02x02 - The Game Has Changed Part 2

[bunniefuu]

[sportscaster 1]
Some serious breaking news.

[sportscaster 2]
Stunned is the right word.

[sportscaster 3]
One of the biggest stories in the sport.

The PGA TOUR and European Tour
today announced a merger with LIV Golf.

-This merger...
-Merger.

-Merger.
-Merger.

-Merger.
-Merger.

It changes absolutely everything.

How in the world did this come about?

[tense music playing]

Just this picture alone
is going to surprise a lot of people,

seeing the two of you together, smiling.

There's been a lot of tension in our sport
over the last couple of years,

but what we're talking about today

is coming together
to unify the game of golf.

We've recognized that together,

we can have a far greater impact
on this game than we can working apart.

[Justin Thomas] What the f*ck?

There's clearly more to this
other than it's just a merger.

Nobody knows anything,

um, and... there are just
so many unanswered questions.

And I'm just trying to get answers
like everybody else.

-[sportscaster 1] Seismic shift for golf.
-[sportscaster 2] Amazing about-face.

[sportscaster 3] This caught everybody
by surprise.

[sportscaster 4] The US-based PGA TOUR
and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour

have now come together...

What the f*ck just happened? It's crazy.

Has this ever happened
in any sport's history?

Like, literally,
not a single person knew, you know?

No, well, no one knows anything.

You know, even the LIV guys,
us, no one knows.

And, like, that's the whole thing is...

-I... I just don't know.
-Shocking.

That's the number one word, right? Shock.

[sportscaster 1] Why make
this decision now?

[sportscaster 2] Big-time players
on both sides did not see this coming.

[Joel Dahmen] Oh, this is fun.

Oh sh*t.

What is happening? This is really weird.

The TOUR flipped 180. Monahan flipped 180.

They... did it in secrecy.
They didn't tell anyone.

There was no votes. There was nothing.

What does it say? Like, what?

[sportscaster] The players that stayed
with the PGA TOUR are upset

because they're watching Dustin Johnson,
Brooks Koepka win the lottery.

Now it looks like they're going to be able
to come back and play on the PGA TOUR.

It's going to be interesting to see

how these guys all come back together
next week at the U.S. Open in Los Angeles.

There are so many questions
for Jay Monahan.

There has been a lot of controversy
and a lot of uncertainty.

I get all that, but that is the future,
and that's going to happen.

[man] Do you think
you need to regain trust?

[Jay Monahan] The proof is in the pudding.

Trust is not built in a sound bite.

It's built on results
and results driven in the right way.

And I'm confident
that myself and our team,

alongside our players,
are going to get there.

And I'm inspired, uh, and highly motivated

to... to reach that outcome.

Okay, that makes sense
'cause there will be a positive outcome.

Is there anything
the players need to hear?

Is there any message
that would just resonate with them?

I wanna be factual.

Um, I wanna be real. I just wanna project
the honest feelings that I have.

Um...

There really isn't gonna be anything
to report until we conclude discussions.

I think the uncomfortable thing
is gonna be fighting my tendency

to want to answer questions,

and particularly
around what the timing is.

And I... I suspect
that, uh, the answer I have

will not be palatable
to the people in the room.

[sportscaster] There's been
some shock and anger from the players.

How big of an afternoon is this

for the Commissioner
of the PGA TOUR, Jay Monahan,

when he sits down and meets
with the players in Canada today?

He's got some explaining to do. [chuckles]

[Dylan Dethier] Jay is coming
to do damage control

with the players, and players are pissed.

He has to explain why the PGA TOUR,
a player-run organization,

just went ahead
and made a massive decision

without consulting any of its players.

The players are in the dark
just as much as the public is.

[Rory McIlroy] There is a palpable vibe
of confusion and anger

because we have
very little information now

apart from, basically,
entered into an agreement,

don't know what
that agreement's going to involve.

What happened?

[chuckles] Like, what... how did you get
from not knowing this guy,

not meeting this guy,

to signing what is probably the, you know,

the biggest deal in the, uh,
the history of professional golf?

What happened?

You get dragged into these things
from time to time,

and I've been dragged in in a big way,

but I'm almost at the point of,
"f*ck it, do what you wanna do."

[indistinct chatter]

[man 1] There he is.

[man 2] There's Richy.

Mm-hmm.

There's the man in the background.

Everybody welcome to the podium
Mr. Jay Monahan.

This live stream's ending right now, boys.

[Rory] It was all sprung on us so quickly.

Everyone was blindsided by it.

I think that created
a lot of anger and a lot of confusion

amongst the tour membership.

Jay realized pretty quickly
that, um, the rollout of it

could have been handled better.

[dramatic music playing]

[man] We'd like to welcome Rory McIlroy
into the interview room.

[reporter 1] Hey, Rory. Yesterday's news.

How and where were you
when you received it,

and how did it make you feel?

[tense music playing]

I learned about it pretty much
at the same time everyone else did.

I wasn't looking forward to this,
to be honest with you.

[reporter 2] The w*r of words between
the PGA TOUR and LIV got very heated.

You can see why this has stirred up
a lot of emotions in fans, right?

Of course. You know,
I said it to Jay yesterday.

