Its an Under The Covers unlike any other. We created a draft with our very own picks to preview The Masters at Augusta. Matt was behind the ropes at the course this week for a live preview of the course.
Transcript
Dominic Colangelo: All right, we're here. Matthew is boots on the ground in Augusta, Georgia right now.
Matthew Zampello: We've made it. Dumb, what a fantastic, fantastic day it was. That was my first ever time at Augusta National. ⁓ First ever time seeing it in person. Unreal experience. The place looks like fake. Like it's like a, it's fake grass. It looks like it's turf. Like it doesn't look real. It's crazy the conditioning it's in. ⁓ Weather was perfect all day. 65.
Dominic Colangelo: Really? I was curious.
Matthew Zampello: cloudy little sunny here and there. ⁓ But yeah, unbelievable day, unbelievable experience. Hit 30,000 steps, no problem. Walk the golf course. Saw all the big names.
Dominic Colangelo: Did you follow, did you follow anybody?
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, followed Bubba actually for a while, weirdly, because he was like the first one out in the morning. So he was really like the only guy on the golf course, kind of for the morning time. So we kind of followed him while we were walking the golf course. And then in the afternoon, saw Scotty, saw all those guys kind of come through and everything, Jordan and everybody. So it kind of made it easy where once we were done walking the golf course in the morning, we got to kind of just stay around Ament Corner.
Dominic Colangelo: Okay.
Matthew Zampello: 15 and 16 and just kind of hung out for a long time. So it was sick.
Dominic Colangelo: Dang, that's a good move. You get to walk the full thing and then you kind of pick and choose after.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, it was definitely a slow morning. I think because of the Valero, ⁓ lot of guys ended up playing out in the afternoon ⁓ versus like the morning. The morning was like pretty quiet. There wasn't a lot of people on the golf course. So, but yeah, man from like a golf, just a golf fan is everything you've ever dreamed of. It really is like, it's crazy how it's just, it's just kind of in the middle of this little town and then you go into this like golf paradise. It's pretty nuts.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah. And then as a guest, do you drive up Magnolia Drive?
Matthew Zampello: No, you either park in it in the north or the south lot essentially. We parked in the south lot and went through the south gate. Just because I'm with people that are pretty experienced in going and they like to go through the south entrance better. But yeah, so we ended up going up to Magnolia Lane and went up to the whole area and stuff. can like take a picture and everything. But yeah, they have the fan experience just down to a T. Like everything is...
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm. ⁓ really?
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, like it's so efficient. Even the bathrooms are efficient. Like you just, you're in and out. Yeah. They're like, they're like stall open, stall open. Go right there.
Dominic Colangelo: No way. So walk me through. So walk me through, so you get there and you park. Are you greeted at the door? Like ticket check, how does that work?
Matthew Zampello: So we got in super early. We were in line about 645 and they don't let anybody until seven, but 645 we were already pretty deep. There was probably 200 people in front of us already. And it's just a big mass trying to go into this entry. So we probably didn't get into Augusta until about 730. So it took us probably 45 minutes. But once you're in, like from the South gate, you literally just pop out and you're right on 13 green. Like you just pop in right there.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm. Hello and welcome back to Under the Covers. Typically, this is a golf podcast where we deep dive each week in the latest PGA Tour winners bag, but we got a special one for you and we're talking the Masters. We are your hosts. My name is Dominic. We got Kevin with us today. Finally, he's back. Whoa.
Matthew Zampello: kind of like walk down the hill. So that was the first thing I ever saw was basically 14 T box and 13 green. So was pretty, was like, it was like, whoa, right there. Popped in. Yeah, it was sick.
Kevin Spisak: Hello Dominic, I am fresh from a trip to Big Cedar down in Branson, Missouri. Got to play Ozarks National down there. yours truly forgot to wear sunscreen. So I've got some wicked sunburn. Got a great sunglasses tan line you can see on the video. And ⁓ everything hurts.
Dominic Colangelo: That's insane, dude. Okay. So y'all, y'all walked from one to 18 or did you kind of just go at 13 and kind of just wander?
Matthew Zampello: Yeah. So from 13, got some breakfast, obviously, a little coffee, a little chicken biscuit. Food is phenomenal, number one. I know we're gonna get into that. I know we're gonna get into that. Walked straight up to basically Magnolia Lane, got the picture. That was like the first thing they wanted to do was get the picture in front of the clubhouse. Then from there, we started on one and we basically just walked the whole course. Got another cup of coffee. I just had a coffee while I walked.
Dominic Colangelo: I was going to say, I'm very curious about the food. I can't wait to hear about it. We also have Matthew on the pod with us.
Matthew Zampello: Hey Dom, hey Kevin, thanks for having me on your program. ⁓ I just got finished watching Rory making of the champion on Amazon Prime to prime myself for this conversation that we're about to have. And I have a few quick takes. His house is sick, if that is his house, very cool house. ⁓ I would like to put Rory on a, one of these days on a rankings of silver foxes in this world. Cause he's, he's really salt and
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ yeah.
Matthew Zampello: the all of Augusta Nationals. So couldn't have been better. ⁓ And that's where we caught up with Bubba on seven because he was on seven by the time we kind of caught up with him and really it was only him out there. So that's why we kind of ended up just following him all the way through until he finished. And then that was when we were done, got some lunch and then went out and saw Scottie and stuff. Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: I love that man.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-mm.
Matthew Zampello: I mean, one of the better ones, Anderson Cooper and Roy McElroy is very close up there with him.
Dominic Colangelo: That's a great top two, amazing top two, so going into the master's preview, we're gonna go through ⁓ just kind of what we think of the course, we think is gonna happen, but I think we're gonna do a little bit of a draft for you, ⁓ and we're gonna do rounds. First round is gonna be one crazy storyline that you think is gonna happen, and then next round we're gonna do a first timer that you would bet on to win. Next round is the opposite. ⁓ there you go. So did you, did you feel the grass?
Matthew Zampello: I did feel the grass with my hands. I did not take my shoes off and feel the grass.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ is that like, is that allowed? I was curious.
Matthew Zampello: I don't know. I don't know. I didn't see anybody taking their shoes off, so I wasn't gonna take my shoes off.
Dominic Colangelo: That's, if you're ever gonna enact the rule of ask for forgiveness rather than permission, it's taking your shoes off at Augusta National. Just for a quick little, yeah. who do you think is gonna miss the cut? And then the last round, we're gonna choose our favorite hole on the front nine. It just seems like everyone has their picks for the back nine. There's so many to choose from. So a little bit different. We're gonna do choosing the front nine favorite.
Matthew Zampello: I definitely put my hands in there, but no, feet. ⁓
Dominic Colangelo: There you go. It's like you're in ⁓ Die Hard in the beginning whenever he's trying to acclimate after the flight. You just kind of curl your toes in the grass a little bit.
Matthew Zampello: You gotta go, you gotta say second nine, Augusta National gets all pissy when you... ⁓ Yeah. Yeah, no, it looks fake. uh, but yeah, I've a couple of bullet points, uh, things that I was taking notes of, um, you know, no phones. So I brought a paper and pencil in there and I was writing notes down as I saw them. I know, I know big, big J journalism. my kind of takeaway is a hot take, but dude, kind of Jason Day kind of looks sick, man. I mean, I'm not going to lie. Like I saw him on 13 with the bird's vest.
Dominic Colangelo: That's right, dude, You're an all-American journalist now, Matt. We're keeping it the nine. We are respecting the course as the course respects us. So that's gonna be our draft. We can go right into it. ⁓ I think the ⁓ way to decide, our very own Kevin, our trivia guru, has a trivia for us. I think it might just be, ⁓
Kevin Spisak: You
Matthew Zampello: He kinda looks sick.
