The Shotgun Start

At long last, it's major season on the 2024 Year in Review! Back from the Hero World Challenge interlude, Andy and Brendan resume the Year in Review and get through the year's first major, Scottie Scheffler's second Masters win. Andy begins the show by remembering Peppy Peter Malnati's victory at the Valspar, his first PGA Tour win in nine years. Peppy Peter is moved to tears in his post-round interview, and finally plays in his first Masters tournament a few weeks later. Brendan then moves through the Texas Children's Houston Open, where Stephan Jaeger secured his permanent call-up from AAAA player, outlasting Scottie Scheffler, Tony Finau, Tosti Boy, and more. Tosti becomes a national name this week, and Andy and Brendan remember the finest Tosti Tales from earlier this year. PJ jumps in to recap Akshay's shoulder-popping win at Valero, Anthony Kim's "vaguely remembering" Tiger's 2019 Masters win, and a thrilling ANWA finish. From there, it's a group effort on the Masters, covering Monday's total eclipse, Zach Johnson (not) cursing at patrons, and Scottie pulling away from the pack on Sunday after weekend charges from Ludvig Åberg, Collin Morikawa, and Max Homa.

It's been a while since the last one, but Andy and Brendan break down yet another Scottie Scheffler victory in this Monday episode. Andy begins by claiming a Victory Monday, as his household's rug saga has reached a conclusion on the fourth purchase and Swag Sports Minute recaps where Illinois and Boston College football will be bowling later this month. From there, the two get into the golf, starting with the Hero World Challenge. Scottie Scheffler, now using the claw grip with his putter, won for the ninth time in 2024 with a dominant weekend showing. Andy and Brendan discuss the psychology of competing against Scheffler and how many players believe they can beat him with their "B" games on a Sunday. They also discuss a new-look Justin Thomas, whose speed training was on full display in Albany, often outdriving the rest of the 20-man field. The conversation then shifts to the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, where Aldrich Potgieter had a chance to win in his home country before making a triple bogey on the par three 12th. Andy and Brendan debate whether they've seen a player in contention have a worse singular hole. Joaquin Niemann won again in Saudi Arabia, taking down fellow LIV golfers Cameron Smith and Caleb Surratt in a playoff at the Saudi International. In news, Greg Norman visited Indianapolis and acknowledged that his time as LIV's CEO is coming to an end sometime soon. This episode closes with a lively conversation about the College Football Playoff, with Andy and Brendan both wondering how the No. 1 seed, Oregon, has the toughest route to a championship. Before Brendan can sign off, PJ jumps in to share the breaking news of Juan Soto becoming NYGC's biggest fan, as he's signed a 15-year deal with the New York Mets.

With the Year in Review on pause until next week, Andy and Brendan use this Friday episode to catch up on the remaining golf news from this week. Andy spends the entire show dealing with a potential tsunami warning in California, leading to multiple cut-ins with the latest updates from the National Weather Service. In terms of late-breaking golf news, Brendan shares that Scottie Scheffler is using a claw grip to putt at the Hero and the two wonder if this will be a long-term solution for him or if he's just trying it out in a "hit and giggle" event. NYGC's Cameron Young is off to a hot start in Albany, setting him up for his first "win" on the PGA Tour. It was revealed that Tony Finau is NOT going to LIV (as of now), but withdrew from the Hero World Challenge due to knee surgery. Speaking of LIV, it's a loaded leaderboard for the weekend at the Saudi International series, currently being led by Logan McAllister. Dustin Johnson, the latest Golf Saudi ambassador, missed the cut, but had some quotes about "growing the game" in the Golf Saudi press release. Patrick Reed also had some newsworthy comments, suggesting that players who can qualify should be able to play on any tour they want, without suspension or fines. The Ryder Cup pay-for-play debate is somehow still rearing its head, with Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas being the latest Americans to be peppered with questions about it during pressers at the Hero. Kevin Kisner will be the new lead analyst for NBC in 2025 and Brendan wonders how this will impact his TGL status as a member of Jupiter Links Golf Club. Brendan and Andy also break down a potential LIV-WNBA legal battle after the WNBA's latest team logo may rip off a LIV franchise. This episode closes with some SGS Golf Advice about a dice-roll cheater and a legendary war of words at a golf simulator in Canada.

