A Round With Radar - Episode Four: Brandon Stone

You. Know Walton he's have two, golf courses there two golf courses in the top 100, golf, courses in the British Isles that, is HUGE given, so many great golf courses are in this part of the world I'm. Here to film another edition. Of a, round with. Radar, I'm not doing to what we're finding out so much about staff members, ping staff members who am I playing with today I'm, gonna take these cash it's about time let's go and find out on that first team oh yeah. I am I'm going for the golfers can, you ever a lot of. It, Brennan how, are you brain and stone right now Scottish Open champion. 60. In the last round you ready for a little, crack, let's. Go over all you're ready to go I wonder I go. In there's a lot of Heather out here but will will give it a go this, look at the leather bag. Look. At the open. Claret. Jug love along I will go back in every time we go into the yeah and, he get every time he goes into the open oh yeah Brennan, so what do you want to play for a sandwich in a cup of tea what do you reckon a cup of tea maybe ask our little butter, little strawberry jam on it sounds like a plan. Okay. I'm going to give you the honor my friend oh I'm. Gonna give you the honor, beautiful. More terminal. Morning oh sure. The ball will be going too far. Where. We going. You. Got me coming up the freezer year to play you got me coming out the freezer yeah this. Is so cold usually pros if they're like a three-hour warm-up with you we, do yeah. All, right yep little, down the lifts all right nothing like ever that's right. Ah. Flushes. Down. The right side didn't are we playing at Flushing Meadows today but alright not. To be shaken start. We. Got the same clubs here so we're giving a little mixed up, no. I think you got the lull bit of the older bats here you need to get to, tens mate I like, these well it's a lot of 200, the loss they'd have made them better look are two tents better, more. Forgiving, Brandon. Before I Jam, this in there to about a foot. Back. Tell. Us all about the journey so, far with ping now. He is on an upslope so. Yeah. I mean I mean with ping since I was, 10. 12 years old I'm either via, South, African retailer, Doug Valles and then bought me my first little, set of pink clubs when I was about 10 years old shaving. The half the shops all the way down to half and you know putting some special, or grip something some. Lie angles for me but the. Brand itself has always been a very close knit to my game I don't think I've actually ever used anything else I think of my entire career if I might be at two different clubs in my bag over the last, 10 15 years it would be a lot and. It's just a brand that I'm gonna stick with RIT they. Told me your dad was, a huge, influence you. Were hanging around with, to us like. Down, here yeah, when. All of a sudden you appeared. Already. I. Used, to be that annoying kid on the putty we know used to just run on with his dad's putter stem look at and just be knocking in putts when use are they're all in there have of the cold. One. That was giving, them a lot of nuisance and making a lot of noise on the Panny green holding it and. Simulating. Winning the US Open so on and so forth but yeah it's the, game's always been so close to me in the tour life has always been very, close to the stone family so it's just seems, fitting that I'm here now great, great great great just. A little choked down shot I said a foot. Oh, there. It is. Quite. A foot but maybe eight yeah maybe let's go up there about 40 yards and find braylon's paul brannan which words you're going to hear in here you've got a hundred and sixteen, to the flag a little bit of draft in two so it's not a full wedge no it's not a 4-1 I'm gonna take a little pitching wedge yeah so typically, especially when the breeze is a little in like this I tend, to like to grip it down a little but I managed to spin right a little bit he also shaves, off a little bit of yardage so, I'm gonna take this 15 - maybe grip it down just the inch maybe an inch and a half and just, make it a little bit almost like a 3/4, swing but with that same speed, through shouldn't, you work out all right. Good, swing. Just, flattened it out a little, that'll. Do that's, really tight very. Good that's a feel that use back. In the day when we abbreviated. The follower and then the. Backswing and the follows were almost like a clock method yeah talk, talk particularly, for me the the feeling are always trying to get is that the hands don't really get above the shoulders gotcha that would be my the. Clock system I kind, of struggled, to grasp it yes for, me it was more the feeling of when I was swinging it back I'm trying to keep the shoulder in the hands together and then when it's through it's almost at mirror image of that backswing okay yeah, Tommy's yo, you see Tommy do that abbreviated follow-through, so often which just so.

