Morgan Pressel

Published Mar 22, 2023, 9:00 AM

The Major Champion and longtime LPGA star joins Claude as she transitions to an analyst role for NBC/Golf Channel to discuss Nelly Korda’s star power, the state of women’s golf and the significance of the upcoming US Open at Pebble Beach

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It's the Son of a Butch podcast. You guys know the drill. We come to you every Wednesday. This week Morgan Pressel, she was a standout on the LPGA Tour, won a major in her late teens, and is now on NBC Golf Channel, so if you're watching women's golf you will see her. She's doing an amazing job. I think she brings a tremendous amount of insight to the broadcast and really really excited to get to talk to her. This is a good one. I mean, this is this is a woman that you know, qualified for a major championship when she was twelve years old, and she's got a tremendous amount of knowledge. Talks about the women's game, talks about some of the great players in the women's game right now. She's also an assistant captain in the US Solheim Cup set up, which will be happening later this year. So sit back and enjoy a really good interview with Morgan Pressel. Morgan, the LPGA Tour just kind of getting underway, coming off what I think last year was a really really good year for the LPGA. What are you looking forward to in twenty twenty three? Well, I think there are a ton of big storylines. I do agree that last year was pretty unreal on the LPGA Tour and it's going to be tough to top. But I think one of the big storylines this year is all of the big events that we have coming up on the LPGA Tour. I mean we have two team events of course, Solheim Cup, International Crown. I think the biggest one is probably the US Women's Open at Pebble Beach and KPMG Women's PGA at Baltic's Rawl. Venues are just so important and to have those events really elevated to a different level being on those historic venues, I think it's going to be really neat. And then of course you have I mean, I think the way the LPGA Tours season has already started, Jin Yunko proving that no injury is going to hold her back. Certainly Nellie Kordak coming off of her injury last year coming back almost better than ever. Lydia Coo doesn't seem to have any end insight to her talent and ability. Oh my gosh, I feel like I'm just rambling. But then you have the rookie class too. I mean last year's rookie class is probably maybe the strongest rookie class we've ever seen, but this one's pretty darn strong as well. Maybe not quite to the proven level of last year's class, but you know, Lucy Lee and Alexa Pano, a couple of names that I think a lot of golf fans would know, some incredibly diverse international talent, proven winners on other tours like the Japanese Tour and things like that. So just some new faces, some really talented proven players over the last few years, and some exciting places to play. You mentioned two of the big golf courses that will be on the LPJ for the Majors, Pebble Beach in Balta Stroll Morgan. What do you think that going to those events? I mean, obviously the history that the men's um, you know that the men have at those events. Do you think that's why it's important to put the ladies on that stage and add to that history of those great courses. Yeah, I do, and I think it was really special last year. I was out um during the pro am event out at Pebble Beach last February and just kind of standing on the seventeenth hole, eighteenth hole out there and thinking, you know, in about a year and a half time, next summer, the LPGA players, the best women in the game are going to be playing on this same on these same historic holes where you know, we can all remember some of the greatest shots that have that have ever been hit. And that's why I think venues are so important. I think venues make the casual golf fan tune in because they've heard of Pebble Beach, they've heard of Baltus for all, they know the history. And I think back you know, playing of course, playing Saint Andrews and the AIGU Women's Open as well as I mean playing Royal trun was really special as well. And one of those venues that is a household name for a lot of golf fans and gets people to tune in. And what did they see when they tune in? They see some truly incredible golf. And I think it's going to be fun to see history being made. And you know, this isn't only one women's Open at Pebble Beach. They've committed to four US Women's Opens at Pebble Beach, so really they are so committed along with the USGA two creating women's history at such a historic venue. Yeah, I was talking to Marina Alex I work with, and Marina was saying that she needed to go up there and play a practice The guys play Pebble Beach, I mean pretty much the majority of the guys on the PGA Tour have played that tournament. They played that golf course. Some of them have played it in majors, but it's on the schedule every year you can play. There will be a lot of the girls on the LPGA Tour that that need to go up there and play practice rounds because they maybe haven't played that golf course, certainly nearly as much as the guys have. Yeah, I mean I was always I mean, the US Open in general is a venue that you don't typically play other than maybe once every ten years and maybe even less. So it was always for me a way that I carved out my schedule to make sure that I had an advanced practice round on the US Open venue because it was