[Gary] It was like bumper-to-bumper traffic, middle of the autobahn,
and I said to the driver, "Mein freund,
my son is playing in the ReadySafe Invitational,
and you are getting me on that airplane."
- [laughs] That's crazy. - [laughs] Yeah.
Wait, okay. Um, so how-how long have you been in Germany?
Little over a year. Yeah.
Oh, you'd love it, buddy.
There's these old castles everywhere, and all this history. It's so cool.
Maybe next summer, you come visit, huh?
- You too, Zero. I'd be happy to host ya. - Oh.
Thank you. [chuckles]
You're very generous.
- Mom, Mami. - [Gary] No. Santi, it's okay.
I know my being here is, uh, a bit of a shock.
[sighs] Look,
I'm sorry I was away for so long, okay? That was never my intention.
- It's okay. - No, Santi, it's not okay.
I should've been there.
Yeah. But seeing you play again? Oh, man.
[sighs] I can't tell you how proud I am.
[inhales deeply, chuckles, sighs]
- I've been following on Instagram. - [Santi laughs]
S-Seeing... Seeing those posts, it made me feel like part of the family.
[clears throat]
Anyway, I-I-I just... I just came to wish you luck.
- And to say thank you, Elena... - Yeah.
...for getting Santi back in the game.
Yeah.
I love you, buddy.
- Wait, where are you going? - I'm gonna head back to the hotel.
I'm gonna watch from there. I don't want to be a distraction.
Dad, you're not a distraction. There's literally 25,000 people here.
- No. [mumbles] - I mean...
Pryce, you-you can get him a pass, right?
Right?
["Back Back Back" (FDVM Bootleg) playing]
- [Pryce] There you go. - [Manny] There you go.
Thanks, Manny.
Yeah, so we're even now, right?
- Close. - What do you mean, "close"?
I mean, come on. You called me at 4 a.m. on a Sunday.
- Yeah-- - We're almost there.
Pryce, come on, man. It's... It's not for life.
[sighs]
[spectators chattering]
Gary, here you go. All access.
- Oh. Wow. Thanks, Pryce. [chuckles] - Sure.
♪ Cecilia, you're breaking my heart ♪
- ♪ You're shaking my confidence daily ♪ - [chuckles]
Do you have groupies?
- Go, go, go, go. Sign some autographs. - [fans cheering]
- We love you, Santi. - [exclaims]
- Let them meet golf's next big thing. - Uh, I...
- [chuckles] Hi. - [Zero chuckles]
- [Zero] Come on. Be cool. - [laughs]
[Pryce sighs]
He's really excited to see you.
Yeah.
It's a big day and I know we haven't gotten a chance to talk.
- I just wanna make sure it's not awkward. - Right.
- Pryce, l-let me stop you right there. - Me--
You're his coach. I am not gonna get in the way.
Seriously.
All I want is a chance to be there for my son.
- And thanks for this. - You bet.
You gotta make him leave, Mitts. He doesn't belong here.
I don't know what I can do. I-I think it's Santi's call.
Pryce?
I mean, I agree with Mitts. I don't think there's anything to be done.
- Just, you know, help him stay focused. - [Elena] Mm-hmm.
He'll be all right.
Okay. Yeah.
- [Mitts clears throat] - Yeah.
Santi, you ready? Let's go, Elvis.
Time to hit the driving range.
[theme song playing]
[Jim] Well, this is it, folks. The final round of the ReadySafe Invitational.
Hello, friends. Jim Nantz, along with Trevor Immelman, the Masters champion.
It has been a terrific week of golf, Jim,
and no one, I mean no one, has played better than Collin Morikawa,
- the two-time major champion. - [spectators cheering]
[Jim] And as brilliant as Morikawa has been,
there's another story we're watching.
And that is Santi Wheeler,
a 17-year-old amateur who has defied the odds this week,
and has made his way to the final group.
What is it?
It's just a golf course.
Good. Now go get it.
[spectators cheering]
[chuckles]
[announcer] Now on the tee, from La Cañada, California,
Collin Morikawa.
[spectators cheering]
- [ball whooshes] - [spectators cheering]
[Jim] Whoa, that's a great start from Morikawa.
318 yards down the heart of this dogleg left.