Nasty Hold on so nasty one piece and yeah, that's pretty much it's very hard for a South African to, work on the clock system because they're thirty years behind. I. Think. I'm the one short in it about 15, feet that's. What a few feet looks like you can't promise. A foot and then deliver 15 nah see, but don't. Worry I'll get your mark I'll get it I'll get it I'll get it yours will be up there and back over. The moon with that shot but I'm you. Do have to mark the ball with a flat object but, I never do. Okay. Get that leg up can you see please, please, please please sure you can see it from all over there like I said. Okay. Oh, Oh. Unlucky. It's good on me. Nothing. Worse than living it sure honestly straight, in the drawers - right in the middle. And, the tradition, continued. You're. Very very good before, you won the Scottish Open you, were struggling a little especially with the driver, you got this the same drivers, myself. Tell. Us all about that and what difference it made when Dom fitted you out for that yeah we actually spent about an hour to in Germany just testing, drivers alone and. We. Kind of came up with this philosophy, that the games tough enough so I do want to make it tougher so we went to the G 400 max drive ahead got. The shaft that really fitted my club is speeding, my angle of attack I mean yeah it just came, together so nicely I just hit it really, well on the range took us to the golf course drove the ball quite quite, a while in Germany and in France and, Highland - but, then in Scotland, and was just unreal it was just the fair I find every time getting. In over 300, making in the Golf Course look a little bit silly at times good, okay get, up here showers winds just kicking up but Brandon, do you find it I always found you could go to the practice, fairway, in the driving range and get tested, and you find a driver on, the race you just nail, it and you take it to the golf course just I don't know it doesn't but. That one is not a corporate that is just this is just so, good it just came together perfectly. Well if this is a case of it felt good on the range and like you say you're always a little bit apprehensive about, it when you're gonna take it out onto the golf course yeah but, the moment we got up there even my caddie said oh that's going straight in the bag that's perfect, so you, haven't read that very high because you want to flatten it out a little yeah a little flatter I don't I'm a tendency, to maybe hook the ball a little bit so that guy always hooks the ball tends to teed up a little OC Congress boys a little just kind of get on top of it kind of squeeze it a bit so might freeze. A little into today might he like a little bit of a lower flight just try and run it in there somewhere. It. Doesn't seem like the longest softballs today. Beautiful. Drive. Beautiful. Shot thank you, you. Didn't go that far in holiday right now I don't, well I do I took a list right it's a long way to go on any holiday from there. Oh. A. Little pulley a little left it's coming back to go ah. There's. No issues there left side okay. He's down the left I'm doing the right he's staying away from me all day. There's. A goodie Oh. Club twirl. Yeah. It was a bit of a taller just, a normal witch so what do you got here that the glide well I got about 60 yards less than you so I've got about a little bit of a 70, 75, yard pitch and I have got the new glide Ford wedges, with. My own customized. Little stamp in there which I have done myself and on. The 58 I've got Oliver which is my golden retriever and, on. The 52 I have JC which is my Scottish terrier, well. That's unbelievable. Is it I mean so life for wedges I could just put my ex-wife. See. When did you put these wedges in put these in Firestone. This you actually got. The swing waiting really nice ah the moment that I saw that the, lying all and the clean, they were in front you know when you put them down they just sit so nice and tight you.

