Jim Herman Interview

The reason why want to save for another time.

We are now be enjoined by the champion of the Wyndham championship Jim Herman yesterday getting his third career PGA Tour win right in our backyard.

It's Edgefield country club. He's joining us from Boston and what I'm sure is been a whirlwind of 48 hours or so, or really probably 24 hours. At about this time yesterday you were winning the Wyndham championship.

Jim did you I'm disinterested. Be honest. Did you have any plans for this week that you had the change.

Yeah I had a railcar my rental car this weekend. Greens were always driving home from R&R yesterday night and Sunday night so I was driving home. Got halfway and then finish up on Monday morning and be home. No new theme kids get home from school, so that was the plan and that obviously changed so other than that noted the Nando's to get my you know little brief off-season, three weeks offer so you get some work in charter figure out my golf game and get it ready for the start of the season so definitely a little bit of a change. When did you have a ceiling that you could win this tournament because on Friday you were fighting just to make the cut. Friday was up and down.

I really played well.

I just had some I guess I'll get a little aggressive with some of the pots because I knew I needed to know, make some birdies and that I had made some bogies and like the finish out make the cut. I was in inside the number by a couple and you got me off first on on Saturday morning. Perfect green. The weather held off. It was almost like unreal that we got in 18 holes on Saturday with no weather.

I guess Saturday at some point I got the lead and I knew I wasn't going to be the leader at the end of the day, but I think that at that point, you know, whenever you get the lead on the weekend.

I think you feel like you're in the mix. But you know I posted that 61.

Deftly, I knew I had it was good to be in the mix.

I knew I wasn't going to have the lead, but you wanted to back or you know ended up being four back to grade as well on on Saturday but you are going to bed Saturday night. I knew I had to get out to good start to do. You know, just to be in the mix. You can't know be even parts or five or six when you start four back in the to be in contention. It's Wyndham champion Jim Herman with the seer on sports of dryad.

I want to talk about 18. Did you really have no idea how close you got it to the pin on the approach shot out.

I had zero idea I'd note no idea. Could the sun was was just right. My eyes. I had a five iron. I couldn't see where I knew the direction it was all but I couldn't see where it landed. You know I was just open it you know it hadn't gone along the knife. It was five or six iron coming in. You know is I wanted to choke on the five a little bit I wanted to get it back there and I knew six was going to be really difficult to to release Gesell got to hit it too hard and I think it was just, you know, come on, on the front of the green and left myself a really long to put opportunity so well with the five and I hit it exactly how I wanted and I still I could not tell. I put my hands on my hips like I like I can't see you have no idea walking up. I still have no idea if I got up there and I saw behind the hole, so that was pretty pretty cool to see it get there. That close was a dramatic finish for sure it came down to the final plat really were sold there on the 18th television didn't do you much of a favor when they had the shots of you in the water bottle and you eventually caught yourself you started waving at the camera a bit but when horse Hill is standing there at the point what is going through your mind what you remember Mandy this you have the water. I know the cameras on me. You know in scoring on my got, you know, just to get some drinks and then I did the TV dinner and then they keep showing me another hour and then I look over the TV cameras right there and then you know I thought I just put the water bottle down and get that put the cap back on her later on there and took a drink with that. That's been thought had gotten plenty of jokes about that.

You don't know how you're going to act you. I have you been in the last group the last two times I want so I was in the mix right there. I knew exactly what was going on for him to finish a little the group ahead, you display in the waiting game. A new I was going to win if I made that pot on 18 because I knew Billy was in the fairway, one behind and go up to. I was going to win that going to win. Then I thought it made the plot and then once Billy hit his approach is great approach shot to the same spot I like you know it is you playoff. I think you can make this all just getting ready for that, you know, you never know.

You still gotta make the pot obviously but I was deftly just, getting ready for April playoff and then when he missed, just like wow that just happened in the you know I want Jim Herman with the seer. He is the Wyndham champion from yesterday. Getting sent to the playoffs this week taken the biggest jump in the history of the FedEx cup standings doing some homework on you, Jim.

I'm interested in the angle with you and your relationship with the president of the United States Donald Trump.

I've even read you've gone as far to give them credit for fueling your professional career. How accurate is that statement for sure. You know I was playing many chores and you know going to PGA Tour Q school four years five years and I couldn't couldn't get through. Couldn't get through the tour. This second stage every year. Very very depressing. You know, choking away, you know, when you don't get through.

You don't have any status and that's that all after about four years of that icon I gave up on the many chores and things and I got a call professional business as an assistant professional of the PGA golf club in the Port St. Lucie, Florida for two seasons to two years and the got an opportunity to take sis's position in New Jersey. My college roommate was working for Mickey Gallagher and he took the job at Trump national Bedminster and he recommended me to be an assistant. After he was going to be the assistant and he had taken another position with Titleist recommended me to come up. You know how I was want to be a golf professional and you gotta be in that New Jersey new New York Mets section United. I think to learn from the best. You know there's a lot more planning opportunities in the section up there for assistance, and so took a job out there were two seasons in the my first interaction with the just Donald Trump at the time I made a really good impression on my played really well you know shot the mid 60s. I'm sure I don't room an exact score, but I really impressed them and we you know. From then on he is all about first impressions in the email I impression right away and you know I'll be around me was always you know give me positive positive ideas and that you know you're really getting a really good you got it. You gotta make it onto your site, play with tour players and you know your you can do it and then I went to school again and that fall and I missed out, but then another year of working at the club and you know we just played out.

Played a lot of golf and just was very positive influence. He unites all a lot in my game in the and I made it through. Finally that that year in 2000 798 school you probably got web web.com at the time your nationwide tour. Now the Korn ferry to status out there and I've been playing professionally ever since I won three years later. I'm not sure to get my way under the PGA Tour in 2000 1100 and plan ever since then ill with my third win so pretty amazing. Pretty amazing little timeline and there so many stories you guys and that's my story and I think it's pretty cool. Have you heard from the president in the last 24 hours, just text through that had professional like Trump national and you just wish along as well wishes for Sunday and then got a tweet from himself.

Know exactly yeah that's always nice Jim Herman with this year the Wyndham champion before let's go during a pandemic. How do you celebrate a PGA Tour win your family. You FaceTime your mom in a FaceTime your in-laws at that. You know that's all you can do send.

Gotta loading the text messages and emails I got a return so you know it's it's not it's not like it was in the things will be hopefully back to normal next year sometime or sooner sooner than later, but you know were just very fortunate we are able to get back out in an playing entertainment and give the people something to watch were very fortunate with that lot of testing on here testing out. There's a lot going on with that but the you know you still you still celebrate just a little different.

Congratulations Jim, thanks for spending the time in the triad today.

Just a really tremendous story and a terrific when we look forward to seeing you next year yeah can't wait to come back.

Thank God they don't that's Jim Herman he's the champion of the Wyndham championship with that terrific final-round and barely making the cut on Friday just outstanding play throughout the final-round great drama at the Wyndham championship. I didn't see that he got a treat Trump tweet must've missed that earlier today I'd like to think anytime he talks about sports. It's going to appear on my radar. Especially if he's talking about you know somebody winning the Wyndham championship, but I don't think I saw the tweet but yeah it is neat relationship that he had there apparently based on what I've read as well. Jim Herman played with the president three weeks ago and he went further to say that he's a bit of a luck charm. Most times when he plays without the president it results in just a month or so later. Him getting a PGA Tour win. I do see that he retweeted something here we go great going Jim proud of you. So I don't follow politics as closely as I should