[MUSIC PLAYING] Dude, that smiley coffin for 61. Wow. I'm smiley coffin, and this is the smiley show. Welcome back to another episode of the smiley show. That vibe, that ambiance you hear in the background right now is the Philadelphia airport. Because the man whose name is on the show, a smiley coffin is fresh off a trip to the number one ranked course in the United States of America, Pine Valley. We've teased a little bit on the pod. If you're watching on YouTube, you can both see smiley's nice looking logo t-shirt. And also, I got suited up for the occasion what my Pine Valley had. So fired up to recap this smiley. Here's what I think we should do. Because we also have a nice half hour interview with Justin Thomas before the trip that was awesome, dug into a lot of different topics. Scotty Scheffler, a state of his game, looking forward to the PGA Championship and his hometown. So we're going to get to that. But first, just hit us with the Pine Valley headline. Hit us with the Pine Valley T's so we can come back on the other side of the JT conversation and recap it in full. Wow. I mean, what a trip. Shout out to Eli Manning for hosting this thing. It was incredible. This is a great group of people that were on the trip. And biggest highlight right now to report is Ricky Fowler, who I played today, made a hole in one on number three. No, he did not. Are you serious? OK, before we get-- was the pin in front? Where was the pin on that green? It was front left. But not far enough in the middle to where you can really use the slope. You ain't on the front branch, bowl down the hole. And there's a video. Wow. That is electric. My humble brag is I almost aced at the last time I played it. But then I missed the birdie putt. So-- Yeah, Eli almost made a hole in one today too on the same hole. So we also made a hole in one in the first group out on the third hole in day two. It's not the easy shot of the world. Just some really good shots today. Right. That's so fun though. The only way to get a flag from Pine Valley is you have to make a hole in one. And Ricky, as soon as he made it five minutes later, they were cutting the flag down. We all signed it at the end of the day. It was cool. OK, so there's your tease. We're going to come back on the other side of the Justin Thomas conversation with the full recap of Rick's hole in one. And the rest of-- I'm sure what are some great stories from the trip. But let's get right to it. Smiley's conversation with Justin Thomas on the front end of this trip. All right, we got Justin Thomas. How does it feel, first off, to be the first person to come back as a reoccurring guest on The Smiley Show? You were the first person to come on, and now you are the first person to come back for a second appearance on The Smiley Show. First off, thank you for helping us get our start. But second, thank you for coming on again as we put a little bit of a scramble mode trying to get a guess. But of course, you always deliver. Yeah, it felt a little forced, you know. And it was definitely easier for you to ask me in my own living room than it was to make a phone call out there. But, oh, hey, there's a first fairy thing, and I'm glad to be there first. Yes. I'm trying to even remember back to our first episode where the story of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sydney Crosby. So that was obviously an incredible story. And then the other one that went viral was the story about Jordan's speech and his impeccable scorecard of keeping. If you have another story in the hatch, there's just incredible that that just comes up. It's like, wow, this is built for podcasts. I mean, obviously it's, as you know, over the years, there's plenty that end up making their rounds. I did play with kids this past week. They were just two days in Holden had, and that was entertaining and fun. I mean, you know, you've done some TV now with them, I guess this year, but man, I'm pulling for kids 'cause I obviously love him to death and he's a good dude. But he hasn't been playing as well, but he's been working really hard at it, which I think is, you know, as a fellow player, you know, you respect. I'm like, he's just, you know, kind of giving it a half effort. He's going all in, but he's not, he's not driving at the best moment. And man, I was pulling for him hard. And that he, you know, I was giving him a lot of grief and like his, you know, I need any good energy. I don't need you bringing the group down. It's two sums. It's just you and me out there for two days. - Dude, this is Thursday, Friday. - They're gonna look here together. - They're going to Friday. And man, he didn't play great the first day and kind of hung in there and had a couple things here and there. But on Friday on four, there's a back pin. And I did, you know, how Harvard town is. - Is it the part three? - Yeah, part three is it's in the trees. It's very swirly, the winds. And it seems like every hole out there is a crosswind to where it's, and it's just, you know, you get a little bit of hurt, a little bit of help. And especially that hole, exactly. And I had a hard six iron. He had a good shock about 20, 25 feet and all the green and, you know, kids is talking skills. Yeah, he's like, you know, what he's the eyes. He's like, if I hit the six iron and we get a gusts, like it's not going to get there. And so he hits his five and he loved him to death. It was, it was a, he flushed it. Like it was, it was a proper golf shot that he hit. And it was just right over the pin and Rev and I both, we kind of stopped. And we're like, oh, wow, like that was a nice sound. That was a good shot. And I mean, it flies on the back edge of the green, goes right over the debris. And he's, I had to think it was going to go over the green skin. I was like, well, I didn't know you were going to, not it. (laughing) The screw isn't that over the green. Then the typical kiss puts it up there and makes it not, makes par, but we're walking not the green. And I was kind of ahead of him, but I overheard him say, you know, get very, great chatting movies. Like, you know, like that was a great move like that. You get that nice. And he's like, yeah, he's like, it was an iron. He's like, a fortune we're now playing 18 par three. (laughing) I had to do some drivers. So that's the first thing I came to mind. Cause it was about three or four days ago, but it was vintage. - When like the next soul, like he, he went right out of the middle and he let you sleep. - That was the day before. - Yeah, yeah, we, yeah, he, he shrubed one over there that should've got OB and didn't and hit a five or six iron and then