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TABLE TALK: Behind The Scenes At Aronimink And The PGA Tour Championship · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Table Talk here at the Philadelphia Sports Table
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: podcast show, the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: in the world, thirteen years strong. We got a great
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: table talk show an interview coming your way this week,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: diving into the golf world. I love the sport of golf,
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: and yes I'm calling it a sport. It's not just
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: a game. It is a sport for sure. And joining
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: us this is our good friend from Fox Sports Radio
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: of the Lehigh Valley, Mike Graham, and my friend, thanks
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: so much for jumping on here to get into your
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: recent experience down at the PGA Tour Championship. It's always
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: great talking with you, man.
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: Man, it's the sport that beats us up a little bit,
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: especially when we're playing it. I do playing it.
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: I enjoy covering it, you know, as we had an
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: opportunity to do just a few weeks ago.
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: I have been golfing since I was fourteen years old.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: I wish that I was better, Mica. I wish that
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: I was a lot better. And I have my ups
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: and downs every year, like for instance, last year, I
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: don't know why I could not hit an iron out
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: of the fairway to save my life. And I would
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: pray that I would actually be in the rough so
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: that I could just get closer to the freaking green.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: It was an incredible, incredible year last year for me
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: playing golf. Have you ever had those years where you're
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: where something that has been quote simple throughout your entire
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: quote golfing career just gave you some trouble every now
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: and again.
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I'll tell you what. This past off season in
• 1:52
  Speaker 3: the winter, obviously we live in the northeast, live in Pennsylvania,
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: it gets cold, I went indoor, and I went and
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: took a few lessons.
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: You know, thing was kind of new.
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: I've only played once twice twice this season, and I'm
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: just trying to relearn a few different things and find
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: what I've been doing wrong. So I'm expecting a little
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: bit more of those type of moments, Jeff, like, where
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: things I just thought I could do and now all
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: of a sudden, I just can't do.
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: It is a sport that I enjoy, and honestly, I
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: thank God that I'm not that competitive, because I know
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: people who are too competitive to go out to the
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: golf course and are expecting to, you know, get into
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: somewhere in the seventies and eighties, and yes, that's just
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: not me. I've accepted that I'm hitting in the nineties.
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: I'm having a good day.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: If I yes, if I am hitting in the lower
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: nineties and like maybe top eighties, like it's a real
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: good day for me. Even after playing since I was fourteen.
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: And you said you've been playing since you were fourteen,
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: and you mentioned the age of the podcast, I think
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: that's right around the time I started getting into golf.
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: And it only took me thirteen years to actually take
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: a lesson.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: Yeah, there you go, there you go. Look, no matter
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: what age you are, you can start playing the sport
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: of golf. And it really is it's it's a great sport.
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: And you know, I remember growing up with my dad
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: watching on Sundays mainly, you know, on our couch. My
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: dad was a big golfer. He was in a local
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: golf league as well. Wanted a few years in a row, actually,
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: but you know, when we watched the PGA. This is
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: a in the PGA, the Professional Golfers Association Association, that's
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: grown so much over the years, and it seems like
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: the PGA really tries to take things one step further
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: as it pertains to the product that they're giving the
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: fans every year, and I wanted to get into that first.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: Like I mentioned earlier, you were down at the PGA
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: Tour Championship at ron Emmic and I always mess up
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: that iron dude. I mess it up constantly, Ironomyank my gosh. Well, first,
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: I'm wondering was this your first major that you were at?
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: And I know you were there for Fox Sports Radio
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: the Lehigh Valley, but was that was that the first
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: major that you had been to?
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: Yeah, in terms of you know, actual majors.
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: Yes, involved. The last time the Senior Tour came to
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: the Soccer Valley Country Club in the Lehigh Valley, we
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: were broadcasting our show live from one of the tents there. Uh,
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: these these tour events are just you know, next level.
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: And it's funny you mentioned, you know, the evolution when
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: it comes to the game of golf, and I think
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: we were probably hitting it right at the right time, Jeff.