Things are back to normal on this Wednesday episode as Andy and Brendan pause the Year in Review to discuss the Hero World Challenge and plenty of news from across the world of golf. Brendan recaps an amazing Browns loss on Monday Night Football to start things off and Andy wonders what the career of Justin Thomas would look like if he took a Jameis Winston approach to improvement (praying to be delivered from pick sixes). From there, the two recap Tiger's annual press conference at the Hero, where he claimed that his competitive fire is still burning but he's unable to compete physically right now. Andy and Brendan discuss key takeaways from the media session and wonder if Tiger's waning energy is being wasted on the PGA Tour-PIF negotiations. Meanwhile, the LIV Hot Stove is scorching as Thomas Pieters was dealt from the RangeGoats to the 4 Aces in exchange for... nothing and Tony Finau is rumored to be the latest to make the jump after withdrawing from the Hero on Monday. An all-new "Commissioners Minute" segment leads to debates about Jay Monahan's place among sports commissioners after it was revealed that his 2023 salary totaled $23 million. "Commissioners Minute" continues with the news of Mollie Marcoux Samaan's resignation as the LPGA's leader also breaking on Monday. Andy and Brendan then move to the metaverse, where Tiger claims that he will be ready to play when Jupiter Links GC hits the SoFi Center for the first TGL season in January. Unbeknownst to this podcast, the NYGC squad had a media day in New York, where a non-invited PJ missed out on a chance to have Mets/NYGC owner Steve Cohen compare Matt Fitzpatrick to Sean Manaea. The premier golf gambling podcast then makes some picks for the Hero World Challenge before running through notables at the DP World Tour's Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa. To close things out, PJ recaps the first round of Champions Tour Q-School's final stage, where some SGS favorites are looking to secure status for next year.

Andy and Brendan return after the Thanksgiving weekend to look back at the PGA Tour's Florida swing in the third installment of the 2024 Year in Review. First, they start with a much-anticipated Swag Sports Minute as the Bears fired Matt Eberflus after a late-game collapse against the Lions in the Thanksgiving Day Classic. Andy is excited that the 'Flus is loose, but is not hopeful about the future head coach of the Bears being anyone good. PJ is fired up after Kyle McCord led his Syracuse Orange to a win over Miami and Andy petitions the CFP committee that Illinois is the best three-loss team in the country. Fear not, as golf is the main discussion for this beefy boy of a podcast, as Andy begins this Year in Review episode with the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, formerly known as the Honda Classic. This was a Monday finish won by Austin Eckroat, but the more pressing content was happening in Jeddah, where Anthony Kim returned. Brendan then recaps Scottie's first win of the year at Bay Hill and sprinkles in some notes on the Puerto Rico open before making the transition to The Players. Jay's "State of the Tour" presser, collars of rough ruining 17 at TPC Sawgrass, Xander's failure to close, and a Rory-Spieth spat over "Dropgate" are all discussed at length to round out this episode.

Andy and Brendan return with the second installment of the 2024 Year in Review, recorded on Wednesday morning as part of the YouTube livestream extravaganza. During your Thanksgiving travels, listen to them recap Wyndham Clark's course record at the rain-shortened Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the "out of control" scene at the Waste Management, Tiger's trip in a "paramedic truck" at Riviera, Jake Knapp's mighty win at the Mexico Open, and plenty more in between.

Andy and Brendan are back for one their least favorite but also most enjoyable exercises of the year: it’s the SIXTH annual Year in Review! And they are maybe, kinda out ahead of it this time, although that could all change quickly if their pace of play slows to crawl. This first installment begins as always at the start of the year in Kapalua, where Dayman(!) unveiled his first-ever Malbon outfit, Jon Rahm was on vacation, and Chris Kirk became the first player to get 700 FedEx Cup points for a win . It runs from The Sentry through the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and features many delights and amusements you may remember but likely forgot from the start of the year swing, which turned out to be much more of a slog than normal. This is the usual SGS approach to the year in review, focusing more on the amusing, inane, and extraordinary and it will continue to roll out over the next several weeks in multiple parts to be enjoyed at your convenience during the holiday season.