[Trevor] And this is where the real test comes for Wheeler.
When you emerge from the shadows and the crowd is there for you,
can you meet the moment?
[announcer] And now on the tee, from Fort Wayne, Indiana,
Santiago Wheeler.
- [spectators cheering] - Whoo!
- [chuckles] - [shouts in Spanish]
Here we go, Santi.
[breathes shakily]
- [spectators gasp, cheering] - [Jim] It looks like the moment's met.
That is a mammoth drive by Santi Wheeler.
All day.
You know, don't be afraid to turn those hips a little faster,
- 'cause you'll get some more distance. - [chuckles]
["Sabotage" playing]
Come on!
[no audible dialogue]
[spectators cheering]
[music continues]
[music ends]
[Jim] Trevor, we got a big chip here.
If Wheeler puts this close, he moves to eight under par
and within one shot of Morikawa.
[Trevor] Yeah, it's a tough spot, though, Jim.
These are the kinds of shots
that can make or break you at this point in the tournament.
[spectators gasping]
- Go. - [spectator 1] Go, baby!
- [spectator 2] Hit that hole! - [gasps]
[spectator 3] Go, go, go, go.
[all groan]
Oof, ay.
- Yes! - [Trevor] Oh, my!
Santi Wheeler's chipped in for eagle.
For only the eighth time in PGA Tour history,
an amateur has taken a share of the lead in the final round.
- Come on, Dad! - All day!
- [Santi] Come on, Dad! Come on! - [Gary] Unbelievable.
- Bam, bam, boom. - [chuckles] Come on!
[thunder rumbling]
[Jim] Uh-oh. That's lightning, folks.
And it looks like we're headed for a thunderstorm delay
at the ReadySafe Invitational with our leaders tied at nine under par.
- Hey. - Hey.
Looks like that storm rolled right past us.
Official said we'll be out there soon.
- Okay. Yeah. - You good?
Hey, hey. Thought you might be hungry.
Yeah, yeah, good idea. Get something to eat.
[inhales sharply] Um, I'll be by the bag.
Turkey okay?
- [Santi] Yeah. It's great. - [grunts]
[both chuckle]
I mean, would you look at that?
Santi Wheeler tied for the lead of the damn ReadySafe Invitational?
[laughs] There's still eight holes to go.
If those eight are anything like the first ten,
you'll be leaving here with your tour card. [laughs]
- [chuckles] - Oh.
God, you remember the Allen County Juniors?
Ah, maybe. I don't know. All those tournaments are kind of a blur.
You had a ten-stroke lead heading to 18. Ten.
Hell, half the field had already quit, it was so damn hot.
Not you. You didn't care. You just kept on going.
That was the day that I knew that you could play this game at the highest level.
Right? So I'm gonna tell you right now what I told you back then.
You can do this, Santi.
You really think I can win?
There's not a doubt in my mind.
- [chuckles] - [chuckles]
[exhales sharply]
I'm sorry I left, buddy.
It had nothing to do with you.
I was struggling. I-I was... [breathes deeply]
I had to go get my head straight. If I was gonna be any good for you.
A-And your mom.
And then...
[sighs] I didn't know how to come back.
You know, my-my biggest regret is that I can't be out there with you.
You know, walking that course together. Father and son.
Like we always talked about.
[chuckles]
- [sighs] - [chuckles]
I just send it, like,
- 60 yards past the green-- - Pryce.
There he is. You good?
Uh, y-yeah. I, uh... Could I talk to you alone for a second?
Yeah. What's going on?
Uh, nothing. I, uh... [chuckles] I, uh...
I mean, it's not a big deal, but I...
I think I'd like my dad to caddy for the rest of the round.
Whoa.
Uh, now?
[stammers] He caddied for me all the Juniors, my-my whole life, really,
and... [chuckles] ...just-just feels weird to finish this without him.
No, I can imagine. I...
I just wonder, if you're playing some of the best golf of your life,
if it makes sense to, you know, change caddies in the middle of a round.
Well, he's not j-just a caddy, you know?
- He's... He's my dad... - I know.
...and he literally taught me how to play the game.
I get it. I...
I just worry about doing anything that's gonna rock the boat
and, you know, mess with your head or--
You taught me.
