The 2023 Year in Review, Part 7: The June merger and Blockie-mania

A voiceless Andy joins Brendan! for a Monday morning recording that opens with an all-time story about stolen groceries and freezing ground turkey that isn't yours. After they unpack the unpacking of someone's fridge, the two discuss the latest young winner in pro golf, Michael Brennan. Brennan, the top player on the PGA Tour Americas this year, will skip the Korn Ferry Tour after his runaway win at the Bank of Utah Championship. Andy and Brendan commend Brennan for his performance off-the-tee and note that the venue of Black Desert allowed for the top player to separate from the pack and cruise to a win on Sunday. PJ shares an amusing note from the broadcast that may get some Halloween costume ideas flowing after hearing that Brennan dressed up as Rickie Fowler as a kid. Elsewhere in golf, Steven Alker is the new "Mr. October" AND the new Schwab Cup No. 1 after a big win at the Simmons Bank Championship. Brendan tuned in for some banter between Zinger and Tommy Gainey, who did just enough to secure a place in the Schwab Cup finals and full status for 2026. Andy has some takeaways from watching some late-night International Crown and flags that a former Ryder Cup player is coming for a spot at Adare Manor after this week's DP World Tour event. Fifa Laopakdee won the Asia-Pacific Am, scoring an invite to next year's Masters. ANGC Chairman Fred Ridley spoke at the event and condemned the Ryder Cup fan behavior, which segued nicely into a unsubstantiated rumor about everyone's favorite PGA of America leader. In other news, DJ has re-upped with the 4Aces after his glowing comments about LIV last week and TGL's LAGC got some new investment from an AL Central ownership group that's been reportedly lowballing their Cy Young Award winner. Our annual Halloween costumes episode will be out Wednesday, so submit your ideas to sgsgolfadvice@gmail.com now!

27 Loka 1h

Brendan! is joined by "The Boys" for a Friday episode recorded in the aftermath of the latest NBA gambling scandal. Brendan, Joseph LaMagna, and PJ run through an overview of the news involving Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier before wondering if pro golf is inevitably set up for a scandal of its own. Joseph suggests that player head-to-head markets for a single round would be the way that this would happen and PJ has already dubbed the FBI sting as "Operation Al-BET-ross." Joseph also details the difference between regulated markets and unregulated markets in sports gambling and how each could potentially lend itself to issues like the ones hitting the NBA. The three debate who would be the most surprising name to get caught up in a golf scandal before moving on to an update on the Bank of Utah Championship. Joseph believes this tournament is better than a handful of Signature Events and applauds the Tour for putting a "featured group" on the clock on Thursday morning. PJ shares an amusing comment from PGA Tour Live comparing Aldrich Potgieter to an all-time great as well. On the leaderboard, Thorbjorn Olesen found himself in the lead at the time of recording which provided plenty of joy for all involved in this recording. Brendan asks Joseph whether he's excited to attend the Good Good Championship in Austin next November after the announcement that the YouTubers will bring back "Big Break" to television. Joseph points out that Austin is "influencer city," so maybe Good Good has found the right market for its brand. The Sentry is officially canceled for 2026, but Kapalua is back open in mid-November anyway! The Sony Open will now kick off the 2026 season, and maybe rookies will actually make their way into the field. TGL unveiled its new green for the second season of the indoor league. Brendan is debating whether there's too much auxiliary golf content but The Boys are excited that Cameron Young has a chance to break his own record for the longest putt in TGL history. Brendan wraps up this episode with one quick Golf Advice question regarding a "Just A Guy" Halloween costume ahead of next week's costume extravaganza.

23 Loka 49min

This Wednesday episode was once again recorded LIVE on YouTube in an effort to have some fun during "silly season." Andy believes that "golf is back!" and Brendan immediately shares that Dustin Johnson might agree with him. DJ is in the Philippines this week for an Asian Tour event and is excited to grow the game alongside some of his LIV leaguemates and other YouTube golfers. Dustin shared some enlightening thoughts on the host course for this International Series tournament, calling it "a golf course" and allowing his "good caddie" to scout the course and tell him where to hit it. Brendan is giddy about these DJ quotes and gets Andy going on DJ's future in majors now that his exemptions are up. Keegan Bradley is also pondering his future these days, wondering if he'll ever get a chance to play in the Ryder Cup again. At Travelers media day, Keegan shared that the last few weeks have been some of the toughest of his life and that the loss at Bethpage will follow him forever. He did state that his goal is to play at Adare Manor, though, so he's got that going for him for the next two years. A B. Draddy ad read turns into a bit of an Illinois Minute with Andy and Brendan debating if the Illini can find their way into the College Football Playoff this winter. The Schedule for the Week kicks off with the Bank of Utah Championship and the PGA Tour's return to the lava rocks. Andy and Brendan are excited for a weekend of captivating TV viewing at Black Desert Resort with a strong field for a FedEx Fall event. Notably not in the field is Jordan Spieth, who currently sits at 56th in the standings heading into next season. Brendan declares Spieth "MIA" and calls out sponsor exemptions for Signature Events taking away from the fields at events that need big-name players. There's some cocktail golf this week for the east coast in the form of the LPGA's International Crown, and Tommy Gainey is on the bubble of the Champs Tour finals in Phoenix. Brendan runs through some notables for Q-School and Andy anoints the Billy Horschel Invitational Presented by Cisco as the "Event of the Week." In events that have ended, the Butterfield will have a D2 golfer from Lee University in the field after a win at a recent college event. The news roundup begins with Jack Nicklaus winning a $50 million lawsuit, leading to a wider discussion about clubs overspending and youth sports. Lastly, the NBA starts up tonight and the PGA Tour is in Utah, so Andy ends the show with a much-needed Jazz Minute!