Dominic Colangelo: You said, ⁓ dude, he's looked awesome. His style is so good.
Matthew Zampello: I think the amount of birds he had without the full birds pants that he was gonna wear, it was like perfect. I was like, I would buy that vest for sure. That one was actually.
Dominic Colangelo: First one to answer goes first. How do we want to do that?
Kevin Spisak: Well, we'll see how close you are. We'll maybe make a judgment call. But we do frequent stats, deep dives and equipment and get all nerdy. So because we've been looking at hardest holes, all, you know, all podcasts long, I figured, you know, everyone knows how hard Augusta National is and the challenges that are posed there. So I went back and looked at in 2025,
Dominic Colangelo: You They definitely, they tamed him down a little bit with his outfits and it's still like the mock neck a couple of tournaments ago looked awesome. And actually, before you move on, are they allowed to wear shorts in a practice round? Always pants. Okay, gotcha.
Matthew Zampello: for sure. for sure. No, not, not Augusta. Um, dude, we, had a couple, we were on behind two T-box in the afternoon trying to get somewhere and we saw Michael Brennan and I was stood right behind Michael Brennan hit a golf ball. He pummeled the ball. I mean, it was the hardest golf ball hit I've ever seen. Um,
Kevin Spisak: hardest holes again and Augusta National ⁓ for the whole season they had the 21st hardest hole
Dominic Colangelo: Really? No way.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, him and Jake Knapp. I saw Jake Knapp hit it off 90. Dude, smokes the ball.
Kevin Spisak: 21st, 65th hardest hole, and 68th, that's their top three. So ⁓ with hint that two of the top three are on the back nine, let's see who can get the closest to the three hardest holes at Augusta Nation.
Dominic Colangelo: It's insane. Yeah, I was able to watch him and Akshay in the same group when they're at 3M up in Minnesota. It doesn't make sense how far their ball goes. They swing so easy. Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah. I am. That was crazy. It was crazy. Jake Knapp was playing with Freddie Couples. That was the all-time vibes swing group. Vibes swing group for sure. That was nuts. ⁓ of the three hardest holes and two are on the back nine.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ boy, that's cool. We just need Cory Connors in there. That's crazy. Do we just go for it?
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, just go for it. Let's see who's closer. If anyone nails all three, we'll do a beer chug.
Matthew Zampello: Maverick McNeely watched him hit a lot of chip shots and putt shots. He was hitting a chip shot, probably one of the hardest chip shots I've ever seen. And he had little pins spread out all around the green. And he had five shots in a row where he literally probably hit stiff on every chip shot to every pin from the same spot. It was crazy. He has such a good short game. And then he hit like
Dominic Colangelo: If you like. Ooh, don't wanna go. Give me 11 as one of my guesses.
Kevin Spisak: Nailed it, that is the third hardest hole in the 2025 season.
Dominic Colangelo: That's huge. Matt, you get a guess now.
Matthew Zampello: I know I'm going the front night, the one that's on the front night, five. Five is freaking hard. a couple of putts in a row and every putt went in. Like it was just like every little flag that he was heading to. It's crazy. I think he could be a good pick ⁓ this week just from seeing like his short game. was a for sure. ⁓ Stood with Rory for probably
Kevin Spisak: Nailed it again. That is the hardest hole.
Dominic Colangelo: Nice! Let's go! Who are we?
Matthew Zampello: Alright, we got one more dummy poo.
Kevin Spisak: And can we get can we get the other one? This is the 65th hardest hole in the season, second hardest in 2025 at Augusta National.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah, carrying that momentum over. Okay, we've never been in this position before. Matt, let's collaborate. We can make Kevin chug if we get it right. Would it be 12, I mean, I feel like...
Matthew Zampello: Yeah. No, I, par threes usually aren't that. 10 to 15 minutes while he was waiting on three tea for the green to clear. ⁓ He was in a terrible mood, just horrible mood. And everybody was like, even even everybody could tell like he was kind of in a bad mood. It was kind of weird. And then I got out and I read through I guess they released like a bunch of articles about like his past relationships and like a bunch of stuff that came out from his book. So I kind of like understood why he's why he was in a bad mood, but he
Dominic Colangelo: Really?
Kevin Spisak: And I should add, if you guys do make me chug, I had a few too many John Dailies on the course yesterday, so I am feeling rough. So this would be well worth it for you to win. Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: But this one is.
Matthew Zampello: Whoa, whoa, All right. ⁓
Dominic Colangelo: Hair of the dog, baby. ⁓ jeez. It could be, I feel like Rory made that par five, I think it was what, 15? He made that so much harder than it should have been, but it's a very hard green to get into.
Matthew Zampello: roasted ball 3T which was really cool to see. So I stood right behind him for that which was sick. Yeah so hopefully he gets in a better period this week but I think he might be a little bitchy with the media. Part five's won't, they can't
Dominic Colangelo: channel that anger.
Kevin Spisak: Ha
Matthew Zampello: It's I think it's gotta be it's gotta be either 14 or 17 17 is really long
Dominic Colangelo: I would too.
Matthew Zampello: logo maxing the amount of the amount of seminal Cypress point Augusta national membership, like logos I saw out there of just different courses and like hand out, like I wore a logo out there today, but like I've never seen so many logos in one spot is nuts. It's bananas. It's crazy. ⁓
Dominic Colangelo: Okay, why 14 then? Ha!
Matthew Zampello: 14 is like a sneaky par 4 right between 13 and 15 that's usually sneaky hard that kind of sneaks up on people too. ⁓
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm. I feel like 18 is way too easy. Not way too easy, but for them it seems like they usually get par or birdie. The green is surrounded by bunkers, but still. I think I'll trust you a little bit more on the 14 or 17 pick. It's gotta be so funny. Was there anyone that you had to double take? Like, is that a what logo?
Matthew Zampello: wanna go 17 because of the green. The green is insane on 17. I I saw a Monterey Peninsula, a Punchicall logo, which I thought was sick. I think you can definitely tell, like, I mean, there's so many people that have the Augusta National members logo. You don't know who is actually kind of part of it, not part of it. Like, obviously there's green jackets walking around, so you know they're part of it. But I think you see a lot of that. No, nothing surprised me. Like, I've seen everything before, all those logos. I've just never seen them all.
Dominic Colangelo: Let's do that. Tough green, long ball. Let's lock it in. What do you think?
Matthew Zampello: 17. That's our answer.
Kevin Spisak: Okay. Well, I think we need a guess from each of you since we're trying to decide who's closer and you each have one correct already. So I think we need a separate guess.
Matthew Zampello: That's right.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ shoot, you're right. Okay. All my initial thought was 12. I know it's a par three, but you know, it's scoring average above par is what you use it for. So, and I've seen a lot of people stuck on that hole.
Matthew Zampello: everybody in one place. Like just the amount of money that's spent on golf merch in one spot is like probably more than like some GDPs out in the world.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah, totally.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, this whole this this whole is point 243 shots above par.
Dominic Colangelo: Unreal. When you had Maverick McNeely, was he on a practice screen or is he just like, it's a practice round? I'll lock in 12, Mac can get 17.
Matthew Zampello: He was on one green and he was just hitting two shots. Yeah, they have little like discs that they throw for different pins and everything.
Kevin Spisak: Matt is closer. It was 18 the easiest hole according to Dom. Yeah, 18 average 4.243 shots in 2025, nicknamed Holly. Fun, fun hole.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ okay, gotcha. No way! Not easiest. Easy. Gotcha. I was curious how practice rounds really work. Like you kind of go around, you just play around, but then if you see something that you want to hit again, you kind of do that, right?
