Scott Simpson - Part 3 (The 1987 U.S. Open and Ryder Cup)

You said you stayed close all week you started off with 71, 68. And after 36 holes, you were two behind Tom Watson and Mark Wiebe who were leading, and then after a little 70 in the third round, you started off the last day one back of Watson. Yeah, but you got further back of that, though, didn't you before you got to the front. Well, remember the finish that you had?

Oh, I remember the finish.

What a finish?

I do remember after Saturday's round. I hit the ball great on Saturday. And I mean, I kept hitting it in there. Eight feet, 10 feet, you know 12 feet and I couldn't make a birdie on the back nine. And my putts. I just felt like I was just a little tentative with my putting. And so I went out there for almost an hour on the putting green that night. And it made me back to the NCAA when Stan Wood gave me that lesson, but

I Was gonna say, did you remember what Stan said

I know to make sure I was hitting through the putts. And so I started feeling better with the putter and so I remember going out so the last round, first hole, hit it in the rough. You know, chop it out, get it on the green 20 feet, par five, and I'm just lagging it down there. And I rolled it in. I made 20 foot of the first hole Birdie and then the second hole just off the green chipped it about 6 feet, made that one wow for a par so I'm rolling the ball good. And so then I get to I bogey three of the next four holes and every bogey was just off the green but I had I hit every shot up there and hit about six or seven feet away and and I hit all of these putts really good and they just missed. So even though I'm bogeying and missing I knew I was stroking the ball good. And so yeah, then just kept, you know, made some Pars and I just remember thinking, you know, even par might actually win this tournament. You know, Watson, you know, like one under even and make the turn and make makes a couple of good Pars and then got to the like 14th hole or 14 will take us in from there. Yeah, yeah, so that made some really good actually, you know, hit in the green made some good pars still even and I think one and watch it was still one under and there were a lot of guys that could were right in there. You know, Mize had won the Masters early. He was playing good Crenshaw, Ballesteros I think came in third. A whole bunch of guys were in Langer was in there. Yeah. And then so 14 had good three wood out there really good seven iron about six feet. And I make the putt for birdie. and i think whoo, wow, Now I'm now I'm definitely in there. And the next hole 15 is it's only an eight iron. But it's a tight little green with bunkers all the way around. And then I put it I put it right in the middle of the green. And the pins back right. I had a perfect shot. And now I'm just legging it up there from probably at least 25 feet. I mean, just lagging it so I'm trying to get it close. It it goes in like Oh, wow. Now I step up on the 16th hole and, now I'm two under. Step up on 16. And the first time that goes through my mind is Arnold Palmer hooking it into the woods, making a bogey.

That's a good swing thought.

I'm kind of a golf nerd. So I remember that. And so the one place I am not gonna go is left because once you go left when you hit it because it's a dogleg left you hit it left in the woods. Now you're you're dead. And so I push mine out to the right. Just barely in the right rough, but I got a really good lie where everyone kind of walked down. And the thing about the right if you push it right, because it's a dogleg left, you're pretty much always going to have a shot to the fairway. So I hit a one iron down there in the fairway. Now I've got a kind of like a little punch nine iron to the green hidden in there. 15 feet. And I make that one. And I oh my gosh. And so my goal that week, as I said before, it was just to try to hit each shot as good as I could. I wasn't paying attention. And so my goal also was not to look at leaderboards. So because that wasn't my goal was my results. My goal was just do the best I could and I shot so I couldn't resist. I look over the leaderboard. Simpson minus three. Watson had just birdied. Watson minus two. Everyone else over par. So I looked back in the fairway. And there's Tom Watson hands on his hips with a wedge to the green there and 16 I'm thinking, wow, there's a lot of golf to go to try to win this thing.

