With the eyes of the golf world on Northern Baltimore County this week, we welcome veteran NBC broadcaster and proud Terps alum Jimmy Roberts to preview the triumphant return of the BMW Championship to Caves Valley and the history and “why” and “how” behind luring this huge Fed Ex Cup playoff weekend to Maryland.
Nestor Aparicio and Jimmy Roberts discuss the upcoming BMW Championship at Caves Valley, highlighting the event’s significance for Baltimore. Roberts, an NBC broadcaster, shares his Maryland pride and recalls the 2021 tournament’s dramatic playoff between Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau. He notes the BMW Championship is the second event in the PGA Tour playoffs, with 50 players competing. Roberts also emphasizes the Evans Scholars Foundation, which supports caddies’ education, and mentions the renovations at Caves Valley, enhancing the course for both members and professional players. The conversation concludes with predictions for the tournament’s winners.
- [ ] @Nestor Aparicio – Promote the BMW Championship and the Evans Scholars Foundation to generate interest and attendance.
- [ ] Follow up on the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Evans Scholars house at the University of Maryland.
- [ ] Provide updates on any changes or enhancements made to the Caves Valley golf course to make it more challenging for the PGA Tour players.
BMW Championship Preview and Maryland Pride
- Nestor Aparicio introduces the show, mentioning the BMW Championship at Caves Valley and expressing his Maryland pride.
- Nestor Aparicio welcomes Jimmy Roberts from NBC, highlighting Jimmy’s Maryland connection and his presence in College Park.
- Jimmy Roberts shares his fondness for Maryland, mentioning his sister’s long-term residence in Baltimore and his association with the state.
- Nestor Aparicio recalls his experience at the media tent at Caves Valley, emphasizing the beauty and grandeur of the course.
PGA Tour Playoffs and Dramatic Finishes
- Jimmy Roberts explains the significance of the BMW Championship as the second tournament in the PGA Tour playoffs.
- Jimmy recounts the thrilling finish at the FedEx Saint Jude Championship in Memphis, where Justin Rose won in a playoff.
- Jimmy compares the 2021 playoff at Caves Valley between Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau to the recent playoff at Memphis.
- Nestor Aparicio and Jimmy discuss the high stakes of the BMW Championship, likening it to a major sports playoff event.
Scottie Scheffler’s Dominance and Potential Winners
- Jimmy Roberts highlights Scottie Scheffler’s consistent performance, noting his four wins this year and his lead in the World Golf rankings.
- Jimmy mentions Cam Young, who recently won his first tournament, as a potential winner at the BMW Championship.
- Jimmy emphasizes the depth of talent in elite golf, noting that any of the 50 players could win.
- Jimmy introduces the Evans Scholars Foundation, which supports caddies in their education, and its connection to the BMW Championship.
Evans Scholars Foundation and Maryland’s Involvement
- Jimmy Roberts explains the Evans Scholars Foundation, founded in 1930 by Chick Evans, which sends deserving caddies to college.
- Jimmy shares that Maryland, University of Maryland, has joined the Evans Scholars network, providing scholarships for local caddies.
- Jimmy describes the Evans Scholars house at the University of Maryland, where scholars live, study, and support each other.
- Nestor Aparicio recalls meeting a young Evans Scholar at the press event, highlighting the program’s impact on local students.
Caves Valley Course Renovations and Challenges
- Jimmy Roberts discusses the extensive renovations at Caves Valley, including new grasses, irrigation, and temperature-controlled greens.
- Jimmy explains the Precision Air system, which helps maintain the health and speed of the greens.
- Jimmy mentions the significant investment and time spent on the renovations, which were completed in 100 days.
- Nestor Aparicio and Jimmy discuss the dual purpose of the renovations: improving the course for members and hosting top-tier golf tournaments.
BMW Championship’s Impact on Baltimore
- Nestor Aparicio expresses pride in having the BMW Championship in Baltimore, comparing it to hosting major sports events.
- Nestor highlights the community’s efforts to attract high-profile events, mentioning past projects like stadiums and race tracks.