Matthew Zampello: Yeah. They probably spend, I would say the average person spent 15 minutes on each group.
Dominic Colangelo: Interesting.
Matthew Zampello: gotta be those bunkers in the fairway they just sneak in and then you have to then you basically like kind of screwed from the fairway huh
Dominic Colangelo: Oh wow, okay, that's actually shorter than I thought.
Matthew Zampello: hitting Bunger Shots, Chip Shot.
Dominic Colangelo: Cause isn't it all uphill too? Maybe that's, I'm just dumb. That's
Kevin Spisak: Yeah.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, but if you think about it for like, if they do that for 18 old, it's gonna take five or six hours, like it's gonna be really long. So ⁓ I saw ⁓ Sully from No Laying Up and Andy from The Friday. It was crazy because like, like, I saw them and I was like, ⁓ my god, they're like a celebrity, but like nobody else knows who the fuck they are. So I was like, ⁓ dude, what's up, Sully? And he was like, What's up, man? Yeah. I mean,
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, uphill you need a good drive. And then the second shot is like way uphill, isn't it? Pretty undulating green.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah, true, true.
Matthew Zampello: Rory had like 125 in on from I just watched that thing so he definitely had 125 in but I mean I guess so. Interesting well I wouldn't have guessed that.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah. You Yeah, very nervy, very nervy shot, because there's so many people around you. There's trees everywhere. And maybe it's if you miss, you're really screwed. There's really no other way to kind of fix it quickly. So I can definitely see that after. That's hilarious.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah.
Matthew Zampello: And then like I saw like Andy and I was like, Hey Andy, what's up? And he was like, what's up, man? And then like, but like everybody else is like, I'm like, dude, this is a huge deal. These are like famous podcasters, but nobody else knows who they are. And so it was kind of funny. Like they just like kind of blending in, but like I picked them out pretty quickly. So, uh,
Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ that's cool.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, the for like these long hitters kind of like Rory, those bunkers are in prime position to go in. So like where Rory was at 125 in, he would have been pretty squarely right in the middle depth wise of the biggest bunker in the fairway. It would take 340 yard drive uphill to clear both bunkers. So that's not happening.
Dominic Colangelo: Did you just get the, how you doing? Or did you kind of talk to him for a little bit?
Matthew Zampello: No, I just got like a, hey, quick, how you doing? They were kind of, they were doing something. were, they were running around. ⁓ dude.
Dominic Colangelo: That's fun though. That's really, I bet they love it too, cause you know, not that many people will probably recognize them. You know?
Matthew Zampello: I made me not, but I figured like at, at certain tournaments they would, but maybe not. ⁓ I mean, I said it already. The course is in such good shape this year. Unbelievable. think somebody in pro said this is like the best they've ever seen it. ⁓ so I think that's pretty cool. ⁓ man, green jackets walking around, they have some serious aura. ⁓ it was crazy. We were on 16, 16 grandstands and there was two green jackets right behind us. And just like.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm. All right, Matt, I think you were closest and had one you choose. Do you want to go first or do you want to choose a different position? Ooh, fun.
Matthew Zampello: I'll go second. I think we let Kev go first. Question master.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ for sure. If you want to, or would you rather go third?
Kevin Spisak: Okay, that works. But yeah, I like it.
Matthew Zampello: If you want to. Kind of the aura that they have walking around is like, it's pretty sweet. ⁓
Dominic Colangelo: All right, beautiful. So Kevin, Matt, Dominic. Are they parting the sea of logos? Just people like kind of form around them?
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, for sure. People leave them alone for most of it. But yeah, can definitely like, they definitely have like a little bit, I mean, not a posse with them, but like, there's definitely like group with them mostly. ⁓ But yeah, they have, I don't know, it was sick to like, I was like, I mean, they just were hanging. They just, and I think they're, they like to hang out around, like they like to be out and about.
Kevin Spisak: And then, and then are we, are we snaking? So Dominic gets two picks in a row. All right. Perfect. So for the 2026 Masters, the storyline that everyone could see from a million miles away is that we are overdue and a lefty is going to win the Masters.
Matthew Zampello: That's right.
Dominic Colangelo: That is correct. And then.
Kevin Spisak: We've had an uneven distribution of lefties winning the Masters compared to every other tournament. We've got Mike Weir, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, and now this field is stacked with lefties. We got Akshay, Robert McIntyre, Matt McCarty making his second Masters start. He was T14 last year, and he is a sick putter. He is a...
Matthew Zampello: Thank you.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: it's just like, it's just like business. But they again, they have some serious aura. I didn't see Condoleezza Rice did not clock her. Uh, Colin Moore, Kawa, uh, man, he, well, he's still struggling with his back, but I don't know. He kind of was giving me Bubba Watson vibes. He's very snippy.
Dominic Colangelo: didn't know that. ⁓ hell yeah.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: I love that. Was Condoleezza ⁓
Kevin Spisak: strokes gain putting is amazing. I have a lot of belief in Matt McCarty this year.
Matthew Zampello: Can we count Phil as a lefty? just doesn't really like like bubble Watson's like kind of snippy with the media and stuff. I don't know. Kind of give me some bubble bubble vibes. Not I hope he figures that whole media thing out. The last thing I have my list, which I stood right behind. was I was within two feet of Freddie couples for like five minutes as he was sitting there waiting on 80 on 90. Do his pants were the nicest pair of pants I've ever seen in my entire life. Like, like I've gotten married.
Dominic Colangelo: He is,
Kevin Spisak: I mean, he is technically right handed, but he plays lefty. well, we only claim him when he's golfing. When he's not golfing, we don't claim him. He's just drinking coffee somewhere.
Matthew Zampello: since he's technically a righty.
Dominic Colangelo: Interesting.
Matthew Zampello: It's- When he's, wait, you don't claim him when he's trading on the stock market.
Kevin Spisak: Right, right.
Dominic Colangelo: you
Matthew Zampello: It's the lefties man with the way the ball is now, it curves. can fade it easier than you can draw it. And so many of the holes there go right to left. It just sets up so good for lefties now.
Dominic Colangelo: You
Matthew Zampello: Like I've had some nice pants in my life. Those pants were probably worth more than my entire closet. I mean, those, it was the nicest and it was Malvon, but it was the nicest pair of pants I've ever seen. he would, looked immaculate. He like, he just screams cool. And then him and Jake Knapp in the same group was like, and cool. I mean, that is sick. It is sick. That was probably the sickest group out there.
Dominic Colangelo: Probably.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, so set up for lefties control and spin landing shots, you know, these long second shots, being able to have a little more stopping power with the fade sets up for us.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: That'd be fun, man. That'd be fun. I like it, that's spicy. All right, Matty boy, what you got? Mm-hmm. So what other did you see any other like fun combinations of people? Obviously everyone there is cream of the crop, but like any other really cool combos like them,
Matthew Zampello: All right. So a few weeks ago, I came on this very podcast and I claimed that Ludwig Aberg would win the Masters. Now I said I wasn't going to go back on that. Scouts honor, but he had a whole thing with Barsul and whatever and rigs and all that sort of stuff. So I feel like I, you ⁓ know, war time is for sure. Scotty and Sam Burns played together today. Obviously they love playing together. They're like besties. ⁓
Dominic Colangelo: You did. Sam Burns is Texas boy, right?
