[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.
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 fuck?
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 fuck 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 shit.
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, "Fuck 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 war 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 12 months of my life
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 ♪
♪ 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 shit, 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 shit 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 shit 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 shit, 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.
Dick 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 fucking sooner or later.
Fuck.
[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.
Fuck 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]