Feel Like you can just snip. Them off any surface they just went straight in the back lovely, lovely that's what you want just. Go straight in the bag no, hesitation. Exactly, you never want to have a club that you're apprehensive about when it gets launched. Well. In there to about 8 feet 8 feet. Ok. Let's, see. Lovely. Shot fit, little, zip not. Too bad very nice, if you see the flag from over there again yes might. Like. I thought it was eight feet. More. Like Lenny feet downhill left to right you're in there nice and tight one swore. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. It's. A good thing let them look good show off the face ah. Call. That straight off the face right in one straighter, you. Got. Me focusing, a little bit you. Got. Your focusing, there yo fella I know. Good, hoorah, beautifly's. Half it was a knife up now look at that putter is that like an old answer, this is actually, a vault Dale but I've just blacked it out I've got four stealth look so we've got the black soft black ping man grew up so they can do that as well yeah yeah I can do anything all. You have to do is ask that's, just pretty. So it is so pretty look at that milled face perfectly. Much so that that the back in the day when that was first introduced. Yeah. That's supposed to make the ball hug, the green and make it not bounce am i right definitely, my I mean, I kind. Of like entertain myself every now and then I've worked out one of my old putters from when I was like five or ten years old and try to have a roll with it and it is nothing compared to this yeah and also this also gives like the illusion that you're an absolute ball, striker where the putter because if you look at it from a slight angle it always looks like you got worn out spot in the middle you see that yeah, I can see that but that's just fake. Yeah. I know you're a ball striker but that's not from puffing a lot better than when I was a youngster the sand I know it used to have concrete because. I had so many balls exact, but that, just gives you that is the center that's where you spoke so, basically what they've done with the with the group system with the being mod is that it comes out slightly soft at the middle because, obviously when a you're, striking quite all it comes out a consistent, but also when hitting it at the heel and at the toe comes, a little bit hottest consistency. Becomes a lot better yeah so maybe, on a six foot you don't really feel it but when comes out to 20 25 30 feet yeah you start to see your your pace is a lot more consistent, you've, always got that. True. Role even if you kind of you know every now and then we need the hands get a little jittery, when you get a little bit older and they just start maybe you're not striking in the middle it still has that great roll still has that good pace and you're gonna improve your fighting so scientific. It's back to the future where pain is the. Future, all. Right yeah. Brandon. He's. One. Brannad, downhill, downwind. Par-5, 570, yards in length so it's not a long one for you boys because. It's downhill in downwind would you stand here and go I can't gonna swing it normally I'm gonna give it a little, bit extra with the big stick that, just depends on the round I think obviously if you made a few birdies a little bit earlier in the round you kind of get a lot of momentum and you feel like you can conquer the world so you're gonna get up here pick it as high as you can and just launch it I know. Me being a South African any time that we get down breeze in Europe you get very excited because it seems like 90 percent of holes play into the wind so on, a hole like this today I'm definitely gonna tear it slightly higher, maybe. Swing it slightly longer trying to halt wait for it a little bit long on the top and then just give, up the beans okay, I kick, out go go not. That little squeeze like you're playing on the last no I'm not the little squeeze we had on the last this one's gonna be hit with a lot of venom. We. Try and give you one that you can keep up with you. Well, that's a beauty. That's. The tiger line though. Still. Going. That. Is perfect, guy that, is mint, I. Tell you what will the job I do yeah. I'm a TV it's. Quite amazing that, what. I'm learning I mean is I like, I know a lot about the game because I've been doing this for a long time on course commentator, and you're like I know how you guys play I know of the way the game's supposed to play but you, learn so much with these little rounds, you know the guys to, come and have a game with me you know it's like you must feel sorry for me or something. Come. On watch yourself boyfriend this is fun little unleash, here viewers I'm gonna unleash. Not. Bad but a little down the right.