that important to me. It was something that I really wanted to know going in. It's a long week, it's a stressful week. If you can take away a little bit of that early stress or without having to feel like you have to really cram to learn a golf course within those three advanced days. I think that takes a lot of pressure off players. And I think we'll see, I mean what the Women's opens in July, so I think maybe coming off of Wilsher, the LA event or International PROWN, I think you'll see some players definitely take a stop up to Pebble Beach to learn because it's so nuanced. As we've seen on TV, the greens are so tiny, it's such it's all about placement the short game. I think the more reps you can get on a golf course like Pebble Beach, the better off you're going to play. And I think we will see who watch the social media stories of some of these players, because I would have no doubt they are going to make advanced visits. So given the fact that you've played the golf course, you've seen the golf course a lot a US Open venue at Pebble Beach, which of the players on the LPJ do you feel like that type of golf course sets up for well. I have had the opportunity to play Pebble a little bit and certainly have watched on television many times. I mean the story is how small the greens are, right, I mean they are so tiny and so that just in my head, we have poanna greens which can give a lot of players fits. You have really tiny greens that are quite undulating, so short game being one of the most important parts of your game. Of course, course management. I mean I the one player that comes back to my mind she checks every single one of those boxes is Lydia. Co had had such success at Lake mer Said, which is a similar climate, similar style golf course, and of course is proven on big stages. So that's really the name that keeps coming up in my mind when I think of if there's a player that is perfectly suited for Pebble Beach, I think it's Lydia's game. And you know, the way she's been playing lately, it's it's hard to doubt that how much of the way Lydia's playing right now is her golf. But also she recently got married, She's in a great place in her life. You know, you've you've done the same thing. I think it's it's hard sometimes for the fans to realize that having a personal life away from the golf course it's so it's it's a huge part of playing well on the golf course. And you know, I mean, I'm not surprised that Lydia is on this run because she just seems like it's not that the stars are aligning, but it almost seems like, Okay, her golf swing looks as good as I've seen it. Look, she's winning again, she gets married. She just seems like this is kind of a going to be a really good spot for her, both on the golf course and off the golf course. Do you think that that's important and was that something that you felt as well when you were playing? Yeah, I think balance is really important. I think that's kind of what you were gearing towards there. It is balance and harmony within on and off the golf course. Golf is such a tough sport and as golfers, we beat ourselves up. I know that I certainly did. And you know, it's really easy to take golf home you and I think it's just so important to have that team around you that doesn't allow golf to be or everything because it feels like that. It feels like that for us as public figures, people who only see us as golfers, and there is so much more to every single player out there, but sometimes it's just so hard not to take it home with you. And I would say I am very guilty of that. And I think what's really impressive with Lydia specifically is, if you want to call it a slump, she was still playing some pretty darned impressive golf. But to have been at the top of the game and fallen down a little bit, especially to her standards to mentally. I mean, we all see the physical changes, but I think and I think you would agree the mental side to watch her mentally and is that a case of hard work she's done on the mental side of her game. Is that the extra balance and happiness off the golf course. Is it a combination of all of that. I mean, she looks so much in control and she truly has nothing to lose, nothing to prove to anybody, And I think for any athlete, that's a great place to be. You want a major championship, you know, before you were twenty years old, what do you feel like is the biggest part of doing that, because like you said, majors are different, They're long weeks there, and when you win them. I've always said this, I've been lucky enough to be around players and work with them when they won major championships. There's something different about them that week. I can't kind of put my finger on it, but there's always something a little bit different. So the test to win one of those, what do you feel like is paramount that you have to do those weeks? Well, I would say that I would look back on my career and think about every major that I played and how I felt Sunday when it was all over compared to any regular season event, and the answers. I was exhausted, I was more mentally fatigued than I was physically fatigued, And it just Majors just make you think in a different way. It's the biggest stage, bigger pressure, bigger moments, especially when you're in contention on Sunday, and there's just, I think, such a different thought process that goes into major championship golf course. They are traditionally more challenging, traditionally