A Round with Radar – Episode 20: Mike Tindall

A Round with Radar – Episode 20: Mike Tindall

[Music] Welcome to another round with Radar. We’re trying something a little different. We’ve had golfers, all sorts of golfers, champion golfers, but we’re going to have champions in other fields as well. Ping players naturally. It was 2003. Oh my word. I’ll never forget it. right at the end. I’ll never ever forget it. And we are at Royal Mids Surrey Royal. You got it yet? Broke the heart of a nation. That team broke the heart of a nation. So, who we got this time round with a round with Radar? First T here at Royal Medsari. Mike Tindle. Hello, Radar. How are you? It’s an absolute pleasure. Yeah. Yeah, it’s going to be great fun. Absolutely great fun. Handicap fun is is interesting. What are you off, mate? Uh, seven. Seven. Okay. Uh, I don’t play like anywhere near like I used to. So, how many So, how many I don’t play anywhere near like a seven. So, how many you want? Uh, seven. Okay, I’ll give you be fair. Three. Okay. Okay. Three. Okay. Let’s have a little crack here. I’m being getting beat by this hole here at Royal Midsur. I’ve known this for many years and I just remember starting on this hole and going like, “Wow.” Yeah. Like it’s a big hole in it. So, I got 197 for you. 197. You want to go first? No. Okay. Out of an I’ve done this very much like how I normally play golf. I got here 5 and a half minutes ago. No, that’s what we do now, is it? I’m more used to the rugby pitch. It’s just I tell you what, I’m hitting I might even cheat. More club head, everyone. More club head. Little Baffy. What do you got? You got these Baffies. You got these little You got little 440s. Yeah. Oh, they’re just beautiful. They are. Good luck. Not that much though. Effortless. Hey, members bounce. Hey, it’s a bit of a breeze there, isn’t it? A bit of a breeze there. I’m very happy about that. Yeah, I was like, just hit a really bad one just to make me feel better. Oh, absolute flush. Go. Get up. It’s got to go. Get up. Get in. Oh, it seems to happen to me. It happens to me all the time. Every time every time every time I do this with a round with radar, everyone plays their off. All of them. I feel like I’m going to stop there now. So, Mike, how did you get involved with pings? I mean it’s um well I I’ve been running a charity uh golf day for sort of 10 years now since Tell us all about that. So yeah, my dad So it’s that thing of when you leave sport and my dad’s got Parkinson’s. He’s had it sort of 20 uh 20 odd years now. And so when I finished the game, you’ve got a bit more time on your hand. And also my dad deteriorated a lot in like the last 10 years. And so it was something that you feel that you’ve got you’ve got and you can give time to. And there’s a there’s also a guy called Matt Hamson who fractured disated his neck playing the game. He set up a a thing called the get busy living center which is people who suffer catastrophic injury through sport with what Zara does what what I did for a living. It’s very uh poignant and sort of strikes home. So uh started that that golf day and through Ping have now got uh really good on adaptive golf equipment for people who uh who have either suffered a catastrophic injury through sport and they sort of came in with the Matt Hamson Foundation onto the golf day last year and um and that was my real obviously you know who Ping is uh but that was my first real introduction for to them and they’ve been so supportive through the golf day and everything that they do with uh the Mamson Foundation. So that’s why Yeah. That’s turned into a big um deal that day you’ve got at the belfry. Yeah. Still at the belfry. It’s still at the belfry. Um so we we take both courses, the PGA and the Brabaza now. Um yeah, and it’s just it’s been it’s we try and make sure it’s fun. Becomes less about the golf. So it’s a bandit’s dream, but uh but yeah, it works. Uh it works really well. Well, have a look at these two. Look at this. Swing it around there. first hole. Beastly par. I’m not lying. A 200 yard par three to be to have put those on there. I’m quite happy to walk to the top. Absolutely. Absolutely. I’ve played some golf in my time and that’s uh your local knowledge of just holding it up on the the semi fringe here. Yeah. Bouncing it in there. Bouncing it in there. Okay. Well, let’s make some birdies. Even though par’s a good score right here. Stop. You were willing. That would have been so that I would have definitely left. If I had gone in, I was gone. I’m telling you something right