I think I had a round a spyglass. I had around a spyglass. I think I had twenty two putts, and granted I missed a couple of greens real close, you know, so I was putting from off the green and they're not counted as a putt. So maybe it's like twenty seven twenty eight putts from the ones that included off the green. But point being that I just get so confident with the thing and I just start when I'm on, I just start making everything.

I think I had a round a spyglass. I had around a spyglass. I think I had twenty two putts, and granted I missed a couple of greens real close, you know, so I was putting from off the green and they're not counted as a putt. So maybe it's like twenty seven twenty eight putts from the ones that included off the green. But point being that I just get so confident with the thing and I just start when I'm on, I just start making everything.

Put another logal the fire.

Put another logal the fire.

Nobody here is get the time.

Nobody here is get the time.

Welcome to the fire Pit with Matt Chanella. In part two of this podcast series on the relevance and rise of lab golf, we told Bill Pressey's story, the man who took to his garage in twenty twelve and used a modified cane and then ultimately a crutch to invent his revealer. That invention leads Pressy to the technology he implemented into his first version of the directed force putter, which actually did what face balance and toe hang putters claimed to do. Pressy received the patent to what was the directed force putter in twenty fourteen and sold his odd looking invention out of the trunk of his car. Pressy had just enough traction to start a business, but not enough marketing skills or manufacturing efficiency to be sustainable. When the company was on the brink, Pressey got connected to Sam Hahn in twenty seventeen, who, in addition to his dad and brother, bought a chunk of the business in twenty eighteen. Han says that from his perspective, there were four magic moments that led to the success of Lab Golf. The putter Lucas Glover used to win back to back PGA Tour events in August of twenty twenty three, which is ultimately where this series will end. The first of those four magic moments was when Hans directed force Putter broke and Bob Duncan put him in touch with Pressey. Not long after buying into the company, Han relocated the home office from Reno, Nevada to Eugene, Oregon, which is where Han was living, and although he was an avid and scratch golfer, he was new to the golf industry. This is where we resume the narrative. Here's Sam Han.

Welcome to the fire Pit with Matt Chanella. In part two of this podcast series on the relevance and rise of lab golf, we told Bill Pressey's story, the man who took to his garage in twenty twelve and used a modified cane and then ultimately a crutch to invent his revealer. That invention leads Pressy to the technology he implemented into his first version of the directed force putter, which actually did what face balance and toe hang putters claimed to do. Pressy received the patent to what was the directed force putter in twenty fourteen and sold his odd looking invention out of the trunk of his car. Pressy had just enough traction to start a business, but not enough marketing skills or manufacturing efficiency to be sustainable. When the company was on the brink, Pressey got connected to Sam Hahn in twenty seventeen, who, in addition to his dad and brother, bought a chunk of the business in twenty eighteen. Han says that from his perspective, there were four magic moments that led to the success of Lab Golf. The putter Lucas Glover used to win back to back PGA Tour events in August of twenty twenty three, which is ultimately where this series will end. The first of those four magic moments was when Hans directed force Putter broke and Bob Duncan put him in touch with Pressey. Not long after buying into the company, Han relocated the home office from Reno, Nevada to Eugene, Oregon, which is where Han was living, and although he was an avid and scratch golfer, he was new to the golf industry. This is where we resume the narrative. Here's Sam Han.

Damn dude, I mean we it would just school of hard knocks I mean just every I had to learn everything about what we were doing. I would say now in retrospect, one of the absolute best things we had going for us was the fact that I didn't have any idea how the golf industry worked. And this allowed me to keep an open mind on every facet of the business. The putter is different, it works differently, you have to tell the story differently, you use it differently, and consequently, the way that you manufacture and market and fulfill is different. It has to be. And if I was a golf industry guy, it just it wouldn't have worked. And early on, and I learned that. I learned that really early. We you know, so we're putting together a business plan and figuring out how we're going to do this and how we're going to spread the word. What's going to go on? And we hired a fella wonderful man. His name is Charlie Gerber, and he used to be the sales rep from here in North America. And Charlie was sweet as can be. And he was tasked with putting together a sales force. So he hired fifteen twenty different independent reps around the country and to no fault of his own. It just didn't work. You know, he's got these the guys that were hiring. You know, there wasn't enough margin for us to really make this their only gig. And so the guys that we're working with are selling gloves and balls and shoes and a four to seven hundred dollars custom puttern. It just wasn't working. And yah, can I ask you real quick?

Damn dude, I mean we it would just school of hard knocks I mean just every I had to learn everything about what we were doing. I would say now in retrospect, one of the absolute best things we had going for us was the fact that I didn't have any idea how the golf industry worked. And this allowed me to keep an open mind on every facet of the business. The putter is different, it works differently, you have to tell the story differently, you use it differently, and consequently, the way that you manufacture and market and fulfill is different. It has to be. And if I was a golf industry guy, it just it wouldn't have worked. And early on, and I learned that. I learned that really early. We you know, so we're putting together a business plan and figuring out how we're going to do this and how we're going to spread the word. What's going to go on? And we hired a fella wonderful man. His name is Charlie Gerber, and he used to be the sales rep from here in North America. And Charlie was sweet as can be. And he was tasked with putting together a sales force. So he hired fifteen twenty different independent reps around the country and to no fault of his own. It just didn't work. You know, he's got these the guys that were hiring. You know, there wasn't enough margin for us to really make this their only gig. And so the guys that we're working with are selling gloves and balls and shoes and a four to seven hundred dollars custom puttern. It just wasn't working. And yah, can I ask you real quick?

So at the time that you buy the company many how many of these putters were being sold a year?

So at the time that you buy the company many how many of these putters were being sold a year?

Virtually?

Virtually?

Non?

Non?

I mean we had they had so twenty one putters?

I mean we had they had so twenty one putters?

Would they did they sell one hundred putters times four hundred or like?

Would they did they sell one hundred putters times four hundred or like?

Like what you know?

Like what you know?

Like was it a thousand putters? I would say, I would say that the day we bought the company, I would be very surprised if there was a thousand putters out in the world, and probably closer to four or five hundred.

Like was it a thousand putters? I would say, I would say that the day we bought the company, I would be very surprised if there was a thousand putters out in the world, and probably closer to four or five hundred.

Press he thinks there might have been a little more. But regardless and relatively speaking, there was nowhere to go but up or go out of business. What was at the top of the priority in your mind, like what did you need to do to try to make this successful?

Press he thinks there might have been a little more. But regardless and relatively speaking, there was nowhere to go but up or go out of business. What was at the top of the priority in your mind, like what did you need to do to try to make this successful?

Branding into her presence. So the first one was branding, So I did have I'm a good consumer, like I in the sense that like I'm an educated consumer, right, I am both clear on on the technology that I'm buying. I look into it, I look for validation of it. So I already had that.

Branding into her presence. So the first one was branding, So I did have I'm a good consumer, like I in the sense that like I'm an educated consumer, right, I am both clear on on the technology that I'm buying. I look into it, I look for validation of it. So I already had that.

But you were doing a lot of obviously because you're going through a lot of putters, so like the.

But you were doing a lot of obviously because you're going through a lot of putters, so like the.

Consumer exactly, so I'm using some of what was a turnoff. There were so many turnoffs about this putter when I got it, so many, you know, like I hated this grip, this rubber oval grip. I couldn't stand it. I actually love it now, but I hated I hated the analyzing, Like the finish on this putter was just so cheap looking like it just it just it looked like a fucking infomercial product.

