The Shotgun Start with Andy Johnson of The Fried Egg and Brendan Porath of SB Nation is a podcast waiting for you early in the morning that quickly blasts through a variety of topics (usually) related to golf and (ideally) relevant to the day. It covers news from the pro tours around the world, amusing and important topics from the amateur game the rest of us play, and some irreverent stuff in between. There will be short interviews, previews, reviews, and dives into the archives. It provides what you need to know on golf through a rapid and fun catch-up discussion.
The Shotgun Start podcast is an absolute gem in the world of golf podcasts. Hosted by Brendan and Andy, this duo brings a perfect blend of humor, insight, and passion for the game. Their chemistry is undeniable, making each episode an entertaining and enjoyable experience. Whether you're a hardcore golf fan or just a casual listener, The Shotgun Start offers something for everyone.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the deep dive episodes. Brendan and Andy delve into various topics within the golf world, providing listeners with a comprehensive analysis that goes beyond what you would find in mainstream coverage. They tackle serious points about the game while still maintaining a light-hearted and humorous tone. It's refreshing to hear their honest opinions without any agenda or bias.
Another standout aspect of The Shotgun Start is their coverage of lesser-known players and events. While other podcasts may focus solely on big names and major tournaments, Brendan and Andy shine a spotlight on up-and-coming golfers and smaller tournaments. This gives listeners a well-rounded view of the golf world and allows them to discover new players to root for.
However, one possible downside to this podcast is their tendency to veer off-topic at times. While their banter and tangents can be entertaining, it may leave some listeners wanting more focused discussions on golf-related topics. Additionally, their constant use of nicknames for players can be confusing for new listeners who are not familiar with their inside jokes.
In conclusion, The Shotgun Start podcast is a must-listen for any golf fan looking for an entertaining yet informative show. Brendan and Andy bring a unique perspective to the game with their humor, deep dives, and coverage of lesser-known players. While they may occasionally go off on tangents, their passion for golf shines through in every episode. Give The Shotgun Start a listen - you won't be disappointed!
Sometimes, things are willed into existence. Following this podcast obtaining footage of PGA of America President Don Rea's performance of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, Brendan is first joined by a giddy Andy to discuss this monumental moment in golf history. Andy details his reaction to seeing the "cinema" for the first time and pleads for Don to remain in this leadership position forever. Brendan then brings on KVV for a frame-by-frame breakdown of the nine second video, as well as the rest of this regularly scheduled Friday episode. Brendan, KVV, and PJ recap their Wednesday night consisting of acquiring the video and the ensuing checks and balances to make sure this iconic footage was not produced by AI. They commend Don's courage and leadership, as he took the reins and lit a fire under Team USA, who won Sunday singles by five points following this inspiring round of karaoke by their fearless leader. KVV highlights some lines of the song that he wishes were on film, but we're all still hopeful that the full tape will one day make its way to the internet. In non-Don news (yes, that exists!), Brendan shares an unbelievable listener email about The Great Manassero teeing it up at a San Diego muni earlier this week. KVV is enthralled by Beau Hossler's ayahuasca use and ensuing passion for coffee, leading to a group discussion of which professional golfers would make the best hallucinations while on a trip. The Korn Ferry Tour is looking at a bit of history this week, as Tiger's season-scoring record is apparently in danger of being broken. This has Brendan out of his mind, awarding the KFT socials with the first-ever "Ragebait of the Week" award. Joseph LaMagna published a wide-ranging interview with Team Europe Vice Captain Dodo Molinari which revealed just how far ahead the Euros seemingly were compared to their American counterpoints at Bethpage Black. KVV uses this, as well as his article about the analytics used by Team USA, as a way to ask why Ryder Cup USA hasn't pivoted its backroom strategy yet following another defeat. Speaking of the Ryder Cup, Collin Morikawa was popped by a European journalist in Japan about his request for "chaos" from the crowd at Bethpage. Morikawa claimed that his words were taken out of context, and Brendan demands that we stop acting like the American players are at fault for the rowdy fans. Two Golf Advice emails round out this episode, with a debate on how to fix the "crowd issue" at future major golf events and a question about teens hitting into people under the cloak of darkness.
Andy and Brendan return with plenty to discuss as the golf world finally moves out of the Ryder Cup's blast radius. Naturally, this episode kicks off with a Baseball Minute due to a disappointing start to the NLDS for Andy's beloved Cubs and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Things quickly transition to "Don Watch" as Brendan is hearing rumblings that the "Lose Yourself" karaoke video may surface in the coming days. The PGA Tour moves from Jackson, Mississippi to Tokyo, Japan this week for the Baycurrent Classic. This event and its various changes in the last five years leads to a wider discussion about the PGA Tour schedule and the ultimate question of "how many tournaments is too many?" Elsewhere on the schedule this week, the Korn Ferry Tour finals are set to go off in French Lick even though most of next year's Tour cards are locked up. On the DP World Tour, many LIV stars are at the Spanish Open contending for a 2026 Masters invite. Jon Rahm is playing his home event and spoke to the media to somewhat re-ignite the Ryder Cup crowd discourse a bit, as one does. After running through the rest of the Schedule for the Week, Andy and Brendan parse through a bunch of golf news including the return of the Skins Game and the 2026 TGL schedule release (with accompanying content!).
Just when we thought we were out, he pulls us back in! After declaring this podcast done with Don Rea until Year in Review, Brendan starts this episode off with the late-breaking news of Don Rea's karaoke performance after Saturday of the Ryder Cup. According to the Times of London, D-Rabbit reportedly took the mic at his hotel and performed Eminem's "Lose Yourself" in front of player families and more onlookers. Andy is stunned by the song choice, thinking that an Eagles song would be more up Don's alley. Everyone is wondering when and where the video of this historical moment will inevitably come out and PJ is debating on making some calls across Long Island to see if he can procure it. With Don's one-year anniversary as PGA of America president coming up, Andy ponders if he makes it through half of his two-year term. Brendan is aghast at the "Deep State" of European media and PGA of America members who are trying to cancel Don, demanding that this cannot happen, if only for the sake of this podcast. Before running through this week's results, Andy and Brendan also provide an incredible update on the "Lotte at Lottie's" challenge! In actual golf news, Tommy Gainey secured his first win on the Champions Tour and Andy believes that this may mark the end for the senior circuit in more ways than one. Speaking of the Lotte, the LPGA's unique winner streak carries on after non-member sponsor exemption Youmin Hwang took home the win. Big Shot Bob MacIntyre won a rainy, cold Dunhill just a week after battling at Bethpage. The weather was so bad in Scotland that the event was shortened to 54 holes, causing some Pro-Am celebs to walk off the course due to the conditions. On the PGA Tour, Steven Fisk chased down Garrick Higgo at the Sanderson to win his first-ever PGA Tour title. Andy pops PJ about the latest Jets loss and there's some network television discussion to round out this quick Sunday recording.
Andy and Brendan! went LIVE on YouTube for this Friday episode to kick off the post-Ryder Cup weekend. We've received word that the "Lotte at Lottie's" challenge is off to a roaring start, with two listeners finding each other at the bar on Wednesday watching tape delayed coverage of an LPGA event from across the world. As you could probably guess, most of this episode focuses on the continued fallout from the Ryder Cup crowd fiasco and Don Rea's various responses. Andy and Brendan dig into the Don's LinkedIn post responding to criticism, something he's experienced since his days as a Minor League Baseball umpire. "New level, new devil" has now become a staple in the podcast's vocabulary as well. Andy got duped by a photoshop of Rea's potential resignation being discussed on ESPN's "First Take," but Brendan can't imagine a golf world without Don moving forward. Elsewhere in the crowd discourse, PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague spoke to The Athletic about "not hearing" what happened from his luxury box on Saturday. Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton spoke out prior to the Dunhill, unsatisfied with Don's trophy presentation and ensuing apology. In non-crowd Ryder Cup cleanup, Furyk & Friends has become a bevy of content! AssCap Jim Furyk was unhappy about the green speeds being off at Bethpage and wonders if that was to blame for Team USA's poor putting performance. Stewart Cink also revealed that he interviewed for the 2025 captaincy, only to get ghosted by "special agent" John Wood afterward. Moving on from the Ryder Cup, LIV has reported its financial losses and the numbers have Andy and Brendan wondering where the league goes from here. Things wrap with Golf Advice, including Andy's passionate defense of poker chip ball markers.