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: You know, you and I probably not too far in
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: age from one another, and we got the happy Gilmour years.
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: That kind of like level the playing field a little bit,
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: gotten a larger audience, kind of involved.
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: But you know, going down to Ironomink, you know for
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: a few weeks in a row, a few few days
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: in a row, like all week long, and we were
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: there and gave me a whole new appreciation for what
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: these events, you know, what it takes to put on
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: an event like this. You know, it's not just attending
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: a golf tournament anymore. It's kind of like a cross
• 4:45
  Speaker 3: between a sporting event, a music festival, and corporate convention
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: all wrapped in together. And that's kind of what you
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: felt when you were on the grounds at Aroano Mink.
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: In the club itself did a great job and turning
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: it over and having it be a welcoming environment for
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: everybody who wanted to attend. It was a well oiled machine.
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: You know, every fan touch point you know that was
• 5:06
  Speaker 3: there was was just elevated. They had, you know, all
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: include like within your ticket itself was all included with
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: your non alcoholic beverages and all the food you want
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: all day long. Like every time you go there's like, oh,
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: it was just take one thing when you go into
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: the concession. No not. People were just scrapping it, pulling it,
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: uh and refilling it. So they did a great job
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: keeping up that, and they had all these different installations,
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: and you know, I ended up creating a Instagram reel
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: for for our listeners and kind of recapped our experience.
• 5:36
  Speaker 3: So go out to Leigh Valley Fox Sports on Instagram
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: if you want to see what the experience was.
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: Like from behind the scenes.
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: But you know, whether whether it be the media center,
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: whether it be watching the putting green, watching these some
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: of these guys, and I mean you're talking like from
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: me to this microphone away from you know, some of
• 5:51
  Speaker 3: the best golfers in the world. The golf has really
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: done a great job of, you know, embracing the personality
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: and in the atmosphere and you know, far far from
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: that very buttoned up image of golf from many, many
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: years ago that kind of felt exclusionary. Now it's very
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: much more welcoming to all fans.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: It really is. And I can say from a television
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: and TV perspective, what we watch on our screens, whether
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: in our living room or whether it's on a device,
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: it's amazing how they're able to keep and capture your
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: attention with a sport that is pretty slow, quite frankly,
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: and I we wonder about some of the events that
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: you mentioned there. You know, whether there are bands playing,
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: you know, whether there is something else going on in
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: a tent there. You know, whenever we go to a
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: sporting events, there's always stuff going on behind the scenes
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: that make the experience like a huge event. What were
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: some of the biggest surprises to you in terms of
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: the operation there that you really saw behind the scenes, Mike.
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: I think the biggest surprise for all of us, and
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: I'm trying to remember in terms of square footage, like
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: fifty thousand square foot merchandise tent.
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: Oh ay, you walk into the merchandise tent. There is
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: a live.
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: DJ at the merchandise tent and making sure the atmosphere
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: is right when you were shopping through this thing, and
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: it was, you know, it was pretty impressive to watch
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: what they had there as soon as you walked in
• 7:11
  Speaker 3: off the grounds because I went. I went four times
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: in a working capacity, and I went on Sunday just
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: with the ticket as a patron and enjoyed it for myself.
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: And I'll tell you what, it was pretty interesting to
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: see just all the installations. Charles Schwab had like let's
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: analyze your swing and let's take a look over here,
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: and they got high noon doing this and then you know,
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: Tito's this and Elijah Craig that, and you know, you know,
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: trying to have a couple of beverages as well enjoy
• 7:38
  Speaker 3: your day. And it was actually even even more eye
• 7:42
  Speaker 3: opening because I get to walk around with a friend
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: of mine who actually works with the Golf Channel, and
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: you know, he knew all the camera guys, the guys
• 7:48
  Speaker 3: that were up in the tower, guys who were in
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: the gators following around he was. He knew a guy
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: who was following around Rory all day and that was
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: his camera and he was operating that. So it was
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: just kind of curious to see all this stuff, like
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: whether it be catering or security operations, players services. I mean,
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: they tried to make it so that you were not
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: you don't have to think, you just have to be
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: just you're being present. And then and I think they
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: kind of think of everything and it's kind of well
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: oiled machines at this point.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: I would I would imagine that it would be because
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: I mean, not only does the PGA Tour have their
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: particular brand, but they're they're now competing with l iv
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: over over in Saudi Arabia. You know, we have well
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: being for the time being. Yeah, for the time being.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: And and I think that in itself too creates another
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: sort of echelon that the PGA Tour has kind of
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: like lv IV essentially forced PGA Tour's hands in a
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: lot of different ways. And while a lot of these
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: events from PGA Tour perspective have grown over the years,
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: I think maybe l IV kind of forced their hand
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: in a way to, you know, say, we need to
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: start thinking a little bit more outside the box.
