Shane Bacon joins to preview PGA Sunday and talk Phil on TV

After an unexpected dramatic Sunday at Bethpage, Andy and Brendan are back to debrief from Europe’s win on away soil at the 2025 Ryder Cup. What does Europe do and have that the USA continues to botch? They discuss the American side’s valiant effort to make it close in Sunday singles, but turn to Europe’s brilliance and the autopsy of yet another USA failure. They ponder the envelope rule and how that had the USA side miffed and how the worst-case scenario of a tie was narrowly avoided. They grade each and every player, including the captains, and it’s not a kind review of Keegan’s week. The fans are also graded, and they go through one more day of shouts and heckles and react to Rory’s comments on it from the weekend. Course setup is also discussed, revolving around Keegan’s admission that he “made a mistake.” PJ and KVV join with some amusements from the ground as well after another incredible day covering one of the best events in golf.

29 Sep 2h 12min

Andy and Brendan have PLENTY to talk about after a full, buzzing Saturday at the Ryder Cup despite the blowout on the scoreboard. They jump immediately into the testy exchange between Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose, caddies, Francesco Molinari, and others during another winning afternoon for Europe. They dissect Keegan’s miscues with lineups and management but wonder if it would have mattered given Europe’s play. They also go into the extremely hostile crowds, the constant abuse of Rory McIlroy and the opponent, and discuss how bad it got out there and how much it crossed the line. KVV and LaMagna join late to relay some of their notes from their days inside the ropes before a rambling discussion on Russ Henley, Rose, New England sports analogies, and much more in this rollicking Saturday night episode.

28 Sep 1h 34min

Andy and Brendan are together on Long Island after a full day at Bethpage Black taking in the Ryder Cup, where the USA is in a significant hole to Europe at 5.5 to 2.5 points. They discuss the late attempts by the US to close the gap and how they were held off yet again by the Euro stars like Rahm, Fleetwood, and Rory. They offer up some MVPs and LVPs, which brings Keegan Bradley’s strategy for the whimpering leadoff four-ball session that put the USA behind from the jump. How much of Scottie Scheffler is to blame? Or did Keegan set them up to fail? Was Bryson done in by his partners? Is the US cooked? They also cover some of the crowd effects, the first tee scene that might have been underwhelming, Trump’s visit, and some of the heckles heard throughout the day. Also, has the golf course been set up in a way that’s actually neutered some their strongest players.

26 Sep 1h

Andy and Brendan are playing with a half-set as they locked their recording equipment in the wrong car ahead of this unplanned Thursday live chat reacting to lineups for the opening session of the 2025 Ryder Cup. They discuss the strategy of both captains in setting their four alternate shot pairings for Friday morning, and get hyped for the banger of an opener between Bryson-JT and Rahm-Hatton. They also discuss any surprise pairings and players, pondering weaker choices against someone left on the benches. They close it out with some predictions on matches and the overall session before we dive into the chaos of some of the best three days in golf.

25 Sep 36min

Andy and Brendan are back at the Ryder Cup — this time, not in an RV but a hipster Brooklyn spot — to record their first episode of the week together. It’s a wide-ranging preview episode that begins with some instant reactions and amusements from the Opening Ceremony, featuring Don Rea and essays about New York being considered gritty. They discuss some of their insights from the ground walking around, talking to some players and getting the lay of Bethpage again. They read the tea leaves and discuss some of the pairings that could be coming and how Bryson DeChambeau, and a potential partnership with Justin Thomas, may prove to be the tipping point for great success or great disaster. They discuss the potential for crowd troubles and how the golf course sets up as “so American” for taking the teeth out of a place that’s supposed to have a warning sign. Then they bring in KVV for his “KVV Three” notes from the ground on some amusing subjects and an SGS RC Fantasy draft with Andy, Brendan, KVV, and “The Boys.” They finish it out with some picks for top points earners, winner, and most likely to get in a tussle.

