The Shotgun Start

Happy Halloween Jr.! This Wednesday morning recording starts with Andy and Brendan standing by their football takes from Monday's episode, as not much is going on in golf these days. Brendan shares a Tosti Tale from the Wyndham to get the golf talk started, which then transitions into a very quick Schedule of the Week segment. The two then recap the proposed PGA Tour changes for the 2026 season, including an insane pace-of-play policy that gives players more time to hit shots. These changes will limit fields on the PGA Tour and guarantee fewer Tour cards per season. Andy and Brendan lament that these changes are basically negligible, but the weekly stakes will be higher with a higher turnover rate at the bottom of the season-long standings. To wrap this episode up, it's the seventh annual golf-related Halloween costume idea segment, with multiple Matt Kuchar entries from listeners, a couple different Tom Kim outfits, and the latest in Jay Don Blake attire.

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This episode is a Victory Monday like no other, as Andy's Bears lost on a true Hail Mary as time expired against Brendan's (adopted) Commanders. Brendan is so excited that he got the yips on opening the episode, leading Andy to introduce the show. Andy, still in disbelief at the loss, recaps his weekend, calling the Bears the worst coached team in football and explaining where he was for the end of the game. The two laugh at the fan-shot video of Bears corner Tyrique Stevenson taunting fans before tipping the ball into Noah Brown's hands for the win, but Andy takes solace in the fact that the Bears won the second half. PJ is asked to recap the Jets-Patriots game, as the Jets dropped their fifth straight game. The Jets managed to find a new rock bottom, losing to former Browns QB Jacoby Brissett, New England's backup. Speaking of Browns quarterbacks, Jameis Winston led the Browns to a big divisional win over the Ravens, leading all NFL passers on Sunday in yards, something that Cleveland hasn't seen much of this year. There is golf discussed on this episode, as Nico Echavarria won the Zozo overnight, holding off Justin Thomas in the final group. Andy and Brendan discuss a promising finish for JT, a potential breakout for Echavarria, and the future of a Japan stop for the PGA Tour with the Zozo contract expiring. Next, they talk through Ben An beating Tom Kim in a playoff in the Genesis Championship in South Korea, giving props to An for his success on the PGA Tour without a win yet. Brendan is in on the LPGA's Race to CME, a season-long standing that's tightening up after Ruoning Yin's win in Kuala Lumpur. To close this episode, it's a lengthy Champions Tour Minute as the field is set for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix. PJ sets the stage for his trip out west, where a club pro from Long Island has secured full status on the PGA Tour Champions for next year after a strong performance in Arkansas.

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Following the conclusion of the 2024 Zozo Championship, the PGA Tour's only stop in Japan, we're re-heating this Jumbo Ozaki Spotlight from May 2020. Brendan relays some notes from a day of reading and researching the Japanese legend. Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki's dominant career on the Japan Tour is covered in depth, as well as his ambivalence to playing outside of that Tour. His flamboyant style, allegations of cheating, playing with illegal “hot” equipment, and rumors of ties to organized crime are also discussed in detail.

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This Friday episode picks up where Thursday's left off, as Andy and Brendan debate whether the PGA Tour can actually suspend Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy for playing in "The Showdown" against Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. Brendan calls for Halloween costume submissions to [email protected] ahead of next week's annual episode, and Andy is in a giving mood for prizes after recovering from some poison oak. The two discuss an article from The Athletic about the presidential election possibly impacting the future of men's professional golf, as the Department of Justice would need to look into any PGA Tour-PIF agreement. There are pleas for Jay Monahan to no longer appear on CNBC and find a new channel to do interviews with after his initial quotes on June 6 are what spurred attention from the DOJ. Andy and Brendan then recap day one of the Zozo in Japan, where Taylor Moore is leading while wearing his B.Draddy. They recap a report from Ryan French at Monday Q about the PGA Tour calling players for tax payments on a $500,000 advance last December after they lost their cards for the 2024 season. Brendan breaks the news that PJ's Charles Schwab Championship credential has been approved before taking the TGL's "Find Your Team" personality quiz with Andy. Golf Advice about a hole-in-one, Patrick Mahomes, and golf on a job interview wrap this episode up and send you to the weekend.

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This is the latest entry in SGS’s “recorded from a car” library, which grows in despair. Andy calls in from North Carolina to talk about the efficacy of political yard signs that peppered him on his travels around the state this week. Then they immediately get into Champions Tour chatter, with some intel on the rampant cart usage, the overly generous playoffs cut lines, and a sundry of items that were dropped on PJ’s doorstep. They discuss the problem with the Zozo Championship fitting into the fall schedule, with its limited field and free points. The big news of the week, the TGL ticket prices and schedule release for next year. Is it too much money? Will it be any good? They close with some thoughts on Scottie playing Tiger’s Hero World Challenge, and if he’ll be suspended for playing in the Showdown.

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Andy and Brendan start this week with an old school in-person recording ahead of the Fried Egg Member-Guest in Aiken, SC. Andy celebrates a Victory Monday for Illinois, who defeated the defending national champions on Saturday to improve to 6-1 on the season. Brendan also is excited about his team despite an injury to the starting QB, as the Commanders blew out Carolina 40-7. After some B1G Football discussion, they do eventually hit on the weekend of golf, as J.T. Poston held on to win the Shriners in Las Vegas. Andy and Brendan talk about the wind delays plaguing the week, J.T. Poston's career resume, and the broadcast. Andy is excited to discuss the nine-hole playoff at the Andalucia Masters, which leads to an update on the Top 10 DPWT players competing for PGA Tour cards. The two run through the results from the BMW Ladies Championship and the Dominion Energy Charity Classic before ending the episode with a look at Illinois' College Football Playoff chances.