• 8:49
  Speaker 3: They're trying to find a more fun way to score.
• 8:52
  Speaker 3: It's certainly more like a party atmosphere at those lived tournaments.
• 8:55
  Speaker 3: But like now that the certain funding seems to be
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: coming to an end and they got a bunch of
• 9:01
  Speaker 3: those guys who are gonna have to make a decision.
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: And I'm sure there's going to be a way back
• 9:04
  Speaker 3: with the PGA. We've already seen it with some of
• 9:06
  Speaker 3: the Matriot names that have already tried to circle their
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: way back in. And it's less of a talking point now,
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: you know. I think the PGA has kind of flexed
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: their muscles. But the guys who left and got their
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: bayday and they got their bag, and yeah, you know,
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: they're also they are also the butts of some jokes.
• 9:23
  Speaker 3: But I think their bank accounts will will be okay and.
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: Exactly the right exactly I think. I think the jokes,
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: they'll be able to handle them just fine when they
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: take a look at those bank accounts. Hundreds of millions, Oh, incredible, incredible.
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: But you know, I really like to you know, some folks,
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: you know, they ask me every now and again about
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: the podcast and how things are kind of behind the scenes,
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: whether I'm talking to or booking guests. You know, even
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: I've even gotten a lot of questions about how I
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: do the pro post production with the audio version of
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: the podcast as well. And Mike, I was hoping that
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: maybe you could take us behind the scenes of the
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: work that you actually did, you and your colleagues at
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: Fox Sports Radio of the Lehigh Valley, like what the
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: operation was for you all, maybe from the beginning of
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: the day until the end of the day. I don't know.
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: I think that'd be some fun insight for people to
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: know and understand.
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: Yeah, we try to control the chaos as much as possible.
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: You know, we pretty much we're pretty self sufficient. You know,
• 10:20
  Speaker 3: we have some equipment that allows them let's to be
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: pretty mobile and we can pretty much brought broadcast anywhere
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: that has a cell phone signal, and sometimes we need
• 10:27
  Speaker 3: to be a little bit hardwired depending on how many
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: cell phone providers are in that area. But you know,
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: we try to try to be pretty self sufficient. So
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: from our standpoint, all the coordination was done ahead of time,
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: and you know, the PGA was great to work with
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: because they provided us a great station in the media
• 10:43
  Speaker 3: Center for us to broadcast our show Lives that we
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: broadcast four to seven every day that week, well with
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: our play by play schedule, kind of factoring in because
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: we do have bigs baseball that cut our short show
• 10:54
  Speaker 3: short a little bit sometimes. But you know, just from
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: the standpoint when you walk into the media center, people
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: were so welcome and willing to help you. You were
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: talking about sitting in front of this massive led board,
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: and I think that was the coolest thing for me
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: at that time. You know, you can have the information
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: on their app. They have an app that you can
• 11:10
  Speaker 3: kind of follow yourself around the course. But to me,
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: I think the coolest thing was they know where every
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: golfer is on the course right now. So if you
• 11:16
  Speaker 3: go and say, well, Jason Days in the fairway at fifteen. Okay, okay,
• 11:21
  Speaker 3: that's cool. And now Scottie Scheffler's over here. He's on
• 11:23
  Speaker 3: the short game practice area over here. So I remember
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: there was about ten minutes before our show started at
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: four o'clock, and I saw that Scottie Scheffler was out
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: at the short game practice area, which literally as you
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: open up the Media Center door and it's right there.
