The Shotgun Start

The golf talk is minimal in this Friday episode, which begins with news that Andy is up in LupLand looking over his shoulder. He provides some details of his day on the ground chatting about driveway costs, new HQ buildings, and the cool pictures throughout the clubhouse. There’s an apology tour for some mistakes on the USGA championship locations as well as Walker Cup competitiveness from Wednesday. There is a quiz on some of the official partners of the PGA Tour, such as “Official Business Knowledge Sponsor.” Then they get to the Town Crier’s high-profile day at Bay Hill, where fans chirped him on one green and he did a baton toss routine with his putter on another. There’s some chatter on Bryson chickening out at the 6th hole and whether a complaint should be filed with the EPA after his practice round dumping there. Brendan makes a larger point around the Golden Ocala on providing a greater platform for the LPGA. Precision Pro Flashback Friday focuses on two mid-90s winners at Bay Hill who didn’t find success on Tour until late in their careers.

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This Wednesday episode begins with a belated birthday wish for one past Masters champion. Then Brendan and Andy get into the schedule of the week, beginning with the annual stop at Bay Hill. Andy cites the “screened-in porch watching” of this event while Brendan cites a history there for why they enjoy the API. Three things to watch focuses on what could be the distance debate denouement at the 6th hole this week. They try to decipher and translate some of the specifics in the Tour’s big announcement on partnering with Amazon Web Services. Then they get to the LPGA event at Golden Ocala, which they already got into in some detail on Monday’s episode. In this episode, they provide some more information on the Ocala area -- notably about private aviation neighborhoods, why it fights Lexington to be horse capital of the world, and a broadcast hijacker living there. There’s also revulsion about some of the drone footage of the tribute holes. News hits on the Walker Cup team announcement, the USGA taking a championship to Puerto Rico, and the possibility of a Euro Tour swing in Florida.

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The week begins with some laughter-induced tears as Andy and Brendan delight in their re-acquaintance with the walking, talking Cologuard box. They naturally begin their results review with the Senior Tour, discussing the water hazards in Tucson, Mike Weir’s wounded putts and HOF credentials, and Kevin Sutherland “hanging in on the backside.” Then they get to the brilliance of Collin Morikawa and how his golf almost made Sunday’s finish at Concession boring. They discuss the venue’s volatility, its catch basin shotmaking challenge, and Billy Horschel’s ample commentary on the conditioning and commendation for the Tour setup crew. They discuss Brooksy’s run of J-Day health troubles. Also addressed are the many Tiger tributes and the discourse around those. Nelly Korda’s work at the Gainbridge is praised but not the tape-delayed broadcast. With the LPGA going to a third Orlando-area course, Andy stumbles into researching the tribute holes at next week’s venue and finds many factual errors.

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Andy and Brendan close out the week with this Friday episode reacting to early action from across the “swamp swing,” where water is now in play on almost every hole across every tour. They marvel at the Solicitor General running out in front early at the PR Open, while also wondering if Bob Allenby’s island PTSD led to his DFL spot. There’s also a fun Smylie story about being put on the clock. Then they get back into The Concession crowbarring its name into the title of this WGC. Matthew Wolff’s WD is also addressed and lamented as a blow to the WGC spread watch. They laugh at the dramatic and constant framing about the challenge of these pros having to figure out a course they’ve never seen before this year. This week’s Precision Pro Flashback Friday is on a past winner at Doral, who clipped Fred Couples and Mark Calcavecchia, among others, before an outrageous run of health misfortunes.

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Andy and Brendan begin this Wednesday episode with the unfortunate breaking Tuesday news of Tiger Woods’s serious car accident in Los Angeles. They react to the scenes from the brutal crash, news of Tiger’s “non-life-threatening injuries,” and hope for recovery to some form of normal. Then comes a preview of the schedule for the week, starting with the WGC Workday. Andy provides some intel on THE Concession while Brendan has some questions about its driving range. The field list at the oppo PR Open gets the usual treatment as does the Cologuard Classic (be sure to enter the first ever TFE/SGS Stool Pool on that). The return of the LPGA prompts praise for Madelene Sagström telling her story this week. News covers the USGA changing its rules on amateur status, the big blue wall going away at the ANA, and the PAC hitting on the all-important issue of playoff draw order.

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This Monday episode revels in the weekend that was at Riviera, which the Shotgun Start proclaims as the Tour’s real “gold standard.” Andy and Brendan lead off by discussing Max Homa’s emotional win and the kind of resonance that winning this event at this moment had for him. They speak to the history that Riviera has on Tour and the event has in that market to build that kind of resonance. Then they get to the hard-luck loser, Tony Finau, who played his ass off but looked underwhelming in the playoff. The debacle of a wind delay and setup that was suddenly over the edge is covered in detail, with competing arguments over who screwed up. Also, is this a sign the Tour is at least trying to create a challenge or will we now see a month of play on pillows in Florida? Tiger’s dour TV appearance is discussed and Andy celebrates the 15-time major winner’s insistence on playing for the proper angles. They close with news of Phil playing the Dump in the Box classic, Rory becoming the PAC Pres, and the new LPGA match play event.

