SPEAKER_02 0:00

Everyone has a story, a moment, a lesson, or a piece of their life most people may never hear. Hi, I'm Callie Zamzo, and this is Nobody Knows. Welcome back to Nobody Knows. I am we're talking today about golf, which may seem a little bit um off topic for me, but for those who don't know, I do golf. Uh I am not a professional golfer, but I definitely golf. And I was thinking about the game and how incredibly frustrating it is. And how um, you know, sometimes you'll you'll think you've really got it. Like you hit one really good shot and you're like, that's it. This is like the best game ever. And then uh the next shot could leave you just completely annoyed with the whole process. Um, so I uh so what's interesting today is that we're gonna be talking about it, we're gonna be talking about it, somebody who really knows it. And he's a local guy. So this is really fun. So today's guest is Tyler Aldridge. He's a Caldwell native, a local boy. Love that. He's a Boise State Bronco. He's a former PGA tour player, and he's a winner on what is now known as the Corn Ferry Tour. And uh this August, he's going to be returning uh to the Boise Open. And uh, and so we want to talk about all of this stuff. So welcome to the studio, Tyler.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Yeah, thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 1:18

Oh my gosh, I'm so glad to have you here. I gotta tell you, um, I'm a little intimidated just because I've watched you and you are a really good golfer. And it's fun to watch you. Like you're like butter, is what I like to say. I'm like, you're just like butter when you swing. It's amazing. So I'm excited to kind of dig into it a little bit and learn um kind of like the history of all this and and and pat the kind of the path that led you to the point where you're now getting to have a second chance at doing something that you love. And so anyway, are you ready for this? I am. Okay, very good.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Exciting.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

Um, all right. So why don't we uh why don't we just jump right in and talk about um talk about you and and like the beginnings. When did you know, was there a moment where you were like, okay, I think I could actually make a career out of golf?

SPEAKER_00 2:05

Yeah, yeah. So you're gonna you're gonna take me back back a ways. Um I started started golfing with my dad and grandpa at a centennial golf course, and I was about seven years old. Oh I was more interested in driving the golf cart around than than actually playing golf. Um, you know, as I got a little bit older, I was familiar with golf. My dad put me in junior tournaments and stuff, but I just, you know, it just didn't really click. And then I got into high school, and it was actually in eighth grade. Um, a buddy of mine in art class, Michael Torres, said, Hey, you should you should come try out for the for the golf team. So the very next year I did that. Um, and my dad knew the the varsity coach, he knew the JV coach, and they put me on JV. Um, well, I made JV. I didn't make varsity, and all my friends, like Michael and Travis and Paul, and well, Paul was a little younger, I guess, but um, they were all on varsity, so I was I was really really wanted to make varsity. Um, but I had to start off on JV, and I remember playing out a Fairview golf course, and I just I worked really, really hard through the summer uh between my freshman and sophomore year. And my dad would drop me off of the course at 10 a.m. or 7 a.m. till 10 o'clock at night. I mean, it was like my babysitter, really. Um, and I I improved a lot. I ended up making varsity the end of my freshman year after some of the scores that I had been shooting. Um, but it I really, really improved um from my freshman to sophomore year. Now you asked the question about was there a time that really, really um made me feel like I could I could play at the next level. Um I remember qualifying for the PGA junior championship, and I was just out of high school. Um, I was 17 years old, so I graduated a little bit early, but I ended up winning the local qualifier here, and all the the entire trip was paid for. And so we I ended up going to Cle Cleveland, Ohio, and it was in Westfield, Ohio. Um, flew into Cleveland, went and then stayed in Westfield, but it was uh one of the biggest junior tournaments I've ever ever played in. And I didn't really know what to expect, but um I absolutely loved the course and happened to happen to go wire to wire and won the thing. I mean, it was it was crazy. And there were some really good players, and and one of the one of the guys there was Anthony Kim. And I I ended up winning. And at that point, it was like, okay, you know, I I I feel like maybe I can at least play at the college level, um, and then and then maybe even beyond that. I knew that I worked really hard, but I I I would dream about it every day. Like even driving in the car, I would think about it. Gives me goosebumps, really. Um, but yeah, that was that was that was the moment that just that to me elevated me to the to that next level.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Yeah, I I can only imagine what that must have been like. Just the the feeling of like, okay, I guess, I guess we can actually can do this.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

Um, so then you went on um to play college golf, yes?

SPEAKER_00 5:30

I did. Yeah. So I went on and and played at Boise State, which I didn't actually play very well while I was at Boise State. I'll be honest, school wasn't wasn't for me. Um, and it never has been, but that's okay. I I I think I was a little immature. Um, you know, my mind wasn't as developed, you know. And um, I ended up going to school for a year and a half, two years, and then I had a deep conversation with my dad. And really the only reason I was going to school was to play golf. And I told my dad, I'm like, dad, I just, I just I don't want to go to school anymore. I want to just chase it, you know. I mean, that's really what I have aspirations for. And and he was like, do it.

