Rory WDs from Travelers, U.S. Open aftermath, and Olympics shut out BfB

It’s Friday! If you need to finish out your week with podcast segments on Carl Pettersson and Bart Bryant, you’ve come to the right place. This week-ending episode first discusses the tough conditions at Muirfield Village, where Jack’s voice in the room can influence the typical Dart Board Tour setup. Brendan and Andy discuss how things could only get tougher over the weekend. The tougher conditions, however, did exacerbate the pace of play problem. There are also thoughts on the initial play from Bryson, Spieth, Tony Finau, Pettersson, and Tiger. After a birthday wine giveaway and some news on Steph Curry, there’s probably a way-too-long segment on Pettersson, aka The Swedish Pancake and the Fan Vote Friday Jr. winner. It recounts his five-win career, his “fun” days in college, his weight loss that tanked his swing and subsequent weight gain, the Ryder Cup dilemma, and the anchor ban wrecking his career. A Flashback Friday segment focuses on Bart Bryant, the 2005 Memorial winner. The BB Gun’s career is put in perspective with some amusing quotes on his sudden rise in 2005.

17 Juli 20201h 1min

This Wednesday episode meanders about before an event with the strongest field ever on the PGA Tour tees off in Columbus. This quickly devolves into a discussion about branded golf courses and sports team golf courses, a nice compliment to last week’s discussion of zoo golf courses. A featured groupings discussion leads to criticism of the Tour’s decision not to lean into the entertainment of conflict and put Brooks and Bryson in the same group. Fan Vote Friday Jr. returns which leads to a discussion on the whereabouts of the Swedish Pancake and a player with a name that evokes “sailor or pirate.” There’s also discussion on the benefits of Norway, per a discussion once with a Norwegian. Another Wednesday charity match is praised as Tony Finau and Jon Rahm face off against two Euro stalwarts. News focuses on a potential quarantine problem with players going from the Safeway to the U.S. Open, the overanalysis of Tiger’s return, and Marty Sleeps rising from his slumber to talk about reining in distance. This ends with a digression on American baseball stadiums.

14 Juli 202043min

The PGA Tour is not only Back on the Tee, it is on an incredible hot streak in this Return to Golf. Brendan and Andy offer their initial reactions to another fantastic Sunday, the best Sunday since golf Returned and maybe the best of the season. They discuss Collin Morikawa’s incredible play on a day of leaderboard jostling with Justin Thomas and whether Morikawa has greater staying power compared to some of his young contemporaries. They question if JT has a little scar tissue given some of the Sunday finishes this year or if there is a Curse of Geronimo. Muirfield Village’s first week is also praised and week two, with the addition Beefy Bryson, is pondered. There is, of course, a segment on the fact that this incredible action was streaming only and the fact that any other major sport would not abide that. Marc Warren’s win is praised as is Chicago’s own David Lipsky’s win on the KFT. News focuses on a troubling development at the WGC Swampass, where the Tour is altering its rules to try and fill out the field. Lastly, Andy argues mason jars should and will replace all cups.

12 Juli 202058min

This Friday episode begins with a ramble on whether the PGA Tour is doing enough to capture the wider sports fan’s attention as it appears other sports, like college football, are in peril. A Canadian amateur legend is shouted out before the early play from the Workday Charity Open is reviewed. Andy praises the slower green speeds permitting some pin placements that provide real break at a degree rarely seen on the PGA Tour. Collin Morikawa’s play is praised, a meaningless stat about Phil is panned, and the concept of a Covid positive Scarlet Letter pairing is questioned. In news, the Ryder Cup move is discussed in the context of a quote from Trevor Immelman about golf being a big, happy family working together to re-arrange schedules. But would a Presidents Cup this fall bump a planned Ryder Cup next year if it were the other way around? Brooksy’s steroids GIF is discussed in the context of a Tour that does its players no favors when it comes to clarity and uniformity on testing in various forms, from equipment to drugs. Flashback Friday hits on the 2001 winner at the Deere, David Gossett, a phenom who famously flamed out but sounds like an all-around great human.

