At this fire pit, we get the second half of Sam "Riggs" Bozoian's 99-day quarantine at Pinehurst, which includes a scramble match against Kevin Kisner on Pinehurst No. 2. The four boys of the ForePlay podcast take on a PGA Tour player on a U.S. Open venue. Plus, we get details on an emotional goodbye.

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Welcome back to a special production of The Fire Pit. A mini mid-week episode, put together after my recent interview with Kevin Kisner, who?s coming off a third-place finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit. Bryson DeChambeau (-23) won the tournament, Matthew Wolff (-20) finished second and Kisner (-18) made a run on Sunday. But to say Bryson ?won? is to say he overpowered the course and the competition. 

I had Kisner on to talk about his match with Riggs and the boys of the Fore Play Podcast at Pinehurst. For more on that story, Part 2 of Riggs? 99 Days at Pinehurst will drop on Sunday. But before we got to talking about trying to beat a four-man scramble squad for charity, Kisner and I had a short back-and-forth about trying to beat a guy who was outdriving him by 60 yards. I took the DeChambeau chunk of our conversation and played it for Brandel Chamblee, analyst for NBC/Golf Channel. Here are snippets of my conversation with Kisner with Chamblee?s commentary throughout?

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The story we tell today is that of Sam ?Riggs? Bozoian escaping New York City to quarantine at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. He stayed there, playing an assortment of Pinehurst?s 10 courses and others in the area for 99 days. At this Fire Pit we hear about Riggs' start in life and at Barstool, his ace on The Cradle, a heated match against a 12 year old and a moral compass. Sir Nick Faldo is just one of the voices providing some perspective.

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For bonus visuals and some behind the scenes of The Fire Pit podcast production, go to The Fire Pit YouTube Channel.

The story we tell today, sitting around an actual fire pit, is how and why Lew Thompson bought Forest Dunes in Roscommon, Michigan, the ridiculous deal he got, and then how he has made this remote location a legitimate destination. As Forest Dunes is setting record-breaking business days and gets set to open yet another golf course, we hear from Lew and Josh Thompson, Tom Weiskopf, Keith Rhebb and Riley Johns.

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For bonus visuals and some behind the scenes of The Fire Pit podcast production, go to The Fire Pit YouTube Channel.

On this Father?s Day, a tribute to Joe Carr, who, along with his wife, Dorothy, raised six kids in a house overlooking the second green of Sutton Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland. 

Carr won three British Amateur Championships and was a semi-finalist at the 1961 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. He won six Irish Amateurs, 12 West of Irelands, 12 East of Irelands, three South of Irelands, played in 10 Walker Cups, and in 1991, was the first Irishman to become captain of the R&A. In 2007, Carr was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame by Jack Nicklaus. 

We hear from Nicklaus and three of Carr?s sons: Roddy, John and Marty.

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For bonus visuals and some behind the scenes of The Fire Pit podcast production, go to The Fire Pit YouTube Channel.

We?re telling the story about John Ashworth, the man and the brand. From the trunk of a car to the No. 1 golf apparel company in the world, we hear from Ashy, Jim Nantz, Fred Couples, John Cook, Gerry Montiel and Hank Ashworth.??

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For bonus visuals and some behind the scenes of The Fire Pit podcast production, go to The Fire Pit YouTube Channel.

Part 2 picks up on May 1st, 1999 on the eve of Bandon Dunes opening for business. I?m not even sure Mike Keiser could?ve dreamed something as big as what Bandon has become. We hear from  Bandon's original caddy master, Shoe, and the local barber, Mick Peters, who has hit the first tee shot on every course at Bandon, as well as reflections from Mike Keiser, David Kidd, Josh Lesnik, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw as we also celebrate the opening of the Sheep Ranch, their third course on property.

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Today you?ll hear part 1 of the building of Bandon Dunes, as told by Mike Keiser, the owner, David McLay Kidd and his father, Jimmy, the architects, and Josh Lesnik and his father, Steve, who won the bid to manage it. Bandon Dunes, the original course at what is now the best pure golf destination in America, and arguably the world, was an outlier that opened in 1999. Like Sand Hills in Mullen, Nebraska, which opened in 1995, to build a golf course in a remote location using a minimalist architect or architects was anything but what was being built in America in the 90s.

