The Shotgun Start The Fried Egg

It’s Friday! Andy and Brendan are full of energy, joy, and anger for this episode ahead of Mother’s Day and a major championship week. They begin with some Mother’s Day gift mishaps and plans before getting to the Wells Fargo Championship, where Xander Schauffele is your leader after an all-time “lucky” drop situation. There’s outrage and confusion over how you get out of jail free and a call for some common-sense reform. Perhaps a new committee? Those are apparently being created out of thin air every other day at the Global Home, where a new Transaction Subcommittee has been created for a potential deal with the PIF. Rory McIlroy is allowed on that one, just days after he was kept off the PGA Tour policy board. They discuss the absolute circus that is the PGA Tour, its organization, its leadership, and the constant make-it-up-as-you-go approach. Does it end with Jay Monahan’s ouster? Then they close with an all-time SGS Golf Advice email about a hotel disaster and awkward range warm-up session.

This Wednesday episode is bursting at the seams with some unsubstantiated rumors, some in-out-alternate, PGA Tour board fights, LIV exemption roulette, and some quotes from the head of NBC golf about their plans for the U.S. Open. Andy and Brendan begin there, with news that the LPGA event, where Nelly Korda goes for her sixth straight win, will be relegated to a couple hours of tape delay coverage this week is rolled out alongside an interview with NBC exec Sam Flood counter-punching recent accusations in an article about cost cutting. They discuss the interview and the four-person booth plan for the U.S. Open. They have some unsubstantiated rumors about the ongoing PGA Tour board kerfuffles which leads to an amusing game comparing those characters to the ones in Succession. Then they get to a rousing game of In-Out-Alternate to kick off schedule for the week with the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic. At Wells Fargo, they pass along some unsubstantiated rumors about where that event might go next year with Quail Hollow hosting a PGA. They close with news of the PGA Championship handing out exemptions to Talor Gooch and a few other of his LIV compadres and what it says about future major exemptions.

It is Victory Monday for Brendan and his Cavs, but there is not much else to rejoice about in this episode. Andy is home from Bandon and he has some thoughts on his trip there. Then they get to just a tough, tough scene for the PGA Tour product in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at Craig Ranch. They are both down and despondent about it, but congratulatory to Taylor Pendrith, who is likely heading back to the Presidents Cup. There are some more harsh words for the host course. They wonder about any LIV momentum especially given what appears to be continued board gridlock. They discuss Brooks Koepka’s win there, a solid leaderboard, and the comments from Greg Norman that they might buy some golf courses. In news, they discuss Tiger’s exemption to Pinehurst. He will apparently be there but it’s still unclear who will be the NBC lead analyst, which prompts further discussion with that network apparently putting in a bid to spend on NBA rights. Alejandro Tosti’s visit to Six Flags is also covered, and there’s excitement about his potential inclusion in the Summer Olympics.

This is an episode that is almost entirely about nothing. But it’s a fun Fri Day show, that begins with an amusing story from Andy about someone needing an “introduction caddie” in the bar at Bandon Dunes. Then they get to the debut of Sun Day Red products, which prompts questions about expensive ball markers and the word “iconic.” They get to more scuttlebutt about the internal battles for PGA Tour board seats, which continues to appear dysfunctional and exhausting. This week's Cutthroat Corner nominee is revealed for THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, where there were some options. They discover the Tour is leveraging the immense power of AI for good, namely creating gambling content on ho-hum fringe pros. The return of Maxfli is also hailed. They close it with some SGS Golf Advice that leads to a lengthy digression on ending the hoopla, celebration, and discussion around holes-in-one.

Andy and Brendan dial it up for this first of the month Wednesday episode with movements from the PGA Pro National down in Frisco marking the return of Blockie Season. They offer up a potential new inhabitant of the Uresti Zone as well before getting to the big news that LIV’s finale solo championship is headed to Bolingbrook, site of a rough AJGA experience for Andy in Illinois. How in the world does this happen? It is unserious. Also unserious is the title of this week’s PGA Tour event. In further news on underwhelming venue choices, they also discuss some rumors from the ground at TPC Craig T. Nelson Ranch. Then they get to the reports around the delay of Rory’s return to the PGA Tour PAC and what it says about the current divide and Tour bungling over the past year. They also discuss the jump in ratings for the Zurich. Schedule for the week tries to hone in on who best fits the TPC Summerlin model and the high season for college golf.

Shane Bacon joins Andy with Brendan in the air to an undisclosed location or ducking Russ Cochran's near cinderella performance at the Zurich Classic. Shane and Andy discuss if Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry's victory at the Zurich Classic and what it could mean for the rest of 2024. Cochran's near made cut is broached and a deeper discussion of which podcasters the 65 year old could beat is opened up. Finally the pair close with a discussion on LIV Adelaide, the big crowds and seemingly genuine team competition the event earned. They also discussed a bunch of other stuff both related and unrelated to golf.