10 Juli 202058min

It’s Workday Charity Open week, but first Brendan has to get some behind-the-scenes detail from Andy on the long-awaited cold brew tutorial finally being made. There’s also a short segment at the top relaying listener notes on Slovakian amateur golf, the Bob Karlsson Classic, and golf courses that abut zoos after the Monday note about giraffes watching you over a wall at Rackham in Detroit. On the tournament in Columbus, they discuss the course setup tweaks to try and bring some variety to the challenge of playing a venue two weeks in a row. Will the Tour do enough to actually spice it up from week to week? Andy gives out the “event of the week” to an event where Quad Love once made his mark. In news, they double back on Bryson’s double down comments on the cameras filming him for too long and his plea that we all just focus on “human progress.” Then Women’s British getting the greenlight in a “bio secure zone” is praised before a last second one-and-done picks signoff.

8 Juli 202045min

It’s a Bryson-heavy Monday episode, as Brendan and Andy first thank all their sponsors for the opportunity to podcast. Bryson’s win in Detroit is reviewed and some larger questions are asked about what this approach might yield at the majors and if this is another flashing light for the USGA to do something. But much appreciation is rained on the Thicc Boi for completely overhauling his body and a few theories are offered for the spark moments that maybe provoked that overhaul. It wasn’t all good for Bryson on the weekend, and there is a critical panning of his comments on “privacy” and protecting the players while they’re filmed on the course. Less time is spent on the comments, which are obviously bad, and more is spent on fears that coverage, given the current power structure with the Tour’s media partners, may continue to be whitewashed to the overall detriment of the product. Matthew Wolff’s Rickie-inspired outfit and Rickie-esque start to Sunday (and strong finish) are discussed. There’s also a follow-up on Bubba’s charity match from Wednesday and his personal evolution and a follow-up on Rackham, thanks to a reader note about animals at the zoo, which the course borders, impacting play.

6 Juli 202056min

This Friday episode begins with an apology wrapped in a rant about backlash over amusement at the 3-1-3 Challenge. Brendan makes it clear he is not now, nor has he ever been, against charity and that it was clearly never an anti-charity point. That said, we are a little old ace away from two players converting on the 3-1-3. Also, a member from Detroit Golf Club relays a tale of an actual 3-1-3 happening there. There’s further backboard discussion with intel from said member. Doc Redman and Bryson’s impressive opening rounds are highlighted, as is Rocket Rickie getting activated after a week off dealing with blisters. This prompts great confusion in Andy about blisters and Brendan to wonder if it’s a long-term sponsor play. Then SGS announces a new activation of its own, born out of one of the podcast’s great stupidities and ongoing discords. In news, the U.S. Women’s Open exemptions are discussed as is John Peterson poking his head up to pop Thicc Boi. Andy closes with a Flashback Friday segment on the origins of Rackham Golf Course and its history and significance in the Detroit golf scene.

3 Juli 202049min

This rollicking Wednesday episode begins with a birthday shoutout and an odd discussion on couples going by one merged name. Also, an MLGT shared title due to Covid restrictions on a sudden death playoff is questioned. Then Brendan and Andy get to the golf, or some of it, by running through the schedule for the week, including the “you won’t believe” par-5 out in Colorado at the KFT event. For the Rocket Mortgage Classic, they discuss featured groups in a weaker field, some one-and-done picks, Bryson’s obscene caloric intake that he disclosed on Tuesday and his comments about the Ross design being obsoleted by his gainz. Also addressed, of course, are the apparent backboards set up as signage all over an event that is known in these parts as the PMI Backboard Classic after last year’s outrageous infrastructure setup. The absurdity of the 3-1-3 charity challenge is discussed again, largely within the context of the potential insurance policy for it. Jordan Spieth’s comments that it’s easier to win without fans are debated. Then they get to a more serious matter and that’s the article by Brendan Quinn of The Athletic on the Tour and its marquee players missing opportunities by skipping “the Tour’s lone regular-season event held in a predominantly Black neighborhood.” A closing news segment further addresses the Sunday bombshell of the USGA rights change with a few insights after asking around about how exactly this happened.

1 Juli 202056min