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This Friday episode begins with an apology and some relief on the Bears dodging the Wentz bullet. Then Brendan and Andy debate what’s worse -- the narrative of an Elevated Status Slam now subtly being pushed, or the Tour Champ’s thirsty chase for the Happy Gilmore content train. Then they get to some initial thoughts on Riviera, which was playing quite firm and fast in the opening round. They discuss a few of their favorite holes, some “big names” taking their lumps, and Bassy Munoz’s new Flex Seal sponsorship. On the 2021 Web Tour debut, they discuss the alternate list fiasco that Mr. Golden Tee Andy Pope brought to light on Twitter. There’s a double helping of Precision Pro Flashback Friday, with Andy tackling a legendary duel that lasted more than a week before the next event at Pebble intervened, finished, and the Tour drove back to LA to finish up a playoff at Riviera. Brendan tackles Mr. Icicle, the four time LA Open winner, World Golf Hall of Famer, a war hero of the highest regard, and 11-time heart attack survivor. They close with news, which is a discussion on the pros and cons of Mike Whan taking the reins at the USGA.

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This Wednesday episode previews the best week of the year on the PGA Tour, the annual LA Open Genesis Invitational at Riviera. Andy quickly anoints it the event of the week, but not after a brief digression on the Spieth v. Rickie OWGR race. There’s an apology related to that OWGR movement and Brendan proposes radical changes for Rickie’s career to get him out of the doldrums. Then they get to the course and field at hand, highlighting the strengths of Riviera, how it could be better, and how you can judge its greatness by simply asking “what is its worst hole?” They discuss the depth of the field, a quirk about the winners here, and the collegiate showcase winner Angus Flanagan, which prompts Andy to look into the career of another Angus. Continuing on the schedule for the week, they hit on the 2021 debut of the Web/KFT Tour in Florida, lamenting the lack of TV coverage and a sort of brain poisoning that the Reed rules shortcomings have had on lower tour play and qualifiers.

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This Monday episode begins with some thoughts on social media, a Saudi Arabia ad on Golf Channel, and Nate Lashley’s four wiggle and subsequent course desecration. Eventually, Andy and Brendan get to the more pertinent matters of Daniel Berger’s win and Jordan Spieth’s weekend. They marvel at the specifics of Berger’s squeeze cut and the more general whole package, while also discussing (or questioning) his putting line-up routine. Spieth’s weekend was more evidence of how close he is and they discuss just a few of missing parts while appreciating the up-and-down theater. The PGA Tour’s flexibility on tee box setup is also praised but they ask for more throughout the season. The nebulous rules process is spotlighted contrasting the Pat Reed kerfuffle against the penalties on Maverick McNealy and Roo Knox (now dubbed Rich Man’s Kelly Kraft). When is, or should, video be used?  They close with a few thoughts on why this is the best stretch of the season.

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This Friday episode begins with a prompt apology to the local news industry and to Xander Schauffele on an item unrelated to the local news issue. Then Brendan and Andy get into the early action from Pebble Beach, where Patrick Cantlay went low, Akshay Bhatia dialed in, and Jordan Spieth’s duck tape held up on the coast. They also highlight the significant impact a bad piece of fruit had on Bhatia’s sterling round. There’s also some chatter about the 6th hole and a radical proposal heard on PGA Tour Live to add internal OB there. Then they get to Precision Pro Flashback Friday (promo code Shotgun20) and the subject this week is the miracle 1994 Pebble Beach Pro Am win by Johnny Miller, who’d been a full-time TV person at that point and hadn’t won in 7 years. He’d barely made any starts on Tour in the 90s. The Flashback gets into his struggles with the putting yips that had him playing (and somehow winning) as a ceremonial golfer that week, as well as the tense relationship he had with players (including one now in a TV tower) due to some comments in those early years in the booth.

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This Wednesday episode begins with some chatter about the peculiar habit of local news consumption in the year 2021. Then Brendan and Andy dive into the breaking Tuesday news that the PGA Championship, Women’s PGA, and Stand-up Mixer PGA will permit the use of distance measuring devices starting THIS year. They debate whether this is the erosion of yet another skill, an area that was already properly bifurcated, and dispel with the cover justification that this is a pace-of-play nostrum. Then they get to the schedule for the week, which is light and simply the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Despite its lack of competition on the event side, the field is the weakest its ever been and Andy wonders how that might sit with its telecom giant sponsor, which backs two events now struggling to attract primo fields. They discuss the Saudi impact on two West Coast swing events and also cover this modern pro’s ability to play for huge sums every week without having to glad-hand potential sponsors at a Pro-Am like this. In news, they hit on a trio of LPGA subjects, like the new Popov rule, a new title sponsor doubling a purse, and Annika coming back for an event after she played as a celebrity in another one a few weeks ago.

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Even before the final putt fell in Phoenix, Andy and Brendan chatted on Super Bowl Sunday night to recap the weekend that was at TPC Scottsdale. They begin with Brooks Koepka’s victory, his admission that he was in some “dark places,” and the significance, if any,  of this win for his future. They also note the symbolism of how he got lost (by most people, not all) in the shuffle of a weekend that became all about Jordan Spieth. The Golden Child is obviously the next subject of their chat. They review that magical Saturday, the two-way-miss Sunday, and if he’s “back” and what that even means. Xander’s sloppy final round is also scrutinized. DJ’s victory is praised at the Saudi International, an event that lacks both character and any real juice. They close with some comments from JT on gambling concerns and some balance sheet data that might rebut the comments from both JT and Rory on the distance report last week.

