The Shotgun Start

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Scheffler extremism, DiMarco delusion, and Unsubstantiated Rumor Friday Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

This juicy Friday episode begins with Scottie Scheffler yet again near the top of a PGA Tour leaderboard. Brendan is joined by Kyle Porter to discuss some of the most extreme takes or comparisons with Scottie in light of some of the nonsense shouted on TV about Caitlin Clark and others. Then they get to an unsubstantiated rumor Friday segment on Jay Monahan’s presence in Houston this week for that event, and what it might say about his current standing with the membership. Chris DiMarco’s deluded comments are also covered, and what they might say about the current subject of money in the pro game. They close with an SGS Golf Advice segment with an amusing tale on Shane Lowry’s drink of choice, a club shower mishap, caddying for your boss in a pro-am, and a new dad trying to keep his golf habit alive.

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A controversy at DLF, Houston setup problems, and Mickelson changes caddies Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

This is a whiparound rambling Wednesday episode that begins with a hat chat: how many is too many? Shane Bacon joins Brendan Porath to discuss this pressing question before getting to one of the great delights of the year: the European Tour’s stop at DLF, the first true “so bad it’s good” course in this podcast’s history. There is some intel from the ground about a potential hardship that has a few caddies grumbling but might be further evidence that Gary Player is one of our great modern architects. Speaking of Gary, they discuss his tweet that the foam roll bunkers could be color coded and changed, one of many benefits according to Mr. Player. There’s also a bit about how some are using whiskey in Delhi as a preventive health device. There’s also intel from the ground at the Houston Open, where the Tour might be neutering some Tom Doak work with a big backboard. Cutthroat Corner returns and this time a fan favorite is in the crosshairs. They close with news of some TGL return dates and Phil Mickelson’s caddie change.

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Peppy Peter and the Mule March, Masters prep, Yasir meeting insights, and Nelly’s No. 1 Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

It’s Monday morning but there has never been a better time to put some Pep in your Step to start the week. Brendan is joined by Golf Digest’s Joel Beall to discuss, with great delight, the win of Peter Malnati at the Valspar Championship. They debate what it means for the “cutthroat” debate over players like Malnati in the rank and file and mule class trying to fight for their spots on the Tour and get a piece of the pie. Then they get to the runner-up Cam Young, who continues his bridesmaid role on the PGA Tour. Is this a thing now? Then they jump to Nelly Korda’s victory in California that propelled her back to No. 1 in the world and the lament that it was not pushed to a later slot after the Valspar. Joel shares some more insight on the meeting with Yasir in the Bahamas last week, as well as where the policy board sits these days on a desire to get a deal done with the PIF. They close with some more early Masters players and items to watch as the first men’s major draws nigh.

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Masters Favorites, the Kevin Zone and Fly Through Friday Mar 21, 2024

Show notes

Shane Bacon joins Andy to rank their 7 favorites for the Masters. The episode starts with a discussion on the NCAA Tournament and if golf is missing the match play tournament. Then Andy and Shane rip through the latest news including Tiger playing the Masters and Angel Cabrera not.

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Does Rahm miss the PGA Tour, A Saudi summit in Nassau, and Pace Car problems Mar 20, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Brendan are excited for the NCAA Tourney but first need to clean up some more Players thoughts before moving on to the new week and basketball. Then they get to Jon Rahm’s media call for the Masters, where he revealed his dinner menu to great interest and also discussed being unable to defend some of his titles this year on the PGA Tour. Did he sound wistful, regretful, or just matter-of-fact? They also hit on some big Epson Tour news before getting into the flight tracking of Yasir, Tiger, and others for the big summit in the Bahamas. Did this matter at all? Schedule of the week unveils a new segment called “Cutthroat Corner,” building off looking under the hood of the Merritt resume last week. This week, one J.B. Holmes is under the microscope.

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Scottie-Tiger comps, Grades for The Players, and Yasir comes to town Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

The PGA Tour gets on the board this year with an outstanding Players Championship from start to finish. Brendan, still shaking off the cobwebs from the trip to Northern Ireland, is joined by Shane Bacon for this wide-ranging recap that begins with some Sunday parenting horror stories before getting into audacious Tiger-like comps for the back-to-back Players winner. The two discuss what impresses them most about Scottie Scheffler and if those in and around the game have undersold him and this run. Then they hand out grades for the handful of contenders, and non-contenders, as well as the coverage, course, Big Jay, and Johnson Wagner. It’s a tough grade for Xander and Rory. Then they close out the episode with some news and quote roulette on Rory discussing Yasir’s impending visit and meeting with the board, Peppy Peter on player control, and Jimmy Walker sounding off on a range of topics that left us puzzled.

