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The Shotgun Start

The Shotgun Start
Author: The Fried Egg
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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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Andy and Brendan are flying high after another strong major championship week of golf and daily podcasts. They get right to it with this recap marveling at Scottie Scheffler’s weekend at Quail Hollow, from the all-time Saturday finish that went right into the ugly Sunday start to a win that provokes thoughts of a multi-major summer to come. What’s left for him to solve and are there further questions that need answering? They get into the mental load he can put on his competitors, including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau on the weekend. They discuss the joy of having Rahm back in the hunt and how it came undone on the back nine. They get into some amusing Bryson quotes about his equipment and needing to find a ball that flies straighter with over 190 mph speeds. Also, has his major play been more brilliant or sloppy lately? They grade out several more near the top of the non-Scottie leaderboard, including Joaquin Niemann’s first ever top 10. Rory’s week is given a review, from the scores to the media freeze out. Also graded is the CT Machine, the Quail Hollow major setup, and the PGA of America as a whole led by Don Rea. Then PJ jumps on late to debrief on a WILD Champions Tour scramble in the dark as well as a possible auction scandal at the PGA.
Chief of the Fair Police Scottie Scheffler has a three-shot lead heading into Sunday of the PGA Championship as Andy and Brendan return to break down the third round. There's plenty of Chief Scottie talk following his incredible back nine, including a new soundboard clip to replace last night's sirens. A lengthy Contender or Pretender? segment follows, with Andy and Brendan discussing Bryson DeChambeau (and his post-round quotes) and a seemingly resurgent Jon Rahm. PJ wraps things up with a quick Regions Tradition update ahead of TWO major championships being decided tomorrow evening.
Andy and Brendan once again wrapped up a day at Quail Hollow with a YouTube livestream as the broadcast ended. They start with a trip to "the Vegas zone" with Jhonny Vegas still in the lead after 36 holes of the PGA Championship. Chief of the Fair Police Scottie Scheffler is lurking and is the odds-on favorite to win the tournament and is discussed at length. Bryson DeChambeau and Richard Bland are carrying the LIV baton, just as everyone predicted entering the week. Andy and Brendan also cover some late-breaking news about Rory McIlroy's driver that may explain his struggles off-the-tee this week. To wrap things up, there's plenty of ongoing fallout and discoveries following the all-timer that was the 2025 PGA of America press conference.
Andy and Brendan! went live on YouTube as play wrapped up to recap an... eventful... Thursday at Quail Hollow. They discuss the supergroup of Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Rory McIlroy's struggles both on and off the course, the ongoing debate over the "fairness" of mudballs, and take a look at a different leaderboard than we've been used to at recent major championships. They also hit on Phil Mickelson tying his worst-ever round at a PGA Championship, some more major disappointment for Joaquin Niemann, and were still live as Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas, and Bryson DeChambeau wrapped up their Thursdays. The Regions Tradition is briefly covered after Richard Green's record-breaking round at Greystone.
This is a beefy Wednesday episode with Andy and Brendan previewing the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club. Two days of rain in Charlotte might've stopped some practice rounds, but it did not stop anyone at the microphone as Tuesday pressers provided incredible quotes for discussion. Andy and Brendan kick things off with some course discussion after players such as Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler admitted to the media that Quail Hollow doesn't require much thought off-the-tee. It's debated whether the hate on Quail Hollow has gone too far and the impact of weather is a hot topic as we get closer to the tournament beginning. The favorites are discussed at length, with full segments on Scottie Scheffler (making his tournament debut at Quail), Rory McIlroy (storied history at this course), and Bryson DeChambeau (hit a hole-in-one over his house this offseason). Picks are made from the premier golf gambling podcast with no one overthinking the second major of the year. PJ joins in to discuss best and worst tee times, of which there are many, before the attention turns to the PGA of America presser from Tuesday afternoon. Andy and Brendan do a deep dive on the topics discussed by PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague, PGA of America President Don Rea, and Chief Championship Officer Kerry Haigh. We're fired up for another week of daily shows after each round, so stay tuned throughout the week.
Andy and Brendan gather for this “signature” recap from the Truist Championship at Philly Cricket Club. They list what they liked, and what they didn’t like from the weekend in Philadelphia. There is much pomp and circumstance about the Sepptic Tank rumbling his way to another win, and they handicap his chances for the PGA in Charlotte. There is also a Rory temperature check after a top 10 week and the next major now here. They debate whether this new schedule “sucks” and if it should have been Players week instead. The rollback debate that erupted based on the initial scores at the 7100 yard classic course is revisited, with notes about trees and Lucas Glover trying to have his cake and eat it too. There’s a Justin Thomas assessment as well — is he all the way back?? There’s some quick reaction to the Myrtle Beach Classic, LPGA, and DP World Tour as well before news signs off on a possible Rory trip to Australia and two new trademarked TGL names.
