Kamaiu Johnson's Journey to the PGA Tour | Dunk Bait
LaJethro Jenkins chatted with Kamaiu Johnson on how he got here, NBA players and their swings, and what his future in Golf looks like.
Video Transcript
LAJETHRO JENKINS: So I'm LaJethro Jenkins here with Kamaiu Johnson. How you doing? Pro-- pro golfer.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Hey thanks for having me. Yeah, yeah. Absolutely.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: I just got into golf like, six months ago, through the pandemic. I mean, needing a safe way to get out. I mean, I think a lot of people have done that. But I am addicted now.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: That's awesome.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: You're 27. You're 27. You started playing in eighth grade.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah. I started-- The time I got into golf, I was absolutely very depressed young kid. I had no purpose in life. I was a middle school dropout. My dad wasn't there. My mom was working three jobs, she wasn't there. And my grandmother actually moved on to Hilaman Golf Course, which is in Tallahassee, Florida. You know, I used to watch the golfers go by on my balcony every day. And I was like, man, I wish I could go out there. But, you know, I don't really have the money to play golf.
And Jan Auger, who was the GM-- who is the GM right now at the golf course. But she was one of the assistants at the time. She said, hey, you know, well, you know, why aren't you in school? And you know, I told here why I wasn't in school. And she said, well go upstairs and ask your grandmother if you can go to the driving range and hit some balls. You know, I went to the driving range. She gave me bucket of balls and a nine iron. And I was extremely hooked after that.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: You know, what doles a day look like, you know, for a pro golfer? How many hours are you putting in? How many rounds are you playing a week?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Average hours a day, I put in six, seven hours a day. That's, you know, and sometimes eight. This game, you can never work too hard, honestly.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: You didn't get a chance to play at Torrey Pines due to COVID. What were your thoughts when you first learned you couldn't play?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Man, I was devastated. Because you don't know how many times you're going to get opportunities like this. You know, you don't just get a call and say, hey, you know, we want you to play on the PGA TOUR. You know? It's a process. You know, they have to recognize your grind. You have to shoot low scores in tournaments and stuff like that. You have to write exemption letters and stuff like that. So it's a grind that goes into it. And to get an exemption to the PGA TOUR.
But, I'm just happy to be here, man. And of course, I wanted to play at Torrey, being a brand ambassador for Farmers. But hey, you know, God had bigger things. And I've been very blessed that I've had people in my life that kept my dream going.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: I mean, you didn't even have like, fitted clubs for a long time. That's like playing basketball with shoes that are like a half a size, a size bigger, or smaller, you know what I mean?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. No, I just got fitted for clubs this year for the first time in my golfing career, you know?
LAJETHRO JENKINS: OK. So you won the APGA TOUR without fitted clubs?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Without fitted clubs. Absolutely.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: That's insane. That is-- that's insane. Yeah, Willie Mack got a chance to play at Torrey that weekend. Have you all talked about his experience at all?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah, yeah. Willie and I talk every day, honestly.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: That's what's up.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah, we have a great relationship. It's grown a lot, you know, us both being ambassadors for Farmers. And a lot-- and I've gotten an interview and they've asked me, why do you think that now is the time or you're getting these opportunities right now? And I think it's what happened this summer. You know, I think it's what happened with George Floyd. I think it's what happened with Breonna Taylor. And it's just sad that something like that had to happen. But, you know, it's just, I'm very grateful to be a part of a growing game. And, you know, I'm just happy to be here. I'm happy to be a part of it. And, yeah. I'm ready for the future. I'm ready to see more people that look like me get involved in the game of golf. Because the golf industry is a $60 billion industry.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: What advice would you give someone who's new to golf, like myself, when it comes to how they approach the game? Because y'all play a different game from us. You know what I mean? Like, I hear y'all talking. And you know, I'm going to swing 95% and try to hit it two feet short. Like, I'm just trying to get it on the green, you feel me? Like, what would you tell us?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah. Like Roger said, get used to sucking.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Being trashed. Get comfortable being trash.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Get used to being trash. Absolutely. It's a great game. Just stick to it, man. And look what it can do for you. I guarantee you that you'll get more opportunities, whether you're doing radio or whether you're doing, whatever you're doing, you're going to get those opportunities if you-- I saw Malcolm Moore at the golf course yesterday, you know?
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Right, right.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: It's unbelievable, you know?
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Yeah, right. Schoolboy Q is an ambassador for the game now, you know what I mean? Like, you know, it's just-- I'm an NBA guy, you know what I mean? So some swings and some players.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Break them down for us. Hey, you cool with that?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah, absolutely.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Oh cool. This right here is JR Smith, avid golfer. Tell me what you think about his swing, maybe give us some tips.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah. I mean, all-- I mean, that looks like a pretty good swing, honestly. All JR needs to do is to get those shoulders open a little bit and get that club more outside on the back swing, and get it more inside coming through. Because right now, he's got it coming inside on the take away. And that creates over the top coming down. And so if he can just get it club coming a little more outside and get that club more shallow, and get those hips more involved in his golf swing, he'll turn out to be a really good player.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Here's Steph Curry right here.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: OK. Here.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Oh, oh. That's what you got for us? That's what you got right there?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah, man. Steph, and I love what Steph is doing for the game at Howard, you know? Growing that golf team and creating a golf program there. I mean, that just goes to show, you know, that, you know-- you know, look what having a voice can do for the game of golf, you know? It's just amazing to see what he's doing at Howard. I didn't go to an HBCU. But I was a part of BAMU University. And, you know, my uncle was the vice president there. My brother was the two time All-American there. And I grew up right down the street from BAMU. So, it's just good to see what he's doing to Howard.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Oh, Charles had, you know-- he worked on his swing and he's changed it a little bit. What are you thinking? Yeah.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: A little yippy. Little yippy.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Little glitch. Little glitch, you know what I mean?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah, a little glitch. But let me tell you, Charles has improved that a lot this year. I think, you know, like I said, like we were talking earlier, you know, you know, COVID really helped him, helped him out a lot. He was able to play a lot of golf and able to improve. And yeah. I love to see it.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: OK. This is one more guy. His name is John Nichols. He made a D2 basketball team which you haven't really probably heard of him. But that's me. Could you break down my swing real quick?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Dude, that's actually not bad. It's actually like, not over the top as you think, you know?
LAJETHRO JENKINS: That's not a a driver, though. That's not the driver. That's the--
KAMAIU JOHNSON: That's pretty good with an iron, though. Where'd that ball go? That ball--
LAJETHRO JENKINS: It started right, and ended up on the green. It ended up on the green. It was played a little [INAUDIBLE].
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Yeah. Yeah, I think you just need to try to hit it more to left field. Get that club more down the line a little bit. But other than that, man, the back swing looks good. Like I said, get that club moving more on the outside on the take away. But all in all, man, I mean, you've been playing the game for six months. That looks really-- that looks really good.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Appreciate it. I'm going to tell my friends on the golf course, you feel me?
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Tell them that you're not as trash as they are.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Right, right. There we go. There we go. Hey, man, great talking to you. Appreciate you.
KAMAIU JOHNSON: Thank you man. Thanks for having me, buddy. Appreciate it. Look forward to it.
LAJETHRO JENKINS: Take care.