had a nine iron to about three or four feet and he made an easy birdie and went on. - There you go. I love kids and we got to play together after the round of the century at that, at the course. And we actually played the other course to down the road that's like nexted lists. - Yeah, I think I remember getting some content. - Yeah, we definitely got some content. - Anyways, we had a blast. He's striked in that day. Big kids fan and he's probably one of the best storytellers. I think in the game of golf right now, you just get him going on a story I'm all aware. - Well, cause usually he's at the heart of it. He's kind of generates the story, set a curiosity over under one and a half club throws that round and I, oh. - I couldn't miss the middle of Fairway. It was one of those days, which right now I'm like in between either, I either can't stop hitting it down the middle, or I can't stop hitting the heel and then hitting it right. So. - Yeah, dude, it's a golf. - Yeah, so that day in particular, I didn't throw any clubs, but kids had a fantastic club throw on one of our last holes that we showed, actually on the show too. But so under, under under under the club. - It was lost. It definitely did. - So we, why am I here? - I'm in Florida because we are going to scratch the bucket list place, which is Pine Valley. Both you and I have not played there. The crew is incredible, but the golf course itself and what you've heard about it, how excited are you about going and the crew? - Yeah, it's gonna be, it's gonna be great. Yeah, it wasn't too long ago. I think we both, I mean, we never played Pine Valley. I think it's, for some reason assumed by everybody in the golfing world that like, you played it and not it, I always say. I'm like, if there's not a PGA toward them, there's a pretty decent chance I haven't played. Like, we're not necessarily looking for any big golf trips kind of thing. But this is one I know I've wanted it to cross off the list. - And yeah, we're just screwed around earlier. You're like, yeah, so, you know, it's Pine Valley pretty hard. And I was like, yeah, dude, like it's supposed to be really hard. And the look on your face is scary. - It's a total fear. Like, total and complete fear, so. - Full scare. - No, hopefully so. - Yeah, it's, yeah, we're there with you, man. It's all gonna be it, but yeah, it's good. I think we got what, seven or eight guys and it's, you know, whole will be there. So he'll be chirping and hopefully on my team and I'll negotiate his stripes well. And we'll have some fun. - Honestly, the list of eight, it's that our field lists of the eight that are actually going, that list has changed more than probably the Puerto Rico open feel of like who's in and who's out. So that's been like really fun to monitor of like four different group texts of like, oh wait, this person's in, this person's out. So I, the crew that we have going though is gonna be incredible and excited to be with my Carter too. - Yeah, Ricky Fowler. - Yeah, yeah, you two, you have quite the record together. So hopefully we can put a little damper on that. - Yeah, well, we're gonna definitely do a little recap of Pine Valley. Once I get back, Charlie and I definitely work are gonna definitely dive into favorite holes, part of the experience, really excited about it. But last week, top five, film head, you mentioned Rev. First couple of weeks with Rev, what has that been like? How's the, you know, just the overall, you know, having somebody do on the back? I imagine the first two weeks just kind of feeling each other out. - Yeah, I mean, it was, it was an adjustment, but it wasn't too much. I mean, I've known Rev for one time. I mean, Caddy Pat for a while and played a lot of awful Pat. So, I mean, I've thought, I like King and out with Rev. I mean, he lived down here in Jupiter. He's been here, I think for 25 or so years. So, you know, it was something just with the timing and everything, how it worked out that I, I know that Rev had been Caddy and I was like, "Hey, I have no idea if you're interested "in coming back, what you want to do, whatever." Like, but I love to have you and he's not, he's still not sure what he's doing, but I just was like, "Hey, you know, "if you want to go two weeks "and we'll figure it out from there, so be it." And that's kind of where we're at, but it was, it was, it was great. You know, I, we enjoyed probably catching up more than anything and he's, you know, he's seen a lot of great golf and a lot of great players and he's had a lot of success around Hilton Head. So, he was helpful, but yeah, it was just more fun, just kind of BS than anything. - Yeah, and for you, I think just going back all the way to, I would say Napa was like the first week where started to see more of kind of what we were accustomed to seeing with your play, was on the call that week and I really felt like you were on the right track. And since you've had a lot of top, top vibes, I mean, it feels like your good golf is really good. Is it more for you right now, just about kind of just the overall consistency of just kind of working on every aspect of your game and just kind of continue to improve? - It definitely, I'd say that, although I feel like I've been playing really well the whole year, I would say that the mental aspects has been the biggest, you know, in a hurdle for me. I think as weird as it is, some of the worst weeks I've had or some of the weeks I've been playing the best going into and I think having to manage and deal with expectations is something that is really hard and it makes me somehow appreciate what Scotty is doing more, what Nelly is doing more. Like I think when there's one thing when you expect yourself to do well, obviously you want to have confidence, but to not get wrapped up in results and not be outcome oriented, and not think about while you're out there, what could be what would happen. It's, I would say all of us go in waves in our career and it just, I've kind of gotten in a wave where I had a hard time not thinking about outcome and results. So that's been something I've been working on really hard is just playing the shot, playing, then going to the next shot and going to the next shot and just trying to get completely lost in that 'cause I've watched Scotty, you know, when a lot of golf tournaments on whether it be on TV in person, played with him for the first two days of players and it's just, he is lost in that process. And if you add that, I think with an extremely high quality level of golf, it's just something that's really, really hard to beat. So that's kind of what I'm working toward. - Yeah, and