- Jimmy Roberts emphasizes the importance of making Caves Valley the best it can be for both members and professional golfers.
- Nestor and Jimmy discuss the unique experience of attending a professional golf tournament, noting the close proximity to top players.
Predictions and Final Thoughts
- Nestor Aparicio asks Jimmy Roberts for his predictions on the BMW Championship winners.
- Jimmy mentions Scottie Scheffler, Cam Young, and other top players as potential winners.
- Jimmy reiterates the depth of talent in elite golf, noting that any player could win.
- Nestor and Jimmy conclude the discussion, with Nestor expressing appreciation for Jimmy’s insights and Maryland pride.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
BMW Championship, Caves Valley, PGA Tour playoffs, Scottie Scheffler, Evans Scholars Foundation, Maryland pride, golf tournament, PGA Tour, Justin Rose, JJ Spaun, Bryson DeChambeau, Tom Fazio, golf course renovation, PGA Tour players, Baltimore.
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, Jimmy Roberts
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T, AM, 1570 tasks of Baltimore. We are Baltimore positive. And this is a big, big week around here, with the Orioles in last place and bad things and football not really being real football, and they’re going to play sort of fake football in Dallas this week. But we have, like, a real thing here, and I lament that we lost that on World Cup. I will be all boo hooey about that next year and all of that. And we have the Preakness, and we’re always trying to keep that but, but we get a golf tournament like the one we got brewing up here this week at caves, and we saw this on display a couple of years ago that we become a golf town, and I have to become a golf guy, even though everybody knows I’m sort of a pretend golf guy, but I did hit a really nice shot at Ponte Vedra during the Super Bowl in Jacksonville that made me look like a golf guy. Jimmy Roberts here from NBC. But more than that, you know, when I hold this thing up, nobody loves our state flag more than us, RIGHT? Jimmy. I mean, you know when you when, when we talk about Maryland people and bringing Maryland people back? I think you’re sitting in College Park right now or something, right?
Jimmy Roberts 01:09
I am. I’m in College Park. I’m back in town. I I’m a New Yorker, but I went to school in Maryland in College Park, so I guess I’m an honorary Marylander. My sister went to school in Baltimore. She went to Johns Hopkins, and she stayed she still lives in the state. Has for a long time. She probably wouldn’t want me to say how long, but yeah, I love this school, and I, you know, very, very fond of my association with Maryland, and I’m excited to be back. This gonna be a big week.
Nestor Aparicio 01:40
Well, full disclosure, John maroon, Matt London, the maroon people have me out to caves for the PR thing. I was out there in the media tent. It was a little warm that day, and you MC, and I told John, when it was over, sent him a number like really lovely PR program for a guy that’s been to a million press conferences for 40 years of my life, that I took a little something out of it as someone that’s not the biggest golf head. I remembered the Shambo. I remember Cantley. I, you know, remember that day I do this crazy crab cake tour every August. So I’m always sort of a little disheveled by the time it comes. But I was out there earlier in that day, and I, I mean, it was just beautiful. I’ve had a lunch of caves. I’m not a player to the point I’ve been offered to play there, but I don’t play well enough, but walking that course, when I did, seeing the stand, seeing how grand it was, and then seeing we pulled it off. And now it’s coming back again, and they can make it better, and just get me out there sniffing the grass, being caught. And they were just putting the the stands up about a month, month and a half ago, when I met you over the delicious morning buffet there, and I thought I want to have you on to talk about what that press conference was about and what this week is about, because it really is, for the folks that aren’t golf people, or aren’t going to go out to the valley and be a part of it, or for folks who’ve never been to a golf tournament can experience their first one this week. This is really, really an amazing it brings out my Baltimore pride, Jimmy, it really does. You know?