Andy and Brendan are together again for a Monday episode wrapping up the end of both the PGA Tour and LPGA seasons. Before getting to that, Andy has some thoughts on Golf Channel's coverage of the Australian PGA Championship late Saturday night, as the broadcast cut to commercial after the approach shots on the 72nd hole. Although we didn't entirely see how, Elvis Smylie made his par and secured his first DP World Tour win, holding off Cam Smith in the final group. From there, the two discuss the RSM Classic, the final event of the FedEx Fall and the end of the 2024 PGA Tour season. Maverick McNealy won his first PGA Tour event with a birdie on the final hole, leaving Luke Clanton, Daniel Berger, and Nico Echavarria (and his minute) in a tie for second. Brendan and Andy give props to McNealy on his first win after an up-and-down career so far before questioning how Luke Clanton, an amateur, has not secured a PGA Tour card yet despite his four top ten finishes this season. Brendan also shares a quote from Daniel Berger about how just 10% of his peak play is at a "different level" than most of the guys he's competing with. Lastly, Andy and Brendan take a look at the top 125 bubble at the conclusion of the FedEx Fall, where Joel Dahmen kept his card using the 13 FedEx Cup points he got for free in the no-cut Zozo. Next, they talk through the CME Tour Championship on the LPGA Tour, won by Jeeno Thitikul, making her the big financial winner of this season and NOT Nelly Korda. Lexi Thompson, playing in her final event as a full-time player, expressed some displeasure at split tees on Sunday due to the TV broadcast window, which did not allow her to finish her career on the 18th hole. With golf talk wrapped up, Brendan details the biggest event of the day - the Maplewood 11U football team against Major Tuddy and his band of misfit mascots at Northwest Field. The kids shut out the mascots, winning 13-0 with two forced turnovers in the short game. Major Tuddy did get some hits in though, with footage of a personal foul after an interception making the rounds on Twitter. Andy is fired up about the "best case scenario" of another Bears loss with Caleb Williams looking great, as the 'Flus must be cut loose after this season. PJ shares that Bob Papa is not pleased with the New York Giants and the three make another pitch for a godfather offer to bring him to the Champions Tour full time. To finish this episode, everyone goes back and forth about the inaugural Year in Review livestream, coming to YouTube at some point this week.

Andy's on the road so Brendan put together an ensemble episode for your Friday listening pleasure! First, he's joined by Fried Egg Golf's Joseph LaMagna to discuss the RSM Classic, the Australian PGA, and the LPGA's Tour Championship. Ahead of a potential Browns snow game on Thursday Night Football, Joseph asks if the movement of NFL teams to domed, turf stadiums is part of the homogenization of venues and ties this to the golf courses we see on the PGA Tour. Speaking of the PGA Tour, Joseph and Brendan dive into the first round of the RSM Classic, the final event of the 2024 season. With a lot of focus on the "Bubble Boys" hovering around the Top 125 line, PJ brings a new coverage conspiracy to light, leading Brendan to assure everyone that PGA Tour Live is not actively plotting against YouTubers. Joseph shares the latest projections for who will keep their card for 2025, with some players who earned free points from sponsor exemptions into the no-cut Zozo falling on the right side of things as of now. Brendan and Joseph then move down under to the Australian PGA where podcast favorite Jacob Skov Olesen was hit with a slow-play penalty in his DP World Tour debut. Olesen turned down his Masters exemption as an amateur in favor of turning pro after earning his DP World Tour card at Q-School, prompting Joseph to preview his upcoming article looking at how WAGR points are earned and the overall state of the high-level amateur game. After that, Brendan chats with Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal about Comcast's decision to spin-off its cable channel offerings, including Golf Channel, into a new company, "SpinCo." Josh shares what this may mean for the future of Golf Channel, the sport's media deals as a whole, and how the PGA Tour itself continues to evolve as a media outlet. Finally, Brendan and PJ talk some TGL ownership news in a Friday Swag Sports Minute before wrapping up this episode with a few Golf Advice questions.