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This Friday episode begins with an admission from Andy that he might be turning into a “Florida man,” which prompts an interrogation from Brendan on why he wasn’t at the historic moment when a new all-time wins leader was crowned in the MLGT this week. Then they get into the Saudi event, namely some informed guesses on appearance fee totals, if this course is ever played outside of this week, and how such a new venue already has an obsolete range. The Phoenix Open chatter focuses on some amusements and nicknames from PGA Tour Live, Big Jay perhaps delivering the news personally to Rory that a volunteer stepped on his ball, and the BetCast experiment. At one point, the invasiveness of gambling promotion is compared to the heyday of marketing cigarettes to kids. There is a new sponsor for Flashback Friday, which is a lengthy dive into one of Phil’s Phoenix Open conquests and a look back at a changing of the guard in American golf. An extended news segment goes into more distance report chatter, specifically on the asinine comments from Justin Thomas and the meandering words from Rory McIlroy.

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This episode begins with a lengthy segment on the announcement from the USGA and R&A disclosing some notable “research topics” and “proposed equipment standards changes.” Andy and Brendan dissect the different areas of interest and proposals and the potential implications from a document on the distance issue. They ponder the PGA Tour’s response to a local rule option, whether this is language signaling a rollback or just holding the line, and then reasons for optimism as well as concern from this announcement. There’s also great amusement over the CT Machine page from 2004 in the document. After that opening segment, they get to the schedule for the week, praising the Phoenix venue, its conditioning, its finishing holes, and its loaded field this week. They discuss whether JT was put on some secret suspension based on the language of a recent tweet. On the Saudi International, they read Paul Casey’s statement on the reason for his flip-flop. News closes with some Reed follow-up, like the fact that his attorney had to deny ownership of a burner account and a sportsbook refunding bettors who didn’t have him to win.

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The new month starts down a path we’ve been before: Patrick Reed engulfed in a shady rules controversy of his own making and the PGA Tour covering for him. This Monday episode jumps right into the drama from the weekend. Andy explains why this wasn’t nearly to the level of the sandcastles Reed built at the Hero Challenge. Brendan argues that this seemed to be an M.O. for Reed, his behavior indicating that this is part of some usual decision tree for getting better lies. They react to all the condemnation, even from some of the most down-the-middle voices in the game, like the analysts at CBS. The larger point, however, is that this illustrates yet again the vast unregulated gray area that the PGA Tour now lives in and how that seems untenable with gambling now becoming such a large part of the operation. After that lengthy discussion on the rules drama, they get into the actual brilliance of Patrick Reed’s play and how lamentable it is that all of it is overshadowed. Andy has some numbers showing how lofty the company Reed keeps from a resume perspective, and how he might have more staying power than all of them.

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This Friday episode begins with some business matters on merch re-stocking and news that the Westy Island Blend is now live and available for purchase. Then Brendan and Andy relay a fun stock market analogy for two wayward pros from a friend of the program. At the Farmers, they lament the preemptive ball-in-hand declaration under perfect conditions for inclement weather coming the next day. When did this become a thing? Why is it a thing? Is it a ridiculous slippery slope toward always playing it up? With Patrick Reed on top of the leaderboard, they debate the current top ranked “poofer” and what defines a poofer. They also lament the missed chance for Reed to be a populist hero given his game. On the Euro Tour, they pillory an egregious backboard setup in Dubai. A memory-jogging Flashback Friday focuses on two legends battling without their A games at Torrey at the turn of the century. News turns into a live reading of an article outlining the specifics of the PGA Tour’s new 187,000 square foot Global Home at TPC Sawgrass. How many meeting spaces is too many?

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This Wednesday episode begins with some light Snow Day reminiscing before turning to our shhhhedule for the week. Brendan and Andy start with the Farmers Insurance Open, where a loaded field will also include featured groups with a couple players deep down the OWGR. Then they assess the Jones Family venue and if it will provide even the slightest indication of what might happen at the U.S. Open later this year. Some intel from the ground also reveals another potential driving range controversy as well as some of the details of what “investing” in a pro-am spot gets you this week, including being deputized for the coveted POPS force. Over on the Euro Tour, they discuss another stout field as well as word of some conditioning issues. A news segment is loaded with chatter on Southern Hills getting the 2022 PGA, Brooksy jettisoning Claude, the Women’s Open announcing sectional qualifying sites, and the wild card decision to put some fire into the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow.