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Andy is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Garrett Morrison on this Friday morning recording, marking Garrett's Shotgun Start debut. Things start off with some discussion about the "Supermoon" on Thursday and what that even is. Andy is wondering why this "Supermoon" was more important than previous ones, and the two debate whether giving someone a piece of land on the moon as a gift is a worthy purchase. From there, they discuss Joel Dahmen's four-stroke penalty for having 15 clubs in his bag on Thursday of the Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas and the wind delays that have pushed back the start of the second round. Taylor Pendrith is currently leading the tournament, allowing Andy to bring back some Pendy takes from the P Cup, somehow comparing the 17th hole at Royal Montreal to J.J. Barea. Garrett and Andy then read an incredibly well-written Golf Advice email about a hole-out at the Old Course. To end this episode, a Flashback Friday from 2019 is reheated - Andy's deep dive into the initial release of the Pro V1 in 2000.

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What was thought to be a normal Wednesday episode starts with breaking news, as Davante Adams was traded to the New York Jets early Tuesday morning. The show begins with Producer PJ's live reaction to the deal, coming on the heels of yet another pathetic Jets loss on Monday night. Brendan then debuts a golf player comparison for Yankees ace Gerrit Cole as he prepares for Game 2 of the ALCS. The golf talk kicks off from there, as Andy and Brendan are fired up about ticket prices for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. They express frustration about how the exorbitant prices are keeping average fans away and how the PGA of America, who claims to be committed to "growing the game," could do something like this. The two also detail how the fan experience at the Ryder Cup is not great to begin with, even further confirming that the ticket prices are out of hand. Andy compares the $1,500 it would cost for two to attend a competition day to a night at the Ritz Carlton outside of Central Park. Brendan then notes some "notable alumni" from each school competing at the St Andrews Collegiate this week, leading to a discussion about whether someone has to graduate in order to be called an alum. Andy and Brendan touch on the rest of the golf schedule for this week, previewing the Shriners Children's Open, BMW Ladies Championship, and Andalucia Masters, where Jon Rahm is leading DPWT coverage in his Legion XIII gear. To wrap things up, Andy, Brendan, and PJ make their long-awaited picks for the Dominion Energy Charity Classic as the Schwab Cup Playoffs begin on the Champs Tour.

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This Monday episode starts with an apology from Andy on behalf of the entire crew, as no Champions Tour picks were given ahead of the SAS Championship. Andy and Brendan are joined by Producer PJ to then recap Jerry Kelly's win in the final regular season event, coming just a week after he withdrew due to arthritis. PJ also chimes in with an update about Ángel Cabrera's status for the Schwab Cup Playoffs, leading to a spittake from Brendan. With the Champs Tour wrapped, Andy and Brendan then recap Matt McCarty's win at the Black Desert Championship. They talk through McCarty's path to the PGA Tour, winning three times on the KFT but hanging around those events into the summer in order to lock up the No. 1 spot on the points list rather than getting PGA Tour starts. This leads into a discussion about the need for more Korn Ferry Tour grads playing during the FedEx Fall, as this year's group will not get to play on the PGA Tour until January now. The two also wonder about TV ratings for the Black Desert, which was deemed a "fun event" on a new, different course for the PGA Tour, and how the pace-of-play issues can be fixed after another Saturday morning cut. A mid-episode Swag Sports Minute recaps a big Bears win in London, another Browns loss, and the possibility of a Mets-Guardians World Series beginning next week. To wrap things up, Andy and Brendan give props to Dan Bradbury for his win at Le Golf National, and recap the Buick LPGA Shanghai, won by Ruoning Yin.

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It's a Friday episode about nothing as Andy and Brendan provide some Friday whimsy before heading into the weekend. To start things off, there's some postseason baseball cleanup as Producer PJ returns after missing Wednesday's recording to see the Mets. Brendan laments that the Guardians are facing elimination against a team that they repeatedly beat in the regular season and calls for the MLB playoffs to have a staggered start like the Tour Championship. Andy reveals that PJ skipped the Mets' clincher to produce a Fried Egg Pod, but will be rewarded with a potential trip to Phoenix for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. This serves as a transition into golf talk, as there's plenty of Jay Don Blake cleanup from Wednesday's episode. Jay Don has been prominently featured across the PGA Tour's social media this week and the excitement for his Thursday round is palpable. Jay Don's nephew took to the SGS YouTube comments to defend his uncle, not realizing that Andy and Brendan pop nearly all sponsor exemptions or older players playing in PGA Tour events. After hearing some murmurs through the grapevine, Tosti's caddie from the Sanderson writes in to share the tale of his weekend on the bag. Brendan then breaks out a 1999 PGA Tour media guide to read about Jay Don and this leads into a rabbit hole of obscure 1990s Tour pros. Andy lands on the Wikipedia page of J.L. Lewis, reading it almost in its entirety. To wrap things up, Andy and Brendan read some Golf Advice emails, discussing podcasts to sleep, a Scotland golf trip, and a Jack Nicklaus letter about some poorly-placed trees.

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