The dust is beginning to settle from the "biggest Ryder Cup ever" and the PGA of America has found itself in the crosshairs of everyone in golf. The organization has still not formally acknowledged anything regarding fan behavior or experience at Bethpage, but a Don Rea interview from Sunday morning has surfaced and provides Andy and Brendan with plenty of fodder. The President of the 31,000 thought that you could find fans like the ones on Saturday at a "youth soccer game" and claimed that he hadn't heard any of the barbs thrown at Rory McIlroy during the week. He wrapped up his chat with BBC by saying that "golf is the engine of good," which sets Andy and Brendan off to the races. They look back at the week as a whole and wonder what the PGA of America's true focus was on and whether the organization truly cared about putting on a quality golf tournament. The two discuss where the Ryder Cup should go from here and whether it needs to be sold or licensed to another company for future installments in the United States. After a complete dissection of Mr. Rea's quotes, it's back to normal in golf with plenty on the Schedule for the Week. It's chicken time at the Sanderson, you can go watch the Lotte at Lottie's, and Furyk & Friends has a distinct Ryder Cup feel! Plenty of LIV players and Ryder Cuppers will play at the Dunhill Links on the DP World Tour with celebs like Wayne Gretzky, Bill Murray, and the bassist from Linkin Park. A brief Playoff Baseball minute sends us home for this Wednesday episode with both the Guardians and Cubs starting their runs on Tuesday afternoon. Always remember, by listening to this podcast, you're part of the engine of good!
After an unexpected dramatic Sunday at Bethpage, Andy and Brendan are back to debrief from Europe's win on away soil at the 2025 Ryder Cup. What does Europe do and have that the USA continues to botch? They discuss the American side's valiant effort to make it close in Sunday singles, but turn to Europe's brilliance and the autopsy of yet another USA failure. They ponder the envelope rule and how that had the USA side miffed and how the worst-case scenario of a tie was narrowly avoided. They grade each and every player, including the captains, and it's not a kind review of Keegan's week. The fans are also graded, and they go through one more day of shouts and heckles and react to Rory's comments on it from the weekend. Course setup is also discussed, revolving around Keegan's admission that he “made a mistake.” PJ and KVV join with some amusements from the ground as well after another incredible day covering one of the best events in golf.
Andy and Brendan have PLENTY to talk about after a full, buzzing Saturday at the Ryder Cup despite the blowout on the scoreboard. They jump immediately into the testy exchange between Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, caddies, Francesco Molinari, and others during another winning afternoon for Europe. They dissect Keegan's miscues with lineups and management but wonder if it would have mattered given Europe's play. They also go into the extremely hostile crowds, the constant abuse of Rory McIlroy and the opponent, and discuss how bad it got out there and how much it crossed the line. KVV and LaMagna join late to relay some of their notes from their days inside the ropes before a rambling discussion on Russ Henley, Rose, New England sports analogies, and much more in this rollicking Saturday night episode.
Andy and Brendan are together on Long Island after a full day at Bethpage Black taking in the Ryder Cup, where the USA is in a significant hole to Europe at 5.5 to 2.5 points. They discuss the late attempts by the US to close the gap and how they were held off yet again by the Euro stars like Rahm, Fleetwood, and Rory. They offer up some MVPs and LVPs, which brings Keegan Bradley's strategy for the whimpering leadoff four-ball session that put the USA behind from the jump. How much of Scottie Scheffler is to blame? Or did Keegan set them up to fail? Was Bryson done in by his partners? Is the US cooked? They also cover some of the crowd effects, the first tee scene that might have been underwhelming, Trump's visit, and some of the heckles heard throughout the day. Also, has the golf course been set up in a way that's actually neutered some their strongest players.
Andy and Brendan are playing with a half-set as they locked their recording equipment in the wrong car ahead of this unplanned Thursday live chat reacting to lineups for the opening session of the 2025 Ryder Cup. They discuss the strategy of both captains in setting their four alternate shot pairings for Friday morning, and get hyped for the banger of an opener between Bryson-JT and Rahm-Hatton. They also discuss any surprise pairings and players, pondering weaker choices against someone left on the benches. They close it out with some predictions on matches and the overall session before we dive into the chaos of some of the best three days in golf.
Andy and Brendan are back at the Ryder Cup — this time, not in an RV but a hipster Brooklyn spot — to record their first episode of the week together. It's a wide-ranging preview episode that begins with some instant reactions and amusements from the Opening Ceremony, featuring Don Rea and essays about New York being considered gritty. They discuss some of their insights from the ground walking around, talking to some players and getting the lay of Bethpage again. They read the tea leaves and discuss some of the pairings that could be coming and how Bryson DeChambeau, and a potential partnership with Justin Thomas, may prove to be the tipping point for great success or great disaster. They discuss the potential for crowd troubles and how the golf course sets up as “so American” for taking the teeth out of a place that's supposed to have a warning sign. Then they bring in KVV for his “KVV Three” notes from the ground on some amusing subjects and an SGS RC Fantasy draft with Andy, Brendan, KVV, and “The Boys.” They finish it out with some picks for top points earners, winner, and most likely to get in a tussle.
This episode was recorded before NFL kickoff on Sunday, so Victory Monday for the Bears and Browns will have to wait. Andy is still licking his wounds from an ugly Illini loss to Indiana on Saturday night and wonders if winning out would still clinch a playoff spot. PJ is in high spirits after a Syracuse win in Death Valley and an early scouting trip to Bethpage on Saturday morning - only for the Jets to ruin everything again. We wrap up College Football Corner and discuss some wonderful coffee golf at the French Open (presented by FedEx) on Sunday. Michael Kim secured his first win since the 2018 John Deere Classic, edging out Elvis Smylie, Min Woo Lee, and Brooks Koepka. With Kim, Lee, and Koepka dropping in on the DP World Tour to great success, Brendan tries to draw some conclusions about where these fall fields stand overseas. Andy makes the case for a potential unification between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour that would have one points list and a stronger fall schedule. The LPGA had yet another unique result to uphold the streak - a cancelation of the tournament in Arkansas after 18 holes! Brendan has PJ share some scuttlebutt from the early merch preview at Bethpage, including some reporting about the famous sign - a favorite of Jason Garrett. In an actual bit of news, Rory McIlroy spoke with The Guardian and took his chance to pop Bryson DeChambeau ahead of a potential match this week. Rory also says he's "more confident" in a win for Europe now than he was when he made his guarantee in 2023. Andy and Brendan answer some listener questions about the Ryder Cup to close things out before traveling to the great state of New York for this week's festivities. Find our full Ryder Cup preview episode here on Wednesday night!
