Brendan begins this Victory Monday with a declaration that the Browns are going to the playoffs while Andy considers a potential visit to the midwest for the Browns-Bears game in December. Then they get to the news from Sunday morning that Paul Azinger is not coming back to NBC and Golf Channel next year. They ponder some replacements, especially if the “has to have won a major” unwritten rule is still in effect. Then they get to the win of Ludvig Aberg and the continued youth movement, aided by PGA Tour U. A disconcerting article on the PGA Tour asking tournaments themselves to kick in more money, likely taking it out of charitable contributions, is also covered with a raised eybrow. Tiger’s return is noted, too, before a rambling finish on Brooksy, the TGL dome, and some other news items.

Azinger ousted, Ludvig arrives, and Tour wants tourneys to pay up more

The Shotgun Start with Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath of Fried Egg Golf is a podcast waiting for you early in the morning that quickly blasts through a variety of topics (usually) related to golf and (ideally) relevant to the day. It covers news from the pro tours around the world, amusing and important topics from the amateur game the rest of us play, and some irreverent stuff in between. There will be short interviews, previews, reviews, and dives into the archives. It provides what you need to know on golf through a rapid and fun catch-up discussion.

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This Wednesday episode is punchy, and it begins with a travel tale from Andy that had him quickly tucking his tail between his legs in Fort Worth ahead of his big pro-am round with Michael Block. Brendan has a lot of questions about his prep, what tees he’s playing, and what he expects to ask him. They also talk about some of the Valhalla fallout with a few amusing player testimonials about just how easy it was. Then they get to a lengthy and rambling schedule for the week that includes Andy clearly being corrupted again for Event of the Week honors, leaving his stand-up mixer on the curb for a round with Blockie. There’s also a story about Kevin Na and the Challenger he won. There’s some scuttlebutt on the continued PGA Tour board chaos, with another resignation in Mark Flaherty and a New York Times report that the deal with the PIF “is not dead.” The factions are at war. What’s next and where does the DP World Tour fit into it?

Andy’s pro-am with Blockie, PIF-PGA Tour drama, and Valhalla fallout

Andy and Brendan put a bow on PGA Championship week with the last of their daily episodes. They begin with Xander Schauffele, a house cat no more? They discuss X-man’s play in the final hour that edged Bryson by a shot at the very last. They discuss where he’s at in his career and what could be next. Then they hand out grades for some of the main characters for the week, including Bryson, Viktor Hovland, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tiger, and more. It prompts some hard discussions and grading for a few. Tosti's big shot is given the Who's Dialed moment of the day. Perhaps nothing got a worse grade than the host course, which is covered at the end. They express their dissatisfaction with it as a championship test, what made it so underwhelming, and why great fans and a good leaderboard can be mutually exclusive.

PGA Championship Sunday: Xander, Bryson, and Hov go crazy at Valhalla

Andy and Brendan begin this Saturday episode thrilled about the final round possibilities for the PGA Championship, but with some laments on how we got there. They discuss the “simulation” golf that Valhalla has produced through 54 holes, including a Saturday scoring fest that was among the lowest in its history. They wonder if Ted Scott is the key to all of Scottie Scheffler’s success. The Bushnell "Who’s Dialed" segment features some severe yips and several nominees, including Bryson DeChambeau. That takes them to a lengthy game of Contender/Pretender on a bunched leaderboard -- are Rory and Spieth too far back? They quickly eliminate a whole flock of people as pretenders to narrow things down.

PGA Championship Saturday: Contenders & Pretenders at a Birdiefest

Andy and Brendan jump on for their traditional five-year-running daily podcast episode during major weeks, but this was a major day unlike any they’ve covered since starting SGS. They begin with tragic loss of John Mills, a security guard who was killed working the PGA Championship. They discuss some first hand accounts of the safety issues observed on the ground with the gate and traffic into the course. Then they get to the subsequent arrest and booking of one Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the world, who got put in cuffs, rode to jail, was charged with a felony, and took a mugshot in an orange jumpsuit. They discuss the absolutely wild day from Scheffler’s arrest to his round to his post-round press conference and the coverage -- all of it, the jokes, memes, reports, videos etc. What was most absurd? Will Valhalla ever get another major? They close it with some discussion on the golf course, the leaders, and those who underwhelmed in the second round and might be heading home early.

PGA Championship Friday: Scottie Scheffler’s Arrest Ball 66

It’s a major week, so that means daily podcasts for the fifth straight year of PGA Championships on the Shotgun Stat. Even if the scoring and setup don’t really feel like a major. Andy and Brendan begin their Thursday episode discussing some early amusements from the day, including the club pro named Bowser sort of looking like a Bowser. They offer an unsubstantiated rumor about John Daly and cigarette usage at the champions dinner. They discuss some gripes from various agents and stakeholders about how the PGA made up this field. And then they get to the course this field is on, and how it’s simply from a bygone era and cannot test the modern tour pro. Did it make for an exciting morning? Sure! They hit on Rory “scrapping” it around and Xander looking flawless. They offer up a "Who’s Not Dialed In" segment with some amusing nuggets on Butch Harmon, Talor Gooch, and others. They close it out with some games within the game and some quick reaction to the PGA press conference on Wednesday.

Azinger ousted, Ludvig arrives, and Tour wants tourneys to pay up more

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