Finally back at home, Andy is in great spirits for this episode and surprises Brendan! by claiming a Victory Friday for the city of Chicago following the election of Pope Leo XIV. After plenty of midwest sports talk and an NBA playoffs check-in, the two recap the much-anticipated first round of the Truist, played at Philly Cricket Club. Brendan goes full Data Boy and shares some insight into Rory's round and the "big bops" he's hitting on the 7,100-yard course. Andy and Brendan discuss how events at courses like Philly Cricket Club show the need for an equipment rollback as these places are overpowered by today's game. Next week's PGA Championship is briefly previewed, as Andy wonders why there's "no juice" for a major championship. In news, Detroit looks to be getting the first TGL expansion team - much to Andy's chagrin - and Brendan shares another piece of PJ's "Forrest Gump" past life. Following a recap of the Creator Classic, Andy and Brendan answer some Golf Advice questions before Sports Minute wraps things up after some of the Pope's Chicago sports allegiances are revealed.
Andy is back in the states and begins this episode by telling Brendan! about his time at Oakmont for U.S. Open media day. The two share their excitement for next month's tournament and dig into some setup talk about green speeds and the membership requesting the winning score be over par. From there, it's a big week on the PGA Tour as the inaugural Truist Championship takes place at Philadelphia Cricket Club, a Golden Age design. Andy and Brendan debate whether this course will be long enough to test the pros and lament that a week of wet weather in the northeast may lead to low scores on the 7,100-yard track. One-and-done picks are made for the big purse at stake with a limited field tuning up for the PGA Championship. Elsewhere, the alternate field event in Myrtle Beach has a stronger-than-usual field, headlined by Tom Kim. There's some Creator Classic chatter ahead of the new team-style event on Wednesday, with Andy wondering where Fat Perez's game is at these days. In news, ratings are out for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and LIV Korea, and the U.S. Ryder Cup contingent (minus one big name) allegedly met for dinner in Philly on Tuesday night.
Andy's time across the pond is winding down but he still calls in to join Brendan for a celebration of life for TPC Craig Ranch. For all its faults, the course was able to find the best player in the field this week as Scottie Scheffler tied the PGA Tour scoring record at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Andy and Brendan discuss Scottie's historic win and dig into some scoring numbers for the par fives at TPC Craig Ranch this week. Will things still be the same following Lanny's renovation? We'll have to wait a year to find out! From there, the two recap Bryson DeChambeau finally closing out a Sunday lead with his win at LIV Korea. PJ shares some late-night broadcast thoughts and comments on the state of Richard Bland's game heading into the senior majors. Jon Rahm finished in the top 10 again, but Andy isn't sure this streak means as much as LIV thinks it does. In news, Rory drops some hints about next year's Champions Dinner at the Masters to an old friend, and Andy provides three stories from his time with Fried Egg Golf Club in Scotland.
Cue up the Thin Lizzy for this Friday episode as "The Boys" return to the SGS feed. With Andy still overseas, Brendan is joined by Joseph LaMagna and PJ Clark for an insane Friday episode full of conspiracies, horse takes, gorilla hypotheticals, and Golf Advice. After a bit of Kentucky Derby chatter, initial takeaways from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson are shared and Joseph proposes a new "Cam Champ Rule" for PGA Tour venues. The three then preview this week's LIV Korea event and discuss the current state of Jon Rahm, David Puig, and Richard Bland, among others. In news, departments within the PGA Tour are shifting a bit and tournament weeks are now "event weeks" for these local communities. Before Golf Advice, "The Boys" get Brendan's thoughts on the latest 100 men vs. one gorilla hypothetical and wonder which pro golfers would be the biggest assets in this kind of fight. Golf Advice has a Champs Tour legend involved and more hole-in-one discourse. To wrap things up, Brendan chats with Joel Beall about his new book, Playing Dirty, which you can buy here.
