Pat Hurst - Part 3 (The Solheim Cup)

Music playing  00:00

Mike Gonzalez  00:16

So later that year after that playoff last hole with the U.S. Open, you go to the Safeway cCassic at Columbia Edgewater in Portland, where you win by one over Jeong Yang and Kim Saiki.

Hurst, Pat  00:29

Ho can you not love Portland at that time of year? It's always there. So it's I think it's September. You know, the weather's always perfect. And the Golf Course is always in good shape. Right? The greens are just pure. And that was a lot of fun. There was a whole bunch of people all around the lead going into Sunday. I remember going to dinner with Juli and Karrie Webb. And we were all right there. Either one shot back, one two shot back. And I couldn't tell you who was leading, but I kind of chained up my game plan out there with my caddy. And I took a more it's funny how I remember I took a more aggressive play. Usually that Golf Course you don't you don't have to be to you have to keep it in the fairway. But I just you know, I told Danny, my wedges are usually pretty good. I just want to start ripping my driver and having the shorter irons. And yeah, and it totally. I've never, never usually do that never kind of I usually just go play the Golf Course like we know how to play and I just I changed it up a little bit and I prevailed. So it's fun. Yeah, and they still play they still play Columbia Edgewater. So I've got a lot of good memories there. It's it's a fun Golf Course to play.

Mike Gonzalez  01:50

So let's go down to Mexico then and pick up that next win. So that was at the MasterCard Classic in 2009. And that was the final playing of that event.

Hurst, Pat  02:00

Yes. And to be able to it was a number you know, it was Yani Tseng and Lorena coming down the stretch. And I I made a birdie on 18 that you know, like it Mike, like you were saying, you remember these little things I remember. I want to caddie's name. It was Yani's caddy, I want to say I can't remember who he was caddying for but he walked right in my line on 18, and he felt so bad. I said it's, it's fine, you're fine. And sure enough, I knocked in this, you know, whatever. 15 footer for birdie, and ended up beating, you know, the number one player in the world and Lorena Ochoa, who was they were like one and two, and the pride of of Mexico. Right? So, I mean, it was that felt really good to know that I can do that, you know, coming down the stretch and, and being able to win, like that was one of my better feelings, you know, just to know that I just beat the number one and two player in the world. You know, and this is, I love this game. This is why I'm doing it. Right is to have these these opportunities and and then when you do do it, oh my goodness, it's the best feeling in the world.

Mike Gonzalez  03:29

And yeah, you probably walked off that green, you're still fairly young, you're in good shape. And you're thinking I'm just going to keep on winning.

Hurst, Pat  03:38

Right? Yeah. Yeah, well, you know, it was, as time went on, it was starting to get harder, you know, just with, with the kids, mentally, you know, are you being a good mom? You know, should I be home more? Should I be, you know, the kids are starting school, you know, and now I'm not with them, you know? 24/7 like I was before, right? And so you just start doubting yourself on Oh, my God, should I should I keep playing? Or should I be, you know, should I be home at mom, you know, be a mom? What should I do? Right? But again, going back to saying that they don't know any better. This is what mom does. And so you just have to keep reminding yourself this is this is what they would want me to do. And but it's hard. You start getting these little doubts in your mind as the older you get. And the more experiences you go through. You start, you start thinking, you know, am I doing the right thing? Should I be out here playing so every time when you do play well, it makes you it makes you feel so much better. When you do play well.

Mike Gonzalez  04:47

And by the way, it wasn't just your kids and Bruce can relate to this from his experience too, it's those other darn kids that are coming out on tour every year?

Hurst, Pat  04:57

Yes, and they're getting better and they're getting younger and they're running circles around you now. And you're like, Oh, can I do this?

Devlin, Bruce  05:05

And they're hitting it further?

Hurst, Pat  05:07

Right? And it's like, ah, yeah, trying to keep up. But they're trying to keep up with us too get to turn around. Right. So

Mike Gonzalez  05:17

And you know, they're bombing it but they've still got to learn to get the ball in the hole and shoot a score don't they?

Hurst, Pat  05:23

Right, true. So true.

Mike Gonzalez  05:26

So bridge the gap between victory number six in 2009. And then you deciding to sort of just wind down your regular play on the LPGA Tour. And then we'll come back and talk Solheim and some other things.