now, mate. I was walk I was walking that way like what? Oh, I didn’t hit it. Okay, nice holes. Couple of pars to start with. Let’s take that. Absolutely take that all day long. Now Mike, I I got to get this out of the way. We’re only in the second TE, but 2003 World Cup, you break our hearts, but looking back at it now, I look at it and go, what a special moment in sport. I think I think Yeah, it was amazing. I was only 20. I’d just turned 25 at the time, so probably didn’t appreciate it as much as as someone like Jon O who’d, you know, England went through a period in that three years of very rarely losing. And I think to go out as that as your pinnacle would have been very nice for Jono whereas you know it was this only the start of my journey but um inspiring at the same time. I think you know for from an Australian point of view obviously we broke Australian hearts in the in their own backyard but you know they had such a good performance in that semi-final beforehand and you know it was a historical it’s always a historical battle against against the Aussies and uh it was a great spectacle. extra time. You know, the good thing is that someone won it rather than someone losing it. That isn’t what sport. You never want to see someone miss something to lose. So like Flatley’s kick in in the last second of the game. If you’d have missed that to to lose, it would have been would it would have been horrendous, but fair play to him. Knocks it over and then someone has to win it and Johnny did that for us. Does that def wherever you go? Obviously a lot of great things have happened in your life. Does that define you? That World Cup in Sydney against the Aussies? I think I think because of when it happened in my career, it probably didn’t end up defining me. Now, the real sad part of me says that probably I’m a celebrity to get me out of there has defined me. Um, unfortunately. Really? Unfortunately. Uh, yeah. No one like no one knows that now. They just remember I’m a sle. But um anyway, that’s my cross to bear. But um and next World Cup you couldn’t go. No, I broke my leg. Oh my god. Uh, so I missed out and obviously they got to the final. Uh, would have loved to have been there and then the less we talk about 2011 the better probably. There you go. Okay. Yeah. Nice story. We got that out of the way and we’ve got, you know, but congratulations. We’ll get into the We’ll get into the lions. We’ll get into the lions in a minute. So heartfelt. Oh, no. I I I I love We all loved it. I mean, honestly, it was just incredible theater. All right. What do we got? A par four. This is a par five, apparently. Striking. Very nice. I’m happy with that. Yeah. Well, why wouldn’t you be? I’m thinking about turning pro, mate. I have never hit this driver outside, so who knows where this could go. Is it the same one as I’ve got? Give me a look. Yeah, I got that max, too. G440 mint there. You flushed it. Should be all right. Get down. Yeah, it should be all right. It’s fine. Yeah, good shot. I got 260. Mike’s got 245. He’s over there in those helix. This is quite a narrow second shot, let me tell you. Smoked it. Should be just short. Get over lie. All right. I’ve just heard you’ve got a simulator at home. I have got a simulator at home. Oh, sit down. Knuckled bit. Sit down. Luckily went very gentle. I’ve never seen you at the Dunhill. No, never get invited. What? Okay, just a little flop over this bunker. It’s a pretty tricky little shot this one. Oh, hit too much ball. Bar bit of a bear light. That’s one thing you lose, you know. That’s one thing you lose when you’re out in the world doing this commentary stuff. You lose the finesse. This is where you’ve all got to practice, boys and girls. Around the greens, you know, 40 yards getting it up and down. The great players will get that up and down eight out of 10 times. But, you know, it’s a poor shot for me. It’s Thank heavens I don’t have to rely on it anymore to make a living. I’d seriously think about putting it. No, but you can’t with the sprinkler. Yeah. Yeah. I in this sort of situation, I just cross my fingers and close. So, yeah, but you got to have a plan. What’s your plan then? My plan is I’m I’m going to have to try and hit it into just the top of the bag with a square club face. Yeah. Yeah, that’s that’s the plan. Sure. Look how you’ve got that rod. Back foot job. There it is. What What could go wrong? Oh, that’s what could go wrong. Stay there. You hit it so soft. You catch the floor and and mess it up. Go. thought I’d turn more than that. I’ve left