And I hit her and you got a tough hole to play in. Yeah, 17

was a par five normally turned into a par four. And the trouble is, is that in a par five, you drive it out there in the fairway. But there's when they turn it into par for the fairway has a big bank farther, you go up left to right. And I hit a really good drive, right down the left side probably will draw it it's still rolled all the way down into the right roof. And the pins front, right. So I'm thinking well, and there's it's a par five, so that tiny green. And so I just said, Well, I'd rather miss it in the left bunker. Because now I'm going to have more room going at the pin on the front, right and so I hit it, pulled it dry a little bit trying to hit this little five air gap but it left bunker. And a lot of people always say man, what an unbelievable bunker shot. You hit there. And back then is Bruce knows we all had 56 degree sand wedges. We just had to learn how to open that baby up and yeah, and I did it a good bunker shot. I didn't think it was that hard. But it was Oh no. So hard. Okay, but hit it down there again about probably about six feet. And I made that one. So I made four really good putts in a row in great, great power save there. Yeah, yeah, I remember I tell kids all the time, I remember going to the ATT and all of a sudden it hit me. Like, I could really win the U.S. Open. I mean, this is crazy. This has been this is like the dream of dreams. Since I'm 10 years old, you know, putting for those dimes and, and I remember being really nervous on the 18th Tee, thinking if I can just hit the fairway. You know, obviously, that's where that's where Ben Hogan lost when he was slipped and hit in the left rough. And so thinking, gee, if I can just hit this to iron down the middle hit in the fairway. And I remember I tell kids all the time, the sports psychologist, sometimes they don't hit until you're ready. Well, I'd still be on the tee. If I was waiting till there's no way I'd be ready. And that's where to me I'd worked really hard. Again out of Byron Nelson's book on my routine. My routine was a practice swing, which early on in my career Chi Chi Rodriguez I play with him, he says, Pards, you have to lose the practice way. No good player ever takes a full practice swing before they hit. Really, really, that it played your gene littler gene littler, takes a full practice way. So I kept it. So my practice Lingus is kind of like feeling the shot I'm gonna hit. And then I get over it. And like out of the Hogan book, I take two Waggles and then go and then I go. And so I said, I can't feel anything. My knees are shaking. But I'm going to do my routine and hope for the best and, and hit it down the middle and then punched a little eight iron just underneath the hole about 15 feet and legged it up. I knew the thing you can't do it on Olympic Club 18 holes go past the hole. Because you when you're coming down hill it just won't stop. So I hit I liked it up there like six inches short tapped in and then had to wait for Tom Watson to see what he would do. And he made a good party part 17. So now all he has to do is part 18. And it's down the middle of course and hits his wedge or nine iron right at the pit but it came up short all the way on the front edge of the green almost spun back on the fringe and I thought oh my gosh, I'm gonna win the U.S. Open. Because he's got a 40 footer uphill right to left. Late in the day. There's no way you can make this pipe. It's So sure enough, so he gets over it and it's Tom Watson and six feet short of the hole. I thought for sure he made the putt. It looks so good. Breaking right into the hole and it missed probably one inch short of the hole. Hit the most. Oh my gosh. I was so glad I did that play Tom Watson in a playoff the next day. The Stanford Stanford kid played the Olympic Club and the eighth time major winner. But

So Scott he was he was playing in the group behind you. Is that right? Yes.

Yeah, I played with Lennie Clements, who I'll say a journeyman pro now, Lennie never went into her, but I had played with Lennie, in San Diego Junior Golf. So it was a really fun, comfortable pairing. Yeah. And one group ahead of Tom Watson, who was playing with Keith Clearwater, because they were both tied, at 1 under going into the last round.

So where were you at? When Watson was hitting his putt? Where were you at?

I was at a, like a booth watching it on one of the little screens there. And yeah, it was just like, wow, I really did. I won. I couldn't believe it. It's funny. Now I look back at pictures, I have a picture. You can see it in my background there. My wife just put up a bunch of pictures that we've finally gone through. And Cheryl, and so there's a picture of me hitting into the 18th hole of Olympic if the whole side of the hills is covered with people, I mean, the whole galleries there, then I remember looking at that picture go, oh, my gosh, look at all this people. I don't remember. He didn't see him. I didn't see one person. When I was playing in the hall in 1987. You're in the zone now? Yes, I was because all I've ever seen was the middle of angry.

You know, with everything going on with artificial intelligence and all these technological advances at some point, and maybe this is 50 years ago, people are listening to this episode. And here, Scott talks about this. At some point, perhaps the television viewer will get the benefit of what's going through the player's mind standing by that 18 tee playing for the U.S. Open. I mean, can you imagine if the listener could have listened in what what was going through your head, Scott? Yeah, it was