SPEAKER_02 6:12

Wow, that's pretty cool. So you have a you have a very supportive father, obviously.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:17

Yeah. That's uh that's incredible, actually.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

He believed in me, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

Yeah, yeah. Wow. That's huge. Um, what when you think about that, what does that mean to you now when you imagine like because you think about as a father, like we think about that um that advice. I mean, that's it, that's hard. But when you when you're believing your kids and that support, wow, yeah. What would that what did what did that mean to you in that moment?

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Um it was pretty special, you know. I thought he was I thought he was gonna say no, you need to stick it out, you need to tough it out, and you need to get your education, and which is very important, you know. Looking back on it, I wish I wish that I had gotten my college degree, but um I there were other plans. Uh he he made it he made it believable. He made it believable. I mean, he he literally said, do it.

SPEAKER_02 7:10

Yeah, do it.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

I know you can do it.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

Did you ever have a moment where you were like, oh, I've made a big mistake. I don't know if this is the right decision.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Um Yeah, I mean, anytime, anytime you make a decision like that, you know, that could influence the rest of your life. There's there's gonna be times where you go through ups and downs. And um I didn't I didn't make it on the tour for you know a few years after that. Um I I remember playing like state opens and you know, I turned professional as soon as I soon as I um stopped going to school. And um I I didn't have a ton of success, but then but then it just started clicking. Just started clicking and and I won the Idaho open. Um I you know started placing some of these other state opens and stuff, and um it it it just catapulted me to to where I needed to go. You know, I started making making a little bit of money, and um I'm like, all right, I can do this, you know, and it it was self-belief. Um if I recall, there was a time where I think I ended up losing in a playoff out of Spurwing to um I can't remember his name now, but he was he was a really, really good player, and um, it was for the Idaho Open. And um I had a chance at winning, and I and I and I didn't capitalize on it. And and that's okay. You know, that it's just part of the process. But at that time, I was so young, it just kind of beat me up, but it made me work harder. And then that very next year I ended up winning.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Um that's an interesting thing. Uh, that sometimes those things you look back on and you think, oh, that was a like in the moment, that was a stinker. And then you look back and you're like, oh no, that sharpened my saw. Like that's I needed that to get to where I was. Um can you go back to that, to that, to that person that you were in that moment? And and um, I guess not that moment, but in that space and time where you said, okay, now I'm going to, I'm going to turn this and I'm going to make it into something. Like, was that was that a different version of yourself? Does that make sense? Like um when you so you had the you had the loss that was bitter, and then you're like, but I'm gonna hold on to this, I'm going to do this dream. That period of time where you shifted up and said, I'm no, no, no. This is they haven't seen the last of me yet.

SPEAKER_00 9:31

Oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, I had I had faced adversity before. Um, I remember being, I think it was sophomore year in high school, I was playing at districts, and I wanted to make state so bad. I remember standing on the 17th T and I hit I hit my drive and I was like, oh man, this is it's right down the middle. And I mean, I knew I was inside of it at this time, and or at that point, and I go down to pick up my tea, the ball hits the stake in the middle of the fairway, it kicks into the bunker and I end up making double bogey and then river go back. Crying and crying and crying to my dad.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:21

And I end up missing I ended up bogeying 18 and um missing them by one and and and go back and and talking to my dad about it, and I immediately after went after that went out to the ridgecrest and like I'm never letting this happen again. And it it was tough. It was tough, but you know, put me put me in the mind frame where I need to be.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting to see the emotion because I feel like I and I'm feeling it as well, that that extreme disappointment, but there has to be part of that, there's got to be some pride there too. Because you did, because you did turn it around and you did uh and you know the rest is history, as we say.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Yeah. Yeah, it was it was uh it was a defining moment for sure.

SPEAKER_02 11:15

Yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Um, what what would surprise people about the the process of trying to become a professional golfer?

SPEAKER_00 11:29

How how hard do you have to work at it?

SPEAKER_02 11:31

Yeah. So it is as hard as we all think it would be.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

It really is. It really is. It's it's a day in and day out.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Hours upon hours.

SPEAKER_02 11:40

Yeah. And I would imagine there's a a friendship you have to make with your own body. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Oh yeah. Yeah. Body, mind, and spirit, really.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

Yes. Yes, for sure. Um, so I'm just speaking to other golfers that might be uh watching and and and wondering about um, you know, what what has the game of golf taught you about failure as well as success?

