The Shotgun Start

The never-ending golf news cycle leads to a jam-packed Friday episode as Andy and Brendan unpack a week's worth of stories and rumors heading into the weekend. TGL sent out some team-themed email blasts on Thursday afternoon, so this episode begins with more chatter about the screen golf league and its many marketing campaigns. Brendan and Andy read these team descriptions and discuss how a casual golf viewer might react upon reading that the Atlanta Drive represent the 365/24/7 nature of their city. In outdoor golf news, the Farmers Insurance Open had more withdrawals on Wednesday before play began for the week, with big names such as Will Zalatoris and Gary Woodland bowing out. The tournament is ongoing without a full field despite constant cries about players needing more opportunities to play on the PGA Tour. From there, Brendan and Andy discuss Eamon Lynch's interview with former PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh that was teased on the Wednesday episode earlier this week. First, Waugh is taking credit for Keegan Bradley's appointment as Ryder Cup captain for Bethpage and went into detail about how that choice came to be. Waugh also discussed the new PGA Tour Enterprises corporation and how that's changed the business of golf, wondering if the PGA of America would one day sell the Ryder Cup off. At the PGA Show this week, Adam Schupak sat down with current PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague, who made comments expressing some hesitancy with the proposed rollback starting in 2028. Andy and Brendan discuss what would happen if the rollback was further delayed or even cancelled and how that would impact the game on all levels. In less consequential news about the future of the game, Jordan Spieth committed to the AT&T Pebble Beach, presumably entering via a sponsor exemption, and The Open Championship will return to St Andrews in 2027. PJ chimes in to tell Andy that "Sticks Boy" Noah Kahan is now an investor in the Ballfrogs, which leads the show down a rabbit hole of ranking pop stars. This beefy Friday episode ends with one golf advice email about an upcoming golf trip impacted by a lifelong phobia.

Andy and Brendan break down Billy Boy's ESPN debut on this Wednesday episode, recording right after the Atlanta Drive's shutout TGL win over NYGC. Billy Horschel was the star of the show, interacting with fans and broadcasters throughout the SoFi Center, performing the "Dirty Bird" dance multiple times, and bringing his teammates diamond chains to wear for their postgame interviews. Andy immediately calls PJ in to answer for another poor performance from NYGC, as the addition of Cameron Young fell flat straight from the first shot of the night. Andy and Brendan debate whether the low scoring affair was an improvement on last week's match and have a laugh at Patrick Cantlay's strict strategy regarding "The Hammer" and its use. From there, golf's preeminent gambling podcast gives some One-and-Done picks for the Farmers Insurance Open, a tournament that's facing withdrawals from many of the top players in the field. Brendan brings back a slight Cutthroat Corner, wondering how a former major winner is still possibly exempt into PGA Tour events. Elsewhere on the Schedule of the Week, the DP World Tour field at the Ras Al Khaimah is littered with SGS favorites, leading to a Game Within the Game to spice things up. Finally, Andy and Brendan react to the memo sent out by Justin Thomas encouraging players to be more active in PGA Tour broadcasts as a result of the "Fan Forward" survey.

Andy and Brendan went live on YouTube for this Monday recording celebrating a win by the Sepptic Tank! The two recap a slow, slow week at The American Express, with the final group taking 339 minutes to finish a Sunday round. Sepp Straka held on despite two late hiccups to secure his third PGA Tour win which has Brendan wondering about how he'll finish "The Tank Slam" with a fourth victory. There's a lot of chatter about pace-of-play and the setup at PGA West to wrap up the PGA Tour's week in the desert. Andy and Brendan then discuss Tyrrell Hatton's win at the Dubai Desert Classic, landing him back in the top ten of the OWGR despite playing most of his events on LIV. The two debate whether Hatton can be viewed as a Ryder Cup lock this far ahead of Bethpage and also discuss his latest on-course outburst. This episode also marks the return of "Champions Tour Minute," as PJ chimes in with a ton of Zinger quotes from his debut in the booth next to Bob Papa. To wrap things up, Andy and Brendan discuss some news and notes before a short Sports Minute about the CFP National Championship on Monday night and a big Washington Commanders win.

