A TGL opening night content bonanza, amusements, and impressions

The PGA Tour is off this week but the Shotgun Start marches on with a preview episode and a conspiracy theory for why the Tour might be off -- it involves a quid pro quo with a certain brokerage firm. A diversion into a fantastic Daniel Chopra story leads to a discussion and a ranking of the national chain pizza joints. The event of the week will not be televised but Andy runs through some names trying to get through KFT Q school second stage. This is also the week Presidents Cup picks will be made and the two argue for who should be there (NOT Jason Day) and who will be there after Tiger and Ernie add four players to each side. In news, they discuss the Davis Love III-to-CBS announcement from last week, Greg Norman’s unrequited letter writing, and Rory’s attempt to clarify his comments on European Tour courses being too easy.

6 Nov 20191h

After an extended break, Brendan and Andy return to discuss a joyous weekend of winners in the world of golf. They begin with Rory McIlroy’s WGC victory in China, crediting him with winning the first ever (and newly created) LUP Slam, a more prestigious offshoot of the Grand Slam or Tiger Slam. This also provokes a discussion on if this win, or any non-major win, matters anymore for a talent like Rory. Then the celebration of Brendon Todd occurs, as well as a calling onto the carpet of the haters and doubters. Todd’s wander in the wilderness and return from the full-blown yips is explained and appreciated. On the LPGA, they discuss the awkward situation of a caddie looping against his fiancee in a Sunday final pairing and playoff. On the Champions Tour, they applaud Monty’s Mountain Dew-fueled tournament course record and proclaim an increased interest in the Schwab Cup finale. In news, the controversy over Christina Kim calling a penalty on two playing partners at LPGA Q Series is reviewed and debated. The episode ends with a lengthy and angry dissection of the two horrible football teams that made an otherwise good Sunday in golf maddening at the end.

4 Nov 20191h 7min

A Wednesday episode begins with a rundown of the schedule for the week. Brendan and Andy start with the WGC in China, which has a deep-ish field despite the current best player in the world playing the opposite field event. They discuss why this WGC feels low stakes and some of the issues with the host course. Then the opposite field event in Bermuda is put squarely in the crosshairs. The list of journeymen, brake-pad salesmen, and odd collection of misfit toys in the field is discussed, provoking a larger point about the WGC system and questioning the existence of this Bermuda event. The episode wraps with the second annual Shotgun Start Halloween costume brainstorm session, producing some truly inane and unique golf costume ideas that almost no one on the planet will get.

30 Okt 20191h 7min

The weekend is over but Tiger is a winner again, completing a dominant four rounds at the Tour’s first ever event in Japan. Before getting to Tiger’s chase for records that may or may not matter, the Browns and Bears get their lashings and Andy confides he might have set a record himself this weekend: time spent at The Woods Jupiter. Then the Zozo is given the treatment: the badass trophy, what they liked most about Tiger’s showing, what it means for 2020, and the staying power of this newcomer event. The fan-less Saturday and the Live Under Par 150-yard par-4 are also discussed. In news, they hit on CBS ousting Peter Kostis and Gary McCord and revel in Kostis’ sign off statement that he was heading to UPS for his courier needs. News also hits on Brooksy’s (and Jena’s) Halloween costume and the PGA Tour confirming there will be on-site gambling next year.

28 Okt 201941min

This Friday episode begins with a chat on Tiger Woods’ season-opening round in Japan and if he’s now a comp to Jon Rahm. After running through some updated results, Brendan and Andy hit on news, discussing the reduced Bio Kim suspension, a 15-year-old winning an OWGR event, and Bryson’s big beef-up. This leads to a hypothetical of Bryson doing the pommel horse at the Olympics and not golf, as well as the sport that he might be worst at in competition. Then they return to their over-unders for 2020, running through Rory, Tiger, Hovland, a spinal-fusion duo, and J.J. Henry. A failed attempt to sign off for the weekend ends with Andy, who is down in Jupiter for the weekend, reviewing The Woods and also contemplating a trip to The Big Easy restaurant.

25 Okt 20191h 1min

This punchy Wednesday episode includes an all-time story about Andy purportedly getting hit by a bike, so hang in there for that. The non-golf opening includes a discussion on Bears starting QB odds for next year and why Illinois’ revenue sports can’t keep talent at home. In golf matters, the schedule for the week segment begins with praise for the Zozo Championship bringing PGA Tour golf to Japan. This leads to a discussion of how this course was chosen -- proximity to the airport, allegedly -- and the fact that there are escalators on courses in Japan. The European Tour’s event in Portugal is spotlighted as the last chance for Euro Tour players to earn their card for next year. On the LPGA, the event in Korea is discussed as well as the Q Series at Pinehurst, which gives college players a shot to earn a card while also missing tons of school. Then we run through an amusing over-unders game for the season hitting on some stars like Spieth, Bryson, Brooks, Rickie, and others. The episode wraps with a review of the Skins Game -- what stunk, what worked, the phony “needle,” and what formats would be best at the next experiment.

23 Okt 20191h 6min

A shortened Monday podcast begins with Brendan and Andy trying to record while also watching the Bears and Mitch Trubisky unraveling against the Saints. But there is some solace from Saturday, where Andy’s alma mater pulled off the second biggest upset in Big Ten history. Then in golf matters, the two react to Justin Thomas winning the CJ Cup for the second time in three years and what it might mean for the upcoming year. Nicolas Colsaerts’ win at the French Open is an occasion to dig up some delightful quotes from the “Belgian Bomber.” They recall how he up and left the PGA Tour while he still had his card, his thoughts on living in America and eating the same chicken caesar salad over and over, and his partying ways in Europe that make him a favorite in the Euro Tour locker room. In news, they discuss Matt Every’s 12-week suspension for cannabis, Brooksy’s WD in Korea, and Tiger’s return to Japan. The pre-Skins game recording means a discussion of that event will come on Wednesday's episode.

21 Okt 201933min

This Friday episode begins with a Happy Birthday wish to Ernie Els, Andy’s idol. There’s also a brief discussion of his Presidents Cup roster and one particular star that might be apathetic about team building. Then we get to the Brooks Koepka comments on the lack of a rivalry with Rory McIlroy, discussing both sides, dismissing both sides, and just walking away happy that these quotes exist. The new battlefield promotion on the PGA Tour’s international tours only angers and frustrates. Then the Ryder Cup ticketing fiasco is put in the crosshairs, as we recount the process that seemed to infuriate much of the American golf fan base. A “Penalty Box” segment reviews three odd and extreme penalty situations from the last week, including the 58-strokes assessed in the Senior LPGA event. Flashback Friday takes us down a Skins Game memory lane, throwing out some of the, uh, underwhelming names that made it into the event before it died off around 2008. Then an infamous Skins Game is given the blow-by-blow treatment, catching Tiger in a blatant self-contradiction.

18 Okt 201958min