probably everything that could go wrong. I could top this thing. How embarrassing was that? Hit it in the rough, gee, I don't want to make bogey or double. The other thing about me when the U.S. Open was that I had beaten the star of Tom Watson. Now Olympic Club had the reputation of of course, the first one was Ben Hogan losing to Jack Fleck. And then Arnold Palmer seven shot lead, losing to Billy Casper. And so the every almost every article was Scott Simpson, this guy who he's not very good beat the great Tom Watson. And my dad. I remember the Sports Illustrated was basically basically the article was how I ruined the U.S. Open by winning and not having Tom Watson win and my dad was all upset and everything I said, Dad, it's okay. My name's on the trophy. It doesn't, they can write whatever they want. Yeah, it did have the reputation of the of the underdog, beating the you know, the favorite. And so, I definitely was in that category of the underdog, beating the great, you know, a Hall of Famer and one of the great players, especially in the 80s, one of the great players ever, Tom Watson. And yeah, and I was a big Tom Watson fan, too. I love the way he played the game. Love the way his attitude, I mean, he could hit it everywhere at times, and good shot, bad shot and nothing changed with Tom Watson. And the I love I actually copy this chipping technique and can I was a big Tom Watson fan, so to beat him also, and he could not have been a greater sportsman when he lost and he talked about Nicklaus basically setting the example when he beat Nicklaus of being just a gracious loser, and Tom Watson could not have been more complimentary to me. And that meant a lot to that. He was he was fantastic.

Well, to your point about the name on the trophy? I was in Far Hills, New Jersey two years ago, visited the USGA Museum, stepped into the big room, looked at the 1987 champion board, Scott Simpson, U.S. Open champion. And then I turned to my right, walked a few paces and looked at the original U.S. Open trophy, and whose name is etched in that trophy forever. 1987 champion, Scott Simpson.

That's pretty crazy. And it's very cool. Very cool. So yeah, now I look back on it saying, How the heck did I win that thing? That's a big thrill.

Tell us what happened after the victory. What did it What happened to your life after the victory? Well, is it changed in any way?

I know I was asked that. Is this going to change your life and And I, I said, No, I don't think it's gonna change my life. And I don't think it did. It changes your opportunities. And so my life didn't change my faith, my marriage, kids all that all the important stuff stayed the same. And so but it changes your opportunity. So I got the chance to go play in more tournaments, get invited here in there, you know, your endorsements go up. Everyone wants to talk to you now. We're not really I didn't have to do interviews and things like that. And so I got much busier with other stuff than golf. And so in 1988, the next year, I played terrible. I mean, I missed the cut of the Masters My brother was caddying for me. I mean, I played terrible. And it was my worst year on tour. Up to that point. And so and now I think back it was just because I got so busy. I put, I probably did put extra pressure on myself. You know, you're the U.S. Open champ, you got to play good. And yeah, yeah, I think the extra pressure and not being able to practice as much because I used to love I used to practice pretty hard, just partly because I just loved it. I mean, going out to hit balls, which is fun. And just trying to compete is fine. And so yeah, I kind of had to struggle through 1988 Yeah, just you just didn't play as well. He didn't play horrible but yeah, it was it wasn't good.

Saskatchewan had a great club, great tracks, tremendous history. Of course everybody remembers that because you alluded to it and that's what Arnold Palmer did. Losing after losing quite a big lead to Jack fleck. I think he was probably a Billy Casper that want it next there. Lee Janzen won it after you were going to visit with Lee in a little bit but I probably the your Billy Casper won Bruce was the year you had a chance to accompany the Hogan's out to the U.S. Open at a Olympic Club. Do you remember that?

Yeah, I sure do, that was one of the great times. Scott will enjoy it, seeing that he's was kind of maybe asked about the Hogan's anyhow. I was living in Florida then and my wife Gloria and I we got on a plane come to Dallas and Ben and Valerie Hogan got on the plane with us and we went to the Top of the Mark Hotel, stayed at the top of the mark Hotel. All week had dinner each night, played every practice round together. It was quite a it was quite a week to be around the Hawk, I'll tell you, he's uh Well, the one thing that I remember more than anything else is Monday night we went to we went to have dinner and I got enough courage to ask him I said you know, we read so many stories about what happened when you lead you know, lift El Paso come on back home. He started off telling the story. And we finished it Merion. So that's like a three and a half years, I guess it was. Anyhow, it was. It was it was a it was quite a week.

So did did he have to change his swing when his legs were so bad? Did he have

a little bit? Yeah, I think I think he I think he got more. I think he got a little bit more hands here. Towards the end of his career, and yeah, the one thing about I'll say this about him, you know, he played up until 69. At I think it was a championship where he, where he said, that's enough. Yeah. And he, he, you know, when he got to a point when he thought he wasn't gonna be competitive anymore, even at that age. He said, That's it. I'm done. Yeah,

I know, because they would have loved to have him play on the you know, like, you talked about the Onion Creek, the first Champions Tour tournament, which he could still compete would have competed in those. He would have been good enough. And yeah, he could have Yeah, definitely could have played Yes, need was by him and I did get to

DiVincenzo

when I turned pro. I was such a big fan. I use Hogan equipment. So I loved Hogan, irons and woods and so I got to meet Mr. Hogan, and they had to dinner every year for the Hogan company, everyone he used him so I got to meet him and I got to watch him did balls once that shady oaks and Wow, big thrill.