It's a TGL ratings Thursday on The Shotgun Start, as Andy and Brendan unpack the latest numbers coming out of ESPN headquarters after Tiger's debut. Before getting to the numbers, the episode starts with a Bears-focused Sports Minute, with Andy already upset at the potential hiring of Mike McCarthy. Once things get to golf, it's time for everybody's favorite topic - ratings! - as TGL gained viewers this week, pushing the total number over one million. Andy and Brendan debate whether the slight uptick for Tiger's debut is a positive or a negative for the league, and talk through Rory McIlroy's comments about TGL not being meant for the traditional golf fan, but for the younger, TikTok generation. Speaking of Rory, he also commented on Greg Norman's departure as LIV CEO while in Dubai. LIV announced today that former 76ers and Devils executive Scott O'Neil would be joining the league as its CEO. Andy and Brendan discuss what's next for LIV following this announcement, as well as the league's new multi-year TV deal with FOX Sports. Viktor Hovland also spoke to the press in Dubai, sharing some details about his recent struggles that Andy finds easy to relate to. Brendan shares some leaderboard updates on events across the world, with an American amateur leading the way on the DP World Tour event through day one. The TikTok generation comes up again later on, as Andy and Brendan are giddy to share that Michael Block and Joel Dahmen, among others, have signed to be the newest GoodGood pros for 2025. This episode ends with a combination of Golf Advice emails and a Tosti Tale from the Sony Open.

Andy and Brendan return with some immediate takeaways after Tiger's Jupiter Links GC lost to LAGC in a rout in Week 2 of TGL. The two debate agree that the product took a step back this week, with worse "on-course" gameplay and a choppier broadcast than the league's debut. Kevin Kisner was the star of the show, struggling mightily in gameplay but providing some laughs on the hot mic. On a positive note, Brendan was particularly impressed with Sahith Theegala, who showed off with his enthusiasm for the game and excitement to be playing against Tiger. Andy wonders how ESPN can get more "Golf IQ" involved in the broadcast in the hopes of elevating it as the season goes on. In non-virtual golf, Jon Rahm is clamoring for OWGR points for LIV events again, leading to a Brendan rant for the ages about these comments and ones from Butch Harmon about the current state of men's pro golf. Rahm, Rory, and others are set for the Dubai Desert Classic this week to start many of their seasons on the DP World Tour. In America, the PGA Tour's west coast swing begins at the American Express, boasting a strong field despite withdrawals by Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. Picks are made for the Club TFE One-and-Done, with Andy, Brendan, and PJ confident in their selections for this week. Finally, the Champions Tour returns this week with Paul Azinger's analyst debut at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. PJ previews the week and provides some things to watch for ahead of a full Champions Tour Minute after play concludes this weekend.

Andy and Brendan went live on YouTube after Nick Taylor played spoiler and prevented an entire episode dedicated to Nico Echavarria Minute. To start, Andy is giddy about the Packers losing in the Wild Card around, giving him the upper hand in any Caleb Williams vs. Jordan Love debates this offseason. From there, the Sony Open is discussed at length. Brendan is particularly aghast at the amount of free drops found throughout the course at Waialae and he wonders if pros are practicing their drops these days. Nick Taylor took down Nico (and his minute) in a playoff to secure his fifth PGA Tour win, a good start to his revenge season after missing out on the Presidents Cup last fall. There was a lot of "clutch gene" discussion on the broadcast late on Sunday, leaving Andy and Brendan to question if they have it themselves. In news, Jordan Spieth confirmed his return to golf at the AT&T Pebble Beach and is welcoming the chance to "reset his DNA" during his recovery from wrist surgery. Andy and Brendan also discuss Eugenio Chacarra's fiery quotes regarding his LIV departure and his desire to earn a PGA Tour card. This Monday episode wraps with a recap of the Team Cup in Europe, where Justin Rose captained Great Britain & Ireland to a blowout win over Continental Europe. Check back on Tuesday night as The Shotgun Start goes live on YouTube to break down Tiger's TGL debut.