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: And I walked out and he was standing five feet
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: away from me, just practicing a short game, trying to
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: get up the out of the sand and onto the green,
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: and you know, I'm just right right there. And you know,
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: I tried to quick grab a photo and stuff for
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: you know, our Instagram. But PJ does have some rules
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: you got to abide by, so I tried to respect
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: that as much as I can. But at a certain point,
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: you know, covering these people, you're still a fan. It's
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: at a certain point because this guy's the best golfer
• 12:02
  Speaker 3: in the world right now, and he's out there and
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: he's trying to dial it in just like everybody else
• 12:08
  Speaker 3: trying to warm up for around the golf here and
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: the Lee have Alley says, it's a humanizing piece that
• 12:14
  Speaker 3: I that I got of got to enjoy. But you know,
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: when we got into the media center, you know, we
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: had that booth for us. We got to have a
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: live guest on location from the Golf Digest, which was fantastic.
• 12:24
  Speaker 3: We talked to them every every week of the tournament
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: leading up, usually on the first day of the of
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: the tournament on a Thursday, and it's just kind of
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: being amongst everybody who's there to just get every little
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: nugget of information. We ran into some former media members
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: here that used to run through the the ly Have
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: Alley and that are on the bigger and better things
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: now and it's it's cool to see and saw a
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: lot of the Philadelphia sports media down there, Yeah, cover
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: you know, this this event that's in their backyard. And
• 12:51
  Speaker 3: I'll save a couple of stories for later when we
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: talk about I might have on the course, but I'll
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: tell you what it's. It's it was quite the impressive undertaking,
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: you know, from a technical standpoint, Yeah, just being amongst
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: some of the colleges. I talked to a woman who've
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: been covering golf for like thirty years in New York
• 13:10
  Speaker 3: City Radio and it was you know, just hearing the
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: stories that she got the experience, and it's it's kind
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: of a nice it's a nice experience to be among
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: colleagues that that really love this game.
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I got to tell you, I can't wait to
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: get into some of those stories. But we are going
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: to take a break here, folks. Again, we're talking to
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: Mike Raymond from Fox Sports Radio of the Lehigh Valley
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: at Mike Raymond LV over on the Twitter slash x
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: I think on Instagram as well, if I'm not mistaken.
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: Plus sir, Yeah, feel free to get some other plugs
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: out there, my friend.
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, just take a look. As we get
• 13:42
  Speaker 3: into the summer months on Fox Sports Radio, we'll start
• 13:45
  Speaker 3: counting the days down to meaningful football. We'll talk college
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: football every day.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: We'll still get connected.
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: With everybody out there on location when we get out
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: there from Music Fest this summer. So looking forward to
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: this summer as part of the radio station. Of course,
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: all iron based games can be heard on Fox Sports
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: Radio the Lee.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: All right, very good, folks, We're gonna take a break
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: and we get back. We're gonna continue to talk about
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: the PGA Tour Championship that was right outside of Philadelphia
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: at ARNO. Did I get it right?
• 14:12
  Speaker 3: No?
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: I stink.
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: Oh my gosh.
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: Let's take a break, folks. Here we go. It's needed.
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: All right, we are back. I still can't pronounce a
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: word hardly in my vocabulary. As you heard right before
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: we went to break. We're talking with our good friend
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: Mike Raymond from the ESPN ESPN geez. That was back
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: in the day Fox Sports Radio the Lehigh Valley. Dear lord, right, yes,
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: moons ago, you have been coming on the show that long,
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: my friend where I just mess that up?
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: Wells coming on the show, so I appreciate the time.
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: Yeah, crazy, it's crazy, man. Well look you get you
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: guys were really there at Fox Sports Radio Lehigh Valley
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: really hype up this event. Right before break, spoke about
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: you know, how you had Golf Digest on every day
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: talking to those folks as well. Can you talk about
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: how you went about hyping up this event for your
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: listeners and really like what that vibe was, the atmosphere
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: of really doing that.