longer, rough, faster greens, all of those things that you think about when you think about a major. And I think it really is the mental aspect, and I think we see the very best players in the world have that intangible the thing that you can't see, the thing that you can't record on a stat sheet or you know whatever, whatever it is, something that you really like, you said, you can't put your finger on it because you can't see it. And I think that's really what truly separates the best players, the ones who time and time out can can perform under that immense pressure and under those challenges in the spotlight of Sunday major championship pressure. While we all know that they're mentally fatigued even coming down to that point, they have another gear where they're able to stay focused, not allow those distractions to cloud their thought process and their routines, and they're able to get it done. You played in you qualified for the US Open when you were twelve years old. Did you immediately like that situation or where you're like, Wow, this is really because I mean, to make the jump from playing AGGA and junior golf to then play in women's US Open, I mean that is a massive, massive jump and you're twelve years old. I mean, are you even aware that of what pressure is at that age? I had no idea, to be honest with you, and I played in the Women's Open before I played in an ajj event because a j g A at that time had an age limit of thirteen, so I hadn't even played in an aj g A event yet. So I remember playing in the qualifier, like my grandfather signed me up for the qualifier, and I was like, oh, why are we, you know, us open qualifying? What are we doing? Basically He's like, oh, just for practice, and yeah. I was like okay, you know, And I remember vividly I was four under with two holes to play and I had actually never broken seventy and I bogie the last two holes. I was more upset than I did break seventy and the qualifier. But I really had no idea at that time when I left that qualifier that day what that would mean for me, for my life, for my career. But getting to Pine Needles, um, I remember I didn't even want to leave the locker room. I didn't want to leave the dining room area. We had some rain delays, and I just wanted to sit there because I wanted to soak up this this atmosphere of being in the same room as people who I had looked up to for years, and that was really the moment for me when I said, Okay, this is what I want to do. I want to play golf. I want to compete in these events for my life. And that was I went home and really, I mean I was certainly a serious golfer at that point, but that was when I put that goal on that vision board. I mean, when you get thrown into that situation, you're either going to sync or you're you're going to swim. You getting into competitive you know, women's golf at the highest level as a twelve year old. Um, did you feel like you were too young and around adults or did it all just feel kind of normal? Because from then on it just kind of became what your life was, right, I mean, you just basically were that type of player. You were always going to do the things, you know. I mean, you had a really stand out junior career. And do you feel like getting into a situation like qualifying for US Open early early on in your career maybe gave you an advantage throughout the junior stuff that you played. I think it gave me a lot of confidence. I think twofold one, it gave me a goal, something to work towards and to. You know, it did give me confidence, and I think in my longtime coach Martin Hall, I think, you know, he said qualifying was a very impressive thing to do. But really I shot two rounds of seventy seven. So you know, as a twelve thirteen year old, I just turned thirteen, you know, to break eighty on a US Open golf course at twice, I mean, you know, we think about breaking eighties. But it was a tough US Open golf course. I mean that year, I believe carry Webb ran away with it and was one of the only players under par. It played really, really tough, and I think he was I think that was the moment where he was like, Okay, you know, she's got some game and can play it. And of course I wanted to do better. I wanted to make the cut, and I had all these ideas going in. But truly it was for me a wonderful learning experience. I had a ton of media attention being the youngest to qualify. I think I don't think that I was quite prepared for that. That's what I got there. But I would say I embraced it. I'd say that I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it enough to know that that was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Have you been a mentor to do you feel like over your career when you see a young a really really young girl get out on the on the LPGA tour um, you know, under twenty, do you feel like you want to play a practice round with her and sit with her, you know, in the dining and say, listen if you ever need help. I went through this at a very young age, and you know, and do you feel like that's something that you can do and part of your obligation now having gone through it? Definitely? You know, I had players who were exceptionally helpful to me when I was a rookie on tour and starting out. And you know, I mean, the LPG has a wonderful program. It used to be the like Little Sister, Big Sister. Now it's the pod system, a little bit different, but the same idea of matching up veteran players with