A light week of golf leads us to this wide-ranging Friday episode, covering a potential new housecat, the return of a broadcast legend, and a legendary Ryder Cup Flashback. Andy and Brendan first discuss the U.S. Mid-Am and the fiery online debate about former pros getting their amateur status reinstated. Andy is adamant that these players should not be able to waltz back into amateur golf and outlines his ideal rules for the situation. Brendan and KVV react to Andy's rulings and wonder if some are too harsh for those looking to continue playing competitive golf after their pro careers end. There's a bit of golf news to cover with LPGA legend Stacy Lewis retiring and the PGA of America bringing the KPMG Women's PGA and the PGA Championship back to Bethpage in the coming years. In much-needed Ryder Cup broadcast news, Sir Nick Faldo will be on the call for NBC next week, teaming with Terry Gannon and Notah Begay for morning sessions. Blockie is also back in the fold for 2026, because of course he is! We'll see him at the AmEx next year. In the spirit of Bob Uecker, a Golf Advice emailer sent along a letter from a ghost of Ryder Cup past to be read before we help one of our favorite football podcasters out with a fantasy football punishment. KVV then unpacks a Flashback Friday segment on the 2004 Ryder Cup war between Phil Mickelson and American captain Hal Sutton, complete with a Texas accent you won't want to miss. Lastly, some Don Rea soundbites send us into the weekend, as only he can.
It sure seems like everyone is just counting down the days until the Ryder Cup at this point. With minimal golf news and no PGA Tour event to discuss, Andy instead starts this episode with a tale from his latest round of golf. Playing at one of America's great championship courses, Andy decided he wanted to recreate an iconic moment and ended up almost hitting some folks enjoying a Tuesday afternoon lunch on the patio. It's been a big week for paying homage to iconic figures, as Brendan shares the latest Bob Uecker tribute from the Milwaukee Brewers. Brendan is aghast at the team reading and posting a fake letter from the deceased Uecker, which leads into a discussion about which ghosts this year's Ryder Cup teams should (allegedly) hear from. The Europeans have made it to Long Island and dressed in some... interesting... clothing for their first practice rounds at Bethpage Black. Justin Rose thinks that New Yorkers will become "caricatures" of themselves in the crowd and thinks that the VR preparation is a sign that things have gone too far. In actual golf being played this week, the ultimate Game Within a Game is underway on the LPGA circuit: can the unique winner streak continue at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship? With 18 of this year's winners in the field, the odds are in favor of this incredible streak living on. Andy is fired up about the Stephens Cup and the U.S. Mid-Am, both of which are already underway as of this recording. The Celebrity Ryder Cup rosters have been released with big names such as Toni Kukoč, Pau Gasol, and Brooklyn Beckham facing off against Eli Manning, Colin Jost, and "Sticks Boy " Noah Kahan. In substantive golf news, Amazon Prime has acquired some Masters streaming rights for Thursday and Friday and - as first reported on this podcast - the PGA Tour will not open the season in Kapalua due to the water issues in Maui.
The combined 0-6 Bears, Browns, and Jets lost by a combined 74 points on Sunday. But it is still a victory Monday around here as we welcome Kevin Van Valkenburg to the Fried Egg Golf team. Though he has been a contributor to SGS in the past, he's now on the FE ship full time so we bring him on to bat it around following the weekend of Brocore, Wentworth, and continued Ryder Cup hype. We discuss Scottie Scheffler — his mere presence — putting everyone around him on the fritz, like Ben Griffin, who could have, should have won the Brocore. Did it take a low stakes fall event to really convince us the Tiger invocations are not out of line? Maybe. They also discuss king mule Lanto's involvement in the proceedings and Jackson Koivun needing to stay on Tour and not go back to school. At Wentworth, they discuss Alex Noren being a top 20 player in the world and for sure a top 12 option for Team Europe who will be relegated to the ass-cap role. Then the notion of VR headsets preparing the Euro Ryder Cup team for battle is also bandied about with some amusement. They close with some football chatter and laughs about PJ having to send cringe tweets for the Lions following the Browns wishing Deshaun a happy birthday on Sunday morning.
This Whiparound Friday episode might as well be a show about nothing with not much going on in golf this week. Andy and Brendan start with a quick rundown of an early leaderboard at the Procore with players like Mackenzie Hughes and Matt Kuchar leading the way. They then move to the BMW PGA on the DP World Tour where auto-qualifier Rasmus Hojgaard struggled on Thursday. Andy takes that baton and runs with it, explaining that the Ryder Cup captains need to be more cutthroat and sit struggling players until Sunday singles if that's what is best for the team. This leads into an impromptu Flashback Friday on the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Paris, France. Andy and Brendan remember some crazy decisions made by the American side, such as making a "celebratory" Tiger Woods play four times that week and pairing a rookie Bryson DeChambeau with a wild Phil Mickelson. They bring up supporting characters such as Thorbjorn Olesen playing with Rory McIlroy and the European team of "Moliwood" that effectively won the event on their own. As for the 2025 event, the Americans are out in full force in Napa and Keegan Bradley is calling this the "closest team he's ever seen" - despite only seeing two teams prior to this. After a bunch of winding Ryder Cup chatter, some legendary Golf Advice emails send us into the weekend. A #HedgeBoy story from Cypress jogs Andy's memory about a horrendous round in the area before Brendan reads an email about a member-guest caddie's interactions with nature.
It is NOT a Victory Wednesday (or Tuesday) episode for Andy, but he's back to join Brendan! for a preview of some September golf throughout the world. Things kick off with a quick Champions Tour Minute highlighting Thomas Bjorn's win in St. Louis that was ignored on Monday's Walker Cup recap. Bjorn took home one of the more interesting trophies in golf at the Stifel Charity Classic before working as an AssCap for Team Europe in a few weeks. Speaking of Ryder Cup preparations, 10 of the 12 Americans are in the field at the ProCore Championship in Napa. Tuesday's practice round has already brought some early "pods" and potential pairings. Scottie Scheffler looks like he'll run it back with Russell Henley after a strong showing at the Presidents Cup while his deputy, Sam Burns, played a round with Mr. 1,000 and No-Hat Pat. Team Europe is also gathering this week - they're almost all in the field at the BMW PGA at Wentworth in England. Rory McIlroy had some insightful comments regarding his future schedules in his pre-tournament press conference and stopped just short of naming some events he doesn't particularly care for. Also teeing it up at Wentworth is defending champion Billy Horschel, who makes his return to competitive golf following a mid-year injury. To preview this week's Champions Tour event in South Dakota, Andy runs down the Schwab Cup standings and once again wonders who Ricardo Gonzalez is. In news, future Champs Tour star Tiger Woods was seen hitting balls on a New Jersey range on Monday, sending the internet into a storm, per usual. To close the show, Andy comments on Monday night's Bears loss to the Vikings and has some questions about Caleb Williams.
Andy joins Brendan! fresh off a weekend at the 50th Walker Cup with a notebook full of observations from Cypress Point. The United States won for the fifth-straight time, securing a blowout margin with a strong performance in Sunday singles. Andy shares some tales from the ground, including notes on Mason Howell, Niall Shiels Donegan, and Michael La Sasso. Brendan provides some color on the broadcast side after two days of watching at home. Not to be outdone by the amateurs, Bryson DeChambeau showed up for the weekend to be a thirsty boy and share his thoughts on Dr. MacKenzie's masterpiece. Andy also spent some time with a legendary light-hitting first baseman as well! On the professional golf side of things, Rory McIlroy won the Irish Open on Sunday morning, making an eagle on the 72nd hole to send the event into a playoff. It was an emotional week for Rory, who brought his green jacket to show off to the home crowds at the K Club. Andy and Brendan try further contextualize Rory's rollercoaster of a 2025 following this latest win. In news, a podcast favorite throws out the first pitch at a New York Yankees game and Xander is the only eligible American Ryder Cupper skipping out on the Procore. We wrap things up with a Football Minute following disastrous Browns and Jets losses on Sunday, because how would an NFL season start otherwise?
