Matthieu Pavon wins the Farmers Insurance Open
What went down: (0:00) Matthieu Pavon won on a Saturday – because he’s just too big for the Grammys and football, duh. KVV is joined by Kyle Porter and Shane Bacon to dig into it all.
Porter and Bacon offer a lot of props for Pavon’s mental game in withstanding an up-and-down back nine. Some highlights include a crosshanded chip to five feet on 14 after missing the green long, and a nasty three-putt on 17. Fun fact: He’s got a tat that reads “The saliva that flows now will be the tears that flow tomorrow” – which KVV points out is likely a mistranslation.
Bacon recounts playing Torrey and how difficult the greens are to read. Porter says the Ludvig thing has gone too far – claims it has been at the expense of talking about Hojgaard!
Do we like Saturday finishes? Does this actually affect viewership? Brief kudos to Max Homa, friend to all.
(30:00) Yes, a debate about the best young European player breaks out. KVV reminisces on the mystique of the unseen European Tour of past.
And which PGA Tour player would you want/not want to handle nuclear missile operations? Adam Scott, Tyrell Hatton and Rory are mentioned.
(43:00) Why didn’t Finau, Schauffele go to LIV? Tossing some theories around. Feeling Jon Rahm’s absence even more deeply this week at Torrey Pines.
(54:00) Sponsors exemption controversy? Given that they all went to members of the…PGA Tour advisory board? Spicy! Webb Simpson, Adam Scott, Peter Malnati and Maverick McNealy…we’ll be watching you at Pebble.
Other golf headlines: The Match, Nick Dunlap, Anthony Kim + More
(59:30) The newest edition of The Match features Rory, Max, Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang! Discussing the franchise and predicting how this one could go.
(1:08:00) I jump in for a quick Nick Dunlap/amateur golf pivot, after Nick Dunlap turned professional this week. What’s he capable of?
(1:13:00) Is a deal gonna happen!??!??! Are we almost done talking about this every single week? How do we proceed from a merger? Burn it all down?
(1:25:00) Some guy named Anthony Kim is coming back to golf. KVV poses the question: At 38 years old, what could his career look like? And what was Anthony Kim culture like? How romanticized is Anthony Kim’s career?
(1:38:50) Is Nelly Korda gonna get it done at the Drive On Championship? What’s keeping Nelly from being super dominant?
(1:43:20) Checking on the DP World Tour for the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.
(1:44:00) What makes a good buddies trip? Everyone offers their own unique spin – people, balancing the right amount of golf, location.
(1:58:00) This concludes KVV’s stint as designated survivor! Thanks for listening – the main crew will be back from Tourist Sauce this week! Make sure to tune into our Live from Pebble this upcoming week.
Best take: (54:00) Indeed, it is a little scandalous to award sponsor’s exemptions to members of the advisory board. With the vulnerable spot the PGA Tour is currently in, maybe think of handing them out to the most effective/compelling invitees, instead of minions–I mean, mules.
Worst take: (29:00) I can’t get down with Porter dismissing the Ludvig hype. I think Hojgaard is underrated too, but Ludvig is aptly rated – and deserves all the noise!
Mea culpas: (1:23:50) KVV offers a mea culpa on his perspective of private equity.
Quotables:
(On Pavon’s tattoo) (20:30) “It did strike me as those American kids who get Chinese symbols on their shoulder or neck that are total mistranslations and no one has the heart to tell them that they’re wrong. There’s no way that he heard the SALIVA that flows will be the tears that flow tomorrow.” -KVV
(51:20) “I feel like I’ve been cheated out of Immelman and Nantz not talking about Devlin’s Billabong every time they come here.” -KVV
Featured guest(s): Shane Bacon and Kyle Porter, the OGs!
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