• 15:16
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and it was something different every day, you know.
• 15:18
  Speaker 3: It was everything from talking about you know, Governor Shapiro,
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: you know, visiting on Saturday of the event and what
• 15:24
  Speaker 3: that looked like and you know, trying to get down
• 15:26
  Speaker 3: and talk to and talk about the PGA professionals that
• 15:29
  Speaker 3: were out there competing in this event. I think that's
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: the most unique thing about the PGA Championships. You're talking
• 15:32
  Speaker 3: about a guy, the guys who are out there as
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: PGA pros and getting and having a path to be
• 15:38
  Speaker 3: able to compete into a major, and it is a
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: it is a very very hard path that they have
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: to walk, but there is an opportunity and we get
• 15:46
  Speaker 3: those great stories. You know, think back to just a
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: few years ago when when Michael Block out of that
• 15:50
  Speaker 3: golf club in California, you know, was playing a Sunday
• 15:53
  Speaker 3: round with Rory McElroy and then he he hits that
• 15:56
  Speaker 3: hole in one I think it was on fifteen, and
• 15:58
  Speaker 3: you know, that was just a special moment that every
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: golf professional for sure definitely dreams of and being able
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: to play amongst the best players in the nation and
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: really the world.
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: These are guys from around the world.
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: Obviously Aaron Raye who ended up winning at Aronomic on
• 16:13
  Speaker 3: two Sundays ago. He is a guy who from England,
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: you know, the guy who is from England and which
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: you know I love the stuff that's you know, coming
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: out about him just like a red really just genuinely
• 16:23
  Speaker 3: nice guy, and everyone gives him grief because he wears
• 16:26
  Speaker 3: the two gloves and yeah.
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: That's not that's not a very usual to watch a
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: golfer with two gloves on. So it's a little bit
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: of a story there.
• 16:33
  Speaker 3: But yeah, you know, when you talk about just hyping
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: it up in general, you know, everything was different day
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: to day. There was different things to see and and
• 16:42
  Speaker 3: honestly you could go multiple days in a row and
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: kind of see different things because the weather wasn't very
• 16:48
  Speaker 3: hot until the last day. It got up until like
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: the mid eighties, but there was there was a lot
• 16:53
  Speaker 3: of win the first few days of the tournament, so
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: that changed how the course played a little bit and
• 16:57
  Speaker 3: made sure people were trying to stay on the fair
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: way and take as many aggressive shots because who knows
• 17:03
  Speaker 3: you're going to be off off to the side and
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: hitting out of the thick rough and you can drop
• 17:07
  Speaker 3: a ball in some of that rough, Jeff and not
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: be able to find it for we were actually joking.
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: There was a couple of spotters that we got to
• 17:14
  Speaker 3: chatting with. I think it was on whole twelve and
• 17:16
  Speaker 3: they were like just some old guys that were volunteering
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: and they were just like, we have no idea sometimes
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: with this ball is and that's our job here. We're
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: supposed to be spotting where this ball lands. And then
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: were really trying to help them out of our point.
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: But it's a tough job and it takes a lot
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: because those are volunteers out there and you know, trying
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: to enhance the product for everybody there, and it was
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: it was really a cool thing to see and just
• 17:38
  Speaker 3: hyping up the whole thing in general. Just you know,
• 17:40
  Speaker 3: you're seeing different people out there on the course day
• 17:42
  Speaker 3: to day. A lot of Philly royalty was in the
• 17:44
  Speaker 3: mix at Aeronomy throughout the week and so something different
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: every day to watch out for.
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: Let's get into some of that Philly royalty that was there.
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: With the actual atmosphere, there was so much of the
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: world of Philly sports that was meshed into this event,
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: whether it was Eagles players being on hand, you know,
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: the crowd chants of course as well that you always
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: get at Philly based events, and the golfers actually getting
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: into the fun of being in Philadelphia, being a part
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: of that Philly sports scene as well. You know what,
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: did this atmosphere really show you that we normally don't
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: see a a PGA Tour event throughout the season.
