Fresno State All-Mountain West Golfer Matthew Sutherland joins CK

Fresno State athlete Matthew Sutherland joins CK ahead of the Nick Watney Invitational

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
You know, we're gonna talk alittle golf today, talking golf with Fresno
State golfer Matthew Sutherland. Man,he has been on fire and he's joining
us right now. Ck on sports. How you doing. I'm good,
I'm good. I'm good. Firstof all, congratulations on the second place
finish at the Maui Gym. Imean that was unbelievable right there. Yeah,
we played really well. Yeah,it was cool looking at you score.
I see a couple of sixty sevensand I can't find the other round

(00:23):
I shot. Yeah, I shottwo sixty sevens and a sixty four.
Good lord. Yeah, the golffirst is playing pretty score ball. Look
at you on fire. Yeah,All Mountain West golfer, All American scholar
athlete, Matthew Sutherland. You hada heck of a summer. I was
looking at some of the things thatyou did this summer. You won the

(00:45):
amateur tournament at the California State Fairevent that took place. Then on top
of that, you went to theround of sixteen at the US Amateur.
Talk about your summer. Yeah,and the summer was great. I mean
it was really fun. I gota travel around to a bunch of tournaments
with my younger brother to caddy,and then yeah, play some good golf,

(01:06):
especially towards the end of my summer. I kind of was in a
bit of a dry spell in thein the middle, and then kept pushing
through and then finally got on alittle role with some good golf at the
end of summer, which was reallyfun. And obviously, yeah, played
played well in a few local eventsand then finished, you know, round
to sixteen and US Amateur, whichwas an amazing, super fun. Yeah,

(01:26):
definitely an amazing accomplishment. You know, I was looking at some of
your accolades. You know, mostpeople think, you know what, I
want to go to Bandon, havea good time, hang out with my
friends, it's a dream golf trip. But for you, you took second
Abandon. Yeah. Yeah, thatwas one of my best college finishes.
Yeah, that was really fun.I love going up there and playing.

(01:48):
It's it's a different kind of golfup there, and yeah, even though
it is a tournament, it doesstill feel like a vacation. Could feel
pretty amazing, but yeah, Imean it was. Yeah, there's that's
a pretty awesome spot. So we'retalking to Fresno State Golfer and Matthew Sutherland.
Right now, we're getting ready forthe Nick Watney Invitational that's going to
be taking place this upcoming Monday andTuesday. Tell everyone about the event that

(02:08):
Nick Wattney. I think it's goingto be taking place at Fort Washington.
Yeah, it's gonna be at FortWashington next Monday and Tuesday. We got
thirty six holes on Monday and eighteenholes on Tuesday, and the Dogs are
looking to bring home a trophy.I think we're probably the best team in
the field, and we should.We should we you know, we were

(02:30):
We're ready for the for the challenge, and we're ready to defend our home
tournaments. How do you play outthere at Fort Yeah, so, I
mean typically out at Fort we tryto play really aggressively, make a lot
of birdies. The course is prettyscoreable, but I think I think one
of the one of the advantages thatwe have playing it so frequently is that

(02:50):
we have a really good game planout there where we know where to get
where to be aggressive, we knowwhere to be a little bit more conservative.
We know, you know, particularlines off the tea and yeah,
I mean, I mean we gotsuch a good team this year we can
execute at such a high level.I think for us, it's just about
going out there and committing to ourgame plan and playing fifty four holes of
good, committed golf, that sortof thing. I think if we do

(03:10):
that, there's a there's not awhole lot of reasons why we should lose.
You know, it's crazy hearing youtalk about how to approach Fort Washington,
and like, someone like me who'svery casual, have friends that go
out there and play quite often.We were super stoked when we had a
buddy that went birdie, birdie,hole in one, eagle in the last
four holes at Fort Washington. Heshot a seventy and you're like, yeah,

(03:34):
we're gonna play it aggressively. We'regonna do this. You'll probably bust
out like a sixty six. Yeah, hopefully that's the that's the goal.
That's pretty amazing finish though. Nonetheless, no, yeah, no, it
was awesome. I was like unreal. I was like, are you kidding
me? Birdie, birdie, holein one and then eagle. Okay,
okay, So let's talk about justgolf in general, because I'm curious to