Andy and Brendan return with a mega-episode to kick off a big weekend in sports! Andy is especially excited about his trip to the Walker Cup at Cypress Point and previews some players to watch in the 50th playing of the competition. The two discuss golf's resurgence in popularity, using Sergio Garcia's decision to skip the Irish Open to play with tennis star Carlos Alcaraz as a prime example. After a lengthy Walker Cup discussion and an all-time story from a trip to Cypress, Andy and Brendan dive in on the first round of the Irish Open. Rory McIlroy found himself on the clock on Thursday and was quite upset, but not as upset as Pablo Larrazabal was at Marco Penge missing out on the Ryder Cup team. Larrazabal's tweet is a perfect transition into some Ryder Cup commercialization news on a slow week in golf. PJ is appalled that there will be an outdoor takeover of Rockefeller Center for Ryder Cup weekend and Brendan shares details of some very expensive "at-home" kits for those watching on TV. Following the Ryder Cup, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will lead another set of teams at the "Golf Channel Games" in December. Andy is already excited for the potential of some takes surrounding any pro's performance in this made-for-TV exhibition. In a follow up from the legendary "Dunky" on Monday's episode, Andy shares another Walker Cup crime file - with this former player ending up absolved of any wrongdoing. To wrap things up, there's some brief NFL chatter before we send it to an old Flashback Friday segment from 2019 on the first-ever Walker Cup.
Andy and Brendan! get this First of the Month recording in under the gun, chatting late on Labor Day about the latest news in golf. They run through Monday's announcement of the European Ryder Cup team as Luke Donald finalized his roster with 11 of the 12 players from Rome. The two debate whether this is the best Team Europe has ever been and wonder who, if anyone, will be looked back on as the "random" member of this 2025 roster. The picks were made following the Omega Masters on the DP World Tour, won by pod favorite Thriston Lawrence after a year of struggles in the United States. In honor of this week's Walker Cup, Brendan shares quick flashlight about a player from the last time the event was held at Cypress Point. This flashlight has twists and turns and ends up with an extradition, if that's your thing. PJ quizzes Andy and Brendan on some SEC backup QBs or SEC golfers following Week 1 of college football and all three take some joy in North Carolina's loss to TCU. Things wrap up with a Champions Tour discussion after Ernie Els publicly challenged Tiger Woods to tee it up on the senior circuit in 2026.
With minimal golf news to chat about, this Friday episode covers a myriad of topics including geography, plane flight paths, and the Green Bay Packers. Andy is still recovering the Micah Parsons news and Brendan prompts PJ to explain his love for the Packers in 2025 just to make things worse. After an abridged Football Corner before college football kicks off this weekend, Andy and Brendan move on to golf and discuss Sunny Kim's latest win on the Minor League Golf Tour. Brendan is especially impressed by the record books on the Minor League Tour and suggests the PGA Tour take some notes. They also run through the field at next week's BMW PGA, where most of the potential European Ryder Cup team will tee it up alongside some LIV boys and... Corey Conners? Brian Rolapp is reportedly wondering how the PGA Tour can better market the mules, so Brendan and Andy come up with some ideas and players they'd like featured. Andy then audits the PGA Tour socials to figure out where some mule content could fit in. In other news, Kapalua is now shutting down in order to preserve the course due to a water shortage and The Sentry is officially in danger. There's plenty of Golf Advice to send you off to a holiday weekend, with listeners wondering when they can drink non-alcoholic beer and an Andy takedown of the handicap system in America. To wrap things up, Brendan, Andy, and PJ look ahead to Week 1 of college football and highlight some games to watch, with Andy making a shocking revelation.
This Wednesday episode was recorded live right after the interminable dog-and-pony show announcing the final six captain's picks to fill the 2025 US Roster for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage. Andy and Brendan are giddy coming off that show and dissect the six picks, who got snubbed, and the agonizing choice by Keegan Bradley to just captain and not play even though he is clearly one of the best 12 US golfers this year. They also outline some points of concern on the roster, potential pairings, and a laundry list of amusements for the one-hour show with all six picks sitting on a zoom. They ponder the notion that the Americans are on “the back foot” and the Euros are tap-dancing in their heads. The role of Tiger Woods, if any, in these decisions is also bandied about. They close with schedule for the week and some news on the Masters and Open switching up their exemptions into their fields, a Rory-Scottie skills challenge coming to TV in December, and the Tour Championship's monster ratings.
Tommy Fleetwood has finally won a PGA Tour event. Naturally, this episode starts elsewhere, as Andy and Brendan immediately jump into some quotes from Robert Garrigus and James Hahn. As told to Adam Schupak, these men are very unhappy about the PGA Tour's continued shift toward Signature Events. Garrigus challenged Jordan Spieth to a match for his "five sponsor exemptions" into Signature Events next year and Hahn wants Brian Rolapp to get his phone number from Jay Monahan. This sets Andy off, wondering which players should feature in the "Mule Derby." Things eventually get back to the Super Bowl of Golf, won by Tommy Fleetwood after four rounds of preferred lies. Tommy held off "Playoff P," Keegan Bradley, Russell Henley, and a half-hearted charge from FedEx Cup fourth-place-finisher Scottie Scheffler on Sunday. PJ questions whether this Tour Championship should even count as Tommy's first win, but Fleetwood is now Mr. 1,001 regardless. Andy and Brendan discuss the week at East Lake and give Tommy his flowers for landing the plane on Sunday afternoon. With the U.S. Ryder Cup team set to be announced on Wednesday, it seems like Keegan Bradley will select himself, leaving one of Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, or Sam Burns at home. There's a lengthy discussion about what Keegan should do, but everyone agrees things are trending toward him being a playing captain. The European Ryder Cup team also got a boost on Sunday, with Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton teaming up to win the LIV Team Championship in a playoff. Elsewhere for Europe, Rasmus Hojgaard qualified on points, all but locking up their 12 players. Brendan is unsure of how Rasmus accumulated enough points to make the top six and questions whether all points lists should go away for the 2027 Ryder Cup. Stew Cink went back-to-back at the Ally Challenge, beating Ernie Els in a playoff in Michigan and Brooke Henderson won her national Open on the LPGA. Finally, President Trump declared that he's in favor of Keegan Bradley's playing captaincy and said he will be attending the Ryder Cup on Friday. Will he chop it up with Don Rea? That remains to be seen.
Andy and Brendan return to unpack Brian Rolapp's presser at East Lake ahead of the 2025 Tour Championship. Brendan is in especially high spirits following a strong start from Jacob Bridgeman who has found himself in contention to win the FedEx Cup after one round in Atlanta. The bulk of this episode is spent recapping Rolapp's press conference and discussing his first orders of business as CEO of the PGA Tour. It sounds like major changes are coming and Andy, Brendan, and PJ wonder where Rolapp and his newly formed committee will begin. Whether it's taking a piece of revenue from majors, various media rights deals, or shrinking the Tour even more, Rolapp seems eager to shake things up. The back half of this show previews the LIV Team Championship in Plymouth, Michigan. The event will be LIV's 50th tournament, leaving Andy and Brendan to wonder whether the league will make it to 100 events. Brendan runs through some all-time LIV stats, as this golf entity actually has accurate bookkeeping - a rarity these days! Jon Rahm has come down from Mt. Everest and made an interesting draft choice when choosing his first-round opponent, drawing comparisons to his beloved Arizona Diamondbacks. We will be back on Monday to break down golf's Super Bowl in full after a new FedEx Cup champion is crowned at East Lake on Sunday night.
At long last, Andy has returned from sea (and air!). He joins Brendan and is fired up off the jump, coming in hot to defend the city of Chicago after last week's "slander." Andy's back just in time for golf's Super Bowl - the Tour Championship at East Lake. Brendan shares some quotes from an Adam Schupak article about the event possibly heading out of Atlanta sometime soon, only to find that Tim Finchem might've promised the event would stay there "in perpetuity." The winner of this week's event, which is now being played without Starting Strokes, will win both the tournament and the FedEx Cup for the 2025 season, unlike Jon Rahm's LIV title that came with zero victories. Rahm compared his win-without-winning to climbing Mt. Everest, sending Brendan off the rails at the preposterousness of that comparison. After running through the Schedule for the Week, Andy and Brendan then get into the 2026 Schedule for the Year after the PGA Tour announced its dates for next season. Trump Doral will host a new Signature Event in May, making it nearly impossible for rookies and those without signature status to play between the Masters and the PGA Championship. In other news, Paul Azinger will receive the Payne Stewart Award this week and Andy has a few questions about how the committee chose him as the 2025 recipient. TGL has announced the start date for its second season, going head-to-head with an NFL Sunday in December. This leads into an NFL Minute to close out this episode - Andy loves what he's seeing from the Bears, Joe Flacco is starting for Brendan's Browns, and PJ is already apathetic about Justin Fields and the Jets.
