Parker/Andy

Goldsboro, N.C. residents Andy Crain and Parker King were the first team eliminated on Highway 18. GOLF CHANNEL producers sat down with the duo after they were eliminated to get their thoughts and reactions on the day and the series in general, including the drama at the Clubhouse Challenge. It took them seven attempts to make a birdie before arriving to the finish line. But the southern boys refused to give up.

Emotions at the Clubhouse Challenge at Placid Lakes CC

Andy: We knew we had to play well when we got out there. We had a par 4. Parker hit a good drive. It was captain’s choice; I hit a bad drive to start with. Parker hit it down the middle and hit it up there to about four feet. I hit mine to about 10 feet, and I picked mine up so we could putt Parker’s ball. We got in a little bit of a hurry knowing that we needed to make up some time, but we really didn’t have to hurry, I don’t think. Parker missed his wide right, and so it was my turn and I got up there. I was a little nervous knowing that this is our opportunity to make up some time and I just pulled it. And so then we had to play the hole again until we made birdie and it took us seven tries. So here we sit.

Parker: We were sitting there and we knew we had to ‘walk the dog’. We had to move on and we rushed a little bit. We probably should have taken our time.

Andy: It wasn’t a very hard putt.

Parker: No, it wasn’t. It was pretty dead straight. You know, we did the best we could. But, after that, it kind of took the wind out of our sails.

Andy: It was kind of a letdown.

Parker: Knowing the position of the other players, like I said before, you’ve got to walk the dog and you’ve got to go. You’ve got to get the lead out and move.

When Andy and Parker Realized They Might be Eliminated

Parker: After we missed the first putt, I’ll be honest with you, that’s when I knew. Because we’re playing a hard hole with the wind blowing left to right. I’m just trying to draw it into the wind, so I’m hitting duck hooks left and Andy is hitting slayers right.

Andy: The hole didn’t setup well for us. I usually hit a cut and there was water right off the tee and the wind was blowing pretty well out of the left. We pressed a little bit. After the second time I knew that we didn’t have a very good chance, but we we’re going to play until we made birdie.

Thoughts When Playing the Hole a Third Time

Andy: This really is the last time we have, probably. We have an outside chance, if we make birdie this time. Anything after that is just, whatever, unless somebody else is having just as much trouble as we were, we have no chance. But we never gave up. We tried as hard as we could to make birdie every single time. We didn’t want to play it seven times.

Parker: We might have quickened our pace a little bit just trying to get done. But we were going to complete the challenge.

Andy: Yeah, we were going to do it until we made birdie.

On Raul and Jameica Determining the Holes for the Teams

Andy: I don’t know what the other holes were, so I don’t know if we had an easy hole or a hard hole. It really wasn’t that difficult of a hole with no wind. But the conditions gave a pretty good wind left to right, and a pond to the right. It really doesn’t favor me at all. So I don’t know if they were trying to help us or trying to hurt us. But, it definitely hurt me because if it wasn’t for Parker the first time we wouldn’t have had that four-footer. I hit some shots on the green but I never got a good look because the way the wind was blowing and the way I like to work the ball.

Parker: I guess, to tell you the truth, we never really gave it much thought.

Andy: Yeah we just accepted what we had and went out there and did everything we could and had a great opportunity the first time. We just didn’t capitalize. It let the wind out of our sails a little bit.

Parker: We are more of the kind who goes out there and depends on our play. If we play bad, you expect us to lose. If we make that putt, it is a totally different scenario. But it’s not and it took the wind out of our sails and we moved on. We just had to get it done.

Thoughts on the Start Challenge at Bobby Jones Golf Complex

Andy: When I saw a 292-yard putter off the tee from Brian Pavlet, wow! We had to guess how far he hit certain clubs. We saw him hit driver 330 or so as a warm up shot. So then he pulled out a five iron and we were thinking he probably can hit a 5-iron a good 30-40 yards past ours and then he hit it only five yards farther than we do. So then he pulls out this Minnie driver and proceeds to hit it 272 yards or something. We guessed 228. We put 238 on the five iron and we were thinking the Minnie driver has got to be less. And then he pulled out the putter and we had no clue. We guessed 200 yards and he hit it 292, so we were a little off. We were in third going into the next challenge.

Thoughts on the Road Challenge at The Bluffs Driving Range

Parker: That felt like home.

Andy: We felt like we were back at home with the boys but the boys weren’t there. It was fun, and we enjoyed that. It really did feel like home.

Parker: We did well in the challenge.

Andy: I think we completed it about as quickly as anybody did. We had to hit it in a circle from 100, 125 and 150 yards. We completed it pretty quickly, and it was pretty windy today. I thought we did fairly well on that and then we drove through the orange grove and had a fun ride talking and hanging out and then we got here. It didn’t work out.