22 Loka 1h 15min

Andy and Brendan! went LIVE on YouTube for this Monday episode covering a fourth straight Bears win, Tommy Fleetwood's continued heater, and some breaking FedEx Fall news. "Football Minute" kicks things off following wins for the Bears and Browns and yet another loss for PJ's Jets. Andy then has PJ recap his time "inspiring the youths" at Syracuse University, regaling the next generation of media leaders with stories about inflatable colons and PGA of America karaoke parties. This episode transitions to golf through the online response to Brendan's Friday newsletter piece on reinstated amateurs. Wes Bryan was upset by a line and took to X to voice his displeasure. Speaking of YouTube golfers, it was announced mid-podcast that GoodGood will be the title sponsor of next year's FedEx Fall event in Austin, Texas. Will Blockie find his way into the field as a sponsor exemption? You'd have to think so! In current-year pro golf, Tommy Fleetwood won the DP World India Championship with his son, Frankie, in attendance. Andy and Brendan debate whether Tommy is becoming a superstar or if he's already there. Andy also notes Tommy's improved iron play as the main reason for his rise into the top tier of pro golf. The course in India was lined with so many trees that it forced many players, including Rory, to keep the driver in their lockers. Some golf media minds have wondered if trees are the solution to the distance problem in professional golf, but Andy isn't so sure they're making the right point. Brendan points out that if players like Rory are being paid appearance fees to grow the game, it may be worth having them hit a few bombs off the tee for the fans. The rest of this weekend in golf is then recapped, with PJ chiming in to celebrate B. Draddy ambassador Justin Leonard's win at the Dominion Energy Charity Classic on the Champions Tour. In news, the PGA Tour has a bunch of new C-Suite execs on staff as Brian Rolapp continues his takeover heading into next season, and the PIF may have a path back into pro golf with a potential DP World Tour partnership. Andy wraps up this episode with an impassioned rant about the Brewers loss in the NLCS and the rumors of Milwaukee slashing payroll for next year after such a successful season.

20 Loka 1h 11min

Andy and Brendan are without PJ for this Friday episode, prompting Andy to panic at the 53-minute mark about potentially forgetting to hit the record button. They begin on this quiet week where else but with Andy having to chaperone a preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch. Then they get to some early amusements from India, where Rory wants to play DLF and this week is keeping his driver in the locker — is this a good thing?! They whiparound on some rumors from the global home, where Brian Rolapp may be trying to figure out what is going on with some expensive operations. News touches on the rage bait of the week, Colt Knost’s sponsored podcast segment announcing he’s applying for reinstated amateur status. They bat this one around for a few minutes before moving to some rumors about the Schwab Cup finale and a hefty golf advice segment.

17 Loka 1h 1min

With Andy on the road, Brendan! kicks off this episode with a solo segment focusing on Jon Rahm and his Ryder Cup future. Brendan unpacks the ongoing legal battle between Rahm (and Tyrrell Hatton) and the DP World Tour regarding fines for playing unsanctioned (LIV) events. Rahm has repeatedly stated that he will not be paying these fines and has appealed the DP World Tour's ruling to the point of arbitration. Due to this appeal process, Rahm and Hatton have been able to play in DP World Tour events despite the outstanding fines and were allowed to play for Team Europe at the 2025 Ryder Cup. With the arbitration ruling looming, Brendan looks at whether Rahm's Ryder Cup status and DPWT status is really in jeopardy, and what it would mean for him (and Team Europe) moving forward. Brendan is then joined by Kevin Van Valkenburg for the rest of this Wednesday episode. KVV offers his take on the Rahm discourse and the news that Rahm will not tee it up until LIV's 2026 season kicks off in February. From there, the two run through the Schedule for the Week. Many stars are in India for the DP World Indian Championship in Delhi. Rory, Tommy, Hovland, "Benny Booms," and Brian Harman are among the notables competing at this fall series event. Viktor is back in action after his neck injury at Bethpage and was finally available to speak on the events leading to his Sunday "in the envelope." Elsewhere in golf, the LPGA's Asia swing rolls on with another limited-field event without Nelly Korda, the Champs Tour playoffs kick off in the DMV, and Q-School is ongoing. In news, Cadillac is rumored to be back in the fold for the PGA Tour's return to Doral this year. Brendan and KVV take this as a chance to reminisce about past tournament sponsors they wish would return. Lastly, KVV debuts his new mailbag segment with a few preview questions before expanding on more submissions in an upcoming website column.

