The Legend of Shibuno, bubble boy dumps in the cup, and Spieth’s big miss

This episode of the Shotgun Start goes off the usual path for a Monday, pushing results from the weekend to the end to take on the subject of Patrick Reed’s Bahamian excavation. Brendan and Andy first replay the act from Friday’s round at the Hero World Challenge, focusing on Reed’s apparent history of doing this. The punishment for the action is then addressed and both wonder about the slippery slope of a measly two-shot penalty and some public shaming as the only reckoning for such flagrant cheating. Andy proposes a much stronger penalty lasting out in to the 2020 season. Then the responses from various parties are dissected, from Reed himself to Slugger White covering for his “gentlemanly” character to the American Presidents Cup team reportedly acting like it didn’t happen on a plane ride to some Aussies using the “c word” and clamoring for the International fans to give it to Reed this week. After the lengthy Reed discussion, they get to a segment on results, which includes a breakthrough win on the Minor League Golf Tour and a rant about the purse of the PNC Father Son Challenge.

8 Joulu 201955min

This Friday edition of the Shotgun Start begins with story time as Brendan relays an amusing and “beefy” tip sent in about Bryson DeChambeau’s ongoing “Bulking Season.” There’s also some unsettling discussion about the contents of chocolate milk. Then Brendan and Andy run through some notes from the early rounds at the Hero, including Tiger’s nicknames, Pat Reed’s mysterious new clubs, and quite possibly the most useless stat ever promoted. Then they are joined by Sean Martin, Senior Editor at PGATour.com, for the third and FINAL part of the Decade in Review. This part focuses on the recent majors this year with some forgotten and entertaining odds and ends, the much-discussed “All Decade” Teams, which include a ridiculous Skip Bayless-type contrarian snub, and a few other categories like the “All Avis” team.

6 Joulu 20191h 11min

The content cup runneth over for this Wednesday episode, which begins with the schedule for the week around the world of golf. This tests the geography knowledge of both Brendan and Andy with events spotlighted from the Bahamas to Australia to Mauritius to Kenya. They highlight the tee times at the Hero and how Tiger gets to basically put on a week of Presidents Cup prep and still somehow hand out OWGR points for it. News covers the latest utterances from the overcomplicated mind of Bryson DeChambeau and whether a workout can ever just be a workout in his head. Phil Mickelson’s decision to take the money and run to Saudi Arabia is also panned. The continued shakeup of the CBS golf team is discussed and the lineup for the PNC Father Son is briefly reviewed before transitioning to part II of the Decade in Review with PGA Tour Senior Editor Sean Martin. This section focuses on the back half of the decade, some amateur golf, the “season of the decade,” and the post-major funk trend.

4 Joulu 20191h 36min

Andy and Brendan return after a long holiday break and jump right into Pablo Larrazabal limping to a win at Leopard Creek. Then they quickly pivot to some news from the long break, most notably Jason Day’s withdrawal from the Presidents Cup because of a back injury. They review Day’s injury history and marvel at the sweeping reaction this latest WD provoked over the weekend. Then they get to a “Decade in Review” discussion with PGA Tour.com ace Sean Martin. But as per Shotgun Start custom, things run much longer than intended in this free-flowing review so it will be broken up into *at least* two parts. Come listen and reminisce about the first half of the decade at the majors, the Players, and the FedExCup standings in this episode.

2 Joulu 20191h 22min

This special Thanksgiving Jr. edition begins with a quick discussion of Thanksgiving traditions, drinks, and overrated dishes. Then there’s a rundown of the light schedule for the week, which permits a spotlight on Leopard Creek CC, the Gary Player island-green-happy design, and the European Tour’s Dunhill Championship. Brendan and Andy discuss the venue, the nearby wildlife refuge, and which animal they’d most like to be “reborn” as if given the option. The LET’s event in Spain also prompts a discussion of the newly announced LET-LPGA merger. Then the balance of the episode is spent listing some nominees and crowning some winners for the first ever SGS Fall Awards, featuring categories such as best event, worst shot, Mr. October, best and/or dumbest quote, juiciest controversy, signature LUP moment, and best reason to get worse for the wear. Happy Thanksgiving from Andy and Brendan, who are very thankful for the Shotgun Start listeners.

27 Marras 20191h 3min

A worse for the wear Victory Monday recording of the Shotgun Start bounces around the world of golf from the weekend, while also discussing best man speeches, football, and apple varietals. There is no crying over #ToddWatch having to be put in the garage for a few months. Jon Rahm’s Race to Dubai title in the Middle East leads to a discussion on his future and his already outrageous clip of contention. Andy explains his  skill buckets theory that Rahm fulfills and predicts he’ll win the Masters. On the LPGA, Sei Young Kim’s win in Naples is praised as the event of the day in a week that was full of positive PR for that tour. The Journeyman of the Day is Tyler Duncan, aka the least interesting man in the world, who took down Webb Simpson in Sea Island. Duncan’s past Indiana prep golf exploits are highlighted as well as his mundane special interests. In news, they excoriate the new branded “hole in one” that the PGA Tour is now pushing and Greg Norman’s Cybertruck purchase.

25 Marras 201954min

This revelrous Friday episode begins with an appreciation for the early leaderboards across the globe from the LPGA to Dubai to Georgia. The RSM Classic is a cornucopia of Shotgun Start favorites and Brendan and Andy run through some of the regulars as well as update low and “high Davis” on the leaderboard. Over in Dubai, they praise Frenchman Mike and discuss Rory’s outrageous shot and opening round. This leads to a lengthy discussion about the high bar for measuring Rory success and whether anything he does at a non-major makes an impression. The life and times of Troy Merritt are celebrated in the “Journeyman of the Day” segment, where they read from an article that characterized Merritt as dangerous at the Masters and also a human highlight reel (his new nickname). News hits on Rickie filling in for Brooksy at the Presidents Cup and comes with less criticism than you might expect. Flashback Friday is an homage to Tommy Gainey, the 2012 winner at Sea Island. It features a reminiscence of his final round 60 and a reading of his story insulating water heaters for $9 per hour while trying to make it on mini tours.

22 Marras 201957min

This Wednesday episode begins with another celebration of Brendon Todd, a Shotgun Start favorite son that was never doubted. Todd’s Masters odds are discussed as well as the unexpected debate about whether he should replace Brooks Koepka on the Presidents Cup team if BK were to WD. Then they get to the schedule for the week, where we marvel at the abundance of Davises (Davi?) in the field at the RSM Classic. The new format for the LPGA’s season-ending Tour Championship is praised and argued as a possible model for the FedExCup. There’s also an amusing story from inside some winter meetings at the PGA Tour, where every dish gets a name. An exciting new sponsor leads to a new segment and perhaps the longest ad read in the history of podcasts. The episode wraps with a discussion on the Race to Dubai and some praise for Brandon Matthews’ incredible grace under tough circumstances.

20 Marras 201956min