On whether Andy and Parker ever run out of anything to say to each other

Parker: No (laughing). If a cow is walking across the road we are going to time how fast he gets across the road, we are going to find something to do, whether it is make fun of street names or make fun of him.

Andy: Or make fun of him.

Parker: We have a good time. That is what it is all about. If you can’t have a good time then you need to go home anyway.

Andy: We enjoy each other’s company. We never really run out of things to say. If we do, we just start talking about the most random things, so we have a good time.

Most Memorable Moment on Highway 18

Andy: Well, we got off the elevator in the first challenge at the World Golf Hall of Fame and there standing is Arnold Palmer. I was in shock, I didn’t say a word and Parker was his normal self and introduced himself and carried on with him. He [Palmer] asked this question about when was the first induction class into the Hall of Fame that he was a part of. Neither one of us knew the answer, and neither one of us wanted to answer because we didn’t want to embarrass ourselves. Instantly we threw out paper, rocks, and scissors to see who as going to answer. I think playing paper, rocks, and scissors in front of Arnold Palmer 20 seconds after I had met him probably was my most memorable moment.

Parker: I will have to second that. That was pretty special and one of the greatest things I have ever done in my life. I wish I had a little more time to talk with him and reminisce with him. I love the history of golf and he is a major part of this sport and why it is the way it is today. Integrity is such a major part of this sport. To me, that was pretty special. That was as good as it gets.

Reflecting on What They did not Anticipate in the Series:

Parker: I think it was the running. We did a lot of running. One of the guys that works with me back home kept telling me I need to get in shape. I just laughed. I mean, look at him [Andy] he is a big old tub. The running and thinking outside the box.

Andy: There is a lot of mental game to it. I know when we were at Daytona and I had to hit against the racecar and all I could think about was numbskull over here riding around the track and the fact that I let him talk me into hitting the shot. And, by the way Parker, you still owe me for that. All I could think about was that he was doing it and I was hitting shots at a race car. I hit it once and the other two were terrible. Mentally, I was not there and I think I realized how much the mental game affects hitting good golf shots.

The Friendships Developed With the Other Teams

Parker: I can tell you this, they are just great people. We have known them for however long we have been on the show, and we are all great friends. That is pretty special.

Andy: You spend every moment of every day with them and you get to know people in a short amount of time. They are all genuine good people.

Parker: And we want to beat everybody’s head in just like everybody else, but at the end of the day, let’s go to the locker room, sit down and have an adult beverage and share what went on that day. If you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. Andy is a little different, he likes to get mad and fired up a little bit, but when it is all said and done it is just good fun. I’m just glad I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet them and know them, and I’m sure we’ll all stay in touch and stay friends because like I said, there isn’t anyone who dislikes another, as far as we know.

Andy: I couldn’t say it any better

Overall Impressions on the Game that is Highway 18:

Andy: It was pretty cool. It relies a lot on golf, but it also relies on strategy. The way you cope mentally and the way you handle things mentally. All of the running and everything else just puts a strain on you. You have to focus and concentrate. There was more mental and physical stuff than I anticipated.

Parker: I would agree with that. I thought that it was going to be more golf skill. It has to do with golf skill but also being in the right situation at the right time.

Andy: The shot we hit on the racetrack. Stuff you never would dream of doing. Who ever would think about hitting golf shots on a horse track?

Parker: It was a pretty cool experience. All I have to say is guess who were the first people to get kicked off of this show. If this show goes 20 years, we are still the first.

Andy: It would be a good trivia question.

Parker: We were the first at something.

Raul/Jameica

Raul Cendoya and Jameica Duncombe Highway 18 Elimination Interview Transcript

Raul Cendoya (Weston, Fla.) and Jameica Duncombe (Coconut Creek, Fla.) became the second team eliminated Tuesday on GOLF CHANNEL’s original series, Highway 18.  Three teams remain on the series, vying for $100,000 in cash and prizes.  New episodes air Tuesday’s at 10 p.m. ET, leading up to the season finale on Sept. 30.

GOLF CHANNEL producers sat down with Cendoya and Duncombe after they were eliminated to get their thoughts and reactions on the day and the series in general, including the drama and frustration at the par-3 challenge at Trump International Golf Club.  The team lost their lead and crossed the finish line in last place, sealing their fate in the series.