"You've galvanized everyone
against something,

and that thing you galvanized everyone
against, you've now partnered with."

So, yeah, of course I understand it.

It... it is hypocritical.
It sounds hypocritical.

I still hate LIV. Like, I hate LIV.

It's hard for me to not sit up here
and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb.

You know, you're telling us
that these guys are almost like the enemy,

to you're partnering with them.

And you know,
it's a... a hard one to swallow.

I'm like, "Why did I just waste


to sort of fight for something

that was sort of always going
to come back together again?"

[reporter] What would you like to see
as they finalize this agreement?

The guys that were offered
huge amounts of money

and turned it down
and stayed loyal to the PGA TOUR,

there has to be something
for those guys, right?

Do you mean some sort
of financial compensation?

[clicks tongue]

Yeah, I think so.

Ultimately, I think
that's what we're talking about, yeah.

[Dylan] For guys that are on the PGA TOUR,
things just got a lot more confusing.

They don't really know
what to make of this.

But for some of these guys on LIV
who took the money

and now think they might have
a pathway back to the PGA TOUR too,

they're feeling like maybe
they got this right.

["Flaunt It" by Rae Sremmurd playing]

♪ Ear Drummers ♪

♪ New Amiri jeans, designer socks too
I got the swag flu, this a haiku ♪

♪ I'm somethin' like you
Might drink and drive too ♪

♪ Worked nine-to-fives
When I was in high school ♪

♪ Up late nights, I'm workin' my move ♪

♪ Just left Ashley house around noon... ♪

[Dylan] Dustin Johnson took the money.

He got $150 million.

He seems to be living his very best life,

and it's just not
any more complex than that.

Let's turn on some tunes.

♪ If you ain't got it
Then you can't flaunt it ♪

♪ Pull up, Lamborghini, S on it ♪

♪ Pull up, Lamborghini, S on it ♪

♪ If you ain't got it
Then you can't flaunt it... ♪

[Dan Rapaport] When that first list
of guys came out,

Dustin Johnson was the biggest name on it
of the guys who went to LIV.

It was like, "Holy sh*t, DJ's going."

[man] Come on, DJ!

[cheering]

[announcer] A birdie at 18.

Dustin Johnson will win the U.S. Open.

[Dan] Before him, it was a bunch
of 40-year-olds who were past their prime

and wanted one last payday,
and then here's DJ,

a two-time major winner,
strutting onto the green.

He made LIV infinitely cooler
and legitimized it in a way

that none of the other guys could.

[announcer] Your inaugural
LIV Golf team champions

are the all-conquering 4Aces.

[Dan] And since he's gone,
DJ's been crushing it.

He's won on LIV,
he's banked a few more millions.

Yes, of course, leaving the PGA TOUR
could not have been an easy decision.

He definitely took some flak for it.

But that's what makes DJ so great,
such an incredible golfer,

is that he genuinely does not give a sh*t
what you or I think about him.

[man] Down the middle?

[Dan] And I think that's...

In a way, that's extremely admirable.

[man] Dustin Johnson interview.

[interviewer] Okay, so the players
who didn't join LIV,

do you think the PGA owes them?

No, I mean, I...

No, I... I don't.

The guys that went to LIV,
we took a lot of criticism.

We're the ones
that took the risk for everything,

so... why should they be compensated?

Obviously, if this merger comes along,

there's gonna be a lot of guys
who wishes they would've signed.

[strikes ball]

[indistinct background chatter]

We got Netflix here. My palms are sweaty.

Mom's spaghetti.

-Knees weak, arms are heavy.
-Arms are heavy, Mom's spaghetti.

[Claude chuckles]

I think LIV, whether you like it or not,

whether you think it's right or wrong,

LIV has changed
the professional golf landscape forever.

Once Brooks Koepka won
a major championship,

the entire sport shifted.

It made everybody go,

"Okay, now we have to find a way
to make all of this work."

Hole in one and I don't have to pay
for Netflix for the rest of my life.

Oh no, he didn't want it.

If there's a merging,
I don't think anybody knows

what the landscape's going
to look like next year.

But, moving down the line,
when the dust settles,

I think that there is
an argument to be made

that some of the LIV guys
will be seen as pioneers.

[Dustin] I played on the PGA TOUR
for a long time.

Joining LIV, I knew
I was gonna get sh*t for it.

You know, the die-hard PGA TOUR fans,
like, they were gonna be upset.

But if I had it to do over again,
I'd make the same decision.

You know, we knew
what we were signing up for.

[Claude] Lemme see.

Tuesday Champions Dinner
with Augusta tie. Big money.

And my green jacket.

-[chuckles]
-[woman] Yeah!

[Henni Koyack] The players
and their families that went to LIV,

they definitely felt relieved
at the merger news

because I think
they've been given a really hard time

by the fans, by the media.

Almost scapegoated as,

"Look at these terrible people
and their families just taking the money."

[Paulina Gretzky] You know,
people sending death threats

and awful, awful, awful things.

People were aggressive. That's for sure.

That's when I shut it down
for a little bit.

I was like, "I don't need to look at this.
Everyone has an opinion on it. Fine."

I've always said it was what I thought was
the best decision for me and my family,

and it was.

