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The post Did Pat Perez really just double his earnings with his jump to LIV? appeared first on Golf.

Even for a player accustomed to eyebrow-raising comments, this, from Pat Perez, sounded extreme.

“Three for me,” he told reporters after the completion of his third-career LIV Golf start in Boston. “I’ve doubled my earnings on the Tour in 25 events compared to these three.”

Sure, maybe the first three events of Perez’s LIV career were profitable, but doubling his Tour earnings? Wouldn’t that take longer than three events to do, particularly for a player whose best finish on the upstart tour was Sunday’s T15 at The International, an effort that netted him some $240,000?

A deeper look at the numbers reveals that not only was the four-time PGA Tour winner speaking earnestly about the change in his financial situation, he was actually underselling it. Rather, Perez’s comments represent not an unintentional slip-up, but a glimpse into both his newly inflated bank account and the eye-popping economics of golf’s Saudi-funded new league.

In terms of sheer on-course earnings, Perez still has ground to make up to reach his PGA Tour total. In 19 starts in 2021-22, Perez made a shade over $1 million on the PGA Tour ($1,071,981, per the Tour website), including seven missed cuts. In a full season in 2020-21, Perez made 21 cuts and made $1.2 million. In three events on the LIV Tour, Perez has finished 29th, T31 and T15, netting him some $549,667 — an amount that falls well short of his total figure from either ’20-21 or ’21-22.

But on-course earnings only tell a piece of the LIV story. To understand the whole of Perez’s payday, it’s important to also consider his team earnings. In a stroke of good fortune, Perez — a member of the Aces — has found himself on the winning team of all three LIV events he’s started. As such, he’s collected a chunk of the Aces’ team prize for winning each event ($3 million). Assuming the four members split each of the team purses evenly, that’s an additional $2.25 million in earnings for Perez, or stated more plainly, more money in team bonuses than he made competing on the PGA Tour in all of ’20-21 or ’21-22. In all, Perez’s LIV earnings in just three events — $2,799,667 — would represent the second-most profitable year of his PGA Tour career. In dose of added irony, Perez has collected all that money in team prizes without ever serving as the low scorer for his team in a 54-hole event.

Of course, all that money isn’t even counting his payday for simply signing on the dotted line. Perez reportedly accepted a $10 million signing bonus to join LIV, which, the league has said, is in addition to his tournament earnings.

So what does this tell us? For one thing, with no-cut events and team payouts leading the way, Pat Perez is doing really well under some of the competitive advantages provided by LIV. For another, this info tells us players like Perez stand to make more money in just eight events in 2022 than they’ve made in full seasons competing on the PGA Tour in recent years.

Now 46, Perez has made $28.8 million on the PGA Tour in his quarter-century since turning pro. Including his signing bonus and the huge, end-of-season purses given to LIV’s top-performing players and teams, Perez stands to make half that amount (or around $14 million) or more in just his first season on LIV.

Yes, there’s still the quagmire of competitive integrity (to say nothing of the moral and ethical quandaries that surround the league). These are questions without easy answers for LIV’s players. But with paydays this big, it also might not matter.

“Exhibition match don’t pay $4.75 million,” Perez said.

That checks out. But then again, who does?

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The post LIV Golf’s charter jet for players, caddies looks like a wild scene appeared first on Golf.

If guaranteed prize money didn’t seem like payment enough, wait until you see how LIV golfers travel.

Picture how a mini-tour player gets around — cheap flights, long drives and scrambling to make tee times — and now imagine the polar opposite: an all-inclusive private jet with a well-stocked bar and presumably no concerns about wandering luggage.

Recent LIV signee Pat Perez was the highlight of a video making the rounds on TikTok and Twitter before it was taken down Thursday afternoon.

Perez recently competed in the second LIV event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, in Oregon, but it wasn’t his first time at this site. In 1996, he played in the U.S. Amateur at Pumpkin Ridge alongside Tiger Woods, who won the event for the third year in a row. Back then, Perez fired a 68 in stroke play and didn’t earn a penny. This year, he shot a final-round 80 and pocketed a cool $900,000.

Perez celebrated his paycheck by singing along to Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” Individually, he finished 34th out of 48 last week.

Other LIV players were also enjoying the commute. Recently married Brooks Koepka and his wife Jena Sims were on board, as was Dustin Johnson, who can be seeing meandering through the party-ready cabin.