Brendan and Andy start this Wednesday episode with some Fried Egg business, highlighting the Black Friday sale in the Pro Shop and promoting the just-announced 2025 events schedule. From there, Brendan gives a shoutout to Dr. George F. Grant, the inventor of the golf tee, who's getting some much-deserved recognition in Massachusetts. Andy is extra excited about the "player uprising" against slow play, which now includes Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson, and Lucas Glover, among others. The PGA Tour announced that the much-discussed changes to cut cards and field sizes were approved, with Jay Monahan giving PGA Tour "fans" the lead mention ahead of players and partners in the press release. Lucas Glover was not pleased with the results of this vote, telling Adam Schupak that "they think we're stupid" when saying these changes will improve pace of play. While player cards are getting cut in a few years, budget cuts are also reportedly coming to the PGA Tour as SSG is looking to decrease spending by "tens of millions" of dollars. Meanwhile, the DP World Tour is losing ten players to the PGA Tour, including Paul Waring, who shared his readiness to make the jump on social media. However, many LIV players - Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, Mean Dean, and more - will be reinstated on the DP World Tour for this upcoming season, having served suspensions and paid their fines, clearing the path for Sergio to return to the Ryder Cup. In a bonus Sports Minute, Brendan asks PJ for his reaction to the Jets firing GM Joe Douglas and wonders if, somehow, the Browns are the most stable NFL team represented by this podcast. A look at the Schedule of the Week starts with the RSM Classic, the final week of the FedEx Fall. Caitlin Clark will make an appearance in the Pro Am on Wednesday, playing with fellow Iowa icon Zach Johnson. Andy, Brendan, and PJ run through some Games Within a Game for the PGA Tour finale, touching Kelly Kraft, Christo Lamprecht, and, of course, Nico Echavarria. The LPGA season also wraps this week with the CME Group Tour Championship, with $4 million being awarded to the winner. For those wondering, you can play the Black Course at Tiburón Golf Club along side the LPGA stars throughout the week. Lastly, a fan favorite returns home for the Australian PGA Championship this week on the DP World Tour. To wrap things up, Brendan and Andy preview the latest installment of "The Match".

In an episode that will be known as Brendan's "Flu Game," Andy and Brendan recap a meaningful week of fall golf that left men's winners in tears following their wins. Andy is excited that he drove through Moore County, North Carolina without receiving a speeding ticket, unlike at the U.S. Open. After a "Nico Echavarria Minute" to start the golf talk, the two discuss Rory McIlroy's win in Abu Dhabi, his sixth DP World Tour season-long title, tying Seve Ballesteros. Rory was deeply emotional following the win, looking back at his year that contained four worldwide wins and now the order of merit victory for the DP World Tour. The ten DP World Tour players that secured PGA Tour cards are also set, with "The Great" Manassero and Rasmus Højgaard headlining the newcomers. Next up is Swag Sports Minute, where Brendan unboxes the latest "Mystery Bx" drop from Swag Golf. Andy is disappointed in the Bears following another loss to the Packers, but sees positives in Caleb Williams's performance. PJ's Jets struggled again, as known golfer Ahmad Gardner could not tackle yet another receiver headed toward the end zone. The golf talk gets back on track with a wrap up of the Butterfield, won by Rafael Campos. Nelly Korda won again at The Annika, leading to a debate on whether Pelican Golf Club should "Nelly-proof" the course ahead of next year. To finish things up, Andy and Brendan touch on the news of President-Elect Donald Trump playing a round with Jay Monahan this weekend before sitting next to Yasir Al-Rumayyan at Saturday night's UFC event.

This Friday afternoon recording kicks off with some housekeeping, as Andy got a new power cord for his microphone just in time for the show after the old one almost electrocuted Producer PJ in Austin. Brendan has PJ attempt to explain why Syracuse's football coach won't shower for a week following a loss, which came up as a result of Brendan's Boston College Eagles defeating the Orange last weekend. From there, it's a shared segment of both TGL and Champions Tour Minutes, as Bob Papa may be out as the Champs Tour lead play-by-play man next year and there are new TGL holes to discuss. We got our first look at the SoFi Center with a video of Atlanta Drive GC's Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas hitting in the arena being posted to social media on Wednesday. Brendan brings attention to an auction containing items from Paul Azinger's personal collection, being sold to prevent human trafficking in Florida, including some "game-used" NBC polos, Ryder Cup gear, and an invitation to Nick Faldo's 2007 Masters party in Augusta. It was a big few days for Ryder Cup news, as the PGA of America announced that tickets sold out for the 2025 event, despite the high price tags. Speaking of price tags, it was reported that American players may receive $400,000 for their participation in the Ryder Cup moving forward, leading to Rory McIlroy offering up that he would pay for the right to play in the event on the European side. Andy provides some updates on ongoing tournaments, as SGS Good Walk Around Pinehurst guest Justin Lower currently leads in Bermuda. This episode ends with some user submitted stories and some form of golf advice relating to favorite fruits.