14 Loka 1h 6min

Andy and Brendan return after a eventful weekend of sports losses and an "uneventful" weekend of pro golf. Andy is still in the dumps after the Cubs loss in the NLDS, but claims a Victory Monday for Chicago anyway. It was an eventful weekend in French Lick, Indiana at the Korn Ferry Tour finals. Andy and Brendan run through the Top 20 bubble and discuss many of the players that earned their PGA Tour cards for next year. They also commend the KFT broadcast crew for bringing something different to viewers before wondering what Brian Rolapp was thinking during his trip to French Lick. On the PGA Tour, Xander Schauffele found his way back to the winner's circle at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan. This was Xander's tenth PGA Tour win, leading to a discussion about how many he'll end up with at the end of his career. Unlike the KFT booth, Andy was less than impressed with the Baycurrent broadcast and calls for more analysts to tell it like it is. Brendan is fired up that the year of Marco Penge rolls on after his big win at the Spanish Open. Penge will now be in next year's Open and Masters and said post-round that he thinks he's set up for success at Augusta. PJ checks on his Masters odds and finds that Penge's priced lower than one recent major champion! In perhaps the biggest news of the week, the LPGA's streak is over. Jeeno Thitikul won the Buick LPGA Shanghai, becoming the first repeat winner of 2025. The greens at this event were under fire all week for poor conditioning and Brendan was excited to see some pros having to handle muni-like conditions. Alex Cjeka won the final Champions Tour event of the regular season and the "senior mules" are unhappy about Brian Rolapp's recent cuts to the pension program. As for the rest of the news from this weekend, it came out that J.J. Spaun was held out of foursomes at the Ryder Cup due to his golf ball. Andy suggests maybe it's time for golf to have just one ball to use like every other sport does. The two then discuss the current state of Tiger Woods following another back surgery and where his place in today's game may be. Will he even play a TGL match again, much less any on-course golf? To end the show, Andy demands that PJ apologize for an abysmal performance from Justin Fields on national television as the Jets remain winless in 2025.

13 Loka 54min

Sometimes, things are willed into existence. Following this podcast obtaining footage of PGA of America President Don Rea's performance of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, Brendan is first joined by a giddy Andy to discuss this monumental moment in golf history. Andy details his reaction to seeing the "cinema" for the first time and pleads for Don to remain in this leadership position forever. Brendan then brings on KVV for a frame-by-frame breakdown of the nine second video, as well as the rest of this regularly scheduled Friday episode. Brendan, KVV, and PJ recap their Wednesday night consisting of acquiring the video and the ensuing checks and balances to make sure this iconic footage was not produced by AI. They commend Don's courage and leadership, as he took the reins and lit a fire under Team USA, who won Sunday singles by five points following this inspiring round of karaoke by their fearless leader. KVV highlights some lines of the song that he wishes were on film, but we're all still hopeful that the full tape will one day make its way to the internet. In non-Don news (yes, that exists!), Brendan shares an unbelievable listener email about The Great Manassero teeing it up at a San Diego muni earlier this week. KVV is enthralled by Beau Hossler's ayahuasca use and ensuing passion for coffee, leading to a group discussion of which professional golfers would make the best hallucinations while on a trip. The Korn Ferry Tour is looking at a bit of history this week, as Tiger's season-scoring record is apparently in danger of being broken. This has Brendan out of his mind, awarding the KFT socials with the first-ever "Ragebait of the Week" award. Joseph LaMagna published a wide-ranging interview with Team Europe Vice Captain Dodo Molinari which revealed just how far ahead the Euros seemingly were compared to their American counterpoints at Bethpage Black. KVV uses this, as well as his article about the analytics used by Team USA, as a way to ask why Ryder Cup USA hasn't pivoted its backroom strategy yet following another defeat. Speaking of the Ryder Cup, Collin Morikawa was popped by a European journalist in Japan about his request for "chaos" from the crowd at Bethpage. Morikawa claimed that his words were taken out of context, and Brendan demands that we stop acting like the American players are at fault for the rowdy fans. Two Golf Advice emails round out this episode, with a debate on how to fix the "crowd issue" at future major golf events and a question about teens hitting into people under the cloak of darkness.

10 Loka 1h 21min