You taught me how to keep my head straight.
Remember, "block out the noise."
You sure this is what you want to do?
This is what I want to do.
Okay. It's your call.
[Santi] Wait, hey. Yo...
I'm sorry, you know? Are-Are you... You okay?
Yeah, I'm good. Hey, don't worry about me.
I just want you to keep playing great, which you're going to do.
Block out the noise. You got this.
Okay.
[sighs]
Folks, we are back after an hour delay.
And, Trev, what's the key, coming out of a break like this,
to being ready to go back to competition?
Consistency and routine.
You know you're playing great.
You just gotta remind yourself to keep doing
what you've been doing the past ten holes.
- Bravo! - [spectators cheering]
- [Jim] Now, this is unprecedented. - Non puede ser.
[Jim] It appears Santi Wheeler has replaced his caddy.
- Santi? Santi? - [Jim] Pryce Cahill,
who drew headlines all week after 15 years away from the PGA Tour,
- is now off the bag. - [whispers] Mijito. What's going on?
- No, it's fine. [chuckles] - No, no, no. Don't tell me it's fine.
What are you doing? Where's Pryce?
Santi? You're up.
Trust me.
No-- [sighs]
Let it rip, kid.
[spectators gasp, cheering]
[spectator] Yeah.
All day, baby. All day.
All day.
[Jim] Over to 14, where Santi Wheeler has found the fairway,
and this could be a disaster for Morikawa.
If he can't find the ball, stroke and distance hitting three off the tee.
[Trevor] And with Wheeler lurking, that is the last thing he wants right now.
- What are you doing? - Uh,
Pryce told me to hit nine here, so I could lay it up short of the water.
Buddy, Morikawa's in the shit. Now is our time to strike.
It's four iron all day.
Come on.
[sighs]
Ah, that's not good.
Wha... What is it?
Well, Santi's supposed to lay up here, and... and Gary's got him going for broke.
Oh, shit. That might not clear the water.
- Oh, God. - Come on. Come on. Get there.
[spectators cheering]
[Trevor] He landed that 20 feet from the pin.
Jim, we could be looking at a two-shot swing.
[Jim] This kid is not to be believed.
Santi Wheeler, when the book is written about him,
that may be the shot they're gonna remember.
That kid is incredible.
I mean, he literally came out of nowhere.
He sure did.
Nice birdie. You're on fire, bud.
Oh. Thanks, Collin.
[exhales deeply]
Talk to me. Where's your head?
[sighs] Just trying to stay chill.
Chill.
You're leading the goddamn tournament, son. Kill the ball.
[spectators groan]
Fore left! Fore left!
[Jim] Oh, my goodness. It had to happen eventually.
- That is a huge mistake by Wheeler. - [sighs]
[speaks Spanish]
[sighs]
What was that?
- [stammers] - You gotta dial this thing in, man.
You cannot give this guy an opening.
All right? Bring it in.
- [whispers indistinctly] - [Elena sighs]
This is how it starts.
What's he saying to him?
[Elena] Nothing good.
[scoffs]
[Jim] Oh, this is not good.
Things have gone from bad to worse here for Santi Wheeler.
The ball is in a terrible spot.
[Trevor] It seems like Santi and his caddy are having some tense discussions
over the best way out of this mess he's gotten himself into.
Doesn't look like they're on the same page.
[Jim] Wheeler going for the risky shot here.
[Trevor] Oh, no. Why wouldn't he play safe and punch out?
[spectators groaning]
[Gary sighs]
Sorry. We... [sighs]
I don't need an apology. I need you to fucking think.
[chuckling] Seriously.
Think before you swing.
I mean, come on, how many times have we been over this, bud?
[sighs] I knew it.
[Mitts] Fuck this.
You gotta keep your head in this game.
Okay, let's go! Come on.
Let's get a move on.
[Jim] After a disastrous 15th,
Wheeler now finds himself trying to salvage bogey
here on the par-3 16.
[Mitts] You were right.
You don't say that very often.
It's not true very often.
What was I right about?
Santi.
When you met him, you told me he was a special kid
and you could help him.
And right now, he needs you to help him.
Well, what do you want me to do? He told me to walk, Mitts.