Michael Farley, who originally posted the video, wrote on his TikTok page that the jet was for players and caddies.

Most pros pay their loopers at least 10 percent of tournament earnings, or a set fee if the player doesn’t make the cut. With minimum earnings being north of $100,000 for each LIV event, no cuts and travel expenses covered, LIV caddies are earning more than most professional golfers.

Three LIV golfers made more money at the Portland-area LIV event than what the winner of this week’s Genesis Scottish Open will take home, and all 48 players in the LIV field made more than what the 19th-place finisher will earn.

So long, economy class!

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While many of the game’s top players tend to hem and haw about whether or not they plan to tee it up on the senior circuit once they turn 50, there’s at least one player who can’t wait to join: Pat Perez.

The always entertaining Tour veteran is in the midst of his 21st season competing on the PGA Tour, and on this week’s episode of Subpar, the 46-year-old explained the source of his enthusiasm for the PGA Tour Champions to hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz.

“Think about our sport. We have such an amazing deal,” Perez said. “This goes back to what the PGA Tour’s done to help all of us players. We have this retirement thing at 50 years old that no other sport has, where you go, hey, if you want to go play, we’re gonna give you a cart. And if you win, you’re gonna make 300 to 400 grand this week. There’s no cut! Three days, a couple pro-ams, member tee times, you know? Ten to 12. It’s incredible what the PGA Tour has done for us.

“Think about how great that is. And I’m gonna go and talk s— about what the Tour owes me?” Perez continued, referring to an earlier discussion the trio had regarding Phil Mickelson’s controversial comments. “The Tour doesn’t owe me anything. Think about what we have. We have guys that go out — Bernhard Langer has made like, $30 million on the Champ Tour. You know how much money that is? After you’re 50?!”

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Langer has actually pocketed $32.3 million in winnings on the PGA Tour Champions since his debut in 2007. Just two weeks ago, Langer notched his 43rd career Champions Tour victory, meaning he’s only two wins away from matching Hale Irwin’s record total of 45 victories.

“[Bernhard Langer’s] 64 years old — he shot his age! Incredible!” Perez said admiringly. “He’ll still be out there when I get there in four years, that’s what sucks.”

“You gotta start figuring out how to beat him right now,” Stoltz quipped.

“I’m gonna run him over with my cart!” Perez joked.

For more from Perez, including his reaction to Mickelson’s apology, and why Jon Rahm is poised to dominate the Tour for years to come, check out the full interview below.

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At the young age of 27, Jon Rahm has already accomplished a good deal in his golf career. He was a standout amateur player at Arizona State, where he won 11 times during his career, second only to Phil Mickelson in school history. He’s already won six times on the PGA Tour, including last year’s U.S. Open. Oh, and he’s the No. 1 ranked player in the world. Things have been pretty great for Rahm thus far in his golf career.

However, according to fellow pro Pat Perez, Rahm hasn’t even begun to scratch the surface of his potential in terms of his accomplishments.

“I think Jon Rahm is the guy for the next 10 years,” Perez said on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar. “I don’t think anyone is going to beat Jon Rahm consistently for a decade.”

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If Rahm’s recent results have any predictive value, Perez might be right. Rahm has played in five events thus far in 2022, and his worst finish is T21. He ranks 1st in SG: Off the Tee, 2nd in SG: Tee to Green, 3rd in SG: Total and 5th in SG: Approach the Green on the season. Rahm is undisputedly the best golfer on the planet right now.

Rahm is certainly the top dog in the sport at the moment, and Perez thinks that trend will continue for years to come. The main reason? Rahm’s mindset.

“We play all the time at Silverleaf and I asked him, ‘What are you gonna do at 35?'” Perez said. “He goes, ‘I’m not done until I win 19 majors … I’m not going to take off golf until I get to 19. Whether I do it or not doesn’t matter. But I am not quitting until I pass Tiger on that list.’

“He hasn’t even started to get going yet,” Perez continued. “He hasn’t even gotten into a pattern of where he can win five or six times in a row. I think that he can actually do that.”

For more from Perez, check out the entire episode below.

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Despite not playing competitive golf since January, Phil Mickelson has been in the news plenty. The five-time major champ has been heavily criticized for comments he made regarding both the proposed Saudi-funded super league and the PGA Tour.

