Where The Wild Things Are | ‘23 US Open Golf | Rooster Cup Rounds 3&4 Recap | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader, not going to lie, I just heard this song for the first time on the Rooster Cup ‘23 trip. Felt like it came on at the right time on the trip so figured it should be used for the Rounds 3&4 Recap. It’s a song about Luke Combs’ fictionalized brother (Combs is really an only child) but the lyrics to this song are elite storytelling and @RapGenius hasn’t annotated them yet…
An Indian Scout is a motorcycle and American Spirit is a brand of cigarette.
Joshua Trees throughout history have represented resilience because they grow in deserts. They only grow in California, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona so they could also represent heading westward. An Airstream trailer further represents that the character Combs is talking about is a nomad but he does value certain things like his motorcycle and a quality guitar like a J-45 Gibson which is used for its distinct sound in classic folk-rock or blues.
Sounds like a crazy party.
Okay so the ending is a bit of a bummer with his fictionalized brother getting into a motorcycle accident but it’s a great tune. It also felt kind of special listening to this while being in the desert out where the wild things are…
Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles Country Club | $17,500,000 Purse | PEAC/USA/NBC
Rickie Fowler
Rickie Fowler quite literally shrugged off a hater when they heckled him “What are you doing?” after he missed a putt. Heading into the weekend as the leader of the pack, Fowler will need to shrug off doubters as he has never won a major in his golf career. His 18 birdies through his first 36 holes out in LA is a US Open record.
Wyndham Clark
Wyndham Clark brilliantly executed a flop shot on his up-and-down at the 14th hole for a birdie. Clark is a Scottsdale, Arizona resident who attended the same high school in Colorado as Christian McCaffrey. Clark won his 1st and only PGA Tour event at the Wells Fargo Championship this past May.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy finished his round yesterday in style as he nearly had an ace (hole-in-one). He finished his back 9 yesterday with 6 birdies to only one bogey after having a +2 front 9. The last time McIlroy won a major was in ‘14, so the pressure will be on this weekend.
Xander Schauffele
After tying Rickie Fowler for the lowest US Open score for a round in history, X-Man followed that up with an even performance Friday. He’ll be matched up with Rory tomorrow morning.
Harris English
Harris English is not in fact English. He was born in the state of Georgia in the US of A. I wonder if any journalist has ever asked him if he has considered changing his family name to American. Anyway, English the American sunk an 80-foot putt.
Sam Bennett
Sam Bennett hated one of his shots off the club but the result ended up lovely. How come when I look down at my club in disgust it doesn’t end up being an approach shot for a birdie like Bennett? The Texas A&M alum became the first U.S. Amateur champion in Texas A&M history when he defeated Ben Carr in the U.S. Amateur in ‘22 at the Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. You may recall that Bennett made a bit of a run at this year’s Masters and he is now hanging around his 2nd Major this year.
Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith provided us with an amazing GIF as he flopped a shot from his knees. I have no idea how what he did is even possible. Kids, don’t try that at home.
Shane Lowry
That’s Shane Lowry there pictured above with a proper pint. Now there is a man who knows a thing or two about a good Guinness. He shot an even-par 70 on Friday. I just feel bad for the lad, my theory is the Guinness in Los Angeles in gobshite.
Patrick Cantlay
I’m sorry but the small-minute chance that Patrick Cantlay actually clicks the link of Week to Week Notes to read that I’m calling him the human rain delay while he is in the midst of the US Open is hilarious. I wonder if LIV will allow him to use a golf cart.
JT Thomas
JT Thomas had a rough couple of days out in Cali. His 81 on Friday was the highest score in his career. He also missed the Masters cut and ended up tied for 65th at the PGA Championship. That said, JT Thomas’ attitude is unwavering, he said, “I’ll figure it out. I have another major left. If I go win the British Open, nobody even remembers that I’ve missed the cut by a zillion here, so I’ve just got to find a way to get better and learn from this, and if I can, I don’t have to look at this week as a total failure.”