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: I think it was a little levity, especially at Aeronomank
• 18:25
  Speaker 3: when you have a Philly sports fan so close. I
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: think Philly sports fans are some of the most informed
• 18:30
  Speaker 3: people out there in the world of sports fans. So
• 18:33
  Speaker 3: when you talk about knowing that Scottie Scheffler is a
• 18:36
  Speaker 3: huge Cowboys fan, I'm gonna hear some go birds after
• 18:38
  Speaker 3: that golf sway happens off the tea box.
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: Yep.
• 18:42
  Speaker 3: Some people that I was with, who will remain nameless,
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: yelled to go birds after one of the te off shots.
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: Glad to hear glad.
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's funny.
• 18:51
  Speaker 3: It's funny to see because everybody kind of just giggles
• 18:54
  Speaker 3: to themselves, but you know, it's all in good fun.
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: There was I think I guess where we got into
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: it with a fan.
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that's where the end. But it wouldn't be a
• 19:00
  Speaker 3: Philly you know, a tournament if we didn't have some
• 19:03
  Speaker 3: kind of controversy with a fan. And honestly, it seemed
• 19:07
  Speaker 3: very not as serious as it's as it seemed at
• 19:10
  Speaker 3: the top. But but yeah, you know, Golfer's feet off
• 19:13
  Speaker 3: the great energy, and you know Philly's while from all accounts,
• 19:16
  Speaker 3: brought the great energy. And you know, I don't know
• 19:20
  Speaker 3: how many times per day you got to say that
• 19:23
  Speaker 3: guy's so like when Scottie Scheffler's walking by, Hey, Scotty,
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: Scott It like, I'm.
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: Sure these guys probably are like so sick of here, and.
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: They probably hate their name at this point, for god,
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: they probably do.
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: They all have the walk down pat where they kind
• 19:37
  Speaker 3: of just keep their head looking forward enough to see
• 19:40
  Speaker 3: where they're walking, but down enough so they're not making
• 19:42
  Speaker 3: eye contact with any fans.
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: But I thought that was kind of cool.
• 19:45
  Speaker 3: And in terms of Philly Royalty, Jeff, you know, I
• 19:48
  Speaker 3: saw Cole Hamil's was there. Actually it's the Larry O'Brien
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: Trophy for the NBA Champion and the Stanley Cup were
• 19:54
  Speaker 3: in the house, I believe on Thursday when I was
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: not there. I was not there on Thursday, but both
• 19:58
  Speaker 3: Lario O'Brian trophy and the Stanley Cup in the house
• 20:01
  Speaker 3: on Thursday, which was kind of a cool thing, you know.
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: I know, Copra Cooper de Jean was rumored to have
• 20:07
  Speaker 3: been there. I didn't see him there. Cole Hammels. I
• 20:09
  Speaker 3: heard he was in like the area near the seventeenth
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: holl there's a nice par three goes over the water
• 20:17
  Speaker 3: and that was the famous seventy foot I think it
• 20:19
  Speaker 3: was sixty eight, but seventy foot pot for Aaron Rye.
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: That basically clinched the tournament for him.
• 20:23
  Speaker 3: But Jordan Mylotta was sitting in those luxury stands that
• 20:26
  Speaker 3: overlooked the seventeenth Green and he was kind of getting
• 20:29
  Speaker 3: into it with the crowd. But I have to say
• 20:32
  Speaker 3: that from from me to the chair sitting next to me,
• 20:35
  Speaker 3: I didn't I didn't realize who it was for a second.
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: But I'm talking there was one person in between me
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: and Vic Fangio, Eagles defensive coordinator, which was kind of cool.
• 20:44
  Speaker 3: And I was gonna, you know, obviously, you know me
• 20:46
  Speaker 3: as a forty nine Ers fan, Jeff I almost wanted
• 20:47
  Speaker 3: to go back to those days when he was with
• 20:49
  Speaker 3: San Francisco and kind of chat him up a little bit.