Going from First to Last at the Clubhouse Challenge at Trump International
Jameica: That’s what happens.  I just couldn’t hit it on the green.  It took me maybe four chances before I got it on the green.  And then it was just putt after putt, after putt.  There was a close one and I thought it was in, but it just decided to go around the hole.  Now I was started pressing.  I am trying to run as fast as I can because I could see the Reynolds on their hole.  Then they left, and then I saw Charlotte and Rob.  At that point, I thought I’m done.  And then I finished with a birdie and I thought, ‘What happened?’  Where was that shot 10 shots ago?
Raul: It’s just golf.  That’s the only way to describe it. You really can’t explain it.
Jameica: I really didn’t want it to happen this way.  This is not the way I wanted it to happen.  Rather than beat myself, I’d rather beat someone.  Like how we beat Andy and Parker [in Match Play on Episode Six], that is how I like to play golf.  Not beating myself up and rushing.  I’m trying to race because of time.  It’s a killer.  That was a killer for me.
Raul: It was different today. The whole day was.
Jameica: The whole day was tense.
Raul: Yeah, maybe it took its toll on us these past few days.  Knowing we had a strike and that we didn’t play two of those days.  You still think about it.  You just don’t know what is going to happen.  I think that for some reason, when we started the day today, there was more tension.  I don’t know what it was.  We have been very loose and very and comfortable.  It was different.
Jameica: Today reminded me of the first day for some reason.   The first day for me was stressful.  And then today, I woke up feeling the exact same way.  I think I made a comment to someone saying ‘I just have a weird feeling about today.’  I mean, I didn’t think it was going to be like this.  I had my plans but I didn’t think it was going to be me today.

Thoughts on Overcoming a Strike on the First Day
Raul: The first day when we got the first strike, everything went wrong that day.  Everything seriously went wrong, and yet, we only lost by 15 seconds, which I thought was remarkable.  We took it as a positive.  We didn’t take it as a negative. We just said, everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong, and we were only 15 seconds behind.  So it wasn’t like it was a big deal.

Thoughts on the Day Leading up to Their Elimination
Raul: I don’t think we had a strong day.  We struggled.  Everything wasn’t in sync.  We doubted our decisions.  At the airboat rides, we questioned which boat we should have gone for off the bat.  Then in the front lawn at Mar-a-Lago, it was a little bit of a struggle.  We weren’t really in sync.  And when we got here, it just wasn’t the same.  I don’t know what it was.  It just wasn’t the same.  I think we were worried about what the challenge was going to be.  We wanted to play golf, and we wanted to play golf against somebody else.  We didn’t want to play golf against time. And that’s the way it is.  We can’t control that.  Those are the rules.  You have a certain situation.  So I think that is what happened.  From my perspective, it was a lot easier for me because I wasn’t going to be rushed.  I tried to calm Jameica down as much as possible today and I couldn’t.  I just couldn’t.  I saw it and I felt it.  I just couldn’t, and I feel so bad for her.
Jameica: I feel bad for me too because I did it to you.
Raul: I wish it would have been me, not her.  That’s all I can say.

Thoughts on the Start Challenge at Lake Okeechobee
Raul: It was great.  It was all of the things you want.  I thought that as the competition went on, golf decided who took the lead and teams got a little more spaced out at times and that is what you want.  You don’t want anybody to be 50 seconds or whatever.  So I thought it was good.  It was great.  The show and the thinking that took for the show and the creativeness are unbelievable.  I can’t say enough.
Jameica: No one could ever guess that these are the challenges we are going to be doing at all.  And the locations were in the boonies. Yesterday it was like, ‘Where am I?’  I didn’t expect any of that.

Thoughts on the day’s challenges, which all relied on Chipping and Putting
Raul: I don’t know where my putting has come from since I’ve been here.  Maybe I need to take this with me.  My putting has been unbelievable.  It is not usually.
Jameica: Not mine though.
Raul: I actually putted pretty well, my putts I needed to make I made along the way.  That was good.  I know her.  I’ve caddied for her.  She doubts her putter.
Jameica: Big time
Raul: She would rather have a driver in hand.  It’s how it goes.