Matthew Zampello: Louisiana, Texas, yeah. Um, no, not really. mean, like, uh, Gary Woodland was playing with his old friend DJ. Um, that was cool. Um, Jason Day and Minwoo Lee were playing, but they're like Aussie buddies. So it kind of makes sense. Um, yeah, no, nothing really crazy out there. Roy was playing alone, which I kind of thought was weird, but again, he was kind of in a piss, he was kind of in a pissy mood. So he just wasn't really like, which it totally understandable, but like, yeah, he was just.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm. Okay. Hmm.
Matthew Zampello: is allowed to take that back.
Dominic Colangelo: Absolutely not. Are you kidding me?
Kevin Spisak: Okay.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah.
Matthew Zampello: I am officially declaring ⁓ martial law, wartime rules, and I'm allowed to take that pick back. So.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ Well, because someone goes on a podcast you don't like and you just immediately get to change the rules? That's not how this works.
Matthew Zampello: That's right. That's right. That's right. That's right. So my this is my story. This is my story. It's the biggest storyline that you could possibly imagine. He was out there alone just with him and Harry Diamond. Yeah.
Kevin Spisak: No, no, it's not how it works
Dominic Colangelo: Huh, okay. Yeah, that is weird. I mean, he's kind of a loner, feel like, anyways. In certain scenarios, right? He's got friends, but... So is this your storyline or what's your storyline? ⁓ geez, ⁓ geez.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah. I don't know. Yeah, I guess so. I don't know. I just felt it was weird seeing like the Masters champion out there. He was just out there alone in the afternoon. But I don't know. Maybe he was working on something. Who knows? So.
Dominic Colangelo: We're listening.
Matthew Zampello: Jordan Spieth wins the 2026 Masters. He's playing good. He's peaking at the right time. He loves Augusta National. He has good feelings there. He's putting better ⁓ with a T.P. Mills TBD, who knows, but ⁓ he is playing very, very well and he comes in and just rips the place apart. You can hit it anywhere at Augusta off the tee so it doesn't penalize him anymore.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ my god.
Kevin Spisak: ⁓ jeez.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah. So Kevin, obviously not here. This is quite the week for the UTC boys. ⁓ Kevin went big seeder, came home, randomly got invited to go to the national championship tonight, being a Michigan fan, huge Michigan fan. So he's over in Indianapolis. ⁓ You went to the Masters just now. I'm in California for a little spring break vacation. There's all kinds of travel with us. ⁓ Kevin did submit some questions that we want to ask. And first one.
Matthew Zampello: I know. Jordan Spieth is the 2026 Masters winner.
Kevin Spisak: It was no way. He was in my consideration for one of my next picks for missing the cut.
Dominic Colangelo: How was it? Obviously we went through that. I hate you and I love you for being there. And then I'm excited to talk about this. So you said the food was good. You said your breakfast was a little sausage biscuit.
Matthew Zampello: Unbelievable.
Dominic Colangelo: You
Matthew Zampello: Love you too, Kevin.
Kevin Spisak: I love Jordan. I'd have so much fun watching that, but there's no way.
Dominic Colangelo: It would be fun. think America would love it. I will give it to you, but your one and done has to be Ludwig.
Matthew Zampello: A little chicken biscuit. went with chicken, chicken biscuit. ⁓ Yeah, I, food is great. I first went 730 in the morning, coffee, chicken biscuit, second coffee, obviously. Then about 10, 10 o'clock, I was going to go for a third coffee because we had a ⁓ 330 wake up time coming from Atlanta this morning. So I was a bit tired.
Dominic Colangelo: Okay.
Matthew Zampello: That's fine. will take the hit on that. ⁓ I picked...
Dominic Colangelo: Cause I think your verbiage was, I'm locking in my one and done. It wasn't the winner. You did say he was gonna win, but you can take back 31, but that's your one and done for sure. Obviously.
Matthew Zampello: Okay, yeah.
Kevin Spisak: Yep.
Matthew Zampello: Dom, I picked Tom Kim this fucking week for the, ⁓ I don't care, but one and done's are done to me, okay? I was gonna go pimento cheese and another coffee, but I just I saw the domestic beer so I went pimento cheese and beer at 10 a.m. I that was a good call. Pimento cheese was honestly great. People hate on the pimento cheese. I thought the pimento cheese was amazing. I feel like some people do. I feel like some people say it's overrated. I thought it was great. I thought it was better than it.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ my goodness gracious. ⁓ yeah, there's so much. It can go so sideways.
Kevin Spisak: So lots of golf blasts.
Matthew Zampello: So Jordan Spieth, Winner, Michael Greller, Dom, I, just a quick story time. ⁓ Me and Dom, we watched ⁓ the 2019 Masters in our college house ⁓ with ⁓ a person that we shall not be named weird girlfriend at the time.
Dominic Colangelo: Respect. They do? I didn't know that.
Matthew Zampello: I thought it was everything I wanted it be.
Dominic Colangelo: I think I can definitely see it being an acquired taste. Just it's a very distinct taste. And I don't know, did you, cause like ⁓ my grandpa's club, they always had pimento cheese out with club crackers. They like, did you grow up eating that stuff or is it like kind of your first time having it? Okay. I'm curious what it's like just in a regular sandwich, like between bread. You know what I mean? Yeah. How was the coffee?
Matthew Zampello: And I remember it was in the morning and I remember I had to I went out and bought 20 breakfast tacos and if you don't remember I think we had like 20 breakfast tacos that morning and ⁓ like 10 Keystone lights and watched Tiger win the 2019 Masters that morning because they moved it up with the storms and if Jordan Spieth wins I will have the same feelings and memories. for sure. Yeah. Not really. That was kind of my first time. So I loved it. That's where it was. was just, and it was great. I loved it. ⁓ Coffee was good. Coffee was excellent. Really good coffee. ⁓ Anything would have been good at that time. I was so freaking tired though. ⁓ Then for lunch, I did ⁓ chicken salad and egg salad, doubled it up. I had to try both of them. Foods are cheap there. So was like, everything was like 10 bucks. ⁓ on that Sunday that I did that morning.
Dominic Colangelo: How about you have the same meal after if that happens?
Matthew Zampello: If Jordan, no, if Jordan is close to the lead on Sunday and with I when I say close, I say if Jordan is in the top five, I will go get 20 breakfast tacos and drink 10 Keystone Lights during the final.
Dominic Colangelo: Okay. Yeah.
Matthew Zampello: That was, think my top two were egg salad and pimento cheese, and then chicken salad right below that. And then breakfast sandwich kind of on the same level as the chicken salad.
Dominic Colangelo: And it's Natty Ice, ⁓ not Natty It was those black-in Natty Ice. ⁓ The one has a little bit more alcohol percentage. ⁓ Yeah, it ridiculous. It was so gross. But, you know. Okay. And I definitely.
Matthew Zampello: It was Natty Lights. ⁓ that's...
Dominic Colangelo: I trust your judgment with chicken salad too, so.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, those are like 5.2 % or something.
Matthew Zampello: I'm a chicken salad fiend and I like the egg salad and the pimento cheese better than the chicken salad. Chicken salad was a little bland. I know, I know. It was nothing like the ATB chicken salad. So, then, oh yeah, beer prices are like three bucks. Like it's not, yeah, no, none. Yeah. Yeah. That was one of the it's I one of my core memories.
Dominic Colangelo: Okay, that was one of our bonding moments in college was chicken salad. So you said it's a little bland though? It's incredible. All right, I love that one. So I think my storyline, it's a little bit different. I'm going to predict Rory's master's dinner. Yeah, that's slaps dude. Are beer prices normal?