And right up on top of the hill up there.

Yeah, just to just to get to watch him. Yeah, it was amazing. Even at the you know, I can't remember how old he was. But now would he ever talked to you about your golf swing or anything like that?

Never never said a great deal about it offered a couple of thoughts if he saw something that was sneaking in, you know, if I was starting to do something that was repetitive even would suggest a slight modification. But he you know, he never talked a great deal about it. I I remember playing with him and practice round at Augusta, and we're hitting golf balls there. And, you know, I always got through, like, you would have got to hit my balls quick. So I could sort of watch sit there and watch him hit it went out and played. And he was he was hitting these, you know, like sit up shots, you know, just slight falls to the right. And we walk out on the first tee and I looked at where he was alive, his little head at aimed at the bunker. And I thought, what's, what's all this so he hits a little a little drop off the bunker on the first layer and we're walking up the fairway said, I gotta ask you, I got I just watched you hit all the setup shots on the practice tee and then you hit it about a five or seven yard draw off the First Tee. He said, Well, the first time was a bit long, so we need to get a little extra length.

Wow. Amazing. Is early in his career with power golf. I mean, he could he could bomb it. I think when he first came out there.

Yeah, yeah.

Winning that U.S. Open in 1987 also qualified you for a little event that was coming up later in the year at Muirfield Village.

Yeah, that's true. Making the Ryder Cup. Yeah, that was a that was a huge thrill. My idea of the Ryder Cup was a little different than some of the other guys I think and the fact that obviously, we're not getting paid. I view to kind of like the Walker Cup and the fact that I think it was so much fun to play in, you get to represent your country, it's fantastic. But to me, the winning and losing part was not the most important part. I kind of viewed it the way they set it up that you should be able to go compete whoever wins and loser let's go have a beer and a great job guys. You know, this was fun. And I think that was the whole idea behind it. And I thought that way and so obviously we were the first team. I think maybe the first day blues on American soil. And Jack is a captain I'm in hindsight, Jack's pairings were not great. We played Muirfield were late in the year it became kind of a birdie fast in a way all the five bars are reachable and so I played the first match and I do remember I was I was playing pretty good. But I remember playing on the ninth hole Jack showed up watching this in the practice round and I hit a big hook down to the left side where you don't want to be I hit a bad shot. And I remember Jack just kind of looking like oh, oh that wasn't very good. Yeah, I was so I only played one match I think he thought I was playing terrible there's nothing and but you know you're not going to argue with the captain. And I played the first match with Ben Crenshaw we played in a best ball and I thought gosh, we would be a good team and alternate shot because we weren't I began I became a more of a consistent down the middle you know, plotter you know I did it down the middle, fairways, greens, good short game and band kind of the same way. And but we had some guys who would bomb it. We had calcavecchia and being and Dan poll. We had some guys get hit it out there at that, why? Why don't they play the best ball. And so it just got to some funny pairings, but but it was a thrill. I mean, it was so much fun. It's fun to be with your team. And all these guys that you compete against all the time. And now all of a sudden you're together as a team. And that was fun. That was really fun. So even though we lost I had a great week, and there was some guys who were all mad and bummed out and I thought man, I mean, I didn't like seeing them dance around on the at Greta Muirfield. But I also wasn't gonna let that ruin a great week. So it was fine. It was fine.

Well, I'll tell you one of your teammates, he wasn't very happy. Because he was one of our first interviews. And that's the guy that that almost dunked it on the final hold in 1983 at Palm Beach Gardens to win it for the Americans. Lanny Wadkins. And I remember specifically because, you know, for our listeners, just to kind of fill you guys in on the background here. You know, the Europeans had just started playing back in either 79 or 81, I think and and in 83 they come to Palm Beach Gardens Seve's there and Faldo and the big boys. And it took a wedge really stuck to you know, to just tap-in range by Lanny Wadkins on the last hole to clinch it for the Americans at home. And that put the Americans on notice that year that These boys are coming to play and so they go to they go to the Belfry I think and 85 and get their head handed to them. And so the Europeans win for the first time in a while. And then here they come back to Muirfield Village, Jack Nicklaus' place Jack's the Captain up against Tony Jacklin. And Lanny Wadkins tells us he says, That's the toughest loss I've ever experienced in my life. Yeah.