SPEAKER_00 12:08

That failure is just part of the process. I mean, it it it's it's just the way it is.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

Yeah. It sharpens our our our saws, right? It gets us or it doesn't, or or the failure is enough that we're like, yeah, I don't want to do this anymore.

SPEAKER_00 12:23

It's a different path, you know, and both ways are okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Um for me, golf is just one big lesson in humility. You've had a much different experience with golf in that that you put a lot more time and effort into it. But do you still do you feel that way as well, even as a professional?

SPEAKER_00 12:46

Oh yeah. Yeah, there's times where I'm like, man, I don't even it's like it and it's different each day. You I mean, you could figure it out one day and then the very next day it's it's completely different. It's like you've never played the game before. And you're like, what has happened?

SPEAKER_02 12:59

I'm so glad to hear you say that.

SPEAKER_00 13:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

It it is one of the most maddening games, but um, but truly, one great shot and you're like back in it. This is it's a yeah, it's it's crazy. Um, so so speaking of which, so when you have a bad shot, how how what mental game do you play? And and I don't imagine like in a tournament is different than if you're just playing around with your dad or something, but you know Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:25

Um that's been that's been something I've I've constantly worked on. Yeah. I mean, the mind frame the mindset is is something that probably wasn't one of my oh, what do you what do you call it? One of my shining parts of my game. Um, excuse me. Um it I had to I still work at it to this day. Like, I'll be honest with you, like Chat GPT has helped me a lot with that.

SPEAKER_02 13:51

Really?

SPEAKER_00 13:52

Recently, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:53

I mean, I was like, That makes me feel better too.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

I wish I would have had it 15, 20 years ago. Um, but I mean there were there were times where I didn't I didn't handle things very well at all. You know, I've been I've been through a lot personally and professionally in it, and there's times where I've just I've had to learn, learn from it, and I've made tons of mistakes, you know. And what's great about golf is it's it's a lot like life.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

You know, there's so many, so many things about golf that can teach you about life.

SPEAKER_02 14:25

Agreed.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

Agreed. I yeah, it's a very, it's a very uh it's a mental game. And it just is, right? So I'm gonna just take a stab here and say that you're hard on yourself.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Oh, I am. Yeah. Yeah. Naturally, naturally. I mean, um I think I I think a little bit it comes comes from my dad, you know. He he's hard on himself and he had expectations and and you know, it it it just kind of derived into me. And um that's just that's just my personality, you know. I'm hard on myself. I'm I'm actually hard on my kids too, especially when they're trying to compete, which I I wish that I wasn't. But um there's times where I've had to like step back and you know I've I've pushed a little too hard.

SPEAKER_02 15:11

So well, I think there's something about that competitive mind though. Uh you know, not everybody has that. Not, you know, I think about my mom. If you want to compete with her, she'll be like, no, go ahead, you're good. She's not gonna compete. She's that's just not who she is. Um, so I think there is something about that. And yeah, there is, you know, there are two two sides to that coin. But when you have that mindset, you're you also can go out and win some pretty amazing things.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:38

So there's pluses and minuses.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

Sure, sure. I and I'm I'm grateful for the way I think in the way that I do things, but there's also times where I wish I wasn't that way, you know. But um I think the older that I've gotten, and I'm not like before I had kids, like I had to be super selfish with my time and and just everything. And now now my focus is on them more than myself. And it's it's taught me a lot.

SPEAKER_02 16:08

So let's talk about this Boise Open situation here. So can you can you tell us how that all went down? Like what uh what's the backstory of Sure.

SPEAKER_00 16:17

Um I love the event for one. You know, I love I love playing at Hillcrest, I love that golf course. I love being able to play in front of family and friends in the community. Um the last several years, after I retired in 2018, the event was a playoff event, so they didn't allow any sponsor exemptions because it was basically uh the guys off the money list were able to compete in the event, and then some of the guys from the PGA tour that didn't quite keep their card came down and and played in like a four-series event. Um this year was the the year that they are no longer in one of those four events, so it opened up spots for sponsor exemptions, and um something that I've wanted to do for a long time is is and I feel a little bit guilty about it. I mean, I'll be honest. I wish I could have made a ton of money when I was playing because I would have loved to have given back. Um but it was one of those things I was talking to my to my lady and I and uh Ruth, and I was like, you know, I really, I really want to try to play the event and do something special here. And um I came up with this idea that hey, let's let's, you know, whatever I win, I wanna I want to donate it to Idaho Junior Golf because I don't come from money and um I know how hard it is and I know how expensive the game is and how expensive it's getting and it continues to, you know, keep costing a lot of money. And if I can somehow change a kid's life, I will I I hope I can. I'd love to do that.