• 20:51
  Speaker 3: But a friend of mine yells over, like, oh, you guys.
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: Gonna sign Jalen Carter do a long term.
• 20:55
  Speaker 3: They sat like it was it got turned into like,
• 20:57
  Speaker 3: you know, Eagles talk right there on the course, But
• 21:00
  Speaker 3: when when you're at Aronomink, when you're in a Philly savo,
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: you're going to get that Eagles sports fan flair.
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: As ever as it should be, as it should be
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: every event. So look, buddy, before I let you go,
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: I know it's a general question. You had so many experiences, uh,
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: you know during that week that you were down there.
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: What was your favorite story from that week that perhaps
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: not too many folks were aware of.
• 21:23
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think ultimately the Fangio story gets
• 21:26
  Speaker 3: a lot of love for my friends who are Eagles fans.
• 21:30
  Speaker 3: But you know, I think just the experience from start
• 21:32
  Speaker 3: to finish, honestly, just being able to see the bat
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: behind the scenes, you know operation. I think that was
• 21:40
  Speaker 3: the special part for me, you know, watching the bus
• 21:42
  Speaker 3: saying that you know, people were parking in remote parking lots,
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: and they had all these partners volunteering, and they had
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: you know corporate you know groups and outings, and you know,
• 21:51
  Speaker 3: the whole thing was just special to see.
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: I've been involved in event planning.
• 21:55
  Speaker 3: Before, you know, years and years and years ago as
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: a young young whipper snapper, you know, I was part
• 21:59
  Speaker 3: of of the planning team for Music Fast years ago,
• 22:02
  Speaker 3: and you know, that was a large scale event, but
• 22:04
  Speaker 3: not necessarily as large as what this is.
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: I mean, it's getting to that point. Actually maybe it
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: is a little larger because there's multiple days and all.
• 22:11
  Speaker 3: That stuff now, But you know, I think you can
• 22:13
  Speaker 3: put it on the same level of that, and you know,
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: we've certainly elevated it here in the Lehigh Valley and
• 22:19
  Speaker 3: the PGA Championship. You know, they're a well oiled machine too,
• 22:23
  Speaker 3: and you're talking lines and lines of cable and you know,
• 22:26
  Speaker 3: huge stands that need to be brought in and set
• 22:28
  Speaker 3: up each week. And I'm just kind of in awe
• 22:30
  Speaker 3: of the logistics behind it, and I think that really
• 22:34
  Speaker 3: gave me a true appreciation for not only the competition
• 22:37
  Speaker 3: and the golfers on the course, but everything that goes
• 22:39
  Speaker 3: into an event like this. And we get to look
• 22:41
  Speaker 3: forward to twenty thirty, where I believe the US Open
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: comes back to Marion Country Club right outside of affiliate
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: So that's the next time that we're going to have
• 22:47
  Speaker 3: an opportunity to see it, and I hope to be
• 22:49
  Speaker 3: right back in the media center covering that one too.
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: Well, Mike, I hope you and I might have an
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: opportunity at some point to get out there on the
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: course and you know, chop it up. And just what
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: I mean by chopping it up, I'm talking about chop
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: up the actual course with a lot of divits. Man.
• 23:05
  Speaker 3: I'm gonna try my best not to do that the
• 23:06
  Speaker 3: rest of the year. But I know.
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: Again, folks, he is Mike Raymond from Fox Sports Radio
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: of the Lehigh Valley at Mike Raymond LV on various
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: social sites out there. My friend. Always great talking to you.
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: This was a lot of fun, you know, getting outside
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: the world of football and baseball and everything. Just a
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: lot of fun talking about golf. Come back, let's let's
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: talk more golf down the road. I'd love it.
• 23:27
  Speaker 3: I'm all about it, buddy.
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: That's gonna do it for us here on Table Talk
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: this week. Please share our podcast with your friends and
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: family members who are Philly sports fans or sports fans
• 23:37
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• 23:41
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• 23:45
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• 23:48
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• 23:51
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• 23:55
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• 24:00
  Speaker 1: Take care and we'll catch you next time.