Matthew Zampello: He already announced it.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, what do you mean? Haven't you seen the menu? Yeah, like two weeks ago.
Dominic Colangelo: did he really? Motherfucker dude I literally I was looking it up hold on hold on hold hold on how it should be, it's not $10 for one Michelob, gotcha.
Matthew Zampello: And then I had on the way out, we grabbed barbecue sandwiches. I had the barbecue. Barbecue was good. I mean, just barbecue sandwich. So it wasn't, it wasn't, I would, I would go for the pimento again or the egg salad. So yeah, food was excellent. ⁓ I think I spent a total of like 30 bucks on food, which that would have been a hundred dollars at any other like major sporting event. So yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: Dude!
Kevin Spisak: Don't cut this out. Don't cut this.
Dominic Colangelo: that's fucked man aww it was like two weeks ago aww man i had some good ones too i had some good ones i was going like liver and bacon black and white pudding fuck that sucks alright well here's another hot take rory misses the
Kevin Spisak: Ha ha ha!
Dominic Colangelo: For sure, yeah. You ⁓ absolutely. I'm curious, so you were talking about its pristine condition. So could you tell that it's Alastair Mackenzie? Like how different is the slope compared to TV? I have that written down. Rory misses the cut. It's actually more common than you think for the previous champion to not do well. And I have it here, statistically.
Kevin Spisak: again.
Matthew Zampello: So does that not count as your one person to miss the cut for this? Okay. Okay. it, everybody told me it's gonna be hillier than you expect. And I for sure thought it was hillier than I expect. Like it's very hilly. Is it overly hilly? No, like it's not it's not like crazy to the point where it's like, unnatural, like it's it's natural hills, like it but it's very hilly. You can definitely tell it's Alastair McKenzie. I mean, there's been so many architects that have come in and touched it up in places. ⁓ It's not definitely it's definitely not as like
Dominic Colangelo: No, I have a different one. I have a different one. This is just a storyline, crazy storyline. So it has happened before and people like Nick Faldo, Jose Maria, Mike Weir, Lefty who we just mentioned, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia, and DJ after destroying people in 2020. He missed the cut the year after. He won. Mm-hmm.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, five months later.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah, so it's ridiculous. It might be a little bit more of a, I'm mad at Rory for releasing his master's dinner. How did I not see that anywhere on social media? But yeah.
Matthew Zampello: raw, natural, it's like Paso Tiempo was, ⁓ or Cypress Point, but it's definitely more like manicured than those places. But still, like everything you've ever dreamed of.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm.
Kevin Spisak: I'm even on a social media hiatus right now and even I know that.
Dominic Colangelo: That's annoying. Jesus. A lot of touch ups, I'm assuming, whenever you touch the grass or whenever you're walking around, did you get to any other cuts or is it pretty much you're only walking in the tallest grass, the tallest ruff?
Matthew Zampello: That's like catnip for the the golf digests and whatever in the world to put that on Instagram.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: That's a tough one.
Kevin Spisak: I do like your storyline though that I think Rory, you know, he made comments after he won the Masters that like the motivation to keep going, it felt like he kind of accomplished what he needed to accomplish. I could see him not, you know, going out and, you know, gunning for this tournament again like he has in the past. And he's missed cuts at Augusta a few times. So.
Matthew Zampello: So they call it the second cut there. You have opportunities to walk through the fairway on on the passovers and stuff. ⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. So there, and there's areas where it's really cut down to fairway. So I was able to walk in like fairway and everything. Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ really?
Matthew Zampello: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: That's cool. it, was it spongy? That was one of Kevin's questions.
Matthew Zampello: It was a little spongy, but it's firm. Like it's firm turf. You definitely can notice that it's and like, can definitely hear the thud on the green. Greens are, were a little soft. I think they got some rain yesterday. So, ⁓ but they can turn on, they can dial that up however they need to for the tournament, but they were still firm. Like balls were still bouncing. So.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: ⁓ yeah.
Kevin Spisak: It's not a given that he'll play well.
Dominic Colangelo: Did you steal me a patch so I can start growing my grass out of Augusta?
Matthew Zampello: I did not steal you. I did not steal you,
Dominic Colangelo: For sure, yeah. So that brings us to round two, snake draft, I'm going again. So first timer that we would bet on to win. There's a pretty good list of first timers here. I'm gonna go with Chris Gotterup. Recently won to get him qualified. Or maybe he might have qualified before that, but regardless. He only missed one cut this year. ⁓ And then there was an interview he had.
Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.
Dominic Colangelo: Totally. Wink, wink. Yeah, you definitely didn't. ⁓ my goodness, that's so much fun. Did you get, is that a new quarter zip or what do you got on right now?
Matthew Zampello: Mm-hmm. It is a new core zip, yeah, from the Merge 10. ⁓ I do want to bring up something that was of note. The... the gnomes what the fuck is up with the gnomes the gnomes are so so like everybody was like at seven o'clock everybody rushed in the door and went right to the merch tent and the merch tent was like a 90 minute wait when we first got in there and i was like we're like we're not waiting in that ⁓ for the first 90 minutes of this beautiful morning but everybody was like ⁓ we got to get the gnomes we got to get the gnomes and then everybody was just walking around with these fucking gnomes all day they were like they were like
Dominic Colangelo: and he was saying that he has been asked to play Augusta before and he declined because he wanted his first time playing as a competitor. And I just love that. He has played the par three, I want that to be known, with his dad and brother, why wouldn't you? But the real course, the main course, first time playing, and he's just been killing it lately. I think he's gonna do well. than gnomes.
Kevin Spisak: That's Nice. I like that.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah. Who the heck?
Matthew Zampello: It's like these Augusta gnomes. guess it's like a huge thing. I was not, everybody was like, like, I don't know, you definitely tell the people that were like just there to go by the gnomes and then just like walking around with them all day. was freaking weird. Yeah, it's a pick.
Kevin Spisak: So for my pick, first timer, I was surprised, very surprised at this guy. was his first master's start is coming up, but Ben Griffin, he's gonna be my choice. So world ranked 16th golfer. He's currently 73rd in FedEx Cup, ⁓ but three wins on PGA Tour, ⁓ recent Ryder Cup performance, and then looking at his stats.
Dominic Colangelo: You can sell them for 10 G's.
Matthew Zampello: What?
Dominic Colangelo: In the world? Yeah. What the heck?
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, dude's freaking freaking weird,
Kevin Spisak: He is amazing around the green and he's like a very good putter as well. So, you know, the ability to get up and down at Augusta is going to be absolutely huge. So I really like Ben Griffin's chances this week.
Matthew Zampello: recent spider, recently spider engaged, you know, he went from the blade to the spider, so another one bites the dust on Tor. i don't know man it was weird that that was weird i personally saw a lot of hats that said skip it on it i didn't love that i thought that was a dumb hat but whatever um you know they skipped the 16th yeah yeah um
Dominic Colangelo: Like for the skipping over the water. Were they were they in big upside down letters? ⁓ it was. ⁓ geez.
Kevin Spisak: Yep.
Dominic Colangelo: I like it.
Matthew Zampello: yeah, he also mauls the ball, Yeah, yeah, unfortunately. A lot of hats that said pimento on it. The hats on golf social media are getting, the hat designs are getting like, everybody's like, just go back to the simple masters logo. And there are those hats out there still, but there's a lot of like other things. I think they're just, Augusta's just growing with the times, obviously. ⁓ I am with first timer ⁓ from from England, ⁓ Marco Pinge. Marco and he also mauls the golf ball, hits a ton, ⁓ been playing really good recently. ⁓ And ⁓ yeah, first time in Augusta. think ⁓ if if you're going see win, it's it's going to be somebody ⁓
Dominic Colangelo: I don't hate that. Nice.
