. But not only did he play in his first masters not only did he make the cut he came tied 14th. And shot the course record for the front nine on a sunday so anyway it's class um he is uh dialing in from perth um there's a slight audio issue his actual microphone's really good. But he said he was saying he was super hot. And we discovered after it was like a bit of a fan like a desk fan yeah which which now. And again just blows into but it doesn't disturb the audio so that's going to be coming up in this podcast stay tuned it's a podcast of two halves really it is got well maybe also three thirds we've got a little third of those at the start. And then.

A big two-thirds of minwoo lee yes um how are you mate you're good yeah enjoy your holiday yes you were missed that was almost as authentic because my father i'm joking there was lots of incredible comments saying where's guy where's there was also a lot saying matt fry is the best thing from sliced bread no matt was matt stood in um you said to me before i went away look i think we should do get matt on because a lot of people might not realize he's maxis matt matt she's got a hat-trick ball that's his third time on the podcast he actually was on the second ever episode which was like november 2019. there you go. And that was an audio one they needed one in your garage back in the lockdown days. And now he came on so in theory he just deserved a little present there you go i will get him a nice firm handshake you'll get him. And never return to the podcast i know what i felt like so i had a little wind because i was upset because people were saying how much better it was without me i get very emotional. And somebody left a comment on twitter and they said it's like when you said i'm a school teacher. And he said when i'm away. For a day or something i have to get supply teacher in i come back to school and all the kids telling me how much better it was without me that's how i felt no matt was great he killed it. And the after did really well obviously a lot of people would dying to hear your thoughts on the masters. And obviously we've not chat about it too much certainly not on the podcast not been here but it was a great masters you know it was one of those ones where even though scottish shepherd kind of walked away with it in the end it was it still had little subplots drama. And all sorts so um and obviously tiger and everything else so i thought it was really good. And if anything it heats up the fact i honestly believe are we in store. For possibly one of the most exciting years of tournament golf ever i feel like more than ever there's literally more players up there who you wouldn't be surprised if you won correct that's the thing it's like there's always obviously even when tiger was killing it you had your vjs your knees your teeth goosens who were doing bits who were really great players. But now you look like the field for the open let's just say if i said to you america i was going to win again yeah yeah okay victor flynn's going to win exactly scottish jefferson like john ram rory that you could literally go watch jt jordan speed exactly last week johnson would literally go on all day it is it's. So much competition out there i think we said this before on the well it will come later on when we're speaking to uh minwoo about how excited i actually am. For the open now because i think this year the 150th i've always said this countless times you want to keep saying it it is gonna be special tiger is going to be there confirmed it which is incredible um we have just also locked in our position at the open yes we're gonna be there from monday through till the last pot on sunday night. And we'll be in the done vegan celebrating with tiger after he's just when he's open doing shots of sambuca in the eyeball the other thing yes in the eyeball the only thing i'm not showing on though is the tiger outfits have ordered the actual like tiger striped outfit. So you said there's one condition i can come with you. But i have to dress as a tiger i've got you like a tony the tiger costume like uh it's great it's great to be back um yeah. So i i honestly think with everything going on with all these with all these this pool of talent like who says mimwoo lee can't win the open well i could win the opening he won't say he can't like i just think that the depth of field is. So bloody strong um so yeah that's gonna be really exciting. And then.

Um you know just a quick one on that though what i'm talked about is i feel like i'm gonna hold my hands up a little bit here i wasn't quite on scottish after train i wasn't against it by any means i understood it was an awesome goal that he'd won was it twice already was it three was it two weed one. And he was just killing it. And then.

Obviously the third was the masters i feel like now he's actually won a major as well it almost puts into that category of like oh it's three wins. And then.

He's won three times he's obviously killing it but to win the masters i i just felt like it put like that it solidified it the like he's gonna go down in history now as an amazing golfer i kind of thought and this is again not taking any discredit from him because he's won some massive tournaments like he's won the phoenix open he won the bay hill tournament at the arnie tournament at bay hill he won the wgc match play like they are hard events to win they're not they're not pony tournaments right yeah he gets to world number one. But you kind of still think he's kind of not he's fast forward his way there like he's not cheating. But does he deserve it well he came out. And won the masters yeah by. But i should have been five it was three in the end. But he won the masters and was like yeah i deserve it that's that's the thing. And now like literally for the rest of his days he'll be going in his green jacket it is that's i must admit again i kind of am slightly team open over team masters again we've said that a million times it doesn't really matter i don't have to pick one. But i do think when you win the masters it it feels like it weirdly puts you in a different place to even win in the open like ben curtis todd hamilton have won the open you can't take that away from him paul lauren he's going to do a lot of things his career get that. But when you win the masters you're going back every year with that green jacket it does feel like it puts you in a different like stratosphere of almost fame do you really think it is that club on the wednesday night like the wednesday dinner got that picture that you get yeah i think it is because every single masters you see that that champions dinner they have. And they have this fantastic picture with all the greats everyone that's won the masters that are still alive. And kicking and can make that night if you did that with the open maybe you would remember some names that we've forgotten about like maybe if you did that. And actually put all the open champions together every year you know whatever the venue would be i do think you'd go oh god it suddenly resparked these memories of like you say todd hamilton winning ben curtis winning what they're doing now i don't i'd love to know speaking of the masters um obviously augusta national is arguably the most phenomenal golf course in the world. And it was designed by dr alistair mckenzie yes this week well last week now people listening we have gone on the most outrageous adventure ever please explain to people listening. And watching where we have been because it was ridiculous. So a couple of weeks ago i got an email from a tv comp a tv show i won't give it away yet because it's going to come coming out soon. And this director this researcher this tv show said rick watch your videos i'd love you i'd love to get you involved in a little project because through lockdown in the middle of wales they were sorry i'm telling this the wrong way i'm going to tell the story of the golf course first in an area called raider r-h-a-y-d-e-r right slap-bang in the middle of wales in the 1920s there was a golf course built a nine-hole golf course built on the side of a hill. And 40 years later it shut down right and for most golf courses that would be the end of the story yeah they tried to build a golf course it didn't work it wasn't financially viable. Or whatever it was it shut down 40 years later however. there's a number of twists in this story the biggest twist is that the golf course again in the middle of nowhere in the middle of wales on the side of a hill one of the most if not the most famous golf course designer in the whole of the world that's ever lived designed that golf course now this gentleman dr alastair mackenzie has designed 50 60 odd golf courses around the world he's actually from leeds here in the uk some of his biggest golf courses that he's done is like cyprus point royal melbourne. And augusta national golf club that was in 1920. Or 1934 was 1933 you almost forgot bolton links in 1924. well you know what's the mad one. So i was looking at i was looking at his uh list of golf courses designed. And it's staggering i wasn't mad i so wish he was still alive because i would honestly i feel like i'd do a five-hour podcast with him because how did he design all these golf courses in such a short period of time all different places around the globe when travel was. So hard back then.

In the 1920s 30s etcetera what i didn't know is i saw it on the list recently. So the golf course i kind of semi knocked about when i was a junior member um a golf course called regents park in bolton it was 25 pounds to be a member there as a junior right. And when i grew up i actually collected golf balls off the driving range there when i was at through college i didn't realize that's the golf course he designed exactly after augusta national. And it's his last golf courses ever designed that is madness. And it's just like a it's like a municipal in bolton so anyway why this particular story was. So interesting um so again this golf course is shut 60 years ago yeah through lockdown there was a very passionate very um enthusiastic golfer by the name of chris who wanted to quite simply rediscover this golf course like he remembers it briefly when he was a very very young boy riding a pony up on this hilly remember golf being played there. So over time over research he spoke to local residents old residents he's used the website is it um got lost golf links think it was called the website phenomenal i went on it how good is it it's. So cool so basically through trial and error and a thousand hours of hard work cutting back that the bracken that's on this hill which is like really thick kind of gorgeous yeah it's not nice through trial. And error through research he's managed to find all nine original greens and all nine slash 18 original teas when you said at the start it's on a side of a hill i think that is it i can't that's what we thought even when we got there like a bit of a hill it's honest to go. And we'll put if you're listening to this watch the video verse on youtube i got a couple of videos you're hitting some shots i'll put a video over this bit now it's literally like a mountain you can't believe there's a golf course there never mind the mckenzie one yeah. And then.