Well, Lanny and I are different.

Isn't it though Interesting, the perspectives right, because this one tastes at Ryder Cup and you enjoy the experience.

I loved it. Yeah, it was a great week. And I remember early in the week give Jack just said I remember his comment. Like, come on, guys. We're not gonna let them with a point. I remember. They're gonna win some points. I said we could win this thing, but I'm thinking, oh, yeah, they're gonna win some points. You look back at their team. Oh, my gosh, they're, they're a great team. A lot of Hall of Famers out there. So

yeah, most of the Big Five they had a really good team. So yeah, you get wisdom. Right, Woosnam. Faldo, Seve, Bernhard and Sandy Lyle the Big Five for your main role there and then you throw in Olazabal and some other guys and a lot Valhalla Fe you'll know, I know. But in terms of the Big Five from Europe, I know

Yeah. Cuz a lot. The ball was a he is going it may have been a rookie that year. And he played with Seve every match. And yeah, Olazabal Good man. He could chip and putt. But you know, I don't know. I enjoyed it. It was fine. So what a great experience. Yeah, but you know, I don't know. That's just me.

You went got to go back to your stomping ground, though., late in 1988. Right. You went to Japan again. Right? You win the Crowns tournament. at Nagoya again.

Oh, that's true.

And you beat that's true. There was there was

one good Chinese

Jumbo Ozaki. Yeah, I didn't put down all those Japanese boys didn't you

know, even even in Japan, where Jumbo gets to use any kind of ball he wants. So they're al these rumors? Cause Jumbo played so good at Japan? And they're al these rumors that oh, well, you know, he's got these hot balls and all this.

But it was even going around here, wasn't it? Yeah. Yeah. On the tour here. They were talking about

oh, they say yeah, check his golf balls. They I don't think that gives you that far. But yeah, I love the crowns. It was just a great, great, great course for me. So yeah, you're right. There was was one shining spot in 1988. So that was good.

Jumbo had won that event five times coming to this tournament, back in 84. When you won, Aoki had won that event five times as well coming into that event. So you were up against a couple of tough competitors. And I'm sure the crowd wasn't behind Scott Simpson.

No, probably. But it helps it. It helps it Cheryl's half Japanese. So they always knew my wife was half Japanese. And oh, Cheryl was growing up in Hawaii. Her mom was Japanese and her dad's from North Dakota. But yeah, we've always we've always loved Japan and love going to Japan and it has always been a thrill just to be able to be invited over there so much. And now we just go with this, that we just go as vacation. Just enjoy it. But it was always I always loved going to Japan and playing golf.

So let's go to 1989 the Bell South Atlantic Classic at Atlanta Country Club winning that one in a playoff with another major champion winner Bob Tway

Yeah, I have not been playing all that great. Like I said 88 was a down year so you have to win an 89 that did feel like somewhat of a validation after winning the U.S. Open I wanted to make sure shoot I didn't I too didn't want that to be my last wind ever. So to win there meant a lot and Atlanta Country Club was just a really fun course to play to a lot of doglegs up and down the hills and against small greens and yeah, that was yeah, that was fine. Beat him in a play off in a really good shot right? Right in the middle of the green and I'm just remember hitting a great three iron and then I I think he bogeyed so made it easy on me for him like 10 feet

well, let's, let's move on to 1991. And Bruce, we could have very easily been talking about a guy like Andy North and like Curtis Strange that won, not one, but

Two Open championships. Definitely. Scott Simpson had a big chance to win in 91. Big chance and I'm sure you're going to tell us what was going on there that year?