Jimmy Roberts 03:10
Well, there are a couple of things going on this week. Nestor, number one, it’s the PGA Tour playoffs. It’s the second tournament in the PGA Tour playoffs, which is the culmination of the entire year, and 5050, players will be in the field. And that’s pared down from 70, I guess, or 100 I should know that last week in Memphis, where there was a thrilling finish and Justin Rose one in a playoff, which was kind of reminiscent of the playoff that we had at caves Valley in 2021 they kept on going back. JJ spawn and and who won the US Open this year, people may remember, even if they’re not big golf fans, it was a viral moment. He made that he needed a two putt on the 18th hole at Oakmont to win the US Open after really having survived a horrific start to the day, but instead of two putting, as Dan Hicks famously said, How about 164 feet, really remarkable, dramatic putt that I can’t even imagine how many views it’s got on YouTube at this point. But anyway, JJ spawn, yesterday, as we record this on, where are we on? We’re on Monday, right? Should I say that or not? That’s fine. Okay. Well, so JJ spawn and Justin Rose were in a playoff at the first playoff event, which was the FedEx championship, FedEx Saint Jude championship in Memphis, and they played the 18th hole three times. And that was reminiscent of what happened here at caves Valley in 2021 Patrick Cantley and Bryson DeChambeau, who’s now departed for the live tour that people have probably been hearing a lot. About they had a six hole playoff, which is unheard of, and every hole seemed more dramatic than the one before it. And what made it equally or probably even more so compelling was that deshambo is the longest hitter in the game at the time, and so every hole he would it at 30 or 40 yards passed, can’t lay, and can’t lay. Really, had his work cut out for him. It was like a real heavyweight against an against, you know, a boxer.
Nestor Aparicio 05:32
And I thought this almost gonna say, they’re gonna bring flashlights out. I mean, it was, you weren’t the only
Jimmy Roberts 05:36
one, I’ll tell you what. But it was, anyway, it was very, very dramatic. But they’re they’re back again at caves Valley for the second of three playoff events after this week, 30 will survive and go on to the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.
Nestor Aparicio 05:52
The points are ramped up here right. The stakes are much higher at this point. And I think that’s something that I don’t know as a, you know, a golf novice or someone, when they said the BMW is coming here a couple of years ago, it kind of got on top of me. And I’m like, this is like, we got an NFL playoff game. You know what I mean? Like, it’s not like a preseason friendly when soccer comes to town or something like that. You know when, when the EPL comes over and plays, this is like the real thing, and these are the best golfers in the world coming in here, and certainly speaking to Scheffler and what’s at stake here, and the way he’s played, which is just kind of on a tear and very hard to bet against him, right?
Jimmy Roberts 06:36
Well, yeah, I mean, he’s been, he’s number one golfer in the world for a good reason, because he’s played better than everybody else over a long period of time. He’s won four times this year, two major championships, and he’s got an enormous lead in the World Golf rankings. But what happens is, there, you know, the shorter the field gets, and this week, they’ll only be 50. Next week, they’ll be 30 on any given week. Any of these guys are capable of really doing extraordinary things. I mean, I would imagine that many of your listeners had never heard of JJ spawn before the US Open, but he beat not only Scottie Scheffler, but everybody else on the field at the US Open, Rory McIlroy, all the names you do know. So one of the names that really has been a fellow who has been really thought to have a lot of potential, but had yet to win a tournament, had the best round of the week this week, Cam young, he could very easily win. Who knows who could win? I mean, anybody could win. I always say golf is the golf at the elite level is the deepest sport there is. But I want to touch on one other thing before we move on, to make sure that we don’t forget it. I said that this week is really about two things. It’s, of course, about the playoffs on the PGA Tour. But there’s something which I have always found to be one of the best stories in sports, and it’s going on this week. The BMW championship is for the benefit of the Evans Scholars Foundation. The Evans Scholars Foundation was founded in 1930 by chick Evans, who was a great amateur golfer, and he created this organization that since 1930 has sent caddies, deserving caddies, to college, not just, you know, sent them on their way with a check that pays for part of what they do, identifies caddies who have been committed to Caddying have been good students and have displayed good character. For you know, over the course of a couple of years, sends them to school with soup to nuts, the whole thing. And this week in Maryland, one of the reasons I’m here on Monday is because the Evans Scholars foundation. Four years ago, when the BMW championship was here, it was announced that Maryland, the University of Maryland, would become part of the Evans Scholars network, which meant that Evans Scholars would be going to Maryland, local kids. Well, we’re back here this weekend today to cut the ribbon on the Evans Scholars house here at the University of Maryland, every campus that participates in the Evans Scholars Program has a house. It’s a community where they all live and they eat and they study and they learn from one another, and it’s an amazing program. The stories are just remarkable. Over the years, they’ve sent more than 12,000 kids to school, and they’ve gone on to do remarkable things. And every year, the BMW championship supports the Evans Scholars Foundation. And you know, one of the reasons I’m so proud to be a Terp is because Maryland has embraced this fantastic idea, and this week, we celebrate it. Jimmy
Nestor Aparicio 09:57
Roberts is here celebrating Mary. Maryland and Baltimore and golf, I couldn’t find a better guest than the MC of the the PR event. But also, I met this young man that you talked about with the scholarship. He had lunch with all of us and just had it. His story alone was worth the drive into the valley that day, on a hot day, because it was, was an amazing story about a young man right here in Baltimore.
