The Shotgun Start

It’s a true Monday episode thanks to the PGA Tour’s refusal to move up Sunday tee times with storms forecasted, arriving, and then pushing the Heritage finish to Monday morning. They begin there, fresh off watching Scottie Scheffler move his way around a windy Harbour Town for a fourth win in five starts. They marvel at the achievement while also pondering which one of his peers may be feeling the most anxious about this run and the appearance of it not ending anytime soon. They also discuss some deluded Wyndham Clark comments on TV ratings and the mismanagement of the Monday finish. Then it’s over to the dominant LPGA player of the moment, Nelly Korda, who won her fifth straight start and second career major. They ponder whether this makes the Chevron a “true” major and what has been most impressive about the run, including overcoming a six-hour round alongside Brooke Henderson. They ask which run might be more impressive, a debate not really worth having. Then it’s on to the happy development in the DR, where Billy Horschel won the white shirt-jacket. They delight in this, and also check in on the results of the sponsor’s exemptions for Puntacana. Lastly, they close with the 15-year-old Miles Russell making the cut and finishing T20 on the KFT.

Andy and Brendan close out an all-time week with the usual Friday ramble that begins with some of the reentry to home life issues following 10 days away at the Masters and Augusta. Then they get to early action from the Chevron, including Nelly’s push for five, whether to jump in an alligator-infested pond, and if this major kinda stinks. On the RBC Heritage, Andy praises Harbour Town and how it brings different players into the fold but laments its “hangover” spot on the schedule. They also bring up the great coincidence of Pat Cantlay playing well for a big purse, which transitions to the PGA Tour PAC board getting a presentation from Theo Epstein and all that says about the organizational problems. There’s a Puntacana minute that generates a new “game within the game” watch for the weekend. They close with an SGS Golf Advice segment on some Ireland questions and an incredible bet between friends.

Andy and Brendan are back home after another incredible week in Augusta that went one extra day for BP. That’s the cause for this beefy Wednesday episode, as Andy peppers him with some questions about his Monday round at Augusta National. They discuss his best shots, worst shots, unexpected encounters, and favorite memories from an all-time experience. Then they transition to the week that’s coming by diving right into a fun game of In/Out/Alternate for the opposite field Puntacana Championship. At the Heritage, they discuss more gnome fever and make some one-and-done picks. The women’s major championship, the Chevron, is also covered in the context of Nelly Korda’s historic run. News hits on the Rory-to-LIV rumor that lasted about a day this week, the Masters ratings plummeting and how we should react to it, and the PGA going back to Kiawah’s Ocean Course.

Andy and Brendan are back at the Draddy House in Augusta for one final Masters week episode. They are juiced up after watching Scottie Scheffler win his second green jacket in three years. They discuss the champion at length, his golf, his inevitability, some cross-sport comps, and how he grinds down any challengers who might threaten. They also have a wide-ranging discussion about the impact he might have on others based on some revealing quotes from Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and others. The full leaderboard of contenders and housecats are highlighted. They discuss the presentation of the golf course, Bryson DeChambeau’s evolution, and bat around some thirsbucket of the day nominees, one of whom is truly offensive. Then they empty out the notebook one last time with a handful of amusing insights, attire, stories, scuttlebutt, and one final Gary Player story.

Andy and Brendan are in from another full, wonderful day scampering around Augusta National. They have plenty of golf insights and analysis, as well as the usual mix of random and amusing stories talking to fans, media, and associated stakeholders. They discuss their time following Bryson, Max, Scottie, Ludvig, Collin, and more. Is Bryson completely out of it? Also, is “Moving Day” or hoax? They delight in an Augusta National that is of a firmness that this age of player on the leaderboard has simply not seen, as Morikawa intimated. They play contender vs. pretender for the final round and make a final pick to win with 18 holes to play.

An absolutely JAMMED episode covers a full day of windswept golf at the Masters for Andy and Brendan. They discuss their days following Tiger, who set a made-cut streak record, and Bryson, who sits on the 36-hole lead alongside Scottie and Max Homa. They have two notebooks full of rumors, substantiated and otherwise, and tons of amusing stories about celebrity appearances and potential arrivals, green jackets, and Jason Day’s Malbon sweater. There is also a crowded field for Thirstbucket of the day with Andy’s shenanigans on camera making a run for the award. There’s a Good Guy Gerry McIlroy Award for the second straight year as well. They close with a quotable section that focuses on Tyrrell Hatton’s anger about slow play and Zach Johnson’s denial-that-was-not-a-denial about cursing down in Amen Corner. It’s been a great week so far and we will have plenty of giveaways to subscribers of our new Good Walk Coffee blends. They will be picked randomly, but only if you’re a subscriber.

We have (almost) one round in the books at the 2024 Masters and Brendan and Andy have a notebook full of amusements and insights from the ground to go over from Thursday. They begin with “story time” on Si Woo, Peppy Peter, Gary Player, and go over three nominees for “Thirstbucket Thursday” after getting some intel in Augusta. Then they discuss the rounds of Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler. They discuss some quotes from Bryson on his favorite YouTube creators like Jynxi and Sketch, and how he’s found peace in that world and his golf game. They discuss the wildly difficult windy conditions on Thursday and how Scottie clinically worked his way around with a 66. That does not mean, however, that there are not laments about pace of play and armlock putting. They close with a few quick thoughts on Tiger, Rory, and Friday expectations.