You see it you're actually out there and you're actually hitting golf shots and you and you're starting to see now and again don't be under any illusion this is not a golf course in any regards right now like it's very rustic you know it's this is a one-man band. And a bunch of sheep that have maintained this golf course for a lot of sheep literally do cut the grass literally eat the grass to cut it. But what chris has done is cut away all the brac. And all the really harsh um kind of um foliage to open up these teas and you can actually see teas that would that were designed by aleister mckenzie you can see fairways you can see how holes were playing you can see the greens. And again alistair mckenzie if you don't know was was kind of famous. For um like um a tiered group green and again we spoke with minwoo lee later in this podcast about the really famous ninth hole at augusta national like that's the perfect mackenzie green where it's like tiered um and anyway long story short i i actually end up playing pretty much every hole in the golf course with him uh again the greens aren't you can't put on them i actually have to put with like a three-way that was very clever because the greens are like obviously kind of short weird grass. So we had a real flag in it it was like an inner tube like a bicycle tire wasn't it it was a bit weird about the size of a foot golf hole have you ever seen the videos where rick plays. Or foot golf hole similar size to that and basically once your ball goes oh that kind of line it's it's classes in this kind of hole which is a great way of doing it you couldn't put on them. So you were in a little three-wood bumper runs. And drivers but what was mad i think i'm was at the eighth. Or ninth hole it was the eighth we hit some tee shots down. And although it's not a golf course it kind of felt like a golf because we're looking for balls and you suddenly you go from being on a massive hill to being actually on a golf course it was class it was absolutely unbelievable. So um massive shout out to chris um the tv show well i'll tell people it was the one show that actual segment of the show is going to be out in the end of may because chris has got a charity golf day. And again if you want to play in it i don't know if there's still spots left and this is not a paid advert whatever i just i like supporting somebody who's. So passionate about golf and what's crazy what's a fantastic story um he's had this now rediscovered for the last two years he's played the golf course four or five times a week for two years so he's played it like 200 times whatever in the last in the last two years no it was unreal. And i think maybe we have to head back though one time doing actual video how good was the scenery as well phenomenal it really was. So there was two things that came out of it. For me is that you know it's a shame when golf course is shut down it's it's obviously sometimes not always financially viable etc. But the other thing was how unbelievable dr alastair mackenzie is ridiculous i can't get i almost can't get over it i almost want to speak to a relative of his i wonder if he has any grandchildren. Or great grandchildren that i think he was he lived in america towards the end of his life though. So it might be based in the us but i reckon we could find that but i think what was mad about that as well last thing on this was when he was like the old cousin since andrews. Or whatever i'm sure like press record somewhere where golf has really kind of started you get the feel of the history but equally the golf courses now although they are similar in some ways they're. So much more manicured and even the things to use on them to maintain them it's not quite like playing a golf course would have been 200 years ago or whatever but when we were playing that golf ball. So you played that golf course high a couple of shots like it kind of felt like what golf probably would have been like more authentic maybe yeah even longer ago than when that was built like a few hundred years ago you know the greens back when tom morris was playing wouldn't like they are today.

Obviously i bet that was a true reflection imagine playing there with hickory clubs. And little like uh feather balls and the other thing that was quite fascinating because when we jumped out the car. And i was like is this. For real did someone wind us up here is this like a you being framed moment um. And but then.

Actually when we started seeing the golf course but under the ground it was quite rocky wasn't it. But some of the rocks almost acted as like natural hazards yeah there was no bunkers just just rocks it was phenomenal it was awesome really good i feel like while i was away you had an easy time because you didn't have to answer a dear rick okay. And i know these dear ricks or what really get you concentrated and thinking can i be honest go on i accessed the podcast email address great. And didn't realize how long so many of them were yeah well. So well done guy it's okay definitely definitely earn your bread reading all that yeah again we always of the emails if you want to send an email in uh please do email podcast rickshield.com annoyingly we're getting. So much spam knocking people from like random things like uh i have a fortune in nigeria please be my prince and marry me do you want to be longer yes off the tee yes those times yes yes sam that's a bit too long. But oh by the way i think i don't meant i don't have to mention this last time i was here i can't remember that long um i'm now part of a club. And it was a little bit embarrassing to join this club now i'm part of this club i don't think i'm gonna turn back the small wiener club i'm a founding member of that i haven't found a member of that um i am a member of the seven wood society i own a seven wood wow you know what it's a game changer. So i decided to i've heard there's a bit of a trend now seven months i think even tommy fleetwood's had one in the bag a lot of talk i mean tall pros you can't really go trying to make it cool yeah you can't go with a tall pro house because they obviously every club they just put in what they need. For certain tournaments certain courses et cetera obviously when people are paying. For gold because you're not going to buy a 2-iron. And a free in a 7-5 with a hybrid etcetera etcetera but i got myself a 7-wood i'm a big fan it goes the distance of a 3-iron right i can't explain to you how high it goes it just pops it up it's so easy to use but my favorite thing with it is because there is. So much loft on the golf club you can put a little bit of hands forward press it down it's like a five wood. And hit little more bullets out of it if anyone wants to join me getting a 7 wood i'll be the leader of this i might also use 9 head covers as well because that's the same kind of criteria you've got enough head covers in the bag i have that's the thing now i've got drive 3 we're down to 7 what it's like it's getting a lot of head covers but yeah anyway you ready. For dear rick let's do it. So matt you're gonna have to get ready to beep something here the title is dear rick i'm oh that was live that was. So good well done that was fire that was actually really good that was normally the beach when post- production that was literally live i might i might we might actually forgive you. For that time you you didn't record the podcast yeah that was like that's not carried away this is quite a long email. So i'll try and test it it says uh dear rick i'm it's not bad not bad not bad so right let me show you my laptop bits and get into this you ready rick eyes closed you can see this with your things on your temples get ready go. For it it says hi rick i've been playing golf for just over a year now i'm one of the ones who took it up properly after the first lockdown i played a little bit as a teenager but that consisted merely trying to hit the golf ball as far as i could with a crap steel-shafted dunlop driver with mates at the driving range 15 years on from that i've been going to the range semi-regular i started my first two. Or three full 18 whole rounds last year with scores in the early 120s i didn't care about the score at that point i was just pretty much brand new to the game that being said um seeing little improvements as the rounds got on. So then.

I went for four or five lessons okay quite a common theme there since lessons i've been up to the range. And even to local par 3 course uh i've seen improvement in distance accuracy ball striking and my swing as well great however. like several other people have written into the podcast before the wheels come off at the golf course i've had one round under 110 and the rest are around similar scores to when i started a year ago albeit they're getting a little the course is getting a bit harder. So he's playing at more challenging courses than he was when he first started um again. And i'm sure like many others i don't have the times with the range two or three times a week or to go for much more than one round a month i've been lucky that i'm using a golf bit of clubs i've got a few other decent bits of kit as well and most of my clubs in the bag are kind of between five. And ten years old but quite frankly i feel like i'm starting to put money into this and not getting any of the rewards and currently despite taking the usual mentioned boxing of boxes of practicing as much as it can as well as getting the golf lessons i can't see um when. Or where the improvements are going to show i can go out. And power par 4 but in the same round i can get a 10 on a par 3. what's bugging me is golf is like marmite to me i mean obsessed with it. Or it repulses me um quite often after rubbish round i can't even bring myself to watch golf videos on facebook or youtube because it angers me so much do you rick have any advice on how i can keep the love of the sport up despite pumping what i consider a fair amount of money. And time in it without getting any more uh improvement and how can i stop getting. So frustrated and enjoy it more thanks in uh advan name or anonymous name is uh anonymous okay. So mr anonymous um i think. For a lot of everything you say and you've done everything you should have done like i think the one thing that you should give yourself a little bit of relaxation with if you're. So new to the game of golf like one year like it's not a long time is it one year. And i think it's very different a year playing golf when when probably you me started as a junior to try. And do it when you when you're a grown up. And you've got grown-up issues and because that real year is not really a year it's like dog years yeah the year. For junior golfer is like five. Or the exact like seven years for an adult golfer because the amount of time you put into it yeah like if he's if you know if he's got a family he's got a job i'm sure he's got commitments like he can't just be swanning off. And playing golf five six times a day as he's five six times a day well five six times a week is what like say you needed. And a lot of people who got into golf did when we were younger. So i think he's got to give himself a little bit of relaxation there it sounds like he's doing all the right things putting money in the right places getting the equipment if he needs it. Or get pumped into lessons it isn't really interesting one i don't if you know the answer to this when just casual people go and play golf now are they always just playing stroke play all the time i actually feel like i might be wrong. So please comment below or whatever email us i think most people now play stableford yeah because i hear people say i've got 36 points of the day more than i hear somebody say yeah i do think. So do you think though people who have played golf. For longer than less than a year are playing that very good point because he's not mentioned that has it he's always got his gross scores. And when i think about the times where i i've maybe unlocked my new potential on the golf course it's actually when i've not just played stroke play it's when i've played match play yeah. Or like doubles match player or there's a situation where you're on a hole and you have to get up and down to halve that hole and like it puts you in a slightly different position it puts you in a position where you're thinking no i have to do this otherwise i'm going to lose this hole you know what as well that's a great point because when he said that he was kind of joking a bit i think. But i can get a power. And a power four well if you would that might be like three or four staleford points yeah. But that 10 and a par three is the same like a six does it make a difference in stableford i certainly think. For higher handicappers who maybe lack that little bit of consistent early consistency early days playing stableford i think such an amazing format i'd again correct me. For wrong and i'd love to hear people's thoughts i don't feel like it's super popular in america stableford no i don't think that's well i think you're right i don't think it is i feel like they played just a lot of either match play straight up matches. Or or stroke playing normal game of golf so i think looking looking at all the alternative formats that are not just gonna mean you have to contin consistently like write a number down in the box like as in like a 10. Or a 12 if you've had a bad hole if you've had a bad hole don't worry scrap it off pick your ball up move on to the next.