Hurst, Pat  05:40

Yeah, so again, you know, health wise, was kind of started getting I should say, more sick. As time went on, and I can't remember what year I had my surgery.

Mike Gonzalez  05:59

Probably 2012. I think you might have missed the second half of that season.

Hurst, Pat  06:03

Yes, that's when it was. Yeah, that's exactly when it was. And starting early in that year, I remember I was in in China, a lot of I don't know if they even knew what I what I had, but turned into a lot of diverticulitis and and so I had it everywhere. I had it going in my colon going up and around and down. And they just didn't know what you know, I was I was young. And usually people are my age. It doesn't start when they're 17,  16, 17 years old. So doctors didn't know what to do. And finally that year, in March, I get a call I was in I just started playing we were we were in San Diego, and I get this call from my doctor at in Arizona, and she says, I think it's time to to have surgery. And I'm thinking seriously, now I'm just starting, you know, I'm like, Okay, I sit in, what's the downtime? And I can't remember what she said, and I get off the phone. And again, Juli was in the car, and she says, what was that? And I said, My doctor says that she thinks it's time for me to have surgery. And she goes, Oh, why don't why don't you? Why don't you get a second opinion, come to Stanford get a second opinion. And sure enough, I said, okay, just how am I going to do that? Right? I mean, that's easy to do. So she says, You know, I've got one of my, one of my good friends, Liz works is is a nurse there. And she says, Why don't you just why don't we see if Liz can set you up with him. So she set me up with a intestinal oncology intestinal doctor. She sent me two names. And I, she she told me about both of them. So set up an appointment, went to go see him, flew in. Juli picks me up, takes me to the Stanford Hospital and drops me off. She goes to get parking. And Liz comes over. And Liz says to Juli, basically like, how come you're not in the room with her? And she like goes, I'm not going in the room with her. You know, she's she's fine. And Liz goes, No, you need to be in the room with her because she's only gonna listen to what she wants to hear. So I can walk it out and and they say oh, so when you know what the doctor saw said, No surgery. And solicitous. Okay, yeah, what else he says, I don't know, no surgery. And she's like, looks at Juli and says that's what I'm talking about. She just wants to hear what she wants to hear. And that's it. So didn't have surgery, whatever your that was. And he just basically said at the time, if he started going through some more episodes, takes he gave me some medicine, access to medicine and to fly home. So sure enough, you know, it would come and go. And I started having more episodes, and I was in Singapore. And Jeff was with me. This is you know, I was I had let my caddy go because I didn't know how much more I was gonna play because I wasn't was not feeling well. And so I just let her go. So Jeff came over with me to Thailand and Singapore and I'm in Singapore and sure enough, I go through another episode. I have the medicine and on the bottle it says you can rupture your Achilles by taking the medicine and and being in warm weather. And I'm like okay, how you know, I don't know anything about metal say I just kind of go about my business. So I call, you know, I have my doctor here. Of course, I have my on my cell phone, I call him up and I said, Okay, this medicine says this. And he says, was there a physician there? And I said, Yeah, and he was, I would go see him. And just so I want to knows, I'm not going to die. And I'll go to the I'll go to the hospital after I get done playing. I came over here to play golf. And he says, okay, he was, that's fine. He was taught to talk to the doctor there and see what he says, sure enough, went there. They had to withdraw. And they sent me to the hospital. And as soon as I got to the hospital, they said, Okay, we set up, sir. We said, Yeah, set up a time for surgery. I'm like, no, no, I'm in Singapore, I'm not going to have surgery. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine. And I said, I'm tired, I'm gonna go home, you know, I'm gonna go to the hotel. And I want to go grab a bite to eat and go to the hotel, and I'll be back. And the doctor says, you can go grab a bite to eat, but I need you to be here. And he says, and I think he knew what I wanted to do, and maybe because of what we're talking about, but he's like, You cannot get on a plane. You cannot do this. Well, sure enough, I got on a plane came home in that freaked out in mind you looking back, I probably shouldn't ever done that. My doctor freaked out and just said, You know what, you need to go to the specialist again and figure out what what to do. So went to a specialist. He's he said, Liz came with me and my husband. And he says, Liz asked him, you know, if this was your wife, what would you tell her? Because it at the time, I wasn't going through any, any episodes. But he said that. If this was my wife, it's an elective surgery as of right now. But if if something happens, and something bursts, it can be, you know, an emergency surgery and that can be worse. And what we do is just kind of cut you open and kind of go in there and do what we have to do. He says right now we can just go in and remove. So I had my colon removed. And he says we can go in and do that. And and you'll be you know, everything will be fine. Okay, well, what's the downtime? A year to year and a half? Well, there's my career. Right? I'm like, I can't come back and compete with these young girls. After and, and he's saying that, you know, it's a year, year, year to year and a half. But you always have, you know, times where you're not feeling good. And you just, and you have to tell people, I can't go and do this, or I can't you know, I'm tired. I just want to be at home or whatever. So anyways, and again I hardly ever talked about this, like no one knew. Juli knew you just the closest people to me knew my cat. He knew because I had to, you know, she knew what I was going through these episodes. But anyways. So you know, Julie calls, and she says, Can you never call me back? And I said, we just got in the car. And she said, Who are the doctors say and I said, You know what? I just don't want to talk about it right now. And she I said, let me call you when I get home. Because I am everything's going through my head. I'm done. This is my career. My doctors told me my career is over. I don't care. I play bad golf. I just want to keep playing. Right? And so she called up Liz. And obviously Liz told her some she called her back. She says, You're a ticking time bomb, you need to do this. And I said, Okay, listen to what you're saying. If someone told you when you're feeling okay, that your career is over? How would you how would you you know, what would you do? I said, it's very, it's a it's a hard decision. So I ended up since it was elective, I ended up if I was going to retire, I wanted to retire after playing the U.S. Open. And that's what I did. So, play Blackwolf Run, you know, didn't really practice or or get ready for about you know, ever since then, you know, it was like, my career was basically over in my mind. So I didn't really practice and play much other than just going through the motions and wanting to finish up the U.S. Open. And so that was what I did. And I came back I actually had the surgery, everything went well. Quality of life is so much better now. And I do come back and I start playing a little bit more and then my mom got sick and then that was time for me to be home. So but that was a big time in my life where it was it was a tough decision but needed to be done. Yep. And so and like I said now quality of life is so much better.