Since then, the fallout for Mickelson has been considerable. Some sponsors discontinued or paused their relationship with him, and many of golf’s biggest stars publicly condemned him.

Three-time PGA Tour winner Pat Perez, who is known for his candor, was among the players who spoke out about the controversy, by way of a colorful press conference at the Genesis Invitational two weeks ago. On this week’s episode of Subpar with co-hosts Drew Stoltz and Colt Knost, Perez expounded on his thoughts about the Mickelson controversy, saying that with a more diplomatic approach Mickelson might have had more success with the Saudi league.

“He could have done this in such a different way,” Perez said. “He could have gone, ‘You know what, I made a fortune on the PGA Tour, God bless the PGA Tour for taking care of me and giving me a place and this and that, but I feel like I want to go down this other route to kind of close out my career. Thank you everybody, it’s been phenomenal. But you know what, thank you Jay [Monahan] and everybody else and Tim Finchem and all these other guys from the PGA Tour, but I think I’m going to go down this route. Goodbye.’ That would have been very easy.”

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Mickelson said the Saudi league provided leverage to reshape the Tour, but Perez said Mickelson’s motivation was his own financial gain, not for the good of his fellow players.

“If he was actually trying to help the players and this and that, he did it completely wrong,” Perez said. “I don’t know how he could have done it more wrong. You are not leveraging to use the Saudi group to get us more money. You are trying to fill your pockets; you were trying behind everyone’s back to get players to sign so you could get your big golden paycheck in the end and then take off.”

One of the biggest criticisms of Mickelson came from Rory McIlroy, who called his comments “naive, selfish, egotistical and ignorant.”

“When you call basically the second-highest name in my generation, you call him egotistical and this kind of stuff, that’s a big blow,” Perez said. “And I’m proud of it and these other players for doing that, because Phil was not working for them, whether they believe it or not.”

You can listen to the entire Subpar episode below, in which Perez talks more about Mickelson, Jon Rahm’s longevity, the PGA Tour Champions and more.

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Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by 21-year PGA Tour veteran Pat Perez, who says Phil Mickelson’s apology was anything but authentic.

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This week’s episode is presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’ve never tried FanDuel Sportsbook, what are you waiting for? Go to https://www.fanduel.com/subpar or download the FanDuel Sportsbook app to get started. Be sure to sign up with promo code SUBPAR so they know we sent you.

Disclaimer: must be 21+ and present in AZ, CT, NJ, or NY. First online real money wager only. Refund issued as non-withdrawable site credit that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-(888)-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), or 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), or 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY(467369) (NY).

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Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by 4-time PGA winner Pat Perez who explains why he is looking forward to playing on the Champions Tour and what makes it the best retirement package in sports.

—

This week’s episode is presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’ve never tried FanDuel Sportsbook, what are you waiting for? Go to https://www.fanduel.com/subpar or download the FanDuel Sportsbook app to get started. Be sure to sign up with promo code SUBPAR so they know we sent you.

Disclaimer: must be 21+ and present in AZ, CT, NJ, or NY. First online real money wager only. Refund issued as non-withdrawable site credit that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-(888)-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), or 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), or 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY(467369) (NY).

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The post GOLF’s Subpar: Why Jon Rahm is poised to dominate according to Pat Perez appeared first on Golf.

Subpar’s Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz are joined by 4-time PGA Tour winner Pat Perez who shares why he thinks Jon Rahm is poised to dominate the sport over the next decade.

—

This week’s episode is presented by FanDuel Sportsbook. If you’ve never tried FanDuel Sportsbook, what are you waiting for? Go to https://www.fanduel.com/subpar or download the FanDuel Sportsbook app to get started. Be sure to sign up with promo code SUBPAR so they know we sent you.

Disclaimer: must be 21+ and present in AZ, CT, NJ, or NY. First online real money wager only. Refund issued as non-withdrawable site credit that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-(888)-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), or 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), or 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY(467369) (NY).

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The post You want TAKES on Phil, Saudi League AND PGA Tour money? Here’s Pat Perez. appeared first on Golf.

The post You want TAKES on Phil, Saudi League AND PGA Tour money? Here’s Pat Perez. appeared first on Golf.