SPEAKER_02 18:09

Well, I I I yeah, I hope so too. I'm I will be out there watching you. I'm I'm very excited about it. It'll be fun to be like, hey, I know him. Yeah. That's a friend. I'm very excited about it too. What um when you think about what you were just sharing, uh as far as a a young person being able to to learn this game and take it on and and maybe take it as far or further than you did. When you think about that, what uh what goes through your mind?

SPEAKER_00 18:39

A lot. A lot. And I just I hope it can happen to some kid, you know.

SPEAKER_02 18:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Because we all have dreams.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

We do. We do. We don't always get to do them like you have been able to do though, which is pretty awesome.

SPEAKER_00 18:54

But even if you don't get to do them, the process of trying is well worth it.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

Yeah. Yeah, I guess that's a good that's a good uh good thing to be saying. That's true. Um, what uh were there any parts in all of this where you were like, okay, I I I think I'm done with this. I mean, uh obviously at one point you did say, okay, I am done with this, but prior to that, were there moments where you're like, I I don't think I'm gonna be doing this anymore?

SPEAKER_00 19:21

There there were. There were time it was towards It was towards 2000 into 2016. Um I had gotten injured at Pebble Beach, and not a whole lot of people know about this, but I slipped down the stairs at the house I was staying at during the event and ended up hurting my shoulder, and I had been playing really well.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Yeah. I had been playing really well. I was top 40 on the money list, and you know, I was I was I was doing I was living my dream. And unfortunately, I I made the decision to keep playing, and I w looking back on it, I wish I had taken more time off and um, you know, let it heal properly, but I continued to play on it, and um I think I I I I built a lot of anger and a lot of resentment towards the game. And I wish I wish I had done things a little bit differently. Um but I can't, you know, looking back on it, yeah, you wish you could do things, but you can't, you know, you can't change it. Um and so I just felt that you know the resentment that I had, it it was just it it was overpowering, and I just couldn't find the love to do it again. And um, you know, I had I had gone through s through some personal things in my life too that, you know, probably well I know added to it, but but it it just it just made everything compile and it was it was a decision that I had to make for myself and and for my kids.

SPEAKER_02 21:03

Yeah. So you uh you just personified the game of golf. Is there a part of you that is it do you does it feel like an old friend sometime? Does it does you know what I'm saying? Like like it's a a companion of sorts?

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:20

Like you have a relationship with it.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

I do. I do a deep relationship with it. It it's one of my best friends.

SPEAKER_02 21:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

But also one of my worst enemies.

SPEAKER_02 21:30

Yeah. Interesting. I it's such a mental game that you know, I say sometimes that I would like to every once in a while just be in somebody else's brain for just a second. Like I don't want to live in somebody else's, but sometimes it would be interesting to understand golf through your lens because I suspect that golf is vastly different to you than it is for me.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

That's a that's an interesting perspective. Cause I mean, I've always I've always wanted to experience, you know, through my idols' lenses or you know, uh somebody else that has been super successful at whatever they've done. And um for you to say that to me, that makes me, you know, that makes me feel really good, you know. But if I if I can somehow give some sort of light to the golfer out there or somebody like you that, you know, is doing what you're doing and you're you're doing a great job of it. And um if there's anything that I can take away from being on this world and in this, you know, in this time is somehow give some sort of advice that somebody's willing to use and can help them along the way.

SPEAKER_02 22:37

So Yeah. Are you uh what can you describe how you might feel when you're teeing off at Hillcrest on the first day Oh I'm gonna be nervous.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

I'm gonna be really nervous really okay that kind of makes me feel better too. I'm always nervous. Anytime I tee it up I'm always nervous yes okay and then the day that I don't get nervous is the day I will walk away from even even playing with buddies. Yeah I get nervous. You know when somebody's sitting there and they're watching me like swing or getting ready to hit a shot and it's not even a tournament I get nervous.

SPEAKER_02 23:10

Well and Hillcrest has that that what used to be I guess it used to be one and now they've switched around and I guess when they're doing you're doing professional golf it's always that way but um anyway so it's 10. But the where you're out and you're like for all eyes to see and the clubhouse is all there, everybody's eating their sandwiches and watching you tee off.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:28

That makes me tremble every time. It's a yeah that's a that's a fun one. So when you when you will it will it bring back some some interesting things for you to be back out there and be doing this?

SPEAKER_00 23:42

I'm gonna have I'm gonna have a completely different mindset this time. Yeah yeah I think I've I've I've matured a lot in in that regard um but I'm I'm not doing it for me.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

Right.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

Excuse me I'm not doing it for me but I I'm doing it um for these kids and I'm hoping that something something special can happen and um you know I just I just want a lot of people out there. I want a lot of people for the support and I want the energy and if if somehow I can do something special man it'll be so worth it.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:17

I I'm thinking about that and I'm wondering what it will feel like to have I mean you're gonna have a posse of locals that are going to be following you around and how what is that going to feel like it feels good you know to have the support from the local local community family friends and um hopefully a lot of junior golfers out there.