Jimmy Roberts 10:22
Well, they’re all, I mean, I not to minimize, you know anybody, but they’re all like that. I mean, we’re what we’re talking about is we’re talking about more than 12,000 people since 1930 all of whom would have had no access to secondary education. And you know, you can go down the list of people who’ve been Evan scholars over the years, and some of the things that they’ve gone on to do in the military and business, in government, they have really excelled and realized their potential and its potential that would have been unrealized without this incredible program. Caddies can’t
Nestor Aparicio 11:02
live without them. You got to have them if you’re golfing, for you this week with caves in the story, and you were out there with me enjoying the buffet and a moist day out there as they were erecting things. They talk so much about making the course a little more difficult first time in you learn, but the fact that it’s coming back is really a coup, a feather in our cap, a nod forward at a time when, like, you know, Potomac, would get a congressional they would they would get a tournament during the tiger era. But having this tournament, having the greatest golfers in the world come to Baltimore, I’m still very prideful. We still feel very second city around here, but to get it back and to have a course worthy of that, and what they’re trying to do to the course to make it like that, from a golf standpoint, a lot of work’s been done, right? Yeah,
Jimmy Roberts 11:53
millions of dollars have been spent. They and the most remarkable part of it is that, I think what they realized was that, you know, the these people, these PGA Tour players, they’re not like us. You know, in in when it comes to playing golf, I mean, they’re remarkable, remarkably skilled. And I think what they realized in 2021 was that as great a course as caves is, and it is a spectacular course designed by Tom Fazio, one of the great designers of the modern age. It really needed some alterations if it was going to challenge the best in the world. So they ripped it up. I mean, they ripped the place up. They closed it down in 2023 and they put in, you know, new grasses on the greens and on the fairways and irrigation, they put in a system called Precision Air, which, it’s a very golf wonky thing, but anybody who has a lawn can appreciate the temperature of the greens, which are the most critical part of the golf Course, certainly competitive in a competitive sense, they’re now temperature controlled, so that when it gets, you know, blasting hot, like it does here in the summertime, they can basically turn down the thermostat on the grass from underneath when it gets too wet. They have a device that can suck the water out of the grass, because if grass gets too wet, it it rots. And so it’s basically like a, like a lab experiment, where they can just very, very carefully control the grass, and so it’s as healthy as it can be. And that means that they can make it, you know, they can cut the grass Much, much tighter, which means that the Greens will be faster. But anyway, long story short, they moved. I don’t know. I shouldn’t, maybe I should know this, how many hundreds of 1000s of tons of dirt, but they did it in 100 days. I mean, they shut caves down, and they redid it in 100 days. And it’s really remarkable what they’ve done. It’s going to be spectacular. And I think it’s going to be very, very challenging for these guys.
