PGA Tour board and Monahan fatigue, LIV’s puny Hong Kong Course, and SGS Golf Advice

Andy and Brendan are together in Kiawah for their first in-person recording in almost two years. They immediately jump into some impressions from a day spent walking The Ocean Course, people-watching at the PGA, and pondering the big stories (snake impacts) of the second men’s major championship of 2021. There will be wind, and they discuss the impacts it will have even as you’re about to be hit over the head with wind talk the next five days. There’s a reading of testimony from several players on all the long irons they’re hitting during practice, a welcome development and change from the usual pro game. The other nooks and crannies from a course they’re hyped to watch are also highlighted. They relay what they’re hearing of the moving and shaking happening on the island as well, with delegates from the Super League in town and meeting with managers of several players. Favorite, and in some cases most underwhelming, tee times are nominated and discussed. Bryson’s chat on UFOs and time travel is reviewed. There’s also more intel on Dylan Fritelli’s penny-pinching ways after they’re told he’s playing with an alleged SGS listener in the first two rounds. And some one-and-done picks are made for what feels like a very open major.

19 Touko 20211h 7min

Before Andy and Brendan get together in Kiawah on Monday, they chat for this truncated episode that begins with an apology tour. Then they celebrate the Husky Boy and his triumph in North Texas. There’s also reaction to another strong week from Sam Burns and Jordan Spieth. There’s a mini debate about whether the Nelson could now take the crown for the worst event on Tour, with a few other contenders thrown out there. The Shaggy Kang-Jon Rahm tiff is also covered. Then they’re on to the Dicks, namely Dick Bland, who’s victory at the British Masters will be one of the stories of the year in golf, and Dicky Pride, who went from Monday qualifier to winner on the Champions Tour. There’s also a question of if Mitsubishi got what they expected from the top 10 at TPC Sugarloaf when they signed up to be this senior tour sugar daddy. News hits on Phil accepting a special exemption to the U.S. Open and Jay Monahan teaming up with Bubba Watson at a Florida member-guest event.

17 Touko 202135min

It’s a Friday episode heavy on disgust. There’s disgust over the NFL scheduling the Browns-Bears game for the one fall Sunday that Brendan and Andy really can’t ignore in the golf world. There’s disgust about the pitch-and-putt setup at TPC Craig T. Nelson. There’s disgust over the Thicc Boi suggesting he easily left six shots out there. There’s disgust over Jason Day saying he will not attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open if he has to, opting to play in a corporate sponsor event that day instead. There’s PLENTY of disgust for the NCAA decision to cancel the women’s regional outright, as well as some comments hinting that maybe LSU didn’t really want to try to play. Following that airing of grievances, Precision Pro Flashback Friday focuses on the 1994 edition of the Byron Nelson, what came to be known as “The Half Nelson”, and the winner that year who went on to become the first player ever to shoot 29 in the U.S. Open -- twice, in back-to-back years.

14 Touko 202158min

This Wednesday episode goes in a bunch of stupid directions, starting with some details that may or may not be true on real estate around TPC Craig Ranch. This then devolves into a discussion on people named Craig, the most famous Craigs, the haughtiness of Craig T. Nelson using his middle initial, and a couple other unrelated topics. The shhhedule for the week continues with the Champions Tour posting up at another TPC venue and questions about Mitsubishi’s love of the senior circuit, the European Tour maybe having a “frontboard” at the Belfry, and the KFT dropping in on a gem of a venue in Tennessee. News hits on DJ’s amusing and verbose statement on his withdrawal, some data about the absolute absurdity and game-able-ness of the FedExCup points system, and the purchase of TaylorMade. Then they get to their second installment of “Eye on Olympic,” focusing this time on Mel Reid. Her ascendance as a junior, partying ways, family tragedy, and easy-to-root-for personality are all highlighted in this segment that gives you another name to monitor for the U.S. Women’s Open.

12 Touko 202149min

It was a jam-packed weekend of golf and this Monday episode jumps right into it by flipping a coin and starting with a review of the Walker Cup. Andy and Brendan nominate their favorite “breakout” players from the weekend, what they loved most about Seminole, and wonder why there’s not a push to make this more of a top 10 event in the entire game. Is such a push or goal to make this bigger even desired or possible? Then they’re on to the professional game and a course and format that stood out in stark contrast to the Walker Cup. But of course there was the Prince of Ponte Vedra redeeming it all and getting back in the winner’s circle. They discuss his “drought” and if it even was a drought, his abandoning of his draw thanks to modern equipment, and the energy a Rory charge brings to an event. There’s also the matter of the Thicc Boi’s flight hijinks. On the LPGA, they discuss the scenes of Ariya bawling after winning her home event and also ending a drought of her own. The Regions Tradition recap turns into a segment on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers fans uneasiness. They close with the anti-thirstbucket of the week, a frugal Longhorn who has made millions playing golf but was so upset about a $1.95 charge on his food bill that he had to instagram about it.

10 Touko 20211h 6min

This Friday episode begins with some quick reactions to Phil Mickelson taking the early lead in Charlotte, which is an occasion to quickly pivot to his quotes that joining a PGL or SLG league for tens of millions of dollars will actually require selflessness. This leads to a pivot to discuss the report from Alan Shipnuck that these are, in fact, not the same thing and actually competitors, and boy does the Saudi backed one sound terrible! There’s also a discussion on a report in The Athletic with a deposition of Jay Monahan, who did not name a single LPGA player when queried. There is also reveling in Viktor Hovland calling Quail Hollow a form of “driving range golf.” Then Brendan and Andy are joined by Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine, an amateur golf encyclopedia who is at the Walker Cup this week. They discuss some players to watch, whether all of continental Europe should be made eligible, a food poisoning outbreak, and features of Seminole. Then Flashback Friday focuses on some amusing Walker Cup controversies and characters as well as some stories from Ben Hogan’s time at Seminole.

7 Touko 20211h 23min

This Wednesday episode begins with Courtesy and Brendan discussing their distaste for the whole May the 4th proliferation, as well as the one liquor that never seems to dwindle on their bars. Then they spend the first 30 minutes or so discussing the re-emergence and re-branding of the PGL. They go back-and-forth between synthesis of a day of reporting from multiple outlets and analysis of the impacts of some of these proposed maneuvers. There’s chatter on DJ, Jay’s meeting, the Saudi influence, sponsor backlash, and parallels, if any, to the soccer Super League. Then they run through the usual schedule for the week, hitting on three things to watch at Wells Fargo, including a potential “heavy is the head that wears the crown” impact for the Prince of Ponte Vedra. A closing news segment focuses on Ian Poulter revealing that the new Pace of Play Policy is real and being communicated as well as Michael Visacki talking to Chuck for an exemption into Colonial.

5 Touko 20211h 1min

This Monday episode gets back to some SGS roots, with a quick and unprepared whip around the results from the weekend in the golf world. It really, actually is a short one. They begin with the Valspar, where Sam Burns broke through for what could be the first of many wins on the PGA Tour. The dump in the cup award is back, as is the second edition of Thirstbucket of the Week. Other topics hit on are Keegan scraping it and Tringale closing in on a career achievement. Dean Burmester is mentioned and the Tenerife event is given a poor grade. The back half is a ramble on the giant flag in the center of a fairway at the new Jack Nicklaus course, as well as the general costs of giant flags. News hits on Pine Valley changing its policy to admit women members, and a potential angle for such a move. Lastly, all SGS merch will be 20 percent off through Monday night.

3 Touko 202135min