Kevin Spisak: Okay. Mm-hmm.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm. Yeah, you kind of have to though, you know
Matthew Zampello: for sure. I think there is definitely, there's definitely people watching because people like stack up the cups of how many beers they've drinking. of overpowers it a little bit ⁓ in its current state. know Augusta does everything they can to not let somebody overpower it, especially when Bryson was like, yeah, it's basically par 67 for me. Yeah, I think he might have even MC'd after that. I don't remember. But I think Marco, you know, he's a ball speed guy, hits a ton. He's good enough ⁓ around the greens.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ cool guys, yeah yeah yeah.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, and beer is so cheap, like you can get pretty lit out there, think pretty quick. And at the end of the day, we were walking out at like five and there's definitely some people that were hitting it hard.
Dominic Colangelo: He got killed after he said that though. think he did, yeah, it was pretty bad. It was pretty bad. for sure. That'd be interesting to me because if I'm going to Augusta and then I drink enough to forget, then it's, you know, like good job on spending 50 bucks on beer, but like, what?
Matthew Zampello: I think my big take with the green stuff is Augusta greens are almost so hard that great putters don't even putt amazing on them as well. So it almost like evens it out. Half the reason why I think Scotty plays so well there is like Scotty's not a great putter, but even like the best putters out on tour don't make it ton at Augusta. It's more about like the iron play and like the, like you said, short game around the greens getting up and down. I know. I they like, they like pick those people out and like they shut them off into some weird area for sure. yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was, I know that was fun. I'm trying to think what other big things that I saw. didn't see it.
Dominic Colangelo: Just put them in their own corner of the course like, yeah, you'll be fine. How insane, like, so you said you went to Amen Corner. Did y'all stay there long? Did you post up on the green? Like, did you follow people? Like, how did you kind of navigate there?
Matthew Zampello: and that sort of stuff. So, Marco Penjay. We posted up on 12 for a good bit when we walked through it. Probably 10, probably like 15, 25 minutes on 12 and then walked all 13. Saw some people we knew on 13. So we stayed there for probably 45 minutes to an hour, just like hanging out, watching people hitting the 13, their second shot. And then they all dropped balls, like around the greens, like four or five balls. And then they'll just hit chip shots and pitch shots.
Dominic Colangelo: do y'all have honorable mentions? ⁓ what was your number two choice it got taken?
Kevin Spisak: I wanted to take Matt McCarty I talked about in my storyline, but this is his second Master Star. ⁓
Dominic Colangelo: Mmm, Was gonna say ⁓ I feel like Jacob Bridgman, you know One of the hotter starts ⁓ that people have had at this year. I think he can Potentially do well, you know, he's pretty accurate player ⁓ But then also I'm curious what Tom McKibben is gonna do the only live guy There's I think it's one out of 11 live guys and he's it's his first start
Matthew Zampello: Yeah.
Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: and putts and everything and just to all the different flags. And they all know exactly where the flags are probably going to be at some point. So they, they just put little discs down and they just get all their, their pitches and ships and stuff. So.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ sure. ⁓ nice. I have been wondering, because TV angles with the cameras, the greens look like they're 30 feet high. Is that actually how it is? at Augusta. I'm curious what he's gonna do.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, I considered like Michael Brennan. Michael Brennan hits the ball a ton. He's the one he won in Utah this year. Off a sponsor's exemption. He could he could have a good year. Harry Hall, he's in an elite short game, but he doesn't hit it very far. So I was that's where I kind of went away from him. R &P Rasmus, Rasmus, Neirgaard, Pearson. He he he hits it a pretty long way. He won an Australia here and won a proper golf course in Australia down down at Royal Melbourne. So They are. Yes. 10 super elevated. The biggest surprise I had was seven. I didn't realize how elevated seven is. Seven is like super high up in the air. 18 looks like you're just going straight up the hill. That's crazy how high that is. ⁓ trending a better. It's all eight. Eight's really cool. it's really high up the hill as well. I, it's so long, like
Dominic Colangelo: Really? Did you get to see 8?
Matthew Zampello: He could win,
Dominic Colangelo: So it sounds like you're favoring long ball hitters.
Kevin Spisak: Totally like almost every winner Eagles lots of the par fives like you have to be able to get there in two
Matthew Zampello: I couldn't believe how far that bunker is in the fairway from the T-box. I couldn't even reach the bunker. be, I could hit in front of it. I'd be fine. I think Augusta does favor length.
Dominic Colangelo: What do think you're scoring? Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: from the back, from the tips. Yeah, I don't
Dominic Colangelo: Does Akshay hit a cut or is he drawing?
Matthew Zampello: I would be very happy if I broke 80 from the tips, I think. No, he's a cute cat.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah, so then not happy is 90 plus.
Kevin Spisak: he hits like a banana ball cut.
Matthew Zampello: He can he could he could be a good pick really
Dominic Colangelo: That'll be fun.
Matthew Zampello: No, it would be 80+. Anything over 80 I'd be not happy with. If I broke 80. So if I shot 79 I'd be happy at Augusta.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah. ⁓ but I wanted to go back to some of the Matt said about like the greens and how difficult they are and like putting on glass. And you said like even Scotty who isn't, you know, not known as a good putter has played well, like putting on them. So I was curious because I looked up like stats on my picks and stuff. And I was like, let's see what's what's Scotty's, you know, strokes gained putting, ⁓ overall his strokes gained in general, it's just like absurd. He's
Dominic Colangelo: I like it. Gotcha. Okay. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I'm saying if you went over 90, you'd be mad.
Matthew Zampello: ⁓ I'm totally mad. I couldn't imagine that. If I shot over 80, I'd be mad.
Dominic Colangelo: It's interesting you got there because everyone, everything that they say all over the broadcast is an amateur, a scratch golfer would shoot 95.
Matthew Zampello: No, I think, well, I think, I think, because I think I think because I played competitive golf, I think I can, I think a scratch golfer that never played competitively would have trouble breaking 90. I think just because I played a little bit of competitive golf, I've played really fast greens, I played really like dialed up courses like that.
Dominic Colangelo: You have some length to you though. You can get there. and
Kevin Spisak: third in the PJ tour and total strokes gained. Putting his 20th, he gains 0.5 strokes over the field putting. So we keep like talking about him like he's like this piece of shit putter and like he doesn't know what he's doing like whatsoever and he's 20th. It like, it's like so ridiculous that how negative everyone is about Scottie's putting.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm. And you've played in those big moments, but like, I mean, even on your bachelor party when we're playing Pains Valley, I was a little shaky. I was a little nervous. Like first shot at Pebble too. Like I was definitely jittery. And then you've played competitively. You've also played Cypress Point. You've played all these sick courses, Pinehurst, everything. So like you've played, you've already got the cool whole jitters out of the way. And then you also have that competitive mindset. I think you'd be just fine.
Matthew Zampello: don't know yet.
Kevin Spisak: You know, and I guess it is like a downfall of his game, but he's just so good at everything else. We think being top 20 in something's terrible.