Mike Gonzalez  14:45

Yeah. And you mentioned playing at Blackwolf Run you had some good memories of playing there in 1998 Because you had a pretty good finish there didn't you?

Hurst, Pat  14:51

Yeah, I think I've been I don't know finished top five. I don't know what I finished.

Mike Gonzalez  14:55

Fourth that's when Se Ri Pak that playoff with Jenny.

Hurst, Pat  14:59

Yeah That's exactly yeah. And I played well, you know, played well there and, and that was a lot of fun. So I was, you know, glad that I was able to. I mean I  played more after that, but I felt like my career pretty much ended about, you know, ended at the Open that year.

Mike Gonzalez  15:19

So one thing Bruce is going to going to ask you about and that's your playoff record. 

Devlin, Bruce  15:23

Yeah.

Hurst, Pat  15:24

Oh, that zero and four.

Devlin, Bruce  15:28

No, I'm gonna ask you a question though about playoffs. Okay. You are the 84th person that we've spoken to? 

Hurst, Pat  15:36

Yeah. 

Devlin, Bruce  15:36

What do you think all of your great player's records are in playoffs?

Hurst, Pat  15:44

God that's so hard to answer. I don't know. I know what mine is, I'm o'fer

Devlin, Bruce  15:49

We know yours is 0-4,  but surprisingly enough, all of the great champions had a losing record in playoffs. 43%. Right Mike, I think we're at Yeah, so. Yeah. So just goes to show how much you you did you just you've taken that number down Pat?

Hurst, Pat  16:10

I did.

Mike Gonzalez  16:12

Alright, so I'll share a couple of things that make you feel better, Ben Crenshaw 0-8.

Hurst, Pat  16:18

Oh, well, you know what, I feel pretty darn good.

Devlin, Bruce  16:20

Yeah, you feel better, right?

Mike Gonzalez  16:22

Guess how many playoff losses Kathy Whitworth has.

Hurst, Pat  16:27

Well she won 88 times? I don't know. 