Andy is still being popped by the pub life in Scotland but recovered enough to join Brendan for a Wednesday morning recording to celebrate the PGA Tour's yearly stop at TPC Craig Ranch. This episode begins with a much-needed Blockie Minute ahead of the fourth and final round of the PGA Professional Championship. Mr. Block, the first round leader, has slipped down the leaderboard and needs a strong finish to qualify for Quail Hollow. Andy is still blacked out from Blockie content overseas and is wondering why the legend of Blockie is not growing internationally. The CJ Cup Byron Nelson begins on Thursday with a field full of Dallas residents and former champions of the event. Brendan sees this event as part of the Tour's venue problem, playing at an uninspiring course that should be soft after some rain this week. In Craig Ranch news, Lanny Wadkins is set to lead the renovation ahead of next year's tournament and is out and about doing press to discuss the project. After a week off for the Zurich, one-and-done picks return as this gambling podcast looks to get back on the right foot. Elsewhere on the schedule, the Champs Tour is also in Texas for the Insperity Invitational, and the LPGA will follow up its first major with a trip to Utah for the Black Desert Championship. Next, PJ shows off his new big letter hat from a trip to TPC River Highlands and Andy proposes a business idea for him to look into ahead of the Ryder Cup this fall. In news, Blades Brown is sticking with a KFT event as opposed to a sponsor exemption this week, LIV TV ratings continue to be low, and 2026 Presidents Cup captains were announced.
Andy is off in Scotland and calls in after a late night at the pub to join Brendan for this Monday morning recording. After some unplanned promo for Fried Egg Golf Club, this episode starts with a recognition of the world's best player, Joaquin Niemann, following his third win of the year on LIV. The two compare the three wins of Niemann and Rory McIlroy and wonder who the best player of 2025 truly is. From there, the conversation shifts to an extended Champs Tour Minute, as a power outage at the Zurich Classic allowed everyone to get some bonus coverage from Zinger and Papa on Golf Channel. PJ is overjoyed that the greater viewing public now sees his point about Zinger being kept in a studio as opposed to on the road watching Jerry Kelly outlast Ernie Els at TPC Sugarloaf. Andy and Brendan then move to the Chevron, won by Mao Saigo in a five-way playoff, the largest in LPGA history. Brendan points out the egregious backboarding opportunity available on the 18th hole and Andy shares some local reporting from The Woodlands about the lack of advertising for the event. On the PGA Tour, social media sensation Ben Griffin and NFL Draft pundit Andrew Novak teamed up for their first PGA Tour win(s) at the Zurich Classic, beating the Hojgaard twins following some interesting drops on the 72nd hole. This episode quickly runs through some news to wrap things up, including the latest from Michael Block as he looks to qualify for Quail Hollow.
Brendan! is back from Orlando and ready for the fifth annual Zurich Classic Walk-up Music Quiz! Andy peppers Brendan with questions about his vacation, setting up some takes about the best theme park rides in central Florida and observations about the human race. In golf news, the two preview LIV Mexico and take a deeper look at the league's scheduling ahead of the PGA Championship. Is traveling across the world and back to Charlotte the best way to get ready for Quail Hollow? It looks like we'll find out! Early returns from the Chevron and Zurich are also discussed, with Kevin Chappell replacing a withdrawn Billy Horschel getting most of the shine. Brendan reads a listener email about the Buffalo Bills ahead of tonight's NFL Draft and Andy has an update on where Hooters sources their chicken wings following Wednesday's debate with "The Boys." Before getting to the Walk-up Music Quiz, Andy and Brendan share some information about the new Fried Egg Golf website. Finally, Andy quizzes Brendan on potential walk-up songs for teams at this week's Zurich Classic before going rogue with the soundboard and likely getting this episode removed from YouTube.
Rumor has it that Brendan is still in line to ride Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure, so Andy is joined by "The Boys" (Joseph LaMagna and PJ Clark) to preview the Zurich Classic and the rest of this week in golf. Andy and Joseph run through some notable pairings for this week's team event on the PGA Tour, a tournament that some have called the "Mule Super Bowl." Joseph shares his take that more players should participate in the Zurich due to the amount of FedEx Cup points at stake in an event where one can be carried by a teammate. Andy and "The Boys" make up a few teams that they wish were in the field for this week, calling back memories of iconic moments in SGS history and wondering how some players could earn their first wins on the PGA Tour. Andy grills PJ about the future of Champions Tour Minute following his big interview with John Daly, and the Senior Tour's return is previewed ahead of the Mitsubishi Classic. Joseph and Andy run through the top storylines ahead of the first women's major of the year, the Chevron Championship, taking place in Texas this weekend. In news, Xander Schauffele debuted his new app and has PJ hooked on all of his exclusive content with more to come soon, and a new crop of "creators" are involved in the next Creator Classic, leading to Joseph wondering what Wes Bryan and the rest of the original crew are up to.