We have a little bit
more time together now,

since things have changed a little,

whereas before, it was go, go, go.

Gosh, this weather.

-It's so perfect.
-[Dustin] It is nice out.

[Paulina] Mm-hmm.

Y'all are filming us during golden hour?
God bless you.

-[man] We planned it.
-[Paulina laughs]

We're going with that.

We have more control now
of how we do things.

In the old life that we had, it was...
I had to take a back seat.

But now it feels like we're in the front
of the plane together, flying.

It was the right move.

[Henni] The players
that stayed loyal to the PGA TOUR,

there was just, I think,
a lot of questions.

We were rallied against LIV,

and now we're in a position

where we, all of a sudden,
have to play ball and all get along.

-[woman] Yeah...
-[man] Mic, mic.

[indistinct chatter]

-[man] Everybody has speed.
-[Rickie Fowler] Speeding!

-[man 1] We sound good?
-[man 2] Good, yes.

[Dan] Rickie Fowler,
he was always listed among the guys

who were rumored to go to LIV.

But Rickie is... very brand-conscious,

and for him to go to LIV
would have been a bit of a heel turn.

He turned down
life-changing sums of money.

[man 3] All right, hardest stuff first.

Oh, they're all LIV, right?

[laughter]

[trainer] Back up here. Up in 15.

[Rickie] Yeah, I was looked at,

but it wasn't the best choice for me.

Always gets fun
when you get either too far or too close.

You feel really awkward.

You know, I'm not out there
playing for a paycheck.

I'm out there because I wanna compete

and wanna play
against the best players in the world.

I believe the TOUR
is the best place to play,

and I'd like
to see it continue to be that.

Packing a zero, but it's a 60-pound ball.

[laughter]

[Rickie] I'm not necessarily trying
to hit it further by any means.

I'd like straighter and a bit closer,
and then make some more putts.

I'd be happy with that.

Not exactly a huge frame over here,
so just trying to work with what we got.

Life has changed quite a bit
from when I first came on tour.

My wife, Allison,
we've been married four years now.

She's a lot better looking than me.
She's a lot smarter than me.

She's better than me.

Not at golf, but I've got that covered.

I've never had abs.

It's depressing.

I do have abs, but they're
just underneath a protective layer.

It was just one of those things.
It just felt easy when we met.

[Allison] I did track
all throughout college.

I didn't follow golf, but I knew vaguely,

probably about five golfers,
and he was one of them.

And I think I just knew
that he wore orange.

[starter] Welcome Rickie Fowler!

[applause]

[Dylan] Rickie Fowler's one
of the most recognizable

and most popular golfers in the world.

He came out wearing
these flat-brim Puma hats,

and he had this long hair coming out,
and he was wearing bright orange.

There's no reason
to live it like everyone else.

Rickie breathed this new,
fresh, young life into golf.

♪ You gotta hit the ball far
Then the crowd goes "Whoo!" ♪

♪ Then you hear the oo-la-la-li-la-li... ♪

[Bradford] I was like,
"Who is this boy band member

with this crazy hair,
these vibrant colors?"

I was like, "Him. I wanna watch him."

Be the ball, Rickie.

Be the ball, Rickie!

[Dylan] In 2014, at 25 years old,

he finished top five in every major.

-[announcer 1] And Fowler for birdie.
-[Dylan] That never happens.

-[announcer 2] Come on now. Oh! Yes!
-[cheering]

[announcer 3] How about these performances
in the majors this year? My goodness me!

[applause]

[Dylan] But things haven't been
so easy for him the last few years.

-[announcer 1] Easy.
-[announcer 2] This is too fast.

-[announcer 3] My goodness.
-[announcer 4] Wheels are off.

[Dylan] He still hasn't won
a major championship,

and he's been struggling to make cuts.

[Allison] It feels
gut-wrenching sometimes.

There's probably
quite a bit more silence than normal.

[Dylan] Rickie chose
to stay on the PGA TOUR.

But for that choice to pay off,

he's going to have
to play really good golf,

and right now he's not doing that.

When we first met, I remember you were

at the Masters
at the very, very beginning.

However you finished
wasn't what you wanted.

I think he texted me,
"Hey, how's your day going?"

I'm like, "Wait, what?"

Like, I was just expecting complete,
like, I don't know, anger,

not texting me for a while
or calling me for a while.

Allison will want to know,
like, how I'm feeling

or how it went on the golf course.

I don't talk a whole lot.

[Allison] If somebody asked me
what I was frustrated about,

I would talk to the person
sitting next to me on a plane about it.

And I would... I could go on for an hour.

[Rickie] Going through this struggle
for the last few years

and learning to open up and...
and share more is not easy.

But for me, being able to get input
or hear her side, it means something.

[Bradford] Once, Rickie was the darling
of the TOUR and everybody rooted for him.

But now he's kind of settled
into this new normal

where he struggled,
really, really struggled to play.

[Rickie] I obviously
did not play well at all.

I had to make some sort of change.

[golf ball is struck]

[coach] Good swing.

-[coach] Where'd you guys stay last night?
-[Rickie] Resorts World.

[coach] You guys eat in the room?