you a chance, Mike. Stay up. Oh, no. Okay. Any shots there? Yeah, I’ve got a shot. But so you’ve got this for the win. I believe this is for your five. I got seven. Oh no. Oh no. Half half on a double and a bogey. That’s gone from great golf to Oh, what we expected? Five feet, mate. Oh, you Hey, let’s look at the positives. You missed you missed it on the pro side. You’re getting all chirpy, mate. You missed it on the pro side. I missed it on the amateur side. Yeah. I just tried to take it off. It’s safe. He likes it low. Just bounced over the mound. I don’t know why today I made it low. I don’t usually hit low. Oh, that’s flushed. New driver. Obviously, Mike, that is flush. How did that feel? That felt very good. Could have gone straight in the bunker, though, cuz No, I think it’s left of it. Let’s just say it’s great. It looked great. Yeah. No, actually, uh, when they they fitted me, I I had a horrible draw, a horrible slice. So, they basically You went up to it? Yeah. I went up to Gainesburgh. Gainsburgh. Yeah. Um, and that was my problem with with my big stick is it always had a massive fade, right? But not enough people get fitted for clubs. No. They go into the pro shop or they go wherever they go and buy golf clubs and they don’t get fitted. I mean, it’s like it’s so weird that it’s it’s it’s far why spend all the money trying to change your swing that is natural to you and you can actually try and work with your swing first. Work with your swing and get up to Gainesburgh and just get fitted or ping fitting center. It’s uh you know, we all we all do it. It’s everyone. It’s nothing to people get scared of it, but whatever standard you are, go and get fitted. Go and get play your best. shot. It’s hard, mate. Sit down. Down. It’s where we need to work on getting the the little knowing these clubs a bit better. Hey, came out flush. Yeah, it just jumped a little. Yeah. Was there a lot of grass on the club face? Yes, there was. It just flew on you. Go go go. I say don’t leave it. That was my goal. Also into uh so big into women’s golf, women’s ladies golf or Soulheim Cup. Yeah. Your wife Zara Phillips uh an Olympic equestrian. Yeah. I mean, what’s that like to be involved with with with with another sports person like that that it’s, you know, it’s it’s it’s pretty impressive. Yeah. I think it’s uh it’s sort of something that we’ve it’s worked for us. um you sort of understand especially me being a team sport, her being an individual but has a team element when you go to Olympics, world championships. Uh and I would you know I think it helps us understand each other. We both know what sort of you can recognize what sort of framework they’re in and you also understand people’s routines and and and how to different disciplines different discipline and how to be supportive of each other at those right times. you know, you know, when she needs leaving alone, she’s concentrating on cross country or whatever cuz you know, her sport’s very d ours is dangerous, but hers is very dangerous as well. So, you just leave them to focus on. It’s worked. It’s worked really well for us, but just that understanding of each other and being able to sort of plug gaps where some people might understand what it what it what it’s like to play professional sport or what it means like. I think it’s it’s benefited us in in the way that we have been able to make each other relax when things don’t go well. Um, you understand when it’s time for a gag and when it’s time for a beer or Yeah. And Yeah. Yeah. But what’s that like? I mean, uh, going from a professional footballer into into the royal family. I mean, in your home, is it like right out love, go get the Marmite out? Is it just normal? Uh, pretty much. Yeah. Yeah. I hate Marmite. She loves it. So, there you go. Whatever you have, you’re a jam man. and I yeah I think it is that you know from them as a family they’re sport loving. Yes. So you know with Princess Anne being patron of Scottish rugby as well and now obviously the Prince and Princess of Wales being uh England um patrons and and Wales respectively. It’s sort of yeah I was very fortunate that they knew a lot more about rugby and that they had that sport side to it. So you cruised in there and it was just I I wouldn’t say you cruise in there. It’s a but it’s a it’s a journey you don’t really ever well you’ve never planned for but they were just so good and so opening. What an exciting journey. Congratulations. Like really nice family. It’s just very You can have that. Oh, wait a second. No. No. Is he going