Okay? He's the golfer, I'm the caddy. It's his decision.
I'm not talking about the golfer.
I'm talking about the kid.
[spectators groaning]
[Jim] Sixty-eight holes of pure genius
and then the wheels just coming off for Santi Wheeler.
The young man simply plummeting down the leaderboard now.
This poor kid, let's remember,
17 years old, now struggling with his game,
fighting with his caddy.
Trev, is there a lonelier place on Earth right now?
[Trevor] Yeah, this is tough to watch.
He was right there.
'Cause I'm not just a gardener. I'm an artist.
I take the course in my hands and I mold it. I sculpt it.
Need your help, Manny.
Kinda in the middle of something, Pryce.
I know, I'm sorry. I don't mean to interrupt.
- What? - You can give your artist speech later.
This won't take long.
[Gary] Hey.
Just put the ball in the fairway.
All right? We'll make the green in three. We can all go home.
Come on, let's get it over with.
[sighs]
[sniffles]
[people groaning, clamoring]
[Trevor] And that is a dreadful drive from Wheeler.
- A complete whiff off the 18th tee. - [sighs]
[Jim] Well, he's not happy. You can't blame him.
It's a rough way to end
what had been an amazing week up to this point.
[spectators clapping]
What? What's the matter?
Oh, you want me to coddle you? Is that it?
Buddy, I tried to help.
You wouldn't listen. So, this is on you. Not me.
What, are you gonna quit again?
If I do, will you suddenly have to go and get your head straight?
[laughs] Don't turn this around on me.
If I quit right now, would you leave me again?
Well, you're not giving me a lot of reasons to stick around.
- What the... [yells] - [spectators gasping]
[Jim] The sprinklers have come on here.
Not sure what's going on, but this is gonna delay the play.
Hey! Hey! You okay?
Did you do this?
Well, looked like you needed a little bit of a break.
But it's gonna be a quick one. I think we only got a few minutes.
Pryce, I'm... [sighs] You were right. I'm sorry.
Don't worry about it.
Hey. We got this, Pryce.
I know you do, Gary, but just give me a second to talk to my golfer.
Well, he's not your golfer right now.
Well, actually, he kind of is.
But I'm sure if you give us a minute, you can go back to running the show.
[Gary chuckles]
Gentlemen, you can't both be out here.
I'm his caddy.
Well, actually, I'm the registered caddy.
Mr. Wheeler, which one of these men is your caddy?
[sighs]
- Him. - [sighs]
[official] Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to step off the fairway.
[Gary] Amateur hour.
[Elena] Gary.
Stay away from us.
He's my son.
Not anymore.
Do you even know why he's here, Elena?
It's because of me. I am owed for that.
Fuck.
[sighs]
[Jim] Trevor, between plunging down the leaderboard,
this unfortunate gaffe with the sprinklers...
I don't know how anyone can expect this kid to finish this round.
Mr. Wheeler, you can resume play when you're ready.
[Trevor] There's really not much more to salvage here for Wheeler.
[Jim] No, just finishing the round is about all he can do at this point.
I don't know what to do, Pryce.
[sighs]
You know, I thought of something just now when I was watching you from the bar.
That pretty much ever since I've known you,
you've been swinging the club for the wrong reasons.
You've been swinging for me, or your mom,
or even for Zero to impress them, or for your dad just now.
But when I first saw you on the driving range, remember?
Alone, nothing riding on it, no one was watching.
That was beautiful.
Because you were swinging the club for yourself. Because you loved it.
You want my read as your caddy?
If you're ready to swing that club for yourself,
then I'm here to carry the bag.
But if not, that's fine.
Let's go home, okay?
We'll pile into the RV, get some barbecue, turn up the music.
Or maybe we just listen to Mitts complain,
- which has its own sort of catchy melody. - [chuckles]
[chuckles, exhales deeply] But it's your call.
It's your game. No one else's.
[Zero] ♪ Cecilia, you're breaking my heart ♪
♪ You're shaking my confidence daily ♪
[spectators, Zero] ♪ Oh, Cecilia, I'm down on my knees ♪
♪ I'm begging you please to come home ♪
♪ Cecilia, you're breaking my heart ♪
♪ You're shaking my confidence daily ♪
[all] ♪ Oh, Cecilia I'm down on my knees ♪
♪ I'm begging you please to come home ♪
[exhales sharply]
Smart play is to hit my seven iron,
lay it up before the dogleg and then ease my way around those trees.