Rooster Cup Rounds 3&4 Recap
We-Ko-Pa Round 3
1. Not one word was spoken on the half-hour ride to the course. The boys were down badly from the night before. The breakfast burritos at WeKoPa were cheaper and better than in Boulder. Shot a good one off the tee, 6 total strokes. Lost hole.
2. 1st Transfusion of the trip, I feel like I’m cheating on Guinness. Please don’t tell them. Won the hole.
3. 3 tee shots, 3 shots into the sand to start. I couldn’t get it out of the bunker, it took up 5 shots. 6 on the par 3 hole.
4. Out of bounds. 2nd shot off the tee was nice. Got on in 2 shots after the drop and putted for 6.
5. Uncle J, “All putts slope to the Four Peaks.” Yeah, thanks for letting me know that as you par, arseholse!
6. Couldn’t get off the tee in 3 shots. They all went out of bounds. Not my hole.
7. Shot an ugly 7 iron that ran the fairway. Team Weir’s Captain and Uncle J both birdied and celebrated by dancing to “bird, bird, bird is the word.”
8. Couldn’t make it off the tee. Hit into and out of the desert, solid 8, nothing to write home about.
9. Uncle J’s 2nd infraction of the trip where he moved his ball illegally 6 inches. Does the Rooster Cup handbook of rules allow for a protest?
10. Missed 2 tee shots with tees. Then hit a nice 3 wood off the ground.
11. Asked Uncle J, “I’ve really been meaning to ask you, what do you think Nikola Jokic’s first NBA championship means for his legacy?” Seconds before Uncle J was set to putt. He missed.
12. Asked Team Weir’s Captain the old hammer and tiger in a 20’ by 20’ room scenario. @YouTheReader in that hypothetical situation, who makes it out alive? Team Steve’s Captain hit a par.
13. Team Weir’s Captain and Uncle J shook our hands early thinking they had won the match.
14. Par 3 and I got on in one. Party time.
15. Officially lost the match.
16. It’s really dry out here. I nearly wandered off into the desert because I saw a mirage.
17. Pured a 7 iron, we’re so back.
18. Pured another 7 iron into the sand followed up by puring an 8 iron out of said sand and then 3 pitted for 5.
Song On In The Background: No music, just Rooster Cup talk.
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: Very nice course and reasonably priced food. Everybody is absolutely cooked. Can Guinness but they have the Guinness glass logo so I have to give the +0.5 bonus, you know the rules. I’m staring at a cactus with a Guinness in hand, wild stuff. The restaurant gives you massive glasses of soda, a bunch of the boys went with Pepsi. Uncle V just asked, “What day is it?” We have one more day of golf. Team Weir is up 7.5 to 4.5 heading into individual matchups. All Team Weir needs is 2 points. Roll Tide thinks he might have got too much sleep last night, his golf game was off today. We-Ko-Pa has some very nice golf hats.
Ak-Chin Round 4
1. 7 iron right down Broadway. Shot a 5 on the hole and hit a 20-foot putt.
2. On in 2, 3 putt for 5.
3. 1st Transfusion of the day. Hit into 2 bunkers, the drink must’ve impaired me.
4. Hit an absolute beauty with women’s 9 iron that I like using around the greens don’t tell anybody. 2 putted for par.
5. Shot a 5 on 5, pushed with Paddy G who is playing great.
6. “Bump and run special” just like a drew it up. Paddy G is on in 1. We both got 4s. Ak-Chin gives out iced cold towels to the golfers.
7. 7 iron right down the fairway. I’m rocking the bucket hat with an iced-out towel under it and wrapped around my neck like a durag. It’s a look, but hey the heat’s dry out here. I couldn’t get out of the bunker, shot an 8.
8. Pushed with Paddy G, both shot a 7.
9. Paddy G gave me a mulligan because I didn’t take a breakfast ball on 1. Ended up 3 putting, again.
10. Fairway bunker fringe off the tee. Another 3 putt for 6.
11. Paddy G with a bunker par. Again, I could not get a shot out of the bunker.
12. El Bosh went for it over the trees. Skin and Bosh are in a barn burner, with Skin currently up 1 hole on him.
13. 2nd transfusion. I won the hole with a 5. Must have been the drink.