to shots? No shots. No shots. Okay. You can have that. That’s very kind of you. Yeah, I know. Too much. Get up. Oh, who would have said you’d leave it short? Oh, I know. Right in the jewels. Another half. Match all square. I was about to say I’d like to see you put that. Match all square. Right. Sorry. Match all square. That should be fine from the looks of things. Do you play golf up there on the Goldie when you go? Yeah. to play uh play up at a place called the Grand and then there are there are quite a few up there um which I’ve played. It’s just like playing golf with kangaroos though up there. Um but yeah, no I do enjoy I just enjoy I like Australia full stop really and it’s been it’s got so many good memories for me. Met Zara there. We won the World Cup there. You met Zara there? Yeah. Yeah. During during the World Cup? Yeah. The one that you won? Yeah. Yeah. Well, well, well. That’s amazing. There’s always the sliding doors moment in the fact that I got dropped for the semi-final. I met her that night when I got dropped. I went out for a beer cuz I was pissed off. Sliding doors. Where? Um at the Manly Wolf Bar. As you do. Yeah. Yeah. There are worse places. There are worse places. So, we go back there. Like if we go to Sydney, we’ll always head back there cuz it’s where we met. Just get on the ferry. Yeah. Maybe a bit of lunch at Hugo or whatever. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. You’re making me homesick, mate. Fade it round. Yeah. Don’t go in that. That’s what you’ll find with these clubs. They’re so forgiving. Look at that. Is that bounced over it? It’s gone over it. Did it? Yeah. Hit the lip and bounced over the top of it. [Music] Right. I’m at 102. Do I take it upstairs there? That’s a risky shot. I think I’ll play it under. Bit of a wimp shot, but probably the pos the percentage is meow. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. You got the same yardage. 102, Mike. Sit. Sure. I’ll take that. Well played, sir. Thank you. What have we got? 102. 102. But I’m just trying to work out how you’ve got up in that. How did you manage to get through that bunker? It looks like it’s a a skip skip pop up. Paid the fees and it’s rewarded me. Yeah. Off the back of it. So 102. You said 102. Similar to you. Awkward lie. I won’t lie, but Oh, he’s got under it. Winds all over it. Oh, it’s close. I thought that was a lovely shot. Oh, I haven’t hit it. I haven’t. I thought it was quicker than that. Oh, beautiful part. Beautiful try. All right. Yeah, absolutely. But another half, Mike. Another half. This is begging to be birdied here, Mike. Pretty friendly flag position. Oh, and you’re It looks like it could be birded. Right. Just left of it. Should be pretty good. Looks lovely. Looks lovely. Just so easy for you. So easy. That was a nine iron for me. Everybody, Mike’s got himself a wedge. I have got myself a wedge. Stay there. Fade a little. Oh, it’s rolled it over. Rolled over. Yeah. Oh, and down the hill. Mike, you’ve got one of the the most successful podcasts, which is a very hard gig. We’ve been discussing that. To have a successful podcast. Uh, but yours is is on fire. Good, bad, and the rugby. Yeah. How much fun’s that? Uh, yeah. It’s when we started sort of so we were we were with a different uh name of the company before that, and we had two years at it. I think what’s changing now is people like listening to, you know, with the world, people like listening to people who think the same way or about the same subjects. And I think with H and Alex, we’ve got a real diverse way of looking at it. Each has their own lane and sort of sticks to it, but it covers a a multitude of of other people. And um you know, to be able to talk about something that you’re passionate about like you do for a living is is a privilege really. And I think what we try and do is is always about the benefit. I think both myself and Haskell look back and go, “Rugy’s hard, but it’s it’s a lot of fun and it’s played by good people.” Yes. And we try and sell the positive side of it and try and solve a few problems. There’s a lot of problems in our sport at the moment. Um, such as well, you know, financial model of all clubs is is not great. Um, you know, the international game is a beast, but the club game is getting left behind and further further struggling. How do we activate that? And I think we don’t story tell well enough about the people who play the game. We let people pigeon as holes into a pro posh private sport, which not necessarily is it. Yes, there’s a lot of finishing schools