A January tradition unlike any other, it's the latest installment of over-unders for the upcoming year in golf. The episode starts on a solemn note as Andy and Brendan discuss the ongoing fires in the Los Angeles area and sending positive thoughts to everyone in southern California. From there, the two discuss the ongoing reactions to TGL's opening night as Tuesday's ESPN ratings were stronger than many expected, drawing almost one million viewers. With a TGL match without Tiger or Rory managing a higher rating than Sunday at Kapalua, Andy wonders what happens if the simulator league continues to beat out early-season PGA Tour events. A listener emailed in her thoughts from an in-person experience at the SoFi Center, complete with her own Hammer flag (not delivered by FedEx). Pro Shop announced a new series of Creator Classics for 2025, prompting Andy and Brendan to wonder whether YouTube golf is a more viable career path than being a Minor League Tour player. Meanwhile, there is non-screen golf being played this week at the Sony Open. Ben Griffin was leading at the time of recording and Brendan learns about Griffin's budding TikTok stardom. This week's field has Ryan Palmer and Brandt Snedeker playing on career money exemptions, leading Andy down the path of another rant about the PGA Tour and its fields. Webb Simpson is also at the Sony and he had some interesting quotes about his 2024 season that was full of exemptions into Signature Events. The episode wraps with an energetic over-under segment, as Andy, Brendan, and PJ make picks for 2025. Will a LIV golfer win another major? Is Bethpage going to be close? How many starts for Blockie in 2025? All of these questions are answered, and more!

Andy and Brendan are off to the races immediately in this episode thanks to the first-ever TGL match and the content bonanza surrounding it. The two break down The Bay GC's blowout win over NYGC immediately after things wrapped up on ESPN, saving their first reactions for the podcast and live show on YouTube. They discuss how the big screen (which can fit three dinosaurs inside it) played on TV, ESPN's telecast, NYGC's bizarre lineup construction, and so, so much more. Lifelong NYGC fan PJ is asked to make a statement on his team's behalf after watching the worst New York season opener since Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles. There are takeaways from Tiger and Rory's stints in the booth and Andy even takes a look at what kind of TGL merch is available for purchase before the Ballfrogs take the field inside the SoFi Center. PJ even makes a plea for a potential Champions Tour team in the virtual league. While most of this episode focuses on TGL, Andy and Brendan make their picks for this week's Sony Open, which is still being played in the shadow of golf's newest league and a loaded slate of playoff football. The two also discuss the Team Cup being played this week in Europe. Finally, Brendan and Andy touch on some news and notes such as Scottie Scheffler's WD from the American Express, Tom McKibbin's potential LIV offer, and LIV finalizing its schedule for 2025.

Andy and Brendan are back to recap the first PGA Tour event of 2025, a Hideki Matsuyama win at The Sentry. Andy is fired up about the a Bears win in Green Bay to end the NFL season and Brendan now has a playoff game to look forward to with the Commanders on Sunday Night Football next week. The golf talk begins with a look at Hideki's performance in his season-opening win, as he set the PGA Tour scoring record at a final tally of -35 for the week. Andy ponders whether Hideki's a Hall of Famer and the two try to slot him into a tier among the biggest names in pro golf. Kapalua takes some shots for producing yet another birdiefest, with chatter that they could be making the course into a par 72 for next year's event. Andy and Brendan then discuss Collin Morikawa's runner up finish and wonder why he has not tried to add speed to his swing like so many of his counterparts. In news, the Tour Championship may move to a match-play format, something Andy has been calling for for years. Peppy Peter and Adam Scott aren't sold on the idea, and Brendan shares some quotes from the two about other potential formats for the last event of the year. There's some optimism about the TGL debut on Tuesday night, as Ludvig will represent The Bay against Xander and NYGC on ESPN for the first-ever match. Andy and Brendan debate whether TGL will work, what "working" looks like in this sense, and applaud the amount of content surrounding the league's launch so far. Finally, this episode ends with a Sports Minute celebrating the merciful end of an awful NFL season for the Bears, Browns, and Jets.