And i think as a friendlier way to yourself it's such a nicer format to play into it really i agree. And certainly if you're a higher handicapper if you're a brilliant player and you play off single figures you probably want to get stroke play a lot more because certainly a competition and this is why a lot of club competitions now do favor stroke play a lot sorry stable. For a lot more and they have maybe a monthly medal that just showed in it one month a year they play a medal yeah because it does probably favor the slightly better players it's grueling isn't it medal like medal. Or stroke play because anybody can have a bad hole. And if even if you're a scratch golfer you can get a six. Or a seven or an eight sometimes things happen don't they and it's just like there's nothing worse than a medal tournament or a straw would have a stroke whatever you want to call it and you get onto the first hole and for whatever reason i could treble or quadruple bogey you're like that's my round so these are my tips. For him anonymous i don't think he's doing anything wrong with time off the golf course. But when he's on the golf course try try three different new formats stableford if he's not done it before away when you get net power you met two points netbird you make three points and if you have anything over a net bogey it's just nothing it's fine it's a great format you can play match play against other people yeah i do think that's a really really good like i remember when i was kind of growing up. And wanting to get better at golf i'd force myself to play match play because i feel like it'd really benefit my stroke play scores late like the week after because you're just a bit more adventurous it's a bit braver for my interest you never feel like you're out of it with match play massively and it's also just another way of like there's nothing worse than just playing one type of golf every time you go and play it's nice to mix it up if he plays on his own the other way you can do it is bogey golf yeah. So much match play against the golf course i'm gonna because i'm not a member of a golf club i don't know if that format is really popular i think that's because it's very rare because i'm sure i've not played it. For years but say if you got like an eagle let's just say you only basically still go one up against the course don't you on the flip side if you get trouble bogey you only get yeah lose the whole similar to match players oh yeah exactly match play against the golf course. So how you play that is is if you have an a net par the hole is halved if anything better than net par you go one up in the match anything worse than a net par you lose the whole. So it's like match play but against the against the course and i honestly believe if you if you played these different formats and and it would definitely benefit in the long run your actual stroke play score and you'll find himself shooting under 100 under 100 pretty easily um and and having more fun with it that's really good advice thank you i felt quite uh sophisticated i feel like we should um have like a sub podcast where we can have like relationship questions. And you can just sit there. And talk to them because i think that was really beneficial it's because i got bumped on the head now you told me at a story which i don't know. Yet so you said you told me. So i've got a story that i want to save for the podcast and i begged him please just tell me go on to tell me you wouldn't it might not be that exciting uh last story then.

We'll come onto me and we'll leave one more thing after that forget um when you're away i decided to try take the kids it was easter saturday i thought i'm gonna take the kids get get the kids out the house. And it was easter friday good friday it wasn't. So good for me okay intrigued um we were we were going out to friends my wife wanted to get ready the three kids were off school i was off work. Or whatever so i took him to the driving range okay i thought if i if i can't work i might as well pretend i'm working. And go to the driving range so i took three kids dead excited blah blah blah. So it was really busy at trafford. And i i'm not a cure guy you won't cue at traffic i don't cue so a bargin of course i pretend i know people i could see uh don't wish yeah i'm just gonna go straight in. So i'm going with the three kids speak to the boss he says go. And go in the teaching base vip bay yeah don't don't go in these riff-raff baits yeah going to go in the teaching bay okay. So it's quite exciting for me because that's why i kind of started making what's weird though is that not only do you do that. But then.

Just walk through the american after grab golf clubs to use you don't take your own clothes start pulling them off the shelf i'll have a stealth love a pink thank you very much down the range it's just weird i maybe should change my habits so i'm in the teaching vein i'm with the three kids and and what i normally do when i'm at the driving range with the kids certainly. For sharing a bae we'll take turns so two of the kids sit at the back one of the kids hitting and we hit five shots each and swap round yeah everything was going brilliantly i've witnessed that. And it works everything was going swimmingly right um i was in my i was in my old bay i felt like a golf coach again i was like here we are i'm like teaching i mean this is exciting um i couldn't i couldn't my login didn't work anymore on the computer though i know i wanted to see if i had any emails. Or anything what did the kids say when you started talking about angle of attack. And smash factor they enjoyed that one when i sat them all down watch me kids do it like this do it like this you're like dad you grip your grip. So weak why'd you open why'd you fan the face so much what's with the really flippy hand action through the ball well don't show us chipping down i'd rather watch pete finch for that so um so anyway i had all the kids going there was a couple of other teaching pros in there the kids were being quiet. And very very well behaved okay these are my these are doing really well i'm thinking i'm going to treat these kids to an ice cream like the the blitz in it the blitz in life hitting some nice shots loving life right until the moment come on. So i've taught for nearly 10 years and taught kids of loads of different ages loads of adults loads of beginners there's not there's one thing that's i know it's happened to a lot of other golf pros but never happened to me been hit or hurt by a student punch he listens this isn't working i'm going to jin yeah um. So i've never had that but i've seen it happen it's it's the common thing you're wielding like shanky ones of the history all right well people like swing clubs okay there's some great ones on instagram where you know like you're like a coach. And you're like showing a student about where to where to swing on yeah. And then.

Suddenly it's like new golfer kind of goes all right but the probe is like they're still yeah. And the and the student just swings and wax this coach so i've never been hit so at the time my little boy is on the mat. And and i've not disowned him yet but it's getting close so i'm putting i speed the process up a little bit i for my little boy i was putting the ball on the tee. For him okay i put my ball put his ball on the tee wacky shot put the ball on the tee wacky shot right on maybe the third. Or fourth shot i put the ball on the t and to next.

He turned round with the golf club quite accidentally innocently lifts the club up and it absolutely clunks me in the head oh my god like right between the eyes like literally oh right between the eyes and i'm like i'm like stunned i'm like taking her back and thinking oh that really hurt like that really hurt i instantly touched my head and no word of a lie guy i'll show you the picture there was a bump on the side of my head that was absolutely massive oh my gosh did you scream like a full golf ball lump on my head oh my god if you want to see that picture i might share it on instagram if not we'll put it on the we'll put on the youtube video instantly i'm thinking oh my god now luckily it didn't bleed right. But i'm thinking but then.

After some research i think it might have been better if it did bleed because i feel like that was that was all like the blood yeah i feel like i was behind behind the skin. So i'm thinking thinking what the hell did i just scream though what do you do i just went oh because there's all the coaches there. And stuff it was at home i'd have absolutely roasted him i said how dare you i mean he's 15. he's only three. So uh i go over to the mirror i'm looking at the mirror thinking what do i do here. And bless him he was he was like his little eyes were like going i was like it wasn't really his fault. But um he did attack me with a golf club which i remember. For the rest of my life yeah um. So we hit the rest of the shots because the girls want to take the shots i'm thinking what we're going to do here the driving range is absolutely packed yeah good friday everyone's off work. And i'm thinking on my walk up here and it's lovely fans of the channel stopped me i wanted a quick chat watch the pitch or whatever whatever else thinking this is going to be mayhem i've got this massive lump. So i'll get my hat and i'll lower it as far over my eyes as i possibly can if i don't cover it then.

Not really i didn't feel like it did to me i felt like i'd this um. So i think i need to get ice on it because it needs to get it needs to go down. So i say bye to the golf coaches but i'm like i'm not even looking them in the eye i'm like yeah see you lads i'm off right. So come out literally come out the teaching bait a lad spots me oh rick can watch all your videos. And then.

You know no not no please not now i said oh thanks power really my glitch in my heart is like over my nose at this point i don't know i don't even know how he recognized me uh must have just been he must have just seen a beard. And a peek of a hat that's all he could see so you're trying to get out here as quick as possible to get out i just needed to leave that up space i'm like getting the kids was it more the fact you had a massive bump on your head. Or the fact you had to say your son hit with a golf club that was embarrassing yeah it's a bit of both i thought. And instantly honestly i thought to myself no way i'm telling this on the podcast there's no way i'm. So happy story on the podcast that one of your first thoughts so embarrassing was that within the first five minutes you thought that yeah. And then.

I thought also i hope nobody's gonna see me because then.

