Wyndham Clark anger, Olympic sport gatekeeping, and Golf Advice

This Monday episode begins with news of Andy’s arrival back to the Land of Matt Fitzpatrick after some time-zone struggles. Then Brendan and Andy get into the first major winner of 2021, Patty Tavatanakit and her two-shot win over Lydia Ko. Her no-leaderboard watching policy is debated, Ko’s charge is extolled, and the Poppie leap is graded. Then they’re onto to the national open at TPC San Antonio, where Jordan Spieth got his first win since the summer of 2017. Both talk about what they felt seeing him get it done again, the Texas Open otherwise stinking, and delight of that late crappy 8-iron down the stretch to keep us on our toes, per Spieth protocols. A clarification is issued on the Redneck Riviera before Stephan Jaeger’s continued credentials as the KFT are debated. The first of two digressions on the Drive, Chip, and Putt takes place, with apathy and confusion the conclusion. Saturday’s second ANWA is praised, even if the play was underwhelming -- the Tour did have to take a backseat, after all. News hits on Brooksy and likely Rahm playing the Masters, the course looking dialed in after the weekend exposure, and Waffle House ignorance from two native midwesterners.

5 Apr 202155min

This wandering Friday episode features fantastic intel on the procurement of Patrick Reed’s apparel but begins with a quick announcement on some Masters week community gathering at a virtual Bixby House. Then Brendan and Andy catch up on Masters facts of the day, which include the alleged real pimento cheese recipe ANGC uses as well as old stories about caddies shagging balls on the range. Then they get to the tournaments at hand, reacting to the cut at ANWA and the tough scoring conditions. The ANA reactions focus on Shanshan Feng coming off the bench after a year away to post 67, the LPGA moving the tee up with the wall down at 18, and Michelle Wie’s impressive opener. Texas Open thoughts hit on Spieth’s early work, Phil’s implosion and level of care, and some low Cameron odds. News covers a hefty slow play fine for one LPGA rookie, DJ’s champions dinner menu, Brooksy’s engagement announcement, and the weird police procedure around disclosing the cause of Tiger’s accident. Precision Pro Flashback Friday serves up a smorgasbord of facts and stories on the earliest days of the ANA, then the Colgate Dinah Shore Winners Circle -- from the toothpaste executive that made this a lavish one-week party in the desert to an over-crowded Easter Sunday service on the 18th green to how it quickly became an event without peer on the schedule. Lastly, Andy chimes in with some facts and alarming history on Poppie’s Pond.

2 Apr 20211h 2min

This Wednesday episode begins with a fun Sabbo story on his preferred drink order. Then there’s a debate on the merits of orange juice. Andy and Brendan eventually get into the schedule for the week, where the women at both the professional and amateur level have the stage. The ANA Inspiration is up first, where news of the blue wall coming down has dramatically changed that finisher. Andy ponders the wildlife in Poppy’s Pond, which Brendan argues is essentially now a swimming pool. There are “three things to watch” proffered for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, where we might get a peek at a course that, according to Jordan Spieth, is rumored to be playing as firm as ever. They cover some of the top women in the field and also have a debate over the “Real USC.” Texas Open one-and-dones is a trip down Hoffman memory lane. They close with news of the Canadian Open going to Congaree and the TOUR selling a ketchup popsicle to an ISP in white gloves as another title sponsor for its regular season top 10.

31 Mar 202149min

Andy and Brendan hobble into a new week after a tedious Sunday at an otherwise enjoyable WGC Match Play. They react to the baton boy, the motormouth, the Town Crier of Ponte Vedra moving into the Swedish Pancake Club. Andy delights in his self-admonishments that became the soundtrack of the event. Then they get into his modest goals for the rest of his career -- winning the grand slam and the Players and making and captaining every team event. The Kevin Na and Dustin Johnson contretemps from Friday is reviewed, as well as the run of sudden death playoffs, which feel like format flaw. Inbee Park, a true living legend, is praised for her win at Aviara, where there was a plea for relief from a fountain geyser. Joely D’s big win in Punta Cana and Danie van Tonder’s victory in Kenya are also covered. News covers a report that there may be no fans at the U.S. Opens in California.