This Wednesday morning recording is an in-person episode recorded over the internet, as Brendan and Andy are in Texas for the Fried Egg Golf offsite. Andy starts this episode with the debut of a new segment, "Nico Echavarria Minute," relaying the latest in stats and news for the audience's favorite FedEx Fall stalwart. Up next is a preview of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, as the two discussing notables in the field and noting the entire group of FedEx Fall Bubble Boys will be in attendance this week. Creator Classic stars and YouTube Golfers Wesley and George Bryan are paired together for this tournament, leading Andy and Brendan to wonder what kind of auxiliary content may come from Bermuda. They then unpack a Golfweek article discussing Maverick McNealy's research into FedEx Cup point "inequity" on the PGA Tour, as he found that Signature Events award a disproportionate amount of points compared to majors and non-Signature Events. From there, it's the first-ever offseason "Champs Tour Minute" as Paul Azinger has signed on to replace Lanny Wadkins as the lead television analyst for the PGA Tour Champions. PJ also shows off his custom Champions Tour t-shirt, delivered by a listener after a missed connection in Phoenix. Caitlin Clark is playing in the pro-am for the LPGA's The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, leading to big crowds on Wednesday. On the DP World Tour, Rory McIlroy is set to win the season-long race at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. Andy and Brendan discuss Adrian Meronk's comments calling for the PGA Tour to be focused on America and a new tour to be focused on golf in the rest of the world... which is what the DP World Tour used to be. In news and notes, the two discuss the Dunlop Phoenix event and how Dunlop tennis balls may be leading to player injuries, LIV's first batch of tournaments for 2025, and the Chicago Bears changing offensive coordinators after such an incredible start to the year.

At long last, "Champions Tour Minute" leads this Monday episode, as Andy and Brendan pepper PJ with questions about his weekend at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at Phoenix Country Club. PJ shares stories from the ground about his interactions with Richard Green and Bernhard Langer, his investigative journalism regarding the sales of Buzzballz, and explains his walk through an inflatable colon as part of the event's fan village. Andy and Brendan enjoy the reports on cart usage, including Darren Clarke's tricked-out steering wheel, and recap the incredible finish to the actual tournament. Football talk is front and center during Swag Sports Minute, as PJ ventured off to Jets at Cardinals on Sunday afternoon in Phoenix, abandoning his post at the Schwab Cup, only to leave at halftime with the Jets down 24-6. Andy's Bears aren't doing any better - Caleb Williams was sacked nine times by the lowly Patriots in another multi-score loss. Andy and Brendan then recap the Lotte Championship, which a listener actually watched at Lottie's in Chicago, before touching on Paul Waring's win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. This episode wraps with some discussion about the World Wide Technology Championship, won by Austin Eckroat, with some Tosti Tales and a questionable disqualification handed down by the PGA Tour.

This Friday episode begins with a segment of "TGL 20 Minutes" as Andy and Brendan react to rumors of Ballfrogs merch selling out in stores across the country. Andy then submits the latest hole design to be unveiled, "Hatchet," for Design Disasters, breaking down the flaws in a fake golf hole that will not challenge professional golfers bombing drives over bunkers on an indoor screen. Speaking of that screen, Brendan wonders which player will be the first to completely miss it with a shot, something that feels bound to happen in the league's inaugural season, From there, the two discuss Rory McIlroy's comments about the increased likelihood of a PGA Tour-PIF deal as a result of the U.S. election. Brendan victory laps his win for "Low MLB-Sponsored Player" at the World Wide Technology Championship, as a Cam Young WD leaves Billy Andrade as the last man standing. Laurie Canter is in contention in Abu Dhabi, and Andy notes that he has a chance to secure a PGA Tour card and become the first player to be suspended by the PGA Tour while never having been a member. Speaking of the DP World Tour, Brendan shares some quotes from Guy Kinnings about his tour's place in the pro golf ecosystem, which is NOT as a feeder tour. This episode wraps with some Golf Advice, as Andy and Brendan advise friends of the program on pace-of-play issues, Ryder Cup attendance questions, and caddie ethics. Before hopping on his flight to Phoenix, PJ chimes in and the three preview his weekend at the Schwab Cup Finals.