With Andy lost in an airport (not at sea), Brendan! once again called upon PJ to step into the "big chair" to close out the second round of the 2025 FedEx Cup playoffs. After he was unable to make history as the defending FedEx Cup champ last week, Scottie Scheffler fought back with a vengeance at Caves Valley. Scottie chased down Big Shot Bob MacIntyre in the final pairing, putting an exclamation point on his latest win with a chip-in on the 17th hole. Brendan shares some insight from his weekend on the ground, covering pace-of-play and a proper showcase of the top 50 players on the PGA Tour. One of those 50, Ben Griffin, had a rocky start to his Sunday and shared post-round that it was due to an "overdose" on creatine, sending Brendan and PJ into a tizzy. Jon Rahm was not in Baltimore, but he was in Indianapolis for LIV's individual season finale. He took home overall champion honors after a Sunday 60, but lost the weekly event to Sebastian Muñoz in a playoff. Brendan and PJ discuss the absurdity of Rahm - who did not win all year - beating out Joaquin Niemann's five-win season for the 2025 LIV title. LIV relegation is also a hot topic as big names now have to play elsewhere next season. The "Lads Club" is in full effect for Ryder Cup Europe with both Harry Hall and Marco Penge having big weeks despite seemingly having no shot at the 12th spot on the European roster. On the American side, Keegan Bradley had a nice Sunday at Caves Valley, but questions remain whether he should pick himself to play at Bethpage following a t-4 from Sam Burns. PJ then celebrates a long-awaited Victory Monday after Dick Green wins the Champs Tour event in Calgary. Brendan wraps up a great week of golf at Olympic Club for the U.S. Am, and shares an unsubstantiated rumor about next year's PGA Tour schedule to end this episode.
As promised on Wednesday's episode, Kevin Van Valkenburg returns to discuss the 2021 BMW Championship at Caves Valley and the ensuing SGS episode that continues to live in infamy. Before KVV comes in, Brendan keeps PJ in the big chair to run through some press conference quotes and results from the first round of this year's BMW. Brendan unleashes a rant about the proliferation of the Little League World Series across ESPN properties, leading to a lengthy discussion about the state of youth sports and selling out to private equity. From there, early storylines from the BMW start to emerge including plenty about next month's Ryder Cup. Scottie Scheffler doesn't want to talk about the upcoming matches at Bethpage, but Rory and Keegan both had some thoughts about a playing captain in their pre-tournament pressers in Baltimore. Brendan and PJ also preview LIV Indianapolis, share some concern about Xander Schauffele in this lost season for him, and check in on match play at the U.S. Am. KVV then comes in to join Brendan as the two remember their time at the birth of "Patty Ice" against a villainous Bryson DeChambeau at the 2021 BMW Championship.
Brendan! and PJ run amok on this episode while Andy's out on a boat somewhere. They have a lengthy food discussion to kick things off with the "Burger Dog" at The Olympic Club has taken center stage at the U.S. Am. There is debate about the merits of Chicago cuisine, bagels from just anywhere, and Phil Mickelson's Portillo's experiences in Bolingbrook last week. Tommy Fleetwood's tour of the 30 MLB stadiums has also continued after he was spotted at Camden Yards on Tuesday evening. He's in town for the BMW Championship at Caves Valley in Baltimore, best known as the birthplace of "Patty Ice" in 2021. Brendan and PJ take a small look back at that event, with more to come on Friday thanks to a special guest. Picks are made for the second round of the playoffs and PJ argues that this driver-wedge fest may be a proper way to crown a champion of the PGA Tour season. They run through the rest of the Schedule of the Week before dropping in some news about Versant and NBC striking a rights deal for the USGA Championships. If you still have cable, you're in good company here! Brendan then calls on Golf Channel's Brentley Romine for some onsite coverage of the aforementioned U.S. Am, burger glizzies and all.
Andy is once again lost at sea on a potentially Great lake, so "The Boys" jump in to recap the first round of the 2025 FedEx Cup Playoffs with Brendan! After an update from PJ on Don Rea's custom shoes for next month's Ryder Cup, Joseph LaMagna and Brendan dive into an eventful Sunday at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Justin Rose exorcised some playoff demons, defeating J.J. Spaun on the third extra hole at TPC Initech. Rose and Spaun locked up automatic qualifier spots for their respective Ryder Cup squads, but the main story was yet another Sunday collapse by 54-hole leader Tommy Fleetwood. Brendan and Joseph discuss Fleetwood's play on Sunday and Joseph shares some insight into an impactful course management decision that may have tipped some off to the impending collapse. Also of note, the Chaplain returned to Scottie's bag for Sunday and Mr. 1,000 shined again in one of the strongest fields of the year. There's plenty of chatter about the "Bubble Boys" of the FedEx Cup Top 50, as Rickie Fowler used his season of sponsor exemptions to cash a trip to Caves Valley, but Jordan Spieth is going home. As per usual this time of year, a lengthy Ryder Cup debate over Spieth's current status unfolds with Brendan playing the role of "public defender" for the four-time major champ. NBC's broadcast left a lot to be desired, worrying the trio about what's to come at the Ryder Cup next month. Elsewhere in golf, LIV had a double playoff at Bolingbrook, Megha Ganne won the U.S. Women's Am, and the President called in to congratulate the latest DPWT winner. After a brief Champions Tour Minute and a few news items, PJ convinces Brendan to give a statement on the Browns finding their franchise quarterback in Shedeur Sanders.
A true Friday episode about nothing seems fitting for the first round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Andy and Brendan immediately jump in on some Ryder Cup discourse after Akshay Bhatia's Thursday 62 that has him in the lead at the FedEx St. Jude at TPC Initech. The two discuss whether players like Bhatia, Bud Cauley, or even Harry Hall could do anything in the playoffs to cement their case for a captain's pick ahead of next month's matches at Bethpage Black. There's some continued action on the caddie carousel, with Collin Morikawa debuting a new man on the bag in Memphis. Andy seeks out some help from our AI overlords about why Morikawa has issues finding a permanent caddie, and Tony Finau reveals that he, too, is playing the new Titleist ball that Fordie Pitts gave Mr. 1,000 last week. Brendan continues his crusade about PGA Tour history and the calculation that led to Mr. 1,000, finding that the PGA Tour wins record should NOT be 82 after all! Speaking of PGA Tour insanity, their latest "Perfect 30" fantasy game for the FedEx Cup Playoffs asks a question that is nearly impossible to answer - placing all 30 players at East Lake in the correct order three weeks ahead of time. Don't worry, the prize is one million dollars, but it's far more likely that the grand prize winner will merely get another $1,000 gift card to their local PGA Tour Superstore. In news, the U.S. Women's Am has been tremendous cocktail golf in the evenings, the DPWT has an SGS leaderboard early, and Hudson Swafford spoke out about his suspension from the PGA Tour. We round out the week with some Golf Advice about a child's day at the Senior Open and asking for more strokes on a golf trip.