SPEAKER_02 24:36

Um will you be signing like autographs? Will people like so cool? Yeah oh my gosh that's really fun I I will definitely be a part of that and I'll try not to you know yelk get in the hole or anything stupid when you tee off.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

Well hey that's okay too you you're more than welcome to s say whatever you want and you know the louder the better. If I can start making pots and get the get the crowd going that's that's all worth it.

SPEAKER_02 25:02

Well it's it's gonna be fun I think for the whole community to be rooting you for you. It's just that's it's just gonna change the whole tournament and I think all of many of us go every year and it's it's fun to have a hometown boy doing it. Like it's gonna be really cool. So do you think that this opportunity feels different today and you kind of alluded to this but do you think it feels different today than it would have say 10 years ago?

SPEAKER_00 25:25

Yes. Yeah yeah I'm just in a much better better place now. Yeah mentally mentally physically and um I just feel good about my golf game. I feel good about my mind and knowing that you know I'm I'm not getting any any younger and my body definitely is not getting any younger and and so for Albertsons to be able to give me this opportunity is is I mean I'm incredibly grateful. I'm incredibly incredibly grateful for it.

SPEAKER_02 25:55

Yeah it is pretty cool. I I agree so let's go back to um the donating doning to the junior golf. So is there um if if you had not had some of the opportunities that you had, I mean are there are you able to equate it to like were there things that people did for you that help helped make it possible for you to play golf as a as a junior golfer and to get into this that you can like you just know those. Yeah you're definitely nodding yes to that. Oh yeah so so I imagine that you're thinking about those things and and the kids that are going to be receiving those things if you get an opportunity to donate some money.

SPEAKER_00 26:34

Yeah um I couldn't have been able to do it without the people in my life that helped me along the way and they know who they are.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

Yeah. Yeah. It it's uh it's such a tremendous thing when when people are willing to do it. And I always kind of wonder like why now that I'm a little bit older I understand but when I was younger I was kind of like I don't know why these people are supporting me like why I'm just a kid or whatever. But um but people see things in us sometimes. So obviously people saw things in you and they invested in you. And so have you do you have people that you that you also can see that see I'm imagining probably your own kids that you see opportunities that you're excited about and want to support them in.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

You know I have a knack for seeing talent and when you you said something about going back to the with my kids, my own kids like they they I see what they want to do and you know I try to give them the confidence to be able to do that. As far as as far as like golf goes and junior golf I'll be honest with you like I have been really bad about and that's and I feel guilty about it. I do I feel I I don't keep up with local junior golf. I don't and and I I wish I'm gonna start doing more and that's one of the reasons why I'm doing this um even even the Idaho Junior Golf Foundation like I've never even been to the banquet that they that they put on and I'm gonna start I'm gonna start going to those things you know um because it's important to me it's important to me now and maybe maybe back then I was I was a little bit selfish of my own time and who what I was doing. But I'm at a stage in my life where you know I I want to do those things now and I want to be able to help out and um I want to be able to give back.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

Yeah I if it helps you feel better. So you're you're 41, is that correct? Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:29

Almost 42.

SPEAKER_02 28:30

Okay. Well oh well now you're getting old well hey every year it makes a difference I'll tell you I I I'm so I'm 51 um and so I I've I've just got a I've got a decade on you. But I can tell you that I think that it's just in looking back at my own life and at lives of some of my friends, there is there's a a process through life obviously and there is something about turning 40 and getting in that rave age range where all of a sudden you do begin to flip things around. It's I think it's because we've lived long enough that we've begun to see it. When we're in the middle of living it as young people, we don't have time for that, you know we're we're trying to create our own magic if we can do it. Then once you've created a little bit of it, then you have the opportunity to give back and um so I love what you just said. I think that and I think your timing is perfect. I don't think there's anything not that I'm the end all be all on this but I think you're doing just great. I think you're right on time for for helping people and starting to do it right now. I think that's great. They say that the best time to do it is now, right? Whenever you can see I'm excited I'm excited to see to see the next chapter and and how this all goes for you. It's it's pretty exciting. Okay so let's let's talk about let's go back to professional golf because I think a lot of our listeners are probably like let's look at the crux of this here like what is it like to be a professional golfer? Like what is it like to be on the big stage and and golf for crying out loud like that there are so few people who get to do that.

SPEAKER_00 29:55

What what must that feel like that's a that's a deep question.

SPEAKER_02 30:00

It's uh it's overwhelming it's exciting very very exhilarating especially especially when you're playing well a lot of emotional lot of happiness a lot of a lot of feeling like it's a dream so I was gonna ask you what uh what do you think people don't like wouldn't know about professional golf unless you were in it and I wonder if some of those things you just said might be part of it.