Andy and Brendan convened with a live gathering at the official B. Draddy House in Augusta National for this extra Wednesday night episode ahead of first shots at the Masters. They are joined at the start by both Taylor Moore, who will start his second Masters this week, and Billy Draddy, a founder and creative director at B.Draddy and Summit Golf Brands. They discuss the course conditions with Taylor and some amusing stories of trying to find your way around Augusta National as a first timer and how that compares to coming back this year. In the second half of the podcast, Andy and Brendan react to Fred Ridley’s press conference and what some of his statements might mean for the larger professional golf world before taking a couple questions from the crowd at sign off.

Andy and Brendan have been at Augusta National for the past three days filling the notebook with tips, rumors both substantiated and unsubstantiated, listening to a range of players’ press conferences, and gathering insights on the course. It all comes together in this rambling Masters preview from the Draddy House. They discuss whose stock is up and whose is down (Tiger??) after watching some practice rounds and reading between the lines of these player quotes. Then they get to the time-honored tradition for SGS major week Wednesdays: picking out some favorite tee times, and the worst tee times. This takes them on a voyage that includes the discussion of some insane quotes from both Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau. They close with some off-the-board picks to contend this week and their choices to slip into a green jacket come Sunday night.

Andy and Brendan are together again at the Draddy House in Augusta. They are bursting with enthusiasm for the coming week and off a great Sunday of golf from Nelly’s outrageous 4th straight win, wild playoffs on both the PGA Tour and LIV, and a great ANWA finish. But first! They have some cleanup to do on the big New York Golf Club rollout that’s been neglected the last two episodes. Then they get to Nelly Korda winning AGAIN and what it means for her and the LPGA. The Akshay vs. Denny duel in Texas is marveled over at length in what was a wild Sunday of golf and shoulder injury interludes. Also at the Texas Open, they discuss Jordan Spieth taking a line to the roof of a hotel and getting relief from it. There is both exasperation and anger over the ruling and the play. On LIV, they discuss Mean Dean beating back Sergio and if he should get a Masters exemption. They have some thoughts on ANWA’s finish and the format that rewards great play at Champions Retreat. The last few minutes are unloading some tidbits from a day of gathering some scuttlebutt around Augusta.

It’s Friday! And the one before Masters week at that, which has both Andy and Brendan feeling a bit of anxiety or regret about some corners they’ve staked out relative to that major championship. They ramble around on that and the news that Rory McIlroy saw Butch Harmon, JT has split up with Bones, and another “global superstar” is looking for a mental coach. At Valero, they discuss Rory looking burly, Spieth’s quotes about his scores not reflecting his quality of play, and the crowd in Charley Hoffman t-shirts. At the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, they discuss the slow play penalty that knocked a former champion to the wrong side of the cut line and if that example will be made the next week with the men’s pros. There’s also news of a scoring kerfuffle. The back half of the podcast covers a bevy of quotes coming from LIV, beginning with some refreshing clarity and honesty from Anthony Kim about where he’s been, his struggles, not knowing who won any majors since he’s been gone, and how forgiving equipment now is compared to when he left. They also discuss Bryson’s urgent plea that the game must be brought back together and Phil’s similar quotes on disruption.

Andy and Brendan had a loose plan for this episode, and they get to that at about the 30-minute mark. The first 30 minutes is a ramble on Jim Nantz and Uncle Verne, LIV Doral, who has the most pressure on them at the Masters, and their own eagerness to get to Augusta for the first major of the year. Then they get to some of the immediate golf at hand, starting with the schedule of the week and the Valero Texas Open, which has a water park attached to it. Cutthroat Corner puts someone in the crosshairs who might be spending his weekend at that water park, while illuminating some of the insane exemptions that reward almost nothing. They also discuss the huge week for women’s golf with the LPGA’s Match Play at Shadow Creek and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Wake up, wake up, wake up it’s the first of the month! Andy is back with Brendan for this Monday and first of the month recording. He shares a couple of amusements from vacation, laments the Illini loss, and has some questions about Danny Hurley amidst what’s still a Victory Monday for Brendan (big college hockey fan). Then they get to the Houston Open and an eventful weekend in which Ale Tosti went mainstream. They discuss the coverage of the Tosti One, Jaeger’s breakthrough win and what happens to his AAAA status, and that last putt by Scottie Scheffler in an otherwise great week. There’s also plenty of praise for Tom Doak’s Memorial Park and pleas to let him design a full major championship test. After an EXCITING announcement about a new sponsor but returning product, they relay an all-time Tosti Tale following his big breakout weekend. Elsewhere in golf, they discuss Nelly Korda’s dominant spring and how it will work for the LPGA and the rise of Japanese winners on the DPWT, including at DLF this weekend. They close with news on Bryson DeChambeau’s video playing a rolled back ball and how it unintentionally makes a compelling argument for the rollback.

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

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