They're gonna say why don't you what about that massive bump on the podcast so anyway i managed to navigate my way down to the little cafe went to the cafe asked the one band can i have an ice pack. And at this point i like lifting my head up and her eyes like her eyes light bulge like oh my goodness there's a unicorn here [Music] so so she runs in the back like an emergency i'm surprised you didn't pull like the emergency call everyone stopped hitting balls and looks at you air ambulance flies down onto the driving range local golf pro youtuber shuts down driving we've had a 250cc driver to the head so yeah. So she gets me a little ice pack like one of these breakup ones i'm putting on my head and thinking god how how am i going to get this is i was quite bold he actually went to the cafe in the first i think i needed to because i knew because i was going out with friends that afternoon right ah you're thinking damage limitations i'm speaking. For my wife going i'm not going no i'm not. So i'm not going tonight i've got this bloody massive lump on my head no i'm not going. So um i got this ice pack put it on and as i'm walking out and i'd like to apologize to one particular individual and i've never done this in my whole life ever as i was coming out the cafe this this feather had spotted me going in. And he kind of hung around till i came back out he's a fan of the channel in front of the podcast thank you whoever you were thank you. So much and he and he came and said rick rick uh love your videos can i get a picture now normally with a bit of a fee involved yeah i'll say yes 50 peters 50p a picture everybody's 25 back in the day i'll say yes you can have a picture sir just please please call me lord shields do not touch me don't look at me directly i i need to vet every picture you take jokes by the way. So jokes yes. So he can't he walked the picture and i was like oh really didn't say no i i said no i said i said i'm really sorry i'm really sorry. And and he was the only guy because i thought if he asked it was it oh did you need the reception yes the reception bit if he asks oh there's loads of women coming over swarming you know one direction one direction you know. And i'm not here for that no i'm i'm there. For a quiet day at the traffic center it's the fact that you walk into traffic into range with the houses i am rick shields on it you're gonna get it if you're wearing that hat it says yes it's me. And then.

The fact that you were united talk with shields number one on the back are you gonna get stopped yeah. And i'm going hi guys welcome down to traffic hi kids welcome back to trafford golf center thanks. For watching like and subscribe um but yeah no at that point i thought if if somebody potentially thought it was really busy i thought this is not gonna be the only picture. So i kind of lifted my peek of my hat up and again eyes like have you got a bit of a bruise now still yeah. So my word i can see in the light. So because i've worn a hat over my eyes for the last five days so i come out oh yeah. So i come out and like massive because i have to say no to him i come out. And come down the stairs and the cue up the stairs are huge. So very different scenario to when i was walking up the stairs skipping vip lane yeah i'm now walking down the stairs like a like a little lost puppy what's weird is people often see you walking out traffic costumes are in tears because i beat you a long drive. But it's very rare to see you in tears that you've actually bumped on your head so yeah. So anyway long story short i was true to my word i did buy the kids ice cream still. And as they sat on the steps where near the end of the driving range i sat in my car feeling sorry for myself with this ice pack on my head and luckily luckily i got there quick enough i got home put peas on it i bag of peas luckily that evening we've been at the party for an hour and a half and nobody said anything. So i kind of brought it up there's nobody seeing this massive lump on my head but i think it was just a lot bigger in my mind than it actually was yeah that's the story what a fall from grace i've never taken that little sword again no i'm joking that was good it was my fault i could that was such a good storytelling i was there with you um. But one last thing one last thing before quantities amazing podcast with um minwoo is that this is tuesday this is going to be out in what three days time. So friday break 75 season two is back drum roll please matt oh. For christ's sake oh that's quite good perfect time then.

That was really clever i don't know i think i should fluke no because you just literally got guys i said christ it wasn't the worst word in the world we beat it anyway yes um we've not come up with the how many i'm going to do. Yet until until golf destroys me i'm actually going to place two i'm going to play stableford this year can you get 36 points that'll be actually quite good um yeah. So the first one is up in scotland i won't give it away it's already been filmed in fact we've filmed a couple already in advance they're gonna be coming out every friday four p.m. And they are bigger they are better. And they are even bigger scores more i didn't get me back then.

Than ever before no you know what jokes aside with what the first episode is obviously fully edited. And ready to go and i'm not just saying this it's one of my favorites i think um last year i had a great reception which we were very very thankful. For it was great people seeing you on the golf course having a laugh showing good shots showing bad shots again both which happened in the episode. So far that is golf. And i think one of the very intro of the first episode without spoiling anything you kind of say this line to camera you know like i want to break 75. So i don't claim to be the best golfer in the world and it's very real and i think that's what people really like with this series. And the golf courses you've got planned as well um i am excited some crackers. And you join me for the first two episodes yes there's a couple of episodes you definitely want to join 100 i want to join you in a couple of them. So um so yeah exciting times right from me trying to break 75 around all different random golf course in the uk to this interview now with the 49th best player in the world who has just shot 30. For the front nine at augusta national on a sunday honestly this chat is it's about an hour long it's absolutely brilliant yes it's brilliant i think you're going to really enjoy it again apologize a little bit about the fan noise. But nothing much we can do sit back enjoy yeah. And and we'll definitely have him on again near the open love to you guys great to have you back thanks and we'll see everyone next.

Week see you soon guys live from australia mimwooly thank you for coming back on i feel yeah i know i feel a lot's changed since back in was it was it june last year. Or may last year end of may i think it was i feel like your whole life has flipped around. And you are just a baller like you are just bawling it now yeah um obviously things have been pretty good since after the after the podcast. And the video we've done um and yeah i gotta there's a lot of hard work. But there might be a little good juju from you so thanks very much to the rick shields podcast and the fans out there um no it's been awesome um obviously played very good uh at the scottish open. And one that was probably the biggest highlight. And then.

I just played the masters which was another you know big step um forward. And no it was it was an unbelievable experience. And um yeah happy with the way golf has uh gone since then.

You're just living the dream aren't you right now like you're still 23 year old yep 23. 23 travel in the world you've already won on tour you've just played in the masters you've just by the way tied the front nine course record at the masters on a sunday are you kidding me what the hell i know i know um obviously i was a little disappointed on my back nine because the front nine was going. So well and i think they crept into the top five after the ninth hole. And um it came came really quick you know i i was just feeling it made a lot of birdies hit good shots um some good breaks. And you know capitalized and then.

Um at the end of the round i was like i was you know a bit disappointed that it finished that way. But then.

You know you got to just think of the positives. And because that was probably the only like kind of downfall i had four burgers in a row. But then.

I mean they were actually really good bogeys um i'll take those bogeys you know it could have been a lot worse um. But it was it was an amazing experience. And yeah it just happened. So quick i i am pretty proud of that front nine record because it was my first time. And a lot of other people have played there plenty of times so it was an amazing um achievement i guess it was ridiculous right i really want to rewind time a little bit okay because i want to come on to this story obviously sunday. And everything else can you first tell me when you received the invite because you got in you had to be in the top 50 in the world to get in didn't you. And you were 49th in the world at the end of life yeah. So so i after the last tournament of the year in abu dhabi i i came i want to say 16th there and i knew i needed to play decent there to get into the top 50 but it was only i mean i was only i came fourth the week before. So i was there was no talk about top 50 talk nothing about that. And after the fourth i'm like people started saying hey you know one good tournament you can get into the masters. And um being that top 50 at the end of the year so i was like oh okay i mean that kind of put a little bit of pressure on myself because you know i was just vibing out there. And just playing really good golf which i enjoyed i didn't have any any you know pressures and i just you know was hitting it. So well so i was just enjoying it. But um yeah i didn't putt that well at the very end of the year at that tournament. And you know on the it was actually cool story on the last hole i smoked my drive waved my hands up in the air i'm like oh my god this is the last shot last drive of the year. And i was. So excited to just be off the course because i played two weeks in a row. And i mean maybe three. And i was just like. So get ready to go home and quarantine which is was not exciting. But i was excited to get home um. So i've smoked this drive and i've had i have a seven iron into the last hole and if people know it's a pretty difficult par five um over water and i've blocked this seven iron so far right worst shot of the week into the bunker and um i managed to hit it to you know a foot and then.

Hold it but the story the funny story was my caddy at the time bill he um he was saying to me. Or saying to my playing partners jason scrivener and his caddy rants like if he doesn't make birdie we're not going to get into the top 50.. So at the end of it jason like after we shake our hand jason goes i think he just made it in the top 50. good job here's uh the nice birdie um. And hopefully you get it so then.

A couple weeks later which was probably maybe december mid-december um i didn't play a tournament um there was a south african event. And i could have played i could have played those tournaments if i didn't get into the top 50 but um there's a guy on um there's a guru guy on twitter and he uh he knows all the calculations on um on the rankings and all that so he said that i should be in the top 50 i was 49th 50th. So i mean if i didn't make birdie on the last hole it would have been a kick in the teeth because i mean i hit it unbelievable that week. And just putted so bad so i was like i just had to make one more putt. Or something like that so um it was a really cool um i guess it was just a it was just a good achievement um. And then.

I got the letter i didn't actually get the letter my letter came to my manager in america um so when i got to america maybe january february i got to see the actual card which was really sick um. But yeah. So we knew a couple weeks before the end of the year explain to people listening and watching because normally it normally happens towards the end of the year or early the this year you get the invite through the post and explain to everyone kind of how that looks like it's quite subtle isn't it yeah. So i mean you get top 50 i mean in america i'm sure postage is real quick. But i live you know on the other side of the world so uh especially and then.

With covert happening so i knew i i think i left on the fourth of january to another tournament in australia. So i wasn't going to be home um. So i think my manager did the right thing. And said oh it's going to come over to his house in florida um. But i was you know i was a the people that are already in got their letters. So i was like oh my god i'm going to get my letter soon. But i mean it came to the 2nd to 3rd january. And i was like well my letter's not here um. So i think they had to make sure that i was actually top 50. But you know some people knew already like me but you know the tournament's not going to give out a letter. And you you end up being 51 you know that looks not good for them so um no i was just uh you know i got it. And it was sick it was just like this little envelope comes out with like i i'm sure they i don't know if they write it. Or it's printed but it it looks so so professionally yeah literally perfect with um you know it doesn't say 20 20 it doesn't say 2022 it's all in letters. And it looks sick so um yeah i'm gonna frame that one. And keep it that's incredible so so do you then.