(03:59):
get your thoughts about the world ofgolf. What's happening live PGA Tour.
I mean, you have Uncle Tree, you have Piet, you have Chakata
who actually just said, you knowwhat, We're gonna go play for live.
We're gonna take this money straight outof college. What are your thoughts
about live and what are your thoughtsabout the PGA Tour. And one thing
that I've always said is I believethe PGA Tour and golf in general needs

(04:23):
to start contracting players. But giveme your breakdown. Yeah, I mean,
it's it's a it's a really it'sa really interesting time in professional golf
right now. I've always kind ofbeen more on the side of the PGA
Tour just you know, I havetwo family members that played on PGA Tour
and so they've kind of made theirliving playing for that company. Yeah,

(04:45):
and playing for them. But Ido but I absolutely, I think,
first and foremost, I don't faultany of the guys who did take them,
like, did take a live moneyand go and play live golf,
Because it's really hard to make aliving playing professional golf. You can an
optunity to do that to change yourlife and you know, change your family's
life and go and and and youknow, play on this other tour.

(05:05):
I don't think there's anything wrong withthat. In terms of the business model
for live golf comparatively to the PJATour, I don't necessarily think that live
golf is better for the game ofgolf. Okay that I think that the
PJ Tour. The fact that there'snothing earned, like you have to earn
everything out there where there's no there'sno guaranteed contract, I think that leads

(05:26):
to better performances. I think itleads to opportunities for more guys to compete.
It's a little bit quicker turnover,guys don't just get complacent and comfortable,
and so therefore better golf is playedin my opinion. But I mean,
overall, I think it is.I mean, I think in the
long term, I think it's goodthat there's a little bit of competition because
I think that there's areas that thePJA Tour can improve. And now and

(05:51):
now with the whole merger, Idon't exactly know how that's all going to.
Yeah, it's just very interesting tome because when I look at the
world of college golf and then younggolfers in general, for so many years,
it was always a struggle because youjust come out of college and then
now you got to get your card. Oh and by the way, you
have a caddy that you have totake care of. And so many dreams

(06:15):
were crushed before they were able tolive it out where now follow me on
this. If you were a rookieout of high school or college that went
to the NBA or out of collegeand went to the NFL, you had
a bit of a cushion. Youhad some flexibility to kind of learn your
way, understand the game, learnhow to be a professional, but not
have to worry about the finances ofit. So when I look at Piet

(06:39):
and I look at Ogletree, andI look at Chakara, I think to
myself, that's one thing that hasbeen taken away from them, that stress
of where is their money gonna comefrom. I don't know how it's gonna
play out in the long run,but I just think that there may be
something to that. No, absolutely, I think that's one of the biggest
challenges is and kind of it's oneof the biggest hurdles that you have to

(07:02):
get get through, is just thefinancial struggle of playing, you know,
mini tour golf right out of college. And I got a lot of buddies
right now that are just get pennypension right on the on the smaller tours,
and it's really freaking hard. It'snot easy, Like you're living you're
living at your mama's house, eatinghome cooked meals. I mean, and

(07:23):
and you're you're older. You're lookingat all your buddies who are getting normal
jobs, like it's hard. Butand so yeah, I don't fault guys
going out of college, like Ithink. I think with the career that
I've had in college golf, ifI had an opportunity to get a check
and go play my first couple ofyears, I think it'd be hard to
say no. But I do thinkthat in the long run, I think

(07:43):
you're better off staying on the PJTour just for your own golf, right,
I agree, at least for mepersonally, right, Like, you
know, I if I wanted tomake money, I would go sell real
estate, you know, I wouldgo. If I was playing golf to
make money, I would do that. But I'm playing golf because I want
to compete against the best players,and I want to play the best golf
that I can. And I thinkI will do that on a PGA tour,

(08:05):
right, not necessarily on their golfthat. Yeah, I love that.
I'm curious to know someone like you. You've played in a lot of
great courses. People like me,we're like we have bucket list courses that
we would hope to play on oneday, maybe like Bethpage Black. I'm
curious to know what is a bucketlist course for you. I mean it's