that take kids at 16 on scholarships to to benefit from their rugby prowess, but that’s not where they’re all made. And I think telling those stories better would help us massively. The uh the Lions tour a year ago, this was like a dead rubber. Everyone’s saying they shouldn’t go down there. And they’ve turned that around. the autumn series that they had over here where they could have they could have really taken the clean sweep if they wanted to if they if things had gone their way against Ireland. But um it’s going to be a hard gig for Australia though. It’s a hard gig. But I think you know what Joe Smith’s done there in such a short period of time. It’s such a shame he can’t stay. Um he’s done an unbelievable job. you know, after coming off the back of the 2023 World Cup, rugby, Australian rugby was in a dire straits and I think with Phil War at the head of it, um you’ve got a true rugby man who and a true Australian great in terms of everything he’s done for the game and um I’m I’m positive the talent over there is is so good and you know you’ve got that talent because unfortunately NRL Nick a lot of it and the AFL do um so you need a strong wabies to keep the next generation coming through and at the and at the moment I think with with the players that you gone and the age profile that you’ve got. You’ve got a strong team for the future that’s sort of, you know, um looks looks good. They’re exciting players all the way through the pack and the bat line’s dynamite. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to it. I think they’ll shock. I think people have have written them off way too early and I think I think they’ll they’ll fire a few shots for sure. Let’s hope so. [Music] How we getting out here, Radar? Yeah. Okay. Well, I’ll get back down to the ball, but you always, okay, you obviously are shortsided, but you’ve got to remember from this fringe to there is about 9 ft. So, you got three paces there built in to about eight paces there. So, you’ve got more room than you think. Now, using that fringe right there, it’s built in already because do you feel as though you can get there and open a club face up off a down slope? Yeah, I definitely don’t. No, we’re both we we aren’t Phil Mickelson, are we? No. You know what I mean? And and it’s about playing the percentages. Yeah. So, there you go. It’s built in off a down and you want to use that fringe. I just want to add it’s a bloody hard shot. So, what would what would you take from there? What would you I’d be using that fringe and I’d play that with a slightly open club face and I’d probably use um a 54. That’s me though. But, you know, if you want to use as much uh loft as you possibly can. Yes. Okay. Fantastic shot. Just a fantastic golf shot. Really good, mate. Really? That was really good. But do you know what I’m saying? You’ve got more room there. Yeah. Than you thought you had. Yeah. Okay. Boom. Boom. Boom. Keeping it in the game. Keeping it in the game. Okay. What we’ve got, we’ve got a straightaway hole here, mate. We’ve got lovely trees framing the hole down there on the left. It looks like we’ve got a little bunker. And over on the right there’s a lot of jungle. Now I believe you were partial to a little bit of jungle. I wouldn’t say I was partial to it. No, I spent a bit of time in there in the bush as you would call it. Yeah, in the bush. What was it like? Um yeah, it was Look, it was actually a lot better than what I thought it was. It was a bit of a um a worry going in cuz I wasn’t really sure what the angle would be. What do they make you eat things? Uh yeah, I had to. Mine was drinking. I drank a sheep’s vagina blended up and a pig’s uterus, you know, smelled similar to you, actually. But you like that, but it it did uh you did you did like it. Yeah. Look, I I would say that being a rugby man, I’ve drunk many of many of bad things on my in my day. So, uh look, it was all that malarkey. Mosquitoes were were all right to be fair. met a few iguanas along the way and a few spiders which I think that’s the biggest thing from co from England is everyone panics about spiders but I spent a few time most of them are always huntsmen so yeah and you see one of those on the roof in our houses you know even when you’re going down for the you know wherever you’re going to stay for the for the for the you know the lion store you’ll see one on they won’t touch you and if I don’t know what it if I know it’s definitely not a huntsman I won’t touch it I know many a person with hairier legs than than a hunt than a huntsman okay