-[Rickie] Uh, we went to Carbone.
-[coach] Oh yeah!

Did you have a nice glass of wine?

-[Rickie] Maybe two.
-[coach chuckles]

[Bradford] Butch Harmon, lauded as one
of the best mental and golf swing coaches

to ever do it.

[Butch] I started with him in 2013.

At the end of 2019,
I retired from going to golf tournaments.

Rickie wanted somebody with him full-time,

and so he went off on a three-year period,
and unfortunately, it didn't work out.

But when he called me back in November
and said he wanted to get back together,

I... I think I was happier than he was.
[chuckles]

If I tell you, "Just put the club in front
of the ball and give me the club,"

this... this is out.

All golfers struggle
at some point in time mentally.

Uh, you go through bad periods of time
where you lose a little confidence.

There you go.

He went through a few years
of not playing good.

My first line of what I was trying to do

was get him back
to believing in himself again.

[strikes ball]

That was perfect right there.

[Rickie] Working with Butch
put me in a lot different mindset

and belief in where I'm at
and what I'm capable of,

so I know that I can be
in a better place than I was before.

Next week being the first time
everybody's been together

since the talk of a merger,

is that going to be a little... awkward or...?

[Rickie] I don't see it as a big deal.

As players, like, we want to play
against the best guys. I mean...

Can you imagine where we'd be at if LIV
was backed by, like, an Amazon or Apple?

Yeah. I didn't have a problem
with any of the guys that went.

-No.
-[Butch] I know why you went.

Because it's a way to, you know,
secure your life and stuff like that.

-I'm just glad they're talking.
-Yeah.

'Cause, you know,
you looked at the first two majors

with all the best players
in the world playing, they were exciting.

-Mm-hmm.
-We want that.

This is gonna be no different.
A U.S. Open in LA is a great place for it.

And it's going to be exciting
to have all the guys together again.

Yeah.

[announcer] The United States Open
has returned to Los Angeles.

And right in the heart of the city,
the Los Angeles Country Club is ready.

[Dylan] Part of the mystique of LACC

is that only a handful
of these golfers have ever been there.

The U.S. Open hasn't been here
in 80 years.

And it's also the first time
since the merger news

that we are going to have LIV guys
and PGA TOUR guys on the same course.

[Dan] I mean, you've gotta admit,
this is... it's wild.

This is the first time
these guys are seeing each other

since their worlds changed
with that announcement,

and it's happening
in the most public forum possible.

This is the U.S. Open in Los Angeles.
There are cameras literally everywhere.

[man] Wanna walk over
and put it where it belongs?

Not particularly.

[indistinct chatter]

[Matt Fitzpatrick] Oh my God,
that's hilarious.

Thank God you didn't put braces on it.

-[laughter]
-[indistinct chatter]

There you go.

[indistinct chatter]

-[Matt] What's up, bud? You good?
-Thanks, bud. Appreciate it.

[woman] Please join me in welcoming
our defending champion, Matt Fitzpatrick.

[reporter 1] Could you talk
about your thoughts on the LIV/PGA merger?

I'll be completely honest.
I... I literally know as much as you.

Pretty clear that nobody knows
what's going on,

apart from about four people
in the world, so...

[reporter 2] Do you feel you should be
compensated for not going to LIV?

[chuckles]

Yeah, pass. [laughs loudly]

[reporter 3] The PGA TOUR guys expressed
complete shock at the announcement.

Were you guys as surprised on your side?

[Brooks] I think there was,
'cause we didn't hear anything.

I think I ran into Rickie and JT about...

after watching the whole thing.

They were... asked if they knew,
and they said they didn't know either.

[Jon Rahm] You wanna have faith
in management.

I wanna have faith
that this is the best thing for all of us,

but... it's clear that that's not
the consensus, right?

I think the... the general feeling is that...
a lot of people feel a bit of betrayal.

It's not easy as a player
that's been involved like many others

to wake up one day and see this bombshell.

So, that's where we're all
in a bit of a state of limbo,

'cause we don't know what's going on,
and I don't know how much... is finalized

and how much they can talk about.

[indistinct chatter]

[man] Got a nice partnership going.

[chuckles]

[Phil] But, uh...

It's amazing what has changed
in the last week.

-That happened quick.
-Yeah.

[Tom] Glad we knew about it.

[Phil] I found out
about five minutes before you did.

Sure. We all believe that.

-[Phil] I'm serious!
-We all believe that.

Look at these.

Dark circles under my eyes, baby.
Been on the phone a lot lately.

[Amanda Balionis]
Unlike when players joined LIV,

this merger, or whatever we're calling it,
is not going to happen overnight.

How will all of this kind of
come together? Nobody knows.

-[Rory] You play?
-[Dustin] Yeah, I just played.

-Have you been here?
-[Dustin] No, this was my first time.

[Rory] Oh, was it?

I haven't been out there,
but I hear it's pretty, uh, interesting.

It is. It's good, though.
It's in fantastic condition.

-[Rory] Yeah.
-Greens are perfect.

[Rory] Yeah.

Yeah, there's some...
couple interesting holes.

-So...
-[Rory] That's good.

[Dustin] Have a good week. Gonna go play?