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It’s the first Monday of the year with a full golf plate to digest from the weekend. Brendan and Andy begin with the LPGA celebrity event in Orlando, where the pace of play was excruciating and the celebs featured way too prominently in the final round broadcast. They praise Jessica Korda’s weekend comeback charge and also delight in some of the hole-in-one prizes at the event. Then they swing out to PGA West for the victory lap with Si Woo Kim while also offering a couple alternative theories for his LUP apparel sponsorship. In Abu Dhabi, they convey their disappointment but not surprise with Rory McIlroy’s final round fade as Tyrell Hatton cruised to a fourth Rolex Series event win. Lastly, the Saturday Night Champions Tour event is celebrated as perhaps being better than the PGA Tour for its mix of personalities and styles on display, including its cigarette-smoking cart-driving champion

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This Friday episode meanders about for 50 minutes without ever really going anywhere, if that makes sense? Andy begins with an apology and a clarification on “Fake Winter” while offering some expert testimony from a listener from Sweden. The Olympics news has them sympathizing with the Boy From Bratislava while also proposing alternative ways to make sure the games, at least the golf portion, are played this summer. Then they unintentionally start discussing the Bob Hope, and by “discussing” we mean dissecting the tragic timing of Rickie Fowler’s career as well as a new nickname for him. Then there’s a chat on Patrick Reed looking “built” and if he’s approaching not linebacker size but perhaps squat longsnapper territory. Flashback Friday focuses on a Euro Tour classic from Abu Dhabi, recalling the legendary giant killer Gary Stal, who erased a 10-shot deficit to Martin Kaymer in 2015. Neither player has won since and there are a few quotes from Kaymer after the collapse that might explain why.

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This Wednesday episode begins with the breaking news that D.J. Trahan has had to WD in Palm Springs after a positive Covid test. There’s also the news of yet another Tiger Woods back surgery, which Brendan and Andy discuss in the context of his past injury history and what it might mean for any future. Then they get into a loaded schedule for the week with the return of the European Tour, LPGA, and Champions Tour providing a full slate. Andy rejoices in Westy’s current reign and the strength of field in Abu Dhabi. At the American Express, they delight in some Brooks Koepka quotes about how this week is a warm-up for next week, which is a reconnaissance mission at Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open. Andy gets realllll snooty about which locales have “real winter” and which regions do not. The celebs (and cable guys) at the LPGA opener are also put under the microscope. News closes with the PGA Tour’s new responsible gaming slogan and a chat on all the under 24 year olds now in the top 25 in the OWGR.

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This Monday episode pushes on even though Brendan is wallowing in a state of despair about the Browns season coming to a close. They quickly transition from that sadness to the triumph of Kevin Na, who does not enter the Rickie Zone but rather the Swedish Pancake Zone with his fifth Tour win. They examine some of the places he’s bagged those Ws and some of the other names in the Pancake Stack. The Sony is broken down into some things they liked -- the Chris Kirk story, outrageous scoring, Webb’s sunscreen application apathy -- and some things they didn’t like -- preemptively playing preferred lies, the Nick Taylor ruling, Peppy Peter’s quote that angles never matter. News hits on a driving range netting rumor, Bryson’s trouble on the backend, and the announcement that Ralph Lauren was dropping Justin Thomas.

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It’s Friday! And more importantly, it’s sumo citrus season. Andy and Brendan begin this episode with a good old fashioned fruit chat extolling again the virtues of their favorite orange, which Andy unexpectedly ran into on Thursday. Then they get to the delectable controversy over the PGA Tour’s 11th hour installation of internal out-of-bounds at Waialae’s 18th hole. They cover this in depth, including the BfB being the only one to find what one article termed the “death zone, Billy Ho being available for comment on it, and Cam Smith also adding that the lack of grandstands have made these firmer greens tougher to play without backboards. News hits on the Pebble Beach Pro-Am playing as a pro-only event and if that will do anything to change or toughen the setup. This leads to a lengthy and moderately unhinged proposal about one event a year where you get a quota of internal OB you can set up on a course, e.g. a patch in front of the 6th green at Pebble. They close with a Flashback on an Aussie character, past Hawaiian Open champ and yips sufferer.

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This Wednesday episode is here to celebrate the Sony Open as the event of the week. But first there’s an important uninformed discussion on RV operation and licensing. Andy’s three things to watch for at Waialae focus on a potential backboard-less 18th hole that will hopefully make it play as Tom Doak intended, and then two young up-and-comers also in the field. There’s of course a shout out to Robert Allenby and the night he took that pummeling from a sentient sidewalk. Featured groups are back, but not PGA Tour Live despite the subscription charge for the month of January. There are some tasty groups this week and this prompts a fun head-to-head wager on who will lose more strokes on the green this week. News hits on the Masters announcement for limited patrons and the return of ANWA and then also the late Sunday announcement that the 2022 PGA would be relocated. This leads to an unexpected discussion on the Stand-up Mixer Championship as well as Brendan somehow talking himself into accepting Bethpage as the replacement.

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This Monday episode came on the heels of a dispiriting Bears loss and in the middle of a Browns first quarter beatdown so it may bounce around a bit as Brendan and Andy recap the 2021 PGA Tour opener. First they hit on Harris English and his first win after some early career success and then an almost eight-year drought. This leads to more concern about the new FedExCup top 30 now getting invites to a Tournament of Mostly Champions. They also discuss the broadcast dismay at Joaquin Niemann not warming up before the playoff, Rahm’s outburst about metal spike marks all over the green, and Hideki’s abominable putting. A separate segment addresses Justin Thomas using a homophobic slur, his apology, and the Tour’s secretive discipline policy that does it no favors in this instance. News hits on Jordan Spieth going to see Butch, the misinterpretation of a “report” that the PGA is already moving in 2022, and reports that the WGC Mexico may be leaving Geronimo behind.