Andy and Brendan went live on YouTube as the first round of the 2025 PGA Tour season wrapped. With round one of The Sentry (hard stop) over, they share their observations on both the on-course product and the shiny new features that the Tour's new billion dollar studio brought to the broadcast. "Walk and talks" returned in full force, with Peppy Peter getting the honor of the first interview of the season and JT confirming that Kapalua does go uphill. Will Zalatoris bulked up and finished his round at -8, good enough to be one off the lead, and Andy is impressed with his new look and reasoning behind the added weight. Tom Hoge is your leader heading into Friday and Brendan shares that Hawaii has absolutely nowhere for Tommy Tables to gamble tonight in celebration. The two discuss the big "free agent" moves off the offseason, with Max Homa signing with Lululemon and Cobra, and Akshay Bhatia moving to Travis Mathew. These partnerships are "redefining" what it means for brands to work with players and Andy applauds Homa's Thursday performance with so much change going on around him. Before getting into some news, Andy stops to rehash the Cheez It Bowl, won by the Illini, and Bret Bielema trying to fight Shane Beamer. In news, Brendan and Andy discuss Xander saying the US Ryder Cup team will be donating their pay to charity and Jonathan Wall's report that TGL players are toying with new, longer drivers in order to have better results on the giant screen. To wrap, Brendan shares a listener email about a magic show with a possible celebrity appearance.

Andy and Brendan return for the final episode of 2024 before The Sentry (hard cut) kicks off on Thursday to start the 2025 season. Per usual, this Monday episode begins with a Swag Sports Minute discussing the current states of the Bears, Browns, and Jets. From there, Andy and Brendan put a bow on 2024, talking though some late-breaking news as the year comes to an end. Scottie Scheffler will not be playing in The Sentry after undergoing hand surgery on Christmas, which has already taken some luster out of the PGA Tour's first event. Joe Mayo and Viktor Hovland have broken up yet again, with Viktor's status for Kapalua still TBD after a toe injury over the holidays. Brendan and Andy share what they're most excited about in 2025, namely the Ryder Cup and a year of strong major venues. They also go over some potential breakout players for 2025 as a way to keep the optimism flowing.

The 2024 Year in Review comes to an end with this final installment covering golf's ultimate prize, the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Before the Year in Review kicks off, Andy and Brendan react live to the end of the PNC Championship as Team Langer took down Team Woods in a one-hole playoff down in Florida. There's also some Swag Sports Minute chatter early in the show with another losing Sunday from the Bears, Browns, and Jets. The Year in Review finale begins with Brendan researching the happenings at TPC Initech as part of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Hideki Matsuyama ran away with the win, but Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, and Jordan Spieth struggled to find any form in Memphis. Brendan also shares some laughs from the U.S. Amateur and the NFL preseason. PJ then leads the way for the second stage of the playoffs, a Keegan Bradley win at Castle Pines for the BMW Championship. Scottie got angry at the course, Billy Boy was nervous about protecting the points, and Lydia Ko won the Women's Open at St Andrews. Finally, as always, Andy dedicated his time to researching the Net Tour Championship, the cherry on top of Scottie Scheffler's 2024 season. He recaps the Creator Classic, Jay Monahan's State of the Tour presser, and the ridiculousness of the "FedEx Starting Strokes" branding. We hope you enjoyed all nine episodes reviewing the amusing, inane, and extraordinary moments from another year of golf.