Do you have to almost accept the invite. Or is it a given like do you have to actually like message someone back. Or email somebody yeah. So you get like a link and you you pretty much just click yes. So it is it's pretty it's weird it's like obviously you're going to play. But um yeah it's just i mean i think it's just an official thing you just get it. So so i'm gonna get the link and you just press yes. So you're in you're playing in the masters obviously you've got two or three months to prepare i don't want to get kind of too geeky did you change much in your preparation. Or did you just keep as you mentioned just keep vibing you just think i'm just you know the golf course surely because obviously you've seen it. So many times on tv like did you do anything really different in the build up to the masters yeah. So we i'm pretty sure you get to go to the augusta as many times as you want uh beforehand so i got to go i got to go i've there was a week off. So i went um i flew down in the morning played the afternoon played the morning the next.

Day and then.

Flew back to orlando so um i got to play twice beforehand and obviously that's different to a normal tournament you don't really practice around before the week so um i mean it's one of the courses where you need to practice. Or else it's you know you're going to be way behind because slopes everything around you just you just need to get ready. For that course wow so just a quick one touchdown the slopes obviously you've played clearly at augusta and rick's been to watch the golf everybody says how sloppy is now hilly. But on tv you can't really see it how sloppy actually is it minwoo it's just i don't know like it's it's. So sloppy it's i can't explain it there's a lot of holes that are down. And up and you know the tenth hole goes straight down right to left you gotta you can hit a snap hook off the tee. And actually be fine um so it's there are a lot of hills you know i i think i finished my saturday round early i was second group off. And i had lunch and i was watching it on tv. And i'm like it looks so different on tv it looks like a flat chip but it's not it's you know you gotta like literally place it on a dime and then.

Let it just trickle down the slope so it's it's completely it's completely different to what people see um but it's it's it is it is an awesome experience because there's some holes that are just in the just in on the fairway. And it like the ninth hole is just grass. And it's just one green on the just middle of nowhere so it's pretty cool would you say it's the hardest course you've played hardest hmm i think bay hill this year was unbelievably hard it was i think scotty shot five under. Or something but i mean the grass was a foot deep. And the greens were. So firm like i was just not ready. For it just monday tuesday practice round was kind of soft. And it was okay. And then.

You get into tournament and you're like your putter doesn't even sit on the ground it slides when you because it's so burnt out the screens were. So it was a really it was a really big surprise to me. And there's i mean these courses are tough out here. So when when you very first played it so this was a couple of weeks before the actual masters like did you did you go on your own did you go with can i'm guessing you can't just take anybody with you can you hear me. So you if you play with a member you can bring you know three other people in the group. So a lot of people bring like play with a member and bring their dad or bring their family and um and we didn't have a member so we you could use a professional caddy from augusta so uh i played with myself and lucas herbert and he had you know we both had our own augusta caddies and you're allowed to bring one guest so my coach was with me at the time. And he came over and um you know we got to see the course together and when you played for the first time did you actually go out. For score or was it a bit of a knock about uh it was a knock about because there's a lot of i mean most of the whole i mean most of the holes you got to play to you know the left side of the green. Or the right side of the green because that's a sunday pin or that's a saturday pin so um you had to mix it up you can't just play there because it's literally like you just got to know your slopes i mean i had i had a caddy brian out there. And he just gave me so much information i had to write everything down because i couldn't put it all into my head it was literally you cannot miss it here. Or else you're going to three pot. Or you can't make it up and down because it's so fast and some chips and some holes out there are just impossible to make up. And down so you just need to know and did you have to re i'm guessing you had to relay that then.

All back to your actual caddy. For tournament week as well yeah exactly um i got a new caddy. And he's been there a couple of times so um so it wasn't it wasn't his first time it wasn't his first time it wasn't your new caddy's first time was it yeah no no he's been there a couple times. So he knew um he knew around but you know after you go there like once or twice you know you know kind of the gist of it and you kind of know you've got the hang of it well yeah. So so let's now fast forward a little bit of time it's masters week like what what day did you arrive are you there like super early because obviously the tournament starts on thursday did you play in the path i got part three on this yesterday yeah i played the part three my sister caddied oh come on certain minute come on let me save that. So when did you actually arrive what was the first day you actually i arrived on sunday night at like 11 o'clock um because we came we had a we had a plane from valero texas open. And we came over so um that was the yeah that night that night. And then.

We just went out early to early on monday and let's say that monday practice round you're getting a bit of practicing who does that mike is that yours what's um what's your name yeah sorry wait give me a second give me i was feeling cold now i'm like real hot what i'm still getting some that's good what were your what were your honest expectation levels. So on that monday masters tournament week what were what were your goals. And expectations um i i mean i got. So many interviews and i just said i'm going to have fun this is people put. So much pressure on themselves i play with scotty in the practice round and they all say just just go out and play this so many people go out there the first time and say oh you need to do this you need to do that. But you just go out there and play i mean who cares if you you're going to hit you're going to have bad shots you're going to have bad parts it's the masters you know it's there's literally the most people i've ever seen on a golf course. And you know you're going to be nervous. So you know you literally just have to go out there and play golf love it you know what this is an obvious thing to say. But every year the masters comes around it actually makes you realize how big an event actually is the courage gets over here all my friends are kind of very casual golfers are watching it texting me saying who should have bet on it really does like get people excited. And it's that thing it's the first major of the year the first massive massive tournament for the casuals you must feel there's a lot of eyeballs on you and i think the casual because it's at the same venue every time yeah they can they can easily get infested with it a little bit more as well because they've seen augusta. For many years it is such a huge event yeah it's it's just. So fun i mean i mean i i think if i had to choose an event to win. Or a major to win i think i'll say the masters. But i mean any major would be fine. But um for me growing up it was the masters playing in europe a bit more uh i've kind of sided towards the open. But my gut feeling is the masters you know that's the biggest you know you want that green jacket. And you work hard to get there of course so wednesday and by the way 100 think you will without question the the the golf you showed on sunday morning was just a joke um wednesday you're playing in the par 3 tournament it was that the first time you played the part three course. Or did you pre did you play that beforehand no first time. So it's so cool i mean i did not know anything about this course um the longest club i took was an eight iron everyone said that i didn't hit the 8-iron i think i hit 9-iron maybe. But it was usually wedge. Or under and i mean these greens it was kind of not bad. But the greens were real slow because they were. So sloppy i mean you're spinning you've seen it you i mean everyone's have seen it you you hit it 20 feet past. And it comes back all the way down you know what what whole what course does that. So it's real sloppy the greens are not as fast. Or not fast at all um because of that reason so you don't want to you don't want to putt too much and put too much consideration because the next.

Day you're putting on glass so you kind of you kind of just you know you just have to play you just get get it you know you just have to do it it's your first year doing it um i mean i played with mackenzie hughes he had his he had his kids out it was. So cute you know every hole he would hold like a one footer and everyone would go crazy you know but it would be a special experience you know um if you had if you had people with you um but it's so it's so special i mean there was. So many people and like two meters off the green and there's people and you're like what um you gotta hit good wedge shots or else you're hitting someone well who was it that hit one into the crowd. And it might have even been like scotty sheffield somebody hit one and then.

The actual guy in the crowd caught and just threw it on the green yeah literally hold it yeah it literally sat. So close i nearly hold it yeah yeah yeah i think i saw a snap in woo that you were the first person ever who's caddy had a higher will ranking in the player yeah probably i mean that was. So cool obviously yeah obviously minji was on the bag. And my sister and no it was a very cool very cool experience um i don't know if she'd like the caddying part. For her brother but she liked the experience there was a lot of people. And she got to hit two shots um hole eight and hole nine and she i mean hole eight she hit it to ten feet with like a nine iron. And then.

She hit she hit it pretty close on on nine two so i mean it was it was a very cool experience. And was she was she absolutely odds on that she was going to caddy. For you like did she reserve this. For many years beforehand no did you ask me no actually actually mom was supposed to caddy. For me um well she wanted to caddy for me she's like i want to as soon as i got in and then.

Closer to the date minji's like no i'm going to caddy. So she took the throne but maybe did you move years coming did your mom walk round uh mom. And dad walked around yeah yeah mom. And dad walked around so the whole the whole family was out there which was really cool um it's like my first time having both parents out at a golf tournament since i've turned pro. So it was a very special experience that's amazing it is what we talk a lot about the open. Or the masters which is better. And they're both so so different aren't they for different reasons and i can't wait this year for the 150th at st andrews but you have to say when you see the players with the families at that par 3 in particular it does it does feel special like tommy with his little boy frankie. And the pictures they got on stuff it just looked awesome for the families and friends yeah i mean no other tournament does it. And it's just such a special tradition i guess and you know you have your family out and it's even more special and there's just so many there's literally it's full like the whole whole part three course is full. So it's it's just an awesome experience i must admit so i went in 2018 to the masters and i went on the sunday and it was amazing atmosphere unbelievable got to see tiger hitting. And just as you mentioned saw that slope on 10 down the hill so so many things that you just do not see on tv. But i also so wish i'd gone on like the wednesday because i do really think that wednesday is one of the best days. For a spectator because yeah because you still get a bit of practice i mean i'm guessing players are still playing the real course in practice rounds as well aren't they. But then.