Consumer exactly, so I'm using some of what was a turnoff. There were so many turnoffs about this putter when I got it, so many, you know, like I hated this grip, this rubber oval grip. I couldn't stand it. I actually love it now, but I hated I hated the analyzing, Like the finish on this putter was just so cheap looking like it just it just it looked like a fucking infomercial product.

You know.

You know.

And then this logo was so bad and Bill's probably going to listen to this and he's gonna be mad at me. But I love you, Bill, but you know your logo sucked, bro, And and there was just and then the company was called Directed Force at the time, Like that's a fucking mouthful for a company, Like it was just it it was so so a lot of branding, branding, branding, I mean, we we that was a huge thing. Day one re rebranded the company lab Lying of Balance. That was Bill's call. That was, as I understand it, what he wanted to call the company in the first place. And then we needed a logo and took forever with these guys in Colorado that were just not not handing us anything particularly creative. And it was actually my mom uh one day was like, well, putter is a really interesting shape. Why not just make it the putter? So we tried a couple of iterations of just like the straight silhouette of the putter, and then I ended up drawing this, you know, this one here on a napkin and that became the logo. So when I first drew it, it didn't have the notch. It just kind of looked like a heart with the tip cut off. And we had been like three months deep into finding a logo. I drew this thing on a napkin, had some guys actually put it, you know, make it real, sent it to Bill. Well, I fuck, yeah, we did it. Thank the Lord Jesus. The logo conversation is over. This thing is incredible, it looks good, it's sexy, it's awesome, and we're so excited. The next day, shit, I got a back up a second. About two weeks into owning the company, somebody sends me an Instagram post that Kelly Slater had made the surfer that he had made about this crazy new putter that he found at Carl's Bad Golf Center. So we reached out to Kelly and you know said, you know, I introduced myself. I'm like, hey, I'm the new owner of the company, and I saw that you're using the putter. Let me know if there's ever anything you need. Kelly and I hit it off. We start texting, we're talking putters, and we become golfner buddies, and YadA YadA.

And then this logo was so bad and Bill's probably going to listen to this and he's gonna be mad at me. But I love you, Bill, but you know your logo sucked, bro, And and there was just and then the company was called Directed Force at the time, Like that's a fucking mouthful for a company, Like it was just it it was so so a lot of branding, branding, branding, I mean, we we that was a huge thing. Day one re rebranded the company lab Lying of Balance. That was Bill's call. That was, as I understand it, what he wanted to call the company in the first place. And then we needed a logo and took forever with these guys in Colorado that were just not not handing us anything particularly creative. And it was actually my mom uh one day was like, well, putter is a really interesting shape. Why not just make it the putter? So we tried a couple of iterations of just like the straight silhouette of the putter, and then I ended up drawing this, you know, this one here on a napkin and that became the logo. So when I first drew it, it didn't have the notch. It just kind of looked like a heart with the tip cut off. And we had been like three months deep into finding a logo. I drew this thing on a napkin, had some guys actually put it, you know, make it real, sent it to Bill. Well, I fuck, yeah, we did it. Thank the Lord Jesus. The logo conversation is over. This thing is incredible, it looks good, it's sexy, it's awesome, and we're so excited. The next day, shit, I got a back up a second. About two weeks into owning the company, somebody sends me an Instagram post that Kelly Slater had made the surfer that he had made about this crazy new putter that he found at Carl's Bad Golf Center. So we reached out to Kelly and you know said, you know, I introduced myself. I'm like, hey, I'm the new owner of the company, and I saw that you're using the putter. Let me know if there's ever anything you need. Kelly and I hit it off. We start texting, we're talking putters, and we become golfner buddies, and YadA YadA.

Kelly Slater is the greatest surfer of all time, very commonly referred to as the Goat. Slater has eleven world championships. He won his first in nineteen ninety two, his last in twenty eleven. The next best in surfing is Mark Richards, who has five, and he got all of his before nineteen eighty three. Simply put, Slater is the secretariat of his sport, and if there are no waves. He plays golf, not surprisingly, he's very good at it, a scratch if not better, and a regular at the AT and T Pebble Beach pro Am. Through a love of golf and surfing, Slater is friends with Adam Scott. What was your first introduction to this putter in this technology.

Kelly Slater is the greatest surfer of all time, very commonly referred to as the Goat. Slater has eleven world championships. He won his first in nineteen ninety two, his last in twenty eleven. The next best in surfing is Mark Richards, who has five, and he got all of his before nineteen eighty three. Simply put, Slater is the secretariat of his sport, and if there are no waves. He plays golf, not surprisingly, he's very good at it, a scratch if not better, and a regular at the AT and T Pebble Beach pro Am. Through a love of golf and surfing, Slater is friends with Adam Scott. What was your first introduction to this putter in this technology.

Yeah, so the first time I saw LAB I was playing a golf course called Redstick in Florida, and actually I think the guy runs it used to work at Augusta, but he moved down there to work at Redstick.

Yeah, so the first time I saw LAB I was playing a golf course called Redstick in Florida, and actually I think the guy runs it used to work at Augusta, but he moved down there to work at Redstick.

Really good course, great greens.

Really good course, great greens.

I was just playing with a buddy of mine, Bill, who I played with a lot, an old surfer friend of mine, and were paired up with the guy that he plays with sometimes just a casual game, and this guy had a directed force.

I was just playing with a buddy of mine, Bill, who I played with a lot, an old surfer friend of mine, and were paired up with the guy that he plays with sometimes just a casual game, and this guy had a directed force.

Lab lab butter, and.

Lab lab butter, and.

Like everyone else, I said same thing, like what's that thing?

Like everyone else, I said same thing, like what's that thing?

You know?

You know?

Blah blah, And I'm I'm pretty open minded, like I'm pretty into if something works, it works, I don't care what it looks like.

Blah blah, And I'm I'm pretty open minded, like I'm pretty into if something works, it works, I don't care what it looks like.

I've played some goofy clubs over the year just because they're.

I've played some goofy clubs over the year just because they're.

Funny, and you know, just to give you an idea.

Funny, and you know, just to give you an idea.

I used to have this.

I used to have this.

I'm a real Mo Norman geek and I used to have this this sandwich. It kind of looked like the alien that Moe used to play with, and it had a giant balance on it. I think it had about twelve or fifteen degrees of bounce and a big soul on the bottom of the club.

I'm a real Mo Norman geek and I used to have this this sandwich. It kind of looked like the alien that Moe used to play with, and it had a giant balance on it. I think it had about twelve or fifteen degrees of bounce and a big soul on the bottom of the club.

And a funny story I was in.

And a funny story I was in.

I was on the big island planet Kokio where many years ago as a member, and Adam was out there and uh, I said, just hit this club out of the sand, and he hit three balls to about a foot out of the sand.

I was on the big island planet Kokio where many years ago as a member, and Adam was out there and uh, I said, just hit this club out of the sand, and he hit three balls to about a foot out of the sand.

He goes, is this thing legal? I said, yeah, I guess so. So anyways, I've.

He goes, is this thing legal? I said, yeah, I guess so. So anyways, I've.

Always been in mind with these alternative sort of looking and feeling gloves and uh, so I'm playing with this guy.

Always been in mind with these alternative sort of looking and feeling gloves and uh, so I'm playing with this guy.