I'm gonna go practice
and then just walk the back nine.

Okay.

[Rory] Obviously, this framework agreement
came up pretty quickly.

I think the shock nature of it
was what sort of set people off, but...

I mean, I've always firmly believed
that the game is better

when everyone's together

and not divided the way
we have been for the last year, so...

If they can somehow work it out
where they get us all back together

and playing together again, I think
it's better for the game as a whole,

so, um, I'm... I'm certainly okay with...
with that part of it.

[Dan] Having the merger news
drop out of nowhere,

him not knowing was the best thing
that could've happened to Rory McIlroy,

because for him to not even know

was a cold, hard reminder,

at the end of the day,
when we're gonna have the big boys

in a meeting to make a decision,
you're not gonna be part of that.

[Rory] Need to be like that guy.

[Dan] Sometimes you need
that tough love to be like,

"All right, now it's time to do
my talking with my golf game."

[Paulina] I miss LA.

[Dustin] I like it for a little while.

[Paulina] Yeah.

-[Dustin] Oh sh*t, I was supposed to turn.
-[Paulina] I knew it. [chuckles]

The U.S. Open being in LA
made it a lot more special.

Yeah, I know,
but I'm gonna park right here.

I'm from LA, born and raised.

I mean, LA has my heart.

I love traveling with Dustin.
I love being there with him.

We have fun.
We love being with each other.

I'm the girl saying, "My husband loves
to hang out with me, okay?"

But that's how I feel.

[Dustin] I enjoy the... the challenge
of the U.S. Open.

Hang on. Let's get a cameo in the back.

[Dustin] It's the hardest major. That's
why it's one of my favorite tournaments.

I'm feeling really good. I think
the game's in... in really good form.

It's nice. It feels good up here.

I know it's gonna be tough.

You're gonna have to grind if you want
a chance to hold that trophy on Sunday.

[man] You know what's crazy about LACC?

Almost no one in LA
has ever even seen the course.

So, how is the course
for, like, me walking? [chuckles]

It's gonna be interesting. I don't know.
Obviously, I've been...

-[Paulina] Like, hilly?
-Yeah, it's hilly.

The course is good, though. I like it.

Just gonna play hard, and I think, uh,
this week's gonna be a good one.

[dramatic music playing]

[announcer 1] Welcome to the U.S. Open
in Los Angeles.

The opening round of the season's
third major championship is underway.

[starter] From Murrieta, California,
Rickie Fowler.

[applause]

[announcer 1] Starting on the back nine.

[announcer 2] Fowler,
talk about work in progress.

He plummeted to 185th
in the world golf rankings

back in September of last year.

[cheering, applauding]

[announcer 1] This for birdie.

[cheering]

[announcer 2] Three-under
for his opening nine.

[starter] Please welcome Dustin Johnson.

[announcer 2] Dustin Johnson,

one of the higher-ranked players
in the world to go to LIV.

Dustin's always casual and loose,

but it just seems
like he's just free and easy.

[announcer 3] Vindicated, I suppose.

-Lifelong dream to see you play.
-Hey, Dustin!

-[Dustin] Appreciate it, man.
-Go get it.

[announcer 2] Rickie has put himself
in good shape here in the early going.

[crowd] Oh!

[announcer 3] Brilliant shot. Wow!

[applause]

[announcer 3] Butch Harmon has really
helped him to come back here.

[announcer 2] Freed him up.

Got him into some of his home fields,
and he's off and running.

[announcer 3] Four in a row,
Rickie Fowler. To six under par.

[applause]

All year, Rickie Fowler
has been working tirelessly

to stage a comeback on the PGA TOUR.

When people started to see
his name climb up that leaderboard,

you could just hear it.

Like, "Oh man,
is this going to be the year

that we finally see
Rickie Fowler get back on top?"

[announcer 2] Dustin Johnson,
who's having a great round, seven-under,

bogey-free so far.

Last hole of the day for the 2016 champ.

This for a 63 for Dustin Johnson.

[shouts of encouragement]

[spectators groan]

[announcer 2]
Wow, that really looked good.

[helicopter whirring]

[announcer 1] Final hole
for Rickie Fowler.

Rickie Fowler makes history
at LA Country Club!

It is the lowest round
we have ever seen at a U.S. Open.

Hey, Rickie Fowler's back, guys.

-[fan 1] Let's go!
-[fan 2] Go, Rickie!

-[indistinct chatter]
-[man laughs]

-A little lipstick.
-[man chuckles]

[Rickie] Yeah, you too.

[reporter] How aware were you
of the history you were chasing,

especially down the stretch?

I knew it was close.
I wasn't sure the exact number.

Um, I was really just trying to keep...
keep moving forward.

[Allison] He shot 62.
It was really cool to see.

I think sometimes
I forget, like, he's good.

When something comes together,
it's just kind of a snowball effect

that hopefully will continue on.

-[Rickie] Oh, I'm ready for some food.
-[man] Hmm.

-I could crush some Javier's Tacos.
-Yeah.

[Rickie] I'm off to a good start, but I'm
not going out and getting ahead of myself.

Thanks.

Don't screw this up,
get some rest, and go play tomorrow.

[announcer 1]
Fowler has resurrected his game.