SPEAKER_00 30:51

How strenuous the the travel is oh yeah I hated it. Okay interesting so describe that what what was the travel like uh well I I've been in Boise my entire life so I'd always have to travel to an international airport to be able to make it to my next destination so I spent a little more time in the air than than some people did. I'm a homebody. I like being home.

SPEAKER_02 31:20

Yeah I mean that's just that's just the way that's because Idaho's where you're from so of course you want to be home.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

Yeah love it here. Love it here. But like sleeping in my own bed even, you know, waking up and having my own breakfast and having a home cooked meal and um all that stuff you know it it it it all adds up and I did not like staying in hotels. I did not like eating out every night. It gets old quick.

SPEAKER_02 31:51

Yeah I can imagine I also think about uh because I watch a lot of golf being that my husband is a golfer as well and he loves to watch golf I wonder about what I'm experiencing when I'm watching a professional golfer golf versus what's happening in your body when you're actually doing it like do you think about how many thousands of people or hundreds of thousands of people are do you think about that at all or do you have to block it completely out?

SPEAKER_00 32:17

At first, yeah it took a little while to get used to when you have when you have a huge crowd or you know or even the fact when cameras are on you man there was this one time I was I was leading after two rounds at the Justin Timberlake event in on the PGA tour in Las Vegas and it was it was the final round um and I believe I was in the final group and I remember hitting my shot on this par three and work and and I'm not playing great there I I I was pretty much I think I was out of the tournament at this point um from winning anyway and I remember hitting this shot and I ran into the camera guy and believe it or not the camera guy lives here in Star Idaho. Oh wow yes I he like I I I don't know what happened. It was just we were both in the moment I guess and I hit my head on the camera and then I don't know I went in in like a daze and I remember touching my opponent's golf club to see or maybe it was be I hadn't hit the shot yet. I'm sorry I hadn't hit the shot the guy my playing opponent hit hit the shot and I wanted to see what he hit and so after my head hit the camera I was like dazed confused I went over and touched the club and you can't do that. That's like rules you cannot do that. And so I as I as I'm walking to the green I I tell my caddy I'm like hey I just touched this club like we need to talk to a rules official like this I'm pretty sure it's a penalty you know so I mean it was one of those things where I was like whoa you know it was out of out of body experience for sure. Um ended up being a two stroke penalty but you know the it's just one of those things it happens. Yeah anyway.

SPEAKER_02 34:07

Okay so there there are weird rules in golf are there are there other weird ones that are like that like I didn't know that you can't is that I'm I'm assuming it's just in professional like if I'm playing in a you know just a regular tournament that's just I mean would that apply if I touch somebody else's club?

SPEAKER_00 34:21

Is that like the rules of golf if you're in a tournament yeah yeah really okay yeah you're not supposed to touch anything of your playing opponent.

SPEAKER_02 34:29

Yeah I mean I don't ever do that but it's good to know that. Are there other weird rules like that that maybe people don't think about so many weird rules in golf yeah I always think it's funny when I'm watching on TV and they'll stop for some I'm like what are they like what's the big deal? What's just hit the ning ding button my husband will be like well here's the deal such and such has happened. Now he's got to you know decide if he's gonna hit it or if he's gonna drop it or whatever. So I'm always kind of trying to figure out the rules but yes there's a lot of there's a lot of weird ones.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

Yep yep and they're all they're constantly evolving too you know like for a long time you weren't able to fix spike marks on the greens but now you can.

SPEAKER_02 35:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 35:04

So you've got to stay up with some of the rules but at that level thank goodness you've got you know rules officials that you can call over and they can help you through the process and um kind of like kind of like what happened with Bryce and D Chambeau at the British Open, you know it was just kind of an unfortunate deal and um sometimes those things happen and and and sometimes they derail you and and sometimes you can move on from them but you know it's just just one of those things. So tell me about your caddy do you have a do you have a longtime caddy or do you have a you know can you tell me yeah tell me about I've had I so I yes I've I I've had a longtime caddy he's one of my best friends um but I've also had other caddies through throughout my career and um my best friend Eric he he's always been there for me he's always you know he knows my game better than anyone we play a lot of golf together he's from here um he's he's been very very very influential on on my career um a lot of my decisions in life um he's just he's just a good good dude yeah for somebody who doesn't know like I if you if you've watched golf and you see the caddy there or whatever maybe you don't fully recognize all that they're doing could you kind of give us a little glimpse into the like some of the things that the caddy might do that would help you. Sure. Sure yeah they have to be a psychologist they have to be a mathematician and no um what kind of well yeah I mean there's I'm not I I'm not really kidding but I'm kidding. Um he he's really good with numbers he's a financial guy so um he he's really good with numbers I the most important thing when you're playing as a player is like dealing with the next shot at hand right that's all your focus needs to be on and somebody I like to get my own numbers just so we can communicate and make sure that we have the right numbers as far as yardages and stuff. And that's part of my routine but as far as like a caddy like when we're in in the moment um he's he's walking he's carrying first of all he's carrying a heavy bag. Yeah you know I'm thank goodness I don't have to carry my bag because no thank you. But he he literally is is stepping off the artist we're talking about like where what kind of shot we're gonna hit where's the best place to hit it where we don't want to hit it in a matter of 30 40 seconds.