[spectators continue singing]
Yeah, that is the smart play.
But why go around when you can just go over?
["Cecilia" continues playing]
[Trevor] That's a driver, Jim. Are you kidding me?
[Jim] Hey, listen, after everything we've seen over Wheeler's last five holes,
yes, he's gonna hit a driver off the deck.
[Trevor] Santi Wheeler is going to try to cut the corner.
Unbelievable.
[music continues]
[spectators clamoring]
[spectators cheering]
- [Jim] Wheeler has pulled himself... - Yes!
...from the abyss and cut the corner here at the 18.
[Trevor] This kid is something else, Jim.
Every time you count him out, he says, "No. It's showtime."
- Come on! - [Jim] Showtime Wheeler.
[Immelman laughs] Well done, Jim. That'll stick.
[laughing]
[crowd singing "Cecilia"]
[Jim] What a glorious sight here at 18.
The crowd is rallying behind Santi Wheeler
in a way like I've never seen before.
[Trevor] A little Simon & Garfunkel. You've gotta love that.
[music fades, ends]
What do you think?
Honestly... [chuckles] ...I have no idea what this putt does.
I'd just go straight at it, but it's your call.
[chuckles]
[Trevor] This is a near impossible 35-foot double breaker.
[Jim] What in the world is Wheeler trying to do here?
[Trevor] He's putting away from the hole.
[Jim] How 'bout this kid's imagination?
He sees lines that no one else would even think about.
[spectators murmuring]
- [speaks Spanish] - [spectators groaning]
[sighs]
[spectator] All the way!
- [all clamoring] - Oh, wow.
Go in, go in, go in.
[spectators clamoring]
- [chanting] Go! Go! Go! - Go.
Oh, my God.
[chanting fades]
- [spectators cheering] - [Jim] Santi is sensational!
[cheering, screaming]
It's a sink.
- Come on. - Great putt.
[Jim] Twenty weeks a year, we sit in these chairs,
and never, I mean never,
have we seen a PGA tour event as special as this one.
[cheers] Come on, baby!
[Jim] What Santiago Wheeler and Pryce Cahill accomplished
this week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the stuff of legends.
Nice putt, bot.
- I love you. You're the best. - I fucking love you.
[spectators cheering, laughing]
[groans]
Pryce! You're a legend.
But I still got a two-putt here to win.
I know, I'm sorry. I think we just gotta give it a minute.
All right.
Good job.
- Yeah, let's go! Come on, baby! - Yeah!
[Elena cheering]
- [groans, chuckles] - What was that?
[Santi] You really never think about it?
Of course I think about it. I think about a lot of things.
'Cause you could, right? I mean, if you put everything aside,
hit every day, got back into shape, you could play again.
Nah, I'm too old.
David Duval's 52. He's playing in the John Deere next week.
That ship sailed for me so long ago, you can't even see it.
- It's in Singapore right now. - [laughs] Come on, I saw...
I saw you hit God's Thumb. It was incredible.
It was incredibly lucky.
Pryce... bullshit. Bullshit. Is this... Is this...
- Wait, is this one of your hustles? - [chuckles]
Like when you pretend you got nothing,
and then you start to lure me in, and I buy it. Is that what you're doing?
I'm not hustling you. You've got nothing to hustle.
What am I gonna take? Your hoodie?
- Your scooter? - Oh... Oh, my God.
[chuckles] Okay, look.
Average driving distance on tour last year was 293 yards.
In 2005, you averaged 301.
- Did you google me? - Come on!
I-I want to see what you got. Back nine. You and me.
For real?
For real.
[sighs]
["When My Time Comes" playing]
[Pryce] You wanna see what I got, huh?
Okay. Let's do it.
Let's go.
- [Pryce] Nice shot. - Yeah.
- Still cupping that wrist a little. - [scoffs]
- One of these days you'll figure it out. - Get out of here.
Okay, now look. I don't want you to take it easy on me, all right?
I want to see everything you got.
[metallic ringing]
Holy shit.