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This Friday episode begins with Andy disclosing a mice problem that’s vexed him all week. Then they turn to the real, actual problems of the week, notably what took place at the Capitol building and how it should impact golf’s relationship with Donald Trump. They discuss next year’s PGA Championship and whether the PGA of America will move their major from Trump Bedminster. A full review of the year’s first round a Kapalua then ensues, with a breakdown of what they liked and didn’t like from one of their favorite events. This covers the amusing details of Pat Reed’s non-deal for apparel, Lanto getting his commercial, and Adam Scott’s quote that there are only 10-12 serious competition events and the rest is “a bit of entertainment.” Bryson’s latest on endorphins, CNS, and speed training until you blackout is pondered with great amusement. Flashback Friday is on a hard-luck TOC runner-up who also happened to be the first player on Tour to use a metal wood. They close with hope, and maybe a bit of delusion, that Deshaun Watson may be heading to the Bears because he followed a couple Chicago weathermen.

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The Shotgun Start is back! And Andy and Brendan are in the best podcasting shape of their lives as a new year begins. They start this Wednesday episode with some banter about the practice of resolutions before diving into the schedule for the week. That prompts a quick discussion on the Big Money Classic and whether Alaqua Lakes has a reciprocal club in the UK. Then it’s on to the event of the week, the Tournament of Mostly Champions. There’s a lengthy discussion on the uneven lies of Kapalua and the centerline bunker at the 5th hole, prompting another visit down the road of what makes the pros hate those so much. There’s some intel from the ground on some Bryson driving range antics, as well as his “calibration” putting with an umbrella guy trying to stifle the wind. An Activation Station segment focuses on some of the big equipment and apparel brand changes. Lastly, they make some predictions and wish-list items for 2021, some serious and some not-so-serious. And in what is now tradition, what random middling player out there will get the annual Spieth OWGR comparison prop?

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Andy and Brendan put a bow on another year of Shotgun Start podcasts with the final installment of their Year in Review series. Part 4 begins with the first major championship of the year, the PGA at TPC Harding Park, and runs through the end of the PGA Tour season in Atlanta. They again remember some of the amusements (Jeff Hart!), controversies (Trigger the Dog!), and triumphs (Hermie go low!) from this stretch in golf, including stories from the LPGA, Euro Tour, and other areas (Big Cedar Phil) in the world of golf.

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The Bears and Browns push for the postseason is the subject of the first segment of this episode. Then Part 3 of the annual Year in Review picks up with the Milkshake Swing in Columbus and the many amusements and dramatics around those back-to-back weeks at “Jack’s Place.” Then they bounce up to Minnesota and the course of 10,000 man-made lakes and some intrusive courier trucks. The WGC Swampass, or WGC Preferred Lies as it was known this year, is given the full treatment. We recall the double-wide cart paths having a major impact there before wrapping with some notes on the oppo field Barracuda, where a single held up play, bears roamed freely, and a certain player prepped to pull off a fantastic Jaco Van Zyl redux for the season’s first major.

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Part 2 of the annual Year in Review picks up with The Players Championship. Andy and Brendan begin with the tone-deaf TikTok solicitation and then the “fluid” messaging from the Tour from Wednesday through a final decision to cancel on Thursday night after multiple adjustments and press releases. They discuss how the Tour’s handling of the week now looks in hindsight, and some lighter-fare amusements before the shop closed for a few months. The discussion during the quarantine stretch hits on some amusing controversies, like Vijay entering KFT fields, but also hits on a larger point about how golf thrived when there was no professional entertainment product. The matches at Seminole and Medalist get the full review treatment and there is once again uproarious laughter around the Tom Brady experience. Finally, the last section focuses on the Return to Golf (proper noun, please), reliving some of the controversies, highlights, and characters from the first four events back in the PGA Tour’s new world.

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The annual Year in Review is back and instead of breaking this one into a couple parts, we’ll leave it as one thicc boi sized episode you can work your way through during this week. First, Brendan and Andy begin with some reactions to the concluding Tour Championship on the LPGA and the closing of the Catnip Carnival at the PNC. Then it’s onto the Year in Review, brought to you by our Shotgun Start blend from Bixby (subscribe or purchase that here if you like). This part of the Year in Review picks up with the Sony Open -- if you’re looking for Kapalua, that was a teaser segment at the end of last Friday’s episode so go check that out there. This one runs from Sony to a now infamous concert near an island green, covering the many forgotten amusements, inanities, and triumphs we enjoyed through the first quarter of the year.

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This episode is the usual ramble for Friday, touching on the people of Wisconsin’s propensity to make Old Fashioneds with brandy and also eating raw ground beef sandwiches. But first, Brendan and Andy begin with the Thursday Charlie Woods show and the many hard-won impressions and aggregations that populated the internet thereafter. They take issue with some of it and try to distinguish what’s appropriate coverage of an 11-year-old who has entered a publicly broadcast event. A new segment, ProSet Fridays, is an edification on former Tour pro David Peoples. Over on the CME, Natalie Gulbis is in last place while Lexi is back on top after social media denigration of an image of her swing last week. News runs through the 2021 Euro Tour schedule and some of the new events that pique their interest. Then, the final 10 minutes or so kicks off the annual SGS Year In Review series, teasing it with a look back at the 2020 Tournament of Champions. They recall the “gusted” controversy, infamous tweets from Chris DiMarco and PXG, heckles of “Cheater!,” and the hot mic “pampered fucks” commentary.