off let’s let’s Go. Golf pushed it. Talking about jungle. Talking about the jungle. Are they signing up though? Are they signing you up? Get lucky. I think it’s all right. I think it’s just all right, mate. Oh, stay there. Flushed it again. Yeah, that’s all right. Is that okay? Yeah, it’s just might end up over there under the overhang. Where’s your ball? I have no idea. I was just going to check that you were hitting my ball cuz that would be What number are you? Mine’s got my name written on it. Didn’t see it. Yeah, it’s gone. It’s just on the right hand side of it. Oh, roll up. Oh, where’s it? You see it now? About 8 ft to short left. It looks 8 ft. Could be closer. Okay. So, I’m happy. Yeah. Yeah. Some might say you might be happy. 70 is the number. Okay. Okay. M. What are you thinking? You got your boy. You got yourself a wedge yet? Uh, yeah. Historically, I would always chip this, but I have over recent couple of years been starting to try and put these more. See how how nice the these these aprons here at Raw Mids uh have been given to us. I mean, I’m Well, I’ll tell you what we’ll do. You go. Okay. You chip it. But you got to be honest. Yeah. Yeah. So, you’re thinking chip it. So, yeah. I would So, where you landing it? I’m because I don’t know whether I’m going to grip this as much as you would think. I would just be trying to land it right on the apron and just grab a little. So, it doesn’t really matter if you land it 2 ft short of the green or two feet off. Yeah. Okay, good. Couldn’t play that. That was played beautifully. Happy with that? I am very I am happy with that. Well, you played it fantastic. Okay, now we putt it. To be honest with you, I’m starting to think you’ll do very well to get the putter inside there. And I promise I won’t just hit it over. But you did play it very nicely. I had a little bit of check on about the third bounce. Go. Just didn’t hit it. Okay, you win. The wedge shot was the play. It looks like it did on purpose, but you get what I’m saying. I mean, that was played very, very, very well. That’s a bad read. I thought that was going to come from the right like you did down there. Yeah, I would have thought I would have done so. Okay, knock that in with a shot. Oh, he let me off. He let me off. Lipped it out. Let’s have a little look here. Just over here over the fence. Raw mids sorry. That’s Q Gardens in there. Not far from Richmond. So if you’re into these parts for wherever in the world you want to come and have a little stroll around Q Gardens. Very nice indeed. Okay, Mike. Ah, sweet, sweet, sweet. Happy with that, aren’t you? Very. I gave that a little extra, Mike. Did you looked like you did? Thought like I really thought that I’m not sure you can get by that one. I thought I heard some vertebraes crack. That’s me having that one. Go left. It’s going to be fine. It’s a long way in though. It’s an alternative way. Is it on the fairway? It’s a lovely fairway drive, isn’t it? You all right? Oh, that sounded good. Say that. Good shot. Thanks. Very good shot. Okay, I’m practicing what I’m preaching here. Mike, you on the last and you got the chip closer. But I hard pan. I think that’s a difficult shot. But I’m gonna have to flirt with that thing. So I might bail out a little and finish a little right. But didn’t hit it, did I? Didn’t hit it. Oh well. Oh, you’ve mullled that. Yeah, but I wanted to hold that. Yeah, cuz I feel as though you’re going to hold yours. All right. Yep. I just got a feeling he’s going to hold this. I like that feeling. Yep. Hold on to that feeling, some might say. Turn. Oh, it was a good try. Okay, good for you’ve played nicely. We haven’t played badly, have we? No, we haven’t played too badly. Okay, Mike, we got a little bit of puff into 153. Yep. Pulled it a little. Pulled it a little bit. Catch a piece of it. Oh, little members to the right. Members bounced to the right a little bit there. I think it’s only just over. I think it’s short. I didn’t hit it badly either. Got to be the club. Go. Oh, it’s been smashed in the air. That’s up, isn’t it? I felt it went over that. I think it did go over it. Let me ask you a question. As a professional golfer, 99.9% of the time we we’re by ourselves with a caddy. Yeah. Now, professionalism wise for you being in such a big squad of chaps, how much did that help? Because sometimes we find it quite lonely. We don’t knock around really that much. You might find a few guys. Do you know do you know what I’m saying? And and it’s a hard I imagine golf’s a hard sport to even really practice with