winning takes so much out of you too. You know, just playing every single shot and not getting lost in outcomes, kind of like what you were just talking about. And I asked you yesterday 'cause we were just trying to put into a little perspective of how good Nellie and Scotty's run has been four out of five for Scotty and five out of row from Nellie. And you mentioned that you're back-to-back wins and Hawaii said you just played incredible, but I remember how lost you were that week and just, I mean, you were playing incredible obviously, but the metal side I could just see from sitting with you at breakfast that you were in the zone. So when you just talk about Scotty and Nellie and you working on the metal side of the game, how does somebody manage expectations because it's easier said than done, but what are some of the things that you're working on is besides just being in every single shot? - It's just one of those things you unfortunately have to experience and I would say go through and just do, you know what I mean? Like you have to be going through it. It's not something that I can sit on the couch over a year and be like, "Oh, Tae, like when I'm out there "and I'm 300 through whatever," like that's when all, no, it's, you have to be out there and get off to get started on a Sunday and have a chance to make a charge and not get wrapped up in the leaderboard and understand, like I felt like a Bay Hill was a great learning experience for me on Sunday 'cause I got off to a great start and I think I was like four, three or four hundred through nine and- - That's of course, if you remember that. - Yeah. - And I had a great shot in the nine about, well, 15 feet and happened to look up at the leaderboard and I was a couple back and I was in second place and like, you know, I could easily go shoot two or three under on this back on and win this golf tournament. And I just had played 10 well and it's about 10 to 12 feet and I felt like it had to meet that puck or just to kind of, hmm, he do what I'm going and I missed it. And then I felt like I needed to start forcing it and I played the last feet, holes, terrible. And when in, you know, you look at the PGA that I wanted, it's Southern Hills, like I was eight back with 10 to go, I had absolutely no business winning. Was it looking at leaderboards? It was just like, I'm just trying to play each hole the best that I can. And next thing you know, it just kind of falls into your lap and there's just something to be said for that. And I think the more often you get yourself in those positions, the more it works out for you, but also the more you're able to learn from it, I guess. - Yeah. And I feel like the best players in the world, like yourself, I think Jordan as well, I think you all are so good at being able to read the leaderboard and being able to get out there that day and know what a good score is. And then what, you know, just by looking at how the leaderboard is developing, what you need to do. And I think part of that is when you're three or four groups behind the final group and you know, it's like, all right, the guys behind us are maybe not proven to necessarily win that event. And you just know, if I just get my name up there early, this is probably going to hold. And I think that's kind of part of the game in which a veteran like yourself is able to kind of, you know, kind of lean on that experience when you get into situations like that at Bay Hill. But for you, would you say that you watch leaderboards a ton out there or like, how do you keep your head out of fun? - I'm in a phase right now where I don't as much because I'm not handling it as well as maybe I haven't passed or, but would you say you're really good at like seeing the board and be like, all right, this is going to be the number and... - Yeah, it's generally, I would say it's definitely depends on the course and you know, it's weird. It's one of those things I feel like, especially going into a Sunday, you would love to be leading. - Anything you're not, it's like you're like the PGA being, however, I think I was what six or seven back going into Sunday, but I only had like five people in front of me. - Right. - Versus being four back and have 13 people in front of me, like that's a big difference, you know what I mean? And it's just little things like that of being able to pick up on, but then again, it's also you have so many young talented guys and so many, not even young, but just guys that are out here proving themselves, you know, at a different point in their career where everybody just wants to win and seem to be, you know, doing it well and handling it pretty well. - And just overall, kind of your state of your game, we've talked about your good has been really good and you've been working on just being a little bit more consistent in your metal game. Just can you break down your ball striking, your chipping, your putting, just how you kind of feel about every aspect of your game right now? - It also is good. I really would like to drive the ball better. I feel like I'm driving it pretty well, but I'm not driving it great. You know, I drove it really, really well at Bay Hill, which was important and I felt like that Iron game, you know, let me down a little bit there. And it just is, I think that's something that's so, so underrated about Scotty's. He drives it so, so well. Like it's not the, you know, the launching at 17, spitting at 1,800, flying 330, like Roy McElroy on a string kind of thing, but like Scotty's sitting, you know, 70 to 80% of his fairways and you combine one of the best iron players all time when they're hitting out of the fairway that often and the par threes and like, it's just, it's gonna be harder to screw up. And you know what I'm saying? And it's, that's something that personally, I would like to keep getting improving on as hitting more fairways and driving it, driving it better because then I'm able to use the strength of my game and my iron play. - Right. And the chipping and the potting, like you're always been a fantastic chipper, but the potting is something that I feel like you've worked really hard on, like, not just so, the last year, I feel like the last like four years, it's been something you put in that, this is all up. - For sure, I mean, you know, we're always working and I think I, the putting is obviously, it's so important. You have to, you have to putt well and you have to make those putts when you need to, but at the same time, my DNA is my iron game. It's my ball striking, it's my wedge game and it's capitalizing and taking advantage of that. Obviously, I fully understand and