rookies to kind of get them off to a good start, introduce them to somebody right off the bat. I mean, how lucky was I My big sister was Julie Inkster, and I know and truly one of my best friends in life. So what a mentor I had growing up. And you know, it's still very close with Mike Mallen, bath Daniel, some of these players that you know, I really felt like I could go to whenever I really needed anything, and I have. I'm definitely in that position now, which makes me certainly feel a little bit old, but it's it's fun. I mean, I just actually got my email the other day from my rookie pod and one of them is Alexa Pano. We mentioned her earlier, you know, talk about a standout star who had a ton of media attention very early in her career and has a lot of pressure on her. So I'm excited to I know her a little bit. I'm excited to get to know her more, to see how she does this season. But to have that, you know, Jessica Kardo was one of my little sisters. I'm trying to think back to some of the different players, but it is it's it isn't an obligation. I don't know if an obligation, but you know, the right thing to do to really help the next generation, because you know, I was one of those bright eyed not really knowing what I'm doing. Just I knew golf, but I didn't know much more than that. There's so much more that goes into being a professional to playing on the professional tours. One of the toughest ones is, I think caddies, you know, hiring caddies, firing caddies, finding the right match there, travel, how do you manage demands from the media, How do you manage demands from your sponsor? How do you how does that? And obviously the right agent can certainly help, But you know, somebody who really has no experience there, to have a player, you know, whether that's me or not, any other veteran player on tour, I think is very helpful just to have a sounding board, somebody, you know, to talk to. I mean, Jennifer Kupcho, another one of my little sisters, you know, when she first came out on tour, and you know, I remember playing practice rounds with her and just getting to know her better. And it just gives a little bit of a comfort level, certainly to the rookies. And I'm excited to see the rookies fee off this week for the first time in Arizona. The Augusta Women's Amateur just around the corner. How big of an impact do you feel, like the powers that be at Augusta National having that as part of you know, the run up to Augusta the Masters, but a showcase for you know, girls junior golf. How important do you think that is in the landscape of women's golf. Yeah, I mean, I have always loved covering women's amateur events, and I've had the opportunity of the last couple of years to cover the US Women's am where you really get to see the bright future stars of the future, and for those ladies to be playing on Augusta National here coming up very soon. I'm excited to be part of the broadcast to watch it. We've seen I mean, I just mentioned Jennifer Kupcho, think about the duel that she had with Maria Fosse coming down the stretch. We talk about venues. Venues are so important and it's just iconic, and I'm excited to be part of it this year to see what unfolds. I got to know Anna Davis after her big victory last year, coming out of almost nowhere. Nobody had ever heard of Anna, and she has continued to play really impressive golf, just one the Stage Valley Junior Invitational, which I think bodes well for her heading into Augusta National Women's Ameter, which is similar in golf course certainly in location, and so I think she's going to have a lot of pressure heading into august National Women's Ameter on her. But it goes back to the venues. Venues are so important, and I think too, I think you see with drive Chip and Pott, we're starting to see it in our in our bios that we get week in week out with these younger players, oh, you know, Drive Chip and put Champion, you know, at this age. And I think that also is showing what kind of an impact that has had, especially on youngsters, encouraging them to get involved in the game. And I love I love the junior golf is cool, Like I feel like it is for youngsters to play golf where it really wasn't when I was growing up. And I think golf courses are much more receptive of junior's being out there and learning the game. And I really love to see that. You mentioned Danna Davis her win last year at the Augusta Women's Amateur. It was it was incredible to watch her. I mean it just the way that she went about it. Obviously, she probably didn't go in there with a tremendous amount of hype or buzz. She's one of the stars, so she can somewhat fly onto the radar. But if you look at you know, some of the superstars of in women's amateur golf, we're on that leaderboard on Sunday, and you saw them make mistakes, and you saw Anna with the pigtails and the hat and the jacket. I mean, she looked like she was just cruising and look like nothing bothered her. Can she keep that attitude and keep that mentality now coming back into a year where she's defending champion, she's going to be one of the favorites. How do you deal with that? I think it's hard, and I think that's one of the things that you learn as as a player if you are going to be on the top of the game, is to handle that pressure. And she will definitely have a tremendous amount more pressure on her this year. But you know, just the way she just played at Sage Valley, I think that shows that she is