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This Wednesday episode begins with some quick Browns bloodletting following their eventful MNF loss before transitioning to a PNC Championship discussion that’s probably 15 minutes too long. There’s “research” on past winners, the current field, a potential catnip battle for the ages, and dream parent-child pairings that should be in the field in the future. The long driver hitting an 8-iron 300 yards with Bryson giddily looking on also comes up for some reason. The event of the week is an MLGT staple, the Trilogy, which gets a thorough preview and field review. The LPGA’s season-ender is also discussed, including the outrage around Natalie Gulbis getting a sponsor’s exemption while the reigning Women’s British Open champion sits at home, which also happens to be down the street from this event. They close with some brief discussion of the newly released Euro Tour schedule and rumors that Spieth is seeing Butch.

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Following up on the usual Monday episode, Andy and Brendan recorded this extra episode covering the final major championship round of the year. They discuss A Lim Kim’s ridiculous three-birdie finish to take the U.S. Women’s Open, prompting Andy to ask if this was the most exciting finish to a major of the year. They discuss Amy Olson coming up just short and her strategy of not looking at scoreboards or wanting to know where she stood on the leaderboard. The mudball moaning is again highlighted and reviewed but without much sympathy. They ponder whether it would be more enjoyable to play in those conditions or in summer conditions in Houston. The lack of American major winners over the last couple years, and the strength of the KLPGA, is also discussed.

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It’s one of the sweetest Victory Mondays in this podcast’s history as Lee Westwood, in a show of longevity only the true sporting icons possess, wins the Race to Dubai some 20 years after his first Euro Tour season-long title. Andy celebrates this and Mitch Trubisky’s outclassing of the Texans. He also now defends the Race to Dubai system labeled as a farce as recently as last week. A winding discussion on the Strategic Alliance leads to Brendan offering a solution for making the FedExCupdates actually meaningful and compelling, while Andy offers a truly radical proposal. On the U.S. Women’s Open, the two discuss the coverage confusion and QBE Shootout preempting from the end of the week as well as the mudball moaning and dilemma during a soggy Saturday round. They will be back with a full accounting of the Monday conclusion with a supplemental episode when the championships finishes.

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This Friday episode begins with a certain glee about the answer on Final Jeopardy and a personal anecdote about Andy watching Jeopardy with his Father-in-Law. Then they dive into the final major championship of the year. There’s a prediction about first-round leader Amy Olson, praise over the low-trajectory style, puzzlement over a late-arrival for a tee time, and a heated debate over parked cars on the golf course. There’s also a discussion about whether Texas has any personal injury lawyers willing to take on Cristie Kerr’s golf cart accident case. The annual QBE Shootout preview is once again an incredulous discussion over how some of these two-man teams came to be. News closes out with a fun story about the Ryder Cup at Medinah after the announcement that the Pres Cup is coming there soon.

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This Wednesday episode is a U.S. Women’s Open preview with a little Race to Dubai and Minor League Golf Tour championship discussion tacked on at the end. Brendan and Andy begin by discussing this week’s major venue and the unique challenges of hosting across 36 holes in December. There’s also the unique challenge of the driving range setup, which has both of them all hot and bothered. They hit on the favorites, the notable tee times, make a Lexi-Pat Reed comparison, and flip out about the name of a new driver before discussing the more serious matter of only 4 percent of sports coverage being dedicated to women’s sports. The Race to Dubai coverage is centered around the lipstick on a pig quotes regarding Collin Morikawa’s attendance and contention for the season-long title as well as Sungjae Im’s curious but expected participation. They close it out with the heavy hitters and Tour vets in the field for the MLGT title at Abacoa, which is proposed as the St. Andrews of that tour’s rota.

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On the occasion of this week’s 75th U.S. Women’s Open, this Spotlight episode focuses on the Hall-of-Fame career of Juli Inkster, and specifically her 2002 national championship triumph over Annika Sorenstam at historic Prairie Dunes. Brendan and Andy begin with Inkster’s earliest days as a player, growing up next to the 14th fairway at Pasatiempo, not taking up the game in earnest until 15, and then winning an astonishing three straight U.S. Women’s Amateur titles. Then they transition to her work as a pro, notably winning her first major at the Nabisco following some delectable TV controversy. Within the context of the continued challenges that only women pros must face, they discuss the impacts of motherhood on her career, and how it essentially split her career into two parts, with a lengthy drought in the middle. Then there’s a focus on her 35-year career at the U.S. Open -- there’s the questionable ruling and kick-in-the-gut playoff loss at Oakmont in 1992, her first win in an amusing Mississippi setting, and the all-time final round at a roaring Prairie Dunes to clip Annika in 2002.