I would love to have, you know, positive for whatever, for a putting shirts gain for a week. At the same time, like, give me my DNA, give me what I have been consistently good out of my career and that's gonna be something that is gonna keep me a term. It's more often and then all of a sudden, I get a hot putting week and I could win by five or six. And I'm always, I mean, we're always gonna want to improve in every part of our game, but for putting for me, it's just simplifying it and making it a little more athletic, like the rest of my game is kind of what I've been working on, I'd say. - And you definitely kind of brought up a great point about Scotty and how well he drives the golf ball. He hits a lot of fairways, hits it far, hits a lot of kind of these squeeze shots too when he wants to. And we were talking about this over the last week or so and maybe not answering for yourself, but for other players. Right now, when you go up against Scotty on this Sunday and you're very close to him on the leaderboard, do you feel like you have to play perfect golf because he's not gonna make a mistake? Or do you think it's kind of the play where you start watching him a little bit too much? Maybe not answering for you, but for other players. - I'm sure I haven't doled it out with him in a tournament really that close to death. It's a probably gives a very accurate statement, but I mean, just watching his, you know, his golf, I mean, he made one bogey and one double and 72 holes coming off of the major history prior. So like, I just, I don't think people understand like how insane that is to win a golf tournament takes a lot out of you, to win a major takes more out of you and to win the Masters with how difficult the conditions were after coming off of first to first and a second. Like it's, it just, it shows how much in control and how much of a zone and just a role he's on. And so I think it, stuff like that, it does make everybody think that they have to be perfect, but that being said, that that could also end up being the reason that he's able to win so many times. I think you, you know, guys, how often you would see, I mean, you never know, it could have been something where maybe he's logic or calling it. And on 11, like, you know, I have to make birdie here, I have to do this and it's like, when Scotty's just like, I just, I'm just going to arm to death, you know, I think there's definitely situations where certain courses force you to play differently. But I think, you know, you look at all the greats and, you know, when you win, who knows how many times it's going to win over his career, but you could easily go back to a lot of my wins and I was probably given just as many as I want, you know what I'm saying? - Yeah, that's such a good point because that's, I do feel like there's an arc to winning golf tournament. It's like you need, first off, you gotta have, like you gotta be in the situation to win, that and that of a Sunday. But it always comes down to like just a little bit of luck and you obviously got to have the talent to be there, it's a win on the PGA Tour. So there's just like this crazy formula that it takes to win where you've, you've seen players like Tommy Flew would put themselves in howless times the win on the PGA Tour hasn't gotten done. And then you have random situations like me who didn't put myself in a situation at all the win on Sunday. It was just handed to me because I had just happened to get hot. There's just so many different ways to win on the Tour and that's why I wanted to ask you about the leaderboards and all the certain ways of winning and having it handed. - Yeah, it's interesting. It is, I remember my year on the Corn Fairy, like I had a lot of chances to win and I had never got it done and it was frustrating. And I was like, I'm playing good enough to win. But like you said, it's, you know, to go off to Tommy Flew would like, he's going to, well, he's going to not only win, he's gonna win a big golf tournament. He's couldn't, you know, he's gonna win a major. Like he's that good, but more importantly, he's putting himself there as often as anybody. So at some point, it's just a percentage game. Like it's going to happen. But when I was, what I started with, when I was on Corn Fairy is that I had a lot of chances to win and I was getting frustrated and pushed it and I couldn't get it done. And the pull out of that in Columbus, I was like, I looked at a leaderboard with, you know, on Sunday, I was like four back, a four to go. And I'm like, well, it's like, I can't win, but, you know, every dollar matters. It's just getting, you know, move my position up, whatever. And, you know, I birdied maybe one of the last four holes and like, felt like I got in solo second. I'm, you know, I finished. I'm like, great, that's awesome. Richard Sarti Bogey is like the last three holes. Next scene, you know, I'm going to play off. I birdied the first play a hole I win. And I'm like, holy s***. - It's been done, it's awesome. - It really is, it, I mean, you know, it's just sometimes and I mean, that happened to Jordan at RBC like last year. You know, like he birdied that last hole in it. You know, he fist pumped and he was, it was to like go to fourth and how often, or third or fourth, like you finish 18 and you have like three or four people ahead of you. And they're on like 13 or 14. You know, like you're thinking like, all right, awesome. Like I hope that holds a top five finish. And then it's like, oh wait, I forgot. It's really hard to win. Just and these golf courses could play tough. And next thing, you know, he's gonna play out. So it's just, it's, it is. - It's essentially gone because I like it, it's shocking. I mean, 'cause I, you know, I'm constantly out on the ground and sometimes second, third to last group. And, and I just watch, you know, what I'm, 'cause when we say this is a must-make putt and happens a lot because you know that the guy's behind it. But sometimes it's just reading that last guy and we're not gonna continue on with it. But something that's really interesting is that the PGA Championship is coming up. I know you are probably a little excited about going back home and playing in Louisville. Are we gonna be announcing on the first tee that we're from Goshen Kintati that we? - Yeah, I'll be, I mean, I'm announced in Louisville every week, so I'll definitely go. - Are you? - Yeah. - Oh, really? I thought it was Jupiter 4? - No. - No. - I think maybe my rookie year or something like that was, and then so. - I was Goshen the first couple of years and to be perfectly honest, like, how difficult of a time