We get around the front nine.

We get around the front nine.

This guy's making all sorts of plots, are at least scaring the hold, and uh we get on about the twelfth hole and I said, you know, let me just take a couple of strokes of that thing. And I drained three puts from about ten twelve feet and I was just sold immediately.

This guy's making all sorts of plots, are at least scaring the hold, and uh we get on about the twelfth hole and I said, you know, let me just take a couple of strokes of that thing. And I drained three puts from about ten twelve feet and I was just sold immediately.

They just rolled the end over end. They set up pretty perfectly for me.

They just rolled the end over end. They set up pretty perfectly for me.

It was probably an inch long and maybe a little too flat of alive, but I, you know, I just set it right and uh to see how the ball would roll, and it felt amazing. So a week later I went to I was out here in California and I went to Carlosbad Golf Center where they did.

It was probably an inch long and maybe a little too flat of alive, but I, you know, I just set it right and uh to see how the ball would roll, and it felt amazing. So a week later I went to I was out here in California and I went to Carlosbad Golf Center where they did.

They were like one of the official fitters.

They were like one of the official fitters.

So I went there and messed around with the fit club for a while and you know, just set my langle length and ordered one and waited a couple of months, And to be honest, I was like so ty to get it. I was sending emails kind of hagging him on like how long do.

So I went there and messed around with the fit club for a while and you know, just set my langle length and ordered one and waited a couple of months, And to be honest, I was like so ty to get it. I was sending emails kind of hagging him on like how long do.

The ctit go'll be done? But I really want to get it.

The ctit go'll be done? But I really want to get it.

They sent it to Hawaii, out to Hawaii for me, and the first week I had it, I went over to McKenna and I was playing with Tommy Armor and in the first round, Tommy goes, don't ever take that thing out of the back. You're rolling it's so good, and it was just end over end, And I've just been leaver since day one and the first time I try that guy's putter until I got mine. And when I got mine, my confidence and my putting just went through the roof, and I feel, I honestly feel like I hardly have to practice.

They sent it to Hawaii, out to Hawaii for me, and the first week I had it, I went over to McKenna and I was playing with Tommy Armor and in the first round, Tommy goes, don't ever take that thing out of the back. You're rolling it's so good, and it was just end over end, And I've just been leaver since day one and the first time I try that guy's putter until I got mine. And when I got mine, my confidence and my putting just went through the roof, and I feel, I honestly feel like I hardly have to practice.

And I thought, really, well, more with Kelly Slater in a bit, but for now, back to Sam Han on the new logo, or so he thought.

And I thought, really, well, more with Kelly Slater in a bit, but for now, back to Sam Han on the new logo, or so he thought.

Bill was like a huge Kelly Slater fan, so just tuck that away for a second. So the next day after I give him this logo, he calls me up. He's like, stop, the presses can't use this as a logo, and I'm like why, What's He's like, I just played Charity Scramble with some buddies. I showed it to them and they all think that the top piece looks like a ballsack. And I'm like, dude, your fucking friends are weirdos. It does not look like a ballsack. It's fine. And he's like, dude, I'm saying, we are not using this logo. It looks like a ballsack. I don't want to be the Ballsack Potter company. It's not happening. And I'm like, dude, settle down. Your guys are drunk. You guys are being silly. It's not a thing. And he's like no, I'm like yes, and I'm like all right, let's each do our own little focus group here. You've picked six guys to go send it to and ask them what their first reaction is. I'll pick six guys that I send it to and ask them what their first reaction to is. And I'm like, I'm going to send it to Kelly because Joe, you know, Bill's big Kelly fan. As long as Kelly signs off on it will be really good. So I text Kelly, I'm like, you know, what do you think of this logo? He's like, Dude, it's actually a really really cool logo. But if I'm totally honest, men kind of suck and all they're going to see is a ballsack and they're just going to make jokes about the boss. Oh like fack, god damn it. Back to the drawing board. And you know, just a couple subtle tweaks made it, you know, much much less testicular and much more potter oriented. But I do love that story a lot, where I was just so positive that was a non thing, and Slater just validated completely that Bill was absolutely right and the thing looks like a ball sack.

Bill was like a huge Kelly Slater fan, so just tuck that away for a second. So the next day after I give him this logo, he calls me up. He's like, stop, the presses can't use this as a logo, and I'm like why, What's He's like, I just played Charity Scramble with some buddies. I showed it to them and they all think that the top piece looks like a ballsack. And I'm like, dude, your fucking friends are weirdos. It does not look like a ballsack. It's fine. And he's like, dude, I'm saying, we are not using this logo. It looks like a ballsack. I don't want to be the Ballsack Potter company. It's not happening. And I'm like, dude, settle down. Your guys are drunk. You guys are being silly. It's not a thing. And he's like no, I'm like yes, and I'm like all right, let's each do our own little focus group here. You've picked six guys to go send it to and ask them what their first reaction is. I'll pick six guys that I send it to and ask them what their first reaction to is. And I'm like, I'm going to send it to Kelly because Joe, you know, Bill's big Kelly fan. As long as Kelly signs off on it will be really good. So I text Kelly, I'm like, you know, what do you think of this logo? He's like, Dude, it's actually a really really cool logo. But if I'm totally honest, men kind of suck and all they're going to see is a ballsack and they're just going to make jokes about the boss. Oh like fack, god damn it. Back to the drawing board. And you know, just a couple subtle tweaks made it, you know, much much less testicular and much more potter oriented. But I do love that story a lot, where I was just so positive that was a non thing, and Slater just validated completely that Bill was absolutely right and the thing looks like a ball sack.

On that note, and before I go any further, I just want to thank Dormy Workshop for their sponsorship of this podcast. As you know by now, the Canadian based company only makes handmade leather goods such as custom headcovers and accessories. The Bishop Brothers are good golfers, great friends, and we're lucky to have them putting our logo on their products. All available at Firepitcollective dot com. For their complete collection of originals headcovers and classics, go to Dormy Workshop dot com and use promo code fire Hit fifteen for fifteen percent off your next purchase. Back to Samhan in his office at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Organ home of the Oregon Ducks, and.

On that note, and before I go any further, I just want to thank Dormy Workshop for their sponsorship of this podcast. As you know by now, the Canadian based company only makes handmade leather goods such as custom headcovers and accessories. The Bishop Brothers are good golfers, great friends, and we're lucky to have them putting our logo on their products. All available at Firepitcollective dot com. For their complete collection of originals headcovers and classics, go to Dormy Workshop dot com and use promo code fire Hit fifteen for fifteen percent off your next purchase. Back to Samhan in his office at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Organ home of the Oregon Ducks, and.