Dominic Colangelo: I think it is
Matthew Zampello: If you ain't first, you're last, Kevin. Yeah.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: I think it just speaks to how we how good we expect him to be because he's not playing well I think what does everyone just blames his putting game maybe as that's usually where people are bad. I don't know
Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, well, like his strokes gained ⁓ approach to green as 80th. So like, why aren't we talking about that? I think we have discussed, know, his game this season hasn't been, you know, approach wise as good as prior years, but he is putting very well.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, I think I think I would struggle in the par threes par threes are long. That was biggest thing. Part threes are deep. Yeah, four, four and six are deep. 16 pin up front is scary because the water comes into play. The back left in pin I actually think is easier. The Sunday pin, but 12 does not look like a fun shot. I mean, it's cool. But man, there's a lot of water out there. So
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ really? Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: want to, I would love to do a cross check cross reference of the masters field with who's working with Phil Kenyon and who also has strokes gained off the tee. And, and I feel like you, you get down and like, okay, the winner is going to be out of these 20 people because I feel like Phil Kenyon is like the putter whisperer right now. And then you have to hit long at Augusta. So
Dominic Colangelo: interesting. Did you try to talk to anybody? Any players like kind of do a little chirping on the side?
Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: No, man, I feel like the people that were trying to be like, yo, what up, Rory? We're like, everybody would kind of like looked at him like, what are doing? Like, this is the masters. We don't act like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, there was definitely, could tell the people that were like there, that had been there multiple times versus like the people that were like, yo, what up, Brady?
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, I think a fun future segment could be like matching up feelings and storylines we have just from like the social media golf world to actual like stats and numbers. Like, you know, for example, like Scottie and putting, ⁓ you know, or what's like, what's another one like we've got?
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ really? Nice.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ like clearly first time going to this place.
Matthew Zampello: or just like making noise like on like, mean, even, don't know. It's just like a little different vibe that felt like, like, I feel like at the US Open and like some other PGA Tour tournaments, it's very like, you can shout, get in the hole. And it's like, not that big of a deal, but like, I guess they just like, don't do that against the Nationals. So I don't know. It was definitely, it was definitely a very like, I didn't, I don't want to say that I was felt like I was being watched all day, but I definitely felt like, okay, like.
Kevin Spisak: You know, Jordan is always like spraying the ball around. Like, I wonder if the numbers actually like show that or do we just get like the camera TV moments and you know, everyone has some spraying.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah, or just like scramble numbers in general would be fun to Scramble versus placement things like that
Kevin Spisak: Yeah. ⁓
Matthew Zampello: All right. Am I up for first person to miss MC? All right. ⁓ gonna be a hot take here. ⁓ John Rom misses the cut. ⁓ you know, just doesn't live is, is they're not playing the same type of golf courses. He just doesn't, you know, he did. He's just not the same player. used to be John Romo MC, ⁓ former champion, obviously. I don't know, it just felt like there was like...
Dominic Colangelo: Yes, you are. whatever you do has consequences. Yeah, I feel that.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Like I, you'd, I saw someone like spill a beer, right? And there was like people that like came up to like wipe it up or something like really fast. Like, it's just like, it's like, I was like, cause like they spilled like a full ass beer and it was like right near the tee box. Right? So like, I felt, I was like, oh dang.
Dominic Colangelo: Really? ⁓ yeah. Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: you know, a great player, but doesn't just doesn't have the reps. I don't think.
Dominic Colangelo: How does that even happen, by the way? That's so fun.
Matthew Zampello: I don't, I don't, just drop it. So, dude, it was freaking sick. I'm so pumped for the Masters. I still think Ludwig's gonna win. I also think Jordan Speed's gonna win. I'm so pumped. It's gonna be sick. Course is dialed. Course looks great. I'm amped. I can't, I can't say enough. We gotta get, we gotta get you guys to the Masters once. I think practice rounds are also, I would highly recommend for sure.
Dominic Colangelo: Interesting. All right.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, I like it.
Matthew Zampello: I feel like that one, that one, I was gonna throw something out like easy, but like that one could really come back and haunt me. I feel like I could get clipped.
Dominic Colangelo: or it could be the pick of the century. You know what mean? That could be fun.
Matthew Zampello: That's right. Yeah.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, yeah, no, I like that pick I feel like he's had some kind of interesting attention on him recently that a Mist cut at the Masters. I don't know just seems fitting right now
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ yeah. underrated, you'd say. He's like me in college, he just can't finish.
Matthew Zampello: under very relaxed vibe for sure. So yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah, for sure. like that. That's so cool, dude. Like, I can't even explain. I'm not even there and I'm happy, you know? That's just so fun.
Kevin Spisak: nights. Nice. All right, so my pick for missing the cut, the player who used to be a big fan of, he seemed like he was really climbing up the ranks and, you know, leaderboards and majors. And then he's basically fallen off the face of the earth. Kind of want to see him play well, but I don't think he will. Cam Smith. Yeah, I was digging him when, didn't he have like a second place finish?
Dominic Colangelo: All right, Kevin, here you go.
Matthew Zampello: I So yeah, man, it's gonna be a week. I'm pumped for it. I feel like I'm gonna have a new appreciation for watching the TV coverage now that I kind of know, okay, this is where, so yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm. Are you are you coming back tonight?
Matthew Zampello: ⁓ in Atlanta tonight, fly back tomorrow. We'll be doing a preview pod with the fairway times podcast. ⁓ another, another preview pod. So we'll give some takes over there as well.
Kevin Spisak: Number of years ago. This is his tenth master start which I thought that was kind of But but yeah, I don't think he's gonna play very well this week
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah, go check that out. ⁓ We just posted our normal Under the Covers ⁓ episode as well. ⁓ But yeah, can't wait to see you on Fairway Times. Gonna be fun to see y'all do some more previews. ⁓ yeah, what a week. Masters, baby.
Matthew Zampello: Liv's gonna come after us if we're not careful.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: It's a tough one with the live guys because it seems like they're always in contention You know like I think the last couple years top ten has been filled with live guys Patrick Reed's always up there stuff like that
Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: P could absolutely win. I'm just throwing that out. We could definitely have a Patrick Reeb.
Kevin Spisak: ⁓ my gosh, the worst, the worst back to back winners in the Masters history was when Sergio and Patrick Reed won two straight years. That was highway robbery for like wanting to root for people.
Dominic Colangelo: I'm gonna move. I've been struggling for my pick of who I think it's gonna miss and then I'm gonna say this one But I don't think it's fair to say so if it's not let me know I have another one locked in I was gonna say Phil Phil Mickelson That's not really fair to put Yeah, cool. All right, so
Matthew Zampello: I don't know. That feels like cheating. He stinks.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, I'll go back and I'll take on how Cabrera then
Matthew Zampello: You I can't believe Anel was in prison in Argentina for a long time.
Kevin Spisak: Didn't he like just get out of jail? Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah so who I think is gonna miss the cut, ⁓ going, I already said Rory, but that's kind of a storyline. I think a big name that I think could miss the cut is Brooksy, Brooks Kepka. He's made the switch back to PGA. He had a couple good tournaments, ⁓ he's been struggling lately. ⁓ I ⁓ it's kinda all gonna crash down in his head and kinda just, you know.
Matthew Zampello: Really?
Dominic Colangelo: He's gonna get freaked out a little bit.
Kevin Spisak: I don't know. I don't agree with that one. I was considering it as well before and then I just kept talking myself out of it. I think he's going to play really well ⁓ here at the Masters.
Matthew Zampello: Hmm.
Dominic Colangelo: That's cool. I think realistically he's not gonna miss the cut. don't think he's gonna be in contention. My second guess, and it's funny that you had said it, I was gonna choose Ben Griffin, but it's not fair to choose a first time player, because that's...
Kevin Spisak: Yeah. ⁓ nice.
Matthew Zampello: He has not had a good year this year so far in 2026.