14. Pushed again with Paddy G, barely hanging on by a thread.
15. Skin hit onto the next tee box. Can he hit from there or is it out of bounds, @YouTheReader what are your thoughts?
16. Let the team down. Paddy G played well. The 12 of us sold out all the transfusions that the cart girls had, well-done lads!
17. Commish of The Rooster Cup sends a text that we gotta pick up the pace. I swear I’m not playing like Patrick Cantlay.
18. Eagled the last hole… nah I shot a 6. El Bosh completes his comeback over Skin to clinch the Rooster Cup for Team Weir.
Team Weir’s Captain shot a 77 in the final round. He was presented with the Rooster Cup MVP award. Team Weir won the tournament 11.5 to 6.5 in dominating fashion. IT’S A GIRL!!
The consensus was that Ak-Chin or We-Ko-Pa were the two best courses for the trip. The cart girls at Ak-Chin were the most attentive as they came around 3 times in 18 holes. Have to give credit where it’s due.
Notes if you can’t read my sloppy scribble: The bus ride home is an hour and 20 minutes away. Uncle V sitting next to me. He shot a 93 on the day. Jimbo shot a 88, Weir a 77, Steves a 90, Cogs a 101, Uncle J a 98, El Bosh 101, Skin 102, Paddy G a 96, Gullo a 103, Roll Tide a 108, and I shot a 105. The bus is much livelier back this evening in comparison to yesterday despite it being an hour and 20 minutes in the middle of the desert with so-so AC. On the ride back yesterday, everybody in the back of the van passed out from what many are saying may have been heat exhaustion. We’re BBQing as soon as we get back to the AirBnb. The rumored possible locations for next year’s Rooster Cup are Texas, Oregon, Wisconsin, Nova Scotia (probably a pipe dream), Utah, and Colorado.
‘23 BBQ Recap
On the last night of the ‘23 Rooster Cup, I asked each guy two questions individually. 1) What got them into golf? 2) What does the Rooster Cup mean to you? I already did Team Steve’s on Thursday. Here were the responses from Team Weir…
Team Weir’s Captain
1) When I was 12 years old I started playing with my dad. It was a father-son thing but I hated it at the time. I gave up on the game and then came back to it in my junior year of high school. I love the competitive aspect of golf. I played a ton up in Cortland and then in the summers with the PR lads.
2) Golf to me is unlike anything else in life. It can bring people together no matter your skill set. All it takes is 1 shot. You can go out there and be shooting a 110 but then you hit that one shot that always brings you back. So when you ask me what the Rooster means to me, it’s not really about the Cup, it’s more about the feeling that golf brings.
Uncle J
1) When you first start getting into golf, you’re just messing around out there, but once you hit your first clean good shot - a good strike of the ball or nice putt. You’re always chasing that first shot you hit that you remember gets you into golf.
2) 12 friends getting together. As you get older it’s a nice escape where you don’t have to think about all the other BS. Laughs. Beers. Whole lotta fun.
El Bosh
1) Got into it because of family and the crew I was with started playing.
2) It’s fun playing this captain style. Team golf is cool.
Paddy G
1) The Cup pulled us through this go around. I just tried playing safe and having fun.
2) Everything since March 1st, all I could think about was the Rooster Cup. Since March 1st, I’ve been going to the golf range and thinking we could win the Cup. We did it.
Uncle V
1) When I was a kid my dad always wanted me to start playing. I would get mad frustrated. I hated it.
2) This is the only serious competition I have currently in my life. I love the game, the laughs with the boys, and I love to win.
Roll Tide
1) Aidan Weir peer pressured me into getting a set of golf clubs in high school.
2) The Rooster Cup is about 3 things. #1 friends, #2 tradition, we gotta keep it going, #3 competition.