Thoughts on their Journey Together on Highway 18
Raul: It’s been pretty amazing.  I think that when you battle with someone, you really get to know that person more than any other time.  I think that we have battled more than anybody else because we got that first strike.
Jameica: It was rough from the get go.
Raul: We have made mistakes, maybe we helped people out along the way that we shouldn’t have.  Who knows?  But at the end of the day, this is what we wanted. We wanted to be on the golf course and it wasn’t done.  If it wasn’t meant to be it wasn’t meant to be.  When you are talking about maybe two inches that make a difference, because that is all it was.  She hit a good putt.  Those greens were quick.  They were great, but they were quick.  She had a tough putt.  Her lag putt that she hit to get to that position was amazing.  She hit like a 65-foot lag putt to about five feet.  That was the putt I had for par the first time.  I knew the way it was breaking.  I kind of told her.  It’s tough.  But I think our friendship now is stronger than ever.
Jameica: I hope you don’t disown me.
Raul: I don’t want her to stop playing golf.  It’s hard to come back from something that you feel you are responsible for.  It’s just one hole of golf.  She has the game.  She has a lot of game.
Jameica: I have always felt close with Raul. I’m disappointed in myself.  The thing I said to him was that I don’t want to play a hole twice.  I am sick and tired of doing it twice.  Well, I shouldn’t have said that because I ended up playing the hole like 10 times almost.  So, like I said, I hope he doesn’t disown me after this.  And I think we worked well because my weakness is strategizing and he is good at that.  He can say ‘You know Jameica, we are playing 18 because the green is closest to the clubhouse,’ and I wouldn’t even think of that.  I would just pick the easiest hole and forget about the drive.  I can’t think of stuff like that. I just leave everything up to him and then just play golf, because I trust his golf game.
Raul: We can sit here and look at today and how she feels.  We can go back to day one for me.  It was harder for her to hit to that green.  I was hitting a pitching wedge and she was hitting a five iron to that green.  I missed the first shot, and if I would have hit that ball on the green and we two-putt like we did the second time, we would beat the other teams in.  It is not about today.  It is about everything that happened.  It wasn’t about today or one stroke that knocked us out.  We can look back on other decisions that we made.  I think we did better than a lot of people were expecting.

Thoughts on the Best Team Still Alive in the Series
In Unison: Jay and Peach
Raul: Jay is an incredible golfer, and I’ve seen more shots from him in the past week than I can ever imagine.  I wonder why he hasn’t made it to a higher level.  Peach is strong.  They have had only one bad day, and even then, everybody has those.  I think that overall, they are the strongest team.

Thoughts on Their Golf Game and Competitiveness
Jameica: For me, I realized how competitive I am.  I think today I got too caught up in beating one specific team, rather than just going out there and do what I needed to do and not worry about what happened.  I think that is the part that I’m most disappointed in myself about, being so concerned about the other people.  That is exactly what happened the first day, for me at least.  I was too concerned about what other people were doing.  I kept seeing myself go to that point where I am asking, ‘where are they, where are they?’  And, I am trying to bring myself back, but it is so hard because you are watching one team on one hole and then looking for the next one to come your way.  It is frustrating.  I feel like I beat myself.  I’d rather them beat me rather than me focusing on them and I ended up beating myself.  So, that is what happened to me today.
Raul: I think as a competitor, anybody that knows me, knows I will battle you until the end.  Golf, maybe I’ll take a look at it and look at golf a different way.  Maybe enjoy it a little more and not stress out as much.  I hit a lot of good shots.  I think about how I felt today hitting that five iron from that spot to that green.  I was as calm as I could be.

Thoughts on the Start of the Series
Raul: When I hit the first golf shot of this competition at the World Golf Hall of Fame, I was a wreck.  I never in my life have felt that way before.  I was afraid to pull a club back.  I didn’t know what was going to happen once I hit that golf ball.  Today, I stepped up to the ball to a green that has water all over it, and I pulled the trigger like it was no big deal.  I don’t know if I want to feel like this again.
Jameica: For me, as I was saying earlier, your entire life before this doesn’t even exist.  All of a sudden, you are in this competition and you forget about everything.  This is your life.  And I can’t believe how much stress this cost me.  I never expected this.  I mean, I would look and say ‘Hey, there is a camera over there.’  This is not normal.  But it felt like real life.  I feel like now I have to adjust to my real life.  I’ll be waking up at five in the morning and looking for the camera, ready for audio and to put my mic on.  I feel like I have been here forever.  No lie.

Favorite moment on Highway 18
Raul: The most amazing thing was meeting Arnold Palmer.  My favorite moment was making the putt to beat Andy and Parker [Match Play, episode six], because that is what golf is about.  Even though he made an amazing putt for par.  I didn’t let it rattle me.  I think that is what I’ll take with me.

Jameica: Similar to Raul was the match with Andy and Parker.  The first go around, I blew my first putt like 15-feet by the hole.  I’m not confident with my putting at all.  And, I drained it.  I was in shock.  I’m confident with my driver and I am confident with my wedges.  Everything else is like, whatever happens, happens.  I hit greens because usually I hit the ball long and I usually don’t have to hit five irons unless it is on a par 3.  That would be my most memorable moment other than meeting Arnold Palmer.  That was the most exciting part of the competition for me because it felt like golf.  That was the first time I felt like we are playing golf, and then we played the hole like five times.
Raul: Three times.
Raul: I must say, not matter what happened today, we have a sense of accomplishment.  That’s pretty special.  The fact that, every day, just making it through all of the challenges, we have a sense that we accomplished something.  And that is all because of the experiences we had along the way.  Nobody can take that away.  No matter what.