Yeah, 91 Man, I played good. And all the U.S. opens actually from 87 up to 91 and hit chances in all of them, actually, to a degree. And but then 91 Yeah, just, I remember going there and playing this kind of like we're playing with you Bruce, I played a practice round and do and was playing really well play with my buddy, Peter Jacobson. And Peter said, Man, Scott, you're swinging great. I don't think I've ever seen you Swing Better. And that just gave me this confidence boost of Yeah, I mean, it feels good, but and I always love Peter Jacobson's game, if he could have played it better. Who knows how many tournaments and majors he might have won, but he hit the ball so well. And so Peter gave me a confidence boost I went out there I just played played great and obviously the thing I remember most was was coming down with three holes ago I had a two shot lead. And this time I felt really confident. So we're in Hazeltine, obviously tough course U.S. Open and tough finishing holes and the one place he can't go on 16th is to the right and so the blocked out by trees there's water and so I pulled it just enough to get it in the left rough terrible ly chopped it out and couldn't up and down it so I made a bogey hit a good shot 17 miss my birdie putt make a par Now 18. So I've got a par 18 to win the U.S. Open and I hit a really good drive but again I pulled it just a little bit kind of lands in the edge of the fairway jumps through the first cut and just barely in the long stuff. And I've got a chop it out with a nine iron and I hit a wedge. I'm chopped it out I got 100 yards to go and hit it up on the green and to buy that so now we go to the playoff and so playoff the next day with Payne Stewart and I can't remember if I no one point Payne wore his you know like Minnesota Vikings colors and he's got the knickers Payne was really popular back then. And and we were friends. Actually the the why the Tracy and Cheryl, to some degree walked together in the playoff and we were friends. Our kids were kind of these kids are a little bit younger. But you know we're late as you know. Well, Bruce, we all travel the tour together. So yeah, we're friends. But here we are in a playoff and we went down to hit balls. And there's so you know a few 100 people around I don't pay as a man. I thought they'd have more people out here because the galleries were huge. And we got up to the first hole and the hole hole has people there's like 30,000 People lined up just gonna watch you guys play golf. And so we went out in LA and it was I actually I had so much fun. The playoff was really fun. It was really competitive. And I remember we had a lot of rain earlier in the week. And the ball was really stopping well I think we raised under par So on a tough Golf Course but we got out there in the playoff and the wind had come up and the Greens had dried out. And I remember in the second hole hitting a really good nine iron landing right by the pin and downwind and it goes 40 feet past the hole and I three putt but I think how did that release 40 feet with a good Niner for the fairway in the green it was just it was just hard and kind of the way they probably wanted it and so we were both kind of struggling or both played. You know some good some bad. I remember pains ball. He hit it on the eighth hole into the water and it hit a rock and jumped up still make bogey but lucky guy and we went back and forth as a hit he is a head and then I made a birdie 15 And I was too ahead with three to go again. And this time I hit a right down the middle hit it right in the middle of the green on 16. He kind of pushed it down the right side but stayed in the fairway hit it over the trees and I putted mine up, I left a blank Yeah, maybe with three feet and he made it from like 25 feet made the bomb and then I miss my little one. So all of a sudden our tie and then I then he it's a really nice shot and I probably tried too hard I pull it in the water and I made an unbelievable for had to drop it in this hard pan on the other side and over the water and made it black for for it. So I'm still in it. And 18 hits it in the right bunker, I had drive now this this time I pushed it and it goes through the bunker into the rough, which may not have been a good life, you made a very good breakfast, he ended short of the grain and I hit a great shot out of the rough right at the pin, lands in the front and it goes over the green. It's just you just can't stop it. And he put it up there about four, three or four feet away. And he had not missed one of those yet. I mean, he was really rolling the ball well, and so I say well, I gotta chip it in to, to hopefully tie him and so I tried to tip it in and knocked it 10 feet by Miss and Payne won. And I remember the pain, we had talked about Christianity and stuff and he wasn't buying it. And one of the things he told Larry Moody says, you know, I always share these guys, thank God when they when I want to hear someone thank God when they lose. And sure enough, I get it. I've not heard that Larry told me later, and I get in the press debt first because I lost. They want to talk to the loser first. And I said you know, I just think you know the guy the same way I did when I won that for the opportunity to be here. And I mean, I played great golf and I lost to a great champion, then pain played fantastic. And this but it was a great opportunity. And, you know, I was just thankful and paying told Larry later he goes, okay, okay, I heard someone thank God when they lost. But it was it was actually really fun. The playoff was fun. I mean, I didn't like losing. That wasn't fun. But you know, I done this, I had done the same thing that I did when when that I had done when I won in the fact that I gave it my best on every shot. And so I felt fine. I felt that was that was the best I could do.

Yeah, but to have 30,000 people focused on you two guys. Yeah, that was something

I know, it was cool. And I actually three putted I think three or four times that day. And so I was a little off but but it went back and forth to one of us ahead and then behind and it was I mean, the scores weren't good. 75-77 But it would have been fun to watch.

Thank you for listening to another episode of for the good of the game. And please, wherever you listen to your podcast on Apple and Spotify if you like what you hear, please subscribe. Spread the word. Tell your friends until we tee it up again. For the good of the game. So long, everybody