29 Mar 202146min

The great Kyle Porter of CBS joins for this Friday episode with Florida Man Andy on family vacation. Brendan and Kyle dive into the first two days from the WGC Match Play, delighting in Sergio’s camo pants, Bryson’s 46-yard drive, Spieth’s surge, and Rory’s walkabout in the wilderness. There’s also intel about the dangers this week in Austin with balls flying over the range net into play. Kyle talks about his upcoming trip to Augusta and what’s jumping out to him as the Masters bears down on us. Bryson’s underwhelming NFT rollout is reviewed, as are comments from his agent that the lack of demand was due to golf simply being a niche sport. They also discuss the Punta Cana finishing stretch being named “The Devil’s Elbow.” Precision Pro Flashback Friday is a two-scoop treat with Kyle bringing his own research on that time Tiger massacred someone not named Stephen Ames, and Brendan looking back on the year that absolutely no one showed up and the 90th ranked player in the world went through the bracket.

26 Mar 20211h 8min

This Wednesday episode comes to you early with Andy needing to get to the beach, Brendan needing to clear out of his office, and most importantly, the WGC Match Play starting early. They immediately jump into laments on the Match Play round robin format and formulaic scheduling but also praise it as one of the great events of the season that always yields a controversy or two. They ponder if there will be a backboard at the drivable 13th and if Bryson will register a driver over 500 yards that’s immediately turned into an NFT. Also, the legend of “motormouth Billy” is born. The LPGA is also back this week and finally out of the Sunshine state, heading to a venerable Arnold Palmer design in California. They express excitement over the return of Michelle Wie West and this appetizer for the first major of the year. The field at the Punta Cana Championship is combed through with the usual enjoyment. The one-syllable crew at the Kenya Savannah Classic is also highlighted, which leads to a conversation on Toby Tree’s preferred accommodations. News hits on Bryson’s hamfisted NFT rollout, JT’s discussions with Tiger, and Jordan Spieth disclosing he was literally taped up during the past few rough years because of a hand injury we hadn’t heard about.

23 Mar 202151min

Andy and Brendan have to dig deep to find things to talk about after one of the more lifeless PGA Tour events they can recall. So they begin first with the Illinois basketball loss, some worse for the wear testimony, and a story about walking full speed into a glass door. At the Honda, they praise Matt Jones’ play and pace but also discuss how the Honda is an absolute no-win situation and this week was a conspicuously painful illustration of that. Andy proposes the Tour not schedule an event the week after The Players, in a further attempt to manipulate its status. Brendan ponders Phil getting exhausted by the constant scramble to stay in play while now also never contending, wondering if he might hang it up sometime in the not too distant future. The broadcast disaster on the European Tour is discussed and Bobby Diaz’s win on the Web Tour is praised. His shirt sponsor, however, is questioned. They conclude with Masters Fact of the Day on Moe Norman and the time he made his first trip to the Masters, much to the anxiety of the Canadian Golf Association. They recall the amusing story around his WD from that first Masters.

22 Mar 202147min

This Friday episode begins with some quick reactions to the first day at the Honda Classic, where Matt Jones may have posted the round of the year. Andy provides some intel on the Swamp draw differential that Jones took advantage of in the morning. There’s also discussion on the entire fleet of Honda vehicles and which one is best, as well as an effort to figure out what the company sponsoring the KFT event actually does. Masters Fact of the Day is on the cracker barrel (not that one) and Cheez-It procurement. A twofer Precision Pro Flashback Friday hits first on Bruce Lietzke, the 1984 Honda winner, who played an extremely unique schedule while at the top of his game and also nearly missed a tee time while looking for a hot dog. The second Flashback focuses on 1996 Honda winner Tim Herron, who won it early in his rookie year by edging John Daly as the longest off the tee and opening with a first round (much like Matt Jones) that some thought was a scoreboard malfunction. The 1996 Flashback is also an occasion to bring up a wildly amusing story on two players arriving via helicopter and fire truck at the golf course, as well as some sharp critiques of TPC Eagle Trace, the TPC Network, and Greg Norman’s relationship to that network.

19 Mar 202152min