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This Monday episode begins with Viktor Hovland’s burying of the Puerto Rico Open curse. Or is it buried? Brendan tries to talk himself into the curse being still alive because of a non-continental U.S. win and many other illogical contortions about a fake curse. The two discuss the weekend that was at Mayakoba, including the soft course, Hovland’s admittance that he’s usually poor under pressure, Finaue’s flop, and JT’s Sunday stuck in neutral. Then they get to the early departures and 2020 ends of Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka, debating who had the more disappointing year between the two (judged against different standards, of course). Angela Stanford’s work on the LPGA is praised against the backdrop of a game, on all tours, that tends to favor the younger player. Cristie Kerr’s cart crash is also mentioned. The potential for Collin Morikawa to win the Race to Dubai, despite not yet playing on the European Tour, is discussed and panned. They wrap with news, which is mostly an appreciation segment on Peter Alliss, who died over the weekend.

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This Friday episode begins with a new example from office life emails for another creative name for Thursday, or maybe Friday. Then Brendan and Andy get into the absolutely frigid conditions at the LPGA event in Dallas. In a warmer, and certainly softer setup, the Mayakoba got under way with plenty of players living under par, including Rickie Fowler, grinding to stay in the top 50 in the OWGR at the end of the year. An ad read for Smith Devereux (SGS listeners go here for that holiday vine) turns into a story about reckless FedEx drivers in both of their neighborhoods recently and a theory that should perhaps have Andy’s head on a swivel during his runs. On the Euro Tour, the Pissbear is in the mix and another player with two drivers in the bag is making moves in Dubai. Will this just become the new normal? Flashback Friday is on John Huh, who won the Mayakoba by parring Bob Allenby to death in 2012. Research for this shed some light on the incredible story of Huh just to find golf, excel at it, and eventually make it on Tour. Listen to the end for the story of a new player to root for.

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Andy and Brendan begin this Wednesday episode with a few leftover Mac O’Grady stories that rolled in over the last few days. Then they relay an item, formerly used by Hunter Mahan, that they would absolutely push in their holiday gift guide, if they had one. The schedule for the week begins with Mayakoba and its unique (for the PGA Tour schedule) ability to reward accuracy relative to distance. It’s a big week for cave bunkers and mangroves but could it also be a big week for the Bracelet Boys? And where’s Matt Kuchar? The LPGA Volunteers of America Classic gets event of the week honors while the Euro Tour somehow has dueling events in Dubai and South Africa. This prompts some research into the “Fire Course,” the venue in Dubai. A news segment hones in on the continued announcements of fans-less events but the Phoenix Open announcing their intention to have some sort of scaled down operation at the 16th hole. They close it out with a few thoughts on Rory’s interview with Golfweek and the potential catnip feeding frenzy coming at the PNC Challenge next week.

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Following the typical episode on Sunday is this bonus Spotlight episode on Monday and the subject is the legend of Phil McGleno, aka Mac O’Grady. Andy and Brendan spend nearly two hours relaying their research on the life and career of Mac and it still seems insufficient. They begin with his rough upbringing, how he found the game at Rancho in LA, how he lived in a storage box in a garage, and how he turned pro with a network of backers in the LA area. The 16 Q-school failures over a decade are recounted, as is the final moment of triumph when he broke through and it’s described through the colorful prose from Mac’s journals. His talents and eccentricities, too numerous to list here, are given a full account, including the ambidexterity and obsessive search for every piece of information on the golf swing. The many conflicts and controversies, including his years-long feud with PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman, are also a major part of the story. O’Grady is a nonpareil figure in the history of golf and thanks to Rukket for sponsoring our attempt to dive into at least a portion of his story.

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Preceding a Monday Spotlight coming on the inimitable Mac O’Grady, this Sunday episode is a quick jaunt reacting to some of the golf events from the weekend, notably Match III, the PGA Tour and Euro Tour alliance, and the Dunhill Championship. Andy laments Dick Bland’s fade at the Dunhill, but praises Christiaan Bezuidenhout’s second victory in his home country. There’s also a brief interlude on Polish golf following Adrian Meronk’s contention. Then they get into the weeds on the PGA Tour and European Tour’s strategic alliance announcement -- what it means for the schedule, the Courier Cup, the Ryder Cup, and the PGL. There’s a debrief on the latest Match, the handicap disparities, the grotesque venue, the entertainment factor, and the sustainability of this series. News closes out with DJ’s announcement that he will, shockingly, not be able to make it to the Mayakoba this week.

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This Wednesday episode begins with the discovery of Brendan’s distaste for anything with banana in it. Then both Andy and Brendan discuss a few things they’re thankful for, mostly you, the audience, before rambling on some golf odds and ends in a light week. One of those items is the announcement of the Walker Cup practice session taking place at Bay Hill next month. Could this mean the USGA is eyeing Bay Hill for a U.S. Open? Who can say? The schedule for the week touches on the Euro Tour heading to Leopard Creek and the next iteration of The Match. They discuss the format, the ridiculous odds, and a few props, including an influencer challenge with four influencers they’ve never heard of, that appear to have made-up names, and millions of followers on YouTube.

