The Shotgun Start

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Hovland (+ others) bomb & carve Olympia Fields, Ryder Cup roster locks, and Blockie-gate Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

It’s a loaded Monday episode with the Playoffs in full effect, team match play rosters taking shape, and American cities to debate and pit against one another. Andy relays a tale from a boiling hot sweaty round in STL and Brendan discusses his travels from DEN. They begin with the incredible scores from another one of Chicago’s venerable championship tests and the heavy dose of wedges involved in them. There’s great praise for an outrageous Viktor Hovland closing nine, his “leap” year, and his amusing if unenthusiastic quote about the coming week in Atlanta. There’s a lengthy discussion on the Sepptic Tank, the group of superfans in t-shirts with that moniker, and his valiant fight to get into the Tour Championship and nearly knock out just a guy in the process. There’s also plenty more confusion over the FEC standings and the constant shuffling on the various cut lines. There’s a follow-up on Michael Block’s course record round at Valhalla, with some disturbing allegations and a spirited defense from sources inside the round, and from this podcast as well. The Ryder Cup auto-qualifiers are discussed, with Koepka getting bounced at the last second, and what it means for the captain’s picks. There is ample praise for Nick Dunlap’s U.S. Am win and a question about how soon he should turn pro. The KFT finals are also set up and debated, as well as Alexa Pano’s first win over in Europe. Finally, they close with Walker Cup and Solheim Cup roster news to follow-up on the earlier Ryder Cup debate -- a month of team match play draws nigh!

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Notes from the ground at the BMW, Unsubstantiated rumors, and Golf Advice Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

With both Andy and Brendan on the road with substandard WiFi and equipment, this episode is a ramble between travel tales and some golf odds and ends to get us to the weekend. Andy has some scuttlebutt from Chicago and a few notes from his day walking around the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields. Then, a whiparound segment hits on the hideous Ryder Cup uniforms, Epson Tour product placement, TaylorMade’s absurd luxury resort, and Michael Block’s course-record setting round at Valhalla on a “scouting” trip some 10 months before the PGA. There’s also some discussion on LIV planning for a transfer and trade deadline for next season. They close it out with some SGS Golf Advice on a Chicago liquor, bringing your own cart, and a wedding conflict during a prestigious Mid-Am competition.

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The not-so-Western Open makes rare Chicago stop, FEC Bubble boys, Euro Ryder Cup moves Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

This Wednesday episode begins with news that the BMW Championship will be going to the great Western frontier of Liberty National in a few years. Andy and Brendan react to the upcoming rota for this former Western Open, as well as news that hats are being sold in the merch tent claiming this history while also shattering it. Schedule for the week is a ramble all over the place, including some of the bubble boys who could help or hurt their Ryder Cup causes here late in the game. Also, is Matt Fitzpatrick struggling from Fitz Confusion. There’s also one bubble boy nominee who could provide some of the best messaging the PGA Tour could use right about now. Some Luke Donald comments on the prospects of Ludvig Aberg also triggers a quick side chat on European Ryder Cup prospects. There’s some U.S. Am chatter from Denver, which earns event of the week honors -- surprisingly the Champions Tour event in Calgary did not get it.

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Sweating in Memphis, The Vu Era, Glover’s Ryder Cup spot, and Tosti Tales Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

Both Andy and Brendan are worse for the wear after some travel -- one by air, the other by sea -- but they quickly realize it could have been worse. It could have been Memphis, where the heat index was 110 and showing on Lucas Glover’s pants. There’s praise for Glover and this incredible run that was the quickest visit ever to the Pancake Zone and may just land him on the Ryder Cup team. One host is trying to put him in “lock” territory. They also discuss Playoff Pat, CBS staying with coverage late into 60 minutes, the Tour’s new playoffs slogan, and the long putter. On the LPGA, they marvel at Lilia Vu’s season bookend major championships, and new No. 1 in the world ranking. There are some great Alejandro Tosti stories and facts in the recap of the KFT event. They discuss Phil’s run at LIV Bedminster, as well as the Women’s Am at Bel-Air to round out the busy weekend in golf.

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Phil’s wild gambling, Memphis blues, Tour dysfunction, and Golf Advice Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

It’s Friday! Andy and Brendan close out the week with a meandering mess of an episode. There’s anger, amusement, and multiple technical issues with one mic too loud and another’s airpods malfunctioning. They start with a happy birthday for a special young listener but then get to less happy matters: a gray, gloomy, soggy, humid preferred lies start to the Playoffs in Memphis. This brings up another playoffs venue chat, and some unintended shots at a great American city, but not golf course. They discuss Jay Monahan’s press session, the pressure to get a deal done by the end of the year, and the ongoing employee drama back at HQ. Then they get to the published excerpt of Billy Walters’s book on Phil Mickelson and his extreme gambling habit, as well as the revelation that he wanted to bet on a Ryder Cup he was in. What are the next questions, if any, that should come from this apparent uncontrollable urge to wager that Phil once had? Lastly, they close with SGS Golf Advice on a horrible first date taking place on the course, and how that may be the best place to draw out the red flags in a potential mate.