Nestor Aparicio 14:05
Well, the other thing is, it’s such an exclusive place. I mean, all of my adulthood playing caves was, you know, Michael Jordan would fly in and play cage, you know, people would would go up there, and it still wasn’t good enough. All this money’s been spent. And I would say it’s one thing. Look, these are millionaires. It’s a serious Country Club for serious people. But I would think you spend all that money that’s nice for the members and like all of that. But they, they do this to have more tournaments here, right? Like, you know, the whole idea is to put this on some sort of a rotation to get, to get this event, and I think that’s a really listen. I’ve been on the radio 35 years. Here we were going to build race tracks for horses, race tracks for cars. We’ve built two stadiums. We’ve never built an arena, but we kind of fixed it up for modern concerts and whatnot. To have this kind of an event come to our community here, it is kind of a special thing. And to have to sort of fix the nicest course in town to make it even nicer. I don’t think you do that just for a weekend.
Jimmy Roberts 15:07
Well, look, let’s, let’s understand that it wasn’t that. It wasn’t good enough, because, as buddy Marucci also at Terp, and you know, one of the guys who has really been at the forefront, along with Steve fader, who’s the president of caves Valley, of kind of shepherding this redesign. It’s not a redesign, it’s renovation. What they will tell you is that this was primarily done for member experience, to make it the best it could possibly be, and that’s what they want, to make it the best it can possibly be, and not a lot of places are in position to be able to do that. And kudos to the membership, because they all sacrifice their golf course, and they chipped in a lot of money to do it. But it’s not only to get the best players in the world to come here, it’s to make this the best that that it can be. And I think that there’s a duality of purpose here. You want to make it the best it can be, but you also want to make it so that when the best players come using their standard they can also see that this is the best that it possibly can be. Yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 16:15
for someone like you, Jimmy had spent so much time on golf courses and seeing the evolution of all of this over decades, literally going back to Howard Cosell, and if I had more time with you, well, we could sit and have some coffee and talk. But for me, and I’ve attended, you know, LPGA events, at different events, seeing that course and the stadium go up, and the experience for the fans and seeing it on television, many, many times, in many courses, in many places, it it blends into the background, but it really sets up nicely. Just it was just a lovely experience to go out there. And I’m really looking forward to going back out and seeing what they’ve done to change things. But the way it gets erected over the course of the summer, and makes this weekend special for Baltimore. I just think it’s, it’s just a great source of pride that we have the tournament here
Jimmy Roberts 17:07
this week. Yeah, it’s a great, you know, it’s, it’s a spectacular golf course that just got even more spectacular
Nestor Aparicio 17:13
for you with the field and with them. I don’t know that we’re going to get six, six holes of playoffs. You have to have flashlights out. Give me a little you know, courses for the course here, who do you like and who do you think can win this weekend?
Jimmy Roberts 17:30
Well, everything starts with Scottie Scheffler, because he, I mean, even in a week when he didn’t win, he came in second, or actually third, because I guess JJ Swan came in second, Scott a Schaeffler. I mentioned, I mentioned cam Young, who was a guy who had played 162 events. I think he was the PGA Tour rookie of the year a few years ago. And everybody thought he was going to be the next big thing, but he has not been able to get a win. And he finally got one last week, the week before last, North Carolina, the final event of the regular season, he’d be somebody to watch. But, I mean, at this point in the season, everybody is the person to watch. You’ve got 50 of the best, you know, Rory McIlroy will be in town, you know? I mean, just pick your pick your poison. They’re all here. And I would just say one thing, if you’re not a big golf fan, if you are, if you’re not a big golf fan, the chances are you’ve heard of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, you know, and players like that. Maybe Xander schauffele, you know, somebody like that. He won two major championships last year. But, and I said this before, golf at the elite level is the deepest sport there is. You know, on any given week on the PGA Tour, you could have somebody who’s ranked 200th in the world, win, win an event. There was a famous incident a few years it’s more than a few years ago, a guy named Ben Curtis won the British Open. Ben Curtis, I think, was ranked, I’m going to get this wrong. I think it was like 360th in the world. You know, these guys are really, really good, and the fields are really, really deep, and they’re really, really good. So don’t be surprised if somebody you don’t know, you know, walks across the finish line. I said it before, who that isn’t a big golf fan. Had heard of JJ spawn before he won the US Open.