the announcers had for an audience. - So there's room. - It's like, is it Goshen? Does it come like, just make it Louisville? - And now at least. - Worst case scenario, and they just say Louisville weird, but the whole Goshen Goshen thing, like, let's just make the seeds to the self. I've been Louisville doctor a minute. - I mean, how good is that gonna sound on either the first or the 10th tee when they are now tuning from Louisville, Kentucky? I mean, that's something that I've always dreamed about playing at Birmingham that I've had a chance to, but for you, like, that's gonna be probably the coolest thing ever. - Yeah, I'll be selling a lot of emotions. I'll be very, very nervous, very anxious, excited, but, you know, it kind of goes back to it. I just, I wanna need to get my own little world and, you know, enjoy this support and everything, but, you know, I just, I'm out there to try to win an off tournament, so, you know, hopefully just get in the mix in the back now on Sunday. - See what happens. - What are your impressions of Ohio, just for folks that have not seen it on TV or didn't watch the Ryder Cups or past majors? - You know, I think it's, it doesn't, I wanna say it gets a bad rap, but doesn't get as much credit as it deserves. You know, I think people, you know, they see a PGA maybe at a, you know, a Southern Hills movement or a Betpage or, you know, whatever it may be, and they're like, ah, you know, Vahal and Louisville, Kentucky, but like, look at the tournaments, it's produced and it's insane, it really has. And obviously, of course, I'm gonna be biased toward it, but, you know, you've had two playoffs. I mean, yeah, you know, Kenny Perry almost got it done. I think it was like 96 against Mark Brooks there. And then obviously, you know, any golf fan knows the Tiger Bob May situation. And it's produced some unbelievable golf targets, really has. And then you have Rory winning, you know, the last, literally at the last second of daylight, you know, against battle and against Phil and Rick there. So I mean, it's, it has really, you can say what you want about the course, but it has honestly given some great, great PGA championships and, you know, hopefully it'll do the same. - Yeah, well, we're looking forward to, and I know Justin is also really excited about playing Louisville. I'm really more excited about the content from all the Louisville boys on the group chat from that weekend. That's gonna be incredible. And on the way out, we have all of these amazing trophies, the trophy cabinet that I took credit for today, when we record our podcast, you know, I forgot about that I won. I was part of the President's Cup, the CIMB. I was sick and credit for everything. But we have to mention your, I want to hear your answer, and then I'll give you my answer for what I think is your most impressive win. What would you, how would you answer that? Akron, signing me close. - Thank you. I was, I was going to make sure that that was going to be the answer. Akron. - Yeah. Yeah, Akron after it was the WGC, it was, yeah, it was the star right here. We can stand up. - We can stand up, right? - Yeah, there it is. - Very clear. But no, it was right after Jordan's basketball party. Yeah, I'm going to be honest, I didn't have a business winning a golf tournament. I didn't have a business playing an golf tournament that we can't let alone. - I wasn't good till Friday. I don't know how you tee it up. - Well, I mean, I'm going to pick on that. - That's the price, yeah. - I remember I got it. - Very well said. - You know, contacted a doctor. I'm like, you know, I just had a rather large trip. And this is like, I mean, I need something, give me. And I was like, can I get an IV? Can I get whatever? Go in, get an IV and looking for a van. They're like, we can't, you know, we can't give you an IV or too dehydrated. I'm like, I'm well aware, man. And that's when I came here, I'm here to get dehydrated. So, that was a tough, tough scene. That was a very humbling experience. And I'm not proud of it, but I am proud of it. - I mean, you weren't by like, like you wasn't even... - It was some of the best golf I played. Yeah, like I, it was the most, arguably the most control I've had to eat a green, especially at a golf course, if you know an Akron where it is not, not friendly, it's... - I've hit two fairways and a round out there. Let me tell you. - Are you trying to drive it though? - Not fun, it's not great. - Yeah, it was, yeah, like you said, it's a no brainer. The most impressive one that can't... - Being repeated is... - Haven't had to be said, it's probably a lot more difficult to do that at the age of 30. So, we'll just keep that in our past and we'll keep hydrating before big time events, especially as we're gonna see this guy. Next start is going on. - And Charlotte. - Charlotte, then we go head to Louisville. So, here we have it. We haven't tried either Greek tonight. - Um, Charlotte, the boss side of that. - Good call, good call. All right, Justin, Thomas. - Thank you, buddy. - Emmet, you got it. - There you have it. - Smiley's conversation with JT, as noted, the first repeat guest on the show. So, big one for JT. He was the first ever guest on the show. He was the first ever repeat guest on the show. And I thought, I mean, for a casual conversation in JT's office, a lot of cool stuff in there, like breaking down the psyche of chasing Scotty. That's gotta be something a lot of guys are thinking about right now and to hear him like go into that. And then also talk about winning in general. I thought it was a really cool conversation you two had. - Yeah, it really was. I didn't intend to have Justin come on to podcast. You know, I really feel like those things should be arranged in advance, not like a, hey, we had somebody bail last minute and we need somebody to fill out a podcast. But, you know, we have been wanting to have a guest come back on like JT, you know, just to check in, basically like, hey, we want to continue to have great conversations with the best players in the world, not just do it one time. So it was really nice and JT to do that. And how about two? I mean, just casually, while we're out on the golf course today, we find out that he made $30 million. (laughing) - That must be, I was wondering, I saw that come through and I was wondering about the mechanics of that at Pine Valley, you know, just like you're out there playing the greatest course in America. And then you just find out that you got 30 extra million, your bank account. I mean, I gotta, did he know that was coming? Or was this sort of a surprise? - I'm sure he knew who was coming