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A new “connected” Tour schedule, PGA Tour exec resigns, and PLAYOFFS stakes Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

Andy is back for this lively Wednesday episode with Brendan. He brings some tales from Will’s wedding and his travels, and has a few clean-up thoughts on the valiant JT push for the playoffs, long putters, and other items from Sunday’s regular season finale. But then it’s on to the matters at hand, beginning with some late Tuesday news that a major PGA Tour executive has resigned. Then they get to the PGA Tour press release of its 2024 schedule, going line by line, or almost, over the official language and inserting their own commentary on some of the new swings, cohort names, and overall changes. Then they get to the schedule for this week, beginning with the last major of the year over in England, the new and improved first leg of hte Playoffs, and a dynamite setup for the U.S. Women’s Amateur. There’s quite a bit of a praise for the real stakes in Memphis and what it might trigger for someone’s 2024 and career. Lastly, they close with news that the PGA is not down with the rollback or MLR.

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Bryson shoots 58 with a self-correcting driver, JT misses Playoffs (and Ryder Cup?) Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

It was yet another eventful weekend in golf with the Playoffs drawing nigh and seasons ending in Greensboro at the Wyndham Championship. Brendan is joined by Joseph LaMagna to break down all the drama from the PGA Tour finale and the potential Ryder Cup implications but first … the Thicc Boi! They begin with Bryson DeChambeau, his incredible 58 at LIV Greenbrier, if there’s an asterisk for preferred lies, and his self-correcting Krank driver that he alluded to in a staggering quote. There’s plenty of praise for the Thicc Boi, his insights on going super low, his run of form and if he’s a better option for the Ryder Cup than Justin Thomas, who missed the FedExCup Playoffs by one spot in Greensboro. Joseph and Brendan run down the list of Ryder Cup options and where JT might slot and if “deserve” has anything to do with it. Who’s on the team now and are we all overreacting to small samples? They also discuss Lucas Glover, his win, his long putter, and his spicy comments on the new PGA Tour cutoffs and signature events. The notion of “bad breaks” for Russ Henley is also disposed of and they close with some thoughts on a journeyman player trying to “hack” the AON Risk-Reward Challenge for that bonus $1 million.

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PGA Tour 2024 schedule comes out, ‘Signature’ events, and SGS Golf Advice Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

Andy and Brendan close out the week with a planned Summer Friday hours episode that is prolonged with general sports talk and exhaustion. They begin with a Golfweek report on the 2024 schedule that is to be officially announced by the PGA Tour next week, or supposed to be. They react to the new term “Signature” events replacing Designated events, Pebble Beach getting that status, and the mishmash of some keeping cuts while others doing away with them. There’s a lament about the Olympics impact again as well as the loss of connection with these constant name changes. The second half of the podcast answers some Golf Advice emails on a Dynapower reward and hitting into a photo shoot at the Dallas Cowboys Golf Course.

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Tiger returns to bring more player control to PGA Tour, Wyndham woes, and Rahm comments Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

It’s the final week of the regular season, and what better way to cap off this year of discontent than yet another shake-up at the PGA Tour. This time, it comes in the form of the players pushing back on the middle-of-the-night dealing that three suits conducted to change the future of their tour. Tiger Woods will be getting a newly created board seat that will give more power to the players on that board than the independent directors. Andy and Brendan discuss the details of these changes, what it means for Jay Monahan, the Framework Agreement, and how it’s all starting to get a little exhausting. Schedule for the week checks in on the Wyndham Championship, where Wyndham Clark is a no-show along with the rest of the Comcast Top 10. News hits on some Jon Rahm comments that it is a criminal a top 150 Tour player can lose money in a year, with a quick exercise running through some of the money lists to check on that claim.

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Seniors whipped in Wales, JT MCs in Minny, and Barstool’s KFT coverage Jul 31, 2023

Show notes

Brendan is back and he returns to an Andy podcasting not at 100 percent after eating too much at dinner. This episode is a ramble that covers all manner of important and inane golf topics, and several non-golf subjects like vacation, the show Shark Tank, and Burmese food. They begin with some thoughts on the Sticky Note Classic that quickly transitions to a Senior Open recap. Andy has had enough with the Paddy RC talk, Brendan has Woosie empathy, and they both have delight in the absolutely brutal conditions. At the 3M Open, they discuss JT’s MC and Finau’s T7, and how we weight each. There’s great anger over FedExCup standings updates lagging. There’s praise for Lee Hodges, and some clarification on all the strawman J.T. Poston catnip about his going for the green. On the KFT recap, they discuss the Barstool broadcast of the Chicago event. News hits on the Jay memo a bit more and the outrageous decision by Carlota Ciganda do DQ herself rather than take a slow play penalty.

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