embracing the position that she's then of being truly a standout amateur and Junior star, and I think it'll be really fun to watch. I think that that's one of the things about Augusta National right, is it can be mentally draining, maybe more than any other golf course. And you know, making those three footers when they break, you know, a cup down down hill side the hill, when all of the pressures on, and you know, she was so cool, common collected last night. I think that's a little bit just of her personality. She really does. In getting to know her, that is kind of her southern California kind of vibe. And I mean, I think it's so interesting you think about she'd never really even watched the Masters, she had never even really seen the golf course, so she was very, very green, very naive to everything going on that week, and maybe not even really understanding the stage that she was on. I think she understands it now and will that California cool attitude still prevail. I feel like I feel like it will serve her well. You mentioned the fact that she hadn't really seen the golf course. I mean, certainly on the men's side, for the guys, they always say that you need a lot of reps around Augusta. You've got to learn the golf course the way Phil Mickelson did, you know, go out and chart all the greens um you know, so rarely do you see someone you know, we've seen it in the past, you know at the Masters, players that have never really had a history there. But it tends to be people that have put themselves in position before they understand it. So I guess Morgan is a player. How could how could you try and access the Anna Davis mindset more often to where you say, Okay, I'm not going to be overawed by the stage. I haven't really seen the golf course. So it's because because I always say that to players, right, Hey, it's golf, right. The stage is just bigger when you get onto the PGA Tour or the LPGA Tour or wherever you play that you make that jump from junior golf to college golf to amateur golf to the professional of the stage just gets bigger. The venue just gets bear. There's more people, but the golf doesn't change. It's still getting the ball in the whole in the least amount of strokes. How can how can you access that more often? I mean, that's that intangible, right, that's the mental strength, the ability to separate each and every shot and focus on each and every shot and think about your goal for that specific shot, not your goal for the day, not your goal for the year, or not any of those things, but in that moment, really be able to nail down your focus and not let any of those distractions bother you. And some people are able to do that a lot better than others. And you know, I think every player has those moments where maybe it gets the better of them. I think throughout a career you're going to have that. But you know, of course, you look at somebody like Tiger, you think the least bothered in that situation of anybody ever. And that's just what ends up being really neat to watch the best players in the world pull off those most incredible shots when pressure is the highest, and that takes just real, real mental focus and the ability to block out any and all kinds of distractions. And I think a little bit of the nonchalant attitude that Anna Davis has, and I think certainly that's what's so much fun about watching amateurs compete, is that, for the most part, youthful naivete that comes with their age more than anything. But it gets it gets a little bit harder when you get to the next level and you get to the professional level and you get to major championships. But if those that can embrace that youthfulness and that's a little bit more carefree attitude, I think are the ones who really do the best. We talked about Lydia Coo earlier. Nellie Korda, Um, you mentioned this a huge year for her for a lot of reasons. I mean, obviously, I think you know, she's got one of the best golf swings in the game of golf, regardless of gender. She got paid this year, big new contract from Nike, switched clubs from Taylor made. How good do you think Nellie can be? I mean, how good do you think Nellie Korda can be? And can she be one of these players Morgan that you know starts cleaning up in the majors and starts to be a prolific winner on all levels, both regular tournaments and major championships. I mean absolutely, it's hard hard to bet against that. I mean Nellie, like you said, I mean, between the two of them, Jessica and Nellie Corda have two of the most gorgeous golf swings I think we've ever seen in golf. And you know, Nellie, just the way that she drives the ball when she is on is just she puts herself in perfect position on every hole. She's a wonderful boss striker. She has a ton of opportunities for Birdie and you know, and I always say, it usually comes down to putting. Who makes the most putts at the end of the week. And you know, the times when I think she puts really well on fast screens because I think the way that her style of putting, she likes to kind of just drip the ball in the front edge. So watch out for her on really fast major championship greens. I think that kind of feeds into her strengths. And talk about it, at least at least from the outside, talk about a care free attitude. You know, she definitely looks like she has that kind of nonchalant the way that she walks, the way that she carries herself on the golf course, definitely has that mental toughness and