25 Sep 1h 41min

This episode was recorded before NFL kickoff on Sunday, so Victory Monday for the Bears and Browns will have to wait. Andy is still licking his wounds from an ugly Illini loss to Indiana on Saturday night and wonders if winning out would still clinch a playoff spot. PJ is in high spirits after a Syracuse win in Death Valley and an early scouting trip to Bethpage on Saturday morning - only for the Jets to ruin everything again. We wrap up College Football Corner and discuss some wonderful coffee golf at the French Open (presented by FedEx) on Sunday. Michael Kim secured his first win since the 2018 John Deere Classic, edging out Elvis Smylie, Min Woo Lee, and Brooks Koepka. With Kim, Lee, and Koepka dropping in on the DP World Tour to great success, Brendan tries to draw some conclusions about where these fall fields stand overseas. Andy makes the case for a potential unification between the PGA Tour and DP World Tour that would have one points list and a stronger fall schedule. The LPGA had yet another unique result to uphold the streak - a cancelation of the tournament in Arkansas after 18 holes! Brendan has PJ share some scuttlebutt from the early merch preview at Bethpage, including some reporting about the famous sign - a favorite of Jason Garrett. In an actual bit of news, Rory McIlroy spoke with The Guardian and took his chance to pop Bryson DeChambeau ahead of a potential match this week. Rory also says he's "more confident" in a win for Europe now than he was when he made his guarantee in 2023. Andy and Brendan answer some listener questions about the Ryder Cup to close things out before traveling to the great state of New York for this week's festivities. Find our full Ryder Cup preview episode here on Wednesday night!

22 Sep 1h 4min

A light week of golf leads us to this wide-ranging Friday episode, covering a potential new housecat, the return of a broadcast legend, and a legendary Ryder Cup Flashback. Andy and Brendan first discuss the U.S. Mid-Am and the fiery online debate about former pros getting their amateur status reinstated. Andy is adamant that these players should not be able to waltz back into amateur golf and outlines his ideal rules for the situation. Brendan and KVV react to Andy's rulings and wonder if some are too harsh for those looking to continue playing competitive golf after their pro careers end. There's a bit of golf news to cover with LPGA legend Stacy Lewis retiring and the PGA of America bringing the KPMG Women's PGA and the PGA Championship back to Bethpage in the coming years. In much-needed Ryder Cup broadcast news, Sir Nick Faldo will be on the call for NBC next week, teaming with Terry Gannon and Notah Begay for morning sessions. Blockie is also back in the fold for 2026, because of course he is! We'll see him at the AmEx next year. In the spirit of Bob Uecker, a Golf Advice emailer sent along a letter from a ghost of Ryder Cup past to be read before we help one of our favorite football podcasters out with a fantasy football punishment. KVV then unpacks a Flashback Friday segment on the 2004 Ryder Cup war between Phil Mickelson and American captain Hal Sutton, complete with a Texas accent you won't want to miss. Lastly, some Don Rea soundbites send us into the weekend, as only he can.

19 Sep 1h 18min

It sure seems like everyone is just counting down the days until the Ryder Cup at this point. With minimal golf news and no PGA Tour event to discuss, Andy instead starts this episode with a tale from his latest round of golf. Playing at one of America's great championship courses, Andy decided he wanted to recreate an iconic moment and ended up almost hitting some folks enjoying a Tuesday afternoon lunch on the patio. It's been a big week for paying homage to iconic figures, as Brendan shares the latest Bob Uecker tribute from the Milwaukee Brewers. Brendan is aghast at the team reading and posting a fake letter from the deceased Uecker, which leads into a discussion about which ghosts this year's Ryder Cup teams should (allegedly) hear from. The Europeans have made it to Long Island and dressed in some... interesting... clothing for their first practice rounds at Bethpage Black. Justin Rose thinks that New Yorkers will become "caricatures" of themselves in the crowd and thinks that the VR preparation is a sign that things have gone too far. In actual golf being played this week, the ultimate Game Within a Game is underway on the LPGA circuit: can the unique winner streak continue at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship? With 18 of this year's winners in the field, the odds are in favor of this incredible streak living on. Andy is fired up about the Stephens Cup and the U.S. Mid-Am, both of which are already underway as of this recording. The Celebrity Ryder Cup rosters have been released with big names such as Toni Kukoč, Pau Gasol, and Brooklyn Beckham facing off against Eli Manning, Colin Jost, and "Sticks Boy " Noah Kahan. In substantive golf news, Amazon Prime has acquired some Masters streaming rights for Thursday and Friday and - as first reported on this podcast - the PGA Tour will not open the season in Kapalua due to the water issues in Maui.

16 Sep 56min