Andy and Brendan return for yet another marathon episode of the 2024 Year in Review, covering the final men's major of the year and the end of the PGA Tour's regular season. Before the Year in Review kicks off, they discuss some takeaways from TGL Media Day, where the world got to see Billy Boy and Rickie Fowler hit some shots into the oft-memed giant screen. There's also some college basketball discussion as Andy looks forward to sitting on the floor for another Cal Bears game this season. The Year in Review kicks off with the week of the Scottish Open, a win by Big Shot Bob after he received a free drop coming down the stretch on Sunday. This week also contained the news of Keegan Bradley's appointment as U.S. Ryder Cup captain and Andy goes in-depth on the feud between Bryson DeChambeau and Mike Schy. After a quick pitstop for the five-man playoff at the ISCO, PJ starts off Open Championship week with notes from the practice days. He shares that Viktor Hovland got existential amidst his spilt from the Chip Monk, and Tiger fired back at Colin Montgomerie's calls for his retirement. Andy jumps in for Thursday and Friday's rounds at Royal Troon, focusing primarily on Todd Hamilton's opening tee shot on Thursday morning. Brendan finishes off Xander's second major win, attempting to contextualize his season among others who have won two majors in the same year. Brendan continues on with the 3M Open, won by Jhonny Vegas, before another group effort remembering Scottie's gold medal win at the Paris Olympics. Andy handles the PGA Tour's regular season finale, the Wydnham Championship, which could just be named "Kucharfest" for 2024. Thanks to Kevin Prise's intrepid reporting, Andy goes minute-by-minute for Matt Kuchar's Monday finish, one of the most ridiculous golf moments in recent memory.

A news-filled Tuesday leads to an extra long episode as there's plenty to catch up on before Part 7 of the Year in Review. Andy and Brendan discuss Jay Monahan's video statement on the state of the PGA Tour entering 2025, Blades Brown forgoing college to turn pro, and the Tour's new search for a CEO, as discussed on Golf Channel by CMO Andy Weitz. There's also some preview content of "The Showdown" ahead of Tuesday night's festivities, and Andy is still reeling following a Bears loss on Monday Night Football. The Year in Review picks up with the Memorial Tournament (44:51), as Andy recalls Scottie Scheffler's first PGA Tour win after the month of April. Jack Nicklaus was upset about the tournament's place on the schedule ahead of the U.S. Open, Jon Rahm's foot gets a hole in it, and the Cleeks finally win a LIV event this week. From there, it's a beefy U.S. Open segment with PJ, Brendan, and Andy attempting to do the Event of the Year justice. PJ shares the early-week scuttlebutt, including a look back at Brendan's attempts to cancel Putter Boy. Brendan takes the lead on the Thursday and Friday action, recapping some shot-of-the-year candidates and memories from Pinehurst. Andy researches an all-time weekend, unearthing Bryson's need for treatment during the Saturday round before going blow-by-blow on the finish between Bryson and Rory. With the Travelers up next, PJ takes the northeast's only event, another Scottie Scheffler win that was derailed by protesters storming the 18th green on Sunday afternoon. He also makes some stops for LIV Nashville content in the aftermath of Bryson's win. Andy shares details of Cam Davis's unsuccessful quest for the Presidents Cup with a win at the Rocket Mortgage before diving into Blandemonium at the U.S. Senior Open. Finally, Brendan ends the show with some quick hits from the John Deere Championship.