You. Know you should use a driver next time it sounded like a through ruffle face. OK, you've got about 160. Set about 160, yeah, plus/minus. Something on them we've got it's downhilling, this down breeze here's you know you have here at 392. Yards, or something like that but we, must say you know these fairways are quite quicker stuff not, taking anything away from your driver I've already laid up down there I was just in the head that I'd actually, lay it up in a pretty good position so what, do you got you've got a hundred and sixty downhill, downwind. And elevation, change of probably, six. Yards, so probably plan about 1/5, - you're getting it down to about 1/4, right you got which I got which yeah, you've got it your company your calculations, were a hell of a lot longer than mine where am I now all that I you talked, it all into a microphone so I've got to keep them been thoughtful. Good, swing, just left of it. Bang-on. Pig on but. You've got that too about 17. Feet are you happy with that shot ah with. A par-5 probably. Yes they've got the wedge probably not no, but a 17, foot you're not walking away oh that was horrific you don't have an engine a wine to the caddie you just down you're, not selling the cab on the turf and walking away storming, like a spoiled, child but, you, know Eagle, Pope from 17 feet it's not a problem, no you're right, Brandon. I like the ones with the bounce do you ever do, you remember you know you've been with pink you say since you're 10 or whatever yeah you remember the ping I I, do actually still have one at home so do i I've got five or six of them at home I've got actually got four brand new ones and, I take them out and chip the only thing is the groove yeah. Yeah. But, Caston, I believe. He made. Caston. Sahlan I believe, he. Invented. Great, wedging I do, I mean these are just unbelievable. The wedges you are using them in the bounce a few people. You. Know there's not too much going that, way it means that that bit, there doesn't. Bounce on you and that's when you scull it or your knife it. Am. I confusing you confuse, let me just show using me so. Bait. This shot here we've, got so much green to work with, I wouldn't. Fly it along I don't know about you Brandon I'd be playing a little low sort, of skipper in there a couple of bounces in check and then, release you, yep seems, alright. Just. Like that Oh. Toes. In to goods but almost, I say most my landing zone that I was looking at and where you pitch that were pretty. Spot-on I think I landed on the right spot but just didn't hit hard enough okay, Brandon we're on our fourth green, you, are one. Up and you got this for Eagle and I've got a 15 footer for a birdie so you've got this one what do you got this just outside the right or does it go snake, gonna, it's gonna push, maybe a - right to stop but it's definitely moving about a cup and a bit from the right side towards the end there.

Shoot. Him again, you. Know it's unbelievable, ping. Uh uh uh you know I'm trying, to help with the selection, of these people who are invited to a rail with Rayna but I'm. Not sure I'm making the right choices, is. Just, doing everything absolutely. Obliterate. Me that. Was just a beaut now I've got it I absolutely. Have, it. Nobody's. That is that 4-under, after four yeah that would be four and four. Okay, Lisa ready to lose on under after four I'm just happy with one on the right before but I'm through down. Go. Go, baby. Good. Shot yeah. Pull. The little left. Side hitter wind. Walton. He threw a bit serious, look at that that's right on a little bit of a ball but they've set the golf course up very kindly to walk, me for a round with radar this morning with Brandon stone, Brandon. When you got a week off what. Do you do you're moving your stuff himself ever gonna make Tory a lot easier over to the UK in the Surrey area wherever you're going to buy but what. Would you do on a week of how much practice how much gym work, well. It depends on the weeks off I think actually I had a very nice six weeks than away from home or at home, now, where. I just did a lot of training a lot of not too much practice but you know it took a nice break from the game got such a busy part to the end of the year now obviously the final series and in most. Of the European guys after the final series are done for the year but we should look at the South African coast sanctions, and so on and so forth so a typical. Week back home you know go, to gym six. O'clock 7:00 in the morning hit finish around 8:30, go. Grab some breakfast and we practice in the morning until about 12 grab some lunch and we just go play that seems like an you do that for five times there for six times a week yeah, and two. And a half a legit. Depends, yeah depends on how how, much paint I want to be under for the rest of the day but I, think, with my when, my trainer Gavin groves finds out that I've got a few weeks at home he gets this big smile, on his face because he knows he just gave me two lifts a lot of heavy things and it, seems like it's quite a repetitive thing you know like off you just keep hitting balls with heavy stuff you're just moving the heavy stuff from here to there and then putting it back the whole time you know we. Have a lot of fun with that lazy has changed. Incredible. That's. A good settle. What. It's, okay it's, right across the side, of a ridge that putt tricky. Little bugger that night I've, got a feeling you'll hold yours anyway so I won't be late oh. Yeah. Don't, need a second bite at the cherry do we know I. Feel. Like making you traumatic it's just lagging this update doctors, off what, you're saying and just check my straw okay I'm calm I'm kind of willing it in. Who is this one oh it, hasn't came back of the bad pot. Mooster. On the green. Rollout. Okay. Come on come, on 82 down. You're. Running out of holes you need that oh yeah, I'm a little holes but I. Put. A good roll on it oh boy there. You go and there's no anchoring, there there's. No anchoring, only, right, at the last unit.