Now comes lucky break number two. You know you had asked, what what did I think that we needed to do in order to get this thing moving? So it was branding for sure. The next piece was presence, tour presence. We had no professional tour players, and that that was in my mind, Like I was almost thinking of this as a flip when I bought the company, Like I wasn't really thinking about growing into this crazy behemoth of a company. I was thinking that we were going to get out on tour and that somebody was going to grab the putter and go win a major championship and somebody, you know, one of the major OEMs is going to call us up and you know, license attack or buy us out completely or something. So first app is we got to get out on tour. So I call up to tour and I find out what's the process in getting a credential so that we could be out on the green and they're like, well, you either need a specific invitation from a player or your putter has to have been used in enough tournaments that it qualifies for a credential. And I'm like, well, I don't have an invite from a player, and how am I going to get a putter to use it if I can't get out on or a player to use it if I can't get out on tour. And they're like, well, tough shit fuck. So I'm like, how does it work? You know, like, how do you know if a player is using it or whatever? And they tell me about the Daryl Survey, which I didn't know anything about at the time, but you know, it's a company that you know, basically tracks every single thing that's in everybody's bag. And the woman on the other end of the poem. It was just like, just out of curiosity, what's the name of the company, And so I told her it was Directed Force. She plugs it into the system and she's like, oh, actually, you guys qualify. You guys have had you know, eleven plays, and I'm like, huh. Tim Wilkinson, a left handed New Zealand Germany journeyman. New Zealander journeyman, had bought the putter in New Zealand, like somehow a lefty version of this putter ended up in Bumblefuck, New Zealand. Random Journeyman tour pro picks it up, likes it, uses it for eleven events on the nationwide tour at the time, and we got a tour credential like day one. So talk about your lucky breaks. I have no you know, you can't write that shit that otherwise I would have no idea how we ever would have gotten out there. It never would have happened.

Now comes lucky break number two. You know you had asked, what what did I think that we needed to do in order to get this thing moving? So it was branding for sure. The next piece was presence, tour presence. We had no professional tour players, and that that was in my mind, Like I was almost thinking of this as a flip when I bought the company, Like I wasn't really thinking about growing into this crazy behemoth of a company. I was thinking that we were going to get out on tour and that somebody was going to grab the putter and go win a major championship and somebody, you know, one of the major OEMs is going to call us up and you know, license attack or buy us out completely or something. So first app is we got to get out on tour. So I call up to tour and I find out what's the process in getting a credential so that we could be out on the green and they're like, well, you either need a specific invitation from a player or your putter has to have been used in enough tournaments that it qualifies for a credential. And I'm like, well, I don't have an invite from a player, and how am I going to get a putter to use it if I can't get out on or a player to use it if I can't get out on tour. And they're like, well, tough shit fuck. So I'm like, how does it work? You know, like, how do you know if a player is using it or whatever? And they tell me about the Daryl Survey, which I didn't know anything about at the time, but you know, it's a company that you know, basically tracks every single thing that's in everybody's bag. And the woman on the other end of the poem. It was just like, just out of curiosity, what's the name of the company, And so I told her it was Directed Force. She plugs it into the system and she's like, oh, actually, you guys qualify. You guys have had you know, eleven plays, and I'm like, huh. Tim Wilkinson, a left handed New Zealand Germany journeyman. New Zealander journeyman, had bought the putter in New Zealand, like somehow a lefty version of this putter ended up in Bumblefuck, New Zealand. Random Journeyman tour pro picks it up, likes it, uses it for eleven events on the nationwide tour at the time, and we got a tour credential like day one. So talk about your lucky breaks. I have no you know, you can't write that shit that otherwise I would have no idea how we ever would have gotten out there. It never would have happened.

Meet Tim Wilkinson, as Han describes, he's a forty five year old lefty tour player from New Zealand. He turned pro in two thousand and three, and although he has no wins, he has three top five finishes on the PGA Tour, and he has amassed five point three million in career earnings.

Meet Tim Wilkinson, as Han describes, he's a forty five year old lefty tour player from New Zealand. He turned pro in two thousand and three, and although he has no wins, he has three top five finishes on the PGA Tour, and he has amassed five point three million in career earnings.

Anyway, So twenty seventeen, I believe I was playing the corn.

Anyway, So twenty seventeen, I believe I was playing the corn.

Ferry Tour.

Ferry Tour.

And I think I missed probably missed a couple of cats, and I got to Utah maybe on the Sasine. I was staying with a friend of mine in Poc City and I just found a golf course nearby. I don't even remember the name of it now, but yeah, I found a golf course nearby, and when at the pro shop, asked the pro as he normally do, I asked the pro would he mind if I did some chipping and parting and hit some balls on the dragon range. And while I was doing there, you know, I always go and have a look at the putters that they have on their racks. So I went in there and I asked him about this particular putter that was kind of nothing that I'd ever seen before, and he showed me. You know, I just asked because it was one of the fitting putters, so the net could bend all, you know, from right hand to left hand, and it could be said at any lie angle. So I'd ask him if he could set it up at sixty nine degree lie and what it was zero loft at the time, I think, So I asked him if he could just set it up at left hand at sixty eight and I had a few parts with it, and he showed me this the revealer, which is the rack that you put the putter around, and you can just swing it into the face so square, and it all made sense to me. So I asked him, you know who makes it and where do you get it from? And Bill was actually in Utah, I believe, and so I called him on the next day, or maybe even that afternoon, or maybe it might have been ten minutes later. I don't exactly remember, but he came out to San Francisco the following week and fitted me it. Brought a whole lot of putterson and got me fitted into one. So I started using it from there, and I think I did I get my I can't remember if I got my PJA took card that year or not. And I remember I know I one hundred percent used it. I think the Windhom Championship was the first PGA to event I used it at and I remember shooting sixty two in the second or third round but I'm not I'd have to go back and have a look at some of the numbers from that point.

And I think I missed probably missed a couple of cats, and I got to Utah maybe on the Sasine. I was staying with a friend of mine in Poc City and I just found a golf course nearby. I don't even remember the name of it now, but yeah, I found a golf course nearby, and when at the pro shop, asked the pro as he normally do, I asked the pro would he mind if I did some chipping and parting and hit some balls on the dragon range. And while I was doing there, you know, I always go and have a look at the putters that they have on their racks. So I went in there and I asked him about this particular putter that was kind of nothing that I'd ever seen before, and he showed me. You know, I just asked because it was one of the fitting putters, so the net could bend all, you know, from right hand to left hand, and it could be said at any lie angle. So I'd ask him if he could set it up at sixty nine degree lie and what it was zero loft at the time, I think, So I asked him if he could just set it up at left hand at sixty eight and I had a few parts with it, and he showed me this the revealer, which is the rack that you put the putter around, and you can just swing it into the face so square, and it all made sense to me. So I asked him, you know who makes it and where do you get it from? And Bill was actually in Utah, I believe, and so I called him on the next day, or maybe even that afternoon, or maybe it might have been ten minutes later. I don't exactly remember, but he came out to San Francisco the following week and fitted me it. Brought a whole lot of putterson and got me fitted into one. So I started using it from there, and I think I did I get my I can't remember if I got my PJA took card that year or not. And I remember I know I one hundred percent used it. I think the Windhom Championship was the first PGA to event I used it at and I remember shooting sixty two in the second or third round but I'm not I'd have to go back and have a look at some of the numbers from that point.

But yeah, it was just.

But yeah, it was just.

Out of the blue and I saw the potter and the reveala and it just at night sense, and yeah, I guess I'd been using it for iight o ten events and when that asked for PG two credentials and yeah, kind of went from there and now lots of guys having a lot of success.

Out of the blue and I saw the potter and the reveala and it just at night sense, and yeah, I guess I'd been using it for iight o ten events and when that asked for PG two credentials and yeah, kind of went from there and now lots of guys having a lot of success.

It's a pretty good story.

It's a pretty good story.