and who knows, but still, if it was me or you, we would be doing swan dives in the water and you would have never really known that he had a financially crazy, awesome day. Like, he didn't change his tune, he didn't change his conversations, it was just, all right, you know, what's the next shot or what are we talking about? - A lot of life. - So I thought that was pretty cool, right? - Yeah, I'd say pretty cool as an undersell. That's pretty, that's awesome. So, well, so let's get right into it. Let's get into the trip. And the first place we gotta start, Smiley, is, you know, this, if you're watching this on YouTube, you know, perhaps more than likely have seen the videos of us playing Spyglass Hill, you know, of us playing Pacific Grove and 60 mile-per-hour wins. That was back around the AT&T Pro Am. People wanna update on the state of the game. Pine Valley, notoriously, hard course, which I was delighted to learn that you were just finding that out when you, when you arrived at it. - I did not know. - Hard course, very hard course, as you might launch a number of times. So, let's, how'd you play? Let's start there. - I played the member C's. I played with Colt Nosed, and I were in the fourth sum together, playing with the first day we played with one of Justin Thomas, his good friends, William Sellers, and Theo Epstein, so he got used to be the GM for the Cubs - Red Sox. - And the Red Sox, part of the Fenway group, so he's kind of involved in all the PGA tour stuff as well now. - It's a super dude, Theo and I lost at Colt and Willy won down on 18. So, like we were coming back, and I hit this incredible wedge shot on 16. It spun it back in the water. It was my only complaint about the golf course is it didn't make sense why the screen should do that. But anyways, we had this, we played the member C's. So, for me, I thought the member C's were more difficult, because I don't hit my three-yard and three-wood very good. I don't hit it very straight. So, I'm a much better driver, like when I get it going. And I just never got comfortable with like a go-to shot with a three-yard or a three-wood. So, I was, you know, I couldn't, I was just off the fairway, some of the holes I was a little bit more off, but you can't miss fairways out there. - Yeah. - And, or you're pitching out in the fairway, I've never played a golf course as demanding as Pine Valley. It's easily as good as advertising. And I think probably, if not my favorite golf course I've ever played, it's right there. - Here's the thing about Pine Valley that if you're like an architecture nerd, and I don't think, I feel like I'm scratching the surface on architecture, you know, nerdiness, like there are definitely people out there, there are podcasts out there that go in and much further detail on these sorts of things than you and I do on this show. But I will say this, it's really cool reading about the origins of Pine Valley, because essentially the way this course was designed was with an all-star cast of all the best architects from that era, where George Crump was just like, hey, can you come out and take a look at this hole? Can you come out and take a look at this hole? You know, Alister McKenzie, you know, Stevie McDonald, and then all of a sudden you have this thing put together that's like, oh wow, like this is, it's just, it's the greatest hits course. And I agree with you. I mean, it's a very tough demanding course and you've got to kind of like remind yourself, like, hey, I'm at Pine Valley, like let's take a deep breath. It's eating my lunch, but we're still having fun here. - That was me. - Well, and I'll say to like, you're talking about like that, I don't know if we played one up from the member teaser where we played when I last played, but like Hell's Half Acre, that massive bunker, but you can't hit a driver there, right? You're like, this is par five that you hear about, like you have to like three woods short. - I think it's a fair way. - And then you gotta, it's narrow, right? And if you hit it like, if you run it into that to, you know, Hell's Half Acre, you were so hosed because you're like, what do I do here? Like, I gotta pitch out, but I gotta carry it like 130 yards. And then I gotta also not run through the next portion of the fairway. And then, you know, so like, if you leave it short, then you're hanging on a long iron. And then you gotta hit like a, you know, a really nice approach wedge into that green. I made birdie there last time out. And I was like, that was such an accomplishment. - Today I hit three wood, well to the right, punch out to about 320 driver off the deck into the front bunker and then hold a bunker shot for birdie. - No, that's electric, that is so electric. - We're not gonna talk about the first six or seven holes before that. - Yeah, that's, there's some tough ones in there. So okay, so maybe demanding tests, you really liked it. Maybe it didn't play as well as you would like to, but still, so let's, let's start, you're talking about the holes. Like let's go through holes that kind of stood out to you. - God, you can go, I could have a list of every single hole and tell you why it's a great hole. Seriously, I think number two is such a cool hole. - Do you remember when we were standing on the, on the T box at two with spy? I mean, completely different thing, but you know like that, that downhill T shot and then like the uphill approach and obviously it's a bunker differently at Pine Valley, but like that's way harder. - Two is such a good hole. - Yeah, it's way harder. But yeah, I can see what you're talking about. - Two is really cool. I loved how five looked. I thought it was probably one of the hardest part for these I've ever played. JT hit this five wood today in the 250 and you can't miss a right. He drew it to a backhand. It's an eight feet, no birdies. And I had the club president watching me get a three iron and I haven't hit this three iron on the map for the last two days and I've already high on a couple earlier in the day. And I'm like, just make contact. And I hit it on the green. I was like, wow, that was huge. Let's see, where else am I to go here? I think number eight, that little short par four where it has two breeds. That one's a really cool hole. - Was the green left or right today? - It was left. It was left. - We had it right on our day and right is like a postage stamp. And I hit that green with like a gap with or something and I was like, that's one of the more impressive golf shots fair hit in my entire life. Like we're walking now. - Let's see, as we go on further on the back, I mean, shoot, 11's great, 12's fantastic. 