Is he ready to win,
much less win a big one?

[announcer 2] It's gonna be a hard win
for Rickie, a long way to go.

It's gonna be a battle at the end.

I think Dustin Johnson would probably
scare everybody the most.

[announcer 1] Dustin Johnson
at the second.

Ah, this ball is left.

[Paulina] Oh no, what?

[announcer 1] And it races
right into that bunker.

-[man 1] Oh no.
-[man 2] Yeah.

Did you see
where his ball landed by any chance?

-Dustin?
-[man 3] Front left bunker.

Thanks.

[announcer 1] Here's Dustin Johnson
in the bunker at two.

Oh, he had to pitch it out.
And that is in trouble.

[Paulina] Oh, come on, DJ. Let's do this.

Like, you've been working
so hard. Come on.

[announcer 3] It took him a while
to find the ball. Lie looks horrible.

[spectators groan]

[man] Let's go, DJ!

[announcer 1] And baffling
coming off that 64 yesterday

where he played so well.

[announcer 2] Oh no. Oh no.

Come on, Dustin.
Get... get out of your own head.

[announcer 1] Just incredible watching
Dustin Johnson struggle here.

[announcer 4] Disastrous quad.

[applause]

[announcer 1] U.S. Open
has just busted out onto Dustin Johnson.

[indistinct chatter]

[Paulina] I know it's not
your favorite outcome, but you did great.

-Yeah, we hung in there.
-I know you did. You did.

-How's he feeling? Good? Upset at himself?
-Yeah, he's fine.

-Okay.
-He's fine. He's just...

-Not happy about the way we putted, but...
-Yeah, yeah.

[Austin] I think he'll be fine.

[Paulina] Round one, I was like,
"He's gonna win." He played so well.

And then... [laughs]

He just... You know, golf is hard.

[announcer 1] Fowler Nation is poised
for, uh, what they might see this weekend.

[announcer 2] This would be one of
the most popular victories I can remember.

[announcer 1] Fowler's been hunting down
majors for a long, long time.

[man] Let's go, Rickie!

[announcer 1] One reason
why Fowler built this popularity

is he just never changes.

He's been the same guy through it all.

[man] Rickie... what are you doing?

[announcer 1] That is one
of the big reasons

why he has
so many people rooting for him.

-[cheering]
-Go, Rickie!

[announcer 3] The biggest needle mover
in the game right now since Tiger Woods,

Rickie Fowler has got
this place jacked up.

[cheering]

[announcer 4]
Listen to the crowd favorite.

Loudest roar we've heard in a long time.
Rickie Fowler.

[cheering]

[announcer 4] Ten-under for Fowler.
His 18th birdie.

[announcer 1] It's going to be
the most ever made in a U.S. Open

in the first 36 holes.

[man] You did a hell of a one
out there today.

It's a grind out there.

Don't look easy, that's for sure.

You keep breaking more and more records.
Had 18 birdies in two rounds.

I just try to keep making 'em.

I wasn't sure how many
until I started adding them up.

It was pretty... pretty exciting.

-I got my golf carts on.
-Yeah, look at that.

[dramatic music playing]

[announcer 1] Rickie Fowler,
the last pairing here with Wyndham Clark.

Both Clark and Fowler in good shape,

as Fowler looks for that big win.

You talk about one
of the most popular players of his time.

Maybe this is the week
that he breaks through.

[man] Go on, Rickie!

[announcer 2] How about Wyndham Clark?
What a story.

He's climbed his way
to just one back of the lead.

[announcer 3] Fowler for birdie.

[announcer 1] Oh my goodness!

[cheering]

[announcer 1] We all knew Rickie was doing
really well with all the commercials

and the whole nine yards,
and his game started to deteriorate.

And it was just a matter
of whether or not he cared enough

to put in the commitment
and make the necessary changes

to come all the way back.

And now it appears
Rickie is going to take the lead

into Sunday of the U.S. Open.

[applause]

[announcer 4] And it has gotten dark
out here, folks.

[announcer 1] Especially with that marine
layer that has really settled in.

The players hadn't played
in shadows, really. Will it be a factor?

[shouts of encouragement]

-[spectators groan]
-[announcer 1] Boy, he gave that a run.

Now he's got a little heart-stopper
coming back for par.

This is just the seventh major
championship start for Wyndham Clark.

His best finish a tie for 75th,

and Wyndham Clark has a chance
to get it back to double digits under par.

[cheering]

[announcer 1] And Wyndham Clark
just earned his way

into a final pairing
on Championship Sunday at the U.S. Open.

And now Fowler.

[announcer 4] And the light is really flat
out here right now.

-[shouts of encouragement]
-[announcer 1] Oh! This still isn't in.

[announcer 2] That hurts because you have
to sleep on that one all night.

[announcer 1] He's able to get it down
for bogey and he's now tied.

A two-shot swing here.

[announcer 2] When a golfer
has nightmares,

it's usually about a putt
about that length.

[Rickie] One big question.

Who's in charge of tee times?

We played the last three holes
in the dark.

They don't have the excuse,
"There's a marine layer,"

because I saw in... the weather

there was going to be
a marine layer coming in.