It's time for the playoffs! Andy and Brendan are thrilled to discuss the most important three weeks in golf, kicking off this week at TPC Initech in Memphis for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. 69 of the top 70 players on the PGA Tour will tee it up in the first round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, with only Rory McIlroy skipping out. This has caused plenty of commotion and Peppy Peter says a new "Rory Rule" may be implemented to force all who qualify to play the three playoff events moving forward. Speaking of the playoffs, Brendan discovered that the Wikipedia article for this first round has become an a minefield of past sponsors and jumbled histories, not unlike the PGA Tour's winner list that deems Cameron Young as "Mr. 1,000." Mr. 1,000 is in Memphis, searching for another strong finish that would place him ahead of Keegan Bradley in the Ryder Cup standings. The calls for Captain Keegan to not pick himself as a player are growing louder by the day, so he'll need to play well in the postseason to silence the doubters. Elsewhere on the schedule this week, the Champions Tour is back stateside in Seattle, the DP World Tour's notable list is... something, and the U.S. Women's Am heads to Bandon. In news, the Creator Classic is returning to East Lake and an SGS favorite announces his last start on Tour.
Andy and Brendan! are joined by The Boys for the Victory Monday to end all Victory Mondays. PJ and Joseph LaMagna are ecstatic after Cameron Young secured his first PGA Tour win at the Wyndham, becoming the 1,000th unique winner in Tour history. Brendan has some questions about how we arrived at the 1,000 number, perhaps throwing an asterisk on the forever-nickname of "Mr. 1,000." There's plenty of debate about Cameron's Ryder Cup standing heading into the event in his home state and a potential playoff push for Playoff P coming up. PJ walks everyone through his mentality throughout the weekend as it became clear that the NYGC stalwart was going to win for the first time. LaMagna also sheds some light on real improvements in Young's game that could lead to a #floodgates situation following this win. Andy and Brendan then discuss some Coffee Golf, chatting through Miyu Yamashita's win at the AIG Women's Open. Jackson Koivun gets some love for his performance at the Wyndham despite skipping the Western Am, which was won by Jase Summy at Skokie Country Club. As you could probably imagine, the majority of this episode focuses on Cameron Young and the manifestation of his first-ever win and ensuing lasting legacy as Mr. 1,000 on the PGA Tour.
First of the Month recordings finally return with Andy and Brendan! in high spirits for this Friday episode. With the calendar turning to August, a lengthy debate about month rankings breaks out before the two turn to Jordan Spieth's latest comments ahead of the Wyndham Championship. Spieth is looking forward to a big 2026 season despite being a 2025 Ryder Cup hopeful and Andy questions what reasonable expectations are for this "guy" moving forward. At the Women's Open, Charley Hull had some enlightening comments on the golf ball and why she doesn't watch golf on television. With the Western Am going on, Brendan shares some notables for those watching the weekend broadcast. PJ quizzes Andy and Brendan on Happy Gilmore 2 cameos, leading to some confusion from those who have already watched the film. In Golf Advice, questions about tournament play and asking for access to private clubs set Andy and Brendan off. There are also some intermittent updates on the Wyndham Championship throughout this episode.
Andy is back ashore and opens this episode with a staunch defense of beaches following Monday's episode. Brendan and PJ fight back, leading to a discussion about how to manage jellyfish stings and a name drop of Moises Alou. There is some golf talk, as the PGA Tour's regular season wraps up with the Wyndham Championship this week. Andy and Brendan wonder if there will be any conscientious objectors next week in Memphis with many top European players still abroad. Some players need big weeks at the Wyndham in order to even get to Memphis, and Andy is happy only 70 guys will see the postseason. One-and-done picks are haphazardly made, but this premier gambling podcast may still find a way to close out the year with a winner. The Women's Open Championship is this week as well and Brendan is fired up about his prediction of Lottie Woad as the gambling favorite coming true. He suggest a remix of Black Rob's "Whoa" be produced to welcome Lottie to the first tee at Royal Porthcawl for her first major as a professional. Plenty of Lottie chatter follows, as well as some cleanup on the KFT exemption scandal covered on Monday. Andy awards the Event of the Week to the Western Am, there's some news with new LIV purses in 2026, and Brian Rolapp's tenure at the PGA Tour has officially begun. A long-awaited review of Happy Gilmore 2 rounds things out, with Andy and PJ going back and forth about the film and possible continuity errors throughout.
Andy is off at sea, so Brendan! calls in "The Boys" for this Monday episode. Joseph LaMagna joins PJ and BP to discuss Kurt Kitayama's second career PGA Tour win and his continued dominance at Arnold Palmer designs. There's some chatter about Kitayama's excellent weekend at the 3M Open, tough Sundays from Jake Knapp and Akshay Bhatia, and some wild lines from the broadcast throughout the week. Brendan shares some takes from the beach as well before a quick look at the FedEx Cup standings heading into the last week of the regular season. Elsewhere in pro golf, a Korn Ferry Tour sponsor exemption has Brendan riled up, Lottie Woad was victorious at the Women's Scottish Open in her pro debut, and the Champs Tour Player of the Year race has heated up following the last major of the season. Rory McIlroy even stopped by the Senior Open Championship to take in the sights and sounds of the senior circuit. Joaquin Niemann won for a fifth time in 2025 at LIV London, an outcome which Joseph calls the "worse-case scenario" for the league. In news, Happy Gilmore 2 has taken over the golf world and a full review of the film will come later this week.
After transatlantic and transcontinental travel earlier, Andy and Brendan are ready for a true whiparound Friday episode to round out a chaotic week. Brendan! is back stateside and shares that he did not watch a movie on his flight back from Ireland, disappointing Andy as they chat about the big premiere of Happy Gilmore 2. Scottie Scheffler made it to New York with his "Open Championship trophy" in hand, just 24 hours after winning his fourth major, and was joined by Collin Morikawa, John Daly, and golf influencer Bryson DeChambeau, among other celebrities. Speaking of Bryson, he's had a big few days of quotes regarding the Ryder Cup and a potential matchup with Rory at Bethpage. Andy and Brendan then run through the Schedule for the Week, including the Sticky Note Open at TPC Sod Farm, Zinger calling the Senior Open with some friends from across the pond, and the U.S. Junior, where one participant was disqualified for a peculiar reason. There's a little bit of news regarding LIV as their flagship London event kicks off on Friday before this episode wraps with some Best Day Brewing Golf Advice.
Scottie Scheffler is the 2025 Champion Golfer of the Year after securing his fourth major title with a Sunday 68 at Royal Portrush. Andy and Brendan spend the first half of this episode putting Scheffler's run into some historical context following his win, placing him a U.S. Open win away from the career slam at just 29 years old. The two break down his round and the skills he showed throughout the week that enabled him to separate from the rest of the field in Northern Ireland. The back half of this recap touches on basically the rest of the field, as Andy's "Storylines Nobody's Talking About" include Rory McIlroy winning "Low Holywood," a Sunday storm hitting Westy Island, plenty of Wikipedia Top Tens, and Kevin Kisner blaming the UGSA for Wyndham Clark's Oakmont incident. There's also plenty of course takeaways from Royal Portrush, and Brendan ends this week of coverage with a little game from his time on the grounds at the 2025 Open.
In what may come as a surprise to no one, Scottie Scheffler's bogey-free 67 has him four clear of the field heading into Sunday at Royal Portrush. Andy and Brendan recap more excellence from the No. 1 player in the world and set the scene for what could be his fourth major win on Sunday. They play a quick game of Contender/Pretender with Haotong Li and Matt Fitzpatrick before Brendan unpacks a day walking with Rory McIlroy in Northern Ireland. The two attempt to contextualize what Rory means to the fans at Royal Portrush and what playing this event in his home country may mean to him coming off the career slam. They wonder if Rory has a chance of chasing down the Sheriff tomorrow, but are unsure if anyone can even reach Scottie's current mark of -14. In "Storylines Nobody's Talking About," Andy highlights Matt Jordan's everlasting battle against par, Georgia Bulldogs feeling right at home, and a new musical heading to Broadway in September. Brendan wraps this show up with tales from the pub with Dick Teder and an update on Joseph LaMagna's TikTok stardom.