Pat Perez asked for the Cliffs Notes. His eventual answers, on the other hand, were anything but short and sweet. 

Playing the Genesis Invitational on Thursday, the longtime pro had not heard the other golf news of the day, but wanted to be briefed on the latest nugget in one of golf’s biggest stories — the proposed breakaway golf league backed by Saudi Arabian money. In a story on the Fire Pit Collective website, Alan Shipnuck wrote of a phone conversation that he had had with Phil Mickelson in which the six-time major champ described himself as a key architect in the league — and added that he hoped the plan would generate leverage in future negotiations with the PGA Tour. 

Perez’s thoughts? In an epic post-round press conference, the colorful, never-shy pro talked Mickelson. And the proposed league. And where the Tour money goes. And Tiger Woods. And his own career. Over five answers and 2,322 words (at least according to the Tee Scripts transcription service).

Let’s begin. Question one: Was Perez comfortable with Mickelson “speaking out?” “And it seems like he’s speaking for a lot of players,” the reporter added.

Buckle up. 

“I asked the question this morning to another player — why didn’t he play Phoenix [last week’s event], and why is he not playing here,” Perez began. “He’s never missed these. I’m surprised he didn’t play.

“I don’t know, I don’t know what Phil’s doing. I know Phil’s got a lot of stress in life right now, and I don’t know what he’s doing. I know he’s not speaking for me, and, you know, I actually really don’t care what he has to say about anything because I just don’t. He doesn’t speak for me. He’s had an amazing career. He obviously thinks there’s something else on the other side for him going down the line. If he gets it, great. He’s made $800 million on the Tour, I don’t know what could be so bad about the Tour. So I don’t know, I don’t know.

“I think the way Tiger’s approaching it is phenomenal. [Woods has said he’s sticking with the Tour.] I think he understands where he made all his money. I think these young kids, I think that’s great that they’re backing Tiger. But Tiger, Tiger’s our guy. Tiger and I are three months apart. I idolized him my whole life even though we’re the same age. What he says is pretty much gold. You know, I would follow his lead more than anything. If he doesn’t want to do it, Rory [McIlroy] doesn’t want to do it, and if you don’t have the top kids doing it, I just don’t know how much water it’s going to hold anyway. I don’t know how long it’s going to take.

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“They’re not going to follow Phil; they’re not going to follow [Bryson] DeChambeau unfortunately. You need the young crew right now to go do this thing. I don’t know exactly what Phil, why he’s got so much hate towards the Tour. I mean, he’s damn near 52 now. I know he won a major last year. It’s incredible what he did, it really is, but I don’t know, you know.

“What I don’t understand about the whole thing, I don’t even know how many people have signed or not signed; I haven’t heard anything about it. I haven’t been approached so it doesn’t really matter to me either way. I’m in line with the PGA Tour because that’s all I have, that’s all I have.

“For me to make roughly $40 million total with everything of a guy that got kicked out of college, that whole thing, and was supposed to be a garbage man really. For me, yeah, I’ve earned every penny of it because we have to do it all the time. Like everybody else, they’ve earned every penny that they have.

“So I see kind of the gripe of the top players, maybe they should get more from the TV contracts or from whatever. I can see that, I can see it. I don’t really know enough on both sides because, like I said, I haven’t been approached, I don’t know what’s transpiring between the two, between the Saudi group and the top players. I’m just kind of hearing hearsay.

“I’ve talked to some players about it and some are either like, well, you know, I would think about it if it was enough, we don’t know how long it it’s going to be.

“The biggest question is there’s no guarantee with that tour. The PGA Tour’s going to be around a long time. If 60 guys leave, there’s going to be 60 more guys that come up and fill those spots. There’s a line from here to Florida of guys who want to play on the PGA Tour, so it’s not a lack of players.”

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It was at this point where Perez began talking about PGA Tour money. One of the proposed selling points of the Saudi League is guaranteed money, which Tour players do not receive.

“You know, the PGA Tour’s been great,” Perez said. “Could they probably, you know, throw some more our way? Maybe. Yeah, not maybe, but the top players, if I was a top player, I would want a little more. The TV contract’s massive.

“I still think, I’ve said it forever, why are we out money every week? If I’m one of the 125, which I have been for 20 years, why am I not starting out with some money? Why do we not get 250 grand out of the gates?