You've got the part three tournament you can still take your phone you can still take pictures. And videos like where on the tournament days obviously oh you can't you can't do phones on wednesday only players can have phones on grounds. But you can bring your camera. And your yeah. And your video videography camera so phones aren't even allowed on the monday tuesday no no no monday tuesday wednesday only only cameras. And then.

After and then.

Tournament days no cameras nothing ah. But you're you're you're like players are allowed nice nice i mean yeah we we still get told that we're not allowed to we shouldn't we shouldn't have it out in public um. But when we're like at our cars or something and in a private area we can do do you get quite a detailed list of do's. And don'ts uh those are probably the most the main thing you know i think i think the spectators can't run they can't you know shout. Or else they're kicked out and they're pretty strict i've heard from the players they have been pretty strict and if you do something wrong you're out. So um i guess that's why august is. So good because it's very polite and obviously the open they have such polite crowds and respectful and they know golf uh really well and i mean same as the masters it's it's just a really cool i think any any golfer. Or any human that likes golf has to go there so if they can find a ticket yeah of course yeah that's not that's not the easy bit um. So thursday morning thursday what time did you tee off on the first day was it morning time uh yeah it was mid morning. So um like my coach has been there before eight years ago and he was like make sure you just hopefully you're not near tiger because it's a joke it's literally a joke there's it's eight people deep. And you just you just can't did you move around did you see any of the tiger mania uh yeah i mean i was actually fortunate enough to you know i was putting on the putting green next.

To the first first tee. And tiger comes and then.

Like it was like one probably one person filled around the green. And then.

It was like five six. And i'm just like holy like i can't miss a putt i actually can't um there's just eyes on you just eyes and obviously they're there for tiger but i mean when he's not doing anything he's doing it was just me jt. And tiger so it was like three people when if they're not putting that i mean they're looking at me. And i'm just like i'm nearly crapping my pants so it's yeah it's a it's different when that many people have eyes on you you know i've you know you have the crowd that looks at you. And cheers you on but when there's hundreds of people around one little putting green then.

It's a bit different that's crazy so thursday i mean obvious question i'm guessing you're pretty nervous at this point playing on thursday morning yeah it's i don't know not i think the monday tuesday wednesday helped me a lot because just in the practice round there was nearly more people right there uh with you because they're there to watch all the players go through. But when there's when the tournament comes around it's like people watch want to watch tiger or people want to watch the scotties and the best players in the world so it was nearly smaller in a way compared to the practice rounds which is strange. But i think that helped me a lot because as soon as you step foot on augusta you're like holy there's. So many people like it's just it was absolutely crazy um i can't describe it to you it's just you just gotta be there it's it's just crazy. So by thursday you're kind of getting into you you roll a little bit and you're probably you're probably not as nervous as you were in the start of the week um yeah yeah. So i was oh i was enjoying it i was like this is cool first t you obviously know the first t it's just maybe like eight meters wide ten meters wide. And then.

Just people lined up and it's so cool it's just so cool and you just need a striped one you just need to hit a good one i'd have been taking people out of it i'd have been shouting before constantly you know what i always think it's mad at the first t like how understated the announcement is isn't it don't they say like four please now driving minerally it's just like really quick really short. And just understated isn't it yeah yeah. So it's it's usually there's like the speech and then.

And then.

They clap but then.

It's like four please and then.

Now driving and then.

People just kind of start clapping and it's just it's such a cool it's so cool um the crowds you know it's not that big of a loud clap but it's just like good enough to be respected and be come on let's go this is the first tee let's have a good one um. And it's just yeah it's just cool you need you're nervous on the first first hole is not that not that easy you need to hit a good drive. And then.

A good iron shot or else um you miss it in the wrong spot you're not making par or birdie so it's just it's pretty sloppy too so fast forward your first two rounds and you make the cut like yeah first off that's an incredible achievement. For a first timer you must have been you must be pretty buzzing at that point at that point you mentioned so far you were having fun. And that's all you were going. For at that point does your goals change okay uh rewind back ryan back funny story um i was playing um it was pretty tough i didn't know what the cut was i didn't know what the because there's no there's no scoreboards out there that have cut line at four over. Or five over it was just the leaders. So you you have no clue what the goal is. And you're just out there and then.

Silly me i thought you know back in the days they had a 10-shot rule from the leader so i was like um i don't know who was leading at the time. But i'm like oh i'm inside the 10-shot 10-shot cut so if you're 10 shots um in between well 10 shots behind the leader you're gonna miss the cut even if it's outside the top 55 or something so for example if the leader was level par. And you're nine over you're in that was that wasn't yeah. So they got rid of that in 2019 but you didn't know i just i didn't know and i was like oh i'm good i'm good man like it's all good. So um if i knew i mean i had to make one i had to make one under from the last four holes. And i managed to do that. But i think if i knew if i knew that the cut was going to be four over i was probably i mean i don't know i would have been pretty nervous. But i was like to my caddy i was like hey i should be fine with the cut. And he said um i think five might get in fours probably definitely getting in. So i was four over going up the last hole. And that's not an easy drive i smoked my drive best drive of the day um and then.

Hit it to like 12 feet and i was you know happy days. But i still didn't know until i signed my scorecard and until day's end because it was just creeping it was just creeping right there. So i think it was like tied 44th to 46th. So i was it was getting close wow. So you're in you kind of sneak in but you deserve it you obviously had two good rounds or you know you were right in there i mentioned then.

Do your goals change do you start thinking right can i get up this leaderboard do you start thinking where's my score in relation to tiger is there any chance i can get out with tiger like does anything change then.

After that friday evening um not really we just knew it was going to be cold. So it was like normal 15 20 degrees maybe 20 degrees first two days it was a bit rainy on the first few days. And then.

And then.

Saturday comes and it's literally like four or five degrees in the morning so like you're shivering you're like you got this big puffer jacket on and so different so different to the first two days and you're just like you're not even thinking about the score you're just like hit your shot as good as you can. And then.

Stay warm it was. So cold and different and fast forward i ended up shooting level power and the scoring average was 77. Or something on that day so i moved up from from last after making the cut to 20 25 or 26 so i moved up 20 spots just from shooting at level par and i was in there warm after after the round i was i was having lunch warm watching tv. And people were just making bogeys. And you know you feel for them because it was windy as well. And you're like yeah you know you dealt with it. But it did get very tough. And at that point i are you like looking out. For when where tiger's score is yeah yeah dad was on this phone oh dad was on my phone looking at the scoreboard. And he's like oh he was i think i was four over. And he was like two three over with like nine to play. Or something and then.

Ended up i don't know seven over or something but we were looking close. And we're like oh it could be cool i was like i don't know if i want to play with him you'd be pretty nervous. But um i also love you know love the crowd and love playing in front of people and having that sort of pressure so um i was like whatever whatever floats the boat. And i'll just try to play as good as i can that would have been mental that would have been absolutely crazy. So final day moving into sunday you are you say you were about 20th on the leaderboard roughly yeah 25th 25th around 25th again i'm gonna ask the question does the goal change does anything change at that point um well scotty was i don't know. So far ahead so i wasn't really thinking about winning but obviously you want to do the best you can. And my coach just said you know go out. And have fun make you know start off really well because the first six holes if you're level par i think it's a pretty good score um it's obviously other than the second hole. And the third hole i mean it's tough you know you got a four iron three iron into four. And then.

You got a driver and could be a six iron into the wind on five and then.

You got that uh sixth hole so i mean um just go out there. And have fun and i was i think i i mean i made eagle on two. And i was you know off hot. And running so it was good what did you get. For that by the way don't you get don't you get uh yeah. So they say crystals they say you get crystals so i'm not really sure they're going to send it to my house. So when that comes i'll show you but i think it might be glasses kind of like i saw it on twitter somewhere. But i'm not sure what the real thing is it's like just like a normal glass with eagle on it. And it has i think a masters logo. So i mean not many people. So sick have that so that'll be pretty cool that's quite cool and then.

Again just like an admin thing right does someone email you after. And go oh by the way congratulations you got an eagle where do you where do where do you want to be sent your prize. So at the beginning of the week you register and um and they say like there's like a little little there's like a full page of oh if you have a trophy or have like a bonus item where would you like a sense so send it home it's clever i'm glad i asked that question then.

So yeah you start unbelievable you obviously went par eagle. And then.

You have a couple of paths and then.