SPEAKER_02 37:37

Right.

SPEAKER_00 37:38

And so um it it's so important to have a good caddy on the bag that knows what's going on and and can keep you in the right frame of mind and also when things aren't going well to be that emotional support.

SPEAKER_02 37:53

Yeah. So is this caddy the one that will be with you? He is okay okay so is it fair to say then when you win that uh that your caddy will it will be a win for both of you? Absolutely yeah does it always feel that way like because you just can't do it without them.

SPEAKER_00 38:08

Yeah. Oh yeah it's a it's a partnership it's it's a team effort for sure.

SPEAKER_02 38:13

Um what is just playing a round of golf now like for you when it's when you're just playing around just you're not well you want me to be honest?

SPEAKER_00 38:20

Yeah I do I don't like just playing around of golf. Really? No I've got to have I've got to have something that's gonna get my juices going. Yeah I've got to have something maybe a little side bed you know I've got I've got to have something on the line.

SPEAKER_02 38:37

Interesting. Is that is it do you feel like you play better or is it just like what's the point if you're not um I feel like it gets me more in the right frame of mind. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 38:45

Yeah it's hard for me to go out and just you know get in a cart and go play some golf. If I'm practicing that's different because it's preparing me for something so I can get in that frame of mind. But if somebody asks hey you want to go play around of golf it's like uh I eat sure I'll do it you know but it's it's not my favorite thing.

SPEAKER_02 39:06

Yeah that you so that's the trick then if somebody wants you to they need to say here's the deal we're playing skins are high even if it's for like a soda candy bar or something.

SPEAKER_00 39:16

It's I mean it's just I guess I'm just competitive. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 39:18

I love it. I think that's fantastic. That's that's really good. Um okay so let's let's talk to the people who are listening who are like give me something here to improve my game. Let's start with is there an overrated tip that you hear about all the time that you're just like oh for crying out loud enough with that or something that you maybe the most ridiculous thing you've heard you're like what?

SPEAKER_00 39:39

Ooh man I don't know I don't know when it comes to the golf swing like I'm I'm I feel like I'm really good with like technique and everything but for the average player I'm probably not like the best coach. I'm pretty technical it's just the way my mind works and um I would say if you can learn how to sequence properly it makes a big difference.

SPEAKER_02 40:08

Okay. So so what do you mean by that?

SPEAKER_00 40:10

So kinematic sequence if you can if you it's kind of like throwing a ball if you if you can do it correctly from the ground up it it has a big impact on on the strike of of the ball and the direction.

SPEAKER_02 40:26

Yeah yeah so that's easy well no it's not no no that's the I that's the thing that I I think frustrates me the most is that I'll be like what happened to my body just then like I don't even know what I was doing. And it's and I don't feel like I've lost a part of myself but clearly I just took a big chunk out and the ball barely went forward.

SPEAKER_00 40:52

You know I decided Yeah I trust me I want to show everybody something there's a reason I don't have hair okay this game is extremely stressful. Um no but but honestly like it is that that's why it's so challenging it is so challenging day in and day out even shot per shot like you could have it one shot and the very next shot it it it could disappear and that's why that's why guys at the very top or or even you know that are having success in the game is it comes down to conditioning um it comes down to practice it comes down to the correct mindset because the reality and this is this is astonishing to be in the hall of fame of golf you only have to win three percent of your golf tournaments. Oh wow yeah wow I didn't know that that uh that was something that nobody knows yeah that's amazing so oh boy that's how hard this game is yeah yeah okay well let's uh let's let's just kind of get uh let's wax a little poetic here okay so there's a a kid in Caldwell who's kind of thinking that he he wants to and maybe it's not golf maybe it's something else but he's got the same kind of dreams that you had way back when what advice would you give that kid believe in yourself no matter what anybody says yeah that that's uh that's hard it it is and it's more more than just believing and and it all goes into believing but it's it's more like seeing it it's more about thinking it as often as you can again I think it would be fun to be inside your brain even just for just for a little while it'd be kind of cool.

SPEAKER_02 42:59

Okay so let me uh let me allow you a shameless plug here because you do have a day job so so you want to tell us a little bit about what you what else you're doing.