With Brendan still waiting on lines at Orlando theme parks, Andy calls in Shane Bacon from the bullpen for this Monday morning recording. To start, the two discuss Justin Thomas's playoff win over Andrew Novak at the RBC Heritage, his first win since the 2022 PGA Championship. Andy and Shane unpack an almost wire-to-wire win for JT and look at his improved putting and elite iron play that has bounced back to almost peak form. Shane shares some optimism about the rest of 2025 for JT, while Andy takes away that sometimes playing good golf is the most boring thing a player could do. The two debate where JT stands in a historical context with 16 PGA Tour wins to his name, comparing him to players such as Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson. From there, things go a bit off the rails as Andy shares some Disney reports from Brendan's trip ongoing trip to Florida before PJ provides an update on where the "ins" finished at Puntacana. Shane and Andy talk through Joel Dahmen's bogey-bogey-bogey finish to his final round, allowing Garrick Higgo to win his second career PGA Tour event. Andy highlights Neal Shipley's playoff win on the Korn Ferry Tour and Ingrid Lindblad's first LPGA win before wrapping this episode up with some news. Will Scott Stallings beat Andy's marathon time? Stay tuned to find out!
Andy and Brendan are back at home after a week in Georgia but still reflecting on what Brendan has deemed "the greatest Masters" of his life. This episode unpacks some of the more emotional elements surrounding Rory's win and subsequent completion of the career slam. The two discuss how Rory's sustained relevance in majors without a win could parallel to struggles in any person's life before comparing McIlroy's current career standing with Phil Mickelson's. Andy wonders what Justin Rose is doing to prepare for majors given his performance in weekly PGA Tour events and also demands apologies from the Corey Conners contingent who were not pleased with his takes last week. Picks are made for the RBC Heritage as this gambling podcast looks to stay hot after picking another winner last week. PJ then hosts a lengthy round of In-Out-Alternate for this week's alternate field event in PuntaCana, featuring some SGS favorites and plenty of winners from the early 2010s. Brendan wraps things up with some quick bits of news, including a "creator" exemption into the 'Cuda, before heading off to Disney World, where Rory may or may not be celebrating his Masters win.
Andy and Brendan! are back at the Draddy House in Augusta to recap one of the great days in golf history as Rory McIlroy completed the career slam by winning the 89th Masters in a playoff over Justin Rose. The two share their on-the-ground insight from Sunday, starting with the palpable buzz throughout the property at Augusta National this morning before the leaders teed off. They talk through some play-by-play of Rory's round, including memorable moments - both good and bad - at Nos. 1, 2, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, and the two playings of No. 18. While Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, and Ludvig Åberg are also discussed, this episode mainly focuses on Rory's historic victory and the end of his 11-year major drought.
Andy and Brendan are BUZZING back at the Draddy house after an unforgettable third round Saturday at Augusta National. They begin, naturally, with Zach Johnson’s round. Then it’s on to the incredible Rory McIlroy show that started 5-under through five, peaked with a legendary strut into 15, and closed with a two-shot lead with 18 to go for the career slam. They also chat extensively on Bryson DeChambeau not giving into the fight even without his best stuff, and closing with three birdies in his last four holes to REALLY put the pressure on McIlroy for a Sunday final pairing for the ages. They also get into Jordan Spieth’s extreme whining about mud balls and how it might play with the green jackets. They close with PJ on Pace Car duty recapping Tom Kim’s solo round that pushed the four-hour mark before some final remarks heading into Sunday.
Andy and Brendan are back at the Draddy house to celebrate and denigrate at the midpoint of the Masters. They discuss an amusing Friday finish with Scottie Scheffler sitting under a Magnolia tree looking for a ruling, a despondent Spieth grinding to make the cut, and temperamental Tyrell missing two foot putts. They also discuss Rory McIlroy getting back into the fight with a rousing 66 that has him in the second-to-last group on Saturday after the narrative “buried” him following the two doubles on Thursday. Bryson’s adaptation to Augusta is spotlighted as he makes another run for a green jacket for the second year in a row. There’s a course change discussed and the continued comments on 15th green are also reviewed. They get into some other patron amusements from the ground, a Hat Chat, and a funny nugget about Ken Griffey Jr., photographer at Augusta for the week.
Andy and Brendan are posted at the Draddy House Thursday evening to discuss their day at Augusta National scurrying around collecting nuggets and watching golf. They discuss some of the very tough pins and course difficulties of the first round, where Nick Dunlap posted a 90 without a three-putt. Theyhit on some of the early leaders like Justin Rose and Scottie Scheffler, as well as some of the late disappointments like Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy. There’s also plenty of chatter about the pace of play and the Tom Kim experience up close. They hand out awards for shot of the day, quote of the day, Piss Bear of the day, and the Good Guy Gerry Award. They wax poetic about watching Bernhard Langer make his way around the course as a wily veteran. At the end, they unload the notebook with some fun rumors and scuttlebutt picked up from the day on the ground.
love the same day recaps great podcast.
I love this show