Triumph and disaster at St. Andrews, Playing-Captain Keegan? And the club-toss test

SGS is graced by the presence of ESPN Senior Writer Kevin Van Valkenburg for this Wednesday episode, which begins with the hysteria around flight tracking Tiger Woods’ plane into Augusta. Brendan and Kevin begin by assessing the likelihood we see Tiger play the Masters, how good or bad that might go if he does, and the current contrast in standing between Tiger and Phil Mickelson. The exile of Phil is also discussed with KVV, along with a few other pre-Masters storylines. Then it’s on to the first major of the year, the newly named Chevron Championship, nee ANA or Dinah Shore. They discuss the abandonment of that event’s history with the upcoming move to Texas. The third Augusta National Women’s Amateur is also previewed, with some format quibbles raised and players to monitor. The Valero is also noted before a fun sign-off with KVV recalling an excerpt on Lee Westwood discussing his favorite book.

29 Mar 202252min

This Monday episode begins with reaction to the WGC Match Play finale, where Scottie Scheffler ascended to OWGR No. 1. Andy and Brendan consider whether this achievement, in light of Scheffler’s emotional reaction, has gained stature approaching a major win among younger players. They discuss several other match play quibbles and delights from the weekend in Austin, including Kevin Kisner's ability to compete at a place where he can use the slopes. Masters Fact of the Day hits on the time a patron jumped in the pond at the 16th hole, and also a story about Andy bringing some Elijah Craig bourbon on a flight with him this weekend. News is more story time, with tales of a Euro Tour robbery on the road in South Africa and listeners putting “Zatch” to use out in the real world. They close with rumblings of Tiger walking rounds out at Medalist this past week and what it might mean for a competitive start in April.

28 Mar 202243min

It’s Friday, so this episode begins with a bit of whimsy on some intel from Austin about the practice attire of a certain local. Then Andy and Brendan whip through some early impressions and controversies from the WGC Match Play, touching on Keegan’s excruciating aimpoint routine, Paul Casey’s lucrative WD, Reed blasting it into the line drive section, and the inconsistent rulings on a sprinkler head with red spray paint on it at the 13th. Masters Fact of the Day includes a book recommendation as well as a mid-century review of Augusta National. Flashback Friday goes back to the start of this century, when Tiger was at his peak powers but a scuffling “rotund” opponent got the best of him in Match Play.

25 Mar 202256min

This Wednesday episode begins with troubled times on Westy Island, where things may need to be on an official pause due to some disconcerting Twitter activity. Then it’s on to the cancellation, or purported cancellation, of Phil Mickelson, most recently out of the Masters, where he’s played for almost 30 consecutive years. Andy and Brendan discuss Phil’s forgotten betrayal that keeps getting lost in all the shouting about political correctness and cancellations, with an unexpected comp to the movie The Rock. The shhhedule for the week begins with the WGC Match Play, with some praise and critiques for the current format and schedule. There’s a breakdown of pools where beef and tension could bubble to the surface, and reaction to the Thicc Boi staying in the field with his broken hamate and torn labrum. News closes with the announcement that Oakland Hills will be firmly back hosting a bevy of USGA championships for the next 30 years.

23 Mar 202247min

This episode is a victory Monday of sorts for Andy, who went out on limb with his one and done pick this week at the Valspar. He and Brendan get into the final round in Tampa, but not without first discussing the theory presented on the broadcast that the playoff is the time when all the pressure is gone. Davis Riley’s eventful round is also chronicled, including having to wait on the 18th tee to hit while the player in front of him stepped off his wedge yardage. There’s also discussion about the anti-backboarding boundary nettings that came into play. The Elijah Craig Masters fact of the day is an astonishing if not shocking one that has both Andy and Brendan marveling. News touches on Greg Norman’s media blitz and some of the WGC Match Play dropouts, notably Rory and Phil.

21 Mar 202244min

This Friday episode reviews a few days full of significant news both on the disruptor league attempts to the PGA Tour and the USGA’s latest update on its distance plans. Andy and Brendan begin first with a solemn note on the horrific tragedy involving the University of the Southwest golf team. From there, they discuss the release of LIV’s schedule and the stinky roster of courses. There’s also a rumor about another massive signing bonus that leads to further debate about the progress that the Saudi cash could make once/if this thing gets up and running. The PGL’s re-emergence in the form of a report on a proposal sent to Rory McIlroy is also addressed, and they close with the distance issue and the signals this latest USGA and R&A update sent.

18 Mar 202252min

If you need gambling advice for the Valspar Championship, this is the show for you. Andy and Brendan spend one whole minute offering their one and done picks for Tampa. Around that, however, is chatter about brackets, generally, the sponsor exemptions in Tampa, the story of Luke Guthrie, proud Illinois product, and the whether the designer of Copperhead, Larry Packard, is related to Hewlett Packard. This devolves into a discussion on printers and the scam of ink replacement. Also included in this episode is the Elijah Craig Masters Fact of the Day, which leads to a chat on the rental car situation for the upcoming Masters trip. News closes with Henrik Stenson as the new Euro skipper for the Ryder Cup and what that means, if anything, for the Saudi league.

16 Mar 202246min

This Monday night episode reacts to the wild, interminable 2022 Players Championship. Andy and Brendan begin with Cameron Smith’s biggest career win to date, and exactly how he got it done with perfection in some areas and, well, some relatability in others. There are not a lot of kind words for conservative Paul Casey, even though he did catch a crap break. The drama around Viktor Hovland confronting Daniel Berger over his drop at 16 is also reviewed. Anirban Lahiri is praised as the anti-Paul/Pat Casey. Then they get to Saturday, taking on the complaints about an inequitable draw on the tee sheet and an inequitable hole in the island 17th. They revel in the type of shotmaking it produced and praise the journey that may have produced a less-than-ideal leaderboard come Sunday. At the end, Gold Boy is given one last round of applause, while Collin Morikawa gets a critique, and the topic of redesigning of the 17th is given one more pass.

15 Mar 20221h 12min