Andy and Brendan return to recap the second round of the 153rd Open Championship following Scottie Scheffler's 64, the best round of the day at Royal Portrush. Most of this episode is focused on another brilliant round from the Sheriff, allowing him to take the outright lead by one shot over Matt Fitzpatrick. Brian Harman popped early, firing a 65 in the morning wave to have the lead for most of the day until the two policemen got hot. Shane Lowry was also discussed at length after cursing at Royal Portrush, the site of his lone major win, and being handed a two-shot penalty for causing his ball to move with a practice swing. Andy and Brendan run through notable missed cuts, including LIV stars Cam Smith, Brooks Koepka, and Patrick Reed, and American "stars" Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa. Andy wraps up with some more "Storylines Nobody's Talking About" and is sure to mention Matthew Jordan's career-high Open round, the Sepptic Tank's first major made cut of 2025, and a retired golfer who found his way to the weekend.
Andy is joined by a Portrush-based Brendan to recap the first round of the 2025 Open Championship. They unpack an incredibly fun day of golf and leaderboard full of SGS favorites like Lee Westwood, Jacob Skov Olesen, and Matthew Jordan. Brendan shares insights from walking the course all day, including a substantiated rumor about Scottie's warmup on the range during a practice round. The two chat through Matt Fitzpatrick's resurgence, Scottie's potentially "meaningless" 68, and the benefit of experience at Open Championships with many Olds in the red after day one. Andy runs through more "Storylines Nobody's Talking About," including the Sheriff finding a partner with jurisdiction in the United Kingdom, 19-year-old Dick Teder "aura farming" with his mullet, and Calamity Corner casualty in Cameron Young. Wyndham Clark's ban from Oakmont is discussed at length before Andy enlightens Brendan on what happened with the TV broadcast, including a star turn for a former major champion! Check back in tomorrow as the two go through all the missed cuts for the final men's major of 2025.
Brendan! made it across the pond (without some luggage) and has taken in two days of practice rounds at Royal Portrush. He joins an injured Andy, who found out that Crocs aren't built for basketball the hard way on his Monday evening walk, to preview the 2025 Open Championship. The two run through all of the major storylines, such as Rory's homecoming to Northern Ireland, Scottie's media comments on "fairness" and Jon Rahm looking like he's back in form. They choose favorite and least favorite tee times, calling out which groups to wake up early for on Thursday and Friday if you're operating from the United States. Joseph LaMagna joins Brendan from the Portrush media center to discuss going viral on Northern Ireland TikTok, as well! Andy shares five under-the-radar storylines for this week, touching on a Holywood native playing at home after a top-five finish last week and the best player in the world without a major returning to major golf. To wrap things up, PJ submits 12 Games Within a Game for the year's final men's major before four Lock-Hammer-Fire picks are made.
With all due respect to the Dick's Open and the ISCO Championship, Andy's Event of the Week, this episode was recorded immediately following the Scottish Open due to Brendan's recurring air travel cancellations. Chris Gotterup outdueled Rory McIlroy, Wyndham Clark, and the clock at the Renaissance Club to capture the Scottish Open title, the biggest win of his career to date. Andy and Brendan discuss Gotterup's continued development as a player and his battle against the shot clock on Sunday before mentioning strong performances from Rory, Scottie Scheffler, and Marco Penge in Scotland. The two then touch on the Evian Championship which ended in a playoff win for Grace Kim after perhaps the greatest closing stretch to a major in history. Andy and Brendan analyze this win in the greater context of the women's game and also note that Lottie Woad has earned enough points for an LPGA Tour card following this event. Lastly, Talor Gooch won LIV Andalucía despite a late charge from Jon Rahm, who believes he's currently hitting the ball better than he has at any point in the last two years. Rahm's comments lead to a bit of an Open power rankings discussion before Brendan wraps with some news coming out of Stefan Schauffele's latest interview. Watch our Open Championship preview LIVE on YouTube at 4 pm ET on Tuesday for continued coverage!
This Summer Friday episode covers a wide range of topics, starting with Pete Crow-Armstrong and ending with some promo for next week's Open Championship live show (4 pm ET on 7/15!). Andy and Brendan share some stories of 1990s Tour pros thanks to recent orders from the Fried Egg Golf Pro Shop and the Pro Set trading cards included in their packages. Andy reads off the stats and information from Mark Brooks's 1990 season, leading right into some unsubstantiated rumors about the PGA Champions dinner. Brendan adds LIV Valderrama to the Schedule of the Week and highlights Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia as two players to watch as we close in on Ryder Cup selections. Speaking of Valderrama, Brendan then dives into a flashback from the 2002 Volvo Masters on the European Tour. This event was won by both Colin Motgomerie and Bernhard Langer in a shared victory, leading to some interesting quotes and discoveries looking back 23 years later. The episode wraps with some Golf Advice about Member-Guest season and some caddie-etiquette. Be sure to tune in to next week's Open Championship Preview as we go LIVE on the Fried Egg Golf YouTube at 4 pm ET.
Coffee Golf season has come again and Brendan and Andy are ready for this week's Scottish Open. Before diving into the co-sanctioned field, Brendan shares a story from a listener who cashed out big thanks to this gambling podcast's constant mentions of Brian Campbell ahead of the John Deere Classic. Andy and Brendan then discuss the Genesis Scottish Open and the catnip of players posting their rounds at North Berwick early in the week. Content Machine Dylan Frittelli has told the world his plans to putt with a mini driver and Bob MacIntyre has Andy riled up with some comments about his driver swing. Attention then turns to the ISCO Championship in Kentucky, where DPWT players such as Jakob Skov Olesen will find themselves playing alongside PGA Tour stalwarts like John Bradley Holmes. Andy declares the ISCO as his "Event of the Week" and asks everyone to join him in following this tournament as closely as possible. The two circle back on the yearly discussion of the Evian Championship and its status as a major on the LPGA circuit before PJ jumps in to run down the field of "celebrities" at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. This segment touches on NFL legends like Jerry Rice, national weather anchors, and has three Gary Sheffield impressions baked in. The Champions Tour is in New York, but three-time defending champion Padraig Harrington will skip the Dick's Open for a tee time at the Scottish Open instead. Brendan wraps up the Schedule of the Week with some on-the-ground insight from the U.S. Adaptive Open, sharing the stories of some athletes competing in Maryland. In news, Collin Morikawa has a temporary new caddie and Brendan solicits an expert opinion on the interior design of Trout National.
Andy celebrates yet another Victory Monday coming out of the holiday weekend as he joins Brendan! to recap Brian Campbell's second playoff win of 2025. The two discuss the John Deere Classic and how Campbell is being positioned as an "anti-rollback" hero by winning twice as one of the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour. They also chat about other contenders in the Quad Cities with Max Homa showing glimpses of good form and Matt Kuchar sharing more wisdom with young players late on a summer Sunday. Kevin Roy, son of Patrick, turned to the platform formerly known as Twitter to defend himself against Joseph LaMagna about a rules issue on Saturday, leaving Andy and Brendan to wonder what all the fuss was about. PJ chimes in with some conspiracy theories regarding Aldrich Potgieter's mysterious withdrawal before the episode turns to the DP World Tour and author Dan Brown's latest win. Just in time for Coffee Golf season, Brown has returned to the winner's circle and will surely play a prominent role at Royal Portrush in a few weeks. Brendan and PJ are also giddy about the latest star from the Tartan Tour, Chris Maclean. Elsewhere overseas, Lottie Woad won the KPMG Women's Irish Open by six shots, her first win in a professional event. Andy and Brendan debate whether she should take her LPGA Tour card this year once she earns enough points, or play out her senior season at FSU next spring. In news, Lucas Glover is ready for the Scottish Open and is glad no LIV players received an invite, and the new FedEx Cup payout structure has been revealed. This episode ends with a tribute to Ed Fiori, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 72.