someone. It’s not like like sprinting where you can you can race people during sprinting. you get camaraderie or whatever training you can train in the gym together bits and pieces. That’s about the only thing that golfers can do is and you know what you watch is anything that they’re in the gym at the same time but they’re still doing their own thing. I think you know would I like to be an individual athlete? I’d say no. Having been in a team sport like you can have a bad day and your mates can sweep you up. Yes. And vice versa. And I think that’s uh it’s you can have a horrible day but people pull you through it. Humor pulls you through it. Tough times pull you through it. And I think that’s something that we benefit in a teen sport is that high end is everyone knows what it’s like to have a bad day. So you recognize when someone’s having it and you you can sort of turn that around for them or try and turn it around for them. And yeah, I imagine that when there’s just you and the ball, it becomes a sits there, looks up at you, hitting, you know, and and it’s one of those things sitting in everyone everyone looks at, you know, Rory Mroy or the Fagalas of these these champion golfers and they they forget Yeah. that a guy who’s making a decent living is there as well and most a lot of the time sitting on a Friday night in the back of a courtesy courtesy car getting driven Yeah. to the airport. Did you play golf when you were playing topline rugby? Uh so I started how I started playing golf never played golf till I was 18 and I turned professional at rugby and then all the boys played it in their day off on their day off to start off with especially in the older school time we had a lot more time off. Um they all played was that at Bath? Yeah. So that’s where I got Jerry Guset played you know Phil the Glamble played. Matt Perry played a good ball actually. Um he went to Milfield and played a lot you know down there and and that’s sort of where I but it wasn’t until I retired from rugby I said I really sort of took up golf because you have more time to give to it and play it whereas it’s one of those where all through my career you’d play sort of March April till pre-season uh until sort of October where the weather turned a bit and your shoulders started falling off cuz you smashed everyone. Yeah. Um, so then then you then you drop out and then you come back to it. So you’re never really getting good at it. It didn’t quite carry. I’m in the bunks. That’s quite disappointing. That’s it. Okay. Not bad out of there. Take it with a lie. Ah, that wasn’t the best. Go, go, turn. Didn’t break yours. Come that way, mine. All right. That’s probably the worst hole we’ve played, Mike. Okie dokie, Mike. All square. You’ve got a shot. Don’t hold back on it, old man. I won’t. Oh, he’s talked him into the trees. Where’d it go? You’re going in the trees on the right. Riding them. Riding them. Can I get my pitching wedge? That all had to do What? That all had to do with the sun hitting into the sun. Nothing to do with my swing or anything. And absolutely no. I’m not going to lie to you, Radar. That is absolutely smoked. Yeah, it is. You feel good that driver? Yeah. Yep. I felt that my banter had got you in the trees and I had free rain. I didn’t take any note, mate. Jeee was just a bad I thought I actually thought I made a good swing at it. Okay, mate. We found it. Must have spat it I thought it was a bit further right than this. We got 164 y. So, I’m just going to run this. I have no choice. Your ball is down there 50 further. Just the 50. Yeah, just the 50. Oh. Oh, and it’s even taking that little kick. You know what? I I I think that Oh no. Where is it? Oh no. To go in the bunker. Yeah, it’s caugh. It took a nice Why are you smiling? It took a nice kick left. I thought you lucky so and so and then it’s rouletteed in. Oh, did it went right around it? Yeah. So you got 75. Is that how many caps you had for England? Might be. Yeah. Good knowledge. Well, bang on. Bang on. Now, someone gives me these little bits of paper, but that’s quite that’s quite that’s quite a lot, isn’t it? Yeah. Not too bad. Not too bad. Is that right up with the most? Um, I don’t know where it sits. There’s a few Centurions now. So, you know, Ben Youngs has just been a Centurion, I think. Danny K. So, there’s a few more. It’s up there. A lot of hits there. 