Andy and Brendan return from the weekend with some excitement as Alejandro Tosti made it through Q-School on Sunday, securing his PGA Tour card for 2025 and ensuring another year of major league Tosti Tales. After a Swag Sports Minute about Brendan's experience at the Capitals game, it's time for the second men's major of 2024 on the Year in Review. Part 6 starts with the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Andy runs through the early week storylines such as Jimmy Dunne's resignation from the PGA Tour Policy Board and Mother Nature cancelling just one pre-tournament press conference due to a Tuesday storm - Michael Block's. From there, Brendan recaps Xander's course record 62 on Thursday, yet another hit for Blockie this week, before diving in to the madness of Scottie Scheffler's arrest on Friday morning. Jeff Darlington's tweets are read and $80 pants that were "damaged beyond repair" are discussed in this segment remembering one of the most chaotic days in golf. PJ slides in next to take the lead for the weekend, detailing Xander's transformation from housecat to bobcat, Bryson's showmanship ahead of Pinehurst, and Scottie's Saturday with the PGA Tour's chaplain on the bag. He also recalls Andy's early shouts for Justin Thomas to switch to the broom for his putting. Next, Andy shares some tales from his pro-am round with Blockie at the Charles Schwab Championship alongside the latest developments in the Scottie Scheffler case in its second week. Elsewhere, Richard Bland won the Senior PGA, leading to a hilariously passive aggressive tweet from the PGA Tour Champions announcing his victory. To wrap things up, Brendan looks back at the week of the RBC Canadian Open, won by Big Shot Bob MacIntyre with his dad on the bag. Nelly Korda makes a 10 on a par 3 at the U.S. Women's Open, a bird gets killed by a golf ball, and C.T. Pan goes through four caddies in one round in Canada. Subscribe to the Fried Egg Golf YouTube channel and leave a comment on this episode's livestream for a chance to win your own SGS Shapland bag!

The Year in Review rolls on for this Friday episode! Andy and Brendan went live on YouTube Thursday afternoon to remember what the golf world looked like in late April and early May of 2024. Things start at the RBC Heritage, another Scottie Scheffler win, which Andy calls the "win of the year." At this point in the year, Nelly Korda is also winning every time she tees it up, leading to inevitable comparisons between the two stars at the top of their games. From there, Brendan takes us through the Zurich Classic, a team event buoyed by a winning tandem of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry. The Zurich brings up the start of Cochran Corner and the initial reference of pod...casts (and housecats!) on PGA Tour Live. PJ jumps in to present on the next week which featured The CJ CUP Byron Nelson at TPC Craig T. Nelson. LIV Bolingbrook was announced this week, leading Andy back down memory lane, and Brooks Koepka became the first player to win four LIV events as the tour played in Singapore. To finish this episode off, Brendan shares his findings from the Wells Fargo Championship, Xander the Housecat's last hurrah.

At long last, it's major season on the 2024 Year in Review! Back from the Hero World Challenge interlude, Andy and Brendan resume the Year in Review and get through the year's first major, Scottie Scheffler's second Masters win. Andy begins the show by remembering Peppy Peter Malnati's victory at the Valspar, his first PGA Tour win in nine years. Peppy Peter is moved to tears in his post-round interview, and finally plays in his first Masters tournament a few weeks later. Brendan then moves through the Texas Children's Houston Open, where Stephan Jaeger secured his permanent call-up from AAAA player, outlasting Scottie Scheffler, Tony Finau, Tosti Boy, and more. Tosti becomes a national name this week, and Andy and Brendan remember the finest Tosti Tales from earlier this year. PJ jumps in to recap Akshay's shoulder-popping win at Valero, Anthony Kim's "vaguely remembering" Tiger's 2019 Masters win, and a thrilling ANWA finish. From there, it's a group effort on the Masters, covering Monday's total eclipse, Zach Johnson (not) cursing at patrons, and Scottie pulling away from the pack on Sunday after weekend charges from Ludvig Åberg, Collin Morikawa, and Max Homa.

It's been a while since the last one, but Andy and Brendan break down yet another Scottie Scheffler victory in this Monday episode. Andy begins by claiming a Victory Monday, as his household's rug saga has reached a conclusion on the fourth purchase and Swag Sports Minute recaps where Illinois and Boston College football will be bowling later this month. From there, the two get into the golf, starting with the Hero World Challenge. Scottie Scheffler, now using the claw grip with his putter, won for the ninth time in 2024 with a dominant weekend showing. Andy and Brendan discuss the psychology of competing against Scheffler and how many players believe they can beat him with their "B" games on a Sunday. They also discuss a new-look Justin Thomas, whose speed training was on full display in Albany, often outdriving the rest of the 20-man field. The conversation then shifts to the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, where Aldrich Potgieter had a chance to win in his home country before making a triple bogey on the par three 12th. Andy and Brendan debate whether they've seen a player in contention have a worse singular hole. Joaquin Niemann won again in Saudi Arabia, taking down fellow LIV golfers Cameron Smith and Caleb Surratt in a playoff at the Saudi International. In news, Greg Norman visited Indianapolis and acknowledged that his time as LIV's CEO is coming to an end sometime soon. This episode closes with a lively conversation about the College Football Playoff, with Andy and Brendan both wondering how the No. 1 seed, Oregon, has the toughest route to a championship. Before Brendan can sign off, PJ jumps in to share the breaking news of Juan Soto becoming NYGC's biggest fan, as he's signed a 15-year deal with the New York Mets.