Brandon. Par-5 you. Up the left there Yost about 30 yards further up and down the rod I got 262, which is right on the limit for me tell I've got this this is a brand new 3-wood, for me and it's the best 3-wood, I've had, in, quite some, time the. Same one I don't have the stretch I've just got the normal one I like, the stretch yeah you got the stretch because obviously searching, full of would have distance ending up to 13 degrees a lot of this research for obviously I'm just saying but. To me a 3-wood, is such a hard. Thing my heart it's the toughest Club in the bag it you can tell how a guy's feeling, in a toilet down the gun how he hits history yeah a guy that flushes it you know he's got nerves of steel and he's ready to win this golf tour but you, see that that grip pressure and there's white knuckles like coming out and you see that little heel. Cut coming out with a 3-wood you just know that the guy was not feeling his car I've struggled to find the 3-wood, and. But. This, the. Stretcher, didn't notice that stretch on there people think Dominic's just trying. Oh. There. It is. Barely. On the right funnel. Left bunker. Is it good bounce. Maybe. Just short of the bunker not, bad at all I've notice a little bit of divot there so the difference in yours you've got fourteen and a half degrees, yes I've got a lovely more loft on mine a little bit of a stiffer shot and the ladies regular that you had yeah but, trying. To achieve what would 14, of them, for. Me the club the reason why I have the food in the bags that come down into par-5 like yeah you know the. I wanted to come up from a little bit of a higher launch angle I wanted to land alot but softer I've, got a driving iron in my bag for if I need off the tee for t-shirts you know where you needed kind. Of funnel the through the fairway or whatever the case would be so like, you said yeah we've got about 250 260. Yards local bid against the puffs so. I want to clear this kind of launch little bit higher but with a great spin rate or when it lands and the hits agree it's gonna hit softly it's not going to hit the green and bounce over the back as, you'll know ninety percent of the time on par fives all, the rubbish is on the back of the green so.

Yeah. Like I say a little bit against the puff I'm gonna hit a nice just a normal ball flight normal trajectory. There. To pitch on the frangie the green just release up into the middle there. Good, swing I'll, tell you what that came out you, know penetrating. Flight it didn't come out with a flight of a 14, degree, F it's not at all i think i, think dominic and I just got the combination between obviously this Evenflo, project shaft, and the lofts it just comes out perfect every, time and like you say a few, words a club that you need once you find one you hold on to it it's like the perfect one yes yes I've never mind yeah I find one I don't think you have yet but you. Know when, you get it you don't to give it away so, now like, you said when you walk in the range and the guy says I can I try a few would it sir. Doesn't. Know I actually don't like anyone touching the clubs I don't mind in the locker room when we had them in front of one back in the day when I played I don't know about you and someone, seve used to do it all the time you come up with what, you got here. Mistake. Don't. Touch mistakes, this. Is about a 60-yard, bunker, shot with a big steep face I got 50 for Brendan, so I'm just going to open it up not. So much hit, down and hope I. Sit, a. Little. Long pinned, it a little bit just send it a little bit now you tell, us all about this shot see, so. Typically. What I'll do is. Like. You said you took the 54, I'm at 50 254. But that's that kind of prints yes less. Loft a little bit less loft and then. Instead of a lot of guys you see them trying to hack at it a little bit yeah I try to keep a little bit more of a shallow plane, into. A long bunker shot like that so if, you're looking at it from a from. A side-on perspective, the, short of the bunker shot the more you hit a V the. Longer the bunker shot the more it becomes a you kind. Of mental picture for me okay, so. Like for this shot fifty-two. Normal. Starts and then just a little bit of a you shot. That's, a beautiful shot six, feet beautiful shot mate that was, I'm. Still not getting the feeling to you but we can get there sooner or later on the eight screen I'm too down I made.