75. Lot of hits. A lot of fun. A lot of memories. Oh, I’m sure. A lot of memories. Oh, you thinned it, you little bugger. Sit. I think it’s back edge. Stop. I think it’s back edge. Casual on that. Let him back in. Rubbish. Okay. Well, I’m going to play a little release. And you’re all right. You thinned it, but you’re only 30 ft away, Mike. Didn’t chunk it enough. Had the right idea, but yeah. Okay. You got me got you on the run. Got me on the ropes. All right. You’ve decided to chip it, Mike. You had the putter out at the start. Didn’t hit it. Didn’t hit it. Well, it’s the last harrah for radar right here, right now with you. You with a shot. God damn it. Take it away. Someone needs to make a putt today, huh? Someone needs to make a putt today. No, it’s about time to hit it. Nike, you still got it, mate. That’s for was a shot, mate. Thanks very much. Pleasure. It was really good fun uh learning a lot about you and your side of the sport, the rugby and uh good, bad, and the rugby and all that. Give that a little plug for you before. I can imagine you were a golfer back in the day. Back in back in I noticed you put in I noticed you put back in the day. How about we go to the clubhouse and have a nice cup of tea? Yeah, he beat me one up. Good luck. Good lad. He played well though. He played well. We both played okay. Well, Mike, thanks very much. Nice to have a cold drink. I mean, it was quite warm out there today and you beat me oneups. Congrat congratulations on that. You’re a very busy man, Mike. Always something going on podcasts and tell us all about your foundation. Yeah, I think you know I got involved with I think with charity. Well, from my point with charity, it’s all about things that matter to you. Uh you’ve got to be touched by them. So Parkinson’s cure Parkinson’s is all about they’re they’re the whole purpose of them living is to not live as a charity. They want to end because they’ve cured it that everything’s about research. Um my dad’s too far gone now to to benefit from anything. But if we can help fund through the golf day, you know, hopefully we’ll get to 2 million. uh we will have raised 2 million over the 11 years that we’ve done it which is is incredible for a golf day. um you know and having people like Ping involved is is is crucial to that and hopefully if we can one day say we played a role in finding the drug that cured Parkinson’s and then if you look at the Matt Hamson side of it you know again there’s riders jockeyies coming off horses and having catastrophic injuries rugby has a fair few plus other sports if you get into motocross racing whatever and to be able to help a family rebuild after something like that is is something that’s Matt Hamson has has got down to an art and he uh you know he inspires from the front. He inspires us as as players who played the game and you know he was one of our comrades who unfortunately fell on the field and and any way that we can support them and you know Ping has come on as a massive a massive help that golf is so unique from that point of view. The handicap system and being able to actually get that right and actually compete against anyone you know wi with the handicap system is something that people need. you know, people who get injured, they still want that competitive edge. And I think golf is very special and what Ping’s doing to help with through their engineers to an adaptive golf and being able to make people who’ve suffered catastrophic injuries get back out there and get back competing against people and and having that banter on the course that you and I love and take for granted every day is, you know, it’s an easy thing for me to to get involved in. Absolutely. Well said. Fantastic. It’s very very It’s our privilege at Ping to have you uh join our family, Mike. Thank you very much for your day. I’m glad. Hopefully we just didn’t let him down today. No, you’ve been an absolute one of the most relaxed ones I’ve I’ve ever done. Until next time around with Radar. Who will be next? I’m sure we’ll have someone. I won’t be giving him three shots like I gave this big fella today, though. Don’t And don’t forget, ever forget, play your best. [Music]

In this episode, Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley is joined by rugby legend and British royalty, Mike Tindall. Join them for a nine-hole round as they chat about Mike’s illustrious rugby career, his personal interests outside the sport, and the transition from being a pro rugby player to his new venture into podcasts and media. Mike opens up about the differences between the world of professional rugby and golf, and shares how his connection with The Matt Hampson Foundation has played a key role in his relationship with PING.