With the Year in Review on pause until next week, Andy and Brendan use this Friday episode to catch up on the remaining golf news from this week. Andy spends the entire show dealing with a potential tsunami warning in California, leading to multiple cut-ins with the latest updates from the National Weather Service. In terms of late-breaking golf news, Brendan shares that Scottie Scheffler is using a claw grip to putt at the Hero and the two wonder if this will be a long-term solution for him or if he's just trying it out in a "hit and giggle" event. NYGC's Cameron Young is off to a hot start in Albany, setting him up for his first "win" on the PGA Tour. It was revealed that Tony Finau is NOT going to LIV (as of now), but withdrew from the Hero World Challenge due to knee surgery. Speaking of LIV, it's a loaded leaderboard for the weekend at the Saudi International series, currently being led by Logan McAllister. Dustin Johnson, the latest Golf Saudi ambassador, missed the cut, but had some quotes about "growing the game" in the Golf Saudi press release. Patrick Reed also had some newsworthy comments, suggesting that players who can qualify should be able to play on any tour they want, without suspension or fines. The Ryder Cup pay-for-play debate is somehow still rearing its head, with Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas being the latest Americans to be peppered with questions about it during pressers at the Hero. Kevin Kisner will be the new lead analyst for NBC in 2025 and Brendan wonders how this will impact his TGL status as a member of Jupiter Links Golf Club. Brendan and Andy also break down a potential LIV-WNBA legal battle after the WNBA's latest team logo may rip off a LIV franchise. This episode closes with some SGS Golf Advice about a dice-roll cheater and a legendary war of words at a golf simulator in Canada.

Things are back to normal on this Wednesday episode as Andy and Brendan pause the Year in Review to discuss the Hero World Challenge and plenty of news from across the world of golf. Brendan recaps an amazing Browns loss on Monday Night Football to start things off and Andy wonders what the career of Justin Thomas would look like if he took a Jameis Winston approach to improvement (praying to be delivered from pick sixes). From there, the two recap Tiger's annual press conference at the Hero, where he claimed that his competitive fire is still burning but he's unable to compete physically right now. Andy and Brendan discuss key takeaways from the media session and wonder if Tiger's waning energy is being wasted on the PGA Tour-PIF negotiations. Meanwhile, the LIV Hot Stove is scorching as Thomas Pieters was dealt from the RangeGoats to the 4 Aces in exchange for... nothing and Tony Finau is rumored to be the latest to make the jump after withdrawing from the Hero on Monday. An all-new "Commissioners Minute" segment leads to debates about Jay Monahan's place among sports commissioners after it was revealed that his 2023 salary totaled $23 million. "Commissioners Minute" continues with the news of Mollie Marcoux Samaan's resignation as the LPGA's leader also breaking on Monday. Andy and Brendan then move to the metaverse, where Tiger claims that he will be ready to play when Jupiter Links GC hits the SoFi Center for the first TGL season in January. Unbeknownst to this podcast, the NYGC squad had a media day in New York, where a non-invited PJ missed out on a chance to have Mets/NYGC owner Steve Cohen compare Matt Fitzpatrick to Sean Manaea. The premier golf gambling podcast then makes some picks for the Hero World Challenge before running through notables at the DP World Tour's Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa. To close things out, PJ recaps the first round of Champions Tour Q-School's final stage, where some SGS favorites are looking to secure status for next year.