In twenty seventeen, the ten events leading into the Windham Championship, which is when Wilkinson put the putter in the bag, he had missed seven cuts and had only broken seventy three times. At Windham, he shot rounds of sixty three, seventy, sixty eight and sixty seven for a T fourteen, which tied for his best finish of his year, and the sixty three tied his lowest round of the year. That week, he was forty fourth in strokes game putting fourth in total putts.

In twenty seventeen, the ten events leading into the Windham Championship, which is when Wilkinson put the putter in the bag, he had missed seven cuts and had only broken seventy three times. At Windham, he shot rounds of sixty three, seventy, sixty eight and sixty seven for a T fourteen, which tied for his best finish of his year, and the sixty three tied his lowest round of the year. That week, he was forty fourth in strokes game putting fourth in total putts.

Does it feel good to know that, you know? As Sam was looking to try to get it in the hands of more tour pros and looking to sort of figure out how he could get a tour credential that it was you that popped up and had been using it and ultimately got him the access he needed to to take this company to where it's going now.

Does it feel good to know that, you know? As Sam was looking to try to get it in the hands of more tour pros and looking to sort of figure out how he could get a tour credential that it was you that popped up and had been using it and ultimately got him the access he needed to to take this company to where it's going now.

Yeah, probably one of the most unlikely you know, from New Zealand. Yeah, you would think you'd get the putter in the hands of a you know, right handed probably American player really to be honest, but for me just to come across the pastor and a pro shop and just be intrigued with it and and you know, like just to shave fractions of shots off your score as huge and professional golf as you know. Yeah, and to be kind of I guess at the forefront of I guess taking a chance on a different passer. You know, in the past many people haven't wanted to take it chance on a crazy looking grip.

Yeah, probably one of the most unlikely you know, from New Zealand. Yeah, you would think you'd get the putter in the hands of a you know, right handed probably American player really to be honest, but for me just to come across the pastor and a pro shop and just be intrigued with it and and you know, like just to shave fractions of shots off your score as huge and professional golf as you know. Yeah, and to be kind of I guess at the forefront of I guess taking a chance on a different passer. You know, in the past many people haven't wanted to take it chance on a crazy looking grip.

That's the Ford Press grip.

That's the Ford Press grip.

And.

And.

Yeah, like a what do you call it? Cattle Proude looking potter. But the science behind it was amazing and I felt like I could just kind of aim and hit with it.

Yeah, like a what do you call it? Cattle Proude looking potter. But the science behind it was amazing and I felt like I could just kind of aim and hit with it.

And then you know, the.

And then you know, the.

Conversations I had after that, the the original director force was really big and I said, I said, the only thing I think you need to do is add just a touch of laught and bring down the footprint of the potter, and I think more guys would use it.

Conversations I had after that, the the original director force was really big and I said, I said, the only thing I think you need to do is add just a touch of laught and bring down the footprint of the potter, and I think more guys would use it.

And it took a while, but you know that that happened.

And it took a while, but you know that that happened.

So Han has the credential that gets some access to practice putting greens and thus the people who are the gateway to validation and success. Seems simple and straightforward, but was.

So Han has the credential that gets some access to practice putting greens and thus the people who are the gateway to validation and success. Seems simple and straightforward, but was.

It the first The very first tour event I went to was a corn Ferry event in Chicago and at Ivanhoe, and uh and I was really lucky that I had no idea about rep culture or how it works out there, which gave me the luxury of being very aggressive doing shit that now I understand is completely inappropriate. Walking right up to players my my, my, my, My pickup line, if you will, was like, hey, I want to see a magic trick, and then I'd show him the revealer and stick there putter in there and make it look like a you know, fish on a hook and then show them my putter and they're like fuck and uh so they grab You know, got gotta remember if I actually got any even play at Ivanhoe that week, but I certainly got a few guys to take it made some friends, learned a little bit. Actually met gear and Rife that week, who was you know, rep and even Roll and uh he kind of at the time, you know, took me under his wing a little bit and showed me the ropes and uh, you know how it all works. And that was a lot of fun. That's twenty eight would you say that's twenty eighteen. You're the summer of twenty eighteen. And so I knew that I needed to open up accounts. So that was so I lived in Eugene. My folks were still living in Chicago. So I decided to just go home and spend June in Chicago because there's like, there's no golf in Oregon. Like it's just not a thing. And the golf that is here is very very Nobody out here is buying a six hundred dollars custom putter. Have fun at Ivanhoe. Next week I go to the Champions Tour. This is where she gets really fun because the Champions Tour guys are a fucking blast. Like I really don't like doing tour events anymore. I'll totally go to a Champion Store event anytime. These guys are you know, there's five guys out there that ticket. Seriously, the rest of them are drinking Bloody Mary's and having telling stories and talking shit and having a good time.

It the first The very first tour event I went to was a corn Ferry event in Chicago and at Ivanhoe, and uh and I was really lucky that I had no idea about rep culture or how it works out there, which gave me the luxury of being very aggressive doing shit that now I understand is completely inappropriate. Walking right up to players my my, my, my, My pickup line, if you will, was like, hey, I want to see a magic trick, and then I'd show him the revealer and stick there putter in there and make it look like a you know, fish on a hook and then show them my putter and they're like fuck and uh so they grab You know, got gotta remember if I actually got any even play at Ivanhoe that week, but I certainly got a few guys to take it made some friends, learned a little bit. Actually met gear and Rife that week, who was you know, rep and even Roll and uh he kind of at the time, you know, took me under his wing a little bit and showed me the ropes and uh, you know how it all works. And that was a lot of fun. That's twenty eight would you say that's twenty eighteen. You're the summer of twenty eighteen. And so I knew that I needed to open up accounts. So that was so I lived in Eugene. My folks were still living in Chicago. So I decided to just go home and spend June in Chicago because there's like, there's no golf in Oregon. Like it's just not a thing. And the golf that is here is very very Nobody out here is buying a six hundred dollars custom putter. Have fun at Ivanhoe. Next week I go to the Champions Tour. This is where she gets really fun because the Champions Tour guys are a fucking blast. Like I really don't like doing tour events anymore. I'll totally go to a Champion Store event anytime. These guys are you know, there's five guys out there that ticket. Seriously, the rest of them are drinking Bloody Mary's and having telling stories and talking shit and having a good time.

Totally agree.

Totally agree.

I tell everybody I've been a part of the Pure Insurance event at Pebble every year for the last I don't know, seven eight years. Those are my guys, They're my generation. They're the ones who I've covered since the beginning of Sports Illustrated and Digest And I couldn't agree more.

I tell everybody I've been a part of the Pure Insurance event at Pebble every year for the last I don't know, seven eight years. Those are my guys, They're my generation. They're the ones who I've covered since the beginning of Sports Illustrated and Digest And I couldn't agree more.

Like I love I love all those guys, even the guys who were prickly dicks and asses, and you know back in the day, they're all like super cool and fun and friendly. Like they've started wine labels and they're into cool shit and travel and they're like they're they're their grandparents now they're like they they're like, they're so much fun.

Like I love I love all those guys, even the guys who were prickly dicks and asses, and you know back in the day, they're all like super cool and fun and friendly. Like they've started wine labels and they're into cool shit and travel and they're like they're they're their grandparents now they're like they they're like, they're so much fun.