Yeah, when it...

when the 18th fairway
is being lit up by the scoreboard?

[indistinct background chatter]

Yeah.

[indistinct chatter]

These players that are waiting to tee off,
they wait around all day.

The final tee time not until 2:30.

There's a lot to think about
when it comes to waiting to play.

A lot of anticipation.
Rickie's had the lead all week.

[sportscaster 1] How do you think
the last hole and the missed putt

affects him at all, or does it?

[sportscaster 2]
I think it does, absolutely.

There's no doubt it left
a sour taste in his mouth.

Pretty dark, those last few holes.

Ridiculous. I... I was going apeshit.

I... I hit it to, like, 20 feet
the last three holes, 16, 17, and 18.

And like, I just said to Harry,

"I don't really know what these things
are going to do. I can't see."

I had a rough idea,
but it was literally just trying to...

I was like, "I just gotta light these up."

-Yeah.
-Like, it was ridiculous.

I missed one from, like,
three and a half feet on the last.

I know, I saw it. I was...

I was like... I was like,
"That's the light. That's all that is."

But, anyway...

It is what it is.

-Go get 'em. Play well.
-See you out there.

-Let's have some fun tonight.
-[Rory] Yeah.

[announcer 1] We all love Rickie,
and we all love a big comeback story.

You know, now he's trying
to come all the way back.

This is so important.

You don't know how many chances
you're gonna get to win a major like this.

Can Rickie do it?
You know, that's the big question.

[man] Yeah, Rickie, let's go!

[announcer 2] If you're a Fowler fan,

you have been waiting
a long time for this moment.

[man] Go, Rickie!

[Butch] It's the first hole right here.

It's always important
to get off to a good start.

[announcer 3] What a comeback story
this would be.

[Butch] The ones
that are successful and consistent

are the ones that can let bad shots go.

[announcer 2] It's headed down
to the right rough.

[Butch] It's hard to win.

For me, the first drive off the first tee,
I could see the anxiety in there.

I could see he was anxious.

[announcer 3] And Fowler,
now, this is a hard putt.

[announcer 2] Unable to save par
at the second.

Yeah, that's a tough one.

He's gotta get back on track.

He is plus-three in the last six holes,

going back to that three-and-a-half-foot
miss on the 18th last night.

[announcer 1] Oh man.

That is gonna be really tough

to get anything close
to the hole from over there.

[caddie] Time to step on the gas, okay?

[spectators shout encouragement]

[spectators groan]

Yep. Trust your feels here, pal.
Just nice and committed. Good target.

[announcer 4] Way up in the air,
riding the wind on a great line.

[announcer 2] Oh, it is. If it lands
in the right spot, it could be good.

Go hard. Go hard.

d*ck ball. Go!

-[announcer 2] It didn't.
-[spectators groan]

[announcer 2] I can't believe
it came up that far short.

[man] Come on, Rickie!

[Butch] He hadn't been there
in a major championship in forever.

It's just the way things go, and you just
gotta keep putting yourself there.

The more times you put yourself there,

the more comfortable you feel
where you are.

[announcer 1] What might have been
for Dustin Johnson,

the second hole he made an eight.

He played that hole six-over for the week.

[announcer 2] He hasn't been able
to bounce back.

Hasn't been able to make anything.

[Paulina] Can you ask your dad
if I can have his bag?

-Why?
-Because I love it.

-I want it.
-You want it? You can have it.

A deal. Fine.

[Paulina and spectators groan]

[Paulina] He needs a big hug. [chuckles]

Like, a big hug.

[applause]

-[Paulina] Nice round, DJ!
-[man 1] DJ!

[man 2] DJ!

[cheering, chattering]

What's up?

Obviously, wanted to play
a little bit better than I did.

I didn't give it a full go. Maybe
a little lazy. I don't know what it was.

-[boy] DJ, can I have your glove?
-You look so good. I love your hat.

[Dustin] So, I'm gonna grind
a little harder

and try to get my game back
to where it was

when I was contending
for titles every single week.

[announcer 2] There were so many fans
that were hoping

that Fowler would break through

for that first major
and first win in four-plus years.

Instead, it is the guy he's played with
all day long, Wyndham Clark...

[applause]

...who just may emerge here as the guy.

Two putts will close the deal.

[shouts of encouragement]

[announcer 2] That's pretty cozy. And now
the stage is clear for Wyndham Clark...

who takes down
all the stars in Los Angeles

to win the United States Open!

[applause]

Rick...

Thanks, man.

[Rickie] Congrats.

-Thank you, man.
-Thanks for being a champ.

[announcer 2] And still a promising week
for Fowler and Rory McIlroy.

Another one goes by, another close call.

[announcer 1] McIlroy with his third
runner-up finish in a major.

[indistinct chatter]

[cheering and whistling]

-[man] Yeah, Daddy.
-You wanna go over here?

Obviously, he wanted it to go
a different way, and everyone did for him,

but I... I don't think that changed anything
as to what he can do.

I know he can figure it out.

[indistinct chatter]

[Rickie] It was tough out there.

It got crispy.

[Rory] It was so...

Putting was, like,
so hard to control the speed.

Yeah.

I struggled all...
like, the last few days anyway.