Nestor Aparicio 19:31
Well, I mentioned how beautiful it is when they put the the, you know, the stadium track in. But I would say to anybody that if you’ve ever hit a golf ball, and you enjoy playing. You enjoy a walk in the weather this week. 8586 Sunny. 88 Sunny. Gonna be a little moist, a little warm, but sunny and lovely, I would say. If you’ve never been and have never seen a pro hit like this, and you’ve gone out and seen. RIP can play, or Ray Lewis or Lamar Jackson, or you’ve even been out at practice where you see the speed or the size, or been down on the court for a basketball game in the NBA, where you see all of this. There was a point for me, and I’ve been in the media 40 years, hockey rinks, all of this stuff. You were at Lake Placid. My God, I got to have you back on, um, I walked out onto that course four years ago, and I got out and I saw a pro take a shot. And I’m not a golf head by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m thinking, if I’m, if I’m a player at Mountain branch or somewhere here, just locally, there’s somebody in my club that’s the best in my club, and they can hit the hell out of the ball, and you’ve seen them, and you sort of like, Hey, that guy can play, that girl can play, whatever it is, the thing you would say around your club. And then you go out and you’re just walking. And I remember that weekend four years ago, the Marvel was people taking their kids out there earlier in the week on Thursday, Friday, 40 May, really gets crowded. And it really didn’t get all that crowded on Sunday. Crowded on Sunday that you couldn’t move around and get really close to the best players in the world when you’re 15 feet away from a tee shot on pick a hole, any hole where you can get a little bit of space and hang out and see how these guys hit the ball. It’s so it’s it’s marvelous. I mean, it’s a different thing than television. It’s like seeing a horse in person. It really is.
Jimmy Roberts 21:26
Now they’re really remarkably skilled. I often say that the difference between the best player at your club and the pro isn’t a fraction of the difference between the pro at your club and a PGA Tour Pro. They’re so next level remarkable when it comes to the game, it’s just especially and if you play the game, you can perhaps appreciate it when you see these people how skilled they are, it’s really extraordinary.
Nestor Aparicio 22:00
Well, look, I’m not great at kissing. You know the tales of all of my guests, but I would say you’re a pros Pro, and you took some time today. And I’m very, very appreciative, man. I’d love to talk Olympics. I’d love to talk Roland Garros. I mean, Notre Dame for you’ve just done so many things. I’m very appreciative that when I went up said, Hey, give me a little bit on golf this week. That I know that this, the scholarship is important. Yeah, I know the week’s important. I know this is really important to our community here and everything that’s happened here. I want to shine some light on it this week and get off the last place baseball and the preseason football as well. But this is a big event, and I’m appreciate your time, Jimmy.
Jimmy Roberts 22:36
Well, it’s good to be with you, Nestor, and you know, I’ll just leave you with the most important thing I could say today, fear the turtle.
Nestor Aparicio 22:44
Go Terps. I knew he was gonna get I, you know, Maryland, we’re all behind. You see, I know how to do all of that. I mean, I’m a, you know, I’m an old schooler around here. I go back to lefty, well, I know, you know, hell, I don’t know the the BMW is in town. Jimmy Roberts is also going to be in town and outta but not like working too much. Maybe you can have a lemonade and watch, you know, watch a six hole playoff on Sunday night like the rest of us, I will be out courtesy of our friends at curio wellness. They’re having me as their guests, so I’m actually going to be able to sit out there, sip tea in the parlor, have a good time. We’re doing our 27th anniversary all month long, we’re eating delicious foods every single day. The hashtag is tasty Ness. And of course, we’re back on the crab cake tour next week, five shows in a row, all of it brought to you by the Maryland lottery. I’ll be giving out to all sorts of things all month long, including no indigestion, because we’re only eating the really, really good stuff this month. It’s my favorite stuff. It’s our 27th anniversary. I am Nestor. We are W, N, S, T, am 1570 Towson, Baltimore, and we never stop talking Baltimore, positive. You.