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A Players ‘Dropgate’ podcast while driving in Ireland Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

Well, this wasn’t the best idea. Andy and Brendan record, or attempt to record, this Friday episode while driving on the wrong side of the road from Belfast out to the countryside. Apologies for any audio issues, rambling discussions, or distractions. But they begin with a few thoughts on their recent time in Northern Ireland and the incident of Andy getting “mugged off” with his final pint pour there. Then, after an evening of watching the Gold Standard, they discuss the obscene maintenance practices at TPC Sawgrass and the bumpers they’ve built up around so many of its menacing hazards. Then they get to the fabulous leaderboard the championship has after one round, but not without some controversy. They discuss “Dropgate,” Rory McIlroy’s drops at the 7th and 18th holes that became another “where it crossed” contretemps. In an otherwise sterling round, Rory is now in the crosshairs for the aggressive push and they ponder how this could all be avoided. Also discussed is the INSANE Johnson Wagner TV segment chucking balls into a pond bank trying to discern whether Rory’s ball hit above or below the red line. They close with some pushback on the Cantlay critiques and Troy Merritt trying to put Brendan in a blender.

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Monahan tries to “quiet the noise” at Players, a diminished field, and overly green Sawgrass Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Brendan record this Players Championship “preview” from the shore of Portrush in Northern Ireland and they have many questions about Jay Monahan’s state of the tour (and pro golf?) press conference at TPC Sawgrass. They wonder why everyone was so worked up about it and if he was as poor and bumbling as portrayed. They also discuss the lack of pop around this Players, and how only some of it relates to the loss of talent in the field and how this event cannot even begin to argue it approximates a major now. They also discuss the overseeded and soft conditions they’ve been informed of from the ground, and whether it’s fruitless to hope for anything else. The back half runs through some favorite tee times and not-so-favorite tee times, leading down the path of examining one player’s recent resume that sort of brings to light Rory McIlroy’s comments about a more “cutthroat” tour last week. Some one-and-done picks are made before they push off with an event of the week nominee they encountered in Northern Ireland.

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A Scheffler boost, a more ‘cutthroat’ Tour, and AK flashes in Hong Kong Mar 10, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Brendan record this from Portrush, where the driving on the wrong side of the road has improved … at least up until the point the car nearly went into the sea. Then they begin this episode with a Tosti Tale from the Puerto Rico Open, where there was a kerfuffle over where a ball might have crossed the hazard. Matteo Manassero is also given his flowers, per SGS custom. Then, at long last, they get to the No. 1 player in the world winning at Bay Hill. They discuss Scottie Scheffler’s putting improvements and outline why Bay Hill, while an abomination of a golf course, is perfect for his strengths. They also discuss the Wyndham Clark “cheating” / mashing uproar, Rory’s rollercoaster, and the rhetoric that the Tour needs to get more “cutthroat.” How would that work? LIV’s Hong Kong event is also covered with a focus on Anthony Kim’s impressive 65. Tiger not committing to The Players is covered in news. They have some thoughts on Brice Garnett, winner of the PR Open, and whether he is 4A or something else. Last but not least, they marvel at Hosung Choi making his Champions Tour debut at the Dump-in-a-Box Classic.

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PGA Tour board and Monahan fatigue, LIV’s puny Hong Kong Course, and SGS Golf Advice Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

Andy and Brendan are together in Ireland, where they are taking in the news of yet another board announcement from the PGA Tour. But first, there’s an EPIC Ian Woosnam story they picked up on one of his Irish Open wins. Then it’s back to the less fun news of a board, for PGA Tour Enterprises, and it gives Jay Monahan another big title, as well as Tiger Woods. Does any of this shit matter anymore? Should we have any faith in this being an actual, final arrangement? We just had a “Framework Agreement” but that seems closer to death with each press release. Be skeptical of everything because the just keep announcing new things every month. Then they discuss LIV Hong Kong being at a 6700-yard course. They close with some Golf Advice on a piss bear situation and how best to spend a day at the Masters.

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