that tenacity I'm sure learned from her father. And you know, she she just doesn't really show her emotions on the golf course doesn't seem to let too much bother her, is able to kind of bounce back when she when she does make mistakes, and I mean, I think that's why we see her close to the top of the leaderboard so often, and I think that will only continue. She will definitely be a part of the Solheim Cup team. You're an assistant captain, Stacy, those the team competitions, you were a part of them as a player. How has it been different as a player and now as you're in the backroom staff as one of the assistant captains. Well, Solheim Cup, I had the opportunity to put on six teams and they were the best six weeks of my career. So much fun to represent your country, to play on that kind of a stage. I love match play, I love the team competition. I'm very passionate about it. So to now let's see it from the other side to you know, Stacy has been absolutely meticulous in her in her captaincy so far, wants every detail to be perfect for the players. Certainly has taken notes from the different Solheim Cups that she's been a part of. Things that you like, things that she maybe would do differently and I'm taking notes from her because it's been very impressive to watch, and she just really is dialed in. We're dialed in with the stats, she's dialed in with all the players, wanting to make sure that they feel comfortable, they know what to expect, especially some of the newer players going over there. You know, it's in Spain this year, first time the Soilhem Cup has been held in Spain, and I think it'll be the warmest Silheim Cup we've ever played in Europe because typically it's quite cold, but it's it's just really neat to see. Having been on so many teams myself and knowing but never truly understanding how much work goes on behind the scenes by the captains, by the staff at the tour to make sure I mean from the clothing to the gifts, to the travel to the I mean, how do we incorporate our past captains. I know that's been a big part for Stacy, wanting to include them. Just so many different moving parts and how to keep it all straight. And then you know, we have twenty twenty four coming up, not very long after having to go back to back, so there's just a lot going on right now in the Solhem Cup world and it's been really fun to be part of it. I'm honored to be one of Stacy's assistant captains and it's been just a wonderful experience. Europe. Four out of the last six they've won. How important, Just like it was, you know, the the guys went through this on the Ryder Cup side, the US team, they kept getting beat. How important is a US victory and how important is the US victory to do it in Europe? Well, like you said, it's we actually don't have many players on the potential team that have been on a winning Solhem Cup team, which is kind of wild. And we're also up against a really potentially tough European squad, you know, Susanne Patterson of course their captain, and we just I think about the young players that Europe has coming up. They have, of course two stalwarts and Maya Stark and Lynn Grant, who I think we're just starting to see their potential, and of course some proven veterans on Solheim Cups, on winning team. They know how to win, they've been part of it. And you know, differently on our side, I think we have some really impressive young potential rookies. I think you have Lily Avoo winning her first event just a couple of weeks ago in Thailand. I don't think that's surprising to anybody. Andrea Lee, of course, Alison Corpoos also is playing some tremendous golf, so maybe some new faces that we could potentially see in Spain. And and of course you have Lexie Nelly hopefully Jess as healthy of Danielle. So many players who just I think International Crown two leading into Solheim Cup that's a little bit earlier in May. I think that'll be a good kind of just a testing ground in terms of pairings and see how things shake out. Only four players from the US team will qualify for International Crown, so a smaller crowd. But I think it's just a very exciting year from that perspective. And I think it's been fun to be in conversations with Stacy and Angela and Natalie and and our Solheim Cup crew and just talk about how you know our players are doing following the stats following I mean I have a front row seat to watching it almost every week, you know, with Golf Channel and NBC, so it's just I think It's gonna be really interesting to see how both teams shake out, because I think there's a lot of fun new talents, and I just Solheim Cup seems to talk about performing on the biggest stage and pulling out big moments on big stages. It always seems to happen, which is a lot of fun. You mentioned Golf Channel in NBC. We see you on TV a lot more. Now, how are you enjoying that is it? Does it make you want to play? Does it make you not want to play? How is that balance of when you have to sit there, you know, five six hours a day watch all these golf shots. Does it make you go, Okay, I could do that better, I'm gonna get out there in practice. Or does it make you say I'm glad I'm up here and I don't have to do that. I you know, Fortunately for me, it was my decision and it was time for me to step away. I did not have any I was not forced out via injury or anything like that. I just knew that it was the right time for me to do something different. And I am very fortunate for the