You just went on a ridiculous birdie run you had yes to finish the front nine yeah. So i um i made a 10 footer for par on one hit my eight i smoked this drive by the way smoked it i don't know probably one of the longest of the week and i have eight iron into two which is not normal you know you have like a hybrid. Or a four iron into that and i've got eight iron flushed it hit it to like three four feet hold the putt par on the next.

Um and then.

Four hit a really good shot uh hit it to like 25 feet past the hole but anywhere on that green on the right spot you're doing good and and i made a really good power on nearly hold my chip on six uh five and then.

On six i oh it was funny i hit i hit the biggest flub of my life i reckon oh not the biggest flaw in my life. But a flub on a flub a flub on uh six and i'm like pl i don't they didn't get on camera but i said please be the best flub of your life i clubbed up a little bit. And we wanted to be aggressive because if you go short of that hill you're going all the way down. And is this where i make double on the first hole is this where the pins back right yeah back right. So it's further back than the first day the first day i hit a little right and made double bogey because i chipped it up went down so uh we learned our lesson and said let's be aggressive if you have a chip from the back of the green it's not too bad it's quite flat um with a bit of down slope. And i flubbed it hit it high off the face and hit it to seven feet and i'm like yeah good job. But i i hit this and i'm like be the best flub of your life and it's just gone plonk straight next.

To the pin and went to seven feet so you're not lying yeah you birded seven which doesn't it just a quick one before we get into that what do you actually think is the hardest hole in the golf courses eleven. For me eleven is just tough i mean i think it did play the toughest you you've got to hit this you've got to hit this really good drive um usually plays into the wind. And then.

You've got i mean i had full ride into the last day. And there's water left obviously of the hole and then.

There's they changed the green um compared to the last few years they've made it a bit more a bit more severe going up to the green. So i mean i think i had two chips from on that side. And obviously you don't want to hit it too far because you're gonna go in the water so i've i've left it in the fairway still like i didn't get to the green so 11's got to be the toughest hole for me um but we can talk about we can talk about 10's a weird hole it's there's a little tunnel there that it's hard to hit your iron shot um 12 is obviously 12 is one of the harder holes as well it's not it's weird it's it goes from short to longer. So it goes further up the green yeah to the right. But if you because when there's a pin on the right you're not aiming at the hole you're aiming in the middle of the green so so if you go straight 90 degrees from the hole and left five paces left you're off the green so if you you're already aiming at that spot so you're aiming already aiming kind of off the green nearly and if you pull that you're bouncing it into the down slope and into the hedges so you nearly you just nearly got to hit a really good shot you nearly got to play kind of short and you know you don't know where the wind's going you just got to hit whenever the wind says what the wind's saying. So it's just brutal why they say that hole's so good for a left-hander yeah because if they exactly go longer exactly exactly. So you know the weak shot for a right-hander is short right. So i mean that's why i hit it in the water on the last day a lot of people hit in the water obviously um you know the whole the tournament's kind of made right there um just because it's it's it's it's not an easy it's not it's just it's just a strange hole just it's not hard when you're on practice round you're just hitting it up. But when the pressure's on it's not not an easy shot and you've got that you've got that crowd behind you on 12. i mean they they're not watching anything else they are watching you like like they're just they're just there i don't know you're hitting off shot yeah it's i mean 25 people wide i mean it's just it just goes all the way back there's a grandstand there. But we're going to talk about how lonely 11 12. And 13 is. So you go from the first nine holes and 14 onwards with um with just massive crowds but then.

You go to you go to 11th tee on the left there's no crowd on the left at all no one really near the green because they're all on 12t 12t you hit the shot obviously there's people behin people behind you hitting. Or watching and you hit it onto the green and onto the green there's literally no one there's only the rules official. And the camera crew so there's like five people behind there and you make a birdie and oh i made a birdie on the friday maybe and the crowd you know it's a few second delay it's it's it's just weird and then.

13 literally no one's there on the tee box. And you're just it's just a little lonely place it's it kind of got me um it's probably something i need to work on or learn from it because you go from such a high to like where is everyone yeah see that they've been the shots i've been enjoying the most i feel like thank god everyone's gone don't look at me don't look at me um judd i love that i love how you're just explaining that corner because i think that's obviously it's aiming corner everyone talks about 11 12 13 about how tough they are etc you've just finished nine which by the way just a quick one nine great ninth green just looks ridiculous like i don't really understand it's like is it three. Or four tiers going down it's three tiers. So it goes it goes the first like four meters is up. So you know if you if you hit on that you're going down um there's like five meters of room maybe from that edge to the next.

Slope maybe six seven. And then.

Goes back up it's these these slopes these slopes are pretty small. But severe so they're all tilted like this but there's just small tiers i mean you can put easily off the green um from middle of the green to a front pin. Or anywhere behind the pin i mean it's just i think nine's my underrated hole nine's such a cool hole you have to hit your good drive. And then.

You have like a little wedge in but you've gotta miss it on the right tier or else it's it's just a tough tough hole and i made i think i made birdie there twice out of the four times. So it was um it was cool you know obviously the last last round it was. For the record so it was uh it was a cool part when when you are six under through the foot through the first nine. But by the way how much does that sound he shot six on the par. For the front nine at augusta national not not on a practice day in the middle of nowhere on a sunday on the final day with the sunday pins you shot six under for the front nine well we've seen it first hand at king's barns he can go deep deep you can go deep he's just taking that guy i keep asking this question does anything change at that point yeah. So you just got to keep you just got to keep yourself calm i mean i mean this is a tip. For everyone obviously but you're going to control your breathing you're s it's such a high you're in such a high you've it happened to me quick i was in that moment. And i was like holy i'm 600 like that's pretty good. But i know there's a lot of golf left and obviously it bit me in the butt those 10 11 12 13 4 13 but it just you you've just got to calm yourself down because it's such a it's such a tough course that back nine can get you um. So nothing changes but you just you just gotta hit your shots every shot's committed every shots every shot's you know calm down let's hit a good shot on to the next.

Because it i i had a sense of sympathy for the guys that kind of have gone backwards um you know on 12 and 13 and 10 11 um because you're just out there and you just feel vulnerable because there's no one there there's just you're just by yourself with your caddy. And you're just out there and you just you just want to cry i literally wanted to cry after the 13th i'm like what the heck is this like i just made four burgers in a row. But then.

You're like oh you're actually 200 it's actually not too bad of a round you're still going well you would have taken at the beginning of the week let's finish off strong yeah you got to reset a little bit did you notice as well after that night was there like were you starting to i know there's not many leaderboards around. But obviously you then.

You got into top five then.

Didn't you on the leaderboard like yeah see i didn't see that i didn't see that i only noticed afterwards maybe on the tv. Or someone has told me but um well a lot of people have actually uh was watching coverage. And i was up on the tv. So that's how i found out but there's not many leaderboards out there um there's not many leader boards out there there's one on eight and at so at the bottom the people that are trending. So you obviously have scotty uh mcroy you know the top guys maybe the top five and then.

There's probably like 10 there's probably 10 names i could fit in the leaderboard there's probably five or six people and then.

At the bottom there was like three trending players. So it was me um. And a couple other players so you can kind of see your scoreboard. But you don't know if you're coming top five or top ten so you i mean you don't even know where the cut what the cut line is. So you just you just go out and play that's where you start getting your phone out and checking the leaderboard yeah i'm just checking my audio you could easily do it on the 13th t where no one's watching that i'm just having a quick look at the leaderboard. So um did you notice any more like tv cameras starting to follow you around at that point was it like did you have did you feel like there was more crap. Or anything no you um obviously if you're a golf fan uh you obviously know the masters app shows literally every shot on that scorecard if you guys didn't know that. So every shot was filmed by someone. So there's some people that are on the middle of the fairway. And there's some people that are just behind you all the time um obviously one per like there's a couple people per hole. But they all go behind the first person you play with and then.

Second person and then.

Third so um no there was no it wasn't a it wasn't different at all i just went out. And yeah had to play you mentioned a minute ago we love the masters app it's ridiculous how good it is yeah. And i know for full well if i was on the masters app. And i just played in the masters i would have watched every single shot every single day for the next.

Week please tell me you've done something like that yeah. And um it was one it was good reinforcement you know obviously you have good feedback making birdies nice like i've i noticed how what my coach was saying about my swing you know i hit a lot of punch shots. And i don't hit a lot of full shots but at the time you know you're hitting shots and you're like nah you're talking smack so then.

You go out on the app and you oh my god i've literally hit punch shots on every every shot and i'm like that's something i need to learn and i wish that was like that on every tournament. But obviously um it's a money thing and you know it's probably expensive to have cameras on literally every hole but um no it's it's special i mean it's it's a very cool app it's the best golf app you know golf tournament that has that you know that feature i reckon you've watched every single shot of your tournament yep yeah when i was in the physio oh no on oh well like of that of the masters yeah i um you know i had to look at i had well when i had time off. So i went to the physio i was getting treatment i would you know you know i had my boots on. For the um recovery and i just was looking at it you know it's fun to obviously watch there's no there's no um commentary. But um which would have been cool but yeah it was just you know just your shot which was um which is really cool you know you can use it. For many reasons but um yeah it's just it's just special it's just awesome. For people back home especially in australia because they've you know it's 2 3 a.m when they when we are playing. So they can just watch it when they wake up yeah give me your favorite hole on the golf course then.