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Part 1 leaves off in 1985, when Ben Crenshaw convinces Bill Coore to partner up. In part 2, we get them through some lean years, making a name for themselves in Maui, and tell the story of striking pay dirt and pink flags in the sand hills of Nebraska.

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Part 1 of the people, places and things that had an influence on what Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have become as architects, how and when they met, who was involved and why it works.

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For bonus visuals and some behind the scenes of The Fire Pit podcast production, go to The Fire Pit YouTube Channel.

Walter Iooss Jr. shares several stories about his special relationship with NBA legend Michael Jordan, chasing Tiger Woods at a golf tournament, almost botching a portrait session with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, and how he captured arguably the most famous image in NFL history.

Iooss has been taking pictures professionally for 59 years. He has shot every Super Bowl. He has over 300 covers of Sports Illustrated, which includes action, portrait and swimsuit. His versatility, personality and talent, along with the trust and respect of his subjects, plus his passion for sports and his craft have earned him a spot in the International Hall of Fame of Photography.

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For bonus visuals and some behind the scenes of The Fire Pit podcast production, go to The Fire Pit YouTube Channel.

Ok, settle in, stoke that fire, because today we?re catching up with Ken Griffey Jr. He?s seventh on the all-time list of home run leaders with 650, and in 2016, he was inducted into baseball?s Hall of Fame with the highest voting percentage ever. 

We?re talking to "The Kid" about his father, about being a father, playing golf with Tiger and his father, and we?re revisiting one of the most memorable moments in the history of fathers and sons. What?s commonly known as, quote: ?We finally did it.?

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For bonus visuals and some behind the scenes of The Fire Pit podcast production, go to The Fire Pit YouTube Channel.

Alan Shipnuck, award-winning Senior Writer for Golf Magazine and Golf.com, joins The Fire Pit to tell the story of how he got the job at Pebble Beach as a kid, then Sports Illustrated, as a kid, and how he chased down "The Kid," Ken Griffey Jr., to write what would be the first of Shipnuck's 20+ Sports Illustrated cover stories.

With cameos by some legends in the sports world, Shipnuck's story parallels Cameron Crowe, as they both utilized talent and a dogged approach to reporting to get opportunities to tell meaningful stories at a young age for iconic publications.

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Got a comment about this story or a tip on a story we should track down?
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For bonus visuals and some behind the scenes of The Fire Pit podcast production, go to The Fire Pit YouTube Channel.

One of the benefits of being around a fire pit is that the conversation can go in a lot of directions. In this episode, it?s not one good story about golf, it?s several perspectives on the game now, and in the future. When and how can we play golf safely and responsibly by minimizing the risk of life or death?  

Joining me on this podcast are Dr. Ara Suppiah, a functional sports medical expert who I?ve worked with at Golf Channel for the last few years. Marty Carr, CEO of Carr Golf Group, which is based in Ireland and includes Carr Golf Travel and Carr Golf Management. Josh Lesnik, President of KemperSports and KemperLesnik, which manages over 125 golf facilities in 25 states. Tom Pashley, President of Pinehurst Resort. John Ashworth, who?s the co-founder of Linksoul and who manages Goat Hill Park, a municipal course in Oceanside, Calif. And Lew Thompson, owner of Forest Dunes, a multi-course facility in the middle of Michigan.

Be sure to follow my social handles because on Monday, April 20th we?re posting a live auction which will include items donated by all of my guests on this show and will benefit Feeding America, the nation?s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

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Mark Wiebe and John Ashworth share a story about a dream and deal they made as kids, which came true at the 1986 Masters.

Wiebe, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, and John Ashworth, who revolutionized golf fashion, made a deal when they were kids: Whoever qualifies to play in the Masters, the other one would carry the bag. And in 1986, they found themselves driving down Magnolia Lane, complete with chill-bumps and tears, it was a dream come true.

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Got a comment about this story or a tip on a story we should track down?
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For bonus visuals and some behind the scenes of The Fire Pit podcast production, go to The Fire Pit YouTube Channel.

What the show is all about!