13 is a really cool, over the hill, doll like left, 11's great, that green shapes. And every hole coming in, 14, 18, but I would probably put 14 is my favorite of that group at par five. I think it's really cool the way it shapes up the hill and the green is just insane. I don't know why I'm picking the holes I've only made birdie on, but I'm birdie that was twice. So, and then any things, it's a cool finish or green. So, which is you always like to see the last hole of the 18th hole being a, you know, not a let down. And it was just as good as the other ones. It just says fantastic golf course. Do you ever get an opportunity to do it? You can't pass it up, but if you haven't watched the flyovers on golf, I guess, that kind of gives you a feel for it, but yeah. And then Ricky making a whole one on three, I think I'll always remember that over two now. - Well, so, and that's where I want to go next, was like, let's just empty the entire chamber of stories that you have. Like, I'm sure that there were a lot of great stories with that crew on this trip. So, let's start with like, like set the scene for, you know, you're a broadcast, you call shots for a living, like walk us through the play by play of Ricky's hole in one, never gonna happen around it. - So, Justin, right before he had hit, it was me, Lily Sellers, Justin, Ricky playing together. And we were in the second group. And the tee box is really close to the green on four, but the pin was up. So the guys were kind of right behind the green, the group in front of us. And Justin grabs a seven iron. He says, you're gonna want to get this one on video, I'm probably gonna make it. So it was just like, I think, it was already like he would in our brain. So like, okay, let's get the phones out. And he has his money, seven iron, came up short in the bunker. But I think it helped Ricky knowing that he could hit it. He needed to hit his seven iron and it came off perfect. And I'm watching in the air and as soon as it landed, it was like, I think Justin was the first one to say, oh my God, it's gonna go in. Next thing you know, just paint about him. Justin jumped on Ricky's back immediately. And they were just high five. And then like, we made so much noise, the group in front of us was on the green. They were dancing around too. It was, it was pretty dank cool. - That is, that is absolutely unbelievable. And that's so cool. So, so they took the flag off that pin, took it right in, everyone signs at the end. Do they frame a form? Was he used to take you with him right off property? - I'll tell it over with him. - Yeah. - I told him, if he wanted to keep his golf ball safe, you know, to frame it, that I could play with it the rest of the day. It would be really safe in good hands. - I, I, did he take you up on it? I'd be stunned if he didn't. - If he saw me the first couple of holes, I mean, Godly, I, I will say when it comes to the state of my game, just, I gotta find a way to get like a go-to shot with like a three eye or a three wood. 'Cause I just am like not finishing my back, swinging and just getting quick from the top over the top. So I just feel like I can't ever hit a draw or anything low. So I gotta, I gotta figure that out. So it was, that place is gonna expose you though. Like just a really hard golf course. You know, I, I played pretty good couple of times ago, like last week and felt like my game was in a good spot, but it just is a, just, just a man of golf, man. It, it definitely exposed me. - Well, I feel like the thing about that place, and I think the test of any, you know, a league golf course in a lot of scenarios. It's like, of course it's narrow off the tee, but if you, especially if you're playing the member's tees for someone with, you know, Tour Pro length, like you have, like if you can find fairways off the tee's, you know, you're, you can hit, you know, you have a chance, right? You have a chance, but then it's these demanding approach shots where, you know, for the most part, you can play courses where you're like, if I just hit it in the center of the green, I'm fine. Not necessarily the case at Pine Valley. Like there are places you absolutely cannot miss it. There are undulations on these greens that just make them so tough. And so it's like, you kind of have to, you kind of have to hit, you know, approach shots that are more demanding if you want to like not three Jack every green. Now maybe more easy for you than, than for me, but I feel like a lot of times I'm like, do I want to hit this in the center of the screen? Like, you know, it, it just, I don't know. That, that felt like very challenging. And then also when you're not hitting it good, when you're not hitting approach shots good, then the score just starts ballooning. But I mean, it's, it's just, it's just such a cool piece of property. I, I felt like, I assume you guys spent a ton of time on, that's gotta be the greatest practice facility in America. - Yeah, we had some balls for the round each day. Incredible, absolutely. Probably one of the best I've ever been around. Besides I like staying in the lodge on property, doing dinner that night where a coat and tie and all the, all the members that have their groups there. - To the Red Tapper soup. - I didn't need anybody else's, it looks great. I just didn't need it. But man, geez, just, I think it's really cool. You know, everybody goes into cocktail hours before dinner. Kind of just hang in, you know, you beat a couple of different groups or members where they're from. And just, it's a really amazing golf experience. So happy, I'm invited and dinner was great too. And it was funny that the one like inside joke that we're still laughing about after dinner, you know, where everybody's kind of done like eating and nobody really wants dessert. And I think, I try to remember who ordered like the nil ice. I mean, I think it was an Eli. So give me some vanilla ice cream. And I like yelled across the table like, you know what, I'll take a decaf coffee. And everybody thought that was like the silliest order of all time, ordered a decaf coffee. And now everybody, like the rest of the weekend, it was just a bit about, about drinking decaf coffee and why it's pointless. But then like heading home, like Theo grab a decaf coffee at Starbucks. So just, I think the inside jokes of any golf trip, I think it's something that always is, it was funny to us. I'm sure it's funny to have people listening to that script. We had a lot, a lot of good laps, especially that first day with Colt and I playing. We were going back and forth. I mean, we already burned that scorecard. That first day