Andy and Brendan are living in the future, pre-recording this holiday Golf Advice extravaganza. They discuss their thoughts on parades ahead of the 4th of July and get an early start on the patriotic celebrations by sharing the news of Gary Woodland's appointment as an assistant captain for Team USA this fall. After that brief detour into actual golf news, Andy, Brendan, and PJ read through a bunch of listener-submitted questions about player rankings, TPC housing developments, "Brian" Griffin and "Adam" Novak, and more.
It's a throwback audio episode with Brendan using his Airpods after finding himself in a travel delay. Nevertheless, Andy is on cloud nine over on Westy Island after Lee Westwood qualified for this month's Open Championship at Royal Portrush. The two reminisce about Westy's t-4 performance and stand-up morals at the 2019 Open before running through the rest of the 2025 qualifiers from overseas. They are particularly chuffed by Richard Teder, a 20-year-old from Estonia who holed out for eagle in a playoff to secure his spot at Portrush. Andy wonders if Dick Teder is the first player in a new generation of golfers - the Rory (Sabbatini) generation. LIV's 2026 schedule was leaked and the league won't make a stop in the United States until mid-May. Brendan and Andy run through the dates and the travel plans needed to play at majors throughout the world, such as going from Spain to Shinnecock Hills for the U.S. Open. From there, it's time for some lock-hammer-fire picks for the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run. The "Champion House" is back and is sure to be catnip for the entirety of the week. It's the strongest field in tournament history and there's no better example of that than Rickie Fowler returning to the Quad Cities for the first time since 2010. Andy shares a little 2010 time capsule to contextualize how long its been since Rickie played the Deere and gets Brendan to sing along to some Ke$ha on a Tuesday afternoon. In news, Adam Schupak reported that numerous PGA Tour legends are unhappy that they've been cut out of the new equity program coming as part of the PGA Tour Enterprises company. 36 former players will receive money based on a "career points" system that prioritized PGA Tour wins and starts, leaving European stars like Tony Jacklin and Nick Faldo on the outside looking in. They are, predictably, unhappy and voiced their displeasure to Golfweek, leading to a lengthy discussion from Andy and Brendan. Tune in to CBS Sports Network at Noon ET on Wednesday, July 2, for the Team Europe Wheel of Mules on "Eye on Golf with The Shotgun Start."
Andy and Brendan! celebrate a Victory Monday thanks to Aldrich Potgieter outlasting Max Greyserman in a five-hole playoff at the Rocket Classic in Detroit. Despite the hourlong playoff full of missed putts, Andy's vibes are especially high following the first PGA Tour win for "South African Big Dumper." There's plenty of distance discourse after a weekend of contention from "Speed Wars" stars like Potgieter, Jake Knapp, Michael Thorbjornsen, and more, leading Andy and Brendan to ponder whether the Rocket Classic is even "golf" at the highest level. Outside of the Burly Boy's big win, Playoff P showed up at LIV Dallas, unlocking a new level of Patrick Reed Ryder Cup conversations. Reed's first LIV win adds to an already strong major season and Andy thinks he's earned a spot on Team USA ahead of another fan favorite. PJ chimes in to recap "Maltbie-Gate" at the U.S. Senior Open after the beloved NBC announcer got into it with eventual winner Padraig Harrington on Friday night following the second round. The trio dive into the details on this confrontation and shout out a few other stories coming out of the Senior Tour Super Bowl in Colorado. A highly-anticipated Sports Minute covers a rare Cavs-Bulls trade before Brendan recaps Peppy Peter's speech to the field in Detroit to put a bow on this Monday episode.
Whiparound Fridays return as Andy and Brendan cover the 2025 NBA Draft, Collin Morikawa's latest media beef, and a massive Cleeks profile in Forbes in this episode. Sports Minute kicks off with some frustration from Andy about the Bulls front office and how they've handled the NBA Draft as of this recording. It was ball-in-hand on Thursday at the Rocket Classic, resulting in the course record being broken by Burly Boy Aldrich Potgieter and Kevin Roy, son of Patirck. Andy's one-and-done pick Min Woo Lee had the early lead with a 63 and followed up his round with some interesting comments to the media. Brendan and Andy discuss why this event at Detroit Golf Club exemplifies the need for a rollback and shine some light on the issues highlighted by Dr. Chipinski. In other Detroit news, Collin Morikawa has another new caddie and some beef with a media member following an article published on Wednesday. The Cleeks have decided to "rebrand" themselves in an effort to become as culturally relevant as Jordan, Ferrari, and the New York Yankees and Cleeks lifer Brendan is loving what he's hearing from his team's new leadership. There's a brief check-in on the U.S. Senior Open before things wrap up with two Golf Advice questions as we hit peak member-guest season. Enter the B.Draddy Cool giveaway here: https://www.bdraddy.com/pages/fried-egg-golf
This Wednesday episode is an in-person recording on Long Island as Andy and Brendan pregame the 2025 Fried Egg Golf Club Member-Guest. Instead of beginning with any golf news, methods of transportation are ranked following Andy's early-morning drive across the island. It's a huge week on the PGA Tour as Area 313 is BACK for the Rocket (not Mortgage) Classic! This year's field is the deepest in tournament history with players vying for Ryder Cup and FedEx Cup points. Brendan puts his investigative reporting hat back on and calls this year's Area 313 charity giveaways into question. Picks are made and PJ is calling for a "now-or-never" week for NYGC superstar Cameron Young. Elsewhere, it's another Senior Tour major as the U.S. Senior Open takes place in Colorado without defending champion Dick Bland. The LPGA is running their team event and the DP World Tour takes on the Italian Open. In news, a Joe Ogilvie interview in Sports Illustrated alludes to the PGA Tour potentially looking for a cut of TV deals for major championships and more. Enter the B.Draddy Cool giveaway here: https://www.bdraddy.com/pages/fried-egg-golf
Andy and Brendan are fired up for four months full of Ryder Cup discourse following Captain Keegan Bradley's win at the Travelers! They discuss the impact of this win on the American Ryder Cup team on both the captaincy, which Bradley said he would not relinquish, and the back half of the roster for Bethpage Black. The two also talk through Tommy Fleetwood's latest runner-up finish on the PGA Tour after failing to convert the 54-hole lead for what would have been his first career win in America. With Signature Events wrapped up, Brendan shares some #data on sponsor exemptions into these events and the results may shock you! From there, Andy goes deep on the course setup for the KPMG Women's PGA at PGA Frisco. Minjee Lee was able to separate from the pack and win her third career major championship, but many players were outspoken about an "unfair" setup. PJ chimes in with some blow-by-blow of the Kaulig Companies Championship where Miguel Angel Jimenez took down Steven Alker in a playoff. To wrap things up, some scuttlebutt from the ground at Travelers is shared regarding the most famous member of TPC River Highlands, Chris Berman.
This is an episode full of Friday whimsy, covering the Chicago Cubs, Wyndham Clark's antics, Sheriff Scottie's department expanding, and more. Andy and Brendan run through an "apology" from Wyndham in the aftermath of destroying a locker at Oakmont and how he turned this moment into a plea for a spot on the Ryder Cup team. The two also discuss Scottie Scheffler's comments from Wednesday's press conference at the Travelers regarding what he considers a "fair test" on the PGA Tour. Speaking of the Travelers, Jordan Speith withdrew with a new injury and Adam Schefter took over Thursday's broadcast with some insane PGA-NFL comparisons. Leaderboard updates are provided for the Women's PGA Championship and Champs Tour at Firestone, where PJ's pick of Thomas Bjorn is fighting for dead last. To wrap up this episode, Brendan chats with Viktor Hovland about Brian Rolapp, Jay Monahan, Oakmont, and his favorite fruit.