-Yeah, I know.
-It seemed like they were quicker, but...

-All good.
-See you next week.

Yeah, sounds good.

We're going to get one of these things
f*cking sooner or later.

f*ck.

[man] Seeing Maya, bro...

Yeah.

When you, uh, walked off that...

I got a tear.

It was awesome.

Yeah, it's like you're pissed off
and bummed and then...

see Maya, and you're like, "Okay."

-[Ryan chuckles] "We good."
-Yeah.

[ball is struck]

[Dan] For the PGA TOUR,
the U.S. Open was a dream scenario.

It proved that their players
can still dominate major championships,

and it put them in a strong position
as negotiations continue with LIV.

[Maya] Dada?

For players like Rickie Fowler,
the only thing Rickie can do

is focus on himself and worry
about getting back in the winner's circle.

[Allison] Wow! Whoo!

[crowd chanting] Rickie! Rickie!
Rickie! Rickie! Rickie!

[announcer 1] From Detroit Golf Club
in Detroit, Michigan,

it's final-round coverage
of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

[announcer 2] It's a clean slate

and a three-man playoff coming up
between Morikawa, Fowler, and Hadwin.

[crowd chanting] Rickie!

[announcer 3] Seems to me like this crowd
is urging Fowler to get this win.

[announcer 2] The first playoff hole
will be 18,

and if it extends
to a second playoff hole,

it'll be the 15th hole.

[spectators shouting]

[announcer 2] Oh, they're pointing right!
Right!

[spectators shouting]

[announcer 3] That is miles to the right.

[spectators groan]

-[announcer 2] That is amongst the people.
-[announcer 3] Hmm.

[man] All right, Rick!

[announcer 3] He's got to continue
to stay aggressive.

[Rickie] I learned a lot
from the U.S. Open.

It's knowing and seeing
that you don't have to be perfect.

I feel like a lot of people,
you get in that situation,

you feel like you... you have to do
a lot of things really, really good.

Um, you don't.
You just have to be good enough.

[announcer 4] Could be all sorts
of pressure on Rickie Fowler.

-[man] Get in the hole!
-[shouts of encouragement]

[announcer 2] This is
on a really nice line.

-What a golf shot!
-[announcer 1] Will it get there? It will!

[cheering and applause]

[announcer 1] What a shot from Fowler!

[cheering and applause continue]

[announcer 2] So, Fowler has
a putt for the win.

Twelve feet.

[strikes ball]

[shouts of encouragement]

♪ Take me as I am... ♪

[announcer 2] And Rickie returns
to the winner's circle!

♪ Take me as I am... ♪

[cheering and applause]

[announcer 2] Ten months ago,
he was number 185 in the world.

And now... back on top.

[cheering continues]

[announcer 1] It's been four years,

four months, and 29 days

since Rickie Fowler won on the PGA TOUR.

[Rickie] I've always wanted
to win having Maya around,

just being able to have
the videos and pictures in that moment.

That'll be a special one.

And hopefully, there'll be plenty more
and ones that she'll remember.

[cheering]

Oh, okay. No, she doesn't want to be here.

[indistinct chatter]

[Allison] When I think
about everything that he did,

it was pretty cool to see
everything actually just come together.

I mean, there's a lot of people I have
to thank. Obviously, you know, Butch.

Um, it's been, uh...
it's been great being back with him,

and I know he's very excited.

Obviously, I have to thank
my wife and little one.

[voice breaking] Um...

It's... it's been a... a rough road
on the... on the golf course.

Um... But they've always been
right there with me.

[cheering and applause]

[Allison] I think now
it's just lighter and...

Um, not to say that there will never be
any struggles in the future,

but I've gotta imagine
that he's feeling like if there are,

he can figure it out.

[reporter] What does this win do
for the rest of your season

in terms of your goals?

Uh, well, this was definitely one
of the main goals this year

was... was to win.

Outside of that was, obviously,
to be a part of the... the Ryder Cup team,

and that's still
what we're focusing on right now.

-[Maya gurgles]
-[Rickie] Eh?

[Butch] Now we gotta win more.
That's gone. That one's over with.

Yeah, we won, hadn't won in a long time.
Happy we won. Now we gotta go further.

We gotta keep on winning. Gotta win
some majors. He's gotta win majors.

For him to validate his career
when it's all said and done,

there's gotta be
some majors on that résumé.

[Rickie] Yeah? You wanna go home?

Just because of everything
that I've been through,

and how long it had been, all these,
you know, last few years and all the work,

you know, kind of get to exhale
and take a... a deep breath.

[crowd chanting] Joel! Joel!

[Amanda] Life has changed
for Joel Dahmen in a big way.

-[man] So what's new?
-I'm more famous.

[fan] Joel, you are the man!

And I think that's all due
to the success of Full Swing.

[Dan] Joel's had a major come up
in the last year,

but that has not translated
to encore success.

I'm playing the worst golf
of my career. It sucks.

We are as bad as it's been in a long time.

f*ck you!

[caddie] I feel like there's
something going on upstairs.

-[Joel] I'm over golf.
-[Lona] What's a new game plan?

Because what we're doing is not working.

[groans loudly]

[dramatic music playing]