opportunity with Golf Channel and NBC Sports, and I've really enjoyed working with the team. We have a wonderful crew weeknd week out. Just it really is a team and we're are there to bring the great stories and the great golf to our viewers, and I really enjoyed being part of it. No, it does not make me want to go practice. No, it does not. I'd say that's probably the question I get asked the most. Do you miss it? No, I'd say. It was funny because Justin Leonard a couple of years ago, when Justin started doing you know, TV for NBC, I said to him, I said, does just make you want to play? And do you miss playing? He said, I hate golf. I don't miss playing. I don't like it at all. Now he's quit NBC and he's on the Champs Tour because watching golf all the time made him want to get back out there. I wasn't going to be that aggressive and say I hate golf and I but I have a bit of a grumpy golfer. So it was it was time for me. And No, it's you know, I really enjoy showcasing, having an opportunity to showcase the best talents in the world, and you know, for me to be part of the broadcast Crewe. I have really enjoyed. It's been quite a learning experience. You know, I played golf my entire life. I trained since I was eight years old to see it up in the US Open or you know, Soulhan Cup or whatever it is. And I did not train at all to be in the broadcast booth. So it's been quite the learning experience. And but you know, the team has been really supportive around me and I it's just been a lot of fun. It's been quite quite the roller coaster, but a lot of fun. Yeah. A little insider secret for everyone listening. The way you you you stay on TV is they throw you on TV with not a lot of practice and if you don't mess up, they just keep asking you back because literally they don't really prepare you. I've done some TV in the past for Sky and for Sports in the UK, and there's no training. If you show up on time and you don't mess up, they keep asking you back. Um off there that I'm telling you. You're doing a job with it, but there's no training you. If you do a good job and you're good on TV, it's it's almost like it's it's a happy accident because they don't really they throw you into the deep end and the red light goes on and you're like, okay, yeah. I remember one of the things and is like, there's so much TV lingo, like the way that the producer would talk to you, or I remember my very first week I was in the booth. I was like, Oh my gosh, what do I do? And it was like a ten am show. I was so nervous and we were kind of in the middle of the show. It kind of gets your footing after maybe the first hour, and I remember I was talking and saying something. I don't even remember what it's about, but the producers in my ear and said rap and I literally just stopped talking. I had no idea what that meant. I hadn't like literally stopped talking mid sentence. I mean that kind of means wrap up your thought, we want to move somewhere else. But I was like, oh my gosh, what does that mean. I have no idea, and I just like froze. But it's those kinds of learning experience how the flow of the broadcast works, When to talk, when to not talk, and sometimes when not to talk is sometimes more important. Even then when to talk and when how to prepare. I think has been a big learning experience. And you know, I mean, I've of course seen you out. I remember seeing you out at Pine Needles, asking grilling you on what your players are working with and trying but kind of behind the scenes things that a lot of players are people at home don't know that goes on the research, behind the scenes of trying to get those little bits of information that could be really interesting or valuable or just really round out the picture of what we're seeing on television for the viewers at home. Lastly, Morgan, you had such a standout junior golf career. A lot of people that listen to the podcast, you know, have kids that are trying to play. Piece of advice for junior golfers that you think could help them, and a piece of advice for junior golf pair that could help them. Because let's help the junior golf parents. Please, let's help them, Please, let's help them. Oh gosh, I know, right, Um, I'm sure that you have seen plenty in your day as as I mean, I had a pretty tough junior golf grandparents. So but you know, let's let your kid enjoy the game, because if you don't and you live so vicariously through your children and through their performances, they're going to grow to hate the game. And that's sad to say, and that's that's what we really don't want, right You want to see your children thrive. And the truth is, very, very very few percent of junior golfers are ever going to have the opportunity, the opportunity even to make it to a professional level. I think, especially for young women. If you have a young girl at home, get a golf club in her hand, because it's the best thing that you could probably do for her life, for her business. Obviously, Title nine, the number of scholarships that are available to young women through golf, it is tremendous. Then, not to mention how many companies would love to have a female who plays golf within their office and the opportunities that a female would get being probably one of the only people in your office who plays golf. I think in networking, and I think of everything that golf has brought to me, besides the professional level, just the tremendous people that you have the opportunity to meet