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It’s a Funday Monday/Taco Tuesday Eve smorgasbord on the Shotgun Start. There’s some initial NFL thoughts and a debate over the golf equivalent of winning the NFC East this year. Then they get to the golf, starting with Ondrej Lieser and his display rack trolley winning on the Challenge Tour and its Road to Mallorca standings. There’s a Takumi Kanaya appreciation segment and a discussion about Kyle Reifers’ pasta sauce sponsor. Then they get to the Pelican Championship in Florida, where speedy Sei Young Kim made an argument as the best golfer in the world. There were also Pelican members in vibrant blue coats. The RSM Classic outcome is an excuse for a Robert Streb quiz as well as several other smaller inanities, like which PGA Tour hotbed would you choose (e.g. Sea Island) to live in. The Joburg Open is also recapped after a lengthy chat on merchandise and the concept of Black Friday now lasting a month.

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“That felt like we talked about nothing for an hour” was the instant review from Andy after this episode finished recording. So either dive in and confirm that, or don’t. It’s a winding Friday episode that hits on some amusements from early Sea Island action, like a cupcake delivery from the Commish for a player making his 600th start, the Courier Cup points allure, and a BfB vs. Peppy Peter fantasy matchup. There’s also a flashback Friday on the inaugural RSM winner, the Tiger slayer himself, Heath Slocum. Brendan addresses some push back from Tampa denizens on the conditioning of this week’s LPGA venue prior to its purchase and conversion to a private playground. A schedule news segment discusses the Western Open setting up shop in the Mid-Atlantic, the NCAAs heading to SoCal, the Bobby Parsons College Golf Showcase, and a de-brief on the newly announced 2021 Web Tour lineup.

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This is a Wednesday episode full of vim and vigor following a brief post-Masters respite. Brendan and Andy begin by cleaning up a few Masters items, apologizing to Paulie, delighting in DJ’S Tequila Tour, finding a truly interesting Tyler Duncan fact, and re-hashing Tiger’s rally after the 10 for further appreciation. Then they turn to new days and new opportunities for Courier Cup points. Andy shares his “three things” to watch at the RSM, focusing on the distinctly Euro flavor in the field. They share some scoop on the origins of Frittelli’s sun sleeves and they also nominate candidates for the DL3 Phenomenon, which they explain. The “notables” of the Euro Tour event present a real challenge for Brendan’s already limited pronunciation abilities. The LPGA is back this week after a lengthy hiatus and Brendan puts Andy in a bad mood by spotlighting some of the sketchy conflicts of interest surrounding the changes and development of this week’s host venue, a formerly public Donald Ross. It’s enough to make it lose Andy’s event of the week honors.

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A long week of Masters podcasts comes to a close with this recap edition following Dustin Johnson’s 5-shot victory. The first big question they ask is whether he’ll remember this or his FedExCup in September more from his remarkable year. Then they get to the more serious, discussing his legacy as perhaps the greatest player of the post-Tiger generation. In conjunction with his process over results essay from earlier in the week, Brendan celebrates the experience of watching DJ play golf for the last decade-plus and the affirmation that a jacket, while not required, brings to that experience. They chat about the Rory tease, the JT disappointment, the sneaky Brooks week, and Bryson getting put in a bodybag by Bernhard. Citing all those names also leads to a debate over who will finish with the most majors, and whether DJ will have a second green jacket here in six months. Dylan Frittelli’s geography expertise is also highlighted. A tweet from Alan Shipnuck on the “wear and tear” conditioning at Augusta showing this week prompts a closing segment on how the course played and what Andy will remember most from this 2020 edition. Thanks to all for a fun week and for supporting the daily podcast format!

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Brendan and Andy are joined by Hurricane Shane Bacon for this Saturday evening podcast on the Masters. They discuss Dustin Johnson’s four-shot 54-hole lead, how impressive it’s been, and how it’s likely to bag him his second major. But they also go to the dark places in their minds and try to write a horror story about how exactly it could go bad over the final 18 holes. The entire episode is a ramble, a mishmash, a potpourri of inanity and analysis on all that’s happened so far at the Masters before fielding some listener questions. Thanks to Shane for joining us!

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Andy and Brendan have a merry chat about all that went down on Friday at Augusta National. They inadvertently begin with Bryson’s lost ball, pondering the last time a ball was lost like that in the middle of the property at Augusta National and Bryson exploring the limits of the definition of “lost.” There’s amusement at Paul Casey perhaps changing his shirt due to Twitter shaming and Justin Thomas telling SVP “I love you.” They ponder whether Tiger or Phil has a better chance to win heading to the weekend. Then they re-live Rory’s absolute whirlwind of a day that followed the usual Rory blueprint for the Masters. Andy’s mood and voice then plummets as he assesses Westy’s putting. With a football weekend now on tap, they close with an amusing game of “If Bryson is a linebacker, then…” Thanks to Twitter replies, ESPN’s Kevin Van Valkenburg, Will Knights, and others for contributing to this fun Friday game wherein Phil is Brett Favre, Woosie is a fullback, and Rory is Aaron Rodgers.

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This is an experimental episode for the Shotgun Start. It’s an essay from Brendan on what it means to have this Masters in 2020 and how to best enjoy and appreciate it given all that’s happening in the world in this current moment. There are no comparisons of Lucas Bjerregaard to the Miracle on Ice, but if it doesn’t work for you, we won’t try it again. Or maybe that means we will. It’s sponsored by Bixby Coffee and the new Shotgun Start Holiday Blend, which contains hints of cinnamon, milk chocolate, and graham crackers. Enjoy the weekend at the Masters, everyone.

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