We've talked about toughest what's your what's your absolute favorite hole oh man every hole is. So cool every hole is. So special every hole has its has its special thing about it um if you have to pick one hole i actually don't know there's so many good holes out there right to get an entry next.

Year you have to you can you can come back to get entry. For next.

Year you can only play one hole what's it gonna be oh my god maybe i don't know two's pretty cool two is pretty cool there's. So many there's probably like five holes i can say that are like awesome real like the top. But i just every hole has its trick to it and i i i i really like every hole i always love and i when i went in 2018 it was i had to sit i love the 16th yeah the path the scene yeah i just visually that see that to me that hole i i i went. For it on the last day but all the other days it was too into the wind. So it like it just seemed and it's a freaking tough wedge shot you're that is probably one of the biggest slopes you're hitting a shot on it's like this. And you're hitting a wedge shot and i hit one with shot and i literally thought it came out like a stinger and i'm like i hit that out of the middle like that's a what joke like you don't realize you're on that slope on six on the path three though the 16th oh wait sorry sorry 15 i was talking about 15 sorry 50's 16 it's very cool 16 is very cool yeah um do you mean the slope on the approach to 15. yeah 15 wedge shot. So 100 in 150 in that wedge that wedge shot is that's got to be one of the hardest shots on the course um any day you go. For it in two yeah the last day um i hit a five iron in smoked my drive hit it. And then.

It had five iron um and i three putted so that's probably what i'm a bit about that's not my favorite hole on 15 but 16 is very cool there's. So many people watching and you've got to hit a good shot or you have this funky ass putt that you have to go you know up the hill or down the hill which i had on the last day and i three putted because it was you literally couldn't stop it on the right side i was on the right to that back back middle left pin yeah. And you just can't you can't stop it you have to you literally have to hit nearly hit the crowd and let it come back down it's that it was that severe to me it's crazy obviously you said that before you went you had the practice round with the caddy was he called bryan did you say um. And then.

You've obviously you know you've had some advice of people you've now played you've done an amazing tied 14 you finished had an amazing week do you feel even after that one tournament you've now got. So much more in the locker for like next.

Time you've learnt a lot more what was the kind of key things that you found from actually being there um i mean just obviously getting to know your surroundings. But also just you just need to know where you where to miss it at augusta you just cannot you cannot it's so easy to make bogeys because you hit it in the wrong spot and i mean it's a real tough up down you know it's big slopes. And the greens the screens get so fast that but that's probably the that's probably the main thing i got from this year and the practice rounds i i had earlier in the um just before the tournament and prior to the tournament so uh that's probably the i mean. For a player that's probably the biggest key and obviously there's going to be heaps amount of people of still there um every year. So that's something that you can always look forward to um. But just the course is. So awesome you just gotta it's pretty generous off the tee i think there's some holes that are tight. But second shots you just need to be good with your second shots do you think it suits your game yeah. For sure i mean i i mean before the round before the tournament you're gonna say you're gonna you know hopefully play well. But i i honestly felt really good that week you gotta you just gotta shape it a lot off the tee which i really like you know the straight holes sometimes get me because obviously the straight shot's the harder one but like 10 i mean it just you can draw it as much as you can. And you know the fairway is actually 80 meters wide because you started out right. And you turn it or you keep it straight it's actually not too bad and if you kind of hook it like toe hook it you're actually not too bad as well so there's some holes out there that um is just. So fun it just it demands a fade or a draw which i really enjoyed so and then.

It was my best putting putting stats of the year oh no of my whole whole life probably um at the masters this year. So wow that was really cool yeah that must fill you with a lot of confidence. So yeah as the week's coming to an end. And you've wrapped it up and you've tied 14th and and as much as you probably didn't have any expectation levels that's got to have surpassed any level of of expectation you'd like to think when you leave in augusta you're looking back. And going i can win there yeah i mean obviously scotty played unbelievable golf. But other than him you know i don't think i was that far off. So it's it's you got to play there a couple times and you know really really get in your head that this hole you could par all four rounds and you're making one or two shots on the field so um i think next.

Time i get there i will i will you know keep obviously keep the birdies i think i was top five in birdies. Or something so uh that was cool. And then.

Just you know minimize the bogeys um and then.

The double one double um and you know you could be high up there that that's pretty impressive to play a full week and have one double bogey i mean that's really that's ridiculous unbelievable min thank you. For sharing that story um it was. So good like say i could probably i'd almost said we want to ask you about every single shot. And every single situation but i think i'm happy too that i'd get maybe a bit too geeky maybe over a couple of beers when we meet up again in person um well i'm guessing you're obviously playing in the open center andrews yeah you'll be defending the this scottish that's the week before isn't it yeah you're actually still the current champion aren't you yeah last year yeah yeah yeah wow yeah that's very cool. So you obviously defending champion for the scottish open you know moving into the open um excited. For that kind of build up moving into more links golf moving into kind of obviously that'll be the final major of the year um and 150th at saint andrews that's going to be pretty much great yeah it's going to be you know it's going to be special um obviously to defend um i haven't been able to defend my first tournament that i won in vic open just because i had stuff going on. And covert kind of push it back um and yeah i'm just excited to defend you know this course obviously suits me. And um i'm playing i feel like i'm a lot i'm a lot better player than last year um which is good. And hopefully play well you know hopefully get a good good group out there you know some of the top names are out there. And obviously saint andrews it's gonna be special i played there a few times and you know um we got to do that special video um yeah i got that yeah i played it in reverse. So i should know the course um but yeah it's a good it's a awesome two weeks i think my family is going to come out. And support and yeah it's going to be well if you ever do need an icebreaker with tiger you do know the story it's the that he desperately wants to play. So if you ever rub your shoulders just kind of nudge him by the way i've played the old course in reverse yeah well i think it's actually funny sorry about tiger i um i was on the putting green like i said um before. And he was he was there. And you know i'm i'm pretty confident person i just went up to him and he wasn't looking and i went up to him i said hey tiger. And then.

He looks at me hey buddy and just walks off but obviously i um i had a lesson off him at sage valley like 15 minutes away from augusta like five six years ago i was going to ask him about that. But his manager was giving me the death stare. So i didn't um i didn't bother asking about the story you had you've had the last enough tiger yeah i mean this was like as a junior say sage valley tournament um. And a special guest nike guest comes along and first year tiger came and um after the first round he was hitting balls uh next.

To us. And he stopped hitting balls and i was hitting balls. And notably gay and him were there. And they he literally came right behind me and he was like oh what are you what are you working on. And i was like oh i'm just hitting shots. And he's like let's let's shape some shots you know don't over draw it don't over fade it let's just hit some shots and there's photos there with you know he was literally like right next.

To my face. And we're pointing at something and yeah it's pretty cool i always i always share that if people forget you know i share that oh that's outrageous. So i think it's safe to say that you're gonna have a huge fan base at the open scottish obviously you had a really hardcore fan base before the amount of comments we have a facebook group. For this podcast and when you were obviously killing it at the masters the amount of people because they a lot of them obviously watched the video with rick they watched the um the break 75 in king's barns the podcast with yourself. And you've got a lot of hardcore fans from this podcast now i think you'll see a lot of those guys at the open which would be great yeah exactly i mean it was it was actually crazy every tournament after our video um i i saw you in the on the rick shields podcast. And the video like that was that was i mean it's just sick it's cool obviously you've got you guys got a big fan base. And i've just i've just you know it's it's cool to you know just from a video like people coming out and watching me and um so that's that's a really cool um achievement for you guys and obviously it's it's great to share stories that i don't get to share to the public so i hope they enjoyed this one and hopefully more stories come along definitely and i said to i said to you we should have signed him seven. And a half percent commission on everything he does since the video would we'd be retired by now yeah uh no it's honestly i'm like a proud parent seeing you do. So well and it's awesome and i can't wait to see you again let's meet up either at the scottish open or the open yeah good luck with everything thank you. For sharing stories if you don't follow me already check him out on instagram he's awesome on instagram as well um thank you for that pal legend yeah that was class i'm going to listen back to that even myself many many more times catch somebody enjoy enjoy a bit of time off with the family. And the misses and we'll catch up soon cheers mate yes thanks guys appreciate it. So that was absolutely awesome amazing what a guy what a guy i i genuinely right now i think he's going to win a major i would love him to the game he's got what we saw first hand at king's barns that time. And obviously what he's done in majors now he has to love him too what i feel quite confident with and we said it after the podcast after we played with him last time he is honestly the best ball striker i've seen still in person he's the 100 percent person yeah he's the best golfer ever well i didn't play. But being around outrageous and we've been around a lot of very very very very good players yeah. But he seems to just hit it differently he can go deep he can go super deep. But he's proved obviously that they said that nine holes ridiculous. So yeah hopefully we're getting back on again around summertime thanks. For listening everybody we shall see you next.

Week yep nice to have you back thank you quick rating on apple if you want to five stars be great uh or like the video on youtube whatever see you soon.