“I’m all for charity, I do a lot for charity, I help out people all the time, but you know, like last week, I mean, how is that purse not $40 million? You tell me they didn’t make enough money? And I’ve got to go through all that for two days and leave with nothing? That’s kind of unfair really.

“You know, when the guys in baseball or basketball, these guys get worn out, they’re making 300 grand that night. I mean, that’s nice.”

Later in the interview, a reporter asked Perez to expand on the comment of the potential for guaranteed money. 

“They’re doing a deal this year, but it’s not — it’s not what we’re talking about,” Perezi said. “Like I said, the charity thing is phenomenal. We give the most away. We give, what, almost $3 billion away, but it takes everybody to be here to do it. You’ve got guys missing cuts.

“I had a guy, I had a friend one year made $22,000 on the Tour. He lost, he was in the hole about 90 grand. Mind you, he didn’t play well and I get it, but how can he be out money? He earned his card and he was out like 90 grand that year. That’s hard to do. Think about it, you’re playing at the top.

“The problem is the top guys are making so much money, they’re not really interested in whether or not they get another, you know, couple hundred grand or whatever. They’re making so much money, justly so. But a guy like me, you give me 250 to start, that would be nice.”

Perez was also asked for his reaction to “ the idea that he’s [Mickelson] going to use the leverage of this tour to try to make the PGA Tour better pointing out a lot of things he doesn’t like that the PGA Tour …”

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“I’m all for that,” Perez said. “If Phil is speaking on behalf of the Tour to make the Tour better and maybe bring in more money, I’m behind him on that. I think that’s what everybody wants.

“I think with the Saudi thing, at the end, the Saudi deal has made it where all of a sudden we’ve got a PIP program. I can’t win that, I would have to win three times and streak, you know. I can’t win that.

“It’s kind of a joke, but like I said, the PIP program’s kind of a joke. Give Tiger the 40 and say we owe you another zero. They owe Tiger $400, $500 million easily. There should be no program. Here you go, here’s 50, thanks for being incredible, here’s the money we owe you because you brought in hundreds of millions of dollars to us.

“Guys like me, to be able to make, you know, a couple million dollars a year is unbelievable, and it’s only because of him. It’s only because of him, you know. So like I said, I’m in line with Tiger. But if Phil is pushing for more money towards our tour and fighting for it, that’d be great, but he seems to be so on the Saudi side that it’s hard to believe that he’s actually fighting for that.”

While the 45-year-old Perez said he had not received an offer himself, he also would not fault an older player for taking one. And if he did get one?

“You throw me a hundred and I actually get it, I’m gone,” he said. “I would take it. Why wouldn’t you? Adam Scott, he’s not going to play 30 events anymore. He’s got three young kids. Throw him $75 million, only got to play four more years, why wouldn’t he? He’s got nothing to prove.

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“Justin Rose. Phil’s got less than nothing to prove. I mean, that guy’s done everything. So you start throwing around those kind of numbers. It’s not like we’re talking about $2 million. Phil’s made $50-plus million for 20 years now. If he doesn’t have to play as much out here and he can run a tour and be part of something like that and he thinks he’s going to make $150, $200 million, why the hell wouldn’t you? Of course you want to do that, that’s real money, that’s big time action, you know.

“I see where Phil is, I see where these other guys are, but I really think you’re going to need some of the younger guys to do it.”

At the end of the press conference, Perez was asked if he thought guaranteed money would affect play. He never answered it. 

“Yeah, I just don’t know how much the Tour can actually pay everybody with all the things they have, I just don’t know, I don’t know enough about it,” he said. “I just don’t know how much they could actually give everybody. I just don’t —

“Our purses are going up. Jay Monahan’s done a phenomenal job getting our purses to go up. We’ve got $12 million events now, $20 million events, and they’re only going to keep climbing. I heard in five years the FedExCup winner is going to win $52 million. That’s pretty awesome, and as he should, as he should.

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“Jay and the Tour, from what I understand, is doing a phenomenal job. They talk about growing the game. I don’t see how that group over there is growing the game. The Tour has done phenomenal things. They do phenomenal things for the communities that we go to. They have programs for underprivileged now. That’s how you grow the game.