Dominic Colangelo: He has it he's cracked top 25 once and then he's he missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer players and vals bar That was gonna be my little description, but I'll lock in Brooks kept dead if I'm wrong. I'm wrong
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, Brex is such a big time, like big moment player. I think he'll get amped up for the Masters this year.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: Kevin, know, another stolen ⁓ Masters was when Danny Willett won. I always remember. I always forget that Danny Willett won the Masters. That was when Jordan Jordan Spieth, you know, laid a couple laid the sod over it.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, 100%. Yeah, I feel like it rooting for majors. I'm always like so conflicted on I want, you know, the Cinderella underdog to win. But then when it's someone like Danny Willett, like no offense to Danny Willett, it feels like a wasted year, you know, like it's like you want the Cinderella, but you also want like the big legacy guys like, I don't know, is like same with
Matthew Zampello: Careful, Kevin. I tweeted about Danny Will at one time and I got a bunch of British chaps all in my DM.
Kevin Spisak: We are an international podcast, so we gotta be careful. But that was also like Charles Schwartl too. It felt like such a waste.
Dominic Colangelo: Huge in Norway right now.
Matthew Zampello: ⁓ yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: Danny Willett missed the cut the year after he won. Fun fact. All right, so is it my choice? Yeah, he is.
Matthew Zampello: He's missed a lot of cuts Dom since he's once.
Kevin Spisak: Ha!
Dominic Colangelo: All right. I was kind of hoping that y'all would go first for the favorite hole, because I am just I feel like I'm not the best judge of holes that I love. ⁓ But hole eight. It's got to be. I I like hole eight a good amount. It's par five. It's kind of quirky. It's if you have a fade or I guess if you hit it to the right, depending on left already. ⁓
Kevin Spisak: feel like there's a joke there to be made.
Dominic Colangelo: then you're in a great spot. But I think it just, makes you a little bit more creative with your shot. And I know a lot of people like easier holes, but this one just surrounded by trees, very long par five, it's a little bit uphill, so it just makes it little bit longer, but it kind of makes you think a little bit more.
Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm. Yeah, yellow Jasmine.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: that was actually one of the holes I have on my list to go see because I always see it on TV and I always, they always say you like really have to hook it and like you really have to, it's like really uphill and, the greens like super tilted and the, the, the whatever's are there. So I, that's like one on my list, like that, I have that one in 10 on my list because everyone says like 10, you basically have to like snap hook it off the tee. Right. And so I'm
Kevin Spisak: Okay.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: I have like, weirdly, I eight, eight, want, I'm like, okay, I want to go see eight fairway and see what it looks like going up that hill.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm, yeah, it creates a lot of really fun second shots. Because like you said, it's tilted so you can use that hill to your advantage, but a lot of times they go to the bunker or whatever, but yeah, hole eight. What do you say, Yellow Jasmine, that's the nickname?
Kevin Spisak: Yep, Yellow Jasmine is the name of the hall.
Dominic Colangelo: Beautiful.
Kevin Spisak: My pick for front nine or first nine hole, however, Augusta National wants me to say it, think a bit but I think it's also ⁓ very relevant to ⁓ Just how the day goes for anyone, but gonna go with one ⁓ the ceremonial tee shot ⁓ Going up the hill ⁓ basically if put it in the on the right. ⁓ a bogey like it's just like such a tough start to year round. And you I think we see like pretty, pretty low numbers in birdies like year after year on number one. And wasn't it didn't john ron double number one to start the Masters and then he went on to win. So oh, yeah. Yeah.
Matthew Zampello: Mm. Rated last, double number one.
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm, because everyone's just like what is happening right now and freaking out. But yeah, I love that pic. That's awesome. It's not boring at all
Kevin Spisak: Yes. Yeah, it just felt boring because you know, it's just like where all the attention is to start but but it is awesome. T. T. Olive is the name of number one.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah!
Matthew Zampello: was actually between one and five for the hardest hole in the front nine. couldn't. I know one is hard, but I think five is really hard. And I have between but yeah, like I feel like if I ever got on the first day of Augusta, that that that right bunkers are screaming my name with my little fade off the tee. ⁓
Kevin Spisak: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Dominic Colangelo: Yeah, dude.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah, 100 % with my lefty draw. It's it's going in there.
Dominic Colangelo: And I'm just a bunker magnet and it's going in I don't have a control
Matthew Zampello: ⁓ My favorite hole in the front nine, ⁓ caught in two or the first nine, I'm sorry. ⁓ Apologies. I was between two and three. So two I love because of that par five down the hill, super cool shots. But ⁓ think three from a strategy point of view ⁓ the coolest hole, ⁓ of drivable. They make it drivable on Sunday. So in theory, if you can, if you want to get there, you can. And that pin on Sunday and that front right area where it goes off the back and it roll, it will, it will skid off the front. If you have too much spin on it, I think it's such a cool, ⁓ cool shot. And I think it makes it so like it's early in the round. So the guys are still a little nerdy on Sunday and you have to hit that shot and you have to get such a good chip. ⁓
Dominic Colangelo: Hehehehe
Matthew Zampello: get it up there close to the green. think it's a super cool hole. three for me, but two is an honorable mention.
Kevin Spisak: I think both of those holes two and three have to be the holes that I or we have seen the least TV coverage of like year after year because you start you know you get everyone's first hole like the featured groups and stuff and then the Masters coverage is always five and six and then like Amen corner and then what 15
Dominic Colangelo: Mm-hmm.
Matthew Zampello: Mm-mm.
Kevin Spisak: through 18 is like the next featured holes group that they do. When I was looking through the yardage book, I was like, can't even picture off the top of my mind what two and three look like. I had to really go back and dig in to figure out while I was looking at what would be my choice for favorite hole.
Matthew Zampello: Mm-hmm. See funny enough, I feel like I know two and three really well because during COVID I would just go watch final round masters broadcast before I went to sleep and I would only make it to like two and three and then I would go to bed and then I would fall asleep watching the YouTube stream. So I feel like I've seen two and three over and over again of like Sunday final.
Kevin Spisak: Nice. Nice. Nice.
Dominic Colangelo: That's awesome. And it's kind of like those first three holes are, or I guess that first hole is showing so many because you're watching that person's tee shot, his opening tee shot. So then they kind of skip by and do this and that. So I definitely agree where I haven't seen too much of it. But I do like to pick. I'm looking at the pictures now. ⁓ Is that the one that Zach Johnson hit the ball on accident a few years ago?
Matthew Zampello: No, I was 13.
Kevin Spisak: No, yeah, that's 13.
Dominic Colangelo: That was 13? Okay. Okay. I knew it was a very draw hole just remembering the video, but okay, cool.
Matthew Zampello: Two is the one where Louie who stays in made a two from the fairway. The ball rolled out like a hundred feet on the green. Like he pitched it on the front of the green. It rolled all the way around to the back side and he made it out with troughs, which was sick. So, yeah.
Kevin Spisak: Yeah.
Dominic Colangelo: ⁓ right, I think that was a draft. ⁓ I think we're gonna throw up graphics to kind of summarize our picks. ⁓ Hopefully we weren't too out of there. ⁓ But there is a slight chance we get some live coverage from Augusta. Matt is gonna go for the Monday round, so we might get a little hotel ⁓ situation. Could be kind of fun. So we might just throw that on the back half of this one.
Matthew Zampello: Yeah, it's going to be a great day. Weather looks dialed for Monday. I'm very excited. hopefully do some live reporting. ⁓ I'm hoping to. ⁓ ask the hard-hitting questions from outside the ropes. I will not be inside the ropes, maybe some things like how Rory's preparing for his dinner, how Jordan Spieth plans to celebrate his master's win. Who
Dominic Colangelo: be huge.