(08:28):
hard not to have. I mean, I've been lucky enough to play Pubble
Beach and that's absolutely a bucket listcourse, right, Yeah, I'd love
I'd love to play it again,but I think I think top of the
list now it's just a guess ormaybe Pine Valley Country Club and yeah,
see if you like. And youknow, I haven't played Cypress Hill yet.
I really would like to play that, but I think, I mean,

(08:48):
yeah, those are probably my threetop courses, right, their most
exclusive and hardest to get on.Yeah, I think hopefully, hopefully I'll
be playing them in tournaments or somethinglike that. Yeah, I had a
button that was able to play Augustathe day after the Masters. He does
media, He works for the GolfDigest, and he's like dude ck you
won't believe this. I go whathe said. I was selected to be

(09:11):
a media golfer the day after theMasters at Augusta. I'm like, you
have to be kidding me. He'slike no, And sure enough went out
there, played, had a greattime, reported back on the show and
told us all about it. Iwas a little bit jealous. I'm not
gonna lie. Yeah, what adeal, all right? So looking at
what you guys have coming up,excited for the Nick Watnea Invitational that's gonna

(09:35):
be taking place at Fort Washington onceagain. That's gonna be happening on Monday
and Tuesday. I like your team. I like what you guys have going
on. You're gonna be taking tripsto San Diego, to Hawaii. You're
gonna play Omni Tucson National twice thisyear. I'm gonna play it in the
tournament with Arizona, and then you'realso gonna be playing there for the Mountain
West Championships. How often do youget out there to Omni Tucson. Well,

(10:00):
I played it now. I thinkI've played two mount West Conference championships
there, so that'll be my thirdand fourth time playing there. And then
yeah, guys on the team haveall played it. Pretty much everyone on
the team except for our freshman RyanFrupo, has played it. So yeah,
we got some experience in Tucson,so I open we can we can
carry that on to some good performances. I love that. Before we let
you go, we're talking to MatthewSutherland again, Nick Watney Invitational Fort Washington

(10:26):
on Monday and Tuesday. Get outthere, support the dogs. Why don't
you show some love to some ofyour teammates real quick and just talk him
up. Yeah, come on out, red wave. We got we got.
Do you want me to just shoutout a few of them, Yeah,
go ahead, man, let themknow how talk about the ballers.
Come on, man, people don'tlook at golf the way that they need
to look at golf. You guysgot killers on the team, Yeah we

(10:46):
do. We got I mean,this is by far the best team that
I've been a part of. I'mreally excited. You know, we got
we got myself and then Matthew macconella, who are both fifth years coming off.
We Mango had a great season lastyear, two wins, absolute kill
locked in twenty four seven, readyto dominate. We got Joe Lloyd you
just shot eighteen under a tournament recordweek down in. Yeah, really impressive.

(11:09):
So he's playing some good golf rightnow. We got a few grinders.
We got jig Bettencourt, Andrew Lee, our freshman Ryan Furpo. That's
right, Andrew Lee, Clovis North. Yeah, he's a Clovis boy.
He's ready, he's he lives rightdown the street from a fort that's right,
let's go. Yeah. Absolutely,And then and then we got we
got we got a welse, wegot we got a we got Jaden who's

(11:33):
who's San Diego Katie can perform whiledown there. And then we got a
freshman, Ryan Furpo is probably thebest freshman I've seen on this team in
a long time. I think that'spraise right there, that's praise. Yeah,
yep. Now are you saying thatbecause he's a nine one six guy
like yourself? You're saying that becausehe's a nine one six guy, aren't

(11:54):
you. I think the nine onesix is are pretty dominant. I think
we've got We've had some good playerson the team coming out of Sacramento,
which is good. Yeah, Imean we got a hell of a team
this year. I think we're gooddamage and I'm really excited. I'm I'm
looking forward to it. Well,I'm excited for the season again. Great
start at the Maui Gym. Can'twait to see what you guys do with
the Nick Wakney Invitational. I believeyou guys are gonna come home with that.

(12:18):
W would definitely love to get outthere and check you guys out Monday
and Tuesday. Get out there,support this amazing Fresno State golf team.
And like we always say, Matthew, go dogs, let's go there,
you go, Matthew Sutherland right there. Cek on Sports Fox Sports Radio talking
a little Fresno State golf to kickoff the show.