Mike Gonzalez  16:30

Twenty! 

Hurst, Pat  16:32

Oh, my goodness.

Mike Gonzalez  16:33

Her record was eight and 20 in playoffs. Greatest woman player maybe ever? 

Hurst, Pat  16:39

Yeah. 

Mike Gonzalez  16:39

Eight and 20 So you can't feel too bad? As we've always talked about those playoffs. You know, did you finish an hour before the field and now you gotta go back and play it. It's just a crapshoot kind of isn't it?

Hurst, Pat  16:52

Right. Yeah. And you know, like said that the U.S. Open one is one that I'll never forget. Right. And it was just it didn't even feel like we were in a tournament but the other ones it was just just one thing you know it was I don't know I can't put my finger on it why what I you know, like when I got done it was you know, I had things in my head with other losses than the ones that I lost in the playoff you know, I mean, the ones I lost in the playoff it wasn't like oh my god, I should have done this or I should that. There were tournaments where I'd say you felt like you know where you lost it. But in playoffs I had no idea, no idea. Yeah, you know, so like you said there's so many different things that you know when you would go out and play you know, and like I lost at Tour Championship one year. I think it was could it could have been Annika at Tour Championship and Lopez

Mike Gonzalez  18:01

It was 1997 and Annika won with a par on the third extra hole.

Hurst, Pat  18:05

And Lopez was in the playoff

Mike Gonzalez  18:07

Lorie Kane was in that one.

Hurst, Pat  18:11

And was Lopez there? Was it a four way playoff?

Mike Gonzalez  18:14

Well, Wikipedia never lies but I'm looking at the 1997 Tour Championship and it shows opponents in the playoff being Lorie Kane and Annika

Hurst, Pat  18:29

Okay, so I remember like playing there and I'm making this have the best I mean I don't know if it's a letdown that you don't win outright like I remember playing I played well. I don't know if you if you have the stat on what I shot that last round, but I remember making a ton of birdies and just oh my goodness that the people that were out following him and how loud they were and how much you know we're in Vegas. Everyone's having fun in Vegas. Right? And you know, and then all sudden you go into the playoff and it's just it was, again, different like quiet and not you know, the there's no you know what, there's no momentum is what it is. It feels like right, and you just start out in it. You're just starting out. So yeah, I don't know. I wish I wouldn't. I wish I can can pinpoint it. But you know, it's over and done now.

Mike Gonzalez  19:22

Yeah. Well, let's talk about something. 

Hurst, Pat  19:24

Oh and four. 

Mike Gonzalez  19:25

Let's talk about something with much better memories. And that's your experiences at the Solheim Cup where as a player, you were ten, seven and three. That's a pretty solid record!

Devlin, Bruce  19:35

Yeah, sure is.

Hurst, Pat  19:36

I had, you know, early on I had Kelly Robbins was my partner in a lot of the matches and as we got older and she she was kind of not playing as much than they start putting me with others. That meant that I did not enjoy playing with the others. But I was super comfortable playing with Kelly, but I think that the fact that I can play with so many different players that they put me with these with the players, and so wasn't very consistent after that. But playing with Kelly, we just had the best time we both hit it fairly long. She, I don't, I don't cut it anymore. I used to cut the ball like off the tee. And she used to draw, draw the ball off the tee in which we just were really good. Team partnership. And so that was a lot of fun. And there's just the memories that you make it Solheim, you don't make anywhere else. And again, I think I said this earlier, that nothing's more fun than playing on a team in an individual sport. And to hat to know that you're not only playing for yourself, you're playing for your caddy, you're playing for your captain, you're playing for the team, your teammate right next to you, you're playing for your country. And nothing's better than that. In the end. It's just Oh my goodness, walking up to that first tee. And it's happened not with me, but you do you feel like you want to puke? You know, it's just it's, as I said it as when I was the captain, I said it's electrifying walking up to that first tee. And you know all the people around in the songs that they're singing in the people and it's nothing's better than playing in Solheim cup. It makes it makes every other event that you play, you know, every other tournament. So much smaller and easier to play. Because you're you're on the biggest stage of your life at Solheim cup.

Mike Gonzalez  21:40

Yeah, you can probably give them breathing exercises just to get them to calm themselves before that first tee shot. Right. 