Lovely, they're they're the happiest they've ever been there, living the dream. Money's been made, the things are taking care of their It is just so much fun. So I go out to this Champions Tour event and you know, in addition to it being pretty chill out there, like from a putting standpoint, like eighty percent of that tours got the yips bat so they're they're down to try anything. So so I come out to that event and the inventory that I inherited was nil. Like we had a handful of putters. We were actually out of headcovers. I didn't know that, you know, it didn't didn't even occur to me to ask what the headcover inventory was. And like, you can't not have a headcover for this fucking thing. It's huge. It's gonna, you know, kill somebody. And so I show up with a with a pink Sunday bag about six of these putters with socks over them at the Champions tournament and uh, and like the guys loved it, Like they absolutely loved it, and they're all trying it and they're all checking it out. And I want to say I had four or five putters in play that week, guys going out on into tournaments with socks on the putters. And because there's no headcover that fits on it, not even a fucking driver headcover fits on it. It's so big. And I had so much fun and got so excited. And the first real exciting, exciting kind of anything that happened on TV. Jeff Sluman picked up the putter at that event, and he ended up using it for quite a while. I think I want to say he used it for at least a few months and led the Senior British later that summer through two rounds and was making bombs and he had a blue one and so everybody saw it. Everybody's like, what the hell is this blue branding iron thing that Jeff Sluman's using, And yeah, we got some fun pictures and that you know, really felt like things were going to happen fast at that point. It really really did.

Lovely, they're they're the happiest they've ever been there, living the dream. Money's been made, the things are taking care of their It is just so much fun. So I go out to this Champions Tour event and you know, in addition to it being pretty chill out there, like from a putting standpoint, like eighty percent of that tours got the yips bat so they're they're down to try anything. So so I come out to that event and the inventory that I inherited was nil. Like we had a handful of putters. We were actually out of headcovers. I didn't know that, you know, it didn't didn't even occur to me to ask what the headcover inventory was. And like, you can't not have a headcover for this fucking thing. It's huge. It's gonna, you know, kill somebody. And so I show up with a with a pink Sunday bag about six of these putters with socks over them at the Champions tournament and uh, and like the guys loved it, Like they absolutely loved it, and they're all trying it and they're all checking it out. And I want to say I had four or five putters in play that week, guys going out on into tournaments with socks on the putters. And because there's no headcover that fits on it, not even a fucking driver headcover fits on it. It's so big. And I had so much fun and got so excited. And the first real exciting, exciting kind of anything that happened on TV. Jeff Sluman picked up the putter at that event, and he ended up using it for quite a while. I think I want to say he used it for at least a few months and led the Senior British later that summer through two rounds and was making bombs and he had a blue one and so everybody saw it. Everybody's like, what the hell is this blue branding iron thing that Jeff Sluman's using, And yeah, we got some fun pictures and that you know, really felt like things were going to happen fast at that point. It really really did.

Here's Jeff Sluman, one of the true gentlemen and men's professional golf. He won the nineteen eighty eight PGA Championship at oak Tree Golf Club in Edmund, Oklahoma. He's a six time winner on the PGA Tour and a six time winner on the PGA Tour champions Do you remember directed force or how did you get this putter in your hands? And because I know it was kind of a bit of a monstrosity at that.

Here's Jeff Sluman, one of the true gentlemen and men's professional golf. He won the nineteen eighty eight PGA Championship at oak Tree Golf Club in Edmund, Oklahoma. He's a six time winner on the PGA Tour and a six time winner on the PGA Tour champions Do you remember directed force or how did you get this putter in your hands? And because I know it was kind of a bit of a monstrosity at that.

Time, Well, if I'm recollecting correct, it was at our Senior Players Championship in Chicago. Does that sound right?

Time, Well, if I'm recollecting correct, it was at our Senior Players Championship in Chicago. Does that sound right?

Yep?

Yep?

They were on the putting green, the.

They were on the putting green, the.

Champion stores a little more lax about you know, Uh, manufacturers reps out there on the on the putting green versus the PGA Tour, and you know we understand that, but we were just you know, we're always happy to see new product. And you know, I was searching for anything at that time as poorly as I was putting. So they described their philosophy and what the putter did, and you know, so I kind of went with it. And Uh, as I mentioned in my email or text back to you, I just needed the bigger hole THET two at the time. I've I've since honestly kind of really found out what what ailed me For a long long time. I didn't I didn't putt well for certainly an extended period of time. If I looked at my stats and Champions Tour, and they're not as in depth and detailed as regular tour. I had a few good years in the early fifties, and then you know, really went in the tank. So when you're kind of on the back end of those stats, maybe not last but not far from last, you're you can't hit it good enough to overcome that in any way, shape or form.

Champion stores a little more lax about you know, Uh, manufacturers reps out there on the on the putting green versus the PGA Tour, and you know we understand that, but we were just you know, we're always happy to see new product. And you know, I was searching for anything at that time as poorly as I was putting. So they described their philosophy and what the putter did, and you know, so I kind of went with it. And Uh, as I mentioned in my email or text back to you, I just needed the bigger hole THET two at the time. I've I've since honestly kind of really found out what what ailed me For a long long time. I didn't I didn't putt well for certainly an extended period of time. If I looked at my stats and Champions Tour, and they're not as in depth and detailed as regular tour. I had a few good years in the early fifties, and then you know, really went in the tank. So when you're kind of on the back end of those stats, maybe not last but not far from last, you're you can't hit it good enough to overcome that in any way, shape or form.

You kind of had a short stint with it, right, It was kind of a one run. You didn't have much of a run with it.

You kind of had a short stint with it, right, It was kind of a one run. You didn't have much of a run with it.

No, And it was if I'm telling you the truth, I think it was so bad that I was trying it and then also trying to close my eyes when I was putting the short one. So you know, there's a lot of bad stuff going on in the old noggin at that point.

No, And it was if I'm telling you the truth, I think it was so bad that I was trying it and then also trying to close my eyes when I was putting the short one. So you know, there's a lot of bad stuff going on in the old noggin at that point.

Back to who was grinding in and outside of the ropes, we.

Back to who was grinding in and outside of the ropes, we.

Knew we were going to lose money in the first year or two and just doing our best not to lose too much. I think I was working for free at that point. Maybe I had a small salax, I still had my bar. I had a bar here in the Gene, and without that bar, I wouldn't have been able to do this because I was still feeding my family with the bar. And and so yeah, we're just mosying along. I'm learning a little bit about production and manufacturing and all that, even though that kind of wasn't really supposed to be my side of it. Bill was going to be doing a lot of that, but he was busy building the putters, and so we both kind of had to work together to figure out how to take the manufacturing up a notch and all that we're figuring out, we're figuring out going along and going along. I'm hitting tour events, doing my best to get out there. And then it was getting close to the end of twenty eighteen and we didn't know what the threshold was on usages. And I also didn't realize at the time that the champ applied, so Jeff had actually probably already gotten us in to get a credential the following year, but I was really worried. So getting towards the end of the season twenty eighteen, I end up at the Barracuda in Reno and lucky break number three. One of the things about being a REP as an owner that makes it different than just being a rep as you know, a guy who didn't get his tour card and is taking his second best option, is that I don't clock out at five. And I was, you know, the for the few years that I was out there, I was the first one there every morning and the last one to leave every night. And that was always when it happened for us. It was the only time I ever got interest because the putter is so ridiculous, looking like tour players are no different than you were. I like, they don't want to get made fun of. They don't want to think that they're using a crutch. They don't want any of that shit. And so it was, you know, usually the real early in the morning, a related night that I would get guys to be even slightly.