SPEAKER_00 43:08

Uh yeah so I'm actually in real estate I help people buy and sell homes um I've been doing it going this would be my eighth year um and I absolutely love it absolutely love it and I was ironically enough the guy that got me in golf in high school got me into real estate after I no kidding no kidding no kidding interesting wow that yeah I that there's so many fun side stories we were talking about it before we started here that my father in law had he obtained a putter that used to be yours that now my husband is using.

SPEAKER_02 43:44

So and it's like the you know it's the Tyler club like everything full circle. Exactly and I think you were like I didn't even realize that that was my club. Yeah so that's I is that kind of how it is with golf like do you like as far as your clubs are concerned like does is what happened What happens to your old clubs when you're done with them?

SPEAKER_00 44:02

Well, nowadays I used to hold on to them just because you know you kind of keep the ones that you've had success with or you know you really like, you kind of keep them stored in a special spot, and then the all the other ones you're just saying, ah. But nowadays, now that I'm retired and um I you know I don't play for a living anymore. Um I I honestly, anytime there's a new club that comes out, I'll go over to By World the Golf over here in Boise and trade them in and um get the newest and greatest thing.

SPEAKER_02 44:33

So I like to hear that. Yeah. So that yeah, that's that is fun, one of the fun parts of it, right?

SPEAKER_00 44:39

Yeah. Yeah, John, John over at Y World, he's he's he's a character and he's a great dude and takes takes great care of me. So anytime I've got you know something I want to trade in, I just just take it over there.

SPEAKER_02 44:50

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 44:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:52

Um, what is uh what is a lesson from golf that that everybody can learn from?

SPEAKER_00 45:06

Enjoy the process. Um maybe more than that. Um it's something it's something that you can do the rest of your life. One of the one of the things that I wish I would have done better, and and actually getting getting into real estate has helped me a lot with this. Um I noticed when I was playing that I really was rooting on the people in my group. You know, I wanted them to play well. Because if they play well, you're probably gonna play well. It's just you feed off each other, right? Um I think if we can if we can learn to care for one another while we're out on the golf course, we can do it in life.

SPEAKER_02 45:58

What a great message. You're you're just this extraordinary human being. You're it's fun to watch you. It's it's sort of surreal to have this hometown boy who's so good. And I think we all uh you know we all like lay claim to you, right? Sure.

SPEAKER_00 46:16

We're all just so proud of you. I appreciate it. I do, I really do, and be able to have the support from everyone over the years. Um, I couldn't be more thankful and grateful. And um I'm just happy to be in Idahoan.

SPEAKER_02 46:31

Yeah. I feel yeah. So let's uh let's let's get the details out. Do you do you have the dates of when you're gonna be playing?

SPEAKER_00 46:39

Yes, August 13th through the 16th. Okay, and I'm hoping that I will be holding that trophy.

SPEAKER_02 46:45

Yeah. I think it's as as good as done. If you just ask, if you ask me.

SPEAKER_00 46:49

It's gonna be tough. Honestly, like there's there's some really good young players. Um, and that's what you want though. You want to be competing against those guys because if you can beat those guys, then hey, you you're doing something good, you know?

SPEAKER_02 47:02

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 47:03

Um I don't know what time I'm teeing off, Thursday or Friday yet. That comes out Tuesday of tournament week. Um, I will definitely be posting on social media the the tea times. I've had a lot of requests as far as you know what time I'm gonna be going, and I just I don't have an answer yet.

SPEAKER_02 47:20

So you're so what what is your was it an Instagram? What what account would people be following if they wanted to follow?

SPEAKER_00 47:26

Um Tyler Aldridge uh is my Instagram account and Facebook Tyler Aldridge.

SPEAKER_02 47:31

So okay, cool. Cool. So people can check it out and then get your tickets and and come come live, come follow us around.

SPEAKER_00 47:38

Yes, Thursday, Thursday, and Nelly, Nelly, and I mean my age, like I love Nelly. I'm sorry, but I absolutely love Nelly. And then you've got you've got Hardy and Counting Crows, and I know those are sold out. Maybe there'd be a way we can get some more tickets. I don't know. I've got to work with Alversons a little bit. Hopefully we can work something out. But I know it's gonna be a special week and um Thursday, we it's not sold out yet. So we gotta we gotta get some more people out Thursday.

SPEAKER_02 48:04

All right, all right, very good. Well, thank you. Thank you for being on this podcast with me. But mostly thank you for being this wonderful representative of our state, uh, for being uh somebody that all these kids can look up to, that other humans can look up to. And uh and you know what? Break a leg, make it happen. We're we're we're all rooting for you.

SPEAKER_00 48:25

Thank you. Yeah, yeah, I appreciate you having me, and this is this is pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 48:30

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