Hurst, Pat  21:47

Right, right. Well, I tried to you know, you know what Juli is when she was the captain and I was her assistant. And then when I became the the captain, I just tried to not focus on how you're going to feel walking up to that first to you, because you'll experience it. I guarantee that,

Devlin, Bruce  22:06

Regardless of what you say

Hurst, Pat  22:08

Yes, I just, I just want you to not think about it and just go play golf. Right and enjoy the moment. Because you don't get to do this very often. And it's a blast.

Devlin, Bruce  22:20

So you were assistant captain in 2015,  2017 and 2019. And then you were the captain at Inverness, right?

Hurst, Pat  22:33

Correct, in 2021. So, I learned from the best again, you know, I was on scholarship, as Juli would say. But I learned from her and she you know, her as a captain was just you know, in to be able to be under her taught me a lot. And we did things differently. We did it like Paul Azinger did, when he was the captain they had and how he did the pod system. And it was it was interesting, it was, you know, done by personality, you know, everybody has their own own way of doing of how they want to Captain a team. And I saw that come in from the, you know, as, as a player and then as as an assistant, and then as the captain, I really feel that as a player, you know, you'd be out there playing and the captain would come up to you and say, hey, just want to let you know, you're in the afternoon round two. And, you know, so we find out when we're out there playing and I just, you know, when Juli brought that up about the pod system, I thought, you know, I feel that knowing who you're going to be playing, potentially be paired with you know, you're going to be paired with one of the three knowing, you know, when you're going to play and what format you're going to play. I just think in no one kind of trying to put your pots together with like minded, like minded people, right. I felt like that. That was huge. Right? So I played in a Cup, and I just go off my experience I played in one Solheim and I remember being out it was best it was best ball and so was four ball so we were playing and I was playing okay, but my partner wasn't playing that that great and I felt like I felt like she was quitting on me and here you work two years to make this team and she's out there throwing up fatigue on Okay, who's gonna tee off for some this hole? And I'm like, what? What's wrong with you? You get your head into the ballgame. Let's play some golf. And, and again Finding out, you know, later on, like when Julie when Juli was the captain, we had a lady that was helping us. And she came in and she totally nailed it with each one of our personalities and and it made sense were the girl that I was playing with. That's the way that she handles herself and to try and just kind of ease herself. With me. I'm like, No, get your in the ballgame. I'm playing some golf, you know, and I've worked way too hard to give up. But she wasn't in her mind. She's not giving up. Yeah. And so I thought when, you know, it was just very interesting. When, when, and I can't think of her name that came and helped us when she talked about that. And I'm like, You know what, I had the situation where I didn't understand, you know, why she was doing what she was doing. And so, to put the girls into pods, with like, mindedness, you know, it makes sense to me. Yeah. And, and so I learned a lot and the Solheim Cup is just a blast. And, you know, even to this day, the girl who's throwing up the tee were really close. It's just different ways of handling the situation, you know, and in how she would handle is different than I would handle it. And sometimes we understand each other. And it's okay. Right, and, but playing playing in team play. I mean, it's the best and playing for your country, the red, white and blue. You can't beat it.

Mike Gonzalez  26:40

It had to be interesting, captaining the team during what amounted to be the first Solheim Cup contested during COVID.

Hurst, Pat  26:50

Yeah, that was super super hard. You know, I wish I had another opportunity just because I felt a little cheated. But thank God, I had the three times before with Juli. I think if it was my, you know, if it was my only Solheim, I would have really felt cheated and not killed meaning to do. You know, I felt like that the girls didn't get all of me. And I didn't get all of them. Right? Just because we couldn't. I mean, you there was, you know, I'd go to tournaments. And I have to get to, you know, not only me, but the players would have to get tested before you leave your house. And then make sure you're negative then once you get to site, you have to you have to test before you do anything. And then you couldn't do anything with the players like you couldn't no dinner can't be in the same car. You can. It was it was crazy. And so it was just it was super hard to get close to the players, as I felt like I was with as an assistant captain, I was I felt closer to a lot more of those players than I was when I was the captain just because of the timing of it. 

Mike Gonzalez  28:02

So who would have imagined 33 years ago at that first Solheim at Lake Nona in 1990, what this event was to become?