Knew we were going to lose money in the first year or two and just doing our best not to lose too much. I think I was working for free at that point. Maybe I had a small salax, I still had my bar. I had a bar here in the Gene, and without that bar, I wouldn't have been able to do this because I was still feeding my family with the bar. And and so yeah, we're just mosying along. I'm learning a little bit about production and manufacturing and all that, even though that kind of wasn't really supposed to be my side of it. Bill was going to be doing a lot of that, but he was busy building the putters, and so we both kind of had to work together to figure out how to take the manufacturing up a notch and all that we're figuring out, we're figuring out going along and going along. I'm hitting tour events, doing my best to get out there. And then it was getting close to the end of twenty eighteen and we didn't know what the threshold was on usages. And I also didn't realize at the time that the champ applied, so Jeff had actually probably already gotten us in to get a credential the following year, but I was really worried. So getting towards the end of the season twenty eighteen, I end up at the Barracuda in Reno and lucky break number three. One of the things about being a REP as an owner that makes it different than just being a rep as you know, a guy who didn't get his tour card and is taking his second best option, is that I don't clock out at five. And I was, you know, the for the few years that I was out there, I was the first one there every morning and the last one to leave every night. And that was always when it happened for us. It was the only time I ever got interest because the putter is so ridiculous, looking like tour players are no different than you were. I like, they don't want to get made fun of. They don't want to think that they're using a crutch. They don't want any of that shit. And so it was, you know, usually the real early in the morning, a related night that I would get guys to be even slightly.

Interested to meet Von Taylor. He's forty seven turn pro in nineteen ninety nine. He has three PGA Tour wins, his last being the twenty sixteen AT and T Pebble Beach Program where he held off Phil Mickelson. Spinning forward to August of twenty eighteen, Taylor was coming off a seventy four to seventy five miss cut at the RBC Canadian Open.

Interested to meet Von Taylor. He's forty seven turn pro in nineteen ninety nine. He has three PGA Tour wins, his last being the twenty sixteen AT and T Pebble Beach Program where he held off Phil Mickelson. Spinning forward to August of twenty eighteen, Taylor was coming off a seventy four to seventy five miss cut at the RBC Canadian Open.

I got kind of an interesting story. I had never seen it before. I was out in Burracuda, struggling to keep my card. I'm around one twenty or so, one twenty five, and I need a good week. And we get there, and Reno used to be like perfect vent grass the first couple of years I played there, and then I came back a few years later and it was the hardest to putt Poana I've ever seen. And I showed up on Monday, I couldn't make a three footer to save my life, and just immediately had this high anxiety about my putting that week, and was using an old faithful putter. You know, felt like I was putting good, but just immediately I've never felt that before, and Monday, this is Monday. I'm feeling like, oh my gosh, what's gonna happen this week? And uh, Tuesday, putted all day long, just grind and grind and grind on the pudding green and still felt the same way leaving that day and decided to take a last minute trip down to the end of the range by myself. I was like, I'm gonna go down there, work.

I got kind of an interesting story. I had never seen it before. I was out in Burracuda, struggling to keep my card. I'm around one twenty or so, one twenty five, and I need a good week. And we get there, and Reno used to be like perfect vent grass the first couple of years I played there, and then I came back a few years later and it was the hardest to putt Poana I've ever seen. And I showed up on Monday, I couldn't make a three footer to save my life, and just immediately had this high anxiety about my putting that week, and was using an old faithful putter. You know, felt like I was putting good, but just immediately I've never felt that before, and Monday, this is Monday. I'm feeling like, oh my gosh, what's gonna happen this week? And uh, Tuesday, putted all day long, just grind and grind and grind on the pudding green and still felt the same way leaving that day and decided to take a last minute trip down to the end of the range by myself. I was like, I'm gonna go down there, work.

Do whatever.

Do whatever.

And it was kind of late, it was almost dark, and I'm like, there was no shuttles coming back to the clubhouse. So I was like, you know what, I'll just walk.

And it was kind of late, it was almost dark, and I'm like, there was no shuttles coming back to the clubhouse. So I was like, you know what, I'll just walk.

It's fine.

It's fine.

Kind of took a little different path to the clubhouse, came up by kind of the backside of the putting green and nobody's there but Sam, and he's got this bag of putters, and I kind of turned the corner and you know, I looked at the bag and the putters and I'm like, what it's this, you know, I'm like, these these things look like you know, space shuttles back to Sam Hun.

Kind of took a little different path to the clubhouse, came up by kind of the backside of the putting green and nobody's there but Sam, and he's got this bag of putters, and I kind of turned the corner and you know, I looked at the bag and the putters and I'm like, what it's this, you know, I'm like, these these things look like you know, space shuttles back to Sam Hun.

I'm there late at night. Son's going down and Von Taylor comes up on the green and Vaughan is somebody I respected deeply. I love the dude and loved his putting stroke, always have. And he's messing around with his Seymour, that same Seymour that you know he was so successful with early in his career, made a Ryder Cup team with that Seymour putter, and then, you know, while he's putting, I pull up the phone. I start looking at his stats, and putting stats are bad and he's been putting real, real bad. And then I look up and I see him putting and the dudes just can't make anything and he's struggling and uh and then he uh, it's just me and him on this putting green and I go up to him and I think, I think I used the magic trick line and uh. He takes a look and he's such a sweet guy, you know, like I don't know if you met him at all, but I mean just kind as can be, an easy going and lovely dude. So even if he wasn't interested. He was the type of personality that he was going to make a few strokes with it, and he did and they went in and then and then he rolled a few more and they went in, and then he kind of laid a few balls down on this kind of short right to left bugaboo for him at the time, and they started going in, and then we really get talking and he asked me show him the revealer again, and we end up spending you know, forty five minutes an hour out of the putting green, just talking putting, talking about the tech. He's putting all over the green and he's making him finally and postures getting taller, and everything's just looking better, you know, and he's got he's got hope.

I'm there late at night. Son's going down and Von Taylor comes up on the green and Vaughan is somebody I respected deeply. I love the dude and loved his putting stroke, always have. And he's messing around with his Seymour, that same Seymour that you know he was so successful with early in his career, made a Ryder Cup team with that Seymour putter, and then, you know, while he's putting, I pull up the phone. I start looking at his stats, and putting stats are bad and he's been putting real, real bad. And then I look up and I see him putting and the dudes just can't make anything and he's struggling and uh and then he uh, it's just me and him on this putting green and I go up to him and I think, I think I used the magic trick line and uh. He takes a look and he's such a sweet guy, you know, like I don't know if you met him at all, but I mean just kind as can be, an easy going and lovely dude. So even if he wasn't interested. He was the type of personality that he was going to make a few strokes with it, and he did and they went in and then and then he rolled a few more and they went in, and then he kind of laid a few balls down on this kind of short right to left bugaboo for him at the time, and they started going in, and then we really get talking and he asked me show him the revealer again, and we end up spending you know, forty five minutes an hour out of the putting green, just talking putting, talking about the tech. He's putting all over the green and he's making him finally and postures getting taller, and everything's just looking better, you know, and he's got he's got hope.