“I don’t know, Phil’s made a fortune. I don’t know how much more fortune he needs, but if he is really trying to help our Tour, I’d be behind him for that. I just don’t know about it. Like I said, I don’t know enough about what this guy’s saying or this guy’s saying or what’s going on with the tour because I haven’t been approached by anybody, so I really have no idea of what the Saudi group is trying to do, where they’re going to play, do they have spots.

“What I do know is that this tournament’s going to be here next year, and every tournament we play in is awesome, and that’s what I do know. And I’m thankful that I have this job that I can do this week in and week out. You know, I would never say anything bad about the Tour because I’ve had an unbelievable life doing it, and I still have the Champ Tour to think about it. I’m exempt on the Champions Tour for as long as I want to play. That’s an unbelievable type of retirement thing on top of the retirement package that we have already. 

“I’ve got no reason to bitch about anything. I’m kind of one of those lucky guys that I think I see it the right way.”

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Pat Perez opened this week’s Zozo Championship with rounds of 70 and 69 and was tied for 20th, but this person calling him at 1 a.m. apparently hadn’t gotten past the top 19.  

Charles Barkley would text Perez, too. 

“Yeah, he texted me this morning,” Perez said Saturday. “He called me at 1 o’clock saying, did you retire, because I hadn’t seen the name on the leaderboard, and if you did retire, let me know so I can buy you a gift. 

“I might just take the gift anyway.”

And Perez’s stint as an analyst was under way. 

Golf Channel’s booth is a little bare this week with the Zozo in Japan — George Savaricas is the announcer and Dom Boulet and Alison Whitaker are the analysts — and Savaricas teased on Twitter that players would be pitching in over the four rounds. On Thursday, Rickie Fowler dished on his wife, Butch Harmon and Hideki Matsuyama. On Friday, Charley Hoffman talked Tiger Woods. 

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And on Saturday, minutes after his third-round 73, the always-opinionated Perez shared thoughts on golf in Asia, Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood’s hair and how the 45-year-old “can’t wait” to play on the Champions Tour. And yes, on Barkley, NBA hall of famer, somewhat-less-than-hall-worthy golfer — and Perez’s “friend.”

Let’s have a listen:

On playing golf in Asia compared to doing so in the U.S.

“A lot quieter. The fans are very quiet. When you hit your shot and it takes off, they just, ‘Ooooh.’ They’re very excited to see it. I played behind Hideki yesterday, and the crowds are just — it’s like seeing Elvis. It really is. You know, it’s a wonderful crowd; they’re very nice people; the hospitality has been fantastic this week. I think the guys have had a great time.”

On the pressure Matsuyama faces while playing in his home country this week

“I’ve actually talked to him about it all the time. Because he has so many cameras on him all the time, and I try to talk to him and say hello and this and that, and I say, I don’t know how you deal with the cameras all the time. They watch you do everything. And he goes, I know. He goes, sometimes I pull out my hair. I go, yeah, I don’t know how you do it. I couldn’t do it. But he is such a phenomenal player. He’s had it for many years now it’s second nature to him, but the pressure, I can’t imagine being the guy that he is in this country right now, and everybody wants him to win, and here he is leading and the pressure doesn’t even look like it fazes him, though.”

On the difference between his long hair and the long hair of Fleetwood

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“Tommy Fleetwood, mine’s a little more organized than Tommy’s, so I would say mine is better. He’s a lot nicer guy than I am so I might give it to him. I trim about every six months, but now I think I might let it go for a while.” 

“What’s the hair maintenance?” Savaricas asked. 

“It’s a brutal process. It really is. Mine’s longer than his so — mine comes out, and it looks like ‘Animal.’ So combing it through 40 times to try to get it straight, then fit in a hat is quite an issue.”

On playing the Champions Tour

“I actually can’t wait to get to the Champ Tour because I’m not going to have to play a hole where I have to hit a 3-wood into a par-4. That I’m really looking forward to. Three days, cart, I mean, I’m really looking forward to that. I got four and a half years. I’m hoping to have some more good years out here, try to compete and play well, but it’s nice to know I have the Champ Tour kind of in my back pocket if I want to. You know, the game’s tough. The courses are getting longer; the guys are getting better; kids are getting younger. I mean, there’s so much great talent out here now, it’s amazing. So you know, hey, I’m just doing what I do and try to get by and try to make some more cuts, try to make — keep my car card, get to the playoffs again and see where we go.”   

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