Hurst, Pat  28:13

Yeah, I mean, it's Yeah, crazy. Yeah, it is. I can't the tournament is just unbelievable. And it's so much fun and the vision that that Karsten had right and the support that he gave, not only for that event, but to the LPGA Tour back at that time. I mean, he not only supported that event, but he supported I wouldn't say four other events just to keep the tour going. Right. But Solheim was, you know, the, the dream that he had and the vision that him and him and Louise had was I'm glad that it's still going.

Mike Gonzalez  28:54

And you know, we've talked a lot this is this goes back a long before you talking about David Foster and Colgate Palmolive and how important those entities and that person was to the tour back when the Dinah Dinah got started and it's totally they started playing for some real money.

Hurst, Pat  29:12

Right, and I mean, even back when I first start playing Dinah as an amateur, I mean, the players that would play in the pro-am, I mean, they I have more autograph balls and stuff signed from you know, because I would only get autographs if I played with the person. You know, whether it was football, baseball, whatever it was, and I have more more balls and and memorabilia signed from from Dinah than anywhere else.

Mike Gonzalez  29:48

Great experiences. So you had some other team experiences we'll touch on before we kind of wrap up you. You had a chance for a couple years to play in the World Cup down in South Africa. First year was 2007 and you you finished second to Paraguay with Juli Inkster as your partner and then in the Philippines I think won it the second year, you were playing with Juli down in South Africa.

Hurst, Pat  30:14

Yeah, we've played. I couldn't tell you who won. But I know that the first year we played pretty well. It was a lot of fun. We this is, you know, that was a tournament where the top American got invite another, another American and Juli had walked up to me, you know, I'll never forget it. It was in the lunch room. And she walked up to me and says, you know, would you be interested in playing the World Cup with me? What, does it bear... do I have to say it?

Mike Gonzalez  30:44

Yeah, we know the rest of that one?

Hurst, Pat  30:48

And I'm like, Yeah, I'm there. I don't, I didn't even ask him when the tournament was or anything. I'm there. If you want me to play as your partner, of course, I'll play. And I think that has that jumpstarted our friendship and how close we are in me, just from then on. We were we've been inseparable. And we we just had the best time. You know, we went over there did stuff that you know, both our husbands went both of our caddies went. And they're pretty close. And we did stuff. The second year that I, you know, again, don't know how to swim, scared of heights. And we did you know, after we got done, we did the parasailing and stuff. I mean, just things that, you know, it's just bonding, right? It's all about bonding. And we just had the best time. And again, I don't know how we finished that second year. But I know that you know, it was we just had the best time over there. We went on a safari, we saw the big 8 all in one go. And that was a lot of fun. And we we just we it was, again, something that you know, there's a lot of good memories there.

Mike Gonzalez  32:08

Yeah. You know, we've had a chance to talk to a lot of players about their experiences with their worldwide travel. And this may be before your time, I'm not sure. But we talked a lot about Japan. 

Hurst, Pat  32:20

Yeah, 

Mike Gonzalez  32:20

And the bus rides in Japan.

Hurst, Pat  32:22

Yeah. And what happens in Japan stays in Japan?

Mike Gonzalez  32:25

Well not necesarily, evidently.

Devlin, Bruce  32:27

Although some of it has leaked out.

Hurst, Pat  32:30

Oh, well, you probably won't get much from me. But I know that we've, you know, I went over early in my career. Again, as I start getting more not feeling as well as I did, and having to be on bus rides just didn't go well with me. Yeah, so, but I went over early. And yeah, Japan was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the trip to Japan, you know, no matter where you go, you know, even Korea, no matter where you go, anytime you got out of the country, it seems like the tortoise gets closer because you have to have each other, right, you're in a in an unfamiliar spot. And so I think it just feels like you totally bond. And you may all of a sudden become friends with someone that you never even spoke to. And now you have to be over there for a week you're taking the buses, you're eating together. I mean, you're not. You're all sitting together. And so there was a lot of, there's a lot of good memories and a lot of friendships that were made. Right and, and just traveled the world and traveling on tour was has been so much fun to me, you know, and now being the homebody I am I can't sit still and I have to be gone all the time. So it's crazy. It's crazy what it can do to you.