was a tough scene for us, you guys. But boy, do we call it good golf shot when we were over the golf ball? We were throwing it back and forth. - I love hearing that. I mean, that's the reason why you go on a golf trip anywhere. I mean, of course, it's amazing when it's a place like Pine Valley. But you know, the group chats before and after are always, you know, the ones where you're getting hyped up on the front end, but then it's a group of guys you probably wouldn't be texting on the back end necessarily in that group. And it just keeps going on and on and on. The decaf coffee thing becomes a bit, it's the best, man. - So, okay, so who had the low round of the trip? Like, was it, that's, I'm curious if we have a number or weren't throughout there, no? - I don't know. I think Ricky played pretty decent the first day. Nobody like tore it up. It was just so hard. I think Colt played good yesterday. He said he played much better today, which is not surprising. He didn't drive it the first day, but the second day he did and it's pretty, I think it's easy to make a lot of bars in the fairways, but when you're out of play, it's, you're looking at bogey and double. - Yeah, yeah, without a doubt. Okay, so we don't know low round, but Rick played good. JT, obviously sounds like he played pretty good. - Yeah, he played good too. - Was that the tour pro contingent? Was that the full tour pro contingent? - Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's three and Colt and the retired guys and Willie's a good player. He's a scratch, played at Alabama with JT. And yeah, Eli's decent. I didn't get to play with Eli. He was always in a different group, but yeah, Ben Wilpin, great dude. Theo, fun to play with us. And yeah, just sort of epic, epic couple of days. Not back to the real world. - I was gonna say back to the real world, got a flight home. What's a, are we going direct to Birmingham? Or do we, do we have a snack? - Yeah, direct, direct to Billy. So get home tonight. This has been, I know this is an extended weekend, but eight weekends in a row, I haven't been at home, so I'm happy to have a little bit of time to kind of get organized in the house and just get back in a dad mode. - That, dad mode is, it's a good place to be. After master's weekend, that was a nice reward coming home and chasing a little guy around the house. That's always, well documented on the spot. Oh, one last one I wanted to ask you, and we talked about the swing, but just, did we try Scotty Shuffle at all? - Yeah, no, it was, it's working. I, I still just need to keep working on my, on my backswing and, and trusting just the right move on the backswing and that, the timing and the rhythm, waiting on the, at the top and completing my turn. Then the stuff on the downswing works. I know it works, but I just, I think it just, it's like something that just gets me going quicker where I just don't trust to, to complete my backswing. 'Cause it's like, it doesn't feel right in my hands. Sometimes it feels like my trip it's weak and then I just pull on it. But yeah, Scotty Shuffle, when it hits, it hits. - I love that. Well, when you mentioned the dad thing, I was like, "Oh, wait a second. "Hey, there's one more thing I want to talk about." Daddy, Scotty, Scotty and dad's synonymous these days. So, very good. There's your, your, your Pine Valley recap. I'm sure that's going to bleed into future conversations on this pod as we talk about golf trips. - This is, this is logo, logo bingo here at the airport. - Yeah. I'm, I'm sure you got like a belt on or something like that. - I want to say I got a belt too. - I got a belt too. - You're, you're a trucker guy. Like you got the same sort of hat at Cypress as well. - Yeah, I don't know. I just get the ones that fit me right and go from there. So, I like it. You got to, you got to stick to what works. - Well, listen, I got one at Sandhills in May. So, I'm excited to read, and I'm going to be doing that recap from Sandhills. So, that's going to be, that's going to be lots of fun. So, we're, we'll keep you guys in the loop on this. Well, very good. I'll let you get back to your, to your flight activities. Hopefully no delays, fingers crossed. And I'm trying to think, and next we have a Zurich recap. Kind of up this weekend. So, stay tuned for that coming in. - Are we updating everybody on my pick? - Oh, that's right. - We had a big, large controversy brewing. Walla Smiley was on property at Pine Valley. I don't know, Smiley. Do you want to, do you want to state your case for the people, or should I, should I say the, should I present the facts of the case first, so that we can make a decision? - Well, my, my biggest thing is that, so, Wyndham Park withdraws. And I picked Bo Hosworth, 'cause he's with Wyndham, obviously. I like Wyndham, I make all of course, I like Bo. I like his game, he's going to fit nicely in the Wyndham. So, I like to be pairing Wyndham withdrawals. It's still determined it's not happened. So, I feel like I have the right to change my pick. In which I would like to formally ask, can I change my pick? - I think, yeah, I think the Rules Committee look. The PGA Tour is a forgiving organization when it comes to relief, you know, from temporary movable objects, and from partners who withdraw, I'm playing the Zara Classic. So, we will grant you this one time relief. You initially were on record as taking Davis Thompson. So, we will give you Davis Thompson, but, you know, we're just, we're keeping an eye on you. You know, we're making sure you're not moving loose impediments behind the ball, and fluffing your lie up a little bit. We're just going to keep an eye on that one. Yeah, that was, I laughed very hard. When I was like looking at a preview, and I was like, oh, Hosler, it's Sam Ryder. I'm like, oh boy, should I tell Smiley or not? (laughing) - Yeah, so give me, give me Davis Thompson and Andrew. - You have Davis Thompson and Andrew Novak. I have Kurt Kitiyama and by extension of that calm work, Hawa. Those are our picks for the Zurich. You are listening or watching this as Zurich is underway. So, enjoy that. And we'll be back here with a recap of that tournament at the Sunday night or Monday morning. So, we will talk to you then.
It's a TSS Double Feature! First, Smylie Kaufman is joined by Justin Thomas - ahead of their trip to Pine Valley - to discuss his recent caddie change, Scottie Scheffler's dominance, and looking forward to the PGA Championship in his hometown of Louisville at Valhalla. Then, Smylie joins Charlie Hulme from the Philadelphia airport to recap the PV trip - starting with Rickie Fowler's ace at the third hole!