Sam was just super friendly, you know, chill. He's like, hey man, you want to check out a buttter? And I'm like, yeah, why not, you know, like why not? And so he looks at my putter, he grabs one. He thinks it's going to match. I dropped a couple of balls like ten set make, Make, Make, and I'm like, wow, this is really interesting. And I putted with him for probably twenty minutes, and I mean I made nine out of ten just from everywhere. I mean, we went all around, different breaking putts, couldn't miss, and I'm like, I was just in shock, and I'm like, this head is huge. The grips, you know the Bill Pressey like forward press in the grip and it was way bigger around, different shape, you know, just everything different. And I'm like, what's going on? But I noticed, you know, the ball was rolling with just like I've never seen on poem. I'm like, it was just hug in the ground and I just couldn't deny that. And I was like, Wow, I'm gonna use this tomorrow in the pro am and just see what happens. And so I told my Caddy I come out the next day and I'm like, all right, dude, listen, I got this big, crazy putter. I'm gonna use it today. Let's just see what happened. He's like, okay, it was Mike kicks, by the way, And Mike's like, sure, man, let's let's give it a shot. And I think I made eight out of the nine pots on the nine holes or something. It's like made everything and he's like, we got to put it in. I'm like, we got to put it down and so all week long, I just filled it up, was making Potts, wasn't playing that grave, and I just kept making Potts, hanging in there, and I think it was in the top ten headed into Sunday and you know, had no idea what was going to happen, and the same thing, just just rolling it good, making putts, and I think I finished ninth or something, finished top ten, kind of locked up my card and I'm like, wow, this is you know, just one of those bizarre, you know, happenstance meetings and you.

Sam was just super friendly, you know, chill. He's like, hey man, you want to check out a buttter? And I'm like, yeah, why not, you know, like why not? And so he looks at my putter, he grabs one. He thinks it's going to match. I dropped a couple of balls like ten set make, Make, Make, and I'm like, wow, this is really interesting. And I putted with him for probably twenty minutes, and I mean I made nine out of ten just from everywhere. I mean, we went all around, different breaking putts, couldn't miss, and I'm like, I was just in shock, and I'm like, this head is huge. The grips, you know the Bill Pressey like forward press in the grip and it was way bigger around, different shape, you know, just everything different. And I'm like, what's going on? But I noticed, you know, the ball was rolling with just like I've never seen on poem. I'm like, it was just hug in the ground and I just couldn't deny that. And I was like, Wow, I'm gonna use this tomorrow in the pro am and just see what happens. And so I told my Caddy I come out the next day and I'm like, all right, dude, listen, I got this big, crazy putter. I'm gonna use it today. Let's just see what happened. He's like, okay, it was Mike kicks, by the way, And Mike's like, sure, man, let's let's give it a shot. And I think I made eight out of the nine pots on the nine holes or something. It's like made everything and he's like, we got to put it in. I'm like, we got to put it down and so all week long, I just filled it up, was making Potts, wasn't playing that grave, and I just kept making Potts, hanging in there, and I think it was in the top ten headed into Sunday and you know, had no idea what was going to happen, and the same thing, just just rolling it good, making putts, and I think I finished ninth or something, finished top ten, kind of locked up my card and I'm like, wow, this is you know, just one of those bizarre, you know, happenstance meetings and you.

Know, just rolled it like a champ.

Know, just rolled it like a champ.

And Sam was out there all week.

And Sam was out there all week.

He was cheering me on and.

He was cheering me on and.

Just want of those feel good weeks, you know, and how things come together like that.

Just want of those feel good weeks, you know, and how things come together like that.

Vaughn was kind of our first kind of big deal player that used it. He's it for a while. I think he used it probably for close to a year. And yeah, and then we were then we were kind of off to the races there on tour. We got our credential back and then you know, we're able to get a little bit more aggressive and ever so slightly more validated, because it's crazy when you get out there, like the difference, like like who's using it makes such a big difference, you know, and Vaughan was a deeply respected putter, you know, like all those guys. If Vaughan's using it like this is not a gimmick, this is not a silly thing. Here's a very deliberate guy that's used the same putter for fifteen years. So if he's switching, there's got to be something to it.

Vaughn was kind of our first kind of big deal player that used it. He's it for a while. I think he used it probably for close to a year. And yeah, and then we were then we were kind of off to the races there on tour. We got our credential back and then you know, we're able to get a little bit more aggressive and ever so slightly more validated, because it's crazy when you get out there, like the difference, like like who's using it makes such a big difference, you know, and Vaughan was a deeply respected putter, you know, like all those guys. If Vaughan's using it like this is not a gimmick, this is not a silly thing. Here's a very deliberate guy that's used the same putter for fifteen years. So if he's switching, there's got to be something to it.

So how does Adam get to it?

So how does Adam get to it?

Lucky Break number four.

Lucky Break number four.

We covered how Slater got the original directed force into his bag and at the twenty nineteen at and T Pebble Beach Pro Am, he was paired with Adam Scott. Slater, as an early adopter, became an authentic ambassador and influencer.

We covered how Slater got the original directed force into his bag and at the twenty nineteen at and T Pebble Beach Pro Am, he was paired with Adam Scott. Slater, as an early adopter, became an authentic ambassador and influencer.

I've just spoken about the club to anyone and anyone who wants to listen, and generally I'll just play with people and they'll see me roll the ball and it just rolls so pure off the club that they can't help but ask about it, and you know, to get to the point with Adam, and that's that's how it happened with Adam.

I've just spoken about the club to anyone and anyone who wants to listen, and generally I'll just play with people and they'll see me roll the ball and it just rolls so pure off the club that they can't help but ask about it, and you know, to get to the point with Adam, and that's that's how it happened with Adam.

I was playing with him.

I was playing with him.

We were paired in the same group at Pebble for three days and at the end of the third day, he goes, man, you gotta just show me that club. You got to just show me, like what how it works for you and go on the putting green and just just tell me, because he goes to the ball is just rolling so pure off your club.

We were paired in the same group at Pebble for three days and at the end of the third day, he goes, man, you gotta just show me that club. You got to just show me, like what how it works for you and go on the putting green and just just tell me, because he goes to the ball is just rolling so pure off your club.

And I was making all sorts of putts.

And I was making all sorts of putts.

I didn't strike the ball very well, and I wasn't scoring great, but I was baking putts. I think I had a round and spyglass. I had around a spy glass. I think I had twenty two putts, and granted I missed a couple of greens real close, you know, so I was putting from off the green and they're not counted as a putt, so maybe it's like twenty seven to twenty eight putts from the ones who footed off the green. But point being that I just get so confident with the thing and I just start when I'm on, I just start making everything. And I did the same thing at Tahoe. I played that tournament up there, and I didn't score very well. I was really nervous and not striking the ball well and missing lots of greens.

I didn't strike the ball very well, and I wasn't scoring great, but I was baking putts. I think I had a round and spyglass. I had around a spy glass. I think I had twenty two putts, and granted I missed a couple of greens real close, you know, so I was putting from off the green and they're not counted as a putt, so maybe it's like twenty seven to twenty eight putts from the ones who footed off the green. But point being that I just get so confident with the thing and I just start when I'm on, I just start making everything. And I did the same thing at Tahoe. I played that tournament up there, and I didn't score very well. I was really nervous and not striking the ball well and missing lots of greens.

But man, I made everything on those greens.

But man, I made everything on those greens.

And yeah, I just people just I play with friends and they see the ball roll off the club.

And yeah, I just people just I play with friends and they see the ball roll off the club.

And they want to try it. It's just that simple.

And they want to try it. It's just that simple.