A Couple of birdies, they're. No good with these boys uphill right to left so. Two. Putts will be good enough I got myself 16, feet. A. Lot. Of work there spring. In my step now. It's, just gone and done it Oh. Put. Some pressure here. That. Putt, looks. Like something, at gallon, when you went on to win the Scottish up this firstly, when you shot 60, even just shooting. 60, to. Win on a last day what is that like a big Rolex. Event like the Scottish Open it was incredible, um the. Funniest thing about it is I actually had no. Idea what. My score was and people, obviously, mocked, me about it saying no that's, not true but I didn't. Have a clue we, still walked into the last green I looked, up at the leaderboard cuz that was the first time I looked at a leaderboard the whole day looked. Up at the lead-in when I was like wow, it's a lot of red numbers up there today fortunately. So really walked on I said to my caddie you know what you can read this you know enjoy. The moment, it's been a great week we've, got some leeway I'll let you everything, about with I was, new I, mean I had the three four shot lead at the moment. We. Quite comfortable in the situation there we and so I look up and like yes but that's one two. Three four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. And then obviously the eagle putt on 16 pushed, me to 10 so Mike Wow so I got this putt for 61, so I'm at the course with another group with our last group but and you're way ahead so I think cult art went with you yeah so I know what, score you on more, than you know what's going on exactly now it's like okay cool I got this putt for 61, that's a girl be my low scores a prime like, wait. Pulled, my scorecard I was like it's. A poor sinner do this and. Then my, maths is going this. Is for 59 and I actually turned to my caddie and he looked at me he's like yeah. So. Obviously, the white knuckles came fuming, at ya like this. Is the same sort of putt can be free I'm a little bit more nervous with this I mean. To get a victory over yeah, you've got it yeah right this, is to win 2-1. The. Hallways are beautiful. The. Bigger than the $50, the. 6-3 years. Brandon. Thank you ever so much but it's not over it's not over here, we have a traditional news to the pin okay, and you're my fourth victim, on a round with radar and I haven't won one yet. Good. Two. And one I've got flogged which is all right. One-fifty. One-fifty, offer you go you've got money about the honor yep. Your honor you're on leg over there on the left-hand side let, me get my shadow out of the white. Good. Sweet another good swing don't. Go easy enough, Oh. Beautiful. Shot mate thank you sir. They, make it look easy they really, do. Oh. It's. A good strike hold your line baby, just. Hold a little living. Yeah. 20. 25 feet for not together though check it out but I think I'm in a spot of bother I think I'll have to buy the cups, of tea. I think, I snuck you they might I think, I snuck it there. Well. Done I'm quite happy with that shot. Thank. You once more to one we go into the clubhouse and we'll play, this thing off I'm champion, boy for, a South African for. South African how's that, Brandon. Has been a lot of fun you know an insight into you and your life at such a young age you've, accomplished, so much so thank, you very much did you enjoy. Yourself I did enjoy myself it was a very enlightening, day that's, what it's all about the, pink families you called it we. Thank them and whoever. It's, going to be next, time all. Around with radar, I think uncle radar, is due for a win but thank you very much the English we, drink other things but the English drink some, tea beautiful. To the victor go the spoils to do that lots of. You.

2018-12-23 17:20

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