through the game of golf. And it really is a game for life. There's nothing. And I'm sure you hear this as well from maybe some of the older people that you work with. I wish i'd started younger. I have not heard a single person who has not said I wish I started younger. And even if your young child takes a break, even if you know, maybe they get a golf club in their hand at five, six, seven years old and they decide they want to do something else a little bit later, when they want to pick it up at twenty five, thirty five, whatever it is, it's going to be so much easier for them, and they're going to be happy that they have that foundation, because I do see that it's very difficult for people to start playing in their forties and their fifties. It's just you don't have that same natural kind of move Your bodies are have developed in a different way than if you had golf as a young background. So I mean, just for junior golf parents, let your kids have fun introduced. I mean there's so many organizations now, whether it's the first t LPJUSGA girls golf players, where where they can find other friends that play golf. Let them go play with their friends, let them enjoy it, because the last thing you want to do is really have them not enjoy the game because they are feeling so much pressure. And I think that's that's one of the most important keys for junior golf parents. Well wise words there, Um, I couldn't have said that better. Um. Listen, you're doing a great job on Golf Channel in NBC. We'll look forward to seeing you on our screens. And uh, I'm gonna try and get out to the Women's US Open this summer and hopefully we will catch up. I will definitely see you at Prebble Beads. All Right, thanks for talking to us. So that was Morgan Pressel. I'm glad she took time to talk to us. Some really good stuff to unpack in there, and I love what she said about junior golf parents because they are tough ones. Quick comment about the USGA and the RNA talking about rolling the ball back. I mean, I gotta be honest with you that that makes absolutely no sense to me. It really doesn't. And I get the argument that, yeah, we want to make sure you know, a lot of these courses aren't obsolete and major tournaments can still go to these courses. Listen, You could take a professtional golf tournament to any golf course tomorrow. But where you're gonna put the fans, but more importantly for the USGA and the RNA, where are you going to be able to put the corporate hospitality tents so that the USGA and the RNA can make that cash. I just don't see it. I think golf's in a great place. And the one thing I will say about the equipment, for all the people that think the ball goes too far, the drivers go too far, just something to think about, right, So Dustin Johnson, brooks Kepco they kind of cruise with their drivers speeds right around you know, one hundred and eighteen hundred, nineteen hundred and twenty miles per hour ball speeds kind of in that high one seventies, one eighties. They can go get one eighty five to one ninety ball speed. They can get more clubhead speed. So just a little food for thought. If it was just the equipment, right, if it was just the golf ball and it was just the driver, then I should be able to pick up Dustin Johnson's driver, brooks Kepka's driver, Roy mcelroys driver use the exact same driver that they use, use their driver, use their golf ball, and carry the golf ball three fifteen, three twenty in the air. I can't do that. I can't get into max Verstaffen's Formula one race car and drive it as fast as he can around the track. I'd probably crash because I don't know how to drive. So the thing that irks me the most about what the USGA and the RNA with this role in the ball back is they just they make the fact that the guys can carry the golf ball along way like, eh, that's not really a skill. Yeah, it's too easy. If it was that easy, everybody, if it was that easy, if it was just equipment, the men, the women, the Champs Tour, everybody would hit the golf ball the same distance if it was just about the equipment. So something to think about. I'm around the best players in the world, have been I've been lucky enough to do that for the last twenty years of my life. And the fact that you have governing bodies just acting like what these great players do doesn't take skill, doesn't take talent. I just don't see it because if it was just equipment, everybody would carry it three thirty in the air, and I give golf lessons. When I'm not on the road at tour events, I give golf lessons. I gave a golf lessons before I did this podcast this morning to one of our members here at the Floridian gentleman in his early seventies. The equipment is not helping him. It's not helping him hit the golf ball. Further, it's not helping him hit the golf ball straighter. So if you think that it's just equipment, I think there's a lot more that goes into it than just the golf ball and the driver, for the reasons why player hitting the golf ball. Further, I want to thank everybody for listening. We've got some great podcasts in the bank. If you haven't listened, go back and check them out, rate review, subscribe to wherever you get your podcast. Son of a Buch comes to you every Wednesday. We will see you next week.

Son of a Butch with Claude Harmon

Claude Harmon is back and breaking down all things golf – a simple game that tends to confuse smart  
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