Jake Owen was here with us in the Taste of Country Nights studio promoting his new album, Dreams to Dream, when we may have accidentally started a feud between him and George Birge… over golf.
A quick backstory, if you will: Birge played golf in college and almost went professional with it, but ultimately chose country music as his path instead.
Meanwhile, Owen has a similar story: He played golf competitively in college but had to quit following a wakeboarding accident, after which he turned to country music as well.
Armed with this knowledge, host Evan Paul asked Owen his thoughts about who the best golfer in country music is, adding that not too long ago Birge claimed the mantle for himself.
That’s when the “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” singer dug in his spikes.
“Can I just throw this out there, on camera and everywhere? Please, do you guys know George Birge? George Birge has been talking a lot of sh–,” Owen began.
“Here’s the deal. George, I been trying to get a hold of you, I told everyone out there—bring your ‘Cowboy Songs’ money out to the golf course and let’s play, dude,” he continued.
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“I been trying to track this guy down and he keeps dodging me. He has no problem telling the world he can beat me yet he doesn’t want to play me,” Owen shared.
We also egged Owen on by telling him just a few months ago Birge told us that he was the best golfer in country music and could take on anyone.
Hilariously, Colt Ford, who was also in the studio at the time, and who was also instigating the golf beef, decided to Facetime Birge on the spot and set up a proper showdown.
“Everybody keeps asking me, ‘Oh, George Birge, he’s the best golfer…’ I find that hard to believe when you’ve never played me,” Owen told Birge when Ford got him on the line.
“You just found your way into country music the last few years and all of a sudden you’re the best golfer in the genre…? I been doing this for 20 years, bro, I’ll smoke you,” he joked.
“I ain’t even had my first cup of coffee and this is the sh– I gotta deal with?” Birge replied.
Owen ended the conversation by bringing it all back to love, telling his pal, “I love you though, George. I tell everyone, ‘George is nicest guy ever,’ but ballsy move telling everybody you’re gonna smoke me.”
Watch below:
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