Mike Gonzalez  33:55

Well, speaking about being gone. You're still playing a little bit these days. I saw you of course at the USGA, U.S. Seniors Women's Open out in Portland and I think you show up at some legends events as well. So that's gotta be fun just reconnecting with some of the ladies you played with.

Hurst, Pat  34:13

Yeah, definitely. I love I love getting out there with with the, you know, everybody that a lot of times that I looked up to right you know, and it's a lot of fun. Everyone's swings the same we just don't hit it as far get a little little nervous with the hands a little bit on the panning but overall it's a lot of fun to be with and it's fun just to be out there. And again, competing, right? I wish I can do it more. And maybe as time goes on. So you know, we're just gonna keep getting older but as time goes on, hopefully we'll get more tournaments we can play more. So.

Mike Gonzalez  34:49

well, I hope that comes to pass so we before let you go, we always finish up by asking our guests three questions.

Hurst, Pat  34:58

 Softballs

Mike Gonzalez  34:59

And I always defer to my senior partner

Devlin, Bruce  35:03

Old partner.

Mike Gonzalez  35:05

 To ask the first question, so Bruce

Hurst, Pat  35:08

Uh oh, okay.

Devlin, Bruce  35:09

So, let's go back when you first came out, right to start to play, if you knew then what you know now, what would you do differently?

Hurst, Pat  35:25

Oh, I don't know if I would do much differently, not drink as much. I guess as time went on, I would probably practice more. 

Devlin, Bruce  35:34

Okay. 

Hurst, Pat  35:35

Out there I didn't practice. I mean, I practiced. But I practiced more when I got home. You know? I don't know. Was I talking to you yesterday, Mike about like, I'd get out there and I start talking on the range. And so I'm better off going out either early or late and getting my work done. You know, it's more time management. You know, and so I think I would not, I would try not to talk as much on the range and get my work done. And as time went on, I kind of learned that right at like I said, then I start going out either early or late. And so yeah, that's probably what I would do.

Mike Gonzalez  36:15

Okay, we're gonna give you one career mulligan. Where do you take it?

Hurst, Pat  36:21

Oh, well, we talked about this the U.S. Open I think I would take it. You know, just any shot coming down the stretch. I mean coming down the stretch was fine, but anywhere to make up one shot. 

Devlin, Bruce  36:33

Yeah. 

Hurst, Pat  36:34

Is what you know, and that would have been the U.S. Open and to have that victory would have been just icing on the cake for my career.

Mike Gonzalez  36:42

Do you think a one shot in particular that went astray that maybe you'd like to have that swing over? Or a putt maybe?

Hurst, Pat  36:49

No. You know what? Coming down the stretch. I made the putt on 18. 17 Annika had bogeyed. I can't you know, we're going on back so we're going back quite a ways and so never, you know, wasn't close. I didn't feel like it was that close to the playoffs? So it had to have been, you know, I would have to make up that one shot somewhere. Back nine, early in the back nine and it wouldn't have been late because I don't remember 17 or 18.

Mike Gonzalez  37:21

Fair enough. 

Devlin, Bruce  37:22

Okay, last question. You ready?

Hurst, Pat  37:24

Oh oh,yeah.

Devlin, Bruce  37:26

How would you like for Pat Hurst to be remembered?

Hurst, Pat  37:31

Oh, as a mom, a good person who like I want to grow the game. And you know, this game has given me everything. Right. And so I want people to remember me as the person you know, that helped grow the game. Right. And, and not, you know, I've had my ups and downs, but I want people to remember the good times.

Devlin, Bruce  37:57

And you're still growing the game. And both Mike and I want to say what a pleasure it has been to have you on the show today. We wish you all the best of luck. And thank you again for all your time today, Pat.

Hurst, Pat  38:10

Thanks, guys. I really enjoyed it and like Mike said yesterday, when you said 90 minutes to 120 I thought he was out of his mind and I think we're at 120, so it was great. It was a nice 120 minutes to be with you guys.

Mike Gonzalez  38:26

Thank you for listening to another episode of FORE the Good of the Game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcasts on Apple and Spotify if you like what you hear, please subscribe. spread the word and tell your friends. Until we tee it up again, FORE the Good of the Game, so long, everybody.

Music playing  38:45